《Spectacular World》


 Chapter One: The First Page Turns

    Alexander Lauren really hated the cold.


    It bit and nipped at every exposed patch of skin despite his attempts to bundle up, and the fierce winds didn¡¯t help. The sea was turbulent, threatening to swallow the small fishing boat and drag them to the frigid depths below, and a stinging rain whipped at a horizontal angle, soaking them all to the bone.


    His wife had warned him not to go out on the ocean during the winter, but the month had honestly started off rather warm and cozy. His captain had practically demanded they go on a month-long trip, and he, defying his wife''s caution, had agreed.


    As if the weather itself were out to get him, though, it didn¡¯t take long for the blue sky above to turn pitch black, and he found himself in this situation. Every day, it seemed to get worse and worse.


    ¡°Remind me again why we have to be out here in this weather,¡± he grumbled.


    His friend Marcus just gave him a sad smile. ¡°What can I say, Alex? We drew the short stick. You know how it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that the game was rigged from the start.¡± He scowled. Even back when he lived in the boonies, he often found himself in the water. Fishing was something he and his dad used to do. After moving to the big city and starting his new life, he had no reason to change that pastime, even turning it into a job. ¡°Damn storm,¡± he cursed the heavens. ¡°At least let me find something good if you¡¯re going to throw this at me!¡±


    ¡°We could always steal some of the lifeboats and head back to the mainland.¡± Marcus joked.


    ¡°As much as I like that idea, I¡¯ll have to veto it. I need the money.¡±


    His hands were pale and shivering as he worked, pulling up yet another empty cage. Getting work as a deep-sea fisherman was getting harder and harder with each passing day as the oceans were depleted of their bountiful stock, and even here, he was having trouble getting enough to break even. It didn¡¯t help that the bigger ships, the ones owned by actual companies, did their jobs on a far bigger scale.


    Marcus gave a depressed sigh when he saw the empty cage they pulled up. They were a small crew of six, and of the six of them, over the course of nearly three months, only two of them had even managed to catch anything of note. Their job wasn¡¯t just to catch fish but also things like sunken ships and long-forgotten salvage.


    ¡°Maybe the others will have better luck than us,¡± Marcus suggested.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Alexander replied with a doubtful note in his voice. The two of them got to work throwing out their nets and cages, checking on the sails, and making sure everything was set as it should be. His phone began to buzz loudly, making him groan.


    ¡°Your wife?¡± Marcus asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°Think you can hold the ship down for a bit?¡±


    ¡°I''ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Hauling the cage back onto the deck, he muttered a curse to himself and made for the cabin. He had to struggle against the wind to shut the door, but he eventually managed to do it. The others, including the captain, were all huddled around a table; a bottle of cheap whiskey opened as the men played some sort of card game. He shushed them when they saw him as he grabbed his phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Are you coming back yet?¡± He nearly winced as he heard his wife''s annoyed voice on the other line. He loved her to death, but he loved getting in a massive haul just as much.


    He took a moment to warm up by the heater in the ship and let his clothes dry a bit. ¡°Yeah.¡± He finally said. "I think I¡¯m going to be finishing up here.¡± He gave his boss a dirty look, who had the decency to look at least a little ashamed of himself.


    ¡°Find anything?¡± His wife asked in a blunt tone.


    ¡°Nah.¡±


    ¡°Alexander!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. You told me so.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, what were you thinking? It was just last week that those Sinicorp ships began searching those very waters! Did you really think that with how advanced and big their boats are, you¡¯d find something they missed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I just figured that maybe we could¡ª" He thankfully never had to think up the rest of his flimsy excuse, as a few moments later, a bell rang through their cabin, causing them all to freeze. The table the crew was crowded around was practically knocked over as the men stood up suddenly. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back,¡± he mumbled, hanging up on his wife. He¡¯d regret that later when he got home, but something big just happened.


    They finally found something.


    All of them made their way out into the cold weather and crowded around Marcus, who was crouched near the edge of the ship, reeling something in. ¡°Take a look, boys,¡± the man said, giving a wide grin for once.


    The heavens seemed to finally smile down on all of them. Bobbing in the water, nearly as big as he was tall, he spotted it. Sleek and metal, looking brand new, it was enough to make him whistle. Some kind of engine to a big boat, he¡¯d reckon¡ªa brand-new one at that, judging by how clean the thing was. It was crystal clear, almost like glass; it reflected everything around it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The captain muttered, having to squint his eyes just to see it.


    As it got closer, though, Alex began to worry. It didn¡¯t look like an engine¡ªor at least none that he was familiar with. It was a large ball. Perfectly round, the silver of its metal had caught his eye, and the sound it made when it lightly hit the side of his ship suggested it was hollowed out.


    He, along with three others, went to pull it out of the water. They all almost stumbled back as they raised it. The thing was so light that only one of them needed to hold it¡ªthat person ended up being him. His arms were just barely wide enough to wrap around the strange metal ball as he placed it down on the deck of the ship, and they all stared at it.


    They looked it over and didn¡¯t notice any dents, tears, or hatches. It was just a perfectly-made metal ball. When they shook it, they didn¡¯t hear anything shaking inside of it, despite the fact that it was light and likely hollowed out.


    ¡°Who the hell decided to make a big metal ball?¡± The captain asked.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Some nut job artist?¡± He joked back. A part of him even felt a little bad about taking it. Given its state, the thing was clearly brand new. Still, while it might be empty, the metal would have to be worth something. It was too light to be iron, but it still held strong as he tried to put a light dent in it, doing more damage to his hammer. Whoever built it must have used some expensive materials.


    He never even noticed the faint blue light as his palm rubbed against it, the shine fading away just in time for him to miss it.


    ¡°What do we do with it?¡± Marcus asked.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have the tools to just open it up, and I¡¯d like to have someone look at it first.¡± The captain sighed.


    ¡°I know a guy,¡± Alex suggested. ¡°When we get back home, I have a buddy who has some advanced tools from when he used to work for Sinicorp. I could give him a call and have him look at it. At the very least, he could figure out what the metal is made of.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± the captain said with a wide grin. "I think we just made the bank, boys!¡±


    ***


    The last thing Jane Lauren expected when her husband''s truck pulled into the driveway of their home was for him to return with something.


    In the back of his truck, chained down, was a strange metal sphere. The ball was made from a strange silver metal and was almost fully reflective, showing off the many cars that drove by on the road and sending glimmers of light in all directions.


    ¡°So, what exactly, pray tell, did you bring home this time, darling?¡± His wife''s voice sounded innocent, but he knew her long enough to know that she wanted a good answer.


    Jane was a beautiful woman. With long black hair and a set of simple blue eyes hidden behind her glasses, she was stunning. Alex knew he was lucky to have her. He himself wasn¡¯t anything to look at. Big, gruff, and hairy, with wild black hair and a massive bushy beard that she had been begging him to shave off.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s one of those time capsule things that kids like to fill up, though this one seems empty.¡± He parked the truck and got out, knocking on the side of the orb.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± His wife asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found a way to crack the damn thing.¡± He explained. He picked it up from the back of his truck, grunting a little at the awkward shape, as he walked past her and into the garage door, which was already opened. The thing was too long to fit on any of his tables, plus it would likely roll off, so he ended up setting it down in a corner, stopping its escape by throwing a shoe in front of it, which was enough to keep the thing from rolling.


    ¡°So, if you haven¡¯t been able to open it and you think it¡¯s empty, then how much could it really be worth?¡± Jane asked, frowning a little as she followed her husband out of the rain and into the garage.


    Alex hummed and gave her a shrug, which didn¡¯t help ease her nerves. ¡°Honestly, I''m not too sure. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t every day you find a time capsule.¡± Jane snorted.


    ¡°Not that.¡± He once again placed his hand on the metal. "It¡¯s... well, just come look at it closer. The metal is thin and light, enough that it didn¡¯t sink, yet it¡¯s also tough. I¡¯m clueless about what it¡¯s even made of, but it¡¯d have to be something expensive. Even if it is empty, I could sell it to someone to reuse or sell it as a neat art piece.¡±


    Jane frowned as she examined it closer. ¡°Yeah, it is a little weird.¡± Her palm tingled as she lightly touched the thing.


    A bright blue glow streamed out from where her hand touched it, and she jerked away, stepping back. There was a loud buzzing noise that suddenly filled the garage, and instinctively, Alex threw himself in front of his wife. The noise finally died down, and then, with a faint click, a line appeared across the ball, and suddenly, the thing was split in two from top to bottom, the top half lifting up by some hinge.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Jane asked.


    A bright blue light burst forth from the now-opened ball, and Alex stood there, his eyes wider than they had ever been. ¡°I... I... It¡¯s...¡± He stuttered for several seconds in shock.


    Jane was frozen to the spot for several seconds, unable to see past her husband. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± She squeaked out. Then she heard it. The cries of a baby finally registered with her. She stormed past her husband and saw it. Resting within the strange metal container, wriggling in a pile of fluffy lilac blankets, a young baby girl was crying.


    Slowly and gently, Jane pulled the baby out of the container. Alex stepped closer to it, a surreal feeling washing over him. ¡°How?!¡± He said, disbelief clear in his voice. ¡°I mean, that thing was closed for several days straight, and it- It was in the water! I shook it, and I- It couldn¡¯t have been in there before.¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Jane whispered, though whether she was talking to him or the baby, he didn¡¯t know, as she gently rocked the child. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Alexander looked back into the pod in shock. There was nothing in it besides the blanket. No crib or anything like that. It was totally hollow.


    He looked down at the baby¡¯s face; its piercing blue eyes met him. The same set of eyes his wife had. And her black hair was already a little messy and curled like his own. Then she giggled, and Alex made his mind up.


    They had moved to the living room after hastily covering the metal ball with a tarp. As soon as they had taken the child out of it, the thing had sealed back shut, and they¡¯d been unable to get it to reopen once more. He regretted not pulling the blankets out of it when he had the chance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s coming for her.¡± Alex sighed. He honestly didn¡¯t know what he had been expecting when he saw the child. Part of him kept waiting for the shoe to drop, for the guys in suits to bust in and announce they needed her, but seconds turned to minutes, which turned to a few hours.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Jane asked softly, though there was a tone of mild venom in her voice. If she found the monster that placed a baby in a container and dunked it in the ocean, she didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do to them.


    Jane sat across from him, holding the child, who had finally managed to fall asleep once she wrapped it up tight in a blanket and rocketed it gently back and forth. ¡°I don¡¯t think the child was in there.¡± He muttered quietly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I told you already that I shook that thing so damn much that if there had been a child in there...¡± He trailed off, shaking his head. ¡°Not to mention the freezing cold. I¡¯m certain that thing was empty. Whatever it was, that baby just appeared.¡± His nerves jumped at the smallest noise.


    ¡°What do you think that strange glow was?¡± Jane looked down at the child. She was unsure what to think. Those eyes, just as blue as hers, melted her heart, though. They had tried for a baby once.


    It hadn''t worked out¡­


    ¡°What happens now?¡± Alex asked softly, collapsing onto the couch next to her and wrapping an arm around his wife.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about getting rid of her, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jane asked, causing him to wince. ¡°You want to hand her over to an orphanage or to whoever put her in that thing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°You thought it, though.¡±


    Alexander sat there quietly. He couldn¡¯t help but crack a half-smile when he realized his wife was still glaring at him. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to fabricate something if we go through with this.¡± He chuckled. ¡°We need a birth certificate for her and a damn good story for your parents and mine.¡±


    Jane smiled down at the child. Her smile faded, though, when she saw the first hint of the glow. It was coming from the baby. A low, orangish light seemed to shine just behind the baby¡¯s eyes. She stood up quickly, causing the baby to shake and jerk. Much to Jane¡¯s horror, the blanket the child was wrapped in came undone, and it slipped right out.


    Alex jumped forward, wrapping his arms around the child just in time as he crashed to the floor. He barely had time to move his head out of the way as the light reached its peak. Then, in a flash, it happened as she burped¡ªa raging blast of red-hot fire spilled from the child¡¯s eyes!


    The flame blasted up toward the roof of their house, and the entire room was swamped in an orange light. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long, and soon, the glow began to get dimmer and dimmer before the child''s eyes closed, and it let out a soft giggle, small pillars of black smoke rising off her face.


    ¡°Jesus!¡± Alex whispered as he stared up at the blackened hole that went through his roof.


    Jane slowly processed what she was seeing before she looked back down at the child, who had drifted into slumber.


    ¡°This might be harder than we thought.¡±

 Chapter Two: A Girl Named Hope

    ¡°Earlier today, Avalon Industries found itself turned into a battle zone when the terrorist group known as Zoo arrived. At the moment, the damages are still being discovered, but the worst was prevented when Victorian arrived on the scene, causing the members of Zoo to-¡±


    Hope didn¡¯t get to hear whatever the newswoman would have said as the video on her phone was suddenly paused when someone yanked the cord to her headphones out.


    ¡°Hey! I was watching that!¡± She grumbled.


    ¡°Well, excuse me for trying to help.¡± Her friend Armin stood to the side, his arm stopping her from walking any further. ¡°You were about to miss the turn.¡± Her shrug made him sigh and roll his eyes, giving her a half-grin. ¡°What were you watching anyway, Hope?¡±


    She pocketed her phone as they turned down the street and continued on their way to school. ¡°The Victorian.¡± That was all she needed to say.


    ¡°Another disaster.¡± Armin groaned.


    ¡°Yeah. A bunch of bad guys tried to pull off a heist. Thankfully, she was there to stop it.¡±


    The boy snorted, nodding his head. ¡°Well, I could have told you that. She always saves the day.¡±


    She had to agree with her friend, though she used that word loosely. Armin was more like a brother to her. He was a kid that her mother used to babysit for extra cash. The two of them had taken up banding together and walking to school; this day was no different.


    He was a nice enough boy, if a little bit odd. Armin had that typical nerdy look. Curly brown hair and a face full of freckles. His bright eyes came off as childish due to the oversized round glasses he wore, and he was all skin and bones, but he still managed to have a bit of a chubby belly somehow.


    Though she wasn¡¯t in a position to make fun of him, her own body wasn¡¯t much better. She was awkwardly tall and almost too skinny, not having any muscle, and her chest was flatter than a board. Her black hair was a tangled mess, falling just past her shoulders, and her blue eyes were so childlike behind broken and crooked glasses that nearly dropped off her face.


    She looked almost nothing like her mother, something she was reminded of every time she looked into a mirror.


    ¡°So, you ever get that new Victorian game?¡± Armin¡¯s question halted her thoughts.


    ¡°Nah. You know money has been tight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I hear it''s a good one.¡± They finally arrived at school and began to push through the crowd of other kids. ¡°So, my parents are heading out of town sometime this week, and I was thinking of throwing a party. You in?¡± Armin asked as they stopped at her locker.


    She folded her arms and scoffed. ¡°By party, you mean just me and you, right? ''Cause you know no one else is going to show up.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t know that. I could turn up the charm and get a couple of cheerleaders or the football team. At the very least, a few of those theater kids.¡± Armin tried to give her what he might have thought was a seductive look, but it only caused her to shudder.


    ¡°You and Charm don¡¯t go together.¡± Armin gasped and grabbed at his chest as if faking a wound, making her chuckle.


    ¡°You wound me so. You in, though?¡± He asked, folding his arms and giving her one of his weird stares.


    ¡°Yeah, I can hang out this week. What movie are we going to be watching? I can¡¯t think of any new ones releasing off the top of my head.¡±


    Armin never got a chance to respond, as a loud yell cut through the crowd around them, causing everyone to suddenly stop what they were doing.


    ¡°I said let me go, Kev!¡±


    ¡°Tell me who you cheated on me with!¡±


    Oleander Bay was a typical high school. It had things like a band and a football team, as well as a cheerleading squad, and like all schools, it had its fair share of bullies.


    Kevin Buckle was a tall eighteen-year-old attending his final semester of high school. If you were to think of the image of a jock, he would likely come to mind. He was tall and buff, and he was one of the best quarterbacks their school had seen. He was also handsome, with slick blonde hair and green eyes; most girls pined after him.


    Currently, he had ¡®his¡¯ girl pressed against a locker. Ashley Numen, head of the cheerleaders, was sometimes called the Queen Bee. Tall, with long blonde hair, she had seemingly pissed Kevin off.


    Hope gripped her hands into a fist, but she sighed when she felt Armin¡¯s hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Her friend hissed. ¡°He¡¯s the last guy you want to get on the bad side of.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know...¡± She felt bad as she turned away from the scene and did her best to ignore it. She couldn¡¯t help but listen in, though.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re seeing people behind my back. I saw you making out with that kid at Trev¡¯s party last week!¡± Kevin growled. ¡°Tell me which punk it is! I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Not a single soul seemed like they would step up and help Ashley. Everyone pretended not to notice, fearing what he would do to them if this was the way he treated someone he had claimed to ¡®love.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anyone else, you psycho.¡± Ashley sharply whispered at him, though she was stuck, unable to push past him, the locker digging into her back. ¡°Besides, what does it matter even if I was? We broke up, jerk-¡±


    ¡°We were still together at that party.¡± Kevin stated.


    Ashley glared back at him, her jaw clenching. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous, knowing he was better than you.¡±


    Kevin looked as if he was about to murder the girl, raising his arm up. He never got a chance to, though, as a backpack suddenly nailed him in the back of the head.


    It wasn¡¯t often that a hallway full of teenagers would be silent, but this was one of those rare times. Kevin turned slowly, his eyes settling on the small, at least compared to him, raven-haired fifteen-year-old girl who had just forfeited her life. ¡°She asked you to leave her alone, jerk.¡± Hope prayed that her gulp wasn¡¯t heard.


    Kevin, despite being roughly the size of a small gorilla, was shockingly fast. He had reached her before she could even attempt to get her arms up for a punch. She let out a yelp as he literally picked her up by the jacket and smashed her into the locker, causing her to hiss out in pain.


    ¡°Stay in your lane, Lauren.¡± Kevin instructed, growling in Hope''s face. Her nose wrinkled, and she felt tears in her eyes. His breath was terrible. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Dude, what did you eat?¡±


    The football player let out a roar and pulled his arm back. She quickly prayed to God, wanting to be reborn as a stunning supermodel in her next life. Thankfully, the big man up stairs seemed to answer her prayers, as before Kevin could throw the punch, a loud bell tolled through the building, and the doors to many of the classrooms began to open, with teachers no doubt stepping out.


    Kevin¡¯s eyes locked onto the coach of his team, who wasn¡¯t close enough to see what was going on just yet.


    The jock froze for a second before he gritted his teeth. ¡°Next time I see you, Lauren, you¡¯re dead.¡±


    Her landing was hard as he dropped her to the floor and turned, stumbling past everyone, followed by his flunkies. No one bothered to help her, not even Armin, which hurt a little. He did, however, get her backpack, handing it over.


    ¡°Was that a bad idea?¡± She asked sheepishly.


    ¡°You might want to chill out. At this rate, I¡¯ll have to pick what flowers to bring to your funeral.¡± Armin sighed.


    ¡°I had it all under control.¡± She said defensively.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I kept track of the time. I knew the bell was going to ring. I just needed to stall him for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the truth!¡±


    Armin just gave her a grin, helping her up. ¡°We should get to class.¡±


    ***


    The school day soon came to an end, just like any other, as the bell rang. She slowly walked down the stone steps and out onto the sidewalk, feeling the cool air blow through her hair.


    ¡°Flyers!¡± A man on the sidewalk yelled. He was a dirty man with a heavily stained trench coat and foul odors coming off of him. It seemed to creep all the kids out as he waved at them, and already the security around the school was trying to drag him off. ¡°Take yer flyers! The end of the world is coming! I¡¯m telling y¡¯all! The government is hiding it. Birds are cameras!¡± The man waved at the kids as they came out, throwing flyers at them.


    ¡°That¡¯s like the ninth time I¡¯ve seen that guy. Think he¡¯s onto something?¡± Armin snorted.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Fully.¡± Hope joked. She waved at the birds just in case they were cameras.


    "So, do you want to hit the comic shop?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m riding with Mom to go see Dad.¡± She explained.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Armin nodded. ¡°Mind if I come? It¡¯s been a while since I last saw Mr. Lauren.¡±


    ¡°As long as Mom doesn¡¯t care, then sure.¡±


    Armin and her were only fifteen, soon to be sixteen, so neither of them owned a car and usually would either take the bus home or walk if they were feeling adventurous. Oleander wasn¡¯t too dangerous in the daytime, after all.


    Today, though, her mother was waiting for her in the school parking lot. She found the woman standing next to a very old and worn-down car that had been around since before she had even been born. Her mother smiled when she saw her. Jane Lauren was strict yet kind, and she was still very beautiful. Despite that, though, age and stress had worn on her, leaving her with dozens of grays in her hair and heavy black bags of exhaustion beneath her eyes.


    ¡°Hey, Mom!¡± Hope greeted, waving. ¡°Armin wanted to come. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. How have you been, Mr. Moore?¡± Her mother smiled, shaking his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten bigger since I last saw you. Have you been working out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been fine.¡± Armin shrugged. ¡°School¡¯s been hard, though. I ain¡¯t a freaking nerd like your daughter. And yeah, I¡¯ve been hitting the weights!¡± He tried to pose and flex his ¡®guns¡¯. He failed.


    She piled into the backseat next to Armin. ¡°So, we¡¯re going straight to see Dad?¡±


    ¡°I needed to stop by the bank first; you two are welcome to stay in the car. It shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡± Her mother said as they pulled out of the parking lot.


    She frowned for a second. ¡°Is it about the loan?¡± The way her mom¡¯s lip twitched downward at the mention confirmed her answer. ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the bank with you. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± Armin said, trying to sound supportive, but he was already playing games on his phone, only half paying attention to the world around him.


    The ride to the bank was mostly a boring one. Armin was too engrossed in some dating sim game, and her mother was too worried to talk to her. She owned a phone, but it wasn¡¯t a very good one, and most of her data was used up, so she made do by staring out the window and watching the clouds and the other faint colors that danced through the sky. Sometimes, she wondered what it would be like to fly up there.


    Soon enough, though, they arrived at the bank of Oleander. It was imposing and carved from white marble. Like something you¡¯d see in a show or movie, it was one of the oldest buildings left over from the city¡¯s early days.


    The sight of it reminded her of an anthill. There was a constant stream of people that flowed in and out, all dressed in suits. Her mother was well dressed like the others, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed at the fact she and Armin were still in scruffy clothes. She was wearing a t-shirt and jacket with shorts. She felt a bit childish in that moment.


    Despite that, though, she still entered with her mother. She wanted to support her mom anyway that she could.


    The inside of the bank was large, with lines of people waiting to have their turn at the counter. They found the shortest line and waited silently.


    And they waited.


    And they waited.


    And-


    ¡°Man, am I an adult yet?¡± Armin asked quietly, causing her to snort and get several nasty looks from the ¡®fancy¡¯ men in suits.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her mother said, wincing a little. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the crowds to be quite this big.¡±


    Armin waved the woman off, giving a grin. ¡°A little boredom never hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± She muttered. She couldn¡¯t stop fidgeting, and the need to do anything was growing stronger. ¡°At this point, I think I¡¯ll be dead before we get to the end of this line.¡±


    As soon as the words left her lips, it happened. As if some force out there wanted to make what she said come true, the bank began to shake. It was a deep rumble, one that caused several people to slip and fall as the walls shook.


    ¡°I think you jinxed us, Hope!¡± Armin yelled.


    Her mother nearly tripped, but Hope managed to catch the older woman. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She tried to hide the tremble in her voice but failed. She could feel her arms shaking, and even Armin looked queasy.


    Her mother gripped her tightly. ¡°I don''t know. Stay next to me.¡±


    The building shook more, and she gripped her mother¡¯s hand, staring around nervously. They weren¡¯t the only ones. The lights in the building had shut off, leaving them all in total darkness.


    Then it happened.


    The entire wall of the bank exploded inward, making everyone yell as they were thrown back. Suddenly, every piece of metal in the room began to slowly twitch and rise off the ground, making more people freak out. Bits of debris from the wall, or expensive belts and rings, all lifted up by an unseen force.


    All of them looked up as the ones responsible for this incident strolled into the room very casually. There were five of them in total, all dressed in what you might see a villain in a comic book wearing.


    Two security guards made for their weapons, but in a flash, one of the figures appeared behind them. The two men were suddenly smashed into the ground, the figure not even seeming to make any moves. Metal flew through the air, forming chains that began to wrap around all the men and Armin, who was gasping for air as the chains found their way around his throat and downed him. The women, however, didn¡¯t have that happen to them. Instead, metal shards took shape in the form of large knives that positioned themselves over their hearts, floating just inches away, keeping them all in place.


    She felt her face go pale. It hadn¡¯t stabbed her, nor her mother, or anyone for that matter, but it was close enough that if she made one wrong move, it would. The thing had already gotten through her jacket and shirt, and she could feel it brush her flesh. She regretted how much her legs were shaking, her mind filled with the fear of falling forward and impaling herself.


    ¡°Stay calm.¡± Her mother¡¯s voice snapped her out of it, and she felt the woman¡¯s hand grip on hers. Her mom smiled faintly despite everything as she tried to comfort her daughter. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Hope.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She said quietly. She took a calming breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Mom. Worry about yourself.¡± That was when ¡®he¡¯ entered.


    The ringleader stepped forward, his hand waving as the metal followed it. He was dressed almost like a knight. The kind you¡¯d see in a storybook, with deep black armor and a helmet that covered his head. ¡°Please, everyone, just stay calm. As soon as we have the money, we¡¯ll leave, and no one has to get hurt. However,¡± he turned, staring past the bulletproof glass and into the eyes of one of the bank workers who were behind it. ¡°In the event that you don¡¯t start bagging up the money for us, we will be forced to kill one person every minute.¡±


    ¡°Minute!¡±


    ¡°That minute has started.¡± The man in the armor bluntly stated. ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Hey guys, do what he says. He¡¯s serious, and this bulletproof glass won¡¯t keep him out if he really wants to get through. Go, get the money.¡± One of the workers, possibly the manager, instructed the rest of the crew.


    ¡°Oh, and of course, this goes without saying. Remove any traps that may or may not be within the cash.¡± The knight said in a cool tone.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Please be patient.¡±


    Loud sirens blared in the distance. ¡°Deal with them, Demonica.¡± The man in the armor commanded in a powerful and blunt tone.


    The one who had knocked out the guards appeared to be a woman. She had the figure of one, at least. She was dressed in a skintight black outfit that covered every inch of her from head to toe, the top of which oozed purple flames. In a flash, the woman vanished, reappearing at the doorsteps of the bank just in time to see dozens of cop cars pull up.


    One of the cops had time to see her. His eyes filled with horror as he went for his radio. ¡°Oh God, a member of Bad Timers! They¡¯re the ones that are here! Quick, someone call for the Enforcers-¡±


    In a flash, all the weapons the cops had were ripped from their hands, and the radios on their belts shattered. They found themselves in the handcuffs they carried, stuck around the door handles of their police cars.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Polaron...¡± Demonica hissed as she walked back into the bank. These weren¡¯t the only two, either. The man in the armor, apparently called Polaron, and the woman in black led a small group of three other freaks. One was completely covered in radios, even on his face, and the sound of a phone ringing constantly came out. The other one wore a pure white skin-tight suit, not showing a mouth or any facial features as he silently stood, unmoving.


    The last member, though... The last of the three goons could only be described as a monster. His skin was pure red, and he was taller than any man should have been. ¡°I¡¯m up next.¡± The red beast growled. Razor-sharp claws stabbed from his fingers. ¡°They¡¯re taking too long. I¡¯m going to eat one of them. Is that okay with you, Polaron?¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish, Mars King.¡± The man in the armor shrugged. ¡°Leave the men alive. They have value I could use later.¡±


    The red monster grinned and walked to the trapped hostages, who began to scream and cry. His eyes roamed over everyone. She felt as if her heart stopped then and there as the eyes settled on her. Thankfully, it moved on and landed on someone else. A little girl in the back with her father. ¡°She looks good.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The father tried to break out of the chains that were wrapped around him, but he couldn¡¯t move. More blades formed around the young girl, keeping her pinned in place as the monster reached for her.


    The red-skinned monster stopped when a backpack smacked him in the back of his head. Everyone stared in shock, even some of the villains, as Hope stood there with her arms outstretched. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick on someone your own size?¡±


    The beast stared at her, and she nearly tripped backwards. Her pale face caused the smirk on the creature to go wider, and it licked its lips, making her shiver. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I want to eat that one.¡± He stepped away from the little girl and began making his way right toward her.


    ¡°No!¡± Her mother yelled, but the beast ignored her and, with one hand, smacked the woman, throwing her out of the way.


    ¡°Mom!¡± She screamed in horror, watching as her mother crashed helplessly into a wall headfirst and collapsed; no one even attempted to help her. Armin was on the ground, trying to stand or maybe get some air, his fingers turning pale as he fought against the chains, but they kept dragging him back down.


    ¡°H- Hope. Run.¡± Her friend managed to gasp, but it was too late.


    She had time to see that monster¡¯s giant hand get ready to wrap around her entire head.


    The building once again shook; however, this time, it caught the bad guys off guard. ¡°...Damn it.¡± Polaron sighed, dejected. ¡°It looks like we weren¡¯t fast enough. ¡®She¡¯s¡¯ here.¡±


    The roof was blown apart as someone came crashing into the building with a powerful force. Everyone stared in shock, even Hope, her fear slowly fading away and being replaced with something else entirely.


    The woman stood tall, with golden hair. Dressed in a red and black outfit, a red cape flowed behind the hero. Sunlight formed in the palm of the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°When will you villains learn?¡± The woman quipped, her voice booming off the walls. Her eyes had a fire in them, literally as if they were stars.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Victorian!¡± Someone yelled. At this point, fear was gone, and the entire building was filled with a sense of safety. ¡°We¡¯re saved.¡±


    Everyone knew who the Victorian was. The strongest human in the world and leader of the Enforcers, the greatest superhero team.


    Hope stared up at the golden woman with wide eyes, watching as the woman helped her downed mother. With a wave of the woman¡¯s hand, her mother was gasping and sitting back up, fully healed. Hope¡¯s eyes were wide as she watched, and the hero seemed to meet her gaze, and for a moment, the woman smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all going to be okay.¡±


    The villains stared at the women, none daring to move. That proved to cost them, as seconds later, the hole in the roof expanded, and more people landed in the bank, all in colorful costumes. The bad guys were surrounded by the greatest superhero team in only a few moments.


    The Enforcers. A group made up of the ten strongest superheroes.


    The Victorian brought her hand up, and a burst of light so strong it blinded everyone in the room flashed from her palm. When it died down, the woman now held a sword forged from gold, bigger than even a car.


    The greatest superhero in the world. Light bent to her will. ¡°So, who¡¯s first?¡± The Victorian asked, tilting her head and giving them a sly smile. And with that, she got ready to repeat the same dance she had done every day¡ªthe dance of heroes and villains.


    And for just a second, Hope finally understood the meaning of her name.

 Chapter Three: A Dream Of Flying

    Humans have always had a strange addiction to telling stories. Poets, playwrights, and authors. They¡¯ve existed for just as long as humanity. Storytelling is a job that will likely never vanish off the face of the Earth.


    There is one piece of storytelling that addicts more than others, however.


    Heroes.


    They could be found everywhere. Tales of knights saving their kingdom, rebels fighting against tyrannical warlords, or even just simple cowboys fighting for what¡¯s right.


    When it comes to heroes, people can¡¯t seem to get enough of them. So much so that they needed more. The heroes themselves needed to be more.


    They needed to be Super...


    ¡°She was so cool, Dad! Like, I¡¯ve seen her on shows. I mean, I have her action figure, but this was different, like seeing her in person was-¡±


    ¡°Hope, you need air.¡± Alexander chuckled and reached up to pinch her cheek.


    She slowed down, her face red as she nodded, and took several deep gulps of air. It was a few hours after the bank incident. Due to everything that had happened, her mother never got to speak to anyone about that loan. That was okay, though. Or at least that¡¯s what Jane kept saying, but she could spot the worry behind her mother¡¯s eyes.


    She silently pushed her glasses further up her face and took in the sight of her dad. The hospital room was pretty bland; he used to get a ton of ¡®get well¡¯ stuff, but when weeks turned to months and those turned to years, people stopped asking for him to get better.


    He was once a big man, and she remembered that he would carry her on his shoulders. He was frail now, though. His beard was gone, as was most of his hair, and his eyes always looked tired, and there were so many wires¡ªtoo many¡ªall connected to him, weighing him down.


    Still, he had a large, goofy smile on his face as she sat on the bed next to him, and he held her like old times. Her mom and Armin were in the waiting room, so it was just her and her father.


    ¡°Mom and I are fine. The Victorian saved us.¡± She finally said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. I can¡¯t believe villains are still robbing banks in this day and age.¡± Her father sighed, shaking his head. ¡°When will people learn?¡±


    ¡°Where do you think it comes from?¡± The question caused her father to look back up at her. ¡°Their powers, I mean. Do you think they always had them, or did something happen to them? Why are some people heroes, and why do some people decide to be villains?¡±


    Alexander felt his mind race, and for a moment, he considered telling her the truth. The thing about the strange pod they had found and where she had really come from. Like always, though, he squashed that thought. He wasn¡¯t ready for it yet. He still wanted her to be his little girl for just a little longer. ¡°Why do you ask? You want superpowers?¡± He finally asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah! What kid wouldn¡¯t?¡± She said, rolling her eyes. ¡®But it¡¯s more than that.¡¯ It went unsaid, never leaving her lips.


    ¡°If you had powers, which side would you be on?¡± Her father joked, grasping her hands.


    ¡°Obviously, I¡¯d be a good guy.¡± She huffed, causing him to snort.


    ¡°Yeah. Obviously. What powers would you have?¡±


    ¡°Something that lets me fly. I¡¯d love to fly around the planet with Victorian, helping her kick evil¡¯s butt! Bad Timers would be the first thing we destroy!¡±


    Alexander''s grip got tighter around her hand as he chuckled once more. ¡°Well, sorry to say, but you¡¯re still a mere mortal like any of us. Besides, I don¡¯t think my heart could handle you doing something like that. Let¡¯s stick with just being a fan of the Victorian instead of her sidekick, okay? Oh yeah. I have good news.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She perked up at that.


    ¡°Do you know the superhero team called Reservoir?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re a group of heroes with water-based powers who work under the Ocean Empress; oh, she¡¯s a member of the Enforcers also and-¡±


    ¡°Air, Hope.¡± Her father reached up and flicked her on the nose. She breathed in deeply, and he broke into a fit of laughter. It took him a moment to calm down as he grinned. ¡°Well, Reservoir recently got a new member who has a healing-based ability. She lives in Lillian, but the hospital made a deal. She¡¯ll be stopping by in Oleander and trying to heal all the critical patients, and I¡¯m on the waiting list.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be able to leave!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± That caused her to go silent instantly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get your hopes up. We don¡¯t know if it will work, but she should be able to do something with any luck.¡±


    She reached down and gripped her father¡¯s hand, smiling as brightly as she could manage. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be sure to thank her when you¡¯re up and walking again.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure how long they had been there, but soon enough, it had gotten late, with the stars shining through the window. She was forced to say goodbye as a doctor came to give her father medication that would let him sleep despite the vast pain he was constantly in. She said bye to Armin as they dropped him off at his house, and soon enough, they arrived back at the small apartment that her mother called their home.


    They had been forced to sell their house early on into the bill issues. The apartment itself wasn¡¯t that bad in the grand scheme of things, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. It was a cramped space that had caused her nerves to boil more than once, but it was home.


    Her mom took the time to tuck her in, and it didn¡¯t take long for sleep to claim her. That night, she dreamed of soaring across the stars.


    Unknown to all of them, far away, in a storage locker where they had thrown most of their old junk, a small metal orb began to glow with a faint blue light...


    ***


    The bell tolled through the hallway, and students ran around in an effort to get seated.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Butts in seats.¡± The voice of Mr. Pluto, her favorite teacher, hollered.


    Mr. Pluto was a strict man, yet also kind to an extent. It wasn¡¯t that he was ever mean; it was just that he was tired all the time. His hair was always messy, and the black locks seemed filled with more gray every day.


    Today, though, Mr. Pluto wasn''t alone. Standing up front next to the man was a young sixteen-year-old boy. One with caramel skin and light brown hair.


    The teacher cleared his throat and began. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make this quick since I¡¯m tired. We got your tests back, and... They aren¡¯t good. Most of you won¡¯t be able to meet the grade average. I understand that things have been harsh these last few years, but I am still very disappointed in all of you.¡±


    As the man spoke, many of the kids looked away awkwardly as his eyes roamed the classroom.


    ¡°I expect you all to do better next time. In fact, only one of you managed to score above average. Of course, I¡¯m talking about our local hero nut, Ms. Lauren.¡± An awkward silence filled the classroom, and a quiet cough could be heard after a moment. ¡°I said... our very own Ms. Lauren.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s asleep in the back.¡± One student said awkwardly.


    In the back of the classroom, with her arms folded and her head face down, Hope Lauren tried to get in a few extra moments of sleep, going back to the dream world, where she got to fly around and fight crime with the world¡¯s greatest superhero.


    ¡°Wake up!¡± The teacher yelled, hitting the desk and causing her to let out a loud squeak as she shot up and tripped over her chair, falling back. She laughed nervously when she saw that everyone was looking down on her.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Pluto. Long time, no see. Am I in trouble?¡± She asked sheepishly. Her teacher stared blankly at her, causing her to shrink further into the ground.


    ¡°Now that sleeping beauty is awake, let¡¯s go ahead and start class.¡± The teacher said, moving back to the front of the room. He gestured to the boy, who was still standing awkwardly near the entrance of the room. ¡°Everyone, this is Kyle Brenner. He¡¯s your new classmate, so treat him nicely. Mr. Brenner, you can take a seat near the back next to Ms. Lauren. If she bites, we found that hitting her over the head a few times will get her to stop it.¡±


    Kyle laughed at that but stopped when he saw the teacher still had a serious look on his face. ¡°That was a joke, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So, like, has that happened before or-¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    She frowned as Kyle took a seat next to her. She eyed the new boy up for a moment. She had to admit that he was handsome. The kind that would join a popular clique in no time and likely even get Ashley to chase after him. Not her type, though.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t about to bite me, are you?¡± Kyle snorted, causing her to jump and look away.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering why someone would transfer to this school so late.¡± She shrugged. The year was almost over. Soon, it would be summer. There were only about three months of school left, so it was odd. Most people would likely enroll next year.


    ¡°My dad just moved, and he¡¯s sort of into staying in school.¡± Kyle explained, giving her a smirk. ¡°He¡¯d rather I stay in public view.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Public view? What do you-¡±


    ¡°Ms. Lauren, please refrain from talking while I¡¯m teaching.¡± Mr. Pluto barked. ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin today¡¯s lesson.¡±


    ***


    Once more, the day soon ended just like any other, as the bell rang. She felt exhausted as she slowly walked down the stone steps and out onto the sidewalk.


    Like always, the homeless man was back, already being dragged away by security as he screamed up a storm. ¡°The Emperor lives! He walks among us. Soon, his challenger will return! Very soon!¡±


    ¡°Think that guy will ever be arrested?¡± Armin asked. Her and Armin didn¡¯t share any classes, so they only got to see each other either during lunch or when school got out, which wasn¡¯t too bad. She liked privacy every now and then.


    ¡°He¡¯s not hurting anyone. Besides, with a few more lines, I think I can create a bingo game out of the threats that he yells. Anyways, we didn¡¯t get to yesterday ¡®cause of the bank, but are you up for the comic shop?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait up.¡± A voice called out, causing her to nearly trip mid-step down the stairs. She turned to find Kyle pushing his way through the crowd of students and making his way towards her.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the new guy?¡± Armin asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°And he wants to talk to you?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°What deal with the devil did you make?¡± He asked, shooting her a look.


    ¡°Cut it out.¡± She jabbed her friend in the ribs. ¡°Uh,''sup, new kid.¡± She said dumbly when the boy finally reached her.


    Kyle gave her a slight grin, stuffing his hands in his pocket. ¡°You two walking home together?¡± He asked, shooting a look at her and Armin. ¡°If you are, I¡¯d love to tag along if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    For a moment, Armin looked as if he was about to say something, but a loud buzz pierced the air, and the boy winced, going for his phone and reading a text. ¡°I forgot something in school. Hey, Hope, head out without me. Be cool, okay.¡± He nudged her in the ribs, being met with a blank stare from the girl before he ran off, leaving her helpless in front of the new kid.


    ¡°Well, that was odd.¡± Kyle raised an chuckled. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just me and you.¡±


    ¡°You want to walk with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to talk with you, actually, but I guess we¡¯ll be walking too.¡± Kyle grinned.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Kyle pointed at her chest. ¡°I like your shirt. I guess that was enough.¡±


    She looked down and felt her face turn red. She was wearing her Enforcers shirt; all ten heroes frozen in battle with masked goons.


    Kyle pointed at one hero in particular. ¡°My favorite is Ocean Empress. She¡¯s badass.¡± He grinned.


    ¡°Yeah, she is a total badass! Have you got any of her merch?¡±


    Kyle''s grin deepened. "Hell, yeah, I do. I''ve got the entire Team Reservoir photo shoot collection from last year''s convention in Daisy City. Most of them are signed, too. Just need to get Water-Gal''s."


    She blinked a few times, thoroughly impressed. ¡°You know what? You¡¯re cool. What did you want with me anyway, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to talk.¡± He shrugged as they began to walk. ¡°I recently moved here, so I¡¯m just looking to get to know people. I''m trying to find a new group, I guess. I live a few blocks away. Mind walking with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Kyle smiled. ¡°So, I take it you¡¯re a fan of heroes.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone?¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt the bad guys are.¡± They shared a laugh at that.


    He broke out into a light trot, and she kept her pace even with the boy as they hit the end of the street. ¡°So, you said you moved here recently. Where were you from before?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I used to live in Lillian,¡± Kyle explained. ¡°It was... let¡¯s say, different. That¡¯s a good word.¡±


    ¡°Well, welcome to Oleander City." She joked, waving her arms around.


    Oleander wasn¡¯t the biggest city in the world, but it was still massive compared to some places, with glittering skyscrapers, run-down neighborhoods, and a great view of the beach. It was a pretty nice place, if a little too much like a clich¨¦ action movie city.


    ¡°So, I noticed school wasn¡¯t as exciting as it had been yesterday.¡± Kyle asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The hallway.¡±


    ¡°You were there?¡±


    ¡°Well, I saw the end of it when the principal was showing me around. It¡¯s pretty badass how you threw hands with that guy. Seeing that is one of the reasons I convinced my dad I wanted to join today instead of next week like we had planned.¡±


    Throwing hands wasn¡¯t really the word she would have used. Kyle seemed oddly excited about it, though.


    The boy gave her a sly smile. ¡°So, I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re-¡± Kyle never got to finish, as he was suddenly cut off by a loud cry. It came from up ahead, making them both come to a sudden stop.


    It didn¡¯t sound like what you would hear when a crime was being committed. This wasn''t a person in trouble. It was an animal.


    She took off running, moving as fast as she could. Kyle did his best to keep up with her, but she was surprisingly fast. The two of them rounded the corner, ending up at the entrance to a small park. That was when she saw it.


    At the end of the park, three boys stood staring down at something in front of them. They were all swarmed around a wounded dog, which they were kicking and poking at with sticks.


    The poor thing let out several loud cries of anguish but seemed to be hurt too badly to move; its legs were twisted at an odd angle. A car had likely run it over.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? You¡¯re hurting it!¡± Her yelling caused the three boys to pause. She barely registered the fact that the trio were members of the football team and were some of the boys that usually followed and obeyed Kevin, though the star himself wasn¡¯t present.


    ¡°Well, well, well.¡± One of the boys, the biggest one in fact, turned when she yelled. ¡°That¡¯s the girl that Kev was telling us about, right?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure.¡± Another shrugged.


    "No, it is. I saw her nail Kev in the back of the head with her bag!¡± The last one stated.


    ¡°I said, what are you doing?!¡± She repeated it louder this time, and if looks could kill, the football player would have already been six feet under.


    ¡°Oh, relax,¡± one of the boys said, letting out a dark chuckle. ¡°We aren¡¯t the ones who did this. We found it like this. It was hit by a car or something. It¡¯s going to die anyway.¡±


    ¡°So! Why does that matter? You¡¯re still hurting it!¡± She cried out, her glare growing larger.


    ¡°Geez, just calm down. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to kill it ourselves. Besides, it¡¯s too far gone. Its back side is crushed, and its legs are all twisted. I doubt it¡¯ll live much longer anyway, and it can¡¯t be saved.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± She hissed. She shook her head and clenched her fists as her mind raced. ¡°If it has no chance to survive, then either leave it alone or put it out of its misery. You¡¯re just making it worse!¡±


    ¡°So now you want us to kill it?¡± Another of the boys asked, giving her a frown. ¡°You don¡¯t make a lot of sense.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s lips were pressed into a thin line. He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to pull her back. ¡°Hey. I¡¯ll handle this; you step back-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not walking away from these jerks.¡± She pulled herself out of Kyle¡¯s grip.


    The biggest of the players gave another sneer for a moment. ¡°Fine, you want the damn dog to be put down.¡± He raised his foot up and pressed it down into the animal¡¯s back, causing it to let out a horrible screeching sound as it howled in pain.


    Before he could even register what was happening, she had already reached him and swung her bag right into his face. It was a heavy backpack filled with as many books as she could carry, just in case she needed to use it as a weapon, like she was now doing. As he stumbled back, his shock faded to rage as he stepped forward roughly, slamming his fist into her face, easily busting her lip and nose as she tripped and fell back, hitting the ground, her glasses going flying off of her face.


    The football player paused when he saw her eyes. She was on the ground from his attack, her face bloody, but there was still a fire in her eyes. The same determination she had used against Kevin and that villain. Her foot flew out, and she kicked him right between the legs, causing him to yell and fall on his butt. When she had been a kid, Armin had gone through a phase where he wanted to do martial arts. She had never been good at it herself; she usually didn¡¯t get into fights like this, but she knew enough about the basics to know that if you wanted to fight someone bigger than you, then you needed to down them first.


    She was on him before he hit the ground. He was bigger than her and a lot stronger as well. He was basically a mini-Kevin. Brute force would never work, so instead, she got her backpack behind him as best she could, getting the straps tangled around his arms and neck as he thrashed around wildly, trying to get up.


    She began to punch, kick, and even bite him. Nothing was off the table. She hit him with everything she had, forcing him further into the dirt. She might have even won this fight, if you could call it that, but she was forced to let go of him when one of the other boys smacked her upside the head with a stick, knocking her over. She hit the dirt again but didn¡¯t have time to form any plans. There were three of them after all, so taking down one really didn¡¯t mean much in the grand scheme of things.


    She felt them starting to wail on her, but she refused to scream out in pain. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t have to put up with it for long. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Kyle yelled, causing the kicking to stop.


    She felt one of the boys be tackled off of her, and she could hear the sounds of fighting. She was too injured to turn, but she didn¡¯t have to wait long, as seconds later, Kyle crashed into the ground next to her with a groan, having been jumped by the three boys. They totally lost.


    ¡°You two are insane.¡± One of them hissed out, wiping the blood from his busted lip that she had given him. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure Kevin puts you in the ground-¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Unlike when Kyle had yelled it, this voice had a solid edge to it. She heard someone walking towards them, and the bullies turned. ¡°Picking on a nerd and a girl, you three are jokes.¡±


    She could hear the ringleader growl, and for the third time, the park was filled with the sounds of fighting. It was over quickly. She heard screaming, but not from the new person. It was the players. One of them crashed into the ground, gripping a broken wrist. The other had his face nearly caved in, and the last, the leader, was smashed into the ground face first.


    She managed to push herself up and watched as the three boys began to crawl away, followed by quickly running, scared of whoever had just given them the beating of a lifetime. ¡°You okay?¡±


    She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and she was pulled into a standing position. She looked up at her savior. He was a tall, athletic boy in his late teens with very pale-looking skin and hair that had obviously been dyed blonde.


    ¡°Rowan?¡± Kyle stood up, wobbling slightly.


    ¡°Sup, K. Your dad sent me to look for you. It¡¯s a good thing, too. Those guys were giving you the beating of a lifetime.¡± Rowan gave the boy a large grin, while Kyle sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± She asked. The boy wasn¡¯t someone from her school, so either he was new or he was at a different school.


    ¡°Sadly, we do.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Hope, this is my... Well, I guess you can call him my friend.¡±


    ¡°Your words hurt, K.¡± Rowan snorted. He held a hand out to her. ¡°I¡¯m his best friend.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t how I would put it, but sure.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Best friend.¡±


    The pale boy just shrugged and moved past them. He removed his jacket and wrapped it around the dog¡¯s body. She was ashamed to admit that in everything that had happened, she had forgotten about it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She demanded. The puppy was yelping and moaning as Rowan lifted it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a vet clinic nearby. A buddy of mine works there,¡± the boy explained. ¡°I know it¡¯s a long shot, but I¡¯m going to try to get this little guy over there. I have to try, at least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t sound happy when he said it, but he still stepped forward.


    ¡°Me too-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She nearly jumped when both boys spoke at the same time. ¡°You should head to a hospital or at least a doctor¡¯s office,¡± Rowan explained.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Kyle groaned a little, rubbing at his eyes, which had become swollen. Still, he was in far better condition than Hope. She had taken quite the beating. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the dog is okay. You worry about yourself.¡±


    She wanted to argue, but honestly, she was in way too much pain. ¡°Sure.¡± She finally said.


    Kyle was just about to leave with Rowan but stopped when he spotted something. ¡°Oh, if you want to get home, you might need these.¡± He picked something off the ground and handed it to her, smiling.


    She stared down at her crooked glasses, which had come off during the fight. ¡°Oh. Thanks.¡± She decided to keep quiet when she realized her eyesight hadn¡¯t changed after they flew off her face.

 Chapter Four: A Nightmare Of Fighting

    She lived on the edge between the middle class and the poor parts of the city. Her legs normally ached from the walk up the stairs. The elevator had been dead since before she was born, with no hope of ever being fixed, but today she felt fine as she made it to her apartment door.


    She expected to see her mother waiting for her, but the apartment was sadly empty. However, that might have been for the best. She shuddered to think about how her mom would react if she saw her injured face.


    She only managed to find a note confirming she would have the house to herself for the rest of the night, as her mom needed to work overtime.


    With her mother¡¯s absence, the apartment somehow felt even more cramped. It hurt like hell, but she did her best to pop her nose back into the spot it should have been in. She didn¡¯t think she did it right; the pain nearly caused her to black out, but it wasn¡¯t as crooked as it had been.


    With that, she pulled her phone out, dialing a number. ¡°Yo!¡±


    ¡°Wassup, sister?¡± Armin asked, picking up. She could hear heavy background noise and some music over the line, making her wonder what he was doing. ¡°You need something, Hope?¡±


    She walked through her house and entered her room. It was a place she didn¡¯t like letting people see. It was sort of embarrassing, with posters of various heroes ranging from the entire Enforcers team to other teams such as the Watch Dogs. She had many shelves filled with action figures and other hero toys.


    ¡°I got into a fight.¡±


    ¡°Kevin?¡±


    ¡°Some of his goons.¡± She yawned, collapsing onto her bed and wrapping her arms around a Victorian body pillow. ¡°It gave me an insight into what I¡¯m going to have to put up with when he finds me.¡±


    ¡°Give the word, and I¡¯ll jump him.¡±


    ¡°I mean, if you want to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, totally. Just not anytime soon. I love ya like family. I don¡¯t like my family that much, though, so...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no help.¡± She huffed, rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m bored, so you want to come hang out? Watch a movie or play the new Myth video game?¡±


    Armin started to answer, but a loud yell from wherever he was cut him off. ¡°Moore! Get off the phone and get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, Mr. Thaddeus!¡± Armin hollered at someone in the background. ¡°Sorry, Hope. I have to go. Otherwise, my boss is going to leave me out in the cold,¡± he whispered into the phone.


    ¡°You¡¯re working?¡± His family was one of those rich ones that owned a really big house. Armin¡¯s dad always gave the boy a huge allowance, so it was weird to think he¡¯d be forced to get a job.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡±


    She wanted to ask more questions, but he cut her off, clicking the phone off. She sat there with a heavy frown on her face. She was alone now, stuck in her house with nothing else to do. She moved back through her home and paced a bit, feeling the pain slowly ease itself down.


    She collapsed onto the couch, staring at the TV as it flickered to life. It was something about the Victorian stopping a massive tsunami. She found herself focused on it, her mind buzzing as the golden woman danced through the skies, followed by the other members of the Enforcers, such as Ocean Empress and Old Dog.


    What had it been like for them growing up? Had they always had superpowers, or did they gain them at a later date? Being a mere mortal sucked. It¡¯d be so much easier if she could blast all her issues with laser eyes or bench press jocks.


    Instead, she was just ordinary old Hope Lauren.


    Her thoughts were sent into a buzz when she heard her phone ringing. She wiped sleep from her eyes. It was a number she didn¡¯t know, and looking at the time, she realized she must have fallen asleep on the couch as it was nearing night.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Hope.¡± A familiar voice responded.


    ¡°Kyle? How did you get my number?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was leaving the clinic, and I managed to run into that boy that was with you. Armin? Anyway, he gave me your number when I asked. He¡¯s a pretty cool guy.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Armin and Cool didn¡¯t really go in the same sentence. She shook her head, getting back on track. ¡°So, uh... why are you calling?¡± She asked, hoping that she didn¡¯t sound ungrateful.


    ¡°That dog.¡± She sat up fully. ¡°I wanted to let you know that the last time I saw it, it was still alive. Rowan and I dropped it off, and his buddy is a really good doctor. Her name is Sky, and she seems to think it¡¯ll pull through.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She gave a sigh of relief. She wondered what kind of doctor could save it, though. She hadn¡¯t really expected the animal to pull through with the condition it had been in.


    ¡°Yeah. I was calling to see if you wanted to go check on it or something. I figured it would help put your nerves at ease, knowing it¡¯s okay and seeing it for yourself. Rowan is taking good care of it at his place, and I was going to head over there tomorrow anyway, so you¡¯re free to join me if you want.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Tomorrow was a Saturday, and besides chilling out with Armin, she had nothing else planned, so it would be fun to hang out with other people.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you near the park at around two, in that case.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    And with that, he hung up. She sat there for a second and wiped her face. ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t think that was a date.¡± Today was turning out to be very interesting.


    ***


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Kyle asked her.


    ¡°Not too bad. It only hurts whenever I move, breathe, look, blink, or do anything with my face and body.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like everything, Hope.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m in a lot of pain.¡± She admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s fine. Nothing a few painkillers won¡¯t fix.¡±


    ¡°Is that healthy?¡±


    ¡°Ha! No.¡±


    True to his word, Kyle had been waiting for her at the entrance to the park. The two of them walked down the bustling streets of Oleander. Being that it was a Saturday and most people had the day off or no school, there were a ton of people about, so her nerves were at ease.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She had to sleep in a bit later than she would have liked, hiding under the covers so her mom didn¡¯t see her face. The woman would¡¯ve gone feral if she had seen what had happened to her daughter¡¯s poor nose.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t hide it forever from her mom, but that was a bridge she could burn later. She had busted that kid¡¯s lip, and he had repaid her ten times over. She sported a black eye, a crooked nose, a busted lip, and dozens of other bruises all along her body.


    It seriously did hurt.


    The two of them cut through an alleyway, heading towards the more affluent part of Oleander. They were so busy talking that neither of them even considered the risk it could bring. She would come to regret that as a voice cut them both off.


    ¡°There she is!¡± A familiar voice rang through the end of the alleyway, causing her and Kyle to come to a sudden stop.


    She groaned, and she felt Kyle next to her twitch. When she looked up, she wasn¡¯t shocked to see Kevin standing at the end of the alleyway, and of course, flanking him were two goons from the football team. One of the boys rubbed his busted lip and glared at her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but let out a snort. ¡°I punch you once, and you run crying to Kevin?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± The boy growled.


    ¡°We¡¯re a crew. You mess with them; you mess with me.¡± Kevin eyed her up, and suddenly, recognition appeared in his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you that girl from the hallway? I would have thought you would have learned your lesson.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a slow learner.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Besides, your friend had it coming. He was harming a dog. We¡¯re on the way to make sure he didn¡¯t kill it. I¡¯m not a cop, but I¡¯m pretty sure what he did was illegal.¡±


    Kevin looked back at the ¡®friend¡¯ in question, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Come on, Kev. You know me. I would never harm an animal. She¡¯s lying.¡± The football player said. With that, Kevin nodded and turned back to look at her, cracking his knuckles. He trusted his crew more than her word.


    She was about to turn around and make a break for it, but she froze when she saw two more of Kevin¡¯s goons waiting for her in the spot her and Kyle had entered. That meant there were now five in total, two behind them and three in front of them. They were surrounded. ¡°Stay behind me,¡± Kyle whispered to her, and he attempted to step out in front of her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to go all white knight on me. I can handle myself.¡± She said, stopping him with her arm. She looked at Kevin and then at the other two boys. ¡°So, you brought your boyfriends with you to pick on me?¡±


    Kevin nearly charged at her then and there, but was held back by one of his friends. It was a good thing, too, because she wasn¡¯t ready for her plan.


    ¡°I told you that you¡¯d be dead,¡± Kevin growled. ¡°I¡¯m going to beat your ass. New kid. Beat it. This doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±


    Kyle rubbed the back of his neck and finally shrugged. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m not the kind of guy to sit by and let a girl get beaten up. I¡¯ll make myself involved if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    She pushed her glasses further up on her face. She played up her confidence, crushed some of her nerves, and attempted to put on a brave face. ¡°Okay, then. Well, since I have the new kid here and you have four goons, let¡¯s make this even. Me versus you! One on one, coward!¡±


    That seemed to catch him off guard. He looked her up and down. Sure, she was tall for a girl her age, but she had no muscle or meat to speak of. ¡°I am going to crush you into the ground.¡± He decided, nodding.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Kyle asked with wide eyes. ¡°Like, I¡¯m pretty sure that dude is going to straight-up fold you in half, Hope.¡±


    She only grinned and slowly took her backpack off, setting it on the ground, but she kept a grip on it just in case. ¡°Remove the bag so it¡¯s fair; no weapons, just straight hands, man to man!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a girl.¡± Kevin began to take his back off and set it down. ¡°You¡¯re also a massive idiot if you think you can beat me-¡±


    She swung her backpack by the strap as soon as he bent over to place the bag down. She put all her force into it, smashing him in the nose and causing him to collapse on the floor. His friends stared in shock, but she didn¡¯t give them time to react, bolting forward and using Kevin as a bridge. She jumped past them and ran like her life depended on it.


    It did now...


    Kyle caught on quickly and smashed his shoulder into one of the boys, shoving them down. They tried to grab at his foot, but he jumped the grab and took off after her, letting out a laugh the entire time.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Kevin screamed, already standing back up. He wasn¡¯t hurt in the least; he was just very pissed off at her.


    ¡°This was a bad idea, you know!¡± Kyle laughed as he caught up with her, and they sprinted out of the alleyway and onto the street, startling several people.


    ¡°Oh, I am well past bad ideas, trust me!¡± She smirked.


    Kevin flew out of the alleyway like a bat out of hell, screeching like a demon as he quickly caught up to them. ¡°Any plan, or do we just get the beating of a lifetime?¡± Kyle questioned.


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how long they were running for. She wasn¡¯t very athletic, and neither was Kyle, it seemed; she guessed from how heavy he was starting to breathe. Honestly, the sheer fear factor was the only thing that kept them ahead of Kevin, who was quickly catching up to them. That, and he wasn¡¯t used to running where she had taken them.


    Oleander City was divided into many sections, but it mostly came down to the upper, middle, and lower classes. The upper-class zone was massive, with many towers, and the roads were filled with a constant stream of cars. The middle-class zones still had many buildings but also began to break into more urban areas, with stores and malls, as well as a few parks and theme resorts. It was always busy during the day, but at night it was calmer. The lower-class zones could hardly be called Oleander City.


    It was an outlier. It was at the edge of the city, nearly connecting to the beach, covered in garbage and trash, and had become a junkyard. There were a few stores, but most weren¡¯t successful. Many of the houses were wrecked, and most streets were empty. Even during the day, there wasn¡¯t much traffic.


    It was here she had taken Kevin¡ªto a rocky trash heap somewhere on the beach. The football player hesitated for a bit, which gave them a head start, but eventually he kept going. The plan was simple enough. With how many piles of trash there were, it could barely be called a beach. It was practically a maze with many twists and turns, so all they had to do was lose him in it.


    But, of course, that would have been easy. ¡°Just a little further.¡± She announced, making a sharp right turn. She came to a sudden stop and had to catch herself when Kyle slammed into her from behind.


    ¡°Why are we stopping?!¡±


    ¡°I think I made a wrong turn.¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°What!¡±


    Kyle looked ahead and felt his blood run cold when he saw that it was a dead end. Piles of discarded boats and scrap metal formed a large wall of rust, blocking the path they had been heading down. The only way out was behind them, and of course...


    Kevin stumbled around the corner. His eyes looked almost pure red from the sheer amount of rage coursing through him. ¡°Well, we¡¯re dead.¡± Kyle lamented.


    ¡°My bad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re forgiven. Only because you¡¯re going to die with me.¡±


    Kevin gritted his teeth and cracked his knuckles, glaring at them both. ¡°I am getting sick and tired of you. You know that.¡± He said through clenched teeth.


    Hope rubbed her head sheepishly and let out a sigh. ¡°Kev look. Man, just let this guy go. I dragged him into it. Just do what you got to do to me.¡±


    Kevin looked Kyle up and down and shook his head. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m giving ya both the same treatment.¡±


    Kyle seemed to notice something and smirked. ¡°Actually... your friends didn¡¯t follow you, did they? Looking at you now, it''s two on one.¡± That caused Kevin to take a step back and look at how alone he was. So much for his crew.


    It didn¡¯t last, though, as Kevin recalled the fact that he was double their combined weight and built like a gorilla pretending to be a human. She was almost certain he was on steroids, one way or another. He cracked his knuckles and stepped forward, and this time it was her and Kyle who stepped back. ¡°So what? I got two hands, dumbass. I¡¯ll just cave both your skulls in with one punch for each of you.¡±


    ¡°Any more bright ideas?¡± Kyle whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking.¡±


    ¡°Well, we could use one.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m thinking.¡±


    ¡°Hope-¡±


    ¡°Let me think!¡±


    Kevin stepped forward, and Kyle threw himself in front of her and attempted to fight back, but it took Kevin a simple shrug to push the dark-skinned boy to the sandy floor. His gaze settled on her, and she groaned once more and awaited the punch.


    The sound of the bat as it smashed into the back of Kevin¡¯s head caught her totally off guard. The older boy collapsed face-first on top of Kyle, and she didn¡¯t realize it, but she was screaming.


    ¡°Well, well, well.¡± Standing at the entrance to the mini maze, three men stood all decked out in matching jackets, one holding a bloody bat. ¡°What do we have here? It looks like we''ve got quite the catch, boys!¡±

 Chapter Five: Im Super?

    She tried to keep calm, but she knew that she wasn¡¯t doing a very good job. This wasn¡¯t like messing with a school bully. The situation had just become real.


    She was on the floor, attempting to roll Kevin off of Kyle, who was also screaming. With shaking hands, she managed to stop and place her hands on Kevin¡¯s neck, feeling his pulse. He was alive but out cold, with a nasty red spot on the back of his head.


    ¡°Quit yelling.¡± One of the men screamed, and it caused them both to shut up. ¡°Stand up and step back slowly.¡±


    They both did as told, backing away from the groaning Kevin. The leader of the group had his arms folded with a smirk on his face as he eyed them up. The one with the bat crouched down and began going through Kevin¡¯s pockets, taking the boy¡¯s wallet and phone.


    She could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, and she couldn¡¯t help but curse herself over and over again for getting Kyle into this mess. Kyle, for his part, had seemingly calmed down and had a hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her.


    It helped a little, and she was calm enough to study the three men. They were all in their late forties to fifties, covered in battle scars and tattoos. All of them wore black leather jackets with the letters ¡®BT¡¯ carved into the front and back.


    The Bad Timers gang. The same people who had robbed the bank earlier that week. They were a group that existed only to cause chaos and make everyone have a bad time. Though she doubted any of these guys had superpowers, it was likely they were just low-level henchmen who were tired of the lack of work due to the last failed bank heist the Victorian had stopped.


    ¡°You think they know?¡± One of the Bad Timers goons asked.


    The leader of the little squad rubbed his chin and stared at the two shivering kids. ¡°Nah. No way. They got no clue about our hideout around here. This big one was chasing them. I think it was just bad luck that they stumbled into our den.¡± The man smirked.


    ¡°So, then what do we do, boss?¡± The third one flicked a switchblade and gave a sly grin.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal.¡± The leader said after some time. He eyed them both up, slowly taking them in. ¡°I ain¡¯t really one for trying to hurt kids.¡±


    ¡°You nearly killed Kevin-¡±


    She was thrown off her feet and crashed into the floor when he backhanded her. The force of it left a large red handprint on her face, and she sat there stunned, feeling the stinging pain of tears in her eyes. Her vision turned blurry as her glasses shattered and fell off her face.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Kyle bent down and helped her back to her feet.


    ¡°Next time, let the adults talk.¡± The leader said, giving a grin. He moved his jacket a bit, and her beating heart sped up when she saw the handgun he had holstered. ¡°Now, as I was saying, I ain¡¯t one for hurting kids who behave. So, let¡¯s make this simple. You two empty your pockets. I want your phones, wallets, and anything else, and then we¡¯ll let ya go.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡± Kyle frowned.


    ¡°Just like that,¡± the man grinned. ¡°I¡¯m no monster, after all. Not like my bosses anyway. Polaron, Demonica, and Mars King¡ªthose guys are the real monsters. Me. I¡¯m a human¡ªa runt forced to work for them. I¡¯m like you, so I like you. Enough to make a good deal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, some good deal,¡± Kyle said sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re still robbing us.¡±


    ¡°Keep talking, and I¡¯ll do worse.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± She held her hands up in a way to calm everyone down. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for trouble. I¡¯ll do what you ask.¡± She tried to get her voice to not crack and slow her beating heart down. Her shaking legs gave her away, though.


    ¡°Me, too.¡± Kyle sighed. Reluctantly, he emptied his pockets, following her lead. She laid out her wallet, phone, and anything else she had that looked like it could be valuable. Better safe than sorry.


    She breathed in relief as the thug bent down, picking up the stuff, and began going through it. He had moved his hands away from the gun and looked like he was willing to let them go, though she wouldn¡¯t risk anything.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The leader said, after some time passed. ¡°You two can scram- Now, wait a second. What do we have here?¡± She was a little surprised when he opened Kyle¡¯s wallet and whistled, pulling out several hundred-dollar bills. Her own wallet had a few ones and some wrapped-up gum. ¡°Kyle Brenner.¡± The thug muttered, staring at the boy¡¯s library card. ¡°Ah. You¡¯re Officer Brenner¡¯s boy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Brenner?¡± One of the thugs asked, the one with the bat, when he noticed how Kyle froze.


    ¡°Police Commissioner.¡± The leader explained. ¡°He was a big shot in Lillian. I had heard he moved to Oleander, and I guess it¡¯s true if this boy is his brat.¡±


    Kyle puffed his chest out and took a step forward, seemingly gaining some extra confidence. ¡°You said you knew who my dad was? Then you know how screwed you just became, don¡¯t you? Anything happens to me, and he¡¯ll hunt you all down one at a time. My dad¡¯s going to have you all locked up before the end of the week.¡±


    She really, really wanted to sucker punch Kyle in that moment when he opened his mouth to speak. It took all her willpower not to facepalm. ¡°Idiot.¡± She whispered.


    The leader nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, I bet your dad would pay a load of cash to get you back.¡± That caused the look of smugness to instantly fade from Kyle¡¯s face. The thug¡¯s gaze then turned to look at her, and she felt as if her heart was about to explode. ¡°And now that I think about it, the big bosses are kind of pissed that they missed out on a haul. I mean, look at this girl here, though. We could sell her for some cash, right? She¡¯s a little pretty after all.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± Kyle said in horror.


    ¡°Yeah, we can-¡±


    She knew it was dumb, but she lunged forward, going for the handgun the thug had in an effort to catch him off guard while he was still talking. She even managed to get her hands around it, but unlike in movies, the thing didn¡¯t come out of its holster so easily.


    ¡°Bad idea.¡± The thug smirked, and he pulled his fist back.


    ¡°Wait-¡± And a second later, everything went black...


    ***


    ¡°What did my daughter do?¡±


    The kindergarten teacher sighed, leaning forward on the desk. ¡°The other kids saw it, Mr. Lauren. Ms. Lauren broke Mr. Bruno¡¯s nose during recess.¡±


    ¡°He started it!¡± A young Hope whined, arms folded, as she sat on her father¡¯s lap. ¡°He was being a big jerk. He shoved Armin in the mud and laughed at him!¡±


    ¡°Daddy will handle this,¡± Alex assured, ruffling his daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°Did the boy hurt her friend?¡± Her father demanded.


    The teacher tapped a finger on the desk. ¡°Mr. Lauren, a shove is hardly an excuse to use the force your daughter used. As it stands, Mr. Moore was fine, if a little dirty, whereas Mr. Bruno had to seek medical care, with his parents demanding your daughter be punished.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to her when she gets home; believe me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll hardly be enough.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± The teacher slid a picture over, and her father got a look at the Bruno kid. His face paled as he stared down at the picture. ¡°There has to be some sort of mistake.¡± This wasn¡¯t some childish fight. The boy¡¯s entire face looked more like a squashed tomato. His jaw looked to be shattered, and his nose would likely be crooked for the rest of his life. It was clear the child would have had to seek immediate medical care. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Daddy?¡±


    Slowly, his eyes trailed down to his daughter. She stared up at him so innocently. Yet apparently, hours before, she had nearly caved in another boy''s skull. She smiled at him.


    The rest of the conversation went by in a blur. Alex barely understood what the teacher was saying. What he did know was that it wasn¡¯t good. Hope was no longer welcome at that school, and the other family would be pressing charges. He numbly left the building, clutching his daughter''s hand. He would have to find a new school for her, and she would be required to see a therapist for violent tendencies.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Am I in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I know you are, sweetie.¡± He put her in the backseat and made sure she was strapped in before he got seated and pulled out of the school parking lot. ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Because that boy was a jerk?¡±


    ¡°Hope!¡±


    She sighed and folded her arms. ¡°Because I hit him.¡±


    ¡°Because you hit him too hard.¡± There was a silence as he drove down the busy street. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with protecting a friend, but that doesn¡¯t mean you should be as mean to the bully as he is to you.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s just how the world works.¡±


    Alex looked into the mirror, seeing how she quietly stared out the window, her thoughts scattered around her. She wasn¡¯t answering him. For a few minutes, they drove silently home. Spring was coming, and the trees were becoming green again. They could head to the nearby beaches in a few weeks, which would be fun.


    ¡°I like the colors.¡± She finally said. Her eyes were locked on the sky, watching the clouds twirl about in the endless sea of blue.


    ¡°White or blue?¡±


    ¡°The other ones.¡± She said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Other ones?¡±


    ¡°The real sparkly popping ones.¡±


    He felt himself twitch a bit. He always knew his daughter wasn¡¯t normal. He knew there was something special about her. She was a Super, the kind he saw on TV or in the skies flying around¡ªpeople like Full Monarch. Her firing laser beams out of her eyes made it pretty obvious after all. There were always times like these when she seemed so far away from him. She was able to see things he couldn¡¯t and do things no parent would ever consider their child capable of.


    He''d need to speak to his friend about getting the ¡®special¡¯ glasses so he could try to stop all the weirdness.


    He shook his head, getting rid of the negative thoughts of what was to come. That could wait. For now, she was still his little girl. ¡°How about we surprise Mom by picking up supper tonight? Does that sound good?¡± He stared at his daughter through the mirror and smiled.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Her grin was large now. ¡°Can we get-¡±


    Glass exploded, and metal screamed as something slammed into the front of their car. The world spun, and her head jerked around so much that she thought it was about to snap in two. Sparks flew off of the road as their car skipped across it.


    Her father took the worst of the damage, as he was upfront. Countless shards glass and pieces of jagged metal found their way into his body. Her own ears rang loudly from her screaming as the car spun and finally came to a crashing stop with a jerk that flipped the car onto its roof. They were now totally upside down, and she breathed heavily, her heart settling. Somehow, she had remained unharmed. More than that, she was fine. Not even the seatbelt, which was trying to dig into her skin, was able to harm her, and with ease, she managed to kick her little legs out, shattering the car seat as she snapped the belt with strength she shouldn''t have had.


    Her belt snapping caused her to fall forward, and she hit the roof of the car with a soft thud. It still didn''t hurt. Neither did the shards of glass that were unable to cut her as she shuffled forward numbly to her father. He was upside down, his arms hanging above his head, blood pouring down his body.


    "D- Dad?" She said weakly, trying to shake the man. He didn''t respond. "Daddy!" She clutched onto him, but still nothing.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how long she had been trapped in the car, sobbing quietly as she clutched onto her father''s bloodied form. Her head perked up, though, when she heard the sound of metal being torn, and the driver''s side door of their car was easily ripped off. Something had rammed into them. The crash hadn''t just happened out of nowhere after all. That something, as it turned out, happened to be a person.


    She nearly let out a sobbing gasp when she saw the man. His skin was the color of ash, and he was covered in dozens of stitches and scars. His hair was long, and the color of tar, and his eyes were pure gold. He had no expression on his face as he stared at her.


    ¡°Ah. So, you¡¯re alive.¡± He hummed to himself, his voice husky and hollow. He reached out slowly, his finger beginning to glow with some kind of black light. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you now before you become a nuisance to me later.¡±


    ¡°H- Hope.¡± Her father groaned as his eyes began to open, just in time to see a hand grabbing at his daughter''s face. His instincts kicked in, and he let out a pained yell of rage, swatting out with his hand. "No!" His hand came down, blocking the finger and stopping it from touching his daughter. Instead, that strange colored light that came from it forced its way into his palm.


    Alexander let out a loud scream, and his body began to rapidly shake and twitch. He began foaming at the mouth, and blood started to gush down his face, dripping out of his eyes and nose as he spasmed.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± She sobbed in horror.


    The pale man watched the two of them with a cocked head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t meant for you. You¡¯ll suffer a slow and painful death for getting in the way of destiny. Now, where was I?¡° The man reached down for her once more. "I''ll kill you before you can grow-"


    The fist that slammed into the monster''s face caused a loud crack to echo out, and every window shattered to pieces. Hope looked up wide-eyed at the golden woman who had just saved her. The woman¡¯s red cape flowed, and she folded her arms, glaring in the direction where the villain had been sent flying.


    Slowly, though, the woman turned to look back at her, and her face softened. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The woman went dead quiet when she saw the man who was still dangling from the seat. More specifically, his flesh, which was starting to turn black from the spot where the villain had touched. Alexander''s entire hand had changed, the color steadily spreading through the rest of his arm. The Victorian sighed. ¡°The Dead Virus. Damn it.¡±


    She opened her mouth to speak but was silenced when Victorian placed a finger on her head. She felt her eyes grow heavy, her vision blur, and then she was asleep.


    ***


    ¡°Hope!¡±


    Her eyes shot open, staring up at the sky above, and she realized she had blacked out. For how long, she didn¡¯t know. Everything was blurry, and her face ached. If she had to guess, the man had likely sucker-punched her on reflex.


    Man?


    That was when her mind came back to her as she remembered what was happening moments ago. ¡°Aw, damn.¡± She groaned, pushing herself up slowly, and looked around. She was still in the maze of iron, and it didn¡¯t look like she had been moved yet. She was likely only knocked out for a few seconds, or minutes at most, if she had to guess.


    The leader was cursing. ¡°Damaged the goods by mistake. Crazy girl.¡± She groaned and tried to sit up, seeing that Kyle was already on the ground, tackled by one of the men. ¡°Yo, Tommy, drug her up before she hurts herself any worse. I know a guy that¡¯s into the whole broken nose look, but I¡¯d rather not sell to him.¡±


    A set of arms wrapped around her, and she fully snapped awake, trying to rip her way out of the hold, shaking her head. She felt a pain in her chest from how hard her heart was beating, and for a second, she thought it was some sort of heart attack, but rather, it was closer to her lungs. She was breathing heavily, panting even, as she realized that this was a panic attack.


    The man who grabbed her was too strong for her to break out of his grip, even with only one arm wrapped around her. His free hand went to his pocket, and he pulled out a used needle filled with some sort of clear liquid. She tried to scream and thrash, but he ignored her. The pain got worse as he cranked her head up and forced her to look up at the big blue sky up ahead. Then she felt a sharp pain in her neck as the needle broke skin.


    This was the moment in comics, right? This was the moment a superhero would swoop in and save her. She waited for the Victorian to come crashing down, but she never did. Instead, all Hope felt was exhaustion as her veins burned and her eyes began to grow heavy. Words slurred around her, and she couldn¡¯t focus.


    The only thing going through her mind, strangely enough, was that day. The day the pale man looked at her. The day her father got sick. The day everything went wrong.


    Across the city, in a particular storage locker the Laurens owned, a metal sphere began to glow with a faint blue light. ¡®Authorization accepted.¡¯ And that was when a moment straight out of a comic happened.


    ¡°Uh, boss... the needle broke?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The leader of the gang sighed and turned to look at his friend, who was showing off the needle he had tried to stab into the girl. It was twisted. It never actually broke past her skin. The leader frowned, feeling suddenly very uneasy. ¡°Why did it... Oh crap! She¡¯s a Super! She has¡ªLook out!¡±


    The thug looked down at the girl in his arms when he noticed she had stopped twitching. She looked at him, calmly wrapping her hand around his wrist. Then, in an instant, she swung him over her body and slammed him down into the ground.


    The man was down for the count in an instant, groaning. Somehow, she had easily lifted what was likely four times her weight with ease.


    The leader made for his gun and growled. ¡°She¡¯s got powers-¡± She dove at him, grabbing the strapped weapon and ripping it off of the man¡¯s belt. She pulled a little too hard, though, as she quite literally tore the man''s belt off along with half of his pants in a single pull. The thug stumbled back, tripping on his destroyed pants, and fell over awkwardly, bashing his head on the ground and making him groan in pain.


    The other thug, who had apparently let go of Kyle, suddenly jumped her with his bat and swung it as hard as he could directly into her face. Or at least he tried, but he only found himself hitting air as she crouched low. Her hands flew out, and she pushed him as hard as she could. The force of it kicked him into the air, and he crashed several feet away with a loud cry of pain.


    He was back on his feet, his legs shaking as he stared at her. Seemingly making up his mind, he dropped the bat and fled from the teenager. She might have given chase if not for the fact that the leader had managed to fish a knife out of his pocket as he pulled his pants back up. She turned just in time for him to scream and stab it directly into her neck with his good hand.


    The sound the knife made as the metal bent and broke on her throat was enough to fill the guy¡¯s eyes with tears, and she almost let out a dark chuckle. ¡°Please, don¡¯t-¡±


    She smashed a fist into his face, and he was out cold. She breathed heavily, feeling as if her heart was about to explode as she rubbed at her neck. The world had become so clear to her. She was seeing better than when her glasses had first broken.


    ¡°What?¡± The voice of Kyle caused a chill to go through her, and she turned, finding the boy staring at her with wide, shocked-filled eyes as he clutched at his bloody nose. ¡°What was that, Hope?¡±


    Before she could even attempt to come up with a good answer, there was a groan as Kevin pushed himself up, turning and staring at her bloody form. He blinked a few times, then blacked out from shock.


    Kyle bent down to help the knocked-out boy. ¡°How did you do that, Hope?¡±


    ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Huh-¡± Before he could even process it, she was already running down the alleyway at a speed he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to. He sighed and grabbed his phone from one of the thugs, dialing a number. ¡°Hey, Rowan. We may have a slight problem.¡±

 Chapter Six: This Looks Like A Job For...

    She banged through her front door, slamming it behind her. She nearly cringed at how it bent and twisted under the pressure of her new strength.


    The sound of the door opening must have alerted her mom. ¡°Hey, Hope, welcome back- Oh dear God, what happened?!¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer, turning the sink on and throwing her hands under the water. She stared in silence as she watched the red begin to drip off of it and into the sink. Her heart was beating faster after the encounter with the thugs. She assumed it was fear.


    She nearly jumped when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Her mother murmured.


    She turned the water off, drying her now blood-free hands. ¡°I think I made a mistake.¡± She rubbed at her eyes, which were starting to become a little wet, then at the spot at her neck from where that knife had shattered. It was all still so fresh in her mind. She had run straight home, doing her best to avoid everyone.


    ¡°You got into a fight, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You should see the other guy.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°I mean, I ran into a pole? And also punched it?¡± Her mother only glared at her, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°You¡¯re not buying that, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. But honestly, you don¡¯t look that bad. What happened to your glasses?¡±


    She chanced a look in the mirror and couldn¡¯t help but stare in shock. She looked fine. The slap mark on her face was gone, as were all the bruises that had been inflicted on her. All that blood hadn¡¯t been hers...


    ¡°I got in a fight at school.¡± Her mom didn¡¯t get a good look at her. The woman hadn¡¯t seen how much blood there had actually been.


    ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± The woman sagged in relief and snorted. ¡°I thought you were going to say you killed someone or gave birth to the antichrist.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking this very well.¡±


    ¡°Well, are you on any drugs?¡± Her mom asked, giving a snarky smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯m not on anything, mom!¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Damn, you¡¯re boring. I was high as a kite constantly in high school-¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± Her mother reached over and cupped her face. ¡°I know your father taught you better. The other people started it, I¡¯m guessing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Is it finished?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m not mad at you. I¡¯m worried. But I¡¯m not mad.¡± Her mother checked her watch, biting her lip. ¡°I could call into work if you want.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll wash up and go to bed. I can handle cleaning myself up.¡±


    ¡°Hope-¡±


    ¡°Dad needs you more.¡± She squeezed her mom¡¯s hand. ¡°You can¡¯t miss any of your shifts.¡± Her mom worked two jobs. One early in the morning, from six to two, and one later in the afternoon, from four to midnight. All so they could pay for those ever-increasing hospital fees.


    Her mom finally relented. ¡°There¡¯s money on the fridge. Order yourself something. I¡¯m going to visit your dad in the hospital. I¡¯ll tell him you said hi.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± The house was eerily quiet as her mother finally left. She collapsed onto the couch, face first. ¡°I¡¯m such a coward.¡± She hadn¡¯t even been able to tell the whole story. The TV blinked on, and it was something about the Victorian. It always was, though, nowadays.


    Then it dawned on her.


    ¡°Wait. Do I have superpowers?¡± The couch fell back as she jumped to her feet, staring back down at her hands. The fight felt like a blur as it flashed back through her mind. She had beaten all those guys so easily. ¡°How do I test this?¡±


    She was never the smartest person, but what she was about to do was really dumb, even for her. She had made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. She wasn¡¯t about to stab herself; that would be stupid, but this was a close second, for sure.


    She gripped it by the blade and began to squeeze. She half expected it to cut into her palm, a scream ready in her throat, but instead there was the sound of metal cracking as it began to twist and snap in her grip. When she was done, she made sure to hide it under a layer of trash in the bin so her mom wouldn¡¯t find it.


    Her hand was fine¡ªno cut or bruise at all. She was knife-proof. Her fingers went back to her throat, tracing the spot where the knife had hit her.


    ¡°I have powers.¡± She whispered to the empty house. She eyed the window of her apartment for a second. Their apartment was up on the highest floor, so it was a long way down. She decided against it quickly, though. There would be better ways to test if she had flight. Cleaner also, just in case she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Armin¡¯s going to freak when he learns about this.¡± Or should he know? He was pretty good at keeping quiet about stuff; she had told him plenty of secrets, and he had never outed her. This was a little different, though; he was her best friend. Come to think of it, Kyle already knew. ¡°Crap.¡±


    Not just him. The men in the alleyway, the one who had run away, so there was a good chance the Bad Timers would know, and Kevin could also figure it out if he heard a Super took those guys down. It was not even day one of being a hero, and she had already messed up on the whole secret identity part.


    It didn¡¯t hurt to tell Armin. The cat was already out of the bag¡ªor at least that had been the plan. As she reached down for her pocket, it suddenly dawned on her that the situation was worse than she thought. She hadn¡¯t picked up her phone or wallet when she fled the junkyard.


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m really bad at this!¡±


    Her nerves nearly skyrocketed when she heard a knock on the front door. She opened it a bit, that beating in her chest getting worse when she saw Kyle. He seemed to notice her staring at him through the crack and smiled at her. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    Hesitantly, she pulled the door open. ¡°How do you know where I live?¡± He quietly handed her the wallet she had dropped, along with her phone and glasses, which answered her question. She was a little disturbed that he went through her wallet and found her address in it, though. ¡°Oh yeah. Thanks.¡± She held her glasses, looking down at them. They were barely holding together, badly cracked, and a bit twisted. She¡¯d have to get a new pair. Not like she really needed them now, though.


    ¡°So, can I come in?¡± Kyle asked again.


    An awkward silence followed as she considered how easy it would be to wipe someone¡¯s memories with a good whack to the head. Finally, she moved out of the way and waved him in. ¡°You¡¯ll have to leave before my mom gets back. She¡¯d kill me if she saw I had a boy here.¡±


    ¡°Your mom a Super, too?¡± His words nearly caused her to smash the door in his face.


    He knew. Instead of freaking out, she decided to just tell the truth. She snorted as she tried to imagine her boring, overworked mother in a hero costume. ¡°Nope. She¡¯s normal. Same for my dad.¡±


    ¡°So just you, then?¡± Kyle asked, sliding a chair out and sitting down.


    ¡°Yeah, just me. And before you ask, I didn¡¯t know about my powers until today.¡± She took a seat across from him, staring down at her hands. ¡°Did you tell anyone?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He gave her a serious look and shook his head. ¡°And I won¡¯t. I know we just met, so you have no reason to trust me, but I would never reveal something this big. You pretty much saved my life, after all. I cleaned up that mess, too.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My dad is pretty high on the totem pole. I gave him a call. Those thugs that you knocked out won¡¯t be getting up anytime soon. I told him I was walking home by myself when they jumped me and wanted to kidnap me for ransom. I left out the part of you being there and made it sound like I was alone.¡±


    ¡°So now he thinks his son is some kind of badass that took down several grown men?¡±


    He chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I told him a hero knocked the men out. A new one, who I didn¡¯t get to see very well, and that ¡®he¡¯ took off when he was done.¡±


    ¡°One of them got away.¡± She mumbled.


    Often, when a new Super appeared, it was some sort of race to see which group would get them first. One of the hero groups, or villain groups, and she had basically shot any chance of a secret identity if he blabbed.


    ¡°What about Kevin?¡±


    Kyle sighed and leaned back. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell my dad about him. I figured that would be a bad link back to you, so I imagine he¡¯s back at his house. He might be able to put the pieces together, especially if it ends up on the news. I couldn¡¯t tell if he knew then or not.¡±


    ¡°You just let him leave?¡±


    ¡°Well, after you were gone, he woke back up. Mumbled that he was sorry and told me where you lived so I could return your stuff. Then, when he left, my dad and the other cops showed up.¡± So, he hadn¡¯t gone through her stuff to figure it out. That was nice. Wait, how did Kevin know where she lived? ¡°You should still be worried, though. Today was sloppy, so expect someone to figure it out.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Great.¡± She moaned, collapsing face-first into the table. ¡°Well, I guess it isn¡¯t so bad. I mean, I could probably bench press him into oblivion.¡±


    Kyle snorted and folded his arms. ¡°So, what do you do, exactly?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She shot him a look and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I mean, what powers do you have?¡±


    That caused her to sit up as she looked down at her hand. She had extra durability and strength, obviously, but she wondered what else she could do. She knew there had to be more to it than she had shown so far. She felt it in her gut. ¡°I actually haven¡¯t tried anything out yet.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°Really? Well.¡± Kyle gave a sly smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good idea, then.¡±


    ¡°Uh oh.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I got my tetanus shots.¡± The beach of Oleander had once been a nice tourist attraction, but years of trash and ignorance had left it cluttered with anything the city no longer wanted. She could almost feel the rust coming off all the metal, and there were dozens of stacks.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a baby.¡± Kyle replied, slapping her on the back.


    ¡°Easy for you to say. You¡¯re not the one who is going to be handling all this metal!¡±


    ¡°You have super durability.¡±


    ¡°I feel like if I breathe wrong, I¡¯ll be coughing rust for a week.¡±


    ¡°This place doesn¡¯t see any action anymore and is pretty far from prying eyes, so if you want to try anything, this is it.¡±


    They weren¡¯t anywhere near the maze of scrap. In fact, they were almost on the very other side of the junkyard beach, but that didn¡¯t ease her nerves. If a gang like Bad Timers was hanging around on one side, then chances were there could be others.


    She kept expecting a supervillain to jump out and give her a horrible, painful death, but it never came. ¡°Quit stalling!¡± Kyle urged.


    She gave a half-nod and looked around at all the piles of trash. Finally, her eyes settled on what might have once been a small speedboat but had been badly gutted. She wrapped her hand around it and let out a grunt, trying to raise it up.


    When she was a kid, she had once gotten into a horrible car accident with her father. That accident was actually what led to his illness and having to go to the hospital. Back then, she felt so powerless. Like the world would always be stronger than her and able to do whatever it wanted. Now, though...


    She lifted the boat with a single hand, her fingers tearing into the metal as if it were wet paper. ¡°I feel so strong. This would have come in handy a long time ago.¡±


    This year, PE. had gotten boring and consisted mostly of running and doing push-ups. The feeling in her arm was sort of like doing a few push-ups. Her muscles ached and strained, but she still managed to do it.


    ¡°That must weigh close to five hundred pounds at least.¡± Kyle murmured, watching her with wide eyes. ¡°Maybe not, though, with how bad of a shape it¡¯s in. Still, I doubt even a group of men could just pick it up like that. You got some kind of super strength for sure.¡±


    She sighed and set it down, rubbing her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s still awkward to hold it, though. I could feel the metal bending as I tried to balance. It let me get a good idea of a limit, though, that was starting to hurt.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have any muscles. Maybe you¡¯ll be able to get tougher?¡± Kyle suggested.


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°We already knew you had strength, though. Try to, I don¡¯t know, shoot lasers or something. Preferably facing that way.¡±


    He gestured at the ocean, and she rolled her eyes but obliged. Demonica, Polaron, Ocean Empress, and Victorian all shared one thing. They had more than one ability. Ocean Empress was insanely strong, able to control and shape water and even ice to an extent. Polaron could not only control metal but also had the ability to heal, and Demonica was crazy fast and on fire. As for the Victorian... Well, there really wasn¡¯t anything that woman couldn¡¯t do.


    Compared to all of them, her strength and durability weren¡¯t anything too crazy, so if she really was a Super like them, then she¡¯d have to have an ability of her own.


    After several seconds of staring out at the ocean, she gave up trying to shoot lasers from her eyes or hands. The next thing she tried was making water move like the Ocean Empress or even to create ice, but nothing. She didn¡¯t seem to have telekinesis, and metal wasn¡¯t obeying her. She tried to read Kyle¡¯s mind or even control it, but he just said she made a dumb face. Her limbs didn¡¯t stretch, and she didn¡¯t feel smarter or know how to suddenly build a crazy suit of tech armor. Besides the enhanced body, she felt really average.


    Finally, it was time for the last power. The one she had been waiting for.


    She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. ¡°I can fly. I can fly. I want flight. If I can pick my power, please let me fly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is a good idea.¡±


    Kyle was cut off as her eyes snapped open, and she crouched down, taking a great gasp of air. Then, like a rocket, she blasted off into the air. Not because she flew, but rather because she focused all her strength on her legs and kicked off.


    She leaped well above the walls of trash and metal and got so high that she could see the skyline of the city. ¡°Now fly!¡± And then she began to fall. Really, really, really fast. ¡°Fly? Fly... Fly! Oh God, please fly-¡±


    She was grateful enhanced durability was part of the power package deal because if it wasn¡¯t, she¡¯d be dead.


    ¡°Ow.¡± She whined, lying in the mini-crater she had formed from her impact. ¡°Don¡¯t. Speak. A. Single. Word. Of. This.¡± She hissed quietly when Kyle peered down into the hole at her.


    Kyle couldn¡¯t stop laughing as he stared at her. ¡°I¡¯ll keep your secret safe when you become famous, Fall Girl.¡±


    ¡°Can you help me out? I¡¯m kind of stuck.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Kyle muttered as he began to slide down the side of the crater and made his way over to her. She was halfway buried in the sand, and he got to work trying to dig her out. ¡°Are you going to become a hero?¡±


    Hope looked up at the sky as the sun began to set. ¡°Well, I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t think about it.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. As long as you don¡¯t hurt anyone, I¡¯ll support whatever choice you make.¡± Kyle smiled.


    They spent the next few hours testing out all sorts of powers, though they never did find out what other ability she had. That was okay, though. She was pretty sure she made a new friend by the end of it.


    ***


    Soon, they had to say goodbye, with Kyle heading to the richer part of the city while she made her way to the border of the poor and middle-class areas. The sun had long since gone down. Her mom was still at work when she arrived back home. Thanks to issues with the Bad Timers Gang as well as a new group calling themselves Wandering Coin, she¡¯d be working late.


    She closed the door to the apartment and stumbled to her room. Her body ached, and she could feel sleep starting to bubble up, but she wasn¡¯t ready for bed. Not yet.


    When they sold the house, much of her stuff was either sold at a garage sale or put away in a storage container owned by a friend of the family. One thing she had saved, though, was her old costume.


    She''d outgrown Halloween, but several years ago, when she was little, she saved up as much spare cash as she could to buy a Victorian costume. The suit itself was obviously too small for her now, but she still pulled it out and held it up to her body, looking at herself in the mirror.


    The costume was sort of like a cross between a standard superhero suit and a military camo uniform. It didn¡¯t have any armor; the woman didn¡¯t need it, and it was all black, with a few bits of red, various medals of honor, and a long red cape sewn into it.


    ¡°I really could be a superhero.¡± It was just dawning on her. How real it could be. How close she already was. But would it be a smart idea? It wouldn¡¯t pay the bills and could get her mom or dad harmed, or worse.


    Besides, even if she did want to be a hero, that¡¯d have to wait. There was no telling what her limits were or what else she could do. Kyle and her had barely scratched the surface of the whole thing. She¡¯d need to practice more if she wanted to be ready.


    One word buzzed through her head as her ears twitched, and her thoughts came to a screeching halt. ¡°Help!¡± It must have been nearby, judging by how close it sounded. The next sound she heard was that of a crashing car.


    Before she even knew what she was doing, her window was open, and she was literally jumping off of the fifth-story floor. The cape of the childish costume was ripped off, and she tore two holes into it and wrapped it around her face to hide her appearance. She attempted to do a superhero landing but fumbled it as she collapsed butt first onto the road and groaned.


    She¡¯d have to work on that.


    She was back on her feet and sprinting down the road. Not quite as fast as a car, but far faster than even the best athlete could manage. Her ears burned as she heard the screaming, and to her shock, it was further down the block than she thought, too far for her to have heard it from her bedroom and far from any place where help would have been.


    She rounded the corner of the road and saw it. The metal of the car had bent around a tree, and there was an awful grinding noise as the car kept pushing against the wood. Smoke was gushing out of the hood of the vehicle, and the two front doors were crumpled so badly that it¡¯d be impossible to open them.


    In the passenger seat was the one who cried for help. She was an older woman dressed in a suit, likely in her mid- to early-fifties. She was trying to force the door open, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. In the driver¡¯s seat was what Hope assumed to be the husband. He was a bit of an overweight man, dressed for a night out on the town.


    Currently, he was blacked out over the steering wheel, his foot still on the gas.


    She took only a second to clear the air that had gotten caught in her throat, and then she acted. She reached the woman¡¯s door, grabbed it, and pulled as hard as she could. The door snapped off easily, and she fished the woman out.


    ¡°Call an ambulance.¡± She yelled over the sound of the car.


    ¡°R- Right.¡± The woman nodded and started looking through her pockets for her phone.


    With that done, she reached the other side of the car and was able to get that door off as well. Getting the man out was harder, though. The metal had twisted and dented around him, leaving his leg stuck in place. She was afraid of breaking anything in case she slipped and got his leg, so she did the next best thing she could think of.


    She walked to the front of the car and ripped it out of the tree carefully. Then she smashed her fist through the hood of it and shattered the engine to pieces, ripping as much of it out as she could and ignoring the horror that would be cleaning the oil out of her clothes and hair later.


    The car slowly died down, and the smoke began to stop as she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°What happened?¡± She questioned when the woman was done calling for an ambulance.


    ¡°He has issues with his heart.¡± The woman winced, wiping at her eyes. ¡°We were heading back home when he had a bad one, and well... You can tell the rest. Can you get him out of the car?¡±


    ¡°I just got my powers. I don¡¯t know how good they are yet, and I don¡¯t want to start ripping at any of the metal near him in case I cause more harm. The ambulance should be able to get him. His heart has settled down, which is lucky.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How do you know his heart settled?¡±


    ¡°Oh well, I can hear it slowing-¡± She went silent, cutting herself off. It was there. A faint beat in the air. Not just from the man but from the woman as well. Their heartbeat. It hadn¡¯t even dawned on her that she was listening in.


    The woman studied her. ¡°You¡¯re new, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Duh. I mean, look at how bad my costume is-¡± The sound of sirens caused her to stop. ¡°And that is my cue to leave, ma''am!" She crouched down and jumped up, just as she had earlier, only this time she was ready, and landed on the roof of an apartment.


    Part of her prayed that enhanced hearing was just a glimpse at what else she would unlock because, while it was cool, it wasn¡¯t exactly flashy. She was tempted to wait for the cops to arrive before she took off, but she didn¡¯t want to risk getting seen and someone recognizing her.


    She stuck to the rooftops, leaping from building to building, before she finally arrived back at her apartment. With another high jump, she reached the window, managed to wrap her arms around it, and hauled herself up. She collapsed back into her room, breathing heavily.


    Once again, that pounding in her heart from earlier today was back. That fear. No, that wasn¡¯t the right word. She knew what it was now. She hadn¡¯t been scared when she got her powers.


    This was a feeling of excitement.


    She took the makeshift mask off and sighed. ¡°Well, that might be too much fun for one night. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve decided, anyway-¡±


    She was cut off by the sounds of a little girl who was blocks away. ¡°Kitty, get out of the tree!¡±


    With an excited smile, she tied the ''mask¡¯ back on and jumped out of her window once more.

 Chapter Seven: In Over Your Head

    Tears streaked down the little girl''s face. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t mention it. Let¡¯s keep this secret, okay?¡± Hope waved the girl off as she handed the child her cat. ¡°The last thing I want is your mom or dad seeing me and getting the wrong idea.¡±


    With the existence of heroes and villains, Oleander City, as well as dozens of other cities, had been torn down so many times now that they were almost a mesh of designs and styles. Her part of the city, being the poor part, didn¡¯t have the giant skyscrapers or massive roadways that the better parts of town had. The buildings here were still tall but not reaching the sky.


    Even still, if someone were to see her, it would have been a strange sight indeed. ¡°Okay. Now try not to let him escape again. I might not be able to go and get him a second time.¡± She explained. She clung to the sixth floor of a large apartment. She had taken her shoes off, and her toes quite literally dug into the stone of the building and held her weight up. She might not have been blessed with wall-climbing powers or bug powers like the hero Golden Weaver, but she was making do.


    The little girl nodded her head several times, taking the pet. ¡°I¡¯ll take better care of him, I swear! Thank you, Ms. Hero!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a hero quite yet.¡± She gave a salute to the girl and leaned back, letting gravity do the rest. She tried to show off and flip backwards as she dropped, in an effort to come off as ¡®cool¡¯ or ¡®hip¡¯ in front of the girl, but only managed to land head first on the pavement below. ¡°Ow...¡±


    ¡°Are you okay!¡± The girl yelled.


    ¡°Yep. Fine.¡± She slowly stood back up and gave another wave before she began running off. She moved fast; there were almost no cars on the roads, allowing her to truly go all out. For the first time in forever, she truly felt free. ¡°Having powers really is the best!¡±


    She had created a costume of sorts. It wasn¡¯t anything crazy, but after saving the first lost cat, she somehow got roped into saving others. All over the city, people were constantly yelling for their house pets to come back. It wasn¡¯t any big superhero work, but it was still work.


    Her current outfit consisted of a basic jacket she had zipped up and her makeshift mask. She also kept her hood up in order to hide her hair and wore a simple face mask that she had swiped from her mother''s purse.


    She would by no means be winning any rewards or anything for her costume, but it was still fun to be running around in it. As kids, she and Armin used to play superheroes all the time. He would always pretend to be Max Lightning, while she constantly dressed up as heroes like the Victorian or Lady Time.


    As she ran back home, she made sure to pick up any trash that littered the streets or stop by and grab any other escaped animals and return them to their owners. That wasn¡¯t all she did, though.


    ¡°L- Leave me alone!¡± A woman screeched. ¡°Get off of me.¡±


    "Oh, come on. You were eying me up in the bar.¡± In a nearby alleyway, a man held a woman against a wall. ¡°Come on, I ain''t asking for much. Just give me your number. That seems more than fair. After all, I bought you a bunch of drinks-¡±


    ¡°The lady said no!¡± The man didn¡¯t even have time to turn, as a strong punch to the gut instantly sent him crashing to the floor unconscious. Hope folded her arms and placed her foot on the guy¡¯s chest. She did her best to puff out her own chest and placed her hands on her hips using her best ¡®hero¡¯ voice. ¡°You¡¯re safe now, lady-¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with this city and its weirdos?!¡± The girl was already running off, not even looking back.


    She deflated a little and sighed. ¡°Thank you for saving me, super cool new hero; you¡¯re amazing and could one day be part of the Enforcers. Is that too much to ask for?¡± She grabbed the guy and placed him on his back on top of a dumpster. Next, she grabbed his phone and sent out a life alert.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before a cop or ambulance came for the man, and they could do whatever it was they needed. She honestly hadn¡¯t meant to hit him so hard that he would instantly black out. She was still getting used to having super strength.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of funny. I was so tired earlier, but now,¡± she balled her hand into a fist and gave a grin under her mask. She was practically brimming with energy. It would be next to impossible to go to sleep with her current mood. ¡°Eh, it¡¯ll be fine. Mom won¡¯t return for a few more hours, at least.¡± The hospital was always shortstaffed, and her mother constantly got drafted for overtime. It was one of the few things that kept them out of debt.


    With her mind made up, she turned away from the alleyway and began to head back out.


    She had already discovered a new power since she had tested them out with Kyle. Her enhanced senses were really useful. If she focused, she could hear so many sounds all across the city. It was hard to actually make anything out properly, but hearing people yell for help was no issue. It wasn¡¯t just her ears that were better, though; her eyesight had vastly improved as well.


    She gazed up at the sky as she ran and looked toward the moon. She could see far further than she used to be able to. With these new eyes, it was easy for her to make out the thousands of massive cracks that lined the surface of the moon.


    Several years ago, a hero battled a villain up there. Their battle had been responsible for nearly shattering the moon. And now, thanks to her power, she got the pleasure of taking in the sight years later.


    ¡°So cool.¡±


    It was also thanks to these enhanced senses that she heard the sound of a gun going off. It caused her to freeze, and seconds later she heard more, followed closely by screaming and the sounds of sirens. A roar followed it shortly later, and, without thinking, she took off running.


    It was hard to tell how far it all was; the sound of it was enough to make her ears ring, but she didn¡¯t see anything close by that sounded like the war zone she was hearing. Even at her top speed, it took her nearly ten minutes of running before she was forced to come to a sliding stop.


    Her eyes went wide at what she saw. It was somewhere in the middle zone of the city. On seemingly a random block, there was a full-blown disaster. The road had been closed, and a massive crowd had formed. Police cars blocked it off, and she had to focus and turn her enhanced hearing off as there was so much screaming and gunfire, the noise filling the air.


    Many buildings had cracked walls; some walls fully caved in to show the interior of stores and apartments, and the ground wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. No one paid attention to her as she made her way through the crowd. She was stopped from going any further by several officers who were holding back the crowd.


    ¡°People, please remain calm and leave this block immediately!¡± The officer was yelling. ¡°We are currently in the middle of a villain attack! This is no time to be recording or sightseeing!¡±


    People, of course, ignored him, too busy trying to record the fight that was happening behind him. She also ignored him and stood on her toes, staring past the man.


    Up ahead, in the middle of the street, there was a full-on battle going on. The cops had given up and focused only on blocking the area off. Their bullets were having no effect on the battle. It wasn¡¯t quite to the scale of some of the stuff she had seen the Victorian do, but still, being there in person was something else.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Two heroes were fighting a massive villain. Both of the heroes wore what looked like suits of armor. The sort of thing you would see a knight wearing. The men even held swords and shields. One of the suits was a deep red, while the other was blue. They weren¡¯t normal armor, however, as the metal would open and pop out weapons like guns or other swords, which they used on the villain.


    Her eyes lit up as she recognized them both. The Pallet Boys. Neither of them were members of the Enforcers, and were instead a minor duo hero group. Pallet Boy Blue and Pallet Boy Red. Tech-based heroes that used high-powered suits to fight crime.


    The villain they were fighting was also one she had recognized. He was a member of the Bad Timers, though he hadn¡¯t been at the bank. It was a good thing too, as he was one of the more evil members of that group. He stood at nearly ten feet in height, and his flesh was made out of hard stone. His name was Intake. A villain who had the power to absorb and become things he touched.


    The knight in red armor managed to barely dodge a massive punch from the villain and swing his sword up. It bounced off of the rocky flesh that Intake sported, and before the hero could pull his weapon back, Intake slammed his other fist into the hero''s head and sent him crashing to the ground. The villain then raised his foot up and smashed it down into the chest of the hero, cracking and denting Pallet Boy Red¡¯s armor.


    Pallet Boy Blue threw himself into Intake, using his shield like a ram and shoving the bad guy off of his teammate. His own sword glowed with a crackling blue energy, and he swung it at the villain. Intake howled as it cut through his stone and caused black blood to gush out from beneath his hide. Blue barely managed to raise his shield up in time to block a powerful punch.


    Intake¡¯s fists grew, and the man began to get bigger, his skin forming nasty bumps and ridges. His hand twisted and changed shape, becoming a massive hammer-like limb, and this time when he swung, it was enough to shatter the hero''s shield and break the poor man¡¯s arm, causing him to scream.


    Blue wasn¡¯t able to yell long though, as the hammer then slammed into his head and he crashed down into the street, bits of metal flying off as his armor broke.


    ¡°Damn it! The Pallet Boys are losing! How long until more heroes show up?!¡± One of the cops yelled.


    ¡°Everyone needs to go now!¡± Another cop screamed. ¡°He¡¯s going to come for us next! Please, everyone leave while we hold him off-¡±


    ¡°I need to borrow this.¡± The cop stopped and turned to look down at the young girl, who shoved her way past him. She wasn¡¯t dressed like a hero but seemed to be going out of her way to hide her face, keeping it covered up. She kept her head low and avoided looking at any of the cameras.


    ¡°Borrow what?¡± The cop asked before realizing he had just let a civilian push past him.


    Hope ignored him and looked into the police car, making sure nobody was in it. Then she dug her fingers into the metal, denting and breaking it. She wasn¡¯t quite strong enough to lift the car up easily, so she did the next best thing. She pushed all her weight into it, used her strength to slowly lift it up, and made a turn with it. Everyone dove down to avoid being smacked by the car. She did a spin, then another, and another, until the car was above her body. Then she let go.


    Intake raised his foot up and was about to bring it down and crush Pallet Boy Blue¡¯s head in, but before he could, a mass of twisting metal slammed into him from behind. The villain was sent stumbling forward and dropped to his knees as the car tore and shattered, breaking over his body. He flexed and easily tore past it, turning around to glare at the person who did it.


    She pointed at him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick on someone your own size?¡± Then she crouched down and blasted into the air with a powerful jump. She awkwardly crashed down onto the roof of a nearby building and had to break her fall into a roll of sorts. Seconds later, the building she stood on shook as Intake followed her lead and jumped with inhuman strength, just like her. ¡°Well, clearly not me, I¡¯m not as big as you-¡±


    She let out a yelp and jumped away just in time to avoid the man¡¯s punch, which shattered and dented the roof they were on. His gaze never stopped following her, watching as she made her way onto another building. Intake jumped after her, roaring like a mad animal. He was just like Kevin. A big bully who just had their ego challenged by a little girl. All she had to do was get him away from the crowd. Just run until a real hero showed up.


    However, she made one fatal mistake. This wasn¡¯t Kevin. Intake was a villain. A super villain. An actual threat.


    She was in the middle of her next jump when she felt it. Pain exploded through her as something smashed into her back. She dropped from the sky and crashed into the alleyway below. A rain of bricks clattered around and onto her, the remains of the chunk of wall that Intake had chucked at her.


    She scrambled to get back up, but wasn¡¯t fast enough as the villain dropped down and slammed his full weight into the ground next to her, the force of which knocked her over. Then she felt it. The man¡¯s leg rammed itself into her side as he kicked her as hard as he could.


    She had been so cocky, thinking she was indestructible, that nothing could hurt her, but Intake was just as strong, if not stronger, than she was. Her durability meant nothing to a true monster.


    She felt his fingers dig into her back and rip her jacket as he raised her up. He growled, gritted his teeth, and finally spoke. ¡°Trying to play the hero, little girl.¡± His voice was deep and booming. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a proper costume. A noob hero, huh? You must have gotten your powers recently? Congratulations. Let me welcome you into our new world!¡±


    She screamed as he slammed her into the wall of the alleyway and broke through the stone with her body. He dropped her, but before she even hit the floor, he kicked her across it and sent her slamming through the building and crashing into another wall.


    She felt tears falling down her face, and her body twitched, not responding to her. She could barely get her legs to move. Everything had been so fun before. It had been easy dealing with things like missing pets or creepy guys. This was a killer, though. Unlike the small gang members she had dealt with, Intake was a super powered being.


    Intake roughly grabbed her by the face and tore off her makeshift mask, throwing it aside. She wasn¡¯t ready to give up, though. She knew the very basics of how to hit someone from the lessons she took with Armin. She turned her hand into a fist and swung it up into Intake¡¯s jaw, hitting him as hard as she could, putting every ounce of her new strength into the blow.


    Cracks formed along the villain''s chin, and he actually gasped and spat up more of his black blood, stumbling back and dropping her. That was when she learned something else. Powers weren¡¯t made equally.


    All she had managed to do was slightly crack his skin. The villain rubbed it and looked down at her as she clutched her bruised hand.


    ¡°Kids like you always do things like this.You think you can just put on a costume, and that because you have powers, you¡¯re suddenly some big shot.¡±


    She struggled to speak, and for a moment, she felt a few teeth fall out of her mouth. Despite that, though, she still managed to grunt something out. ¡°What was that?¡± Intake demanded.


    ¡°I- I said. I- I am a hero.¡± She finally spat. Even through the tears and the pain, she glared up at him. ¡°I got you away from the others. You can¡¯t hurt them now. They¡¯ve all had time to escape!¡±


    Intake¡¯s eyes filled with rage, and he glared at her, raising his fist. It grew into a hammer once more, and he brought it down. It never reached her, though. Inches away from her face, about to crush her skull, it suddenly stopped. Intake grunted, and his arm shook as he tried to bring his weapon down, but no matter how much he struggled, something was holding him back.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s more than enough.¡± She looked up slowly when she heard the voice. Someone stood between her and the monster, somehow getting there in a flash. They had one arm out and easily held the limb back as if it were nothing. ¡°You¡¯re acting like some big shot, yet here you are picking on a young girl.¡±


    She expected it to be a hero. Instead, the person who saved her just confused her more. He was a middle-aged man. One who wore a messy white buttoned-up shirt and black pants. He looked like he had just gotten off of work. He had messy reddish-brown hair and tired-looking brown eyes. He also didn¡¯t look that impressive. He had a beer gut and a rosy tint to his cheeks, as if he were drunk. Despite that, though, his hand easily held Intake¡¯s arm back casually.


    ¡°W- Who the hell are you?!¡± Intake screamed. His voice echoed out so loudly that it actually caused the building to shake.


    ¡°Keep it down. Do you know how hard it is to find a quiet bar?¡± The red-haired man burped a bit and casually threw Intake off balance by raising his arm.


    Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Some random dude was showing off super strength, way stronger than hers. As she looked around, she realized she had crashed into a bar. Everyone had long gone when the fighting a few blocks away started. All but this man.


    Intake crouched low as long, stone-like blades grew out of his arms. ¡°You¡¯re dead! Do you hear me? You and that child are dead!¡±


    The red-haired man lazily raised his finger and thumb, turning his hand into a makeshift gun. ¡°Bang.¡± The entire building glowed with a bright golden light, and it was as if lightning had fired out of his fingers.


    Intake never stood a chance.

 Chapter Eight: The Man

    The rain and hail were heavy, solid blocks of ice hitting hard enough to shatter glass and dent cars, the water soaking a grown man to the bone in seconds. It came down harsh and wild, with the winds ripping vehicles off the streets. The rain was loud, but the siren warning of the incoming danger was far more deafening.


    ¡®A tsunami is approaching the city. Evacuate to higher ground immediately. A tsunami is approaching the city. Evacuate to higher ground immediately.¡¯


    Big enough to cast a shadow on the entire city, bringing a wave that would smash most of the buildings flat at any moment, this freakish storm had seemingly appeared from thin air and without warning. With nowhere to run or flee, many people stared in horror, shock, and some acceptance.


    Yet, they sometimes say that in the darkness, a person will truly see the light. On the road, a woman had been running in an effort to escape, despite the fact that there was nowhere to go. She reached her breaking point, her legs buckling and giving out beneath her. She dropped down, breathing heavily, her head cocked to the side as she stared at the massive wall of water. It was so dark that it almost looked black, and she knew how stabbing the cold would be when it engulfed her.


    That was when something in front of the massive wave caught her eye.


    The woman¡¯s eyes squinted ever so slightly as she stared at the tsunami that would crush her any second now. It almost looked like there was a golden glow that came from the road directly in front of the black wave.


    "Oh, my God." The realization hit her. She wasn¡¯t the only one who had stopped and stared. Many people turned to the light as it began to grow. Even as the ice fell and the water spilled, the glowing didn¡¯t stop as something waited for it.


    ¡°Is that... It is! It¡¯s really her! The Victorian!¡±


    The light in the darkness. A woman stood, waiting for the tsunami. A red flowing cape was wrapped over her, a skintight suit showed off her muscles, and a golden light seemed to burst forth from the air around her. The woman, the Victorian, the greatest hero in the world, took a deep breath.


    Then, in an instant, she breathed out. It came out so hard and so fast that the tsunami was instantly frozen, an entire ocean''s worth of water changing into a wave of ice. Slowly, the woman pulled her fist back.


    Then, with a single mighty punch, she exploded the tsunami.


    And just like that, it was over.


    ***


    ¡°This is the winner of this year¡¯s ¡®Best hero moment of the year¡¯ poll!¡± On the screen of a TV, a news channel was currently playing. One with a pretty anchor, showing footage of a disaster that had been diverted. The scene showed the Victorian easily halting a sky-sized wave of water with her bare hands. ¡°Another deed by the greatest hero of our generation, the one and only Victorian!¡± The woman announced. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder why she is considered to be the leader of the Enforcers! And she isn¡¯t the only hero working hard!¡± The image changed, showing hundreds of cities and thousands of names. ¡°At this rate, there won¡¯t be any crime-¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± A loud voice yelled on the bus. ¡°Turn that off. We¡¯re about to start.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Jack.¡± There was a click, and the TV turned black, fading out. Only the sounds of the bus hitting a bump could be heard as an awkward silence filled the cabin.


    ¡°Yeesh.¡± Someone muttered as the bus finally stopped in the streets of Lillian City, and they began to pile out. ¡°The Enforcers made one heck of a mess this time. It¡¯ll be massive overtime, for sure.¡±


    Standing on the street, they saw what was left after the Enforcers finished one of their battles. Buildings lay in ruins, the roads were cracked, cars were tipped over, and in the center of it all was the reason they had been called out on such short notice.


    A massive crater the size of four football fields stretched out across the ground. It was hard to miss; planted squarely in the middle of the crater, massive in size, was the corpse of a dragon. It was covered in dark red scales, and its head had been blown clean off. It was so big that it took up most of the crater and still hung over it, black blood flooding the streets.


    Superheroes have existed since as far back as anyone can remember. Dressing up in stylish costumes with flowing capes and wielding powers some can only dream of. However, the next battle begins once the dust settles and the heroes pick up their toys.


    The Cleanup Crew.


    ¡°The reports say it popped out of nowhere and was the cause of the tsunami. The Victorian apparently killed it by accident when she was getting rid of the wave.¡± One of the workers said, staring down at a file in his hand. ¡°You¡¯d think the heroes could have made our job a little easier and at least moved it out of the crater. Alright men! Let¡¯s get to it! We need to get this city block back to looking pretty before the end of the month!¡±


    They were dressed in brown jumpsuits and carrying futuristic tools straight out of a comic, each of them beginning to help get cars turned back over or move large debris. ¡°No good.¡± One of them shouted as he began hacking away at the massive corpse. ¡°This thing¡¯s scales are too hard to cut through. We¡¯re gonna need to do this reverse style, like we did with that spaceship in Daisy City.¡±


    An unsung battle. They weren¡¯t heroes; they weren¡¯t known by name to many, and they never got loud cheers. They just weren¡¯t hero material. And none of that was more obvious than one.


    ¡°Jack!¡± Someone shouted.


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± He quickly dropped his cigarette, stomping it into the drenched street with a soft sizzle.


    Dressed in the standard brown jumpsuit the Cleanup squad wore, it didn¡¯t show off his form too much. What could be seen, though, showed he was a little out of shape. Not fat, but rather more like an athlete who gave up and let themselves go. A bit of muscle to his arms and legs from lifting, with a beer gut starting to form. His skin was mostly pale, with patches of various levels of sunburn, messy and unkempt reddish brown hair, tired dark eyes with heavy bags underneath them, as well as a wild beard that was out of control.


    His name was Jack Larison. He wasn¡¯t a hero. That was pretty obvious, though.


    ¡°What can I do for you, sir?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We got a spot opening.¡± The boss of their crew said, looking over some files. ¡°Your break is over. Grab a tool and go down. This corpse isn¡¯t stable and isn¡¯t touching the bottom of that crater. We need to make sure it doesn¡¯t fall any further and cause a massive earthquake.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He replied, taking a second to stretch. He wasn¡¯t the only one who looked bummed out. He had to use a series of tunnels and broken walls in the sewers to get to the bottom of the crater. The corpse of the beast was about forty feet above the bottom of the hole. Its body was so long that it worked sort of like a bridge to either side up above.


    The crater was also filled with that black blood. So much so that it went all the way up to their ankles.


    ¡°Reports say it ain¡¯t anything we should be worried about.¡± One of the other workers noted.


    ¡°Still try not to get any of it on ya.¡± He gave a slight grimace as he wiped some of it on his pants. ¡°I had a buddy who screwed around with weird space things. Last I heard, he became a mountain-sized monster and is living his life out at the bottom of the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± One of the workers down in the sinkhole asked.


    ¡°Nah. I lied. But don¡¯t get it on ya anyway. Seriously. Bad stuff.¡± He grunted.


    ¡°If ya ask me, those heroes should just chuck these corpses into space.¡± One of the workers murmured as they got to work setting their tools up.


    ¡°That¡¯s an awful idea,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°The last thing we want is some space God taking one of these things and turning it into a massive metal form. I¡¯ve had enough of space beasts for three lifetimes.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an easy job. They spent hours putting up beams and drilling them into the ground and underbelly of the beast, making sure it was secure and wouldn¡¯t randomly fall when the people above started to remove it piece by piece. The task would have been nearly impossible if not for the ¡®help¡¯ Harrison Avalon provided them. All their tools, built by the man, easily allowed them to do what no other construction crew could.


    He grunted as he and another guy raised one of the metal beams up. They had a ladder, which a third member of their crew climbed up. The ladder extended, getting longer and longer, and soon the man was so high up that a single slip would likely kill him. The worker used a powerful drill and bolted the beam to the scales of the dead dragon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe nature would actually let something like this exist.¡± One of them muttered.


    He gave a snort. ¡°Get used to it. Heroes and villains really messed up our world when they appeared.¡± It was the same thing every day. Well, that wasn¡¯t really true. Some days, there were natural disasters. Some days it was just common criminals or massive villains. Sometimes monsters or robots. Either way, the heroes arrived, they fought off whatever it was that caused the issues, and the Cleanup Squad would do their best to fix the mess.


    He let out a sigh when he saw what his hard work had managed to accomplish after hours of effort. He stood back up top with the others, staring at all the carved chunks of the beast. They were making progress, though it wouldn¡¯t be done for weeks, maybe even months. At least now, though, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it caving in on itself.


    ¡°We¡¯re nearing the hard part,¡± he grunted. ¡°Once this thing is light enough, we¡¯re gonna have to somehow lift it out of here. Then we¡¯re gonna have hundreds of massive holes to plug up.¡± He rubbed his brow and got to work, moving large boulders of debris out of the way.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°He¡¯s pretty good at what he does.¡± One of the workers wondered, watching him work.


    ¡°Oh, Jack Larison?¡± Another worker said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been here for a long time. Fifteen years, give or take.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen years! Who would ever want to keep doing this job for that long? I¡¯ve already given my two-week notice! He must have had some rotten luck.¡±


    He could feel the back of his neck burn, his ears turning red as he listened to them talk. He felt the stabbing gaze on his back and did his best to ignore it as he worked harder, hoping to get done early.


    Today was going to be a long day.


    ***


    His keys dropped onto the table as he stumbled into his apartment, nearly tripping over his feet as he did so. His ¡®home¡¯ was small. It was better than living off the streets, though. ¡°I was right. That day felt like it would never end. I¡¯m back!¡± He called out.


    ¡°Are you drunk already?¡± A voice asked as he closed the door behind him.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± He grinned, unzipping the brown jumpsuit. It dropped to the floor as he stepped out of it, now just in a T-shirt and his underwear. He collapsed forward, falling face-first onto the couch. ¡°How was your day?¡±


    The home he shared was small, the living room and dining room in one, with a TV still on the box and a simple table with a mini fridge next to it. Off to the side was a door to their bathroom, a kitchen, and their bedroom, though he rarely used his, claiming the couch most nights. Sitting at the table with a laptop was his roommate. A dark-skinned man who, unlike him, at least made an attempt to look nice, with their hair combed and beard trimmed.


    ¡°My day was pretty good.¡± The man¡¯s name was Nick, and he was one of the few people Jack accepted as a friend. ¡°Work was quiet. No one tried to rob the bank this time.¡± Unlike Jack, Nick worked as a security guard, though in a day and age with superpowers, he really never did anything anymore. ¡°How about you? How has your day been?¡±


    ¡°Terrible.¡± Jack sighed, turning over onto his back. He felt the floor for a bit before he found a remote. The TV flicked on, landing on the news. It talked about the retirement of Old Dog, a hero in his late nineties, as well as the newest concert Pretty Face, the man ranked in the top five hottest male heroes, was holding.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting old.¡±


    He let out a grunt, sitting up on his bed and rubbing his neck. He fished around, finding a can of beer, which he popped open. ¡°Speaking of getting old¡­ How much did you lose?¡± He demanded.


    Nick gritted his teeth for a second. ¡°I haven¡¯t lost anything yet.¡± The man smirked. ¡°If the Blues win, I¡¯ll have enough money to pay off rent for next month and still have some left over for food.¡± Nick eagerly stared at the screen as it showed a horse race, stats, and numbers scrolling along the edges of the stream. ¡°Come on, Blues!¡±


    ¡°Reds are gonna win.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it!¡±


    He stared for a second, then slowly took a sip of his drink as he waited. Nick¡¯s cheerful look grew worse. He drank a bit more. Finally, Nick closed the computer. ¡°How much did you lose?¡±


    ¡°You can pay next month¡¯s rent, right?¡± Nick asked quietly.


    Nick had a gambling problem.


    ¡°This just in!¡± The TV announced loudly, getting his attention. ¡°The hero, the Victorian, easily stopped a city-level disaster today!¡± It was the same newswoman that had been on earlier.


    ¡°Does she ever sleep?¡± He muttered, grabbing the remote.


    ¡°The hero or the news anchor.¡±


    ¡°Both.¡± He was about to turn it off but stopped when a picture of the hero appeared on the screen.


    It was a pretty woman. One with long blonde hair and a set of strong golden eyes as bright as the sun. Her skin was flawless, and she didn¡¯t wear a mask. She didn¡¯t need one. There were no silly things, like a secret identity, with her. Her outfit was black, looking almost similar to what figures in the military would wear, but with the addition of a long flowing red cape, one she had received at a young age, as well as a few bits of red cloth over her suit. The leader of the Enforcers, the greatest hero team in the world.


    He stared at the TV in silence, his eyes stuck on the picture of the Victorian. ¡°Uh, dude?¡± Nick asked when he finally noticed it. ¡°Are you doing okay? No offense, but that''s super creepy.¡±


    ¡°How did I end up on this side of the coin?¡± He asked under his breath.


    ¡°What?¡± Nick questioned.


    ¡°And if that wasn¡¯t enough, it¡¯s been years since we¡¯ve heard from her arch nemesis!¡± The woman on the TV announced cheerfully. ¡°Could the Victorian have succeeded where other heroes have failed and rid herself of the rival? Either way, I know that the previous number one superhero, Full Monarch, would be proud-¡±


    The TV exploded into a hail of glass and plastic as he threw his beer can at it as hard as he could. It smashed through the screen, breaking it instantly and knocking it off the box, where it crashed to the floor with a loud thud.


    ¡°Whoa! What the hell, man?¡± Nick yelled with wide eyes as he stood up. ¡°Our TV!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy a new one,¡± he asserted, already feeling a little regret at what his anger caused.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    He stood up and grabbed a pair of dirty pants and a mostly clean buttoned-up shirt. ¡°I¡¯m heading out.¡± He grunted.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just go after that!¡±


    ¡°Watch me.¡±


    He slammed the door to their room and stepped back out into the night air, leaving Nick. He could hear the man screaming inside, but he ignored it. He allowed his legs to carry him to his favorite destination.


    The bar usually didn¡¯t have many people at this time of night. Still, there always seemed to be at least someone lurking around. Not today, though. Even the owner was gone. Things were scattered all around, as if people had been in a hurry to leave. The shaking made him sigh.


    Another villain attack. That wouldn¡¯t stop him, though. He jumped over the counter and threw a few bills down before grabbing his usual drink. He took a few swigs from the bottle as the shaking got worse. ¡°Cleaning is an important job.¡± He took another drink. ¡°I¡¯m helping people out in my own way. I¡¯m doing good. I don¡¯t need to get involved with anything-¡±


    The wall exploded, and the entire bar shook as debris fired out in all directions. A body of a girl slammed into the counter, and let out a groan. He stepped back a little out of shock. Seconds later, a massive man covered in stone ran in. His mind almost went blank as he heard the girls screaming, and the fists of the man pounded into the flesh of the kid.


    The bottle he held exploded as his fingers grew tense. The villain didn¡¯t notice him; too busy beating what he guessed was a rookie hero. He felt his heart pounding, and his face grew queasy. His chest ached just seeing the bad guy. He shook his head as the pain got worse. He turned around to leave. The hero could handle themselves. She was the one who got into the mess in the first place, after all.


    Her words, however, caused him to stop.


    ¡°I- I said. I- I am a hero.¡± The girl spat. ¡°I got you away from the others. You can¡¯t hurt them now. They¡¯ve all had time to escape!¡±


    The villain growled and swung a massive hand at the hero. He finally made up his mind. He fired forward faster than a human should have been able to move. Golden lightning danced across his skin, and not even Intake saw him as he raised his hand up and caught the attack.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s more than enough.¡± He stated in a blunt tone. ¡°You¡¯re acting like some big shot, yet here you are picking on a young girl.¡±


    ¡°W- Who the hell are you?¡± Intake screamed. His voice echoed out so loudly that it actually caused the building to shake.


    ¡°Keep it down. Do you know how hard it is to find a quiet bar?¡± He burped a bit and casually threw Intake off of him by raising his arm.


    Intake crouched low, and his arms grew long, stone-like blades out of them. ¡°You¡¯re dead! Do you hear me? You and that child are dead!¡±


    He lazily raised his finger and thumb up, turning his hand into a makeshift gun. He could feel it once again. That power he used to have. That energy. All of it swirled in his veins. His skin seemed to glow for a moment, and lightning twisted out of the tip of his finger.


    ¡°Bang!¡± The energy blasted out of his hand, and Intake was slammed through the building and several walls of the neighboring building, leaving a trail of smoke behind.


    Lazily, he jogged over, exiting the bar through the hole he created. ¡°Damn. I only blasted him through three walls. Guess I¡¯ve gotten rusty.¡± He grunted when he saw the smoking body of Intake slowly stand back up after he blasted the villain through the building.


    Intake struggled to a knee and roared at him. ¡°Tell me who the hell you are! I¡¯m gonna send you in pieces back to whatever third-rate Super team you¡¯re a part of!¡±


    The villain jammed their hands into the ground, and Jack rubbed his eyes as Intake began to grow. ¡°Do you seriously think I¡¯m gonna wait around for you to do a whole power-up scene?¡±


    His hand raised in a gun shape again, and the lightning crackled out of his finger. Intake¡¯s eyes burned, and for a moment the villain became blind as the golden light smashed through the empty apartment they were in and tore itself through the villain¡¯s lower half, ripping them in two.


    Intake spat up more of that black blood and crashed to the ground, missing both of his legs now. ¡°You¡¯re one of those Supers that heal, right?¡± He asked, though he didn¡¯t really care either way. Smoke poured out of his finger, which burned with more of that golden light. This time he pointed his entire hand toward the downed villain. ¡°Guess that means I don¡¯t have to hold back. I¡¯ll blow your arms clean off and leave you as just a torso.¡±


    The light began to build up in the palm of his hand, letting out an intense hum of energy. Intake¡¯s eyes went wide with fear, and the villain let out a cry for help. ¡°E- Ears!¡± Intake screamed. ¡°Warp me out of here!¡±


    His attack fired, washing over the ground and setting it on fire as the beam swirled toward the villain. It wasn¡¯t fast enough. Before it could reach its target, a small iridescent orb appeared shooting at Intake. It splashed against the villain, quickly spreading out across their form. With a high-pitched whining noise, it shrank to nothing, taking the villain with it as his energy smashed into the ground and blew a hole right through it and down to the basement.


    Intake had managed to escape. Sirens screamed in the air, and he winced, just now noticing the damage he caused. He had blasted the villain out of the bar and through another different building, then he had gone and destroyed that building as well.


    ¡°Whoops. It''s been a while since I used my power.¡± He reached into his coat pocket and placed a Cleanup Crew Squad number down so that when the owners returned they could get this place fixed up. With a slap of his hand, an intense wind fired out, putting out all the fire he had started. ¡°This is the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°I- Is it over? D- Did that bad guy escape?¡±


    He froze and turned to stare at the girl. The kid didn¡¯t look to be in good shape. Her body was busted and bruised, and now that he got a closer look, she really wasn¡¯t in a superhero costume. She looked like a normal girl. A child.


    The girl struggled to her feet and peered out into the alleyway. ¡°How¡¯d he get away?¡± She asked, holding onto the wall for balance.


    ¡°Ears,¡± he stated, ¡°A teleporter working for the Bad Timers. Guy¡¯s basically their get-out-of-jail-free card. It¡¯s how they keep getting away. You hear about the bank thing a couple of days ago when the Victorian showed up? Should¡¯ve been it for them, but even her speed ain¡¯t enough to catch up with instant teleportation.¡±


    Brick and wood crunched underfoot as the girl shifted her feet. ¡°Who are you? You must be on a hero team, right?¡± The newbie hero questioned. ¡°I never saw a power like that.¡±


    He pointed at her, and before she could move, his golden energy slammed into her, and just like that, she dropped to the ground as if her strings were cut. ¡°I¡¯m just a nobody.¡± For a moment, he looked down at her. She looked strangely familiar. ¡°Maybe¡­ This was fate? No. That would be stupid. I¡¯m a nobody after all. Not anyone important. This was all just a coincidence. I¡¯m sure that you are also a nobody.¡±


    Despite that, though, the words that girl had said went through his mind once more.


    ¡®I got you away from the others. You can¡¯t hurt them now. They¡¯ve all had time to escape.¡¯


    Those were words he had heard once before. He picked the unconscious girl up, throwing her over his shoulder. His attack would ensure that she wouldn¡¯t wake up for a few hours at least. ¡°You did pretty good, all things considered, hero. Let¡¯s get you to the hospital now. It¡¯s been a long day.¡±

 Chapter Nine: Failure

    ¡°The villain known as Intake, after causing a massive scene, seemingly vanished after he was defeated in battle by an unknown Super. You can see the footage here as the newbie hero used her super strength to make a series of great jumps.¡±


    Hope groaned as her eyes began to open. Her head was killing her, and the lights above really didn¡¯t help. In fact, they made it all so much worse. She could hear what sounded like a TV¡ªthe newswoman that was always going on about heroes talking.


    ¡°Hope?¡± Her eyes fully snapped open at the sound of her mother''s voice, and she sat up. "Oh, thank God you¡¯re awake!¡± She didn¡¯t have time to process anything, as she was suddenly pulled into a hug so tight that even with her enhanced durability, it caused her to wince and groan. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare scare me like that ever again, young lady!¡±


    ¡°M- Mom?¡± She slowly pulled herself out of her mother''s grip. Her eyes finally adjusted to the light, and she looked around.


    ¡°Hey, Hope.¡± Her head turned when she heard Armin. Her best friend had a smile on his face. It wasn¡¯t a joking smile or the sly kind he always had. It was one of genuine relief. ¡°You owe me big time for the years I just lost. You have no idea how much stress you caused me.¡± It was his turn to pull her in for a hug.


    ¡°Sorry, I guess?¡± She was a little confused. Her mind raced back to everything that happened. She was in the hospital. A room very similar to her dad''s. She was also dressed in a gown. The memories of the beating she took raced through her head. Despite it, she didn¡¯t feel that bad. In fact, she felt mostly fine. She ran her tongue through her mouth, confirming all her teeth were still there, despite having lost a few in her battle. ¡°What happened?¡± She finally asked.


    ¡°We were sort of hoping you could tell us that.¡± Her mother sighed. The room wasn¡¯t very big, just having a table, two chairs, a bed, and a TV on the wall. Her mom muted the TV, which had already stopped talking about the Intake story, and instead focused on a story about the Victorian stopping an asteroid the size of Texas from hitting planet Earth with the help of another hero named Boy Genius. ¡°Do you remember what happened, Hope?¡± Her mother''s words drew her attention back to the situation at hand.


    She did, of course, remember what happened. Most of it, at least. Intake had nearly killed her, and then that red-haired man showed up out of nowhere. He was strong. Way stronger than she was at the moment. Then everything went black. Of course, she couldn¡¯t exactly say all of that. Her mom would kill her if she found out she had tried to fight a monster like Intake.


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡± She finally said. ¡°I left the house and was walking down the street. Then-¡± She trailed off. She didn¡¯t really have a good lie to say, but thankfully Armin saved her.


    ¡°Intake.¡± Armin nodded. ¡°I bet she got caught in the blast. That villain bombed an entire street. I heard a lot of people got hurt, but thanks to the quick work of the Pallet Boys, no one died. The entire floor below us is filled with a ton of people that were on the street when it happened, all needing help.¡±


    ¡°Y- Yeah.¡± She would seriously have to thank Armin later. He just gave her a golden excuse. ¡°I was walking down the street, and I remember just a lot of pain. Then I blacked out. That must have been it.¡±


    Her mother nodded. ¡°We were told someone dropped you off at the hospital. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t remember, though, do you?¡±


    ¡°No. Sorry.¡± She winced. She wondered if that strange man had been the one to drop her off. He was likely the one who knocked her out. The fact that there weren¡¯t any police here asking her questions meant no one knew that she had been the person that led Intake away. With all the injured people, they likely thought she was just a normal kid. After all, her suit could barely be called a hero costume.


    ¡°Why were you that far from home late at night?¡± Her mother folded her arms and began to scold her. ¡°That was miles away from home. You know you¡¯re not allowed to leave the house at that time.¡±


    ¡°I uh, well, um, I-¡± She shrugged and shot a look at Armin, pleading for his help.


    He caught on to what she wanted and gave her a grin. ¡°I bet she went out to see someone.¡± He announced. ¡°I¡¯m right, aren''t I, Hope? Admit it, you were sneaking out of the house for a date or something! Come on, tell me what her name is! Who¡¯s the lucky girl?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it at all!¡±


    ¡°Hope.¡± Her mother spoke up. ¡°I was young once as well. That said, there should be no reason for you to go out late that night. Next time, just invite them over to our house.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as bad as he is!¡±


    ¡°I wish that hero was still here, though.¡± Her mother finally decided to change the subject. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d love to thank her.¡±


    ¡°Hero?¡± For a moment, her thoughts went back to the strange man, but her mother said ¡®her¡¯, so it couldn¡¯t have been him.


    Jane reached out and held her hand, squeezing it softly. ¡°We still don¡¯t know who brought you here, if it was a hero or what, but you, like many others, were in a bad condition. Apparently, a superhero from Lillian came down and is the reason you¡¯re unharmed. Her name was Paragon. She spent all night healing every patient she could.¡±


    ¡°Lillian... That¡¯s where Team Reservoir is. A healer from there. Could she be-¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Her mother cut her off and smiled. ¡°She¡¯s the hero your father told you about. Once she¡¯s finished with all the people who are critically injured, she¡¯s going to get to work healing everyone else in the hospital. Your father is on the waiting list. He should be out of here within the week.¡±


    Armin turned away sheepishly, feeling a little out of place, as the mother and daughter hugged each other tightly. ¡°Anyway.¡± He spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cut this short, but I promised Mr. Thaddeus I would help him move some stuff, so I need to head out.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow at the boy. ¡°Mr. Thaddeus?¡±


    ¡°My new boss.¡±


    With everything that happened, she had totally forgotten her friend was working now. It wasn¡¯t like he needed the money; his family was rich, but she was still happy he was doing something with his life at least. More than she had been doing anyway...


    They didn¡¯t stay in the hospital for much longer. Armin had been the first to leave, and eventually a doctor stopped by to check up on her. She was given a lookover, and they decided she could go. Her wounds should have been far worse, but there wasn¡¯t a single scratch on her. All thanks to that hero called Paragon. She¡¯d seriously have to thank that superhero if she ever got a chance to meet them.


    With a healing power like that, she was confident that the nightmare of her father''s illness would finally come to an end.


    She was wheeled out of the hospital in a chair, despite the fact she felt fine, and soon enough, she climbed into the back seat of her mother''s car. ¡°Can I borrow your phone?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What happened to yours?¡±


    ¡°Broke.¡± She had been given a change of clothes from her mother, but her phone had been in her jacket pocket during the Intake fight, so needless to say, it was shattered beyond belief.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Her mother didn¡¯t say any more, reaching into her pocket and tossing the device to the backseat. She caught it and began to fiddle with it. She put it on the news, just in time to see herself.


    It wasn¡¯t a good picture, but someone had managed to snap a shot of her in the middle of her chase with Intake. It was extremely blurry, and almost no detail could be made out, but she felt a strange sense of joy at having her image out there in the world.


    But all good things must come to an end.


    The screens changed as a newswoman came into view. The woman looked strangely familiar, but she couldn¡¯t get it to click in her head. Currently, the woman stood in front of a destroyed apartment building that had suffered from severe burns. The woman smiled at the camera and brought the microphone she held up.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Alice Ward, and I¡¯m standing in front of the Rainbow Grove, a hotel that has seemingly suffered great damage after the battle with Intake was drawn to this location by a new, as of now, unnamed rookie hero-¡±


    ¡°Some hero she is!¡± Next to the newswoman, the owner of the destroyed apartment building growled. He was a small puddy man who glared into the camera. ¡°I bet she took that bastard here on purpose! She thought it would be funny to battle Intake in my building! She¡¯s lucky I evacuated all the people when word got out that prick was rampaging; otherwise, the injuries would have all been on her head! And I bet she thinks it was funny leaving this here!¡± The man showed a business card with the number of a Cleanup Crew printed on it. ¡°Like I have the money to afford these guys! Not when I¡¯m paying out of my pocket for failures like her! If you¡¯re out there watching this right now, girl, next time don¡¯t use fire powers indoors, you cindering bit-¡±


    She clicked the phone off her eye, twitching a bit. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even the one that sent him into that building!¡±


    ¡°You say something?¡± Her mother called back to her.


    ¡°Nothing. I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± She slumped down in her chair and let out a sigh. Her first day out as a hero, and already someone hated her. ¡°I¡¯ll just do better next time. I promise.¡±


    ***


    ¡°D- Did we really have to run all the way to school!¡± Armin huffed out as the boy struggled to keep up with her.


    She spun around and flashed him a grin as she began to jog backwards on the street. ¡°Come on, we used to do this all the time when we were kids, remember.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Like six years ago!¡± Armin was far from a jock, but he had been shockingly more athletic than she thought he¡¯d be. Oleander Bay was placed directly at the edge of the middle zone and rich part of town. This meant that her house was practically on the other side of the city. Usually Armin and her would take a series of buses and walk the last of the way to school.


    Not today though. Today she insisted on running all the way there herself. She was proud to say that along with strength and durability, she could put down inhuman stamina as another power, as even after a full ten minutes of sprinting she barely felt tired. She wasn¡¯t going at her full speed, of course. Another reason she wanted to do this was to see if she could hold her powers back and only slightly stay ahead of Armin.


    Speaking of which, the boy caught up to her, running alongside her as he took several gasps of air. They were getting closer to the school now. ¡°Did you actually have an end goal for this? We¡¯re going to be hot and sweaty the entire day now.¡± He grumbled.


    She decided to not bring up the fact that she was barely sweating and instead shrugged. ¡°We can just hit the showers. I have track and field in my second period.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have weight lifting until the end of the day, though!¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a you issue then.¡± She smirked.


    ¡°Hope!¡±


    She was about to say something but stopped suddenly when her enhanced hearing kicked in on its own. It caught her off guard for a moment as an assortment of sounds hit her from all directions, but one stood out above all others.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Whispering. Whispers that were all talking about her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that her?¡±


    ¡°She was the one, right?¡±


    ¡°The Intake attacks?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t been paying attention to how close to the school they really were until that very moment. They had reached the gate when her powers kicked in, and now she was unable to stop herself from overhearing all the conversations about her as the other students who stood in the courtyard of the building noticed her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Hope Lauren that weird girl that¡¯s into heroes? I bet she¡¯s glad the attacks happened and she got to meet a healer.¡±


    ¡°My father was also caught in one of the attacks, but the healer Paragon never had time to visit him and fix his leg. Lauren got healed though? How is that fair?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame Intake didn¡¯t do a better job. I¡¯m getting sick and tired of how she keeps causing trouble for our boss, Kev.¡±


    She felt all the eyes staring at her. Every student was whispering and talking about the incident with Intake. They somehow all knew that she had been a person caught up in it. Some were staring at her in pity, others glared at her, and more still were just gossiping about it. It made her skin crawl a bit. She couldn¡¯t turn her hearing off, and it wasn¡¯t stopping. The people weren¡¯t stopping.


    ¡°You think she should be at school?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s really okay. She¡¯s cuter than I remember. Maybe I¡¯ll ask her out.¡±


    ¡°You doing okay, Hope?¡± The final voice she heard caused her to jump a bit when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, finding Armin staring down at her with concern. He didn¡¯t have the hearing she did, so from his perspective, it likely looked odd why she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks right at the gate to their school.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine, I guess.¡± She said, finally stepping past the gate and entering the school grounds. Several people shot her looks, and she did her best to ignore them, playing with her glasses. She didn¡¯t need to wear them anymore, but she kept that detail secret from her mom and Armin. It¡¯d be too weird to have fixed eyesight overnight.


    It had only been two days since she tried her luck at being a hero. News of her being in the hospital had gotten around, it seemed. There were no mentions of her in her bad costume or anything. Rather, most of the rumors were tied to her having gotten to see the new hero, Paragon.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you feel fine?¡± Armin asked for what must have been the tenth time. She didn¡¯t expect him to be the mama bear type, but ever since she got out, he seemed dead set on sticking close and making sure she wouldn¡¯t randomly explode or something. He kept a hand on her shoulder and walked her to the building, shielding her from the looks the other students were giving her.


    ¡°For the last time, I¡¯m fine! I was fully healed, remember?¡±


    Armin gave a slight nod. ¡°I covered for you in the hospital, but I seriously got to know. Why on Earth were you running around that part of town late at night?¡±


    She shot a glance at all the other kids that were scattered about the school field. To many that could be listening to drop her bombshell. Instead, she shrugged. ¡°I mean, in a way, I guess you were right.¡±


    ¡°You really were seeing anyone!¡± Armin nearly tripped over his feet and stared at her with wide eyes. ¡°Seriously! Does she go to this school? It better not be a student at our rival school; I swear I¡¯ve had enough Romeo and Juliet issues for a lifetime! Is it a cheerleader? Gossip girl? Emo, goth, weeb? What¡¯s her name? What¡¯s she look like? How big are her-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dating anyone!¡± She hissed. She calmed down and folded her arms. ¡°I was hanging out with Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Less interesting but okay. Isn¡¯t he the new kid?¡± Armin¡¯s voice had a bit of a dangerous edge to it now as he looked from her to the other side of the schoolyard. ¡°I don¡¯t recall him being sent to the hospital. Did he leave you when the attacks started? Give the word, and I¡¯ll take him out.¡±


    She followed his gaze and saw Kyle had a bit of a crowd around him, primarily girls. He was still pretty bruised up from the gang incident, unlike her, but that seemed to actually work out in his favor. His popularity had skyrocketed in a day. Perks of being the hot new kid, she guessed. Currently Ashley, Kevin¡¯s ex-girlfriend, was batting her eyes at him and rubbing her hand on his arm.


    She snorted for a bit when she saw how uncomfortable Kyle looked. ¡°Armin, I¡¯m pretty sure Kyle would fold you in half if you fought. And no, he didn¡¯t leave me stranded. I had already left him and was heading home when it happened.¡±


    Kyle seemed to notice her looking and gave a half-wave. The crowd that had formed turned, and she suddenly felt very self-conscious at the many eyes that were set on her. Then her eyes settled on Kevin. He was standing near the back, staring right at her with his usual crowd flanking him. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you later, Armin. I¡¯m going to scram before anyone else gets the wrong idea.¡± She muttered. The whispers had already been bad enough; she didn¡¯t need to hear the new gossip about her and Kyle.


    Armin gave a faint nod. ¡°Okay.¡± He opened the door to the school, letting her enter first. ¡°Oh yeah, sorry, but I can¡¯t hang out after school. I need to go do something with a friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°You have other friends?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean!¡± Her friend huffed. ¡°Listen, in case we don¡¯t see each other for the rest of the day, try and stay low. I heard Kevin was looking for you. I¡¯ll try to throw him off if I can, but stay careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± She stumbled into the hallway, dodging the crowds of students. It took all her willpower to not just throw the crowd to the side with her super strength, but with the cameras and many kids walking around, she knew she¡¯d be outed worse than she already was. She didn¡¯t know if Kevin would follow after her or not, but she wasn¡¯t going to risk it.


    She took shelter in the bathroom and found her way into a stall, ready to hide out until the bell signaled first period. She sighed and pulled out her mother''s phone. She ¡®borrowed¡¯ it and had tried looking herself up on the internet. There were dozens of forums and posts dedicated to Supers. Luckily for her, any search for a brand-new Super in Oleander didn¡¯t turn up any heroes or villains¡ªnothing that could be linked to her at least.


    The closest thing to a mention of a new Oleander hero was some girl who recently joined the Oleander Sub Enforcers Team and metal powers. There were some talks about the picture that had been taken of her, but no name or power set had been assigned to her yet. The only thing most people agreed on was that she let Intake get away and botched up the job of the Pallet Boys.


    It would seem that she had managed to remain under the radar for the time being, an impressive feat considering how much she had botched it up.


    But good things aren¡¯t meant to last.


    Especially for her.


    The door to the restroom banged open, and on instinct, she froze. She did her best not to make a single sound. There were many giggles that filled the small room, echoing around. She could hear shuffling, and even without looking, she could tell they had stopped outside of the stall she was in. There was a knock on the door, making her jump.


    ¡°Umm, occupied.¡± She called out hesitantly, though she had a bad feeling in her gut that said that fact wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Oh my god, she is in there! You were right.¡± One of the girls on the outside exclaimed with glee. It wasn¡¯t Kevin. It was much worse than Kevin. Popular girls. More giggles followed. There must have been four or five out there. ¡°Yeah, do it.¡±


    The liquid that splashed down into the stall burned her eyes. She could also tell it was sticky and felt it foaming on her skin. Grape soda. Lots of grape soda. The stall finally opened, causing her to come slipping out, a dripping wet mess of purple liquid.


    It was no longer giggles but full-blown laughter that bounced around the bathroom stall. She had no idea how many of the girls had been in on it; even if her eyes weren¡¯t a burning mess, her brand-new pair of glasses, which her mom had specially ordered for her, were stained purple. The smell of the fruity drinks and sodas was sickly sweet.


    She couldn¡¯t stop shivering from the cold and slowly climbed to her feet. Her backpack had taken the worst of it, and a sick feeling was in her gut. All that money on the textbooks went down the drain. Same with her comic. It was already a soggy mess. Her appearance must have been the funniest thing in the world to them because it caused more laughter to echo.


    Her mother''s phone had also been affected. It had been almost at full charge, yet now no matter how many times she tried to turn it on, the thing wouldn¡¯t work. Her mom was going to be really, really mad...


    The words of the girls went over her head as she pushed past them and made for the sink, cleaning off her glasses. The world came back into view as she slipped them on. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her black hair was soaked and almost dyed red and purple. Her T-shirt was sadly no longer white. She also saw the bullies¡¯ reflection and the sheer glee on their faces.


    It had been eight girls in total, though three stood out to her. The ring leaders or the popular girls. Hannah and Paige were the types of girls that fit the ¡®prom queen¡¯ image. But even they were nothing compared to Queen Bee Ashley. She guessed the girl didn¡¯t care that she had saved her from Kevin the other day.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯ll teach you to stop trying to flirt with the new kid.¡± Ashley¡¯s voice caused her eye to twitch, and the girl even attempted to do a hair flip. ¡°He¡¯s off limits, got that?¡±


    ¡°You did this because you were jealous that a boy waved at me,¡± she asked, her voice flat and empty of any emotion. ¡°All of this for a boy I don¡¯t even like. What are you, a dumbass?¡± Ashley took a step back, not having expected that answer.


    ¡°Dumbass? I¡¯m one of the smartest girls in this school!¡±


    She finished cleaning part of her hair with water and used paper towels to dry off her face. She winced a little, staring at her shirt. Finally, she turned to look at them, taking her backpack off.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Got nothing to say?¡± Ashley sneered.


    She stared the girl in the eye. Then she swung the backpack as hard as she could. By some miracle she missed, as she hadn¡¯t been thinking straight when she did it. Ashley managed to duck under the strike just in time, and the bag slammed into the wall of the bathroom.


    The other girls all stumbled back in shock, and Ashley stared up at her with a mix of fear and rage. ¡°You psycho!¡± She stood there blankly as the girls ran out of the bathroom, leaving her alone. She knew what was about to happen next. They¡¯d go and give some story about how she attacked them first and to spin it all on her.


    She didn¡¯t really care about that at the moment, though. She quickly tugged her bag and pulled it out of the wall. They had been so busy glaring at her that none of them had noticed that she had swung with enough force to crack and dent the wall. Her bag was now beyond destroyed, her soaked books and supplies falling out of it and hitting the floor with a wet splash.


    She reached up and wiped some of the soda off of her face and let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long day.¡±


    ***


    Mr. Pluto stirred his cup of coffee, mixing the sugar with the liquid before he took a slow sip from it. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you were able to come on such short notice, Mrs. Lauren. I¡¯d like to talk to you about your daughter¡¯s actions today-¡±


    ¡°Is the other girl also in trouble?¡± Her mother asked in a cold tone.


    She wasn¡¯t able to look either adult in the eye and instead kept her head face down. Her favorite teacher, Mr. Pluto, had been the one who was here to tell her mom about the trouble she was in since the principal had been caught up in a Super attack and would be late coming to work. Currently, she found herself seated in his office, sitting in awkward silence.


    The school had called the hospital her mother worked at to get the woman to come down, and Jane Lauren was not very happy at the moment.


    Mr. Pluto cleared his throat and placed his cup down. ¡°Rest assured, we already plan on speaking with Ms. Numen about the part she played in this incident. From what I understand, she is the one who started it-¡±


    ¡°So then why is my daughter the one who is getting in trouble?¡± Her mother demanded.


    ¡°Ms. Numen¡¯s prank was bad, but your daughter physically tried to attack her-¡±


    ¡°Prank? Prank! That girl destroyed her bag and belongings! That¡¯s damage of property!¡±


    The teacher raised his hands up slightly. ¡°Mrs. Lauren, please calm down. I¡¯m not on anyone''s side in this situation and am simply stating the facts. I understand that Ms. Lauren was in the hospital the last few days. I think it would be best if she recovered more before returning to school. With everything going on-¡±


    ¡°Are you kicking my daughter out of school?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said!¡± The man raised his voice for a moment before clearing his throat. ¡°I just think it would be best for your daughter¡¯s sake if she was at one hundred percent before returning. Everyone¡¯s nerves have been acting up recently with all the attacks. No one is at fault, I think-¡±


    ¡°Not even the girl who decided it would be funny to destroy my daughter''s things and dump soda on her? Not even the other girls who went along with it? They¡¯re not at fault either.¡± Her mom didn¡¯t give the teacher time to respond and instead stood up, grabbing her hand. ¡°Come on, Hope, we¡¯re leaving. You can return to school when you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    She allowed herself to be dragged out of the room and walked the halls with her mother. Her face was red as many students stared at her, and the whispering started up once more. She had a towel wrapped around her, and her hair was still mostly stained purple and red. Her mother didn¡¯t say anything as they left the school and got into her car.


    They pulled out of the parking lot, and she stared out the window in silence. Finally, her mother spoke once more. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    She flinched a little and looked down at her lap. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You attacked a student in school, Hope!¡±


    ¡°She started it. I finished it. Besides, I thought you were on my side.¡±


    ¡°I am on your side, but you can¡¯t be doing things like this. This is the second time you¡¯ve gotten into a fight!¡± Her mother turned and stared at her. ¡°With that and the Intake stuff, I¡¯m getting worried, Hope.¡±


    She shrunk down in her seat a bit and began to mumble. ¡°Look. I get that I went too far. I just... I just got mad.¡± She had gotten lucky that she missed all things considered. With her new super strength, there was no telling what would have happened to Ashley if that blow had landed.


    Her mother finally let out a heavy breath, shaking her head. ¡°Well, you seem to get mad a lot lately.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes glanced down at her watch, moving her car into the fast lane. ¡°I¡¯m going to be late to meet a friend. You¡¯re going to have to come with me.¡± She winced at her mother¡¯s words. The look in her mother¡¯s eyes, though, made her a little nervous. It was the same look she had gotten that time her mother tried to build a new lawnmower. ¡°I just got a great idea.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my friend was complaining about how he¡¯s short on workers.¡±


    ¡°Oh no.¡±

 Chapter Ten: Nobody

    There was nothing worse than having a great dream of the past, only to be forced awake by the piercing sound of a phone ringing. Jack groaned, his eyes opening and burning from a beam of sunlight. The man growled and turned over as he set up. The nearest clock read that it was around lunchtime. Typically, he worked evenings to nights, so this was quite early for him to wake up.


    There was ringing coming from the pile of clothes he had dropped when he first got home. He stumbled towards it, wiping sleep from his eyes and finding the phone in one of the pockets. Only one place ever calls him.


    ¡°Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jack! We got a new recruit over in the Squad and hoped you could come in early and help train them.¡± The voice of his boss blared through the phone. ¡°You¡¯ve been here the longest, so I figured you¡¯d be the best for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who normally trains new recruits. Wait... Do we even train recruits?¡± He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He had just been thrown into the deep end when he first got the job. On top of that, he had never been asked to train someone in the fifteen years he had worked here. Most people quit after a week, maybe a year, due to the conditions.


    ¡°This one is a little special.¡± His boss admitted. ¡°Just get down to the office when you can. That¡¯s an order.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡± He closed his flip phone and rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. ¡°Maybe the overtime will be worth it.¡±


    The ride over to the office wasn¡¯t long. He lived close by. ¡°Hey, Jack! Welcome! C¡¯mere.¡± The voice of his boss shouted at him. There was almost no one else in the building. Most of the workers were either stalling before they¡¯d have to head out or had already left for another big job.


    ¡°Yo boss. So, where¡¯s the new part-timer?¡± His words stopped as he entered the small office building and saw his boss, a thin man in a suit who only managed the paperwork and bills, never actually doing any of the physical work, standing next to a young girl.


    The girl couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen, maybe even younger. She was so young, he would guess she was still in school. She wore a red T-shirt with the famous pop singer hero on it. Her raven hair was long and wild, and her eyes were a childish bright blue, the kind that hadn¡¯t reached adulthood yet, hidden behind a set of round glasses. She was young. Just a kid.


    A very familiar kid at that. Instantly, he could tell she recognized him. They both stared at each other in shock, processing it. Oleander was a massive city with dozens of areas and living conditions. What were the actual odds of running into one another again?


    The girl practically jumped when the boss clapped her on the back. ¡°Mr. Larison, you remember my son Armin, right? Well, this girl here is one of his friends. I thought it would be best to introduce the two of you. Hope here has been acting up a bit at school. It¡¯s a Monday, and she got kicked out. It¡¯s not the first time, and at this rate, I doubt it¡¯s going to be the last. Her mother¡¯s a good friend of mine, and long story short, she¡¯s gonna be working here to teach her a lesson.¡±


    The girl flinched at the man¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± Hope muttered bitterly.


    ¡°So why me?¡± He wondered, scratching at his beard.


    His boss gave him a larger grin. ¡°Well, since she¡¯s a kid and all, we don¡¯t wanna have her being pushed too far, and you¡¯re always complaining about how you need someone to keep track of the tools and what goes where, so I figured you could use a little bit of extra eyes. Also, Hope is really into superheroes. Her mother even threw her a hero-themed party last year and somehow convinced me to come dressed as Max Lightning.¡± The boss¡¯s words caused the girl¡¯s face to flush, and she looked like she wanted to murder the man for a second. ¡°You know a lot about heroes, so I figure it would give her something to talk about.¡±


    The girl''s eyes traced him over dozens of times, and he found himself gritting his teeth. She seemed smart enough to not blab anything in front of the boss, so that was good at least. ¡°Sure.¡± He finally said through a clenched jaw. ¡°I would love to. I have just the job for her.¡±


    ***


    That¡¯s how Hope found herself in an itchy jumpsuit, plugging her nose to prevent the stench of the very dead monster from hitting her. She had no idea how the others were seemingly fine with the conditions, but none of the Cleanup Squad members batted an eye as they hacked into the beast.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too fast?¡± She asked. Armin¡¯s dad, the friend her mother had been talking about, was nowhere to be found, he was back at the office, where it was nice and safe. She was left in the hands of Jack Larison.


    As it also turned out, Jack¡¯s idea of a secretary was someone who did literally the same job as everyone else.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Jack said, letting out a pop sound. The man handed her a very heavy-looking metal rod, which she easily held. ¡°Look, while they¡¯re working on that dead monster, we¡¯re gonna be working on some of these buildings. Go find some blocks and chop away at them. Have fun.¡± He left her standing there while he reached into his pocket and lit up a cigarette. The man made his way over to a group of workers that seemed to be playing poker on a flat piece of detached bone.


    Thanks to her enhanced hearing, she heard the entire thing, and it caused her teeth to grind. ¡°It''s been a while since we had a girl on the team.¡± One of the men muttered unhappily. ¡°She¡¯s too young, slowing us down.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even teaching her anything, Jack?¡± Another one asked.


    ¡°Teach her what? The rare skill of picking up bricks? It¡¯s not my job to babysit some brat.¡± Jack spat out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel a little bad for her?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Not even a little?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Do you really have a heart?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Sold it.¡±


    One of the men chuckled, leaning back on what was left of a streetlamp. ¡°How long do y¡¯all think she¡¯ll last before she goes whining to mommy to take her out?¡±


    Jack ignored the man, watching her work. Her arms shook as she tried to stab her tool into the stone blocks in order to move it out of the road. Today, they were at the site of a collapsed building that had been tossed over by the rampaging monster. A Super merch store, judging by the scattered replicas of various heroes¡¯ weapons.


    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s having trouble. Anyone wanna help?¡± One of the workers asked.


    Only Jack knew just how wrong the others were. She looked like she was struggling. Key word being ¡®looked¡¯. Despite how heavy she made the stones look, she wasn¡¯t sweating, grunting, or even looking tired, and her awkward movements looked more like someone going out of their way to do things slowly to waste time rather than put effort into it. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched her work.


    Jack sighed and moved over to her. ¡°You¡¯re gonna throw your back out.¡± He stated when he reached her.


    ¡°How so?¡± She grunted as she managed to get the block up. It was a piece of stone from one of the supports that held the wall up. She placed it in a barrel and nearly collapsed to her knees, feeling a dull pain in her back. Super strength or not, the things still weighed more than most people could carry, and while it wasn¡¯t hard, it was hurting a little.


    The tools weren¡¯t easy to use. A thin needle, yet long like a spear. It was made to stab and then latch onto whatever it was in, allowing them to move it, similarly to a weight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lift them like that.¡± Jack barked, walking up to one and raising it. ¡°Watch me.¡± He stabbed it down as hard as he could. It barely made a dent in the stone, but he pushed all his weight into it. ¡°Once you get this in, you want to turn it as best you can.¡± He grunted a little, steadily twisting the spear. It took a few seconds, but it pushed further in. ¡°Next, you need to turn it over and not lift it with your back.¡± He pushed his weight into it, letting gravity and his body tip the stone over. ¡°Then you wanna lift it with your legs the best you can. You¡¯ll throw your back out if you keep lifting it like that.¡± He placed the spear over his body, lifting it like a barbell, using his legs to push himself up.


    Jack lifted the rock and dropped it into the barrel. Despite how easy it seemed to look, she could tell that it was something most people would struggle with. Yet not this man.


    ¡°See. It¡¯s easy.¡± Jack was a little winded and couldn¡¯t stop clutching at his chest every now and then, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as tired as the other workers.


    She stared for a second before moving to one and trying it the way he showed her. She took it slow and made it look like she was struggling. It was even easier to lift it, though, forcing the weight into her legs. ¡°That is easier, I guess.¡±


    There was silence in the air as they worked. Broken by her stare once more. ¡°What?¡± The man asked in annoyance.


    ¡°You¡¯re a superhero, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°But you had powers-¡±


    ¡°Keep it down, will ya.¡± Jack groaned. The man took a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose. ¡°Yes. I have powers. I ain¡¯t a hero. Not a villain either. Not everyone with powers dresses up in tight costumes and fights crime. I¡¯m just plain old Jack Larison. A nobody.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± She shook her head and frowned. ¡°If you had powers, why wouldn¡¯t you be a hero?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone has the same dream that you do, kid. Trust me, the world would be a lot better if it were so black and white.¡±


    ¡°It can be, though! If you have the ability to help someone, then you should. Powers or not, if everyone just attempted to help other people, the world would go a lot smoother.¡±


    Jack turned away from her and picked at the debris in front of him with his spear. He didn¡¯t know why, but her words made him mad. They weren¡¯t the first time he had heard that after all. In a way, she reminded him of ¡®that man¡¯ from so long ago. It really pissed him off. Little did he know though things were about to get way worse.


    He was about to have a very bad time.


    ***


    The sound of ringing bounced off of the walls of the sewers as Ears moved forward. The villain normally traveled alone, but today he had been placed on a team with Intake. It was likely Polaron¡¯s way of punishing them both for him failing to bring Intake to the bank.


    Ears¡¯ costume wasn¡¯t like most other villains. It wasn¡¯t fancy or interesting. Instead, it was a tattered brown cloak barely clinging together with dozens of black phones and walkie-talkies stitched into the side of it. Every step the villain took caused more ringing to pour out as he walked down the tunnel of the sewer and found their partner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make him pay; I¡¯ll make him pay; I¡¯ll make him pay-¡± Intake was on all fours; the villain¡¯s body had already fully healed. The man¡¯s flesh was made out of the jagged stone of the sewer, and claws dug into the ground as their head morphed and expanded out like a hound''s. ¡°I smell him!¡±


    ¡°Smell who?¡± Ears¡¯s voice bounced around the tunnel, coming out distorted and layered as it emerged from all the phones he wore.


    ¡°The man who mocked me.¡± Intake howled and began to stand up. ¡°I smell him and that girl as well! I¡¯ll make both of them pay!¡±


    ¡°This man you speak of¡­ Is it the one I had to teleport you away from?¡± Ears questioned.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Intake let out a guttural growl and began to absorb more of the stone, growing in size. ¡°The golden man. I¡¯ll slaughter him!¡±


    Ears folded his arms and hummed. ¡°We have a job to do right now. Polaron wants us to scout out these tunnels and discover the base of Red Ape, a member of Zoo. We don¡¯t have time for-¡±


    ¡°To hell with what Polaron wants!¡± Intake smashed both his arms down into the ground, shaking the entire tunnel system. ¡°I want to kill that man! I will kill him! I¡¯ll rip him up and beat him to death with my own two hands! I won¡¯t be humiliated by him again!¡±


    Ears just let out a low sigh and reached into the front of their cloak, bringing out a vial of yellowish liquid. ¡°If this is so important you¡¯ll refuse to obey our leader, then I¡¯ll have to insist you take this.¡±


    Intake caught the glass jar and held it with two fingers, bringing it closer to his eyes. ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°Something we stole from a Wandering Coin base that we attacked. It should give you the edge you need.¡±


    Intake¡¯s eyes narrowed, but the villain unhinged his jaw and tossed the liquid, glass and all, into his mouth, swallowing it whole. It took effect almost instantly. The monster dropped to his knees and gasped, clawing at his gut as a rumble began to course through him. The villain could feel power. A lot of it. Bubbling up and fusing its way into his DNA.


    The tunnel was filled with the sound of laughter as Intake¡¯s body began to grow¡­


    ***


    The rest of their workday was mostly busy. They moved stones, picked up shards of glass, cleaned up debris, and managed to get the building stable. They had to clean the inside up as well.


    Soon, though, with the setting sun turning the sky a faint red, it was time to pack up. ¡°We¡¯re heading out, Jack.¡± Some of the workers called.


    ¡°Go on ahead.¡± Jack waved them off. ¡°I parked my car at the end of the road, so I¡¯ll head back last. I¡¯m gonna do some quick check-ups. I wanna make sure the other crew didn¡¯t screw up my work on the giant monster. If they pull another rib out of a wall without checking how secure it is, I¡¯m gonna flip.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    When everyone was gone, he began looking over their work throughout the city. It¡¯d be back up in no time at the quick rate they were going, finally though he arrived at the center of the street where the massive corpse that had caused all of this rested. By now, it was loaded with hundreds of harnesses, and machines hummed around it, though no one else was present.


    It was quiet. Too quiet. There was not a sound on the block. Everyone else had packed up. There¡¯d likely be a midnight crew that would do more work, but none of them arrived. For now, it was simply peaceful.


    So that was why, when Jack heard the faintest sound, it caused his hair to stand up. The silence had been broken by a noise so quiet that he thought he had imagined it. But just when he figured his mind had played a trick, he heard it again. A scratching sound. One directly in front of him. It was coming from the beast. He had gone through it nearly a dozen times, though; there was no way anything was in it.


    Perhaps a worker who was trapped? It wouldn¡¯t be the first time it happened. The last time it did, the worker had gotten a crazy plague and started a mini-Zombie outbreak, and the entire city had been placed into lockdown.


    He missed Chrysanthemum City.


    He placed his hand on the scales and tried to listen. He didn¡¯t feel anything, and the sound seemed to have suddenly halted. ¡°Hello? Anyone there.¡± He felt a little goofy, asking the corpse. He was glad no one was around. The silence had come back; the scratching was gone. ¡°Guess not. You¡¯re a dead animal; why did I think you¡¯d respond?¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Jack jumped and spun when he heard the voice. Standing behind him, he found Hope. Her face turned into a frown as she stared at him with her arms folded.


    ¡°Kid! Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°The boss told you to watch over me. I rode here with you and figured we were leaving.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m your ride.¡±


    "Also, I wanted to say thanks.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°You saved my life, right?¡± She bowed her head slightly. ¡°I was in way over my head. That villain really almost killed me. I¡¯d be dead if not for you. You were the one who took me to the hospital after, right? You kept my secret safe. I¡¯m glad.¡±


    Jack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. ¡°I was young once too. I get it, sort of. Wanting to use your powers for something. I guess at one point in my life, I wanted to be a hero as well. ''Course I¡¯m old and worn down now.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Only thing waiting for me is the slow crawl of death.¡±


    She turned away but stopped. ¡°I heard that Old Dog was still a hero in his nineties. It¡¯s never too late, you know. You can always do good.¡±


    She tried to walk away and act all cool, but his words stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re a smarter kid than I thought.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Jack chuckled as she shot a glare at him. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know I''m at the top of my class! I¡¯m not just strong but also smart.¡±


    The block had been left mostly barren, with all the workers having gone home and civilians not allowed to enter. The next crew always took their time showing up. It should have been silent save for the two of them, yet an ear-piercing crack filled the air. A loud rumbling caused them both to stop, and the ground began to shake.


    Jack felt himself being tackled to the ground by Hope just in time. The spot of the road he had been standing at exploded, firing debris everywhere as something large crashed down in the spot they had been at. He rolled across the ground with Hope in his arms and tried to shield her from the rain of rocks that poured down.


    ¡°I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± A familiar voice hissed out. ¡°I smelled you. Oh, I must truly be blessed by the Emperor to have run into you both again so soon!¡±


    ¡°You again!¡± Jack groaned.


    Intake was bigger than before. A lot bigger. His muscles bulged out wildly in size, and he was nearly fourteen feet tall. His stone skin was covered in spikes, and he had to walk almost like a gorilla, balancing on his arms, which he held out in front of him. A massive tail also poked out from his rear, sporting a large hammer-like head at the end of it. His nose was long and jutted out with his jaw, almost like a dog''s snout.


    Hope and Mr. Larison tried to climb back to their feet, but the villain was way faster than he had been before.


    ¡°Move!¡± She felt a set of arms shove her down as Jack lunged towards her. One moment, she stared at him, and then the next, that fist hit him.


    She could feel the wind ripple around her from the sheer force of the punch. The strike made Jack¡¯s eyes go wide in shock and pain as he was flung high into the air, smashing into the side of a building, breaking through the stone, and causing it to shatter and topple over him.


    ¡°Mr. Larison.¡± Her voice was filled with shock, and she nearly tripped over her own feet.


    She felt her heart pounding, and she stared toward the collapsed building. She wouldn¡¯t exactly say he had been a nice man, but he also wasn¡¯t bad. He didn¡¯t deserve to be crushed like that. She stumbled back to her feet, gritting her teeth, and she could feel her blood pumping through her veins.


    The villain didn¡¯t even seem phased when she let out a yell and threw a punch. Her rage instantly faded and was replaced with pain when her fist barely left a crack in the creature¡¯s stomach. She did more damage to herself than the monster, and it let out a low chuckle and simply backhanded her across the face.


    She cried out in pain, the force of it lifting her off of her feet and sending her crashing down the road several feet with a gasp. He was bigger, stronger, and tougher than he had been before. She wasn¡¯t a superhero. She was just a young girl compared to him.


    She could feel blood dripping down her lip; the villain had busted it once more, and her face stung. She was utterly outclassed.


    Its hand came down before she could stand back up, grabbing her by the top of her head. She tried to scream, but the pain caused her to gasp instead as the villain began to slowly squeeze. Her skull felt like it was about to pop, and no matter how much she tried to pull herself out of the monster¡¯s hands, she was unable to get it to budge.


    The pain got worse, getting tighter and tighter as tears began to roll down her face. Just when it was about to get too much, it suddenly stopped. The beast roared in pain as something smashed into its face from out of nowhere, hard enough to cause it to stumble back. Its grip loosened, and she felt herself slide down, landing on her knees. A set of arms wrapped around her, and someone carried her away from the monster.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± The voice of Jack asked his arms around her.


    She looked up at the man with wide eyes, shocked to see he was fine, and was wielding a stop sign he had ripped out of the ground to smack the beast. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡± She said, stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take more than that to put this old man down.¡± He almost sounded like he was joking, but his eyes were serious, and he stared at the villain on full alert. ¡°He must be juicing or something. He got stronger way too quickly.¡±


    She bit her lip, staring at the monstrous creature. A real supervillain, the one she had seen heroes fight many times. This wasn¡¯t like the school bullies or even the gang members. This was a certain death for a normal person. ¡°So, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°You run as fast as you can, kid,¡± Jack told her simply.


    ¡°But what about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna stay here and make sure this thing doesn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± Jack raised his makeshift weapon.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die!¡±


    The man snorted. ¡°Did you forget the night I saved you? I¡¯m strong. Crazily so, in fact.¡±


    ¡°But you just said that guy is juiced up on something? Can you beat him as he is?¡±


    Jack reached out and flicked her on the head. ¡°I outrank you. I¡¯m the adult here, got that? Which means I make the shots.¡± She was pushed by him in a direction away from the creature. ¡°Please hurry. I don¡¯t want to die, so save me quickly, okay, Ms. hero?¡± And like that, she felt her instincts kick in as her legs began to run. She looked back, seeing his smile.


    With a turn, she left him to his fate and ran faster than she had run in her life.

 Chapter Eleven: Their Origin

    Intake stayed low to the ground and eyed the red-haired man up and down. Jack Larison didn¡¯t look that impressive, but when it came to superpowers, you could never judge a book by its cover.


    Jack was the first to speak, taking a lazy step toward the bad guy. ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself for going after a child. It¡¯s villains like you that I hate most in the world-¡± Jack was cut off mid-sentence when his vision was full of stone, as Intake¡¯s fist appeared inches away from his face. With inhuman speed, Jack twisted his body, the punch soaring past him and shattering the ground. The entire street shook, and some cars were raised off the ground from the blow.


    With a roar, Jack swung up and smashed the sign into the head of Intake, hitting the bad guy as hard as he could and shattering the makeshift weapon in the process.


    The villain let out a curse, stumbling back as the metal was torn across their rocky flesh. It rubbed at the spot and glared down at Jack. With a sick grin, the beast swung its fist, connecting with Jack¡¯s face. A punch strong enough to rip through stone caused the red-haired man to stumble back, his eyes filling with shock and pain, but then they quickly narrowed.


    Jack was still alive. His head somehow stayed attached to his neck. The man wrapped his arm around Intake¡¯s limb and began to easily pull it back with mighty strength. Intake yelped as the villain began losing the battle of power. ¡°You¡¯re not just any random Super! Who the hell are you? Why are you pretending to be a normal human? Our kind can rule humans like Gods-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It was this or flipping burgers,¡± Jack grunted. The creature roared in agony as Jack used his other arm and jabbed out with a strong right hook. The blow stabbed into Intake¡¯s gut and cracked the stone hide with ease, sending black blood spilling out. Hissing in pain, the beast lashed out with his free hand, grabbing Jack by the head. Jack cursed, but it was too late.


    With a simple twist, Intake sent the Cleanup Crew member flying into the air as if he were as light as a feather. Jack yelled and tumbled down a few meters away, roughly crashing into the roof of a car, and before he could even get back on his feet, Intake appeared next to him and picked the entire car up, folding it in half with Jack still inside! Metal twisted around the man, who grunted as he felt himself begin to get crushed and encased in the makeshift tomb that was being created for him.


    Intake laughed and began to grow in size, the stone that made up his body being replaced with the red metal of the car. The villain was nearly sixteen feet tall now, so big that the ground was starting to crack beneath him, and he kept folding the car up more and more. Suddenly though, in a blinding flash of golden light, the car exploded, and Intake felt himself be flung back by a tremendous force.


    Jack dropped to the ground as the car that had been folded around him melted and burned to ash. The man¡¯s body was filled with a powerful golden light, and lightning danced across their fingertips. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± He spoke in a cool tone and took a step forward. With a simple flick, four orbs of golden light appeared in the air around Jack, each firing a thin beam of energy that left small smoking holes in Intake¡¯s body.


    The villain grunted, more black blood spilling down his chest, but he wasn¡¯t ready to quit just yet. Intake slapped at the ground, hitting it as hard as he could and shattered more of the road, sending the debris flying Jack¡¯s way.


    ¡°Great.¡± Jack said in a dry tone. ¡°Giving us more work to do.¡± The golden man wasn¡¯t just strong but also fast, easily sidestepping all the rocks that crashed down around them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just take your loss like a real man and give up? You¡¯re starting to tick me off. Powers weren¡¯t made to be equal, and I¡¯m far above what you¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    The truth was he had sent the kid away so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about holding back. This entire street was clear of people and had been blocked off, and due to the damaged state it was already in, he didn¡¯t need to worry about collateral damage since they were already in the middle of fixing it. In other words, there was nothing stopping him from going all out and using everything he had to beat this monster.


    It had been years¡ªnearly fifteen in fact¡ªsince he had a fight this good.


    Intake spat out more of their black blood as Jack¡¯s lasers rammed away at him, tearing more of the monster''s body apart. ¡°There it is again. That damn mocking look. Or is it pity? I don¡¯t care either way! I¡¯ll make you pay for staring at me like that!¡±


    Intake rammed Jack at full speed. Jack stopped his barrage of lasers and met the villain head-on. He wrapped his arms around the monster, his feet digging into the floor. His shoes exploded and ripped, his clothes tearing, as he and the beast had a struggle for power, each holding the other one and using their strength to try and push the opponent back.


    The street broke before either of them did. Stone rained down, and the road began to tear and rip open. Slowly though, Intake felt himself begin to get shoved back. Jack was beating the villain. Jack could feel it. The power. He began to push the creature back, the villain¡¯s eyes wide with shock, and Jack¡¯s glowing got even brighter as more golden lightning jutted out of his flesh. He grunted, taking a step forward, then a second step, and a third, as the glow got hotter and stronger.


    Jack Larison was winning.


    Jack began to yell, cracks appearing on the monster¡¯s arms, and Intake felt his limbs start to shatter. ¡°You¡¯re through!¡± Jack announced. And then-


    Blood started to gush from Jack¡¯s nose, and he suddenly gasped and, on instinct, let go of the creature going for his chest. In all that fighting, the man had forgotten the reason why he hadn¡¯t used his powers in fifteen years.


    He was having a heart attack.


    Jack was smashed into the ground with the force of a truck as Intake didn¡¯t hold anything back. This time, Jack yelled, the pain shooting through his body. It didn¡¯t end there, though. With another sick grin, the villain brought his fist up and then smashed it down into the body of Jack. Again and again and again, blow after blow, it punched. That pain was nothing, though, compared to the hot blood that was gushing through his veins, his heart beating faster and wildly as if it were a bomb that was ready to go off.


    Jack could feel his body crack, his muscles giving out as his heart roared and struggled to keep going. Finally, the villain stopped their assault once he had buried Jack into a makeshift crater. Intake bent down and picked the man up, causing Jack to gasp. Intake¡¯s hand was big enough now to wrap around Jack¡¯s entire chest. It began to squeeze, and Jack¡¯s vision began to blur. It was hard to breathe, and all the man could hear was a popping sound as his bones were about to explode!


    ¡®You can also be a hero.¡¯


    ¡°D- Damn it.¡± Jack cursed as familiar thoughts and words went through his mind. They say that when you¡¯re about to die, your life starts to flash before your eyes. Was this what they meant? His heart was still killing him, literally. It was wild and without rhythm. The consequences for using his power when he shouldn¡¯t have.


    The pain in his body began to grow mind-numbing as Intake¡¯s hand grew even tighter. Jack could feel it. His body was at its limit. He was about to die. His story was about to come to an end.


    That was when he saw something. His light in the darkness.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Before the creature could crush Jack to death, one of the metal spears the Cleanup Squad used to carry bricks stabbed itself into the back of the villain''s skull, making it roar and drop Jack. Hope gripped the spear tightly and pulled back with it as much might as she could, using the method Jack showed her earlier. She forced the villain off of the ground, and she twisted, letting go of the spear and hurling the rock man several meters down the road, where he crashed in a heap.


    Jack felt a set of arms raising him up as he stared up at her as she dragged him back. ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Larison?¡± She asked in a panic. He did not look okay.


    ¡°Why are you-¡± Jack broke into a coughing and wheezing fit, clutching his arm and shaking. His heart wasn¡¯t slowing down. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The man finally grunted.


    ¡°I managed to find a pay phone! I called the cops and told them what was happening. They said they¡¯d get a real strong hero to come save us.¡± She lifted him easily with her enhanced strength and began to move further down the road away from Intake.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant!¡± Jack slapped her upside the back of her head as hard as he could, nearly causing her to drop him. ¡°You idiot, why did you come back?¡±


    Before she could answer, the villain was already standing back up, rubbing the back of its head, glaring at the two of them, and advancing slowly.


    ¡°Why did I come back? That¡¯s obvious.¡± She placed the man down and stepped forward, holding another of the metal spear-like tools up. She had several of them all tied to her back, clearly ready for a last stand. ¡°You told me to save you, remember? This time it¡¯s my turn to hold him off while you run.¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Jack demanded. ¡°You¡¯re not a hero. You¡¯re just a kid.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t about being a hero or not.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You asked me to save you, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. If everyone offered help when it was needed, then I think this world would be a better place. I can¡¯t just go thinking things like that and then not offer to help. Especially when you went out of your way to save me.¡± She looked back at him and smiled. ¡°Did that sound cool? I practiced it on the way over here!¡±


    Jack stared at her for a moment before finally letting out a snort. She really was just like... Jack stood up and wobbled his way in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s a cold day in hell that I force a child to save me.¡± His heart had finally settled down, but he knew it was just the calm before the storm. If he fought any longer, there was a good chance his heart would stop for real. And unlike the last ¡®incident,¡¯ he doubted Nick would be around to restart it. ¡°Screw it. Who cares.¡± He smirked and clasped his hands together.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, but had to quickly shield her eyes as a bright golden light began to gush out of Jack¡¯s enclosed hand.


    Jack ignored her, and he held his arm out. She watched as he balled his hand into a fist and then stuck his thumb and pointer finger out like it was a gun. Then he was glowing. It was faint, but it was there. Just under his skin, as if light were pumping through his veins, it was golden, the same color as the Victorian¡¯s hair, and even his eyes seemed to go from a dull brown to the same sun-like orbs she had. Even seeing it a second time, it was still a sight to behold, as lightning began to zap from the tips of his finger.


    Jack felt the pounding quicken, his veins feeling like they were on fire. Intake roared and began to charge, and Jack gave a small grin, then finally spoke. ¡°Bang.¡±


    The glow suddenly went out, compressed to a single point at the man¡¯s fingertips. It wasn¡¯t fire, and it wasn¡¯t lightning. It was something else, like wild energy, the color of sunlight. It formed into a ball and blasted out, smashing into the gut of Intake and lifting the villain off the ground with enough force to send them smashing into the corpse of the dead dragon.


    The body of the dragon exploded into chunks as golden fire began to eat away at it, and the thing tumbled into the crater, dragging Intake down with it and kicking up a massive earthquake that undid all the repairs the Cleanup Crew did to the street. Jack didn¡¯t really care in that moment, though. His heart¡¯s wild beating was returning, but he crushed it down and fought through the pain.


    She stood off to the side, staring with wide eyes as her vision recovered from the light show. ¡°Is it over?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Not by a long shot.¡± Jack grinned. ¡°My lasers got a lot weaker due to the state my heart is in. Something that weak would never put a guy like Intake down for long.¡±


    ¡°That was your laser when it was weak!¡±


    Intake was already letting out a loud roar, ripping their way out of the dead beast and back up the crater. The metal armor where the light had hit him was melting off his body and smoldering, but the villain didn¡¯t seem to care, too pissed to form many thoughts. Smoke came pouring out of Jack¡¯s finger, but he didn¡¯t seem bothered, easily blowing it out. The glow in his veins was back, and he felt his bones popping as he grinned.


    She took a calming breath and stood next to him, holding one of the rods up. It was a bit awkward in her grasp. She might have taken a few self-defense lessons with Armin when she was younger, but they had never gone over how to use weapons like this. ¡°Are we actually going to fight him? Neither of us have a costume or anything.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna try.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the plan then?¡±


    ¡°While I fight him head on and blast him sky high, you deal with the other one.¡± Jack stated, causing small golden orbs to appear at the ends of each of his fingers.


    ¡°Other one?¡± She asked. That was when her enhanced senses kicked back in and she heard it. A low buzzing noise. Actually, that wasn¡¯t right. It was more like the sound you¡¯d hear in an old house phone or pay phone. The sound when there was no call going on. She spun around and saw who was making the noise. At the end of the street, a familiar figure stood. One dressed in a long brown cloak with phones stitched all across it. Ears. A member of Bad Timers and one of the people who had been at the bank last week. ¡°Oh. I see.¡± Was all she said.


    Ears held a palm up, pointing out of the opening in their cloak. She reacted just in time, dodging out of the way as a wave of yellow liquid blasted out of the man¡¯s hand. It sort of looked like ear wax and greatly grossed her out.


    She was glad she dodged it too, as the spot it hit began to bubble up and melt. Some sort of acid attack or something. The liquid ate away at the ground, melting through solid stone like it was nothing. Jack didn¡¯t bother dodging. Instead, a thin golden barrier formed around his flesh, easily blocking the acid.


    She landed on her feet a few meters away and jumped at Ears, stabbing out with her spear, but the attack never hit the cloaked villain. He didn¡¯t move or anything like that. Instead, one second he was there, and then the other he wasn¡¯t, as he vanished. Ears reappeared a few meters down the road, launching more of that acid at her and nearly catching her, but she used her inhuman jump to throw herself away just in time.


    She had forgotten that it was Ears that made the Bad Timers so hard to catch. The man was a supervillain that could teleport himself and his people away from danger. He also apparently could fire acid, as it turned out. That wasn¡¯t the only one they had to worry about either.


    Intake charged at Jack with inhuman speed, every step shaking the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The villain roared. The metal man leaped high into the air like he had when he chased her the other night and brought his arms up. Jack raised his hand, the glow getting even brighter as he got ready to blast the villain.


    Then something caught all of them off guard.


    The lid to the sewer suddenly blasted up, and a wave of water rose out, moving on its own! The water bent and twisted, more and more pouring forth and taking shape into that of a giant fist, catching all four of them off guard. Intake tried to stop himself, but it was already too late.


    Intake fell into the hand made out of water. It was big¡ªbigger than even a house¡ªand its fingers wrapped around the metal monster. The villain tried to fight back, but slowly, the hand grew still, and the water began to shift, getting colder and colder as it froze over into an ice sculpture, leaving only Intake¡¯s head free and the rest of his body stuck.


    She looked at Jack with wide eyes. ¡°Can you control ice?¡±


    Jack stood there in silence for several seconds before sighing. The glow around him went out as he shook his head. ¡°Someone just stole our moment of glory.¡±


    ¡°Someone called for a hero!¡± The voice that announced the proclamation was almost as proud as the Victorian¡¯s. A woman stood on top of one of the ruined buildings, her hands on her hips. Her hair flowed out behind her like the ocean, and water clung to her body, taking shape into various forms, from liquid to ice to mist. She recognized her instantly.


    ¡°Ocean Empress,¡± Jack muttered, staring up at the woman. She was a member of the Enforcers and leader of her own hero team, the Reservoir. Basically, she was a big deal.


    ¡°Oh my God, I need her autograph.¡± She was cut off when Ears blasted more acid at her, but a wall of ice appeared around her, keeping her safe. Ears looked up at the Enforcer then cut his losses. In an instant, the villain was gone as a black orb opened beneath him. One also appeared next to Intake but never had time to grab him as Ocean Empress acted quickly and froze it.


    ¡°E- Ears!¡± Intake howled. Another orb appeared, but again, ice got to it first. They stopped appearing after that, and the metal villain screamed out in rage. ¡°You bastard!¡± Ears had left Intake behind.


    She moved over to stand next to Mr. Larison and looked up at the woman with wide, shock-filled eyes. ¡°She¡¯s so cool-¡± She was cut off when Jack simply fell forward, his body finally giving out as he once again gripped his chest and began gasping. ¡°Mr. Larison!¡±


    Those were the last words he heard as he blacked out.


    And that...


    That was the start of their origin story.

 Chapter Twelve: The Existence Of Evil

    Superpowers and the concept have always existed, as far back as people could recall. Despite that, it is still mostly unknown where they truly came from.


    The most famous story is that of the Four Lords. It was said that long ago, humanity faced a grave threat that would wipe them all out. They called this threat the Shadow. The Shadow ate away at mankind and put them on the verge of extinction. Just when all hope seemed lost, ¡®they¡¯ showed up.


    Four heroes appeared and saved them from total destruction. Heroes that held the title of Lords.


    The first ever superpowers. The Lord of the Sea and the Depth. The Lord of the Land and Life. The Lord of the Sky and the Weather. And lastly, the Lord of the Sun and the Cosmos. They battled the great Shadow and, by some miracle, managed to wipe this great threat out, restoring humanity to its proper place as number one.


    The world entered a new age. Less than one percent of the population had superpowers, but even with a percentage that small, it was only a matter of time before it expanded and grew to a full roster. Now there are nearly ten thousand listed Supers across the world. Be it hero or villain, the world was forced to change.


    Good or bad, that remains to be seen still.


    Toni¡¯s heart felt as if it were about to explode, and her lungs were so heavy the officer swore that they must have been filled with lead. Her skin was wet with sweat, which caused her palms to slip on the doorknob.


    It took longer than it should have to push the door open, but as soon as she could, Toni flung her body into the room and slammed the door shut. How long had she been running? That was a question she had forgotten the answer to.


    Breathing heavily, Toni¡¯s eyes darted around the room, broad and unfocused. ¡°Calm down.¡± The officer did their best to settle her heart and calm her nerves as she remembered her training. ¡°The window.¡± She was only on the second story. The fall would hurt but it was survivable.


    Toni took a step toward the window, but it was already too late. There was a horrible screeching sound, and the door exploded in on itself, the shards crashing through the office, knocking shelves and rewards over and making a mess of the room.


    ¡°Geez, Mrs. Cop.¡± The voice was arrogant. It was also young¡ªsomeone who had just reached adulthood and gotten a taste of power. The dust settled, and the cop saw them on the other side of the now-destroyed door. ¡°You sure did give us a good chase. Of all the people I¡¯ve hunted, I think you ran for the longest. Good job. You¡¯ll be worth a lot of EXP.¡±


    The man¡¯s clothing was somewhat normal for who he was. A fancy black business suit that had been dirtied up from the running. His face was unseen, covered by a skintight, cartoonish wolf mask. In his hand, he held a simple switchblade. The man twirled it around, showing years of practice, before finally pointing it towards Toni.


    A supervillain. The infamous Green Wolf. Leader of the villain group known as Zoo.


    The man wasn¡¯t alone, either. Standing behind him, there were others, all dressed in suits and all with various animal masks.


    ¡°So.¡± The man in the wolf mask cocked his head to the side. ¡°What¡¯s your game strat now? You ran out of bullets a while ago, and help won¡¯t get here in time. Your build is pretty trashy, so we can keep trolling you if you want. Go on. I¡¯ll give you another head start.¡± Even with the mask, Toni could tell the man had the biggest grin on his face as he stared at her.


    Toni turned to the window, but her heart sank when she saw something. A man in a suit with the mask of a bird, a set of jet-black wings jutting out his back, floated outside, almost daring the cop to try it.


    Silence passed in the room. No one moved as the officer''s arms slumped. ¡°You...¡± Tears began streaking down Toni¡¯s face as she glared at the man in the wolf mask. ¡°The heroes will stop every single one of you, you arrogant villains! They¡¯ll show up any second!¡± She screamed the words as loud as she could and gritted her hand into a ball.


    The man in the mask seemed taken aback for a second. ¡°Really now? You think a hero''s going to save you?¡± He stepped forward and raised his knife. ¡°That¡¯s a good theory. Sadly for you, though, I think it¡¯s game over. No extra lives.¡± And with that, he brought it down.


    ***


    ¡°Hey! Are you even listening?¡± Hope yelled out.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Jack said flatly.


    ¡°You¡¯re really just leaving!¡± She asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Yep.¡± The red-haired man opened the door to the hospital¡¯s hallway. ¡°Can¡¯t afford a medical bill. I¡¯ll just let my wounds heal on their own. I¡¯m a Super, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Does it work that way? I have healed a couple of things pretty quickly,¡± she wondered. She had several bandages placed around her head from where that villain had nearly crushed her skull, but if she was being honest, it didn¡¯t hurt that bad anymore. Had it already healed? For that matter, she wondered if she could maybe get the hospital to bring in that Paragon girl they had to heal her and Mr. Larison.


    It was a few hours after the attack with the monster. They had been sent straight to the hospital, and luckily, she was mostly unharmed, though she had suffered some pretty severe bruises. Jack, meanwhile, had nearly every bone either broken or cracked. The man shouldn¡¯t have been able to walk, yet that didn¡¯t stop him from limping down the hallway.


    She had to admit that she was a little jealous. It had seemed like he hit the jackpot when it came to a superpower. He was stronger than her and more durable, on top of being able to blast freaking lasers out. Compared to her ability to see far or hear better, he was so much cooler. The kind of person who would be a main character if he was in a comic or book.


    ¡°Are you really not going to talk about how you¡¯re a freaking superhero?¡± She ran up to him, keeping pace.


    Jack began to walk through the hospital halls, passing by many less fortunate people. ¡°I¡¯m not a superhero, kid. I¡¯m just a guy. A nobody. I ain¡¯t looking for that sort of attention being a hero brings. I¡¯m lucky that hero covered the story up.¡±


    The official report was that a villain had tried to steal the monster corpse. Sometimes bad guys did that in an attempt to bring the slain creatures back in some sort of zombie form. Ocean Empress thankfully arrived and took Intake out in one attack. At least that was the story the general public were told. No mentions of civilians or workers being caught up in the attack. That was all swept up under the rug.


    She walked in front of the man and pointed at him. ¡°You have powers. You¡¯ve saved me twice. Beaten Intake twice. And you¡¯re just so cool. You¡¯ve got to be a secret hero! Come on, you can tell me! I¡¯ll tell you one of my secrets if you tell me who your hero identity is!¡± That was when something else in the hospital caught her eye.


    ¡°Powers don¡¯t make ya a hero. I thought I told you that already.¡± The man stopped when he realized she wasn¡¯t paying attention to him anymore. ¡°Kid?¡±


    Her eyes were fixed on the many other people in other rooms. Some had limbs frozen solid, some were turned into different shapes, some were alien creatures, and some had robotic parts fused onto them, all caused by villain attacks. It was enough to make her teeth grind.


    All the patients, in a way, reminded her of her father. He, too, had his life affected by a superpower that left him bedridden. Sadly, this wasn¡¯t the same hospital he was in; rather, it was a very expensive one, with most of their bills being paid for by Old Dog, the hero of Oleander.


    ¡°Kid.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry. I just forgot is all.¡± She shook her head and focused her attention back on Mr. Larison.


    Jack finally found what he was looking for in his pockets¡ªa pack of cigarettes. ¡°Look, kid. Why do you care if I have powers or not?¡± He asked, scratching the back of his head. ¡°You have them too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yours are so much cooler, though.¡± Jack snorted before suddenly throwing his pack of cigarettes at her. It hit her head and bounced to the floor. ¡°Hey! What was that for?¡± It hadn¡¯t actually hurt, but she still didn¡¯t like having something thrown at her face.


    ¡°Normal reaction time.¡± That was all he said. ¡°Thought it¡¯d be faster, the way your eyes jump around. What are your powers anyway?¡±


    ¡°Should we be talking about this in the open?¡± She asked, looking around. The hall was full of people that could be listening.


    Jack reached over and flicked her on the nose. ¡°You¡¯ve been blabbing about it nonstop. If someone could have heard, they would have long ago.¡±


    ¡°Could have? Are you saying they can¡¯t?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    For a moment, a flicker of gold caught her attention right at the corner of her eye. ¡°I¡¯ve surrounded us inside of a field of energy that my body seeps out. It¡¯s blocking sight and sound from everyone around us. To them all, we¡¯re completely soundproof and invisible. It only works on non-Supers, though. Supers can somehow see through tricks like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± She said with stars in her eyes. It was like he could do whatever he wanted. Barriers, lights, lasers, and now even invisibility. Jack Larison was a walking cheat code.


    ¡°So what can you do?¡± The man asked again.


    She shrugged sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m still figuring it out. I have some of the basics, though.¡±


    ¡°The basics?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know. Stuff like super strength and that.¡± She stared down at her hands, frowning. ¡°I have better senses. Well, sometimes. If I focus hard, I can even hear a person¡¯s heartbeat, but it can hurt my ears if I¡¯m not careful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a little lame. I know I can do more; I just don¡¯t know how to figure it out. That¡¯s why I told you yours were cooler.¡± She sighed, tossing the pack of cigarettes back to him. ¡°How do yours work?¡±


    Jack gave her a half-shrug. ¡°I point and go ¡®bang,¡¯ and then boom! Something gets shot.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to explain it better, are you?¡± He seemed lost in thought and shook his head, moving further down the hallway. She just shook her head and followed after him. They reached the front desk, and Jack began grabbing the sign-out papers, ready to leave as he dropped the barrier around them. ¡°So, what happens now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What do ya mean?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. With your powers, you could really do it right. You could become a superhero. You¡¯re strong.¡±


    That caused the man to go silent. He stared down at the hospital papers as he quietly began to sign them. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± Jack finally admitted.


    ¡°Really? Are you actually happy with working as a janitor for the rest of your life?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I have thought about it.¡± The man admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m still thinking. I have something good going on at my job, and I still get to help people out in my own way. I have a roof over my head, and I have food. No need to ruin it by chasing that dream. Besides, you saw my condition.¡±


    ¡°You mean your heart.¡± She asked quietly. She had noticed it when she came back for him. She never got to meet her grandpa because he had died from a heart attack before she had been born. It was one of the reasons her father moved to Oleander. Heart conditions were always a touchy subject in the family.


    Jack rubbed his chest. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t make a good hero if I had to be saved every few seconds. I push myself too far, and the damn thing will explode. Literally. My powers speed it up too much. Like a jolt of energy through my body. There are villains stronger than Intake, and fighting him nearly killed me.¡±


    ¡°Smoking likely doesn¡¯t help, you know.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Jack asked. ¡°You trying to become a hero?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She winced. ¡°I mean, I like them, but my powers aren¡¯t that good, and fighting villains seems scary.¡± Intake had been a rude awakening.


    ¡°Then stop asking me to do it.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± She was a little bummed by his answer but tried to take it in stride.


    Jack had just finished checking himself out, and she was about to say more, but the two of them were suddenly cut off by a yell throughout the hospital. ¡°Hope!¡± She turned just in time to see a set of arms that grabbed her and pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug. She gasped as her mother seemed to do their best to snap her spine. ¡°Are you okay? I came as soon as I heard what was going on.¡± Jane Lauren said in a panic.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom,¡± she grunted, trying to get out of her mother¡¯s grip. ¡°I think you might kill me, though.¡±


    The woman finally let her go, letting out a breath of relief. Then her mom turned to stare at the man standing next to her. ¡°I heard you did your best to keep her safe.¡± Jack scratched at his bushy beard, giving a half-wave, causing her mom to frown a little. First impressions were not Mr. Larison¡¯s strong suit, it seemed. ¡°Thank you for keeping her safe.¡± Jack shook the woman¡¯s hand awkwardly.


    ¡°Any adult would have done what I did.¡± The man said, shaking his head.


    ¡°I doubt every adult.¡± Jane sighed. Slowly, the woman turned and looked down at her daughter. ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of here.¡± Her mom gripped her shoulder and dragged her to the door.


    She frowned a bit and tried to resist for a moment. She still had a bunch of questions she wanted to ask Mr. Larison. ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She winced as her mother began to drag her away. She looked back at the man, but he simply shrugged and let her be carried off.


    Jack went another way, taking a route that led to the ambulance bay. As soon as he was on the street past the few idle ambulances, he found another cigarette and lit it up. ¡°Finally. No more babysitting.¡± He blew out a stream of smoke, staring up at the sky. ¡°Stupid kid. What right does she have acting like ¡®him¡¯?¡±


    ¡®Maybe meeting her really was fate.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah right.¡± Jack snorted and took another drag on his cigarette. ¡°Fate my ass. This is all just some cruel joke.¡±


    Over with Hope, she followed after her mom as they headed towards the parking lot. They were stopped though when a voice called out to them. ¡°Yo Hope!¡±


    She turned and raised an eyebrow when she saw Kyle and his friend Rowan heading toward them. ¡°I came as soon as I could. Armin told me you were put in the hospital again. Are you making this a habit or something?¡± Kyle joked. ¡°This is the second time this week.¡±


    ¡°What happened this time?¡± Rowan questioned, folding his arms.


    ¡°I just tripped down the stairs.¡± She shrugged. Her mother knew the truth, and she planned on letting Kyle know as well when she could, but Rowan wasn¡¯t really someone she knew, so he¡¯d be kept in the dark for now.


    ¡°I like the whole bandaged head look.¡± Rowan said, pointing to the part of her skull still wrapped up. Her eyes narrowed a little. She was definitely keeping him in the dark.


    ¡°Hope... Do... Do you have other friends besides Armin?¡± Her mom looked like she was tearing up a bit. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±


    ¡°Of course I have other friends!¡± She huffed and folded her arms. ¡°This is Kyle. He goes to school with me. The other is Rowan. I don¡¯t really know him that well.¡±


    Rowan chuckled sheepishly and shrugged. Her mom nodded and smiled a bit. "Well, it¡¯s good to know there are people who care for my daughter. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t talk for long, though. I should get her home. She needs rest after all.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°I understand. I just came to drop off the homework Mr. Pluto handed out.¡±


    She took the papers she offered, looking down at them. She¡¯d have to study up on some history again. Luckily she was an ace at cheating in Mr. Pluto¡¯s class. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No prob.¡± She finished talking to Kyle and Rowan before the pounding in her head finally got to be too much and she had to leave.


    Kyle stood next to Rowan as he watched Hope and her mom get into their car and pull out of the hospital''s parking lot. The caramel-skinned boy lightly elbowed his friend and shot the pale kid a look. ¡°Well.¡±


    Rowan pulled something out of his pocket. It almost looked like a small phone of sorts, with the screen glowing with a bright blue light. A series of numbers ran along it, and he quietly closed it. ¡°Meh. She¡¯s not that strong of a Super.¡± The boy finally said. ¡°She¡¯d just be a dead weight on my team.¡±


    ¡°Darn.¡± Kyle threw his arms behind his head and gave a sheepish laugh. ¡°And here I was thinking Hope was special or something. Oh well. It¡¯s still interesting that I ran into her when I did. Then again, I guess Supers do seem to attract other Supers, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ***


    The drive back home for Jack had been mostly silent. His car, an old truck that might have been popular fifteen years ago, struggled. It hadn¡¯t been in a proper state ever since a massive inferno was caused a few months ago by another giant rampaging monster that had crawled out of a volcano. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a real pain to fix.¡± Jack grumbled, pulled into his parking spot, and closed the door.


    ¡°Hey, Jack, welcome back; where¡¯s the TV?¡± Nick asked as the very second he was in his apartment.


    Jack threw a large box onto the table in front of Nick and walked over to the fridge, ripping it open and trying to find anything that looked good. ¡°Happy, now? I got a new TV.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nick was already at the box, trying to rip it open.


    ¡°I think I hate you, Nick.¡± Jack muttered under his breath, pulling out some takeout and giving it a sniff. Definitely kinda still edible.


    ¡°So, how was work?¡±


    ¡°Nick, I was in the hospital all day. You were my emergency contact and never showed up.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, so see, the story is kind of funny, you¡¯re really going to get a kick out of this, I bet. I blew all my cash at the casino after work right, and then I remembered I owed someone a lot of cash and that they¡¯d gut me if I didn¡¯t get it to them, so maybe I sort of sold my phone. And also my car¡­¡±


    ¡°Nick, you have a serious issue. I think we need to get you help-¡±


    ¡°So, you doing okay?¡± His roommate finally asked.


    Jack sat on the couch, digging around the box of cold noodles, and sighed. ¡°My body will heal fine.¡± He stared down at the cold food silently, balling his hand into a fist. ¡°It felt... good to use my powers again.¡± He grabbed his stomach, squeezing the fat. ¡°I felt like my old self for a bit.¡±


    Nick¡¯s head shot up, and the man stopped trying to open the TV box and stared at Jack with wide eyes. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! You used your powers?¡± The man said in shock. ¡°I thought you said you were just going to pretend to be a normal dude from now on! What happened to laying low like we promised?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Jack replied. ¡°Besides the big boss, none of the other workers know I have superpowers. They¡¯re not rare, but they aren¡¯t common. I wanted to keep it a secret, but then that villain attacked, and I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. I fought it. Almost beat him too, but y¡¯know.¡±


    ¡°Your heart?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I really let myself go, huh?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should hit a gym,¡± Nick suggested.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Jack dropped his arm down and stared up at the roof. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in getting in shape. It¡¯s not like I need to. I got away with not using my powers for almost fifteen years now. No need to change anything.¡±


    Nick let out a snort and got back to opening the box, pulling out the small TV. ¡°You know. A lot of people would kill to have superpowers and get to be superheroes. I know I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to just go out and save people if I had cool powers, and I¡¯m just a mere mortal. What are you so afraid of, Mr. Demi God?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared. I just want to live a good life. I can¡¯t be bothered to fight villains constantly and have to worry. Besides, my powers aren¡¯t good for saving people. Guys with powers who just fight bad guys all day aren¡¯t real superheroes; they¡¯re just soldiers with silly names.¡±


    He¡¯d never be a hero like ¡®that man¡¯ had been. Jack shook his head, the image of the powerful man fading from his mind.


    ¡°Suit yourself. Hey, uh, how do I plug this up?¡± Nick asked. Jack ignored him, grabbing a comic book that was under his bed. One about a superhero named Red Iron, which he began to read. ¡°Hello? Earth to Jack. You¡¯re not gonna help me, are you?¡±


    Meanwhile, outside their apartment, walking the streets quietly, a black kitten looked around. The cat let out a meow, the cold wind causing it to shiver. ¡°Mister Fur.¡± A childish voice called out. Down the block, the cat could hear its owner, a young eight-year-old girl. ¡°Here, kitty!¡±


    The kitten let out a meow and trotted down the path, following the voice. It needed to get out of this harsh cold anyway. The cat stopped suddenly, though, when it heard a strange sound coming from its left.


    Next to the cat, on the road, a sewer lid shook lightly. The cat stared at the lid, cocking its head to the side. It let out another meow, but in a flash, the lid suddenly exploded off the ground and flew into the air. The cat let out a hiss in surprise, its fur sticking up.


    Before it could move or before the sewer lid could fall, there was a deep green glow from the blackness of the sewers. A white hand suddenly came out. It wasn¡¯t attached to an arm. It was just a hand flying through the air. It wrapped around the cat and dragged it into the sewers. A second later, the lid dropped, landing perfectly on the sewer and closing it off again.


    Down the block, a little girl waited for her cat to return...

 Chapter Thirteen: Her Worst Day

    Science class was one of her favorites. Not because she understood it and not because the teacher was any good; the best teacher was still Mr. Pluto.


    Mrs. Mars was even more strict, a very old lady who had zero tolerance for fun. What made science her favorite, and many others¡¯ favorite, was the fact that with the addition of weird superpowers, every now and then, you would get a new hero that destroyed the laws of the universe. Mrs. Mars would slowly go mad trying to explain it before eventually blacking out in her seat and letting them do whatever they wanted.


    This was one such day, with the elder lady snoring softly. She rested in the back, next to her newest friend, watching funny cat videos on her phone.


    ¡°Did you hear that Ocean Empress is apparently in our city?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t.¡± She lied, vaguely hoping that he¡¯d buy it.


    Much like with Mr. Larison, it was kept on the down low that she had almost been killed by a supervillain and saved at the last second only by the Ocean Empress. The woman hadn¡¯t stayed long after Mr. Larison had blacked out, simply grabbing onto the two of them and flying them directly to the hospital.


    She really didn¡¯t get to avoid school for too long. Her body healed a lot faster than she expected, and staying home got boring fast, so she begged her mom to let her go back to school so she could at least hang out with her friends. In total, she had been gone for a little over three days.


    Kyle swiped on his phone, switching the video to another funny cat compilation. ¡°Since Old Dog retired, I guess Ocean Empress will be keeping this city safe.¡± He stated.


    ¡°Neat. Hey, you said you lived in Lillian, right? Isn¡¯t Ocean Empress the hero of that city?¡± Lillian and Oleander were two birds of a feather. They were beside each other, separated only by a large bridge. Whenever her school had a large football game, their rivals would be one of the schools in Lillian. Old Dog and Ocean Empress had been close. Both were members of the Enforcers, and both went on patrols together a lot. With him gone, it seemed the hero¡¯s patrol expanded to this city to cover up his leave.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw her and her team a lot. Team Reservoir, I mean. They¡¯re the guys she leads whenever the Enforcers aren¡¯t called together. It¡¯s a small yet strong team.¡± Kyle explained.


    ¡°That explains it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She sighed. She recalled her father¡¯s words in the hospital. He had said something about the newest member of the Reservoir coming to Oleander to offer their healing powers, and he was one of the people on the list. That would explain why the hero Ocean Empress was here if someone that valuable from her team was staying in Oleander. ¡°Hey, so I know we were talking about hanging out and trying out my powers more, but I¡¯m going to be busy today. My mom and I are going to the hospital to see my dad.¡±


    Today was the big day. Another reason she wanted to go to school. She couldn¡¯t just walk around her house and wait for it to happen. She had too much energy for that and needed to do something, anything.


    Kyle gave a nod at her remark. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine. Truthfully, I¡¯m going to be a little busy today as well. My dad is officially taking over the police department here, and I wanted to celebrate with him. Speaking of powers, though...¡± He leaned in close to her, and she suddenly became aware of how most of the girls were staring at them. ¡°Have you told your friend, Armin, yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Also, you¡¯re a little close. I don¡¯t want a repeat of what happened last time.¡± She chuckled nervously.


    Kyle pulled away and had a heavy frown on his face. ¡°Yeah. Sorry about that. I had a word with that Ashley girl. I can¡¯t believe those kids would do a cruel prank like that. I¡¯m not interested in any of them. I¡¯d rather hang out with you.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s why they¡¯re doing it. But I¡¯m kind of glad. It¡¯s fun to show those popular kids up. Dorks for life.¡±


    A loud bell tolled through the building, signaling the end of the class. Mrs. Mars jumped up with a loud yelp, her eyes wide. The teacher saw all the kids standing and making for the door, and she attempted to wipe the drowsiness from her face. ¡°Students! Students! When you get home today, I want you all to write a four-page report on why the hero Poseidon is able to distort gravity with her water while not affecting anything that isn¡¯t touching¡ªit doesn¡¯t make sense! Gravity doesn¡¯t work that way!¡±


    They left her ranting there as the next class entered. When she was in the hallway, she once again became aware of all the whispers and stares that were around her. Kyle slapped her on the back, making her jump a bit, which thankfully managed to turn her enhanced senses off. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you in a bit,¡± the boy said, waving her off.


    She almost shrunk down when she saw more of the stares, especially from Ashley, who stood with wide, angry eyes. The girl stepped towards her and looked like she was about to say something, but she never got the chance.


    A hand shoved Ashley away, and the girl let out a cry as she crashed into a locker. Her savior was Kevin, of all people. Suddenly, it got worse. The sight of him had caused everyone to go quiet, even Ashley, who was still flat on her butt from where he pushed her.


    She braced herself and decided to be the first to talk. ¡°Kev, can we just not? I¡¯m pretty sore.¡± Kevin ignored her, wrapping an arm around her and lifting her off the ground. ¡°Help! Someone help!¡±


    No one helped.


    The human gorilla carried her to a quieter part of the school where there weren¡¯t so many prying eyes, and he didn¡¯t exactly let her down softly. It took everything she had not to fight back. He glared down at her, and she flinched, shrinking a little. She might have gone up against a legit supervillain recently, but Kevin was still a steroid-fueled beast. Though she could easily fold him in two.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to say this once because I don¡¯t want this coming back to me.¡± His breath was still bad. ¡°I already talked to that new kid. Not a word about the junkyard; you got that? As far as anyone knows, I went to beat your ass for humiliating me. I didn¡¯t lead you into gang territory, and I didn¡¯t go down like a freaking sissy and have to be saved. Got that? Last thing I need is people thinking I¡¯m in a gang or getting my drugs from those bastards.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, crystal clear, sir!¡± She said, giving a mock salute that only caused Kevin to growl again.


    ¡°That was your free one. I¡¯ll consider what the gang did to cover you messing with me. Next time you try something like that, you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Kevin spun around and began to march off, leaving her there. ¡°Thanks.¡± That caused him to stop for only a second. ¡°Thanks for not mentioning the gang stuff, I mean. I¡¯d like to keep that stuff secret, too.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, weirdo.¡±


    ¡°Weirdo!¡± And then he was gone.


    ***


    Once more, the cycle of class came and went. It was the end of the school day, and she and Armin stepped down the stairs of the school. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to check on Mr. Lauren again?¡± Her friend asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. Then stopped. ¡°Hey, uh... So where is the homeless guy?¡± He wasn¡¯t at the bottom of the stairs; he must have already been carried off by security. It was a little odd not to see him. ¡°I was looking forward to his cryptic message.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back. Probably just chilling somewhere.¡± There was a light buzz, and Armin checked his phone. ¡°Oh, sorry, I can¡¯t come with you today. I got to go. Hey, I¡¯ll tell my dad you¡¯re doing better. He was worried when he heard what happened. Stay frosty, sis!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, bye.¡± She wondered how much Armin knew. His dad was aware of the villain''s attack, since it was kind of hard to hide that fact from the boss. On top of that, Armin¡¯s constant vanishing act was starting to get a little weird. Then again, he was always a little weird. ¡°Hey, Mom!¡± She waved when she saw the beautiful, yet tired-looking, raven-haired woman standing next to the cheap old car.


    ¡°Hey, sweetie, how was school?¡± Her mom asked.


    ¡°Fine, I guess. I didn¡¯t get into another fight and managed to hide out better than I normally do.¡± She puffed her chest out proudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    An awkward silence filled the car when they both got seated and hit the road. Unlike last time, they wouldn¡¯t be going by the bank; they were just heading straight for the hospital. Today was the day. Her dad would be up and walking again; he¡¯d be fine; he would go back to work; they¡¯d repurchase the house and be a family once more.


    Team Reservoir was going to heal him.


    She¡¯d have her father back.


    She¡¯d tell him she had powers; he¡¯d laugh and have his goofy smile; he''d help her make a costume and figure out how to use them; and then he¡¯d teach her and-


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did the best that I could and eased a lot of the pain, but my power wasn¡¯t able to affect him.¡± The hero stated in a blunt tone.


    It felt like a blur. The ride to the hospital with so many thoughts going through her head. The next thing she knew, Mom and her stood outside the hospital room Dad stayed in.


    On any other day, the people who stood out in the halls would have been a truly amazing sight for her.


    Ocean Empress stood. True to her name, the woman looked like a princess, wearing a long, elegant dress made of water and ice. Next to the woman was her daughter, Poseidon. Unlike her mom, Poseidon did have a basic costume. The girl seemed to be in her late teens, likely sixteen or seventeen, and had blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. Her costume was silver and looked almost like what you would expect an ancient warrior from a long-dead civilization to wear. It looked more warrior-like than heroic, and a red cloth was draped over one of her shoulders with a trident resting on the other.


    The final person was the one who had spoken those words that had caused her world to almost come crashing down. Paragon was the newest member of Team Reservoir, having only awakened her powers recently. Or at least that was the local rumor. Despite how new she was, everyone was talking about her. There weren¡¯t many powers able to heal, and she had come to Oleander and managed to cure every patient in the hospital, save for one.


    Paragon¡¯s costume wasn¡¯t much to look at. Unlike most heroes, she was dressed more like a doctor, wearing a lab coat and rubber gloves, and underneath, she was dressed in scrubs. Her hair was a reddish brown and tied back into a ponytail, and she was wearing a plain white full mask that covered her entire face. She wondered if the girl could even see. A goofy smiley face and two circles drawn in marker on the front as eyes. A large red hawk was resting on the girl¡¯s shoulder, its eyes darting back and forth. Most of her skin was covered up, but what could be seen showed it was white, not like the skin color but like actual paper or milk. She was way too pale.


    ¡°What do you mean you couldn¡¯t heal my husband?¡± Jane¡¯s voice didn¡¯t have an edge to it or a hint of anger. It was something else. Acceptance, as if the woman had assumed it would be this way.


    ¡°His body kept rejecting my powers,¡± Paragon explained. ¡°I came here today to see what I could and couldn¡¯t cure, and I was able to affect all but him. The plague he has is called the Dead Virus, and I¡¯m afraid it isn¡¯t anything my powers can affect. I tried to help ease him and lessen the feeling for good, but that was all I could do. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound sorry.¡± She nearly flinched when all the eyes turned on her. She had practically snarled it, and normally she¡¯d have felt bad, but her eyes were locked onto the hero in front of her. Despite giving them the news, Paragon¡¯s voice had zero emotion in it. The girl couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen, yet she sounded bored. Annoyed even.


    ¡°Look, I tried the best I could-¡±


    ¡°Try again.¡± She growled, cutting the girl off.


    ¡°Hope!¡±


    Her mom attempted to put a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off of her. ¡°What! So, Dad is supposed to just die because he got unlucky and got infected by a disease some jackass villain created! That¡¯s not fair! He said she could help him. She has to fix him. He has to get better!¡± She sent a pleading look to Ocean Empress. She wondered if the woman recognized her, but if the hero did, she wasn¡¯t saying anything about how she rescued her from Intake. Then again, the woman saved so many people every day; it was likely that she was just another number.


    ¡°That disease your father got was created by one of the greatest villains alive, I¡¯ll have you know.¡± Paragon scoffed. ¡°The Dead Virus has killed some of the greatest heroes within days. It¡¯s a miracle he¡¯s even lasted this long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ocean Empress¡¯s power was instant and notable. She felt her ears pop, and judging by everyone else¡¯s faces, she wasn¡¯t the only one. It was sort of like the feeling you would get when you swam to the bottom of a pool too fast. Ocean Empress had a tight grip on the Paragon¡¯s shoulder, the water around her rippling. ¡°That¡¯s uncalled for.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sis, don¡¯t be an ass.¡± It was Poseidon who spoke next. She had a lovely voice, the kind you could tell practiced singing. ¡°She¡¯s going through a lot. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean to lash out at you.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I tried the best I could.¡± Paragon sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay.¡±


    ¡°My daughter just got her power very recently.¡± Ocean Empress explained. ¡°She¡¯s still new at this. You have my word that, with more practice, we¡¯ll be back and try to help Mr. Lauren. Not just him, but anyone with the Dead Virus.¡±


    Usually, she¡¯d be excited to be in the same room as Ocean Empress. She never got that autograph; the woman had run off too quickly the other day. She didn¡¯t feel like asking for one today either; her eyes never left Paragon. Even behind the mask, she could tell Paragon was staring right back at her. ¡°Whatever,¡± she finally muttered.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Her mom tried again, but she dodged her grip.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a walk. I¡¯ll head home later.¡± She lied.


    Her mom watched her and winced, but she didn¡¯t stop her. ¡°Wait.¡± It was Paragon¡¯s voice. She stopped only for a second and turned just in time to see the weird bird on Paragon¡¯s shoulder leap off and fly at her. For a moment, she thought it was going to attack, but instead, it landed on her shoulder. ¡°There. Now, you can¡¯t complain that I didn''t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She stopped when she suddenly felt a weird feeling in her face and body. It took her a second to realize it was the feeling of pain fading. The headache she had from the villain attack, the throbbing nose, the ringing in her ears, her stinging lip¡ªall of it was gone. She stared into a mirror that hung on the hospital wall, and her bruises were gone. Her nose had even popped back into place, something she hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°I¡¯m not saying thanks." She announced as the bird flew back to its owner.


    Paragon apparently didn¡¯t take too kindly to her bold statement. ¡°Asshole!¡± The hero yelled at her. ¡°That¡¯s the last time I heal you out of the kindness of my heart, you brat.¡±


    For a moment, she stopped and thought about responding to Paragon, but in the end, she didn¡¯t. It just wasn¡¯t worth it. Instead, she left the hallway as Ocean Empress once again got onto her apparent daughter. She had known about Poseidon being related, but the fact that the second one was as well shocked her. Team Reservoir was supposed to be a team made up entirely of water-based heroes, yet that Paragon brat didn¡¯t seem to have anything close to water at all.


    Whatever. She really didn¡¯t care. Not right now, anyway.


    She ran through the quiet halls of the hospital as fast as normal limits would allow. There were a few doctors and nurses, but every patient, no matter how mild or major, had their wound fully healed. All but one. Of course, this wouldn¡¯t be the only hospital. Team Reservoir would be going to every hospital in Oleander and Lillian, healing everyone. They¡¯d even visit a few other hospitals, from what was said, but she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to care.


    Cars were all over the road, and dozens of people walked the streets. All living out their lives, not even paying her a glance.


    She wiped at the wet spot beneath her glasses, not bothering to see where she was heading. She just walked, contemplating where to go.


    Armin would be too busy to talk, and Kyle¡¯s house was practically on the other side of the city, and it¡¯d be night by the time she got there. She thought about maybe running back home and trying to recreate her costume.


    She really wanted to hit something really bad, and the urge to go fight crime was getting stronger and stronger-


    ¡°Okay. What¡¯s going on?¡± And those four words snapped her out of her funk as a hand grabbed her shoulder and stopped her from walking forward. ¡°You were about to walk out into traffic; are ya trying to get yourself killed, kid?¡±


    Indeed, she was so caught up that she didn¡¯t even notice the fact that the light was still green as she was mid-step into the road. She craned her head up and saw him. Dressed in his smelly brown jumpsuit, his red hair was still as wild as it had been the other day. Jack Larison frowned down at her.


    ¡°Kid?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larison?¡± She wiped her eyes again and stood up straighter. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± What were the chances she¡¯d run into him again?


    ¡°Work.¡± Was his blunt response.


    She looked around, not noticing anything that looked destroyed. They were still on the side of the road, and the hospital wasn¡¯t too far away; many cars were still driving and people were walking, going about their day. The world was still spinning, no matter what she was going through.


    The man seemed to notice her weird look and explained further. ¡°Well, since that villain went and showed up, that job is delayed until we get the go-ahead to start it back up. And for once, there haven¡¯t been any other disasters to happen today, so we¡¯re on break. This happens sometimes, and on those days, we¡¯re on call. We¡¯re just gonna walk around and clean up the city as we find trash.¡± Jack explained.


    ¡°So, what, you just walk around and pick up soda cans? That sounds fun.¡±


    ¡°Yep. At least until one of them goes and makes a mess.¡± Jack said, pointing his thumb down the street.


    She looked up and raised an eyebrow when she saw who he was talking about. They were in a pretty nice neighborhood with low apartment buildings and houses. Several cops and construction workers stood around a sewer lid. In the middle of them, with their arms folded, was a superhero.


    He was a handsome, dark-skinned man with slicked back, combed hair, and a set of yellowish eyes that looked almost animal-like. He was dressed in what looked like traditional robes¡ªthe kind you¡¯d see in a movie or read about in some books. The robe was white, going over only the right side of his body, with a bit of red cloth covering the other side for more modesty. Lastly was a golden headband wrapped around the man¡¯s head and a bit of cloth that covered their lower mouth, but besides that piece, they didn¡¯t seem to try hard in hiding their identity.


    Oh, and most importantly, at least to her, was that he was buff. The man was big, easily six feet, and you could tell he worked out just from a glance. His arms were bigger than Mr. Larison¡¯s were.


    ¡°I know him!¡± She said with wide eyes as she got a closer look at the strangely dressed hero. ¡°He¡¯s Myth! They say he was given magical powers by an ancient god and has the might of an ancient civilization on his side! He used to be in the Sub Enforcers but ended up graduating and going solo two years ago!¡±


    There were three main villain groups in Oleander. The first was the gang, the Bad Timers. They were made up of several Supers, though they mostly used grunts to do their dirty work. The Supers traveled in small teams, and they caused tons of chaos, much like Intake, by either robbing banks or blowing up streets. The next group was the dangerous one: Zoo. Madmen and women who think society failed them, so they need revenge. They dress up in animal masks and go around killing anyone who pisses them off. Specifically, cops or other important people. The last and final group was called the Wandering Coin. Not a lot was known about them as they only recently showed up.


    In Oleander, the task of fighting these groups wasn¡¯t given to the Enforcers. Not typically, anyway. The Enforcers were the greatest hero team in the world. Made up of ten of the strongest heroes, each operated in a city of their own. Ocean Empress was in Lillian, Max Lightning was in Gladiolus, Old Dog had operated in Oleander, and Victorian practically owned Rose. Within every city was a group known as the Sub Enforcers!


    When a kid would awaken superpowers, that was usually the team they joined. A Sub Enforcers squad was in every city, led by an adult hero who was there to train the next generation of kid heroes. When a kid grew up, like Myth did, they had three options. They could either join a sponsored team, which was a team one of the Enforcers owned, like how Ocean Empress ran team Reservoir, or like how Old Dog used to run a team called the Watch Dogs. Every Enforcer member had their own unique team they led, besides Victorian, who was just the leader of the Enforcers. Their second option was to go solo and not have a team working alone. This was one of the hardest things to do in the hero world and a sure way to get every villain to come for you. The last way was to join an indie team. A new group that likely wouldn¡¯t survive the funding costs and would break apart.


    ¡°I should get his autograph.¡± She decided.


    ¡°Yeah, have fun with that kid.¡± Jack snorted. He began to walk down the street, minding his business, ready to be alone again. Then he stopped when he heard the quiet footsteps. ¡°Why.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She gave him a shrug. ¡°I could use the distraction.¡±


    ¡°Kid. Look, I¡¯m really swamped with work.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretending to be, though.¡±


    It was then that Jack saw it, pausing the retort rising in his throat. A poster was nailed into a wooden pole. A frown crossed his face as he looked it over. It was one of the missing cats. One of the ones with a picture of the animal and a phone number to call if you spot it. It wasn¡¯t the only one, though. There were hundreds of missing cats and dogs, all hanging. Up ahead, he could see the one putting them up, or at least the one putting up the first picture he had seen. It was a young girl, only around eight years old.


    ¡°Excuse me, miss, are you looking for your cat?¡± Jack called out. The little girl turned when she saw the large man moving towards her and flinched back.


    ¡°I think I can help. Do you know where you last saw it?¡± She said quickly, cutting into the conversation and easing the little girl¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°You¡¯ll help me find my kitty?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Right?¡± She shot a look at Jack, who just began to grumble quietly under his breath. This was basic hero 101, and she¡¯d already saved dozens of cats on her first night out, so one more couldn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking the lead on this?¡± Jack asked with a smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯re my sidekick.¡±


    ¡°Try the other way around.¡±


    ¡°Gotta look busy, right?¡± She snickered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saving you from getting hit by a car next time.¡±


    She frowned at the man and was about to say something, likely about how a car would be in worse shape than her if they crashed, but she shook her head and turned away. ¡°So, where did you see your cat last?¡±


    ¡°I let him out for a walk, and he didn¡¯t come back.¡± The girl looked as if she was about to cry.


    Jack rubbed his chin, a frown on his face. ¡°That¡¯s not a lot of information to go by. And who lets cats out for a walk?¡±


    ¡°You could search this entire city block from top to bottom, and I doubt you¡¯ll find any of the missing animals.¡± She nearly jumped when she realized they had walked close enough to the officers and the hero, who had overheard them. It had been Myth who spoke.


    ¡°Know something we don¡¯t,¡± Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°A lot of things, yes.¡± Myth spoke with a bit of an accent and had an amused tone.


    ¡°Oh, screw you!¡±


    ¡°What my buddy is trying to say is, ¡®could you tell us what you meant¡¯?¡± She asked sheepishly, stepping in front of Mr. Larison.


    Myth shared a look with one of the cops, who just shrugged. Seemingly being allowed to tell them, he turned back. ¡°Someone has been taking animals. It¡¯s been happening not just in this city but in others as well. Dandelion lost an entire zoo; Rose has its rich blood in an uproar when their exotic animals are taken; and here in Oleander, common house pets go missing in the dead of night.¡±


    ¡°And you think the person in question is hiding in the sewers?¡± Jack questioned. That would explain the strange crowd gathered around the hole.


    Myth gave the smallest of nods. ¡°I know the man who is taking all the animals, and he isn¡¯t someone a normal person should mess with. He¡¯s a member of Zoo; Red Ape.¡±


    The name seemed to tick several of the cops off. One of their best officers had recently been killed in her own home by Zoo. It had been all over the news. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Red Ape being sent to Nightshade?¡± Jack asked. It was the greatest prison in the world, able to hold nearly any villain.


    ¡°He never made it.¡± One of the cops explained. ¡°Zoo broke him out while he was being transported. We believe that¡¯s why he is doing this. Trying to get his reputation back.¡±


    ¡°I guess there isn¡¯t anything we can do then.¡± Jack muttered. ¡°Sorry, kid.¡± He shrugged at the little girl.


    ¡°Will you get my cat back?¡± The child asked, staring up at the hero.


    Myth attempted to give the girl a kind smile. ¡°That¡¯s the plan. I¡¯m going to get them all back. The sewers are a maze. Connected to dozens of blocks and other cities, I¡¯ve been mapping it out one tunnel at a time.¡±


    There was a loud buzz, and one of the officers fished out his phone. ¡°That¡¯s from dispatch. They just gave us the go-ahead again, Myth. You can start whenever.¡±


    ¡°I think I can help.¡± That got everyone to look at her, and she realized she blurted it out without thinking. ¡°It¡¯s just... I think I could help you map out the tunnels easier.¡± Her face suddenly felt much more vulnerable, hidden only by her glasses.


    Myth stared at her, his eyes looking her up and down. ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere else,¡± he decided.


    ***


    Jack grumbled more as he dropped down from the ladder and landed in a puddle of what he prayed was mud. The sewers smelled just as you would expect them to, and his face turned a little green.


    ¡°Ew.¡± She sighed, stepping down.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say ¡®ew¡¯, it¡¯s your fault we¡¯re here.¡± Jack grunted.


    Myth had led them away from the cops and quickly to an alleyway where they would be alone. Another sewer lid had been there, and the hero had removed it like it was nothing. Jack was pretty sure it had been locked, making it more impressive. Apparently, Myth got what she had meant. Superpowers would be at play, and it was best if she didn¡¯t out herself in front of a bunch of cops. She just hoped none of them had body cameras.


    Being a superhero wasn¡¯t exactly illegal; Myth had clearly been working with those officers after all, but it was still not best to push your luck if you could help it.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that when you said you had a way to map out an entire sewer system, it involved something Super related?¡± Myth asked.


    ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know?¡± She asked.


    The hero shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re about that age, I guess. I awakened my power when I was a kid also. Not to mention Supers seem to have a way of finding each other. It¡¯s one of the reasons I think so many bad guys and good guys form groups together. The world¡¯s weird like that.¡± Myth eyed Jack up. ¡°Is it fine for him to be here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s cool.¡± She nodded as Jack folded his arms. She briefly wondered why he had agreed to come along since he didn¡¯t seem happy about anything.


    ¡°In that case, do your thing.¡± Myth stated.


    ¡°One sec.¡± She pocketed her glasses, reached into her backpack, and pulled out a piece of red cloth. It was the cape from her Halloween costume. Though now it barely looked like a cape, most of it was torn away, being just big enough for her to tie it around her head, her blue eyes glowing through the two tears. She had actually tried to model this one after a mask since losing the last one in her fight with Intake. ¡°Now I¡¯m a real superhero.¡± She said proudly and placed her hands on her hips.


    Jack and Myth shared a look. The two men gave a nod. ¡°You look ridiculous.¡± They both said in flat tones.


    ¡°You can¡¯t team up!¡± She whined. ¡°Are you going to hide your face, Mr. Larison?¡± She asked.


    Jack placed his hand on his face. ¡°There is an old trick I learned when I was little.¡± For a moment, his body glowed, and that golden aura was back. When he removed his hand, she gasped as she saw his face. Or rather, what should have been a face. She couldn¡¯t see his eyes, nose, mouth, or anything. They were all smudged across him, as if half-wiped. ¡°How do I look?¡± His voice echoed out and shook slightly.


    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± She asked in shock.


    ¡°A speedster trick.¡± Myth snorted. ¡°He shakes his body so fast that it becomes impossible to make anything out. Most heroes dropped it, though, since it''s hard to pull off, and a mask works just as well. I didn¡¯t know you had powers, though.¡±


    ¡°You never asked.¡± Jack shrugged.


    ¡°What can you-¡±


    ¡°I shoot and go bang.¡±


    Myth blinked a couple of times and rubbed his chin. ¡°I see¡­ Useful.¡±


    With that done, it was time to get to work. She took a deep breath and tried to focus. It was like a nagging sound in the back of her head. A beat. Two of them. The first was from Myth. It was a healthy rhythm, showing how fit and full of energy he was. The second one, though, was wild, twitching and stopping, only to restart. She¡¯d need to remind herself to speak to Mr. Larison about that later.


    The noises didn¡¯t end there. The beating grew louder, and the sound of water dripping began to echo around her. Holding in a gag, she placed her ear on the wall, ignoring how gross it was. That was when she heard it. Cackling and the sounds of animals. It was directly above one of the tunnels, an abandoned building, possibly a street, with how quiet everything else was.


    Then the connection broke. ¡°I know where the guy is now. Just follow me. Oh, and I think he knows we¡¯re here.¡± She warned, shaking her head as everything spun. Her head really hurt from trying to force her powers, but it worked. ¡°What?¡± She asked when she saw Jack¡¯s look.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Jack shook his head, but a frown was on his lips. ¡°It¡¯s just... Your powers are like someone I knew once.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way.¡± Myth instructed. She nodded and began to make many turns¡ªleft, then right, another left¡ªgoing through twisting tunnels. Finally, though, just when Jack began to get lost, she stopped and gestured forward at a straight tunnel. ¡°It¡¯s through there?¡± Myth asked and received a nod from her.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to fight this villain now?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s best if you leave.¡± Myth said bluntly. ¡°I just needed you to find the man, and I can do the rest.¡±


    ¡°What! No!¡± She whined. ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss this. I¡¯m getting to see a real hero in action!¡±


    ¡°Kid.¡± Jack cut in. ¡°The hero is right. Red Ape ain¡¯t much of a threat, but I¡¯m not risking it. Ya just got out of the hospital; there is no need to go back so soon.¡±


    ¡°I can help, though.¡± She turned to the hero and clenched her fists. ¡°I have powers too. I know I¡¯ll be useful.¡±


    The hero looked as if he were about to say more but stopped suddenly. ¡°Do you hear anything up ahead of us, Miss?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a Super name yet, so just call me Hope, and no. I¡¯d need to focus again to use my senses; why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything either,¡± Jack said unhelpfully, giving a shrug. Myth¡¯s ears seemed to change for a moment. Longer and covered in thick fur. Like some kind of animal. ¡°If you had that kind of power, why¡¯d you need the girl to find the bad guy?¡±


    ¡°There are hundreds of miles of tunnels. Animal senses have some limits, unlike whatever she has.¡± The hero said flatly. ¡°Now shut up. I think I hear- Oh no.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The trio froze when a large shadow loomed over them. Jack felt his eyes twitch as he looked up and saw the head of a massive alligator staring down at him.

 Chapter Fourteen: A Kangaroo

    ¡°Now, now, there is no need to give me that look. Trust me, once I¡¯m done, you won¡¯t even feel anything. You¡¯ll be far better off than you were!¡± Red Ape announced proudly.


    If a standard scientist were to see his lab¡¯s state, they¡¯d be more than embarrassed for him. Dirty walls with cages were piled all over, each filled with animals of all kinds; monitors scattered around on the walls and ceilings; shelves of notes turned over; tables packed to the brim with what little equipment he had been able to get.


    To say that it was a mess was a light remark. It was practically a garbage heap pretending to be a lab.


    Still, to Red Ape, this was his newest home. Green Wolf had left him high and dry, demanding proof that he deserved to stay in Zoo after they had to go out of their way to save him from being sent to Nightshade.


    ¡°Now, please don¡¯t hiss.¡± Oh, he was going to give them that proof. Then Green Wolf would have no choice but to make him his right-hand man.


    Red Ape stood in this dirty home, which he called a lab. He was dressed in a long, flowing lab coat, the once pristine cloth now stained, torn, and badly stitched together. His head was covered mainly by a large cartoon monkey mask. Floating through the air, various metal hands flew around, all controlled by his will like a hive mind of bees.


    A small kitten hissed up at the villain in one of the cages as he opened it, reaching for it. A syringe filled with a strange green liquid was held in one of the floating hands. ¡°See, with this, I think I¡¯ve finally cracked it.¡± Red Ape explained to the cat, waving maniacally. ¡°The others didn¡¯t go so well, but this is my tenth batch. I need you to grow big and strong so that I can use you in my army.¡± He reached out for the cat but stopped when he saw a flash of red on a monitor.


    It came from the left and glowed with a bright light as an alarm began to go off. There were several people who had entered the sewers. One of them caught his gaze, though. A damn hero.


    ¡°Myth.¡± Red Ape seethed when he saw the monitor. "Well, it looks like I¡¯ll have to start packing up and-¡± The villain stopped when he saw the hero take a left, a right, another right, and then a left. ¡°Why is he coming straight for me!¡± Myth took every correct turn as if they knew exactly where they needed to go. A minor panic began to grow inside of Red Ape before his ego got in the way.


    An ego that began to build up like a flame.


    ¡°Oh. So, he thinks he can just come to me and cheat my little game. This is perfect; I¡¯ll be able to test my newest beast.¡± Red Ape walked towards the wall, where a large lever was jutting out. The villain grabbed it and pulled it down as hard as he could.


    It was time for the show to begin!


    ***


    The screams filled the sewers as Jack sidestepped the alligator¡¯s tail, dragging Hope with him. Myth avoided an attack of his own as the second beast attempted to bite the dark-skinned man in two.


    ¡°Why are they so big?¡± She asked in a panic. She was getting flashbacks of Intake and could already feel her heart beating faster.


    ¡°Always some idiot that isn¡¯t happy with how things are!¡± Jack hissed. ¡°Just got to make them all bigger!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t regular alligators that they were dealing with. These things were huge, thicker, and larger than any animal should have been. Their skin was coarse and jagged, covered in razor-sharp scales, and they were a nasty gray color with a set of intelligent eyes that quickly tracked the movements of the prey in front of them, which was bad since they were the prey to these big beasts.


    ¡°They¡¯re created by Red Ape.¡± Myth yelled as he sidestepped the swings from the gators, each one leaving gashes in the ground. Every hit easily tore part of the stone floor, ripping the sewers apart. ¡°His power lets him understand the biology of certain animals; his MO is mutating them. This is part of his twisted game. We¡¯ll need to take these out and catch up to him before he can escape.¡±


    ¡°We? You¡¯re assuming I¡¯m gonna fight them.¡± Jack stated, annoyed.


    ¡°You¡¯re a big, strong, tough-looking guy. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared.¡± Myth smirked.


    ¡°A little, yeah.¡±


    ¡°You got to do something!¡± She argued. ¡°We took on that one villain; we can do this, Mr. Larison!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jack sighed. He put himself in front of her, eyeing one of the beasts. There were only two creatures, one coming after them, while the second followed after Myth.


    She gripped his arm tightly and stared at the alligator. ¡°So, uh, what do we do exactly?¡±


    ¡°You have super strength, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m durable too.¡±


    ¡°In that case, here¡¯s the plan. I¡¯ll stun it, and you attack from the rear.¡± The darkness around them was forced away as Jack ignited with a golden glow. As if the sun itself flowed through his veins, it hummed, and he could feel the power coursing through his heart¡ªthat strange beat getting quicker. For the first time in ages, he felt good. Better than good, actually. He felt like a god. ¡°We¡¯ll beat this thing in one move.¡±


    Superpowers could come in nearly any form. Elemental control, plant life creation, animal-based abilities¡ªthere was no count to the number of powers that existed within the world, all of which were thought to have come from the four Lords, the first ever Supers. Most powers had special effects built into them, namely, enhanced bodies, improved strength, speed, and durability.


    This is what let Jack go toe to toe with the monster before him. The animal lashed out with its tail, the razor-sharp scales lining the limb, able to slice a normal man in two, but they never hit Jack, the man being too fast. It wasn¡¯t just quick dodges, though. Jack moved like a blur, and she could barely follow him with her eyes.


    The man zoomed back and forth and was even able to run up the wall at one point to dodge a strike. She had seen heroes like Max Lightning on the news. They were speedster types. Most powers that gave enhanced bodies also gave enhanced speed, but some heroes were just simply built for speed. Jack was one such person.


    Jack didn¡¯t fight back at first, leading the creature further back into the sewers as he built up more of his energy, getting faster and stronger with every passing second.


    Finally, though, Jack felt the energy reach a peak inside of him, and he raised his arm, pointing his finger at the animal. ¡°Sorry about this in advance.¡± The golden glow blasted out of his finger like a bolt of lightning and slammed into the snout of the creature, making it let out a howl of pain! Its body began twitching rapidly as if it had been tased, and it tried to focus, but its head was spinning. ¡°Alright, kid. You¡¯re up.¡±


    The alligator stopped, its eyes showing a flash of realization at the words, but it was too late to act. She was on it in an instant. She still had her backpack since she hadn¡¯t had time to drop it off; it was basically the best weapon she had. She swung it as hard as she could, getting a direct hit on its head. It howled in pain, its eyes snapping wide, but she didn¡¯t stop there and instead jumped onto the creature¡¯s back and managed to get her arms around its snout, forcing them closed.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn, Mr. Larison.¡±


    Jack felt the power ignite with his hand, sparks of what looked like fire or lightning seeping out of his palm as he brought it down as hard as he could directly into the eye of the animal, which she lined up for him. The golden glow exploded out, and this time, the creature let out the closest thing it had to scream, thrashing around wildly as its nerves lit up.


    Its eyes were wide for a moment before it slumped forward, unconscious. She wasn¡¯t spared either, dropping off of the creature, twitching and gasping as the attack affected her. She flopped around on the ground as her body slowly regained control.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what a taser feels like.¡± She shuddered, standing back up on wobbling legs.


    ¡°Well, more of a Super Taser,¡± Jack admitted. ¡°Didn¡¯t want to kill it, so I set my energy to stun.¡± The man explained. ¡°I can basically change the properties of my energy into other forms. In the fight with Intake, I made it into a powerful explosive that could blow part of the man¡¯s body away. Here though I lowered the attack and focused it into something that would harm the nerves.¡±


    ¡°I really want to know what your powers are.¡± Then again, she still wanted to know what else she could do. She hadn¡¯t really realized how strong the man truly was. And yet, his weakness was apparent, a pant coming from him as he gripped his left arm tightly, the light fading away from him. ¡°How¡¯s your heart?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± The man snapped at her. ¡°There were two, remember.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± She turned, finding that the second alligator was still fighting Myth. ¡°Whoa. He¡¯s even cooler than you!¡±


    Jack¡¯s dodges had been fast, but they were also rough. The man hadn¡¯t really tried all that hard to avoid getting hit. Myth, on the other hand, moved with grace like some kind of dancer. He spun out of the way, time and time again at the very last second, the creature¡¯s eyes darting around as it tried to keep up with the hero, and his robes flowed out to mask his movement further.


    Myth¡¯s eyes left the creature for only a second, spotting them standing off to the side. He seemed to give a sigh of relief when he saw that they had defeated their enemy.


    The hero stepped away as far as he could from the creature and reached up to mess with the little headband that he wore. He moved it to the side as a set of horns began to form at the top of his forehead. Long and curved like a bull''s, they started to jut out of him and grow. It was time for him to go on the attack.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Myth was about to show where he got his name from.


    The hero¡¯s robes were suddenly stretched out to their full extent as he grunted and flexed. His posture slumped forward, and he grew in size, dwarfing even someone like Jack. His arms, which were already massive, nearly doubled in bulk, and his legs twisted and curved, gaining hooves. Thick brown fur covered his skin as his face stretched into a large snout, which opened and let out a roar that shook the tunnel they were in. Jagged horns jutted out of the side of his head, and he almost looked like a bull, but one that walked on two legs and had the arms of a man.


    Myth felt his new body twitch, his muscles finishing their expansion, and the bull cracked his knuckles. The alligator stopped and stared at the now nine-foot-tall behemoth of a monster that was in front of it and let out a quiet meowl of fear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that¡¯s pretty cool.¡± Jack hummed while she stared with stars in her eyes.


    The poor beast never stood a chance. Myth reached down, his hand big enough to wrap around the jaws of the creature. He lifted it, pulled his other arm back, and punched it into the monster¡¯s stomach with a single mighty blow. The animal let out several gasps and gagging sounds before he simply dropped it, the mutated alligator falling unconscious.


    It was over in an instant.


    The man turned his body around and suddenly shrank back down to his normal size, his fur and horns fading away. He rearranged his robes, making sure he was modest, and turned around to face the two of them. For a moment, silence filled the sewers as the two alligators lay unconscious. ¡°Did we do it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Jack kicked his gator with a bit of force, making sure it wasn¡¯t faking or pretending. He frowned and bent down, reaching for the head of the animal. He grabbed something that had been stabbed into the skull of the beast and, with a tug, ripped it out. ¡°So, Mr. Monster, what¡¯s this?¡± He asked, tossing it to the hero.


    Myth caught it and stared down, frowning. It was a small, gray hand. No arm or anything; just the hand made of a strange metal. ¡°Some machine. First time I¡¯ve seen it. Red Ape is always experimenting on animals, but this time, something was different. These things seemed like they were under his control. He¡¯s always had to plan around the wild instincts of beasts, but if he¡¯s made a way to control his monsters like this...¡±


    She stared at the hand and frowned. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen something like that before.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡± Myth tossed her the hand, and she caught it.


    The thing was made out of a weird metal that was super shiny, allowing her to see her reflection. It almost seemed to hum and, at one point, glowed with a fading blue light. She didn¡¯t know why, but for a moment, she found herself staring down at it with a mix of emotions. ¡°Nah. Never mind; I haven''t seen it before.¡± She shrugged and tossed it back to Myth casually.


    ¡°You¡¯re no help.¡± Myth stared down at the hand, then dropped it, raising his foot up, and brought it down hard enough to shatter the hand. ¡°Look out for more of these. The animals aren¡¯t evil. They¡¯re being controlled by that cruel man.¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to punch him in his face.¡± She promised. Hurting animals was where she drew the line on what made villains into supervillains.


    ¡°These were just to test us and distract us. It¡¯ll get harder from here. Still, you didn¡¯t do too badly. I will allow you to come with me.¡± Myth grunted.


    ¡°Both?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Both.¡±


    Jack rubbed his neck, letting out a breath. ¡°I just got suckered into helping, didn¡¯t I? Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± She smiled, punching him in the shoulder, but then shrunk down when he shot her a look.


    They began to walk through the sewers once more. They expected more beasts to jump out at them, but it was strangely quiet. It made her frown, as something felt off. She had heard stories of all the villains. It wasn¡¯t like them to just let heroes reach them like this. Normally they¡¯d throw a gauntlet of stuff at you that you had to fight through in order to save the girl in the end. At least that¡¯s how it went in all the comics she read.


    It was just silent, though. They arrived at the end of the path, the sound had come from without getting into another fight. A sizable, rusty metal ladder leading back up to the surface awaited them. ¡°Are we really about to fight a supervillain?¡± She winced. Now that they were getting closer, she felt uneasy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call for backup or something?¡±


    Jack thought about it for a moment, going over the situation. ¡°We could leave and go get someone.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Myth cut him off, folding his arms. ¡°If we leave, he will get away. If you wish to leave, then go. I won¡¯t stop you. I, however, cannot and will not turn back. I¡¯m finishing this here and now.¡±


    Jack grumbled and shrugged. ¡°Kid, you should head back up.¡±


    ¡°No! I can fight! You saw me. I need to do this! I want to fight alongside a real hero! You saw how strong I was! And with your power, we can just knock him out, right?¡± She asked. ¡°It should be fine!¡±


    Jack rubbed the back of his head, letting out a sigh. ¡°I guess. But stay safe.¡± He pushed the sewer lid off and stepped onto the road above. He was standing in a city block now¡ªone with many old buildings and empty cars. Parts of the street were destroyed, and there wasn¡¯t a sound other than Myth climbing up. They had to help her up, and she gasped at the sight of the block.


    There were many places like this. Abandoned streets, and in some cases, even entire cities. Sometimes, it was because the damage was too significant; in other cases, it was because the city could have been filled with radiation, disease, or some other threat. In such cases, they were left to rot away, with everyone having to pack up and move. There were just some areas the Cleanup Squad couldn¡¯t fix.


    Jack found what he was looking for at the end of the street. A small building that could have been a clinic was turned into a makeshift lab, or rather, a zoo. It smelled of chemicals, oil, and dirty fur. Loud animalistic noises echoed through the building and out onto the street.


    ¡°This is gonna be a trap,¡± Jack complained, walking forward. ¡°I¡¯ve done a fair few jobs with Cleanup in abandoned clinics like this. Last one we did had so many wire traps. Saw a guy trigger one, and then... Well, let¡¯s just say I saw him real well all over the place.¡± She shuddered a bit at his words and hoped he was just joking.


    ¡°Yeah, we shall have to keep our guards up.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re just going in!¡± She said with a stunned look on her face.


    Both men looked at each other for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°Yep,¡± they announced.


    She sighed and shook her head. It was reasons like these that women lived longer than men. ¡°So, what are we expecting from this man? Will the other members of Zoo be here?¡± She finally asked.


    Myth shook his head. ¡°I doubt it. Zoo isn¡¯t a group I would call chummy. When the members aren¡¯t listening to Green Wolf, they do their own thing, and if Green Wolf were here, we¡¯d know it already. He doesn¡¯t like playing subtle games like this; he¡¯d rather put on a big show for the entire city. All we¡¯ve got to deal with is Red Ape, and besides his animals, he¡¯s just a normal guy.¡±


    There were two primary forms of power. The first and most common were the Physical ones. Things like Jack with his lasers or Myth with his weird body. These were powers that were pretty obvious. They had an effect on the world around them. The second form was what Red Ape had. Mental powers. Things that didn¡¯t affect the user in any noticeable way. Powers like these affected their minds and gave them ideas for things they could do. In Red Ape¡¯s case, it was a Mental power that gave him ideas on how to genetically modify animals.


    The most famous person with a mental power would be Harrison Avalon. A brilliant man who wasn¡¯t a superhero but did provide all the gadgets and gear the heroes needed. He was also the man who owned the Cleanup Squad and Avalon Industries. Boy Genius was another Mental Power user, and he was a member of the Enforcers, ranked just under the Victorian, meaning he was the second strongest hero in the world.


    Basically, Mental powers could be scary, but if you hit them hard enough, they¡¯d go down like any normal person.


    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Myth asked, bracing his body up against the door. He took a deep breath when he saw their nods and pulled his leg back. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    The superhero kicked the door down, sending it flying off the wall. The inside of the lab was the waiting room of a clinic. There was a lot of open space, and many of the chairs¡¯ people would have used to sit had seemingly been thrown out. All the windows were covered with sheets, and many of the doors were ripped off. Cages lined the walls, and animal droppings were scattered everywhere. It smelled really bad.


    The dark room lit up with a bright glow as hundreds of eyes suddenly stared at them from the other side, near the back.


    Animals, all bigger than they should have been, were crammed into small metal boxes. Lions with razor claws, apes with arms the size of cars, cats with their fur standing up on the end, bats with wings as big as a person¡ªall glaring at the humans that entered. The beasts growled, thrashing in their cages, seemingly not caring if they harmed their own bodies.


    They weren¡¯t in danger, though. All the animals were either chained to the wall or in cages far too small. Scars littered their bodies, and some looked beaten and starved. Myth felt his teeth grind together, and Jack gave an expression of disgust.


    Despite the rage the two felt, it was her who reacted first. She felt her blood boil at the sight of the creatures, and she stepped past the two men, gripping her hands into a fist. ¡°Hey! Come out here, you freaking jerk!¡± She screamed, her voice bouncing around the lab and echoing out.


    Jack took a surprised step away from her. He had never seen her look so mad before. The animals all whimpered, backing away or shrinking into their cage when they sensed her power. ¡°Are you sure yelling at him is the best idea?¡± He asked.


    As if on cue, the sounds of rugged boots stomped down the stairs. They finally saw the man who was doing this. The one taking the animals. Red Ape¡¯s lab coat was stained and foul-smelling, and the red monkey mask he had on was stretched across his face. In his hands he held a helmet. It was forged out of the same metal as those hands, and it was made to cover the entire upper face of a person, with a single red dot resting in the center and several knobs off to the side. He placed it over his mask, squishing it into place, and then gave them a half-bow.


    The man¡¯s helmet hummed, and a faint red light seemed to shine out. Several floating hands followed the man. Curled in the man¡¯s arms, still hissing and clawing at his throat, was the cat they had seen on the poster, leading to this wild chase.


    The one and only Red Ape made his appearance.


    ¡°Can I help you?" The man instantly ducked when Jack pointed his finger and blasted out a thin golden beam of light that smashed into the wall and cracked the stone. ¡°Jesus! Calm down!¡± Red Ape yelled with wide eyes.


    ¡°Why did you do this?¡± She asked, stepping forward. ¡°Why¡¯d you take all the animals?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was going to explain my goal before that one shot a freaking laser at me!¡± Red Ape reasoned in an almost offended tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about your plans.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°I¡¯m just going to kick your ass.¡±


    She stopped the man with her arm. ¡°Wait.¡± She looked toward the villain. ¡°I need to know. Why? Like, why the hell are you doing all of this? Why are you evil? Superpowers are rare; why on Earth would you ever willingly decide to be a villain when you could help people as a superhero?¡±


    Red Ape let out a loud chuckle. ¡°Oh my, Myth: You really brought an idiot into battle with you. Why am I evil, girl? Because it¡¯s fun! I don¡¯t get to do half of what I can now as some goody two shoes hero. I¡¯m rich from all the money we steal; I can have any woman I want by controlling her with these hands; and I get to feel like a god. Why would I ever decide to be a worthless loser of a good guy?¡±


    She frowned at his answer and folded her arms. ¡°Seriously? Okay, yeah, kick his ass, Mr. Larison.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure.¡± Jack began to walk towards the man, his body already glowing as he started cracking his knuckles. ¡°You¡¯ve hurt all these animals, and I¡¯m a little mad; I really hate villains like you-¡± Before he could throw a punch, Red Ape threw the cat in his arms towards Jack.


    On reflex, Jack reached up and caught the cat. He quickly tossed it back to her just in time as something else began to walk down the stairs behind Red Ape, who moved out of the way. The villain let out a mad laugh as his best creation yet reached the bottom of the stairs. ¡°I¡¯d like for you all to meet my newest weapon. Toni! Named them after a cop Zoo killed! Get him!¡±


    It was a kangaroo of all things. The creature towered over Jack and stared down at the man, whose eyes had gone wide from shock. Its flesh was stretched across its skin and had become a nasty gray color, and its arms were far longer and more muscular than they should have been. Another one of those metal hands was digging its way into its face, blocking half of it, but one eye managed to peer past it and glared down at Jack.


    ¡°What the actual fu-¡± Jack never got to finish his sentence as the thing sucker punched him as hard as it could.

 Chapter Fifteen: Hope VS Red Ape

    Kangaroos were an animal she didn¡¯t get to see much of. When she had been a young girl, her father had once taken her to a zoo¡ªan actual one, not the gang¡ªin Lillian. There she had seen a single kangaroo. They were always one of the strangest animals, in her opinion.


    Red Ape¡¯s mutated kangaroo was even weirder than most and way more scary. The thing actually seemed to have superpowers of its own. She let out a scream as it slammed a fist directly into Jack¡¯s face as hard as it could, using its strong legs to increase the force.


    The ground beneath Jack began to crack, and in an instant it shattered, caving in on itself. Both Jack and the Super kangaroo dropped down into the basement of the clinic as the creature began to beat on the red-haired man with everything it had. Each strike came out hard and fast, sending echoing booms crashing through the basement.


    She ran over, still clutching the cat the man had tossed her, and stared down with wide eyes as she watched him get the beating of a lifetime. ¡°Mr. Larison!¡± She cried out. ¡°Do you need help!¡±


    The kangaroo spun around and jumped into the air, nailing Jack with a cool ass spin kick that flung the man across the basement and into the wall. Jack rammed into it, cracking part of it and leaving a small dent in it. Slowly though, the man pulled his way out of it and began to flex his arm, grabbing onto his shoulder. He spat out a tooth and wiped the blood away from his busted lip.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hit far worse.¡± The man said simply. In a flash, he vanished and appeared in front of the kangaroo. It tried to nail him with a right hook, but he casually dodged it and jabbed out with his own fist, ramming it into the ribs of the animal and causing it to gasp. ¡°You wanna box? Then let¡¯s box!¡± The man announced entering a boxing stance.


    Back up top, she watched the strange sight, taking it all in. ¡°He¡¯s so cool.¡±


    Red Ape stood at the stairs still and peered down the hole much like she was doing. ¡°So, while Toni is busy slaughtering that foolish Super, what do you two plan to do?¡± The man¡¯s voice caused her nerves to flare with rage, and she glared back up at him, holding the cat protectively to her chest.


    While Jack was busy having one of the greatest boxing matches in history, Myth allowed his transformation to take hold once more. The hero grew in size, his horns emerging as the bull formed around him. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to just sit here, do you?¡± Myth asked, his voice a lot deeper and gruffer now. ¡°I¡¯m going to take you down. Don¡¯t bother sending any of your animals after me. I¡¯m a monster from legends long forgotten. I hold power that no mere animal, not even a mutated one, could ever hope to match up to.¡±


    Red Ape gave a slight grin. ¡°I won¡¯t be using any of my animals to beat you. Toni¡¯s my best one so far, and he¡¯s a bit tied up. I¡¯ll take you on myself-¡±


    That was all Myth needed. The hero was on the villain in a single second, moving fast enough to break more of the floor. Myth jumped over the hole Jack and the kangaroo created and slammed down in front of the shocked Red Ape. He pulled his fist back and rammed out a powerful punch that was able to destroy stone with ease, and since Red Ape was a normal human, it should have been more than enough to finish him off. It never reached, though. A blue bubble of energy appeared around Red Ape, stopping the fist in its tracks. Myth frowned and threw out another punch against the bubble, shaking it but not breaking it. With a growl, he began to hit it over and over again.


    The villain smirked and stood there with his arms outstretched. ¡°If you paid attention to the news, you might have heard about Zoo doing a raid on Avalon Industries recently. I got this handy helmet and these helping hands from there. It really is quite amazing that man is able to make things that are hundreds of years advanced for us.¡± Several of the hands began to flow through the air, all balling up into fists.


    Then they struck out, slamming into the head of Myth and causing the hero to stumble back. Hundreds of them began to flow from the cracks in the roof or the stairway where Red Ape had come from. All of them struck at the hero, clawing, punching, and poking, each hitting hard enough to break bone.


    The bull howled and swatted several away, able to destroy the swarm easily enough, but they just kept coming. ¡°You think these weak things can hurt me?¡± Myth roared.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Red Ape shrugged, his bubble fading away as he reached up to his helmet and turned a knob. ¡°This can, though.¡± There was a bright red glow from the dot of the helmet, and suddenly the machine roared as it blasted out a beam of pure plasma. The laser cut through dozens of the hands and slammed into the beast before him, setting the animal¡¯s fur on fire, lifting him off the side, and throwing him off of the ground and into a wall.


    Myth was smashed against the stonewall of the clinic, and with a loud crack, the wall gave way as the beam carried him outside and through the street. The hero slammed through another building before the attack finally died down. She stared in shock at the smoking hole Myth had been blasted through. It was just like when Mr. Larison fought Intake. A powerful laser able to send people blasting away. They all assumed Red Ape would only use his animals and the gadgets he himself could make. None of them had factored in him having other, better tech.


    ¡°It¡¯s even better than I thought,¡± Red Ape muttered as he tapped at the helmet he wore. ¡°I¡¯ll have to try and make my own improvements later.¡±


    A fist smashed into his side, throwing the man over the room and into a wall. He screamed in pain as some of his ribs were shattered by the impact, and he was doing his best to get air into his lungs. His eyes glared up at her. She had been the one to deliver the punch when he had let his guard down.


    She opened her bag and placed the cat in it. ¡°You stay here.¡± Her backpack had been stitched up since she last slammed it into a wall when she tried to attack Ashley with it. It had taken her a full day of sowing to get it back to a working state, and now it had some holes in it again after she used it on that gator. She reached up, tightened her mask, and stepped towards the man, who flinched when he saw the look in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for what you did.¡± She promised.


    ¡°Some rookie wannabe hero thinks they can stop me?¡± Red Ape hissed as he spat up some blood. ¡°You just got lucky that I had my gear switched to beam instead of bubble.¡± As he spoke, he twisted a switch on his helmet and fixed his monkey mask. ¡°You won¡¯t be doing that again, brat.¡±


    She ignored him and smashed forward, punching as hard as she could. The barrier appeared around Red Ape, and her fist rammed into it. Her knuckles burned, and she could feel the flesh starting to tear away, but she fought through the pain. She knew only the basics about combat from the brief time she and Armin took self-defense classes, but that was more than enough for her to throw a proper punch carried by all her inhuman strength. Her punch began to steadily push through the energy bubble, getting closer to the man, whose eyes snapped wide open at that.


    ¡°T- This is impossible!¡± Red Ape screamed. His barrier was giving out, her fist getting closer and closer. It was like trying to shove your way through plastic. She gritted her teeth, pushing her feet further into the ground as she attempted to ram her fist into his face. At the last second, Red Ape¡¯s barrier shattered, and the man flung himself out of the way, falling to the floor.


    The momentum carried her forward, and she tripped over her feet as the thing pushing back against her was gone. Her fist rammed into the wall that had been behind Red Ape and cracked it, causing it to cave in. She stopped a little shocked. ¡°I¡¯m able to shatter entire walls? I¡¯m a lot stronger than I thought I was!¡± She still hadn¡¯t really seen how hard she could hit at full force. She looked back at the villain, whose eyes were wide as he tried to crawl away from her. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll find out on you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there; save me!¡± Red Ape screamed. ¡°Kill her!¡±


    Before she could move back, one of the hands smashed into her face, wrapping around her head. It wasn¡¯t the only one. Dozens of them began to claw and grab her. It didn¡¯t seem like they could take over a human; they weren¡¯t even strong enough to pierce her skin, but that didn¡¯t mean he still couldn¡¯t use them. With a command, the hands all glowed and then exploded!


    The building shook as the blast went off, and she let out a loud scream as she was hit from all sides and bounced in a bunch of different directions. Red Ape¡¯s barrier was the only thing that kept him safe as the blast rippled through the building and she dropped to the ground, now a smoking mess.


    ¡°Kid!¡± Jack yelled out, seeing her in trouble. Play time was over.


    The kangaroo began to jump across the room, using its legs to bounce off of the walls as it picked up speed, getting faster and faster. Gradually, it started to become a blur. It fired toward Jack as hard as it could and flung out its fist, phasing through the man who moved so fast he left an afterimage of himself behind.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Jack grabbed the animal by the back of the neck, his fingers digging in as he forcefully stopped it and pulled it back. The dark basement was instantly hit with a flash of golden light as he unleashed a torrent of energy that crackled through him and the animal. When it finally died down, the kangaroo¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of its head, and it crashed forward, falling face first.


    Jack wasted no time and made a powerful jump out of the basement, landing on the floor above. ¡°Now for the boss-¡±


    Jack turned just in time to see Red Ape reach up to his helmet, twisting a knob, and in a flash, a giant red beam exploded out of the center of the metal visor. It smashed into Jack, and it blasted him through the lab and into a wall that collapsed on top of the man. The building, already nearing destruction, was barely held up by its pillars as it shook from the blast.


    ¡°That man was interesting. His powers were neat.¡± Red Ape hummed, putting out a few small flames from the heat that appeared on his mask as smoke rose from the center of his helm. ¡°I wonder if he is related to-¡±


    From the smoldering hole that the explosion had left her in, she emerged, covered in ash and clothes still on fire. Red Ape didn¡¯t even have time to process the fact that her fist smashed into his face, and she literally ripped the helmet off of him, tearing it apart in her hands, never even noticing how the strange metal almost seemed to glow blue when she touched it.


    ¡°Do you know how expensive that thing was?¡± Red Ape screamed, his eyes wide with rage.


    She rammed her other fist into his face, praying she broke his jaw so she wouldn¡¯t have to listen to him speak anymore, and the force of the attack was enough to smash him into the back wall. He let out a gurgle, and blood began to flow down the bottom of his mask.


    She didn¡¯t go after him though. She couldn¡¯t. Her legs gave out as she collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her skin burned. Most of her clothes were literally beginning to melt or were on fire from the blast. But all of it paled in comparison to the fire in her stomach pounding inside of her as if the sun were begging to be let out. She felt like she needed to puke.


    Red Ape couldn¡¯t speak. His jaw was shattered and broken from that last attack, and his mask was practically falling apart. He was still conscious, though. He had no choice. He¡¯d be forced to use ¡®it¡¯ after all. He reached into what was left of his lab coat and pulled out a syringe filled with orange liquid. He jammed the needle into a vein in his arm and shot it up.


    There were dozens of popping sounds, and she stared up with wide eyes as the man¡¯s broken body began to snap back into place, and he started to laugh. ¡°Ah. I was worried for a second there.¡± The villain announced. ¡°It would seem that Doc didn¡¯t lie. His drug really is amazing.¡±


    She tried to get back to her feet, but he stomped towards her and kicked up with his leg, smashing it into her gut and causing her to gasp out. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to hurt her. She was knifeproof and even took an explosion, yet somehow that kick was just as bad as an attack from Intake. Red Ape had super strength now?


    The villain began to viciously kick her over and over again, his broken mask showing off the sick grin he wore. His foot stopped when he heard it, though. The faint sound of a giggle escaped her lips as she stared up past him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± His smile faded, though, when something occurred to him. This entire time, Myth had been quiet. Too quiet.


    The shadow of a bull appeared above Red Ape as the hero came crashing down from the roof in an elbow drop. The doctor screamed in pain as the horned monster slammed into him. By all accounts, if he had been a normal human, that would have either snapped his spine or outright killed him.


    It didn¡¯t end there, though. Myth sat on the doctor¡¯s chest and pulled his fists back. He unleashed a flurry of blows as fast and hard as he could, striking the man with the power of fables, each punch more than enough to kill a man in one go. Hope felt her stomach almost turn at the brutal display of it.


    ¡°Are you really going to kill him?¡± She asked with a worried tone in her voice.


    Myth turned back to her, his snout letting out a snort. ¡°This bastard has killed dozens of people. Zoo are insane. They aren¡¯t like the Bad Timers. They don¡¯t rob or steal; they only kill. Men, women, even kids. This man has personally killed more children than I can count. He deserves no mercy-¡± Myth froze when he noticed it. He stared down in stunned silence. Not only was the doctor still alive, he was smiling and laughing even. ¡°How?¡±


    Red Ape sat up, and Myth did his best to keep the mad scientist pinned, but it didn¡¯t work as his body was forced off. ¡°Oh, I guess I forgot to mention, hero. The animals aren¡¯t the only ones doped up.¡± Red Ape raised his arm as his sleeve ripped and tore, his right arm getting bigger and more muscular. ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t prepare for you?¡± He cackled as he picked Myth up off of him and hurled him across the room.


    The hero smashed through the wall, slumping into a pile. She stared up at the villain with wide eyes, backing away slowly.


    The madman gave a loud laugh and turned to look at her. ¡°You next?¡± He smirked. He flexed his new muscles, and even from beneath his helmet and mask, she could tell he was smirking. ¡°See, I got this stuff from a new guy. The newest gang in our little city, the Wandering Coin, isn¡¯t half bad. Their leader is sort of like me. He invented a drug. Unlike me, though, his stuff is made for humans. I¡¯ve managed to skyrocket in power.¡±


    She pretended to listen as she tried to think of a plan. She was physically weaker than Jack, who in turn was weaker than Myth, who in turn was apparently weaker than the doped-up madman. Now would be a good time to awaken lightning, bone spears, or something cool.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, brat? Your hero name, I mean.¡± Red Ape asked. He didn¡¯t seem like he was about to attack; he was far too high on his own power, which was good for her, as her headache was still killing her, and that burning in her gut was getting worse and worse.


    ¡°I¡¯m still coming up with it. I haven¡¯t really settled on if I¡¯m willing to be a full hero or anything yet.¡± She groaned, clutching at her stomach, and resisted the urge to vomit. The kicking he had done had only made it worse. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you, though.¡±


    That was all it took. Red Ape moved so quickly that the part of the floor he had been standing on exploded, and he threw out a mean right hook. She barely had time to try and awkwardly raise her arms up to block it. His arm was growing in size as he pressed down against her. She gasped, struggling to hold it back, and then she gave a smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?!¡± He hissed.


    ¡°You never learn.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    A beam of golden light smashed into his back, and he screamed as he felt his nerves ignite. It was like a taser, but far worse. The energy danced through his body, and even Hope felt herself getting affected, though she was ready for it from the last time it hit her. Jack stood behind Red Ape, his hand blasting out the crackling gold beam, giving a smirk even as he gripped at his chest.


    As soon as the beam died down, Myth came roaring forward, grabbing Red Ape and literally smashing him through a pillar that was in the room. She almost fell forward once more, but Jack caught her. ¡°You, okay?¡± He asked. He held his hand out, and a faint golden light danced over her, and she felt her body mend itself together. It wasn¡¯t like with Paragon. This was slow, and it hurt. It was less healing and more easing the pain.


    But this was something she had seen before.


    ¡°That¡¯s Victorian¡¯s thing.¡± She murmured. The Golden Woman did the same thing to her mom in the bank. That healing light. ¡°Mr. Larison, who are you?¡±


    She was cut off when Jack let out a gasp and clutched at his chest. She could hear his heart twitching wildly, and already blood had begun to pour down his nose.


    ¡°Mr. Larison!¡±


    Myth flew past them and smashed into the floor next to them, kicking up wood. The hero was already back on his feet, wiping away the blood that dripped from his snout. ¡°This is bull crap!¡± He complained, possibly intending the pun. ¡°That drug made him tougher than me! How can something like that just exist?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all!¡± Red Ape roared. His body had gotten bigger, and steam seemed to rise off of it. His skin was a nasty red, and his muscles were swollen like balloons. He stomped forward, and Jack went to take a step, his skin starting to almost look golden.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to stop holding back.¡± The man grunted.


    She stopped him with her hand, shaking her head. She knew that if he pushed himself any further, that would likely be it for him. That wasn¡¯t the only reason she stopped him, though. It had gotten too much. She pushed past Jack, facing Red Ape, and she stopped holding it back.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± Red Ape roared. ¡°I¡¯ll rip your head off!¡± She opened her mouth on instinct as it finally escaped her. It was like a rocket taking off! Fire erupted from her mouth, scorching the area around them and burning so brightly that everyone had to shield their eyes. The madman screamed as he was drowned in it, and her hair even seemed to flash and ignite, looking as if it were a bright blonde for a moment. When the fire finally did stop flowing from her mouth and the dust settled, Red Ape stood there, charred black and shaking. ¡°Wha-¡± He smashed face first into the ground, not moving any longer.


    Myth blinked a few times, his snout twitching. ¡°What just happened?¡±


    She dropped to her knees again, gasping and grabbing at her face. Smoke was rising into the air, and the skin around her mouth had become black and burned, with blood pouring down her nose.


    It would seem she wasn¡¯t fireproof. Just her luck.


    Myth and Jack stood there with wide eyes, staring at the now possibly dead villain. Slowly, the bull form shrunk down to Myth¡¯s normal human size as he pulled a cell phone out of his robes. ¡°I¡¯m going to go ahead and call the proper authorities now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do that.¡± Jack said, feeling his heart begin to slow. ¡°Wait, you could have done that from the start!¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, far away at the edge of the city, in a lab that was sparkly clean, a man in a lab coat leaned back in his chair. ¡°Oh my.¡± He hummed. All around his room, floating hands went back and forth carrying his stuff.


    ¡°What happened?¡± In the corner of the room, a man in a suit with a cartoon wolf mask covering his face stood, waiting for the scientist to finish whatever it was he was working on.


    The man in the lab coat gave a half-grin, his hand coming out and allowing one of his machines to grasp onto it. ¡°It seems someone decided to ruin my test run.¡±


    ¡°Red Ape went and got himself beaten?¡± Green Wolf asked, folding his arms. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have bothered breaking him out of prison. He¡¯s a low-level mob after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that really was a mistake. Oh well, I can¡¯t stick around to help clean up your mess. I¡¯ve got a meeting with the mayor. He apparently wants to discuss that new group that¡¯s popped up. The Wandering Coin. Think you can give me a hand with digging up some dirt on them?¡±


    Green Wolf shrugged. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve got nothing else interesting planned. And before you say it, yes, I know; don¡¯t get caught. You don¡¯t want the mayor to know you hang out with a known terrorist like me after all. This will be a stealth quest.¡±


    The hands floated over to the man in the lab coat, following his every command. He was the one who made them, after all. ¡°Well, I do know something that might interest you. From what my hand tells me, the one who beat Red Ape was a girl with fire powers.¡±


    Green Wolf seemed to freeze in place at those words. Then he began to laugh. The game was starting to get interesting.

 Chapter Sixteen: The Meaning Of Hero

    ¡°Geez, you managed to do all of this?¡± A member of the Hero Branch stared at the destroyed body of Red Ape. The villain¡¯s limbs were twisted and broken, but most notable was the fact that he had been badly burned, most of his skin being gone. Red Ape needed the entire medical team just to keep him clinging to life as they got ready to load him into an armored van.


    It wasn¡¯t just the villain that shocked them either, though. The superhero was in bad condition as well.


    The Hero Branch workers often didn¡¯t have powers; they were simply members of the government that helped out, so the sight of such a mighty being in a broken state was shocking. Myth rested on the ground, with many of the Branch doctors tending to his wounds.


    The Hero Branch was who you called when you beat a villain. They were a part of the government that worked with the superheroes, being a sort of mix between the cops and the military. They were also the ones that called the shots, so a superhero wouldn¡¯t get too big of a head and think about taking over.


    ¡°Yes, I did all of this.¡± Myth finally said. It wasn¡¯t good to lie, and the hero hated doing it, but that red-haired man had made it clear he wanted his name to stay out of this, and that girl was a minor, not part of a team, and on top of all of that, he could get in massive trouble if the big wigs learned he just let two people tag along with him, Supers or not.


    ¡°It must have been one hell of a battle.¡± A sly voice seemed to echo around the street. Everyone froze when they heard it. The road had been closed off while they loaded the villain up, so a new voice caught them off guard. Walking from the end of the street with their hands in their pockets, there was a man with a sly smirk on his face..


    He was in their early twenties, the same age as Myth, and, much like the resting hero, the man was dressed up in his very own hero costume. Money Tree was an odd man but strong. His outfit was just as strange, looking like something you¡¯d see on a detective in a comic. A trench coat, fedora, gloves¡ªall of that. What made it a costume, though, was the fact that it wasn¡¯t made out of cloth. Instead, the entire outfit was made out of dollar bills. An actual money suit. He even had a domino mask made from several hundred-dollar bills.


    As the hero walked forward, the sound of loose change followed. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, big guy.¡± Money Tree grinned.


    ¡°Money Tree.¡± Myth slowly got to his feet and managed a small smile. ¡°How are you, sir?" He asked, holding his hand out.


    ¡°Ha! Yeah, don¡¯t call me Sir.¡± Money Tree said, taking his hat off and tipping it. Dozens of coins dropped to the floor.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s only right. After all, you are the leader of the Sub Enforcers, now.¡± Myth tried to hide the bitter tone from entering his voice as he said that. It wasn¡¯t much of a secret that he had become a solo hero when the Branch selected Money Tree instead of him for the leadership role. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    If Money Tree noticed the hostility, he didn¡¯t comment on it. Instead, the hero crouched down to stare at the villain. ¡°Can¡¯t I just drop by to say hello to an old buddy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you. Which is why I have to assume you have another reason for seeing me out of the blue like this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Money Tree shrugged. ¡°You got me. I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Why''s he still alive?"


    Myth followed the man''s gaze and stared down at the burned body of Red Ape as the Hero Branch workers did their best to keep the man stable. "Believe me, I''d prefer someone like this guy to rot as well, but I can''t."


    "Why not?"


    "Information." Myth rubbed his chin and winced, feeling his bruised muscles and bones ache. "I know I''m a bit out of shape from a lack of serious fights, but I''m still tough, you know. When I fought Red Ape, he had something. That strength he showed off... He was hitting me hard enough to harm my bull form. Red Ape is just a normal human in terms of strength, so whatever he took gave him a serious power up."


    "So, you''re planning on sending him to Nightshade so they can figure out what it was?" Money Tree asked.


    "Yeah." Myth nodded. "If a serious threat like Mars King or Green Wolf got what he took, I don''t think any of us would be able to stop it. I''ll let Boy Genius question this guy and lock him up in Nightshade."


    Money Tree threw his arms behind his head and let out a low whistle as he looked at the destroyed building behind him. "So, who were they?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Myth straightened up, and all the Hero Branch members seemed very interested in the conversation now.


    Money Tree held a finger out, and the cash on his suit came undone, folding itself once, twice, then thrice as it became a little paper person. Then, a second one was made, a third, a fourth, and a fifth. ¡°How many people helped you bag this guy? And who were they? They weren¡¯t members of the Watch Dogs, so they were new heroes, right? A lot more kids have been appearing with superpowers ever since the Emperor¡¯s stunt fifteen years ago.¡±


    ¡°I already told them, but I took him down alone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Money Tree snorted, and the cash rejoined his suit as the hero placed his hands in his pocket once more and leaned forward, a large smirk on his lips. ¡°Since when can you do this? I know it wasn''t in ¡®that¡¯ form. The burns are considerably less focused. That, and he¡¯s in one piece.¡± Money Tree nudged the burned villain with his foot.


    Myth grew. Not a lot, but the man gained a few inches, and the hints of horns started to appear on his head. ¡°I awakened a new ability.¡± It wasn¡¯t unheard of for a hero to gain a new power in the line of duty, but usually, it had to do with whatever their first power was. It was rare, but it was a thing that could happen.


    ¡°Sir, is there something we should know?¡± One of the agents questioned. ¡°You aren¡¯t planning anything, Myth?¡± They all stared at the solo hero now.


    ¡°I beat him by myself.¡± Myth growled out.


    Money Tree stared at his friend for several seconds, then grinned. ¡°Okay.¡± The Sub Enforcers leader pulled away. ¡°I¡¯ll put that in my report. But that rumor still stands. It¡¯s all over Hero Hub when your name pops up, you know. Everyone is wondering what Oleander¡¯s Monster is going to be up to. After all, ever since you left the Sub Enforcers, you¡¯ve been on a bit of a losing streak. I was just curious if the rumors were true.¡±


    ¡°The rumors that I¡¯m starting a team of my own, I assume.¡± Myth asked. ¡°Well. I won¡¯t say they¡¯re wrong, but there is more to it than that.¡±


    Money Tree gave a small nod. ¡°Neat. Well, I¡¯ll take point on getting this guy to prison. This time, he won¡¯t be escaping. You go take a break.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Myth shrunk down to his normal size, letting out a tired sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going to go take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± The man stopped and turned back to his friend. Money Tree was lighting up a cigarette, letting out a blow of smoke. ¡°Stay safe. I have a feeling we¡¯re nearing a storm.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the advice.¡± Myth ran his hand through his hair. He really needed that nap.


    ***


    Nick jumped when the front door to his apartment was literally kicked in. ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t hurt me! All the valuables are in my friend¡¯s room; take them!¡± The door banged against the wall and shook the building as Jack barged in. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you. Phew. Welcome back, Jack.¡±


    ¡°Grab your shit!¡± The red-haired man yelled.


    Nick raised an eyebrow as Jack stormed into the room. The man¡¯s clothes were a mess, having been burned and torn. In his arms, he held several things, most notably a backpack, a weird metal hand, a broken metal helmet, and also an unconscious child who looked a lot worse than he did.


    Jack strolled forward, laid the girl out on the couch, then turned to Nick, who still hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°Today, please!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Nick jumped up and ran to his room. It was rather plain, unlike Jack¡¯s, with just a desk and his bed. The dark-skinned man grabbed his bed and moved it out of the way. With that done, he could crouch down to the floorboard, and after struggling for a second, he raised a loose part of it up, grabbing a large white bag hidden away from the world. ¡°You know,¡± he said, stumbling back into the living room and dropping the bag on the table. ¡°This stuff is supposed to be for when your heart keeps stopping, not for any random Super.¡±


    ¡°Just do something.¡± Jack snapped.


    ¡°I will.¡± Nick went through the bag, looking for his tools. Finally, the dark-skinned man pulled out a strange white handlebar that looked almost like a thermometer. ¡°I used to be one of the best healers when it came to Supers, after all.¡± A smirk found itself onto Nick¡¯s face.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re a random security guard. Just hurry and do your thing.¡±


    ¡°Geez, you¡¯re no fun when you¡¯re worried.¡± Nick moved toward the girl and lifted the device. Her lower face was black, and the skin around her mouth had turned a nasty red. It looked like she had tried to dunk her face in acid. He clicked his device, and a low blue light buzzed out, going up and down her body and focusing on her eyes. ¡°So, do I want to know why you brought a dying Super to the house?¡±


    ¡°Dying!¡±


    ¡°Kidding. Mostly.¡± Nick leaned away as the device shut off, and he looked down at the screen that was on the front of it. ¡°She would be dying, but her body is gradually getting better. She¡¯s got a mild healing factor. Nowhere as good as yours, but it¡¯s keeping her alive. What did this?¡±


    Jack folded his arms after setting the other stuff he had brought on the table. ¡°Well, she did it to herself.¡±


    ¡°Like she dunked her face in acid?¡±


    ¡°Her powers.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Nick gave a nod. ¡°Her powers made her dunk her head in acid?¡±


    ¡°Fire burst out of her mouth.¡±


    ¡°Damn, close.¡± The healer rubbed at his skin, eyeing the girl up. ¡°Still, that¡¯s strange. Powers usually don¡¯t harm the body. If you can control ice, you¡¯re usually immune to freezing to death; if you bend water, you can breathe in the sea; and if you can create fire, you¡¯re at least a little fireproof. The only case I¡¯ve ever really seen of a power killing its host is you, and that¡¯s sort of a special case.¡±


    Jack absentmindedly rubbed at his chest, frowning. ¡°Her powers, as far as I knew, were super strength, speed, and durability. Nothing insane, and I¡¯d say she wasn¡¯t even that strong compared to others. Then she showed off her enhanced senses, and now she goes and lets out the world¡¯s strongest burp.¡±


    Jack sighed and walked to his room. Unlike Nick, his was loaded with comics, action figures, and posters of hundreds of heroes. He shifted his bed out of the way and opened the floorboard, grabbing one of two bags. When he returned to the living room, he held what looked like a weird golden microscope.


    While Jack did that, Nick went through his own bag and pulled out a small vial of blue liquid. ¡°You know, I only got three left after this. The last time your heart went and stopped, I had to use two just to get you back on your feet. You sure you want me to use this on her?¡±


    ¡°Just do it,¡± Jack said, rolling his eyes.


    Nick mumbled a few choice words under his breath, but he opened the tube anyway. He opened the girl¡¯s mouth and tilted the vial, allowing the liquid to drip. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to get more of these. Wanna explain why this person is so important?¡±


    Jack didn¡¯t say anything for several seconds. Instead, he had a shard of that strange helmet Hope had broken under the scope of the device he held. His fingertips glowed and sparked, and he began to slowly melt down and reshape the metal lazily. ¡°She said this metal was familiar to her. Now that I¡¯m looking at it closer, I¡¯ve seen it before as well. ¡®Someone¡¯ once held a connection to it.¡±


    ¡°Full Monarch?¡± Nick asked quietly. The room had grown somber.


    ¡°Full Monarch.¡± Jack nodded, and for a second, the image of the Powerful Man came to his mind. The previous Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The man the Victorian worked under when she was still a sidekick and the only man who had been able to beat the Emperor.


    A quiet groan cut through the silence, and the two men turned to see Hope shakily sitting up. The burn marks around her face had almost vanished, leaving just a faint red mark, and her bruised skin was also healing. Whatever Nick had given her did the trick. She wiped at her eyes for a second, and what was left of the red mask fell off her face as she looked around her surroundings, only to go on edge when she realized she didn¡¯t recognize anything around her.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Her head snapped to the man who stood over her. He was dressed in a suit, had plastic gloves on, and held a strange futuristic device.


    She stared, then screamed. Nick jumped and did the only thing he could think of, which was also to scream. Jack facepalmed.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The red-haired man screamed, and the screaming pair went silent.


    ¡°Mr. Larison?¡± She asked, groaning a little. She was still wiping ash off her face, but she felt better. It was not as good as when Paragon had healed her, but it was better than nothing. ¡°What happened?¡± She went silent when she remembered the fight. That pain in her stomach, and then the feeling of vomiting. ¡°Did we win?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jack explained. ¡°We won. You collapsed after your little light show stunt, and I took you to the best healer I know.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow, eyeing the dark-skinned man who stood in front of her. He wasn¡¯t dressed like a doctor or anything fancy, really. He wore a simple suit. ¡°This guy is a healer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Super.¡± Nick explained. ¡°Think of me as a doctor. About fifteen years ago, I worked for the government as a doctor for Supers.¡±


    ¡°And you saved me?¡±


    ¡°Well, not me.¡± The man gave a sad smile, looking down at the now-empty vial he had fed her. ¡°I had a buddy named Doctor Blue. He was a Super, but not anything fancy like a hero. He was a healer who got snatched up by the Branch. Those kinds of people are too valuable, after all. He had the ability to make various kinds of medication. I fed you some of the few I had left.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to ask why he was using the past tense and why he couldn¡¯t simply ask his friend for more. His sad tone was enough. An awkward silence seemed to settle in for a moment, broken by the sounds of a loud meow. That caused her to jump up. She nearly stumbled over, her headache kicking back in, but she crushed it down and grabbed her backpack, opening it up and letting the cat poke his head out.


    She stared down at the kitten in her bag. To think all of this started because one little girl missed her pet. ¡°What happens now?¡±


    Jack finished looking at the metal helmet. It gave him so many things to consider. ¡°The other animals were affected by that villain¡¯s power. Myth said he would give them proper help by calling in the Hero Branch. Thankfully, it would seem that the cat hadn¡¯t turned yet.¡±


    ¡°So, can we give him back?¡±


    Jack had a faint smile. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She nodded, standing up and grabbing her bag. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±


    Jack¡¯s smile faded after that. ¡°I have other things to look into. I won¡¯t be joining you.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She tried not to let her disappointment show when he said that. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just go drop this little guy off and then head straight home.¡± It had been fun. It almost reminded her of when she got stuck on a level in a video game, and her dad spent the entire day helping her get past it. But at the end of the day, powers or not, Mr. Larison was still a stranger.


    ¡°You gonna manage?¡± Jack asked as she wobbled.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    Things got a little better when she left Mr. Larison¡¯s house. The world had stopped spinning, and her headache was fading away. The potion Nick gave her seemed to be kicking in. She placed her glasses back on now that she was in public. She still didn¡¯t need to wear them anymore, but it was fun swapping in and out of them like a hero persona. It also seemed to help set the world back in place and ease the heat that was pumping through her veins.


    Eventually, she stopped in front of a small house that was on the edge of her neighborhood. She rang the doorbell, and there was shuffling on the other side before it finally opened.


    ¡°Hello.¡± She said awkwardly to the woman who stood in the doorway. ¡°I believe someone here is missing a cat.¡± She asked, holding the animal up.


    ¡°Mister Fur!¡± The woman moved out of the way as her daughter practically jumped out of the house. She let out an amused giggle and handed the animal to the girl, who hugged it tightly. ¡°You managed to find him!¡±


    ¡°We told you we would get him back.¡± The sentiment might have been better if Mr. Lairosn bothered to come as well, but she was content with the happy look the girl had on her face.


    She jumped a little when the little girl set the cat down inside the house and then pulled her in for a hug, wrapping their little arms around her waist. ¡°It wasn¡¯t too much trouble to get him back?¡± The mom asked.


    She winced a little, remembering all the fighting, the pain, and that burning in her gut. ¡°No. We just found him, and he was fine.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, thank you.¡±


    ¡°It was no issue. I¡¯m glad I could help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep a better eye on him.¡± The little girl said.


    ¡°You better.¡±


    She was finally let go, and she stepped away from the girl. She was waved off as she began to leave, heading back to the sidewalk. Her mind worked as she walked, reaching the street. Whatever that stuff that man had given her fixed her up. She was still sore, and part of her ached, but her bruises had all but faded. It sucked that the man who made that healing stuff likely died if that doctor''s tone had been right. Powers that could heal were rare. Most abilities were made to cause harm; even her own were guilty of that.


    Speaking of powers.


    She looked down at her hand and took her glasses off for a second. The burning in her stomach was back, but it was faint. Her gut didn¡¯t feel like it was going to burst, but the pressure was certainly there. If she focused, she could feel the fire start to bubble up. Her veins even seemed to almost light up, much like Mr. Larison¡¯s did.


    She put her glasses back on, shaking her head as she gave a small grin. She knew what she needed to do.


    With the loss of her phone, she wasn¡¯t able to tell him she was showing up, but after a few minutes of walking, she reached the richer part of the city. By now, the sun was starting to set, and she knew her mom would be distraught; she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to care. She began to head for the border, the part of the city where it went from middle class to upper class. Everything became more packed in as she walked¡ªmore stores, more people, more life in general. She''d have to pass through here to get to her destination.


    That was easier said than done, though. Crowds of people walked from store to store, and cars lined the road. Everyone was doing last-second shopping before places closed for the night, and Oleander was typically packed this time of year, being a very popular tourist attraction.


    "Excuse me! Young girl! Would you mind helping us for a moment?" She came to a stop when she heard the voice. Someone was calling out to her in the crowd. She got worried for a bit until she saw who it was. A young woman. They couldn''t have been older than seventeen and had a beauty similar to Ashley. The kind that meant this girl was clearly popular. Despite that, though, the girl had a bright smile on her face and casually flipped her long blonde hair. "Finally! Everyone kept ignoring me when I tried to get their attention." The girl huffed out. "You''re the first person to have stopped."


    "Oh, I am?" She just got suckered into helping tourists, didn''t she? The strange, pretty girl wasn''t alone. A friend, or maybe a sister, stood next to them. The second girl was almost the total opposite of the popular girl. They were shorter and wore very baggy clothes that covered her from head to toe. Only a bit of reddish-brown hair poked out, but that was enough to remind her of Mr. Larison in a way. The girl wore a pair of sunglasses and gripped a walking cane tightly in her hands, fidgeting a bit. "What exactly do you need help with?" She asked skeptically.


    The blonde girl tossed something towards her, and if not for her newly enhanced reflexes, she was sure she''d have dropped it. Luckily, she caught it and stared down at the very expensive phone. "My name is Lily." The pretty girl spoke, still speaking in a very bubbly tone. "This is my sister, Sky. We''re not from Oleander, and it''s our first time. I was wondering if you could get a picture of us."


    "A picture?" The building behind both of the girls had a large mural, one that held every single member of the Enforcers proudly standing tall. "Oh sure. I guess I can do that."


    "Yay! Thank you. What do you say, Sky?" Lily said, patting her sister.


    "I didn''t even want to come out here." The girl named Sky said in a very bored tone.


    "That''s not the word I meant!"


    She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly and raised Lily''s phone. "Say cheese." She decided not to complain too much. Both girls were pretty, so she used this as a good chance to gawk at them a bit without having to worry about being noticed.


    "Cheese!" Lily put on her biggest smile, but the girl in the sunglasses remained stone-faced the entire time. As soon as the picture was over, she handed the phone back to the blonde, who took it and began to gush over the picture. "We look so cool, Sky!"


    "Neat," Sky said.


    "Well, if that''s everything I really need to-"


    She never got to finish, as a few moments later, Lily''s phone began to ring. "Oh, sorry, I need to take this. Hey, can you watch Sky for a second?"


    "What-" Lily had already vanished into the crowd, out of sight, by the time the words left her mouth, leaving her alone with the other sibling. "Geez! That girl is intense!"


    "You have no idea." Sky muttered. "Imagine living with her."


    "I''d rather not." That caused Sky to let out a snort. It didn''t last long, though, as the girl''s face went back to being blank, and she stood there awkwardly waiting for Lily to get back. "I get the sense I''m bothering you." She said a bit awkwardly.


    "It''s not your fault. I''m just not a people''s person."


    "Ah. Yeah, I get that." She never really hung out with anyone besides Armin. "So... Sky, was it?" She trailed off.


    "Yeah. That''s my name."


    "I''m Hope. Hope Lauren." Her words caused the girl to suddenly go rigid, and instantly she felt like she might have said something wrong. "You okay?"


    "Yeah." Whoever Sky was, she was a bad liar. Luckily, the awkward moment didn''t last too long as Lily returned, throwing her arms around her sister. "I think we should go, Lily," Sky said.


    "I was just going to suggest the same thing! Kenny called and wants to meet up!"


    Sky gave an awkward nod. "It was nice meeting you, Hope. Sorry."


    "Sorry?" She didn''t get any more from the strange duo, as Lily quickly began to drag Sky off once more. "What the hell was that?" Did she do something wrong?


    Of course, she received no answer and decided it was best to simply forget about the strange meeting she just had. After all, with how big the city was, the chances were she''d never see either of those two girls ever again. Especially if they weren''t from this city. She stood there for a few more seconds before also turning and disappearing into the crowd, the thoughts of the strange red-haired girl quickly fading from her mind. She had another place to be after all.


    The city¡¯s middle class was crowded with many towers, even a few skyscrapers, and apartments. The upper class was spaced out, with actual houses and lawns; it looked like it belonged in a different city altogether. Kyle¡¯s home was enormous. Bigger than the house she used to live in had been. It wasn¡¯t quite a manor but looked rich with three floors, a basement, an attic, and a massive backyard. The garage was closed, but from a small window on the front of it, she saw an imposing and expensive-looking car that made Mr. Larison¡¯s look like a cheap toy.


    She hopped the fence around the house, sticking low, and made for the back. She allowed her senses to increase a bit, and she could hear faint TV noises on one side of the house, but the rest of it was eerily silent. She spotted what looked like Kyle¡¯s bedroom on the third floor in the backyard.


    ¡°I always wanted to do this.¡± She said quietly, holding a small rock. It took all her willpower to hold her strength back, and she barely flicked it, aiming for the wood next to the window. The rock hit it with a thud and buried itself slightly in the house, making her wince. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Either way, that got his attention, and seconds later, the window opened. ¡°Hope?¡± Kyle poked his head out, staring down at her with wide eyes. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    She gave a half-wave and a slight grin. ¡°Hey. How¡¯d the thing with your dad go?¡±


    ¡°Uh, good? I mean, he¡¯s asleep now, after the celebration. Wait, are you okay?¡± Kyle pulled himself out of his window and began to climb down the side of the house, clinging to whatever he could get a hold of. He was slightly older than her, being sixteen, though soon she would be as well, and he was, of course, more athletic, but even still, he was ready to fall into her arms if he slipped. When he finally reached the bottom, he stood in front of her, looking her up and down. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She looked down at herself and felt her face pale. Her jacket was in ruins, practically shredded and falling off of her. Her shirt thankfully survived, but it was burned, had a few holes in it, and was covered in ash. Her pants as well had turned a nasty black; dirt clung to her skin; and her messy hair was an even more tangled mess. ¡°That explains the odd looks. Those girls totally thought I was homeless.¡± She shook her head and gave a smirk, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°I got into a fight with a villain.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Kyle¡¯s eyes lit up at that. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Red Ape!¡±


    ¡°That cop killer! Hell yeah, give me five!¡± He cheered, holding his hand out.


    She gave him a high five, her grin getting bigger. ¡°Yeah. Also, I unlocked a new power.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take them long to reach their spot. Though saying that wasn¡¯t exactly right. They hadn¡¯t been back since she last tried out her power, but they arrived at the junkyard once more.


    Kyle would have to return home before his dad woke up, and at this point, she was going to be grounded for life when she saw her mom. The sun was no longer in the sky, the moon was rising up, and the only light they had was from Kyle¡¯s phone.


    ¡°So, you said you unlocked fire breathing?¡± Kyle asked, taking a seat on the hood of a car.


    ¡°Well, I think so.¡± She steadied herself and raised her arms, lifting the fridge up. She had found a hollowed-out fridge and packed it full of as much junk and weights as she could. The thing must have weighed over five hundred pounds easily, yet she didn¡¯t really feel all that pushed. She was on the roof of another car, using it as a bench while she lifted the makeshift weight up and down. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m quite ready to use that power again, though. It almost killed me.¡± She said in reference to her newly awakened fire breathing.


    Kyle winced and gave a nod. ¡°So, how did you beat that villain?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lar- I had the help of a superhero named Myth. He and I managed to defeat Red Ape, but since I¡¯m not a hero, he said he¡¯d call in the Branch and take the credit and leave my name out of it.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you mad? He¡¯s getting all the credit.¡±


    ¡°Not really. I mean, I¡¯m not a superhero, after all.¡±


    ¡°You could be,¡± Kyle said, leaning forward and looking at her while she lifted the fridge higher. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Myth. He was a big shot a few years ago, but he¡¯s really gone downhill since leaving the Sub Enforcers. He¡¯s had loss after loss. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re the reason he won.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. He was strong too, though.¡± Mr. Larison had also saved her life towards the end and even went out of his way to get her healed. She doubted she¡¯d have beaten Red Ape on her own. Not to mention that new power she got nearly killed her. She really didn¡¯t want to try and spit out a fireball again anytime soon.


    ¡°What do you want to do with your powers?¡± Kyle asked, and he flinched a bit when she toppled the fridge off of her, sending it crashing into the sand next to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She sighed and fell back onto the car she rested on, looking up at the starry sky above. Her eyes traced the moon, following the massive crack in it that was created fifteen years ago by the Emperor. Real heroes and villains, people like the Emperor, the Victorian, or Full Monarch, were strong. So strong that her powers barely looked impressive. ¡°Part of me really wants to do it, you know. I¡¯d like to be a hero, but...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s scary.¡± Kyle dropped down onto the car next to her, letting out a sigh as he took a seat. ¡°I know what you mean. I don¡¯t have superpowers, but I made up my mind ever since I was a little kid. I was going to be a cop like my dad no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I could do it?¡±


    ¡°Become a cop?¡±


    ¡°A hero, stupid.¡±


    Kyle considered it. ¡°I think you could. You¡¯ve already done some stuff, right? And that was all before you could breathe freaking fire! That said, I won¡¯t force you. I mean, I can¡¯t.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I just think you could do a lot of good. Oleander is a mess. There are major gangs, and every day, it always seems like someone is doing something. The Sub Enforcers haven¡¯t been doing enough since Money Tree was put in charge, the solo heroes are being picked off every day, and Watch Dogs have become a joke in Old Dog¡¯s retirement. Besides, who said you¡¯d have to be doing this alone?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you trying to say you want to be my sidekick?¡± She giggled.


    Kyle laughed again and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d rather not get into a fight with the trouble that seems to follow you. That said, isn¡¯t it obvious? You could join the Sub Enforcers."


    "You think they''d let me on their team?"


    "Why not. They exist for kid heroes to have a place in society. Also, I hear Paragon might be joining them recently." That single mention of Paragon instantly soured her mood. The thought of being in the same room as the healer made her blood boil. Kyle could apparently tell he said something wrong as he shrank back. "Okay, so maybe not the Sub Enforcers. You said you worked with Myth, right? He was strong back in the day and knows a thing or two. What if you ask to be his sidekick or something, or maybe his partner?¡±


    She was about to say no, but then she stopped as she thought about what he said. She didn¡¯t hate Myth; he was a nice enough guy, strong and handsome as well. That said, she couldn¡¯t help but recall the rage he had in him. She¡¯d love to work with him again, but being his partner would be a nightmare without Mr. Larison also there to back her up.


    Wait!


    Kyle was on to something.


    It had been sitting in front of her this entire time. Someone she worked well with, who she knew would have her back, and who knew what he was doing. Someone able to keep her out of danger and improve her power.


    It was all so obvious.


    ¡°I think I can do it.¡± She said, sitting up. Kyle did as well, as she turned to face him. ¡°What you said. Yeah, if I went in not alone, I¡¯d have someone else backing me up. I could learn more and take it slow, and if it didn¡¯t work out, I could back out. If we formed a team, we wouldn¡¯t have to be worried about getting picked off, and we could even get sponsors and earn money.¡± She bit her nail, thinking it through. She could even help her father.


    A duo called the Pallet Boys had earned nearly a million dollars in sponsors alone. Of course, she doubted she¡¯d ever reach that level. It would give her mom a break, and she would get to use her powers if she did, though.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to team up with Myth, then?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°Something like that.¡± She grinned, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him anyway. The worst thing he can say is no.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need a good costume, you know. And a badass name. Something better than Fall Girl.¡±


    ¡°I know. I already have a name in mind.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She looked down at her hand. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait to see.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I look forward to it.¡± Kyle had a big grin on his face. He seemed as excited as she was about this. Something seemed to flicker in his eyes. He leaned forward and-


    A hand pressed to his mouth, stopping him in his tracks. "Uh, what are you doing?¡± She asked with wide eyes.


    Kyle backed away instantly, feeling shame. ¡°I mean, I thought... We were... Well, there was a moment, and I thought maybe...¡±


    She stared at him before snorting and then giggled softly. ¡°Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not into boys.¡± She stated in a deadpan voice.


    ¡°Bu wuh?¡±


    ¡°Hit the deck!¡± A panicked voice yelled as a shadow fell over them.


    She barely had time to half tackle, half shove Kyle to the ground as something slammed past them and crashed into a wall of scrap, knocking it over. ¡°What was that!¡± Kyle yelled, sitting up.


    ¡°I have no clue.¡± They stared at what had almost hit them. It was a large metal fist. Not one of the ones Red Ape had. Rather, this one was wide and bulky, made out of black iron, and hissing with fire. Her ears twitched as she heard someone running towards them. ¡°Heads up.¡± She warned Kyle, letting him get ready to run in case it got bad.


    A boy came running around the corner. Or at least she thought he was a boy based on the way he was cursing. His voice was young and vaguely familiar. He was dressed head to toe in black armor that was shaped sort of like an ancient eastern warrior, one you¡¯d see in a picture book, but the spot around his right arm was gone, showing the skin beneath it.


    Her eyes lit up when she saw him. It was a hero. One she had heard on the news recently named Metal Ronin. ¡°Are you two, okay?¡± Metal Ronin asked. ¡°I am so sorry if any of you got hurt; I can call a healer right away! Unless she already left, that is. Oh God, I hope she didn¡¯t leave. Please say you two are okay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± Kyle snorted. ¡°Your hand crashed over there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± The weird cyborg warrior moved past them, grabbing the fist and ripping it out. ¡°I came here looking for some spare parts and got a little carried away in my testing. That said, I should let you two know that while it isn¡¯t illegal to be here, it is very late, and spots like these have been known to be filled with gang activity. I would recommend against it.¡±


    She was about to say something but stopped. As far as he knew, she was just a normal girl with no powers, so this likely did look like an odd location to hang out with a friend. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± She assured Metal Ronin.


    Kyle stood up and gave a nod to her, then gave the hero a dirty look. ¡°Come on, Hope, I¡¯ll walk you back home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She awkwardly followed after Kyle, shooting a look back towards the hero.


    Metal Ronin watched them walk off and reached up to press a spot on his helmet. ¡°Your son is heading back now, sir.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The voice of the newest police chief echoed through his helmet. ¡°Ensure he gets back safely, and try not to let them spot you, Rowan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, and while I¡¯m in the armor, I only go by Metal Ronin.¡± Rowan was a little disappointed at that. His armor really had taken a beating in the fight with Mars King, so he would have loved to fix it up a bit. Sadly, he drew the short straw on who got to babysit the boy.


    ***


    Hope was thankful that it was a Friday. All the crazy crap she went through today¡ªthe fights, the near death¡ªwhatever the heck that Nick guy was.


    She was just ready to crash on her bed and call it a day. She stood in front of the door to the apartment, letting out a breath she was holding. Gathering her courage, she turned the knob and stepped into the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± She announced awkwardly.


    The lights were still on despite how late it had become, and her mom sat in her chair. The woman¡¯s hair was messy, almost as messy as hers, and there were heavy bags under her mother''s eyes. Jane Lauren looked like a mess.


    ¡°I tried to call you.¡± Her mom said.


    ¡°Yeah, my phone is still broken. You didn¡¯t get me a new one yet.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but wince at the way her mom flinched at her words. She hadn¡¯t meant it to sound like an accusation, but it likely came out that way.


    ¡°Where were you?¡±


    ¡°Armin¡¯s.¡±


    Her mom stared at her with a blank look. ¡°I called Mr. Moore. Want to try again?¡± She sighed and shook her head. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    She took off the broken jacket she had, allowing it to drop to the floor as it broke apart. ¡®Oh, well, you see, mom, I have superpowers, and I actually got into a fight with a villain, helping a buff bull-man and someone who may or may not be related to the Victorian, at least they had powers close to her.¡¯ Is what she wanted to tell her mother, but her mouth locked up, and she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Her mom stared at her as an awkward silence filled the room. ¡°Hope, are you doing this because of Dad?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± She felt her mother¡¯s arms wrap around her, and she flinched as she was pulled in for a hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Her mom asked quietly.


    ¡°Not really.¡± She left out how her mouth almost melted off.


    ¡°Is this going to keep happening?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She just stood there awkwardly in her mom¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Your dad said he feels a lot better. Those people from Reservoir made his pain nearly vanish.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± Silence filled the room again. ¡°Am I in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡±

 Chapter Seventeen: The Sub Enforcers

    Adam hated Lillian. Always had.


    He had been born and raised in the city of Oleander, under the great banner of Full Monarch, and had intended to stay in that city all his life. Even when his wife moved, leaving him behind, Adam refused to budge. Yet now, as he stared up at the ceiling of the fancy hospital he had been placed in, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how his wife and daughter were doing.


    ¡°Sir, is there anything you would like to watch?¡± One of the many nurses who tended to the machines that kept him alive asked, holding up the remote.


    ¡°And listen to more bad news? Pass.¡± Adam barked. ¡°I¡¯d rather die in peace than hear about how the mighty Victorian saved another city. Forget all the damage that was done in the process. No one ever focuses on that, though. We¡¯re all too busy gawking at how stunning she is.¡±


    ¡°Must you talk bad about my best friend?¡± Adam felt his eyes narrow, the nurse freezing, when they heard the voice. The window to the hospital was pushed up, and a chilling wave of ice entered, followed by a flow of water. Ocean Empress pulled her way past the frame and softly landed on the hospital floor. She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her head. All the while, her outfit flowed about her body, slowly settling into a dress. ¡°Hey, Dad.¡±


    Adam, formerly known as Old Dog, the oldest superhero to date and an ex-member of the Enforcers, felt his face soften when he saw his daughter. ¡°River.¡±


    ¡°Save it.¡± Ocean Empress held her hand up, silencing her father. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to talk for very long, Dad. I just came to check on you.¡±


    Adam let out a sick cough, holding onto several of the tubes that stabbed into his flesh. ¡°I¡¯m still dying. Nothing new. A life of saving this ungrateful world, this is my reward.¡±


    ¡°You lived longer than most heroes.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Old Dog was one of the first members of the original Enforcers. He had fought on the front lines when Full Monarch battled the Emperor. He had gone toe to toe with the world¡¯s strongest villain back in the day. Of course, that was so long ago.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you come?¡± Adam asked, trying to push himself up. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t to come check on your old man.¡±


    Ocean Empress shook her head. ¡°Could you give us a moment?¡± The gaze she shot towards the nurse made the poor worker quickly pack up her things and run out of the room. ¡°I wanted to ask you a question, Dad.¡±


    ¡°What kind of question?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about a strange girl I happened to see the other day. I saved her from a low-tier villain.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what about it, though?¡±


    ¡°Her father was infected with the Dead Virus, and Sky was unable to fully heal him.¡±


    The man nodded for a moment. ¡°And? I''m sure there is more if you''re bothering to tell me.¡±


    ¡°I believe that she''s a Super.¡± Ocean Empress explained. ¡°I found out the hero Myth had someone with him that fit her description. The thing that worries me is that it looks as if she has a power related to fire.¡±


    Adam narrowed his eyes for a second. Finally, he patted a nearby chair that was next to his bed. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    ***


    Lily was having a fantastic day, all things considered. ¡°Whoa, this is so good! Sky, you have got to try this.¡± The girl said, trying to force her sister to get a taste of her ice cream cone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Sky muttered. She was having a bad day. Things were not going her way.


    It was in the middle of the day, and she and her sister found themselves in Oleander City. Lily¡¯s eyes were wide as they looked at the many sights, amazed by it all.


    They were both from Lillian, and while it had similarities to Oleander, being so close and all, the two were still very different. Oleander was the kind of place that tried to get your attention.


    There was a restaurant on nearly every block and dozens of apartments begging to be bought or rented. They passed by three parks and a few playgrounds. Strip malls lined every end of a block, and there were talks about a water park that was apparently really popular.


    Lily loved it, while she just wanted to go to bed.


    ¡°We still have time until we have to meet Mom. Anything you want to do or see Sky?¡± Lily asked, cocking her head to look back at her as they walked.


    ¡°See?¡± She asked slowly.


    ¡°Oh, whoops. Sorry, it slipped my mind again.¡± Lily winced. Her sister was out of her costume now, dressed to look like a civilian. Lily''s long blonde hair was tied back, and her bright yellow eyes practically sparkled from all the lights of the city. The girl got several looks from everyone, their yellow sundress showing off her fitting form.


    She, on the other hand, looked like she was dressed for the winter. She wore a heavy jacket that hid most of her body, baggy pants, and a set of gloves, and her red hair was crammed into a beanie. She wore a pair of sunglasses that covered her eyes, and in one arm, she carried a bird cage wrapped up in a cloth hiding the bird, while her other was holding her white cane.


    Lily practically danced around the street. ¡°We should go to the mall, Sky¡ªno! We should go see a movie. No! We should totally get your hair done and find a dress for you-¡±


    She sighed. She couldn¡¯t even pretend to keep up with this level of energy. ¡°Aren¡¯t we meeting some of your friends?¡±


    ¡°You mean our friends!¡±


    ¡°Nope. I mean your friends.¡±


    That caused Lily¡¯s grin to fade briefly, but it was back an instant later. ¡°Anyways, yeah. Kenny wanted to hang out. It¡¯s been a while since I got to see him. Work has been super busy for both of us, you know! He¡¯s just what I need to cheer up after today!¡±


    She wanted to make a bitter remark about how it wasn¡¯t Lily who failed to save that man in the hospital, but she held it back. There was no reason to make her sister mad. Besides, people would freak out if they learned she made the up-and-coming Poseidon cry.


    She resigned herself to the rest of the day. ¡°How are the others, anyway?" She asked. It had been a while since she saw Oleanders Sub Enforcers.


    Lillian didn¡¯t have any Sub Enforcers. Either Team Reservoir protected it, or her mother, Ocean Empress, would handle it on her own. On rare occasions, Oleander''s Watch Dogs would get involved, but with Old Dog gone, she doubted that would happen ever again.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been good. Kenny says they¡¯ve gotten a new member and that their new boss, Money Tree, has been nice to them.¡± Lily shrugged. ¡°We can see for ourselves, though. Kenny told me where their base is hidden, and I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how it changed since we last visited.¡±


    She grumbled, already tired. ¡°Let¡¯s just go meet your friends. Hopefully, it¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    Though she couldn¡¯t get that twisted knot in her stomach to vanish, it had been there ever since she met that weird girl in the hospital. Part of her was pissed; that girl had yelled at her, and the other part was just tired. Everyone had been hyping her up, praying she could get rid of Lucifer¡¯s Dead Virus, and when push came to shove, she didn¡¯t even make the smallest of dents.


    Destiny let out a small cry from his cage, which she gripped, and she lifted up the fabric cover to give the smallest of grins to the small red bird. He had to stay locked up and covered when she was in public so that people wouldn¡¯t trace him back to her hero identity. Lily had suggested just leaving him at the hotel, but she refused.


    He was far too important for that.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to hang out with them, we can head back and wait for mom.¡± Lily suggested as they walked down the street.


    ¡°Do you want to see them?¡±


    Lily winced a little. ¡°Yeah, long distance with Kenny has been rough; it¡¯d be nice to see him in person again.¡±


    She gave an uncomfortable shrug. ¡°Then I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Well, okay, so I do mind. But still.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± She only had a second to mentally and physically prepare herself. Lily¡¯s arms were around her, and the girl easily lifted her off the ground in a hug. She panicked for a second but managed to calm down. None of her skin came into contact with the girl, and her clothes covered most of her, so she figured she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her power. This wouldn¡¯t be like the last incident. ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± Lily chuckled, setting her down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    They didn¡¯t talk much as they walked. Or rather, she didn¡¯t speak much; Lily kept going on and on about everything she saw. Finally, though, they reached the area in question. A large tower that hung above the others was an Avalon Industries building, a place that provided all the best gear to the heroes, police force, and hospitals.


    Of course, this was just one of many; the real lab was in Rose City, where Harrison Avalon came up with his next world-changing creation in honor of the late Mr. Sini.


    The inside of the lobby was bustling with men, women, and kids, many people paying a fortune to go on a tour.


    Lily led her sister over to a corner where an elevator resided. ¡°I¡¯ll take the next one.¡± She gave a kind smile to the man who held the door for her. He nodded and let it close, and she waited. They had to stand there for a while, as they needed an elevator where it was just her and Lily in it. Finally, though, the time came, and they entered and waited for the door to close. ¡°Warp us to Oleander, Sub Enforcers.¡±


    At first, nothing happened; the computer worked to see who made the request. Then it spoke. ¡°Welcome, Poseidon, Paragon.¡± A mechanical voice echoed through the elevator, followed by a soft rumble that lasted only a few seconds. The doors slid open, and they were no longer in the building or the same dimension.


    ¡°Hey, you made it!¡±


    ¡°Ken!¡± Lily pulled herself out of the elevator and collapsed into the arms of the awaiting boy.


    Sky snorted and stepped out as well. She grabbed the cloth that was on the cage and pulled it off. Next, she opened the door, and with a loud cry, Destiny flew out. He circled a bit and finally landed on her shoulders, allowing her to see again. ¡°You guys made some changes.¡± She noted.


    Destiny¡¯s head craned around, and everything he saw, she saw. Her eyes, so to speak, belonged to him.


    The last time she had been here, she hadn¡¯t awakened her powers yet, and the base had been styled like a medieval castle, with stone walls and a wooden floor. There had been no electricity allowed, save for what was required to power the alarms and the elevator to leave the base. That was nearly four years ago. Back then, she assumed her sister¡¯s fling with a sidekick would end after a week. Four years later, the two were still strong, long distance or not.


    Now, as Destiny looked around for her, she noted that it was way more modern. Gone was the castle. Now, it looked like they had stepped into a mansion. Everything was painted white, and there were dozens of expensive pictures on the walls and plants. There were many hallways where the heroes, no doubt, had their bedrooms. There was a massive living room with a giant TV on the wall and dozens of game consoles scattered about.


    It was all so rich-looking. But it was almost fake as well. The kind of thing you¡¯d see in a show trying to portray a rich person. Hollow with no emotion, part of her deeply missed the old, cold castle.


    Things were just changing way too fast for her liking.


    ¡°Last time you were here, we were led by Red Iron. He was old-fashioned and wanted us to behave like squires. Now that Money Tree is in charge, he made a ton of changes.¡± Destiny turned and stared at the boy who spoke, or rather, the young man.


    Four years ago, Kenny, or Wasp Nest, as he was known in costume, had been a rather short, almost chubby kid with messy black hair and brown eyes. Now, though, he stood just under six feet, and he had the body of someone who worked out. His black hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he had a bit of facial hair. He also still had that kind of goofy smile on his face.


    ¡°Hey, Kid.¡± Kenny winked at her, and she folded her arms, not amused. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you haven¡¯t changed at all. Well, aside from the obvious, He gestured awkwardly at his face, motioning for the glasses she now wore. ¡°How are you holding up with everything that happened?¡±


    She raised her cane up, and he gripped it and shook it. ¡°Well, I would have been better if I wasn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Sky!¡± Lily spoke with wide eyes and clung to her boyfriend¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I said what I said.¡±


    Kenny just laughed. ¡°I missed you too.¡± He chuckled. He then turned and let out a loud yell. ¡°Hey, you lazy bums, get your asses over here; we have guests!¡±


    The doors in the hallway opened, three in total, as a group walked out. She and Lily knew who two of the members were.


    The first was a girl around her age, that being sixteen. Her hair was black and cut just before her shoulders, with several strands having been highlighted. She was dressed in a black T-shirt with a skull on it and was rather short. Sera was a nice girl, as long as you didn¡¯t get on her bad side, though she was also into weird stuff. ¡°Sup.¡± Sera sighed.


    Next up was the heroes¡¯ version of a mad scientist. Rowan was a tall, pale boy, and he had dyed his hair blonde in an attempt to rebel against his parents. He was dressed in a gym uniform, and his arms held a small puppy, one who had almost died but had been saved by her. The dog let out several barks and licked Rowan¡¯s cheek; it was clearly better now.


    Rowan, like Kenny, was seventeen, and either he or Kenny would take over the Sub Enforcers next. He fit the role of an older brother figure, teasing yet kind. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s good to see you, Lily. Oh, and also, thanks for saving that dog, Sky. As you can see, he¡¯s doing really well.¡± Rowan said, nodding down to the dog in his arms. ¡°I named him Oppenheimer!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± She couldn¡¯t help the small smile that came onto her face. Rowan and Kyle had practically begged her to save the poor animal, and of course, she couldn¡¯t say no. That was when she finally turned her attention to the last Sub Enforcer member.


    The last person was new. Another girl, a little younger than her sister, fifteen or sixteen. She was pretty and tall, with long blonde hair and a set of bright eyes. She was dressed casually, but it still looked good on her. The girl held her hand out towards Lily, who shook it. ¡°You¡¯re Poseidon, right? I¡¯m a huge fan. I¡¯m Ashley Numen, but my hero name is Oxide.¡±


    ¡°Oxide joined us recently. She has been a great help and served as a replacement for Myth,¡± Ken explained. That caused a few of them to frown. Myth had been almost like a father figure. Even she had to admit that she liked the man. He had been shooed in for the role of leader when Red Iron left, but instead, Money Tree had taken that spot, and Myth just vanished. That was two years ago. Every now and then, they¡¯d hear about him on the news, and it was never good stuff.


    ¡°Well, I have a lot of shoes I need to fill.¡± Ashley¡¯s smile faded for a second but was back a moment later. ¡°I hope to do my best.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be amazing,¡± Lily said, giving the girl a kind smile.


    ¡°Easy for you to say.¡± Rowan said, rolling his eyes. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s pretty much been accepted that when you turn eighteen next year, you¡¯re going to be replacing Old Dog as the next member of the Enforcers.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, it¡¯s not official.¡±


    ¡°You better not forget us, little people, when you¡¯re so high up,¡± Sera said, poking Lily in the stomach. ¡°You make sure your sister doesn¡¯t get a big head, Sky.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said, nodding.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Lily huffed, and that caused them to laugh. A second later, the crack of a smile appeared on her own face. ¡°Well Kenny. I can guess why you invited me and my sister here today.¡± Lily finally said.


    ¡°Yeah. How much longer are you two going to be in town?¡± Ken asked, getting straight to business.


    ¡°We leave later tonight. Mom is just checking in on Gramps¡ªI mean, Old Dog.¡± Lily explained. ¡°So, we have a bit of time.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ken nodded. ¡°Money Tree has gone off on his own to deal with something and left us here to hold the fort down. I want to surprise him when he gets back.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± She asked, not liking where this was going.


    Ken gave the biggest smirk as he folded his arms. ¡°We¡¯re going to bag a member of the Bad Timers.¡±


    ***


    Paragon wished she had the backbone her sister had. If she did, she might have been able to refuse to come, but yet here she was, standing on a nearby roof with Oxide and Sera, or rather BB as the girl was called when out in costume. She herself had her own costume on, and Destiny rested on her shoulder silently, using his eyes for her.


    Oxide had gone all out with her costume. It didn¡¯t look like it was made for combat, being a dress that was a solid silver color and flowed as if it were alive. It was actually made out of liquid metal. A glass mask covered her upper face, giving her a ballroom dancer look. It was elegant but not practical. Ocean Empress, her mother, was able to pull the look off due to years of experience; she just hoped Ashley even had a fraction of the skill required to fight in a dress.


    BB, on the other hand, was dressed in a mix of yellow and black. She wore some sort of biker helmet that covered her face, and a pair of metal wings, created by Harrison Avalon, came out of her back. They were thin and made out of a clear, glassy substance.


    She fiddled with her lab coat, feeling rather underdressed. None of her stuff was made of hero gear, all being plain stuff. She had never planned to go out in battle ever.


    The building they stood on wasn¡¯t a tower, but it was tall. Her sister would be nearby, out of sight, in a different building. Down below, in the alleyways, Ken and Rowan stood, waiting for the right time to enact their plan.


    It was Oxide who spoke first. ¡°So, Sky.¡±


    ¡°Paragon, when I¡¯m in costume, I don¡¯t want my cover blown, Oxide.¡± Her words caused BB to snort.


    ¡°Right, sorry. So, Paragon, you have a healing power, yeah? Those are pretty rare. The only good healer I can think of off the top of my head is the Victorian, but she can pretty much do it all, can¡¯t she? Ooh, I guess there is also Boy Genius, but he¡¯s more like a cheater when it comes to healing. When did you get your powers?¡±


    ¡°Recently.¡± She stated. She already didn¡¯t like Oxide.


    ¡°I got mine recently also. I guess that¡¯s obvious, though, isn¡¯t it? I mean, I just joined this team not even a month ago. The others don¡¯t go to Oleander Bay, so I¡¯m the only one who has superpowers at my school.¡± Oxide said, smirking.


    ¡°Neat.¡± She wondered who asked.


    ¡°So, being the daughter of Ocean Empress has to be amazing, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you can tell me. I mean, your older sister is the newest legend. She¡¯s basically the next Victorian, right? You¡¯ve got to be crazy strong like them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m adopted.¡± That shut the girl up, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn¡¯t something she liked talking about often. After all, her father wasn¡¯t exactly the greatest man in the world.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Oxide went silent, but sadly, it didn¡¯t last. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve had your powers for longer than me, and with a set of healing powers, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen several odd things you had to heal that were caused by powers, right?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± That was a lie, but she didn¡¯t like Oxide enough to tell her the truth. She had seen some of the weirdest things with her powers. Even earlier today, she had seen a strange girl in the hospital who was clearly a Super. That girl¡¯s body was changing every second, pushing her further away from humanity even as Destiny tried to heal her. However, it wasn¡¯t like she could say anything. After all, her powers had caused Lily to stop being human a while ago.


    ¡°Do you think you could heal a body suffering from steroid abuse?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Oxide.¡± BB finally spoke when the girl noticed how uncomfortable she had become. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the mission, okay? You can try to ass kiss the higher-ups later.¡±


    Oxide gritted her teeth and balled her hand into a fist, but thankfully didn¡¯t say anything further. Luckily, they didn¡¯t have to wait much longer, as Kenny and Rowan finally stepped out of the alleyway and began to head down the road.


    ¡°Man, that movie sucked!¡± Kenny said loudly as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Rowan agreed. ¡°The C.G.I was so bad! And can you believe the twist where the villain was revealed to be his father? It was so obvious, I saw it a mile away!¡±


    That was when it happened. A crackle of black lightning flared up in a nearby alleyway. It was all thanks to Rowan that this ¡®trap¡¯ was possible. He had a device that had been going off for weeks, picking up on cracks in space. Someone was teleporting around and targeting people on this street. In a flash, someone appeared, crouched low. They weren¡¯t a human, not ever since their power awakened and transformed them into something else. Their skin was pitch red, and they were taller than any man should have been. Razor-sharp claws stabbed from their fingertips, a set of horns poked out of their head, and a tail wagged back and forth from their rear end.


    Mars King, powerhouse, and monster of the Bad Timers had arrived. Ranked just under Polaron and Intake in terms of power.


    There was a loud scraping sound as the monster stalked out of the alleyway, dragging his claws against the wall as he did so. Mars King¡¯s teeth were twisted into a grin as he exited and faced the two boys. ¡°I was looking for a good late-night snack right when you two decided to offer yourselves up.¡± His voice was wrong. Like an animal trying to speak, his vocal cords were snapped and twisted.


    Neither Ken nor Rowan seemed phased as they stared the man down, both dressed to look like normal civilians. ¡°You have five seconds to surrender,¡± Kenny said, smirking. ¡°Five.¡± Mars King raised his hand, and his claws grew in length, stabbing through Ken¡¯s stomach and into the stone floor behind him. Ken looked down at the gaping hole in his stomach. ¡°Four. Three. Two.¡± Blood didn¡¯t pour out of the wound. Instead, something else began to crawl out. His skin began to turn black as a buzzing sound filled the air. ¡°One.¡± And then he exploded into a hail of wasps that scattered past the blades, his clothes falling to the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re the hero, Wasp Nest?¡± Mars King spat out, his eyes narrowing. He shot a look toward Rowan. ¡°Then that means you have to be-¡±


    Rowan¡¯s clothes ripped apart as a metal suit began to spring forth around him. It was mechanical, being a set of power armor that covered him from head to toe and took the shape of an old set of eastern warrior armor, complete with a faceplate formed into a fierce grimace. He raised his arm up, and from his wrist, the handle of a sword popped out, which he grabbed. With the click of a button, a bright white blade of energy appeared.


    ¡°Metal Ronin online!¡± Rowan announced, charging towards the villain. The hero swung his sword out, and Mars blocked it with a set of bone spikes that ripped their way out of his skin.


    Wasp Nest¡¯s bugs began to form together into the shape of a person, the buzz growing louder. ¡°Sub Enforcers strike!¡± He called out.


    BB stepped off the building, the girl¡¯s wings humming to life. The hero¡¯s body shrank suddenly, getting smaller and smaller until she was about a foot tall and able to fly. Oxide placed her hand on the edge, and metal blasted out, forming a slide to the bottom, which the girl took. As Oxide rode down it, the newest member of the team clasped her hands together and fired out a spear of iron that smashed into the back of the villain and caused him to stumble, but it didn¡¯t pierce his skin.


    Up on the roof, she stayed put, watching with her arms folded. She wasn¡¯t a fighter; she would be playing support and healing with Destiny. Her sister also didn¡¯t get involved. If Mars King saw Poseidon was here, he¡¯d either run away or call in every member of the Bad Timers to try and take her on, so her sister would only get involved right when needed. Wasp Nest wanted to test how well the team did against a big threat, so Poseidon was the insurance.


    Metal Ronin spun his sword around the blade, leaving a few burn marks on the skin of the monster, but Mars King was far too durable for a plasma blade to split in half. The two dueled, going back and forth, as sword met claws and they clashed.


    Mars King was a brute, built with a body made for combat and a power that gave the monster super strength, speed, and durability, as well as the power to control his cells on an insane level. The Bad Timer member could inflate his muscles, harden his blood into a crystal, which was what his skin was coated in, or sprout his bones out like blades. Mars King threw out a powerful punch at the metal warrior that stood before him, his arm literally stretching out as if it were made of rubber.


    Metal Ronin was thrown back, crashing to the ground, the hero¡¯s suit letting out several loud whirls. Wasp Nest broke his body back down into thousands of wasps and flew at Mars King¡¯s face. The bugs couldn¡¯t break the man¡¯s hardened skin, but they could block his eyes, ears, and mouth. A few wasps even began to crawl up the villain¡¯s nose, but they were quickly blocked by snot that hardened into impassable spikes, impaling the insects.


    Oxide landed on the ground and raised her hand, sending out a ten-foot-tall blade of steel that crashed into the side of the blinded villain, who thrashed around wildly. As she did that, BB floated up above and lifted her hands up. The wind bent and twisted, forming two small tornadoes in BB¡¯s palms, and she hurled them down with tremendous force despite how tiny they were.


    The mininados swept up all the wasps, but more importantly, they were strong enough to lift the villain off of his feet and send him hurling down the road. As Mars King sent flying, Metal Ronin stood back up and clicked a button on their sword, causing the handle to grow into that of a spear. As the plasma blade condensed down into the spearhead, the tech hero pulled his arm back and threw the weapon.


    It soared through the air and stabbed into the stomach of the villain as soon as Mars King was dropped from the tornadoes. Before the villain could even attempt to pull it out, Wasp Nest reformed into his humanoid state and grabbed the spear, pushing it in deeper and twisting it. ¡°Had enough?¡± The young man asked with a grin.


    Mars King growled, and their eyes ignited with rage. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve had enough!¡± The villain roared. A massive row of spikes exploded from his chest, impaling Wasp Nest, but the teen shifted back into his bugs and flew away. Mars King stood up and ripped the spear out of his body, snapping it in two seemingly not bothered by the fact he had a hole in him. His back began to twitch, and a set of massive red wings began to form, allowing the villain to fly..


    Oxide tried to blast the Bad Timer out of the sky, sending a ball of bronze out, but Mars King ignored it, letting the metal tear off half of his right arm. The villain didn¡¯t heal as well as Intake but could dull the pain and worry about fixing injuries after the battle by gaining new cells. Right now all he focused on was BB, the one who was throwing him around.


    ¡°Great, Wasp, you went and pissed him off!¡± The young girl yelled as Mars King stabbed at her with his remaining arm. BB did the only thing the girl could think of and grew back to her full size, causing her to fall, far too big for the wings to support her. The young girl hit the ground with a sick crack and screamed, feeling her bones break, but not even a second later, a red bird landed on her head, and her legs instantly fixed themselves, the pain vanishing. ¡°Thanks.¡± BB muttered, shrinking back down, the wind and her wings lifting her.


    The bird gave a nod and flew back into the air, being Paragon¡¯s eyes once more.


    Mars King crashed back down and was instantly pelted with metal debris from Oxide. All it really did was piss off the bad guy, who came roaring. Spikes began to blast out of him, and he snapped them off his skin to throw them. One of them managed to stab Oxide, who let out a gasp, but once again, a bird landed on her, and the spike popped out of her, the wound closed. Her metal dress took on the shape of armor after that, being far more durable.


    Mars King''s eyes focused on the animal and aimed his head at the bird, sharp barbs growing out of his horns like a demented tree. With a grunt of effort, the barbs fired out, propelled by rapid growth. ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± Metal Ronin jumped in front of it and held his arms out, a blue energy shield coming out and blocking the hail of barbs. Part of the hero¡¯s shoulder opened, and a small barrel folded out, which began to fire a hail of bullets into the beast. ¡°Just fall already!!¡±


    They threw everything they had at the creature, chipping away at Mars King¡¯s skin. Oxide impaled him, BB sent him flying with her wind, and Metal Ronin threw all his weapons at the man, hitting him with bullets, rockets, and energy sabers. Wasp Nest even managed to eat away at one of the monster¡¯s eyes.


    Despite the damage though, the villain didn¡¯t stop. His body simply kept on moving even as more and more chunks were taking out of it. Mars King wasn¡¯t even slowing down, meanwhile, all the heroes were starting to reach their limit even with the regeneration they kept getting.


    But they weren¡¯t ever going to be the ones to beat him. They just needed him weak enough for him to go down before he could call for backup.


    Wasp Nest came down hard, returning to his human shape and carrying one of the spare swords Metal Ronin lent him. He dodged a punch from Mars King and sliced out with his blade. ¡°Alright, babe! Do your thing.¡±


    That caused Mars King to stop, the villain¡¯s good eye narrowing. The Bad Timer member was beaten and battered, missing an eye as well as an arm, and most of his skin was black, but he was still going strong. He had nothing to worry about. At least that¡¯s what he thought. Then he saw who else was on the battlefield.


    Poseidon came crashing down hard, landing in front of Mars King, and instantly, the villain felt his blood run cold. By now most people knew who Poseidon was. Daughter of an Enforcer member, someone who trained with Fable, another Enforcer member, and said to be the next Victorian of the future era. The hero was dressed like a warrior from ancient times, with a mighty trident held in her hand. Just like the god she was named after, she was indeed on another level compared to the mortal that stood before her.


    The current Lord of the Sea and Depths, Poseidon, gave a sly grin. ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Ears, warp me-¡±


    ¡°None of that.¡± Poseidon silenced him with a punch, a burst of water stabbing through Mars King¡¯s gut and coming out his back, causing the villain to gasp. ¡°Kneel.¡± Poseidon pulled her fist back and stepped away, and instantly Mars King felt it. Their body felt heavy. It became impossible to stand, and he was forced to kneel, the gravity around him getting heavier and heavier; he couldn¡¯t even lift his head, forced to kneel before the hero. An intense pressure equal to that of the bottom of the ocean seeped out of the young girl. Poseidon patted his face. ¡°Give up, okay? I win.¡± Water poured out of her flesh, rising and wrapping around the villain¡¯s legs like a snake.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Mars King screamed. ¡°I¡¯ll rip you apart.¡± Even as he struggled, spikes growing from every part of his flesh and his limbs doubling in size as he tried to fortify the bones and muscles, the gravity kept him held in place.


    Poseidon flicked the monster on the forehead, sending a blast of gravity so strong that Mars King was sent flying down the street and crashed into the side of a building, shaking it. The gravity got even heavier, and he gasped and hissed, trying to speak, but even the act of opening his mouth was getting harder.


    Poseidon walked towards the downed evildoer. The hero lifted her palm up, and water began to swirl into it, forming a small ball of compressed liquid. It was around the size of a golf ball, and Poseidon flicked it out. Instantly, Mars was raised off his feet and forced to float towards the ball as it created its own gravitational field and began to spin him around it. The liquid underneath Mars King rose up into the form of a shark and started to lift up slowly, its maws wide open.


    ¡°Do you give up now?¡± Poseidon called out with a sly smirk on her lips.


    Mars King glared at her, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn¡¯t do anything. The phantom shark was closer now, ready to swallow the villain up, who was still stuck in place from the tiny ball of water. Mars King gritted his teeth and tried to spit at Poseidon, but the liquid was gone before it even reached her. ¡°I give.¡± Mars King finally yielded.


    Poseidon stared at him. The shark broke away, turning back into a puddle, and the pressure faded, letting Mars King down. ¡°Liar.¡± Poseidon didn¡¯t even have to dodge. Mars King was back on his feet and tried to impale the hero with his claws. They cracked and shattered on her skin, the gravity around her turning them into dust and nearly ripping his arms off as if she were a black hole.


    ¡°Get me out of here, Ears!¡± Mars King screamed, but it was too late for the villain.


    A small iridescent orb appeared above Mars King and shot towards the villain. Before it could hit, Metal Ronin lifted an arm and fired a crackling net from a wrist launcher. The net unfolded in the air and latched onto the orb, dragging it to the ground. Metal Ronin grinned at Mars King. ¡°You should have escaped when you had the chance. I had plenty of time to create a device that shuts down the cracks in reality that Ears guy creates. Thanks for letting me test it out on you.¡±


    Mars King howled and screamed. ¡°You damn cheaters-¡± Poseidon''s fist rammed into the villain¡¯s face. The force was far stronger than any of the other strikes that the villain took, easily caving his skull in and sending Mars King blasting down the street, where he rammed right into an empty building, which then collapsed on top of the villain. They had already evacuated the block before the fight had even begun due to how destructive Poseidon could be.


    Smoke rose off of Poseidon¡¯s fist, and the girl blew it out. ¡°That''s that, I guess.¡±


    Sirens pierced the air, and Oxide stared with wide eyes. ¡°She¡¯s strong, right?¡± The girl nearly jumped when Paragon walked next to her, having finished climbing down the building. ¡°Long ago, they used to say there were four people who started it all. The four Lords. The first ever Supers to have powers. My sister, as it turns out, just so happens to have one of the powers of the four Lords.¡±


    Most of the street in front of Poseidon was just gone, as if a bomb had gone off. The Cleanup Squad would be busy fixing it up for the next few days.


    ¡°She¡¯s amazing.¡± Oxide nodded. And all the girl could think of was that she had another obstacle she would have to overcome if she reached the top.


    Paragon watched through her bird''s eyes as the swirl of energy around Lily went out. ¡°Yeah. My sister is amazing. Sometimes too amazing.¡±


    ¡°Look alive, people.¡± Wasp Nest called out. ¡°Here ¡®they¡¯ come.¡±


    In the skies above them, something began to come down. It was several metal drones loaded up with speakers and cameras. Flashing lights began to pour down, and Destiny, her bird, was forced to close his eyes as the drones began to circle around them all, taking their pictures. Everyone but her posed for the cameras.


    ¡°You guys are the Oleander Sub Enforcers, right!¡± A voice came from one of the drones.


    ¡°Did you take out Mars King?¡± A different voice asked.


    ¡°Are you the one leading this mission, Poseidon?¡±


    ¡°Wasp Nest is the rumor you and Poseidon are dating true?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the newest member of Ocean Empress¡¯s team?¡± One of the drones asked, hovering in front of her. She nervously stepped back and flinched when her sister''s hand landed on her shoulder.


    Poseidon smiled down at her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Paragon. It¡¯s your first time seeing these guys, right? They¡¯re news drones. Here to try and get the story before anyone else can. Just give them a pretty smile and nod.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wearing a mask though?¡±


    Another drone came down and scanned the area, looking at the destroyed street that had been caused by Poseidon¡¯s single punch. ¡°Was all this destruction necessary?¡± The drone asked.


    Poseidon casually threw her arms behind her head. ¡°No one got hurt since we moved the people out of here.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll be fixing up all the destroyed houses?¡±


    Poseidon snorted. ¡°No. That¡¯s the Cleanup Squad''s job.¡±


    ¡°Will you at least be paying for-¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s enough questions!¡± Wasp Nest called out as his body began to come undone and separated into large clouds of bugs covering all the drones and blocking them. "Sorry, but we got places we need to be.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡± Oxide asked, frowning.


    ¡°I do at least.¡± Metal Ronin raised his arm up, looking down at a notification that had been sent to him. ¡°Kyle left his house again. Got to go make sure the kid doesn¡¯t get himself killed.¡±


    She watched all the Sub Enforcers as they began to clear out through her bird¡¯s eyes once more. Drones stopped coming when they realized Wasp Nest was just going to block any footage they could get. She felt her sister''s hand as she began to get dragged away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head home.¡± Poseidon called out to her. ¡°I¡¯m totally beat.¡± Sirens were still approaching, and soon the Hero Branch would arrive to arrest Mars King. Thanks to Metal Ronin¡¯s newest invention, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Ears teleporting the bad guy away either. The device had been made after her mom was able to stop Ears teleporting, showing that it was possible.


    She risked a look back at all the destruction while she followed after her sister. So many walls had been caved in, were cracked and dented, and the entire road would have to be shut down. No one was hurt though, so that was good?


    ¡°Did we do a good job today?¡± She asked.


    Lily looked back at her and grinned. ¡°Of course. We¡¯re superheroes. We kicked villain ass.¡±

 Chapter Eighteen: Let’s Be Heroes Mr. Larison

    ¡°The Sub Enforcers, along with the help of the up-and-coming Poseidon, managed to defeat the villain known as Mars King, a member of the Bad Timers gang. During the fight, a city block was sadly destroyed by the villain¡¯s rampaging, but the heroes thankfully managed to evacuate everyone, and thus no one was hurt. I¡¯d expect nothing less from the hero known as Poseidon. After all, she is the current holder of the Lord of the Sea-¡±


    Hope quietly clicked her phone off and pocketed. It explained why she had been forced to go around her usual block. It would be under heavy construction for a few days.


    Being grounded didn¡¯t matter when her mom was going to be at work all day, and since school was out due to the attack that was stopped by the Sub Enforcers last night, it was pretty easy for her to just walk out of her home and go exploring the city. She had her destination in mind already.


    Her fist pounded on the door. It was the middle of the day, and she was afraid he might be at work due to the destroyed block, but she had to try at least.


    A loud groan came from the other side of the door as it opened, and she struck. ¡°I want you to be a superhero with me!¡± She stopped and looked up at the dark-skinned man on the other side of the door; that wasn¡¯t Jack Larison.


    The man gave her a nod. ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Nick announced. ¡°When do we start?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t who I was looking for,¡± she said awkwardly.


    Nick gave the saddest look she had ever seen a grown man have. ¡°Jack!¡± He screamed. ¡°It¡¯s for you!¡±


    ¡°Tell them to go away!¡± Mr. Larison¡¯s voice came from what she suspected was his bedroom door.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Nick turned back to her. ¡°Yeah, sorry, Jack¡¯s out right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you twenty bucks that I swiped off of Armin if you let me in.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who Armin is, but you got a deal.¡± Nick turned and waved her in. ¡°He¡¯s in there; just kick the door down. He deserves it for what he did to the TV.¡±


    She walked into the apartment and looked at it for the first time. It was about the same size as hers, but on the other side of the city, near the bridge leading to Lillian. There were boxes scattered everywhere and a few dirty plates. She didn¡¯t really get a good look the first time she had been here, but it seemed homely enough. She knocked on Jack¡¯s door. ¡°Go away, kid.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± She twisted the handle and opened the door, stepping into his room. ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re an even bigger nerd than I am, Mr. Larison!¡± She looked around his room, spotting all the action figures. ¡°Hey, I have this one!¡± She proudly poked a swimsuit model variant of Lady Time, still in the box.


    Jack was seated in a chair, staring at a TV. His face was pale, and his beard and hair were even messier than usual. He was gripping his arm and twitching, but his eyes never left the screen watching the news, which talked about how Max Lightning fought off a squid invasion in Gladiolus City. In Jack¡¯s lips, he held a cigarette, though it wasn¡¯t lit.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± She asked, going quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jack snapped.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bad liar.¡±


    ¡°Better than you.¡± The red-haired man grumbled. ¡°What do you want, kid?¡±


    She huffed and folded her arms. ¡°You know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Kid, you see the state I¡¯m in. Do I look like hero material?¡±


    She had to agree with him. The fighting had taken its toll. Despite that, though she had to try. ¡°I want to be a superhero.¡±


    ¡°Then do it.¡±


    ¡°I want you to be there with me.¡± Jack eyed her up, so she continued. ¡°I¡¯m not that smart. I get that. Part of me is scared, too. But when we fought that villain, it was fun. I wasn¡¯t scared in the least. I want to be a good hero, but I have no idea where to start. I don¡¯t know how to improve my powers or what I need to do. You do, though. You tried this all before, right? You¡¯re strong, and with me, I can cover your weakness.¡±


    ¡°You want to be my sidekick.¡± Jack sighed.


    ¡°No. I want you to be my partner.¡± That caused Jack to snort and nearly fall out of his chair. ¡°I¡¯m serious! I don¡¯t just want to be some random superhero. I want to make a difference. A big one. I want to join the Enforcers and keep Oleander safe, and I want to fight alongside the Victorian and defeat Calamities when they appear and-¡±


    ¡°You need air.¡± Jack barked, causing her to gasp.


    She nodded and took a second to collect herself. ¡°I talked to someone, and they put this idea in my head. They brought up a team I looked up to, but I found out someone I don¡¯t really care for is on it. That¡¯s what gave me this idea. To try and make one with you.¡±


    ¡°What do I get out of it?¡± She stood there in silence, not really able to come up with an answer. ¡°Look, Kid. It¡¯s okay to dream of heroes. No shame in that. It¡¯s okay to even dream using your powers. Doing it, though. That¡¯s different. That¡¯s a commitment. One that takes a mental and physical toll on you. You¡¯ll lose. You¡¯ll lose so much that you¡¯ll go mad. It won¡¯t ever be enough. No matter how strong you get, no matter how many people you save, there are always the ones you fail. You¡¯re too late or not skilled enough to take down the bad guy. You¡¯re a child. One with a future ahead of them. Kids like you should be more concerned with what they¡¯re going to eat or your future husband-¡±


    ¡°I like girls.¡± She said awkwardly.


    ¡°Then your future wife, it doesn¡¯t matter. Do you honestly want to step into a world like this?¡± She could tell he was speaking from experience, and for a moment, it truly made her wonder just who Jack Larison really was.


    She stepped forward, staring him down. ¡°I want to help the Victorian. Not just her, but the other heroes as well. They¡¯ve done so much for me and my family. I want to repay them and lessen some of the burden. I want to be an Enforcer.¡±


    ¡°You do know that there are thousands of Supers, and yet only ten are ever part of the Enforcers. Right now, there¡¯s only one position open on the Enforcers after Old Dog retired, but it¡¯s pretty clear that when Poseidon comes of age, she¡¯ll be taking that spot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to teach me everything you know while I stop you from having a heart attack in the field. We cover each other¡¯s weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even bothered to think of how this would really go, have you?¡±


    ¡°Not in the least.¡± She sounded almost proud of that fact. ¡°Your dream was to be a superhero, right? Well, so is mine. Let¡¯s work together.¡±


    Jack¡¯s fingers ran through his bushy beard, tugging on it. ¡°We¡¯ll need costumes.¡± He finally said.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually going to do it.¡± She was a little stunned. She didn¡¯t expect him to actually go along with it.


    Jack shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it.¡± What he didn¡¯t tell her was how much she reminded him of someone he once knew. ¡°Besides.¡± ¡®He wouldn¡¯t want me to waste this chance¡¯ was what he wanted to say, though it never left his lips. He stared down at his hands and didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, I guess. But when I die of a heart attack, it¡¯ll be your fault.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± She smiled.


    Jack gave a nod. ¡°Let me get my stuff.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Right now.¡±


    ***


    Jack¡¯s car hit the busy street with a dull thud as they began to do what they were always told not to. Look for trouble. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually let you talk me into doing this.¡± Jack grumbled.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll be fun,¡± She smirked. However, part of her was worried. Not about what they had planned but for his health. His car smelled badly of smoke, and already he had another cigarette in between his lips.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna die.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll still be fun.¡±


    ¡°I can already feel the pain in my chest.¡± Jack complained.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the smoking will help.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look at him, but she knew he had the smallest hint of a smirk on his lips as he drove. The streets were busy, likely because there was a rumor going around on the web that Harrison Avalon would be arriving in their city to address the fact that Zoo attacked one of his buildings. Because of that, it was a perfect day for crime.


    ¡°From what Kyle told me, the police are having issues on Spider Street.¡± She explained. That street was one most kids tried to avoid. Not because it was dangerous, but rather because it was so bland-looking, old-fashioned in a way that wasn¡¯t even retro, and had nothing but dozens of warehouses full of storage lockers. Her dad had a friend who allowed them to use one, and they kept a lot of their old junk in it on Spider Street after they had to sell the house.


    ¡°This Kyle kid. He knows you¡¯re a Super?¡± Jack asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I sort of awakened my powers in front of him, so hiding them wasn¡¯t an option,¡± she sheepishly responded. ¡°He said he¡¯d help me out with the whole hero stuff. I think he¡¯s even more excited than I am.¡± Kyle seemed to really like heroes.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s our guy in the chair.¡±


    ¡°Guy in the chair?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the person who gives us information and helps out. Mission Control.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°Speaking of which, when we get out there, if we see some people, don¡¯t go calling me Mr. Larison or Jack. We use our hero names, got that?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡± She rolled her eyes. He was already working as a mentor. ¡°So, see anything-¡±


    Jack hit the brakes so hard that she had to grab onto something to make sure that she wasn¡¯t flung forward. The car behind them honked loudly, clearly pissed, but Jack ignored them, turning off into an alleyway and getting his car into it as far as it would go before he parked it.


    She shot him a dirty look as he climbed out. ¡°So, I take it you saw something.¡±


    ¡°Yep, now follow me.¡± Jack spat the cigarette out onto the ground and stretched his shoulders.


    She followed after him as he led her into an alleyway, reaching a turning point. He stopped her from going any further, and he poked his head a little around the corner. The alleyway opened up to a street where an old warehouse stood on the other side. Two men stood outside of the doors, huddled near the entrance to another alleyway, speaking quietly.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t got them enhanced senses, so let me know what they¡¯re babbling about,¡± Jack ordered.


    ¡°Right.¡± She focused on her senses and allowed them to increase a bit, letting her hear.


    ¡°Hey, man, it¡¯s been a while. I¡¯m going to a party, and I need some confetti.¡± A loud voice that sounded like it was near her said. She could hear the faint sounds of scratching, and she realized it was the man itching at his skin.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± A second voice said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any confetti. Got a new boss; he¡¯s getting rid of the boring party stuff. What I got is even better. We call em Party Poppers.¡±


    ¡°Can you hear them?¡± She nearly jumped when she heard Jack¡¯s voice. Despite being a whisper, it felt like an explosion, and she quickly focused on lowering her enhanced senses, shaking off the migraine that was forming.


    ¡°Yeah. We can go. They¡¯re just talking about party stuff. I think it¡¯s someone¡¯s birthday, and that guy is trying to get supplies.¡± Jack stared at her with a deadpan look. ¡°What?¡±


    Slowly, he turned and stepped out of the alleyway, walking towards the men. She had to jog to keep up with him. They were surrounded by alleyways, warehouses, and storage containers, turning the area into an almost twisted maze. Part of it gave her bad memories of the gang, but the good thing about the setup was that they didn¡¯t have to worry about any random civilians besides the two men who stood on the other side.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Jack¡¯s voice caused the two men to jump, and they whipped around, seeing that he was already halfway to reaching them. ¡°We throwing a party?¡±


    One of the men, the dealer, looked like he was ready to bolt but stopped when he saw how Jack and she were dressed. ¡°Are you two wanting to buy?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Aw, man, do we look like people who buy drugs?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but wince a little at how he stared at them. They were dressed as heroes, so to speak. By costumes, they really just had whatever they could get their hands on.


    Jack wore a pair of red sweatpants as well as a red hoodie. The hood was pulled up all the way, and beneath that, he wore a ski mask that showed his eyes and mouth but hid his ginger hair. He looked more like a common thug than a hero. He wore a bag around him that carried a few things, like medical supplies and the basics, just in case they needed them, but other than that, he looked almost normal.


    Her own costume wasn¡¯t much better. She had no idea how heroes managed to make the cool-looking suits. The closest she got was a pair of blue jeans and a blue jacket. Covering her eyes and a bit of her nose, wrapped around her face, was the red cloth mask. It had been badly burned, part of it turning a nasty black, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to get rid of it. She had also taken the time to brush her hair straighter and tie it back into a ponytail so it wouldn¡¯t get in the way, and last, what had been left of the Halloween costume¡¯s cape was wrapped around her neck as a makeshift cape. It was badly torn at the bottom and so small that it stopped at her lower back, being draped over her backpack, which she also wore.


    Jack lazily raised his finger, and a spark of gold was the only warning the men had. A bolt of energy fired out and smashed into the buyer, and he was down, not even able to scream as his nerves lit up like a Christmas tree, and he spasmed before fading away into unconsciousness.


    ¡°Wait-¡± The dealer didn¡¯t even get to speak as Jack reached the man and grabbed him by the front of their shirt, smashing him into the wall of the alleyway and pressing him into a section painted with the faded seal of the mayor.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wince slightly at the brutality of it all, but she assumed Jack knew what he was doing. ¡°Start talking,¡± Jack said with a grunt.


    ¡°What are ya, some kind of hero wannabe?¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, we¡¯re superheroes.¡± She announced, causing the man to snort. ¡°What? It''s true! I came up with a name and everything. I¡¯m Cinder!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Battery.¡± Jack said with gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m called that ¡®cause I store a ton of energy. Wanna see what happens when I discharge all that power while holding you?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t-¡± The man was cut off by a scream as golden lightning burst from Jack¡¯s skin, and the man felt it course through him. It wasn¡¯t as much as the unconscious one got¡ªnot enough to knock anyone out¡ªbut it hurt like hell before it faded. ¡°Okay! You made your point.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s lose the silly names. What are you selling, and where did you get it?¡± Battery grunted.


    The man nodded his head, wincing a bit. ¡°Look, you didn¡¯t hear this from me, okay? I never liked the Super gangs anyway. Always prided myself on avoiding getting roped into Zoo or Bad Timers. I joined a smaller gang. One with normal people. No freaks allowed. Then some new asshole Super moves into town.¡±


    ¡°The Wandering Coin?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He takes over and starts absorbing all the gangs, including the one I was in. Suddenly we aren¡¯t just normal drug dealers; now we¡¯re selling his stuff. Super stuff at that.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s this party popper stuff?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The man nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s actually called. I never saw the new boss; I ain¡¯t that important, but I know someone who has. You let me go; I¡¯ll talk. I don¡¯t even have the new drug on me. The big boss wants us to lure people like the guy you fried to where it is and get them addicted, so they join up.¡± The man said, kicking at the unconscious drug addict.


    Battery folded his arms as if he were thinking about it for a second. ¡°Deal.¡± He finally said. She shot a look at him, but he didn¡¯t say anything else.


    The thug brushed himself off when the new hero finally let him go. ¡°The Wandering Coin took over dozens of gangs, so they have dozens of bases. The only one I know about is nearby. It¡¯s in warehouse twenty-five and has a few guards. That¡¯s also where we keep the stuff. Anyone I could get to follow back would be high on it by now, and whatever the stuff is, it¡¯s enough to make them want to join after a single dose. Instant hook. The new boss has some sort of power or something that lets him make this crazy stuff. I ain¡¯t got a choice but to sell it, ''cause I sure as hell ain¡¯t gonna take it myself.¡±


    Battery nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll check it out.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m free to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When you get out of jail.¡± The bolt hit the thug in the stomach, and he hit the floor before his eyes could even go wide.


    ¡°Oh good.¡± She sighed. ¡°I thought you were going to let a drug dealer go.¡±


    ¡°Nah. Just had to get his hopes up.¡±


    ¡°It was a little mean, though.¡±


    Battery just gave a small shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll bring a pillow for them to collapse on next time.¡±


    She nodded, satisfied, and thought about how to make him go through with it later. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to check out this warehouse?¡±


    ¡°That depends. You bulletproof?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think. I mean, I tanked an explosion, and you survived getting hit with a laser. I doubt bullets will hurt either of us.¡±


    Battery nodded. ¡°Good enough.¡± He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin black phone. ¡°This is a burner phone.¡± The man explained. ¡°A lot of the heroes and even the villains have these. They¡¯re harder to track and can swap out their number or hide it. Don¡¯t ever use this to call friends or family. You use it only to call either me or the cops when you¡¯ve knocked some thugs out. Hide it on your person at all times, and try not to let people see it.¡±


    She nodded and gulped a little as he handed her the phone. She suddenly became self-conscious about her strength as she opened it up, careful not to break it. There were only two contacts, one being listed as Battery and the other as police.


    She dialed the police, and it only took a few moments. ¡°Nine One One, what is your emergency?¡±


    She felt her throat tense up, and it became very hard to speak. Jack¡¯s hand gripped her shoulder, and he gave her a nod. She nodded back and gulped down the fear. ¡°Hi. My name is, well, I¡¯m...¡± Deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m on Spider Street, near an alleyway, as well as a warehouse numbered fifteen. I have two unconscious men here who were engaging in the act of selling and buying drugs, as well as a possible kidnapping, in a warehouse numbered twenty-five.¡±


    ¡°Understood, officers are on route, and we¡¯ve alerted the Hero Branch; please state your jurisdiction, and-¡±


    Cinder clicked the phone off, pocketing it. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Battery gave her a nod, masking his grin. ¡°First, I have something else for you.¡± He reached into his bag that was at his waist and fished something out. ¡°I worked on this the night I took it from Red Ape. That fire you have isn¡¯t something you should be using yet, so this will hopefully remind you to keep your mouth shut.¡±


    Her eyes lit up as he fished out a familiar helmet. The very same she had torn apart. Mr. Larison had seemingly fixed it up, reattaching the metal. It unfolded, getting bigger as he pulled it out of his waist bag. He had molded it a little differently, as it looked off, being much smaller. It would cover up her entire upper head but leave her lower mouth visible, with only a faint strap that would cover her jaw. The dot that had been in it was gone, covered in metal, and two holes had been formed in it for her to see out of. It almost reminded her of how Poseidon¡¯s helmet looked, though this one was slightly different.


    She took it from him and lowered it onto her face. It would have been heavy if not for her powers, and it was a bit of an awkward fit, but she was able to get it strapped up and line her own mask up with the holes in the helmet to see out of. It was the one thing that looked professional, like it could belong on an actual hero costume, with just a bit of her hair coming out from the bottom of it.


    ¡°Thank you! This is like the coolest gift I ever got! Can I use the barrier and other stuff he did?¡± She questioned eagerly.


    ¡°No.¡± She tried to hide her disappointment as Jack snorted. ¡°I ain¡¯t smart enough to fix it up that good. I tore out all the wires and anything else like that in it, then just melted it down and reworked the metal into what you¡¯re wearing. It¡¯ll offer you a little more protection. Also, it looks cool.¡±


    She nodded, rubbing at the metal helmet. It made her feel like a real hero. Like she actually had a proper mask that covered her upper face.


    The two of them left the men there. They¡¯d be knocked out for the rest of the day, so no worries about them leaving. They moved past the warehouse, eyeing the numbers as they approached twenty-five. ¡°So, what do you know about the Wandering Coin?¡± Her mentor asked.


    ¡°Not a lot.¡± She admitted. ¡°I know they¡¯re a new gang, and that¡¯s basically it.¡±


    Battery nodded. ¡°Well, luckily, we shouldn¡¯t need to worry. What that man had said confirmed an idea I already had. The Wandering Coin doesn¡¯t have a Super, or if they do, it¡¯s only the boss. My guess is that the big boss is the one who made that drug Red Ape used. He mentioned something like that anyway. He¡¯s recruiting normal humans and getting them addicted to his super drug.¡±


    Her face paled at that. She had seen what that yellow drug could do. Red Ape had gone from having the abilities of a normal human to overpowering her and Myth casually. At that point, she wondered if even Mr. Lari- Battery could handle them. It wasn¡¯t just Red Ape, though. Intake had shown up much stronger as well. Could he have also doped up on the new drug?


    They finally stopped in front of warehouse twenty-five, and Jack rubbed at his chest a little, letting his heart settle down. ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She focused her senses and tried to listen in, only to frown. ¡°It¡¯s silent.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s silent.¡± She said again. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean like it¡¯s quiet; I mean I don¡¯t hear anything. Even if the building were empty, I¡¯d still hear the sounds of insects or something like that, but there is literally no noise coming from it; all of the sound is just bending or cutting off around it.¡±


    Jack stared up at the warehouse, his gut twitching a little. ¡°I see.¡± He strolled forward and grabbed the door to the warehouse, pushing it open. He sighed when he saw what was inside, and she collapsed to the ground, covering her mouth, as the smell hit them. ¡°Someone beat us here.¡±


    She was glad for the helmet he had just given her, as she suspected it blocked out the worst of it. She had heard of people dying; people died every day, and if it was from a villain attack, there was a good chance the news would talk about it. This was different, though.


    She tried not to look at the state the bodies were in, crushing down her fears. Jack¡¯s eyes roamed over the many bodies of the Wandering Coin members as he gritted his teeth. Drug dealers or not, they hadn¡¯t deserved this. It was a brutal display, done up so their families wouldn¡¯t be able to have an open casket.


    He stormed through the building, and she followed quietly behind him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and shot her a look, but she shook her head, wanting to stay.


    There were a few crates scattered around, and they likely would have had that new drug in them, but they had been slashed apart even more than the men had, their orange liquid mixing with the red on the ground. Not a single box had been spared. He moved further into the back of the warehouse and stopped when he heard the voice.


    It was twisted and distorted, the sound being bent and twisted around, likely from some power, but he heard it as clear as day.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask this one more time, big guy. Where is your real boss hiding out? The leader of the Wandering Coin?¡±


    A corner up ahead led into a section of the warehouse, and Jack stopped, holding a hand up to keep her back as he peaked around. He felt his blood freeze from what he saw.


    It was an open section of the room, with only a chair and a table. Sitting on the table was a young girl. Younger than her. The girl¡¯s head was sloping as if she were asleep, and she wore what you would expect a child to wear. A simple shirt, pants, and a jacket. Covering the girl¡¯s face, though, was a cartoon lamb mask. In the child¡¯s lap was a small box TV, which was playing only statically.


    Jack knew who she was instantly. White Lamb. A member of Zoo, one who had the ability to distort sound. The girl could turn a theme park into the quietest place on Earth or simply ram a truck into your house and blow the building up, and you¡¯d never even hear it. Sound simply stopped existing at places if White Lamb wanted it to.


    In the chair was a man. He was chained up, his face bloody and beaten, and most of his clothes, save for his underwear, had been stripped off of him. He looked like he was barely conscious.


    And in the dead center of the room, dressed in a suit and a cartoon wolf mask, was the greatest villain of Oleander City, Green Wolf, the leader of Zoo. The man was walking back and forth, twirling a butterfly knife between his fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t go blacking out on me.¡± He lightly slapped the side of the chained-up man¡¯s face. ¡°Your boss sold some drugs to Red Ape. Drugs I didn¡¯t agree to let him use. It went and ruined the game I had planned. The leader of your little playgroup owes me an explanation for why he¡¯s using cheat codes.¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡± The man¡¯s voice was broken. Both emotionally and physically. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. I just manage the loads that are dropped off here.¡±


    ¡°See, that doesn¡¯t really help your case now does it.¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± White Lamb suddenly set up and placed a finger on her lips. ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± The TV the girl held stopped being all static and suddenly shifted to a clear view of a broadcast.


    The camera showed off dozens of people who all stood in front of a massive stand where the mayor of Oleander City stood. He was a bone-thin man with black hair that was always messy and a pencil-thin mustache. She had seen him a few times on TV, much like now. He was always a quiet and odd man who usually let others give the big speeches.


    Standing next to him was someone she had wanted to see. She had seen the last Chief of Police when the mayor gave a speech last year. That chief had been an older, plump man who always had a smile on his lips. This Chief looked like Kyle but was much older. He had caramel skin and a trimmed beard, his hair combed neatly, and a serious look on his face. His body showed how he worked out a great deal, and his eyes constantly scanned the crowd in front of him, looking for trouble.


    Standing between the mayor and the officer was a man she had seen in magazines. The richest man in the world. Considered one of the greatest inventors, he inherited what was left of Sinicorp after the Emperor tore it down and turned it into the leading robotics company, creating gear for dozens of heroes. Harrison Avalon was a handsome man despite his age. It was well known that Avalon was a Super, and when it came to Supers, they kept their looks for a lot longer than normal people. Avalon was easily in his seventies, possibly even older, yet barely looked a day over forty. His hair had a few grays in it, and his skin had some stress lines, but he was still a handsome and kind-looking man.


    The old man tapped the microphone in front of him. ¡°Testing. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven¡ª¡±


    ¡°The mic works.¡± The police chief barked, causing Harrison to jump a bit.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± The man gave an awkward smile, looking down at the crowd. It was hard to believe that he was so old and had come from a time of great war. ¡°Hello.¡± An awkward silence filled the air. ¡°I¡¯m...¡± The man stopped and reached into his pocket, fishing out a white card. He squinted at it and fixed his glasses. ¡°I¡¯m Harrison Avalon.¡± He set the card down, nodding. ¡°And I am here because-¡±


    ¡°Because one of your leading research facilities was attacked by the criminal organization known as Zoo.¡± The police chief, Kyle¡¯s dad, took the stage, taking the microphone from Harrison. Unlike the scientist, he seemed at home in front of the camera. ¡°For too long, Oleander has suffered at the hands of dozens of villains. I believe many of the police have grown relaxed in our city. Already, the villain known as Red Ape had managed to escape capture and had to be caught again by heroes. I won¡¯t stand for them doing our job. I am willing to accept the help, but from this day forward, I promise that I won¡¯t let an incident like Red Ape happen again. You can be sure that in the event a villain manages to escape, I will be the first person to chase him down and capture him again. My first order will be to take down the group known as Zoo, thanks to the help of Mr. Avalon.¡±


    Green Wolf flicked his hand, and the TV, despite being several feet away from him, split in two as the edge of his knife''s blade glowed. ¡°That man stole all of Avalon¡¯s glory. I was looking forward to what the scientist would say at my declaration of war after I destroyed one of his labs.¡±


    ¡°I liked watching it.¡± White Lamb whined. ¡°You always destroy the TV when you get mad.¡±


    Green Wolf gave a shrug. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t like what was on it. Hey, what did you two think of it?¡± She felt like her heart stopped when the eyes of that wolf mask casually turned in the direction of the corner they were hiding behind. He stood there, staring as if waiting for them to come out. How long had he known? ¡°Got nothing to say? Well, that¡¯s too bad.¡± He raised his knife, pointing it at the throat of the man in front of him. ¡°Guess we don¡¯t need this guy.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even have a chance to bring the weapon down. She was around the corner faster than Battery could stop her, and her fist slammed directly into the face of that wolf mask. Or at least that was the plan.


    Green Wolf¡¯s hand had caught her fist, all the force fading away instantly as if it didn¡¯t exist. His masked eyes stared down into her blue eyes, which glowed through her cloth and metal mask. ¡°Nice helmet.¡±


    A beam of golden light soared over her shoulder and smashed into the man¡¯s stomach. He let go of her as he was lifted up and smashed back first into the wall. Golden lightning seemed to dance over his skin for a second, but he flexed, and the energy of Battery¡¯s attack literally dripped off of him.


    Battery walked out of his spot and stood behind her, staring Green Wolf down. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had this feeling.¡± The villain stated, twisting his body. ¡°Who are you two anyway?" He said, eyeing the red hero up.


    ¡°Just some superheroes doing what¡¯s right.¡±


    She took a gulp and raised her arms up. Somehow her first day out had ended with her taking on one of the most dangerous men in the city.


    Just her luck.

 Chapter Nineteen: A Team Would Be Nice

    The story of Green Wolf was one that most people in Oleander knew. Christopher Lyn had been a pro gamer and streamer who played the hit game FOF (Federation of Family) for a living. However, the man harbored a great evil within him, as it turned out.


    During a tournament that was held live, it was revealed that Christopher had been hacking. That was when the man¡¯s powers awakened as Christopher became a Super and began to hack in a different way. As in hacking everyone around him up into tiny pieces.


    Green Wolf was a powerful Super, one who was able to control and absorb kinetic energy and unleash it in devastating ways. The villain didn¡¯t need to worry about how short their knives were, as thanks to his power he could cut you to ribbons on the other side of the city. People, cars, buildings¡ªnone of it mattered to this man. He would simply cut through it all.


    The thought of facing this renowned villain caused Hope to take a step back. She raised her arms like a shield, but she doubted it¡¯d help. Just from one glance, she could tell that Green Wolf was far scarier than anything she had seen before.


    She jumped a bit when a hand landed on her shoulder, but it was just Battery. The man¡¯s skin was already glowing, and lightning poured out of his fingertips, eyes focused on the leader of Zoo.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± White Lamb asked, head cocked to the side.


    Green Wolf took a step forward, and it took all her willpower to not take one back. ¡°These two? Oh, they¡¯re going to be my newest entertainment.¡± The villain flicked his knife into the air, letting it spin before catching it. ¡°Right, you two.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like him. Green Wolf was strong. Almost everyone knew that. At such a young age, the man had managed to take over part of the city and swallow up several of the stronger groups. Despite only being in his twenties, people already considered him to be the next big bad. A villain that if you were to kill, most people would throw you a party.


    ¡°Let him go.¡± She almost shocked herself as she somehow managed to speak up. She nodded her head to the man in the chair, which Green Wolf stood next to. They were on the other side of the room away from the villain, but that really didn¡¯t matter when it came to his powerset. ¡°Turn yourself in, too.¡±


    The villain actually let out a snort. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± She demanded. ¡°You¡¯re the same as Red Ape.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the same as that loser?¡± The bad guy sounded pretty offended when compared to the madman.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded, gripping her hand into a fist. ¡°You¡¯re hurting someone for no reason. You kill people for no reason. I don¡¯t get it. You have powers like me. Why would you ever decide not to use them to help people? What do you get out of being a villain?¡±


    The man seemed to pause for a moment, actually pondering the question, humming quietly. ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡±


    White Lamb giggled a bit, still on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve gone ahead and made everything silent, Green Wolf. Feel free to cut loose, no sound will escape this warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Green Wolf looked down at a wristwatch. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you both¡­ let''s say five minutes of my time. That sounds fair, right-¡±


    Battery moved faster than any of them could react to. Green Wolf¡¯s power allowed the villain to absorb and negate kinetic energy, and since basically everything required kinetic energy, that meant the villain could make themselves untouchable. This power was rumored to have even allowed the leader of Zoo to take a single punch from the Victorian. Knowing this, Battery made a different choice.


    Flight won out as opposed to fight.


    She let out a yelp as the older man wrapped an arm around her and jumped to the side just in time to avoid one of the unseen slashes the villain sent at them. The attack flew through the air and hit the wall at the spot Battery had stood, tearing through it. Not skipping a beat, Battery kicked off of the ground and blasted through another wall, shoulder-tackling through it. The hero didn¡¯t stop there either. The man literally ran through the warehouse, using speed and strength to bash his way through.


    ¡°What about the man?¡± She shouted through all the debris that was kicked up as her mentor tore them out of the building.


    "Sorry, kid, but nothing we can do.¡± Battery grunted. ¡°That guy is way too dangerous for us to fight against. Only option is to run-¡± The man came to a sudden stop and let out a low curse. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    She was tucked directly under his arm, being held like a bag of potatoes. She had to look up to see what he complained about. They had made it outside of the warehouse, but there was nowhere else to go. The rest of Spider Street was gone. Or at least she couldn¡¯t see it anymore.


    Directly in front of them, as well as above them, below them, behind them, and on either of them, was a wall of pure green energy. It sort of looked like one of the barriers Mr. Larison had created in the hospital. It stretched out around the warehouse, only allowing them to go about ten feet outside of the building before it blocked their path.


    Green Wolf had seemingly used his power to create a kinetic wall of energy to trap them inside. She heard the man liked to hunt down his food. To trap them and make them see how powerless they truly were. It was her first time seeing it up close, and already she decided that this was her least favorite villain.


    A scraping sound came from behind them, and Battery spun around, still holding her. Standing at the entrance of the warehouse, surrounded by all the dead bodies, Green Wolf stood, holding two knives. ¡°Come on, pal. A big guy like you looks strong. Why not go a few rounds with me?¡± Green Wolf asked, cocking his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a fun mini boss worth some EXP.¡±


    ¡°EXP?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gamer term. Get with the times, boomer.¡± Green Wolf said, letting out a snort.


    ¡°You¡¯re just one of those people who made gaming their whole personality and now only repeats game things to sound cool and edgy, aren¡¯t you?¡± She said, frowning.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you both now.¡± Green Wolf said in a tone that she completely believed.


    ¡°New plan. Break the walls of the barrier.¡± Battery instructed her.


    ¡°Right! Um? How?¡±


    Battery lifted her up with one arm and stepped forward. ¡°Go long, kid!¡± She let out a scream as the man threw her into the air. She came down fast, ramming into the roof on the other side of the warehouse and breaking through. Green Wolf¡¯s gaze followed her, and the moment the villain looked away, Battery struck. The hero made a gun with his hand and fired out a golden beam of energy. ¡°Bang!¡±


    Green Wolf didn¡¯t even budge as the energy rammed into them. It slipped directly off of their body, twisting around their form like a liquid, and tore apart the floor and roof of the warehouse. Battery didn¡¯t stop though and kept firing out the lasers, hitting the villain over and over again. Green Wolf began to calmly walk closer.


    ¡°You have bad luck.¡± The man noted. ¡°Your lasers are all made of pure kinetic energy. Kinetic energy does exist in nearly everything, but my power can¡¯t stop other forms of energy, only slow them down. Yet your lasers are just purely kinetic in nature. You have the worst power to fight me with.¡± The man giggled.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Battery grunted out. Already the chest pain was starting to return, but he squashed it down and focused on blasting until Green Wolf stood directly in front of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can¡¯t hurt me-¡±


    This time, the beam came out like a crackling wave of energy, smashing directly into Green Wolf¡¯s gut and making the man gasp as his nerves ignited. ¡°Can¡¯t hurt you, huh?¡± Battery rammed a fist directly into the villain¡¯s face. The punch¡¯s force vanished and faded, but the energy in his fist zapped out like lightning and lit the villains'' nerves up even more. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m doing just fine!¡±


    Green Wolf gritted his teeth and dodged the next strike, slicing out with his knife, ripping into Battery¡¯s side, and cutting the man badly. ¡°You cheated! What the hell was that! Your energy switched! That wasn¡¯t kinetic energy! That was potential energy! You can change what your energy is?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it.¡± Battery chuckled and clutched at his side. Despite being cut open, no blood flowed from the wound. ¡°Alright, heart. Just a bit more.¡±


    Back inside the warehouse, Cinder came crashing down hard. Green Wolf was outside fighting Battery, so it was up to her. She quickly picked herself up, about to run to the back and start punching at the wall of energy in an attempt to break it, but stopped when she saw the man in the chair.


    The one Green Wolf had been torturing. The man was barely conscious yet stared at her with pleading eyes. ¡°Please! Save me!¡±


    It was the first time someone had said those words. The first time anyone had looked at her and requested her help in such a way. It didn¡¯t matter who they used to be or what they had done once. Right now, this was a person in trouble. She balled her hand into a fist and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll save you-¡±


    She felt pain shoot through her as something suddenly rammed into her from behind. She gasped and was lifted off of her feet, smashing into the wall. The force of the attack vibrated through her and caused her ears to pop. The world spun, and she felt dizzy as she looked up. White Lamb was no longer sitting.


    The young girl stood and held a white megaphone. The girl brought it up to the mask¡¯s lips and let out a simple word. ¡°Boom.¡±


    No sound came out, but she felt it. A wave of unseen force smashed directly into her. It was just like with Green Wolf¡¯s slashes. White Lamb was using the power of sound to attack. The girl was making the sound totally silent but also increasing its force and power. It caused her bones to vibrate and her body to shake as she was pressed up against the wall and then, in an instant, shoved through it. Again, her ears popped, and she gasped as she rolled across the ground in another room of the warehouse.


    She forced herself back up to her feet and tried to charge White Lamb, but the girl just giggled into the megaphone, attacking her with laughter. The force threw her back again, and she cried out in pain. ¡°You don¡¯t really think you can move faster than sound, do you?¡± White Lamb asked, chuckling. ¡°Maybe if you were Max Lightning or the Victorian, you¡¯d be able to dodge this, but judging from your outfit, you¡¯re a total nobody.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a nobody.¡± She placed her hands back on the ground and began to push herself up. ¡°I¡¯m a superhero!¡± Battery was fighting someone way stronger than her. Not to mention the tied-up man. Both of them were counting on her. She charged forward again, moving at blinding speeds. Maybe if she had trained more or practiced with her powers, she¡¯d be able to outspeed sound, but as it stood right now, it was simply too fast for her. So instead she focused on defense.


    White Lamb made a popping sound into the megaphone and blasted out another wave of intense force. She came close to reaching the girl when she felt it hit her. As soon as it brushed her skin, she dug her heels into the ground and lifted her arms, attempting to block the attack with her arms. Her entire body shook, and it was some of the worst pain she ever felt, but she stood through it all.


    That was until White Lamb began to talk. ¡°Oh, my,¡± each word was a blinding attack, smashing into her over and over again. ¡°It seems you¡¯re a bit more durable than I thought,¡± her arms shook, and she began to get pushed back slowly. ¡°That said, it doesn¡¯t matter how tough your skin is. This is pure vibration. Your organs might be tougher than normal humans'', but they¡¯re shaken up inside that cute body of yours.¡± She couldn¡¯t see it, but she knew White Lamb was smiling. ¡°Fall.¡±


    This one was stronger than the others, and she screamed out as it blasted through, once again ripping her up off of her feet. She was slammed all the way through the warehouse and smashed back first into the kinetic barrier, where she crashed to the ground.


    Green Wolf¡¯s laughter bounced around the energy box as the man unleashed his unseen slashes into Battery¡¯s body, cutting the man again and again.


    Green Wolf didn¡¯t just sit still, though. That would have been at least a little fair. Instead, the villain danced across the floor following Battery, who only had the smallest chance of dodging, trying to judge the way the knife pointed as when to move. Invisible waves of damage tore everything apart around him as Green Wolf attempted to slice the hero apart.


    Battery moved fast, zooming across the field, and placed a palm on Green Wolf¡¯s back while the villain got ready to unleash another slash. Golden energy grew out, and the leader of Zoo found himself trapped in a barrier of sunlight. The barrier rapidly began to shrink, but Green Wolf simply flexed, and it shattered to pieces, blowing Battery back.


    Green Wolf threw a knife at Battery, but the hero blasted it out of the air, the golden energy coursing through his body. Golden electricity seemed to almost dance on his hands and feet. Battery brought the fight to the villain, practically gliding across the floor in a second and reaching the man. Green met Gold as the villain blocked the hero¡¯s punch with a bare hand.


    Green Wolf kicked up, and despite not reaching Battery, the force of the attack still carried and slammed into Battery¡¯s gut, knocking the man over. From a sleeve, Green Wolf produced a new knife, this one a simple switchblade, which he flicked open, causing the floor to tear up all the way to Battery, who had a large slash appear across his chest. Again though, no blood fell from his body. The attack kept going, and one of Battery¡¯s arms was torn clean off, but the red-haired man barely blinked at the damage.


    Casually, Battery grabbed the limb as it fell and jammed it back in place. The thing somehow reattached, and the hero shoved himself forward, shoulder tackling Green Wolf and unleashing waves of golden energy. Several orbs of light filled the air and blasted down into Green Wolf, who tried to dodge them but wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    They were made of light after all.


    The villain once again gasped and spasmed. The ability to halt all the kinetic energy allowed him to stop most of the attack, since almost every form of energy still held some kinetic force in it, but the rest that didn¡¯t still affected and harmed him. The only other person who had been able to hurt him had been the Victorian.


    ¡°Be honest.¡± Green Wolf grunted. ¡°Are you related to the Victorian in some way? I mean, that golden energy is-¡±


    Battery rammed a fist into the man¡¯s face, coating his arm in lightning so it wouldn¡¯t be absorbed, but sadly, it didn¡¯t matter. Green Wolf stood there, likely smirking as a skintight barrier formed around them. The man had created a force field.


    Battery jumped away and took a deep breath, trying to push down the pain in his chest. Thanks to Nick¡¯s potion, he was able to give more energy than normal, but he was starting to reach the limit of the potion. ¡°Come on, kid.¡± He muttered. ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Back inside the warehouse, White Lamb let out a loud laugh. Cinder ignored it and tried to push herself back up. Once again, a wave of force smashed into her, shoving her back against the barrier. Most of the warehouse was coming down, and Battery didn¡¯t sound like he was doing any better.


    She wasn¡¯t ready to give up, though. She smashed her fist into the ground, breaking part of it as she stood back up. She was bruised, and her insides were a mess. She felt like she had been run over twice now. And through all the struggle, White Lamb just kept laughing at her. Her enhanced durability wasn¡¯t enough to keep taking attacks like this. Her strength was also useless if she couldn¡¯t actually land the blow.


    She¡¯d need something else. Something more.


    ¡®I like the colors.¡¯


    White Lamb raised the megaphone again and spoke into it, sending out a wave of force. The hero twisted her body just in time and used her strength to jump to the side. The barrier hissed as the force slammed into it, but she was fine. She had dodged it.


    ¡°H- Hey!¡± White Lamb yelled again, firing out another attack, but once again she sidestepped it, moving fast. ¡°How are you doing this!¡± Again and again and again, she moved around the attacks, avoiding the force. She began to get closer to White Lamb, dodging every blast that came her way. ¡°What is going on!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I had almost forgotten about this.¡± She said softly. ¡°Now that I think about it, have I always had powers?¡± She wondered.


    ¡°What are you babbling about, you freak!¡± White Lamb demanded.


    She casually waved her hand at the girl. ¡°I¡¯m not faster than sound, but I guess it doesn¡¯t matter in the end. I can see the buildup and move out of the way in time before it reaches me.¡±


    ¡°You can see the buildup?¡±


    The unseen force wasn¡¯t unseen anymore. Her eyes gazed upon the megaphone, watching a swirling mass of colors that were rapidly unleashed. It was still faster than her, but it was obvious when it was about to happen. Like playing a video game and dodging a boss¡¯s attack. Once again, she stepped out of the way, now only a few feet away from the panicking White Lamb.


    When she was a kid, she used to love looking at all the colors. A swirling mass of them. She had told her father about it once. That had been the day of the accident. She hadn¡¯t even realized that she had been seeing things she shouldn¡¯t have. During the fight, in a moment of pure desperation, she had cranked her senses up as hard as she could. Not in her ears, though. This was for her eyes.


    Her eyesight had been so good earlier that she had been able to see cracks on the moon. This was one step further. This was seeing sound. A mass of colors. At least that was the closest thing her eyes processed as sound. White Lamb didn¡¯t get rid of sound. It still existed, just in a state that it made no noise that could be heard or felt unless the girl wished for it to. White Lamb could increase the level, making it a blinding force, but the villain couldn¡¯t totally get rid of it. Doing that would be more in terms of Green Wolf¡¯s powers, as that would be completely nullifying the vibrations of the sound.


    With her new sight, it was all too easy to spot all of White Lamb¡¯s flaws. Unfortunately, though, she made one small error. White Lamb was a villain.


    White Lamb twisted their body and pointed the megaphone away from her. Her eyes went wide when she watched the mass of colors buildup as the girl got ready to blast the man in the chair.


    She flung herself forward and shoulder-tackled the man just in time as the attack came out. It was amped up as much as White Lamb could force it to be, cracking the ground and breaking some of her bones as it rammed into her harder than any other attack. She felt part of her body snap back, and she was flung across the ground, smashing head first into the barrier, her metal helmet shaking and rattling her brain. White Lamb didn¡¯t stop there either.


    The cruel girl kept the attacks coming, each as bad as the previous, until soon White Lamb was a panting mess, their throat burned badly. She didn¡¯t get back up.


    On the other side of the barrier, Green Wolf whipped a knife out and stabbed it directly into Battery¡¯s throat. The villain twisted and tore the weapon out, ripping the hero¡¯s neck open, but already Battery¡¯s golden light was putting the flesh back together.


    Battery rammed his fist into Green Wolf¡¯s head, hitting the man hard, but the villain countered with another slash that gutted Battery¡¯s stomach. Green Wolf didn¡¯t just have control over kinetic energy; he was also built with a superhuman body able to take and dish out tons of damage, with or without a great supply of energy.


    Battery, on the other hand, was a constant source of power. The man was getting stronger and faster, but in turn so was his heart. Every second, his body produced more energy that he shifted and transformed however he wanted. The golden energy was his to shape, and like a battery, he was getting more charged up.


    His blows came out faster, hitting Green Wolf more and more. The villain¡¯s barrier kept holding up though and canceled out the force of all the punches that had kinetic energy in them. The hero knew that he¡¯d have to hit the villain hard enough to shatter that barrier, using an attack with so much energy that it wouldn¡¯t matter if the kinetic energy was drained.


    Green Wolf dodged another strike and brought two of his knives up in an ¡®X¡¯ shape, causing the wound to appear across Battery¡¯s chest and tearing through most of the man¡¯s clothes.


    Already though, the surge of golden light caused the flesh wounds to fade as Battery shoved his way forward through the attack. There was so much gold energy radiating out that his entire flesh had practically ignited and his hair was blonde. Battery unleashed a powerful punch that slammed into Green Wolf¡¯s skin-tight shield.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me, idiot!¡± Green Wolf spat out.


    An explosion of golden light blasted out of Battery as the man became as bright as the sun. Green Wolf¡¯s eyes instantly closed on instinct. Battery launched forward with godlike speed and rammed a fist into Green Wolf¡¯s face. The punch was still absorbed and the energy in it was blocked, but it did send the leader of Zoo flying back into the wall of the warehouse, giving Battery the distance he needed.


    The hero panted, chest shaking and limbs aching, as a thought grew in Battery¡¯s head. ¡°Should I?¡± The man considered something, looking down at the many tears in his costume from Green Wolf¡¯s attacks. ¡°How long would I survive it?¡±


    The leader of Zoo pushed off from the barrier wall, dusting away some dust. ¡°What, you going crazy? Is this the second phase where the boss goes nuts and lets go of whatever¡¯s holding them back?¡± Green Wolf taunted.


    Battery didn¡¯t respond. In the golden energy pulsing out, a faint blue light flickered. Before Green Wolf could even process the change in the hero¡¯s light show, the blue energy faded into the gold, and Battery shook his head.


    ¡°Nah, not for this guy.¡± The hero sighed as the golden energy flared up. ¡°I¡¯ll beat him with this borrowed power.¡± Battery clutched both of his hands together, golden light gathering. Green Wolf raised an eyebrow and cackled.


    ¡°This has got to be your ultimate. Come on, fire away. Let¡¯s see if I can I-frame this bi-¡±


    Before the villain could finish the sentence, Battery rammed the golden light out as hard as he could, unleashing a powerful wave of energy. It was so bright that it blinded the villain, as if he were looking at the sun itself. Most of the warehouse was blown to bits instantly and burned up as the beam rammed into Green Wolf, who let out a loud scream as it washed over them and began to burn through their barrier. It was pure sunlight itself turned into a powerful laser beam.


    The entire area shook and was bathed in yellow from the blast as the beam washed over the villain before it began to die out.


    Smoke poured out of Battery¡¯s palm, and he breathed heavily, dripping sweat. Slowly, he lowered his arms. The ground in the direction of Green Wolf had melted and turned into molten rock. ¡°Take that, asshole.¡±


    ¡°That ruined my jacket!¡± Battery¡¯s eyes went wide, and he turned as the smoke faded. Green Wolf still stood, and besides the fact that the coat of his suit had melted into his white dress shirt, the man was fine, putting out a simple shoulder fire. There was no way the villain¡¯s power could have blocked the force of that attack-


    That was when Battery saw it.


    In Green Wolf¡¯s hands, the man held a sword. One he hadn¡¯t had earlier. It was a longsword, the kind you¡¯d see in a story about knights. It was pure white, and all along the blade, runes seemed to glow. The word ¡®Storymaker¡¯ was etched into the metal.


    Green Wolf clutched the sword and then simply vanished. One moment the man was there, and then the next he wasn¡¯t. He was simply gone. That was until Battery felt a powerful stabbing pain in his gut, looking down to see the sword piercing through.


    Green Wolf could teleport. Or at least the sword they now held allowed them to. That was how the man had survived that last attack. Green Wolf gave a mad laugh and twisted the sword.


    ¡°To think you¡¯d actually make me pull out my trump card! I had this item in my back pocket for a while now!¡± The man taunted. ¡°Red Ape got those dumbass hands from the lab we attacked. But me? I got the SSR Pull on my loot drop!¡±


    ¡°Will you stop it with the gamer terms? I don¡¯t get them.¡± Battery grunted.


    Green Wolf shrugged and ripped the blade out of Battery¡¯s gut, causing the man to drop to his knees. The Zoo leader went to bring the weapon down again but stopped when he saw blood gushing from the man¡¯s nose and the fact that the guy was gripping his arm. He couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Holy shit, are you having a heart attack while we¡¯re fighting? Am I so badass I made your heart give out?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. It gets that way when I¡¯m around men trying to overcompensate for their tiny peckers.¡± Battery collapsed on the ground, gasping. The hero had reached their limit.


    Green Wolf nudged the man with a foot, but the hero didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Well, you¡¯re clearly having a moment.¡± He shrugged and stepped by, only for Battery to kick up with his golden leg right into Green Wolf¡¯s junk. The villain gasped a little and stumbled, only absorbing most of that energy.


    ¡°Knew it was small.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll die for that!¡±


    ¡°No, I won''t.¡± Battery spat out and smirked even as his heart began to beat faster and faster and his vision started to blur. ¡°My teammate¡¯s going to save me. Unlike me, she¡¯s a real superhero.¡±


    Back inside what was left of the warehouse, White Lamb glared down at the young girl. ¡°You called yourself a superhero. How pathetic. I hate girls like you. I hope you die a painful death.¡±


    ¡°I- I am a superhero.¡± Cinder clutched her stomach and slowly stood back up on wobbling legs. This was her first real fight all alone. In all her other battles she had help, but not here. It was all up to her to save the day. ¡°I¡¯m not just any normal hero either.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m Cinder!¡± She saw the buildup of colors, and she faced it head-on. She didn¡¯t move from her spot though. She had been so scared of using it again, but it was do or die time. She opened her mouth and unleashed everything she had.


    Fire blasted out as an intense beam, ripping forward. The force of the attack slammed into the mass of colors that shot out of the megaphone that White Lamb held. The villain let out a scream of rage and fear as her sound was burned away by the hot fire which came directly for them. At the last second, White Lamb managed to twist the sound and form a barrier around herself that caused the beam to twist and miss her.


    That was White Lamb¡¯s final move, though.


    She was on the girl in an instant, her mouth closed. The last thing White Lamb saw was the image of Cinder as a fist was rammed right into her head. White Lamb was smashed down so hard the ground shook. If not for the fact the girl was also a Super, that attack would have killed her. As it stood, though, it simply knocked the child out. Instantly, the sound of loud sirens from outside hit their ears since White Lamb was unconscious.


    She stood there feeling her power still flare up. She had managed to beat the younger villain. Her first actual win.


    She didn¡¯t have time to celebrate, though. Her lips were a little black, and her throat burned. Blood was pouring down her mouth, but she fought through the pain and willed herself to not black out. She could see Green Wolf about to stab Mr. Larison. The villain stopped though when he heard the sirens and looked toward her as she did the only thing she could think of in that moment.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you freaking dare!¡±


    Green Wolf wasn¡¯t fast enough. ¡°Help!¡± She screamed, using all her super strength in her lungs to really scream it, the noise rippling out, pushing away the nearby dust and even shattering a nearby window.


    She, however, made one little mistake. Her ears nearly exploded from the force of the yell, and her enhanced senses were not doing her any favors for this. All the noise cut out, and she could even feel blood running down part of her face as Green Wolf jumped towards her, luckily never reaching her.


    The green barrier around them was blown to bits instantly, water crashing down in waves, and the gravity in the room seemed to double, triple, and get so bad it forced them all to kneel. Three figures floated down.


    She was glad she was wearing a helmet because her eyes were shining with joy when Ocean Empress, followed by Poseidon carrying Paragon, came down. She struggled to speak, hearing nothing but a loud ringing. ¡°We- We¡¯re heroes! We called the cops.¡± The ringing in her head got worse, but she did her best to point at Mr. Larison.


    She could see the three heroes all looking at each other and discussing something, and then the gravity seemed to let up on her and Mr. Larison. As for Green Wolf, the wolf mask covered his mouth, so she couldn¡¯t tell what the villain was saying, but whatever it was caused the gravity to shove him further into the ground. She looked up when Mr. Larison placed a hand on her shoulder, struggling to stand and still clutching at his heart. The red-haired man said something, and she had to shake her head and point at her ears.


    Frowning, Battery let some of the golden glow seep out, and she winced as a loud pop went off in her ears and the sound came blasting back. ¡°I asked if you were alright.¡±


    ¡°I am not. Yelling with enhanced lungs is something I shall never do again.¡±


    Ocean Empress landed softly on the floor, hair swirling around. The Enforcer glanced at the young female hero, then at the older male hero, who collapsed and grabbed his heart. Then, finally, in the center of the room, at the man who was chained to the chair. ¡°You two shouldn¡¯t have fought this villain. You should have gotten the hostage out of there as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°He teleports.¡± Battery grunted just in time for Green Wolf to vanish from where he was standing.


    The Zoo leader appeared next to White Lamb and grabbed the girl. ¡°Warp us home.¡± He called out, and before they could even move, the two villains suddenly vanished.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± All the girls screamed, while Ocean Empress and Battery just sighed.


    ¡°Since when can he teleport?¡± Paragon muttered. The girl stopped when her sister nudged her, and she turned to stare at the new hero, who was helping the man off the floor. ¡°Right. Destiny, can you heal them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Paragon and her family seemed taken aback when the red hero spoke. He was covered in stab wounds, which weren¡¯t bleeding all that badly, but was breathing heavily and had to be practically carried by the young girl.


    ¡°What do you mean, no?¡± Paragon snapped, and even the other new hero seemed confused.


    ¡°I mean, no. My name is Battery. This is Cinder. We¡¯re new heroes, and I am using my right to refuse service. Legally speaking, a person has the ability to turn down assistance from a doctor, and this is no different. I don¡¯t want your healing.¡±


    "Dude, you¡¯re covered in holes, and your daughter doesn¡¯t look much better,¡± Poseidon said, a little ticked off. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is your first day, right? Your costumes are a mess, and you two got in over your head. It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re not in trouble. Why, on my first day, I tried to take on a Calamity and nearly-¡±


    ¡°I refuse your help.¡±


    Poseidon¡¯s eyes twitched, and Ocean Empress couldn¡¯t help but give a slight snort. ¡°Okay, sir. We won¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want help, then we won¡¯t. The last thing I want is a lawsuit on our hands because we healed him.¡± The hero folded her arms. ¡°That said, just because he is refusing help doesn¡¯t mean you have to.¡± It took Hope a second to realize the question was directed at her. Once again, she was talking to one of her childhood heroes. ¡°You said your name was Cinder, right? Do you want my daughter to heal you?¡±


    She was about to answer but stopped. Paragon was silently staring at her, and for a moment, she couldn¡¯t help but remember her father¡¯s state. She clenched her fist but took a breath. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Battery¡¯s healing might not have been the best, but she¡¯d take it over owing Paragon a favor any day.


    ¡°Seriously!¡± Poseidon threw her hands up. ¡°God, you two are idiots. No wonder you tried fighting a freaking supervillain like Green Wolf!¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Paragon turned away. ¡°I won¡¯t heal you.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but notice Battery let out a sigh of relief at that, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The man had seemingly gone more tense than ever as soon as Paragon entered the building, and she noticed his eyes never left the girl, as if waiting for the hero to strike or something.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up with him?¡± Poseidon asked, letting out a sigh and poking the man in the chair. He had fallen unconscious a while ago.


    ¡°He¡¯s in worse shape.¡± Paragon shrugged.


    ¡°He was the leader of this base,¡± She explained. ¡°Those two guys in the alleyway told us about him. They¡¯re part of the Wandering Coin, so we came to try and interrogate him. Turns out that villain beat us here.¡± She winced.


    Ocean Empress gave a nod. ¡°We heard the Wandering Coin was nearby. The other Sub Enforcers were busy dealing with a villain they captured the other night, so we came instead. I should ask. Are you two interested in joining a team?¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t Reservoir only offer spots to heroes with water abilities?¡± Battery asked, awkwardly resting in her arms, clearly giving up on dignity.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about our team.¡± The Enforcer stated. ¡°Though we have let others in ever since my other daughter awakened her power, I more thought your daughter could join the Sub Enforcers.¡± Clearly, Ocean Empress didn¡¯t know that they were the same people the woman had saved. That meant they didn¡¯t know she was Hope Lauren, which was good. ¡°It¡¯s safer, and you¡¯ll have access to more resources.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± She said, a stubborn look on her face. Sure, the Sub Enforcers were cool and all, but they were kids only, so Mr. Larison wouldn¡¯t be allowed in.


    ¡°You two are so frustrating.¡± Poseidon complained.


    They all stopped when they heard a loud buzzing, and a series of drones began to come down from the sky, filming everything. It was her first time really getting a look at them. The drones were how most people got footage of heroes in action and were a thing a news group owned by the Hero Branch used in order to talk to heroes and promote them more.


    Most obviously began to film Poseidon and Ocean Empress. Poseidon smiled for the camera while Ocean Empress paid them no mind. The woman was mainly focused on Battery, paying attention to the sparks of gold that were around him¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue to leave.¡± Battery instructed under his breath.


    ¡°Right.¡± She turned and was about to carry the man away but stopped when a drone appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Alice Ward.¡± A voice called out from the drone¡¯s speakers. Poseidon frowned when they heard it. It was the same one that had asked a sour question after their fight with Intake. ¡°The two of you just got done with a fight, did you not?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She said awkwardly. ¡°We fought Green Wolf.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The voice hummed, and she felt the camera focus on her. ¡°By any chance, are you the same hero that also fought Intake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Why?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No reason.¡± If the drone had arms, it likely would have shrugged. ¡°Do you have a name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Cinder, and this is Battery- Shouldn¡¯t you be more focused on Ocean Empress over there. She¡¯s an Enforcer member, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll focus on who I want to, thank you.¡± The drone hovered closer. ¡°Are you also the hero that destroyed the hotel during your fight with Intake? I guess you picked the name Cinder due to catching it on fire-¡±


    Battery flicked his finger, and a thin beam of energy cut into the drone, splitting it in two. Ocean Empress snorted while the other drones floated back out of fear. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± The woman called out. ¡°These things control the media. Don¡¯t want them to make you look bad-¡±


    Battery flipped the hero the bird, then turned it on the drone. He then let out a series of words so foul they¡¯d never have any hope of putting it on the air as he dropped bomb after bomb. She giggled and then finally picked him up just as he did her earlier and took a mighty leap into the air, escaping out of sight.


    Once they were away from the drones, Battery began to speak once more. ¡°Ocean Empress did have a point, you know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean she has a point? I don¡¯t want to join the Sub Enforcers?¡± She muttered.


    ¡°Who said it had to be the Sub Enforcers?¡± Battery gave a sly grin. ¡°Someone we know is needing members for their new team, after all...¡±


    ***


    ¡°This is a new level of humiliation,¡± Jack grumbled.


    ¡°I will drop you.¡± Hope threatened.


    They were taking the rooftop way, as she liked to put it. It had been the only way to get out of there before the cops and others showed up. Currently, she was holding Jack in her arms in a fireman''s carry. The man might have been strong and fast, but golden light powers didn¡¯t include crazy hops, plus he looked like hell after the amount of power he¡¯d abused. With her strength, leaping even with the extra weight was no problem.


    The heroes seemed content with letting them leave, likely so they could get the glory of capturing a high member of the Wandering Coin, which would boost Team Reservoir¡¯s reputation. On top of that, they¡¯d be able to get information on where the gangs were.


    That was fine with her, though. She had fun, got some drugs off the street, and came out alive, so that was enough for her. ¡°Is this the place?¡± She asked, raising an eyebrow as they landed on the roof of a building.


    ¡°Yeah. This is the spot.¡± Jack nodded.


    They were no longer in their ¡®hero¡¯ clothes, having taken most of them off, and redressed like normal civilians. Most of her wounds were small scars, though she was still very sore, just as Paragon had claimed, and Jack finally got his heart to settle down. The man was lucky to be a Super with some healing because she was pretty sure he¡¯d be long dead with the number of wounds Green Wolf had inflicted.


    It took them a bit to climb down to the street, but when they finally did, they stood in front of an old-looking library. Jack was the first to enter, and she followed, pushing her glasses up as her eyes adjusted to the light.


    It had a musty smell, and everything seemed to be carved from wood. There were dozens of shelves, as well as two floors and a basement¡ªeverything covered in books from all over the world. Oleander Library wasn¡¯t a popular place, but it made more than enough money to get by. She used to visit a few times with her dad. It was run by only one person, who stood behind the counter, looking just like he did the last time she saw the man.


    Dressed in an old brown suit, his shoulders were slumped, and his head was bowed. He wore a pair of heavy round glasses, and his skin was dark. His hair was wild and untamed, unlike the last time. ¡°Hello. How can I help?¡± The man stopped writing in what looked like a records book, looking up to see the two of them.


    ¡°Hey.¡± She grinned. ¡°So, is the rumor of you starting a new team true, Myth?¡±

 Chapter Twenty: Know Each Other

    She collapsed on her couch with a groan, happy that her mom was coming home and that she¡¯d be unable to leave the house.


    After the fighting, the running around, the broken bones, and the lasers, she was tired, and after having their talk with Myth, she nearly collapsed then and there. It took all her super strength to carry Mr. Larison home and then get back to her own house. And tomorrow, she¡¯d have to do it all over again and help the man get back to the car, which they¡¯d left hidden in the alleyway.


    Her backpack contained her costumes, which she held tightly. She couldn¡¯t help but stare down at the helmet that rested in it. Mr. Larison had gone all out, shaping and washing it while it was being remade. It had a silver color, smooth enough to reflect her face, but now, after her battle, it had a few dents, and part of the metal had smudged with ash.


    Her hand brushed it, and she sighed, setting the backpack down. It wasn¡¯t the only thing that was damaged. Paragon had reversed her wounds when she was in the hospital. All her scrapes and bruises had simply faded. Battery, however, was the one to heal her this time after she refused Paragon¡¯s help. The man¡¯s healing was slower and a lot rougher.


    Her fingers traced the wound on her stomach. Her skin beneath her clothes was covered with bruises, and she didn¡¯t think her bones had fully healed.


    Battery¡¯s method was more like speeding the healing up than properly fixing it. Despite how much pain she was in, they had managed to do it. They made it out alive in a fight with some of Oleander¡¯s worst. Not to mention she had gotten to understand more of her fire power.


    Her hand slipped into her pocket, and she pulled out a small lighter. She had swiped it from Mr. Larison when she had been carrying him. Hopefully, pun intended, it would stop him from smoking for a bit. She flicked the lighter on, allowing a small flicker of fire to pour out.


    When she fought Red Ape, breathing fire had nearly killed her. Again, she used that power on White Lamb. It had hurt like hell, almost as bad as all the broken bones she got, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as harmful as when she used it on Red Ape. Her thumb hovered over the fire, feeling it flicker on her skin. It didn¡¯t burn. It wasn¡¯t even that warm, honestly.


    ¡°Am I finally fireproof?¡± From what Mr. Larison told her, her body was still adjusting and becoming a Super that could keep up with her powers. It seemed her body was finally starting to adjust to the fact she could blast out intense heat. If she used that breath attack a bit more, she could reach the point where she stopped getting hurt by it at all. At least that was a theory. There was also the chance she could get some other power too quickly before her body was ready and accidentally kill herself¡­


    Luckily, she didn¡¯t have to think about that for very long as the door opened and her mother finally returned from work. ¡°I¡¯m back! And I brought pizza.¡±


    ¡°Yay, pizza!¡± She ignored the sore spots as she stood up, but her hand was swatted away before she could grab a slice.


    ¡°Did you leave the house?¡± Her mom asked.


    ¡°I would never disobey you, mother.¡±


    ¡°I asked the old lady in the next apartment to watch our door.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I totally left.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Hope.¡± Her mom complained but didn¡¯t sound that mad, all things considered.


    ¡°I had something important I needed to do. And look!¡± She held her arms out and stretched, ignoring the flare of pain in her gut. ¡°No damage! I didn¡¯t get into a fight this time.¡± ¡®That you can tell¡¯ was left unsaid.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Finally, her mom stopped her from trying to get a plate. They didn¡¯t bother sitting at the table. They just stood there holding their plates and ate quietly. ¡°So, what was so important that you had to sneak off?¡± Her mom asked.


    That caused her to wince a little. ¡°I can¡¯t say still.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to be a superhero?¡± That caused her heart to nearly stop. Her mom was staring dead into her eyes, studying her.


    ¡°What? Ha. As if. I don¡¯t even have powers, Mom. I guess I could be like Old Dog and fight crime with no superpowers, but I¡¯m built like a twig. See.¡± She flexed her arms, the lack of muscle evident. Her mom stared at her for a little longer. She rubbed at her neck awkwardly. ¡°Mom.¡± She felt her throat lock up for a moment. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m a-¡± She could see it now. The hurt look in her mother¡¯s eyes, the command to never go out in costume again¡ªhow it would be too dangerous. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯ve been working part-time!¡±


    ¡°What.¡± Her mother seemed taken aback by that.


    ¡°There¡¯s this library, and I used to go there with Dad. I saw they were hiring, so I applied and got it recently. I know things have been hard with money, and I wanted to pull my weight. I know you think I should study more and go to college, but I really want to help. I got the idea after working for the Cleanup Squad.¡±


    Her mom¡¯s look finally seemed to relax for a moment. ¡°And is this the same job that resulted in you coming home looking like you had been set on fire?¡±


    ¡°That was something else.¡± She clenched her fists, trying to come up with an answer. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry, but a gang tried to attack me.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Her mom¡¯s eyes were wide, and the woman¡¯s face paled.


    ¡°But obviously, I¡¯m fine, as you can see!¡± She tried to give a little twirl to show off how she was undamaged, once again ignoring the pain in her gut. ¡°Remember Kyle? He and I were heading home, and some non-powered Bad Timer gang members tried to get us. A hero showed up and saved us, though. ¡®He¡¯ fought them all off, but he had a fire-based power, and I guess my clothes got burned." Her mom¡¯s eyes never left her. She took a deep breath. ¡°And I¡¯m telling you all of this because I want you to know I¡¯m safe and surrounded by people who won¡¯t let that happen again. And because I need to meet at the library every week, and it¡¯s all the way on the other side of the city, so can I get a ride?¡±


    Her mother stood there, stunned, as she finished speaking. ¡°Working for a library. My daughter¡¯s a nerd! Why couldn¡¯t you just be a superhero?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    The pain in her stomach was nowhere near the pain in her heart at having lied. It had slipped out before she could even debate whether to tell her mom or not. Still, it seemed like the woman was willing to just take her word, not believing her daughter would show signs of powers and go around fighting villains. It showed a level of trust that made her heart sting.


    Still...


    Her mother smiled for what felt like the first time in forever. It looked like a weight had been lifted when her mom heard her say that. ¡°Oh, thank God. I thought you were doing something stupid. You¡¯re still your father¡¯s little girl.¡±


    She¡¯d have to tell her mom eventually. She knew that. But for just a little longer, she would enjoy being a superhero. She wasn¡¯t their little girl anymore.


    She was Cinder.


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still wearing your glasses all the time, right?¡± Her mother asked, studying her again.


    "Well, I couldn¡¯t see without them, right?¡± Another lie.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Her mom nodded. ¡°Of course. I had to go to an old friend of your fathers to get that new pair you¡¯re wearing made. They¡¯re just like your old pair. Make sure you keep them with you. I¡¯d hate for you to lose them or get them destroyed like your last pair. You never know what can happen in this city after all¡­¡±


    ***


    She closed the car door, stepping out onto the curb. ¡°I¡¯ll be back when I¡¯m off shift to pick you up.¡± Her mom said.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡±


    She had done it. She had seemingly calmed down her mother¡¯s worry through lying and half-truths. She hated lying, but now she didn¡¯t need to worry about sneaking out of the house to be a hero, and she even got her mom to drop her off at the place Myth told them to meet at.


    She stood outside the library Myth owned. The man had attempted to stay in character when they sprung their question on them and instead requested they come back later. So now here she was.


    ¡°About time, Kid.¡± A familiar voice spoke from the front steps of the library. ¡°I was wondering if you went and ditched me to go solo.¡±


    She turned, expecting to see Mr. Larison, but froze when she saw who was in front of her. A stranger was seated on the steps leading into the building, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Dressed in the uniform of the Cleanup Squad, likely having just gotten off work, the man had a bit of a beer gut, but it was slightly smaller than Larison¡¯s had been. The stranger¡¯s skin had a slight tan to it, like it had recently healed from a sunburn. Their face was clean-shaven, ginger hair combed back. She suddenly felt very underdressed. Her hair was still wild, and she was just in a T-shirt that showed Lady Time, one of the Enforcers, on the front of it, a jacket on top over it, and a skirt.


    ¡°Uh, who are you?¡± She asked.


    Jack gave her an annoyed look and, out of habit, went to stroke his beard, only to recall it was gone when his fingers grasped at air. ¡°Ha, ha, very funny.¡± The man stood up and dropped the cigarette, stomping it out. ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t been to this place in a long time. My dad would take me here, and we''d read a ton of books together.¡± She looked up at the building, fond memories coming back to her. ¡°I remember the man who always worked there. It sort of clicked when I saw his face again in full costume.¡±


    Jack nodded and said something that was too quiet for her to hear. She nodded her head and went to step past, but stopped when the man held up an arm. ¡°How are your ears feeling?¡± Mr. Larison asked her. ¡°You damaged them earlier in the fight with Green Wolf, right?¡±


    She almost winced, recalling the pain that had been caused the other day. Maybe she should have had Paragon heal her, after all. Jack¡¯s had left her with a bad headache, and even now, her hearing hadn¡¯t returned right. Before, hearing a heartbeat had been easy. The only thing letting her hear normal people talking was her enhanced senses¡ªa whining ring almost drowning out quieter noises. ¡°Fine.¡± She lied. She¡¯d just pray that one of Myth¡¯s people was a healer. If a bit of pain and damaged hearing was what she had to go through in order to avoid Paragon, then she wouldn¡¯t complain. She¡¯d rather lose a limb then let that jerk heal her.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Jack nodded, looking unconvinced. ¡°Let¡¯s go in, then.¡± She pushed her glasses up further and followed after Larison, entering the nearly silent building.


    The inside was just as she expected. There was not a single soul other than them and the owner, who stood behind the desk. Myth was tall and built for war. Thaddeus, the owner, wore baggy clothes that hid any muscles, always slouched and quiet. They were things Larison said heroes did to separate their two lives. She had even done something like it. Outside of costume, she left her hair to be free, but dressed in costume, she tied it back into a ponytail.


    Thaddeus looked up when they stepped closer and gave a nod. ¡°Hello. I assume you¡¯re here for the book meeting.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Jack sighed.


    ¡°I see. In that case, you will have to wait.¡±


    ¡°What? For how long?¡± Jack snapped.


    ¡°I close at five.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s six hours from now.¡±


    ¡°I close at five,¡± Thaddeus said again.


    Jack¡¯s eye twitched, so she stepped in. ¡°Any chance you can close up sooner? I mean, it¡¯s a holiday, after all.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if places like this even closed on holidays, but it was worth a try.


    ¡°It is?¡± The dark-skinned man asked, taken aback.


    ¡°Technically, every day is a holiday if you try hard enough.¡±


    Thaddeus stared at her in silence, lips pursed into a thin line. Finally, the man nodded. ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± Jack cheered.


    They were practically kicked out of the building after that. It took the man almost an hour to finish up whatever it was he was doing as he finally locked up the place. When Thaddeus did finally step out, the pair outside were quietly glaring at the man.


    ¡°Shall we get a move on?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± They both snapped.


    Oleander Library was on the edge of the bad part of town and the middle-class section. It didn¡¯t take them long to cross the threshold, and they were back where they started yesterday. Back on Spider Street, surrounded by those many storage lockers and various warehouses. Of course, there were a few people, though they remained in the alleyways, eyeing them all up.


    The destination they finally reached was near the end of it all, with Thaddeus directing the duo to a narrow alleyway. She had no issue, but both Thaddeus and Mr. Larison had to turn sideways. A flapping poster hung from a wall, brushing her shoulder as she walked past. Hope straightened it out, seeing the face of the mayor and the words ¡®Vote for Mayor Grove!¡¯ written in bold font underneath.


    ¡°Lots of those, ¡®round here,¡± Jack stated, seeing her inspect the poster. ¡°Grove¡¯s a real popular guy in this kind of area. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s a pretty untapped voting pool.¡±


    She turned around, ¡°I guess. Hey, Mr. Thaddeus, you¡¯ve got some history with the mayor, right? That¡¯s what made Myth so popular, after all.¡±


    Thaddeus spoke up behind them: ¡°You could say that, yes. Myth saved Mayor Grove two years ago. When I announced my intention to create a new hero team, the mayor made contact to let me know that he owned several of the buildings in this area, purchased in the interest of the Grove Family years before his rise into office. As a reward for Myth¡¯s prior deeds, he gifted me one of the disused buildings. The very one we are heading to.¡±


    As they exited the alleyway, Thaddeus pointed ahead at a tall, red brick building. The building in question was an old factory, and it no longer seemed like it was possible to enter, with no doors visible along the brick wall.


    Or at least it appeared that way, as Thaddeus simply pushed on the bricks, and a section slowly moved as if it were a door. The interior was dark, lit only by rows of dusty windows near the ceiling. It might have once contained massive machines and conveyors, but they had been stripped to their bare bones. Sheets covered most of the empty and rusted husks, and there was a fog of dust in the air. It was clear nobody had been active here for a long time.


    ¡°This is your base?¡± Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I guess the mayor didn¡¯t like you that much.¡±


    ¡°Upstairs,¡± Thaddeus said, gesturing to a large, rotted staircase that led up. ¡°But first, head in there.¡± The man gestured to the right, away from the staircase where a hallway resided that likely once went to the break room for the workers when this place was still running. ¡°There are two bathrooms. Change into your suits, and I will join you in a moment.¡±


    They did as instructed, pushing past the door in the back. This part of the building looked far more modern and had stone tiles. Two bathrooms were on the left and right, and she entered the female one. Shockingly, it was still in order. In fact, it looked brand new. If she had to guess, Thaddeus must have gotten them fixed whenever he¡¯d taken this place over.


    Both she and Larison had brought their costumes ahead of time, so getting changed was easy. When she stepped out, Myth stood in all his glory, robes billowing a little as the hero waited for them. ¡°I¡¯m glad you two could make it. I heard about the incident with Green Wolf.¡± The words were spoken as if he were a completely different person. Thaddeus had spoken softly and quietly, but Myth was loud, smooth, and straight to the point.


    ¡°You did?¡± She said, stunned.


    ¡°Poseidon posted about two new heroes with power sets matching what I knew of you two on Hero Hub. She has a large following there and gossips about all her missions. She wanted it to be known that you two did most of the heavy lifting and that Team Reservoir arrived after it was all over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice of her.¡± Battery said dryly.


    ¡°Indeed. Speaking of which, I heard some of your choice words. As the kids put it, I didn¡¯t know you were ¡®based¡¯ like that.¡± Myth looked down at their ¡®costumes¡¯ with a frown. ¡°I will put in a request to get you two new outfits. You will not be going out on missions with my team dressed like that.¡±


    ¡°My team? So, you have a few people already?¡± She asked. Guess the rumors were true.


    ¡°Yes. That is who you will be meeting. Follow me.¡± The superhero led them to the staircase. ¡°Normally, a hero team is able to make income through sponsor deals and contracts. This money tends to go to maintaining a base. Most hideouts are placed in something called a Pocket Dimension. Harrison Avalon created them nearly fifteen years ago with the help of the hero Max Lightning. Sadly, when I left the Sub Enforcers, most of my assets were taken, so this building will work as our base from here on out. Try not to show up in costume, and don¡¯t use the front door if you can help it; use the way I showed you both.¡±


    After seeing the desolation of the first floor, seeing the second floor was a shock. It was a loft, and the contrast was startling. The exterior walls were red brick, and there was no ceiling beyond a roof and a skeleton of metal girders overhead to support it. The loft seemed to have three sections in the general area, though it was hard to define because of its open layout.


    It would seem they had stepped into what looked like a living room. There was a large TV attached to the wall and a couch, as well as a few chairs scattered about. A whiteboard was placed in the center of the room, and a fridge was hooked up in the corner. There was a hum in the air, likely from a generator, and a shelf covered in various layers of weapons, from swords to nunchucks and even guns, stood tall.


    Most notable, though, were the two people seated on the couch watching TV. Or at least they had been, but they were now staring at the three of them as they came up the stairs.


    ¡°These are the two I told you about.¡± Myth spoke, and it took her a moment to realize the man was talking to the two people on the couch. ¡°I think I can finally start this team properly with them.¡± Myth then turned to them. ¡°Those two are the first members of my team. You two can take a seat anywhere. There is food and soda in the fridge.¡± Leaning towards Jack, Myth muttered quietly. ¡°And also, beer, but watch the amount you drink.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± She said awkwardly.


    ¡°Sup.¡± One of the people on the couch greeted her, giving her a nod.


    An awkward silence filled the poorly lit room, and Battery shrugged, took a seat on one of the chairs, and turned to watch the TV, which played some show about people with laser swords in space.


    That left her to stand there awkwardly and stare at the two other members of Myth¡¯s strange new team.


    One of them was a girl. The other one she wasn¡¯t really sure about. The girl was dressed to look almost like a ninja, wearing a pitch black outfit with very little color. A hood covered the girl¡¯s head, and cloth covered her lower face. A pair of what looked like night vision goggles also covered the girl¡¯s upper face, and what bits of hair could be seen beneath the hood was a light blonde cut short. There were many pockets and latches all along the outfit, where several things hung. Some looked to be tasers, others were phones, and what looked like a drone was held in the girl¡¯s arms. The very same kind the Hero Branch news stations used.


    ¡°Hey.¡± The girl said, giving a bit of a nod and holding out a hand. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you two. I¡¯m Whisper.¡± She grabbed the offered hand, giving it a shake. ¡°It¡¯s good to know there will be another girl on the team.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to know I won¡¯t be the only girl either.¡± She was a little relieved about that. She didn¡¯t really hang out with any girls her age or any girls at all, so maybe it would be good to have a female friend on the team.


    ¡°I¡¯m Snowdawn.¡± The second hero said, speaking in a familiar voice. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on why it was familiar, as it came out very muffled, and it took her a second to even realize what the hero was saying. The ¡®costume¡¯ was almost as odd as hers. From head to toe, Snowdawn was covered in snow. That was it. There was nothing else. There was no armor that she could see, no hat, belt, or clothes¡ªjust snow. As if the hero was a walking, talking snowman. The only sign there was even a human underneath was two holes that were poked in the head, showing a hint of the glasses of whoever was beneath that snow.


    Snowdawn held his hand out to her, and she shook it but couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the cold and wetness of the melting snow.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She wiped her hand on the front of her jacket, getting the water off. ¡°I¡¯m Cinder. I guess I¡¯m the new girl, so treat me nice, okay?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Battery,¡± Jack said, giving a half-wave, paying more attention to the TV than them.


    ¡°He¡¯s like, really old.¡± Whisper, ¡®whispered¡¯ to her. ¡°Is he like your dad or what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Step dad?¡±


    Myth clapped his hands together. ¡°Now that the two groups have met, I think it is time to get down to business.¡± The hero stood tall in front of the whiteboard, trying to impose the figure of a leader. Now that she thought about it, she guessed Myth would be the boss. ¡°I tried going solo for two years straight; however, it has seemed to be a bad call on my part. Every day, both Bad Timers and Zoo grow stronger, recruiting new young Supers. And now a new gang known as the Wandering Coin has moved in. The Watch Dogs and Sub Enforcers have been trying their best to keep up but are falling behind. Because of this, I¡¯ve felt the need to start a team of my own. Whisper was the first person I recruited, followed shortly by Snowdawn, though both have only had very minor appearances in public.¡±


    She listened to the man¡¯s explanation, nodding along. She had heard of Snowdawn a little bit, when the hero had stopped a car from falling over the edge of a bridge a few months ago and had been a new hero who went solo. Snowdawn had vanished off the radar after that, so people assumed the rookie hero had been killed off, but it seemed he had actually been picked up by Myth around that time. Obviously, the hero¡¯s powers revolved around snow and ice.


    As for Whisper, she had never heard of that girl, and she didn¡¯t recognize her costume.


    ¡°Battery. As it stands, besides me, I would say you have the second most experience.¡± Myth explained.


    Battery gave a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll help out where I can, but don¡¯t expect me to step up as second in command; I¡¯m only doing this for her.¡± The man replied, jerking a thumb towards her.


    ¡°Aw, that¡¯s sweet. I wish my dad had joined me more on missions.¡± Snowdawn snickered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two were related.¡± Myth said, taken aback.


    ¡°We¡¯re not.¡± Both Battery and her stated at the same time.


    ¡°Ah. My bad.¡± That shut Snowdawn up.


    Myth shook his head and continued. ¡°I want to lay down a few things first for you, Cinder and Battery. First of all, I plan on bringing us all out on a proper mission at a later date. I will have actual costumes for the two of you by then. Second of all, Whisper doesn¡¯t have an ability suited for combat but is good in other ways, and while Snowdawn is durable, he is new, so I will be counting on you two to have their backs, just as they will have yours. I won¡¯t stand infighting of any kind. I am fine with failing missions as long as we all come out of them alive. At the end of the day, we¡¯re heroes, and that means saving someone, even if that person has to be yourself. Finally, I know both of your secret identities, and you both know mine. I have not informed Snowdawn or Whisper of you two. If you are fine with them knowing, you are free to tell them; if not, then you can remain secret, and the same is true both ways.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything to hide.¡± Battery gave a half shrug and lowered his hood, pulling his ski mask off. ¡°I¡¯m Jack.¡±


    Seemingly following his lead, Whisper lowered her own hood and took her mask off, giving a smile. The woman was younger than Myth, likely in her early twenties or about to turn twenty. ¡°I¡¯m Lois. I have full faith in Myth, so if he trusts you, I will too.¡± Lois held her hand out, and Jack shook it, giving a nod. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, sir.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Hope.¡± She might as well go all out if Mr. Larison was. She took her helmet off and removed the black cloth that covered her upper face, giving a grin. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    The can of soda Snowdawn had been holding crashed to the floor as the snowy hero stood up quickly. ¡°Hope!¡±


    ¡°Uh yeah, that¡¯s my real name? Parents picked it out, I know it¡¯s cringe.¡±


    The snow-covered boy snorted, and slowly, the snow that covered the hero from head to toe dripped off. ¡°I had plans to hide my identity. The only one who knows what I look like is Myth.¡± The boy wore a black, skintight outfit underneath that was likely made to be bulletproof and stab-resistant to offer a bit of extra protection. A mask wasn¡¯t really necessary since the protective snow covered any features. The boy¡¯s hair was wild and a brownish color, and childish eyes twinkled behind round glasses.


    Her eyes lit up when she saw that goofy smile. ¡°Armin!¡±


    It would seem that she wasn¡¯t the only one hiding the fact that they had gotten superpowers from their best friend.

 Chapter Twenty-One: It’s Called Pantheon

    She stood there, stunned. Armin didn¡¯t look much better, staring at her with wide eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you had superpowers?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you had them? And don¡¯t pull what I did. I want an actual answer!¡±


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Well, Armin did sometimes have to vanish whenever he got a call from someone and would never say who it was. And the boy had been working out a lot more recently. She couldn¡¯t help but recall how he had flexed his muscles for her mom on the day of the bank incident. Speaking of which, now that she thought about it, Armin didn¡¯t seem scared like she had been when the villains had arrived. The only person that even tried getting out of the chains the men had been wrapped in and attempting to stand up had been him.


    Armin gave her a sheepish grin. ¡°I was going to tell you, I promise. I just wanted to get a really good name for myself as a strong hero. That way, when word got out that I was a hero, all the babes would be all over me.¡±


    Still the same Armin, hero or not.


    ¡°So, I take it you two know each other.¡± Lois giggled.


    ¡°We go to the same school.¡± She explained, already getting a headache and feeling the need to have a serious conversation with her friend later. What were the chances the one team she ended up on had Armin on it? She was used to her hero stories not being so teen drama-fueled...


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Myth hummed, folding his arms. ¡°If you know Snowdawn personally, then that means the only person you have to get to know is Whisper. This should boost team bonding.¡±


    Jack snorted but didn¡¯t say anything, too focused on the show on TV. The man looked like he found the entire thing to be an amusing joke. ¡°Can we get back on topic?¡± She asked. ¡°Mr. Lari- Battery and I said we¡¯d join your team because we want what you want, Myth. We want to help make Oleander better. I assume you have some plans for that.¡±


    Myth rubbed his chin over his face mask and gave a nod. ¡°I do. As it stands, my main goal is to help out where the Sub Enforcers are thin. Two years ago, when I was a member of the team, I thought I would get a big promotion. Then the Calamities struck, and we lost many good heroes, including Red Iron, the previous leader of the Sub Enforcers. With his death, I was overlooked. I feel like that is a mistake, but I don¡¯t resent them. The heroes of Oleander are outnumbered by the villains by a large margin.¡±


    ¡°Not counting this little group, there are about nine heroes in Oleander,¡± Jack said, suddenly causing everyone to jump. ¡°Four of them are kids in the Sub Enforcers. One of them is a young adult still figuring out how to lead his new team, and the other four are part of the Watch Dogs, who are dealing with the loss of their leader. If we¡¯re generous, then Oleander also has a few solo heroes that aren¡¯t dead yet, in which case let''s round up to a total of fifteen." The man clasped his hands together. ¡°Also, there is the factor of the police and the Hero Branch, who are trained to help out superheroes. Bad Timers has about seven Supers, maybe a few more. Zoo has around ten. The Wandering Coin, as far as we know, only has one. That¡¯s about sixteen villains, low-balling it. Not counting the dozens of men and women they¡¯ve got as backup soldiers to counter the cops, with no problem not playing by the rules. Villains just have it easier than heroes.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered. That is why I am forming this team. To better help out the heroes.¡±


    ¡°So, if we are a team, what are we called anyway? And what will we be doing?¡± She asked curiously.


    Her words caused Lois to let out a snort. ¡°Wait till you hear the name he came up with. It¡¯s like he¡¯s trying to get a rise out of the villains.¡±


    Myth gave Whisper a dirty look. ¡°To answer your question, Cinder, we don¡¯t have the funding to go after the big boys like Zoo and Bad Timers, so for the time being, I¡¯d like to focus on the smallest and newest group, which is making headway. The Wandering Coin. As for what our group will be called, I¡¯ve settled on the name Pantheon!¡±


    The words rang out in the room, and the man even raised a fist to the sky, speaking proudly. Silence followed after that, and she couldn¡¯t help but let out the faint hint of a giggle. ¡°Pantheon? Like the thing you call a group of gods? I think you¡¯re going a little overboard with a name like that for what is basically a bunch of rookies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to make a statement.¡± Myth defended the choice. ¡°I want them to know that we are here to last. That we are important and that we will win when push comes to shove.¡±


    ¡°The first step is getting the name out there.¡± Jack¡¯s way of speaking caused most people to go silent and listen. The man sounded like he knew what he was doing. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you have a goofy name or a serious name. There was a time when everyone called the Victorian a pretentious girl playing God. Now, her name is spoken with either respect or fear. Starting small is important. Doing big things helps, but the words of the people matter most. Getting their respect or fear. Making a statement is good. Following through on a promise is even better. Taking down the smaller gangs like the Wandering Coin will show the people that we care about them and that we¡¯re willing to help. It¡¯ll also weaken the villainous group, and even if we aren¡¯t the ones who beat them, simply being associated with it would put us in the light.¡±


    Myth stood there for a second, a little stunned, used to dealing with people who were much younger. The dark-skinned man shook his head and nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m glad you agree with my plan. I want Pantheon to make a real difference.¡±


    ¡°Where do we start?¡± She asked.


    Myth gave a shrug. ¡°For now, nowhere. I told you earlier, but I¡¯m getting you two proper costumes. Whisper is still getting a few things set up as well. Just like with Snowdawn, I¡¯d ask you two to not go out in public if you can help it. I¡¯d like the next time we¡¯re all seen together as a full team to show us off. Of course, if there is an emergency, then go ahead; the people¡¯s safety comes first. If it all goes well, though, I¡¯d like to start next week sometime. In the meantime, all of you are welcome to come here and even stay here if you wish.¡±


    She gave a nod at that and a light smile. Having a base was kind of cool. ¡°That sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°Me as well.¡± Jack hummed.


    ¡°Great.¡± Armin grinned. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re officially on the same team, Hope.¡± The boy held a hand out to her, and she tapped it with a fist bump.


    ¡°To the start of what will hopefully be a long-term team.¡± She stated.


    Sadly, things didn¡¯t really get interesting after that. They watched a few shows and sometimes spoke. Finally, though, it was time to leave.


    She changed back to her normal clothes and let her hair down, stepping out of the stall and finding Lois waiting for her. The girl was dressed in a simple jacket for the cold and some long pants. Lois was tall, even taller than her, and had more muscle than Armin did, from what she could tell.


    ¡°Heading home?¡± The girl asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. ¡°Mr. Larison said he needed to go pick up his car, so I was about to head out anyway.¡±


    ¡°Wanna walk with me then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Outside of the bathroom, Armin waited, giving a wave when he saw them. The boy was also dressed normally, his costume likely hidden in his backpack. She wondered if Armin carried it to school. The nerdy boy gave them both his trademark goofy grin. ¡°Ladies.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± They both said.


    ¡°Aw, come on!¡±


    She snorted and rolled her eyes. ¡°Only if you behave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    They headed out of the warehouse after that. Jack had left a while ago, and Thaddeus wasn¡¯t far behind, so they were the last to leave. They squeezed through the narrow alleyway, and she was a little glad to have the company as the three of them began to head down the cracked path of Spider Street. She couldn¡¯t help but shiver at all the eyes that followed them. How many were part of the Wandering Coin or one of the other two groups?


    She shook her head and cleared her throat, speaking only when they stepped off of the block. ¡°So, what are you guys¡¯ powers exactly?¡± She asked quietly.


    Armin gave a shrug and a bit of a grin. ¡°Mine aren¡¯t that hard to guess.¡± Making sure there weren¡¯t any eyes on them, he held a hand up, and a small ball of snow formed in it. ¡°I can cool the air down, create a little water vapor, and then form it into snow. Pretty cool, right? Get it. Cool. Because of my powers- Anyway, I can compress it into ice if I really focus, though I¡¯m still working on that. And seriously, I swear I was going to tell you; I just didn¡¯t have the time.¡±


    Lois was next. ¡°Like Myth said earlier, mine aren¡¯t really made for combat. Even Snow- Armin here has some mild strength and speed boosts, but I¡¯m just a normal human in terms of physical prowess. That said, my power.¡± The woman grinned, and then she was gone. She stared in shock as the girl was simply no longer there. A teleporter or- She felt a light tug on her hair and a finger twirling through it, and a second later, Lois was back, now playing with a strand of her black hair.


    ¡°Invisibility?¡± She asked, swatting the girl¡¯s hand away and brushing her hair back into place.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lois nodded. ¡°I can turn myself invisible and anything I¡¯m holding, to an extent. I also have something else I can do, but that one''s a secret.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough about us, though!¡± Armin declared. ¡°What can you do? And how long have you had your powers?¡±


    That caused her smile to fade for a second as she thought back to the gang members. Lois elbowed Armin when the girl saw the look on her face. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± The girl began, but she cut her off.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± She shook her head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯d rather not say how I got them. But I¡¯m fine with telling you what I can do. It isn¡¯t anything crazy like Mr. Larison, though. I just have super strength, other basic things, and enhanced senses. I¡¯m still learning a bit about what I can do.¡±


    ¡°So, the basic package?¡± Armin asked.


    Lois seemed to notice her confused look and elaborated. ¡°Most powers typically offer at least some basic form of superhuman stats. In fact, a power that doesn¡¯t make you stronger like mine is pretty rare, so I guess I¡¯m lucky.¡± The woman said sarcastically. ¡°Of course the rarest power is one of the four Lords.¡±


    "Four Lords?"


    "Oh, have you not heard of them?¡± Lois raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°The Lords are considered to be the first ever people to have powers. Of course they''re long since dead nowadays, but every now and then the power of a Lord reappears." The girl explained. "You have the Lord of the Sea and Depths, able to control water and gravity. The Lord of the Land and Life, able to create new organic matter. The Lord of the Sky and Weather, able to glimpse the future, and finally the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. Full Monarch, the previous number one hero, was the last holder of the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The people that hold these titles pop up every now and then. Currently, Poseidon holds the title of Lord of the Sea and Depths, and a member of the Enforcers holds the title of Lord of the Sky and Weather. Full Monarch died fifteen years ago, along with the previous Lord of the Land and Life, so the world has been sort of waiting for those last two Lords to appear."


    ¡°Do we know where they are, or could be?¡± She asked.


    Lois shook her head slowly. ¡°No. For the last fifteen years, no one has seen either of those two Lords. They could be anywhere. The Enforcers and nearly every villain group have been looking for them. You¡¯ve heard the rumors about how strong Poseidon is, right? People like her, the Supers blessed with the title of a Lord, are far above any Super on this planet. Only someone like the Victorian truly stands above them right now.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She felt a chill go up her spine. Poseidon was called the next Victorian. Considered to be one of the greatest upcoming heroes of their generation. The girl was seventeen, and next year, when she came of age, she would likely take over Old Dog¡¯s spot. The thought of there being two more people out there that held the title of Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, or Lord of the Land and Life, that could turn out to be evil was nerve-wracking.


    Armin noticed her look and punched her in the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense, Hope. The heroes still have the Lord of the Sea and the Lord of the Sky. Even if those last two Lords are found and turn out to be evil, we got nothing to fear from their power.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right¡­¡± She still couldn¡¯t shake the bad feeling that was in her gut.


    ¡°Speaking of powers,¡± Armin threw his arms behind his head and decided to change the subject. ¡°What¡¯s up with that Larison guy? How do you know someone like that?¡±


    She gave a nervous shrug. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little complicated. I sort of ran into him by chance, and it turns out he¡¯s really strong. Oh, and he¡¯s basically my sidekick now.¡±


    Armin gave a snort at her words and rubbed his chin. ¡°His name was Jack, right? As in Jack Larison? I think I¡¯ve seen him before. Doesn¡¯t he work for my dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s where I met him.¡±


    ¡°Cool. He fixed our sink once.¡±


    ¡°Neat.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s his power?¡± Lois asked.


    ¡°He points and goes pew.¡±


    The two heroes stared at her strangely after that, and the rest of the walk was done mostly in silence. Soon enough, they arrived closer to the better part of Oleander City, and Lois stopped in front of a large hotel. ¡°Well, this is my stop. I already have Snow- Armin¡¯s information, so we should exchange numbers, Hope.¡± Day one of being on a team, and she was already getting a cute girl''s number. Talk about game. That was when she remembered something.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have a phone.¡± She said sheepishly. ¡°I have something Mr. Larison gave me, but he said it¡¯s for work only.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gotten a new one yet?¡± Armin asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Not since the last one broke.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Money do be tight like that.¡±


    Lois gave a small nod and set her bag down, opening and reaching into it to pull part of her costume out, fishing around. ¡°I got plenty of spares set up in my room, so you can have this one.¡± The woman said, fishing out a sleek black phone.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She couldn¡¯t help the slight shake in her hands or voice as the girl handed it to her. The phone was one of the newer models. Now that she looked at it, all the phones strapped to the girl¡¯s outfit were. And judging by how well off the hotel they stood outside of was, she figured Lois was probably doing pretty well in terms of cash. She might have just fallen in love.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a phone if you¡¯re going to be part of the group,¡± Lois explained. ¡°Both in and out of costume. It¡¯s good to stay connected in case something comes up or you can¡¯t make it. You can mess around with that phone and change some of the contacts if you want. All the contacts listed as L1, L2, or others like that are my other phones. The one named Lois is my actual number, and Snow should be Armin¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Thank you then.¡± Already, Lois had become her favorite friend. The girl seemed to always have a light smile on her face and seemed to be the kind to brush most things off.


    ¡°If you need help with anything, give me a call. The same goes for you, Arm.¡±


    ¡°I can handle myself.¡± The boy said, trying to flex his arms, which were nowhere near as muscular as Lois¡¯s.


    ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯ll be seeing you both. It was good to meet you.¡± And with that, the girl waved herself off. They watched Lois enter the hotel, disappearing up a set of stairs, leaving just the two of them.


    A bit of an awkward silence started up as she and Armin began to head towards his house. As she walked, she opened the new phone up and was shocked to see just how full the contacts were. Snow and Bull were listed, and it was easy to guess who they were. Then there was L1, all the way to L100. This phone was listed as L15. It didn¡¯t have any apps but wasn¡¯t restricted. Besides the contact list, it seemed like it was a brand-new phone.


    Whatever plan Lois had for it was different from the one her mom had, as the phone seemingly had unlimited data and calling. She¡¯d have to remember to ask how much Lois paid for the phone and plans. She could eventually pay the girl back as thanks.


    ¡°So, you really have superpowers.¡± Armin¡¯s voice caused her to almost jump. She put the phone in her bag and turned to the boy. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to picture it.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve known you for so long, and you never seemed like the type.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was a bit of a shock for me, too.¡± She admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t get them under the best circumstances. I haven¡¯t even had them for that long.¡±


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Armin didn¡¯t sound like he was accusing her of anything. More or less, just curious.


    ¡°Well, I had planned to. I had lost my phone, though, and couldn¡¯t. By the time I did get my phone back, Kyle showed up, and he-¡±


    ¡°Wait! Did Kyle know before me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He was sort of there. We ended up heading to the junkyard to practice my powers. After that, I don¡¯t know. I just didn¡¯t tell you.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I guess I had a similar thought to you. I wanted to only show you I was a hero when I was already cool and strong.¡±


    Armin chuckled at her words, nodding. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t blame you or anything. I mean, I really can''t, since I did the same thing for even longer. So how did Mrs. Lauren take it when she learned her daughter was a superhero?¡± The boy¡¯s smile faded when he saw the look on her face. ¡°Hope, you did tell your mom and dad that you were dressing up and getting into fights, right?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m going to...¡±


    ¡°Hope!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to worry. She already worries so much about Dad. If she thinks I¡¯m going to keep getting hurt, then there is no way she would allow me to go out in costume! I¡¯ll tell her when Dad starts getting better, but until then, I don¡¯t want to give her another reason to stress out.¡±


    Armin sighed at that and folded his arms. ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to not tell them, but that¡¯s your choice. I¡¯ll keep my lips sealed around her. It''s not like it¡¯s the first secret I¡¯ve kept from your mom. My dad already knows I¡¯m a hero and about my powers, so you might want to act normal around him, just so he doesn¡¯t figure it out.¡±


    She wondered briefly if the man already knew. If he heard that Mr. Larison and she fought that villain, then Mr. Moore was already more than aware.


    ¡°So, do your parents even know you have powers?¡± Armin asked.


    ¡°No, I kept that secret too.¡± She winced, feeling more guilt building up.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Armin muttered when he saw the look on her face.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± She shook the weird feeling that was building up. She didn¡¯t even realize it, but they had arrived at the boy¡¯s house. His home was sort of like Kyle¡¯s had been. Big, not a manor, but larger than a normal house. ¡°Hi, Mr. Moore.¡± She said as she entered the front door. The man was dressed in a suit and tie, reading the news, nodding when he saw her. She froze for a bit when she saw that the paper was talking about a pair of new heroes that got in over their heads and fought the leader of Zoo.


    The people did not seem to like her very much...


    Armin grabbed her hand and led her upstairs to his room. She had been there several times before. It was large, with a king-size bed, one of the biggest TVs she had ever seen, as well as dozens of new and old game consoles hooked up. On shelves lining the walls were a large collection of books, comics, and even a few action figures of the Enforcers, though not as many as her and Mr. Larison had.


    Armin collapsed into a chair and tossed something at her. She caught it, looking down at it with a raised eyebrow. It was a black device that she could grip down on that had a digital meter on it. ¡°That can determine your grip strength,¡± Armin explained. ¡°It¡¯s not the best way to tell, but it can be good to tell if you¡¯re getting stronger. Anything above one hundred is pretty good. I can hit just under two hundred if I try, which is how I know I¡¯ve gotten superhuman strength from my power. That one goes to about three hundred. Give it a try.¡±


    ¡°As hard as I can?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She nodded, got her hand around the grip, and began to pull. She watched as the number on it began to go up fast. It hit a hundred, then two hundred, then three- A loud crack seemed to echo in the room as the grip snapped off, and she accidentally crushed it in her hands. The device practically exploded, falling to the floor.


    Armin couldn¡¯t stop laughing as her face turned red in embarrassment. ¡°Yeah, you have super strength, for sure.¡± The boy giggled.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. I got more than one. You warned me you were strong; I just figured it was only slightly stronger than a normal person. Have you tried to reach your limit?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I haven¡¯t had anything to try it on. I can pick up a car and shake a building with a punch.¡±


    Armin let out a whistle at that. ¡°Damn.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larison is even stronger.¡± She bragged.


    ¡°Damn.¡± An awkward silence filled the room for a moment as she gripped and ungripped her hand. ¡°So why did you become a hero?¡± Armin asked after a few seconds of silence.


    ¡°I already said it, sort of. I wanted to make a difference, though.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Oleander needs to get better.¡±


    Armin gave her a nod. ¡°Yeah, I want to do the same. Not just with Oleander, though.¡±


    ¡°You mean the world?¡± She¡¯d have loved to claim she wanted to save the planet, but that was some Victorian-level stuff. She was still a long way from that.


    Armin leaned forward on the bed, going quiet as he seemed to debate telling her something or not. Finally, he looked her dead in the eye, joking nature gone, replaced with a serious look. ¡°I haven¡¯t told my dad this. He¡¯d freak. I don¡¯t want to just be a hero for Oleander, though. I want to be a hero that helps out during a Calamity.¡±


    She felt her blood run cold for a moment at his words. A Calamity-level event was something everyone knew and everyone feared. Even the villains. Something that could bring about the end of all life. There were three potential events that were considered world-destroying disasters.


    The first was Chrysanthemum¡¯s border breaking and the full force of the Dead Virus breaking out into the world. A disease able to slay even the strongest heroes and villains. Her father was barely afflicted with a mild strand, and she saw the state the man was in. The second was the Beast coming down from outer space, declaring war on planet Earth. That happened nearly two years ago. Oleander hadn¡¯t been hit, but several parts of Planet Earth were forever twisted and changed beyond human suitability. Many heroes died then.


    The third and final was the closest mankind ever got to reaching an extinction point. To this day, they were still suffering from the losses. A villain known as the Emperor. The villain had declared war on planet Earth and attacked with an entire army of otherworldly monsters. He hadn¡¯t been seen in over fifteen years. Not since he was defeated by the hands of Full Monarch, the mentor of the Victorian. This event also led to the deaths of the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, as well as the Lord of the Land and Life, hence the reason everyone was waiting for the two new Lords to appear.


    To go up against even a single Calamity level threat was basically suicide. Even the greatest hero the world had ever seen, Full Monarch, the previous Lord of the Sun, died in his battle with the Emperor.


    She placed a hand on Armin¡¯s shoulder and gave him a slight smile. ¡°Let¡¯s stick with making Oleander a better place for now. We can deal with aliens, monsters, and gods another time.¡±


    Armin smiled, gripping her hand. ¡°Yeah. So, want to go blow stuff up?¡±


    ¡°Always.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You seemed eager about letting us into your little team,¡± Jack noted. By now, the two of them had gotten dressed back in their civilian clothes, and the red-haired man decided to poke at the librarian.


    ¡°Team?¡± Thaddeus cocked his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think you have me mistaken with-¡±


    ¡°Dude, seriously? Are ya this committed to the bit?¡±


    The dark-skinned man looked around for a moment, making sure no one was watching them. The man grabbed the front of his shirt, raised it up, and covered his lower mouth. Instantly, his voice changed, going back to the tone he used when he was Myth. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Thaddeus, or maybe it was Myth now, asked.


    Jack reversed the car out of the alleyway and finally escaped Spider Street. In the passenger seat, his new boss was seated quietly. ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of kids.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°When a person awakens their powers, they tend to be young. Normally, they only have a few real options. The first is going solo, where they¡¯ll be taken in by a gang or slaughtered. The second is joining the Sub Enforcers and knowing you will have to go wherever the Hero Branch sends you when you come of age. I made Pantheon with another goal. I want to offer kids a place on this team where they can make their own choices and do what they want.¡±


    ¡°As long as it follows your rules,¡± Jack asked dryly, causing the dark-skinned man to frown. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve fooled me. In that fight with Red Ape, you were holding back, weren¡¯t you? Let¡¯s be real here; you could have taken Red Ape out whenever you wanted to, couldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I could say the same to you.¡± Myth noted in a cool tone. ¡°I assume we both have our reasons why.¡±


    ¡°You wanted to see what the kid could do, didn''t you?¡± Jack¡¯s fingers clenched around the steering wheel. ¡°I already said it. I¡¯ll help you where I can, but don¡¯t expect me to step up as second in command.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve made that clear. Honestly, if not for that girl, I doubt I¡¯d have let you join. I¡¯ve seen firsthand what she can do. I¡¯d be insane not to recruit her.¡±


    ¡°Just remember that she isn¡¯t a weapon. She¡¯s a kid first.¡±


    Myth sighed at the words and turned to stare out the window. ¡°I have to ask. You are strong. Clearly able to fight, showing signs of practice. Ocean Empress, Old Dog, Max Lightning, Lady Time, Mister Man, Beta, Wyvern, Fable, Boy Genius, and the Victorian. Do you know what they all have in common?¡±


    ¡°All ten of them are Enforcers?¡±


    ¡°All ten of them are strong.¡± The librarian explained. ¡°Not all powers are equal. Some are godlike, such as the power of the four Lords, and some are so weak you might as well not even have them, such as Red Ape. That said, I have found four main things that determine how strong you are. Body, Mind, Spirit, and Luck. The more fit you are, the more your head is in the game, the more you put your soul into it, and the luckier you are, the stronger you¡¯ll be. To put it bluntly, I think you cover one point. You¡¯re lucky. You have an extremely powerful ability, but your body is a mess. You don¡¯t seem interested in this job; I am guessing someone crushed your spirit long ago.¡±


    Jack didn¡¯t respond, keeping his eyes on the road as the car cruised onward.


    The hero seemed to take the silence as interest, so he continued talking. ¡°I have offered this to the others, and I¡¯ll give it to you as well. I trained in several degrees of psychology. This job can be stressful and harmful. If you ever need someone to talk to-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a therapist.¡± The dark-skinned man was silenced by the sharp tone of Jack¡¯s voice. ¡°You can count on me to do what¡¯s best, okay?¡±


    The man frowned. ¡°Very well, then. Keep your secrets.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I planned on it.¡±


    ¡°Just know this.¡± Myth stared at Battery with an unflinching look. ¡°If for even a second I sense a hint of malice in you...¡±


    ¡°I got the picture.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I would rather off myself before being evil for even a single second once more.¡±


    ¡°Once more?¡± Myth raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°A slip of the tongue.¡±


    And with that, the two men sat quietly in the car, neither really knowing what else to say to the other. An unlikely team had been born that day. Pantheon had been created.

 Chapter Twenty-Two: Team Pantheon

    The bell tolled loudly, signaling the end of school. ¡°So, how¡¯s the hero¡¯s life been?¡± Kyle asked as the three headed for the exit.


    ¡°Quiet.¡± Armin responded. ¡°It¡¯s been a bit since we¡¯ve even heard a peep of crime. I wanted to go right out in a glorious blaze doing an amazing mission, but our boss keeps wanting us to sit and wait.¡±


    She gave a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. It¡¯s been giving me a chance to try and catch up with everyone.¡±


    Myth had kept his word when announcing there wouldn¡¯t be any hero business until he was finished getting whatever was needed to get set up. At that time, crime had gone quiet. Actually, that was a bad way of putting it. It was still there. A few gang members from the Bad Timers stole a car, a couple of people overdosed on drugs sold by the Wandering Coins, and some officers received death threats from Zoo, but that was it. None of the supervillains had made a move, all seemingly waiting on the others.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quiet for Dad, too,¡± Kyle stated, frowning. ¡°He¡¯s been complaining. He gave his declaration of war, and none of the gangs bothered to bite. I¡¯ve been listening to a spare radio I ¡®borrowed¡¯ for signs of major crimes. I¡¯ll call you two the moment I hear anything.¡±


    ¡°Nice, man.¡± Armin and Kyle gave each other a fist bump, both grinning, causing her to snort.


    It wasn¡¯t very hard to get the two to get along. During the week-long break, Armin decided to reveal himself to Kyle since he already knew about her identity. It was easier than skirting around the questions.


    Also, during that time, she had only gotten to see Mr. Larison a handful of times. The man worked the evening shifts, and she had school in the morning. He really wasn¡¯t interested in just hanging out but still tried to give her some advice, though. Most notable was what she did every day before school and after school now. Running.


    Armin, Lois, and Thaddeus were all pretty fit. Even Mr. Larison was, to an extent. They all had some muscles on them and had built up strength. By comparison, she had almost nothing on her, being only carried by her enhanced abilities. Mr. Larison had instructed her to go for a run every day to start building up stamina and some muscle. It would also help her gain better control of her powers. Just as she was becoming more fireproof with every use of her flame power, if she built up more physical strength naturally, her super strength would also grow with it.


    It had only been a week, so she wasn¡¯t really seeing any major changes, but it was better than nothing. She¡¯d also go to the junkyard with Armin and Kyle, lifting anything that looked heavy. Her limit was around five thousand pounds at the moment. After all, she had been able to lift up and throw that police car in her battle with Intake.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the game plan tonight?¡± Kyle asked. ¡°You two going to keep doing some light training?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± Armin shrugged. ¡°If nothing changes, then yeah. We¡¯ll head back to the junkyard. I¡¯ve been trying to freeze the water and see if I can harden my snow into ice faster, but it hasn¡¯t gotten any easier.¡±


    ¡°I still need to just build up some muscle.¡± She shrugged. She didn¡¯t want to get crazy buff, but something like Lady Time or Victorian would make her more attractive. ¡°Mom already thinks I¡¯m working part-time at the library, and Mr. Thaddeus covers for me anytime she calls up there to check on me, so I¡¯m free for the whole day, basically.¡± She had even convinced Armin to slip her some cash so as to seem like she was getting paid. Sadly, Armin insisted on the minimum wage, so it wasn¡¯t a lot of money. The boy¡¯s allowance was more than Mr. Larison got paid though, so she was just happy he was giving her small handouts.


    Kyle gave a half-nod. ¡°I wish I could help out more, but alas, I am a mere mortal.¡±


    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t act that way. I¡¯m sure I could call up Metal Ronin and hook you up with some power armor.¡± Armin joked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Kyle said, rolling his eyes. ¡°Harrison Avalon tried wearing Power Armor when he went up against one of the Calamities and it was nearly destroyed instantly. He wrote an entire novel about the terrors of still being alive in a suit of dead armor that won¡¯t open and let you out while the members of your team are turned into puddles of flesh by an evil space god. That¡¯s enough nightmare fuel for me.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know Metal Ronin?¡± She asked. Was this one of those ¡®all superheroes know each other¡¯ situations?


    Armin gave a sheepish shrug. ¡°I never actually met the guy, or any heroes other than Myth.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re useless.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    They were stepping through the doors and out onto the stone steps just in time to see the local security guard practically tackle a familiar homeless man. "Oh, hey, he¡¯s back.¡± She said with wide eyes. She had to admit she missed him.


    The man was still as dirty as ever, and several kids looked uncomfortable as he was thrashing around under the arms of the guard being carted away. He seemed to have already been in the middle of a speech, simply screaming nonsense. ¡°The Sun! The Sun is real! I¡¯ve seen its child with my own eyes!¡± And then he was carted off.


    ¡°This school is weird.¡± Kyle muttered.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not the school¡¯s fault,¡± Armin said, rolling his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s Hope¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What? How so?¡± She huffed.


    ¡°I mean, he did show up the day you started going to this school.¡± Armin snickered. ¡°So, I blame you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± She sighed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Also, we started this school at the same time, so wouldn¡¯t it be your fault also?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just say nah!¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡±


    ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡±


    ¡°Would you leave me alone?¡± They had just arrived at the parking lot when they heard the yell. None of them had a car, though Kyle was old enough to drive. They had planned to simply cut through it and head for the beach, but were stopped when they saw Kevin of all people once again screaming at Ashley Numen. Only this time, it seemed like a weird turn of events, as he was the one trying to walk away, and the girl¡¯s hand was gripping his arm, holding the boy in place. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Kevin grumbled.


    ¡°Oh, come on.¡± The Queen Bee was rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve seen how you¡¯ve been alone walking in the halls. You¡¯ve fumbled the last few games, and all your buddies are a little pissed, right? You don¡¯t have anything planned, so let¡¯s hang out like we used to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± The boy hissed, pulling his arms out of the grip.


    ¡°What? Busy trying to get a new drug to dope on so you can be number one again?¡±


    ¡°Leave. Me. Alone. You made it pretty clear. We¡¯re through. Just because that new kid turned you down doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll just let you come crawling back like nothing happened.¡± Kevin growled.


    ¡°Look I know this isn¡¯t you talking. It¡¯s those damn drugs you have. I found someone who can help you.¡±


    "Well, good for you. I don¡¯t care, though. Go bother someone else, you stuck-up bitch.¡±


    Ashley had a look of pure rage and was about to say something else, but a balled-up piece of paper hit the girl in the back of the head, and she furiously turned around to glare at who did it, eyes landing on the sheepish form of Hope, who already had a second ball of paper ready.


    ¡°He said to leave him alone.¡± She didn¡¯t regret helping Ashley out two weeks ago when the girl was being attacked by Kevin, but she did think it was really odd how she was now doing the reverse now. Thankfully, she was taller than Ashley by a few inches, and the girl was all looks and no muscle, so she wasn¡¯t too scared.


    Ashley gave her the biggest death glare she had ever received. ¡°Why are you always butting in?¡± The girl fumed.


    ¡°I dunno. It¡¯s funny?¡± She shrugged.


    Thankfully, there wasn¡¯t a fight, as the girl just fumed and stalked away. An awkward silence filled the parking lot, and she realized she was going to have to deal with the trio of bullies once more when she came back to school.


    ¡°You really can¡¯t just be a normal schoolgirl, can you?¡± Kyle asked.


    She just shrugged. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll catch up with you two.¡± Then she began to head for Kevin.


    Kyle and Armin just stared at her strangely after that. ¡°Is she ditching us for Kevin?¡± Armin asked.


    Powers or not, it was a bit of a struggle to keep up with Kevin. The boy was ticked off and taking massive steps forward. ¡°Hey, wait up.¡±


    ¡°Why won¡¯t people leave me alone?¡± Kevin seethed, but he did stop and spin around, waiting on her. She stood there awkwardly, giving a sheepish laugh. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    She gave a small wince. ¡°I heard what Ashley said.¡± It was an open secret at their school that the football team was taking roids. As long as they were careful and weren¡¯t caught, then it seemed fine with the school. ¡°We¡¯ve got some kind of respect thing going on, haven¡¯t we? Maybe? Do me a favor. Personal opinion aside, I know for a fact there is some dangerous new stuff out there. Try to stay away from the Wandering Coin, okay? I heard they¡¯ve been selling like crazy.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Kevin glared down at her, eyes twitching. ¡°Whatever.¡± And with that, the boy stomped away.


    She sighed and turned around as well, catching up with Armin and Kyle, who hadn¡¯t actually left and were instead waiting for her at the edge of the lot. ¡°What was that about?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°I decided I¡¯m going to make Oleander a better place. Kevin is part of this city, whether I like it or not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see that happening.¡± Kyle snorted.


    ¡°I can dream.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to try and make Ashley less of a frigid bitch next too? Get it. Frigid. Because I have ice powers.¡± Armin gave a thumbs up and a smile.


    She and Kyle stared at the boy blankly.


    ***


    Armin and her said goodbye to Kyle. They only spent about a few hours in the junkyard, the sun having set a while ago.


    She had planned to walk home with Armin and stay at his place since her mom would be staying late at the hospital to check on Dad, but Lois had sent her and Armin a text out of the blue.


    ¡®Meet at the base, please.¡¯ Was what the girl had written.


    ¡°What do you think she wants?¡± Armin asked as the two of them headed through the alleyway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ve known her longer than me.¡± She shrugged. She hadn¡¯t gotten to hang out with Lois as much as she had with Armin. The girl lived in that hotel and didn¡¯t seem to go to school. Lois was a young adult, so the woman could have had some sort of job.


    When they finished pushing the fake brick wall out of the way and entered the warehouse, Armin couldn¡¯t help but let out a low whistle. ¡°I see why she called you now. Looking good, Battery. Looking damn good.¡± The boy nodded.


    Mr. Larison stood in the center of the room with Lois. The girl was going over the suit the man was wearing now. It would seem like Myth had finally gotten them their costumes, and now Battery actually looked like how you might expect a hero to look.


    It kept the red color theme, but it also incorporated some black trim. It sort of looked like a cyclist¡¯s uniform, but with long pants and sleeves. A pair of running shoes were attached at the bottom, and he had on fingerless gloves. The black lines along the costume lit up with the crackling lightning, turning gold every now and then. A mask covered everything but his lower mouth. It had a built-in helmet as well as goggles that would offer protection. Like most costumes, it showed off his muscular form, and it was clear Mr. Larison had been getting back to work. The man wasn¡¯t exactly buff like Myth. He was lean, like a runner, and the beer gut was already starting to vanish.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Lois asked. The girl had a typical sly smile on her lips that never seemed to leave.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jack grunted. The glow around him got brighter, and it mixed in with the suit, lighting it up. ¡°I¡¯m basically a flashlight now.¡± His eyes roamed over the room, noticing the two of them standing near the entrance. ¡°Looks like your other test subject arrived.¡±


    ¡°Test subject?¡± She squeaked out.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind him.¡± Lois let out a giggle and then was suddenly gone, vanishing into thin air. She felt the girl¡¯s arms wrap around her waist, and she was all but dragged to the bathroom. ¡°Come on. We got your costume, too.¡±


    ¡°Need help changing, Lois-¡± Armin was cut off by a smack to the head by the invisible Lois. ¡°Guess not.¡± The boy muttered.


    When they entered the bathroom, Lois reappeared and handed her a bag. She took it with shaking hands. Myth hadn¡¯t really asked them what she wanted in a costume, and she wondered where the man even got it from or who made it. She entered one of the stalls and shut the door behind her.


    She was a little embarrassed that it took her a bit of time to figure out how to put the outfit on. Like most hero suits, it was skintight, though it wasn¡¯t like she had a figure worth showing off. It took her a bit to reach the zipper in the back, but when she finally did, she was ready.


    She took a deep breath and opened the stall, stepping out. ¡°Well. What do you think?¡± She placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out as much as she could, causing Lois to let out a snort.


    That wasn¡¯t the exact reaction she was hoping for. She stepped past the girl and looked into the bathroom mirror, gazing at her reflection.


    Like Mr. Larison, she had an actual costume now. Whoever had created it had stuck to the ¡®theme¡¯ she had sort of set up, but they clearly gave it their own style. The outfit had a zipper on the back and was a full bodysuit, starting from the feet and covering everything but her head. It sported red gloves as well as red boots, but most of the costume was a blue color, the same as the jacket she had worn. On the chest piece, there was a large symbol of a star made out of silver fabric, and all along the suit, it sported faint silver lines.


    She stared down at her hands, clenching them into a fist. She could feel her muscles twitch from beneath the fabric as it hugged her. The costume felt like it almost wasn¡¯t there. It was made in such a way that she could easily wear her clothes over it to hide it, which was good as it had taken her a bit of time to get the thing zipped up.


    ¡°I like it.¡± She finally said.


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly better than my first costume was,¡± Lois smirked, folding her arms. ¡°My second one, too.¡±


    ¡°What costume are you on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say my fourth or fifth.¡± The girl shrugged. ¡°My powers aren¡¯t really made for serious combat, so I¡¯m having to upgrade with anything I can find. Most tech-based heroes, like Boy Genius or even Metal Ronin, are constantly swapping outfits. Sometimes the new costumes are interesting changes, and then sometimes they get weird, like with Ocean Empress.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, before she went with a mermaid look, back in the day. In fact, she had a different name. Most heroes change their names when they grow up fully. Her costume now, though, is that pretty water dress. It¡¯s a little lewd, though, ¡®cause she¡¯s completely naked under it. Guess she likes being a little risqu¨¦.¡±


    She blushed a little and did her best not to think of a very naked Ocean Empress. ¡°Speaking of costumes, though, I¡¯m not done with this one yet.¡±


    She grabbed her backpack and opened it. The costume was good, or at least she thought so, but there was something that was missing for her. She ran her fingers through her hair, straightening it as best she could, then used a band to tie it back into a ponytail. Next, she wrapped the formerly red, but now black, cloth around her face. After that, she tied what was left of the cape around herself, letting it hang down, and finally, she placed the helmet Mr. Larison had given her on.


    ¡°Cinder.¡± She said to herself, testing the name. ¡°I almost feel like a real superhero.¡±


    ¡°Well, you look like a real superhero now, that¡¯s for sure. Where did you even get the name Cinder from?¡±


    "Well, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing, but basically Mr. Larison set a hotel on fire, and I got blamed for it.¡± She said sheepishly. ¡°The owner said the word Cinder, and I thought it was cool. When I found out I had fire powers, it was the first thing that popped into my head.¡±


    ¡°Neat.¡±


    The two of them left the bathroom after that. Armin let out a whistle as he examined the new costume. ¡°You¡¯re keeping the cape?¡± The boy gave her an odd look as she nodded.


    It was badly torn at the bottom and had dozens of tears across it. It was also made for kids. Even if she hadn¡¯t ripped a chunk of it for her mask, it still wouldn¡¯t be the long, flowing symbol of hope that heroes like the Victorian or Lady Time had. It barely went past her backpack, which it rested over.


    A loud clap caused them all to jump. They turned to see that Battery was the one who caused it; his mouth twisted into a thin line as the man stared at Armin and Lois. ¡°Get in costume.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The two kids said blankly.


    ¡°You heard me.¡± The man snapped, giving a wicked grin. ¡°Myth is gone, and I¡¯m the oldest, so get dressed. I wanna see what this team can do. Gotta know what I¡¯m working with.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to be the second in command,¡± Lois said flatly, but the girl ran into the changing room when Battery fired a thin beam into the ground.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lois and Armin to swap into Whisper and Snowdawn. Whisper had seemingly added a few extra pockets, which had some new things, like pepper spray and other such stuff, and the girl gripped the body of a drone tightly to her chest. Snowdawn, meanwhile, was still just goofy Armin. He wasn¡¯t covered in snow, instead just sporting a black jumpsuit.


    ¡°So, what are we doing?¡± Whisper asked. ¡°Myth didn¡¯t want us going out until he was ready, so whatever you have planned will have to stay indoors only.¡±


    Battery folded his arms, flexing his power and allowing it to lighten up the room. Unlike upstairs, where there was electricity and other things, almost nothing was down here. He finally eyed the tarp-covered machines. Or at least what was left of the machines.


    ¡°Snowdawn, you have some basic superhuman stats, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The snow-based hero said, giving a shrug. ¡°Though not as good as Cinder¡¯s or Myth¡¯s, I can handle myself pretty well.¡±


    Battery nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to see how much you can lift.¡± The hero walked over to one of the tarps and tore it off of the machine. The device under it was large and looked heavy, though a hole was cut into the side of it, showing that any wires and other such things had long since been removed. ¡°Try and lift this. I¡¯d say it weighs a little under five hundred pounds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little too heavy for me,¡± Snowdawn said sheepishly, but still walked towards the object. ¡°I¡¯m only a little stronger than your average person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because your body isn¡¯t in the best shape. The same goes for someone like Cinder. People with super strength and other enhanced abilities usually have different multipliers. Someone like you is about two to three times stronger than you should be. Someone like Myth is about a hundred, and then someone like the Victorian is about a million. The key word is multipliers. The better shape your body is in and the stronger you are as a normal human, the more your powers will increase.¡± Battery explained.


    ¡°Yeah, Myth said something similar.¡± Snowdawn nodded. ¡°He said it has to do with the Mind, Body, and Spirit, or something. That¡¯s the reason I started trying to work out.¡± The boy wrapped his arms around the gutted machine and gritted his teeth. Slowly, his skin seemed to almost sparkle.


    She stared intently. She actually hadn¡¯t gotten to see her friend really use his powers to their full extent. It was the first time she got to see him transform into his snowman form.


    It formed like crystals at first. Sprouting all across his flesh, but it wasn¡¯t able to take a solid form fully. Drops of water seemed to come from his pores and mix with the air, rapidly cooling off and quickly filling the room with a cold mist that caused her to shiver. That water formed into snow, and it crawled up Snowdawn¡¯s body, covering him head to toe, leaving only two small eye holes.


    The grunts were muffled now, and it actually seemed like the boy got stronger despite being weighed down by all the snow as the machine he had been struggling with moments ago was lifted off the ground slowly. It wasn¡¯t by much, sadly, and seconds later, it crashed into the floor as his arms dropped to his side, and he gasped.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s heavy.¡± Snowdawn grunted. ¡°Still, I managed to lift it. Happy now, Battery?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± Whisper snorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show us how it¡¯s done then?¡±


    Battery rubbed the back of his neck and walked up towards the heavy machine. He didn¡¯t pick it up, though. Instead, his body lit up, and the black lines across his outfit glowed with a golden light. The man took off running, hitting a corner and bouncing off of it. It took him only a second to become a red blur, and her eyes burned trying to keep up.


    Wind twisted as Battery got faster, golden lightning mixing with him as he sped up and fired at the machine. The hero circled around it, and gradually the twisting air morphed into a massive tornado, lifting the machine up off the ground. Battery came to a sudden stop beneath the machine, and the wind went out, causing the machine to fall and crash land into his palm, which he held up above his head. With one arm, Battery began to lift and drop the machine, using it as a workout method.


    ¡°Freaking show off.¡± Whisper giggled, seemingly not minding. The ground shook seconds later as Battery dropped the machine back to the ground and rubbed at his chest for a bit. ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re pretty cool after all. Don¡¯t think about asking me to lift anything heavy, though. I don¡¯t got super stats, so what¡¯s your plan with me? Hmm, dear Jackson?¡±


    Battery looked like he was about to reply but stopped when a voice cleared their throat. They turned and found Myth waiting at the entrance, already in costume. ¡°Practicing already?¡±


    ¡°Felt like it was best to see just what this team could do.¡± Battery explained.


    Myth gave a small nod. ¡°Not a bad idea. Alright then.¡± His eyes roamed over Battery and then turned to look at her, taking her costume in. She suddenly felt a little more self-conscious about how childish she looked. Finally, though her new boss nodded. ¡°You look good.¡±


    She let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. I feel like a real hero in this.¡± She flexed and grabbed her arm. ¡°I want to get stronger so I can be more useful. Lay out anything you got for us, Myth!¡±


    The leader of Pantheon folded his arms. ¡°In that case. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Go? Go where?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Where else?¡± She couldn¡¯t see it due to the lower cloth mask, but she could tell as Myth gave a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s time Pantheon made itself known. Our first mission is about to begin.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Three: Patrol

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have gotten a piggyback ride from Cinder,¡± Snowdawn murmured with a heavy frown.


    The strong wind hit them in the face as they jumped from roof to roof. If not for her helmet, she knew her hair would have been more of a wild mess than it usually was.


    Jumping was easy for her. Her body was literally made for it, and even the large distances weren¡¯t an issue. She had to stop and wait several seconds for Myth to catch up. The hero was in his bull form and was strong enough to leap vast distances like her, though several times only just barely making it, gripping onto the edges of the rooftops. Snowdawn rode on his back, gripping the horns of the beast since he wasn¡¯t so lucky in the power department.


    ¡°If you practiced with your powers more and could create ice easier, you wouldn¡¯t be in this situation.¡± Myth advised. ¡°Ocean Empress has a method for this kind of travel and creates ice ramps and slides.¡±


    "Yeah, well, I don¡¯t exactly think a layer of snow is very safe. Maybe when I can do ice, I¡¯ll try it, but I¡¯m going to have to pass on walking on a slide made out of fluff.¡± Snowdawn said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a big baby.¡± She giggled. ¡°I¡¯d kill to switch places with you. Myth is like a big giant horse.¡± Myth¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Uh, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Cinder has a point, actually,¡± Snowdawn said, perking up. ¡°Could you turn into a horse?¡±


    Myth shook his head. ¡°How did I get stuck with the two of you?¡±


    They came to a stop at a nearby warehouse, finally reaching Spider Street. The sun had already set by this point, leaving only the moonlight. That said, hiding in the shadows in a bright blue outfit was kind of hard, so she did her best to stay quiet so none of the men down below would have any reason to look up.


    A few cars drove down the road, and dozens of people went through their storage locker. She wasn¡¯t sure who was a gang member and who was just an innocent person that ended up in the bad part of town.


    It was just the three of them. Since she and Snowdawn were so new, Myth decided to personally travel with them while on this patrol. They had basically set out the moment the leader of Pantheon had announced the patrol, going from roof to roof heading to the shady part of town. Her and Mr. Larison had earlier seen the Wandering Coin gang hanging out around the area, so they figured it would be easy to find something to do.


    As for Battery and Whisper, those two had formed their own mini-team and were sent down to the docks. Battery had picked Whisper up and had left in a blur faster than any car could go. The docks were down by the beach where the Bad Timers often hung out, so it was a good bet something would happen down there as well.


    She was a little annoyed that she didn¡¯t get to fight alongside Battery or Whisper, but was glad that at the very least she and Armin were about to team up and fight together.


    ¡°We can¡¯t act unless someone is committing a crime.¡± Myth explained. They spoke in a hushed voice as his form reverted back to its normal human mode, and he set Snowdawn down. ¡°Bad Timers and Zoo always have some sort of tell for if they¡¯re in the group. A mark of sorts. As far as I know though, Wandering Coin doesn¡¯t. If you see someone that looks suspicious, alert me and do not engage. Stalk them if you can from outside and see if they commit a crime first. If they don¡¯t, then we have to let them go. We¡¯re going to split up a bit but stay within forty meters of this building, and if something goes wrong, scream, and I¡¯ll come running. You two stick together; watch each other¡¯s backs.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Okay. Stealth. Yeah. Like in a video game. I can do this.¡±


    Snowdawn let out a small grin. The hero wasn¡¯t covered in his snow since that would¡¯ve been uncomfortable while he rode on Myth¡¯s back, so he actually was able to blend in with the dark buildings very well, thanks to the black jumpsuit. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll take the fire escape over there and head down. Stick to the alleyways. I¡¯ve seen Myth do this a few times, so just stick close, Cinder.¡±


    She followed after her friend, and soon enough, they reached the street and began to duck into various alleyways. Spider Street was almost like a bizarre maze with its many twists and turns and storage lockers. She knew not everyone here was evil. Some were people who were using this place to store their junk, some were homeless men or women looking for a place to nap, and some... Some were part of gangs.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Snowdawn came to a sudden halt, peering down an alleyway that was filled with what looked like vagrants. ¡°Look who¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She followed where he pointed and almost let out a soft gasp. The dirty old man from school, the one always shouting nonsense, laid on a stained mattress. She gasped when she saw him. She had never really considered where the man went or even the possibility of the people that don¡¯t have homes. It was a cold night, and she watched as the homeless shivered. ¡°Should we do something?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what exactly? We fight crime.¡± Snowdawn snorted.


    ¡°We¡¯re superheroes. We help people.¡±


    Snowdawn gave an awkward shrug. ¡°Okay, but what do we do exactly? They¡¯re all just sitting there shivering. I mean, I guess we could bring food down here some time or something. Open a shelter? That won¡¯t really help them, though. Even if we help them, there will be others we haven¡¯t seen that won¡¯t be given the same privilege.¡±


    She squeezed her hand into a fist. Sure, Snowdawn had a bit of a point, but she was watching it in front of her at this moment. She spotted a small barrel near the entrance. The kind that looked like it had been turned into a makeshift bonfire. One of the men in the alleyway was seemingly attempting to start up a fire to keep them all warm but was having trouble with it.


    Her hand balled tighter, and she breathed in. She didn¡¯t need a lot of power. She didn¡¯t need an explosive force. She just needed enough to help. Enough to start the ball rolling. She focused her power, feeling a faint heat go from her stomach to her throat, and she spat. Mr. Larison had created lasers at different sizes with different power outputs. She needed to jog rather than sprint. A small ember of flame shot out. It flew through the air like a bullet faster than human eyes could follow and hit the barrel. It blazed into an inferno, causing the man to jump. Several of the men all cheered, and before she could appreciate her handy work, she felt Snowdawn grab her by the shoulder and drag her down another alleyway before anyone could see that they were there.


    ¡°Warn me the next time you plan to do that.¡± Snowdawn sighed once they were out of sight. She just shrugged, and it caused the hero to huff and roll his eyes. Slowly, snow began to form on his body once more as he created the snowy armor. ¡°Let¡¯s just get back to work. Any idea where to start?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hang tight.¡± She closed her eyes and began to focus. Her ears started to ring, and gradually she could hear almost everything. Snowdawn¡¯s heartbeat, the radio in the cars on the nearby road, yelling, and- A gunshot rang out, causing her ears to ring.


    ¡°Shots fired,¡± Snowdawn said in a panic. It had been loud enough to hear without needing super hearing, so it wasn¡¯t super far away. She rubbed at her ears as Snowdawn pulled his phone out and dialed Myth. ¡°We heard a gun west of where we are, sending the location-¡± More gunshots went off, and she could hear loud screaming now.


    ¡°Stay put, I¡¯m on my way.¡± Myth said from over the phone.


    ¡°No time.¡± She shook her head and grabbed Snowdawn, picking him up with ease. ¡°We¡¯ll see you there, sir.¡±


    Myth let out a sigh. ¡°Understood, even if you¡¯re bulletproof, try not to get shot, and run as soon as you spot someone that looks like a Super.¡±


    She hung up Snowdawn¡¯s phone and crouched low to the ground. With ease, she jumped up and went blasting through the air, landing on a nearby building. She leapt across the rooftop, the sounds of fighting getting louder. ¡°It¡¯s from down there,¡± Snowdawn hissed.


    She came to a stop at the edge of the roof and peered down. Her eyes went wide at what she saw. It was a shootout. She couldn¡¯t tell which gang was what, but at one end of the alleyway were five thugs who had several dumpsters pulled out as a makeshift shield. They were firing wildly toward the other side of the alleyway, where there were three other men who were ducking behind the entrance of the alleyway, using it for cover.


    They were all screaming insults at each other, and thankfully no one seemed to have gotten shot yet. ¡°You think you can take those three down there?¡± She asked.


    Snowdawn gave her a smirk, the snow already starting to cover his body. ¡°Piece of cake. You going to try and take the five on the other side?¡±


    ¡°I have a few ideas.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll trust you to have my back then.¡± Snowdawn ran to the other side of the building and peered down at the three men who were in the streets below. The young hero smirked and held out a hand. ¡°Hey!¡± He shouted as loud as he could. That caused the men to all come to a stop and look up at him. ¡°You guys really need to take a break and chill out.¡± Before any of them could open fire, a massive glob of snow burst out of Snowdawn¡¯s hand, raining down on the men.


    It was thick and solid, smacking them on the head and shoving the three of them down. More of it piled on, and they were swiftly buried in snow, and before they could stand up, he leaped off the side of the building. It wasn¡¯t a long fall, but he still made sure to land on a soft pile of snow to break his fall.


    Snowdawn balled his hand into a fist and struck at one of the men with his super strength, using just enough power to knock the guy out. His other hand blasted at the entrance to the alleyway, creating a wall of snow to stop the other five goons from shooting at him, just in case Cinder wasn¡¯t able to knock them out in time. He kicked out with his leg and knocked the second one out. The third just about managed to stand up and raise their gun, but the snow caused them to slip and fire blindly into the air. They came down hard and smacked their heads on the curb, knocking themselves out.


    ¡°Well, that was easy.¡± Snowdawn snorted.


    Over with Cinder, she also dropped down. She fell right into the center of the alleyway. The gunfire had stopped when the wave of snow dropped on the entrance, so she used that as her chance. ¡°Not so fast!¡± She called out. ¡°You guys need to give up and-¡± The five men yelled when they saw her and raised their guns about to fire. ¡°Or not¡­¡±


    She gritted her teeth and shot forward with inhuman speed. She managed to twirl out of the way of a grunt''s bullet, and in a single punch to the gut, she downed him. The other four stumbled back and fired at her wildly. She threw herself in front of the downed man and raised her arms above her head. A hiss left her lips as the bullets struck her, though none of them were able to put holes in her suit. They felt sort of like getting stung by a bee, though. Bullets dropped to the floor, and the men cursed as their guns clicked.


    Her eyes held a fire, and she spat out, shooting her ember once more. She fired four tiny orbs of flame, and the grunts screamed as their guns burned white-hot, and they were forced to drop them. She could feel a burning on her lips, and her throat was starting to get sore, but she ignored it and charged forward, shoulder-bashing one of the grunts and slamming them into the wall. She was being careful to hold her massive strength back. Just like with the small embers, she wasn¡¯t sprinting; she was jogging, making sure she didn¡¯t break of the men¡¯s bones or shatter the walls of the alleyway. She twisted her body and slammed her palm into another goon''s face, hitting him with a powerful slap that instantly downed them.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    With only two of them left, one of the criminals grabbed his friend and shoved them toward her, likely wanting to buy some time. He took off running like a bat out of hell as he heard his friend getting the snot beat out of them. She rubbed the back of her head watching the man run. She grabbed the lid off of a trash can and chucked it.


    The man reached the end of the alleyway about to escape, but at the last second he was smacked in the back of the head by the lid and crashed to the ground unconscious. ¡°Wow. I¡¯m not too bad when it comes to low-level grunts. I dare say I¡¯m even good.¡± She noted. The hardest she hit any of the grunts was the one who had been rammed into the wall. It was a nasty hit; the man would need a trip to the hospital, but he¡¯d live.


    ¡°Cinder, you okay?¡± She allowed herself to relax when Snowdawn came crashing through the wall of snow. Her friend let out a whistle when he saw the five knocked-out men. ¡°Wow. I¡¯m impressed. You didn¡¯t need me at all.¡±


    She gave him a grin and shot him a thumbs up. She turned back when she heard a groan. One of the men was shakily pushing himself back up to his feet, wobbling a bit. It was the one she had slapped.


    ¡°Stay on the ground. I¡¯m calling my boss. Don¡¯t move, and you won¡¯t get hurt, okay?¡± She did her best to channel her Mr. Larison wanting to sound cool and badass, but her tone just caused Snowdawn to snort. She pulled her phone out and dialed her boss. ¡°Cinder to Myth.¡± The second she let her guard down, the man grabbed a knife from his boot and stabbed it at her neck. The knife shattered, and she brought her fist down on his head, knocking him out. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Seriously, if the bullets didn¡¯t work, why would the knife do the trick? Cinder to Myth.¡±


    ¡°This is Myth. I¡¯m closing in. Be there in a minute. Got caught up with a few guys selling drugs. I trust you handled everything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We got eight guys here. It looks like it was a gang-on-gang attack. Anything we should do, Myth?¡±


    ¡°Just stay on standby and watch them for now.¡± Myth responded. ¡°We¡¯ll call the Branch when I¡¯m on scene.¡±


    ¡°Copy that-¡± Her phone flew out of her hand, and she winced in pain when the bullet hit her. The alleyway exploded with another gunshot, and she looked up, glaring as a new goon stood at the end holding a large smoking rifle. ¡°That one really hurt!¡± The bullet had hit her wrist and left a nasty bruise on it. She picked her phone up and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it still worked. It had a large crack in it and had hung up on Myth, but that was it.


    The man raised his gun about to fire again, but Snowdawn was faster. A wave of snow blasted out of the boy¡¯s palm and slammed into the man, shoving them back and causing the grunt to drop his big gun. The man screamed a series of insults at them and stumbled back up to their feet. They reached into their pocket, and she expected another gun, but instead they pulled out a weird jar of orange liquid.


    It reminded her almost of a potion from an RPG or something. The man even popped the lid off of it and drank it like there was no tomorrow. The glass was crushed in the man¡¯s hands as he let out a loud roar and charged. He moved faster than she expected and threw out a punch towards her. She raised her arms up just in time, but the attack was still strong enough to send her flying across the alleyway, and she crashed into Snowdawn pain shooting through her arms.


    ¡°T- That hurt worse than the bullets.¡± She winced.


    ¡°Seriously! This guy was a Super?¡± Snowdawn asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± They were back on their feet and separated just in time as the man crashed down between them using an enhanced jump to make it over to them. She had felt pain like this before. The image of Red Ape came to her. He had used something to boost his strength to monstrous levels as well. The villain had gotten it from the Wandering Coin, so this man must have also been part of that group.


    Snowdawn raised his hands up and blasted out with a wave of snow towards the drugged-up man. The guy howled and jumped high into the air again. Her eyes widened. It almost matched her super jump. The grunt¡¯s hand came out and stabbed into the building, and he tore off a wave of debris, which he threw at the cold-based hero. Snowdawn cursed and created a barrier of snow, but that only stopped some of the rocks. Her friend let out a yell as he took a rock to the skull and fell back.


    She grabbed one of the dumpsters and threw it at the man, causing him to fall off of the roof when it rammed into them. The man slammed into the alleyway floor and was back on his feet in an instant. Smoke flowed from his body, and his skin began to turn a nasty red color as he roared. She jumped at him and brought her hands together above her body and slammed them down into the top of his head. This time she didn¡¯t hold her strength back as much. The force of the attack shattered the ground around them and sent a wave of wind blasting out.


    Blood flowed down from the top of the man¡¯s skull, and he stumbled but didn¡¯t fall. They seemed to have enhanced durability now as well. Whatever that drug they took, it was seriously cheating. The grunt pulled his fist back, punching her in the face. She gasped, feeling her skull rattle in her helmet. Despite having powers now, though the man wasn¡¯t quite as strong as her, and she managed to stay on her feet, tanking the punch.


    She wiped some of the blood from her lip and shook her head. ¡°You need to calm down, sir.¡± She punched him square in the gut and sent the man blasting back. The grunt rolled across the alleyway and out onto the road just in time for a car to come their way. ¡°No!¡± She shouted in horror at what she did.


    The grunt let out a hiss of rage as the car rammed into them. The car wasn¡¯t able to get past the man-turned-Super, and metal flew as it came to a sudden stop, throwing whoever was driving it around. The Wandering Coin member didn¡¯t stop there though and instead stabbed their hands into the roof of the car and, with all their effort, managed to pick it up. She ran forward, but the man twisted and threw the car at her as hard as they could.


    Her eyes met those of the drivers. It was some older man who was screaming. She had the chance to dodge out of the way of the car but didn¡¯t. Instead, she raised her own arms and caught the vehicle as it smashed into her. She was thrown off her feet and felt her ribs ache, but she took it and managed to balance herself on the balls of her feet, holding the car up. She was a little shocked at how it didn¡¯t even feel all that heavy. She brought the thing down, and instantly the door burst open as the driver threw himself out.


    The driver stared up at her with grateful eyes. ¡°You just saved my life-¡±


    She opened her mouth about to say something but felt a wave of blinding pain shoot through her as the grunt reached her again and sucker punched her in the back of the head. It seemed to do more damage to them though as their hand shattered on her helmet, unable to break Mr. Larison¡¯s gift. The attack still made her stumble, and before she could recover, the grunt was already picking the car back up and swung it over the driver¡¯s head, ramming it into her back.


    More metal exploded filling the streets, and she was thrown hard across the ground, rolling. She groaned but managed to push herself up, smirking. ¡°Compared to White Lamb, or Intake, this is nothing. You¡¯re not really that strong. Even a loser like Red Ape was scarier than you!¡±


    The man roared and charged towards her, ready to punch, but was forced to a sudden stop. He grunted and stared down at the ice that kept him rooted in place. ¡°Some ice pun or something, I don¡¯t care! Hit him hard, Cinder!¡± Snowdawn screamed. He was back up and freezing the ground as much as he could standing at the entrance to the alleyway.


    She took in a gulp of air and focused her power. This time it wasn¡¯t a small ember that she fired though. It was the real deal. She didn¡¯t want to hit the man with the full fire; that¡¯d likely kill him, so instead she did the next best thing. She twisted her body and blasted the fire out of her mouth behind her, angling it so it would go up into the air and not hit any of the buildings. The recoil of the attack was normally something she could handle, but she eased her super strength, causing the force of the fire that poured out of her mouth to rip her off of her feet and send her blasting forward at the same speed Mr. Larison would run. Directly toward the grunt.


    Snowdawn created more snow, forming a large barrier of it around the civilian who ducked down and whimpered. The grunt tried to lift their arms up in order to block the attack, but it was never going to work. At the speed she was going, she could hit far harder than she ever had, and she kicked out with her leg still in the air, putting every ounce of strength she had into the attack.


    The man was blasted high into the air, being shoved through the ice that bound them, and their eyes rolled to the back of their head as the massive shock wave hit them. They went flying past all the buildings and came down hard, ramming through a billboard of the mayor. They hit the end of the street and didn¡¯t get back up, only still alive thanks to the fact they had been turned into a semi-Super.


    She had tried to keep the damage to the street to a minimum, not breaking anything other than the alleyway, but the force of her powerful blow kicked up a powerful wave of wind that shattered several windows, and the ground was cracked and split. She felt really guilty. She had wanted to not repeat the hotel incident, but it was harder than it looked to fire out massive attacks and not break anything. How did someone like the Victorian do it?


    Snowdawn stood there, watching the dust clear. She had dropped to her knees and was breathing heavily, some blood trickling down her chin. She really needed a glass of water. ¡°You did it.¡± Snowdawn said, a bit stunned. ¡°I¡¯m starting to see where you got the name Cinder from.¡±


    She rubbed at her throat and groaned, her voice hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m still not that good at using that power quite yet.¡±


    ¡°That was you not being good!¡±


    ¡°You saved me.¡± They both jumped when they heard the voice. Slowly standing up was the man that she had caught. He didn¡¯t look too impressive¡ªan older plump man with a bit of a white beard going on. She jumped a bit when they grabbed her hand and began to shake it.


    ¡°I- I guess I did.¡± She awkwardly chuckled. She felt bad though, as the entire reason he had been put in danger was because she had thrown that villain out of the alleyway. She¡¯d have to do better. Both in preventing damages to the city and in getting people put in harm''s way. Her ideal version of herself, the version she wanted to be, was a hero that always saved the day. ¡°Sorry about your car.¡± She winced.


    That was when the man seemed to fully register the fact that his ride was a total mess down, having been shattered in two. The man''s smile faltered, and his eyes were filled with a bunch of different emotions. She sort of wished she had been crazy rich so she could give him the money needed to buy a new car. Not even Armin had that kind of cash on hand, though.


    It just made her guilt feel worse.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Myth announced crashing down from a nearby roof and startling all of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± They both yelled.


    ¡°Whoops.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Battery here. We had to deal with a mild high-speed chase, but that was it.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll head our way to you when we¡¯re done here.¡± The leader of Pantheon closed his phone and pocketed it. ¡°How are you feeling Cinder?¡±


    She gave a so-so gesture. She rested on the curb, and Snowdawn wrapped a few of her fingers in bandages and used a rag to clean off some of the blood from her busted lip. All the unconscious men were laid on the street. Sirens hung in the distance, the police, and an ambulance on their way.


    She eyed the manmade Super up. He hadn¡¯t gotten back up after she blasted him, and according to Myth, when they knocked Red Ape out, the man¡¯s body had reverted back to normal and lost his enhanced strength. She still wasn¡¯t going to take her eyes off of him though, just in case.


    ¡°He was drugged up like Red Ape.¡± She muttered. ¡°Hit as hard as he did at least.¡±


    ¡°Red Ape? You¡¯ve fought a member of Zoo?¡± Snowdawn asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Yeah, but don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She shrugged. ¡°That was a little while ago.¡± She decided to leave out her battle with Green Wolf and White Lamb. That might have caused her friend to have a panic attack.


    ¡°The Wandering Coin was able to produce more of that power drug.¡± Myth rubbed his chin, frowning. ¡°I knew that there was a good chance they would eventually create more, but not this soon. Either it wasn¡¯t as strong as the one Red Ape took, or you¡¯ve gotten stronger in a short time. Either way, good work, Cinder. You did good.¡±


    She felt a ping of pride and couldn¡¯t help but give a small grin. It made all the pain she took worth it in her eyes.


    The sound of a car pulling toward them caused their heads to snap up. They were expecting it to be a cop car or the ambulance, but instead it was a slick black vehicle. The kind you would see important politicians or the like drive in. The windows were tinted, and she couldn¡¯t see the driver, but the sight of it caused Myth¡¯s back to straighten up.


    ¡°Why is she here?¡± Myth looked uneasy, and his hands shook. She had never seen the strong hero look so shaken before.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    ¡°Stay here.¡± Myth walked forward towards the car, and she watched as the window rolled down. She tried to peek past him and see who was in the car, but the man¡¯s body blocked it. She heard a feminine voice, however.


    ¡°My, my, I never thought I would see you with your own little team Myth.¡± The voice was sly and held an air of confidence.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± She shot a look towards her friend, but he just shrugged.


    ¡°You know Myth. I¡¯m quite shocked that you went through with building your own team.¡± Her enhanced senses wouldn¡¯t shut off as she heard the conversation. ¡°After all. You know how much the Hero Branch truly hates you.¡±


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Battery looked up at the night sky, his eyes tracing the cracked moon that hung above. ¡°So, what¡¯s it like?¡± The voice of Whisper called down to him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Battery questioned. He was seated on a pile of bodies. Nearly twenty people in total. All totally knocked out from a single golden blast. They had hit a Wandering Coin base near the docks.


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡± The invisible girl rested near the bottom of the pile. She wasn¡¯t visible thanks to her powers, but he could hear her moving around. ¡°What¡¯s it like being on Myth¡¯s team?¡±


    Battery lazily shrugged and adjusted himself on the pile of bodies while he waited for the officers to arrive. ¡°It¡¯s not the first team I¡¯ve been on.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I was on another one once.¡± For a moment, a small flicker of emotion seemed to come into the normally stoic man¡¯s voice. ¡°This group is different. A lot different.¡±


    ¡°It was a hero team, right?¡± Whisper asked. Battery felt the girl¡¯s fingers suddenly trace his chin. ¡°You know, you¡¯re pretty interesting. Could you be a secret son of the Victorian?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m older than her.¡± Battery said flatly.


    ¡°Darn.¡± The girl let out a soft snort, and their power turned off, revealing their form. ¡°That golden light is the exact same thing she has. It makes me wonder how you have it, too.¡±


    ¡°Good genes, I guess.¡± Battery stood up and stretched, feeling his beating heart settle down. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What do you think about being on Myth¡¯s team?¡± The man asked casually.


    Whisper¡¯s smile faltered for a moment, though it couldn¡¯t be seen due to the mask she wore. ¡°Being on Myth¡¯s team is... Well, he¡¯s strong. In fact, I¡¯d say he holds a power the Hero Branch might even fear.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Four: Improvement

    ¡°Dear Lord, what happened to your car?¡±


    ¡°No time to worry about that!¡± Justin Time practically jumped out of his destroyed car once he made it to the parking lot of the place he worked.


    Justin hadn¡¯t had a good week. It wasn¡¯t that anything was particularly going bad for him or anything, but nothing was going well for him either. He had been stuck in a rut, unable to think of new ideas for the next big project. That was until just recently.


    Justin ran into the factory he worked at and made his way through the halls, reaching the office. A few people were scattered around, and they jumped a bit when he barged in. ¡°Ah, Mr. Case.¡± His boss said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again. Did you make any progress on the next figure?¡±


    ¡°I did!¡± Justin said excitedly, placing his briefcase down onto the table. He worked for Ferros-4-U, a company owned by the Hero Branch that created action figures and other collectibles for the many children of the world that looked up to superheroes. He was a lead designer. In other words, it was his job to create the next generation of toys that would be bought all over the world.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you have your spark back.¡± The boss noted. ¡°I know that you were having an issue trying to select a new hero to create a figure for. After all, there are hundreds of toys out there of the Enforcers, which is why I requested you to find one nobody else was creating. A new up-and-coming hero that could one day become famous. One we can claim we supported first.¡±


    ¡°I found just the person, boss.¡± Justin said excitedly. The plump man began to open his briefcase. ¡°I did some digging, and they¡¯ve already made a small name for themselves. They¡¯ve gone up against Intake and even fought off Green Wolf of all people! They¡¯re one of the few people that can claim they¡¯ve fought both the Bad Timers and Zoo and lived to tell the tale about it!¡±


    The boss¡¯s eyes lit up a bit, and the man folded his arms. ¡°And just who is this new hero?¡±


    Justin held the newly created art piece up. He had spent all night and most of the day sketching out the art for what would one day hopefully become some of their best sellers. The artwork showed a young-looking hero who was dressed in a blue outfit with a silver helmet covering their upper face. Fire was drawn around their palms and feet, and they were in the middle of a pose.


    ¡°I give you: Cinder!¡±


    ***


    She woke up to a loud bang on her door. ¡°Rise and shine, Hope! You¡¯ve been in bed all day!¡± The voice of her mother shouted from outside her door. ¡°Get up, you lazy bum.¡±


    Her eyes reluctantly fluttered open, and she stared at the face of the Victorian that was placed on the body pillow she was wrapped around. She sat up, feeling her muscles and bones pop slightly. With a groan, she wiped some drool from her mouth and climbed out of bed.


    It was a Saturday, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about school or anything like that. She was glad because the thought of going to class in this state was not something she wanted to do. Last night, she had fought off a drugged-up gang member who had given her a pretty bad beating. It wasn¡¯t quite as bad as the time she fought White Lamb. Her body still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from that fight, but this had been a close second.


    She didn¡¯t have Paragon to heal her, like she did after her battle with Intake. Not that she would have taken the hero¡¯s help even if it had been offered.


    She changed out of her pajamas, getting dressed in a simple pair of jogging pants and a T-shirt that had the image of a hero called Pretty Face. When she stepped out of her room, she was instantly hit in the face by the smell of food. Her mother was cooking breakfast, or more actually lunch, as it was well past noon.


    ¡°What are you making?¡± She asked, rubbing some of the tension out of her neck.


    ¡°Whatever we have left.¡± Her mother said sheepishly. Jane stood in front of the oven, cooking what looked like grilled cheese sandwiches. It wasn¡¯t much, but her stomach growled so she¡¯d take it. ¡°The hero Paragon said she took another look at your father.¡±


    She froze mid-bite of her sandwich. ¡°Did she now?¡± She already knew the results.


    ¡°She still wasn¡¯t able to cure it.¡± Her mother winced. ¡°But she said she¡¯d try again. I think she is really giving it her best effort.¡±


    ¡°Well, her best isn¡¯t good enough.¡± She muttered.


    When she was younger, she used to wonder why her family was so poor. Her mother worked so much, yet they never seemed to keep any of the money for very long. They had Mr. Moore, Armin¡¯s dad, who would help them out from time to time, but even that wasn¡¯t enough. It was all because of that damn virus. It was what ruined everything. All from a single villain...


    Dad didn¡¯t have enough time to wait on that girl to get better. She didn¡¯t know how much time he had left.


    ¡°How¡¯s the work life treating you?¡± Her mother asked awkwardly.


    ¡°Fine. I guess.¡± She lazily shrugged.


    For a moment she couldn¡¯t help but think back to after the fight with the gang had ended. That black car had pulled up and seemingly caused Myth a lot of distress. Her boss had talked to whoever was in the car; all she learned was that it was some woman named Laps. Myth hadn¡¯t wanted to talk about it and ended their patrol there for the night.


    She¡¯d have to remember to ask Lois about it. Armin had no idea who Laps was, but maybe Lois would. Lois struck her as the kind of person who knew more than they should. Just like Mr. Larison.


    They finished eating, and she helped her mother clean the dishes. It wasn¡¯t often that her mom had days off, so it was nice. They washed plates in silence and scrubbed away. Finally, her mother broke the silence once more.


    ¡°Is everything okay, Hope?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± She asked. Had her mother noticed her limping?


    ¡°I just feel like you¡¯ve been acting different recently.¡± Her mother hummed. ¡°You¡¯ve been smiling more and more.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡± She reached up and felt her face, trying to find laugh lines.


    Her mother giggled a bit. ¡°Ever since I found out you¡¯ve made friends other than Armin, I noticed the change. I¡¯m glad.¡± Her mother patted her on the head. ¡°Keep being happy.¡±


    She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck and sheepishly shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll try?¡±


    She felt a vibration go through her pocket, and she pulled out her phone. Her mother seemed startled by it. ¡°When did you get a new phone?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°A friend gave it to me.¡± She explained opening it up. ¡°She said I could have it.¡±


    ¡°Ooh? A friend, huh?¡± Her mother rubbed her chin, giving a sly grin. ¡°And is this the same girl that you snuck out of the house to go see? Way to go, Hope; she must be loaded!¡±


    ¡°It baffles me how you and Armin can come to the wrong conclusion every time.¡± She said flatly. She had gotten a text from Mr. Larison. It read simply as ¡®meet at junkyard on beach¡¯. She sent a thumbs up to the man. ¡°I got to go, mom. Some friends are wanting to hang out.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯m sure!¡± Her mother teased. ¡°Don¡¯t take anything that will knock you out-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even three p.m. yet, mom. I¡¯m not going to party.¡± She huffed and left her house.


    Once she was out of the house, she began to jog toward the destination. She had been trying to run every day. While her body might have been far stronger and faster than a normal human¡¯s, and she had more than normal stamina, she could still get tired. She nearly passed out every time she used her fire attacks after all, so getting some training in and building up stamina to avoid that would be nice.


    She was following Mr. Larison¡¯s advice and running every day as a way to increase her stamina and get more in shape. Every time she gained a bit more muscle, her strength would skyrocket. Running to the junkyard would be a good way to stay in shape.


    ¡°Well, well, well, look who it is!¡± She came to a sliding stop as she heard a familiar voice. She turned just in time to feel a pair of arms wrap around her as someone pulled her in for a tight hug. ¡°What are the chances we¡¯d run into you again? This must be fate or something, right?¡±


    ¡°H- Huh?¡± She managed to pull her face out of the cleavage of the girl who was hugging her and looked up, finding that she was now in the arms of a bubbly blonde girl. ¡°Am I dreaming-¡± She shook her head, wiping the thoughts away. "Wait, who are you!¡±


    The blonde girl let go of her and pouted. ¡°Aw. You don¡¯t remember me or my sister after you totally helped us out?¡±


    ¡°Sister?¡± That was when she noticed a second person standing next to the blonde girl. It was a girl her age with reddish brown hair, the same color as Mr. Larison, holding a bird cage. It suddenly clicked in her head who these two people were. They were the very same tourists she had helped out a bit ago. ¡°Wait! Actually, I do remember you guys.¡±


    Lily and Sky were their names, if she remembered correctly. The blonde girl, Lily, smiled and placed their hand on Sky¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re looking for the train station. Any idea where it¡¯s at?¡±


    ¡°Train station?¡± Oleander didn¡¯t have any trains. At least not anymore. There used to be a subway station, but that was underground and had been closed off since it found itself turned into a base by several different villain groups. ¡°Are you talking about the subway station?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± Sky said quietly. The girl was still fidgeting and kept her gaze lowered. ¡°We¡¯re a little lost.¡±


    She rubbed the back of her head. ¡°The only one I know of is on Spider Street. It¡¯s toward this museum that was closed down. I wouldn¡¯t recommend it though.¡± Spider Street was pretty bad after all.


    ¡°Spider Street.¡± Lily hummed and wrapped her arm around Sky, dragging the girl. ¡°Okay then! That is where we shall go!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± She called out. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous-¡±


    She stopped talking when the red-haired girl lifted their hand up. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ms. We can handle ourselves pretty well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so cute you¡¯re worried.¡± Lily winked at her, and she blushed a bit, looking away. ¡°My sister is right, though. I can keep us safe. Thanks again, stranger! Hopefully destiny will ensure we meet again!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Destiny¡­¡± She stood there a little dumbfounded as the girls left. Seriously, what were the chances of running into them again? That was almost downright spooky. And what did they want with the subway station? She debated running after them. Spider Street wasn¡¯t a safe place for a couple of girls after all. Lily¡¯s words rang in her ear, though. Were they Supers? ¡°Whatever.¡± She slapped at her face, clearing it of the thoughts and erasing the smell of Lily¡¯s scent out of her mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to be late at this rate.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take her long to arrive at the junkyard. It was the same one she used with Armin and Kyle. She wondered if her childhood friend had told Mr. Larison about it. When she entered, she ducked and weaved between the piles of junk and soon enough found Mr. Larison near the water¡¯s edge, along with Armin and Lois, who looked like they had both just arrived.


    None of them were dressed in their costumes; all were wearing normal civilian clothes. Mr. Larison wore a white buttoned-up shirt and black pants. He didn¡¯t face them, keeping his back toward them as he felt the wind on his skin and hair.


    ¡°He was like that before I got here.¡± Armin whispered to her. ¡°And I¡¯ve been here for ten minutes now.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larison?¡± She called out.


    The red-haired man slowly opened his eyes and turned to them, folding his arms. ¡°You¡¯re all late.¡±


    ¡°You sent us that text twenty minutes ago, though?¡± Lois pointed out.


    ¡°And that¡¯s twenty minutes too long it took for you all to get here.¡± Mr. Larison shrugged. ¡°What if this had been an emergency?¡±


    ¡°Not all of us have inhuman speed like you, you know.¡± Lois pointed out, letting out a giggle.


    The man nodded. ¡°Myth is busy today, so I¡¯ll be in charge. I¡¯ve decided we¡¯re going to pick up where we left off and do some training.¡± He called out. She remembered when they first joined, and he had stated he wouldn¡¯t be taking over as the second in command. Those had been good days.


    ¡°Myth knows you¡¯re doing this, right?¡± She asked.


    "Also, is it really safe for us to use our powers here?¡± Armin asked, looking around. ¡°I mean, Hope and I do it all the time, but that¡¯s only to lift weights. If we all start really using our powers, it could cause some serious noise and get people to look our way. I didn¡¯t bring a suit either.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Jack lifted a finger, and a flicker of gold blasted out. It stretched out across the field they were in and covered half the junkyard. It was just like what Green Wolf had done, forming into a golden barrier. She remembered he had done something like this also in the hospital after the fight with Intake.


    ¡°I put up a barrier.¡± The man explained. ¡°It¡¯ll silence us and stop us from being seen.¡±


    "Well, there goes my usefulness on the team.¡± Lois said, giggling. ¡°You can just put up something like this?¡±


    ¡°It only works on normal humans.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°It isn¡¯t perfect either. Someone could, in theory, step inside of it, as it won¡¯t block them out. It¡¯s not true invisibility like you have, Whisper.¡±


    ¡°How are you even able to do something like this?¡± Armin asked in shock. ¡°I thought you were just strong and able to shoot lasers out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an energy user.¡± Jack explained with a sigh. ¡°Powers can come in a lot of forms. You and the kid are both elemental users. In your case, ice, and in hers, fire. Green Wolf, the Victorian, and myself are all energy users. Green Wolf can control and absorb kinetic energy, but he isn¡¯t able to create his own form of energy, nor can he control other forms of energy. The Victorian can create and control light energy, which she can use to form weapons, fly, or heal with.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s your energy?¡± She asked. She had never actually gotten a full explanation of how Battery¡¯s powers work.


    ¡°My energy is Imaginary energy.¡± The man said, holding up his finger and causing a ball of golden light to appear at the end of it. ¡°I can¡¯t absorb energy like Green Wolf, and I can¡¯t control outside energy like the Victorian, but I am able to create this energy within my body and build it up. It multiplies, growing stronger within me. The more I have, the faster and stronger I get, and the more my heart beats. This energy can then be transformed into other types of energy. I can make it kinetic to blast you full of holes, explosive to blow you up, electric to shock you, or light to heal the same way the Victorian does. I can only control the energy that I create, though. For example, I can¡¯t control all kinetic energy like Green Wolf can; I can only control mine. This power mainly is used to create and destroy.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s it all golden though?¡± Lois questioned. ¡°It looks a lot like the Victorian¡¯s, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Why do you guys ask so many damn questions?¡± The older man rubbed his forehead. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s get to work, okay?¡±


    ¡°What sort of training are we going to be doing?¡± She asked.


    Mr. Larison looked at her and gestured for her to step closer. She nervously walked forward, standing next to him. He placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Can you swim?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah? Why-¡±


    She let out a squeak of fear as, with one arm, the man picked her up and swung her around. This was the second time that he threw her. He let go and sent her flying forward at fast speeds toward the water. Right before she hit it, he flicked his other hand out and fired out a wave of golden light. It took shape, forming a strange bowl of sorts in the water, which rose up, filling to the top. The bowl was as big as a bus and so deep it might as well have been a pool. She crashed into the top of it and sank into the water.


    Seconds later, she poked her head out and glared at the man who had a smirk on his lips. ¡°What was that for?¡± She demanded. Her clothes were soaked now. The bowl rested on the surface of the water, floating, and her feet weren¡¯t able to properly touch the bottom, so she was forced to swim a bit.


    Mr. Larison held up two phones, and she realized it was the one he and Lois had given her. She felt her pockets and was relieved that they weren¡¯t there. He had snatched them away from her before tossing her into the water. ¡°I told you before, but your body is still adjusting to the fact that it¡¯s a Super.¡± The older man explained. ¡°Most people get their powers when they¡¯re kids.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Armin hummed. ¡°I got mine around the time I was ten.¡±


    ¡°You had superpowers for that long and didn¡¯t tell me!¡± She asked a little hurt.


    "Well, my dad sort of made me promise not to tell.¡± The boy admitted. ¡°He also has powers, you know. My family is a generation of Supers, though none ever thought about being a hero before me. We¡¯re all pretty cool, pun intended, because we are descendents of a previous Lord of the Sea and Depths. It was like my great, great, times ten grandpa or something!¡± The boy bragged.


    ¡°For most people, they have a lot of time to build up and get used to their powers.¡± Jack stated. ¡°Their bodies grow accustomed to the ability and adapt to it the more they use it. You¡¯ve had your power for less than a year, though. That means if we want you to get used to your power, we¡¯ll need to do it fast.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you put me in this thing?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The man gave a grin. ¡°Go ahead and start to use your fire, but don¡¯t spit it out. Focus on building up your body heat.¡±


    She nodded and closed her eyes, focusing on her ability. The pain in her stomach flared up for a bit, and a small puff of smoke escaped her lips as she felt herself become hot. The water around her began to bubble, and then steam started to rapidly lift off of it, surrounding her face. It was quickly becoming a very hot bath that she was in. ¡°W- What now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Now you take a bath.¡± The man turned his back on her. ¡°Stay tight in there for about an hour. Keep raising the heat up as much as you can and see how long you can tough it out for. The more you use your fire and the more your body is exposed to heat, the faster it¡¯ll grow used to it.¡±


    ¡°What if my clothes melt?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an elemental user.¡± The man shrugged casually. ¡°Like energy users, you guys can usually control, absorb, or create your element. See if you can control the heat and make it burn you less.¡±


    ¡°How do I do that!¡±


    ¡°I dunno, I don¡¯t have elemental powers.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larison!¡±


    Armin laughed at her watching as the water was brought up to a boiling point. Despite how hot it was, though, she wasn¡¯t really getting burned all that badly. It felt sort of like taking a really hot bath where it stung, but she doubted she¡¯d actually get burned. She tried to focus on making the heat get even hotter only to let out a squeak when her shirt began to get holes burned into it, causing her to drop beneath the water.


    Armin¡¯s laughter only grew, but it stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Mr. Larison staring down at him. ¡°Ah shit, I¡¯m next, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I heard you had an issue getting your snow to turn into ice.¡±


    ¡°Y- Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can you swim?¡±


    And just like that, Armin found himself in a second bowl next to her, his skin slowly turning blue and his clothing cracking as he piled as much snow and cold air into his water in an effort to freeze it.


    That left just Lois. The blonde girl smiled, and her eyes seemed to twinkle as she stared back at Mr. Larison. ¡°So what do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°I have the feeling you already know.¡± Jack sighed and flexed his arms. Then, in an instant, he blasted forward and tossed out a strong punch toward Lois, only for the girl to dodge it at the last second. Lois gave a grin, and Jack entered a boxing stance.


    It was some sort of sparring match. Jack had turned his light off and wasn¡¯t seemingly being enhanced that much, only having the strength of a normal human. Out of all of them, Lois was by far the most well fit, even more so than someone like Myth. The girl had several abs and wore a tank top and blue jeans. Without any enhanced stats, the two began to go back and forth in some sort of weird dance of attacks.


    She was a little jealous if she was being honest. She knew a bit about fighting from the time she and Armin were kids and took a few lessons, but what Lois showed off was insane. The girl was almost like some sort of martial arts master, weaving in and out of Mr. Larison¡¯s strikes with ease and striking out with her legs when even the smallest opening appeared, kicking the older man.


    Jack wasn¡¯t bad himself. He¡¯d likely have won the fight instantly if he were to use his powers even a little bit, but even with no strength and normal human speed, he was moving fast and throwing out punch after punch. No matter how much he was hit, he didn¡¯t flinch and just kept coming, throwing out punches able to dent the metal walls of the scrap, and that was all without his power.


    Lois flipped back and gracefully twirled around, ramming a knee into Jack¡¯s face only for him to use the force of the attack to headbutt the limb. Bruises, broken bones, even stab wounds¡ªit seemed like none of it was enough to slow the man down. She was reminded of how many times he had been sliced open and gutted in the fight with Green Wolf yet kept marching forward. It was hard to imagine the man as being human.


    Lois came to a stop a few meters away, panting softly. The fight had gone on for long, and she hadn¡¯t even been properly hit, yet her hands and feet were stinging from how much they had hit the giant of a man in front of her. ¡°Is this enough?¡± She asked.


    Jack just let out a grunt. ¡°You¡¯re pretty quick on your feet.¡± He noted. ¡°Is that your other power?¡±


    ¡°You know that I have more than one power?¡± The girl asked, giggling.


    ¡°It¡¯d be weird if you didn¡¯t. After all, your parents had a lot of different powers.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes flashed for a bit, and she turned away, grumbling.


    ¡°How do you even know half this stuff?¡± Lois mumbled, kicking a can.


    ¡°Just go do some laps. There really isn¡¯t much I can do for you if I¡¯m being honest.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re already strong.¡±


    Lois nodded and began to run around the beach doing loops. While the girl did that, Jack turned to look back at her and Armin. She hadn¡¯t even realized it yet, but an hour had come and gone. With a flick of his hand, the bowl vanished, and she and Armin dropped down to the ocean. Instantly a mini explosion went off as boiling, and ice-cold water merged with the ocean.


    Her and Armin crawled onto the beach, grateful that it was over. She looked down at her hands and was shocked to see that her skin was only a little red. That water would have killed a normal person. It had started off as almost too hot and had only gotten worse the longer she was in it, yet somehow she was fine. Her heat resistance had simply grown faster than it could burn her. She wondered if the next step would be taking a dip in lava.


    ¡°Still no ice!¡± Armin grumbled. The boy had his hands out and was trying to make the area around him cold enough to freeze the air. Frost would grow across the ground and his flesh, but it wouldn¡¯t stay for long, and instead drops of snow would spew out. ¡°What am I doing wrong? I can get it crazy cold, but I still can¡¯t make enough ice to use it. Ice is just slightly harder snow, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She murmured, looking down at her hands. She spat a small ember of fire, which landed in her hand. The fire didn¡¯t go out, and it didn¡¯t burn either. It stayed in her palm, and she played with it for a bit, allowing it to move between her fingers, the thing almost seeming alive and solid as it followed her. ¡°Wicked.¡± She punched her fist into her open palm and made up her mind. "Alright, Mr. Larison! Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Everyone stopped what they were doing and all turned to her. Jack raised an eyebrow at her, and her smile only grew.


    She walked past the man and grabbed a large metal table and slammed it down in front of the man and placed her hand on it. ¡°You kept pushing us this far, but I want to know how strong you are also. Let¡¯s see who has more super strength!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how my powers work, you know.¡± The man snorted. ¡°I picked the name Battery for a reason. Unlike you or Snowdawn, my strength constantly rises and gets higher-¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re a chicken.¡±


    Jack rolled his sleeve up and placed his arm on the table, a burst of golden lightning blasting out of him. ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy you, kid.¡±


    ¡°You can try. But when I win, I¡¯m going to start calling you by your first name. Jack!¡±


    ¡°You can do that now; I literally don¡¯t care what you call me.¡± The man said flatly.


    ¡°Nope! Only after I beat you!¡±


    The man shook his head, and with a grin, she took his hand. Both Armin and Lois stopped whatever they had been doing and watched the amusing sight. Instantly, she felt her strength flare up. She had picked up two different cars, had shattered a wall, and shook the ground with one punch. She was strong. Super strong. And all that strength began to be pushed into Mr. Larison¡¯s arm. She gritted her teeth and began to slowly move his arm.


    Jack¡¯s other hand gripped the table as he tried to get some leverage. The golden lightning around him compressed around his arm, crackling out wildly, and she felt every second that this went on, for he was getting stronger. It was getting harder and harder to shove his hand down. Steadily, he began to move her arm back.


    She winced and felt the hair on her arm stand up as the man began to push her back. His strength was doubling every second. First it was that of a normal human, then higher, then a lot higher, then it was half of hers, then it was exactly as strong as hers, then it was surpassing her. Faster and faster, stronger and stronger, he was building up power. She didn¡¯t give up, though. She gritted her teeth and felt that fire in her stomach return.


    Jack¡¯s eyes went wide for a bit as he saw something that Lois and Armin didn¡¯t. Unknown to Hope, her eyes were starting to flicker with a fiery red light. Just as when she used her power on Red Ape or White Lamb for the first time, her power was skyrocketing. It wasn¡¯t just her body''s fire resistance that was growing fast; it was everything. This short exchange was making her stronger. Her muscles were starting to overflow with more strength, and she began to slam Jack¡¯s hand down.


    It was all over in an instant.


    A flare of blue suddenly took form in the golden aura around Jack. This time she felt a powerful burning sensation in her arm. One that went far beyond how hot the water had been. The blue only shimmered for a moment, but in that single instance, Jack¡¯s power went from doubling to being multiplied by a hundredfold.


    She was literally lifted off her feet and slammed through the table, hitting the ground so hard the red in her eyes faded and the beach shook, large piles of trash crashing down around them. The man let go of her instantly, and she grabbed her smoking arm, which had turned a nasty red from how hot the air around them had gotten. The blue in Jack¡¯s aura was gone, and soon the light faded out.


    ¡°Are you okay, kid?¡± The man asked in concern. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for my power to jump that high. I got carried away.¡± He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she gave a sly smile.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? That was so cool! You¡¯re way stronger than I thought you were, Mr. Larison! How did you do that!¡±


    The red-haired man let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she wasn¡¯t hurt. He stood up and turned away. ¡°Do what?¡± The man lazily shrugged. ¡°All I did was beat a child at arm wrestling. It¡¯s not that impressive.¡±


    ***


    ¡°How have you been, Myth?¡±


    Myth took a sip of the tea and let out a satisfied sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve been well, Mr. Grove; thank you. And might I say, this tea is as amazing as ever, sir.¡±


    Mayor Grove was a man that most people didn¡¯t truly understand. He was quiet and not very talkative. Despite that, though, the man had managed to win the election and become the mayor of Oleander City. A feat most people couldn¡¯t boast of. He also held the honor of claiming he was friends with Myth.


    ¡°Tell me, friend, why did you come here?¡± The mayor asked.


    Myth let out a tired sigh. ¡°It¡¯s the Hero Branch. They found out I was building a team faster than I thought they would.¡±


    He was at the mayor¡¯s manor, inside of the man¡¯s dining hall. It was wide and filled with many pictures of different hero teams from all over the world. The mayor himself wore a simple suit and had his black hair combed back. The man tapped their fingers on the table as Myth spoke. ¡°We always knew this day would come. The reason I had to gift you land and fund your little team was because the Hero Branch refused to trust you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame them.¡± Myth muttered. ¡°After what I did two years ago... my father...¡±


    The mayor stood up slowly and moved to his wall of pictures. One of the old Sub Enforcers teams, led by Red Iron. In the back, a young-looking Myth stood awkwardly next to a young Money Tree. ¡°You saved my life two years ago. To hell with what the Hero Branch thinks. You¡¯re one of the good ones, Myth. That¡¯s why I believe in you and your team.¡±


    ¡°With Laps on our trail, I don¡¯t know how much longer my team will last, though.¡± Myth sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how that woman figured out I was starting a team in the first place. What could have possibly gained her interest?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s one of the new members you have on your team.¡± The mayor hummed. ¡°After all, you did tell me you picked up two new members, did you not?¡±


    Myth frowned. ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Do you truly know who they are? After all, they could be hiding secrets.¡± Mayor Grove let out a low chuckle. ¡°You never know what someone will truly hide about themselves, after all.¡±


    Myth rubbed his chin as instantly the face of Jack Larison came to his mind. That golden light and power that went far beyond anything a normal Super should have. ¡°It¡¯s true. Maybe there is more I should know about my fellow teammates.¡±


    Meanwhile, back at the junkyard, she threw her arms behind her head and began to walk back home. Mr. Larison had said that training for the night was over. It was about time as well as the sun was starting to set. She knew her mom would likely get the wrong idea, and she¡¯d have to explain that she wasn¡¯t out partying. Knowing the woman, her mother would think she was hooking up with someone.


    Armin, Lois, and Mr. Larison had all walked their separate ways, leaving her alone once more. She hadn¡¯t been able to beat the man in terms of strength. He was just too strong. That image of the flashing blue light also wouldn¡¯t leave her mind. It had been pretty in a strange way.


    ¡°I need to get stronger.¡± She stated, looking down at her hand once more. She felt her power flare up a bit. Sometimes it seemed like she would suddenly burst with strength and get way stronger than she was previously. There was still so much she didn¡¯t get about her powers. ¡°I¡¯ll just work twice as hard until I¡¯m sure I¡¯m able to beat him next time!¡± She announced.


    She suddenly stopped, though, when her powers went off on their own. Her enhanced senses were seemingly warning her of something. Telling her there was danger.


    It was a deep rumbling noise. The sound of an explosion going off.


    Then the entire street began to shake.

 Chapter Twenty-Five: Because Im A Hero

    Earlier that day...


    Sky felt the hot water spray down her face as she stood beneath the shower. Everything was dark. Destiny, the bird that acted as her eyes, rested in his cage asleep, so at the moment she was totally blind.


    She stood in the shower, collecting her thoughts. She wasn¡¯t sure when it had truly started, but she felt strangely empty. Actually, that wasn¡¯t true. She knew exactly why she had this feeling.


    Hope Lauren.


    As she rested under the shower''s water, she couldn¡¯t help but picture that Hope girl in her mind. Destiny saw the world in ways humans couldn¡¯t. He was a bird after all. Because of that, she never really paid attention to how people truly looked. It was always off or wrong. That girl, though. She found herself thinking of her more and more.


    The Lauren case was one she had been forced onto by her mother. When it was discovered how truly godlike her healing was, the Hero Branch practically forced her to sign up with them and join one of their sponsored teams. Now it was her job to heal hundreds of people. Day in, day out, again, and again, and again. Injury after injury, person after person. Blurry face after blurry face.


    Ocean Empress enjoyed the attention she was getting from having a daughter that could heal. Powers that could heal yourself weren¡¯t that rare, but ones that could heal other people, especially on the level that hers could, were practically unheard of. Only the previous holder of the Lord of the Land and Life had been anywhere near as good as healing as she was. An impressive feat considering she herself was not a Lord.


    Then again, her father was ¡®that¡¯ man, after all...


    ¡°Whatever. I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about this at all.¡± She stepped out of the shower and began to dry herself off. She felt her teeth clench as the thought of that Hope girl returned to her. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that I couldn¡¯t heal her father. Me not being strong enough to cure the Dead Virus isn¡¯t my fault. I did the best I could.¡±


    The best she could. She had said the exact same thing as she did last time to Jane Lauren once more after her second attempt to heal Alexander Lauren failed.


    She almost let out a sigh of relief when a loud buzz began to go off on the nearby table of the bathroom she was in. It was one owned by the hospital. She found herself staying in the hospital almost all the time now, constantly working and healing people. Her pager was going off. Someone was calling for her.


    She got dressed in her outfit quickly and stepped out into the hall. Her hero outfit wasn¡¯t anything special. At the moment she was just in a black T-shirt that had the Victorian and Lady Time on it, along with her lab coat. Her sister hadn¡¯t brushed her hair yet, so she had dozens of knots in it, and the only thing that was covering her face was her mask. She had traded it out for a new one once Destiny saw what Lily had drawn on it, but already this one had a grin and eyes done up with permanent marker.


    Destiny was let out of his cage, and she felt the bird connect with her, and he became her eyes. She soon found herself in a room with people that had been caught up in Super-related attacks.


    ¡°Sit tight.¡± She ordered and placed her palm on the stomach of a man who had a hole blown through his gut. Instantly she could feel her power start to surge, and the man¡¯s stomach began to get fixed up. It wasn¡¯t simple healing that she was doing either. She was creating brand new flesh and mass that was molding itself into the man¡¯s body and rewinding the damage he took. It didn¡¯t take very long until the man looked good as new.


    ¡°T- Thank you.¡± The guy groaned out before he blacked out.


    While she made sure his body was fine, Destiny flew above several other injured people and rained down some of his feathers. As the red feathers dropped, everyone that touched them felt a jolt as it began to fix and repair them. It wasn¡¯t as good as her healing, but it was quick and easy, and would make sure none of them died before she had a chance to get to them.


    Even without sight, by putting her hand on the man¡¯s stomach, she was able to peer into his body. She was seeing, or rather feeling, the cells and DNA that made him up, trying to figure out what had put him in such a bad condition.


    ¡°Polaron.¡± She finally said, letting out a sigh.


    ¡°What was that, Ms. Paragon?¡± One of the nurses asked.


    ¡°He likely got caught in one of Polaron¡¯s fields.¡± She explained. ¡°He¡¯s the leader of the Bad Timer. Both that group and Zoo have been causing more issues recently thanks to the new addition of the Wandering Coin. Polaron can create a field that causes the iron inside of people to burst out. This guy is lucky I got to him first; otherwise, he¡¯d be dead. I healed most of the damage, but his body is now very low on iron.¡±


    The nurse nodded, writing everything she said down. ¡°We¡¯ll get him an iron infusion right away. Thank you, Ms. Paragon.¡±


    That was pretty much how the next few hours went. She didn¡¯t have super strength, speed, or anything flashy like other Supers. In fact, she had only a single means of attack, and that was her trump card. Despite not engaging in battle, though, she began to feel tired. She walked around the room, helping every person she could.


    She fixed broken bones, restored limbs, or organs, read the injuries off in each person''s body to the nurses, and undid all the harm that was caused to the many people. It didn¡¯t seem to end either. No matter how many she healed, there was someone waiting for her with some brutal injury that could kill them at any second. And each time she heard the same thing over and over again.


    ¡°You saved me.¡±


    ¡°You saved my son.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡±


    ¡°How can I ever repay you?¡±


    ¡°You must be able to solve any issue! You¡¯ll be on the Enforcers for sure in the future!¡±


    And yet no matter how much praise was sung to her, it did nothing to stop the stinging pain of failure. She wasn¡¯t the best. There were things that she couldn¡¯t heal. Things that she couldn¡¯t fix. No matter how many times she used her power. No matter how many times she tried to make a difference and help people.


    Things like the Dead Virus would always still exist. People like Hope Lauren would still blame her for not being able to fix the issue.


    Finally, she collapsed on a bench out in one of the halls. Her pager was still going off, but there was nothing she could do. Her power, like all others, had limits, and she would need to rest in order to use it again. She had burned out all her energy healing around three hundred people today. Her highest record was just under five hundred.


    She felt Destiny land in her lap. The little bird began to bite at her fingers, and she couldn¡¯t help but give a faint smile and started to brush her fingers through his feathers. The bird let out several coos and rubbed his face on her palm. He flew up and wrapped his talons around her sleeve and began to drag her.


    ¡°Are you trying to take me somewhere?¡± She let out a rare giggle and stood up, following after the bird. He served as her eyes, so she didn¡¯t really have any other choice other than to follow him. Destiny had been with her for two years now. She had gotten the animal on her birthday, though she couldn¡¯t recall who had given it to her. Even before she had gone blind, he served as a new connection for her. After her eyes were taken out, though, he was the only thing that let her see the world at all anymore. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Her smile instantly faded when she saw where the bird took her. She now stood outside of Alexander Lauren¡¯s room. It was one isolated from all the others and almost never got visitors aside from the man¡¯s wife, who worked as a nurse.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you bring me here, Destiny?¡± She demanded, taking a step back.


    She saw herself through her bird¡¯s eyes as Destiny landed on the door handle and cocked his head to the side. He let out several loud chirps and flapped his wings.


    ¡°No way!¡± She turned away and huffed. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Healing him always makes me almost black out, and that¡¯s when I¡¯m at full strength. Besides, we already know it won¡¯t work.¡±


    She began to walk away, but the bird let out another caw and flew at her. Destiny grabbed her by the back of her lab coat and attempted to drag her, but not even she was weaker than a bird, and so she just kept going forward.


    ¡°Will you knock it off!¡±


    The bird chirped again and bit her ear.


    ¡°Ow! No, I won¡¯t do it for that girl! Why do I care what she thinks about me- Ow! Bite me again and see what happens!¡± Destiny let out the closest thing he had to a huff and flew up, landing in her hair. He was about the size of a small hawk and weighed a bit, causing her to falter in her steps as he began to use her hair as a nest. ¡°What is with you today?¡± She stayed silent and listened to his explanation.


    Destiny let out several chirps as he unfolded and refolded his wings several times. She sighed and face-palmed over her mask. He really wasn¡¯t making any sense. Honestly, that Hope Lauren brat was the last person she wanted to think about.


    ¡°Of course, I want to cure that man!¡±


    The bird chirped some more.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to do it for that girl; don¡¯t be stupid. Why do I want to do it? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± She went quiet for a moment and clenched her hand into a fist. ¡°Because I¡¯m a hero.¡±


    It was that simple. Destiny let out a few more chirps, trying to make his point to her. Total nonsense, though, to anyone else.


    ¡°If it¡¯ll get you to shut up and leave me alone, then fine. But know that when I pass out, it¡¯ll be your job to drag me out of the room.¡± She finally caved in and turned, slowly walking up to the door. She reached out for the handle and suddenly stopped. It all just felt more real in that moment. It was a sick twisting knot in her gut. Like taking a test you knew you were going to fail.


    She knew what would happen. She¡¯d go into the room, have to wake the man up, look him in the eyes, and say that she wanted to run more tests on him, make him go through a ton of pain for hours on end, just so she could look at every cell in his body and conclude that there was nothing she could do. The Virus was simply stronger, able to corrupt faster than she could repair. Maybe if she was the Lord of the Land and Life, she could make a difference, but she was just plain old useless Sky Sini. Once she was done, she¡¯d have to look Mr. Lauren in the eyes, tell him she failed, then look Jane Lauren in the eyes, tell her that she failed, and then if that Hope girl was there, she¡¯d have to say it to her again.


    It was nerve-wracking. Doing something you knew would cause more pain in the long run. All because she wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    In the end, she never got to open the door.


    ¡°Paragon!¡±


    She let out a panicked squeak when a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and she was lifted up. ¡°Personal space!¡± It was, of course, none other than her sister. Lily Sini was dressed in her Poseidon outfit already, and the girl swung her around with crazy super strength, not seeming to care. ¡°Let me down!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I found you here when I did!¡± Lily announced happily. ¡°Come on!¡±


    Her sister did, in fact, not put her down and instead turned and began to carry her through the hospital. ¡°Where are you taking me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡±


    As it turns out, she was taken to go see the Sub Enforcers. They didn¡¯t have to go very far, as the squad was waiting for the two of them down in the hospital parking lot. A large futuristic jeep honked at them. It was red and gold, the same color scheme as Metal Ronin¡¯s suits, so she guessed that the boy had been the one to build it.


    She was practically dragged into the jeep by her sister, and the doors shut around them. Thanks to Destiny, she saw the grinning faces of BB and Wasp Nest. Oxide was seated up front next to Money Tree, who was behind the wheel. The ride took off at a fast pace, moving away from the hospital.


    ¡°So, why exactly am I being kidnapped by my sister and her friends?¡± She asked with a sigh. She already had a huge headache.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Poseidon pouted a bit. ¡°I¡¯m not kidnapping you!¡±


    ¡°Sure. So why am I here?¡±


    Her sister let out a sheepish giggle and turned to their boyfriend, Wasp Nest, who began to explain. ¡°Your sister agreed to come with us on another mission since your mom is staying in Oleander for longer than any of us thought.¡± No one really knew why Ocean Empress was staying, not even the hero¡¯s daughters, but something must have caught her mother¡¯s eyes, as her mom refused to leave the city. ¡°Metal Ronin isn¡¯t able to make it tonight, though.¡± The bug boy stated. ¡°He¡¯s busy guarding Kyle right now. So we kind of needed a fill-in member.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter though.¡± She complained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t have to be.¡± Money Tree called back from the driver''s seat. The man wore his typical money suit and had a sly grin on his face. ¡°The Hero Branch usually has what they call danger levels to some situations. These levels state how many heroes have to go on a mission. The one I¡¯m taking us on requires six people. That being said, I can handle it myself since I¡¯m so strong.¡±


    She folded her arms with a sigh. She didn¡¯t like it, but she doubted her sister would let her say no. ¡°So, what¡¯s the mission, exactly?¡±


    Money Tree looked back at her, meeting the eyes of Destiny. Her worry grew as his grin got larger. ¡°Last week, you guys managed to bag a member of the Bad Timers. Well, this time, the Sub Enforcers will be stopping Zoo!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Did we really have to enter this way?¡± White Hummingbird complained.


    ¡°Keep making noise, and I¡¯ll use my tail to knock you out.¡± Red Scorpion murmured. ¡°This is a stealth mission, girls.¡±


    ¡°I agree with White Hummingbird, though.¡± Black Skunk hummed. ¡°We didn¡¯t need to enter through the sewers. This makes me feel like Red Ape. That idiot was always using the sewers as well. You¡¯re not trying to act like that loser, are you, Scorpion?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Red Scorpion responded with a hiss. ¡°Red Ape was an utter idiot who went and got himself caught twice. That said, even a broken clock is right twice a day. These sewer systems run all along the underside of the city. You can basically go anywhere if you know how to navigate them.¡±


    When it came to heroes, there were many different teams ranging from the Sub Enforcers to the Enforcers. The ten great cities of the world all had their own hero team and Enforcer member that worked within their walls. Heroes were used to working together. You would get odd pairings from time to time because of this.


    Villains, on the other hand, were the total opposite. Villains did not often band together. So those that led a group of like-minded men and women held the title of strong, for only they would be able to force fellow villains to submit to them. Groups of villains were some of the worst disasters in this world. Not because of the chaos they would cause to one city, but instead the lengths they would go to in order to stop other groups.


    The only thing a villain hated more than another villain was a rival villain gang. This was to say that Green Wolf and Polaron were not friends. Far from it, the two had tried to kill each other on a daily basis. It was a hate that was created before their gangs were even formed. Zoo and the Bad Timers would simply never get along.


    That was why three members of Zoo currently walked through the disgusting sewer system, heading through the tunnels. They were going to, if their plan went right, attack a Bad Timer base.


    Red Scorpion was in front of the other two members of her little group. She was a tall woman who wore a blood red suit that had once been white. A scorpion masked covered her face, and her hands clutched heavy-looking knuckle dusters. Behind her swaying back and forth was a long spiked tail that dripped venom.


    ¡°The intel we got from Black Crow says that Polaron is on the move.¡± Red Scorpion said in a low tone. ¡°If all goes well, I can catch that metal bastard off guard. I¡¯ll inject him with so much venom he¡¯ll burst.¡±


    In the middle was White Hummingbird. She was the smallest, but unlike the other two who walked, she flew. A pair of wings came out of her back, beating so fast they were practically invisible. She wore a white bird mask as well as a white suit.


    ¡°Do you actually think you can beat Polaron?¡± White Hummingbird snorted. ¡°Even Green Wolf struggles when facing that monster.¡±


    Lastly was Black Skunk. She was a larger woman with a plump belly, dressed in a black suit with a long white stripe going down it. She was of course wearing a skunk mask as well, but the mask also had a gas mask over it, and she had several belts wrapped around her chest that were filled with grenades.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hurry this up before Red Raptor decides he wants to come take all the glory.¡± Black Skunk sighed. ¡°That bastard smells almost as bad as these sewers do.¡±


    ¡°I hope Red Raptor doesn¡¯t show.¡± Red Scorpion complained. ¡°That bastard will steal all our glory.¡±


    ¡°He is Green Wolf¡¯s right-hand man.¡± White Hummingbird said casually, floating upside down. ¡°The only thing someone like him is good for is killing. He could even be as big of a threat as Green Wolf if he was just a tiny bit smarter.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s hope for all our sakes that the bastard is too focused on murder to get any clever ideas.¡± Black Skunk shrugged.


    The sewers smelled as bad as they looked and stretched on, hundreds of tunnels twisting throughout. It was hard to even picture the fact that directly above them was the entire city of Oleander. By using them, they could travel beneath the city easily and, in theory, could go anywhere they needed to without having to worry about the heroes.


    That theory, however, was quickly proven to be untrue. Red Scorpion came to a sudden stop and let out a low growl. Her tail slapped at the ground a bit. The two other girls behind her also froze when they peered over her shoulder and saw who was ahead of them.


    ¡°How the hell did you guys find out where we were!¡± The villain demanded.


    Directly in front of them, somehow waiting for them was a group of heroes. The Oleander Sub Enforcers, minus Metal Ronin, all stood at the ready. They weren¡¯t alone either. Two more members were there. Paragon, and the newest legend to rise through the hero ranks, the one and only Poseidon.


    Poseidon had their trident flung over their shoulder, and there was a sly smile on the girl¡¯s lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you three give up? You¡¯re outnumbered.¡± The girl pointed out casually.


    The three Zoo members backed up, staring at the group of heroes with a bit of nervousness. ¡°How¡¯d you even find us in the first place?¡± Black Skunk questioned.


    Wasp Nest held a finger up, showing that a piece of his pointer was gone. A small bug clung to Red Scorpion¡¯s jacket, which flew off and landed back on Wasp Nest, merging with the boy and recreating the missing part. ¡°You guys are always causing trouble, so I had my bugs scattered across the city in case something happened. I did this at first to try and track Red Ape down, but Myth got there first. I almost forgot about them until I remembered to check back in with my little guys and discovered they had managed to cling to White Lamb around the time she and Green Wolf were fighting a pair of new heroes. Since then I¡¯ve been tracking your moves and having my bugs cling to more of you.¡±


    Red Scorpion gritted her teeth. "Well, you shouldn¡¯t have told us that little fact. Now we know to look out for those.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think that will matter too much.¡± Money Tree said casually. ¡°After all, you three won¡¯t be able to tell the rest of your team that info.¡±


    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± White Hummingbird asked with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Because we¡¯re going to capture you.¡± Oxide called out. ¡°I thought it was pretty obvious. Then again, you¡¯d have to be pretty stupid to be a bad guy when a hero like the Victorian exists, so I guess you guys aren¡¯t that smart.¡±


    Red Scorpion¡¯s tail hit the ground hard enough to crack it as the woman gritted her teeth and glared at the heroes. Slowly, the villain¡¯s eyes landed on the most dangerous one there. ¡°Ready to give up?¡± Poseidon called out. ¡°It¡¯s a six on three, after all.¡±


    Paragon winced a bit and stepped further into the back. The girl really hoped she wouldn¡¯t be dragged into the fight since she had no idea how to properly fight back and only had one means of taking someone out, which she could use only once a day.


    Red Scorpion¡¯s grin came back onto her face, though it couldn¡¯t be seen thanks to the mask. ¡°Give up? What for? This is even better. Forget about our beef with Polaron, girls! We¡¯re taking these heroes out!¡±


    The battle began instantly after that. Black Skunk ripped a bomb off of her belt and tossed it at the group as hard as she could.


    ¡°Four warriors,¡± Poseidon said, tightening her grip on her weapon. ¡°Long ago, there were four warriors that stood against an ancient evil. The strongest, and first, Supers. They were so strong in fact that their powers passed on even after death. On and on, a cycle was created. Now here I stand with one of those powers. Lord of the Sea and Depths.¡± As Poseidon spoke, her body seemed to change. The girl¡¯s hair lit up, turning a deep blue, and their eyes blazed with a red light as she began to tap into the power of a Lord. ¡°Water and gravity are mine to command.¡±


    With a single flick, most of the tunnel cracked, and the bomb smashed into the ground as gravity shoved it down. The thing clicked and a black gas started to pour out. The stone of the hallway began to melt and hiss as the gas ate through it. A gaseous acid started to crawl their way.


    ¡°I might not be a Lord, and I might not also be as cool as her, but I got this!¡± BB announced proudly. The girl¡¯s body shrank down to the size of a small action figure, and she let out a loud yell as a wave of wind came blasting out of her palm. It pushed the acid back and swirled it around, clearing the air. No sooner was it gone though before the next Zoo member attacked.


    Red Scorpion blasted forward with fast speed, the woman letting out a mad laugh as her tail stabbed out toward Poseidon. Poseidon lazily reached up and caught the limb before the stringer could reach her. ¡°Let go, you bitch!¡± Red Scorpion hissed out.


    ¡°You guys can¡¯t win.¡± Poseidon¡¯s hair flowed like water and glowed with a powerful blue light, all the while her eyes were the color of a red flame. ¡°Not while I¡¯m like this. My power is beyond that of normal Super.¡±


    Money Tree and Wasp Nest both jumped around Poseidon about to attack Red Scorpion, who was held in place. Money Tree¡¯s costume unraveled, the dollar bills coming off and taking shape into a sword made out of hard cash, which he swung while Wasp Nest¡¯s body came undone and surged forward, ready to sting the villain as many times as he could.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± Humming Bird let out a loud call and brought her arms up, banging on her chest. Instantly, what sounded almost like a drum beat began to echo through the tunnels coming out of the girl. As the beating started, Red Scorpion felt a surge of power course through her, and she ripped her tail out of Poseidon¡¯s grasp and leapt away with fast speed, dodging Wasp Nest and Money Tree¡¯s strikes.


    Oxide created a metal bow and fired a large arrow out, but Red Scorpion¡¯s tail cut up into the air and split the arrow in two, stopping it instantly. ¡°Did she get stronger?¡± Oxide asked.


    ¡°She did.¡± Paragon nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve done my research on almost every villain in Oleander to understand how their powers work in case I need to cure them.¡± The girl explained. ¡°Black Skunk, Red Scorpion, and White Hummingbird are a team within Zoo. Black Skunk is a mental-based user. She makes deadly bombs. Red Scorpion can grow a tail that contains a deadly venom within it. The two on their own aren¡¯t so bad. It¡¯s the small one that¡¯s the issue. White Hummingbird is able to increase blood flow in her teammates and force their adrenaline to ramp up. She¡¯s basically able to buff her team with the beat of her own heart, raising all their stats up.¡±


    ¡°Looks like someone did their research.¡± Black Skunk sneered and lifted her arm up. ¡°Thanks to White Hummingbird, I can do something like this!¡± The girl rammed her fist into the ground so hard the entire tunnel shook, causing a few of the heroes to stumble. While that happened, the woman ripped off another belt and went to toss it, but before she could throw it, a wave of wind smashed into her, blowing her back.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you be doing that!¡± BB announced flying around the large woman in her tiny state. ¡°Someone back me up and help me take this girl down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± Money Tree called. The man lifted into the air on a wave of cash and surfed forward with a grin. ¡°Wasp Nest, Oxide, you two take out White Hummingbird and get rid of her buffs. Poseidon, I trust you can handle Red Scorpion on your own?¡±


    Poseidon gave a smirk and pointed her trident forward. ¡°Oh yeah. I won¡¯t be needing any help.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant bitch.¡± Red Scorpion dropped to all fours and charged forward, striking out with her tail. It bounced off of a wave of solid water that appeared around Poseidon and expanded out, blowing the villain back. Poseidon moved forward with fast speed and swung her weapon around, smashing the blunt end into Red Scorpion¡¯s head and throwing the girl into a wall.


    While that happened, BB and Money Tree circled around Black Skunk. The villain jumped back, using the super strength she got from White Hummingbird, and tossed out more of her bombs, but Money Tree easily blocked the attacks by having hundreds of coins wrap around the bombs and form solid boxes that trapped the gas inside. As he did that, BB launched forward and grew back to her normal size, ramming her foot into Black Skunk¡¯s gut.


    White Hummingbird had it the worst. The villain was able to buff her team but couldn¡¯t do anything for herself. The Zoo member panicked and flew up and down, trying to dodge all the attacks that came her way. Wasp¡¯s kept forming together into the body of Wasp Nest, who would try to sucker punch her, while Oxide ran underneath her flying form and would swing up with a large metal hammer.


    Paragon stood in the back, watching the fight through the eyes of Destiny. None of her team had been hurt yet, so there was no need for her to heal anyone. She felt pretty useless in that moment as well. She had no real way of fighting back aside from trying to touch one of the members and use her secret power, but that would require her getting close. Something that was hard to do since everyone here was moving with inhuman speed.


    The heroes and villains were blurs traveling far faster than normal humans should have been able to. Gradually, though, the heroes began to push the villains back into a corner. The good guys were winning. Red Scorpion and Black Skunk were being hit with blow after blow from the heroes they were fighting and slowing down, and it would only be a matter of time until White Hummingbird made a mistake and got hit by either Wasp Nest or Oxide.


    They were going to win this. They were going to capture three members of Zoo-


    ¡°Now, what exactly do we have here?¡± Everyone instantly froze in place. Even the other villains. Quiet footsteps echoed through the sewers around them as someone began to approach. ¡°Having fun without me?¡±


    Paragon felt a shiver travel down her back. Destiny stared at the new Super that arrived. It was a man in a red suit, just like Scorpion. The suit, however, was covered in tears and rips showing off his body, which was scarred heavily. The man wore an almost comical-looking dinosaur mask. It was of a cartoon raptor smoking a cigar. Even from where Paragon stood, she could smell the intense stench of blood that flowed from the man.


    Someone almost as dangerous as Green Wolf himself. Red Raptor had just arrived.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see here.¡± Hauntingly yellow eyes came out of the mask roaming over all the heroes and villains. ¡°I pick¡­ You.¡± Those eyes settled on Paragon. ¡°Die.¡±


    The man¡¯s outfit exploded as jagged red feathers and scales exploded out of the man¡¯s body. A meaty tail came out of his rear, and his mask tore in half as a jagged snout and fangs came out of him. Just like when Myth, leader of Pantheon, would transform, Red Raptor changed into some sort of creature. One with clawed hands and feet that looked like a weird mix between a bird and reptile. Purple liquid flowed down the monster''s jaws and burned into the ground. Whatever he had become, this form''s saliva had become acidic.


    A demonic screech tore through the sewer system, causing them all to wince and plug their ears. Then, in an instant, Red Raptor blasted forward. Literally, the villain was able to move so fast the spot he had been standing at exploded and shattered as he moved toward the weakest link his hungry eyes could find.


    Poseidon turned about to jump to her sister and stop the villain but was tackled to the ground by Red Scorpion, who saw their moment to strike. ¡°Get the hell off of me!¡± Poseidon roared and flexed her power, blowing the villain off of her. It was too late to stand back up, though. Red Raptor blew past her. Poseidon threw her arm out and went to focus her power, but the monster''s eyes saw the gravity around him about to shift, and he jumped out of the way, running along the wall as he avoided her attack and reached her sister. ¡°Sky!¡± She screamed.


    To Paragon, none of this had even registered yet. The girl had never trained her senses and wasn¡¯t able to keep up with speeds like this. She was still in the middle of processing the loud roar Red Raptor let out. The other heroes tried to move, but they were all too slow.


    Red Raptor¡¯s twisted face morphed into a grin as the villain raised his clawed arm up. Paragon saw a flash of red as Destiny¡¯s eyes caught up to the moving target, and she now watched as the villain stood in front of her and rammed his claws down.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sky felt a weird calming sensation. ¡°I¡¯m dead.¡±


    The roof above suddenly exploded as debris rained down on everyone. Red Raptor growled and was forced to jump away as the spot above him crumbled and fell as something shoved its way through the ground.


    ¡°Coming through!¡± The voice of a young girl shouted.


    As the debris rained down, everyone watched as a young hero crashed to the ground in an awkward landing. It was a young girl dressed in a blue costume and had a helmet similar to the one Poseidon wore. A badly torn red cape clung to the girl¡¯s back, and she was trying to pick themselves up as debris rained on top of them.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Cinder winced as a large rock crashed down on top of her head. Rubbing the back of her head, the hero began to stand up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on exactly, but I¡¯m here to kick ass! Why? Because I¡¯m a hero!¡±


    Paragon stared at the girl with wide eyes. They had just saved her life. Something about them was also really familiar. Something she just couldn¡¯t place her finger on.

 Chapter Twenty-Six: Cinder And The Sub Enforcers

    Her entrance was pretty cool. At least she thought so. In that moment, though, she felt a little awkward and childish as everyone, both hero and villain, stared at her dumbfounded.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± BB asked slightly amused as she floated above Black Skunk. ¡°Are they a hero?¡±


    ¡°I think she was one of the people that fought Green Wolf.¡± Wasp Nest noted. The boy was able to share the memories of his bugs when he needed to, and he recalled that when they found Green Wolf for the first time, a girl and a man had been there to fight the villain. ¡°It looks like she got a new costume now, though.¡±


    Paragon frowned from under her mask, feeling a weird twitch in her chest. The new hero''s voice sounded strangely familiar. ¡°How did she even get here?¡±


    ¡°I have enhanced hearing, and I was nearby when I heard a big blast!¡± She explained casually before she turned and saw who she was talking to. As soon as she saw Paragon, her attitude suddenly changed, and she simply clicked their tongue. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that tone!¡±


    ¡°I think what Paragon meant was how did you get to us!¡± Money Tree shouted. ¡°We¡¯re underground and sort of in the middle of something!¡±


    She lazily shrugged her shoulders and pointed up toward the roof. They all followed her finger and stared at the large gaping hole that went all the way up to the city above. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to figure this maze out, so I punched my way down. I made sure to do it in a spot that wouldn¡¯t affect the city. Luckily, you guys were over a spot of the city that isn¡¯t used any more, and the entire block had been blocked off, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about holding back or damaging anything.¡±


    ¡°She punched her way down?¡± Oxide asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Makes sense to me.¡± Poseidon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I would do.¡±


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t have stupid levels of strength like you or that girl.¡± Paragon said flatly.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re all forgetting something important!¡± In an instant, Red Raptor appeared behind her and swung out with his tail. ¡°We¡¯re still in the middle of a fight!¡±


    She felt a wave of pain unlike anything she had felt before, and in an instant she was launched off of her feet and smashed directly through a stone wall. She went through it and landed in another tunnel of the sewer, falling into the water below.


    ¡°This is a fight to the death!¡± Red Raptor cackled. ¡°Children like you shouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right!¡± Red Scorpion launched her tail toward Poseidon. The hero barely had time to block it with another wave of her water as the villain jumped at her and struck out with a fist, ramming it into Poseidon¡¯s gut and shoving the Lord back. ¡°Now that Red Raptor is here, we¡¯ll win for sure!¡±


    Black Skunk jumped into the air and caught BB off guard. The hero was still in her small form, so all the villain did was simply clap her hands together around the tiny hero in an effort to crush her. BB rapidly expanded themselves back to their full height, but Black Skunk didn¡¯t miss a beat and wrapped her arms around BB¡¯s waist. The woman turned and tossed BB, smashing the hero into a wall hard enough to crack it.


    Money Tree created another sword of cash and swung it at Black Skunk, letting out a yell of rage, but the villain tore off one of her bombs and tossed it at him. He was forced to catch the bomb with his coins and cash to stop it from exploding, and that meant he was wide open to Black Skunk¡¯s punch. Money Tree took the strike but stumbled back, giving the villain enough time to turn and ram her foot down onto BB¡¯s head as hard as she could.


    BB screamed out as blood began to drip down her face. Paragon gritted her teeth and went to send Destiny out, but Red Raptor spat out a glob of acid toward her bird, stopping it from flying and forcing it to land back on her shoulder.


    White Hummingbird twirled out of the way of Oxide¡¯s hammer swing and dropped down, wrapping her legs around Oxide. ¡°Whoa! What are you doing-¡±


    White Hummingbird flew into the air, picking the girl up and turning her body right as she reached the roof, smashing Oxide into it, and dropping the girl back down. Wasp Nest surged forward to sting the villain, but Hummingbird¡¯s wings moved so fast they began to slice into the bugs like a weed wacker, cutting them up and forcing Wasp Nest to reform away from her.


    The win the heroes had was quickly fading away. The bad guys were reclaiming victory and doing it fast.


    Red Raptor chuckled as he watched the fight. The villain sharply turned and stared back at his prey. ¡°You¡¯re Paragon, right?¡± The right-hand man of Green Wolf sneered. ¡°Pathetic. I thought someone like you would be stronger. Yet you¡¯re just a little girl.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for someone strong, then why not go and sink your fangs into someone like Green Wolf or Polaron!¡± Red Raptor turned when he heard the yell, just in time to see her fist. She rammed it into the villain¡¯s snout as hard as she could, and this time he was the one that was blasted through the wall of the sewer and crashed into the water. ¡°God, I¡¯m going to need a shower.¡± She winced as the dirty water dripped down her body.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Paragon hissed at her.


    ¡°Taking on a villain. Duh.¡± She responded, rolling her eyes. ¡°You know, you could say, ¡®Thank you, Cinder; you¡¯re so cool, I¡¯ll reward you with a kiss for good work¡¯ since I¡¯ve saved your life twice now.¡±


    ¡°What was that last part?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    Paragon shook her head and balled her hand into a fist. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Get out of here, you idiot. You¡¯re a total newbie! That guy is Red Raptor! He¡¯s as strong as Intake or Mars King! He¡¯s bad news-¡±


    The healer was cut off as a rock flew toward them at high speed. She punched through it, but it was a distraction, as a second later all she saw was razor-sharp claws coming toward her face. She managed to grit her teeth and move her head down using her helmet as a shield, which blocked the claws.


    Red Raptor grunted in pain as sparks hit his eyes from his claws grinding on her helmet. She was knifeproof, but with how strong this guy was, she was sure he¡¯d be able to cut her. She was proven right almost instantly when he slashed out with his other hand toward her stomach. She sucked in her gut, but it wasn¡¯t enough. At the last second, though, Paragon grabbed her from behind and yanked her back just in time.


    The claws grazed her stomach, cutting into her flesh and causing her to wince in pain, but she hadn¡¯t been gutted thanks to the healer''s help. As she was dragged back, she lifted both of her legs and kicked them out, ramming them into Red Raptor. At least that was the plan, but the bad guy ducked and jumped away from her with a growl.


    She landed next to Paragon and clutched her wound. ¡°This guy¡¯s tough.¡± She winced.


    ¡°You think?¡± Paragon yelled at her and hit her over the head. ¡°Get out of here before you get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°If I do that, you¡¯ll die!¡± She argued back.


    ¡°Yo new girl!¡± Poseidon called to her. ¡°Switch fighters with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± Red Raptor opened his mouth and spat out, shooting a wave of acid toward Paragon. ¡°I¡¯m killing that healer!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Poseidon yelled and jumped toward her sister, but the Lord was blasted off of her feet once again by Red Scorpion. Poseidon hit the ground and rolled across it, mostly fine but too far away to send her water, and the others weren¡¯t fast enough to grab Paragon in time. ¡°Sky!¡±


    For the second time that night, Destiny stared at the back of Cinder. In an instant, she threw herself in front of the attack and raised her arms up, standing in front of Paragon.


    The attack rammed straight into her, and she felt a wave of pain. Red Raptor¡¯s spit had come out so fast it was stronger than a bullet, and whatever it was made of burned, the sleeves of her costume starting to bubble a bit. Still, she held strong. Just as with the training that Mr. Larison had shown her, she forced her body to adapt as fast as it could. She just needed to become so durable that this thing couldn¡¯t eat through her all the way!


    Her feet dug into the ground, and her arms shook as the attack splashed over her and began to devour her arms and part of her stomach. Gradually, it dripped off of her, only able to eat through some of her skin and clothing. She panted a bit, feeling the stinging in her arms. Tears were in her eyes, and she could barely lift her arms. This might have been some of the worst pain she ever felt in her life.


    And this fight still wasn¡¯t over.


    ¡°W- Why did you do that?¡± She turned when she heard the voice of Paragon. The girl stared up at her, though the mask stopped either of them from truly seeing the emotion on the other''s face.


    Her lips slightly curled up. ¡°I said it already, didn¡¯t I? Because I¡¯m a hero.¡±


    As cool as she might have sounded with that line, she was barely able to stay standing. It didn¡¯t help that she hadn¡¯t gotten much rest, as she literally ran over here the moment her training with Mr. Larison was done. Her body simply wasn¡¯t in a condition to go a few rounds with a villain.


    "I don''t suppose you can fight back?" She asked.


    The healer shook her head softly. "I hate to break it to you, but as I am now, I only have the strength of an average human. Likely even, less actually. I do have one method for attack, but it takes a lot of energy out of me and would require me getting close enough to touch him. Red Raptor would long since behead me before my trump card could activate."


    "You have a trump card? Some sort of hidden ability up your sleeve?" She mused mostly to herself. "I happen to have a couple of tricks of my own!"


    Red Raptor growled and got ready to charge her again. She debated using her fire breath, but it wouldn¡¯t be a smart idea. This guy was fast. Way faster than her. If she used her attack and he dodged, that could be it for her. She only got one use of her massive beam before she was tuckered out, and she doubted he¡¯d let her recharge her batteries. If only Mr. Larison or Myth were here. She didn¡¯t have her phone though, so there was no way to call for backup.


    Red Raptor crouched down and roared at her, about to charge. Slowly, she took a deep breath. She really only had one idea. She turned and used her super jump to leap backwards, facing away from the villain and Paragon. It caught Red Raptor off guard, who came to a sliding stop and crouched low, eyeing her up.


    She flew back and felt her back collide with someone. Poseidon caught her using her own back to stop her, and the two of them were now back to back. The hero gave a sly smile, seemingly understanding her plan. In an instant, Poseidon used the momentum to spin them both around each other and trade places. She lifted her hand up and punched away Red Scorpion¡¯s stinger while Poseidon lowered their gravity and blasted off toward Red Raptor.


    In an instant, they had traded villains. And without a doubt, Red Scorpion looked way easier to fight than Red Raptor had.


    Over with the others Black Skunk brought her foot down hard, directly onto BB¡¯s head. As the limb came down, though, it began to lift up as BB¡¯s height began to change. The girl gritted her teeth and tapped into her ability. Not the one to control wind, instead the one that allowed her to shrink. Instead of getting smaller, though, she inverted and changed her power, flipping it around. In an instant, BB¡¯s entire body expanded as the girl grew.


    Black Skunk stumbled back as BB became so tall her head touched the roof of the sewers. BB managed to give a sly smile and balled her hand into a fist. A massive amount of wind began to twirl around the limb, spinning so fast it formed into a sort of drill. ¡°This might sting a bit.¡± BB¡¯s voice boomed around the tunnel.


    Black Skunk yelled and tried to jump away, grabbing some of her bombs, but instantly a wave of cash crashed down onto her from above, folding and binding itself to the woman and causing her arms and legs to freeze up. Money Tree stood back up, holding his arm out, and tilted his hat in BB¡¯s direction.


    Without missing a beat, BB swung her fist out as hard as she could, ramming it directly into Black Skunk¡¯s face. The wind exploded off of the limb and sent the villain crashing back, ramming through another wall of the sewer and smashing the woman down into the water, totally unconscious.


    Across from them, White Hummingbird flew and twirled around, going in and out of Oxide¡¯s swings. Oxide wielded a large hammer that flowed through the air, bending and twisting, but the girl wasn¡¯t able to get a good hit on the fast-moving villain no matter how hard she tried.


    That was until Wasp Nest charged White Hummingbird head on. In an instant, a massive cloud of wasps crashed toward the villain, who turned her back, allowing her wings to chop away at the horde. Wasp Nest pushed on through and reformed his body, coming back together and wrapping his arms around White Hummingbird¡¯s throat. The wings tore into his chest and stomach, but he didn¡¯t bleed. Instead, more wasps came out of him as the wings began to get caught on all the bugs that made up his form.


    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s basically impossible to harm me.¡± Wasp Nest smirked as his form changed back into the bugs, all of them attaching to the wings and causing them to slow down more and more until White Hummingbird dropped from the sky.


    ¡°Thanks for the assist.¡± Oxide announced turning on the balls of her feet and swinging out as hard as she could with her hammer. It rammed directly into White Hummingbird¡¯s face and slammed the villain down into the ground, knocking her out cold.


    That left just two fights left, one of which was hers. Red Scorpion was annoying to fight against. Powers came in all sorts of forms and levels. She was a lot faster and stronger than Scorpion, but the villain had her beat in reach. Red Scorpion was still faster and stronger than a normal human, and the woman¡¯s tail was nearly ten feet long. The villain stayed on all fours, dodging her strikes when she got near and would lash out with their tail from a distance.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    She didn¡¯t want to just blast out her wave of fire since Red Scorpion could maybe dodge it, but she was starting to run out of options.


    She rammed her fist down, trying to punch the villain, but once again Red Scorpion jumped away from her. Their gap in their strength and speed wasn¡¯t so big that she could simply speed-blitz the bad guy, so instead she did the next best thing. The tail stabbed directly through her costume and into the side of her stomach, causing her to gasp and croak. Maybe if she had been at full power before this and hadn¡¯t been harmed by Red Raptor, her fight would be going differently, but as it stood, this was the only plan she could think of.


    ¡°Stupid bitch!¡± Red Scorpion cackled. ¡°You left yourself wide open! Die a painful death-¡± The villain went to pull the tail out but froze when she grabbed onto it with one hand gripping it tightly. ¡°What are you doing-¡±


    She yanked the tail toward her, and Red Scorpion let out a scream of pain. She pulled her other fist back and rammed it forward with all her super strength right into Red Scorpion¡¯s gut as the woman was dragged toward her. The villain gasped out and nearly vomited, and the force of the attack shoved Red Scorpion back. She was still gripping onto the tail though, so as Red Scorpion was blown back, a ripping sound echoed out as the tail popped right off of the woman¡¯s rear end.


    Red Scorpion rolled across the ground and roared a curse, clutching at her butt. ¡°Y- You bitch! It takes me days to recreate a new tail!¡±


    ¡°Gross.¡± She dropped the one she was currently holding and made a face. Red Scorpion was tough. The last Super she had fought had been White Lamb, and she had managed to take that girl down in one punch. Red Scorpion would need more than that, though. The woman was about as durable as that gang member who took the enhanced drug had been.


    Red Scorpion clicked a button on the knuckle dusters she had, and blades popped out of them, coating them in spikes. ¡°I¡¯m going to grind your face off!¡±


    She lifted her aching arms up and did her best to enter the same stance she had seen Mr. Larison use. Before she could think of throwing a punch, though, the world around her suddenly began to spin, and she felt as if ice flowed through her veins. She stumbled and gasped, nearly collapsing as her heart began to burn.


    Red Scorpion noticed and gave a nasty smirk. ¡°You didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get off scot-free being stabbed by my tail, did you? I¡¯m a goddamned scorpion, you moron!¡± The mad woman launched and rammed their fists forward directly into her helmet. The force of the blow rattled her skull and caused pain to shoot through her neck, but she didn¡¯t dare move her head; otherwise, the villain would likely aim for her face. ¡°Die!¡±


    Red Scorpion pounded away at her helmet, punching it over and over again. Whatever Mr. Larison did to it must have made it a lot tougher than it used to be because she had no ease snapping it in two in her battle with Red Ape, yet now Red Scorpion couldn¡¯t even dent it.


    She felt like she was going to vomit, and the world wouldn¡¯t stop moving. Finally, though, it ended with one more powerful punch that shoved her back and sent her tripping over her own two feet. She fell back but then felt a pair of arms wrap around her as someone caught her. With blurry vision, she looked up at the mask of Paragon, who held her. Her head rested on the girl¡¯s chest as the hero placed their finger on her neck.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked groggily.


    ¡°Saving you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She groaned.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a hero.¡±


    Red Scorpion charged forward, still laughing. ¡°Aw! Isn¡¯t that sweet? I¡¯ll kill you both right here and right now! You can die in each other''s arms, lovebirds-¡±


    The world stood still as some of the venom left her, and she felt her strength return. Red Scorpion had become cocky, thinking that all she could do was throw at punches. The villain was wide open with no way to recover. She stood up and opened her mouth wide.


    Red Scorpion¡¯s fist flew forward, but the last thing the woman saw was a flicker of orange as fire rammed out of Cinder¡¯s mouth and washed over the villain. Everyone felt a wave of intense heat and stared as the smoke cleared. Like Red Ape, Red Scorpion stood, charred and burned. The woman gasped, and their eyes rolled into the back of their head as she crashed forward and didn¡¯t get back up.


    So far she had yet to fight anyone that could get back up after being hit by her fire blast. She winced, clutching at her arms. Paragon had only cured the venom she had taken on, so her other wounds still ached. "Damn, this stings.¡± She winced.


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal you.¡± Paragon said, reaching toward her.


    ¡°No!¡± She stumbled back and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m good!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The hero demanded.


    She bit her tongue to stop herself from saying anything. Now that she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t really think of any reason. She had said no the first time because Mr. Larison also said no. Come to think of it, why had he turned down the healing? Her thoughts were interrupted when the healer sighed.


    ¡°Look, I get you don¡¯t like me for some reason, but it¡¯s my job to heal you. Just let me do this.¡± Paragon¡¯s voice still lacked any emotion; it was flat and bland. The girl¡¯s shoulders were slumped, and Destiny rested on the top of Paragon¡¯s head, looking around. Slowly, the healer held her hand out. ¡°Please.¡±


    She winced a bit but nodded, taking the hand. Last time she had been healed by the strange red bird, but this time Paragon was the one to heal her. The girl¡¯s healing was a billion times better than Mr. Larison¡¯s was. It wasn¡¯t even a competition. Her arms melded back together, her vision stopped blurring, all the bruises and aches she had from the previous fights she got in were gone, and even her ears fixed themselves. They had been damaged from her fight with White Lamb, constantly popping, but now they were back to normal and fixed.


    She felt good for the first time in a while. Paragon¡¯s shoulders straightened up. ¡°Wait, are you the girl? The hospital, right? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t like me!¡± And just like that, her good mood was gone.


    Why was hiding her identity impossible? ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m one of the greatest healers in the world. I don¡¯t make mistakes.¡± Paragon said flatly. ¡°You¡¯re Hope Lauren.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look the girl in the eye as she turned away awkwardly. ¡°Nuh uh.¡±


    ¡°Yes huh!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even heard of this, Hope Lauren. I bet she¡¯s really good-looking and a nice person.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even trying to hide it!¡±


    ¡°Hey! I saved your life, didn¡¯t I?¡± She turned and placed her hands on her hips, flashing her best Victorian smile. ¡°I think you should be a bit more grateful, wouldn''t you say?¡±


    Paragon stepped away from her and covered themselves up with their arms. ¡°The way you¡¯re staring at me and that tone of voice. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re some pervert!¡±


    ¡°What! No!¡± Well maybe she was a little. That wasn¡¯t the important part, though. ¡°Look¡­ Just¡­ Stay silent about that, okay?¡± She said, staring at the hero''s goofy mask. ¡°I¡¯m Cinder. Got that.¡±


    With her enhanced hearing, she was able to hear it. The sounds of Paragon¡¯s heartbeat. It began to beat faster at her words, and the girl squirmed for a bit under her gaze. She was glad she was hearing it, though. That meant that she had done her job and kept Paragon alive.


    Paragon turned away from her. ¡°Sure. Cinder.¡±


    That left just one villain left. Red Raptor was not having a good time. The villain swung his claws down as hard as he could, but they shattered on hard ice that formed around Poseidon.


    ¡°You know.¡± The girl said with a dangerous look in her eye. ¡°You attacked my little sister. She¡¯s someone I care about more than anyone else in the world.¡±


    ¡°So what!¡± Red Raptor spat out a wave of acid, but it was caught in a bubble of water.


    ¡°So.¡± Water compressed on the tip of Poseidon¡¯s finger. ¡°I think you need to be taught a lesson.¡± Gravity enhanced it, and the thing fired off like a bullet blasting a small hole into the villain. Red Raptor screamed out in pain and glared down at his injury. Another hole appeared as the girl fired on him again. Then again. And again. And again-


    ¡°I- I give.¡± Red Raptor collapsed to his knees as red blood flowed down his chest and he bowed his head.


    Poseidon clenched her hand into a fist so tightly her nails dug into her palm and caused black blood to flow down her arm. Gravity compressed around her arm, and the hero gave a grin. ¡°I know you do.¡± Poseidon rammed her hand down into Red Raptor¡¯s head, hitting the villain so hard he was buried into the ground and instantly reverted back to his human form, barely clinging to life.


    Just like that, the fighting had come to an end. She realized only seconds later that she hadn¡¯t even fought a supervillain on Team Pantheon yet. Her first actual battle had been with a team that wasn¡¯t even hers... Myth was not going to be happy.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Oxide asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Money Tree nodded. ¡°Wasp Nest, call the Hero Branch. These bastards are going away for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡± Wasp Nest pulled out his phone and began to call both the police and the Hero Branch.


    She stood on the sidelines and watched the heroes work. Money Tree formed stretchers of cash, which he used to lay all the villains on. He and BB had to dig out Red Raptor. Once that was done, Oxide bound the bad guys up in layers upon layers of thick metal chains, and Wasp Nest placed a bug on each villain in case they somehow managed to escape so they could track them down again.


    Paragon went around and healed each member of the Sub Enforcers as well as Poseidon. Poseidon meanwhile stood off to the side, much like her awkwardly watching the others work.


    When it was all said and done, four unconscious villains were ready to be transported to prison. Money Tree rubbed his chin as all the cash he used pulled itself back into his cash suit. ¡°Why did Red Raptor show up? Just what were these guys planning?¡±


    BB, who had switched back to her tiny form, floated down and landed on Money Tree¡¯s shoulder, folding her arms. ¡°I think the better question we should be asking ourselves is what we do with her.¡±


    That was when all eyes turned to her. She suddenly flinched back as six different heroes all studied her costume. She felt really self-conscious at that moment. ¡°Hi?¡± She squeaked out. ¡°I¡¯m Cinder.¡±


    ¡°You were that girl in the warehouse, right!¡± She felt a clap on her back as Poseidon smiled at her. ¡°This is the second time you messed with Green Wolf, you know. He¡¯s not going to be happy now that we¡¯ve taken down four of his crewmates. You really are crazy, you know that! But you can¡¯t be all that bad if you saved my sis! Thanks for that!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome? I think?¡±


    Poseidon just laughed and patted her on the shoulder. Money Tree folded his arms. ¡°In the future, don¡¯t go jumping into battles that aren¡¯t meant for you. I¡¯ll let you off easy since I heard you¡¯re running with Myth¡¯s crew. He¡¯s an old friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She winced. ¡°I just heard the fighting and figured that someone was in trouble.¡± She had gotten straight into her costume the moment her enhanced hearing picked up on the explosion. She wasn¡¯t able to call the others though, as she had stupidly forgotten to get her phone back from Mr. Larison.


    Money Tree nodded. ¡°Still. In the future, don¡¯t do that again. You¡¯re not part of my group, and you weren¡¯t invited. You nearly threw the entire plan out of focus. Just because things went well this time doesn¡¯t mean that will happen every time.¡±


    She looked away, feeling a little down. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll try to remember that, sir.¡±


    Money Tree turned away from her. ¡°Do you have any more bugs on any other Zoo members?¡± The man asked Wasp Nest. ¡°I¡¯d like to know if any more of them are going to show up out of the blue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡± The boy lifted his foot, showing that several of his toes were missing. ¡°I placed a few bugs in Green Wolf¡¯s jacket. They¡¯ll send a message to me if they get close, so for now we don¡¯t need to worry about the leader.¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯re not done with our hunt.¡± The leader of the Sub Enforcers stated. ¡°He¡¯s the next target.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡± She asked awkwardly.


    ¡°You go home. You¡¯re not part of our team.¡± Money Tree said bluntly. ¡°If we were working alongside Myth¡¯s crew, I¡¯d be fine with it, but you just showed up. I don¡¯t have time to factor you into our plans and have no idea what your powers are or if I can trust you. You¡¯ll just get in my way.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    Poseidon hit her on the back again, still grinning. ¡°Hey, cheer up. I¡¯ll take you up top. For what it¡¯s worth, I think you did good and would love to team up with you in the future!¡± The girl¡¯s hair no longer glowed blue, nor were her eyes red, as Poseidon stopped using the power of the Lord of the Sea.


    ¡°How are we going to get back up top-¡± She was cut off as her feet suddenly left the ground, and she began to float up toward the hole in the roof alongside Poseidon. ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s happening!¡± She panicked, waving her arms back and forth. ¡°Am I flying?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Poseidon chuckled. ¡°I lowered our gravity. I¡¯ll use this to get you out of here and back up top.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Poseidon.¡± The girl smirked. ¡°I¡¯m basically the next Victorian.¡±


    As she floated up, she peered down at the other Sub Enforcer members, who all looked up at her. Her gaze settled on Paragon, who seemed to also be watching her. It seemed like what Kyle said was true. The rumors about Paragon joining the Sub Enforcers. She wondered where the boy heard that, as she hadn¡¯t been able to find anything about it.


    She was glad that she joined Pantheon after all. The thought of being on the same team with the person who failed to save her father and didn¡¯t seem to care made her stomach flop. She didn¡¯t really hate Paragon in the sense of it all, more just the way the girl didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°Thanks for saving my sister.¡± Her musing was stopped when Poseidon began to speak once more. ¡°Seriously. Thanks. I¡­ Don¡¯t know what would have happened if she had been hurt.¡± More of that black blood dripped down Poseidon¡¯s arm. ¡°Something bad could have happened.¡±


    ¡°My body sort of moved on its own.¡± She said sheepishly. They passed by the hole, and Poseidon set her down on the streets of the unused block.


    ¡°Still, you saved her life. Thank you.¡± The girl smiled. ¡°I¡¯m seriously grateful. Paragon is important. She¡¯s helped save so many lives.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have taken her out in combat, then.¡±


    Poseidon snorted and shrugged. ¡°Maybe. But she¡¯s the only one I trust to make sure I don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Poseidon held her hand out. ¡°In the future, we should totally team up.¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡± She said, taking the hand. When she let go, she wiped some of that black blood on her outfit. Poseidon looked like she was about to say more, but a flash of lights caught their attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m Alice Ward. You two are the heroes, Poseidon and Cinder, is that correct?¡± She jumped a bit and turned, finding dozens of Hero Branch drones had arrived and had their cameras aimed at her and Poseidon. The voice of Oleander¡¯s best newswoman came out of the one in front of her. ¡°Am I correct in assuming the two of you fought off some villains?¡± The drone asked, taking in their appearance.


    She was even more embarrassed as her costume had some holes in it. Her entire stomach could basically be seen thanks to the acid Red Raptor spat on her. She didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything as Poseidon threw an arm around her shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we did!¡± The girl announced. ¡°I¡¯m Poseidon, and this here is Cinder! Together, she and I defeated White Hummingbird, Red Scorpion, Black Skunk, and even Red Raptor! Do you hear that, Green Wolf? The two of us beat four members of your team, sucker!¡±


    The way Poseidon said it made it sound like they beat them all on their own. She went to say something but stopped when Poseidon kissed her on the cheek, causing her to let out a startled yelp and fall back clutching her face. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± She asked, not that she was complaining.


    The hero just giggled. ¡°Just putting on a show. It¡¯ll boost ratings and get clicks.¡± The hero gave a smile to the camera and a wave before she stepped back into the hole and began to float down softly. ¡°Tell your father I said hi!¡± She panicked for a moment before realizing that the girl was likely talking about Mr. Larison.


    And just like that, she was left alone with the flashing drones.


    ¡°Is it true you beat Red Raptor?¡±


    ¡°Your name is Cinder? Does that mean you have fire powers?¡±


    ¡°Are you and the hero Poseidon an item? Water and fire?¡±


    She gave a sheepish grin, stood up, then used her enhanced strength to make one massive jump, blasting away from all the drones and falling way out of their sight. Once she was sure she lost the drones, she found an alleyway to duck into and swapped out of her hero uniform, getting dressed back in her wet clothes from her training with Mr. Larison.


    She was glad she had brought her bag with her, as it had allowed her to easily slip into her costume. Her trusty backpack was still a mess, nearly falling apart and being held together with only hopes and dreams.


    She made her way home, looking up at the moon above. It had been fun. She got a thrill out of being a hero. Getting into fights and even getting hit. Maybe she was a bit of a masochist. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. Not as long as she was getting to help people. She¡¯d save even someone like Paragon a hundred times over if she had to.


    Speaking of which, she could still hear it as clear as day in her head. The sounds of that girl¡¯s beating heart. It was a nice sound. She was glad she got to hear it. It did sound off, though. Something about the girl¡¯s heartbeat was familiar, though she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it.


    Finally, she arrived at her apartment and found a bag waiting for her at the foot of the door. She picked it up and looked inside, finding her two phones, which caused her to snort. Mr. Larison or Armin had likely dropped them off once they remembered that she never got hers back.


    She opened the door and entered the apartment, closing it behind her. It was late, and all the lights were off. Her hearing picked up on the sounds of her mother''s heartbeat. Her mom was asleep on the couch, likely having waited for her to come back. She meant to be home sooner but had gotten busy with all the training and the Green Wolf fights.


    She grabbed a blanket and put it over her sleeping mother before finally entering her own room. As soon as she was in, she collapsed on her bed and wrapped herself around the Victorian body pillow she had. She was exhausted and looking forward to a much-needed nap. Paragon¡¯s healing had healed her body, but it did nothing for the energy she had burned off by moving around and fighting all day.


    That night she had a strange dream. She kept picturing thundering clouds, a field of flowers, a deep ocean, and a ball of fire.


    It was an odd dream. One that she forgot about the next morning she woke up.

 Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Nice Walk

    ¡°Come on, people!¡± Coach Jupiter shouted and blew into his whistle. ¡°Put your back into it. You don¡¯t want to be the sorry scrub in the newspaper, do you? Give it your best shot!¡±


    Oleander Bay could be such a strange school sometimes. For example, in the gym, hundreds of mats had been scattered around, and kids were now fighting each other. Well, actually, that wasn¡¯t the exact word to use. Kids were ¡®sparring¡¯ with each other.


    Due to the recent Super attacks and gang-related activities that were going on, Oleander Bay was going over some self-defense lessons its students could take. You know, because if someone like Mars King or Green Wolf came at you, knowing how to kick their legs out could prove useful. As in, it wouldn¡¯t work, and they might find the fact you tried funny and kill you quickly.


    Coach Jupiter blew into his whistle again. ¡°Put your back into it, Moore. You¡¯re really getting beaten by a girl?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you do better against her.¡± Armin muttered. He was currently flat on his back as she grabbed his arm and twisted him around, ramming him into the ground.


    ¡°This is fun.¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Only because you haven¡¯t been thrown around so many times.¡± Armin groaned and took her hand when she offered it. The two of them got to either side of the mat and entered their stances, restarting the match.


    She normally didn¡¯t get to hang out with Armin at school much since the two of them had different classes, but with everything going on, both of them had been able to go to the self-defense lessons at the same time. Today they were learning some basic takedowns. She was winning.


    ¡°Come on, Hope, you¡¯re cheating.¡± Armin sighed. ¡°No super strength.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not using it though.¡± She giggled. ¡°You just suck.¡±


    ¡°Rude.¡±


    She studied Armin intensely. They both got to wear the white martial arts uniforms from movies. She felt pretty cool and stylish. Slowly, her friend inched toward her with his arms up. She kept her guard up and approached. Once she was within reach, he struck.


    Armin grabbed her arms and tried to kick out at her legs, but she managed to rip herself out of his grasp and awkwardly dodge his kick. She shoved herself forward, tackling him around his waist and causing them both to drop to the floor. She pinned him down with her chest and made sure his arms were trapped above his head, holding them by her wrist.


    ¡°You know,¡± Armin murmured as she pressed against him. ¡°This part of the spar is pretty fun.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a pervert; that¡¯s just gross man.¡±


    ¡°Then stop pinning me down!¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    Armin squirmed, and she flipped herself up, lifting him up and throwing him over her shoulder. She smashed him down and planted her knee to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. ¡°You sure you¡¯re not using super strength?¡± The boy asked, shooting her a dirty look.


    ¡°I promise.¡± She crossed her fingers¡­


    She flipped Armin onto his back when he tried to crawl away, making the boy sigh. ¡°You know, Myth wanted to talk with you once you were free.¡± The boy said giving up.


    ¡°He did?¡± She took a seat on his back and folded her arms, humming. ¡°I wonder what he wants with me.¡± Though she had a pretty good idea.


    ¡°Will you get off of me? You¡¯re heavy!¡±


    ¡°Are you calling me fat?¡± She pouted. ¡°You know, you¡¯re the last person I¡¯d want to sit on anyway. Maybe I can try and get Ashley to agree to spar with me¡­¡± The Queen Bee was off by herself, not bothering to spar with anyone. ¡°She¡¯s mean, but I¡¯d be lying if I said she didn¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s being a pervert now?¡± Armin chuckled.


    She climbed off of her friend and threw her arms behind her head. ¡°Did Myth tell you what he wanted with me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Armin shook his head. ¡°He did seem a little mad though. What¡¯d you do to piss him off?¡±


    She winced a bit, remembering the fact that she had been caught on some of those drones with Poseidon. The water-based hero had basically thrown her under the bridge and claimed they worked together to take down four members of Zoo. Something that was bound to anger Green Wolf and bring that leader''s wrath. Myth was going to have serious words for her, that was for sure.


    ¡°Hope?¡± Armin asked, raising an eyebrow at her. ¡°You think of something that¡¯d make him mad?¡±


    ¡°No clue.¡± She lied, sagging in defeat.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± She didn¡¯t need her enhanced senses to pick up the sound. She turned, as did many other students when they heard the yelling. She felt shock hit her by what she saw.


    ¡°No way.¡± Armin said with wide eyes. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡±


    ¡°If you are, then I am too.¡± She stated.


    Flat on his back Kevin stared up at the person who had thrown them down. Kevin had lost a battle of strength. ¡°Not so tough after all.¡± The jock that head tackled Kevin to the ground made a show of pumping up his arms, allowing everyone to see the massive muscles that were in them. ¡°I thought you were strong, Kevin.¡±


    Kevin gritted his teeth and glared up at the boy. It took her a moment, but she realized who it was. It was the same boy that she had caught trying to kill a dog. One of the people that normally followed Kevin around and were practically a slave to the taller, stronger boy. The jock had now overpowered Kevin and was somehow the new alpha of the school.


    ¡°It was a fluke." Kevin smacked the ground and stood back up. ¡°We¡¯ll go again, Trev-¡±


    The boy shoulder rammed Kevin as hard as he could, and the two roided-out football players began to wrestle against each other. Kevin wrapped his arms around his goon''s waist, but the other boy was just too strong now. In an instant, the kid grabbed Kevin, lifted the jock up, and tossed him to the ground. Whatever drug the kid was taking, it was insane.


    Kevin bounced across the ground and went to stand up, but the kid kicked him across the chin, shoving him back. The boy went to kick again but were stopped when a bag smashed into the back of his head. Instantly everyone turned to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me!¡± She waved her arms and pointed to the bleachers where her sown-together bag rested. ¡°Wasn¡¯t me this time!¡±


    Instead, everyone turned to the Queen Bee herself. Ashley glared at the boy that had smacked Kevin. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The girl demanded. The boy gritted his teeth and stormed over to the girl about to throw out another punch, but one of Ashley¡¯s many followers acted first. Hannah was always a weird girl and followed Ashley around everywhere.


    Right now that girl stepped in front of her friend, caught the fist that the boy was throwing, and kicked the boy¡¯s legs out, causing him to crash to the ground in one fell swoop.


    ¡°Pretty sure she¡¯s on something as well.¡± Armin snorted.


    She wasn¡¯t paying attention, though. Instead, her gaze followed after Kevin, who was storming out and gritting his teeth.


    The coach finally blew into his whistle now that the fight was over. ¡°Alright. Calm down everyone.¡± The man shouted. ¡°No actual fighting.¡±


    She felt a little worried for Kevin. The boy was the kind of person who would let one loss rule over them after all. She knew that he was about to do something drastic. She didn¡¯t know what, but it likely wouldn¡¯t be good.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you explain in case it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± Myth said calmly.


    She flinched and looked away, not meeting the man¡¯s eyes. She was in the Pantheon base alone with the man. Lois and Armin weren¡¯t here, nor was Mr. Larison. It was just her and her new boss. Myth was at a table and had turned a computer her way.


    The screen of the computer was an image of her and Poseidon standing side by side. ¡°That¡¯s right, we did! I¡¯m Poseidon, and this here is Cinder! Together, she and I defeated White Hummingbird, Red Scorpion, Black Skunk, and even Red Raptor! Do you hear that, Green Wolf? The two of us beat four members of your team, sucker!¡±


    As soon as school had ended, she had shown up at the Pantheon base like Armin told her to. She wasn¡¯t shocked to see Myth waiting for her, nor was she surprised that this had been what he wanted to talk to her about.


    ¡°Is it a misunderstanding?¡± The hero asked again.


    ¡°No sir.¡± She finally said. ¡°It¡¯s not a misunderstanding.¡±


    Myth nodded. ¡°I see. Can you explain what happened, Cinder?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She scratched her chin sheepishly. ¡°So basically it was after Mr. Larison took us all to the beach to practice. After that, I heard an explosion and went to go check it out. I found the Sub Enforcers and four members of Zoo, and I jumped in and helped them. After Money Tree gave me a bit of a lecture.¡±


    Myth closed the computer. ¡°What you did was very stupid.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Do you? Do you even know why I¡¯m mad and having this talk with you, Cinder?¡±


    She awkwardly shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I helped the Sub Enforcers out, right? I jumped into their fight when I¡¯m not a member of their team, and then when the drones were there, they made it look like I was part of their team, so Pantheon won¡¯t get any reputation. That¡¯s it, right?¡±


    Myth reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Money Tree got onto you for that reason. You being there did affect his brand and also threw a wrench into his plans. That was why he got onto you. Why I¡¯m getting onto you is different. I don¡¯t care that you ran in and helped. I care that you didn¡¯t call any of us first.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have my phone.¡± She explained.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, Cinder.¡± Myth shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at the fact you took down these villains. I want you to understand that. But let¡¯s change what happened for a moment. What if, because of your enhanced senses, you heard something you shouldn¡¯t have, and you ran in just like you did there? This time though, there aren¡¯t any Sub Enforcers fighting the villains for you to team up with. What if you ran into that situation, you didn¡¯t have your phone, you didn¡¯t tell any of us, and you then had to fight all four of those guys at once? Would you win?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it.¡± She whispered. Beating Red Scorpion was hard enough. She¡¯d have died without Paragon. Red Raptor was even harder, though. As she was now, there was no way she¡¯d have walked out of that fight.


    Myth stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a hero. Saving people is what we do. You have to save yourself, too, Cinder. What you did was brave but stupid. I¡¯m proud you managed to capture four bad guys with the help of the Sub Enforcers but I was worried as well.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t do it again.¡± The man moved past her and punched her shoulder. ¡°Now come on.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± She asked, following after the man.


    ¡°For a walk.¡±


    ¡°Let me get changed!¡±


    ¡°You do that.¡±


    She quickly got changed into her hero costume and made her way downstairs. Myth was waiting for her dressed in his costume, and he wasn¡¯t alone. Battery also stood there. ¡°Battery! What are you doing here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I got invited by Myth.¡± The hero shrugged.


    Myth nodded and gave a small smile. ¡°Now that you¡¯re both here, I think we should begin.¡±


    She looked to Mr. Larison to see if he had any clue, but the man just shrugged. They followed after Myth and exited the building. The hero didn¡¯t move very fast, and he went onto the roof to travel. Instead, the dark-skinned man just walked the streets of Oleander. They were behind him, closely following after him.


    ¡°So what is it we¡¯re doing exactly?¡± Battery called out. The two of them kept getting looks from people as they walked, and some guys even stopped and took pictures of them.


    Myth looked back at them and smiled. ¡°Just look around the city.¡±


    She frowned but did as he said. They had made it over to the middle part of the city after walking, so it was pretty nice. There was a park and several trees that hung up, as well as many curved roads. People walked the streets, and cars drove down. It wasn¡¯t late, so the sun was still high up. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What am I looking for?¡± She asked. She didn¡¯t spot any crime. She was sure it was happening though; crime was always happening.


    Myth gestured with his arms again. ¡°As you look at the city, the city will also look at you. On a patrol, we travel during the night. We stay hidden and try not to make a scene unless we¡¯re caught. Sometimes though it¡¯s good to do things like this, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°I think I get it.¡± Battery closed his eyes and folded his arms as he walked alongside her. ¡°This is also a form of patrol. Or actually more of a deterrent. We¡¯re walking around to show that we exist.¡±


    ¡°Does that work?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, are you seeing any crime?¡± Battery asked with a smirk.


    She gave a smile and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I guess not.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to being a hero than fighting bad guys. Heroes that focus only on defeating villains aren¡¯t actually heroes. They¡¯re just soldiers with silly names.¡± The man complained as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes.


    They kept following after Myth, who stayed ahead of them at a brisk pace. People kept staring, and she felt a little embarrassed. Her costume was still badly damaged, but she had stitched some fabric over the holes to cover them up. It looked a little goofy, but it would do until she got her suit actually fixed.


    ¡°I heard you got into a fight with Zoo.¡± Her smile faded as Mr. Larison spoke up. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I am now. Paragon healed me. Could you ask her to heal your heart, sir?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The man said flatly. ¡°But seriously, are you okay? It¡¯s fine if you admit you were scared. You might have been healed physically, but are you good mentally, kid?¡±


    ¡°It was a bit scary.¡± She admitted quietly. ¡°But I trusted that the other heroes would have my back. I got hurt, but Paragon healed me instantly. She knows who I am now though. Oh, and Poseidon says hi.¡±


    ¡°How did you do in the fight?¡± Battery asked.


    ¡°Well, I guess? I mean, I¡¯m alive, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    The man nodded, and he brought his arms up, entering a boxing stance. ¡°This is called the one-two combo.¡± The man explained throwing out two fast moving strikes that ripped through the air and caused her hair to be kicked up a bit. ¡°You have super strength, so when you use them, make sure you put your back into it and hit as hard as you can. The first is a basic jab. Aim for the jaw, the throat, or the heart. The second is a hook. It goes to the side of the head. Hit them fast. Hit them hard.¡±


    ¡°You know a lot about fighting.¡± She said, a little envious of her mentor¡¯s skills.


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m mainly good with a sword.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°I know some boxing, but that¡¯s about it. Get a sword in my hands though, and I could show off a few real skills.¡±


    ¡°You know how to use a sword? Like the Victorian?¡±


    Battery just shrugged and flicked her helmet. ¡°This thing got banged up right. Next time I¡¯m free, drop it off and I¡¯ll fix it up. Get some of those scratches and dents out of it.¡±


    She gave a smile and reached up, feeling the helmet he had gifted her. ¡°Thanks. That¡¯d be really nice.¡± She stopped when her enhanced senses went off. ¡°Someone¡¯s in trouble!¡± She called out.


    Instantly Myth and Battery both turned to her, and she took off running. She didn¡¯t go at her full speed, making sure both men could keep up with her. They didn¡¯t need to go very far, as she took them directly into the park and came to a sliding stop.


    ¡°There¡¯s the issue!¡± She announced. Both men stopped behind her and made a bit of a face.


    ¡°My kitty!¡± A little girl whined. The girl stood beneath a tree that had a cat trapped up in the branches, meowing. ¡°Someone get it down.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get it!¡± She announced proudly placing her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit low level?¡± Battery asked sheepishly.


    ¡°A hero that only fights crime isn¡¯t a real hero! They¡¯re just a soldier with a funny name!¡± She announced proudly. She jumped into the air and came down, landing on Mr. Larison¡¯s shoulders. The hero¡¯s knees buckled, but he supported her weight, his eyes twitching. ¡°Take me to the tree!¡±


    ¡°Kid. Think very carefully about your next words.¡±


    She stood on his shoulders and folded her arms, thinking. Finally, she pointed forward. ¡°Mush!¡± And she lightly kicked him in the head.


    Battery grumbled several choice words and walked toward the tree. She was tall enough, thanks to standing on him, to just reach up and grab the cat. It meowed as she dropped down and handed the animal back to the little girl.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± The girl cried out.


    ¡°It¡¯s what a hero does.¡± She smiled and ruffled the child''s hair.


    Battery looked away, sighing. Off to the side, Myth stood smiling slightly. The man¡¯s eyes sharply glanced back to the hero in red, and for a moment his smile faded as the words of the mayor came back to him. There had been another reason why he wanted to come on this little walk. He had wanted to see if Battery could truly be a member of his team.


    ¡°Yo Myth! Where to next!¡± She called out, stopping Myth¡¯s thoughts.


    The hero shook his head and forced his smile back onto his face. ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of you keep going by yourselves? I¡¯ve got to go see a friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Battery asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°Well okay.¡± She said a little bummed. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± The man said, turning away. ¡°You two have fun. Take care.¡±


    Time seemed to almost move in a fast blur. Her and Battery kept walking around the city, heading from block to block. Nothing really crazy happened. She did wave at a few drones here and there, but that was about it. Eventually, though, the sun had set and the moon began to rise.


    ¡°Hey Battery.¡± She asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The man grunted out as the two of them walked.


    ¡°Is there a reason you won¡¯t let Paragon heal you?¡±


    The man lazily shrugged. ¡°I just don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Reasons.¡± He shrugged again. ¡°Trust me when I say there¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know about me.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The man smirked. ¡°Like my real name isn¡¯t actually Jack; my favorite color is blue; I used to be married; I had a pet dog once-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you used to be married!¡± She stared at the man with wide eyes.


    Jack¡¯s smile only grew, and he flicked her on the helmet. ¡°Told ya.¡±


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Years ago.¡± The man sighed. ¡°Supers don¡¯t look their age normally. Some can be a lot older than you might think. I¡¯ve lived a pretty long life. It hasn¡¯t always been great; in fact, I¡¯d say more times than not, it was shitty. But it was my life, ya know. The life of Jack.¡±


    She blinked a bit, nodding her head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I got to meet you in my life, Mr. Larison.¡± She smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jack opened his mouth about to say something but stopped when a buzz came out of his pocket. Her phone also buzzed, and both of them pulled them out. Her smile faded when she saw the text.


    ¡°You got it also?¡± Battery grunted.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. ¡°Trouble at the docks.¡±


    ***


    A few moments earlier...


    "You should all be honored about being some of the first we''re selling this new product to!"


    Kevin narrowed his eyes. Whenever someone had to go over the top with a pitch, it often wasn''t as good as it seemed. He wasn''t the only one who stood in the warehouse either. They were near the docks of Oleander City. Back in the day, before the Calamities appeared again two years ago and destroyed most of the ocean, the docks were a thriving source of money. Now, it seemed like the Wandering Coin had moved in.


    A large boathouse had been hollowed out, and that was where they all stood. The front of it had been opened up, and inside, there were dozens of goons. The Wandering Coin didn''t really have a theme to them like Zoo or Bad Timers. They were just petty thugs. Petty thugs who had some of the best super drugs on the black market. There was a balcony above them, where more goons stood staring down, and scattered haphazardly must have been a good few hundred crates of various drugs.


    There were four of them in total, all standing in front of the warehouse, waiting for their product, as a Wandering Coin goon sat on a box, giving them the speech.


    "Ya see, our boss is a Super who has a mental-based power. He is able to create these drugs and help turn a normal human into something more. Now, lucky for all of you-"


    "Just cut the crap." Kevin''s voice rang out, causing silence amongst the dozens of Wandering Coin goons. "I''m not interested in the new stuff. None of us are. You just want us to be a test subject, right? Get us hooked on a new product. I want the stuff I''ve been getting before you guys moved in. I had a dealer, but your gang absorbed his crew. Let me talk to Hasle."


    "Yeah." One of four, who was also here to buy drugs, nodded. "I ain''t looking for superpowers. Just give me my usual stuff." The man said, scratching at his neck. He was tall and skinny, with barely any hair on him, his eyes darting back and forth.


    "I have to agree with the crackhead and the athlete." A third man stated, folding his arms. "These drugs haven''t been seen by the public yet, and I''m betting there are some catches to them. I''d rather put the stuff a normal wacko human created into my body than anything some bat shit super came up with." Unlike the others, this man was dressed in a suit with slick black hair and held an aura of importance. Some rich man looking for his high.


    The Wandering Coin member who sat on the box let out a heavy sigh but nodded his head. "Look. I had to go and ask. Part of the boss''s orders."


    "About your boss." The fourth and final member who came to buy their usual drugs spoke up. "Is he here?" He was dressed in a heavy coat that hid most of his form.


    The man on the box narrowed his eyes. "No. This isn''t our main base. Just a selling point. Keep asking dumb questions, and you won''t get anything."


    "Do you even know who your boss is?''


    "You wearing a fucking wire? ''Course I know who my boss is, dumbass. I ain''t talking, though. Just know he is a powerful man and can get me out of any situation, so bring the cops; I dare you." The man sneered, and all the gang members drew various weapons. The doors to the warehouse slowly closed behind them, and suddenly the place looked far darker and ominous, the dozens of boxes casting everything in the shade.


    "You say your boss can get you out of any situation?" The addict cocked his head to the side and gave a lopsided grin.


    "Yo. Stop it." Kevin grunted, glaring at the fourth man. "You''re going to get us killed."


    The man on the box pulled out a long, slender revolver, dangling it. "You seriously wanna make out with the fishes? Be my guess."


    The fourth man chuckled. "This could have all gone so much easier. Oh well. Guess it can''t be helped."


    "What are you trying to say, pal?" The man stepped forward and dropped the coat he was wearing. He was dressed like a punk, but it was what was on his arm that got everyone''s eyes to go wide. A tattoo with the letters BT on it. "Shit, shoot the bastard quick!"


    Kevin dropped to the ground, as did the man in the suit, as bullets suddenly rang out, but it was far too late. The Bad Timer goon gave a wide grin, even as his body was riddled with lead. The holes in his flesh grew larger, and all across his skin, tears began to open up. A loud buzzing noise echoed around him, and his holes let out a sickly-looking black liquid.


    "I summon you!" He screamed.


    A loud crackling exploded through the air, and something seemed to appear in the sky. It was almost like black lightning, bending and twisting; it rapidly formed into a portal, and something dropped down.


    Dressed in a skintight black outfit that covered her entire body, black hellish flames spewed out the top of her head, forming her hair. Her body bent and twisted in awkward ways as Demonica, second in command of the Bad Timers, stood up and let out an animalistic cry!


    "Leave it to me, Ears."


    The man riddled with holes cracked his head in her direction. Things were growing out of his holes. Hundreds of tiny ears. They all gushed that same black liquid. "Very well." The liquid began to flow around him, and then, in a flash, he was gone, leaving just Demonica. Purple fire gushed from her head, and the black twisted into a nasty smile.


    She could handle this on her own. In fact, she''d prefer to handle it on her own.


    "We gotta get out of here." Kevin felt himself be practically lifted off the ground by the guy in the suit.


    "What about the crackhead?"


    "Dead! Listen, we need to worry about ourselves. I was in a bank that these psychos hit once. This entire city is so fucked!" Bullets rang through the air, and the man in the suit loudly cried as he took one to the shoulder, dropping down.


    Kevin looked up and saw that the Wandering Coin were firing wildly in all directions. Demonica moved with inhuman speed, leaving behind a blur as she began to literally tear through the gang members. Kevin grabbed the man in the suit and dragged them over to a box, ducking down behind it for cover.


    The entire dock shook as someone seemed to have thrown a grenade. "This is crazy." He hissed. "There''s too much gunfire for us to run, and a literal supervillain is here!"


    The warehouse shook again, and he felt a wave of hot air as Demonica''s purple flames ate away at the building. Debris rained down, and he threw his arms over his head, staying low.


    "I- I can''t die here. Please. Someone save me!"

 Chapter Twenty-Eight: Pantheon VS Bad Timers

    Kevin had spent his whole life trying to be the best. He studied three times a day: when he first woke up, during lunch, and before he went to bed. He exercised for three hours a day whenever he could and constantly read the new info on the local football players for the next game.


    And on top of all of that, he was on a cocktail of drugs. Sure, his future wouldn¡¯t be the best, but the present was the only thing he cared about. He was as good as a human could get.


    But that was just the thing.


    In the end, he was human.


    Gunfire rang throughout the air, hitting metal and stone. The warehouse had been dark, with only a large window up top allowing moonlight in. Well, that and the many flashes of fire.


    Demonica¡¯s name was accurate, it seemed. The woman moved like a demon. The villain was fast. Most Supers were faster and stronger than your average human, but speedsters were something else. Almost like a cheat code, casually dodging gunfire and moving fast enough to cause their blows to land with devastating force.


    Each goon the Bad Timer hit didn¡¯t get back up.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± Kevin whispered, watching the woman dance through every person like it was nothing. They said God once created man, and it was the act of guns that made men equal. Tell that to a Super.


    Demonica didn¡¯t just run through every person that came near her. The villain utterly destroyed them. Demonica crawled, going on the ceiling and the walls, her limbs twitching and distorting like something out of a horror movie, as fire blasted off of her, scorching anyone that got too close.


    ¡°We can¡¯t handle a Super, retreat!¡± Someone screamed out.


    That caused Kevin to snap out of the trance. ¡°This is our chance.¡± He put his arm under the man in the suit and helped the guy up. ¡°We can get out of here if we hurry.¡±


    ¡°You think we can actually escape.¡± The man groaned, clutching at where he had been shot. ¡°That woman is one of the cruelest people around. She won¡¯t let us go.¡±


    Kevin didn¡¯t even have time to argue with the man. The warehouse he was in constantly shook, and the wooden beams had ignited with fire a while ago. There were no windows, and if not for the open door, everyone would have all been killed by the smoke a while ago. Dozens of boxes formed walls, allowing them to stay mostly out of harm¡¯s way from the bullets. There had been at least a hundred goons in the warehouse, many up in rafters or sitting on boxes, but now less than twenty remained.


    Several of the Wandering Coin members dropped their guns and made a mad dash for the exit. No one was able to get outside, though. Fire blasted out at the entrance to the warehouse, causing the front of the building to cave in, leaving them all trapped in what might become their metal tomb.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Kevin cursed. He made sure he was out of sight of the villain as he set the man down. ¡°You stay here. With all these boxes around, there¡¯s bound to be a few crowbars to open them somewhere. I¡¯ll try to bust through the wall.¡±


    ¡°Ha. You think you can get through an entire wall of wood and stone?¡±


    ¡°Gotta try at least.¡± Kevin hissed.


    The man shook his head and stumbled to his feet. His eyes lingered on something that was in the center of the warehouse. The one who had invited everyone here today had been sitting on it, though now only his lower half remained. ¡°Idiots. Of course, a gun isn¡¯t a match for a Super. Did they forget what kind of products they had?¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kevin asked.


    The man ignored him, stumbling into the center of the room, where bullets rained as much as the hellish woman¡¯s fire did. Kevin had been right about the crowbars. There was one next to a box, which the man in the suit picked up. He brought it down on the box and forced the lid off, ignoring how his side felt like it was about to explode.


    Inside were dozens of jars of a strange orangish liquid. He picked one up and got ready to pop the top off. ¡°Hey!¡±


    That caused Demonica to come to a stop. She dropped one of the men she had been holding, her head twisting all the way around until it stared at the man.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick on someone your own size?¡± Demonica didn¡¯t even give him a chance. She was on the guy, and despite the fact it was a mere flick, the attack threw the man in the suit through the air, and he smashed back first into the metal wall.


    The villain raised her hand up, charging up a bolt of hellish fire, ready to vaporize the poor suit on the spot. That was when Kevin did one of the dumbest things in his life. As a mere mortal, he leaped out from behind the box and smacked the Super upside the head with a crowbar!


    The fire on Demonica seemed to freeze, just as the woman did. The attack did nothing, although it absolutely caught the woman off guard. Her eyes darted up to the tall boy who forfeited his life. Kevin stood there shaking but brought his makeshift weapon up, ready to fight.


    ¡°Super or not! I¡¯ll fight you!¡± Kevin never got to try. One of the Wandering Coin goons fired his gun. The bullet hit Demonica, literally bounced off her skin, and stabbed into Kevin. He gasped and fell over, clutching at his gut wound in shock. ¡°What just happened?¡±


    Demonica let out a snort and brought her foot up, about to simply crush his head. Kevin closed his eyes as the limb came down! Despite having his eyes closed, he was able to see the bright flash of gold and the scream Demonica made that caused all gunfire to cease.


    The boy opened his eyes and saw the mighty Super was shaking rapidly as if she had just been hit with the mother of all tasers.


    ¡°Cinder, the thugs! Snowdawn, deal with the fire.¡± A voice announced from up top. Kevin looked up with wide eyes. Heroes. Just like in the comic, they had arrived at the perfect moment. One was dressed in all red, and he glowed with a golden aura. He was the one barking out the orders.


    The one in blue, a young girl with a metal helmet, dropped from the roof and tried to land a superhero pose. She fumbled a bit but managed to stay on her feet. Her hands flew out in awkward slapping motions, and any poor goon that got hit by her attack was smashed into the ground, knocked out, and most sporting a broken jaw.


    After her was a strange snowman thing, it was covered head to toe in frost, and as it dropped, it held its hands down, creating layers of water and snow that formed into a cushion as it landed. It instantly got to work, blasting snow at the many sets of pillars that had ignited, putting them out.


    The man in red was the last to drop down, doing so just as Demonica recovered. The villain threw out a punch at lightning-like speeds, but the hero caught her fist. Demonica stared in shock as the lower half of the man¡¯s face twisted into a smirk. ¡°Let¡¯s take this fight outside.¡± And with that, Battery rammed his fist into the woman¡¯s face as fast as he could, blasting her to the other side of the room and through the wall, sending her flying out of the warehouse and creating a hole that allowed all the smoke and the people to escape through.


    Kevin stared up in shock at the man in red. ¡°Did you come to save me?¡±


    Battery didn¡¯t answer, pointing his hand at the villain, who was already getting back up. ¡°Bang.¡± A blast of golden light exploded out, causing all the goons and the villain to scream as the brilliant light burned into their retinas.


    Cinder smacked goon after goon, moving through the horde of enemies. Her arms came up as she blocked a large man wielding some kind of automatic rifle. The bullets caused her to wince and shake at the thudding impacts, but they didn¡¯t pierce her costume. It hurt way less than the stab she got from Red Scorpion. She gave a small smirk and punched the man in the gut, causing him to drop instantly.


    ¡°You know, fighting normal guys is a lot more fun than Supers.¡± She said happily.


    ¡°You¡¯ve fought a Super before?¡± The voice of Whisper asked, going through the communication device she wore.


    ¡°Yep. A few now!¡± She bragged. She decided to leave out the part about how she almost died each time.


    Up above, a drone flew through the air, keeping close to her. Whisper wasn¡¯t in the building. The girl remained outside in a van, monitoring everything. ¡°On your left,'' the girl calmly stated.


    One of the goons tried to sneak attack her with a bat, but she dodged the strike, thanks to Whisper¡¯s warning. ¡°You know I don¡¯t need a babysitter, right? Snowdawn could use your warning more. He¡¯s not as durable as me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t like him,¡± Whisper explained bluntly.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Snowdawn¡¯s voice came through the earpiece, causing the girl to giggle.


    ¡°There appears to be two civilians near the front, both in critical condition,¡± Whisper said as her drone finished flying through the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve put out most of the fires,¡± Snowdawn called out. ¡°Cinder, you grab the two and bring them to Whisper. I¡¯ll take out the rest of these guys and back you up!¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± She threw one of the goons through a box and began to rip her way past the wood to where the downed people were.


    Whisper had been the one to text her and Mr. Larison when they were patrolling around the city. The girl had also tried to call Myth. Wherever he was, their leader wasn¡¯t picking up. That meant they currently didn¡¯t have the best heavy hitter for their team at the moment.


    The Sub Enforcers were busy with something else also, likely Green Wolf-related since they pissed his group off, and no one was able to get a hold of Watch Dogs still. Ocean Empress could show up to help, but it was fifty-fifty at best since the woman was jumping between Oleander and Lillian. That left just them.


    Battery had used his super speed to get them all here. The man was stupidly fast, and so strong he had picked up the van and carried it with them inside. This was their first actual mission as Pantheon. And of course, thanks to her rotten luck, they were dealing with a member of the Bad Timers.


    She came to a sliding stop in front of the downed boy and was a little shocked when she saw who it was. ¡°Kevin! You, okay?¡±


    Kevin groaned, fading in and out of consciousness. ¡°Lauren?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She quickly put on her best, not Hope Lauren voice. ¡°I¡¯m Cinder! I¡¯m here to save you!¡±


    Kevin¡¯s eyes closed, and his breathing slowed. ¡°There was another guy. He was hit by the villain. He had something on him too. One of the drugs.¡± The boy croaked out.


    ¡°The drugs?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Uh oh. Battery, we might have an issue.¡±


    ¡°Little busy kid.¡± Battery¡¯s voice crackled through the earpiece. ¡°Sit still, ya damn Demon, I¡¯m gonna show ya the light of God! Bang! Bang!¡± The oldest member of their team had moved the battle outside and was now giving chase to Demonica, who ran at insane speeds on the beach, kicking up a wave of sand.


    ¡°At least someone is having a good time.¡± She set Kevin down and made for the corner the other man was at. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw him. He was in bad condition. Very, very bad condition, but the drug remained unused. It seemed he got knocked out before he used it. He also hadn¡¯t opened the thing all the way.


    She took the jar out of his hands slowly and took her backpack off. She was glad she brought it because she had no pockets on her costume. She opened the bag up and set the jar into it gently, then closed it back up. Slipping it back on, she grabbed the man and gently carried him over to where Kevin was still sprawled out on the ground. All the while, Whisper¡¯s drone followed her.


    ¡°Cinder here.¡± She said, speaking into her earpiece. ¡°I¡¯m taking the two civilians to you now, Whisper. Get ready to transport them to a hospital.¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± Whisper responded.


    She did her best to lift Kevin up carefully. Her strength made it more than easy. Next up was the man in the suit. She used one arm to lift him up, throwing both men over a different shoulder. ¡°Good thing he got knocked out when he did. If he took that drug, things would have gotten bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah-¡± A loud buzzing caused her to wince as several alarms went off on Whisper¡¯s end.


    ¡°Shit! Cinder behind you!¡±


    Whisper¡¯s warning came a second too late. A literal metal beam flew through the air and smashed into the back of her head. She stumbled forward, gritting her teeth as she kept her grip on the two civilians.


    ¡°Ow!¡± She screamed. ¡°That freaking hurt!¡±


    ¡°How curious. I tried to take your entire head off.¡± She froze when she heard the voice. It was one she still remembered even now. One she had heard before she had her powers. ¡°It seems you are durable. Yes, I¡¯d say you¡¯re at least a little tough.¡±


    It was a villain. One dressed in black knight-like armor, with a long cape flowing behind him as all the metal in the room was lifted up. Polaron, leader of the Bad Timers, strolled forward with his arms casually behind his back and took note of her.


    ¡°I have bad luck.¡±


    ¡°That you do.¡± The villain looked up towards the drone that was above him. He lazily cocked his head to the side, and the machine let out a mechanical cry as it was crushed into a ball. ¡°Still. It¡¯s a little odd.¡± The man hummed. The ball landed on his finger and began to spin. ¡°I tried to crush your skull into a fine paste, but it seems that the helmet you have isn¡¯t normal metal. Ah, it¡¯s one of Avalon''s, isn¡¯t it? I heard he had come here. He likely used the metal from the pod.¡±


    She ignored him as she gently set the two civilians down. She was able to get a single step forward before the man struck. The metal ball blasted forward and tried to ram her. She dodged the strike at the last second and managed to jump toward him and wrap her arms around the man¡¯s waist. Twisting her body, she turned and threw him across the room and into one of the boxes. His armor rose up as he used his powers to float above the air, all the nails ripping their way out of the wood. The air buzzed as his knight-like helmet once more cocked to the side.


    The warehouse began to fall apart around them as the villain collapsed the building. She punched away some of the debris, but it was coming down fast. At the last second before the roof could fully cave in, though, the walls and floors became covered in a thin layer of frost, and pillars of snow rose up to hold the roof.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll be putting you on ice!¡± Snowdawn called out as he stopped the building from fully collapsing. It wouldn¡¯t last forever, though. ¡°Let¡¯s take this loser out, Cinder!¡±


    ¡°You think we can beat him?¡± She asked, looking up at the man in armor. She was glad her best friend stood by her side, but that didn¡¯t boost her confidence up that much. Polaron, like Green Wolf, was the leader of a villain gang. In this case, the Bad Timers. The man was basically as strong, maybe even stronger, than Green Wolf, and a threat that would normally require an Enforcer to take on.


    ¡°Oh no, we¡¯re going to die.¡± Snowdawn announced casually, making her worry grow worse. ¡°But it¡¯ll be a cool death! Cool? Eh? Get it? I made another ice pun earlier also.¡±


    She snorted and shrugged. ¡°Whisper, come and get Kevin out of here! Snowdawn and I will hold this guy off!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Whisper called back. ¡°I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can!¡±


    All she had to do now was battle one of the strongest people in Oleander City. Man, her luck was bad.


    Over with Battery, he heard everything that was happening from over his earpiece. He gritted his teeth and cracked his knuckles, the black lines on his outfit turning gold as the energy began to rumble. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to play around anymore. The kids need me, so you¡¯re gonna have to go ahead and stay down, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll feast on your soul!¡± Demonica roared. They had moved the battle to the water. As in both of them were running across the ocean standing on water as they threw lasers and purple fire at one another.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t got a soul.¡± Battery weaved in and out of the flames, and shoulder bashed his way through a wave that was kicked up. Gold and black streaks rippled through the ocean as he battled the villain. ¡°You can have this knuckle sandwich instead though.¡±


    Every second he fought, he got faster, and in an instant he appeared in front of Demonica, moving so fast that even she was starting to look slow to him. Golden lightning crackled out of Battery¡¯s fist, and he rammed it directly into the face of Demonica, hitting the woman so hard he blew her through the water and sent her deep into the ocean.


    He came to a sliding stop on the water and created a barrier of gold beneath his feet that allowed him to still stand. He searched the water with his eyes, but it was almost pitch black due to the night sky. Luckily, he didn¡¯t need to look very hard.


    The water began to bubble, and steam started to rise off of the ocean around Battery. A bright purple glow started to expand out. Demonica was like him in a way. The woman built up power. Every second, the fire on her body grew in size and heat, and she got faster. He gained his power by absorbing and building up energy his body created, but Demonica¡¯s power source was different. She gained power from pure hatred and rage.


    And she was really pissed off!


    The water exploded as the woman came blasting out like a jet. Fire gushed out of the bottom of Demonica¡¯s feet, allowing her to literally fly, and she twisted through the air and came down so fast that a massive crack exploded through the air and the water was kicked up. Battery held his hand up, and several golden orbs of energy appeared around him, all firing their own lasers. The lasers rained through the air, but Demonica dodged and weaved out of the way as she kept flying above him.


    ¡°She¡¯s dodging my lasers? She is fast.¡± Battery grunted. The villain was moving at speeds that most Supers wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with anymore. He must have really made her mad. She came down hard, still unleashing a stream of fire out of her feet, and Demonica went through the water like some sort of jet ski flying over the top of the ocean.


    Fire formed around Demonica¡¯s claws, and she slashed down, trying to cut Battery into ribbons. Battery managed to dodge the strike, but the ocean around him was literally split in two, stretching out for at least a mile.


    Before Battery had a chance to fire anymore of his attacks, Demonica¡¯s fist met his gut, and he had to wince. It was like a volcano had decided to punch him. The fire literally blasted out of her elbow, boosting the punch as if it were some kind of jet. It actually caused Battery to nearly vomit as she shoved him back several feet, no doubt breaking some ribs.


    Battery was sent flying back, and this time it was his turn to drop beneath the water as the ocean began to mold itself back together after Demonica¡¯s attack. Battery felt the heavy water ram down into him, and it knocked more of the wind out of his lungs as he began to sink into the water.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    He felt his lungs start to flood with water, but he wasn¡¯t too concerned. He had been in space before, so the chances of him drowning weren¡¯t that high. What did worry him though was his heart. It was beating faster and faster and started to burn. But as the pain got worse, so did something else. The power within him was growing.


    Just like with Cinder, Battery was getting stronger at an alarming rate. His heart was settling around the pain and adapting to it. He was growing used to it and pushing himself further and further than he used to.


    Demonica floated just above the water and narrowed her eyes when several golden beams of energy blasted out. She dodged in and out of their way with ease and growled. Slowly, Battery rose out of the water, standing on a golden platform. He had a sly smirk on his lips and wiped some of the blood off of him.


    ¡°You know, we seem to have a lot in common.¡± He stated casually.


    ¡°What? Is this the part where you ask me out?¡± The villain spat.


    ¡°Nah. I already went through the dance of romance. Not interested in a repeat. Especially with a freak like you.¡±


    Demonica howled and charged forward, being carried by her purple flame. It boosted the villain forward like a rocket, creating another massive boom, and she dodged all of the rapid lasers that came at her. More fire coated her claws as she came head-on at Battery and rammed her hand forward.


    Her arm stabbed directly through the man¡¯s stomach and came out his back. Battery gasped out and spat up some of his blood but then smirked. Demonica had been way too fast for him to hit normally. Now though¡­


    Golden lightning zapped through Battery¡¯s body as the energy created inside of him escaped through the hole in his gut. Demonica twitched and began to spasm as the woman¡¯s body was hit with waves of lightning. Battery rammed his hand forward and shoved it through Demonica¡¯s stomach, impaling her with his fist. Black blood poured down her gut.


    Both hero and villain glared at one another as they dug their arms deeper into their opponent. ¡°Die!¡± Demonica hissed out and blasted a wave of her purple flame out.


    ¡°You first.¡± Battery¡¯s body ignited with more golden lightning, and suddenly a shimmer of blue appeared in his aura. Demonica¡¯s eyes went wide when she saw it. The fire that began to burn Battery stopped and flickered out as the man¡¯s aura devoured it. With a twist of his arm, Battery kicked up a powerful tornado by spinning the limb as fast as he could. It blew Demonica off of his arm and sent the woman crashing back across the water.


    Like most Supers that had enhanced bodies, Demonica could take a beating, and even with her gut split open, she clung to life and glared up at Battery. The fire flowing from her feet picked her up, and she screamed out, throwing her arms out and sending jagged shards of purple fire out in every direction. ¡°I know that power! You¡¯re-¡±


    ¡°Battery.¡± Battery clasped his hands together, and the blue took shape as he expanded them and held a claymore forged out of blue lightning. It was jagged and looked like a bolt had been pulled from the clouds themselves. ¡°I¡¯m just Battery.¡± With a single swing, a wave of blue energy blasted out of the blade, meeting Demonica¡¯s fire head on.


    Meanwhile, outside of the warehouse, Whisper said a quick prayer and then hit the gas. The van roared to life and shot forward, as the girl used it to literally ram through the wall. Normally it would be a very bad idea; now, however, the building had taken so much damage that it was already falling apart, so it was just a stupid idea now.


    Whisper winced as the van came to a crashing stop when she broke into the warehouse. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw what was going on inside. Smoke was piling up quickly, and there were almost as many unconscious bodies as there were dead. The members of Wandering Coin, who were still alive and conscious, had either given up, stayed low to the ground, or ran off. There were hundreds of large boxes, many of which had been smashed, spilling their orange liquid everywhere. Whisper couldn¡¯t see her teammates, but she did hear yelling through the falling apart building.


    Polaron was likely using one of his powers to cut off communication as the earpieces had stopped working.


    Whisper focused her power and shivered as she felt the light bend and twist around her form. The girl became unseen, even to herself. Normally invisibility wouldn¡¯t be as cool as it sounds, as even a person¡¯s eyes would need to be visible in order for them to receive light, letting you see. Her power, however, like many superpowers, just didn¡¯t make sense, and so she could still see just fine. In fact, she could see even better like this.


    The line lit up with an unseen trail of light. Whisper got out of the van and followed it. Bullets still rained, and by now, the building was falling apart, so debris threatened to crush many. Not her, though.


    Whisper quietly followed her little line, always outside of the danger of the bullets or debris. Soon she arrived at the boy that Cinder had called Kevin. She twisted her head a little, a bullet flying past, barely missing her. Not skipping a beat, she grabbed the boy by his foot and began to drag him.


    Whisper struggled to do so but forced him to come anyway. She didn¡¯t have super strength or anything crazy like that, but she was still a hero.


    ¡°Are you still alive, big guy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kevin¡¯s eyes opened slightly, but he saw no one dragging him. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You wouldn¡¯t know my name even if you saw me. I¡¯m not one of the important people. I¡¯m a side character like you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Whisper followed her line, dodging the bullets and falling debris, all the while dragging the boy across the floor as she got closer to the van. ¡°We have some supplies in the van; I¡¯ll patch you up, and hopefully you won¡¯t die. Still got to say, coming here was a stupid idea. You¡¯re going to have a hard time explaining to a judge why you were in a drug den.¡±


    ¡°Just get me out of here.¡± Kevin groaned.


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Whisper struggled to lift the boy up, and he let out a stream of curses as his bullet wound ached, but eventually she managed to throw him into the back of the van. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kevin grunted. The hero didn¡¯t get in with him. He couldn¡¯t see her, but he could still hear the sounds of her footsteps as she began to walk away.


    ¡°There were two of you. I¡¯m grabbing him, too. Then I¡¯m going to help my team out of this mess you brought them into.¡±


    Kevin sighed and looked up at the roof of the van as he was left alone. ¡°Damn Supers. They''re so strong.¡± He reached into his pocket and fished out something that had rolled near him after he had been shot. It was a small jar of orange liquid.


    The wooden pillar collapsed as Cinder was literally smashed through it and came crashing out on the other side. She tried to break her fall, but she failed and rolled brutally across the floor. Snowdawn created a cushion of snow for her, but it came too late.


    She was happy to have an enhanced body. She was also glad she got her costume when she did. The thing was staying together no matter how many nails tried to impale her.


    She quickly pushed herself up to her feet and ran at a wall. She kicked off of the wall, lifting up into the air and grabbing onto one of the wooden rafters. The nails in it began to rip their way out, and the thing broke, but she wrapped her arms around it and chucked it at Polaron. A large metal buzzsaw floated in front of the flying man and spun fast enough to cut the wooden beam she threw in two.


    Snowdawn skated across the ground and threw his hand out, causing a massive arm of snow to form on the ground and lift up. The hand tried to wrap around Polaron, but large metal rods appeared on either side of the leader and began to spin so fast they glowed red hot and melted the snow.


    She crashed back down onto the ground, huffing. The villain was staying out of her melee range and simply throwing fast and strong attacks at her and Snowdawn. It was more annoying than painful, her enhanced skin tanking them, and Snowdawn¡¯s snow armor keeping him safe.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get down here and fight me like a man?¡± She called out. ¡°One v one me, coward!¡±


    ¡°No thanks. I find physical combat beneath me.¡± Polaron hummed.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Snowdawn taunted.


    ¡°You two are truly annoying.¡± Polaron¡¯s finger twitched, and an iron sword that was at his side unsheathed itself, and with another small gesture, the blade flew forward with blinding speed.


    She blocked the strike with her arms, wincing as she felt it cut into the costume and part of her wrists. It didn¡¯t get far, though, as she flexed and shattered the blade! Those shattered pieces then flew up and pelted her stomach, making her hiss. It was too weak to stab, but it would leave a bruise. The buzzsaw flew next, and she ducked it, but it then curved back through the air; she dodged it again, and it once again came back at her.


    She punched down on it before it could reach her, but then the thing folded and bent around her hand and then caused her hand to smack into her face and nearly break her nose again. Her hand kept hitting her over and over again as she tried to rip the metal off of it.


    ¡°Ow! You¡¯re being so annoying!¡±


    Snowdawn created a pillar of snow beneath him, which blasted the boy forward toward Polaron. ¡°Take this!¡± He shouted about to hit the villain, only for Polaron to lazily float out of the way. ¡°Aw man, I hate flyers." Snowdawn went through the roof, unable to stop himself as he crashed out of the building.


    ¡°Ha! I got it off!¡± She managed to rip the metal glove that the villain attached to her off and began to stomp down on it. ¡°Take that you jerk-¡±


    Dozens of metal rods and poles smacked into her, bending and twisting around her body, trying to bind her. She was raised off of the ground by the villain and sent smashing through the window, going high up into the air. The metal then untwisted around her and let go. She fell and screamed as she crashed through the roof and face-first into the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re durable.¡± Polaron huffed, sounding annoyed. She huffed and ripped all the metal off of her. Then she punched the ground as hard as she could, ripping out a huge chunk of stone. She pulled her arm back and threw it, just like her dad taught her! The stone softball hurled through the air, and Polaron lazily floated to the side, dodging the attack. He turned, watching it fly off. ¡°Did you really think that would work? Did you not see your friend-¡±


    Her hand wrapped around his foot as she jumped up as high as she could while he was off guard. She twisted her body and forced him down, smashing him into the ground. She landed next to him, and as he stood back up, she lifted both her arms, doing the same stance she had seen Mr. Larison use earlier. Faster than Polaron could react, she hit him with the one-two combo!


    ¡°Take this!¡± She put all her strength into the punch and hit the Super as hard as she could in the gut. Enhanced durability or not, Supers were still humans, and that meant if one took enough damage, they¡¯d go down. As she finished the first jab, she followed it up with a powerful right hook and hit Polaron with a strike that sent a shock wave out.


    The sound of metal ripping filled the air, and then, much to her horror, Polaron¡¯s upper half was torn clean off his legs. Black blood poured out of the villain''s waist, flowing out and soaking her as the upper body crashed to the ground. She stumbled back, shaking and stared down at her hands, feeling sick.


    She had thought he was more durable than that. That he could take a beating yet in only a few attacks she had killed him-


    Polaron¡¯s leg smashed into her stomach, downing her and causing her to gasp. The villain¡¯s upper body floated up into the air and growled. ¡°That hurt you, brat.¡±


    She stared at him in shock as he landed on his legs and the metal connected itself back together. ¡°What? How?¡± Healing factor or not, people couldn¡¯t survive being torn in two, and with how much blood he lost, he should have been dead. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a Super with godlike powers; your body is still semi-mortal. ¡°How are you alive?¡±


    ¡°To a Super, it must seem mind-boggling. I gave up mortal flesh long ago, though. My kind are no longer human. My kind are no longer Supers. My kind are stronger. Better. Evolved. We won¡¯t go down easily to what you hit us with. We can take a beating. We were made for war!¡±


    ¡°Your kind-¡± His fist rammed into her face, and she began to see stars. He began to unleash several brutal punches and kicks; all the while, nails and rods smashed into her back. He threw another punch, but she caught it this time. She was bruised and battered, but she smirked. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t engage in physical combat.¡±


    ¡°You will die a painful death-¡± A wave of snow smashed into Polaron¡¯s back, causing the man to stumble.


    ¡°Chill out, bro.¡± Snowdawn announced, having run back into the building after his crash landing. ¡°Now Cinder!¡±


    She opened her mouth and blasted Polaron with fire at point-blank range. The villain screamed, his armor bursting into flames, and he tried to jump away. Metal formed into a solid ball around him, forming some kind of shield, and she let up her attack, wiping at her mouth. She had been sure to hold back so as not to knock herself out, but already she was starting to feel very tired and dizzy.


    Polaron¡¯s barrier broke apart, and he took a moment to check himself. His armor had changed a little. Melted slightly. It didn¡¯t seem to bother him, though, despite the fact that he would have been cooked alive if he was a normal human. The man was also the first person she faced to not be taken out by her fire attack instantly. He was tough, without a doubt.


    ¡°That was close. You almost broke through my armor.¡± Polaron let out a breath, softly landing on the ground.


    ¡°Was kind of hoping that would hurt you more.¡± She winced.


    Polaron raised his hand up, lifting more of the metal in the room. ¡°You¡¯re more trouble than you¡¯re worth. We came to deal with the members of the Wandering Coin. Leave now, and we¡¯ll finish killing them off, and none of you heroes have to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t do that.¡± She said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Why does it matter? You plan on throwing them all in prison, right? They will be locked away for life for their crimes. Dead or in jail, does it matter what happens to low lives like these?¡±


    ¡°If you really think they will be heading to prison, then you have no reason to kill them.¡± She countered. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to bother you ever again. This entire battle is pointless. Call your goon off, and no one else has to get hurt or die.¡±


    ¡°I have a lesson to teach. One that shows why I am said to rival Green Wolf. Bad Timers must keep their reputation.¡± Polaron raised his hand and threw more metal towards her. She did her best to dodge, but every time one of the shards hit her, her entire body vibrated and twitched. ¡°I would never expect a foolish girl like you to understand it.¡± The metal began to wrap around her, trying to bind her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to understand it!¡± She flexed her body and broke out. As soon as she hit the floor, she used her momentum to fire forward like a bullet. ¡°I¡¯m going to beat you!¡±


    Polaron blocked her strike with ease, though the metal along his arm cracked and dented, causing him to hiss. ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s not alone then!¡± A fist coated in snow rammed into the other side of Polaron¡¯s head. Snowdawn grinned and blasted out a wave of snow into Polaron, but the man easily shattered it by heating his own armor up. Polaron¡¯s fist rammed into Snowdawn, throwing her friend back, but it did the trick. It gave her enough time to act.


    She dropped to the ground, falling back, and rammed her leg up, kicking Polaron in the chin. She hit the villain as hard as she could, the shock wave of the attack blowing most of the roof off and sending Polaron lifting into the air. The villain took control of his flight though and spun around, shaking his head. Even after all of that, she had barely harmed him. He truly was as tough as Green Wolf.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put my all into this.¡± Flickers of fire began to drip out of her mouth, and she puffed up her chest. ¡°Here I go-¡±


    ¡°Cinder.¡± A voice snapped her out of it, and she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She felt her body relax when she saw Myth had finally arrived.


    ¡°Myth?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You did well. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Myth adjusted his robes as he stepped forward, his eyes glaring into Polaron. ¡°Sorry that I¡¯m so late. I was busy drinking tea with an old friend.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She said, a little dumbfounded.


    Polaron was silently staring back at the newly arrived hero. Myth had been part of the Sub Enforcers when Red Iron ran it. The man had gone on dozens of missions and had likely faced Polaron hundreds of times in combat. The fact he was still alive showed he was stronger than the average hero.


    ¡°Stay back, Cinder.¡± Myth stated. His body began to transform, but it wasn¡¯t that of a bull. Not this time. He would need more power. Myth grew golden fur, and a large mane began to wrap around his neck. Massive black claws jutted from his fingers, and he let out a loud roar that caused her to gasp and clutch at her ears. Her boss almost looked like a lion, but one far bigger with near-unbreakable fur and a set of claws able to slice through nearly anything. Myth stood on two legs and took a step forward with thundering might, shaking the warehouse.


    The hero took off at inhuman speeds. Polaron blasted dozens of shards of broken metal, but none of it could harm Myth, his hide bouncing them all off. The leader of Pantheon jumped high into the air, chasing after Polaron, who attempted to fly away. Myth¡¯s claws came down, leaving a large gash across the front of the villain and ripping the armor open.


    The broken shards began to seep out of the gash and stab into Myth, but he ignored it, sinking his fangs into Polaron as the villain tumbled to the ground, screaming. The two rolled across the floor, clawing and punching at one another. As shrapnel blasted wildly in all directions, she had to drop to the ground to avoid a stray bullet that shattered another wall.


    ¡°If he could do something like this, why didn¡¯t he do it in the fight with Red Ape?¡± She yelled with wide eyes.


    ¡°He has his reasons.¡± The voice of Whisper caused her to jump. She looked around but didn¡¯t see the girl. She heard her voice and felt the girl¡¯s hand on her shoulder, though. ¡°Myth inherited his powers from his family. You remember the story I told you of the Four Lords? Those four people were the first Supers, and they¡¯re so strong that their power and title pass down to people.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying Myth is a Lord?¡± She asked in shock.


    ¡°No.¡± Whisper shook her head. ¡°He is a descendent of one, though. People like him and the Victorain can trace their bloodline back to some of the earliest Lords that were said to have existed. Myth is gifted with the ability to take on the form of powerful beasts from ancient tales. If he isn¡¯t careful, though, he could lose himself. The bull is hard to control; filled with wrath and anger, it takes everything he has to not destroy his enemies. The Lion, though. That only comes out when someone needs to die.¡±


    She felt her face pale and watched as the Lion began to rip its way into Polaron¡¯s armor, even as wave after wave of pure magnetic force shattered against his hide. Polaron shoved the beast off of him and flew up with breakneck speeds, causing a sonic boom to go off as he easily broke the sound barrier.


    The villain got up higher and higher until he was nothing more than a small dot up in the sky. At first she thought he was running away, but then she heard his voice. ¡°I¡¯m done playing. You will face an end.¡± Polaron announced, his voice booming inside of his helmet. All the metal began to rise off of the floor and blast through the roof and pillars, destroying more of the building. All of it pulled its way toward the dot that had become Polaron.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing something!¡± She yelled.


    The metal twisted around Polaron¡¯s arm, forming into a massive barrel. Thanks to her enhanced eyes, she watched as Polaron aimed the newly created weapon down toward them, and a massive amount of white hot energy began to bubble out. The man was compressing waves of magnetic force and chunks of metal that were spinning around and compressing down into the size of a small bullet. The villain was creating a railgun. The energy began to spill out, and in an instant it fired.


    Myth puffed up his chest, and his form seemed to rise in height. For a moment, his muscles twitched and grew as the beam came down toward them, screeching through the air. The lion took in a deep breath and then roared as loud as he could right as the beam reached him.


    It was just like the same attack White Lamb used, only this one was on another level. The thundering roar literally exploded out of Myth¡¯s mouth and rammed into the compressed beam that Polaron fired at them. The sound wave tore through the beam traveling through the air as Myth¡¯s lion form activated a power it had. Each of his forms had a unique ability, and in this case, his lion could unleash a roar so powerful it could tear down entire buildings.


    The railgun¡¯s beam and the roar cancelled each other out and exploded in the air, sending a wave of force out that blasted her back. She managed to catch Whisper, who clung to her as the wind around them was kicked up. When it finally ended, Myth stood panting and breathing heavily. Polaron¡¯s metal gun was totally melted and broke away, causing the villain to wince.


    Both had used a lot of power in that attack, but both still had more to show. She wondered briefly why Myth had lost so badly to Red Ape if he was able to show off power on this level. Had the man been holding back?


    Polaron came down from the sky and rammed into the ground so hard he shook the ground. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m done. I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± The villain said in a dry tone. ¡°At this rate, someone like the Victorian will show up again. I won¡¯t have bad luck like that again! I¡¯ll finish this with my strongest move!¡±


    ¡°Stronger than the railgun! That thing could have blown this whole beach up if Myth didn¡¯t stop it!¡± She muttered.


    Polaron lifted his hand up, and it flared with energy as the villain activated his power. Nothing seemed to happen. No metal lifted, no big guns or weapons formed. It was just nothing¡­ Myth went to ignore it but stopped and gasped. He wasn¡¯t the only one. She stared with wide eyes as everyone aside from her and Polaron suddenly crashed to the floor.


    Whisper¡¯s power wore off, and the girl became visible, scratching at her wrist and gasping.


    She realized what was happening a second later. The iron in their body. Polaron was literally trying to rip everyone apart from the inside out.


    Myth¡¯s lion-like body struggled up and faltered as he roared in pain. Polaron raised his arms up and brought them down, using his power to form several jagged blades that launched toward the struggling Myth. They never reached the man though, as a second later a blur of red appeared and Battery stood in front of his new boss.


    The blades stabbed into Battery, impaling the man several times over. Not only that, though, now that he was in Polaron¡¯s radius, the metal inside of his body began to act, causing Battery to gasp and drop to his knees.


    ¡°B- Battery!¡± Myth said through gritted teeth. ¡°W- Why did you-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a hero, ain¡¯t I?" Battery panted and stood his ground as more swords stabbed into his body.


    ¡°How cute.¡± Polaron taunted. ¡°You can die first, then-¡± The villain stopped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Polaron was twisted around by the hand that was on his shoulder, and he came face-to-face with her. ¡°What! Why isn¡¯t the iron in your body responding-¡±


    This time she didn¡¯t hold back. She unleashed everything she had, blasting him with as much fire as she could. It didn¡¯t just pour out of her mouth this time. For a split second, her entire body ignited in white-hot fire, and with a scream, she literally exploded, blasting through Polaron¡¯s shield and his armor! She used everything she had! All of it. Like a mini-sun going supernova, the armor was turned to literal ash, as was the floor beneath her, the building finally giving out and falling apart.


    Myth was able to survive only thanks to his near-unbreakable fur, and even with his eyes closed, he began to see white as the fire washed over him. Battery meanwhile created a quick barrier for himself and the others as her powers flared to their max height.


    When the attack finally died down, she dropped to her knees, grabbing at her stomach. Her costume was thankfully mostly unharmed, all things considered. Whoever made it was smart enough to make it fire-resistant. It would need a good wash though, covered in black ash. She didn¡¯t really care, though, unable to stop herself from vomiting onto the ground.


    The screaming of Polaron filled the room. Even that final attack hadn¡¯t been enough. It wasn¡¯t a scream of anger or pain but rather one of pure fear. His armor was utterly gone, and as the dust settled, everyone was finally able to see the man who hid beneath the knight-like armor.


    Just like Demonica and Mars King, Polaron wasn¡¯t a human. He never had been. He looked like he should have been dead. There was no muscle, skin, or organs. He was all bone. Literally. A walking, talking skeleton. However, as she stared, she realized his bones were made out of a solid metal and hummed.


    His head was tilted as he stared down at his hands, screaming louder. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! Don¡¯t look at me! Don¡¯t!¡± Metal began to fly through the room and crash into him, stabbing into his bones and fusing with him. More and more, he began to gurgle and gasp. ¡°Demonica!¡± He screamed.


    A wave of purple fire blasted out, causing Battery¡¯s eyes to go wide. ¡°No way! That woman is still alive?¡±


    Demonica came flying in; quite literally, purple fire gushed from her feet. Her body was a destroyed mess and looked as if it should be dead, but like Battery, she seemed to be able to still function. The woman swooped down and grabbed Polaron. At this point, he had almost turned into a solid ball as more and more metal began to fuse into him. Demonica wrapped her arms around him and nearly dropped from the weight, but with a grunt, she kept flying, fire blasting out of her feet and boosting her as if she were some kind of rocket. Myth gave chase, dropping down to all fours, and Snowdawn, as well as Battery, also tried to take a few potshots, but neither of them were able to catch up in time.


    Demonica was high in the air, and in only a few seconds, she became a spec on the horizon. ¡°Well.¡± She nearly jumped when she heard the voice of Whisper, the hero reappearing next to her a few moments later. ¡°All things considered, I think things went well!¡±


    There was a loud crash as the rest of the building came down around them.

 Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Aftermath

    He claimed himself as God.


    A Calamity Level threat that nearly wiped out the world fifteen years ago, the Emperor was a powerful villain who had conquered nearly every villainous gang in the world and forced them to work under him. He created a group known as the Organization and declared war on all of mankind. Using his power, he was able to twist and change people into powerful monstrous beasts. Of his beasts, four generals stood above the rest. Four that followed him into battle, betraying the world.


    Golden God, a world-destroying machine. Princess of Life, who carried the heir to his throne. Fairy Queen, a trickster able to mess with even the strongest minds. And of course, his faithful Hell Hound, who would follow him to the underworld and back.


    The four of them served the Emperor, and with the help of the Organization, they would have wiped out all of humanity. A hero, however, saved the day. Full Monarch. The newest Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. He would give everything, even his life. A battle that would shake the planet itself was said to have gone on for three days and nights. When it finally ended, both Full Monarch and the Emperor no longer drew breath. And on that very same day, despite all the chaos, a small fishing company found something in the waters near Oleander¡­


    Just a few hours after the death of Full Monarch, Hope Lauren was born.


    Now the world is in a new age. One where the heroes must hurry to get stronger. After all, you never know if a threat of his level could come back...


    That is why it¡¯s important they grow.


    But what of the villains? What of the people who viewed the Emperor as their hero? Where are they now?


    White Spider stalked into the abandoned subway station and ripped off the stupid-looking cartoon spider mask that the idiot forced her to wear. She was a rather pretty girl at one point, maybe. Now her brown hair was messy and wild, her eyes were bloodshot, and heavy bags rested underneath them. Like most members of Zoo, she wore a suit, hers being pure white.


    ¡°This is so dumb!¡± The woman yelled, throwing her mask to the ground.


    Their base was hidden away from the public, beneath everyone¡¯s very nose inside an underground railroad. Green Wolf had opened it up, removing all the tracks and giving it a large open space. His ability to manipulate and convert kinetic energy through blades allowed him to easily slice apart anything that needed to be removed. White Spider had also helped, using her power to put up walls and floors, giving them an almost mini bunker with various rooms. All held together thanks to her webs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a spoiled brat.¡± Green Wolf snorted as he walked down the hidden staircase they used to enter their base. Behind him, White Lamb followed, clutching a brand new portable TV. ¡°So, you got beat up by a kid. Big deal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± White Spider gritted her teeth. ¡°It all went to hell because of that bitch!¡±


    ¡°Aw, what¡¯s wrong, little Spider?¡± A mocking voice echoed above as Black Crow dropped from the sky, his black wings flapping. He had his arms folded, and his bird-like mask stared down at her.


    White Spider could feel blood drip down her hand as she balled them into a fist, but she dared not attack. In Zoo, your name determined where you stood in the hierarchy. Everyone had a name based on a color and an animal. The second part of the name was determined by your power and animal mask. The color part, though, signified your role.


    Anyone with the color white was based around Support. They were used to maintain the base and back up main teams. People like herself, White Lamb, or White Cow. The color black meant you were part of the front-line attack team. The main go-to fighters of Zoo. Black Crow and Black Shark were in this category. Red meant you were a solo member. Either you got this color because you were strong, or Green Wolf had no desire to deal with you and would just have you do your own thing until you died. Red Ape and Red Panda were part of this group. Finally, of course, was the color, Green. Only one member held that color at a time. Given to whoever previously killed the leader of Zoo.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s got Spidey¡¯s panties in a twist?¡± Crow asked, landing with a thud.


    ¡°She¡¯s mad I forced her and Lamb to come on a job with me.¡± Green Wolf shrugged.


    ¡°I am not!¡± White Spider screeched. Her voice would have boomed around their hideout, but Lamb¡¯s powers caused the echo to stop in its tracks.


    ¡°Went playing at one of the Wandering Coin¡¯s bases.¡± Green Wolf explained. ¡°Got jumped by the Sub Enforcers, which is what I wanted. Was looking to pay them back. I dueled an epic six-on-one. Spider over here got cocky just because she hadn¡¯t been seen yet and let herself get bodied by Poseidon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡± White Spider growled. ¡°I hit that girl with everything I had, and it didn¡¯t work. My threads snapped, and her power crushed all my babies!¡± She held her hand up as a tiny spider began to jut out of her flesh. ¡°I¡¯m down to only a few left.¡± She pouted. ¡°How can someone be that strong? She¡¯s a freaking kid; it¡¯s such bullshit!¡± She kicked her mask across the room.


    Green Wolf sighed, rubbing at his chin. ¡°You¡¯re more right than you know. I¡¯ll need to have a conversation with our new friend.¡±


    The leader of Zoo placed his hands in his pockets and moved past the others in his little group. He stepped into his room and looked around. They all had their own place to stay at his base. His room was the way he left it. Lots of posters covering every wall, dozens of pizza boxes, and video games scattered about. He threw a knife at the wall, where a small black wasp had tried to hide from him.


    Lazily, Green Wolf dropped down onto his bed and stared up at the roof. ¡°Did you find anything out?¡±


    A hand floated out of his pocket, lifting into the air. It was the very same kind Red Ape had used. A voice hummed out of it. ¡°Yeah. We should meet up again. I have something you¡¯re going to want to hear in person.¡±


    Green Wolf smiled and began to take off his mask. This was turning out to be such a fun game.


    ***


    ¡°So, how are you holding up, man?¡± Money Tree leaned against the van that he and his team had arrived in.


    Myth was seated in the back of it, several Hero Branch members doing their best to patch up the gaping slash he had across his gut. ¡°I feel like hell.¡± The dark-skinned hero finally said, letting out a heavy sigh.


    The battle had just come to an end. Demonica and Polaron had managed to escape, and now the Sub Enforcers came in far too late to be a good backup, and the Hero Branch arrived seconds later to throw all the knocked-out goons in a cage.


    ¡°We could have used your help a while ago, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Money Tree winced. ¡°Look, man, the entire city saw the crazy light show and the explosions. You guys weren¡¯t quiet. The only reason we didn¡¯t come sooner was ¡®cause Zoo pulled off some stunt at another Wandering Coin base. Let me tell you, these druggies aren¡¯t going to last long like this. They¡¯ve gone and pissed off the two biggest Super gangs in the city.¡±


    Myth nodded his head, frowning. ¡°Think Zoo and Bad Timers have teamed up?¡±


    ¡°You think either Polaron or Green Wolf can play nice?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not actually working together. It must have just been bad luck on our part.¡±


    One of the Hero Branch members cleared their throat and shot Money Tree a look. ¡°Ah. Right.¡± Money Tree took off his hat made of cash and tipped it. ¡°Listen, Myth. The Branch wants me to talk to you, buddy to buddy. See, officially, your team lacks a sponsor and doesn¡¯t have anyone backing you. You also didn¡¯t register it, and it¡¯s filled with unregistered heroes besides Whisper. I¡¯m supposed to give you a warning.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But honestly, I don¡¯t care enough to do it.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± One of the Branch Members hissed out.


    ¡°Oh, shush it.¡± Money Tree pulled out a ball of cash and shoved it in the worker¡¯s face. ¡°Go buy yourself something pretty and leave us be.¡± He turned back to Myth, giving a sly grin. ¡°I heard that the head of the Branch, Laps, came and spoke to you.¡±


    Myth shivered his mind, flashing back to the car that had pulled up. ¡°Yeah. She had a few words with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t just leave Oleander. You know as well as I do that the Hero Branch here hates your guts for what you did two years ago. When you got-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Money Tree nodded slowly. ¡°Sorry. I got carried away. I¡¯m glad you decided to stay, though. As it stands, things could have been bad if you hadn¡¯t shown up.¡±


    ¡°Things are bad.¡± Myth grumbled. ¡°The warehouse is a mess; so many people died, and the villains got away.¡±


    ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t feel too bad. We fought Zoo, and they also got away. Also, sure, a lot of people died, but you guys saved some. More would have died without you. That¡¯s got to mean something, right?¡±


    ¡°Not really. We saved less than half, and the entire building, along with the drugs, are gone.¡±


    ¡°Not all of them.¡± Money Tree reached into his coat and pulled out a jar of orange liquid. ¡°The same happened at our location. Zoo destroyed all the drugs. It seems the villains want to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Luckily, you guys managed to save this jar.¡±


    ¡°We did?¡± Myth frowned. ¡°But Cinder¡¯s bag was destroyed in the fire. Don¡¯t tell me it was somehow kept safe.¡± The young girl had pocketed one in her bag, but then when she used her fire blast which had melted the bag and all its contents.


    ¡°Nah, that one was toast. Got this one from the civilian you guys saved. Think his name is Kevin. He was taken out of the blast range by Whisper and apparently held onto this for you guys when he saw the others were getting destroyed. Nice kid. Had a long chat with him. We¡¯ll see about getting him a light sentence.¡±


    Myth stared at the jar and smiled. ¡°Maybe we did better than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Yo Myth!¡± Wasp Nest buzzed over, his body taking shape. He didn¡¯t have a costume like other Supers. Kind of hard when your power broke down every one of your cells into a bug. He changed back into his human form, giving a smirk. ¡°Man, your team looks cool. Metal Ronin managed to hack into the camera systems, and I watched the whole thing. Who¡¯s that red guy? Is he related to the Victorian or something like Whisper?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. Men like him prefer to keep their secrets close to their chests.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Still, not every day you see someone with a power so close to the number one hero pop up. That sword thing he did was cool! Metal Ronin got a little jealous.¡±


    Myth let out a small laugh. Off to the side, Snowdawn and Whisper were chatting with BB and Metal Ronin. Oxide stood on the curb and was talking to that Kevin kid, who was on his back in an ambulance. It was who Battery was talking to, though, that got him curious.


    ¡°So, are those two part of your team now?¡±


    Money Tree turned and saw who he was looking at. Poseidon and Paragon were talking with Battery. Or rather, Paragon was rooted in place by Poseidon, who was arguing with Battery. ¡°Let my little sister heal you!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    ¡°You have a hole in your stomach! Let her patch it up!¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    ¡°Your lungs are probably ruined from smoking. Let her fix them up!¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    ¡°You keep clutching at your heart; let her heal it!¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    ¡°Why are you like this?¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    Money Tree snorted, watching the exchange. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to explain. Ocean Empress has been busy in Lillian. She¡¯s bringing the top members of her team with her and decided Poseidon and Paragon should take a break, so I guess we¡¯re busy taking care of them now.¡±


    ¡°Meh. It isn¡¯t so bad.¡± Wasp Nest smirked.


    ¡°Of course, you think that.¡± Money Tree said, rolling his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re dating one of them. You know how long Poseidon spends in the bathroom putting on makeup. And now the other girls are copying her.¡± He shuddered, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve had to expand the manor just to fix that issue.¡±


    ¡°Still better than what Metal Ronin does. He got stuck with babysitting the new police chief¡¯s son.¡± Wasp Nest smirked.


    ¡°Ah. Kyle Brenner?¡± Myth asked. ¡°The one being targeted by Lucifer.¡± Lucifer was the leader of the team known as the Immortals. Wielder of a strain of the Dead Virus, he was almost becoming as bad as the Emperor had been.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Wasp Nest nodded. ¡°Damn, kid keeps sneaking out at night to hang with his friends, despite how much danger he could be in. Metal Ronin finally managed to get Kyle back home, but by the time he showed up, Green Wolf had already escaped.¡±


    ¡°Kids can be dumb.¡± Myth agreed.


    ¡°Amen.¡± Money Tree chuckled.


    Over with Kevin, the boy stared up at the roof of the ambulance and let out a sigh. ¡°Look. You don¡¯t have to worry. I haven¡¯t told anyone who you are.¡±


    Oxide, aka Ashley, aka Kevin¡¯s ex, folded her arms. The metal costume swished across her body. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to bring that up.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Kevin smirked.


    ¡°I was worried for you. I knew you were going to do something stupid like this. Why on Earth would you come to a place like this?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. Needed a new high.¡± Kevin closed his eyes, feeling the pain medication one of the Hero Branch members gave him course through his body. ¡°Stay safe, Oxide. I¡¯m rooting for you.¡±


    Oxide stepped away as the ambulance door shut, and Kevin was carted off. The girl¡¯s frown grew larger, and she balled her hand up into a fist. ¡°Right.¡±


    Slowly Oxide eyed the others up. None of the Sub Enforcers seemed eager to speak to her, more interested in this Pantheon. Even the backup members in the form of Paragon and Poseidon were ignoring her. Gradually, her eyes drifted over to the one person who was as alone as she was.


    ¡°Here.¡± Cinder nearly jumped when she heard the voice. She turned, finding Oxide standing beside her, holding out a water bottle. ¡°I wanted to thank you for coming to our rescue the other day. The others didn¡¯t bring it up, but I saw how you saved both Poseidon and Paragon from Red Raptor. You didn¡¯t get the credit you should have.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, thanks?¡± She took the bottle hesitantly. She was seated in the back of Whisper¡¯s van, a blanket covering her from the neck down. She had been quiet and didn¡¯t move much. The events of today kept coursing through her mind. All the mistakes she made. ¡°You¡¯re Oxide, right? You¡¯re new to the Sub Enforcers, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Oxide nodded. She got a strange sense from Oxide. The girl¡¯s voice sounded familiar to her for some reason. ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t heard of you, though, so it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    She gave a small smile. ¡°Thanks. So, what is it like being in the Sub Enforcers?¡±


    Oxide shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think the others like me too much.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Oxide chuckled darkly. ¡°Either way, it seems our teams are going to be working together more. It seems our bosses are friends.¡±


    ¡°Seems like it. Hopefully, next time, we can actually take down the villains.¡± She muttered, leaning forward. So many people had died that didn¡¯t need to, and even the ones that were alive were badly injured. She would have to get stronger to stop something like that from happening again. A lot stronger. Someone who wanted to fight alongside the Victorian could never be as weak as she was. The fight today showed her just how intense the scale could get. Shaking buildings with a punch wouldn¡¯t be enough for her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up so much, kid.¡± Oxide and her turned when they heard the voice of Battery. His arms were folded, and he had managed to escape Poseidon. Paragon stood next to him now. ¡°You got injured in the fight, right, Kid? The others have already healed, thanks to Paragon, so you should as well.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t let her heal you,¡± she argued. Battery¡¯s body was filled with holes. The man had been stabbed, blown up, set on fire, drowned, and so much more. She was shocked he was even alive. Most Supers weren¡¯t built as sturdy as Battery was.


    ¡°I have an actual reason. You don¡¯t.¡± Battery shrugged. ¡°My body can take it. One of my powers makes sure that as long as my heart keeps beating, I won¡¯t die. I could likely have my head blown off and be just fine.¡±


    Paragon folded her arms and huffed. ¡°Look, if you don¡¯t want my healing, I won¡¯t offer it. I¡¯m just doing it because I owe you one for earlier.¡± Once again, her enhanced senses were on. She had been monitoring Mr. Larison¡¯s heart, but now all she could hear was Paragon¡¯s beating heart. It had sped up.


    She frowned but finally nodded. She held her hand up, and Paragon¡¯s bird flapped its wings and landed on her palm. Instantly all the damage Polaron caused faded, and she felt good as new. Paragon stumbled forward a bit, and Destiny let out a squawk. On instinct, she reached out and caught the girl.


    ¡°Whoa! Hey, are you okay?¡± She asked, holding the girl in her arms. Paragon¡¯s heartbeat began to beat even faster. She couldn¡®t see the girl''s face due to the mask, but she did notice the healer was squirming a bit.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m fine.¡± Paragon pulled themselves out of her arms and stumbled away. ¡°I just used more power than I normally do, that''s all. Goodbye.¡± She stood there a little dumbfounded as Paragon left her.


    She sheepishly scratched at her chin. ¡°Why¡¯d she agree to heal me if she was so low on energy?¡± Paragon hadn¡¯t healed any of the others after all. The girl had only used her power to ensure none of them would die and did nothing more.


    Battery just shrugged. ¡°She just wanted to heal you, I guess.¡±


    Oxide snorted. ¡°Paragon is a little strange from what I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on her.¡± Battery sighed, rubbing at his chest. ¡°She¡¯s had a hard time, what with who her dad is.¡±


    Oxide seemed taken aback. ¡°Oh, you know who her dad is? The others don¡¯t even know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I say that? It must have been a slip-up. I meant to say she¡¯s had a hard time with who her Grampa is. You know. Old Dog. He ain¡¯t a nice hero, from what I hear.¡± Battery shrugged.


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Oxide nodded. ¡°Well. It was nice to meet you, Cinder. It looks like the Branch members have finished gathering all the Wandering Coin members up, so I suspect my team will be taking its leave.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving shortly as well.¡± Battery nodded. ¡°No use sticking around here. I need a good rest after my battle with Demonica.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad your fight went so well, Battery.¡± Hope stated.


    ¡°Hey now, you did good, too, kid.¡± Battery placed his hand on top of her helmet and gave it a flick. ¡°We¡¯re all still alive. So, what if the villains got away? Polaron has been able to escape the Victorian. Only so much you can do to a guy that crazy strong.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± She pouted a little but nodded. ¡°Do you think I can get stronger?¡± She stared down at her hands, picturing the fire flickering around it. She didn¡¯t know how she did it, but she had created fire somewhere other than her mouth earlier in that battle.


    ¡°Well. I knew someone like you once.¡± Battery looked up towards the night sky, staring up at the cracked moon.


    ¡°Huh? Who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°No one.¡± Battery shrugged and turned away. ¡°Hey, do you remember when we first went to talk to Myth after the Green Wolf attack?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. ¡°You asked me that weird question, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Your answer didn¡¯t change, did it?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I guess not. Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°No reason.¡± Battery¡¯s mind recalled that conversation.


    ***


    One Week Earlier...


    ¡°Do you think that went well?¡± She asked as they stepped out of the library.


    ¡°I think it went about as well as it could have gone,¡± Jack said, putting a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it up with his powers. ¡°He told us to come back after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded her head.


    It was just after the Green Wolf event, and they went to visit Myth to ask to join his team. The man had asked them to come back at another time, so she and Mr. Larison began walking back home. Her house was closer, so he would drop her off there and head back to his own home.


    ¡°We did pretty badly for our first mission, right?¡± She asked quietly, rubbing at her stomach. She could feel the bruises. The pain from White Lamb was one she wouldn¡¯t forget anytime soon.


    ¡°I think we did about as good as we could have, all things considered.¡± Jack took a drag on his cigarette, letting out a large puff of smoke as his mind raced through dozens of thoughts. Finally, he settled on a question. ¡°Your parents Super?¡±


    That caught her off guard. ¡°Uh, no. Not as far as I know.¡± She almost giggled, imagining her mom or dad blasting fire out. They were way too normal for that.


    Jack gave a nod. ¡°Typically, it¡¯s more likely a child of a Super will awaken a superpower. Of course, there are cases of normal parents giving birth to a child who develops powers later down the line. Neither of my parents had powers. I turned out with them, though I was just curious if your mom and dad might¡¯ve had them since the children of Supers tend to have powers close to their parents.¡±


    She rubbed at her chin in thought. ¡°Like Poseidon and Ocean Empress, right? Both can control water.¡±


    Jack gave a small nod. ¡°Sort of. Though Poseidon can do a lot more than her mother can since she is the current holder of the Lord of the Sea and Depths title. She can control gravity and other things. She truly got lucky with her power. It¡¯s pretty rare. Only power I know of that¡¯s about as rare as hers would likely be yours.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!¡± She stared down at her hands with wide eyes. She could feel the faint embers beneath her skin. ¡°My power doesn¡¯t feel that rare...¡± Demonica had fire-based powers as well and could do way more than she could. Honestly, she never really viewed her powers as being all that great. ¡°How rare are your powers, Mr. Larison?¡±


    The man gave a lazy shrug. ¡°Guess I never ran into anyone with the same power as me.¡± He looked down at her for a moment, considering something. ¡°Do you know how Supers are made?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, do you know where Supers come from? It isn¡¯t anything special. A man and woman get together and boom. Just like a baby, a Super is born like normal. They tend to start off as normal humans and then, around puberty, start to awaken their powers. There is another way for a Super to be made, though. One most people don¡¯t know about. In fact, only the higher-ups truly know.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°And me.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°You see¡­ There is a metal. One that is special. I don¡¯t know when it first appeared, but it can do many things. Most notably is when it is whole. It sort of takes the shape of an orb. Or I guess you could call it a pod. There are only ever a few of these ¡®pods¡¯ at any given point in time, but they do something special if in the right hands. They can create a brand-new Super.¡± Unknown to either of them, on Spider Street, the storage locker the Laurens used was filled with a blue light as a certain large ball of metal hummed softly.


    ¡°Whoa seriously! Do I know any heroes created from one of these things? I know a lot of heroes from constant studying, so I bet I¡¯ve seen one or two right! What about you, Mr. Larison? Do you know anyone?¡± She asked excitedly. This was like something straight out of a comic. A device that could just create Supers. No wonder it was kept secret. She wondered for a moment if he was actually pulling her leg and lying. It seemed a little too unreal after all.


    Jack dropped his cigarette down on the floor and stopped walking. She looked back at him, and he seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°Let¡¯s say we knew where a really powerful Super was. Stronger than any other Super. But that Super had a chance to be evil. What should we do about it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, would it be good for that Super to be sent to the Enforcers, where he or she would be turned into a weapon for the side of good, or would it be best to leave them alone and risk a villain finding them, either killing or converting them?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the weird question?¡± He was acting a little odd now. First the random speech about a magical Super-creating pod, and now this?


    ¡°Just answer. What do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°What ¡®you¡¯ should do?¡± She scratched at the back of her head and winced. ¡°Well.¡± She stopped for a second as her enhanced senses kicked in and heard something. Her eyes went wide, and she turned, taking off.


    ¡°Whoa, wait a sec!¡± Jack ran after her, making sure he didn¡¯t push his heart too badly like he did earlier that day.


    She was shockingly fast. She wasn¡¯t using any of her enhanced strength, but even so, she was ahead of him. Jack debated tapping into a small portion of his power to catch up, but before he could decide on it, she finally came to a stop inside of a gas station. She looked up at the building for only a second and then ran into the building¡¯s front door.


    Mr. Larison was right behind her, and his eyes went wide when he saw what was happening. The cashier had his hands on the register and was shaking in fear as he unloaded it. In front of him was a man with a ski mask clutching a gun. The man with the gun jerked when he heard the door bang open.


    ¡°On the ground!¡±


    She leaped up on the counter, almost moving faster than a human should be able to. The man tried to point his gun at her, but it was too late. Her fist smashed into his face. She held back so as not to show off since they weren¡¯t in costume, so the attack didn¡¯t knock the man out.


    It sure as hell hurt, though, as the front of his ski mask was stained red, and he dropped his gun. The man screamed and stumbled back but froze when he felt himself bump into someone. He looked up just in time to see Jack slam his elbow down into the man in the mask, knocking him out.


    The cashier stood there with wide eyes, staring at the two of them. ¡°We take self-defense classes real seriously.¡± Jack shrugged.


    The man¡¯s head nodded, but he wasn¡¯t listening in far too much shock at what he had just seen. She stepped off of the counter and landed on the ground, moving over to Mr. Larison as the two of them began to quickly leave before the cops showed up. ¡°I think I would let them decide.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jack turned his head to look at her.


    ¡°Your question. You asked if a Super should be turned over to the heroes or be left alone. I think it should come down to them to decide. It seems like it¡¯s their life that is being affected after all.¡±


    Jack rubbed at the back of his neck. ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t hate that answer, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason you asked, Mr. Larison?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Let¡¯s get you home, Kid.¡±


    ***


    The memory slowly faded as Jack shook his head back in the present day. He eyed all the heroes up and rubbed at his chest for a second. Everyone was all talking amongst themselves. He wasn¡¯t paying any attention, though. Too focused on the pain in his chest.


    ¡°Look what¡¯s here!¡± Snowdawn called out. Everyone looked up when the boy pointed toward the sky. Dozens of Hero Branch drones were descending upon the scene now that they were sure Polaron wouldn¡¯t be able to break any of them. Lights flashed as they began to snap shots of all the heroes and record what was happening.


    ¡°Look alive, everyone.¡± Money Tree announced. ¡°Pose for the camera. We need to show them how cool we all are.¡±


    Battery turned away, ignoring it, and clutched at his arm, wincing. The others were busy waving at the drones that approached them. ¡°Mr. Larison?¡± He turned to look back down at her. She was staring up at him. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Jack was silent for a moment and squeezed his arm tighter. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been okay for a while.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Jack let out a soft hum. ¡°I think my heart stopped beating a couple of seconds ago. Pretty sure I¡¯m dying-¡± He crashed to the floor face first, blood gushing from his nose and mouth.


    ¡°Mr. Larison!¡±


    And with that, Pantheon¡¯s first real mission came to a sudden and shocking end.

 Chapter Thirty: Those Hated By Light

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, so you¡¯re telling me Polaron, as in the guy tied with Green Wolf for the title of the scariest guy in Oleander, is the guy the two of you fought?¡± Kyle hissed.


    She winced but nodded her head. Her face was buried in her arms, and she didn¡¯t bother eating any of the food she had gotten for lunch. Many of the other students walked about and never once batted her, or her mini-squad, an eye. ¡°Yeah. I wasn¡¯t exactly at the top of my game, but even despite that, fighting him was rough. I hate feeling weak like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not that weak.¡± Armin replied. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t do anything. You were the one who did all the heavy lifting. Oh, and Battery, who fought off Demonica all on his own.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of him, how is he?¡± Kyle asked. ¡°You said he collapsed randomly after the battle.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t randomly.¡± She clenched her hands into a fist and tightened her jaw. ¡°He has heart issues. I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I feel like such a jerk. I went and told him I¡¯d make sure something like that doesn¡¯t happen, then broke it on my first big mission. His body was so damaged, but when nothing happened at first, I just assumed he¡¯d be fine.¡± She¡¯d just have to make sure that in the future he wasn¡¯t put in any more harm''s way.


    It was a few days after the fight, and she was back at school. Needless to say, her mood hadn¡¯t really changed since the battle. The villains had escaped, many people were hurt, and worse yet, Mr. Larison had nearly died.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Armin asked. He poked at his food. None of them really felt like eating today.


    ¡°Sure. You can try and help convince him to let Paragon heal him or something.¡± She grumbled.


    She hadn¡¯t gotten to see him after he collapsed. The moment he had hit the ground and blacked out, all of them panicked. Paragon had even tried to heal him while he was unconscious, but Mr. Larison was one stubborn bastard. In his battle with Green Wolf, he had created a barrier around both her and the villain at one point. The same barrier was usually put around his own body to boost his durability and stop things from flying into his eyes when he ran at full speed. That barrier made to keep him safe had gone up when he blacked out and stopped Paragon from being able to touch him. It had layered over his skin perfectly, keeping her out. It took both Myth and Poseidon working together to get him to the hospital, and even then they couldn¡¯t really do anything for him until the shield went down.


    ¡°What was meeting the Sub Enforcers like?¡± Kyle asked in an attempt to change the mood.


    She didn¡¯t answer, so Armin piped in. ¡°It was super cool. I looked up to so many of them when I was younger, and I¡¯m glad I¡¯m working for Myth. He was my hero when I was a kid. We didn¡¯t really get to know any of the Sub Enforcers too much. No clue about their identities and stuff like that. I think I hit it off with BB though. May try asking her out next time I see her.¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure she was talking to Whisper.¡± She cut in. ¡°It seemed like the Sub Enforcer members all knew her or something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that impression, too.¡± Armin hummed. ¡°When I joined up with Myth, she was actually the one who approached me and asked me to join. I don¡¯t know how long she had been working for him, but she was always odd like that.¡±


    Kyle rubbed at the back of his neck and shrugged. ¡°I never even heard of Whisper. Then again, I still haven¡¯t even heard of either of you two. No offense.¡±


    ¡°Offense taken.¡± Armin huffed.


    ¡°You think anyone noticed that Kevin is gone.¡± She asked suddenly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Like, do you think Kevin being gone has affected the school at all?¡± She looked around the cafeteria, and as far as she could tell, nothing had really changed. The jocks all sat together, the nerds hid away, and the popular kids gossiped. ¡°I thought he was some important cog in the machine, but it looks like everything moved on without him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s most things, actually.¡± Kyle speared a piece of his food with his fork. ¡°I mean, when Full Monarch died everyone thought the world was over, but now we went and got our next number-one hero in the form of his sidekick. In a few years, when the next big villain appears and the Victorian dies, I¡¯m sure a new person will step up as number one. My guess is Poseidon, or another of the four Lords.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond again. She was silenced by Kyle¡¯s words. Did it really not matter? Both Kevin and Hero work. Life seemed to carry on like normal. Then she spotted something. ¡°Well, someone seems to have changed by Kevin being gone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Over at a table by herself, Ashley, the Queen Bee herself, was all alone. The girl simply sat there. She didn¡¯t play on her phone or read a book. She just seemed to be in heavy thought.


    ¡°Well, what do you know? Guess she¡¯s sad her boyfriend is locked up.¡± Armin snorted.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been locked up; he¡¯s in the hospital, and then he¡¯ll stand trial.¡± She argued.


    ¡°Same thing. Dude got caught at a supervillain drug den. That isn¡¯t going to look good no matter how much you tried to help the heroes.¡± Armin challenged. ¡°Why are you defending him?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I know who he is. This isn¡¯t like a random robber or someone. I¡¯ve seen him in my day-to-day life. Just sitting here knowing that if I said anything or did something, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have turned out like that-¡± She stood up and grabbed her backpack. It was a new one someone had sent her after her old one burned up. It wasn¡¯t anything special and looked just like her old one, but she was glad to have it. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± She muttered before she finished her thought.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Armin asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll text you when I figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Armin asked.


    ¡°You think?¡± Kyle stood up, also grabbing his bag. ¡°I¡¯m heading out as well. I think I¡¯m going to call up a friend of mine. Maybe he can help you or Hope.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± The boy winked.


    She headed out the door and into the hallway right when the bell rang. Mr. Pluto was her next class. Normally, she looked forward to his history lessons. He always made sure to bring up how Supers affected society, but today, she decided to do something she hadn¡¯t done before.


    She headed out of the school, skipping class.


    Screw the rules. They were overrated. She slapped at her face a bit. She didn¡¯t have time to be so bummed out over everything. She needed to fuel herself with something. Anything.


    ¡°The skies speak of darkness; the Beast comes!¡± She almost jumped when she heard the homeless man. Despite the fact that school was still in session, he was here early, shouting his vague and odd warnings. If this were a comic, they would be something that actually comes true. Yet days turned to weeks, which turned to months, and he was never right. Just a rambling madman.


    Already, the guards were grabbing him, and she was forced to jump over the stair railing to avoid being seen by them. She crashed to the lawn below and somehow managed to stay on her feet. Getting to the sidewalk and out of view of the school didn¡¯t take long after that.


    She thought about heading home but decided against it. Her mom would be at work at this time. She didn¡¯t have a destination in mind at first, but the longer she walked, the more she began to jog. Myth said they won, Money Tree said they won, and even Mr. Larison said they won, but she wasn¡¯t satisfied. Next time she got into a fight with Bad Timers, she would make sure they really won.


    She needed to get a lot stronger for that, though.


    She arrived at Mr. Larison¡¯s and banged on the door. She waited a couple of seconds and knocked again, this time much louder. She took his lack of an answer as him still being in the hospital. Even if he wasn¡¯t here, she would have been fine with that other guy. Nick? He had said he worked as a super doctor or something close before. Surely he would have some idea of at least something she could do to get stronger.


    No one answered, however. The building was just silent. ¡°Great. I came all this way for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes life just works out that way.¡±


    She jumped when she heard the voice. Her head jerked around, but she didn¡¯t see anyone. It took her a second for the voice to click in her mind. ¡°Lois?¡± The air shimmered in front of her as Whisper suddenly appeared. The girl wasn¡¯t dressed in her hero costume but wore a basic street outfit. She narrowed her eyes for a second. ¡°You aren¡¯t stalking me, are you?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Lois threw her arms behind her head. ¡°Trust me. If I was stalking you, you¡¯d have no way of knowing.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel any better. So, then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Well, why are you here?¡± Lois countered.


    ¡°I asked first?¡±


    The blonde girl let out a snort. ¡°Same as you, I bet. Got a little worried after Red B crashed on us last night. Never knew he had heart issues that bad. Wanted to see how he was doing.¡± Lois jumped up onto the railing and practically dangled her body over it. ¡°Guess he¡¯s still in the hospital though. I bet Myth is up there, too. He¡¯d never leave a teammate behind. Far too soft for that.¡±


    Hope nodded. "Well, I wasn¡¯t really here for Mr. Larison, though I would like to know he¡¯s doing okay. I came to ask someone else that lives here about getting stronger. You¡¯ve been a hero for a while, any idea?¡±


    Lois flicked her on the nose lightly. ¡°I have the body of a normal human girl. Best I can do to improve is to work out a ton. You could do that, but it¡¯d only get you so far.¡±


    "Yeah, I figured. Thought I¡¯d ask. Thanks for trying-¡±


    Lois cut her off and hit her lightly over the head. ¡°Shush young one. I was not done talking.¡±


    ¡°Young one?¡±


    The blonde girl folded her arms and cocked her head to the side. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the same team and all, I think I¡¯ll give you some advice.¡± Lois leaned forward and pointed her thumb out towards the city, more specifically towards the beach. ¡°You know that junkyard spot you go to practice your powers? Don¡¯t ask how I know about it; I have my ways. Head on down there, and you might just find a helpful surprise waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like uber vague.¡±


    ¡°Ye of little faith. Now run along. I got to break into Jackson¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t foresee that ending well.¡± Lois just waved her off. With a sigh, she rolled her eyes and began to head down the stairs back to the street. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I am only doing this because I have literally nothing else better to do.¡±


    If Lois heard her, the invisible woman didn¡¯t bother responding. With a shimmer, the blonde girl vanished from sight, leaving her alone on the street. She was glad Paragon had ended up healing her as it fixed her ears. With them, she was able to make certain Whisper wasn¡¯t stalking her.


    The girl¡¯s words were weird at best, but she had nothing better to go off of, so she found herself soon arriving at the trash heap. It was odd not having Armin or Kyle around to help her practice; however, she quickly realized she wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Okay Oppenheimer. Look for anything useful. Next time we go to battle, we¡¯re going to make sure you¡¯re in one of the coolest mecha dog suits!¡± It was a mechanical voice she had heard a few times now.


    The beach was littered with walls of metal, from old boats to cars. She rounded the corner and spied out at the boy who stood in the center. Metal Ronin was clad in his robotic suit, and as if hanging out in a random junkyard wasn¡¯t odd enough, he had a dog by his side. Her eyes lit up when she took a closer look at the animal. She had seen it before.


    ¡°Hey, I know that dog!¡± She nearly froze when she said that out loud.


    Metal Ronin had frozen as well and stopped moving. Slowly, his robotic helmet turned and stared at the pile of junk she hid behind. ¡°Hope?¡±


    She felt her heart nearly stop as he said her name. Hesitantly, she stepped out from behind the trash pile. ¡°How do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Relax, Cinder.¡± She flinched as he used her hero name. Metal Ronin placed his hands on his helmet. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± When he took it off, she gasped at the face she saw. ¡°Remember me? Rowan. We met at the park and hospital.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± She stared at the boy with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re that guy, Kyle¡¯s friend! Wait, you¡¯re a Super? And how did you know I was Cinder? I wore my mask.¡±


    ¡°Easy.¡± The superhero held his hands up in an effort to calm her down. ¡°I didn¡¯t spy on you or anything like that. Truth is, I had an idea that you were a Super the day we met.¡±


    ¡°The day we met. I didn¡¯t have my powers then, though.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Her words caused Rowan to frown. The boy scratched at his chin and shrugged. ¡°Nah, you were a Super. I¡¯m pretty sure of that.¡± He folded his arms and seemed to think for a moment. Then he gave up and shrugged. ¡°What are you doing here anyway? It¡¯s a school day, you know.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same to you. Why are you out here?¡± She placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°While you guys were fighting in the warehouse, my own team got into a fight with Zoo. I missed it but watched some of the recording Wasp Nest took for me. My device made to shut down teleportation didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± That made sense.


    ¡°So, what are you doing here?¡± The hero asked again while he set his helmet down.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Whisper told me to come here, but didn¡¯t really say anything about it.¡±


    "Well, if Whisper told you to do something, then you do it. She¡¯s never wrong.¡± Rowan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came here, though. I had something I wanted to try.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    He raised his arm and pointed it at her. There was a loud click, and she tensed up, but no gun came out. Instead, a weird-looking watch morphed onto the boy¡¯s wrist. It was like the strange scanner device Nick had used on her. It let out a blue glow that roamed over her body from head to toe. There was another click as he pulled his arm back and stared down at the wristwatch. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s odd.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. Odd is never a good sign. What¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Have you been gaining new powers?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so- Well, actually?¡± She folded her arms and hummed. ¡°At first I was just strong and stuff. Then I could hear really well, and then after that I was able to shoot fire out of my mouth.¡± She allowed a small ember to escape her lips, showing it off.


    Rowan nodded. ¡°I used to watch this show when I was little. In it, they used a device to scan people and come up with their power levels. I tried making one myself, and it didn''t work out too well. I can¡¯t really tell how strong a person is; more like, I can get a vague idea of what tier they are in. When I first scanned you, you were basically one of the weakest Super¡¯s I¡¯ve seen besides the ones who don¡¯t get enhanced bodies. Now though, you¡¯re just under my level.¡±


    She glanced down at her hand, balling it into a fist. ¡°I guess I have been changing a bit.¡± The first night she went out, Intake had destroyed her like it was nothing. She hadn¡¯t been able to really hold her own against Polaron, but even surviving a bit was better than she had done against Intake, and he was supposedly leagues stronger than a fodder villain like Intake. "Also, when I first used my fire, it nearly killed me, but now it still hurts my throat badly, but I can sort of stand it. Now that I think about it, every battle I guess I grew, if maybe only a small portion.¡±


    ¡°When did you get your powers exactly?¡±


    "Well, now that I think about it, the first time I noticed anything was way back when we were in the park. My glasses got knocked off, but I was still able to see fine without them. Now my eyesight has improved, and I don¡¯t really need them all that much.¡± She shrugged and pulled off her glasses.


    As soon as they were off, the device Metal Ronin held beeped once more as it suddenly scanned her. He looked down at it and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen my mom give that look plenty of times; what is it now?¡±


    ¡°Your reading changed when you removed your glasses.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Like it went up. Not by much, but your power got a little stronger.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I remember the first time I used my fire breath; my entire body felt weird, and I didn¡¯t go back to normal until I put my glasses back on. Now that I think about it, I never really wear them while I¡¯m using my power.¡±


    Rowan had a larger frown on his face as the strange watch he wore let out a jumble of odd numbers and letters. ¡°Oh, I think I get it.¡± She didn¡¯t have time to ask him what he was talking about. He simply grabbed her, and before she could stop him, he yanked the glasses out of her hand.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! Personal space.¡± She shoved him back and accidentally used a little too much power, sending him crashing into a wall of junk. ¡°Oh whoops! You, okay?¡±


    Rowan didn¡¯t answer her. He held the glasses he took from her and brought his strange scanner up. ¡°Where¡¯d you get these glasses?¡±


    ¡°From my dad?¡± She gave him an odd look as he stood back up and tossed them over to her. ¡°I don¡¯t actually need them, though. My powers gave me enhanced senses. Although now that I think about it, I never needed them in the first place.¡±


    Rowan nodded his head. ¡°I see. Well, just so you know, your dad probably knows you have superpowers.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Wait what!¡±


    Rowan¡¯s lips twisted into a sly smile, and for a moment she was reminded of Red Ape. ¡°I think I¡¯d like to do a test or two if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed, and she stepped back. ¡°What sort of test?¡±


    ¡°Do you know who the smartest Super in the world is?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°Boy Genius?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°You¡¯d be correct.¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°See, Boy Genius is sometimes considered to be the second strongest hero. He came about twelve years ago and is the youngest Super to ever join the Enforcers. He and Victorian are the only two keeping heroes above the power of the villains currently.¡±


    She watched Rowan work. He had apparently been using this junkyard for his supplies and training long before her. She wondered if that was where Kyle had gotten the idea from. Currently, the boy had a large iron table that he had pulled out of the ground. There were dozens of large pits scattered about, filled and covered up with scrap, and cars to hide them, where he kept his spare gear. He was building something, hammering away at iron on his makeshift table.


    ¡°No offense, but what does any of this have to do with my dad knowing I have superpowers?" She looked down at the pair of glasses that were in her hands. She didn¡¯t put them on though, even as her head began to faintly ache.


    Rowan pulled at some wires and brought his suit¡¯s glove up. The finger split apart, and dozens of tiny machines began to rewire whatever it was he was building. ¡°Boy Genius is a Mental power user like me. Us Mental power users are basically just humans. We don¡¯t have enhanced bodies; we don¡¯t have fire or lasers, but we are still considered to be Super. Our minds have been altered by our powers, giving us ideas. It¡¯s more than that, though. You can¡¯t learn what we do. It isn¡¯t a matter of being smart and able to put things together. Tech has a weird way of working out for us. We can turn junk into a suit of futuristic armor, even if it just doesn¡¯t make sense. We all have something we specialize in. For me, I¡¯ve found I¡¯m good with tech that unfolds. Something small that grows into something big. My suit weighs about five hundred pounds, yet when it¡¯s small, it weighs nothing. Makes no sense, but that¡¯s because powers just don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand it.¡± Rowan snorted. ¡°It¡¯s a little confusing, but that¡¯s the point. Powers are bullshit. The point I was getting at though is that Boy Genius also specializes in something. What makes him so scary, and the reason he is considered second best to only the Victorian, is because he is able to make tech that can counter Supers.¡±


    ¡°You mean his tech is able to beat Supers easier?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± Rowan folded the metal into a ball. ¡°How should I put it? Let¡¯s say I build a really cool and badass suit. Then I go to fight someone like Polaron. He uses his metal control and crushes me. I die. Now let¡¯s say Boy Genius has the exact same stuff I had and builds the exact same suit I did. Since we specialize in different things, our suits turn out similar but different. He goes to fight Polaron, and his power activates. See, when I said Boy Genius counters Supers, I meant that literally. His suit would suddenly change. Maybe it would go from metal to plastic, or wood or stone, or maybe it would mess with the magnetic field or gain shields. Whenever Boy Genius creates something, it¡¯s almost alive. He can make something basic like a toy gun, and if he took it to fight a Super, that toy gun would just magically change and transform on the fly. How it does so, as far as I know, is random. The point is he adapts. Anything he makes can shut down a Super.¡±


    ¡°I think I get what you¡¯re saying. Why are we talking about Boy Genius though?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes there are people with powers that he can¡¯t fully counter. Either their powers are too weird, or too strong, or so bullshit, it causes his bullshit to fail. Someone like the Victorian, the Beast from Space, or the Emperor. When this happens, his power takes a different approach. The things he builds begin to let off low waves of energy that weaken and stunt Superpowers. Sometimes it can outright cause their powers to vanish. It¡¯s not permanent, and the person will eventually build up a counter to it, though. Nightshade prison is full of this stuff, causing the villains there to be severely weakened. As a Tech guy myself, I¡¯ve studied the crap out of that stuff, so trust me when I say Hope. Those glasses your dad gave you. They give off the exact same energy.¡±


    ¡°You mean they¡¯ve been weakening me?¡±


    ¡°Had been.¡± Rowan corrected. ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that was why you didn¡¯t know you were a Super sooner. You technically were, but those glasses were masking your power. When we met, they had been shattered off your face. The next day your powers came back in a stressful situation, and that was all it took. Now even with the glasses suppressing you, you¡¯ve become too strong for them, so rather than block off the entire thing, they¡¯re more holding back small portions of it.¡±


    ¡°During the fight with Red Ape, I used so much power that it nearly killed me. I hadn¡¯t been wearing my glasses for a while. After that, though, I noticed I was never able to produce a blast that strong again. Was I getting slightly weaker each time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say it was more your control was off with that first attack due to the sheer amount of escaping power. That might help explain why you¡¯re better with your fire now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not that good...¡± She muttered. She looked down at the glasses, squeezing them in her hands. ¡°And you¡¯re saying since these things affect Supers, my dad knows I¡¯m a Super. My mom too, if I had to guess.¡± Her mom''s words the other day came back to her. The woman had asked if she was a Super.


    ¡°Either that or it¡¯s the world''s biggest misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°So what happens now?¡± She pocketed the glasses, sighing. ¡°Do I stop wearing them?¡±


    ¡°You can just remove the lenses, and it will do the trick. All my readings came from them. If you give them to me, I can fix them up for you and make them normal again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on the same team.¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°Besides. I kind of feel bad for hiding the fact I knew you were a Super. I wasn¡¯t trying to be creepy or anything.¡±


    She eyed the boy up and nodded. "Well, thanks, I guess. Both for not being creepy and helping me so much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what teammates do. Speaking of which.¡± The boy finally turned back to her, holding up a strange metal ball that was about the size of a baseball. ¡°You said you were getting better with your fire breath, right?¡± He gave her an evil smirk and pressed a button on the machine. It let out a beep and suddenly flew high into the air. ¡°Training time!¡±


    ¡°What-¡±


    The orb glowed and a small blue spark blasted out, and she let out a yelp as she felt a powerful shock go through her body.


    ¡°Ow!¡± She yelled. The machine blasted out several smaller beams, and she tried to block it, wincing. It flew around her and zapped her butt, knocking her over.


    ¡°Training time!¡±


    ¡°Rowan!¡±


    ***


    Jack groaned as his eyes opened. They instantly closed as the bright light drilled into his skull. ¡°A hospital?¡± He could hear the beeping of his heart monitor, and the room he was in had that strange sickly smell places like this seemed to always have.


    ¡°I brought you here after you collapsed. Your barrier finally turned off, but don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t call Paragon in. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s what caused it to turn on in the first place.¡±


    His eyes snapped open again, and he shot up. He winced and grabbed at his chest, looking around. He was in a small room with only a bed, a desk, and a TV that was on some news channel. The usual reporter woman was giving some speech about how Old Dog¡¯s retirement was going, but he didn¡¯t pay it much mind.


    Sitting in the chair still in full costume was Myth. He himself was also still in his red suit, though parts of it had been removed once they were able to hook medical supplies up to him. His mask had remained on, hiding his identity.


    ¡°How long have I been out for?¡±


    ¡°Two days.¡± Myth hummed. He closed his eyes and breathed in. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me just how bad it was?¡± He opened his eyes and saw Myth holding something. It was an X-ray. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be a hero with something like this inside of you.¡±


    The X-ray was of his heart. Shriveled and small, it had turned an ugly black color a while ago. Jagged cuts ran along the organ, and sections of it were gone. The thing in the middle of it though was most eye-catching. A jagged shard of golden metal. One that radiated a light that went through the heart and his veins. One that was burning what was left of the beating organ, flakes of ash constantly coming off of it.


    Even a Super could only take so much damage. Something like this was... Jack¡¯s eyes sparkled with a rare amount of emotion as he stared at the picture of his heart. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal-¡±


    Myth¡¯s hand slammed into the wall next to him. ¡°Not that big of a deal? I thought you just had heart issues! This is something more, though, isn¡¯t it? What the hell is inside of you, and why won¡¯t you let Paragon heal you? You need to get it out! You need an entirely new heart!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Paragon could-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say-¡±


    ¡°Why.¡± Myth¡¯s tone said that he wouldn¡¯t ask a third time. ¡°I¡¯m ordering you. As the leader of Pantheon. Tell me. I don¡¯t get you at all. You know why I let you on my team? So I could watch you. From the moment I saw you, I knew there was something more. I wanted to keep an eye on you. Then you go and¡­ You saved me.¡± Myth¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°You threw yourself in front of all those blades. I don¡¯t get it. Are you a good person or not? Who are you? Please¡­¡±


    Jack rubbed his neck again. He could really go for a smoke about now. His hand came up and brushed the scar. ¡°It won¡¯t let me.¡± He finally said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who put my barrier up. The shard did it.¡±


    ¡°The shard?¡± Myth looked up at him.


    ¡°The thing in my heart.¡± He sighed and slumped down, staring at the ground. ¡°It isn¡¯t just any random piece of shrapnel. It¡¯s aware. Alive. It lets me use my power to partially heal myself, but never enough. That golden light I have isn¡¯t mine.¡± He looked down at his hands, watching the small sparkles of gold that danced on his fingers. ¡°My light is blue. The blue light of imagination. My power allows my body to store and create imaginary energy, which is an energy source that doesn¡¯t exist. My energy can become almost any other energy out there. This shard in my heart though¡­ It holds the power of the Victorian in it. I¡¯m not the Victorain though, so her light burns and eats away at me. The only reason I¡¯m still alive is because I can turn my own imaginary energy into the same energy that¡¯s in the shard, letting me direct and slow its effects down by charging it through my body and firing it out. That¡¯s why I picked the name Battery. Because this thing in my chest is sort of like my own personal battery. One that¡¯s gone bad a long time ago. It supplies me with that golden energy. It also stops me from fully fixing the damage, though. It created a barrier when Paragon tried to heal me. If we were to force it, I think it could blow up, and with the amount of energy inside of it¡­ If I let Paragon heal me, she¡¯d die. I would die, too.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°I still have some things to settle on this world. Not a lot, but a few. So, I can¡¯t die yet. Not while the kid still needs so much help. I know the ending to my story, and this isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°That Hope girl. Who is she, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say. I won¡¯t either.¡±


    Myth frowned but nodded. ¡°Then who are you? If such a thing found its way into you with such intent to cause pain, you couldn¡¯t have been a nobody. Who are you, Jack Larison?¡±


    Jack looked down at the ground. ¡°You really wanna know?¡±


    ¡°Would I have asked if I didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen years ago.¡± Jack said softly. ¡°Fifteen years ago, I wasn¡¯t exactly on the good guys¡¯ side.¡±


    Myth stared at him in shock. ¡°Are you saying that-¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s enough talk time!¡± In a flash of light, Lois appeared next to the bed.


    ¡°Lois!¡± Myth asked with wide eyes.


    "Sorry, big guy, but you¡¯re taking too long! It¡¯s my turn to talk to Jackson here!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me.¡± The girl smirked and placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Beat it, boss. I want to speak to Battery now.¡±


    Myth frowned and looked at Jack, who seemed amused by everything. Slowly though, the dark-skinned man shrugged and turned. ¡°Our talk isn¡¯t over, Battery. I have more questions to ask you.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll answer them if I¡¯m able to.¡± The door shut, leaving Battery in the room alone with Lois. ¡°I¡¯m shocked he was so willing to walk out of here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. That just shows you how much he trusts me. He¡¯s willing to leave me alone with you because he knows I have a good reason.¡± The girl said, folding her arms.


    Jack set up a bit. ¡°Did you bring the stuff?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± The girl reached into her shirt and pulled out one of Nick¡¯s blue vials. The one with a blue liquid inside of it that slowed the destruction and eased the pain of his heart.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Jack reached for it, but it was taken out of his grasp when the blonde girl raised her arm up. "Oh, what now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to cost you.¡± Lois twirled the vial around between her fingers. ¡°I want answers. You saved Myth¡¯s life, and he¡¯s dear to me. Not to mention that I don¡¯t think you¡¯re exactly a bad person, but you were in a bad group, weren¡¯t you? Fifteen years ago, do you know what happened?¡±


    ¡°The Emperor declared war on Earth.¡± Jack said quietly.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Lois nodded. ¡°He had a group with him. A massive army made up of monsters. Creatures whose bodies were not normal. Monsters don¡¯t die easily. Every member of the Bad Timers are former soldiers from the Emperor¡¯s army. You know, Jackson, your body reminds me of a monster. No matter how beaten down you get, you stand back up. That shard within you would kill any other person instantly, yet you¡¯ve carried it for so long.¡± As the girl spoke, her eyes saw something. Things only she could see. Small lines. The Paths. Instead of showing her where to walk, though, they were telling her what to say next. ¡°You¡¯re one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lois asked quietly. ¡°A monster.¡±


    Jack didn¡¯t say anything and reached out, grabbing the vial. ¡°That¡¯s not the question you wanted to ask me, is it?¡±


    Lois let him take it, and she stepped back, folding her arms. ¡°No¡­ The question I had for you had to do with Hope.¡±


    Jack closed his eyes and drank the vial. ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lois nodded. ¡°I saw what happened to her hair and eyes.¡± The girl let out a breath and closed her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s a Lord.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-One: Poseidon’s Rage

    ¡°You look like crap,¡± Armin noted with a frown as he ran alongside her.


    ¡°Feel like it too.¡± She mumbled. She had a few bruises scattered across her body, and her clothes had a few ragged holes added. Despite that, though, she still showed up when Myth sent them all a group text. That was where she and Armin currently were, running laps around their base.


    Myth, with the suggestion of Battery, had turned the bottom floor into a sort of training room. There were a few mats scattered around where you could practically spar with a partner, mainly to pick up on grappling or other takedown moves, as well as heavy weightlifting equipment near the back, though in order for her to actually get a good workout in, she found she needed to lift up the dead machines that filled the former warehouse they were in. She felt herself growing a bit stronger every day. When she first got her powers, she had been able to pick up a car, but now she wondered if she could bring down a building or tower.


    The final thing that had been placed down in the room was a track that went around the inside of the building. Their base honestly wasn''t that wide or open, but she didn''t feel like picking heavy things up at the moment, so she and Armin had decided to run and do laps with each other to build up some stamina. Armin had gotten his powers a lot earlier than her and had been doing practices like this for a while, so he was used to it. Meanwhile, her own body was pretty sore and banged up from Rowin, so she was falling behind, and the boy was having to slow himself down to stay next to her.


    "How long have you two known each other for?" Lois asked, running between them. The invisible girl was very hyper as it turned out and had been doing laps even longer than both of them.


    "Hope and I go way back." Armin shrugged.


    "Armin and I have always gone to the same school." She explained. "I saved him from bullies, and now he''s my servant!"


    "That''s not how it went at all!"


    "Is too!"


    "Is not!"


    "Is too!"


    Lois giggled a bit as she watched the two of them fight. They were slapping at each other as they ran. "I wonder if it was fate that you both met." The girl hummed.


    That caused her to stop. "Fate? You mean like destiny and other stuff like that? I don''t really know if I believe in all that stuff."


    "Really?" Lois raised an eyebrow and giggled. "We live in a world where people can shake entire cities or tear down buildings, but the idea of fate scares you?"


    "I didn''t say it scares me, just that I don''t believe in it." Hope reasoned. "If good things happen to me, then it''s because I did them. If bad things happen to me, then it''s my own fault for letting it happen. I''m not going to blame it on fate."


    "That''s the spirit!" Armin clapped her hard on the back, nearly causing her to stumble. "Oh, um, whoops. My bad." She shot him a dirty look, and he shrunk down a bit and got back to running in silence.


    Lois was in front of them and had turned herself around to look back at both of them. The blonde girl seemed to have zero issue with running backwards. "You know there was a theory that Boy Genius once came up with. He believed that many Supers are actually attracted to each other subconsciously and group up even without knowing. Humans are social creatures and team up, so it would be the same for Supers. Because of this, a lot of people in a Super''s life are either Supers themselves or people who had a chance to become a Super, but their power never awakened. I wonder if that''s why the two of you happened to know each other and ended up on the same team."


    "Nah." She shook her head. "I''d have been friends with Armin even if he wasn''t cool."


    "I wouldn''t." Armin retorted. "If you didn''t become a Super, I was going to ditch you the first chance I got."


    "Ouch!"


    "I was joking!" The boy protested and barely dodged her punch, which ripped through the air.


    Lois simply watched the exchange and let out a soft snort. "Either way, it doesn''t matter. Our final member has arrived."


    ¡°Final member?¡± She asked. Lois gestured towards the corner of the room where the rest of Team Pantheon had arrived without her or Armin noticing. Mr. Larison and Thaddeus stood quietly in a corner. Her eyes lit up when she saw the red-haired man. ¡°Mr. Larison! Are you feeling any better? You sure you shouldn¡¯t be resting or something? Are you really up for all of-¡±


    Jack shot her a look and gave a nod before simply waving her off. She winced a little and slumped. She watched as the man leaned in closer to Thaddeus, and the two lowered their voices even more, barely speaking above a whisper. ¡°Wonder what that¡¯s about.¡± Armin snorted. She didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but her enhanced senses let her hear a bit about what they were discussing.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s a good idea?¡± Mr. Larison asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes. I think it would be best if we kept ¡®that¡¯ under the rug.¡± Thaddeus nodded. ¡°To tell you the truth, you aren¡¯t the only one with an old path filled with blood. Two years ago, I-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jack waved the man off. ¡°We can discuss it later. Something as important as this shouldn¡¯t be said in the corner of a room.¡±


    Thaddeus didn¡¯t look very happy with Jack¡¯s words but nodded. He moved past the man and to the stairs that led up to the top floor. ¡°Well, now that everyone is here, let¡¯s begin. Why don¡¯t we all take a seat up top?¡±


    None of them were in costume. Rather, they were all dressed very casually. Mr. Larison looked a lot better since she last saw him. He wasn¡¯t as pale and seemed to be breathing fine. Despite that, though, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what that conversation had been about.


    She felt a little awkward as she sat on the couch next to Armin and Lois when they finally reached the top floor. Whatever the two men had been talking about, it was clear they hadn¡¯t wanted to be heard. She¡¯d just have to do her best to forget about it. She was sure Mr. Larison and Thaddeus were trustworthy.


    Thaddeus waited for everyone to get comfortable and ready before he began again, now standing next to a whiteboard. ¡°I know things haven¡¯t been easy this past week. That said, we are still heroes, and we have a job to do.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen in the city?¡± Armin asked.


    Thaddeus shook his head. ¡°No. Thankfully, it seems like both the Bad Timers and Zoo have gone into hiding after running into our team and the Sub Enforcers. Plus, with Poseidon being in our city, most of the groups haven¡¯t pulled anything massive yet. There is one group, though, that seems to be thriving.¡±


    ¡°The Wandering Coin?¡± She felt her fist clench tightly as she said the name. The newest gang was really getting on her nerves.


    Thaddeus nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. Those bastards don¡¯t care how outnumbered they are. They keep thriving somehow, and it is all thanks to their boss. We don¡¯t know who he is, but from what we¡¯ve seen, he can create super drugs. There is the brand of drugs Battery, Cinder, and I dealt with when we fought Red Ape, but there¡¯s another one as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± Jack piped up. ¡°When the kid and I went on our first patrol, we ran into a member. Said he was selling a drug that gets you hooked instantly with one taste. My guess is that¡¯s how the gang is still growing despite the fact it keeps getting hit. Doesn¡¯t matter if we take out a few warehouses; all they have to do is get a couple of guys to shoot the product up, and with how bad their addiction gets, they join the gang. Worse yet, they don¡¯t have to do it willingly.¡±


    ¡°Oleander¡¯s Hero Branch has taken great notice of this group now,¡± Thaddeus explained. ¡°They¡¯re afraid that if given more time, whoever this Super is that is making the drugs could make it into a bioweapon. The Sub Enforcers are on the case, but they¡¯re underpowered. It doesn¡¯t help the other gangs seem like they want to keep getting in the way. That¡¯s where we are going to come in.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to finally start doing patrols?¡± Lois asked, leaning back on the couch. They went on a single one as a basic form of training, but now it seemed like it would start to be the norm.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Thaddeus nodded. ¡°Patrols are a part of every good hero¡¯s job. I¡¯ve spoken with Money Tree, and the two of us decided we would rotate who patrols where and on what days. We patrol our part of the city on Sunday, Saturday, and Monday. They¡¯ll be patrolling on the other four days. Since today is Monday, we¡¯ll be doing this starting today. Go get in costume and meet me back here.¡±


    Her and Lois entered the bathroom together and quickly got changed. She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She had cleaned up the costume as best she could when her mom was away at work. There were a few nasty patches on some of the bigger wounds her suit had received when she ignited. It was a little patchy now. She¡¯d have to remember to check about getting a new suit with Myth once she got the chance.


    Whisper¡¯s costume was the same as she remembered. The blonde girl finished putting up her hood and mask, locking it all in place. The girl twirled a taser and pocketed it. When they headed back upstairs, Myth, Battery, and Snowdawn were all suited up and ready.


    ¡°So how are we doing this, boss?¡± Lois asked, throwing her arms behind her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be splitting up into three teams.¡± Myth explained. ¡°Since we are just going after the Wandering Coin, and they lack Supers, it should be fine to break into smaller groups. That said, if you stumble into one of them with their Super drugs, or another gang group, leave instantly and call for backup. I¡¯ll be traveling by myself. Battery will lead another team and-¡±


    ¡°Dibs on Cinder!¡± Whisper announced. She had gone to step towards Mr. Larison, but the invisible girl threw an arm over her shoulder.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to hang out with you yet!¡± She couldn¡¯t see the smile, but she knew Whisper had a cheeky grin. "Battery, you can have Snowdawn; I don¡¯t want him on my team.¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Snowdawn winced. ¡°Thank God I¡¯m made of snow, or that burn might have hurt.¡± Battery grabbed Snowdawn by the arm and began to drag the boy out. "Whoa, wait, we¡¯re leaving already?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll all meet back here once we¡¯re done.¡± Myth called out. ¡°Keep your phones on and close to you at all times. And most importantly, be careful.¡±


    And just like that, they were off. Myth transformed into his bull form and leapt all the way to the top of a building. Battery casually picked up Snowdawn with one arm and took off running, turning into a red blur. That left just her and Whisper. The blonde girl was simply casually walking down the street with her arms thrown behind her head.


    ¡°We¡¯re just going to walk around?¡± She called out.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Whisper¡¯s eyes lit up looking at something she couldn¡¯t see. Something only Whisper herself could see. Hundreds of lines all along the ground. Paths going in and out of their world. Layers of fate. The girl reached into her pocket and pushed a button on her car keys. Down the road, her van honked at her. ¡°We¡¯re going to take my ride. Hop in.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    She grumbled some choice words under her breath but listened to her superior and got into the passenger seat. ¡°So where do we start, exactly?¡±


    ¡°You know you¡¯re kind of weird.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, taken aback. Silence filled the car as she waited for Whisper to elaborate, but instead the hero simply reversed the van onto the road and began to drive. ¡°So why exactly did you want to hang out with me?¡±


    ¡°I already said it! I haven¡¯t gotten to chill on a mission with you yet. You fought alongside Myth, Battery, and Snowdawn, but not me.¡±


    ¡°What about the warehouse incident a few days ago?¡±


    ¡°Meh. That doesn¡¯t count.¡± Her eyes twitched a bit. She hadn¡¯t realized just how strange Whisper could be. ¡°So how is Hope, exactly?¡± The girl asked suddenly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    "Like, how are you doing?¡± Whisper explained. The van drove steadily, and with the setting sun, there wasn¡¯t really a lot of traffic they needed to worry about. ¡°Anything good going on in your life? Any boys, or girls, you¡¯re into?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Romance was out of the question at the moment. Between school, her home life, and hero work, she was just way too busy. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t have crushes; she really looked up to a lot of the heroes, but she was just at a point in her life where she¡¯d rather focus on being helpful. Maybe in the future. ¡°Why do you keep asking weird questions?¡±


    ¡°Are they really that weird?¡±


    ¡°A little, yeah.¡±


    Whisper snickered and shrugged. The girl''s eyes never left the road, seemingly following something only she could see. ¡°Get ready. We¡¯re about to have some trouble.¡±


    ¡°What do you-¡± She didn¡¯t get to finish as her ears rang. The sound of gunshots filled the air, and Whisper casually pulled the van over to the side of the road, parking it. The shots weren¡¯t aimed at either of them and seemed further away down a block. ¡°I¡¯ll run on ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not as fast as you, so I¡¯ll get there when I can-¡± Whisper stopped when she realized Cinder was already gone. "Damn, she¡¯s fast.¡±


    She left the van and full-sprinted, moving faster than a car. She came to a sliding stop when she rounded the corner, and her eyes went wide by what she saw. ¡°Maybe Whisper and I won¡¯t actually be needed.¡±


    Part of the road had turned into a mini-battle zone. There were dozens of men all with guns trained on a lone hero who fought them. Dressed in the armor of an ancient military''s warrior, water flowed from her back, turning into tendrils that casually blocked the gunfire. Poseidon was a one-woman army marching through the gang and not even attacking them herself, simply having her liquid do the work.


    The soldiers were smashed into the ground, left unconscious. All of them looked to be Bad Timer members, or at least they all had the symbol of BT found somewhere on their outfits.


    With one final strike, Poseidon¡¯s water formed into a fist and smashed into the last gang member''s face, knocking him out instantly. ¡°You sure took your time on them, Poseidon. Were you feeling bored?¡± Her head jerked up when she heard the voice, and she noticed Paragon, Poseidon¡¯s younger sister, standing on the sidewalk. The girl''s arms were folded, and Destiny, the red bird, resided on her shoulder.


    ¡°I might have been a little ticked off.¡± Poseidon admitted. The water-based heroes slowly traced over all the goons before looking up and landing on her. ¡°Oh hey. Why if it isn¡¯t the one and only Cinder!¡±


    ¡°The one and only Cinder?¡±


    Before she could react, she was pulled into a half hug by Poseidon. The girl wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. ¡°You¡¯ve been making a name for yourself!¡± Poseidon grinned. The girl pulled out a phone and showed it to her. ¡°Seems some people have their eyes on you, Cindy.¡±


    She stared down at the screen of the phone, feeling a faint blush. It was a picture of her directly after the fight at the warehouse. She was covered in ash and dust and carrying the collapsed body of Battery. It looked like it was straight out of a movie or comic.


    Under the pictures were rows of comments.


    ¡®Does anyone know her name?¡¯


    ¡®Is she part of the Sub Enforcers?¡¯


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this the girl that fought Intake and Green Wolf?¡¯


    ¡®I think her name is Cinder. She set a building on fire, and from the looks of it, she still can¡¯t control her powers. I hope she doesn¡¯t get placed into the Sub Enforcers. We need actual good heroes.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t a lot of comments, more people were interested in Battery or Poseidon, but she had gotten a few. ¡°What are you doing out here alone, Cinder?¡± Poseidon asked, causing her to look away from the phone.


    ¡°She¡¯s on patrol.¡± Paragon commented casually. The girl sounded like she usually did, lacking emotion in her tone. ¡°Myth spoke to Money Tree about it; remember.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡±


    ¡°Why are you guys out here?¡± She asked. From what Myth had said, Sub Enforcers wouldn¡¯t be patrolling on these days.


    Poseidon put her phone away. ¡°I¡¯m not a member of the Sub Enforcers, so those rules don¡¯t apply to me. I save who I want when I want, and right now I want this city to have less crime. Seriously, Lillian has basically achieved world peace compared to this place; how does anyone live here?¡±


    ¡°With a lot of work.¡± She admitted. Oleander wasn¡¯t really the best place to live. It was home though.


    ¡°Actually, would you care to help out?¡± Poseidon asked.


    ¡°You¡¯d let me?¡±


    The older hero shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re still new to this, right? I like helping people, and if this can help you one day become a strong or powerful hero, then I¡¯d love to show you some of my skills. You could pick up on some things.¡±


    ¡°What happened to your partner?¡± Paragon spoke up once more, walking over and joining them. ¡°You had someone with you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She looked around and frowned. She focused her ears but didn¡¯t hear Whisper anywhere. ¡°I was with Whisper, but I guess she is hiding.¡±


    ¡°Oh Whisper! Yeah, she¡¯s pretty cool. What was your reaction when you learned her mom was the-¡±


    ¡°Enough gossiping.¡± Paragon lightly smacked her sister on the helmet. ¡°I¡¯m sure Whisper wouldn¡¯t want us discussing something like that.¡±


    Poseidon sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°Anyway Cinder. A few of these low-level grunts got away. I caught them attacking some Wandering Coin goons and stealing some of the products a couple warehouses back. I¡¯ve been slowly stalking and picking them off one by one and chaining them up.¡± The girl snapped her fingers, and cold, icy chains began to grow around the downed men, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere any time soon. ¡°I don¡¯t like bringing Paragon out in danger, but I hate having her out of my sight even more, so if you¡¯re willing to help, your job would be simple. Just keep my sister safe.¡±


    She eyed Paragon up. She still had a bit of mixed feelings when it came to the masked hero. "Yeah, I can make sure nothing happens to her.¡±


    ¡°Alright then! She¡¯ll be in your hands! Treat her well.¡±


    ¡°Do I not get a say in this?¡± Paragon sighed.


    ¡°Nope!¡±


    She felt a little bad about ditching Whisper, but at the same time, the girl should have had more than enough time to catch up. So either Whisper was way slower than she thought or had ditched her first. Either way, she followed behind Poseidon, walking alongside Paragon.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She looked down at the smaller girl as they walked.


    ¡°No touching.¡± Paragon repeated again. ¡°I don¡¯t like physical contact. If you see something heading my way, just let it hit me. I can heal myself later, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lying.¡± Poseidon called back. ¡°She¡¯s good at healing others, but her powers don¡¯t work on herself. I¡¯m counting on you to be a good meat shield, Cinder!¡±


    "R- Right.¡± She sheepishly replied. She had trained up a bit with Rowan, so all things considered, she was pretty confident in her new skills. Of course, with how insanely strong Poseidon was, she doubted she¡¯d need to get involved at all.


    They entered a shady-looking alleyway, and she heard a loud banging sound as someone slammed into something. ¡°Let us in! We¡¯re sure we lost her¡ªOh crud!¡± The gang member yelled when he saw them. He was currently in front of a large metal door leading downstairs into an underground bar of sorts.


    Poseidon gave a sly grin and raised a single finger. Water formed off of it and whipped out, smacking the man across the face, and in an instant it was lights out for him. The water didn¡¯t stop there, though. It began to take shape and form, turning into a massive swordfish made of liquid. The blade of its nose easily sliced through the door, and screaming filled the underground bar.


    Bullets rained out, but she didn¡¯t have to worry. Poseidon¡¯s water formed a barrier over both her and Paragon, keeping them safe. The barrier took the shape of two sharks, which floated around her and Paragon, devouring the bullets. She was honestly starting to wonder what the point of her coming was. She didn¡¯t even get to count how many of the guys were in the room before a tendril of water smashed through everyone.


    It had been a simple bar with dozens of tables and a counter, but now glass shards littered the floor, and the men were slammed into the back wall with less than ten still remaining. All of them had ¡®BT¡¯ carved somewhere on their clothes, and Myth¡¯s words echoed in her mind for a second.


    Her boss had told them not to engage any other gangs. She wondered if she¡¯d get in trouble for this. Surely it would be fine, though. Right? Maybe she just wouldn¡¯t tell him about this little stunt.


    One of the Bad Timer goons let out a scream and, for some weird reason, thought it would be a smart idea to charge Poseidon. He was naturally laid flat on his back before he even took three steps. Another one made a mad dash for the door, but a lazy swing of the tendril wrapped him up in icy chains.


    One of the few remaining goons grabbed something from his pocket. ¡°Grenade!¡± Another grunt screamed. Her eyes went wide as the man tossed it at them. Poseidon acted fast, raising her arm and causing a large squid made of liquid to wrap itself around the bomb. The squid exploded into a hail of hot water, which sprayed out across the bar.


    It wasn¡¯t burning hot, thankfully, but it did block their sight. Something one of the goons took note of. The man raised his gun and fired the bullet, launching through the air. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she watched it. Poseidon moved a moment too late, and it flung past her, her tendril missing it. She followed the bullet with her eyes watching as it neared the frozen-in-place Paragon, going past the sharks, which were caught off guard.


    ¡°Sky!¡± Poseidon screamed in horror.


    She dove forward faster than the bullet and managed to get her arms around the healer. Paragon let out a yelp as she was yanked down just in the nick of time as the bullet flew past where her head had been and slammed into the back wall. ¡°You okay?¡± She asked. She had crashed onto the floor and did her best to shield the hero.


    Paragon winced in her arms. ¡°Y- Yeah. You can let go of me anytime you know.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Poseidon let out a sigh of relief when the girl saw that her sister was fine. That sigh, however, changed into a low growl. The hero¡¯s head snapped back around to glare at the man who had fired at her little sister. The other goons had given up just by seeing the look of rage in her eyes. It was all focused on the man who held the gun. His legs shook, and he dropped the gun, throwing it to the ground, and raised his hands.


    ¡°It was an accident-¡±


    Teeth exploded out of his mouth as water rose from the ground and slapped him hard across the face. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he stumbled, but Poseidon wasn¡¯t done with him. The girl''s hands were clenched so hard that blood began to leak down her arm. Something was wrong with it, though. The blood was black. With a wave of her hand, water splashed onto the man¡¯s broken face, waking him up.


    He screamed in pain as he was whipped again, this time the water tearing through his shirt and leaving a large gash across his body. Ice began to grow out of his flesh, tearing and eating away at it, and the water painfully smashed him into the wall. A bubble of it began to form around his face, and he gargled, unable to suck in air as he began to drown.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Poseidon turned and glared when she felt the hand on her wrist, but her face softened when she saw her eyes burning into her. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill him.¡±


    Paragon was back on her feet, her bird letting out a loud cry. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Poseidon. Cinder saved me. I didn¡¯t get hurt. Calm down.¡±


    Poseidon¡¯s hand dropped, and the water around the man fell off of him, and he collapsed to the ground, whimpering and shivering as his body shook. He looked like a beaten dog. Poseidon¡¯s shoulders slumped slightly, and the girl let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Looks like I messed up again.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± She shivered a bit, imagining Poseidon pissed off like that again. The girl had been ready to straight up kill someone, and judging from her tone, that wasn¡¯t the first time something like that had happened. She shot a look towards Paragon, but the girl ignored her, stepping closer to her sister.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You didn¡¯t lose control. Not like last time. You¡¯ve gotten better at it.¡± Paragon turned, and the bird on her shoulder turned to stare at Cinder. ¡°Do you mind keeping what happened here mostly secret?¡±


    ¡°She tried to murder a guy.¡± She frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had to heal some of the guys you fought; you do way worse.¡± She flinched at the healer''s words, remembering some of her more severe attacks. She had badly burned both Red Ape and broke the bones of some of the grunts she fought.


    ¡°Yeah... I guess that¡¯s fair.¡± She rubbed her neck awkwardly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have come here; I¡¯m sorry-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Poseidon shook her head. ¡°You saved my sister''s life.¡± The hero held a hand out towards her. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She stared down at the hand, not taking it. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s what a hero does.¡± She turned away from the sisters. ¡°I save people when they¡¯re in trouble. It¡¯s what I do. I¡¯ll stop bad people from hurting others also if I can.¡± She began to head back to the stairs and gave a half-wave. ¡°Call on Cinder if you¡¯re ever in trouble.¡±


    Paragon snorted, watching the hero walk off. ¡°I think you freaked her out a little.¡±


    Poseidon stared down at her palm in silence. ¡°Yeah. I really messed up. I need to get this thing under control soon or else...¡±


    She walked down the street, going at a slow pace. First she had heard something she shouldn¡¯t have in the form of the conversation Mr. Larison and Myth had. Now she had seen something she shouldn¡¯t have. Heroes seemed to always have a strange secret about them. One caked in blood.


    ¡°Finally decided to come find me?¡± She jumped a bit when she heard the voice and looked up. The air shimmered a bit, and suddenly Whisper appeared before her. ¡°About time. I get I¡¯m not as cool as Poseidon or them, but it hurts a bit having you run off.¡±


    ¡°You ran off first! I waited for you.¡± She argued.


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Whisper shrugged. ¡°My bad. Got a little busy capturing these guys.¡±


    ¡°These guys?¡± She suddenly took note of the five men who were flat on their backs. All of them twitched and shook, having just been recently tased, and were tied up with simple rope. None of them looked that harmed compared to the ones Poseidon had left in her way. ¡°Wandering Coin members?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°You bet.¡± Whisper smirked from beneath her mask. ¡°Not just little ones either. Big boys. All of them had this stuff on them.¡±


    Her hand shot up, and she caught the jar the girl tossed her. One filled with a familiar orange liquid. ¡°How did you find them?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was fate.¡± Whisper said slyly. The girl¡¯s eyes traced the many lines that were invisible to everyone else, connecting with many more that slowly swam into view. The Paths of the world. ¡°After all, fate can be a tricky thing.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Two: It Was That Easy

    ¡°So, then Battery and I got in this super cool chase, and he ran like crazy fast and threw me!¡± Snowdawn announced proudly. ¡°After spinning through the air I-¡±


    ¡°He crashed face first into a sign, and then I had to catch the speeding car on my own.¡± Battery finished.


    ¡°Hey! That makes me sound uncool!¡± The snow-covered hero whined. ¡°I prefer to say that I heroically left it in your hands.¡±


    Myth rolled his eyes. ¡°So that¡¯s your excuse for why you have a broken nose?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad, Snow.¡± She reached out and patted her childhood friend on the shoulder. ¡°I did nothing as cool as that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Whisper nodded. ¡°In fact, she ditched me.¡±


    ¡°I said I was sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡±


    "Yes, I did-¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Can you all keep it down? We have patients trying to sleep.¡± A nurse hissed, causing all the superheroes to wince.


    They had arrived at the hospital as soon as they could. Battery¡¯s group had finished up first and had managed to arrest nearly twenty people. All of which had already been taken away by the police and would probably be getting lawyers sometime soon. Her group had caught a few members of the Bad Timers thanks to Poseidon and Paragon, as well as the few members Whisper had caught. As for Myth, he hadn¡¯t run into anyone and got off easy.


    They were all fine, save for Snowdawn sporting a busted nose from ramming into a sign face first. They currently stood in the hospital, waiting for the goon Poseidon had nearly killed. He was in far worse shape than any of the others, and in an effort to get help, he had promised to tell them information about the Wandering Coin. Something he had overheard Polaron himself discussing.


    ¡°Think he¡¯s going to be, okay?¡± She asked.


    ¡°He better be.¡± Myth said, folding his arms. ¡°He¡¯s our best bet for getting answers and finishing the Wandering Coin off for good. Even if he¡¯s part of Bad Timers, I¡¯ll take all the help we can get at this point.¡± The man was in his own hospital room, which they stood outside of. As soon as he was up, Battery and Myth were planning on having a long conversation with him.


    ¡°His body got pretty screwed up.¡± Battery noted. ¡°What did Poseidon do to him, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I knew it was bad, but I didn¡¯t think it was that bad.¡± Myth frowned. She stayed silent and looked away.


    ¡°I may need to have a word with her as well.¡± Battery grunted. ¡°Killing supervillains is fine. They have crazy powers, and it¡¯s kill or be killed. Normal humans, though, don¡¯t stand a chance when facing a Super. She had no reason to use that force and could have just knocked them out. What she did was no better than bullying the weak.¡± He reached down to his pocket, going to pull out a cigarette, only to find his carton was full of wrapped-up suckers. ¡°Are you freaking kidding me? Who did this? Why did they do this?¡±


    Whisper gave an innocent whistle, her body fading out of view as she tried to tiptoe away before Battery could get revenge. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t smoke inside a hospital anyway,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Do it in the car when no one is around like my mom.¡±


    Battery looked like he was about to answer but was stopped when the door to the room the Bad Timer goon was placed in opened slowly. Paragon wiped her hands down on her lab coat as she stepped out, followed closely by Poseidon. ¡°He¡¯s up now if you want to talk to him. I went ahead and fixed most of his injuries and cleared his bloodstream of any substances since we found him in a villain bar.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for coming out for this.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°I know it¡¯s pretty late, but this was important.¡±


    Paragon just shrugged her shoulders, her mask blocking off any emotion she might have felt. ¡°It was the least I could do.¡± Her words caused Poseidon to flinch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and wait for you downstairs, Paragon.¡± Poseidon murmured and roughly pushed her way past the crowd of heroes.


    Paragon cocked her head to the side. ¡°I guess I made her mad.¡±


    ¡°Not to rush you or anything, Paragon, but we have a job to do.¡± Battery stepped past the girl and into the patient¡¯s room. ¡°Well, you ready, Myth?¡±


    The dark-skinned hero folded his arms and followed after Battery. The inside of the room was bare bones. There wasn¡¯t anything that could be used as a weapon, and there weren¡¯t even any windows. A chair was in the corner, where a tired-looking cop rested, and on the bed, the suspect was handcuffed. He was cursing up a storm, and his eyes glared at the two men as they entered.


    ¡°So, anything off the table to get answers?¡± Battery asked.


    ¡°No physical torture.¡± Myth shrugged. ¡°Now that he¡¯s healed, we have about five minutes before he¡¯s carried away behind bars, so hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Battery turned to the others who stood outside of the room. ¡°You guys can go on ahead. Myth and I will catch up.¡± He closed the door, separating them.


    ¡°Man, I wanted to see what they do to get the guy to talk.¡± Snowdawn complained.


    ¡°I bet it¡¯s something boring, like having Myth read a book the same way he gives our reports and bore the guy to death.¡° Whisper giggled.


    ¡°So do we just leave or what?¡± She asked sheepishly.


    Whisper shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Well, we were given the go-ahead to leave. I¡¯m heading to bed. It¡¯s been a long night, and something tells me we won¡¯t have a lot of time to rest going forward.¡± The girl muttered. ¡°You need a ride home, Cinder?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to wait for Battery.¡± She said, shaking her head.


    ¡°I could use a ride home.¡± Snowdawn piped up. ¡°It¡¯s pretty late, and I don¡¯t want my dad worrying about me, so if we¡¯re done here, I¡¯m heading home.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Whisper nodded. ¡°Give us a call if anything happens; Snowdawn and I¡¯ll turn right around.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She watched them walk away, eventually vanishing down the hall. There was a reason she wasn¡¯t ready to leave yet. She shook her head and sighed as she stood alone in the hallway. Well, not entirely alone. ¡°So, uh, I don¡¯t want to come off as rude, but why are you still here?¡±


    Paragon had stood rooted to the spot ever since she came out and hadn¡¯t said another word. With how still the girl stood, she wondered if she was asleep or something. Paragon¡¯s head twitched a bit at her words, and the girl gave a lazy shrug. ¡°I." That was all the girl said.


    ¡°I?¡± The girl had just stopped talking.


    Finally, Paragon let out a sigh. "Thank you."


    "Huh?"


    Paragon folded her arms and turned away. "I wanted to say thank you. I guess I would have been shot earlier. You jumped in and saved me though. It was pretty cool, and I didn''t say thank you for that. I guess my sister also freaked you out a bit, so I''m sorry. It¡¯s the second time you saved me. Also, I guess we started off on the wrong foot, so I''m sorry for that as well. There. I said it."


    She gave the girl an odd look. ¡°Thanks for apologizing, I guess."


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to heal your father.¡± The words came out of Paragon¡¯s mouth quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve tried! I must have attempted it a hundred times. I care about curing him. I know you don¡¯t believe me, but I do. I don¡¯t like seeing people hurt. I¡¯m going to save his life. I promise.¡±


    She stood there a little stunned. She had always assumed Paragon was forced to help due to the way the girl acted. Constantly holding no emotion. The more she heard Paragon speak, though, the more she was starting to think that¡¯s just how the girl talked. Paragon always seemed tired.


    ¡°Well.¡± Paragon huffed. ¡°Say something.¡±


    She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Thanks, I guess.¡± She really didn¡¯t know how to feel. Should she just turn around and switch the way she felt to Paragon? At the very least, she didn¡¯t think her grudge was really all that important anymore. It was exhausting to try and hate the girl with the amount of times she kept having to spend time with the healer. It would be easier to just start over. ¡°I¡¯m glad you said that. It made me feel better.¡± She admitted.


    Paragon let out a sigh, and the girl looked as if a weight had been taken off of her chest. ¡°I¡¯m still learning how my powers work. I don¡¯t improve as fast as you do. I¡¯m going to get better with them. I promise.¡±


    This time she managed a smile. ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± She leaned against the wall and folded her arms. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear you finally sound so passionate, Paragon. You have a cute voice.¡± Paragon grumbled a few words and rested on the wall next to her. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± She asked. The girl still wasn¡¯t leaving.


    ¡°I''m waiting on Destiny. He''s my eyes." The healer explained.


    ¡°Destiny? Oh, you mean that bird?¡± Now that she looked at the girl closer, she realized that strange red bird that was always with her was gone. Every time she had seen the girl, it had been riding on her shoulder or on her head. ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°I let him out to hunt before I came here. He likes flying around the city. When he returns, I can head home.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Wait, so then how did you heal the guy in the room without your pet bird?¡±


    ¡°You ask a lot of questions.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    The girl shrugged lazily. ¡°I can heal people without Destiny. My powers are more than just a simple healing ability. Destiny gets his from me, not the other way around. Think of him as a lesser me. I use him to heal people because it¡¯s less out of control. Against villains, though, I don¡¯t have any issue with messing with their bodies. Also, I¡¯ve healed you before with my power, remember?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! I guess I forgot about that.¡± She hummed and cocked her head to the side. ¡°Wait, so your powers aren¡¯t just simple healing?¡±


    Paragon squeezed her hand into a ball and flexed her fingers. The girl let out a deep breath and finally spoke up. ¡°Whenever I touch someone, my power activates whether I want it to or not. It¡¯s always active. I can sort of see a person''s DNA. That¡¯s what told me who you were the moment I touched you. My ability isn¡¯t actually one created for healing; that¡¯s just a second effect I get.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s manipulation and creation.¡± The girl held her hand up and touched a fly that landed on it. The fly began to bubble up, and much to her horror, it popped. ¡°You know how the Victorian can control light or how Green Wolf can control kinetic energy? I can control cells. With my power, I can cause new cells to form into a person''s body to heal them, or I could do other things to them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds bad.¡± She winced.


    Paragon nodded her head. ¡°I hate it sometimes. Being able to see everything about a person. I¡¯m scared sometimes that I could lose focus and accidentally kill someone. That¡¯s why I only use it to heal and repair the body. I can¡¯t use my power on myself, nor can I use it from a distance. My body is also quite weak, so I lack the ability to keep myself safe. I¡¯m not that strong, basically, but I don¡¯t need to be for normal people. If I messed up even a little...


    Suddenly, the girl¡¯s costume made more sense. Showing no skin, always wearing gloves, keeping her face covered. ¡°I get it. You said Destiny had more control. I¡¯m guessing he can¡¯t turn a person into a flesh blob like you.¡±


    ¡°He just heals.¡±


    She nodded her head and looked down at her hands. ¡°It was sort of the same for me at first. I¡¯m not trying to say our powers are similar or that my issues were as bad as yours, but I didn¡¯t have a lot of control over my fire. I still don¡¯t fully, but I¡¯ve gotten better at it. If you practice more, would you be able to control your powers better?¡±


    Paragon snorted. ¡°I guess, but I can¡¯t practice much with how they work without risking someone¡¯s life. Unless you¡¯re offering?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± She shivered a bit and folded her arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, have your powers ever gone out of control before?¡±


    A silence hung in the hallway for several moments. Time ticked on, and the healer still hadn¡¯t answered her. She wondered if Paragon got mad at her and decided to ignore the question, but finally the hero spoke up. ¡°Do you know what a Calamity level threat is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a world-ending disaster. Things like the Emperor, or the Beast from Space, and stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There have been other threats, such as Lucifer¡¯s villain group known as the Immortals, but in general we have three main things we consider to be a Calamity. Chrysanthemum¡¯s border breaking, the Beast coming down from outer space, or the Emperor and his army returning. Chrysanthemum¡¯s borders haven¡¯t been broken ever since they were put up. The Emperor is also believed to be dead ever since he lost to Full Monarch nearly fifteen years ago. The Beast, though, is special. He always seems to pop up every few years, and each time we lose so much life.¡±


    ¡°I remember the last time he appeared was just two years ago.¡± She said quietly. ¡°A lot of people died then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Paragon nodded somberly. ¡°My sister awakened her powers a few days before the Beast appeared. The Beast was actually her first ever mission. A Calamity event. I wasn¡¯t there at the time. I didn¡¯t even have my powers yet. My powers aren¡¯t stable, and they awakened during the Beast attack¡­ I tried to save her life, and¡­ I think¡­ I think I made her into something like a member of the Bad Timers.¡± The girl whispered.


    Instantly she thought back to Mars King, Demonica, and Polaron. All three of them weren¡¯t humans. Not anymore. They were all unstable, both physically and mentally. She still couldn¡¯t get the image of Polaron screaming out of her mind as his powers went out of control or the image of Demonica¡¯s body snapping and twisting constantly. She couldn¡¯t imagine Poseidon being something like that. The girl might have had a temper, but she looked normal enough. She reached out, gripping Paragon¡¯s hand and giving it a squeeze.


    ¡°Poseidon isn¡¯t anything like the Bad Timers-¡°


    Paragon pulled her hand back, shaking her head. ¡°I just told you what happens when something touches me. Why would you think it was a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Well, you were wearing gloves?¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°You really are an idiot.¡±


    ¡°I just trust that you won¡¯t blow me up. I doubt you hate me that much.¡±


    Paragon actually seemed to let out a snort and eased up a bit. ¡°The Bad Timers used to be humans.¡± The girl said quietly. ¡°In fact, almost every monster used to be human. All of them lost their humanity when they joined the Emperor¡¯s army. He had the ability to alter and transform living matter, allowing him to change Supers into powerful monsters. Monsters he then used in his main army and tried to take over the planet with. Even today, many of them still exist. In a way, my power is almost a cheap copy of his. I thought this power would allow me to save everyone during the Beast attack two years ago. Boy, was I wrong.¡± Paragon shook her head. ¡°Though I guess if you really wanted to know more about it, you could ask Myth. After all, he was there at the event, too. In fact, that¡¯s why he lost his right to be a Sub Enforcer leader. After what he did. He¡¯s lucky he wasn¡¯t thrown in prison.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°What does that mean-¡±


    She never got to ask her question, as seconds later, there was a loud bird-like screech. A nurse who was walking through the halls let out a panicked yelp and jumped out of the way as a red bird came soaring by.


    Paragon held her arm out and the bird circled around a bit before landing on her sleeve. ¡°Finally. Look, as much fun as it has been playing twenty questions, I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± She winced. ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±


    Paragon sighed. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Could you heal me?¡±


    Destiny craned his neck, looking her up and down. ¡°You look fine. Save for a few bruises.¡±


    She rubbed at her arms and shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s sort of the issue.¡± She had trained a bit with Rowan. Or at least he called it training. It was what had led her to being bruised and tired before the patrol. ¡°I need my injuries to be removed.¡± She explained. ¡°I haven¡¯t told my parents that I¡¯m a Super yet, and if they see any marks, they¡¯ll worry more. So, could you please?¡±


    ¡°Every time I¡¯ve offered to heal you, you¡¯ve turned me down like that Battery man. I assume he has a good reason, but you? I¡¯m guessing it had to do with your dad.¡±


    She winced a little. ¡°Yeah. I was mad when you weren¡¯t able to heal him. I guess I was mad at you, but I was more mad in general, too. I just, I dunno... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Paragon lazily shrugged her shoulders, and her bird held out his wing. It touched the side of her face, and when it removed it, she felt her body ease up and the pain fade. ¡°Done and done. That¡¯s like getting a world-famous bodybuilder to open a pickle jar for you, just so you know. Next time, make sure you¡¯re dying.¡±


    She giggled a bit. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be sure to call you when I lose a limb or something next time.¡±


    Paragon stepped past her about to head out but stopped. The girl seemed to struggle with her thoughts for a moment. ¡°You said your parents don¡¯t know that you¡¯re a Super?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know I should tell them, but...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Paragon said, cutting her off. ¡°Look. If you get injured in a way you can¡¯t hide, then I guess it would be fine for me to heal you. But only if it¡¯s something that would get you found out, got it?¡±


    She took a step back in surprise. ¡°Yeah? That, um, that sounds good to me. Thank you?¡± Paragon huffed and turned away. The girl finally left, marching down the hallway. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know how to get a hold of her.¡±


    ***


    It wasn¡¯t often that Alexander dreamed. Usually, the noise of the machines would keep him up all night, or the constant flashes of pain would cause him to wake up. Tonight was different, though. Tonight, he could tell right away he was dreaming.


    The hospital was gone, and instead he stood out in the fields of his old hometown. In the distance, he saw his town. A small dot of scattered buildings, a gorgeous field of flowers all around them. He saw his beautiful wife speaking to his dad, who had long passed away. That was why he knew it was a dream. His wife had never gotten the chance to see his dad, and he hadn¡¯t been back home for years now. Still, even in a dream, he was happy he got to see his daughter playing with the locals in the fields, something she would likely never even get to do.


    It had been a while since he saw her so young. She was starting to not be his little girl anymore.


    All of the noise of the city was gone. The smell of pollution, gone. The destruction after a hero and villain battle, gone.


    His daughter giggled as she floated high into the air. She always did want to fly. Everyone cheered for her and waved as she hopped and spun as if she were a plane.


    It was all so peaceful.


    His eyes fluttered open as he heard the machine buzzing. He felt as if he were inflating, all the pain shooting through his body. He tried not to gurgle on his spit as everything hit him all at once. ¡°It was nice while it lasted.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°What was nice?¡±


    His heart nearly exploded from fright, and he let out a squeaky ¡®eep¡¯ as he sat up fully. His eyes widened when he saw who rested in the chair beside his bed. ¡°Hope?¡± His daughter smiled at him. She wore a simple T-shirt and a jacket, like usual. He didn¡¯t need to check the time. He could see the moonlight in the window. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was in the area, so I decided to drop by.¡± She explained. She fiddled with her glasses. True to his word, Rowan had fixed them up for her so she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the draining effect, and they looked just as they did before. ¡°How are you feeling, dad?¡±


    Her father gave her a smile as he leaned back on his bed and stared up at the roof. ¡°Tired. I¡¯m feeling... I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    She reached out and squeezed his hand. ¡°I can leave if you want to go back to bed.¡± She could feel how weak his grip was as he tried to squeeze back. She prayed it was just from her super strength.


    Her father shook his head and rolled his eyes. ¡°Nah.¡± Alexander chuckled. ¡°Once I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up. That¡¯s the way I¡¯ve always been. Does your mom know you¡¯re here?¡±


    She winced a little. ¡°She thinks I¡¯m at work.¡±


    ¡°Work?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A lot has changed.¡± She took her glasses off and looked into his eyes. He knew. He had to know. He had known from the start that she was a Super and had been hiding it from her. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    Her father did his best to sit back up but gave up halfway through and slumped back down in his bed. ¡°What is it, honey? You can tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Her throat locked up. She tried to speak, but it wouldn¡¯t come out. She knew what she wanted to say, but the words wouldn¡¯t form. ¡®I¡¯m a superhero, and I know that you kept my powers hidden for years; now tell me why!¡¯ How does one even say something like that? She took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± The words left her mouth almost as a whisper.


    She could feel his weak squeeze on her hand again. ¡°What are you scared of, sweetie?¡±


    ¡®Scared that mom could be in danger because of me,¡¯ Went unsaid.


    ¡°Scared that each time I come here, it could be the last time I see you.¡±


    ¡®Scared of why you hid the fact I¡¯m a Super.'' Went unsaid.


    ¡°Scared that I¡¯m not doing well enough. In school, or at work.¡±


    ¡®Scared that I might not live up to my potential.'' Went unsaid.


    ¡°Scared that we won¡¯t be able to pay the bills at the start of each month.¡±


    ¡®Scared that I could fail to save someone, save you.'' Went unsaid.


    Her father gave a smile. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay.¡± She felt his grip tighten. Really tighten. He was squeezing her hand as hard as he could. ¡°I know it¡¯s all going to be okay. You¡¯re going to be okay. I¡¯ve made so many mistakes in my life. Far too many to count. Raising you might have been the only smart thing I¡¯ve ever done. You¡¯re a smart kid. You¡¯re a strong kid. You¡¯re a good kid. I know for a fact that no matter what¡¯s thrown at you, you¡¯ll beat life at its own twisted game. And as far as I¡¯m concerned, if you can have fun and keep living each day like you have been, then you¡¯re going to do fine. You¡¯ve already come so far. Further than I ever went at your age.¡± His smile grew as he gripped her hand. ¡°You¡¯re one of the kindest people I know. And that¡¯s what makes you special. So, keep on living. I know you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    He let go of her hand and slowly rested back in his bed. She stopped holding her breath and tried to nod her head. She slipped her glasses back and tried to give a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Her dad¡¯s eyes traced her face before turning to the door. ¡°Friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She looked back towards the door to his room. It was a glass door that was sealed shut since only one person was allowed in his room at a time due to him having the Dead Virus. On the other side of the glass door, Jack Larison stood. He was leaning on the wall, seemingly waiting for her, dressed in his civilian outfit. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a friend from work. I¡¯ll have to tell you about my job some other time. It looks like they¡¯re getting ready to leave.¡±


    Her father nodded and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time you visit, then. Maybe you¡¯ll have some good work stories to tell me then.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah. Next time.¡± She hesitantly stepped out of his room, the automatic door sealing the room off. ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± She asked Mr. Larison.


    The red-haired man stared past her and at the man lying on the bed. ¡°That your dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You never said he was in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°Okay then.¡± He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sucker, handing it to her. She took it slightly confused, but he was already walking away. ¡°Come on. Car¡¯s already running. Let¡¯s go home, kid.¡±


    She smiled and unwrapped the sucker following after him. ¡°Did you get the answers from that one guy?¡± She placed the candy in her mouth. It was cherry flavor.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Jack and her left the hospital. His car was waiting on the side of the street, and Thaddeus was already in the passenger seat waiting, also dressed like a civilian.


    ¡°What did he have to say?¡± She asked as they got into the car.


    Thaddeus was the one to answer her. He had his collar pulled up to cover his lower mouth and did his best Myth impression. ¡°We were only able to talk to him for a bit before the cops carried him away. The new chief of police likely wants to prove himself to the city and would rather be the one to stop this gang.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how Kyle feels about that.¡± She muttered.


    ¡°We did get a name, though.¡± Thaddeus, or maybe it was Myth; she wasn¡¯t really sure. ¡°The leader of the Wandering Coin. He¡¯s a Super, alright. Calls himself Sunshine.¡±


    ¡°Sunshine.¡± She smirked at the name. ¡°Does he have a sidekick named Rainbows?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t consider that.¡± Thaddeus hummed. ¡°I suppose he could have another Super on his team. Good work, Hope.¡±


    ¡°That was a joke, big guy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother explaining it to him,¡± Jack said, rolling his eyes. The car started up as they backed out of the parking lot and hit the road. ¡°What we know is our guy goes by Sunshine. That worries me a bit. The goofy names are either taken by idiots or dangerous people that don¡¯t care. Judging by the fact this guy has kept completely away from all of Oleander for so long, I doubt he¡¯s an idiot. We¡¯re also behind. From what the Bad Timer grunt said, Polaron has already figured out where Sunshine will next be.¡±


    ¡°So we need to find Polaron if we want to find Sunshine?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Myth nodded. "That''s, of course, already quite the challenge. No one has been able to find Bad Timers'' base, so we have to wait for Polaron to poke his head out before we can strike. The fact he can teleport, or fly, also makes going after him extra hard.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± She rubbed her chin, nodding. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought there were so many places for them to hide out in the junkyard.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jack asked, frowning.


    "Well, you know. Their base is somewhere in the junkyard. I thought someone would have had a clue of where it was by now.¡± She shrugged. Both men just stared at her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep saying it¡¯s in the junkyard like it''s common knowledge?¡± Thaddeus asked.


    She sheepishly scratched at her chin. ¡°Wait. Do you guys not know that?¡±


    ¡°No! We didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Whoops. I think I forgot to tell you all something very important.¡±


    ¡°Hope!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Let me out of this damn box!¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up already!¡± Intake screamed. ¡°Just accept that Polaron left us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Mars King screamed. ¡°As soon as Polaron breaks me out of this, I¡¯ll turn your skull into my mug!¡±


    ¡°If he does break you out, any chance he could get me out of here as well?¡± Red Ape asked sheepishly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no.¡±


    Intake laughed. ¡°You idiots. We aren¡¯t getting out. Not this time. Only place we¡¯re ending up is Nightshade. Greatest prison in the world. Built by that damn twelve-year-old. Once you¡¯re in, there¡¯s no escaping.¡±


    ¡°Actually, not true; the villain known as Lucifer managed to escape when he-¡± Red Ape didn¡¯t get to finish as Mars King began to thrash around and scream once more. The Zoo member sighed, shaking his head. ¡°How did I get stuck with you two?¡±


    The Hero Branch would swoop in and deal with villains once they were caught. After his defeat at the hands of that damn teenage girl, he had been held in a cell for a few weeks, slowly being pieced back together. Same went for that Intake guy, who had taken severe damage from a fight with Ocean Empress, and Mars King, who had several bones shattered by Poseidon. The three of them had finally been fully healed and were now in the back of a Hero Branch van.


    It was a heavily armored car, though he didn¡¯t get to see too much of it. They were in what he was calling the iron maiden. It was a massive metal suit that didn¡¯t allow for any movement, leaving them stuck standing in place. There were some wheels on the bottom so that a Branch officer could roll them around. The suit was built by Boy Genius and was made out of the same material as the prison they were heading toward. It shut down or weakened their powers, and the suit was constantly vibrating, actively repairing itself at all times.


    The three of them were all simply stuck in the back of the van, awaiting their trip to hell. There would have been more, but the Branch didn¡¯t want to put Red Raptor, White Hummingbird, Black Skunk, and Red Scorpion all in the same van together with Red Ape for fear of the Zoo members teaming up. Not like it truly mattered, though.


    Nightshade was basically death row for Supers. A lot of heroes didn''t have an issue with killing bad guys, especially those that have already killed, but every now and then they find they have a use for the villains. That was where Nightshade came in. It was built by Boy Genius and would either hold tricky to deal with villains like Mars King that had healing powers that let them keep coming back, or it would be used as a means of getting information out of evil Supers.


    Once you were in Nightshade, there was no escaping, so you either had to ''help'' the Hero Branch out with the information they wanted, and in return they''d give you a comfortable place to spend the rest of your life, or if you wanted to not do that, they''d send you to the place many Supers feared. The cell block that held the villain Uriel, member of the Immortals...


    ¡°Intake.¡± Mars King grunted. ¡°You become things you touch, yes? Become metal, kill the drivers, and bust us out. I¡¯ll kill you painlessly then.¡±


    Intake rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, not happening. This van doesn¡¯t have any human drivers. All robots are built by either the second-strongest superhero, or Harrison Avalon. The moment we try to break out, this whole thing explodes in a blaze of glory.¡±


    ¡°I will survive the blast!¡± Mars King roared.


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Red Ape panicked.


    ¡°A small price to pay!¡±


    ¡°A big price to pay! A massive one!¡±


    Intake snorted. ¡°How¡¯d you do it last time, Red?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Last time you were captured by some cops, right? You¡¯d have been in this same vehicle. How did Green Wolf get you out of this place, then?¡± Intake asked.


    ¡°He teleported the van.¡± Red Ape explained. ¡°Then he shut down the robots and disarmed the suit.¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec, I thought these vans had anti-teleport tech? Same type they use at Nightshade.¡± Intake asked, a confused look on his face.


    If Red Ape could shrug, he would¡¯ve. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to question it at the time. I was just happy to get out of the suit. You¡¯ve got no idea how satisfying it is to scratch an itch you¡¯ve had for the most of a five-hour drive.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to ask him after you were out?¡±


    ¡°Not really. The guy can be scary. Especially if he can teleport into areas specifically designed to not allow teleporting. You know who was the only other person who could do that? Only the freakin¡¯ Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Any chance Green Wolf will do that again?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get second or first chances from that psycho. Next time he comes for me, it¡¯ll be to kill me.¡± Red Ape grumbled. ¡°I was only let out the first time because he wanted to test some new product from his ally. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    ¡°That settles it. Nightshade, here we come.¡± Intake grumbled. ¡°I knew Bad Timers wasn¡¯t a good idea. That asshole Polaron forced me to join. He didn¡¯t even bother helping me when I was nearly killed by a glowing man.¡±


    ¡°I will not end up there!¡± Mars King roared. ¡°I am the son of Alien! My father fought in the Emperor¡¯s grand army to take over this filthy world! Polaron¡¯s mother did as well! Polaron is my brother-in-arms! He will come! We will get this world ready for the Emperor¡¯s return-¡±


    ¡°Your buddy could care less about that.¡± Red Ape said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°I will kill all humans!¡±


    ¡°My guess is you guys are just insane.¡±


    ¡°All of them! Cattle to be slaughtered and eaten.¡±


    ¡°Insane for sure.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t escaping this van.¡± Intake huffed. He was getting annoyed at just how dense this villain was. ¡°Face it; we¡¯ve lost-¡± Everything shook as a blast hit the side of the van! They were thrown against the wall as the thing rolled and began to crash. ¡°What the hell!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Mars King screamed. His cage crashed back and forth, ramming into the walls as they continued to roll down what felt like a hill. ¡°He has come for me! Polaron has come to bust me out of here!¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡± Red Ape gritted his teeth as his stomach shook from all the spinning they were doing. He was rattled around inside the suit and lost the fight, vomiting. ¡°Oh God, it¡¯s everywhere! Oh God-¡±


    The van finally came to a crashing stop on its side. Intake squeezed his eyes shut, ready to be ripped apart by an explosion, but it never came. The vibrations on the suit stopped humming, and a quiet click echoed out in the room as the suits¡¯ backs opened up. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± He climbed out of his suit, shaking.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Red Ape was next; his gray jumpsuit caked in his own vomit. ¡°Gross.¡±


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡± Mars King didn¡¯t even bother waiting for his suit to open. The thing suppressing their powers had clicked off when the van crashed, and simply by flexing, he tore his way out of the metal armor. ¡°I am free! Free to slaughter as I please-¡± A metal fist rammed into his face, and Mars King was punched hard enough to send him through the wall of the van. He crashed out and landed in a field of sand. ¡°You dare?!¡±


    Intake stepped out of the van, sunlight dancing off his metal form. He flexed and began to grow in size, getting bigger. He flashed back to that beating he had taken from that glorified janitor and Ocean Empress. ¡°I will never lose like that again.¡± He got to about twelve feet, his body absorbing more of the metal from the car. ¡°I¡¯m Intake! I am a warrior of Oleander! Face me, Mars King! I¡¯ll slaughter you and make my way back to Oleander and kill that damned golden man, and Polaron!¡±


    ¡°Uh, guys, can we not do this? Also, aren¡¯t you two on the same team?¡± Red Ape stumbled out of the wrecked car. He didn¡¯t have any of his gear. All of them only had faded blue jumpsuits they could wear. Already Intake¡¯s and Mars King¡¯s were ripped apart as the two men grew in size, about to duel. ¡°Listen, the explosive system has been shut off! Only Green Wolf could do that! That means he has to be here! He¡¯ll kill us all! We need to team up!¡±


    Mars King and Intake roared, and both charged at each other. Spikes erupted out of Mars King¡¯s body, and Intake¡¯s metal fist smashed into the side of the Bad Timer¡¯s head.


    ¡°Guys!¡± Red Ape screamed louder. ¡°At the very least, do that once you get me away from here! There is a signal or something in the van! It¡¯ll be calling for help! The freaking Victorian, or something, will show up if we don¡¯t hurry!¡±


    Intake threw Mars King away and grunted. ¡°That is a fair point. We should get the hell out of here. Speaking of which, where the hell are we?¡± He looked around but only saw sand as far as the eye could see. They were in the middle of nowhere.


    Mars King grunted and stood up, sniffing the air. ¡°Teleporter smell.¡±


    ¡°Teleporter smell?¡±


    ¡°Ears has a power that lets us teleport.¡± Mars King grunted out. ¡°He listens, and when he hears our signal, he teleports one of us. When he does this, the air heats up for a bit, leaves a funky smell that I can sense. This is similar. Different but similar. Teleporter smell.¡±


    Red Ape snapped his fingers. ¡°Someone must have teleported the transport vehicle while it was on the road to Nightshade. Nightshade is somewhere over the ocean, so I bet we were heading to the docks or something when we were moved. The sudden shift is likely what caused the blast and might have fried the systems. I bet this is the same way that Green Wolf got me out last time.¡±


    ¡°You bet?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d he get this power?¡± Mars King spat out. ¡°Wolf can¡¯t teleport.¡±


    ¡°He can now.¡± Red Ape shrugged, folding his arms. ¡°He ended up befriending some high-up dude. That guy has one of the strongest teleportation powers I¡¯ve ever seen. Maybe on par with the Emperor¡¯s. Green Wolf has been abusing it and getting around the world.¡±


    ¡°Right you are, Red.¡± Red Ape froze when he felt the arm over his shoulder. Mars King and Intake both also stood straighter and glared at the man standing there now.


    ¡°G-Green Wolf?¡± Red Ape whimpered. The man had his head cocked to the side, his wolf mask blocking his face. One of his arms was thrown over Red Ape¡¯s shoulder in a casual manner, while his other hand gripped a long knife, swaying back and forth.


    ¡°Hello, boys.¡± Even with the mask, they could all tell Green Wolf was smirking. ¡°I¡¯d like to make a deal.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Three: Another World

    ¡°So basically, when I first got my powers, I had been jumped by a couple of Bad Timer goons.¡± She explained to the crowd, folding her arms. ¡°At that time, one of them said something. They mentioned their base being nearby and questioned if we knew where it was. Plus, they had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, so I just assumed that their base was in that area. Any questions?¡±


    Wasp Nest raised his hand. ¡°Just one. Why the hell are we just now hearing about this?¡±


    ¡°I sort of thought everyone knew.¡± She sheepishly said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the men would just casually mention it, so it must have been basic knowledge.¡±


    "Well, it wasn¡¯t.¡± BB remarked, stomping her foot down. ¡°And now, because of you, we¡¯re out in this heat zone!¡±


    ¡°Want me to cool you off?¡± Snowdawn asked, raising his arms up and causing a cool stream of snow to rain down that made BB and Oxide sigh happily.


    ¡°Now, now let¡¯s not blame Cinder.¡± Myth said trying to calm everyone down. ¡°It isn¡¯t her fault; she¡¯s sometimes a dumbass.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®hey¡¯ us, kid.¡± Battery grumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t defend you on this blunder. This was pretty big info that could have come in handy a while ago.¡±


    It was kind of weird seeing so many heroes in one place. Battery, Myth, Snowdawn, Whisper, Wasp Nest, Metal Ronin, BB, Oxide, and Money Tree. Both Sub Enforcers and Pantheon had teamed up for today. Counting herself, that made for a total of ten heroes. Poseidon and Paragon had to head back to Lillian and would return sometime later, so they were sadly down their big powerhouse and healer.


    All ten of them stood on the beach, in front of the massive scrapyard maze where she had first gotten her powers. Nearly a full month had passed since that incident. It had been at this spot that one of the goons of Bad Timers had let it slip; the base was nearby, or at least one of their bases.


    Despite that, though, the others seemed unconvinced. ¡°Is there really a Bad Timer base here?¡± BB questioned folding her arms. There weren¡¯t any buildings, and while the maze of junk was rather large and filled with walls, it was still right out in the open, with no roof or anything to provide cover. It didn¡¯t seem like the place a gang would willingly hide their big players.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a small hideout, it can¡¯t hurt to look.¡± Money Tree said slyly. "Besides, if there is even a tiny chance Polaron is indeed here or nearby, it¡¯s best we all stick together. None of you kids are quite on that level yet.¡± The man chuckled.


    There were many twists and turns inside the maze, so as they separated and began to search it, they all made sure to stay near the center. If anything happened, all it would take was one scream, and they¡¯d be able to bust through the walls to reach one another. Wasp Nest was interesting to see in action. She had read about him, but it was her first time really seeing the Sub Enforcer at work.


    The boy''s body broke down and changed, separating until he was a mass of black. Thousands of wasps rose off of the ground and began to flow over the maze. The boy wasn¡¯t the only flier of his team either, BB shrinking down to a small size and joining him. She felt a slight pang of jealousy as she watched them.


    She hadn¡¯t gotten to show off any of the new stuff she had picked up after sparring with Rowan. Despite all her new skills, though, flight was something she hadn¡¯t figured out yet. That wouldn¡¯t stop her from trying to make the skies hers one day. Flight was the one power she truly wanted above all others.


    Metal Ronin followed after Wasp Nest as everyone began to split up. ¡°Hey man, just wanted to check in and make sure you¡¯re good.¡± The tech-based hero asked casually.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Wasp Nest frowned, some of his bugs forming into his head, which floated around the field.


    ¡°Well, I heard some stuff happened with Poseidon. She had another episode.¡± Metal Ronin trailed off slowly.


    Wasp Nest winced and reformed his body fully. ¡°Look, it isn''t anything to worry about. Some guy tried attacking her sister, and she almost snapped but didn¡¯t. They¡¯re taking her back to Lillian now so Paragon can look at her and make sure she¡¯s fine. The last thing we want is another accident to happen.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Metal Ronin nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought it up.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s fine. I understand why you did.¡± Wasp Nest sighed. ¡°I¡¯m dating a monster after all.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call her a monster exactly...¡±


    ¡°Then what else?¡± Wasp Nest lightly kicked one of the many metal cars that lined the junkyard. ¡°She stopped being a human two years ago. Ever since the Beast.¡± The boy growled a bit, gritting his teeth. ¡°Sometimes I find myself wishing things were like they used to be, you know.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t though.¡±


    ¡°No shit.¡± Wasp Nest retorted. ¡°It¡¯s fine though. Poseidon is still Poseidon. I¡¯ll stay with her for as long as I¡¯m alive. No matter what.¡±


    ¡°Just be careful, man. You¡¯re my friend. I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Metal Ronin stated, lightly punching down on Wasp Nest¡¯s shoulder.


    "Oh, would you two just kiss already!¡± BB dropped from the sky and landed herself on Metal Ronin¡¯s shoulder. The girl was about the size of a small action figure and had a smirk on her lips. ¡°So, what do you guys think of Myth¡¯s group?¡± She asked in a hushed voice.


    Wasp Nest scratched his chin. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see Whisper again.¡± The boy admitted.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Metal Ronin nodded. ¡°I also have my eyes on some members.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± BB asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The tech-based hero stared across the junkyard, spotting the fire user who called herself Cinder. ¡°I have a feeling that some members of Myth¡¯s team could keep growing and reach a point other Supers can¡¯t.¡±


    Over with her and Snowdawn, her face was a little red. Sometimes having enhanced hearing wasn¡¯t a good thing. For example, she had totally just heard that entire conversation between the three Sub Enforcer members.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Snowdawn asked her.


    ¡°Fine!¡± She said it a little quickly and lifted an entire boat up with one arm, making sure there was no secret door beneath it. ¡°Do you really think those grunts just told you the base was here?¡± Snowdawn asked, frowning slightly.


    She shrugged her shoulders. "Look, I just heard them mention it the day I got my powers. I never thought it would cause all of us to be out here looking. Kyle can confirm my story.¡±


    "No, I believe you.¡± Snowdawn¡¯s eyes roamed the jagged metal, and he shivered a bit. ¡°This feels like a place Polaron would want to be at. Lots of options for someone with his power set.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She nodded. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t find him here, though, it will be good to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hope Lauren.¡±


    She froze when she heard the whisper of her name. She had been letting her enhanced senses gradually rise, and those two words instantly caused her blood to run cold. She was in full costume. Someone knew who she was. Her eyes darted around, but none of the other heroes seemed to have noticed it. The thing had been a whisper, far away; only someone like her with enhanced hearing could have made it out, a power no other Super she met had.


    ¡°What were you saying?¡± Snowdawn asked, looking at her.


    ¡°Hope Lauren. Come to my voice. Alone.¡±


    ¡°I- There is something-¡±


    ¡°If you do, I can tell you how to save your father.¡±


    ¡°Yo? You good?¡± Snowdawn waved his hand in front of her face. ¡°The heat getting to you?¡±


    Her throat closed up, and she shook her head. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m going to go check over there, okay.¡± She waved her friend off before he could notice anything else weird about her and ducked down one of the turns. She could hear the whisper steadily getting louder as she followed, and soon she was out of sight from everyone else. It directed her to make lefts and rights. She was fully aware that this was probably a stupid idea; those words it had said... Save her father. Besides the worst-case scenario, she would yell, and Battery or Myth would come running. ¡°Who are you?¡± She rounded the corner as the voice reached its peak.


    Her body froze when she saw the man. Dressed in rags and sporting wild, dirty hair. The homeless man. The one who always stood in front of the school. The man was crouched low dozens of cars and boats, forming walls of junk, and his fingers brushed through the sand as if he could see something.


    ¡°You¡¯re-¡±


    ¡°Bad Timers, right.¡± The homeless man grunted out, standing to his full height. She had never realized just how tall he was until now, when she stood alone with the man. ¡°That¡¯s who you¡¯re after.¡± Now that she got a look at the man, she was able to tell a bit more about him. He had long blonde hair, which was tied back into a ponytail, as well as bright blue eyes that almost seemed to glow with an electric spark. The man was tall and built well, but most of the guy¡¯s form was hidden beneath a baggy jacket and pants.


    ¡°How do you know who I am? Who are you?¡± She wondered if this person was actually the homeless man or simply a member of the Bad Timers that could shapeshift.


    ¡°Keep your tone down.¡± The dirty man grunted. ¡°If the others see me, the deal is off.¡±


    ¡°Deal? You mean you really know a way to save my dad? Who are you?¡± She narrowed her eyes and stepped back.


    The dirty man just grunted and turned away from her. ¡°You guys are in the right place. I guess it is fate that led you here. The Paths swirl around and guide us. That said, you¡¯ll never find the door to their real base by just looking around. So, since you helped my friends out by giving us fire, I will offer you a hand.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Her mind traced back to when she and Snowdawn had gone on patrol. She had wanted to do more to help, but with everything that had happened, it slipped her mind. In the end, she had only managed to start a single fire.


    ¡°That night had been particularly cold.¡± The homeless man grunted. He walked towards one of the walls of the section of the maze they were in. It had dozens of large boats that had been gutted and torn apart and stacked on one another. Slowly he reached out with his palm. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Follow you where-¡± Her jaw dropped when his hand sank into the boat, and then he simply stepped through it. ¡°How did-¡± The man¡¯s head suddenly poked out of the boat as if he were phasing through it. He brought a finger to his lips and shushed, then motioned for her to follow before fully phasing back in. ¡°Okay? This is weird. Even for Super stuff.¡± She hesitantly raised her own palm to the bottom of the turned-over boat and watched as her hand sank through the metal. ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± She stepped forward and for a moment felt cold air on her skin.


    Everything was dark, but then, with another step, a bright light caused her eyes to squint. She nearly tripped over her feet as the ground shifted suddenly, and she could feel water splashing on her ankles. When she looked up, she was no longer in the junkyard.


    In fact, she didn¡¯t think she was even in Oleander anymore. So much for being able to scream for help. She stood ankle deep in the ocean. In front of her was a small resort-looking island. There were tropical trees filled with coconuts, and scattered about were dozens of mini-hotel-looking buildings. There was a sort of woods-like area further into the island, though made mostly of coconut trees, and past it she could see a very large stone building in the distance that looked out of place compared to the getaway feel everything else had.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    She also became aware of the fact that dozens of people were screaming at her. All along the beach and standing at the edge of the woods, men with heavy-looking guns stood. All of them were dressed light, some even wearing swimwear, but carved in all of their clothes were the letters ¡®BT¡¯. The sun shone down from above, and her costume suddenly felt very hot.


    ¡°You could have warned me we¡¯d just be appearing in front of Bad Timers!¡± She complained. That was also when she realized that the homeless man wasn¡¯t with her anymore. She was alone, all the goons sharply raising their weapons. ¡°Oh, that bastard!¡± She tried to step back, hoping to exit wherever she had ended up, but there was nothing behind her except for the massive ocean. No weird wall or anything like that for her to step through. It was as if she had been teleported to the other side of the world or something. ¡°Myth!¡± She screamed in a vague attempt to maybe let the others know in case her sound traveled through wherever it was she appeared at.


    Bullets fired through the air as the men unleashed a hail of gunfire. She jumped up high, dodging the gunfire, and crashed down into the sandy floor below out of the water.


    Her teeth gritted, and she felt her heart begin to beat. Alone or not, she wasn¡¯t going to simply give up. These were just low-tier fighters after all. Things she could handle with ease. She raised her hand as they tried to turn, all the men moving in slow motion compared to her. She felt that fire in her gut, and for just a second she thought back to her training with Metal Ronin.


    ***


    A few days earlier...


    ¡°Ow! Rowan, I swear if any of this leaves a bruise, you¡¯re dead!¡± She hissed.


    Rowan shrugged as he watched her. The orb he had built flew through the air, zapping down at her. ¡°If you just shot at the thing, then you¡¯d be fine.¡± The boy taunted. ¡°Anyways, Oppenheimer, I guess while she¡¯s working on that, we should build you a doggo suit.¡± The boy set his pet down on the table and grabbed more junk.


    She shot him a dirty look but let out another yell of pain as she was zapped on her shoulder. Letting out a growl, she focused her thoughts. She could feel the fire start to swell up in her stomach, and she opened her mouth, launching a blast of fire towards the sky. Despite the fact the attack was big, the small orb managed to barely dodge out of the way, floating low to the ground.


    She went to kick it, but it zapped her again.


    ¡°Ow! This is stupid!¡±


    ¡°Can you make your attack smaller?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ow!¡±


    Metal Ronin scratched at his chin. ¡°You keep wasting all your energy on that big attack. Go for something smaller and quick.¡± The boy suggested. ¡°Like you¡¯re sprinting when you should be speed walking.¡±


    ¡°You mean jogging? Ow!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So, start jogging.¡±


    She swore she would get him back for this, but he wasn¡¯t wrong exactly. She always went for the massive beam of doom and could only ever do it once, twice, if she was fine with downing herself. Not a whole lot in the tank. She focused her power again and felt the fire in her stomach. It was a bit of a weird feeling, but she did her best to try and control it. Do the reverse of what she did. Instead of grabbing all the power, she tried to just grab a portion.


    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± The orb came down and glowed about to zap, and she struck. She breathed out, and this time it wasn¡¯t a pillar of fire that came out but a small beam. Like a thin line, it stabbed straight through the orb, and the small object came crashing down, hitting the floor. ¡°Yes!¡± She fist-bumped the air. ¡°I¡¯m still standing. I even feel fine. Refreshed even.¡± She dusted herself off, smirking. Her smile faded when the orb slowly began to float back up.


    It sparked a bit and wobbled but was still ready to go. One more hit, though, and she knew it would be down for the count. She gave a grin and was about to fire on it again.


    ¡°Hey, hang on a sec.¡± Rowan¡¯s words caused her to stop.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She turned to look at him only to receive a smack in the face.


    He had been building something ever since she had started her ¡®training¡¯ session. Whatever it was latched onto her face and formed a lower mask that covered her mouth. She tried to speak, but it came out muffled, and she couldn¡¯t yank the thing off. It was a slab of metal that wouldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°All anyone has to do to stop your attack is cover your mouth like that. Any half-decent mental power user like myself can come up with it.¡± Rowan tried explaining, but he shrunk back when he saw the utter death glare she was shooting him. He cleared his throat. ¡°My point is, why don¡¯t you try and use your power another way?¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t.¡¯ Is what she wanted to say, but it came out muffled due to the thing covering her mouth. A second later, she yelped in pain as the machine zapped her rear once more.


    ¡°I watched the footage of your fight with Polaron,¡± Rowan said sheepishly. ¡°You were strong, and towards the end of it, your body caught on fire. I don¡¯t think you just have fire breath; I think you¡¯re a full-on pyrokinetic. At least give it a shot.¡±


    She dodged several lines of energy the orb fired at her and decided she would deal with Rowan later. She could feel the heat begin in her stomach and start to rapidly come up through her throat- The machine on her mouth let out a beep, and her eyes widened as it got tighter, and water was sprayed into her mouth, nearly causing her to gag.


    ¡°Oh yeah, and don¡¯t think of trying to force your power to work. I thought of that.¡± Rowan gave her a thumbs up as she plotted the most painful death for him.


    More lasers flew out, and she grabbed a chunk of metal, holding it out in front of her as a shield. It gave her a moment to think, but already the orb was circling around. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her thoughts. The fire came back in her gut. A warmth that spread throughout her body. It began to gradually rise, heading for her throat. She winced as the machine began to activate, but before it could, she canceled her power.


    A laser to the back caused her to stumble, but she ignored it. She clutched at her stomach, clawing at it as the feeling came back. It was odd, like moving a limb that never existed. If her mouth was covered, she would just have to find somewhere else for it to come out of.


    It began to move through her body faster and faster, no longer heading through her throat. She rotated her shoulder and could feel her fingertips begin to tickle. Her eyes snapped open, and she brought her fist back!


    ***


    Present Day...


    There were five of them in total. Five men with guns. They seemed to move in slow motion as she watched them raise their guns up. Her brain worked faster than a normal human, and she took a deep breath and gave a small smirk.


    The men all pointed their guns at her, about to fire.


    She had seen Battery do this so many times now.


    She raised her thumb up and pointed out with her finger, making a gun with her hand. ¡°Bang,¡± She called out. Her costume lit up, and for a second, her entire body became ignited in flame, and from her fingertip, a beam of pure molten air blasted out. The laser was far faster than a bullet, and before any of the men could even think about pulling their triggers, the beam cut through the guns. She jerked her hand to the side, the beam still coming out of her finger and moving with it, allowing her to hit each gun as she cut them all in half. The men screamed as their firearms exploded, and they clutched their now-burnt hands. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± She yelled loudly.


    She couldn¡¯t help the jitters in her stomach. She bet she looked like a total badass at that moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead, Super!¡± One of them screamed, going for a knife.


    ¡°You all might want to protect your eyes.¡± Her right arm ignited being coated in fire, which swirled around it. She slammed her fire fist down into the ground as hard as she could, and the sand exploded into a hail of glass, raining shards down onto the men, causing them to yell and duck for cover.


    Chemistry class had come in handy for once.


    More yelling came from the woods, and the trees shook as dozens of other men began to run out and fire towards her. She freaked out for a moment and raised her arms, but then quickly remembered that she was bulletproof as various bullets rained into her. Not that they didn¡¯t hurt. She knew that, tomorrow, she was going to be bruised like hell.


    Despite how cool she felt though, she was beginning to realize that there were a crap ton of guys. Like so many, she was losing count. None of them seemed to be a Super, and their bullets didn¡¯t hurt that badly, but she still wasn¡¯t sure if blasting out a crap ton of fire attacks was a good idea yet.


    Just as another wave of the men began to pull themselves out and she was quickly getting surrounded by all sides, a grace of luck seemed to come her way.


    From out of nowhere, seemingly appearing out of thin air, a swarm of wasps suddenly blasted out of the water. There were thousands of them, all coming from the place she had spawned in. The wasps caused dozens of the men to scream and drop their weapons as they were assaulted and stung. Enough of them even managed to pile onto a few of the guys and throw them into the air, sending them crashing back down.


    ¡°You look like you need a hand, Cinder.¡± The voice buzzed all around her, and slowly the bugs pulled themselves together, taking the shape of a young-looking man. Wasp Nest gave her a sly smile. ¡°Trying to save the day all by yourself?¡±


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°You can thank Whisper for that.¡±


    ¡°Whisper?¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± She jumped a bit as the invisible girl suddenly appeared behind her. She could just tell Whisper was sporting one of her mischievous grins. ¡°After I noticed you weren¡¯t in the junkyard, I used my power to follow the Paths to your location. Little did I know you¡¯d end up in a pocket dimension.¡± The girl folded her arms and huffed. ¡°You need to learn to stop running off, Cinder.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re forgiven. Looks like you found the base though, so good job.¡± Whisper said, giving a thumbs up.


    "Yeah, but I have no idea where we are or how to get out.¡± She winced.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a pocket realm.¡± Wasp Nest explained. ¡°The Sub Enforcers base is placed in one as well. They¡¯re like mini spaces outside of reality that were created by Max Lightning and Mr. Avalon about fifteen years ago. They always have ¡®gates¡¯ which are like doors that can be anywhere. In this case, the entrance is in the junkyard and spawns us here on the beach, where their base is. As for the exit, if it isn¡¯t here, I¡¯d bet it¡¯s in that stone building, and it will either spit us out where we entered or take us somewhere else in Oleander.¡±


    She nodded her head, trying to follow along. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing you guys told the others about this. With all of us, we can easily beat anyone here!¡± An awkward silence seemed to suddenly infect Wasp Nest and Whisper, and the two heroes awkwardly cleared their throats. ¡°You guys did tell the others about this before jumping in after me, right?¡±


    ¡°Funny story...¡±


    ¡°And you called me dumb!¡±


    The men Wasp Nest had stung began to recover, many of them getting up or trying to limp away into the forest. Whisper stepped forward calmly and casually pulled a taser from her pocket, twirling it between her fingers. ¡°For now, you stay cool, Cinder. Leave these little guys to me. I¡¯d rather you stay in tip-top shape in case there is a Super here. You¡¯re our heavy hitter, got that?¡±


    ¡°Can you seriously fight all these guys by yourself-¡± She went to step forward, but Wasp Nest held an arm out in front of her.


    The hero gave a small smirk and shook his head. ¡°Trust me. Whisper¡¯s got this.¡±


    Whisper didn¡¯t bother turning invisible. The girl didn¡¯t need it. One of them pulled out a handgun and raised it, firing, but the hero had already stepped out of the way, the bullet just barely passing her. Whisper didn¡¯t move fast, or with any effort, for that matter. Instead, the blonde girl steadily walked towards the man. He fired again, but this time Whisper had slumped her body just enough that the bullet went past her head. He tried a body shot, but the girl tilted herself to the left, and it missed again.


    Finally, Whisper reached him, and he screamed and swung the gun like a hammer. Only Whisper hadn¡¯t actually reached him, and his gun only managed to brush the very tip of her nose. The hero lazily reached out with the taser and jammed it into his neck, turning it on.


    The man dropped.


    The others went down the same way. Whisper moved a little faster now that more men fired at her, but none of them hit Whisper. She watched in shock as Whisper was always just barely out of harm''s way. It wasn¡¯t enhanced speed or anything like that. It was more like she always moved her body in just the right position for the attack to only brush against her. It never actually managed to get her skin, but the black fabric of her clothes tore and broke off.


    She hadn¡¯t actually ever gotten to see the girl fight before other than the spar with Mr. Larison, where Lois had dodged all his strikes. ¡°Impressive right.¡± Wasp Nest¡¯s words caused her to jump slightly. He was watching Whisper closely as well. ¡°It always fascinates me how she works. She¡¯s not faster, or stronger, than any normal human, and against most Supers, she doesn¡¯t have any means of harming them really if they¡¯re durable. Despite that, though, no matter how many times Whisper goes into battle, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen her get hurt once.¡±


    ¡°How does she do it?¡± She asked incredulously. ¡°It¡¯s a power, right?¡±


    ¡°You bet it is.¡± Wasp Nest held his hand up, and for a second it changed black and broke apart into hundreds of bugs before pulling themselves back together. ¡°Some Supers are born lucky. They hit the jackpot and receive a perfect body made for their powers and will also get more than one ability. Others aren¡¯t so lucky and get a shitty human body and only one power. You¡¯re one of the lucky ones. Whisper is also both lucky and not lucky.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, she doesn¡¯t have the body of a Super. She¡¯s a fleshy mortal at the end of the day. A good bullet to the head, or even a strong smack to the right area, and she¡¯s dead. That said, she lucked out by getting not just one ability but two. In a way, she got the worst of both worlds from her parents. Instead of getting her mother''s powerful ability, she received a mild fraction of it in the form of her invisibility. The same was for her dad. She could have had any number of his many gifts, but the one she received was one that, while useful, isn¡¯t that strong. The ability to see the Paths.¡±


    ¡°Paths? She said something about that.¡±


    Wasp Nest nodded his head and shrugged. ¡°Basically, from how I understand it, she can sort of see fate. Think of it like being able to see the future, I guess. There¡¯s more to it than that, and she has limits, but with it Whisper can figure things out whenever she needs to and seems to be able to be in the right place at the right time for things to work out for her. In other words, she can always be in the exact right spot for your attack to miss.¡±


    The poor grunts never stood a chance. They were all tased or easily knocked out by a throat punch, all delivered from Whisper. The hero never seemed to give it any effort. Simply acting in a lazy manner yet downing every guy that came her way.


    Finally, in only a few moments, Whisper had wiped out nearly thirty guys all without taking a single bit of damage. The girl turned to them and gave a wave. ¡°So how did I do?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re a showoff.¡± She called back.


    Whisper went to say something but suddenly jumped back. The sand she had been standing on erupted up, and sunlight glittered off the blades that stabbed out of the ground. Whisper backed up slowly, eyeing them up. They were all as big as swords. Some were jagged, others were curved or straight. All would have instantly killed the hero if she hadn¡¯t moved, though.


    ¡°Alright Cinder. Wasp Nest. You two get ready. This one is serious.¡± The sound of metal on wood poured out of the forest, and boots stomped on sand as something began to walk towards them. ¡°Looks like some Bad Timer Supers are here after all.¡±


    From the woods, a man walked out. Or at least he might have once been a man. He was shirtless and wore only a pair of heavy black pants. Knives seemed to stab out of his fingertips, giving him claws, and he had no face. There was no set of eyes, or mouth, or anything. Instead, there was a perfectly round saw blade perfectly carved into the center of his face. Bits of his flesh were torn, revealing thousands of smaller blades beneath it, forming his muscles.


    Saw Head. The mass murdering member of the Bad Timers had arrived.

 Chapter Thirty-Four: Demonica

    All members of the Bad Timers had one thing in common. They weren¡¯t human. They weren¡¯t aliens, though, like the Beast from Space was.


    They were created by the Emperor. Once humans, or Supers, their forms had been twisted and mutated, evolving their powers and bodies. Fifteen years ago, the Emperor used this power to forge his army and declare war on planet Earth. After his defeat and supposed death, at the hands of Full Monarch, the previous Lord of the Sun, the Emperor¡¯s army was stuck in their twisted, broken forms, forced to commit petty crimes as they slowly lost their minds. Many went mad and mutated further, changing into the giant monsters that roam the world and attack cities, all waiting to be put out of their misery by the Victorian.


    Some though managed to keep part of their sanity and kept their bodies in check. These were the ones who enjoyed being evil.


    Saw Head was one such monster. The blade that formed over his face spun, and he took a single step toward them, causing the ground to shake.


    She didn¡¯t hesitate. Neither did Wasp Nest. The boy scattered into his bugs, and she took to the air, jumping up high. As she was above the monster, she slammed her hands down and fired a bolt of flame towards him.


    The back of Saw Head split open, and tendrils of jagged metal forced their way out of his flesh, blocking the fire. He was tall and heavy looking, with a fat belly that stood firm when Whisper jammed her taser into it and blasted him. The girl had to jump away when he took a swipe at her.


    His claws scratched her goggles and blinded Whisper for a moment, causing the girl to trip. Wasp Nest reformed into his full shape in the air and landed on Saw Head. Instantly, he wrapped his legs around the villain¡¯s throat and tried to jam his fingers into the eyes of the bad guy.


    Saw Head had an insane form of durability though, as his eyes didn¡¯t even budge as the fingers hit them. The villain¡¯s chest erupted with blades, and Wasp Nest was impaled on all sides but took no damage as the boy¡¯s body simply turned back into wasps and flew away in all directions before reforming.


    She landed on the ground, and Saw Head slammed his foot into the sand. The ground beneath her exploded as swords burst up, and she screamed, about to be impaled. Her scream trailed off though when the blades shattered on her skin. ¡°Huh. Wait a second, do you just have¡ª" Saw Head charged her and sliced his claws down her body. The knives in his fingers twisted back, unable to pierce her suit. ¡°Yep. You just have normal blades, don¡¯t you? Your power doesn¡¯t make the knives sharper or stronger than basic metal, does it?¡±


    The villain¡¯s saw-like face began to spin, and he swiped at her with his other hand going for her throat. She cocked her head and raised her shoulder up a bit, trapping his hand in place when it hit her.


    ¡°You know.¡± Wasp Nest said, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think Cinder was this strong.¡±


    ¡°Well, she is bulletproof.¡± Whisper shrugged. ¡°Not sure why we thought the guy whose power was knives would do anything.¡±


    Saw Head managed to rip his hand away from her, and she stepped forward, breaking all the swords around them as she rammed her fist into his gut. He didn¡¯t budge, so she brought her hand up again, and again, and again, and- Her hand began to move like a blur, and for a moment, Saw Head began to lift off the ground, being picked up by her rapid strikes. The flesh on his stomach changed to a red color, his skin starting to burn as her speed picked up and the air began to heat up.


    Right when he was fully lifted up above her, she rammed her pointer finger into his belly button and blasted her flame laser into him.


    Saw Head was sent flying, his body still holding strong but smashed through dozens of trees and hit the ground hard. The face saw spun faster, and his arms shook as he tried to pick himself back up.


    ¡°Give up.¡± She stepped forward and ignored the pain in her palms. Her knuckles bled, and she might have broken a finger or two, but boy did that stunt look badass. ¡°You¡¯ve lost-¡±


    ¡°Cinder, look out!¡± Whisper screamed.


    It came too late.


    She felt her head jerk to the side as something hit her hard. She almost thought her neck actually broke, pain shooting through it, but she was still alive. She hit the ground and rolled across it, crashing into the shallow end of the water, a wave slamming into her back. Before she could even get back up, purple fire rammed into her stomach, pushing her further back and heating the water up to a boil. She actually screamed as the fire hit her. It burned, and she was sent back at least a hundred feet, landing in open waters away from the island.


    There was only one person she was confident could burn her with fire. She swam up through the water and used her enhanced vision to see the woman that was on the beach. Demonica stood, having rammed a fist into her face faster than she could spot the villain. The woman was back in tip-top shape ever since her battle with Battery. A black skin tight suit that looked like something you¡¯d see in a S&M video clung to the villain¡¯s body. It didn¡¯t show any of the woman¡¯s appearance, and at the very top, purple fire spilled out, forming her locks of hair.


    Demonica eyed Whisper and Wasp Nest, who both froze up. Slowly though, the woman¡¯s eyes landed on Whisper. ¡°You were with that hero.¡± The woman¡¯s voice came out like a growl. ¡°The teammate of the man in red.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say we¡¯re actually teammates.¡± Whisper said sheepishly. ¡°At least if that¡¯s what you want to hear-¡±


    Purple fire swirled around Demonica¡¯s arm, and the woman lifted it, about to burn the heroes in front of her down to ash, but she was halted when a massive wave of water came crashing down on the beach.


    Over with her, she used her enhanced body to literally swim at super speed. Maybe if she was at her top speed and had been on the beach she could have run on water or something like Mr. Larison did, but already being in the water she had no choice but to swim. With her powers though, that was more than easy, and in only a second she was back at the island, moving as fast and as hard as she could.


    She pulled herself out of the water, still rubbing at her neck. Demonica wasn¡¯t just fast, but strong. She had managed to get the woman¡¯s attention off of Whisper by hitting her with the waves she created from the force of her swimming. ¡°Your fight is with me-¡±


    Demonica was on her in an instant, the villain¡¯s palm on her stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± Purple fire blasted out, and she screamed as she felt it burn her. Even a Super would have been reduced to ash, but she thankfully had built up fire tolerance as she used her powers. She fought through the fire and threw a punch, which Demonica caught. ¡°Actually. Maybe I do care.¡± The villain cocked her head to the side. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you ash?¡±


    ¡°Cinder!¡± Wasp Nest went to run towards her, but suddenly he was impaled from behind by a large sword that jutted from Saw Head. He reformed his body away from the sword and gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re still standing?¡±


    ¡°You guys try to deal with him.¡± She shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out with Demonica!¡± She tried to ram her knee into the woman¡¯s gut, but Demonica was ready for it and took the blow.


    ¡°Oh? Will you now?¡± The villain rammed her face forward in a headbutt, and she saw stars as she tumbled back when the woman let go of her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve fought someone with fire powers. The last person was Wyvern. Now, she was fun.¡± Demonica brought her hands together and raised them, quickly smashing them down into Cinder¡¯s back, causing her to gasp. ¡°You don¡¯t seem that fun, though.¡±


    Battery had fought this woman one on one. Just how strong was her mentor? Come to think of it, she could have really used some of his wisdom in that moment. The battle Battery had with Demonica had been intense, and the man had literally fought until his heart gave out, and yet the villain still stood strong.


    This was due to Demonica being a monster. All of the Emperor¡¯s creations could take one hell of a beating. That meant even if she somehow was much stronger than she was and could harm Demonica, the woman would simply get back up even after getting hit with a killing blow that would end other Supers.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Demonica hissed. ¡°Nothing funny to say?¡± The front of her Super-suit tore a bit as the woman¡¯s fingers dug into it and she was lifted up.


    ¡°Just thinking of a witty remark.¡± She grunted out. She hoped the other two were doing well.


    Whisper ran forward and slid just in the nick of time. Saw Head¡¯s right arm had morphed into a ten-foot-long great sword, which the villain was swinging around wildly. It soared over the hero¡¯s head, and the girl rammed her taser into his junk and turned it on full blast. It only seemed to annoy the monster more than anything, though.


    Saw Head raised his foot and knives stabbed from the bottom of it, growing so long they almost impaled Whisper, but the girl leaned her body back far enough to roll over the ground. When his foot slammed back down, Whisper did the splits and scooted back just enough to avoid the blades that came from the ground at the spot she had been sitting at. The hero rolled again and pocketed her taser, swapping it out for something else.


    ¡°Eat flare.¡± The girl pulled a flare gun out and fired it. The girl wasn¡¯t sure if Saw Head had a brain or anything, but where his face was, he had a tiny hole where a person could put their fingers into the saw blade. She aimed for that, and it was perfect. The flare soared into the hole, and his flesh lit up as red smoke poured from his head.


    Saw Head cocked his neck and the saw blade spun, and he swung his greatsword again, now cloaked in billowing smoke. Before the attack could hit her, thousands of wasps latched onto her suit and raised her up just in time.


    ¡°All you did was make him look cooler.¡± Wasp Nest yelled.


    ¡°Well, how was I supposed to know that would happen?¡±


    ¡°You see the future!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that!¡± Wasp Nest dropped her, and Whisper broke her fall with a roll. She grabbed something from out of her pocket and tossed it to the swarm, which caught it. ¡°Use that!¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Saw Head¡¯s back tore open again, and his bladed tendrils came out, swatting at the mass of bugs. It didn¡¯t matter though. Wasp Nest would simply break himself up into even smaller hordes, and whatever parts of him were killed would simply be recreated and fixed the moment he entered his human form. As long as one bug lived, he could always return to his human form, and as long as his human form survived, he could always return to his swarm form. On top of that, each time he changed, he always got fully healed.


    In other words, he was basically impossible to kill. A fact Saw Head was starting to learn.


    Wasp Nest¡¯s bugs landed on the monster and began to bite and sting the man, tearing at the creature¡¯s flesh, but it didn¡¯t seem bothered by the damage and instead caused razor-sharp blades to fire out of every part of its skin. It impaled many of the bugs, but a few still escaped and formed together back into Wasp Nest. The boy gave a smirk and wave and took off running.


    Saw Head was about to attack but stopped when he noticed something. Sitting on the floor directly at his feet was a grenade with the pin missing. The saw spun, and then the explosive went off. Wasp Nest high-fived Whisper as he caught up to her. ¡°Think that took him down?¡±


    From the smoking crater, Saw Head stomped out coated in metal, his blades twisted around his body like armor. ¡°You just had to say something, didn¡¯t you?¡± Whisper sighed. First rule you learned as a hero: never ask if the bad guy is out for the count, they won¡¯t be.


    ¡°My bad.¡±


    Back on the other end of the beach, she managed to raise her arms up just in time to block a punch from Demonica. The woman moved around the beach with blinding speeds, loud cracks echoing behind her, and a streak of flame following closely. Fire poured from the villain''s feet and palms, boosting her further. Every time Demonica was about to strike, the woman would create fire on her elbow and ram the limb forward. These were all things she took note of as she received what might have very well been the biggest ass beating of her life.


    Demonica¡¯s fist slammed into her face, and before she could even think about throwing a strike of her own, the villain was gone and behind her. An elbow rammed into her neck, and once more the villain was in front of her, this time smashing a knee up. With every strike, she was thrown further and further back, crashing through dozens of the trees as the woman shoved her deeper into the forest.


    It seemed to give Demonica a further edge as the woman used the trees to boost her speed by jumping among them like springboards. She hadn¡¯t even been able to land a single hit on the monster as she was beaten around the island over and over again.


    Despite that, though, she kept getting back up. She wasn¡¯t a monster, nor did she have a weird body like Mr. Larison, but she could still take one hell of a beating. She wiped some blood from her face and grinned.


    ¡°Wipe that smile off your face.¡± Demonica¡¯s voice bounced around the forest as the villain moved like a blur through all the trees. ¡°The only reason you live is because I allow you to. I want to cause you pain. I want to make you suffer. To watch you beg. To see that you stand no chance.¡±


    ¡°With the outfit you¡¯re in, I would have thought you were more of a masochist than a sadist.¡± She said sheepishly.


    ¡°Die.¡±


    Demonica charged her again, but this time she didn¡¯t bother defending herself. Instead, she wrapped her arms around a tree and ripped it out of the ground with ease. It didn¡¯t matter how fast Demonica might have been; the woman was still in motion, and with how big the tree was, she had no way of missing. She swung it out with everything she had, using it as some sort of bat.


    Dozens of other trees were knocked over and torn down by her attack and Demonica shoulder bashed through the palm tree, shattering it, but it did the trick. It stopped the woman moving for a moment. She leapt toward Demonica with her inhuman speed. Fire swirled around her arm, and he struck out with a powerful punch. It never reached though, as with one hand Demonica caught her wrist.


    She wasn¡¯t done, though. She opened her mouth wide, charging up her fire, but right as her beam blasted out, Demonica used her other hand and grabbed Cinder¡¯s chin, tilting her head up and causing her other beam to fire into the air, where it kept going until it split the clouds above them. Both of Demonica¡¯s hands were busy gripping her now, though, so the woman had no way of defending as Cinder brought her foot back and jammed it into the villain¡¯s stomach. Demonica didn¡¯t budge from the kick, but that was okay. She had learned something new by watching the woman in action. She didn¡¯t just need to create fire in her arms.


    Her foot that rested on Demonica¡¯s gut ignited with red hot fire, and she blasted a beam directly out of it straight into Demonica¡¯s stomach. Demonica was sent crashing back, being shoved through dozens of trees as the beam of fire carried the villain.


    Demonica was so busy dodging the falling trees and lasers that she didn¡¯t even notice Cinder raise her foot up. It wasn¡¯t just her mouth or hands she could use her fire out of. An orb of fire formed, and Cinder kicked it as hard as she could, pretending it was a soccer ball. The ball rammed into Demonica¡¯s face, throwing the woman¡¯s head back and causing the purple fire in her hair to go out for a moment. This time, it was the villain¡¯s turn to crash into the water.


    Her fire died out, and she crouched low to the ground. Using her enhanced strength, she jumped into the air and then further boosted herself up as high as she could by exploding a wave of fire out of her palms, which blasted her so high that she nearly reached the clouds above.


    A pillar of fire stabbed out of the water, and Demonica came crashing out of it. The villain looked around, trying to spot where she had gone before suddenly glaring up into the air at where she was just in time to see her charging up another attack.


    Fire swirled around both her arms, and she formed it above her head. ¡°I always wanted to do something like this. Armin would be proud of me.¡± She was quickly dropping from the sky, but her attack was ready to go. It was a massive orb of fire around the size of a car. ¡°Cinder casts fireball!¡± She announced throwing her arms out as hard as she could and causing the massive ball of flame to soar out toward the ground below.


    Demonica eyed the slow-moving attack up with an almost bored look. The villain snorted and folded her arms. ¡°Such a slow-moving attack. You think something like that will ever reach me-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not aiming for you!¡± She shouted. Demonica seemed taken aback; the woman hadn¡¯t actually been talking to her, but thanks to her enhanced hearing, she had heard every word the villain was saying. ¡°I know you¡¯re too much for someone like me to beat as I am! There was a reason I blasted myself this high into the air! I needed to see my target!¡±


    As high up as she was, she had been able to see the whole island thanks to her eyes. That allowed her to see the true person this attack was made for. ¡°What!¡± The woman¡¯s eyes went wide, and she turned around, but it was too late.


    Saw Head noticed the attack coming at the last second. The massive fireball came from above, heading straight toward the villain, who wasn¡¯t ready for it. The monster tried to block it and threw his arms out in some sort of effort, but he never stood a chance. The metal on him easily melted to a fine puddle, and his flesh already began to turn a nasty black. The attack hit him head-on, and the Bad Timer member was smashed into the floor. The heat was so strong that Whisper and Wasp Nest had to jump away and avert their eyes.


    The sand beneath Saw Head started to bubble and turn into molten glass, which the villain sank into as the fire pushed down on him from above. It was as if the fire somehow had some sort of physical form. It wasn¡¯t normal fire, but the villain wasn¡¯t able to figure out what it was. Instead, all the villain could focus on was the massive amount of pain as his exposed flesh turned black.


    Finally, Saw Head was shoved all the way into the ground, and as if sensing that it was ready, the fireball exploded with a massive force that shook the entire island and rained more of the glass down below. Saw Head¡¯s body was buried in liquid glass, his flesh a nasty black, and his metal dripping off his form. This time he didn¡¯t get back up. Smoke rolled off of his unconscious body, and his melted saw face slowly stopped spinning.


    As cool as the moment might have been, it was broken seconds later as she awkwardly slammed into the ground, breaking through some trees that broke her fall and came flat on her rear. She winced a bit but shook her head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this again, Demonica.¡± She punched her palm and gave a smirk as fire burst from her hand, and she stood back up. ¡°I can¡¯t beat you by myself, so why not just team up on you?¡± Wasp Nest pulled himself together, landing next to her, and from behind Demonica, Whisper stood twirling her taser.


    Demonica growled and stayed low to the ground. She almost looked like a cornered animal for a moment. The woman practically got on all fours, ready to sprint at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°So what? Three children are still just kids at the end of the day. I¡¯m faster. Stronger. I¡¯m better! I don¡¯t care what you try to do! I¡¯ll beat you all-¡±


    It happened in a flash. The sky up above changed into a nasty black color, and everything began to shake. She nearly tripped, and even Demonica seemed caught off guard. From up above, in the inky black void the sky had changed into, cracks began to appear.


    ¡°W-What happened to the sky?¡± She yelled. Had she done that back accident?


    ¡°It¡¯s not really the sky.¡± Wasp Nest shouted. ¡°We¡¯re not on Earth anymore, remember. We¡¯re in another realm. That¡¯s more like the ceiling to this world, and it looks like someone is trying to break in forcefully.¡±


    ¡°Could it be the others?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Whisper frowned. The hero wasn¡¯t bothered by the shaking. Demoncia glared up to the sky, not paying attention to them anymore. ¡°If the others knew where we were, they¡¯d just come through the doorway and end up on the beach like us. This is something else. Someone is-¡± The girl¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she saw hundreds of twisting lines that only she could see. The Paths of the world. ¡°Oh crap!¡±


    The crack grew larger, and the sky broke apart. It really was like it was a roof, shards of black raining down like glass. Past it was simply nothing. A black void. It hurt her head just looking at it, but from the void something was dropping down. A howl filled the beach. Not one belonging to any animal, but rather a person trying to make the sound a wolf might make.


    Her eyes filled with fear when she saw the cartoon wolf mask the man wore. He dropped from above and came crashing down. Green Wolf had arrived. He didn¡¯t land anywhere near them, though, instead crashing on the roof of the stone building. All it took was one swipe of his blade to tear the building in two.


    ¡°Polaron!¡± Demonica screamed like a banshee and took off running as fast as she could in the direction of the building.


    The cracks above grew larger and began to expand. The ocean behind them began to break apart as well, and the air seemed to freeze. ¡°The world¡¯s breaking.¡± Wasp Nest yelled.


    ¡°Is that bad?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± The boy seemed calmer now. ¡°When it breaks, everyone here will be spat out. That means we¡¯ll appear back where we started, and we¡¯ll have all the knocked-out goons. We just need to wait it out, and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She nodded as the world shook more. Despite how easy it sounded, a strange feeling in her gut told her something was wrong. Something bad was about to happen. ¡°Go, Cinder!¡± Whisper yelled. ¡°You can make it in time if you go.¡± The girl had seemed something that agreed with her bad feeling.


    That was all she needed. She took off running at full speed, leaving the other two behind. She jumped over the wood and dodged the branches. Up ahead, she could hear the sound of battle. The forest soon opened, and she came to a sliding stop, standing behind Demonica, who looked to the center of the building. It had been sliced apart and carved away, leaving it as a large square-shaped arena-like platform.


    Standing in the center of it with his arms behind his back was Polaron, metal rising and twisting around him. In front of him, only a few feet away, Green Wolf stood swinging his knives out and shooting invisible slices through the air. It didn¡¯t matter how durable you were; Green Wolf¡¯s attacks were pure kinetic energy, so only the best of the best, like the Victorian, could survive getting hit by it.


    Polaron raised himself up with his power, dodging the strike. While in the air, more of his metal stabbed out of the stone building, which broke away further, revealing hundreds of swords, shields, suits of armor, and anything else that was medieval and made out of iron. He tried to yank Green Wolf¡¯s knives out of the man¡¯s hands but they didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Bone.¡± Green Wolf tossed one of his blades in the air, showing it off. It was milky white and looked to have been carved and stitched together. ¡°Got it from fusing the bones of a bear together. Pretty cool, right? Made sure not to bring any metal with me. Oh, and don¡¯t bother with the iron inside of me. I have a kinetic barrier around me-¡±


    A massive car slammed into Green Wolf and exploded. The man just walked out of it and dusted himself off, clicking his tongue.


    ¡°Rude.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯ve come here, but you¡¯ve made a big mistake.¡± Polaron hissed. His armor had been rebuilt since she last saw him. It was cleaner also. ¡°Then again, I have always wondered who would win between the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± Green Wolf raised his knife, pointing it towards the leader of the Bad Timers. The boss of Zoo cocked his head to the side. ¡°I would, of course.¡±


    ¡°Is that a fact?¡± Polaron placed his hand on the sword that rested at his side. His knight armor seemed to crackle with a spark of energy as he softly landed on the ground in front of Green Wolf. ¡°Let us see, then.¡±


    Zoo versus the Bad Timers. Things were about to get a whole lot worse for everybody present.

 Chapter Thirty-Five: Green Wolf’s Request

    Fifteen years ago...


    ¡°P!¡± He could barely keep his eyes open as he heard his dad¡¯s voice. ¡°P, stay with me! You have to stay awake.¡±


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    He barely managed to crack his eyes open. He could see his dad dragging him across the battlefield with gritted teeth. His dad was never a warrior. Not like his mom. The man wasn¡¯t even a Super. Just a normal human who Fairy Queen happened to find good-looking. It had been easy for his mom to use her powers on that simple-looking man and make his father hers.


    Now that the man carried him, he realized. That man held onto him as if it were the only thing he could do. He began to wake up fully, and he looked around, groaning. Whatever city they had ended up in was gone. Only a few buildings were left standing. Most of it was just ash now.


    Heroes stood, their uniforms torn, all staring up toward the sky. The same went for any other villain. None of them were fighting anymore. They all just stared up in either horror, acceptance, or fear. Dozens were injured, and bodies upon bodies from both sides had been piled together.


    Ash rained from the sky, and the planet shook. The sun was no longer visible, swallowed up by an inky black void. It had gone cold, cold enough to freeze several people to death; then it would suddenly become hot, enough heat to ignite others. Lightning rained upon the planet, and fire swallowed up entire cities.


    As it stood, the world was coming to an end.


    No one bothered to stop his dad as he dragged his injured son out of the field of ash. They seemed to be in a desert, though the sand was now coated in dozens of layers of snow and ice.


    ¡°Are you awake, P?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He groaned. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Dad.¡± He pulled himself out of his dad¡¯s arm and stumbled to his feet, shaking his head. ¡°What happened? I remember we were on the battlefield, and the Emperor, he...¡±


    ¡°He blew it up.¡± His dad¡¯s voice was hollow. The man¡¯s eyes had sunken in, filled with defeat. ¡°He blew up the city. Not just that city. Every city. It didn¡¯t matter who owned it. Villains, heroes, Supers, or humans. In the end, he needed a way to hurt the man he was fighting emotionally.¡±


    A field of gray and corpses, black hellish fire devouring any building that remained standing, and the sobbing of people. They were all dying.


    ¡°What do we do, Dad?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± His dad stared up at the black sky.


    The world shook with a loud rumble, and the skies began to rip apart, fire crackling down. Anyone that was near them stood and ran as hard as they could, but not his dad and not him. They stared up at the fire as something fell toward the planet. It smashed into the world hard enough to shake everything around them, sending golden lights out in all directions that cut through everything in their way.


    The gold reached them, and P screamed as everything exploded in a blast of pure power as the two legends clashed once again, shaking the entire planet. Black and gold danced together, scorching the land, breaking the sound barrier, and expanding the crater. P was flung high into the air, spinning and crashing as the wind violently twisted. His body felt like it was going to pop from the pressure.


    Just when he was certain he was about to die, that his head was going to explode, or that he would fall into a pit of black fire, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± P wiped at his eyes and stared up at the figure who held him. He wore a golden costume. One that held the symbol of a butterfly on it. A long blue cape flowed behind him in the wind, and the man floated in the air. Golden locks rained down his head, and despite the situation, he held a kind and warm smile on his lips. For the first time in his life, P truly felt safe. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± The man breathed a sigh of relief as he floated towards the ground, his form causing the black flames to go out, parting them for the boy.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine...¡±


    Full Monarch gently placed the child down. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± The man¡¯s hand squeezed the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll stop him. I promise.¡±


    A roar pieced the air, loud enough to shake the world, as the darkness began to claw its way towards them.


    Full Monarch turned to face it, his eyes expanding out a powerful golden beam of energy as he marched towards his enemy. It began to flicker and shimmer into a mass of harsh flames that coated him. A second later, the roaring fire grew even stronger as it shifted into a bright blue color, yet in that moment, P didn¡¯t feel himself being burned. Instead, he felt a gentle wave of warmth that covered him. ¡°I¡¯ll keep everyone safe. I¡¯ll save you.¡±


    And that was the last time Polaron ever truly got to see the world''s greatest hero.


    ***


    Present Day...


    Sometimes the memory of that day would come to him. It always ticked him off deep down when he thought of it. Polaron squashed it down and drew his sword. He eyed Green Wolf slowly. The man was strong, just as strong as he was, but at the end of the day, Green Wolf was just a mere human. He, on the other hand, was not. He was something more. He had been created cell by cell by the Emperor. He was a monster. A being whose power was so great it changed and twisted his body.


    ¡°Polaron!¡± The villain cocked his head away from the wolf and found Demonica standing at the bottom of the stone structure she stood on. The woman wasn¡¯t alone, though. A very familiar hero stood behind him. He knew why he had his thoughts of the past so suddenly. Ever since he had seen ¡®her¡¯, those thoughts had been infecting him more and more.


    ¡°Stay back, Demonica.¡± He called out softly. He didn¡¯t bother acknowledging the hero. Once he was done with Green Wolf, he would simply take her out himself. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this on my own.¡±


    Green Wolf had that cocky smile on his face. He couldn¡¯t actually see it thanks to the man¡¯s mouth, but he knew it was there. The leader of Zoo casually tossed his knives into the air and caught them. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t come here to fight you, Polaron. I wanted to talk. Though now you got me all excited, so I expect you to take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯ve come to talk about, I¡¯m not interested in it.¡± The villain raised his sword and suddenly jagged blades of metal stabbed out of the ground all around Green Wolf. The leader of Zoo dodged the attacks, jumping into the air and spinning around. Polaron flew up after him and curved his flight to the left, dodging a series of invisible strikes that cut more of the building away. He reached Green Wolf and rammed his sword into the man¡¯s gut, unable to actually stab him thanks to the barrier Green Wolf kept around himself. ¡°Die.¡±


    Despite that, he had other means of attack. His sword glowed and, with a flick of the blade, magnetic energy blasted out, shooting Green Wolf towards the ground and slamming the bad guy through rows of trees.


    ¡°Sorry, but that won¡¯t work on me.¡± Green Wolf taunted. ¡°I can¡¯t be hurt by weak attacks like that-¡± He was suddenly flung from the ground and crashed back into a car. He tried to move his body off the wreckage but couldn¡¯t get himself to move off of it. ¡°How did you-¡±


    ¡°I turned you into a magnet.¡± Polaron didn¡¯t hesitate to smash a giant truck down onto the man. ¡°Your body might be unbreakable from normal attacks, but you still need air.¡± More of his metal began to pile on, as cars, swords, suits of armor, and anything else his power could infect, all smashed into the blob that was Green Wolf. The metal broke down, forming a sphere that began to dig into the ground, sinking below it. ¡°I¡¯ll suffocate you to death.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work!¡± He stopped when he heard the voice. It came from Cinder. The girl was shouting at him for some reason. ¡°He can teleport-¡±


    He suddenly felt the center of his ball vanish, and before he could move, he felt a wave of pain as his right arm was torn clean off. Green Wolf stood behind him, dozens of feet away, and had casually flicked his sword. Polaron grabbed his arm from midair and placed it back in place. He forced the metal to close up, and thanks to a healing factor he had due to his bizarre body, he simply reattached the limb.


    ¡°Now, now, no cheating, Cinder.¡± Green Wolf taunted. ¡°Don¡¯t give away all my secrets.¡±


    ¡°Since when can you teleport?¡± Polaron asked, finishing his healing process.


    Green Wolf shrugged his shoulders and flexed a bit. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you since we¡¯re such good friends. I can¡¯t actually teleport. Recently, my little group has gained a benefactor of sorts. Let me tell you, he¡¯s the real deal. Crazy and powerful, in need of soldiers. And being his lucky chosen warrior, I can use that power of his in a way. In other words, I can pretty much go anywhere. I¡¯m not just impossible to harm and impossible to block; I¡¯m impossibly fast as well now. Oh, but don¡¯t go thinking I cheated or anything. I could have dodged that last attack in other ways, but it¡¯s so much more fun to simply teleport.¡±


    ¡°Well, you made the mistake of taking my arm instead of my head.¡± A car smashed down onto Green Wolf, shattering on the man¡¯s flesh.


    ¡°Good point.¡± Green Wolf jumped out of the wreckage perfectly fine. ¡°I¡¯ll aim for it this time!¡± He vanished from sight, and Polaron floated high into the air just in time as the trees behind him split apart. ¡°Stay still!¡± Green Wolf appeared in quick moments, moving around the battlefield at crazy speeds, but no matter how many times he swung, he was unable to hit Polaron once.


    The metal-based villain wasn¡¯t limited by things like the ground. He could fly and take his body in any direction, and by staying in the air, he had a way easier time curving in and out of the strikes, all without seeing them. Green Wolf seemed to get fed up with it and came to a stop, glaring up at the man as he reappeared on the ground.


    ¡°How are you doing that?¡±


    Polaron flicked his hand, and suddenly, as if appearing out of midair, a large sword rammed into Green Wolf¡¯s head. More blades were simply created into existence and struck out, but none of them actually stabbed the man. They did throw him around, though.


    ¡°You don¡¯t block all the damage.¡± Polaron folded his arms behind his back, and Green Wolf continued to be bombarded by blades that simply spawned into existence. The ball he had tried to suffocate Green Wolf in broke apart, and the metal shards began to disintegrate into thin air, vanishing. ¡°You have been harmed by people like the Victorian in the past. That means there is either a limit to how much you can block or there is a limit to how much you can reduce the damage by. If I keep attacking you, even if every attack has its force reduced to less than one percent, after trillions of blows, your body will begin to feel harm.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can finish me off before I get a good hit in on you?¡± Green Wolf taunted and swung his knives out, sending two strikes in different directions. Polaron managed to dodge one of them, but another strike took off one of his legs. ¡°It¡¯s not so easy dodging while trying to stab me, is it?¡±


    Cinder stood on the sidelines, shooting looks from Polaron to Green Wolf. She had struggled in her fight with Demonica, and these two were on another level, destroying the forest as they teleported and flew around the battlefield. She wondered which one she should attack. They were both evil and in the middle of fighting. If she took one out, the other might just kill her.


    There was also the fact of Demonica. The villain wasn¡¯t letting her guard down and kept shooting her glances, but she also wasn¡¯t fighting, in case she needed to run to her master¡¯s side and join in. If she tried to attack Polaron, Demonica would likely jump her. If she did attack Green Wolf and take him out, she¡¯d then likely be jumped instantly as well.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Maybe coming here wasn¡¯t the best idea...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out.¡± Green Wolf teleported into the air and spun his body like a twister, firing slashes out in all directions and breaking the sky more and more. The world kept shaking, and soon it would likely give out. ¡°The way you keep dodging my strikes. You broke your metal down into dust, and you¡¯re controlling that dust, creating blades, and using it to tell where my attack is, right?!¡±


    Polaron didn¡¯t confirm or deny the attack and instead put his leg back on. A massive pillar of iron nearly ten feet wide and twenty feet long appeared on top of Green Wolf and smashed the man into the ground hard enough to crush even a durable Super. Green Wolf simply appeared back on top of the pillar, his jacket slightly torn. Another pillar appeared, but Green Wolf easily sliced it apart. As soon as it broke in two, though, both halves surrounded him and pressed together, trying to lock him in place.


    Green Wolf teleported again, and this time he appeared behind Polaron, going to swing his knives out at point blank range, but Polaron was faster and spun around, catching Green Wolf¡¯s hands. The bone-like daggers began to break to pieces as tiny shards of iron grew off of Polaron¡¯s hands and ate away at them.


    Green Wolf ripped his way out of Polaron¡¯s grasp as more of his suit was torn away. Polaron raised his arm up, and the metal swirled around it, morphing into a giant barrel, which had already charged up its energy. In an instant, the railgun unleashed its beam. Green Wolf teleported away, but the barrel twisted and turned following after the villain and sliced through all the trees and island, nearly splitting it in two.


    ¡°There it is.¡± Polaron¡¯s voice announced. ¡°The reason you¡¯ll lose this fight.¡±


    It was small. It was barely noticeable, but it seemed to piss Green Wolf off. A tiny trickle of blood. It could barely be called a paper cut, but it was proof of him taking damage. And without his knives, the man was now put on the back foot.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so cocky if I were you.¡± Green Wolf held his hand out and sighed. ¡°Now this really is me cheating, just so you know.¡± He then let out a loud yell. ¡°Let me borrow the sword!¡±


    Every time Green Wolf teleported, a tiny ¡®pop¡¯ sound went off. This was no different. It appeared in his hands. A long white sword forged from a strange metal. All along the blade were what looked almost like runes, the things you would see in a video game, swirling across the edge as Green Wolf twirled it in his hand. Across the blade, the words ¡®Story Maker¡¯ were carved into it, and they lit up faintly with a glow.


    Polaron¡¯s body had gone rigid when he saw the sword. His eyes were filled with shock. ¡°That blade! So the one who is helping you is¡ª" The villain paused. ¡°Whatever.¡± Polaron lifted his arm, and the metal began to shape itself. ¡°Fairy Queen, Hell Hound, Golden God, Princess of Life. These were the four generals of the Emperor¡¯s army, but there is more to the story than people truly know. Once upon a time, there was a young boy. One said to have been found by a great Devil. This Devil took the boy in and raised him as his own. But the Devil didn''t want a son. He wanted a weapon. One that would obey him always and help him slaughter his enemies. He wanted something that could devour the Sun-¡±


    ¡°Is this the time for stories? What the hell are you babbling about?¡± Green Wolf mocked.


    Polaron kept going though. ¡°So he raised this boy up. He crafted him powerful armor and gifted him a weapon that was alive so long as the child trusted it¡ªa partner for this young boy, and he drilled into him the image of what true power should be. Slowly, this child grew and eventually surpassed that of his mortal shell as the Devil fed him more and more. Bigger and bigger, this child became until soon only one word could truly describe him. That kid, that boy, he became a Giant, the enemy of the Gods.¡±


    Metal morphed into a massive shape. Large and made out of a cold black iron, the thing stood over sixty meters tall. It was in the shape of a person, though it lacked all features such as a mouth or eyes. The metal screamed out as the colossal suit raised its arm up. It was so big that the very island shook and started to sink. Then the creation unleashed its punch directly down toward Green Wolf. It didn¡¯t matter how much kinetic energy the villain could absorb. This was like trying to stop a meteor.


    Green Wolf stared up at the creation as it came down hard. The man lifted the sword up, and then he spoke a simple command. ¡°The metal. Get rid of it.¡± Instantly, all of Polaron¡¯s constructs vanished, and the dust that he had in the air was gone. The Giant was gone. Just like that.


    ¡°How!¡± Polaron asked in shock. ¡°Not even Ears could teleport that thing away; it¡¯s too big-¡± The villain didn¡¯t even have time to react as Green Wolf appeared above him and swung the sword down.


    Even if he did try to dodge or block it, it didn¡¯t matter. Green Wolf¡¯s attacks traveled thanks to his power. Despite that, though, Polaron wasn¡¯t dead. Instead, he crashed back first into the ground, and a second later, Green Wolf¡¯s sword pressed to his throat. The man had hit him with the blunt end and made sure not to use his slashing power. He had lost, though. In that moment, Green Wolf could have killed him but didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I win.¡± The man¡¯s sword vanished, and he folded his arms. ¡°Any other day, I would have beheaded you and ended the game, but today is your lucky day, Polaron.¡±


    The world shook and began to break apart more and more, and that bad gut feeling had returned to Cinder. Demonica took off running, but Green Wolf lazily smacked the air, and the flame-based villain crashed to the floor as his fist hit the woman from far away.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, then be done with it. I never stood a chance if someone ¡®like that¡¯ picked your side.¡± Polaron spat.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill you.¡± Green Wolf taunted. ¡°I told you that normally I would, but today was special.¡± More cracks appeared around them, and the world was on the verge of breaking. "See, I came to make a deal-¡±


    She rammed her fist into his face. Or at least that had been her plan, but Green Wolf crouched and ducked under her strike. He came up with his knee, raising it as fast as he could and ramming it into her stomach. She gasped as she was sent flying in the air. Polaron didn¡¯t stay down, though, and his glove twisted into a knife, which he tried to impale Green Wolf with, but he was unable to get past the man¡¯s barrier.


    ¡°Will you just knock it off?¡± Green Wolf growled. ¡°I think you¡¯d want to hear what I have to say. I saved a few of your warriors after all. Like Mars King.¡±


    ¡°Mars King is safe?¡± Polaron sounded happy for a second but shook his head. ¡°Speak then. And make it quick.¡±


    Green Wolf shrugged. ¡°Listen. You know who I¡¯m working with, right? Obviously, since I have ¡®that¡¯ sword. So, what do you say? You go and speak to them. That¡¯s why I came here, after all. He would love to have you in his group.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting I team up with you?¡± Polaron hissed.


    ¡°Sort of. He¡¯s gathering some villains in Oleander, you see.¡± Green Wolf folded his arms. By now, the black void was starting to appear around them in all directions. They only had a few moments now. ¡°Has a situation he wants to fix up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± She hit the ground and tried to stand back up, but wobbled. ¡°Don¡¯t join up with them. You hate them, remember?¡±


    Polaron looked towards her, and for a moment, that memory came back to him. ¡°Hope Lauren.¡± She felt her blood freeze as he muttered two words. ¡°There was a small, foolish man in my group. One without powers who went behind my back and attempted to commit a crime. He and his group, however, were defeated by a brand-new Super. A young girl roughly your age, with powers very similar to yours. One of the members of that group got away and told me the name of that Super. He had apparently gotten a look at her wallet¡¯s ID.¡±


    She stood, unable to move, as she felt chills crawl up her spine. Slowly, Polaron took the offered hand of Green Wolf. ¡°Cinder!¡± The voice of Wasp Nest caused her to jump, and she looked up as the swirling mass of bugs dropped something down to her. ¡°Metal Ronin built this! It¡¯s the same thing we used to capture Mars King! Use it!¡±


    She caught what dropped down and stared at it. It was a weird-looking netgun.


    Green Wolf raised the sword up. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Polaron nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s meet this person.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She threw her hand out and fired the strange gun. A glowing net blasted out and dropped on top of the two villains. It hummed with energy, but neither man seemed to care.


    ¡°Warp us.¡± Green Wolf stated, and in a flash they vanished, causing the net to drop.


    ¡°What!¡± The voice of Wasp Nest said in shock. ¡°That was able to stop Ears from teleporting though! How did they do that?¡± She didn¡¯t have long to consider it though, as a loud, crumbling echo boomed out and she saw a flash of light that blinded her.


    Everything broke apart, and in an instant, she stood back in the junkyard and no longer in the realm. Wasp Nest, and Whisper stood several feet away from her. Dozens of unconscious Bad Timer grunts were piled on one another, and at the very top, the burned body of Saw Head rested.


    Demonica, Green Wolf, and Polaron, though, were nowhere to be seen. Her ears still rang from the quiet ¡®pop¡¯ noise that had been made. They had gotten away.


    ¡°There they are!¡± She heard the voice of BB, and the heroes began to swarm them. ¡°Whoa! What happened?¡±


    She looked up, meeting Myth¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sir. Something really bad just happened.¡±


    ***


    Demonica hit the floor, landing roughly on her back. She groaned, and her eyes flickered open as she stared up at a familiar face. ¡°Mars King?¡±


    The beast gave her one of his sick, twisted grins and held a hand out for her, which she took. As she pulled herself back up, she finally got a look at where they were. Mars King wasn¡¯t the only familiar face. Intake stood with his back to a pillar, his arms folded. Also scattered about, she noticed a few members of Zoo. People like Red Ape, White Spider, or Black Crow.


    They were in a large, stone-looking room. It was dark. So much so, it would have been impossible to actually see if not for the purple fire that swirled out of her head. She couldn¡¯t see the roof, nor could she see any walls. It was almost like an endless room that stretched out in all directions. Every couple of meters were massive stone pillars, each one going so high up that it vanished into the darkness.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Polaron¡¯s voice echoed around the room, bouncing off all the pillars. He stood on guard, ready to fight in case this had been a trap set by Zoo. Green Wolf crouched next to him in a very casual manner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the big guy explain.¡± Green Wolf shrugged. ¡°See, I was approached by this man after I got bored and attacked one of his towers. Since then, he¡¯s been informing me of some information and things I need to know. He¡¯s planning something big. So big, he¡¯ll try and make Zoo and Bad Timers work together to reach his goal.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be?¡± Polaron¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Demonica kept her guard up as well. The woman shot a look towards Mars King, and judging by his nod, he was also ready to strike if he needed to. With Intake here, that made them just short, though she doubted Red Ape would pose a threat, so in reality, they had the advantage compared to Zoo.


    That was when a voice boomed through the room. ¡°Well, since Green successfully managed to gather you, why don¡¯t I come forward and explain everything?¡± Footsteps echoed in the darkness as a man walked into the light created by her flame. He stood hunched over and wore a long white lab coat. Harrison Avalon, CEO of Avalon Industries and inventor of nearly every hero''s gear, gave a sly grin. ¡°Howdy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that gathered us all?¡± Demonica asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°I was shocked at first, as well.¡± Mars King growled.


    Avalon gave a lazy wave, his lips twisting slightly in a sly smile. ¡°Green Wolf pretty much told you how we met. His little group had attacked my base. That was around the time I came to Oleander to check on the damage. That was also when I noticed a grave threat. The reason why I got Green Wolf¡¯s attention and allowed him to ¡®jump¡¯, thanks to my ability.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Polaron folded his arms, and for a second, the metal on his armor crackled and lit up. ¡°What could be so big that you would willingly work with the man who attacked one of your bases and then try to force Zoo to work with us?¡±


    Avalon rubbed his chin for a moment, his grin growing. ¡°Many members of Bad Timer used to serve the Emperor; did they not?¡±


    Polaron¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he thought about using his power and blasting everyone but managed to hold off. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°My point is that either way, something like the return of the Emperor would affect both sides greatly.¡± Avalon stated it bluntly. The room had gone silent at his remark. ¡°No one really knows if that man truly died or not. Some say Full Monarch took him out. Others say he lived and went into hiding to recover. It truly doesn¡¯t matter. What does matter is that in Oleander, something is lurking. Something that, if left alone, could one day spiral and become something just as bad as the Emperor. That¡¯s where all of you come in. I¡¯d like all of you to help me fix this mistake I helped create.¡±


    Meanwhile...


    Kevin opened his eyes cautiously. He could feel a slight flash of pain in his head. Blood leaked down the side of his face from where his head had slammed into the window.


    His trial had come faster than expected. He had been found guilty, and in the end, helping the heroes hadn¡¯t amounted to much. He had been placed on a bus that morning with a few other troublemakers. They¡¯d be dropped off at a rehab and juvie center. Or at least that had been the plan before the bus crashed.


    His eyes snapped open when he heard the screaming. The crash hadn¡¯t been an accident. He managed to shakily stand up, his legs shaking. The bus was completely on its side. Already he could hear sirens in the distance as police, or heroes, were no doubt on their way, but it was already far too late for most people.


    Broken glass mixed with the red, and he covered his mouth, doing his best not to vomit. He wasn¡¯t the only one who had woken up after the crash. A few other boys were wobbling to a standing position. Large tears were on what would have been the roof of the bus as someone was pulling themselves in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see here.¡± A female voice filled the vehicle, and he got a good look at her as she dropped down onto the turned-over seats. She was a young girl. Not what he expected a supervillain to look like, but he knew in that moment that she was the one to cause the crash. She had long white hair and a set of stunning red eyes, which he felt roam over him for a second. She was dressed casually, like a schoolgirl would dress on her days off. ¡°Eeny.¡± Teasingly, the girl¡¯s hand came out and lightly brushed one of the boys¡¯ faces.


    Screams filled the bus as the boy dropped down and began to spasm, his eyes turning bloodshot and his skin changing blue. Some of them ran to the back of the bus, but the door was sealed shut. A few of them tried to climb out of the windows that were above them, but a black shape covered them. The only way out was through the hole behind the girl who stepped past the dying boy.


    ¡°Meeny.¡± The girl spoke again and moved forward, easily grabbing a boy by the throat. He screamed as he began to literally melt. His flesh dripped off his body, and his bones turned into liquid as he became a puddle. The last boy tried to throw a punch at her, but his hand broke on her face. ¡°Miny.¡± Her fingers touched his nose lightly.


    He didn¡¯t melt or choke like the other had. Instead, he grew, his body getting larger and his skin ripping, until the bones inside of him literally ripped their way out of his body, splashing him everywhere.


    ¡°Moe.¡± Kevin¡¯s eyes stared into her red ones as she finally turned to look at him. He was all that was left. He had remained rooted in place, not bothering to have moved. Slowly, her face twisted into a smile. ¡°I pick you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± The girl said it again, reaching out confidently and placing a palm on his stomach. ¡°I decided that you¡¯re mine now.¡±


    And just like that, a new threat, one that would require Zoo and Bad Timers to work together, showed its face. The next Lord of the Land and Life had arrived.

 Chapter Thirty-Six: The Man Who Slept On The Moon

    ¡°I really put a super villain behind bars.¡± She said quietly. She rested in the back seat of Whisper''s van, her face blank. "I actually did it."


    ¡°That¡¯s like the tenth time you¡¯ve said it. You alright?¡± Snowdawn snorted.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just... Wow. Like, it¡¯s really hitting me, you know.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you put four members of Zoo behind bars?¡± Whisper asked flatly.


    ¡°That was mostly the Sub Enforcers.¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°I barely beat that Red Scorpion girl. That Saw dude though; I hard carried you and Wasp Nest on that!¡± She said smugly. ¡°I¡¯m the reason it went so smoothly.¡±


    "Well, don¡¯t get too cocky.¡± Mr. Larison pulled his mask off, shaking his hair down. ¡°Next time, it might not go as well.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s just. I don¡¯t know. It feels like I finally did something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you did.¡± Myth didn¡¯t look at her, too busy focusing on the road. ¡°Most villains are meant to only be fought by the leaders of hero teams or adult hero team members such as the Watch Dogs. For you to have not only fought but also taken down Saw Head is a good achievement. Even if Polaron and the others got away, at this moment, I¡¯m sure that you all did good.¡±


    "Team Pantheon finally did something worth bragging about!" Whisper announced, patting Cinder on the top of her helmet.


    They were all still in costume. The incident with Polaron and Green Wolf happened a few hours ago. The bitter taste of having let both of them escape wouldn''t leave her. Despite that, she kept being told she did a good job capturing Saw Head. This had been why she did it all in the first place. She beat a real villain. A strong one too. This wasn¡¯t like Red Ape, someone that normal cops could take down. All she needed now was to start making cash, and she¡¯d finally reach her goal.


    Saw Head had been placed into a heavy holding cell somewhere in the Hero Branch tower, and he would later no doubt be shipped off to Nightshade, a prison made for Supers. For once, life seemed to be on her side and working out. Even her home life was going a bit better, as her mom wasn¡¯t working as many hours and seemed less stressful lately. It was a blessing, considering just what Polaron had told her.


    The villain knew who she was. That was something she hadn¡¯t brought up. Polaron was interesting. He was evil yet seemed to have some sort of honor. He had once offered to let them go when he fought them at the warehouse. On top of that, the power she saw him use in his fight with Green Wolf told her the villain had been holding back greatly on them. If the man truly knew who she was, he could have acted at any time, yet he didn¡¯t.


    At least that¡¯s what she told herself. In truth, it felt like a blunder on her part. She had let her identity slip because of how reckless she was. She didn¡¯t want to admit that fact to the others, so she kept it to herself.


    The van turned off the road and began to enter a large parking lot. "I know it''s been a long day." Myth stated, slowly parking the car in front of an old-looking abandoned building. "That said, what happened today was no small feat. Pantheon has only been working with the Sub Enforcers for less than a month, and already we''ve managed to fight off Bad Timers, raid several Wandering Coin drug bases, and even capture a full-on supervillain. That''s why, after speaking with Money Tree, we decided it would be a good idea for you all to have a bit of downtime. Don''t expect this to be a recurring thing, though."


    "Down time?" Snowdawn raised an eyebrow as he and the others stepped out of the car. None of them had been told where they were going in advance by Myth. After the incident with Bad Timers, he had taken them back to the base before he got a call from Money Tree. Whatever the two had discussed was the reason he brought them here.


    Myth made a gesture toward the abandoned building. "My dad would always take me and my brother here when we were younger." The man''s smile faded for a second as he stared up at the building, but he quickly shook off the feelings. "It belongs to the mayor now. He owes me some favors because I saved him two years ago during a Calamity attack. I asked if we could borrow this place for the day. It turns out that it hasn''t been in use for a few months now, so he didn''t mind handing it over."


    She looked up at the building, frowning a bit. She couldn''t tell what it was supposed to be. It was a large building, but by no means massive. The sign on it had been torn down, and the windows were covered up. It looked about as bad as their base on the outside. Whisper was the first to walk forward and try the front door. It opened up, and instantly the sounds of music and lights hit them. "Hey!" Money Tree''s voice called out from further inside. "You guys made it! Come on in."


    They followed after Whisper, and she let out a gasp when she finally entered the building. The inside was clean and spotless. It was a bowling alley. Large bowling lanes were all lined up with dozens of pins ready for them. There were various tables filled with all sorts of food, from pizza to chips, as well as hundreds of soda bottles. Up top, a loudspeaker played blaring music that bounced off of the walls. Some country songs by Pretty Face, a pop idol Super. He was ranked as one of the hottest male heroes in their part of the world, though she never really found herself interested in boys.


    The Sub Enforcer members were all scattered about. Money Tree stood off to the side, watching some of the kids play bowling. Both BB and Oxide seemed to be in an intense match. Wasp Nest was near the table with Metal Ronin. Poseidon from Ocean Empress''s team was there also. The girl had been too busy to help with the Bad Timer''s incident but showed up for this. Wasp Nest had an arm around her shoulder, and she was leaning on him, laughing at some joke he said. Of course, if Poseidon was here, that also meant Paragon was nearby. The red-haired hero rested way in the back, sitting in a corner. Her bird was in her lap, and the girl had earbuds poking beneath her mask, listening to music or something, seemingly in her own little world and not paying mind to anything around her.


    "What is this?" She shot a look at Myth, who had a rare smile on his lips.


    "It''s a celebration for doing a good job. Go have fun. All of you. We can''t always do this, but today was special. You never know when you''ll miss out on the chance to do something like this again."


    "What about the city?" Battery asked, folding his arms. "Won''t it be in trouble?"


    "Nah." Money Tree overheard him and shook his head. The man jerked a thumb in the direction of Poseidon and Paragon. "Mama Ocean is running around the city today. It''s in the safest hands it could be if an Enforcer like her is here. For today, she agreed to do this since she isn''t that busy and her own team can handle things in their city without her. While we''re all here having fun, we won''t have to worry about shit hitting the fan."


    "Well, don''t jinx us." Whisper snorted. Still, his words seemed to lighten the mood. The girl walked forward towards a bowling lane and grabbed a ball. Whisper took a deep breath, then chucked it. It rolled across the floor and smashed through the pins, knocking them all over on her first try. "Still got it!" Whisper announced proudly.


    That was all it took for the rest of them to get involved. She watched everyone silently for a moment. She had a strange feeling in her heart. If she had to put a word to it, then it would be happiness. At school, she never did things like this. Most people just left her be. Here, though, she had friends. Not just Pantheon members. She had fought alongside Wasp Nest and seemed to have hit it off well with Poseidon and Oxide. Snowdawn began to play a few rounds with the girls. Myth stood next to Money Tree and watched them, both adults talking quietly amongst each other about everything that had happened so far. Battery seemed to copy Paragon and made his way over to a corner, quietly resting with his eyes closed and his arms folded. Things were good. Happy even.


    "Come on, Cinder!" Snowdawn called out to her. "Come play a round or two."


    She couldn''t help the smile that came onto her lips as she walked forward and took the ball he offered her. She held it with a bit of skepticism. ¡°I know these things are hard, but I¡¯m pretty sure I can crack this thing with my pinky finger,¡± she muttered.


    Metal Ronin seemed to have heard her as he called out. "Give it a throw! Trust me."


    With a shrug, she pulled her arm back, pausing as she aimed at the set of pins. ¡°There¡¯s no people on the other side of that wall, right?¡± She questioned sheepishly.


    From her right, Whisper flung a triangular corn chip, bouncing it off her shoulder. ¡°Just throw the damn thing!¡±


    She sighed and swung the ball, realizing slightly too late that she had slightly overestimated the weight of the ball, watching as it arced towards the overhead displays with everyone¡¯s names. Before it could hit, a shimmering field pulled it back down, bouncing the ball off the lane and smoothly over the pins, knocking over one pin as it flew past the rest.


    ¡°Myth asked me to work some magic, so I reinforced everything.¡± Metal Ronin gloated, sipping soda through an unnecessarily intricate straw.


    A cough from Myth made the group turn their heads, and they saw the hero standing nearby. ¡°I came here many times with my family,¡± he told them. ¡°It holds many great memories for me. My father always said that for a hero to do good, the person behind the mask needs to save themselves from time to time."


    ¡°Saving themselves by bowling?¡± Poseidon asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Myth gave a rare grin. ¡°For me, certainly.¡±


    Throwing another chip, Whisper laughed. ¡°I knew he was a big softy.¡±


    From a further lane, Snowdawn yelled. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t use your winds to steer! That¡¯s cheating!¡±


    ¡°Oxide¡¯s cheating; why can¡¯t I?¡± BB asked, sitting back down after a strike.


    Snowdawn turned to Oxide, a look of betrayal on his face. ¡°You¡¯re cheating? How? There¡¯s no metal in these balls, even if they were reinforced.¡±


    Oxide tossed her hair, her mask still in place but without her usual armor. ¡°If we¡¯re revealing our cheats, well, I put some metal in the holes. If you think that¡¯s cheating, then we should probably not let Whisper play, either.¡±


    Snowdawn opened his mouth to retort but was stopped by Money Tree, sliding into a lane next to him. ¡°Well, you¡¯re just going to have to find your own way to cheat, then.¡± The leader of the Sub Enforcers chuckled.


    The ice hero grumbled, standing and taking a ball from the rail in the lane. He took a deep breath and swung the ball, sending out a blast of snow to redirect the ball as it veered to the side. The ball smacked directly into the pins, and everyone cheered, Snowdawn turning to everyone.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it. But you need to get better at cheating,¡± BB laughed, pointing down the lane to a pin standing defiantly while a small drone flew down to dispose of the snow.


    Poseidon raised her arms above her head, feeling the bones and muscles crack in her body. "Yo Battery! Me vs you! I want to see what you can do!" The water-based hero called out.


    "I''m good." Battery responded only to receive boos from most of them. That caused the man''s eye to twitch, and he put out the cigarette he had been smoking and walked forward. "Well, if you''re going to be that way," They cheered as he got into the lane next to Poseidon, and the two began to play.


    Poseidon''s strength matched hers, and the girl¡¯s throws were strong. Water whipped off Poseidon¡¯s fingers and shifted the ball in any direction she needed to. As for Battery, he held a finger out and put it through one of the holes in his ball. Golden light blasted out as he shot the bowling ball off his finger, and it tore through all his pins like a rocket.


    "So, we''re all just blatantly cheating now, aren''t we."Snowdawn questioned. "I mean, I''m fine with it, but next time, let me know first."


    She giggled as everyone played, and she watched them all enjoy themselves. At least most of them that was. One person didn¡¯t seem to be having fun. She made her way through the small crowd and toward the corner where Paragon rested. "Hey. You¡¯re not going to join your sister or the others?" She asked.


    Paragon reached up, pulled one of her earbuds out, and shrugged. "I thought you were scared of my sister." That caused her to flinch a bit, the memories of what Poseidon did to that man coming back to her. "Sorry. That was rude to say. I''m trying to do better."


    "It''s fine." She said awkwardly. "Can I take a seat?"


    Paragon didn''t bother looking up at her, but the bird did make a show of turning its head and staring at all the open spots. "I guess you can. I mean, you don''t have to, though; there''s plenty of room in other places."


    "Yeah, but you''re sitting over here." She dropped down into a sitting position.


    "Why are you doing this?" Paragon asked suspiciously.


    She gave a small giggle. "Well. Myth and Money Tree are doing this to have fun. I''m guessing that all of this is something you''re not into, though."


    "Parties aren''t really my style." Paragon admitted slumping down. "I''m not like my sister."


    "Do people say you need to be?"


    "Well, no but-"


    "Then it''s fine."


    "You''re kind of ignorant, aren''t you?"


    She gave a sheepish grin and shrugged. "I guess. I like to think that it''s my best trait!"


    "You don''t have to do this, you know."


    "Huh?"


    "I know what you''re trying to do." Paragon folded her arms, and her bird shot her a dirty look. "You asked me to heal you in the hospital. I already said I was going to do it if I could. You don''t need to pretend to be my friend or anything like that, okay?"


    She took a deep breath for a moment. "You''re emotionally dumb, aren''t you?"


    "What!"


    She gave a sly smirk. Slowly, it faded, though. "Look. I... I get that you couldn''t save my dad. I know I was sort of a jerk back then, and we didn''t really talk about it fully. I don''t blame you for not being able to heal him. The real person who deserves to go to hell is the villain who gave him the Dead Virus. I don''t think we have to be friends, not if you don''t want to be, but I''d feel like a real asshole if I was having fun and you stood on the sidelines grumbling over here by yourself."


    Paragon stared at her in silence for a moment. "I''m not going to get up and play nice if that''s what you''re asking, but I guess you are welcome to sit here if you want."


    She rubbed the back of her neck and snorted. "I guess that''s the best I can do, then, isn''t it?" Her ears twitched a bit as she felt her enhanced senses kick in. She could hear the girl¡¯s heartbeat speeding up. It was still strangely familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it. Then she heard something else. She turned her head and found herself staring in the direction of Myth and Money Tree, both leaders speaking in hushed tones to one another.


    "Is something wrong?" Paragon asked.


    "No." She replied and tried to turn the ability off, but part of her really wanted to hear what they were saying...


    "Did everything go well with Ms. Laps?" Myth asked Money Tree quietly.


    "So, so, I guess. She wasn''t exactly happy with the fact that we had you guys helping us." Money Tree gave a halfhearted shrug. "She also talked about the upcoming event."


    "Ah. So, it''s that time already." Myth sighed.


    "Indeed. By your tone, I''ll take that as confirmation you''ll be coming." Money Tree had a sly smirk on his lips.


    Myth folded his arms and gave a lazy nod. "I guess. I''ve only told Battery so far. I still haven''t broken it to the others. That can come later, though. I''d like to hear about what went down with Ms. Laps."


    Money Tree tipped his hat a bit and began to think back. It had been a few hours ago before he and Myth decided to host this little party. He had been in an office meeting with one of the most important people in Oleander.


    ***


    A Few Hours Earlier...


    ¡°I see. So Polaron and Demonica were both able to escape and left with the leader of Zoo?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡± Money Tree said, nodding. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any of it myself, but Wasp Nest was there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, ma''am." Wasp Nest stepped forward and gave a nod. ¡°I heard the entire thing. Green Wolf asked Polaron to speak to someone, and then they left. We still don¡¯t know how he found the base or how Polaron got his hands on a realm.¡±


    Laps wasn¡¯t a woman most people would try to mess with. She had a stern look to her and nearly combed and tied-back hair that had many gray streaks in it. Stress lines covered her face, and her fingers tapped away on the desk. She was the sort of woman you could tell had some sort of military-like background just from a glance.


    Now, though she mostly did paperwork and hadn¡¯t been out in the field in years. Her duty was to Oleander City. She was the head of the Hero Branch. The person in charge of making sure heroes didn¡¯t get out of line.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What you¡¯re saying is quite troublesome.¡± Laps said, letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°Oleander has been mostly in a deadlock with both Zoo and Bad Timers. If they truly do join forces, it could be bad, especially with the loss of Old Dog.¡±


    Money Tree nodded his head. They were in her office room at the very top of a Hero Branch tower. It was a plain-looking room with a desk that had everything neat and tidy on it. Besides himself and Laps, Wasp Nest also stood by his side, but the other members of his team weren''t with him. ¡°I understand the seriousness of the situation, ma''am." For once, he didn¡¯t speak in a sly tone. He was dead serious. ¡°You have my word that I¡¯ll keep everything handled.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Wasp Nest announced folding his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t care if Zoo and Bad Timers do team up. Trash is still trash. They can even bring in the Wandering Coin and triple team us, and I know Sub Enforcers will still come out on top.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the Wandering Coin.¡± Laps'' tone of voice made Wasp Nest¡¯s smile fade. The woman folded her arms, and her eyes grew sharper. ¡°I see you¡¯ve still failed to come any closer to bringing them to justice.¡±


    Money Tree let out a quiet wince and shrugged. ¡°Well, we were attacking Polaron in the first place because we found out he had a lead on the leader of the Wandering Coin.¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®Pantheon¡¯ had a lead.¡± Laps practically spat the name out and scowled. ¡°A group that is not working with the Branch and should have no authority. A group that you were told to disband but failed to do so. You¡¯re starting to make me regret putting you in charge of the Sub Enforcers.¡± Money Tree flinched a little from her strong gaze. ¡°Pantheon was the one to get the information and gather you all together.¡±


    ¡°If you want to get technical, it was Poseidon who caught the guy who told us the information about Polaron.¡± Wasp Nest cut in.


    ¡°So even worse, a hero from another city needed to do your job for you?¡±


    ¡°Well- I- Um- I wouldn¡¯t really say it was like that.¡± The boy stuttered.


    ¡°At the end of the day, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Money Tree cut in. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. I¡¯ll take responsibility. At the time, I considered that we could use their help, and I was right to do so. Without the help of Pantheon, I doubt we would have caught Saw Head.¡±


    Laps¡¯s lips twisted into a mild sneer, but the older woman didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead, she wrote a few notes down and folded her arms. ¡°In that case, you may take your leave, but know you¡¯re on thin ice, Money Tree.¡±


    Money Tree shrugged his shoulders and turned away. ¡°Oh, one thing, ma''am. In the event that you do think it best I step down, I¡¯d like to nominate Myth to step up in place.¡±


    ¡°Now you know you can¡¯t do that! The Branch would never let a bastard like that back on the Sub Enforcers! Not after he killed-"


    Money Tree slammed the door shut as he and Wasp Nest left the angry woman¡¯s office. ¡°Was that wise?¡±


    Money Tree simply clicked his tongue as they took the elevator down to the bottom floor.


    ***


    Back in the present, Money Tree shook his head as he finished telling his story to Myth about the events that happened. "So, Laps still doesn''t care for me." Myth snorted. "Nothing new there."


    "I guess that''s one way of looking at things." Money Tree chuckled. The man walked forward, gripping his bowling ball tightly. He pulled it back and tossed it down his lane, getting a perfect strike. "Stay safe, Myth. There''s a storm coming. I feel it in my bones."


    She frowned a bit from the place she sat next to Paragon. She had heard the entire thing. Sometimes it was hard to not listen into quiet conversations when her enhanced senses were so strong. "You''ve been spacing out for a bit." Paragon''s voice nearly made her jump. The red-haired hero folded her arms as Destiny rested on the girl''s head. "Are you really, okay?"


    "Yeah." She nodded before putting her smile back on. "Just fine."


    Everyone kept playing for a few more hours. She had already told her mother she would be working late, and she''d go straight to bed once she was home. Snowdawn and Whisper played a few more rounds of bowling, though no matter how hard Snowdawn tried, he wasn''t able to beat Whisper once. Wasp Nest, Metal Ronin, and Poseidon all crowded around the table of pizza and sodas and chatted. Oxide was off to the side awkwardly by herself, and BB flew through the air, twirling around in her small form. All the adults had made their way to a table and seemed to be talking politics. Things like who they''d be voting for mayor once Mayor Grove''s term was up.


    Soon, though it was time, they packed up and left. The Sub Enforcers were the first to leave. Most of them apparently went to some fancy, rich school that required them to follow strict scheduling. Paragon and Poseidon were leaving with them as well. "Thanks for keeping my sister company."


    "Huh?" She turned in time to feel a light punch from Poseidon on the shoulder. "Oh yeah. It was no issue. I didn''t really feel like bowling myself."


    "Really?" Poseidon asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Yeah. When I was younger, my dad would take me to places like the library or out fishing when the beach was nice." She felt a small smile on her lips for a moment, remembering the good old days before he got sick. Everything had changed so much. She hadn¡¯t even gotten to tell her mom or dad that she knew they were hiding the fact she was some kind of Super. It made her wonder what else they were hiding from her. "Places like this have never been my style." She explained, getting her thoughts away from her parents.


    Poseidon held her hand out and gave an innocent grin. "I guess I should also say sorry. I heard my sister mention something. I freaked you out a bit that one time we went on a patrol, right?"


    She shook her head and took the girl''s hand. "It''s fine. I''d do the same if someone I care about was almost hurt. I freaked out a little bit, but I''m sure you had some reasons. As far as I''m concerned, you''re a good hero, Poseidon." The girl was going to be the next Enforcer member after all. Or at least, that was the big rumor around her.


    Poseidon gave one more nod before finally leaving with her sister and the other Sub Enforcer members. She jumped a bit when she felt a clap on the shoulder. She turned to find Myth and Battery standing there. "You ready to leave?" Myth asked.


    "Yeah." She nodded. "Hey sir, sorry if this is a little rude, but earlier my enhanced senses sort of turned on and I heard you speaking to Money Tree about something. I think I heard you say something about some event."


    Jack grumbled several words under his breath. ¡°Yeah. While Myth and I were waiting for Money Tree to finish speaking to the head of the Branch we were interrupted by a phone call. Care to share what we have to do tomorrow, boss?¡± His voice was filled with venom, and he kept shooting Myth several dirty looks.


    Myth shrunk down a bit and cleared his throat. ¡°I was going to tell you all soon. Once I figured out how.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked.


    Her boss gave a heavy sigh of defeat. A sound she had never heard him make. ¡°After the warehouse incident, it seemed like we got noticed by the mayor. I personally am good friends with Mayor Grove. Every year, a charity event is held, and the Sub Enforcers always participate. It lets them show themselves off if they get any new members and makes a point of showing we¡¯re working with the city-¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡± Jack cut in. ¡°The part you told me.¡±


    ¡°I was getting to it. I may or may not have asked the mayor if we could participate in said event as well. In order to show off our group and gain public support. We¡¯re in need of some sponsors; my funds are running low.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the big deal is.¡± She admitted sheepishly. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to be out in costume at some event with a huge crowd? It sounds fun, actually.¡±


    ¡°Kid,¡± Jack said in a sad tone. ¡°What¡¯s the longest you¡¯ve worn your costume for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Three, maybe four hours?¡±


    ¡°Okay. So, you¡¯ve worn your costume for three hours at night when it¡¯s cold. Now, picture this. Eight to ten hours in the blazing sun while standing up straight! All the while, kids try to climb on you, and people invade your personal space to try and get a picture or peek under your mask!¡±


    Her face paled a little at his words. ¡°It won¡¯t actually be that bad, right, Thaddeus?¡± She turned to look at her team leader, who was already in the middle of a prayer for what was to come. ¡°Oh boy.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you there is something up with that man!¡± Ocean Empress didn¡¯t often like shouting. She normally kept her voice level and calm, but it seemed like any time she had to deal with her best friend, her emotions always got the better of her.


    ¡°Calm down, River.¡± The Victorian, also known as the strongest woman on Earth, folded her arms. The room they were in belonged to Ocean Empress. It was a mighty tower that stood as a base for Team Reservoir, though they were in a private room away from all the sidekicks. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Ocean Empress shook her head. ¡°I know what I saw. That golden light he had. It¡¯s the exact same as yours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± The golden woman huffed out.


    ¡°So what? We just accept that some guy appeared with the same power as you?¡± Ocean Empress asked, throwing her arms into the air. ¡°Your daughter is on the same team as that man. Aren¡¯t you the least bit worried?¡±


    Victorian flipped her hair and rolled her eyes. ¡°Lois can take care of herself. Besides, I looked at the footage your daughter sent in.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t think he was anything special.¡± The Victorian shrugged. ¡°He was odd, but that was it.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen him in action then.¡± Ocean Empress sighed.


    ¡°Now, in the Victorian¡¯s defense, Ocean Empress, while that man¡¯s powers do seem to be similar, they¡¯re very different in their own right.¡± A third voice responded, giving his two cents. In the corner of the room, a small desk rested where a young, dark-skinned boy sat. He was only twelve years old and held a handheld gaming device, which he focused all his attention on. ¡°I did some readings, and they look similar but aren¡¯t.¡± He was dressed up, wearing a business-like suit, as if a parent had tried to make their child look grown up. The look was ruined, though, by the childish backpack he had on.


    As he spoke, the backpack began to shake and then opened up as something flew out. It was a small metallic-looking ball that floated over to the wall, shooting out a beam of blue light. A hologram that turned the wall into a makeshift screen. The image of a scruffy red-haired man appeared, with the words ¡®Jack Larison?¡¯ written down near the bottom.


    ¡°What exactly did you find out, Boy Genius?¡± Ocean Empress asked, frowning.


    Boy Genius pushed his glasses up with a knuckle as he lazily played on his gaming device, not even taking his fingers away from the buttons. The youngest member to ever join the Enforcers and considered to be the second strongest Super in the world after the Victorian herself, he was almost just as odd as the golden woman. ¡°The Victorian¡¯s power works by taking in sunlight and controlling and forming it to her will. Turning light into weapons and armor, it lets her basically do whatever. His power, though, is very different. He stores the energy within his body, creating it from nothing. His cells literally transform into the substance. He¡¯s like a walking battery. It just so happens that the energy he seems to be creating is the same kind the Victorian controls. You two would actually make a really good team.¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡± The Victorian frowned. ¡°I trained Max Lightning, and that was a nightmare. I¡¯m done with sidekicks.¡±


    ¡°So that man¡¯s powers are different.¡± Ocean Empress reasoned. ¡°So what? You all can¡¯t admit that there isn¡¯t at least some connection.¡±


    Victorian cut her friend off with a low growl. ¡°For the last time, I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t any connection. I think I would know if I had a long-lost brother. There is no way he is the son of Full Monarch!¡±


    The tone the world''s strongest woman gave indicated that she wouldn¡¯t be allowing this conversation to continue any further. She had already made her mind up. Ocean Empress shrugged in defeat. Boy Genius snorted a little and snapped his fingers. The hologram changed into a new image. The man that appeared was one they all hated. The image showed off a tall, lanky man standing just under eight feet. His skin was the color of ash, and he must have had hundreds of stitches all over his body. His hair was long and an oily black color, and he wore a dirty old priest-like uniform. His eyes were sunken into his head, a pure gold color, and in his arms, he clutched a dirty and worn bible.


    Lucifer, the leader of the villainous team called the Immortals. As the name of his group suggested, everyone he led had some way to avoid dying. They were very tricky to deal with, made worse by their sinister desires. He was old, said to have existed during the time the Shadow nearly wiped out planet Earth thousands of years ago. He was around when the first four Lords appeared and saved mankind. While humanity worshiped the Lords, he instead turned to the great Calamity that nearly ended the world. He worshiped the Shadow, and in turn, he was granted his powers, taking up the title of Ruler of Death and Rebirth.


    ¡°Well, if we¡¯ve reached a dead end on Ocean Empress¡¯s subject, I think we should discuss the issue with the Immortals.¡± The young boy stated. ¡°After all, we¡¯re coming up on the anniversary of their last attack, so there is a good chance we could have a new Murder Games on our hands.¡±


    The Victorian stayed quiet as she eyed up the man. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen him. She had gone blow-to-blow with Lucifer a few times in the past. Her mind went back several years ago. A little girl who had almost been infected with the Dead Virus. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how that young girl was doing today.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Ocean Empress asked when she noticed Victorian lost in thought.


    The Victorian shook her head. ¡°Nah. Just daydreaming was all.¡±


    ¡°We believe he will be reappearing shortly.¡± Boy Genius explained. ¡°In other words, we should get ready for another Murder Game to begin.¡± The Murder Game. A twisted form of evil crafted by Lucifer and his band of Immortals. It always happens every few years. He shows up and starts the game, ruining an entire city, then runs off and vanishes off the face of the earth for a few years before returning and doing it all over again.


    ¡°So why do you think he¡¯ll be popping up soon?¡± Ocean Empress asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since he¡¯s last been seen.¡± Boy Genius explained. ¡°Every time he and his team appear, they cause massive disasters in whatever part of the world they appear in. He always goes after multiple people and sets targets while his team rampages. There are hundreds of people who could be potential targets, and I¡¯ve gone ahead and assigned each one a bodyguard just in case. If Lucifer follows his normal plans, he¡¯ll appear somewhere in the world in a few months, ready to cause more chaos. We should all prepare. He¡¯s slowly becoming a threat as big as the Emperor.¡±


    The Victorian smirked at that. Her hand rubbed at her side. Hidden by her costume was a large scar, aching with memories. ¡°Trust me. No one will ever be as bad as the Emperor. That said, I¡¯ll still take this seriously. The instant an Immortal appears, give the word. I¡¯d like to see how their immortality holds up against the vacuum of space.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else we should know?¡± Ocean Empress asked.


    Boy Genius snapped his fingers, and the image changed once more, this time to several young kids. ¡°Just like I do every year, I¡¯ve been studying every case of a new Super in an attempt to narrow down who the next Lords could be.¡± The boy explained. ¡°When a Lord dies, their power is instantly passed down to the next in line, either going to a descendent or a newborn baby. Currently we own the Lord of the Sky as well as the Lord of the Sea; however, fifteen years ago we lost-¡±


    ¡°The Lord of the Sun and the Lord of the Land.¡± The Victorian said, waving her hand. ¡°Get on with it.¡±


    The boy nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t found any targets that could match the Lord of the Land and Life other than the hero Paragon, but she is assumed to not be the Lord. In terms of the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, I¡¯ve included a list of every Super with fire-based powers.¡±


    The list of kids filtered itself and changed, showing off six main targets. All were around the age of fifteen and came from different cities, looking vastly different from each other. The one thing they all had in common, though, was that their powers recently awakened.


    Ocean Empress¡¯s eyes roamed over one target. ¡°Not her.¡± She said, pointing at a picture. It was of a young girl with jet black hair and blue eyes. The words ¡®Hope Lauren/Cinder¡¯ were written at the bottom. ¡°You can take her off the list.¡±


    ¡°I can?¡± Boy Genius asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Ocean Empress nodded her head. ¡°I met Full Monarch. Trust me when I say that girl is nothing like him at all. Her power was so weak. Without a doubt, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not her. She¡¯s not the Lord. Wouldn¡¯t you agree with me, Jill?¡±


    The Victorian silently stared at the picture. Something about the girl looked familiar to the woman. The image of a young child she saved once came back to her mind.


    ¡°Jill?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The Victorian looked away. ¡°If she¡¯s not as strong as my dad was, then it can¡¯t be her. She¡¯s not the Lord. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just a nobody.¡±


    ***


    She wanted to stick around and speak to her friend more, but was forced to leave. She was a busy woman and had already wasted time not saving people.


    The Victorian flew through the air faster than any jet could ever hope to go. In a second, she was already on the other side of the planet. Though it seemed like no matter how fast she moved, something was always going on. Be it a group of villains, a giant rampaging monster, or a city-wide disaster, she struck out and beat it all in a single attack.


    It still wasn¡¯t enough, though.


    A loud roar pierced the air, and the Victorian came to a sudden stop. She was in some Third World country now. A village rested below her, and a creature threatened to destroy the town. It sort of looked like a giant red monkey. She didn¡¯t really care, though.


    The creature let out a hellish scream when it saw her floating in the air. It easily ripped out a massive chunk of stone the size of a city block and threw it at her. She didn¡¯t budge as the rock smashed to pieces against her. She lazily floated through the debris and brought her hand up, flicking the creature. The force of the mighty attack was enough to easily rip the monster¡¯s head off and send it flying far away from the village. The rest of the corpse collapsed back, twitching.


    Cheers rang out from below, but she didn¡¯t stay long to talk with anyone. She took off again. This time, she stopped a massive volcano that threatened to burn down some city. She casually landed on the ground right outside the city, raised her hand, and golden light shimmered out. Then she delivered a powerful blow that generated a massive earthquake, leaving a crater and causing the lava to flow down into the newly formed hole.


    She made sure the city was safe and then breathed out as hard as she could. It was strong enough to cause the lava to be coated in ice, and it gradually solidified into stone. The ice kept flowing out, and she went until she was sure the volcano was no longer active.


    She didn¡¯t stick around to hear the cheers this time. She was needed elsewhere. This time, she arrived at the scene of a bank. She didn¡¯t bother to remember the names of the villains or their groups. She could barely remember the names of cities, after all. The bank''s roof had been blown off by one of the goons, and she came crashing down through it.


    With a wave of her hand, every person who had been harmed was hit with a golden light, fully recovering. One of the villains screamed something at her, but she wasn¡¯t paying any attention. They all went down in one punch, anyway. Golden chains burst from her palm, and she chained all the bad guys together, hanging them from the roof of a nearby building for the Hero Branch to pick up later.


    There were dozens of cameras around and a news crew, so she gave a half-wave and a smile before she took off again.


    Another city was attacked by a dragon-like monster. A tidal wave threatened a town. A gang was attacking a lab. Another monster, this time in a town. A freak thunderstorm, another monster, a bank robbery again, a town, a city, a town, a village, a city, a city, a monster-


    ¡°Why do you guys choose to be evil?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for the goon¡¯s answer; instead, she rammed him into the ground hard enough to knock him out. A second later, she was in another village, stopping a slave trade. Next up, she fought some giant robots created by some mad Super.


    It was always something.


    Monster, villain, monster, monster, villain, disaster, robot, disaster, monster, villain, villain, threat, threat, threat, threat-


    She floated into the sky, going up higher and higher until she stood above the planet. She watched the sun slowly begin to set over the world as she stared down. Cities were burning, monsters were rampaging, floods were pouring in, and banks were being robbed. Hundreds, thousands, maybe even in the millions. It was never enough.


    Her father had managed to achieve world peace. He would be rolling around in his coffin if he saw the state she left his world in. He died to make sure the Emperor couldn¡¯t harm his planet. She did her best to ignore everything that was wrong with her planet as she got higher and higher. Ice began to cling to her body, and she felt the air leave her lungs, but she still went up. In only a few moments, the silence of space was all around her.


    She smiled a little. She could still remember the first time she flew into outer space. It had been to battle a Calamity Level Threat shortly after the incident with the Emperor. She had been so happy back then, thinking she was catching up to her dad. She actually thought she might even be able to surpass him. How na?ve she had been back then.


    She already knew her destination. She softly landed on the surface of the moon. She liked spending her time here. It was silent, and from up here, her planet looked beautiful despite the damage left behind by the Calamities. Not many oceans were left; the rest dried into dusty wastelands and mountains of ash where there had once been forests. She couldn¡¯t see the crime, didn¡¯t feel the people¡¯s eyes judging her, and couldn''t hear the giant behemoths that roared and thrashed under the decrepit remains of cities. If she was going to be alone, truly alone, this was where she would go.


    Her eyes traced the moon softly. Long ago, it was pretty. It still was to an extent, but it now had large gashes and cracks across it from the battle between the Emperor and Full Monarch. If she were to travel for a second, she would arrive on the dark side of the moon. There, she would find the ruins of the Emperor¡¯s castle, the place where his mighty base had stood after he declared war on Earth.


    She didn¡¯t need to explore it again, though. She had spent hundreds of hours looking for any signs he might have returned, and it was always the same. Gone. She floated softly towards the center of a massive crater on the moon. The sun shone down, casting a pretty glow, and she could already see the sparkles of the glass.


    Down below, in the crater, was where it rested. A glass coffin. His body was inside. It hadn¡¯t changed a day. Even in death, Full Monarch looked amazing. His clothing had become pure white from years of being up here. His fire had gone out long ago. In the past, his eyes were like a blaze of red fire, and his hair had been the color of the sun. Now that light was gone. His eyes were closed, and the faintest hint of a smile was on his lips. He almost looked like he was sleeping. There was no battle damage on him, and they had fixed his costume up after it had been ruined in his final battle.


    He looked so peaceful. Happy even.


    She placed her hand softly on the coffin and smiled down at her dad. There was still so much work that needed to be done in order to fix his world.


    For just a little bit longer, though, she would stay where it was quiet. She would stay where she was happy. Up here with the man who slept on the moon.

 Chapter Thirty-Seven: When Charity Goes W?r?o?n?g? Right

    ¡°Clear!¡± Rubble flew high into the air, followed seconds later by chunks of giant squid, which rained upon the street.


    Jack held an umbrella up, the monster bits flowing down it. ¡°This stuff is always so gross,¡± he muttered. The Cleanup Squad was at work once again, downtown in the Middle Zone of the city, cleaning up a giant squid that had come from space. The heroes known as the Pallet Boys had put a stop to it earlier that day.


    ¡°It¡¯s always these giant monster freaks.¡± A worker kicked the side of the squid. Its corpse was draped over several destroyed buildings, the beast being the size of a city block and having to have charged blasts split it apart.


    Jack never got a chance to respond back to the man, as a voice called out. ¡°Larison!¡± Mr. Moore was an odd boss that reminded Jack a lot of his son, Armin. The man typically stayed put in the office but had come out today, waving the Squad¡¯s best worker over. ¡°You said you needed to leave early today, right?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I have a thing planned.¡± Jack nodded.


    ¡°Right. Well, we got some new people, and it looks like we¡¯re basically done here with the hard part. We got it from here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Jack went to walk past his boss but was stopped when the man put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s my son doing, by the way?¡±


    ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot of things I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Mr Moore chuckled.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s been doing fine. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him, though. I¡¯m going to meet him and the others, in fact.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Also, that girl on the team. She wouldn¡¯t happen to be- Nah, what am I saying? The Laurens would never. Sorry to keep you.¡±


    Jack finally left, heading down the street and past the tape that blocked it off from the public. There wasn¡¯t much traffic or civilians walking around due to the roadblock and destruction up ahead, so he ducked down an alleyway. He came to a sudden stop, though, when he saw someone already standing in it.


    ¡°Come on. Work already! Stupid space guts!¡± It was a young man, one dressed in very colorful armor, mainly focused around the color blue. It looked very knightly, but despite its old-fashioned look, it hummed with an electronic buzz. The man had the helmet off, revealing a young adult. The man was messing with the helmet, using some weird tool to get it to work.


    Jack cleared his throat, and the man jumped. The hero went to cover his face with an arm, clearly in a panic. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m a hero, too.¡±


    ¡°So!¡± The man yelled in panic. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Jack grumbled, and for a moment, his body glowed with a golden light. Then, in a flash, he burst forward. The lid of a dumpster rose open, and suddenly Jack stood, dressed in his heroic costume. ¡°Look, man, you¡¯re on my spot. I hide my costume in places like this for quick access.¡± He went to fold his arms but stopped as he looked the hero up and down. ¡°Wait a second. I know you. Ain¡¯t ya a Pallet Boy?¡±


    The man eyed him up and down and placed the helmet back on. It seemed to lock in place, covering his face and causing his voice to gain a mechanical edge. ¡°I am Pallet Boy Blue. You a new hero?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± Battery shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve only been a hero for a bit. Joined Myth¡¯s team.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re working with Myth, you can¡¯t be that bad of a guy. Also, now that I think about it, I think I¡¯ve seen you on the news before. Weren¡¯t you guys behind a dock being destroyed?¡±


    ¡°No. Uh, that was some other asshole group.¡± Battery awkwardly stepped away. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with your tech? You seem to be having some issues.¡±


    The young man grumbled a bit. ¡°Yeah. My brother and I went to fight this monster that appeared, and ever since, our tech has been gunked up. The stupid thing was like a massive EMP or something. We¡¯re doing our best to get our stuff working again, so we can go back to patrolling the city for the big day.¡±


    ¡°Big day- Oh shit, I¡¯m late.¡± Battery turned, giving a half-wave to the man. ¡°Look, I gotta go. Good luck.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response, giving a wave and bolting off. Literally, golden lightning swirled around as he moved faster than any car.


    Pallet Boy Blue watched the strange hero run off and let out a sigh. ¡°Guess I better get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Actually, change of plans.¡± The voice came from above and caused the hero to look up. At the top of a nearby roof, peering down at the hero, a young man stepped off. It was a significant fall, one that would at least break an average human¡¯s legs, being three stories up, but this man was no longer an average human. Kevin landed on the balls of his feet, cracking the stone floor. He rolled his shoulders and balled his hand into a fist. ¡°You¡¯re going to be coming with me, sir.¡±


    Battery was long gone, none the wiser to what was happening back in the alleyway. He dodged past cars and people; everyone else was moving in slow motion. Finally, he came to a sliding stop in front of an old, worn-down, and heavily dented van.


    ¡°Did I make it in time-¡±


    ¡°Get in, get in; we¡¯re going to be late!¡± Myth yelled.


    ¡°Guess not.¡± Battery sighed and opened the passenger seat, climbing into the van.


    ¡°You know, Mr. Larison, for someone as fast as some of the big pro heroes, you seem to cut it close a lot.¡± Hope snorted.


    Jack slumped into the seat, and with that, the van took off. He tuned everyone else out, staring out the window at the rows of traffic before slowly closing his eyes.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going deep into hell.¡±


    ¡°Hell?¡± Hope asked with wide eyes, but no one bothered to respond.


    Silence flowed into the van as everyone fell into their own rhythm. She felt the van hum, and she tapped her fingers awkwardly, her mind racing. She wondered how this would all go. She was so deep in thought that Armin¡¯s words caused her to jump.


    ¡°You okay, Hope?¡± Snowdawn asked. ¡°Bumpy ride getting to you?¡± The boy joked.


    ¡°Just a little nervous.¡± She admitted. She had called in sick to school. She knew she wasn¡¯t the only one. Dozens of kids would be calling in sick to sneak away and join in the celebrations. She was dressed fully in her costume but had her helmet off as they rode to the event.


    It was taking place at the local mall. A few hero teams would be gathered to shake hands with the mayor, maybe give a speech, and then just hang around and talk to the local people. It was the first time she had been dressed in her costume for the day, and already Mr. Larison¡¯s words had been right. It was hot¡ªnot like blazing summer hot, but still. These suits were tight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go passing out on us.¡± Whisper ordered. The van had taken a beating after being rammed through the wall of a warehouse, but it still worked fine. The windows were tinted black, allowing them to keep their masks off without worrying about anyone seeing them. Whisper drove, and Jack, in the passenger seat, slumped down, snoring loud enough to match the engine. Myth and Snowdawn were in the back with her.


    Myth had a phone out, listening to the sound of whales to calm down, which just made everyone else more uncomfortable. ¡°Whisper is right. Make sure you don¡¯t black out, Cinder.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± She was a little jealous of Armin, covered in so much snow that he didn¡¯t have to worry about heat stroke. ¡°Anything good happening on the news?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never good.¡± Myth stated. ¡°A Hero Branch van was destroyed on its way to Nightshade. The villains likely got away.¡± The leader of Pantheon shook his head and pulled his mask up, covering half of his face. ¡°But there is no need for us to worry about that. We¡¯re here to show the public that we exist. Since you two are new, Snowdawn and Cinder, I want you to stick with me when we¡¯re there. Whisper, you stick with Battery and make sure he behaves. Don¡¯t let anyone catch him smoking or anything like that. These things will go by quickly. We don¡¯t usually do anything; we just stand around and look pretty. The Sub Enforcers will be there as well, so I doubt we¡¯ll even get any attention.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s protecting the city at this time?¡± She questioned. ¡°I¡¯d hate for some people to get harmed while we¡¯re all at the mall.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry. The Watch Dogs have reported that they will not be participating in the event today, so they will be guarding the city.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re finally doing stuff again?¡± Snowdawn asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°They better.¡± Myth grumbled. ¡°Besides them, the Pallet Boys are also helping out. They¡¯re a duo team and have some crazy gadgets. The police and Hero Branch will also be on high alert, of course.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hold my breath on the Pallet Boys.¡± Battery said, followed by a snore, seconds later.


    ¡°Anything we need to know about this event?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s an awareness event for a children¡¯s charity,¡± Myth said. ¡°They¡¯ve done a few events with the Sub Enforcers in the past. Things like hospital visits and so on. I was the one that asked the mayor if we could participate in this year¡¯s event, and since it was last second, I doubt we¡¯ll be doing anything. Oh, but do watch out for little kids. They can be grabby.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    The rest of the ride was spent relaxing. Her and Armin talked about a new game that was coming out, Battery slept, Myth browsed the news, and Whisper drove in silence. It didn¡¯t take them long to arrive at the mall, though.


    The parking lot was usually packed and filled with cars, but today it was insane. There were news vans and tents set up, and a line had formed just to get into the building.


    The mall itself was in the ¡®rich¡¯ part of the city. Dozens of tall towers stood around, and in the center was an enormous crater that had been created when part of the moon fell to Earth. That crater was one of the few things that made Oleander cool. The mall was placed right at the edge of the crater and had been trying to expand underground for several years now but hadn¡¯t managed fully. It was smaller than all the other towers and had around eight floors in total going up and only two floors going into the ground. It had been built by Mr. Sini, the owner of Sinicorp, which had since been bought out by Harrison Avalon after Sini died fifteen years ago. Avalon, as far as she knew, never bothered expanding the mall, hence its weird half-appearance.


    It still managed to thrive, though, perhaps due to just how bizarre of a place it was.


    The parking lot was in front of the mall, but Whisper drove past and instead cruised towards the large crater. There was a ramp that would circle around and lead toward an underground parking spot within the mall.


    ¡°Masks on, everyone.¡± Myth instructed. ¡°We¡¯re starting.¡±


    Battery sat up and rubbed at his mouth as he pulled his mask down. ¡°Welcome to eight hours of hell.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be that bad.


    Right?


    The center floor was in the smack middle of the mall, in such a way that the other floors could see it if they looked down from their railings. It often hosted small fashion shows or events that were usually put on by the shops that surrounded it.


    Today, a large stage had been put up in the square, and banners hung from the walkways with the name of the charity scrawled across them¡ªthe Mila Rise Charity Event. Aside from the stage, there were smaller booths scattered around, offering the usual face painting, petitions, donation buckets, and the like. Most of them were being run by the mall staff, but she spotted a few Hero Branch suits who were running a food stand.


    It was a pretty funny sight, actually.


    One of the shops on the first floor was in the middle of being refurbished. Tall boards covered the entire front of it, save for a single area inside that had been cleared and given over to the Sub Enforcers for the day. They would be using it as well. The customers hadn¡¯t yet been allowed to enter the mall since everything was still being set up, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about a crowd or anything yet.


    She knew Kyle would be here. His dad was going to be talking on stage at some point. Other kids from school would no doubt show up as well. She was glad the helmet Mr. Larison had given her covered up so much of her head; otherwise, she would have been worried about butchering her ¡®secret¡¯ identity even further.


    A woman in a suit waved them over when their group emerged. ¡°This way. The others are already inside.¡± The woman said, escorting them into the building the Sub Enforcers had been allowed to use. The inside of the shop was gutted, and there were two doors: one leading backstage, where they would be staying, and another that could lead out to the stage itself when it was time to appear. Some police officers and Hero Branch members stood guard at both.


    Backstage lights, mirrors, and tables had been set up for them to get in or out of costumes or clean up if they needed to. There was also a curtained-off section further in the back, and in the center were some chairs and a large table with some basic snacks and bottles of water on it in case they needed to take a break.


    The Sub Enforcers were already seated at the table. Money Tree had been talking to Wasp Nest but stopped when they entered. ¡°Ah, Myth. Good to see you. Come take a seat! We¡¯re going to start soon.¡±


    At the table were Wasp Nest, Money Tree, Metal Ronin, BB, and Oxide. Sadly, Paragon and Poseidon were seemingly absent. She was a little bummed. She wouldn¡¯t exactly say she and Paragon were friends now, but their talk the other night had been good. She was glad to see Oxide, the metal-based hero, waving her over. They all ended up taking a seat.


    Myth talked quietly with Wasp Nest and Money Tree, while Snowdawn spoke with BB. She herself was talking with Oxide and Metal Ronin, while Battery lazily stood in a corner with his arms folded, keeping watch, to make sure Poseidon and Paragon wouldn¡¯t try to jump him with healing in case they showed up.


    ¡°So, how have the powers been treating you?¡± Metal Ronin asked. His costume had changed a bit. It was polished and cleaned up, made of a finer metal, and it looked like what you would expect a noble cyborg warrior to be. Even the faceplate''s grimace had been changed to a serene, calm look of focus. It reminded her of a video game.


    ¡°Pretty good.¡± She admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a lot better with them. Next time, I¡¯ll be ready for Polaron or Green Wolf.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky.¡± Oxide jumped into the conversation. The metal-based hero¡¯s hair was done up to look fancy, and the metal had taken the shape of an exquisite, styled dress. Oxide wore a glass mask that covered the girl¡¯s upper face and a small metal crown for extra style points.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to have another test later and see how much you improved.¡± Metal Ronin nodded. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to join us, Oxide. I haven¡¯t seen how much your powers have improved since you joined the Sub Enforcers.¡±


    ¡°Sounds fun.¡± Oxide shrugged. The girl held her hand out, and the metal began to flow, taking the shape of objects. ¡°I haven¡¯t really been pushed ever since the Mars King fight. It was safe to say we were a little out of our depths back then.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not the only one who thinks the Bad Timers are way too busted and need to be nerfed.¡± She joked. She couldn¡¯t help but look around the room. Ten heroes in total. And she was one of them. Things really were great.


    ¡°Speaking of nerfs, what¡¯s up with Green Wolf¡¯s teleportation?¡± Metal Ronin asked in a confused tone. ¡°That device you used on him was one I made a bit ago. When Poseidon first came to Oleander, we got her to help us beat Mars King. I had used a device that could detect spatial rifts and determine where he¡¯d appear, then used that net to stop the teleporter from taking him off the battlefield.¡±


    She nodded her head. She remembered the first time she fought Intake, Mr. Larison had beaten him, but the man had been teleported away by a villain named Ears, who was a powerful teleporter in the Bad Timers. The second time she fought him, Ears had also been there and got away. The villain had tried to teleport Intake again but had been stopped by Ocean Empress, who froze the teleportation before it could go off somehow.


    That net gun Wasp Nest tossed her should have allowed her to stop Green Wolf¡¯s teleportation, yet it hadn¡¯t worked. ¡°Any clue why it failed?¡± She asked.


    ¡°None.¡± Metal Ronin said.


    ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t teleportation?¡± Oxide offered up.


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s not the case.¡± The mental hero snorted.


    ¡°How come?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Because then it means he¡¯s doing something we don¡¯t understand.¡± The hero sighed.


    ¡°The answer is obvious.¡± They all turned when Battery spoke up. The man still rested on the wall with his arms crossed. ¡°Green Wolf is using that sword. It isn¡¯t him that¡¯s doing it; it¡¯s the sword. It¡¯s called Story Maker. Your method to stop Ears worked because the net was strong enough. The reason it isn¡¯t working on Story Maker is because it simply isn¡¯t strong enough to halt it. That teleportation is too powerful and is negating the hold on it. It¡¯s like building a shield. You could make something that could stop my punch, but can you make something that stops the Victorian¡¯s punch? I doubt it. Powers aren¡¯t made to be equal. They cheat, and they break the rules. Something able to stop one might not be able to stop others, even if they do look similar.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about this.¡± Metal Ronin said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Care to tell the class where you got this info?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a grown ass man; I don¡¯t go to class.¡±


    ¡°How do you work with this guy?¡± The tech-based hero asked, shooting her a look. She never got a chance to answer as a new voice got their attention.


    ¡°Ah, so these are your new heroes, Myth.¡± A new voice caught her attention. She turned to the entrance of the room as the mayor walked in. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you.¡± His eyes roamed over everyone, and for a moment, she swore the man¡¯s eyes lingered on her.


    Mayor Grove was an odd man. In his seventh year of being mayor, with only one more year left after this. Grove had been voted into office twice now, which was shocking since he almost never gave speeches. The kind of man who would let others do the talking for him, but despite that, he had something about him that drew people in.


    Typically, heroes and politics didn¡¯t mingle. Most teams don¡¯t care who is in charge as long as they can get the proper funding. Meet-and-greets like this for charity were some of the few times you would see heroes building a bridge with politics. About two years ago, she had gone to one and managed to get a few heroes to sign some of her action figures.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Grove, it is good to see you again.¡± Myth jumped to his feet and held a hand out to the man. The mayor took it and shook it, giving a nod.


    ¡°You as well.¡± The man never smiled, but his eyes lit up with a faint light. Slowly, Grove turned, and once again, she was sure his eyes were on her. ¡°I saw Whisper and Snowdawn, but this is a new member, is it not? I¡¯m Mr. Grove, the one that funds Myth¡¯s little team.¡±


    She felt her voice get caught in her throat as the man held a hand out towards her. She felt Oxide¡¯s foot nudge her, and she snapped out of it, reaching over and taking his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Cinder. I just joined recently.¡± She felt really awkward at that moment, and one of the Hero Branch snapped a picture of her shaking the mayor¡¯s hand, no doubt for publicity.


    Battery¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, but stopped when Whisper put a hand on his shoulder, simply shaking her head.


    Another man entered, one she had also seen before. Kyle¡¯s dad was large and muscular. ¡°Sir, I believe that is enough mingling with the heroes. We should get you ready for the event.¡± The policeman stated in a blunt tone.


    She flinched under the man¡¯s gaze. One good thing about being Kyle¡¯s secret friend is that she never had to be introduced to this man. Super or not, dealing with him seemed like a nightmare.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Mr. Grove took his hand away. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Cinder. I hope to see more out of you. With your powers, I¡¯d expect nothing less from you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Grove walked off without responding, causing the hairs on her arm to stand up more. ¡°That was a little weird, right?¡± Oxide whispered.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Big time.¡± Metal Ronin frowned.


    She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Well, guess I better do my best to not disappoint the mayor, right?¡±


    They talked amongst each other for a little longer. She got to meet BB as well, which was cool. The girl was one of the younger Supers she saw, and she was a little jealous when the girl bragged about being able to fly. Soon enough, though, time passed, and it was finally time for the real show to begin.


    ¡°They¡¯re ready for you, now.¡± One of the Hero Branch workers announced.


    Money Tree stood up and smirked. ¡°Show time, kids. You want to lead?¡± The man asked, shooting a look at Myth.


    Myth shook his head. ¡°I insist you go first. You¡¯re the one who was supposed to be here after all.¡±


    Money Tree¡¯s suit came undone, the dollar bills taking shape as it grew out¡ªa long cloak and a walking stick, a fancy top hat appearing, and a coin forming into a monocle. The Sub Enforcer¡¯s leader tried to look prim and proper but still had that slick country-boy smirk on his face. ¡°Alright, y''all. Follow the leader.¡±


    Her stomach fluttered a bit as she climbed up the steps. There were hundreds of people gathered by now, and they were all watching the heroes that stepped up onto the stage. Her super senses allowed her eyes to get a good look at every single one of them. Most were kids or teens, but there were a few adults. Some of them were pointing in their direction and whispering to each other, and countless phones and cameras were recording everything. Up in the air, several Hero Branch drones also flew. This event would be live after all.


    She was a little glad to see that none of the eyes landed on her for more than a second. Everyone either stared at the Sub Enforcers, namely Money Tree and Wasp Nest, or they stared at Myth. In fact, the only person from their group that seemed to get any cheers and hollers was Snowdawn, and that was because the boy looked so weird covered in all his ice and snow; it was hard not to like. The kids, especially, were giggling as Snowdawn shot finger guns at them and blasted a few harmless snowballs out into the crowd.


    There was a podium at the front of the stage, and one of the dozen aides the mayor always had was putting something on it. At the back of the stage were seats for the mayor and charity representatives, as well as Kyle¡¯s dad, whose lips were pursed into a fine line as he eyed them all up, and for a second, she swore the man¡¯s eyes lingered on Battery, narrowing a bit as he stared at the red hero. Standing next to the officer was his son, who was quietly speaking. Kyle shot her a smile and then gave a thumbs up to Metal Ronin.


    She forgot that those two had known each other. She wondered what other Supers Kyle knew. He had never told her, and she couldn¡¯t really blame him, but it still hurt a little knowing he had such a massive secret.


    She and the other heroes got in line. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Battery and Whisper. The Sub Enforcers did the same. Myth and Money Tree both stepped forward, standing in front of their groups.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± Battery whispered towards her.


    ¡°Yeah. Just... It''s hot in here.¡±


    ¡°Eight more hours.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Excuse me, can I get a picture of you with my son?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Which form?¡±


    ¡°Your bull form, if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Myth nodded, and his body bulked up and sprouted fur as well as horns as he transformed. The hero flexed his massive muscles and grunted. A boy no older than ten stood under him and did the same while a dad smiled and took a picture.


    She also smiled as she watched it. Myth looked like he was actually having fun. The man never showed off a lot of emotions, but she could catch a glimpse of a smirk on his lips every now and then.


    It was about an hour after the mayor¡¯s speech. All in all, it had all been pretty boring. The mayor had talked about planned changes to the city, the good deeds of the heroes, and then how you should donate to the Mila Rise Charity event, which was made for kids all over Oleander who lost their homes in villain attacks. It was pretty standard, sadly.


    After Grove had finished, Money Tree spoke next, giving a short speech about doing good and saying that he was proud to be the newest leader of the Sub Enforcers. Myth had gone last, and they had announced the team¡¯s name and that in a few months, Pantheon would be a famous hero team worthy of protecting the city.


    She only hoped they could live up to that.


    They now walked around the mall. Well, they tried to walk around the mall. Myth kept getting stopped about every five feet for a picture, in either his bull form, his lion form, or even a horse form that he would bust out if someone asked nicely. They stuck to the plan they had come up with. It was just her, Snowdawn, and Myth. Battery and Whisper would be on the second floor. On the other side of the mall, Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin would walk together, and further up would be BB pairing with Oxide.


    By far, the most popular floor was the very top, where Money Tree had his own stand and was having people come in droves. That was also where most of the Hero Branch drones stayed broadcasting what was happening to the other cities.


    ¡°Who wants free flavorless snow cones!¡± Snowdawn announced, firing off more snowballs to some of the crowd.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just snow?¡± She asked flatly.


    ¡°Yeah, but they don¡¯t need to know that.¡± The boy snickered. Like Myth, Snowdawn had been approached a couple of times for a picture, mostly by really young kids.


    She sadly hadn¡¯t gotten even one request. She had been in a group photo or two with Myth and Snowdawn, but no one wanted a picture of just her. It actually hurt a little.


    She debated juggling fire but decided that was a stupid and very dangerous idea. ¡°Maybe just a few fireballs?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m a little bummed, though. I mean, fire is way cooler than ice! Everyone knows that!¡±


    ¡°Heh. Cooler. Funny.¡± Snowdawn posed with a few more kids, and Myth flexed his lion form and roared for the camera.


    ¡°Hey. Can I get a picture?¡± She turned and saw Kyle standing there, a slight smirk on the boy¡¯s face.


    She snorted. ¡°You¡¯d rather get one with Myth, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m being honest, I had a big boy crush on him when he was still on the Sub Enforcers.¡± Kyle replied in a deadpan tone. ¡°But I¡¯ll settle with a picture of you.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡±


    She took a selfie with him, giving a thumbs-up and a smile. Kyle smirked as he put it up as his phone¡¯s wallpaper. "So, ¡®Cinder,¡¯ how¡¯s hero life treating you so far?¡±


    ¡°Everything has been good, civilian I¡¯ve never met before. We meant everything Myth said. We¡¯re going to do our best to fix this city.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to seeing it happen.¡± Kyle fist-bumped her. ¡°I think your boss wants your attention, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She turned to see Myth back in the bull form and posing for a group of kids, but his head was motioning for her. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll check what¡¯s up.¡± She walked over to the bull hero. ¡°Any kids want a picture with me?¡±


    Some of the kids looked at her and then turned back to Myth. ¡°Do the kitty!¡±


    ¡°Cinder.¡± Myth began as his form glowed and changed into the lion. ¡°I just got word from Money Tree that Poseidon arrived. Tree wants her to meet with him and tour with him since she¡¯s just as famous as he is, being the next Victorian and everything.¡± The man changed back into his bull form with a grunt and easily placed a child on a shoulder for another picture. ¡°Since you aren¡¯t busy or anything, do you think you could go meet with her at the entrance and escort her up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can tell when I¡¯m unwanted.¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Oh, and since you¡¯re leaving, there¡¯s a food stall back that way; get me a corndog,¡± Snowdawn asked, creating a snowman for several of the kids to tear apart. "Yeah, rip his guts out! Go for the throat like a real hero would!¡±


    Kyle chuckled as she walked back. She rubbed a bead of sweat from her eyebrow as she spoke. ¡°Well, want to walk with me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am your biggest, sorry only, fan, so I guess so.¡± The boy shrugged.


    They left Myth and Snowdawn behind. She tried not to be bitter. Away from the two famous heroes, she hoped to get some attention, but everyone was focused on the entrance where two new people were arriving. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s my guide!¡± Poseidon announced when the girl saw Cinder. ¡°If I missed any of you and you don¡¯t have an autograph or picture, then please let me know. I¡¯ll be on the top floor soon enough!¡± Poseidon grabbed onto a very socially awkward-looking Paragon and, with a single leap, jumped over the crowd and flew a short distance before landing down in front of her. ¡°I trust you¡¯re doing well.¡± The girl smiled.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. It was a bit awkward standing in front of Poseidon while the crowd was snapping pictures of them. Eyes were finally on her.


    Poseidon didn¡¯t seem to care about that, though. Setting Paragon down, the water hero¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, Kyle! It¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    ¡°You two know each other?¡± She asked, surprised.


    ¡°Kyle knows a lot of heroes.¡± Paragon explained. ¡°Most people targeted by-¡±


    ¡°Now, now, no need to get into all of that,¡± Kyle said quickly. ¡°Actually, wow, would you look at the time? I think my dad is calling me! I¡¯ll catch you later, Cinder.¡± The boy waved and quickly ran off, as if his life depended on it.


    She watched Kyle go with a frown. ¡°You scared off my one fan.¡±


    ¡°My bad.¡± Paragon shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t know I could do that. Trust me, if I did, I would have scared all of my sister¡¯s fans away the moment we got here.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Poseidon huffed.


    ¡°So, I guess I¡¯m supposed to take you up to Money Tree?¡± She asked.


    Poseidon shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t really need a guide. I can find him myself. I do need someone to watch Paragon here, though; that¡¯s why I asked for one. So, while I¡¯m busy with Money Tree, would you be a dear and make sure she stays out of trouble?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a freaking babysitter,¡± Paragon muttered.


    ¡°I kind of agree with your sister. Why do I need to watch her?¡± She questioned.


    Poseidon leaned in. ¡°Listen, noisy places like these upset her bird. She doesn¡¯t have him with her because of that. My sister is totally blind, okay? She lost her sight recently and still hasn¡¯t fully gotten used to it. And with how important her powers are, I can¡¯t let anything happen to her. I don¡¯t want to drag her with me, though, because I know she¡¯ll hate it, so just do me this solid and take her around the mall. Get her to have fun or something. She mentioned your name and didn¡¯t trash talk it, so she¡¯s got to at least not hate your guts.¡±


    Paragon was blind? That explained some stuff. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s not like I was actually doing anything. You have to explain it to Myth, though.¡± She finally stated.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Also, I want a shout-out on whatever platforms you¡¯re on; I want to be famous!¡±


    Poseidon chuckled. ¡°Deal. Thank you. Paragon, say thank you.¡±


    ¡°Piss off.¡± Paragon huffed and turned her back.


    Poseidon waved and jumped into the air. Despite having the same powers as Ocean Empress, Poseidon also possessed several other unique gifts. One of which was a bit of gravity control. The girl was able to bounce away and took off. She watched for a few moments before awkwardly turning to find Paragon, who was already walking away in a random direction. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± She jogged to keep up with the girl.


    ¡°I was planning on walking straight until I crashed face-first into a wall.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She caught up to the girl, the two walking around the mall. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t want to be here, right?¡±


    ¡°What gave it away?¡± Paragon gritted her teeth. ¡°I just don¡¯t like places like this. I like staying where it¡¯s quiet. I¡¯d rather be at the hospital healing someone or back home. Instead, I¡¯m stuck in this stupid city, no offense, because my mom is too busy focusing on my grampa¡¯s health to take care of us, and my sister wants to hook up with her boyfriend every chance she gets. We¡¯ve been staying at the Sub Enforcers base, and it¡¯s not bad, but it isn¡¯t home either.¡± The blind girl huffed. ¡°I¡¯d just rather be doing anything other than being at this mall. No one even knows who I am, so there¡¯s no point to me being here.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d your sister bring you, then?¡±


    ¡°She wants me to stick close by. I¡¯m honestly shocked she left me in someone else¡¯s care. I¡¯m not so fragile that I¡¯ll break, but she seems to act like I am.¡±


    She hummed and nodded her head. She reached up to her earpiece. ¡°Cinder to Myth.¡±


    ¡°Go for Myth.¡± She could hear the sounds of cheering kids over the line.


    ¡°I¡¯m here with Paragon, but she says she doesn¡¯t want to be here. Her sister is still busy with Money Tree. Is it cool if I escort her out of here?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. The important part was the speech, and that¡¯s over now. Finish up with any last-minute meet and greets you need to do, and head on out. Whisper said she wanted to meet up with BB and talk, so I¡¯ll have Battery start heading towards you, and he¡¯ll catch up. We¡¯re going to be here for another four hours, so just return before it¡¯s over for us to give our final speeches.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± She dropped her arm. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Paragon seemed taken aback. ¡°We can leave?¡±


    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to be here, right? Let¡¯s go, then. I¡¯m not really bringing in the crowds, so we might as well leave.¡±


    ¡°And go where?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the one who said you wanted to leave.¡± She grabbed the girl by an arm and dragged her toward the underground parking lot. ¡°You want to go to the hospital and treat some patients? We can do that, then.¡±


    ¡°Okay? Yeah. Yeah, let¡¯s do that! Screw this mall.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Screw this mall!¡± She agreed.


    She reached the place where the van was and helped Paragon get in the passenger seat. She sent a text to Mr. Larison, telling the man where they were going. Jack replied seconds later, saying he was going to do something first before he left and to go on ahead.


    ¡°Now I just have to drive us to the hospital.¡± She awkwardly got into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Yeah, driving...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to drive, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not a freaking clue.¡± She turned the key and felt the vehicle come roaring to life. Paragon reached up and grabbed onto anything she could hold onto for protection.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m glad I¡¯m blind. I¡¯m not going to have to see this crash.¡±


    ¡°Relax. I won¡¯t crash-¡± She felt the van lightly bump the wall and realized she had put it in reverse. She cleared her throat, messed with whatever the weird stick thingy was called, and managed to get the car to move forward. ¡°See, we¡¯re doing it!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just walk? Or fly or something?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t fly. I could take you by the buildings, though. I call it my super jump, and I can pick you up-¡±


    ¡°Hard pass.¡±


    ¡°Car it is, then.¡±


    Every bump caused her to almost jump out of her skin. Whisper had said any of them could use the van, and the girl had even used it to ram into a wall at one point, so it wasn¡¯t like it couldn¡¯t take a beating, but she was still nervous. They hit the road as she tried to recall everything Jack did in his car. Traffic was thankfully absent since everyone was either at the mall or at work.


    ¡°So, does the hospital need to know you¡¯re showing up or what?¡±


    ¡°Meh.¡± Paragon shrugged. ¡°I just sort of show up and say I¡¯m here to heal people, usually.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. Any particular hospital?¡±


    ¡°Closest one.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± She cringed a little as the van made an awful noise when she made a sharp turn. The van pulled into the parking lot of a hospital slowly, the vehicle shaking the entire time. ¡°Not bad for a first-time driver.¡± She hit the curb, as she forgot to put it in park. ¡°Whoops.¡±


    Managing to get the car into park, she shakily stepped out. Paragon followed, and then the girl let out a whistle and held her arm out. Seconds later, a bird cry came from above, and Destiny landed on her arm, his talons digging in. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s heal some people.¡±


    ***


    She had her back against the wall, her arms folded, doing her best Mr. Larison pose, as she watched Paragon at work. Or rather, it was Destiny who should be given the credit. The bird would land softly on someone, and it would take only a few moments for that person to heal.


    They had been in the hospital for about an hour now and had managed to heal nearly twenty people. It wasn¡¯t the place where her dad was, but she had been here before. It was the place Ocean Empress had taken her and Mr. Larison after their battle with that villain named Intake.


    Mr. Larison still hadn¡¯t caught up, and she wondered what he was doing exactly. Either way, Paragon seemed happy, going door to door with the most critically injured patients, and it would only take a few moments to heal them up entirely.


    ¡°Places like this are more my style,¡± Paragon explained, standing over a young boy who had half his body turned to stone. Destiny landed on his shoulder and began to steadily transform the stone back into flesh.


    ¡°I get it.¡± She nodded. ¡°Everyone has something they like. A place they¡¯d like to be. For me, I like being out in the action. I want to know I¡¯m saving people. Even if it¡¯s just a little. To see my efforts pay off. I¡¯m new to all of this, and it stinks knowing I don¡¯t make that big of a difference. That¡¯s why I want to do better. No matter what.¡±


    The stone on the boy shattered, and his eyes snapped open. Destiny touched him softly with his wing, and the boy fell unconscious. ¡°His body is fixed up,¡± Paragon said to a nurse. ¡°He¡¯ll need to sleep for about a day and let it adjust; after that, he¡¯ll be fine to leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for doing this.¡± The nurse gave a kind smile. ¡°We get so many cases like this, and we don¡¯t know what to do about them. Powers that alter a person¡¯s body in ways like this¡ªwe just can¡¯t cure these types of things on our own. I¡¯m glad to know there is a hero out there who can fix all these people. Thank you, Paragon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± The girl shrugged off the compliment. ¡°I¡¯m a hero. It¡¯s my job.¡±


    ¡°We have another patient who had most of his bones turned into wood. If you follow me, I¡¯ll show you to him, too.¡± The nurse smiled and led them away. None of them noticed the tiny white spider that began to crawl on the sleeping boy, nor did they notice the spider that hid within the nurse¡¯s collar.


    They went to a few more rooms, and it was just about to be lunchtime when her stomach growled.


    ¡°Wanna take a break and hit the cafeteria?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Ew. Hospital food.¡± Paragon shook her head. ¡°No, thank you. There¡¯s a fast-food place just down the street. Destiny spotted it when he flew back to me. We can head there.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it be a little weird to have two heroes show up for burgers?¡± She giggled at the image.


    ¡°Good point. This hospital is owned by my Grampa, Old Dog, so we don¡¯t need to worry about the cameras giving our identities away. We can enter a spare room, change out of our costumes, and head there as civilians.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean I would know your secret identity, though?¡±


    ¡°Well, I already know yours.¡± Paragon shrugged. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°I guess not, but it¡¯s a little weird still.¡±


    Paragon snorted. Destiny craned his neck and made sure there was no one else around in the hallway. Slowly, the girl reached up and took off her mask. ¡°Sky.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything for several moments, caught off guard by the girl¡¯s looks. She knew Paragon had red hair, obviously; she could see that. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were a blank stare. They had some color to them, but the girl was obviously blind. They never focused on anything and didn¡¯t seem to move at all. Most shockingly of all, though, was the fact that this wasn''t the first time she saw this girl. ¡°Sky? Wait, I''ve seen you before.¡±


    "Yeah. My sister once asked you to take our picture. Guess that means you know Poseidon''s secret identity as well." Paragon chuckled. "Well, don''t be shy. Take yours off, too."


    She nodded her head and then hesitantly took her helmet off. ¡°Hope. It¡¯s good to meet you.¡± She smiled and held her hand out.


    Sky took it with a gloved hand. ¡°See. Wasn¡¯t that easy? Now come on, there¡¯s an empty room over here. Let¡¯s get changed before someone sees us.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She nodded. She was about to say something else but stopped when she saw something. Her eyes widened, and she knocked the girl down to the floor just in time. Her hand darted out, and she caught something out of mid-air.


    It was very familiar to her. A mechanical hand. One she had seen before. ¡°Well, well, well.¡± An equally familiar voice said. ¡°Look who actually went and became a real-life superhero.¡± Red Ape stood at the end of the hallway. The man didn¡¯t have his goofy mask on, but he did have the same helmet he wore the first time she fought him, and behind him, dozens of mechanical hands flew around. The hospital had gone quiet. She didn¡¯t hear any of the nurses or doctors; it was as if everyone else had vanished, leaving just the three of them.


    Her hand shot up to her earpiece. ¡°Emergency-¡± She gasped as static shot out of it, and the thing shut off.


    ¡°Hacking is like the first thing every genius figures out.¡± Red Ape boasted. ¡°No backup, okay?¡±


    Paragon stood up quickly and slipped the mask back on. She followed in the girl¡¯s lead and put her helmet back on as well. She gave a slight grin. ¡°Hey man, I don¡¯t want to be that girl, but I beat you when I was, like, level one. I¡¯m at least level ten now. I can¡¯t wait to get two helmets off of you. I think I¡¯ll have Battery turn your new one into a shield or something.¡±


    Red Ape gritted his teeth and reached up to the helmet. Her hand exploded with fire, and she shot a bolt towards him. He yelped and switched his thing over to bubble mode, but she wasn¡¯t aiming for him. Her beam hit the roof, causing it to shatter and rain debris down onto Red Ape, blinding the man.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave-¡±


    ¡°Uh, Cinder.¡± Paragon gulped.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Look behind you.¡±


    She turned to look down at the other side of the hallway, and her eyes went wide at who she saw waiting for her. His body was as big as it had been the first time she saw him. Stone covered his skin as Intake cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me this is that little girl who stabbed me in the back of my head. That coward that ran away with her tail tucked between her legs turned into this in only a few weeks.¡± Intake grimly laughed. ¡°Now, that shit isn¡¯t fair. Either way, I¡¯ll be sure to finish my job from last time and pop that little skull of yours.¡±


    ¡°You two don¡¯t even work together. This is so unfair!¡± She got next to Paragon and turned her body so she could point at both villains. Her and Paragon were smack dab in the center of this, so things weren¡¯t looking too good.


    ¡°Man.¡± Red Ape chuckled, walking out of the debris, his shield having kept him safe. ¡°Things don¡¯t look good for you, do they? But hey, look on the bright side. At least above you is safe- Oh wait! It¡¯s not!¡±


    She grabbed Paragon just in time, as the roof above them exploded and Mars King came crashing down, letting out a mad laugh as he hit the floor. Bone blades erupted from the villain¡¯s arms in all directions, and she threw the girl behind her and held her arms up to block them. Her costume held up, but her arms shook and ached as she was shoved back by the villain and crashed into Paragon, falling to the floor.


    ¡°Oy! Don¡¯t go killing the one with the mask, dumbass.¡± Intake grumbled. ¡°The boss will kill us if we don¡¯t bring her back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re after Paragon?¡± She stumbled back up, standing over the girl in the lab coat. ¡°Why does Green Wolf or Polaron want her?¡±


    ¡°My bad. Said too much.¡± Intake smirked. ¡°Yo, monster freak. Helmet is fair game. Just be sure to leave me her head, okay?¡±


    Mars King let out a booming laugh, and dozens of spikes started to form out of his body. ¡°Wait!¡± Paragon stood up and began to dust herself off. ¡°You said you were after me, and you want me alive, right? There are people here in the hospital. Let Cinder and them go, and I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Not happening!¡± She argued.


    ¡°So, you think you can beat three supervillains?¡± Paragon retorted. ¡°You¡¯re not my sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kick their asses if I have to.¡± She brought her fist up, and it ignited in flames. ¡°Stay behind me. I¡¯ll take the ugly red one down, and then that stone bastard is next. Hear that, Red Ape! You¡¯re last. Not because you¡¯re strong, but because I know you won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, screw you! Kill her, Mars!¡±


    ¡°I was planning on it.¡± Mars King licked his lips. ¡°I¡¯m pretty hungry, after all. Besides, your deal doesn¡¯t matter. The hospital¡¯s empty.¡±


    Paragon frowned beneath the mask. Destiny wasn''t nearby; the bird had been sent flying when the attack started. The bird flew through the hospital, and no matter how much he looked, not another soul was around. ¡°He¡¯s right. No one else is here but us.¡±


    ¡°A teleporter?¡± She winced. Usually, if a person could teleport, it fell into two groups. The first group was someone like Ears. He was a member of the Bad Timers, one who would teleport them to places. He needed conditions to be met to use his power and couldn¡¯t teleport very far but could move a large group of people. The second group of teleporters was someone like Green Wolf. They were able to move themselves far away but couldn¡¯t take a lot of people with them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Paragon murmured.


    She took a deep breath, feeling the fire grow within her. ¡°Stay close to me, Paragon. I¡¯m going to get you out of here! I promise!¡±


    Meanwhile, up on the roof of the hospital, Green Wolf rested on his back lazily, looking up at the sun. ¡°This feels like it¡¯s cheating.¡± The villain grumbled. ¡°The game is so boring now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just mad that I thought of it first.¡± White Spider grinned and placed her hands on White Lamb¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Keep up the good work, kid. I don¡¯t want anyone hearing a peep of what we¡¯re doing; you got that! Make that hallway soundproof.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± White Lamb sighed.


    White Spider gave another grin as she pulled her mask down. ¡°We¡¯ll see how that Poseidon bitch reacts when I have her sister. That¡¯ll teach her a lesson! God, I¡¯m so smart!¡± It had been thanks to her that everything ran so smoothly. In her fight with Poseidon, she managed to slip a few of her spiders on some of the Sub Enforcer members. None of them even knew it, but those idiotic heroes had led them straight to the Bad Timers base, allowing Green Wolf to invade it.


    Green Wolf huffed and jumped up. ¡°Have fun with your victory lap. I¡¯m going to go play with someone else.¡±


    ¡°And who might that be?¡± White Spider shot the man a look, but Green Wolf ignored her, making his way to the roof and peering down. ¡°Hey! Answer me! You agreed I could be in charge.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re doing a great job.¡± Green Wolf said in a mocking manner.


    The woman gritted her teeth. ¡°Careful. I¡¯m the one who teleported everyone in the hospital out of the building. Mess with me, and I might bring them back and leave you here. I¡¯m sure the Victorian would love to have a rematch with you.¡±


    Green Wolf went to say something, then stopped. The leader of Zoo slowly brought a hand up, flipped her the bird, and then casually dropped from the hospital roof. He fell towards the ground and landed on the balls of his feet. ¡°Yo. I was wondering when you¡¯d get here.¡±


    Standing in the parking lot, about to head to the hospital, Battery froze when he saw who had just appeared in front of him.


    The rematch between Battery and Green Wolf was about to begin.

 Chapter Thirty-Eight: You’re Dead

    Shortly after the battle between Green Wolf, Battery, and Cinder...


    Harrison Avalon rested in his chair, looking around his office. His main base was in Rose City, where it was a lot bigger and more open. Oleander was still nice, though. The office was clean, with a pristine white floor and walls adorned with an abundance of paintings from many of history¡¯s most renowned artists.


    His favorite was called ¡®The Final Battle,¡¯ which depicted Full Monarch in his final battle with the Emperor. Sadly, there was only a single copy of that piece, and he made sure to keep it safe in his base in Rose.


    He opened his computer, quickly monitoring a few of the various robots he had working in the building. Avalon Industries had few actual people who worked for the company. Over ninety percent of his buildings were run by his robots. It was his specialty, after all. The last time he actually bothered to build something himself was nearly five years ago.


    Content with all the readings he was getting, he clicked a button and changed the monitor to a video game that involved mining blocks.


    ¡®Warp me home.¡¯


    Avalon felt his pocket twitch, and a gray hand floated out of it and into the air. It snapped its fingers, and the hand suddenly glowed with a bright blue light before it shimmered out. Two figures appeared in thin air out of the strange energy.


    ¡°You know,¡± Harrison said, continuing to play his game. ¡°Using Story Maker like that is a bad idea. If the heroes figure out where you got that tech from, then the Victorian would tear Oleander apart, looking for the both of us. All it takes is one hero who can sense energy when you do that, and boom. Entire plan, gone.¡±


    Green Wolf snorted, dropping White Lamb on the hard floor. The girl hit it headfirst and groaned, and he placed his boot on her gut. ¡°Do me a solid and fix this thing up for me. She took a strong punch to the face by some brat with super strength.¡± He kicked the girl across the room, and she crashed into a wall, slumping. Hands were already beginning to swarm the girl, fixing her with medical supplies as best they could. Green Wolf began to stalk around the office. ¡°I saw you on TV.¡±


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± Harrison asked. His eyes followed the villain closely.


    ¡°No. That other guy took all the glory.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was bummed a little.¡±


    ¡°I met the fire girl. The one that took Red Ape out.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t as fun as I thought. If she struggled to beat someone like White Lamb, then she¡¯s just low-level trash.¡± The wolf-masked man complained. Green Wolf walked slowly over to one of Avalon¡¯s curiosities, resting in the corner of the Oleander office. It was an orb, one made out of a metal he had never seen before. From what Avalon told him, it was the pod that created Poseidon. One of four. His hand lightly brushed the orb, the blue light seemingly shining from the metal. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Even if the fire girl is boring, I think I found someone else to play with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Harrison reached up just in time to catch the thing the villain threw at him. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± It was a glass vial filled with orange liquid.


    ¡°I destroyed the other samples. I want you to let me know what that is made of. I plan on hunting the leader of the Coins.¡±


    Harrison sighed, slumping his head. He hated work. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll get to it sometime, I guess.¡±


    Sometimes he wondered if it would have been better to simply work with the heroes. Then again, if they found out the connection this latest threat had to the Emperor as well as Paragon, he figured it wouldn¡¯t have gone so well.


    So for just a bit longer, he would work from the shadows. That was what he had been created for, after all.


    It was all for the greater good.


    ***


    ¡°Hey! Are you even listening?¡±


    Polaron shut his book and let out a loud sigh that echoed through his helmet. ¡°I don¡¯t listen to barnyard animals.¡± The villain stared out the window of the van. The leader of the Bad Timers was having a very bad time indeed.


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s cold.¡± Black Crow let out a chuckle. ¡°Maybe you freaks aren¡¯t so bad after all. I give White Spider a lot of crap for being useless, but this might have been one of the best ideas she has had yet. Maybe we should team up more-¡±


    Black Crow was cut off when he felt a clawed hand at his throat. ¡°Respect the boss.¡± Demonica hissed from the back seat. ¡°Say another word to him, and I will tear out your throat.¡±


    Black Crow smirked underneath his mask. ¡°You going to let her talk to me like that, Panda?¡±


    In the very back, a large man in a blood-red suit rested. He stood at nearly twelve feet tall and was slumped down in a ball-like pose so as not to hit the roof. He wore a red cartoon panda mask. His voice boomed out and caused the entire van to shake. ¡°Don¡¯t care, Crow. Minding my own business. Get yourself out of this mess.¡±


    ¡°It is almost time.¡± A hissing voice came from the seat next to Demonica. Ears was a man covered in radios and cell phones that seemed to have been all stitched together into a brown cloak he wore. Ear wax dripped from several cuts in the cloak, and the sound of a phone buzzing seemed to always come from him. ¡°I can hear our agent reach the mall now. As soon as he says the phrase, I will send us all in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ears.¡± Demonica nodded.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you guys do it.¡± Black Crow hummed. ¡°You use him to listen in, and he sends you guys in.¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop speaking.¡± Demonica growled.


    Crow just rolled his eyes and pulled the van over the side of the road. They were in the middle of Oleander City. It didn¡¯t really matter where he stopped. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m up next.¡± Sitting in the back next to Red Panda was another member of the Bad Timers. Ghost wore a skintight white suit that covered him from head to toe and showed nothing. No face, eyes, or anything. In fact, he didn¡¯t even seem to be breathing. He climbed out of the back of the van and began to walk down the street. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you guys at the mall.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Black Crow gave a thumbs up to his new ally and started the van back up. As he drove, he couldn¡¯t help but give a smirk when he saw, in the mirror, a massive explosion go off, followed by the sound of screaming, as Ghost started what would be the first of many massacres. ¡°So, do we even know what the guy we are looking for looks like?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue.¡± Polaron sighed. ¡°Just kill everyone and see which one comes back from the dead. That will be the healer we¡¯re looking for. She should also have a connection to Paragon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Ears'' voice caused them all to go silent. The man quickly lifted his hand up. ¡°Go.¡± He snapped, and the van was filled with a glowing light. Then, in a flash, everyone but Ears vanished, leaving the man as the only person left in the van. Slowly, the villain climbed into the driver¡¯s seat and turned the radio off, a twisted smile coming onto his face as his enhanced senses allowed him to hear every cry of pain Ghost caused with his explosions.


    Meanwhile, in the mall, Snowdawn walked and bit into his corndog. ¡°Looks like things have settled down now that everyone got a chance to get some pictures with heroes.¡± His lower mouth had been cleared away of snow, but the rest of his body was well hidden.


    ¡°You were pretty popular.¡± Whisper giggled. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get a single request. I don¡¯t think Cinder did either. Battery got a few, but the rest went to you and Myth, for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty cool.¡± Snowdawn winked. ¡°Guess you can say I¡¯m-¡± He was stopped when Whisper held her hand out in front of him. ¡°Something wrong? I was just about to make a cool pun. Get it? Cool-¡±


    ¡°We need to warn Money Tree.¡± Snowdawn instantly grew serious when he heard the fear in Whisper¡¯s voice. ¡°This is bad!¡±


    The mall was filled with people who walked back and forth, shopping or taking a peek at the heroes. A man suddenly stood up on a bench and screamed out as loud as he could. ¡°Warp them here, Ears!¡±


    ***


    She acted instantly. Her hand came out towards the window, and before any of the villains could think about stopping her, she blasted the wall to pieces. She expected them to give chase or something, but they didn¡¯t. Instead, they watched her.


    That creeped her out a little, but she didn¡¯t have time to consider her options. She grabbed onto Paragon and jumped out of the window, using her super jump to send herself flying towards the other side of the parking lot.


    ¡°Now, now. No leaving the game so soon.¡± She felt a weird sensation, and right before she passed over the road, she was suddenly standing back in the hospital hallway, still holding Paragon. ¡°Stay put and play the game.¡± She felt her head rattle as a voice seemingly spoke to her. It wasn¡¯t real, though; it held no echo or anything like that; it was rather as if it were appearing directly in her head.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Paragon cursed. ¡°There¡¯s a teleporter stopping us from leaving. Likely the same one that took everyone in the hospital. If they can use their power without touching us, then we¡¯re in huge trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She winced. ¡°Looks like if we want to get out of here, we¡¯ll have to take whoever that person is out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just stupid or forgot, but we¡¯re also standing in your way.¡± Intake smirked. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get through us if you want to get out of here.¡±


    Red Ape wasn¡¯t a strong person. The man had a mental power that allowed him to create tech that could improve animals and mutate them. As it stood, though, he didn¡¯t have any animals with him at the moment. She had already destroyed his hands, leaving just that stupid laser helmet. A villain whose power was so useless, he ditched it in favor of using tech other mental users created. She was pretty confident she could beat him.


    She didn¡¯t know a lot about Intake. He wasn¡¯t a small-time bad guy, but he wasn¡¯t massive either. He usually worked alone and hated being in the Bad Timers. Mr. Larison had seemed confident they could beat him when she first fought him, and that was before she got better with her powers, so she decided it would possibly be a fifty-fifty on him.


    That left just Mars King. The second-strongest member of the Bad Timers, a powerhouse that could control all the cells in his body and morph them, he fought big-shot heroes every day and walked away. The biggest threat in the hospital cracked his knuckles. Only an Enforcer member, or someone like Battery or Poseidon, could stop a threat like Mars King by themselves.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you actually have a plan?¡± Paragon asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking.¡± She muttered. On one side, Mars King stood, as did Intake. Behind her and Paragon, Red Ape guarded the rear. The two villains were a few meters away, while Red Ape was on the other side of the hallway, guarding the exit. It would be easy to bum rush him and take him out, but his bubble would block the hallway off fully, and if she wasn¡¯t fast enough, Mars King would easily catch up to her. That or he would simply be able to grab Paragon.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She had an idea¡ªone that she wouldn¡¯t call good.


    ¡°What are you standing around for?¡± Intake said from behind Mars King. ¡°Enough with this stalling.¡±


    Mars King let out a laugh and began to step forward. He was four meters away, then three, then-


    ¡°Sorry about this, in advance.¡± She said, giving a grin.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan-¡± Paragon was cut off as Cinder raised her hands up, pointing them down either side of the hallway, one at Red Ape and one at Mars King.


    She felt her fire build up, and the blast ignited in all directions away from her and Paragon. If they really did take everyone in the hospital like they were claiming, then she didn¡¯t need to hold back. Red Ape panicked and turned his bubble on to its full power, causing it to fill his side of the hallway and keep him safe. Mars King and Intake both let out growls of pain as the fire washed over them. Intake¡¯s skin cracked and melted, but he shrugged most of the damage off, while Mars King¡¯s skin began to put itself back together.


    She wasted no time after that. She still couldn¡¯t fly. After seeing Demonica do it, she had toyed around with the idea of blasting through the air as a way to fly, but it didn¡¯t work out well. She wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough to keep up long streams of fire for more than a few seconds, and she had almost zero control. It was good for getting a massive jump boost, though. One that she used.


    She easily picked up Paragon by the waist with one arm and, in a single heartbeat, blasted down the hallway towards Red Ape. His bubble was in the way, and that was just what she needed to slow down. She had seen Mr. Larison do something similar to this in his fight with Green Wolf. She spun her body around midair and allowed her feet to land on the energy shield, using it like a wall. Without wasting any energy, she used the force to kick off of the bubble, blasting down the other side of the hallway even faster.


    ¡°I will kill-¡± Mars King never got to finish as she reached him and spun again, kicking him in the gut with all that force, and as soon as her leg made contact, the bottom of it erupted in a massive blast.


    She had basically just turned herself into a massive human-sized bullet! Every window that was left exploded in a hail of glass, and the force of the attack literally picked Mars King up and hurled him down the hallway, where he smashed into Intake, the two of them hitting the wall so hard they broke through it and began to free fall out of the hospital.


    ¡°Never do something like that again!¡± Paragon yelled, getting out of her arms. The girl¡¯s legs wobbled, and the hero nearly collapsed. ¡°I don¡¯t have super durability; that bouncing isn¡¯t good for me!¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡±


    Red Ape screamed some curses out, firing a beam from his helmet towards them, which she ducked under. ¡°Same helmet, so I bet it has the same flaw, right?¡± She kicked off the ground, shaking the hallway and causing Red Ape to stumble. He let out a fearful squeak as she flashed over to him with super speed and grabbed his arm before he could twist the knob.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, let¡¯s chill out and just-¡±


    She twisted her body, lifting him up with ease, and then she threw him out of the hospital! He went flying and screamed in pure terror! Right when he hit the property line, though, he vanished. Literally blinking out of existence. The next thing she knew, he was back in front of her, back on his feet. It would seem whatever affected her, and Paragon did the same to him. The villains also couldn¡¯t leave the property line.


    ¡°Oh, thank God-¡± He changed his settings just in time as her fist crashed into his helmet, and his bubble appeared. ¡°Haha-¡± She punched again and again, pushing him back and causing his eyes to widen. She ignored the pain in her hands, delivering blow after blow. ¡°Don¡¯t just stay down there! Intake, Mars King! Save me, you assholes! Either that or come down and save me, Spider!¡±


    ¡°Cinder, the two villains are getting back up.¡± Paragon shouted. ¡°They¡¯ll be back on us any second.¡±


    She gritted her teeth and moved away from Red Ape. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get his bubble down in time before the other two reached her again. She hurled a bolt of fire back towards him, making sure he didn¡¯t get any ideas. "Sorry, Paragon, but we don¡¯t have time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± The girl sighed in defeat when she was picked up once more. Red Ape didn¡¯t give chase. He knew he wouldn¡¯t win a one-on-one and instead backed down his side of the hallway, heading for the stairs.


    She took off towards the massive hole she created. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to get too far, but this hallway was a bad spot. On top of that, she had a limited amount of energy, and it was very likely this group had more members somewhere if they were able to teleport every person out of the hospital. As long as that teleporter was here then-


    ¡°Hey, wait a second. If they can teleport, then why didn¡¯t they just...¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think you have time to stop and think.¡± Paragon growled. Down below, Intake and Mars King were already getting back up.


    She set Paragon down and looked at the hero. ¡°I want to try something. Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have a choice.¡± Paragon reasoned and folded her arms. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to do your plan, then I want to try mine out.¡±


    ¡°You have a plan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m going to need you to leave me here.¡±


    ¡°That sort of defeats the purpose of me saving you.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see it, but she could tell Paragon had a sly grin on her face. From the little of the girl¡¯s appearance she had been able to see, she guessed the girl was the kind to get devious ideas. ¡°You focus on taking that teleporter down. I¡¯m going to take Mars King.¡±


    ¡°What! He¡¯ll kill you!¡± She argued, shaking her head. ¡°He can rip me apart, and in case you forgot, I''m mega durable!¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t kill me. They said they need me alive. Besides, if you''re really worried, then I guess you¡¯ll just have to take down the teleporter and hurry back to save me.¡± She was about to argue more, but Paragon held her hand up. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Those two are already getting back up.¡± Intake and Mars King glared up from the hole they stood in, about to come back for round two. ¡°Trust me, okay?¡±


    She clenched her fist, trying to come up with an answer. She wasn¡¯t smart like Mr. Larison or Myth. She had no idea how they could make these split-second choices. Finally, though, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my super senses cranked up. Scream my name, and I¡¯ll quit what I¡¯m doing and blast my way down to the hospital to get you if anything happens okay.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Paragon stepped away from the hole. ¡°Do your thing.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like separating like this, but Paragon seemed to have a plan. The girl was the daughter of Ocean Empress and sister to Poseidon, so she would trust that Paragon could handle herself. None of this even mattered if they couldn¡¯t leave the hospital. If she couldn¡¯t get away because of that teleporter, then she would just do the next best thing she could think of. ¡°Hey, you cowards. Meet me on the roof, and let¡¯s settle this fair and square!¡± She jumped out of the massive hole she made but only fell about an inch before she sent a mini-explosion out of her legs and used the force to send herself flying up to the roof of the hospital, where she landed, finally nailing her superhero pose.


    She could already hear Intake literally crawling up the building, and a door to the roof opened up as Red Ape came running out. She also wasn¡¯t shocked to see that two other villains were already on the roof waiting for her. One was White Lamb; the other was some insane-looking woman in a white suit who was glaring at her. Both had been with Green Wolf the night she accidentally joined the Sub Enforcer¡¯s mission.


    She blasted a ball of fire towards the two girls, but Red Ape jumped in front of the blast and turned his bubble on to full power. She sighed, knowing it wouldn¡¯t have been that easy. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the one teleporting people around?¡± She asked, shooting a look towards the woman.


    White Spider gave a large grin and nodded. ¡°As a matter of fact, I am.¡±


    ¡°Why would you freaking tell her that?¡± Red Ape slapped his face. ¡°We could have left her guessing.¡±


    ¡°She deserves to know who came up with such an amazing idea!¡± White Spider announced proudly.


    Intake pulled himself up to the roof with a grunt. ¡°Mars King is going after the bitch downstairs. I came up to make sure you had someone guarding you other than that idiot.¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s a rude thing to say.¡± Red Ape growled. ¡°White Lamb is not an idiot.¡±


    Intake snorted and glared at her. ¡°Just keep those girls safe. I¡¯m about to skin me one annoying hero. You got some plans, but you¡¯re the same girl I faced before. Still a coward that runs away.¡±


    The plan was seemingly working. Mars King was after Paragon, and with Red Ape focused on pure defense, that meant she just had to take down Intake. ¡°You know, I had a feeling you would be up here.¡± She commented, giving a smile towards White Spider. ¡°You could have been smart and hidden somewhere else, but you just had to be on the roof to feel like you were in charge, right? Typical for your kind.¡± She didn¡¯t know if any of that was true or not, but the girl seemed like the egotistical type. Red Ape was how she actually knew the woman was up here. He had shouted for her to come down and save him.


    White Spider rolled her eyes and gave a large grin. ¡°Save your breath for someone who cares-¡±


    ¡°I have to wonder, though.¡± She interjected, cutting the villain off. ¡°Do these henchmen know how crappy your power is?¡±


    ¡°My power isn¡¯t crap!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not? Oh, then why don¡¯t you teleport Paragon up here and grab her?¡± She eyed White Spider up and down, seeing if the girl would budge an inch. ¡°Or maybe... You can¡¯t do that. See, I thought it was kind of odd. You guys are from different teams. Zoo, Bad Timers, mashed together. Things like that only happen during Calamity events, usually. So, whatever you guys are after has to be important, right? That¡¯s why I found it odd. If it was important, then why didn¡¯t you just grab Paragon instantly?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°I mean, attacking a Super hospital? Like, that is just a stupid idea. Any second now, the Enforcers will arrive-"


    ¡°They¡¯re not coming!¡± White Spider hissed out. ¡°They¡¯ll be too busy dealing with other crimes. I¡¯m not stupid! You think I wouldn¡¯t plan for this! As we speak, dozens of crimes are happening all over this city. We have the full backing of Zoo and the Bad Timers! I bet that by now this city is in pure chaos! Of course, White Lamb has been blocking out all that pesky noise.¡±


    She knew the woman wasn¡¯t lying. She couldn¡¯t hear it, but she could smell it. Smoke. Thick smoke. She saw it, too. Fire. Large and blazing. Something was going on in the city, but she would have to focus on getting out of here first. ¡°You planned for all of this, so you have to be a little smart at the very least. That¡¯s why I find it so odd that you did things this way. The smartest and quickest thing to do would have been to grab Paragon and leave. Simply teleport the girl to you, but you didn¡¯t. You instead got rid of every civilian and left her. Even if, for some reason, you couldn¡¯t move her that way, you still could have moved me, but you didn¡¯t. It makes no sense, unless you simply couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about my powers! Intake, kill her.¡± White Spider screamed.


    Intake folded his arms, a sly smirk on his lips. ¡°Actually, this is pretty fun to watch. Besides, I never really thought about how your powers work.¡±


    ¡°Intake!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mostly right.¡± Red Ape called out to her. ¡°Your mind was on the right track, at least. White Spider here is a teleporter, but it¡¯s more of a secondary power, similar to how BB can control wind and shrink.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± White Spider whispered.


    ¡°She marks an area. Think of it like putting a massive barrier around a place. It¡¯s invisible and can have some functions based around it. Basically, it¡¯s her spider web. The size of this barrier is based on how many of her spiders she has scattered in an area, forming a circle. This entire hospital and the parking lot are caught in her web. Once a web has been set up, it teleports all non-Supers out of the location and stops them from entering, constantly teleporting them back out while constantly keeping Supers in, and then any Super that gets too close gets dragged in.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell are you telling her all of this!¡± White Spider screamed.


    ¡°She deserves to know how such an amazing power works.¡± Red Ape said in a mocking tone, doing his best White Spider voice. ¡°Besides, it isn¡¯t like it matters. My powers have turned your baby spiders into a new breed. She literally can¡¯t find them once the web is set up, and Intake isn¡¯t going to let her get through this barrier. Once Mars King has Paragon, we win.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Intake reached out with his hand and touched a large metal radio-like tower that was on the hospital roof. The stone on his skin began to shift and morph into a clean metal glow. He grunted as he grew in size and cracked his now-metal bones. ¡°Pretty stupid, leaving the healer downstairs, girl. It''s not like it was the dumbest choice you made today, though. Fighting me is pretty high up there.¡±


    She took a deep breath, feeling her pounding heart start to steady. Slowly, she tried to give a confident smile, though it likely came out more stressed than anything. It was what the Victorian had done that day during the bank attack. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, then. I¡¯m going to take you down, Intake!¡± The fire surged around her arms as the man roared and charged at her.


    Meanwhile, several floors below, Paragon stood. All around her, there was total darkness. She couldn¡¯t see. Destiny was flying high in the air, keeping an eye on Cinder in case the girl needed her help, but that meant she herself was totally blind.


    It didn¡¯t matter, though. She could hear the threat that was near her.


    ¡°I applaud your courage in standing before me by yourself.¡± Mars King grunted as he lifted himself through the window. ¡°My master has ordered that I bring you back alive. Give up, and you will not be harmed. Keep up this game, though, and rest assured, I will rip one of your legs off.¡±


    ¡°Why are you trying to get me anyway?" You said your master ordered it? What use does Polaron have for me?¡±


    Mars King clenched his fist and took a step towards her. ¡°If left unchecked, you could sink your fangs into the master¡¯s body. He is the one who will surpass the Emperor. For the sake of Polaron, I will follow all his commands. He wishes to see you before he beheads you himself. He¡¯d like to kill the threat we seek with his own two hands.¡±


    She took a step back, feeling her heart beat faster. ¡°You think I¡¯m some great threat? Not my sister, but me?¡±


    Mars King grunted. ¡°The one who told us of the great threat felt that it could be at two locations. You have the possibility of being one of them. That was why we broke into two teams. Polaron will need to capture his target, then. Even if you are not this big a threat, you are connected to it. He still has a need for you. You will come with me, and you will do so now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I sort of like living.¡±


    ¡°A leg is coming off then.¡± Mars King growled, stepping towards her.


    ¡°I love my sister.¡± Her words caused the villain to stop. ¡°My sister is strong and kind. Too kind. She has made it her job to keep me safe and protected, even when I don¡¯t need it. Her kindness is something that will one day get her killed. She believes villains like you, people who had no choice but to live life as monsters, should have a second chance, a third, and a fourth. That is something I don¡¯t agree with.¡± Paragon reached up and took her mask off, her blind eyes seemingly staring into Mars King¡¯s soul. ¡°I think those who served the Emperor should share the same fate that he did.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Mars King didn¡¯t know why, but he felt a sudden shiver begin to go up his spine. He took a step back and gritted his teeth. ¡°What is this? What are you?¡±


    Sky gave a smile and cocked her head to the side. ¡°Rest assured when I say this. I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Homeless Man

    ¡°I heard your prison recently almost had a breach?" Ocean Empress questioned as she took a seat next to Boy Genius.


    The child was in a spinning chair, playing around with some cube-like invention. Boy Genius reached up and messed with his glasses. ¡°Yeah. Fairy Queen randomly tried to make an escape attempt. It was weird. She¡¯s usually just sitting in her room all day, not doing anything ever since she was captured fifteen years ago. It spooked me a little, to be honest. I told the Victorian to be on the lookout for anything bad.¡±


    ¡°You think it could be related to the Emperor?¡± Ocean Empress asked quietly.


    The Emperor¡¯s army had primarily consisted of monsters created by the villain. Some more beast than man. There were four villains, however, who served him, each said to be just as twisted as he was. Golden God, a demented cyborg created to wipe out planets. Fairy Queen, a Super that seemed to bend reality itself. Princess of Life, the heir to the Emperor. And, of course, the final member, his faithful Hell Hound.


    Of the four, only Golden God had managed to escape. The others were either dead or rotting in Nightshade.


    ¡°Eh. I doubt it has anything to do with the Emperor.¡± Boy Genius spun in his chair and tossed the cube away. ¡°That guy is either long dead or so burned and plagued; he¡¯ll never be a threat to us again.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ocean Empress shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s change the subject to something less dark, shall we? Did you figure anything out about that man?¡± The woman asked, folding her arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re still on about that.¡± Old Dog snorted as he stared up at the roof of the lab he found himself in. It wasn¡¯t in his majestic home city of Oleander, instead being in the filthy lands his ex-wife and daughter called home. It took everything he had not to curse at the oddly shaped buildings and weirdly spaced roads. ¡°I thought you were interested in that fire girl, but now all you ever seem to talk about is that man.¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡± Ocean Empress sighed.


    ¡°Your father is right, for once.¡± Boy Genius piped up. It was his lab they were currently in. Like Harrison Avalon or the late Mr. Sini, he had a lab in nearly every major city. He had tried to convince the Victorian to fly him to the moon so he could put one up there as well, but she had refused. His lab was wide and spacious, with dozens of desks filled with essential things, such as his video game collection or robots made for making bomb-ass ice cream. The important stuff. ¡°You¡¯re a little obsessive with this man, you know. Is this what adults call love?¡±


    ¡°You stay out of this.¡± Ocean Empress huffed and used her powers to play with her dress. She allowed it to flow over her body and freeze before breaking it back down into a liquid. It helped her to think. ¡°Look. Slightly different or not, that¡¯s the Victorian¡¯s power. I think we should care about this a little more.¡±


    ¡°Ya know, just because your husband went and got himself blown to bits in the last Calamity fight doesn¡¯t mean you can go looking for a replacement like this.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that what she is doing? Ew. Adults are freaking weird.¡± Boy Genius rolled his eyes as he booted up a game.


    Ocean Empress gritted her teeth about to say more but was stopped by a loud buzzing. Her eyes widened for a second. ¡°Something is going on in Oleander. I got to go check it out. Can you watch my dad for me while I¡¯m gone?¡± She didn¡¯t bother waiting for an answer. The wall opened up, and she leaped out, her water forming into a board that allowed her to surf on the air itself.


    The lab closed back up, leaving just the old man and the little boy. ¡°Ya know.¡± Old Dog set up on his bed, pulling some wires off of him. He had been brought here by his daughter, who seemed to think the world¡¯s most imaginative child could save him. ¡°I was a member of the original Enforcers back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Must¡¯ve been some time ago.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kind of snarky.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Boy Genius shrugged. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m wrong about that man your daughter is interested in?¡±


    ¡°I never know what to think anymore.¡± The old guy grumbled a bit and looked up to the roof. ¡°Ever since the death of Full Monarch, this world seemed to change so much. I do think I¡¯d like to have a word with this man, though.¡±


    Boy Genius gave a sly smile. ¡°Yeah. I would, too. Just who is Jack Larison?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hey! I want to talk-¡±


    Green Wolf narrowly dodged the golden blast that flew past his head.


    ¡°Whoa, quick on the draw, huh? Listen, can we-¡±


    Battery jumped back, but his eyes went wide as he felt a strange sensation affect him. It happened as soon as he stepped out of the parking lot. He felt his stomach twist, and then a second later, he was right back where he had been moments ago. His head felt a little dizzy as he shrugged off the effects of teleportation¡ªa sloppy one, at that.


    ¡°Yeah, so now you know you can¡¯t leave so-¡± Green Wolf held his knife up just in time to block the golden beam. ¡°Seriously, man!¡±


    Battery looked past him and towards the hospital. He could see a large hole in the side of it and smell smoke. Every now and then, the building would shake, though strangely, there was no noise. ¡°Where are Cinder and Paragon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so now you speak.¡± Green Wolf flicked his knife, slicing a chunk out of the ground. The man played with the weapon casually, twirling it between his fingers. ¡°I have half a mind to not speak to you now, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for any games.¡± Battery narrowed his eyes, the black of his costume changing to a solid gold as he felt the energy beneath his skin bubble up and a golden aura formed around him.


    ¡°Oh, but I am.¡± Green Wolf tossed his knife up into the air in a very lazy manner. The villain¡¯s hand flew up, catching the fist Battery threw at him. Green Wolf grunted, feeling electricity course through his body as Battery glared at him. His powers could block the kinetic force, but pure energy like this still hurt him, even if a little. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere fun, shall we?¡±


    ¡°What-¡±


    Battery was cut off as he once again felt his stomach flip a bit. Green Wolf was using whatever method he now had to teleport them. In an instant, the space around them seemed to fold in half, and a loud ¡®popping¡¯ sound screeched out in all directions. The next thing Battery knew, he was no longer in the parking lot of the hospital and instead had been teleported all the way to the very top of some skyscraper within the city.


    It was a building that was at a weird angle, and he began to slip before he flared his golden aura out and caused small spikes to come from his boots, which dug into the metal, keeping him attached to it. Green Wolf, on the other hand, pulled out a long chain, which the villain swung like a lasso, wrapping it around the top of the building and swinging off of it.


    As the Green Wolf swung, he sliced at the hero, but Battery ducked down just in time. The slice hit the building and began to carve into it, ripping a hole. Battery fell back as the part he was standing on tore open and he tumbled inside of the tower. It was some office, one that was filled with dozens of panicked workers in suits.


    More slashes rained down, and Battey slammed his hand down, sending out beams of energy from his back, which hit all the people and formed barriers around them just in time to block the strikes. He wasn¡¯t able to put one around himself fast enough though as Green Wolf slammed down and rammed a knife into the top of Battery¡¯s head. The knife buried itself past the skull, and the villain let go of it as Battery¡¯s eyes rolled back and blood began to pour out of the man¡¯s eyes.


    A knife to the brain would be more than enough to kill any Super. Supers were still just humans after all.


    All the golden light went out, and Green Wolf let go of the knife as the body of Battery collapsed face first into the ground. The office was filled with the sounds of screaming as all the people backed away, but the villain paid them no mind.


    ¡°Sucks I had to take him out like that.¡± Green Wolf hummed and turned away. ¡°I had wanted to talk. Oh well. Maybe if he hadn¡¯t wasted time protecting people, he would have-¡±


    A sick tearing sound filled the room, and Green Wolf spun around just in time to see Battery rip the knife out of the top of his head.


    ¡°Are you even human?¡±


    Supers were still humans. They had durable bodies but destroy a few organs, and they died. There was one group of people who were able to keep getting back up no matter how much damage they took. Created by the Emperor fifteen years ago, all slowly losing their minds or growing into massive creatures. They called them Monsters.


    All Green Wolf saw was a palm as Battery rammed his hand directly into the face of the villain. A flare of gold blasted out as he slammed his beam into Green Wolf and sent the man crashing through the wall of the skyscraper they were in and out into the air.


    The villain gasped as he went flying through the air spinning around, and before he could react, Battery appeared in front of him in midair and rammed his fist down into Green Wolf¡¯s stomach. The leader of Zoo smashed down into the ground with a massive force, catching several people who had been walking down the street off guard. Cars stopped and people stared as the villain grunted and tried to stand up, but Battery landed on Green Wolf from above and easily shoved the villain to the ground and raised his fist high, golden energy coursing through it as he brought it down.


    Green Wolf narrowly twisted his head to the side, causing the fist to only clip part of his mask and rip a bit of it off. The ground shattered around them as Battery¡¯s fist left a dent. He didn¡¯t bother raising it up again, instead holding his finger out and pointing it at the villain¡¯s head, about to put the equivalent of a super-powered bullet into the man¡¯s brain, but he stopped right before he could fire.


    Green Wolf¡¯s knife pressed to Battery¡¯s throat. ¡°You might have survived a knife to your skull, but even someone like Polaron would die if I cut their head off, and I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re no different.¡±


    ¡°Want to find out.¡± Battery hissed. The wound in his head already closed up as golden lightning flared around it and dripped down his face.


    ¡°I just want to talk. Interested?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Battery was about to fire, charging up the beam. ¡°Save me a seat in hell.¡±


    Green Wolf gritted his teeth. He never expected the man to be batshit insane, but then again, he wasn¡¯t one to talk. ¡°I can tell you why this attack is happening. It¡¯s pretty important and could save that girl¡¯s life.¡±


    Battery stared down at him with a frown on his lips. He debated blasting the guy anyways and letting his head be cut off, but then again, Nick likely wouldn¡¯t show up in time to fix that little issue. ¡°You act like this attack is important.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is.¡± Green Wolf¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t visible due to the mask he wore, but it was obvious he rolled them. ¡°It¡¯s the first time Zoo and Bad Timers have teamed up after all.¡±


    ¡°And yet, despite that, here you are wanting to chat with me?¡± Battery grumbled.


    ¡°This game just isn¡¯t fair. I don¡¯t like that, but for once, I¡¯m not in charge. We got a new guy running the game, and he blows at it. So what do you say? Let¡¯s have a quick chat about that. Maybe we can help each other out.¡± Once again, space twisted, and the two of them vanished, reappearing in front of the hospital.


    Battery narrowed his eyes. Slowly, he stood up, still pointing his hand as if it were a gun. Green Wolf twirled his knife and then, in a flash, vanished. Before Battery could move, he felt the blade of the knife be pressed to the back of his head.


    ¡°I can still teleport, in case you forgot. Your little suicide stunt would never have worked. Doesn¡¯t matter how fast your beams are; I¡¯m quicker. So don¡¯t go thinking I did this because I had no other choice.¡± A bit of golden lightning crackled from Battery¡¯s neck, shocking Green Wolf¡¯s wrist. The leader of Zoo gritted his teeth and backed off. ¡°Okay, truce starting now.¡± His knife vanished as Battery sharply turned around. ¡°So, which camp are you in?¡±


    ¡°Camp?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know. There are always two kinds of people. There are the people that think the Emperor is long dead, reduced to less than ash after his final battle with Full Monarch. Then you have the other half of people. The ones who wait in terror for his return. Which camp are you in?¡±


    ¡°Get to the point. Now.¡±


    ¡°This is important.¡± Green Wolf growled. ¡°See, personally, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s alive. I was a kid when it all happened. Young. So young. I remember being placed in a bunker when that shit went down. The world shook for nearly a week straight, and then boom! Both the number one hero and villain were dead. It¡¯s one of those things everyone who was alive will talk about, where you were on the night the Emperor was consumed by the flames of the Sun. Villainy wasn¡¯t like it is today. It was pure and utter chaos. Don¡¯t like it. Never had. No fun. No good rules. As a kid, I always thought the heroes had it the easiest. They just have to stop the villains. Now, though. Now I see how easy we villains have it. Sure, I might never be able to even think about harming the Victorian, but it doesn¡¯t matter. She could beat me to an inch of my life faster than I could blink, but if I managed to even kill a single person before she did stop me, then I won. It¡¯s almost too easy for us. It¡¯s why I hated the Emperor. He stacked the deck. Went and got every villain in the world to submit under him at the time and declared war on the human race. No sport in doing that. These team-ups. They¡¯re so imbalanced. I made a promise I would never team up with the Bad Timers for this very same reason. I don¡¯t need their help. I¡¯m more interested in challenging this game, not reducing the already easy difficulty.¡±


    ¡°So then why did you recruit them?¡±


    ¡°I told you. I¡¯m not the boss of this game. Someone else is leading it, and he told me to do so. I¡¯m not exactly a fan of it myself, but he allows me my sweetass teleportation, so I¡¯d rather not get on his bad side.¡±


    ¡°This buddy you keep mentioning. Who are they? They¡¯d have to be important if they could convince at least some of Bad Timers and Zoo to work together.¡±


    Green Wolf cocked his head to the side. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you my buddy¡¯s name. He¡¯s pretty important in the world, so it could be bad if people found out who he was. As for how he made it happen, that¡¯s simple. He gave us a common enemy. He told us of a threat that could be as strong as the Emperor if left unchecked.¡±


    Battery frowned slightly, his mind racing. ¡°I find it a little hard to believe something like that is here in Oleander. Even if it was, though, why attack here? The only people are¡ª" It clicked suddenly. Battery closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°Your boss is looking for them, aren¡¯t they? They think it¡¯s Paragon?¡±


    ¡°Bingo.¡± He could tell Green Wolf was smirking. This was the sort of thing the villain got off to. ¡°I¡¯m not sure on all the details, but when he tried to find the location, two people came up. The first was that hero, Paragon. The second, though, is the one who I think the threat actually is. Any guesses?¡±


    Appearing seemingly out of nowhere and making a group that could rival both Zoo and Bad Timers. Drugs that could cause a person¡¯s body to change and evolve to the level of a powerful Super. Having a group filled with humans yet still confidently pushing forward, no matter how many members they lost, pumping out new stuff every day that could bend even a person¡¯s mind. The reason the Sub Enforcers and Myth were so interested in the leader.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you took such an interest in the Wandering Coin. You figured it out, didn¡¯t you? The leader of the Wandering Coin is this great threat.¡±


    Green Wolf gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Correct again, B. So here¡¯s the deal. They think they know where this guy is. Of course, just in case they¡¯re wrong, they¡¯re willing to grab Paragon up as well, just on the off chance she might be the threat instead. That¡¯s why we made two groups. My group is after Paragon, while Polaron¡¯s is after the Wandering Coin leader. So, instead of fighting, you and I are going to make a deal. You make sure Paragon is kept safe and that Polaron dies a painful death, and in exchange, I¡¯ll make sure Polaron¡¯s group doesn¡¯t find the Wandering Coin leader.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that though?¡±


    ¡°I told you! I want to have fun with the game.¡± Green Wolf announced. ¡°That¡¯s why, no matter what, I will be the one to kill the leader of the Wandering Coin myself. It¡¯s not fun if Polaron gets to be the one to do it.¡±


    Battery nodded his head and gave a sly smirk. ¡°Sadly, you made one little mistake in your plan, Green.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°See. You all seem to think Paragon is something fragile. No need for me to protect her. In fact, I¡¯d be more scared for the bastard that has to go up against her. As for the mall. There¡¯s no need for you to get involved.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Do you think your team can fight off several of my warriors and Polaron¡¯s team, all while keeping the civilians safe? Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯m the best bet to combat him. Every second you keep me held up is another second he could find the leader. So, think carefully about betraying me, Battery. I can assure you I will go for the kill if I have to.¡±


    ¡°I have full faith in Myth and his team, but just in case, I prepared a backup,¡± Battery smirked, and he began to build up the energy within his body, ready to engage Green Wolf now that he knew everything he needed to know. ¡°Ya see, while all y¡¯all have been busy, I was cashing in some favors. I reckon if Polaron wants to get to the Wandering Coin leader, then he¡¯s going to have to get past a member of the Enforcers!¡±


    ¡°What-¡± Green Wolf felt Battery¡¯s punch connect with his head, and he grunted as he was smashed into the ground. ¡°Cheater!¡±


    Battery grinned, charging up a powerful blast. ¡°Careful. You¡¯re losing your cool!¡± He threw his hand out, firing a wide golden beam straight at Green Wolf!


    ***


    ¡°So, Mr. Brenner, how are you taking to Oleander City?¡± Myth asked as he walked through the mall.


    ¡°Meh.¡± Kyle shrugged. ¡°I liked Lillian better, that¡¯s for sure, but it has been pretty cool. Rowan helped me get used to it a little more, I guess. Sucks we had to move, though, but it is what it is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. You¡¯re a very lucky young man, having ties to so many heroes.¡± Myth mused.


    ¡°Yeah. I wouldn¡¯t really call it luck, though.¡± Kyle winced.


    ¡°Right. Sorry for bringing ¡®that¡¯ up.¡± Myth sighed. At this point, he kind of wished he had gone off with Cinder and Paragon. He had taken nearly a thousand pictures and spoken to several hundred different people. Now, he just walked the crowd, waiting for the day to end so he could give some final speeches and leave.


    ¡°Uh, excuse me, can I get a picture?¡± A scratchy voice asked. Myth turned and took a step back, a little shocked. The man who asked him for a picture didn¡¯t look like the type to have a phone. He had shaggy blonde hair that was clearly stained and heavy bags under his eyes. A massive bushy beard hugged his face, and his clothing was torn and stained.


    ¡°Hey, I know you!¡± Kyle said with wide eyes. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re that guy always hanging out in front of the school screaming nonsense, right?¡± The dirty man¡¯s eyes darted to Kyle, then back to Myth.


    ¡°Screaming?¡± Myth frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that picture.¡± The man grunted, stepping closer.


    ¡°Right. Do you have a phone or¡ª¡±


    Myth was cut off as the man wrapped his arms around his shoulder. He didn¡¯t transform into any of his forms, but he did clench his fists, ready just in case this was going to be trouble. The homeless man leaned in towards him and began to whisper into his ears. ¡°Get ready. An attack is about to begin. A big one. Not just here but in other parts of the city as well. The Lord you sent to the hospital is in danger. You need to make sure she lives. Her path hasn¡¯t run out yet.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Who the hell are-¡± Myth never got to finish as the homeless man let go of him and pulled his hood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting. Good luck. Remember your stories, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± He reached for the man but stopped when he heard it.


    A piercing yell echoed through the crowd. A man in a suit suddenly stood up on a bench and screamed out as loud as he could.


    ¡°Mr. Brenner, get behind me!¡± Myth jumped forward, his skin morphing as he changed into his bull form just in time to block a purple fireball. A portal appeared in the air above him, and crashing down was Demonica. She howled, and her leg smashed into his side with enough force to send him flying. He grunted and pulled himself back up, roaring. ¡°Everyone get away from her! Find a place to hide; I¡¯ll handle it-¡±


    All the metal suddenly rose up and began to fly throughout the room. From the portal, Polaron began to softly float down, his arms behind his back. ¡°Ahh, Myth. I figured you would be here. Alas, I¡¯m not in the mood to deal with you.¡±


    ¡°Bad Timers!¡± Myth roared and charged, holding his arms up as the metal stabbed into him.


    ¡°Not just them, big guy!¡± From up above, something crashed into his back, and he grunted, feeling a sword stab into his side. Black Crow planted his feet on Myth¡¯s shoulders, his wings flapping as he gripped the handle of a slick black katana. ¡°Sup, big guy!¡±


    ¡°Zoo-¡± Myth felt Demonica¡¯s fist smash into his gut, a wave of fire blasting out. He was shoved back again as Black Crow flew off of him. Before he could even regain his bearings, the girl suddenly pointed at a fleeing crowd. ¡°No!¡± He morphed into his lion form and jumped in front of the attack, sending out a sonic wave with a roar that blasted the fire away. A metal pillar ripped its way out of a wall and smashed into the back of his head, and from up above, Black Crow flew down, nearly slicing out one of his eyes. ¡°You bastards.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go wasting your energy.¡± Polaron raised his hand. ¡°You¡¯ll need it to save them.¡± All the metal began to fuse and bend together into the shape of a massive ball, which flew toward the crowd of people. Myth turned to jump after it, but Demonica smashed into his side, using her super speed to deliver hundreds of flaming strikes and nearly downing him.


    ¡°No!¡± Myth watched in horror as the ball fell.


    A wave of water sliced into the orb, splitting it in half. Before the metal could be reformed, the gravity around it seemed to increase. Polaron grunted as his powers struggled to even budge the stuff. A second later, the villain felt the gravity around him grow, and he dropped to the ground, landing on his feet.


    Poseidon walked down the stairs slowly, her eyes practically glowing in rage. She gripped her trident, and with every step, the mall seemed to shake. The girl¡¯s hair changed, turning blue, and her eyes lit up with a red glow as she tapped into the power that she held. One passed down through lifetimes of hard work. The Lord of the Sea and Depths activated.


    ¡°You okay, Myth?¡± Poseidon asked, shooting her former mentor a look. Myth grunted and nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Her look steeled, and she glared at Polaron. ¡°I¡¯ll take him on and make sure he doesn¡¯t harm any of the crowd.¡±


    ¡°And I got bird brain.¡± Another voice announced. Black Crow flipped through the air at the last second, dodging a series of blades that flew through the air. Money Tree on the railing, staring down at the bird-themed villain with a sly smile. The blades flew back to him and unwrapped. They were made completely of paper¡ªdollar bills, to be exact. More of his suit began to unravel and took shape into his knives. ¡°You cool with handling that Demon girl on your own?¡±


    Myth snorted and spat out a glob of blood. His body shimmered, and this time, he morphed into a different form. He kept his lion-like claws, but his fur changed into a brown color. A set of wings exploded out of his back, and his head morphed into that of an eagle.


    His beak clicked together, and his wings expanded to their full height as he dropped to all fours. ¡°I think I can manage to take her out!¡±


    Meanwhile, up above, Snowdawn jumped in front of Whisper, quickly creating a barrier of hard snow as something crashed into their floor. ¡°What the hell just happened!¡± He screamed.


    ¡°Not sure.¡± Whisper winced.


    A loud roar pierced the air, and Red Panda began to pull himself up, his eyes locking onto the two heroes. The villain smashed his fist into the ground hard enough to cause his knuckles to burst. The blood began to drip down his arm and started to swirl. The villain was huge and had a ton of blood, which his power allowed him to control. It spun faster and faster, and he raised his arm up.


    ¡°Your barrier won¡¯t hold!¡± Whisper screamed.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to dodge!¡±


    A massive bullet made of blood blasted out of the monster¡¯s hand as he screamed at the two of them. Everything seemed to slow down as Snowdawn watched in horror as his ice wall shattered and the bullet broke through. He threw himself in front of Whisper and did his best to solidify his armor, hoping he could at least stop it from hitting her. At the last second, before the bullet made contact with him, a hand flew out in front of him.


    The bullet smashed into the hand, and the air swirled and crackled, and the blood bullet suddenly collapsed to the ground.


    Snowdawn collapsed back, his eyes wide as he stared up at the man who saved him. ¡°You¡¯re... Why are you here? How are you a Super?¡±


    The homeless man, the one who was always screaming, stood in front of him. The man¡¯s eyes stared at the villain, and he let out a breath. Whisper took a step towards the dirty old man, her own eyes wide from beneath her costume.


    ¡°Dad?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°What!¡± Snowdawn stared up at her and then back at the dirty old guy, his mind struggling to process what was happening.


    ¡°Hey, sweetie.¡± For a second, the smallest hint of a smile appeared on the homeless man¡¯s face before his arms slumped, and he took a step towards Red Panda. The villain roared and charged, and the dirty man just sighed. ¡°I hate this part.¡±


    He raised his hand up, and from the sky, a bolt of lightning blasted towards him. It hit him as if he were a lightning rod and set his clothing on fire. It began to burn away, revealing a bright yellow costume beneath, one with the symbol of a lightning bolt.


    Max Lightning, the former sidekick and ex-husband to the Victorian and current member of the Enforcers, and the holder of the title of Lord of the Sky and Weather, cocked his head to the side. ¡°You two stay here. I¡¯ll handle this. It¡¯s the least I could do for a dear friend whom I owe a favor to.¡±

 Chapter Forty: Cinder’s Power

    Gold met green as Battery swung a golden sword of energy out, clashing with Green Wolf¡¯s knife. ¡°So, you¡¯re just stealing the Victorian¡¯s moves now? Don¡¯t you think a sword made of light is a little too on the nose?¡± Green Wolf smirked.


    ¡°In all fairness, I was using a sword way before her.¡± The hero grumbled. ¡°She copied my style.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you do know the number one hero?¡±


    Battery made a face. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that. Oh well, guess I¡¯ll just kill you.¡±


    Green Wolf lazily spun his knife and swung it. Battery threw his arm out, causing a golden shield of light to swirl from his wrist and block the strike. It still shoved him back and left dozens of large cracks across the barrier, but it held strong.


    ¡°Energy-based people like you or the Victorian always tick me off.¡± Green Wolf pulled a second blade out from his sleeve. It was longer than his others and filled with a jagged razor-sharp edge. ¡°Kinetic energy doesn¡¯t mesh well with other forms of created energy, and you guys can always find ways to get past my barrier. Of course, I bet even someone like you would have trouble blocking constant near-death strikes.¡±


    Battery smirked as he entered a boxing stance and got rid of his sword, which dissolved away. ¡°Trust me. When it comes to death, I¡¯ve been pretty lucky. Besides, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I¡¯m going to take you down and save those kids.¡±


    Green Wolf threw his knife towards Battery, but the man punched it out of midair. The villain swung his jagged blade, sending debris flying as the ground was torn to bits, but Battery jumped out of the way of the slash. The parking lot was split in two from the swing, and cars were thrown high into the air from the force of the attack.


    Battery zoomed out of the way as they dropped, skating across the ground with super speed. As he got distance from Green Wolf, he blasted out a beam of energy from his finger. ¡°Bang!¡±


    Green Wolf dodged past the attack, but with a twitch of a finger, Battery caused the beam to suddenly curve like a snake and circle back around, smashing into the back of the Zoo leader and causing Green Wolf to howl as his nerves ignited.


    As Green Wolf was being shocked by the laser, Battery held his other arm out. Golden chains, the same kind the Victorian used to bind her enemies, fired out of the man¡¯s palm and began to wrap around the villain¡¯s body. Battery twisted his body, the chain picking Green Wolf up and smashing the man through one of the cars that was still in the air.


    Green Wolf grunted as the golden chains squeezed down on his gut, and with a tug from Battery, he as well as the car he was half way through was smashed into the ground hard enough to cause the vehicle to explode. Green Wolf slowly climbed out of the wreckage, ignoring the flames as he dusted himself off.


    ¡°You know, that was kind of a dick move. You knew that wouldn¡¯t hurt me, right? So you just went and ruined whoever owned this car.¡± The villain taunted.


    ¡°You already totaled the car with one of your slashes.¡± Battery snorted. ¡°Though I will be the first to admit the owner won¡¯t be happy with me either.¡± He pulled his hand back, causing the chain to wrap around Green Wolf¡¯s ankle. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to make sure I avenge that car by taking you out.¡±


    Battery held onto the chains with one hand, pulling Green Wolf towards him, and with his other hand, he smashed it into the villain¡¯s face, throwing them back. The chain caught as the villain was thrown far enough, and he tugged on it again, bringing Green Wolf back towards his fist, ready to do it all over again.


    Before Battery could land another attack, the chains became empty as Green Wolf vanished in a loud ¡®popping¡¯ sound. The man appeared behind Battery and stabbed out with his knife, tearing the flesh from the hero¡¯s arm when Battery tried to block.


    Blood still didn¡¯t flow out of any of his wounds, however, staying put in his body. Green Wolf became determined to see the man bleed and vanished again, appearing behind Battery. The villain racked the edge across the man¡¯s side, ripping into it, and another knife appeared in his grasp, which he rammed into Battery¡¯s leg.


    Battery grabbed the man by his suit¡¯s jacket and yanked Green Wolf towards him. He smashed his head directly into the Zoo leader¡¯s nose, and from beneath the animal mask, blood began to flow. Green Wolf gurgled and formed another knife in his hand, which he attempted to stab into the back of Battery¡¯s head.


    Battery shoved the man away from him but wasn¡¯t fast enough, feeling the knife stab into his lower back. Before Green Wolf even finished stumbling back, he threw more knives out, which stabbed into Battery¡¯s stomach, leaving nearly six blades buried in the man¡¯s flesh. It seemed with the help of his teleportation, Green Wolf had no limit to how many weapons he could bring to him, more and more knives simply appearing, which the villain tossed out, coating all of them with waves of kinetic energy that allowed it to pierce through Battery¡¯s barrier.


    The hero reached up and used his sleeve to wipe at his bloody face as he breathed heavily. ¡°You know, you¡¯re not too bad. Shame you picked the side of evil.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is this the part where the old man tries to lecture me about how I can be better? I¡¯ll pass.¡± Green Wolf wrapped his fingers around a large claymore that appeared out of nowhere, and he swung out, attempting to slice Battery in two. Battery held his hand out, forming a golden shield that blocked the sword; with his other hand, he blasted out dozens of golden beams out of each of his fingers.


    Five lasers smashed into Green Wolf, and the man screamed in pain as smoke began to roll off of his body, his flesh sparking with enough energy to show off his bones. The villain fell to his knees, breathing heavily. ¡°Damn it. The only reason you¡¯re doing so well is because you can bypass my kinetic absorption with your own energy. If not for that, you¡¯d be dead, you know.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who complained that the rules were too easy? Or is it that now that you¡¯re actually struggling, you hate it? I don¡¯t think you want a hard game or an easy game. You want something that will barely challenge you, but you can still overcome it, right?¡± Battery taunted.


    Green Wolf forced himself to stand back up. ¡°You¡¯re starting to really piss me off, you know. I murdered Green Tiger for this position; I fought Polaron to a standstill to earn my ranking; I survived going toe-to-toe with the Victorian to show that I¡¯m the top dog.¡± The claymore vanished, replaced by a new sword. One that caused pain to shoot through Battery¡¯s chest when he saw it. A white blade that swirled with hundreds of runes. Story Maker had arrived. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡ªah. Never mind. Looks like you¡¯ve reached your limit.¡±


    Battery was forced to kneel as he caught his breath. He placed his hand over his heartbeat, feeling it gradually turn into a painful melody. All this fighting was starting to get to him. And even if he didn¡¯t bleed like a normal Super, his body still had dozens of holes in it. Just seeing that sword was enough to make him recall the bad days. The pain grew worse, and he could feel the shard of metal inside of him burning and going deeper into his chest.


    The sword vanished. The villain could tell he didn¡¯t need to bring a weapon that powerful out. Not right now. He picked up one of his many knives and played with the blade before pointing it towards Battery¡¯s neck. ¡°Any last words?¡± Green Wolf asked.


    Battery looked at the blood on his hands. ¡°Enemy of Man.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Green Wolf frowned and rested his sword down. ¡°The hell does that mean?¡±


    Battery ignored him as he thought back to what Nick had said. He had been on the beach practicing his lasers as he caught his breath. He watched as the wave fell after he split it in half with his golden energy. ¡°It¡¯s not enough. I¡¯m not as strong as I was back then.¡± He grumbled.


    Nick rested on the roof of the car, dressed in his old uniform he had worn when he worked for the Hero Branch. It was what you¡¯d see a scientist in a movie or comic wearing. A long, flowing white coat like the one Paragon had.


    Nick stared down at the device he used to scan Jack and frowned. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a ton weaker than you were in your prime. Really let yourself go, man.¡±


    Jack clenched his hand into a fist, watching the golden lightning. ¡°It¡¯s this damn energy. It¡¯s not mine.¡± The shard in his chest ached. The one that gave him the golden light he constantly used. ¡°I¡¯m just using a small bit of her power and trying to make it my own. Only the scraps that I can borrow thanks to the little gift she left me inside of my heart. You think if I used my-¡±


    ¡°No! No, no, no, no!¡± Nick jumped to his feet, shaking his head. ¡°Fifteen years ago, the Victorian accidentally stabbed you with a fraction of her power. That shard within you is what gives you her energy. It doesn¡¯t like you and wants you dead. Use your own energy, and that thing will go off for sure, sooner or later. Your heart wouldn¡¯t just explode; you''d be a walking bomb!¡±


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°How long would it take for it to kill me?¡± Jack asked, cocking his head to the side, a sly smirk on his lips.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Nick. Answer the question.¡±


    Nick sighed, folding his arms. ¡°Okay. Look, man. Not a lot of time. Maybe a minute or two if you¡¯re lucky. Anything over though could be bad. Since it¡¯s so little time, you shouldn¡¯t use it at all, okay?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jack clenched his fists hard enough to dig his nails into his palm as he smirked. For a moment, a flare of blue seemed to course through his veins. ¡°One minute is more than enough to deal with most threats. After all, I''m the strongest. I¡¯ll take my enemy down in just one attack.¡±


    Back in the present, he stared down at the floor, breathing heavily as Green Wolf watched him.


    ¡°I said ''Enemy of Man''.¡± Battery muttered. ¡°In a lot of stories, they''re always described as the enemy of man.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? What''s the enemy of Man?¡±


    Battery pushed himself up to his feet. The golden glow began to grow brighter around him, and then, in a bright flash, it suddenly shifted. His iris no longer glowed with gold, nor did the black of his costume, replaced instead with a crackling blue energy. Lightning began to spill off of him and twist in the air behind him. Green Wolf jumped back, staring at the hero in shock. The blue glow got brighter and ate away at the light around the both of them.


    ¡°Giants were always described as the enemy of Man in all the stories.¡± Battery spoke softly. The energy moved itself around his arm, which he clenched into a fist. ¡°In other words, I''m the perfect weapon when faced with a human.¡±


    And before Green Wolf could even think about teleporting, the only thing he saw was a glowing blue fist the size of a building.


    ***


    Hope took a deep breath to calm herself down.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time she had this beast of a villain charge at her, but something about this situation was different from last time. Intake was bigger than he had been the day he fought her and Mr. Larison, and this time, his skin had turned a silvery shade from the metal he absorbed. Standing at nearly thirteen feet tall, Intake raised his arm up as high as he could, flexing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with something basic, shall we, girl?¡± The villain¡¯s fist shimmered and began to morph, taking the shape of a massive hammer, which he brought down towards her so fast it let out a loud crack through the air. ¡°I¡¯ll split that cute little skull of yours right open!¡±


    Everything seemed to move in slow motion as her eyes stared up at the hammer. She took a deep breath of air, and with inhuman speed, she sidestepped the hammer strike with ease. It hit the roof hard enough to send a shock wave out in all directions and shake the building. She managed to keep her balance, though Red Ape, White Spider, and White Lamb all nearly fell over.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Whoa, watch the friendly fire!¡± Red Ape hissed. ¡°My bubble pops; she takes out Spidey and Lamb. We¡¯re in deep shit if that happens.¡±


    Intake ignored the warning, giving a twisted smile as he swung out another fist towards her, this time the limb morphing into a jagged blade. ¡°You¡¯ve gone and gotten some new moves, girly.¡± The villain snickered. ¡°Too bad it won¡¯t help you!¡±


    Just like in her fight with Red Raptor, she ducked her head down and used her helmet as a shield. Intake¡¯s blade bounced off of it and caught the villain off guard. ¡°I have a name now, you know.¡± Intake growled and went to jump away, but she struck out using the same moves Mr. Larison showed her. First was a powerful jab directly into the man¡¯s guts. It didn¡¯t matter that he was made of metal; her fist dented his stomach and caused him to cough out. ¡°I¡¯m Cinder.¡± She followed the strike up with a powerful right hook, ramming it into his chest since he was too tall for her to punch his face.


    Intake was sent flying back the force of her attack, blasting him off of the roof and sending him right out of the parking lot. It didn¡¯t last long though, as not even a second later he reappeared back in front of her and stumbled down into a sitting position.


    Slowly the villain¡¯s face twisted into a grin, and he reached up, wiping the black blood that dripped down his chin away. He stood back up, and his metal gut popped back into place, all the dents vanishing. ¡°This might be more fun than I thought.¡±


    She pointed her hand out and blasted out a bolt of fire toward him. The fire was sort of like one of the lasers Mr. Larison would blast out, but it came from her palm. Intake stood up, and his entire stomach seemed to open up and twist, forming a hole. Her fire entered the hole, and it closed up, swallowing the attack up. Jagged pipes formed out of the monster''s back, and her fire traveled out of them, causing the villain to be boosted toward her like a rocket. He had used her own fire against her!


    He swung a fist out to her, but she jumped into the air and blasted out a wave of fire from her feet the same way she had seen Demonica do, allowing her to get high above him. She didn¡¯t have enough control or strength to hover or fly, so she began to quickly fall, but it allowed her to get some distance. As she fell, she spun in the air and held her hands above her head, creating a large fireball. The same kind of one she used to take down Saw Head.


    With a scream, she chucked it down as hard as she could, throwing it out as if it were a massive beach volleyball. When she first met Mr. Larison, the man had been strong enough to beat Intake. He had simply blasted Intake through several buildings with one attack. This Intake was stronger, but that was beside the point. She needed more power.


    Intake glared up at the ball of fire and managed to give a grin as it rammed down into him. The entire building shook, and Red Ape screamed in fear as his bubble struggled to stay up. The floor exploded, causing him, White Spider, and White Lamb to fall back into the building, all three of them holding onto each other. They were on one floor above where Paragon and Mars King were now.


    Intake was rammed through the roof by the ball of fire, which didn¡¯t explode this time due to how badly it would have blown the building up. Instead, the fire simply flickered out and faded away. It had done its job, though. Intake gasped and gurgled left as a mostly melted puddle. Twisted limbs came out of him, and his face contorted into rage as she came crashing down and landed flat on her butt in a rough landing.


    ¡°Ow.¡± She winced. ¡°I really need to work on that.¡±


    ¡°Intake, you useless idiot! Get the hell up!¡± Red Ape screamed. ¡°My bubble won¡¯t hold for much longer! Oh, why couldn¡¯t I have brought Toni here? That kangaroo would be doing a better job than you, you useless villain!¡±


    She spun around and jumped toward Red Ape, causing the three Zoo members to all scream in terror as she went to throw out a punch toward them. Before her fist could reach though, Intake¡¯s arm extended out, absorbing all the stone and turning rocky. It grew, getting so long it was able to reach across the room and grab onto the bit of her hair that came out of the bottom of her helmet.


    She hissed in pain as she was yanked back, and the upper half of Intake¡¯s body reformed, growing out of the puddle. It rammed a fist made of metal and stone into her gut, and she gasped out, feeling pain. He was able to hit her hard enough to go through her enhanced durability. In fact, he was still stronger than her physically.


    She forced her mouth open and fired a quick beam of flame directly into his face, causing his hand to let go of her. Intake stumbled back as his lower half finished reforming, and the leg twisted into a large sword, which he kicked out with trying to slice her in two. She jumped up, going over the blade, and went up high enough to grab onto whatever was left of the roof, swinging off of it. Fire coated both her arms, and she brought them down with her weight as she dropped, ramming them into Intake¡¯s head.


    The villain was knocked down from the force of her blow but struck back out at her with both his arms ramming them into her chest. She was shoved back and rolled across the ground, groaning a bit in pain. His hits seriously hurt, but she could at least take them. The real annoying thing was the man¡¯s regen. Like Demonica or Green Wolf, it¡¯d take a serious attack to down the monster.


    At the moment, though, they were at least evenly matched-


    She screamed in sudden pain as a red beam of energy smashed into her back, causing her to fall to the floor. Her back smoked, and she grabbed at it, shooting a glare at Red Ape, who had switched off his bubble when he saw his chance. Before she could even think of shooting her fire at him, White Lamb spoke into her megaphone.


    ¡°Beat her ass, Intake.¡± The sound wave the girl controlled only smashed into her, and she screamed as she was lifted off of her feet and sent flying directly into the fist of Intake, who was winding up for a powerful punch. Her whole world exploded and went white for a moment as the strike rammed into her face.


    She hit the ground hard enough to shake the entire floor, and for a moment all the villains grabbed onto something, expecting to fall once more, but the ground held strong. It wouldn¡¯t be that way for long though, as Intake brought his fist down again, ramming it into her gut. Jagged spikes grew out of his flesh, and he began to laugh as he brutally beat her down, tearing into her gut and causing her to scream out in pain.


    She felt tears in her eyes but tried to fight through the pain, holding her hands up and charging them with fire. She never got to launch her attack though, as Intake grabbed onto both her hands and squeezed down on them hard enough to shatter the bone. She cried out again, letting out a sob as she felt her hands basically explode.


    This was just like Myth had said. She was alone. No teammates or anything, fighting four villains. It didn¡¯t matter if she was evenly matched with Intake, the others weren¡¯t going to give her the chance to beat their heavy hitter.


    In a panic, she opened her mouth, charging up her fire, but she realized too late that Intake had been waiting for it. The man¡¯s palm slammed down over her face, forcing her mouth to close right as her beam fired. Her head was rammed down into the floor hard enough to crack it, and she could feel a wet spot flooding her helmet. Her fire burned through her mouth, and even with all the flame resistance she had, it was still a horrible pain, scorching her tongue and teeth as it was unable to escape.


    She let out another sob, crying out as he let go of her and smashed his foot into her gut, kicking her away. Before she even had a chance of trying to move, a sound wave rammed into her as White Lamb attacked her. Her pained sobs cut out, no noise escaping her as the cruel villain used their power to silence her. She couldn¡¯t scream for help now, even if she wanted to.


    ¡°Not laughing now, are you?¡± Intake taunted. The villain slowly walked over to her and kicked her downed body a few more times in her gut. She screamed out, but no noise was produced, causing the villain to laugh harder.


    ¡°This feels a bit much, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Red Ape asked, wincing a bit. ¡°I mean, she is a kid.¡±


    ¡°So what.¡± White Lamb rubbed her face from beneath her mask. ¡°I took a sucker punch from that bitch. Not to mention you were almost burned alive, weren¡¯t you? Do you really care?¡±


    "Well, when you put it like that... Hit her harder, Intake!¡± Red Ape yelled.


    ¡°With pleasure.¡± She tried to crawl away, but the man wrapped an arm around her torso and forcefully picked her up. He was so big now he was able to hold her with one hand, and he squeezed down and pulled back, throwing her forward with everything he had. Her body rammed into the wall, and she went straight through it. She didn¡¯t have a chance to escape though, as in an instant she reappeared back in the hallway in Intake¡¯s grasp once more.


    White Spider flicked her hair and sighed. ¡°As fun as this is, watching some newbie hero get owned, we have a mission. Kill her.¡±


    She felt more tears in her eyes as she was dropped to the ground. This wasn¡¯t the first time she had been in a battle that could cost her life. Every villain fight she had been in had that chance. This was the first one where she was alone, though. All that joy was gone. That exciting spark she kept getting. It was replaced with pure fear. Terror clung to her. She was about to die.


    No one was going to come save her in time. She was alone and about to die. She thought of her family and friends for a moment. Her mom, her dad, Armin, and Mr. Larison. What had been the last thing she said to them? She couldn¡¯t recall. The day had started off so fun, but now...


    Intake cracked his knuckles. ¡°Well kid. I did tell you this would happen, didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s nothing personal, you know. I¡¯m not doing this because I hate you or because I hold a grudge. No. I¡¯m doing it because it feels good.¡± The monster grinned. ¡°God does it feel great. To watch someone be filled with fear. To take your time crushing them to death and see as it dawns on them that they¡¯re going to die. The horror, and then the acceptance. You fought a good fight. Maybe the heroes will learn their lesson and stop throwing kids at us. You said your name was Cinder, right?¡± The villain brought his leg up. ¡°I think a better name would have been splatter.¡±


    Before Intake could bring his foot down, a loud bird-like cry echoed out. From the roof, flying down at a fast speed, Destiny reached out toward her. She managed to crank her head up just in time as the bird reached her-


    ¡°None of that!¡± Intake¡¯s fist rammed into the bird and smashed it into the ground next to her so hard it nearly exploded.


    ¡°N- No!¡± She screamed out in horror. White Lamb had apparently allowed her sound to come back. Destiny was still alive somehow, but the bird wasn¡¯t in good condition. It let out a weak gasp. Its wings were twisted, and it looked almost deflated, resting in a pool of its own blood. She knew how important this bird was to Paragon. It was the girl¡¯s eyes. This entire situation felt like one never-ending nightmare.


    Intake let out a snort and cocked his head to the side. ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d let that bird heal you? I¡¯m not stupid, you know. Mars King told me what a pain in the ass that thing was when he fought the Sub Enforcers.¡± The villain lifted his foot up and brought it down on the bird. ¡°I¡¯m taking this thing out!¡±


    She threw herself above Destiny and let out a yell of pain as Intake¡¯s foot smashed down into her back. The villain didn¡¯t seem to care and decided he¡¯d just squish them both as he shoved down with everything he had. She gritted her teeth, using her elbows and knees to support herself as she tried to fight against the power. It was like trying to stop a mountain, though.


    She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling herself be shoved further down. She was barely above Destiny now, about to crush the bird with her own body. Her worst nightmare was going to happen. Her mother was going to discover she was a superhero through her corpse.


    ¡°M- Mr. Larison,¡± she cried out. ¡°Myth, anyone! Please!¡±


    ¡°No sound can escape this hallway.¡± White Lamb taunted from the sidelines. ¡°We could set off a nuke in here, and they¡¯d only figure it out once the blast hit them! You¡¯re all alone. Not even that Paragon girl can hear you scream.¡±


    She whimpered, feeling her legs and arms begin to break. The pain in them growing worse and worse. They were about to shatter. ¡°I- I don¡¯t want to die.¡± She whimpered out.


    ¡®You don¡¯t want to die? Of course you don¡¯t. Most people don¡¯t want to die. I guess I should help you out though. After all, you¡¯re a very, very special girl, Hope Lauren.¡¯


    Unknown to all of them, within a small little storage locker, a metal pod began to glow with a bright blue light. Meanwhile, at the mall, three people all suddenly froze. And for just a moment, the Lord of the Sky, the Lord of the Sea, and the Lord of the Land all found themselves staring in the direction of the hospital¡­


    ¡°Time to die.¡± Intake growled. ¡°It¡¯s over-¡± The man suddenly stopped and winced when he felt something. The hero, whom he had been easily pushing down on, began to push back. With more and more power, Cinder was standing back up. ¡°W- What the hell is this! You should be out of strength! Where are you getting this power?¡± The villain demanded.


    She ignored his screaming and began to yell as she felt the burning sensation start to heat up inside of her body. It swirled around inside of her, growing more and more chaotic. For a moment her eyes began to glow with a fiery red light, and the straps of her helmet burned away as fire poured down her chin. As her helmet fell, it revealed a wave of orangish hair, bathed in golden fire.


    Her yelling grew as she shoved Intake off of her and rammed her arm up. Her broken hand smashed into his stomach, hitting him harder than she ever had before. Intake screamed, feeling a terrible burning sensation shoot through him, but it didn¡¯t end there. Her arm kept going up, and fire began to blast out of the bottom of her elbow. Just like Demonica had done, she was turning her limb into a rocket.


    She rammed him down into the floor, fire spraying out of her limb, and she ran forward with speeds that rivaled Mr. Larison¡¯s, dragging Intake along. She reached the wall and punched out using the last of her strength and easily blasted the bad guy right through it, blowing his arms and legs off of him.


    Intake was sent flying out of the hospital and flew across the lot, moving so fast and hard he shattered the barriers that blocked off sound and the ones that caused teleportation. The villain was sent halfway across the city, vanishing out of sight.


    Red Ape, White Lamb, and White Spider all collapsed back into a sitting position and stared at her. Her hair was the color of fire, and a stream of flame dripped out of her eyes and mouth. Steam and smoke rose off of her body, and her costume was burning up as she turned to glare at them.


    With shaking hands, Red Ape flicked his bubble back on.


    She took a step forward, her eyes blasting out a laser beam that nearly shattered the bubble in an instant. ¡°Yeah, fuck this.¡± White Spider yelled. ¡°Get us the hell out of here! Warp us home!¡±


    The bubble shattered and her beams blasted out, but in a loud ¡®popping¡¯ sound, the trio vanished, leaving her alone in the hallway. Her eyes stung, and the lasers went out, and she stumbled forward. Slowly her hair and eyes switched back, and she collapsed face first into the ground, spitting up blood.


    Her vision began to blur, and she felt herself falling unconscious, but she forced her body to move, dragging it over toward the downed Destiny and wrapping her arms around him. ¡°I- I have to get you to Sky.¡±


    She slumped down, nearly vomiting, as the building began to fall apart around her. Her eyes snapped shut, and she collapsed forward, unconscious.


    ¡®So. How¡¯d you like a taste of that, kid? Eh? Kid? What. Going to ignore me? How rude. And after I let you borrow my power. You should be grateful. After all, that¡¯s the same power the hero known as Full Monarch used to defeat the Emperor-¡¯


    ¡°Hey.¡± A new voice said quietly. ¡°Are you okay, little girl?¡±


    Her eyes suddenly flickered open, and she stared up at the face of a goddess. A woman with long golden hair and eyes that looked like stars. She had woken up in the arms of the Victorian.

 Chapter Forty-One: Paragon’s Fate

    Fifteen years ago¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.¡± K muttered, staring out at the little blue planet. From all the way up on the moon, it looked so small. Like nothing more than a tiny dot cloaked in the light of the sun.


    ¡°It is, isn''t it?¡± His father, Alien, let out a soft snort. Alien was tall and lanky, covered in hard red skin, with a pair of twisting horns that jutted out of his head. He was a monster. A monster that took good care of his son. ¡°You used to live there once, you know.¡± Alien chuckled as he patted his son on the head. K still looked mostly like a human. The Emperor¡¯s mutations hadn¡¯t fully set in yet, so the only signs of the change were the tiny horns that were nearing their growth.


    K looked up at his father with wide eyes. ¡°Really? I used to live down there? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Alien kneeled down in front of his son and placed a hand over the boy''s heart. ¡°Our kind didn¡¯t use to live here.¡± The ¡®here¡¯ in question was the Emperor¡¯s castle. The master had been cast out of Earth, the humans deeming him ¡®evil¡¯ and labeling him a ¡®villain¡¯ all because they couldn¡¯t understand him. The castle was massive, formed out of pitch-black stone, and filled with millions of rooms for his army. That was where Alien and his son currently were. Their room was small, with only a pair of beds and a window that allowed them to see their former home world. ¡°We lived on Earth with our master. When humanity kicked him out, though, we were forced to come with him.¡±


    ¡°Why don''t humans like us, dad?¡± K asked, cocking his head to the side.


    Alien frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that they don¡¯t like us. Instead, I think they don¡¯t want to like us. After all, we used to be humans once as well.¡±


    ¡°We did?¡±


    "Yeah, we did.¡± He smiled and poked his son in the forehead. ¡°The Emperor wanted to make us better, make us stronger, so he used his powers to evolve us. Allowed our powers to take hold and build a body for us. It messed with our heads a little bit. Most of us can¡¯t remember much about our past lives or even our names. I can¡¯t even remember what your mother used to look like.¡± Alien chuckled sadly and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a small price to pay for a perfect world, though. A world without having to worry about the Beast from space.¡±


    K stared out the window, looking back at Earth. He didn¡¯t know why, but that voice in the back of his head, the one that constantly screamed at him to slaughter mankind, was growing.


    ¡°Mars King.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± K snapped his head back over to his father.


    ¡°Mars King.¡± His dad repeated. Alien pulled away and stood up, folding his arms. ¡°The Princess of Life has seen fit to gift you a name. From now on, you are Mars King. You¡¯ll be placed on the same attack force as your friend P.¡±


    The Organization was made up of so many monsters, all created by the Emperor. Besides the four generals, those being Hell Hound, Golden God, Fairy Queen, and Princess of Life, there were many other attack forces, each with their own mission for when the invasion of Earth began.


    Mars King¡¯s eyes sparkled a bit, and he gave a grin. ¡°Mars King¡­ Yes. I¡¯m going to be the strongest. Maybe even the next King.¡±


    ***


    Present Day¡­


    Mars King glared at Paragon; his arms tensed up at his side. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt an aura of power coming from the girl. She had removed her mask, and now that he could truly see her eyes, he was without a doubt certain that she saw no light.


    A blind girl stood before him. Yet for some reason, he found himself thinking back to that hellish memory of when he saw the Devil slay God. It was a similar feeling, though he couldn¡¯t tell if he was seeing the Devil or the God in her.


    ¡°You say you¡¯re going to kill me.¡± Mars King gritted his teeth and chuckled slightly. Large red claws began to stab out of his hand as he twisted his shape. ¡°I think I can handle a mere child like you.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you standing so far away from me?¡± Paragon asked slyly. He growled at her. ¡°You said you came for a big threat, right? I¡¯m right here. Come and get me. Or are you nothing more than some ball-less scrub-tier villain?¡±


    Mars King whipped at the air, narrowly missing the girl, though she didn¡¯t flinch as his attack soared past her. ¡°You would do well to not make me mad, girl.¡±


    ¡°I was just asking a question. I¡¯m just curious about it, that''s all.¡± Paragon shrugged her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re a monster. Just like the giant beasts that threaten cities. Most Supers that can change their form can always turn back to normal. Not your kind though. You had been created to be monsters. Maybe you were once human, but that day left a while ago. I feel bad for you in a way. You never really had a choice. You¡¯re like a gun that was given life.¡±


    Mars King roared, shaking the hallway. ¡°I do not need your pity.¡± He jumped at her and pulled his arm back to throw a powerful strike toward her skull. He no longer cared about bringing her back alive. She had pissed him off, and she would serve as a good meal. ¡°Die!¡± His fist met the blind girl head-on, only for him to fall right into her trap.


    Her palm had been held out, and it touched him before he touched her.


    Mars King struck air, stumbling forward as he felt a weird sensation course through his body. He was no longer in the hospital¡¯s hallway. Instead, he stood in a field of flowers. Flowers he had never seen before. Massive twisting trees hung in the distance, covered in strange plant life, and the sky glowed a pretty green color, casting green sunlight down upon them all. The smell was unlike anything he had ever experienced.


    ¡°Where am I? What is this?¡±


    ¡°Welcome to my world.¡± Paragon¡¯s voice came from behind him. He basked in the sunlight for a moment, feeling the flowers brush against his legs and the wind on his skin. ¡°This world is created by my other power. Think of it almost as a pocket realm of sorts. Similar to the things Avalon can create. This is my strongest use of my power, though it can be a bit of a pain to pull off. Most of you guys move faster than I can react to, and I have to touch you with my palm to use it. When fighting someone like Red Raptor or Green Wolf, I¡¯d be killed in an instant. With you though¡­ Well, welcome to my false world.¡±


    Mars King spun around and glared at his enemy but stopped when he saw her. ¡°What dark power is this?¡± The monster rumbled.


    ¡°So, ready to continue our fight now that we¡¯re on an even playing field?¡± Sky had a lopsided grin on her face. Her costume was gone. Now, she was dressed in a white gown. The kind of dress a princess might wear. Her red hair flowed in the wind, and her eyes held a light to them now. She was no longer blind.


    Within her false world, she was her perfect self. Here there were no humans or anything that could get in her way. A place that was empty. A place made just for her. She didn¡¯t need to heal people or be told what a good or bad job she was doing.


    Mars King gritted his teeth. ¡°This changes nothing. Trying to confuse me with these sights won¡¯t work.¡± He screamed and charged at her again, throwing out a powerful punch.


    Sky lazily caught it with a hand, easily stopping his full power. ¡°In here, I¡¯m stronger than even my sister. You lost the moment you let me forge this false reality.¡± Her fist smashed into his stomach, and Mars King felt his eyes go wide as he was blasted back, vomiting up black blood.


    The villain had never been hit that hard before, and he had taken a blow from Poseidon once. He gasped, clutching at his stomach. He glared at her with pure hatred. ¡°How the hell are you this strong!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an easy answer. I¡¯m not.¡± She grinned. ¡°See, I¡¯m not real.¡± She twirled around playfully and flipped her hair. ¡°I¡¯m more like a construct. As fake as this world we¡¯re in. The moment you came in contact with the real me, you were infected by my full power and absorbed instantly. As it stands currently, we¡¯re standing within my mind. My mind just so happens to create this realm as the dueling grounds, so to speak.¡±


    Mars King gritted his teeth, sharp red claws sprouting from his fingers. ¡°Impossible! Such power cannot exist!¡± He charged at her and sliced out with his claws. She dodged his strikes with ease, circling around and almost seeming to dance with him, the smile never leaving her lips. ¡°Sit still!¡± He screamed.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°If you insist.¡± She stopped moving, and he swung his hand towards her. It stopped inches away from her face, the ground beneath her opening up and wrapping hundreds of vines around his wrist, holding him back. He grunted and struggled with the plants, unable to move. She giggled and raised her hand, copying what she had seen her sister do. She flicked him.


    Mars King felt himself be blasted out of the vines by an ungodly force, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he nearly blacked out from the strike. His red flesh armor shattered, and blood flowed down his face as he smashed into the ground, rolling. Eventually, his back hit a tree, and he slumped down, groaning.


    Sky walked towards him, slowly folding her arms. ¡°Had enough?¡±


    ¡°I will kill you.¡± The villain glared at the hero with pure hatred. His back erupted in blood as wings jutted out, and he took flight.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to try if you want out of this realm,¡± Sky called up to him. ¡°See, once you are absorbed by me, the only way out of here is to beat me. Do that, and the real me will be unable to absorb you and spit you out. Lose to me in here, though, and well... Anyway, my power does have a limit. Someone like the Victorian would be able to bust out of here with ease. The reason I¡¯m telling you this, though, is because you have no chance. Someone as weak as you can never hope to escape. So, please. Just peacefully drift off to slumber here. You¡¯re safe in this realm-¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mars King threw his arms out, hundreds of red spikes erupting out and firing out like bullets. They filled the air and rained down towards the girl in the dress. ¡°Die! Die! Die!!!¡± Vines rose out of the ground, wrapping around Sky and forming a protective shield around her that blocked all his attacks. He brought his hands together, raising them above his head and transforming them into a great sword; he crashed down, slicing through the plant barrier. ¡°Found you!¡± His arms separated and grew massive in size as he grabbed Sky faster than she could react. ¡°I win!¡± He held onto her upper half and lower half, and with inhuman strength, he pulled. His laughter filled the air as he felt her body shatter as she was torn in two.


    ¡°I guess you are pretty strong. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to kill one of me so easily.¡± Mars King¡¯s eyes went wide, and he stared down at his hands. He held a twisting, shattered branch in the shape of a person. Behind him, several meters away, Sky stood perfectly fine.


    ¡°How! I was sure I got you!¡± The villain charged at her and sliced out with his sword, impaling it through her chest. A second later, though, and his eyes widened when he saw it was another strange branch, twisted into her shape.


    ¡°Oh, you did get me.¡± Sky was behind him again, perfectly fine. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not real. Killing me does nothing. You have to beat me. The real me. She¡¯s somewhere in this world. Somewhere asleep, absorbed into her own mind once she uses this power. See, this is a tricky ability to use. It only works on single targets; groups of enemies it¡¯s useless against because I can only absorb one person at a time. If you had just attacked me as a team like you were told to do, you would have won. Until you die, or you find the real sleeping me in here, this dream will go on forever.¡±


    Mars King balled his hands into a fist and yelled. He charged her and smashed his hand through her head. A branch. He didn¡¯t wait for her to speak, spikes impaling her as they stabbed from his back. Another branch. He twisted his body, grabbing her by the head; he ripped it clean off and crushed the wood that formed in his hand seconds later. A tail formed out of his body and slashed through the air, ripping her in two and soaring to the next version, slicing into that one as well. He jumped at another and bit down onto her, spitting out the wood seconds later.


    He had no idea how long he did this for. He killed, and he killed and he killed, and soon he stood on a pile of wooden corpses, breathing heavily. Sky stood next to him, trying to balance on all of the wooden figures with one leg, not even bothering to fight him any longer.


    ¡°Face me, you coward!¡± He screamed. ¡°Let me fight the real you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Sky shrugged. ¡°You are strong enough to kill most Supers. It¡¯s just too bad you fought me.¡±


    Her fist smashed into his face hard enough to rip his jaw off, and he slammed into the ground. The vines began to rise up and wrap around him, bending and snapping his limbs as if they were twigs, causing him to howl in pain. He glared back at her, his body starting to heal already. It was put back together slowly, and his words slurred until he could finally speak. ¡°I will rip you to shreds!¡± Mars King screamed, almost fully pulling himself out of the vines. ¡°There is no way I can accept that you have power on the level of the Emperor.¡±


    She cocked her head at him and turned away. ¡°Do you know why the Victorian is so strong?¡± She asked. ¡°It¡¯s because of who her dad is. She¡¯s the child of Full Monarch, the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. You also have someone like Whisper, who is the daughter of Max Lightning and the Victorian. She might have gotten the short end of the stick, but she¡¯s still strong in terms of ability.¡±


    ¡°So what!¡±


    Her eye twitched a little. ¡°A little over seventeen years ago, the Emperor declared war on Earth and created you monsters.¡±


    ¡°Why do you insist on telling me what I already know?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I brought up Victorian and Whisper? You know, sixteen years ago, the Emperor declared one of his warriors to be his bride. The Princess of Life. I¡¯m sixteen years old. Do the math.¡±


    Mars King stared at her in horror. ¡°Are you trying to claim your father is the- You lie! You will die for your sins!¡± Mars King pulled himself from the vines and charged.


    ¡°I will not! I am Sky, sister of Poseidon! Raised by Ocean Empress and trained by Old Dog. I will kill any villain that gets in the way of the peaceful world Full Monarch died protecting.¡±


    ¡°The only one who dies will be you!¡± Mars King grabbed her by the head, slamming her down hard enough to shatter her skull. He crushed the wood that was in his grasp now. ¡°Come out and face me!¡±


    ¡°Very well. I no longer care about giving you a good death, after all.¡± Mars King whipped around and glared at the girl as she rested on the branch of a tree. ¡°Goodbye, K.¡±


    Mars King felt his eyes go wide, and suddenly the world began to shake. The trees started to crack, and something began to rise out of the world. Massive and forged from plants and trees, it was a goliath. Bigger than a mountain. It was a girl. A giant. Made out of the planet itself, he suddenly realized where the real Sky had been. She was the planet itself.


    He screamed up towards the heavens as half the planet broke away, taking the shape of a girl. Its finger came down slowly. He didn¡¯t know why, but for just a moment, a memory came to him. One he had almost forgotten. It was nearly ten years ago that they created the Bad Timers.


    It had happened in a field of flowers just like this.


    Mars King was on his knees, breathing heavily. His body struggled to heal itself. ¡°Y- You beat me fair and square. I am not fit to be the king. I thought after the Emperor died, I could take over, that I could be the next king, but it seems that I was wrong.¡± He bowed his head. His father was long gone, as were most of the monsters created by their master. Gone in the fight with the heroes. ¡°Kill me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Mars King looked up and found a hand held out to him. Polaron¡¯s armor was covered in dents and cracks, black blood leaking out of the man. ¡°You¡¯ve beaten me! I tried to take over as the next king! No way you would offer me your hand, P! You know more than anyone that our kind don¡¯t forgive!¡±


    ¡°Who said I¡¯d forgive you?¡± Polaron snorted. ¡°Mars King. I¡¯d like your help. Please. Make me the next king.¡±


    Mars King stared at the outstretched hand and, hesitantly, he reached for it.


    ¡°Sorry P.¡± The memory came crashing away. He found himself back in Paragon¡¯s false world, staring up at the hand as it reached him. ¡°Looks like I won¡¯t be able to make you the new king.¡± And in a single instant, K, worshiper of the Emperor, member of the Bad Timers, ceased to be.


    Paragon sighed as the halls of the hospital faded back into view. She slipped her mask on and patted her white lab coat down. She was alone now.


    ¡°Looks like Cinder made a mess.¡± She could tell the entire hospital had taken a beating, the entire building shaking constantly. ¡°I guess I better go help her out. Hmm. Why is Destiny in her clothes? Wait, what the hell is that stone thing- Is that the Victorian?¡±


    ***


    Green Wolf dropped down to a sitting position as everything suddenly came back to him. Slowly, the man looked down at his hands. ¡°I¡¯m alive?¡±


    "Oh, thank God! We¡¯re alive!¡± Green Wolf¡¯s head snapped up, and he found himself looking in the direction of three members of his team. Red Ape, White Spider, and White Lamb had all crashed to the floor in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll never complain about fighting Myth ever again!¡± Red Ape said with tears in his eyes as he clutched the floor. ¡°That girl was scary!¡±


    Green Wolf looked around the room they had appeared in. It was Avalon¡¯s lab. The man in question rested in a chair with a sly smirk on his lips. ¡°You guys look like you¡¯ve been through hell.¡± Avalon noted.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Green Wolf asked, standing up on wobbling legs. The last thing the man could remember was that flash of blue as Battery¡¯s fist came at his face. That attack had been so strong and filled with so much force he¡¯d have no way of absorbing all of it. An attack made to outright kill him. Yet here he stood, still alive. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to teleport back?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember who you get your teleportation from?¡± Avalon said with a bit of amusement. ¡°Me. I¡¯m the one who moved you. White Spider here called out for me to save you all, so I shifted your location to this place.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± White Spider said flatly. The woman still seemed shaken up by whatever it was that they saw. White Lamb had practically shut down and was grabbing her legs, rocking back and forth. ¡°What the hell was up with that girl? What did she do at the end!¡±


    Red Ape shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t have some of my animals with me. I¡¯d have messed her up for good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± The man announced, pointing a thumb back at himself. ¡°You know I fought her first out of anyone here! In that regard, I¡¯m basically her rival!¡±


    Green Wolf reached into his pocket, trying to grab his cigarettes, but his hand went through a hole that had been cut out in his jacket. ¡°How are the others doing?¡± He finally asked.


    Avalon shrugged and slowly stood up. ¡°They used Ears to get around, so I don¡¯t have a connection to them.¡± The man moved over to the door of his office and grabbed his coat.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Green Wolf demanded.


    ¡°Out.¡± The man said, letting out a soft hum. ¡°The heroes still have no idea I¡¯m working with you guys, and since the four of you failed to do your mission, I¡¯ll have to turn to someone who can. I was wanting to save him to battle the Lord of Life when we found them, but my hand has thus been forced.¡± The man said sheepishly.


    Green Wolf gritted his teeth but didn¡¯t say anything as the door shut behind Avalon. If Avalon was leaving, then it meant ¡®that¡¯ villain was about to join the battle. Green Wolf stared down at his shaking hand as the image of Battery came back to his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll get that bastard. I¡¯ll conquer that level. Somehow. It isn¡¯t game over. Not yet.¡±

 Chapter Forty-Two: The Mall

    "What the actual hell is going on?¡± Snowdawn asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°You two should leave.¡± Max Lightning¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t heroic. It was a drawl, barely any energy behind it; his shoulders slumped forward. He might have been in his costume now, which was clean and spotless, but the bags under his eyes remained, and his hair was still a mess. ¡°The civilians will need someone to round them up and lead them out of here.¡±


    ¡°What about you, though?¡± Snowdawn asked. ¡°You think you can handle that guy?¡±


    Max Lightning lazily shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m strong.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Whisper grabbed onto Snowdawn¡¯s wrist and began to drag him away. ¡°Trust me. My dad fought alongside the greats like Ruby Admiral and Full Monarch. He was the one who helped the Victorian get back on her feet after the death of her dad, and he has kept his city safe from any threat.¡±


    ¡°And that man is actually your dad?¡± He shot a look back at the tired-looking Enforcer member.


    ¡°Trust me.¡± Whisper frowned beneath her mask. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been my dad in a while.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± His eyes met those of the Enforcer member.


    The homeless man looked back at him. ¡°Mr. Moore.¡± He nearly jumped when the hero used his real name. Max Lightning stared past him almost. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever talk again, so while I have you here, I just wanted to say this. In a few months, when you have to make a difficult choice, you¡¯re going to wonder if it was the right one. Trust your gut, okay?¡±


    ¡°What the hell does that mean!¡± Snowdawn asked in a panic.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes-¡±


    ¡°I would like to know now! That¡¯s a serious death flag! I¡¯m too cool to die! Get it? Cool? Oh, God, is that what does it! My puns?¡±


    Max Lightning stared at him with a flat look. ¡°Just trust your gut. Now go.¡±


    Snowdawn wanted to say more but shook his head and turned away. He had never been that smart, but he knew people were in trouble right now. He held his arms out, blasting a wave of snow and trying to block off any area with a villain. ¡°Everyone! Follow us this way.¡± He called out, trying to round up any civilian that hadn¡¯t made it out yet. ¡°We¡¯ll keep you safe!¡±


    Dozens of wasps flew through the air and began to take shape, forming into a young man. ¡°He¡¯s right. Anyone that can stand, we have to get out of this place. This mall isn¡¯t going to be standing for much longer if this many powerhouses are here!¡± Wasp Nest shouted.


    From above, BB flew through the air, bending the wind and air to help lift heavy things off of people and spot anyone who couldn¡¯t stand. Oxide walked calmly, her dress forming dozens of tendrils that casually picked people up. Metal Ronin raised his arm up, blasting out with a cannon that blew a hole in the wall leading to the outside.


    ¡°My God,¡± Whisper muttered. As they left the mall, they could all see it. Fires swarmed the many towers and buildings, followed closely by the loud noise of a blast. ¡°The entire city is under attack.¡±


    ¡°No time to waste.¡± Wasp Nest announced. ¡°The Enforcers will be called in, but with how much destruction there is, they¡¯ll be spread thin. We¡¯re going to help as many people as we can. If you spot a villain, don¡¯t engage unless you have no choice. Snowdawn, you¡¯re with Metal Ronin. I think you two are our best bet for putting some of these fires out. Oxide, you¡¯re with me and BB. Her and I aren¡¯t able to lift anyone when we¡¯re in our transformed states, so we need you to follow after us while we scout for anyone who is in trouble. Whisper, we need you to set up communication if you can. Whatever these guys did, all our phones went down. We¡¯ll need someone to direct us.¡±


    Whisper nodded, staring down at the floor as she watched dozens of lines begin to spread out. ¡°Yeah. I think I can manage.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s save people!¡±


    Back inside the mall, Max Lightning walked forward slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll just give up, will you?¡± Though he already knew the answer, his eyes followed the Paths of fate, watching Red Panda¡¯s moves before the villain even thought to make them.


    Red Panda roared at him and charged forward with a sucker punch, the blood turning into a set of brass knuckles on his hand. Max Lightning lazily deflected the strike, not even bothering to move. The wind around him bent and twisted, forming a barrier that kept him safe. Red Panda gritted his teeth and jumped into the air, raising his arm up above his head. His blood began to expand and grow, forming into a massive battleaxe, which he swung down.


    Max Lightning lazily sidestepped the attack, sighing. His eyes traced the ground as he followed them. Billions, in terms of numbers, it was almost enough to drive him mad. The paths were a blessing and a curse. A skill all members of his bloodline had. His daughter had a lesser version. It wasn¡¯t exactly future sight. Something else. More like showing the path one would follow after. His, though. He saw it all. Every possible path, every choice, every moment, all woven together into trillions of lines coming out and connecting with others, sextillions of paths fused together, creating the road of destiny.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like fighting.¡± Red Panda¡¯s axe shattered against a barrier of wind he created. With a flick of his finger, the wind rippled and slashed into the Zoo member¡¯s leg. ¡°Fifteen years ago, ever since, I had to be fished out of the gut of the Emperor. I only survived because of the help of my mentor, Full Monarch. His sacrifice brought me back. Fighting lost all meaning after that, though. The truth is, I¡¯d much rather just stay on the street, not doing anything all day. So, what do you say? Can you just give up?¡±


    ¡°I will rip your skull in two.¡± Red Panda growled. The villain grinned from beneath his mask, all his wounds dripping an ocean of blood that began to bend and twist around him. ¡°All you¡¯ve done is make me stronger!¡± Crimson-red armor formed over his flesh, filled with dozens of spikes and claws.


    ¡°Why are villains like this?¡± Max Lightning rubbed at the back of his head, sighing again. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry if I kill you, okay? I¡¯m a little rusty when it comes to fighting weaklings.¡±


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Max Lightning blasted out a thick beam of energy, blowing a hole through Red Panda¡¯s gut in one attack. ¡°Whoops. My bad.¡± The man said with a small wince as Panda collapsed face first into the floor. ¡°I did warn you, though. I wonder how the others are doing.¡±


    Myth had come from a well-off family growing up. His grampa had been the one to first build a library in Oleander City. The very same library had survived everything the world had thrown at Oleander. Even when the Emperor had blown away most of Earth¡¯s land, that library somehow stayed standing.


    As a kid, he used to never leave the place. Even as an adult, he loved staying indoors whenever he wasn¡¯t being a hero. This was all to say that Myth never considered himself to be a very athletic person. His workout consisted solely of his hero duties.


    This was why he hated flying. Running around with super strength and speed made it hard for him to control himself. Flight just made him feel clunky and awkward.


    He gritted his beak and let out a loud bird-like cry as his wings carried him through the air. Demonica was fast. Like all speedsters, she moved too fast for normal eyes to follow, being some sort of blur. With every step she took, fire trailed behind her. Despite that, though, he kept up with her in this form.


    He had the head of an eagle, his eyes sharp enough to follow her. His body was like that of a lion, but instead of claws, he had massive talons. Bird-like wings stabbed out of his back, easily keeping his massive body in the air. He had become a monster from legends, made to be the perfect hunter.


    He stayed in the air above her, ripping out chunks from the wall and throwing them at the villain, but she dodged each time thanks to her enhanced reflexes.


    Every now and then, Demonica would point her hand towards a person, or a crowd, that hadn¡¯t yet managed to escape the mall, and she would blast a hellish bolt of purple fire their way, but the attacks never landed. Globs of water, or sharks made out of pure liquid, would always swallow the attack before anyone could get hurt. Even in the middle of her intense battle, Poseidon was able to keep everyone safe.


    It was for that reason he was determined to take Demonica down and handle the threat so he could ease Poseidon¡¯s burden.


    ¡°I thought you were eager to fight, Demonica!¡± Myth screeched out. He swooped down and clawed at her with his talons, but she managed to sidestep the attack. She shot a blade of fire at him, the fire roaring from her elbow, but like his lion form, this form was durable, and the fire bounced off of him, only leaving a small cut across his side. ¡°What happened to your warrior spirit?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to fight the red and gold one.¡± Demonica hissed. ¡°I still haven¡¯t paid him back for what he did to me!.¡± It seemed that after the last battle, Polaron and Demonica had rebuilt their suits. She was back in her skintight leather, hiding her twisted form.


    ¡°You¡¯re here for Battery? I hate to break it to you, but my teammate isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much. I¡¯ll give him a reason to fight me next time I see him. I¡¯ll just take you all out!¡± Demonica announced. She crouched down and jumped high into the air, landing on the balcony to another floor above. In the air, Black Crow flew after Money Tree, who stood on a literal wave of cash that carried him through the skies. Demonica tried to take aim at the hero covered in paper, but Myth reached her before she could.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± His talons dug into her arm as he crashed down next to her, shaking the floor they were on. His form shifted as he transformed back into that of a bull, and with his new strength boost, he squeezed down, shattering the bones in her arm.


    Demonica let out a monstrous wail of pain. Her free hand ignited with red-hot fire, and she slammed it into Myth¡¯s gut hard enough to cause him to throw him back and right off the balcony they had landed on. He was holding onto her shattered arm though, so as he flew back, he dragged her with him. Each of his forms had a small ability they could use. His lion form could send out sound wave attacks, his bull form was made to be sturdy and tough, allowing him to take several blows head-on. He used this strength to spin himself around midair and smash Demonica into the ground as they crashed down.


    The villain didn¡¯t let up either. Being a monster, that meant she was no longer human, possessing a body that had long since mutated and evolved like all of the Emperor¡¯s creation. Demonica¡¯s fire flared up, scorching the area around them and melting through part of the stone. Myth howled in pain as the fire rammed over him and began to burn his body. Demonica pushed off the ground with her arms, the broken limb already snapping back into place, and she rammed her legs into Myth¡¯s stomach. Fire surged out of her feet, boosting her forward like a rocket, and sent Myth flying back from the blast.


    The bull smashed directly through the wall of the mall and went flying out into the parking lot. Myth kept tumbling, and soon he rolled directly off of the mall and began to fall into the massive crater the mall had been built on.


    From above him, Demonica flew like a jet. The member of Bad Timers circled her body around and came toward him hard and fast, holding her clawed hands out in front of her. Myth gritted his teeth and slowly morphed his body again. He took on a more human-like shape, but his muscles and height expanded, causing him to become twelve feet long. His bull features vanished, and his human skin shifted into a gray color. His eyes morphed together into the center of his head, swirling around each other until they were one.


    As Demonica came down fast, the woman saw a flash of green, and then that single eye Myth now had unleashed a massive wave of energy blasting up through the crater. The beam washed over Demonica, burning through some of her costume, and went all the way up to the sky, splitting the clouds. Demonica didn¡¯t stop though and instead gritted her teeth, trying to shove her way down through the beam.


    The energy ate away at her burning through her black costume and spilling her blood. It was a force of pure kinetic energy boring into her and shoving her back into the air. The fire that poured from her feet and allowed her to turn her body into a jet wasn¡¯t enough. So instead, Demonica pushed her body even further beyond its limit. The woman¡¯s shoulders twitched and shattered as a new pair of arms stabbed out of her body. Now sporting four arms, she kept two out in front of her still and used the other two to shove herself further down by pointing them toward her feet and sending her fire through them. It was like adding a second set of thrusters to the jet.


    Demonica shoved her way through the laser and reached Myth, ramming her hands down and stabbing them into the leader of Pantheon. Myth let out a hiss, and his eye beam instantly shut off. Demonica panted and screeched. Much of her costume was gone, melting off her body and revealing red flesh beneath. Black blood oozed down her body, and she went to ram Myth with a punch with her new arms while keeping her other two hands buried in his chest.


    Myth switched his form at the last second, taking on his lion mode. His muscles flexed, trapping the hands inside of him and stopping the villain from yanking them out of him. His fur was heavily armored and so tough that the villain¡¯s hands simply bounced off of him. Myth rammed both his arms up and jammed them through Demonica¡¯s gut, lifting the woman off the ground. The lion¡¯s maws opened wide and howled, launching a point blank sonic attack directly into the villain¡¯s face.


    Demonica was ripped out of him and went blasting sky high from the force of the attack, going out of the crater and landing somewhere on the roof of the mall. Myth breathed heavily, feeling his body struggle along. ¡°How did Battery beat this girl?¡± He didn¡¯t give Demonica a moment to come back at him and instead transformed back into the same form he used earlier in the fight, his winged beast that was a mix between a lion and eagle.


    When Myth reached the top, he reverted back into his human form, landing on the roof of the mall. Demonica was back up, glaring at him, her many arms holding orbs of fire. Like Mars King, or Intake, the woman was durable, able to take attacks that should have killed a normal Super.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay the price for standing in my way with your life!¡± Demonica screeched. Scorch marks scarred the roof as she rocketed forward at inhuman speeds. Myth¡¯s body morphed rapidly as he quickly transformed into his lion form, roaring out at her and shooting off a sound wave attack. She dove under his attack, and four of her arms pulled back as far as they could. Fire screamed out of her elbow, and like a rocket, her arms were jutted forward, ramming into Myth¡¯s stomach.


    The hero yelled in pain as he was shoved down. He stabbed his claws into the roof in order to prevent himself from sliding back too far. As soon as he gained his bearings, he brought his arms up and slammed them down, sending a shock wave through the roof and causing the floor to rise and crack. Demonica avoided the attack at the last second, growing large wings that carried her into the air. Fire blasted out of her feet, boosting her even further up as she turned into a makeshift jet.


    She dropped back down like a bullet as soon as she gained enough height. Myth changed into his bull form and managed to raise his arms up just in time as her foot slammed into his guard. He gritted his teeth, feeling his bones begin to ache and his muscles strain as his hooves dug into the floor to stop himself from being pushed back.


    ¡°Is this all you have? With power like this, I see why you were passed up for being the leader of Sub Enforcers.¡± Demonica taunted. She pulled herself back and landed on the ground, blasting him with fire.


    Myth stumbled back, his fur igniting as he gasped. She had been nearly fully healed when she fully transformed, but he had only patched up his body at best. He shook his head and caught his breath. ¡°I¡¯ll show you my best. There¡¯s a reason I brought you up here, you know. We¡¯re away from anyone I could hurt. That leaves just you to face this monster.¡±


    ¡°Oh? A trump card?¡± The villain chuckled darkly. ¡°You think you can beat me?¡±


    ¡°I do. Truly.¡± He changed back into his human form for a moment. ¡°I come from a clan that can trace their ties back to some of the first ever Supers. The blood of the Lord''s flows through my veins. Many Supers can claim that their ancestors are Lords. Why, I bet you could trace your line back and find a Lord of the Sun or two. After all, the Lords have existed since the dawn of powers, and many have gone on to have kids. Just look at the Victorian, or Whisper.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Demonica rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re also the descendent of a Lord. Big whoop.¡±


    ¡°My situation is a little different.¡± Myth flexed and felt his power start to flare up. For a moment, his eyes almost seemed to glow with a fiery red light. ¡°You see, in my case, I can actually trace my line back to two different Lords.¡±


    His skin began to morph and change. His fur turned a nasty black, and his horns twisted more. His legs looked more like those of a wolf, and a long tail formed behind him. His head was replaced with that of a hideous, scarred dog, molten liquid dripping down its mouth. His hands twisted, each growing in size, and eyes started to appear on them. Soon, the hands vanished entirely, replaced by the same disgusting canine head that rested on his body.


    All three dog heads glared at Demonica, who took a step back in shock. Fire started to drip from their lips, and Myth growled as he stepped forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you handle this!¡± His cry pierced the air as he charged towards her.


    Meanwhile, down in the mall, Max Lighting rested himself down on the unconscious Red Panda, using the villain like a chair. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes as he stared up and out the window, looking towards the bright blue sky above. ¡°I guess things are pretty much going the way you said they would.¡±


    He took a long drag on the cigarette and sighed.


    He watched the billions of paths take shape, and he cocked his head down, watching the other heroes do their job. He always liked to watch rather than help. Hero work was so dull, after all. ¡°Well, things are going the way you want. I guess that means it¡¯s about time for Jack Larison to die.¡±


    Down below the floor he was on, he watched the fight between the leader of the Sub Enforcers and a member of Zoo. Money Tree ducked down, a series of feathers stabbing at where he had been a second ago. He stood on a series of flowing cash and coins that allowed him to surf in the sky. Flying through the air just slightly ahead of him was Black Crow.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had a good sky fight. Don¡¯t die too quickly.¡± Crow taunted. The villain gripped his sword tightly and blasted down towards the hero. Hundreds of coins formed into a metal blade, which Money Tree brought up just in time, blocking Black Crow¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Yeah, I was about to tell you the same thing. Don¡¯t go dying on me, okay?¡± Money Tree smirked. He whipped his sword out, and the money lengthened into a whip, snapping out. Black Crow flew up to avoid it. His wings grew longer and wrapped around his body, forming a barrier as the whip came down and slammed into him.


    Black gunk suddenly stuck to Money Tree¡¯s whip, and he watched as his weapon broke apart. Before he could reform it, Black Crow¡¯s feather spat out more feathers, which sailed through the air like bullets. Money Tree raised his arm up, and the paper on his costume was replaced with hundreds of metal coins, giving him armor, which caused the feathers to be stopped dead in their track.


    Once again, though, he found more black gunk had infected his cash, the section of his armor breaking away from his body, and he had to quickly patch up the hole with dollar bills.


    ¡°Those feathers. They aren¡¯t actually something that belongs to a bird, are they?¡± Money Tree formed another whip and slashed it towards the Zoo member.


    Black Crow blocked the attack with his wings once more, several sets growing out of his back. He almost looked like a fallen angel with six sets of long, twisted black wings. ¡°Yeah, you got me.¡± Black Crow giggled beneath his mask. Money Tree¡¯s whip broke apart as the black gunk spread through it. ¡°I can control a form of powdered coal, so to speak. These wings of mine are entirely made out of sticky ash and coal. Just like how you control cash, I control this dust coal, making my wings, clothes, and any weapons I may need. In other words, I¡¯m the worst matchup for you. Every time you attack me, I¡¯ll just have some of my ash stick to your cash or coins and break them apart. So, what do you say? Wanna just give up and let me cut your head off?¡±


    Money Tree snorted and stood up straight on his board of flowing cash. ¡°Sorry. We heroes don¡¯t give up. Besides, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. It¡¯s not just cash and coins I control. I¡¯m all about any form of currency.¡±


    ¡°As if it¡¯ll help you!¡± Black Crow soared through the air again, his six wings expanding and growing, almost turning into tendrils of ash that whipped through the air. They slashed out in all directions, but Money Tree blocked them with large hands formed out of green paper. That caused more of his cash to break away, but he ignored it, sailing towards the villain.


    Their blades met once more, and with every strike, he had to reform his sword. ¡°I¡¯ve spent most of my life training with a sword, you know. Your form is all sloppy and filled with holes.¡± Money Tree taunted. He deflected Black Crow¡¯s blade and sliced up with his sword, cutting into the man¡¯s armor and leaving a large cut across the villain¡¯s chest.


    Black Crow screamed in pain and kicked off of Money Tree, flying high into the air. A tendril of cash grabbed him by his ankle, and he was yanked back down towards Money Tree, who held his sword up, intending to impale the Zoo member.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± Black Crow yelled as loud as he could, and his coal exploded in a hail of black fire, burning through Money Tree¡¯s sword and the board of cash. Money Tree began to fall and tried to reform his board, but Black Crow¡¯s wings stabbed into the forming cash, covering it in gunk. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for cutting me.¡± The villain raised his hand up, and a massive hammer of ash formed into his palm. With a single motion, he slammed it down.


    Money Tree barely put his defense up when he felt the force of the attack. He could feel his bones rattle and his brain shook. He was shot towards the floor and rammed into it hard enough to shake the mall. He gasped and nearly vomited up his blood. His suit was falling apart, that black gunk ripping into the paper and coins, and started to burn at his skin.


    Black Crow floated down to the ground and softly came to a landing. The villain laughed when he saw the state the hero was in. ¡°This is seriously the best Oleander has? Hey, who knows, money man, maybe Old Dog will swoop in and save you. I swear you¡¯ve all become useless the moment an Enforcer Member leaves you. I have no idea why Green Wolf respects you guys so much. I¡¯m starting to think White Spider was wrong.¡±


    Money Tree groaned and shakily managed to stand. What was left of his armor rose up, blocking the black spikes that Crow fired at him. His armor fell away fully, leaving him standing there, breathing heavily. He wore just a white buttoned-up shirt, some black pants, and a simple face mask.


    ¡°Where did all your money go now? Why don¡¯t you use your power and get some more?¡± Black Crow raised his blade and started to slowly walk towards the hero.


    ¡°Currency.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡± Money Tree¡¯s eyes locked back onto the villain, and he raised his hand up. ¡°I control currency. Anything valuable by a society¡¯s standards. Wanna see why they made me the leader of the Sub Enforcers?¡±


    The air sparkled around the man, and what looked almost like dust started to swarm Money Tree. It was hard to look at, the light constantly bouncing off of it, and it began to wrap around the hero¡¯s body, forming back into his armor. It was made entirely of a white and blue powder, and he rested his new diamond sword on his shoulder.


    ¡°Diamond armor. Diamond sword. Pretty cool, right?¡± Money Tree grinned. ¡°I broke it all down into a powder like you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°So, you just copied me?¡± Black Crow questioned as he soared forward, swinging his sword out. Their blades clashed, and he tried to spread the ash through Money Tree¡¯s sword, but instead, his blade was the one that was infected. ¡°What!¡± He stared in shock as the sword he held stopped being made out of his powdered coal, converting into a solid diamond blade. ¡°What did you do?!¡±


    Money Tree rammed his fist into the Zoo member¡¯s face, throwing Black Crow back. ¡°So, whose power countered whose, exactly? Get ready, villain. You¡¯re fighting the leader of the Sub Enforcers! I¡¯m going to protect this city, no matter what.¡±


    Black Crow growled and threw his sword away, making a new, longer one from his coal. ¡°I¡¯ll slice your body to ribbons.¡±


    On the other side of the mall, metal rose high into the air, forming large spikes that rained down on the battlefield. Tendrils of water flowed around Poseidon¡¯s body as she easily blocked Polaron¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Now that everyone has managed to get out of the mall, I don¡¯t have to hold back,¡± Poseidon announced, water rising and falling and forming out around her. Slowly, a trident rose from the water, seemingly coming out of the floor. She gripped it and pointed it towards the villain. Her hair shifted into a blue color, and her eyes ignited with a red glow as she tapped into the power of a Lord. ¡°Today is the day you go to Nightshade, Polaron!¡±


    The villain scoffed as he floated above her. ¡°You might be strong, but you are still a mere child in the end. I can easily handle anything you can throw at me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll put that to the test.¡± She smirked. She brought her arm back and threw her trident at the man as hard as she could. Polaron raised his arm and tried to control the object, but it ignored his commands, much like Cinder¡¯s helmet had. He changed tactics and casually moved to the side in the air. As it flew past him, he grabbed onto it, stopping it from going forward. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s mine! That was a gift from Mister Avalon! Give it back.¡±


    Polaron ignored her, floating higher into the air and avoiding the bullets of water she fired. He stared down at the metal trident. ¡°Ahh. So, it¡¯s the same metal that girl had. The metal is connected to you. Alive almost. It serves only its master. Created from ¡®that¡¯ object Avalon told me about.¡±


    Polaron tossed the weapon back to her, and she caught it, a heavy frown on her face. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°I did not come here to fight you. I came looking for the Wandering Coin leader. They are here somewhere. Or at least they were. Now, though, you¡¯ve caused them to run away.¡±


    ¡°The Wandering Coin leader was here? Seriously. Who was it?¡±


    ¡°I do not know.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really trust you then.¡±


    ¡°Either way.¡± Polaron gave a lazy shrug. ¡°We have no reason to keep this fight up. If the Wandering Coin has escaped, then so shall I. I will take my men and leave.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you escape.¡± Her eyes glowed for a moment, and the water grew larger and wild, cracking the air like a whip.


    ¡°You cannot stop me. Warp us ho-'''' Polaron suddenly stopped. He went dead silent. Slowly, his head craned to the side, staring at a wall. Or rather, he stared in the direction where a certain hospital was. ¡°K...¡± His eyes were wide, and he could feel his body shaking for the first time in a while.


    ¡°K? Who the heck is that?¡± Poseidon asked, frowning.


    For a second, Polaron swore he was no longer standing in the mall. Rather, he seemed to have found himself somewhere else. A place not of this world. He could see him. Mars King. The man¡¯s shoulders were slumped, and his monstrous form was mostly gone. ¡°Sorry, P. I won¡¯t be joining you for your big plan.¡± Then it was gone. Polaron just floated there, in the mall quietly.


    He didn¡¯t even have a second to regain his bearings as Poseidon attacked him while his guard was down. The water was like a cannon blasting her up into the air. The gravity seemed to bend and twist around her foot as she slammed it down into his helmet, cracking it. The gravity grabbed Polaron, and he was smashed into the ground, cracking the floor as a mountain of water crashed down on him.


    ¡°Sorry, but you should have had your guard up.¡± Poseidon floated in the air, looking down on him, the gravity lifting her up as he was shoved further down. Ice began to seep from her hand, and she snapped her fingers. ¡°Now, you stay put while I deal with the others. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    The wave began to freeze, turning ice-cold and leaving him stuck in place. In only a few seconds, a prison made to hold a massive monster was created.


    Poseidon softly landed on the ground a few meters away from the frozen Polaron. She clicked her teeth, slumping her shoulders. ¡°He seemed really distracted towards the end. A boss for a team this big should have had way more tricks up his sleeve-¡±


    Steam began to rise from the ice, the chains snapping as the water began to boil. Electricity began to seep out, and any loose metal was suddenly ripped away. Part of the building shook, the walls cracking and breaking as several of the cars from outside were dragged in. It was a miracle the building was left standing. She could see his form beginning to move, his armor breaking apart and reforging. She went to blast him with a wave of gravity, but a massive truck suddenly rammed into her from above.


    She tore the thing in two with ease, but it was already too late. The ice shattered, sending shards everywhere, as Polaron walked out.


    Steam rose off his armor, and sparks of lightning danced off the tips of his fingers. Metal swirled around him, breaking down into a fine powder and forming blades or shields as he commanded. He unsheathed his sword, and a blast of electromagnetic energy erupted from it, slamming into Poseidon, who did her best to block it with her trident. It split the entire mall in two, and from behind the villain, large railguns began to form and float after him.


    ¡°Rest assured, K.¡± Polaron¡¯s voice boomed out of his armor. ¡°You won¡¯t be arriving in hell alone today.¡±


    "Sorry, big guy, but it¡¯s over already.¡± Poseidon said, giving a smirk.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°My teammates already beat your group.¡±


    Up on the roof of the mall, Demonica screamed in pain as two of her arms were torn off her body. Her wings spread out, and she attempted to take flight, but one of Myth¡¯s heads sunk its fangs into her stomach, smashing her into the ground as hard as he could. His other arm bit into one of her wings and pulled at it, ripping it from her back.


    He raised his head up, howling to the sun above, as his foot smashed into the back of her skull.


    Over with Money Tree, he dodged a last-ditch strike from Black Crow and sliced up with his diamond blade. ¡°Let¡¯s end this fight here.¡± Money Tree stated in a blunt and cold tone. ¡°My buddy gets a little crazy when he goes full beast mode, so now I have to be the one to stop him before he goes and kills someone. And he wonders why I was picked instead of him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you-¡± Black Crow was cut off as he was slammed down to his knees, a massive weight forming on him. He gasped and shuddered as his suit, his weapon, and his wings began to slowly convert into solid diamonds, the powder grinding his skin as he tried to move. ¡°How could you do this!¡±


    ¡°You used your coal to infect my money. You broke the paper down or weighed down the metal of the coins to the point I couldn¡¯t fully control it. So, I thought I¡¯d do the same to you. See, there¡¯s an old tale about coal turning into diamonds under the right pressure. There¡¯s a little more to it than that, even I know, but I went off of that and infected your coal powder. On an atomic level, it was bonded and twisted by my own powder. And now you might be one of the richest villains in the world.¡±


    ¡°Let me out of here!¡± Black Crow screamed as the diamonds began to infect his mask and steadily go over the rest of his form. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The diamond formed over him, leaving him stuck on his knees, encased in the world¡¯s most expensive statue.


    ¡°Now to deal with Myth. This is going to suck.¡± Money Tree sighed.


    Polaron stood as the very last villain in the mall. ¡°So be it.¡± Metal attached to his body, growing him in size and attaching a series of wings to his back. He took flight, blasting through the air and heading for the roof. ¡°You aren¡¯t the one I wish to fight, though!¡± He blew the roof apart and began to fly out of the mall.


    ¡°Whoa! Hey, you can¡¯t just run away!¡± She yelled. She pulled her arm back and was about to throw her weapon, but all the metal around her began to smash into her body, throwing her around. She flexed her body, shattering or freezing the metal with ease, and formed a wave of water that was about to pick her up. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away-¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± She felt a hand on her shoulder, and her eyes went wide when she saw who stood behind her. Max Lightning, a member of the Enforcers, shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s getting away though?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It isn¡¯t his destiny to lose to you. His Path hasn¡¯t yet run out.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Besides.¡± Max Lightning floated into the air a bit, folding his arms. ¡°You¡¯re needed here. Myth has lost control and is in rampage mode now.¡±


    As if on cue, a blast of fire erupted from the roof of the mall, and Money Tree crashed back, trying to block it with an ocean of cash, which burned away to ash as the cerberus howled. ¡°A little help!¡± He screamed.


    Poseidon stepped forward and gripped her hand around the trident she always fought with. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll stay here and deal with this. Can you give him chase?¡±


    ¡°I shall.¡± Max Lightning nodded. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see more of these Paths.¡± Slowly, he floated up higher into the air. ¡°Enjoy your humanity while you have it, young girl. You¡¯re quickly reaching your worst days.¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother to answer him and instead easily blocked a wave of fire with her water. ¡°Just stop Polaron. And if you can, keep my sister safe while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    But Max Lightning was already gone.


    Max Lightning lifted up off of the ground, flying after Polaron. He watched the billions of different paths form. It was hard sometimes, knowing he was willingly taking humanity down such a dark timeline.


    Unknown to even him, something dark lurked in the area. A great evil. A young girl with snow-white hair rested on the roof of a nearby building, kicking her feet back and forth as she hummed. A sly smile was on her lips as she tilted her head back.


    ¡°Hmm. So both Zoo and Bad Timers came after me, huh. I guess that means Avalon figured out I exist.¡± She stood up and stretched her arms above her head, allowing the muscles in her body to crack. ¡°A pity. I was having fun playing in the shadows. Guess it¡¯ll be time I make myself known to the world.¡± She connected her pointer finger and thumb together and looked through them, staring out at the city. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll start with Oleander first. There are so many fun people I want to play with.¡±


    ¡°Wish!¡± A voice came crackling over a radio she had in the pocket of her coat. She had dressed lightly, having wanted to see the heroes before the attack at the mall had started. A real pity as well, as she had been just about to approach the cute fire-based one before it all started.


    ¡°Yes Sunshine?¡± She asked, rolling her eyes when she heard the voice of the Wandering Coin¡¯s leader.


    ¡°I want you to return back to the base ASAP!¡±


    ¡°Yeah whatever. I was getting bored here anyway.¡± She turned away and looked back out toward the hospital. ¡°Until next time¡­ Cinder.¡±


    The threat that could rival the Emperor was about to move.


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have one, but pretend like I just said a super funny ice pun!¡± Snowdawn announced. Ice blasted out of his hands, flowing over the many buildings that were on fire and putting them out. He ran through the city, tagging each one he saw.


    ¡°Put as much snow as you can right there,¡± Whisper shouted. She ran alongside him, constantly giving out orders for him and the others to follow.


    ¡°Right.¡± She had pointed at the base of another building that was on fire. His first instinct was to put it out, but he trusted her, so instead, he sent waves of snow out to form a cushion. He was glad he did, as a second later, someone from the building seemed to take their chance with gravity instead of the fire and leaped out of a window to crash down into the pile of snow. They screamed when they broke a leg, but without the cushion, they¡¯d be dead. ¡°How¡¯d you know someone would jump-¡±


    ¡°Oxide, start making some ramps over there!¡± Whisper yelled.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Oxide held her hand out, liquid metal flowing out and forming a slide from the roof of a building, where several people were huddled, the terrified civilians using it to get down seconds before the entire building came crashing down. ¡°Whoa. It¡¯s like she can see the future.¡±


    ¡°Whisper¡¯s cool. Ha, that counts as an ice pun.¡± Snowdawn pumped his fist through the air and got back to work, putting the fires out.


    They had formed into simple teams. He was running around putting the infernos out while Wasp Nest and BB constantly flew in and out of small places to check for survivors. If they found any, it was Metal Ronin¡¯s or Oxide¡¯s job to get those people out.


    Metal Ronin used his mechanical suit to rip the door off of a car that had crashed into a nearby building and pulled a shaking child out of the back seat. ¡°Someone else take the kid; I¡¯m not good with them.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± BB landed on the ground, growing to her normal size. She winced when she saw the state the drivers were in and made sure the child wouldn¡¯t see the bodies. ¡°Let¡¯s go over here.¡± She said, leading the child away and over to a group where they were putting the injured.


    Dozens of wasps flew from the sky, forming together into the form of a young man. ¡°Heads up!¡± Wasp Nest screamed out. ¡°We have trouble-¡±


    A blast echoed down an alleyway, shaking a nearby building. Snowdawn threw a barrier of cold up, shielding the survivors and any hero with low durability. A man dressed entirely in a white bodysuit came sprinting out.


    ¡°That¡¯s Ghost.¡± Metal Ronin yelled. ¡°He¡¯s a member of the Bad Timers!¡± Oxide flew forward, forming a sword, and sliced out towards the man. ¡°No, Oxide, don¡¯t! He¡¯ll just-¡± Her weapon stabbed through the man, and her eyes went wide. She had been expecting him to dodge or block, but he literally impaled himself on her sword. Purple blood dripped down his body, and he gripped her sword to pull himself further on the blade as he held something up. Her eyes went wide when she saw it, and she tried to pull away, but it was too late. Ghost held up a grenade and pulled the pin on it. ¡°Hit the deck!¡±


    Ghost exploded in a blazing inferno, his body being blown to bits. Oxide screamed as she wasn¡¯t fast enough to block all of the blast, and she slammed into the floor. ¡°Oxide!¡± Snowdawn ran forward and crouched down next to her. Her entire side had become a bloody mess. ¡°Damn it, none of us have any healing powers.¡± He placed his hand over the wound, applying pressure, which caused her to yell in pain. He did his best to ignore it and used some of his power to try to freeze the wound close and slow the bleeding. It wasn¡¯t a good plan, but it was all he had.


    ¡°Heads up, we¡¯re not done yet.¡± Wasp Nest screamed.


    From the alleyway, Ghost ran out again, pulling the pin on a grenade once more. Snowdawn blasted the man with cold air, knocking the villain over and burying him in a wave of snow before he could harm anyone. The snow erupted in an inferno as the man blew himself to bits once more. Already, a third one was running out towards the crowd of people they had.


    Metal Ronin pulled out an electrical bow and fired a shot into the head of the villain. ¡°They¡¯re clones.¡± He yelled towards the other heroes. ¡°Ghost can make copies of himself! He uses these clones to literally bomb rush people! Until we can find the real one, he won¡¯t stop coming. Can you do anything about this, Whisper?¡±


    He waited for an answer but didn¡¯t get one. Looking around, he didn¡¯t see the girl anywhere.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to hold out and trust that Whisper is handling this.¡± Wasp Nest yelled out. "BB, don¡¯t let him hurt anyone!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± BB shrunk down, her wings lifting her into the air. She raised her arms up, forming a barrier of mini tornadoes around the crowd, which would hopefully block some of the explosions and stop the madman from getting to them.


    In a nearby alleyway, hidden away from sight, Ghost crouched down. The villain was focusing on a phone screen while, up in the air, dozens of drones flew, giving him a bird''s-eye view of all the streets and allowing his clones to plan around the heroes.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± He nearly jumped when he heard the voice. He looked around but saw no one. He pulled a grenade out and was about to pull the pin out but felt a sudden pain as his fingers were sliced off by an unseen force. His grenade dropped with the pin still in it. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one using drones to get a better view.¡± Whisper appeared in front of him, holding a knife in one hand and a taser in the other. ¡°But your tech is so last year.¡±


    She held the taser up to his neck, and it roared to life. Ghost¡¯s body twitched, and then he collapsed back unconscious.


    ¡°Also, if I had your power, I would have a decoy out to work as a trap, considering you just tried to blow yourself up.¡± She whipped around, throwing her knife just in time, as the lid to a trash can blasted open, and another Ghost leaped out. The knife stabbed into the man¡¯s stomach, and she ran forward, ripping it out of him. She ducked down just in time as a bullet hit the wall next to her. Her eyes locked onto the roof of a nearby building, where the real Ghost stood holding his sniper. ¡°Found you.¡± Her eyes followed the many paths she could see as she became unseen once more.


    The real Ghost cursed, setting his gun down. He grunted, and his back began to tear apart as a second Ghost started to rip its way out of him. It dropped down to the floor and quickly stood up with a nod. More began to pull out of his body, all pulling the pins on their grenades and tossing them down towards the alleyway where Whisper was. Invisible or not, she wouldn¡¯t be fast enough to escape.


    As it turns out, she didn¡¯t need to. She had already called in backup, after all. The many grenades all stopped in the air, water forming around them, capturing them in bubbles. Flying through the air on a wave of ice and water, Ocean Empress snapped, and the bubbles blasted back towards Ghost to land on the roof next to him.


    ¡°The real one is going to try and block the blast with his clones; he¡¯ll then attempt to jump off, capture him then.¡± The voice of Whisper said in the earpiece Ocean Empress wore.


    ¡°Got it.¡± The roof exploded in a massive blaze, with dozens of Ghosts attempting to pile onto the blasts. All but one which ran for the roof as the smoke offered him the perfect cover. Or at least it would have. He jumped off of the roof, and his face smashed directly into Ocean Empress¡¯s fist. Ghost smashed into the roof unconscious, and down below, all the clones froze and then suddenly vanished, even the dead ones. ¡°Got him.¡±


    ¡°Nice work!¡± Whisper smirked as she became visible again. She liked Ocean Empress. The woman was the best friend of her mom and, in a way, had to be the one to raise Whisper since her mom was way too busy saving the world.


    ¡°What now?¡± Ocean Empress asked.


    ¡°Now, you need to head over to the hospital. My powers get fuzzy the stronger the Supers are, and I can¡¯t make out any paths leading that way, so that means the strongest Supers are all gathered there. You¡¯ll be better off there than helping us.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll head that way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and if you see a man smoking, put it out.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Just trust me.¡± Whisper smiled. ¡°I know things I shouldn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter Forty-Three: A Golden Reunion

    Intake spat up a dangerous amount of black blood as he finally crash-landed somewhere on the other side of the city. His body had practically become sludge, stone and metal dripping from his flesh, and his arms had come twisted off.


    The world spun, and the villain found himself trapped under layers of rubble from the building he had been rammed through. It was some skyscraper that had shattered on impact and was now collapsing on top of him. Despite having been hit so hard that he basically exploded, that was nothing compared to the burning within him.


    That spot the girl had touched was still ignited in fire, the flames eating away at his flesh and crawling up his body. The man felt more of his blood pour out of him as what was left of one of his right arms began to bubble up. ¡°I- I¡¯ll kill that bitch!¡± It hadn¡¯t been personal before, but now it was. He wasn¡¯t going to just kill her because she was a hero. Now he was going to kill her, everyone that girl cared for, her family, and all of her friends, in the most brutal way he could think of. ¡°She¡¯s dead!¡±


    From the bubbling palm, something began to tear its way out of Intake¡¯s body. Something the villain had been holding onto. There was one good thing about this team-up with Zoo that Intake liked. Being merged with the villain group meant he got to use some of their stuff.


    Green Wolf had once attacked a Wandering Coin base and brought back a sample of the new drug going around the block. Intake himself had been given a sample of this new drug by Ears. He had even taken loads of it before the mission today as a way to bulk up, yet that girl had bested him toward the end. What came out of his palm wasn¡¯t the same drug flowing through his veins.


    That sample Green Wolf had collected had been given to the second smartest man in the world. Harrison Avalon. It hadn¡¯t taken Avalon long to make a few¡­ Improvements to it. Everyone else had been too scared to take it due to fear of ¡®side effects¡¯. They were all cowards. A vial of the liquid dropped out of the center of Intake¡¯s palm and fell into the villain¡¯s awaiting mouth!


    Intake swallowed the entire vial, glass and all, crunching down on it and swallowing the contents within. Instantly he felt the effect, and he began to laugh as his destroyed body started to expand and mutate even further.


    The slaughter had only just begun.


    Meanwhile¡­


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Hope made several awkward gurgle sounds as she stared up at the golden woman that held onto her. She was in the arms of the Victorian. The number one hero was here in Oleander and holding her! She was practically a drooling mess.


    The Victorian frowned. ¡°Oh dear. Did you hit your head?¡±


    ¡°N- No!¡± She squeaked out. ¡°I¡¯m just a little¡­ Wow. Dreams do come true.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The woman tilted her head to the side.


    She held Destiny close to her as she stared up at the number one hero. The Victorian was flawless. This was her second time seeing the hero in person, but it was her first time actually being so close to her. They weren¡¯t in the hospital anymore. They were actually above it, with the woman carrying her in bridal style.


    The Victorian slowly began to float down toward what was left of the hospital¡¯s roof and set her down. ¡°I healed your body, so you should be able to still move.¡± The golden woman noted casually.


    As soon as her feet touched the roof, she noticed the state that she was in. Her outfit was even more of a destroyed mess, she¡¯d seriously have to get Myth to get her a new one, this suit was basically just riddled with holes now. Despite how bad her costume looked though, she felt fine. Her shattered hands had fixed themselves and popped back into place, and all the bruises or cuts she got in her battle were gone. It had been as if Paragon had healed her or something. Even Destiny looked a little better, the bird''s body having been healed by the golden light that gushed out of the Victorian.


    She picked the little bird up and tucked him into the front of her costume to keep him safe. His head poked out of the top of her shirt, looking around with tired eyes.


    ¡°With my enhanced senses, I heard the sounds of battle.¡± She jumped a bit when the Victorian began to speak up once more. The woman was floating a bit off of the ground and turned to look out at the city. ¡°Ocean Empress is also here, so I figure she can handle most of this mess without me. Still, I thought I should lend a hand. I came this way when I sensed a strong power source. Any idea who it could have been?¡±


    Her entire body shook, and she tried to muster up any sort of courage to speak but instead just let out a few squeaks. She had talked to some of her other favorite heroes before, like Myth or Ocean Empress, but this woman was practically a goddess. One of the strongest humans that roamed this planet. This was the hero of her generation, the one all kids looked up to. And right now that amazing person was looking right at her.


    ¡°I- L- Look out.¡± She finally managed to squeak out.


    ¡°Look out?¡± The Victorian cocked her head to the side. ¡°What does that mean-¡±


    From above them, a massive shadow suddenly appeared. She had caught it with her enhanced ears but had been a little too focused on her idol to notice it until this very moment. Something massive came down hard and rammed into what was left of the hospital, tearing most of the building down. A familiar mad laughter filled the air as the dust settled and the body of Intake became visible.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯re done, brat!¡± Intake roared so loudly that the entire block shook. The man had changed. He wasn¡¯t the same villain he had been moments ago. His body had grown massive. So big, in fact, he now dwarfed the hospital, and half his body poked out of the collapsing building after he had just dropped from the sky and landed in it. Jagged stone wings came from his back, and he now had a set of twisting horns. He looked almost like one of the gargoyle statues you would see on the side of some buildings, but way bigger and with a twisted snarl. ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡±


    Intake stared up at her. She was in the air again, her face a scarlet color as she rested in the arms of the Victorian, who held her once again. The golden woman had simply picked her up and flew them out of the way of Intake¡¯s crash landing the moment the villain showed up.


    ¡°He seems quite angry with you.¡± The Victorian noted, with a hint of amusement on the woman¡¯s face.


    They weren¡¯t the only two heroes that were here, though. One more person watched the scene play out.


    The hospital shook, rubble blasting down and crushing dozens of cars. Now that White Lamb was gone, the roaring of Intake was louder than any blast. The villain¡¯s upper body was poking out of the roof of the building, while his lower half remained buried. He hadn¡¯t even stood up fully and yet was already causing this much destruction.


    Battery stared up at the sky with dull eyes as rocks barely missed him, all crashing into the floor next to him. His entire body ached. More than it usually did. His heart felt like it was going to explode.


    He had only used the power for less than a second. Nick had been right. It was still so unstable.


    Not to mention he could tell ¡®she¡¯ was here. The Victorian. The stabbing in his chest grew worse with every set of breath he took. He sighed, staring down at the pack of cigarettes he had swiped off of Green Wolf in the middle of their battle.


    ¡°This brand sucks. Still, I haven¡¯t had a good smoke in days thanks to Whisper, so beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡± He plopped it in between his lips, and with a snap of his fingers, a golden spark fired out, lighting the cigarette up. He didn¡¯t even get a single puff in before a glob of water smashed into the cigarette, putting it out. ¡°Someone¡¯s gonna die for that.¡±


    Water splashed down onto his face, and he spat it out. He narrowed his eyes when she saw who stood above him. Her dress flowed around her form, and she had her hands on her hips. ¡°Why the hell are you just sitting here?¡± Ocean Empress asked. Battery slowly lifted his left leg up, and half of it nearly slid off his body, only a few bits of bone, skin, and muscles keeping it attached. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Battery sat up with a grunt. ¡°I got covered in holes in my fight with the Wolf, but it was my last attack that did this. I guess my body couldn¡¯t handle it because my leg nearly snapped off just from stepping forward. In a way. I¡¯m lucky he teleported away when he did. Pretty sure my arm would have exploded the moment I punched him.¡±


    Ocean Empress nodded her head. ¡°I came as soon as I finished dealing with everything downtown. The Bad Timers goon, Ghost, was running around, causing chaos. Not just him, but dozens of other solo villains as well. Still, I felt this was more important when I saw the state of the hospital. What happened to everyone inside?¡±


    ¡°Likely teleported away by White Spider. It seems Zoo and Bad Timers formed some sort of team-up. If it is White Spider, then none of the people should be hurt. She can¡¯t control where they end up. They would just appear randomly away from this spot in a five-mile radius, so they could be anywhere in the city. A good thing, too, because this place doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to hold up for much longer.¡±


    Ocean Empress placed her arm under the man¡¯s shoulder and gently eased him up. ¡°Who was here with you?¡±


    ¡°Cinder and your daughter Paragon, though I haven¡¯t seen either of them-¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larison!¡±


    ¡°Never mind, I see Cinder.¡±


    Golden light seemed to shine down. The air shimmered, and any rock that got too close to the flying woman shattered apart. Victorian was just as amazing to see every other time he saw her. If not for the stabbing pain in his chest, he would likely be as giddy as Hope was.


    The girl was in the arms of the number one hero, her eyes practically filled with stars. Victorian came to a soft landing. ¡°You¡¯re here, too?¡± She raised her eyebrows as she looked at Battery¡¯s beat-up form. Slowly, the woman set Cinder down.


    ¡°Mr. Larison- Battery, that one stone guy we fought became super big, and he took the drug, and the bad guys are after Paragon for some reason¡ªOh God, Paragon is still in the hospital!¡± Cinder panicked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, by the way. Thanks for asking, Cinder.¡± Battery stated in a blunt tone. The Victorian held her hand out, the golden light washing over the red hero and causing him to grunt as his leg was snapped back into place, mending. It was like his own healing, but a hundred times faster. ¡°Thanks for that.¡± He felt mostly better now, still sore, and his heart was currently being impaled, but otherwise fine.


    ¡°You said Paragon was still in the hospital?¡± Ocean Empress frowned. ¡°I told Poseidon not to leave her side.¡±


    ¡°It was my idea.¡± Cinder winced. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go get her right away!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to get into the building.¡± The Victorian floated into the air and caught a massive boulder that Intake had chucked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this guy up here. Think you can manage to stop the building from falling apart, Ocean?¡±


    ¡°Already on it.¡± Ocean Empress raised her hands, and cracks all along the building began to freeze over, massive pillars of ice forming beneath floors as she created new support and replaced destroyed ones. ¡°Cinder, make sure Paragon is okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m faster.¡± Battery stepped forward, placing his hand on Cinder¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m mostly back in good condition. I¡¯ll get her out of here. I think Cinder is more useful out here, where she can help. At the very least, it¡¯ll do her some good to observe the high-ranking heroes in action.¡±


    She really liked Mr. Larison. He was cool. ¡°Wait.¡± She unzipped the front of her outfit and gently pulled the injured bird out. ¡°Take Destiny with you.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Battery made sure his gloves were still on and carefully picked the bird up, trying not to let it touch him. ¡°I¡¯ll hurry back quickly. Stay safe, Cinder.¡±


    ¡°You got it!¡±


    She watched him vanish into the hospital, leaving her alone with Ocean Empress. The woman was silent; every now and then, the hero would twitch her fingers, and her dress would shift as she controlled the ice and water she was using to keep the building held together. As for the Victorian, the golden woman was practically flawless. The Victorian floated through the air, not bothering to dodge anything Intake threw at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pretty low-ranking villain,¡± Victorian said with a low hum. The hero floated in front of Intake¡¯s face, folding her arms. ¡°I think you can tell you¡¯re outmatched. I¡¯m rather in a hurry; there are about three volcanoes that are about to destroy a few towns, so why don¡¯t you just tell me why you did all of this, and I¡¯ll knock you out swiftly and be on my way.¡±


    ¡°You think you can bargain with me!¡± Intake pulled his massive fist back and smashed it into the number one hero. The entire limb shattered into a hail of debris as the Victorian remained put. Intake growled and began to pull himself out of the destroyed building. ¡°You talk tough, but we both know you¡¯re only considered the best because the real legends are long since dead.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll get answers out of you later.¡± The golden woman reasoned and floated towards Intake and gently poked the villain¡¯s stomach, causing his upper body to be torn off of his legs. His massive form was sent flying, but before it could slam into any buildings, golden chains erupted from the Victorian¡¯s back and chained the stone beast up. The hero held the chain, dangling Intake above the streets. ¡°I got him, Ocean. Go ahead and call Boy Genius or someone else that can handle this guy. Tell them to get over here quickly.¡±


    ¡°Just like that, it¡¯s over.¡± On the sidelines, she stood with wide eyes watching the exchange. ¡°That was fast!¡±


    ¡°Just like that.¡± Ocean sighed, shrugging. ¡°Tori is used to fighting way worse things. She regularly takes on mad monsters, whose DNA has been twisted so much they¡¯re as far away from being humans as possible, plus she deals with the Organization on a daily basis.¡±


    ¡°The Organization?¡±


    Ocean Empress formed more pillars of ice and finally rested her arms when she was sure the hospital wouldn¡¯t randomly collapse. ¡°You know how Oleander has Zoo and the Bad Timers? Well, every city has its own group, and most make Oleander or Lillian¡¯s gangs look like total jokes. Rose City has the strongest hero in the world guarding it, and if it needs guarding at all, that means it has the highest threat. The Organization was a terrorist group that was created by the Emperor when he tried to invade Earth. Made of the worst of monsters and the worst of humans, they were his army. Four main members stood out. His four soldiers, Golden God, Princess of Life, Hell Hound, and Fairy Queen. The Organization no longer has any of those four leading it and is a ghost of its former self, made up of only a few villains left, but still. Every single one of those people that reside in Rose, each villain there, could likely take out all of Zoo or the Bad Timers on their own. They¡¯re the guys that go toe to toe with the Victorian and constantly get away.¡±


    ¡°Good thing they don¡¯t bother Oleander, then.¡± She winced. It was hard to believe monsters so far above Green Wolf or Polaron existed out there. Even now, Intake had become something she wasn¡¯t sure she could stop anymore.


    Up above, the Victorian frowned as she watched Intake¡¯s body slowly start to heal. ¡°Regeneration? Man, what a pain. Hey, do you think you can survive deep space?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Intake asked.


    ¡°Cause I think I might just throw you into outer space and let you chill out up there until I can come get you.¡± The woman began to pull him up by a golden chain, and he hissed and began to squirm. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t fight it; you¡¯ll be fine. Your lungs are stone; I¡¯ll just place you up there where you can¡¯t do anything and come get you when the heroes are ready to hold you.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The sound of stone on stone echoed out as the man¡¯s teeth grinded together, shooting sparks out. ¡°There was a reason he sent Bad Timers and Zoo out.¡± The Victorian looked down at him, raising an eyebrow as he finally began to talk. ¡°If it was just Zoo or the Bad Timers that were causing crimes, we knew you wouldn¡¯t take note of it. Admit it. It was pure dumb luck you showed up right. You were just going city to city and happened to end up here sooner than we expected. Now that you¡¯re here, though, that means we have no reason to hold back. The only reason the boss didn¡¯t send ¡®him¡¯ out so soon was because we all knew that if ¡®he¡¯ showed up here, you would have no choice but to come. Since you¡¯re here now though... guess we have no reason to keep ¡®him¡¯ held back.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Her chain twirled around Intake¡¯s neck, and she pulled up, jerking his head and nearly ripping it off his body. ¡°Who could be such a big threat you think I would show up-¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve already figured it out, Ruby.¡± A mechanical voice rumbled behind the woman.


    Victorian froze, her eyes going wide. She tried to turn around, but a massive fist slammed into her from above, and she was sent crashing to the ground, finally moving. ¡°Victorian!¡± Cinder screamed out in horror. She tried to run towards the woman, but Ocean Empress stopped her.


    Within the crater, the Victorian stood up perfectly fine. A barrier of light shimmered around her form, blocking all the damage, and even the dust was unable to cling to her. ¡°That voice caught me off guard. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you. After all, you ran away with your tail tucked between your legs and fled our solar system when your master left. Golden God.¡±


    ¡°Up there.¡± Ocean Empress winced. ¡°You were wondering about the Organization? Well, that¡¯s one of the four members that served directly under the Emperor.¡±


    She felt her eyes go wide when she looked up and saw the monster that had managed to budge the Victorian. He was bigger than Intake and sat cross-legged in the air. He had hundreds of arms coming from his body, his shoulders, and his back, all outstretched, and he didn¡¯t seem to have skin, instead being forged from solid golden metal. It was like someone had tried to make a robot of the Buddha or something. It was almost divine-looking.


    ¡°I, myself, am a little shocked, Ruby.¡± Golden God spoke in a voice that wasn¡¯t human. It was like an AI trying to mimic a person. It never stopped for air, never said anything with any emotion; all of it was perfect and straight, completely flat. ¡°When I returned to this planet, I didn¡¯t expect it to be so much worse.¡±


    The Victorian growled a bit and floated into the air. The light shimmered around her, forming into a massive great sword nearly twice her size. ¡°First of all, stop with the Ruby. Ruby Admiral was my old name. I¡¯m the Victorian now. Secondly, I¡¯m glad to see you. I can finally finish what my father started.¡± She grinned. ¡°Ocean Empress, make sure that girl next to you is taken to a safe distance. Same thing for that man in the hospital and your daughter. I¡¯m about to stop holding back, so if you could block off this entire block, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Ocean Empress grabbed Cinder by the arm and began to drag the girl back. ¡°We need to get out of here, young lady.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we help her though?¡± She argued.


    ¡°No. We¡¯d just get in her way. You take off to a safe distance while I go back for Battery, and-¡±


    The chains around Intake snapped, and the villain roared, his stone wings stretching out as he took flight. Victorian turned about to swing her sword, but before she could, dozens of Golden God¡¯s arms slapped the air, sending sonic booms her way and shoving her back toward the ground. ¡°Mister Intake, I would suggest you run.¡± Golden God said in his flat tone. ¡°You still have a job to do after all.¡±


    ¡°Way ahead of you, boss!¡± Intake flew over the city, his tail smashing through every building he flew by.


    ¡°Change of plans.¡± Ocean Empress yelled. She formed her board of ice, a mini-wave of water picking her up. She scooped Cinder onto her board. ¡°We¡¯re stopping that villain! If Golden God needs him for something, then we must not let him get away, no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She tried to balance on the ice board, holding onto Ocean Empress by the waist. ¡°I¡¯ll back you up then!¡±


    Intake laughed as he soared through the skies, the two heroes hot on his trail. ¡°I might have let all this power go to my head for a second there.¡± His arm and lower half had already reformed. ¡°I¡¯ll just need to find the leader of the Wandering Coin. Maybe I can convince them to help me kill Golden God and the Victorian.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to let him do that, right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Obviously.¡± Ocean Empress grabbed her by the arm. ¡°Go long, kid! Bring him down!¡± The woman threw her through the air as hard as the hero could, and she went flying over Intake.


    She gritted her teeth and clasped her hands together as she began to fall towards the villain. ¡°Okay. Here goes my best!¡± She yelled, mustering up all her power and blasting out a truck-sized beam of fire!


    Meanwhile, Battery stepped into the hospital, finally getting a nice long drag on a cigarette. ¡°Yeah, that hits the itch.¡±


    ¡°Must you smoke next to my bird?¡± He cocked his head up when he saw Paragon. The girl¡¯s arms were folded, and she rested next to a wall that had somehow remained standing, seemingly waiting for someone to come and get her. Battery tossed the bird towards her, the thing squawking at him angrily as the girl caught it. ¡°Whoa, don¡¯t throw Destiny!¡± She whined.


    Battery ignored her, blowing out a bit of smoke. ¡°So, you killed Mars King.¡± Paragon didn¡¯t say anything, staring him down. Or at least the best a blind girl could do. He didn¡¯t seem to mind, though. ¡°I guess he never stood a chance. After all, your daddy was the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°How do you think?¡± He took another drag of smoke. ¡°I was in that bastard¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°If that was meant to scare me, then I¡¯m sorry to say it failed.¡± Paragon snorted. The girl folded her arms. ¡°After all, he had four generals. Golden God, Hell Hound, Princess, and Fairy Queen. Golden God is right outside; I saw him thanks to Destiny. The other three were all women. So that means you can¡¯t be any of the big four. In other words.¡± She stopped, and her hand balled into a fist. ¡°You¡¯re a Monster.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not.¡± Battery shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Even I¡¯m not quite sure.¡±


    ¡°So why are you here then? Was this all some big act for you to pretend to be a normal human, and you¡¯ve come to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡± Battery dropped his cigarette and stomped it out. ¡°And as much as it kills me to say this, I have a favor to ask. A big one.¡±


    ***


    The Victorian flew through the air, dodging the hundreds of arms that tried to slap her down into the ground. ¡°You¡¯re moving slower than you used to. And I don¡¯t remember your hits being this weak.¡± She taunted.


    Golden God floated after her, allowing her to lead him higher and higher into the sky until soon they were away from the city. She would have to make sure none of his attacks went down. Soon, they would be in space.


    ¡°Do not worry about me, Ruby.¡± Golden God held no emotion in his voice, but it still came off as a taunt. ¡°I know I will get away when the time is right.¡±


    "Oh, and what could be so important that you would come down here yourself?¡± The golden woman wondered. ¡°Actually.¡± A bus-sized sword of light appeared above her. ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    And with that, she slammed the sword down towards Golden God as hard as she could, cutting through space itself and splitting the clouds down below in half! Golden God made what sounded almost like a grunting noise. He had attempted to dodge the strike and managed to get mostly out of the way but lost nearly fifty of his arms, as everything on his right side was cleaved off by the attack.


    The villain grunted and tried to grab the severed limbs with his remaining hands, but a blast of lightning sprung forth from the clouds below and blew more of his arms off. Floating up after them, surrounded by a bubble of air, Max Lightning slumped his shoulders. ¡°Looks like I finally caught up.¡± His voice was almost as dull as Golden God¡¯s.


    ¡°Max?¡± Victorian said with wide eyes.


    ¡°Hey, Jill.¡±


    Meanwhile, down below, Cinder gritted her teeth as she drew out every last drop of her power. ¡°Hurry up and lose! I¡¯m missing the coolest thing ever right now!¡±


    When she was a kid, she had always looked up to the Victorian. The woman was strong. One of the strongest on Earth. She couldn¡¯t see the fight, but she knew that the woman was going to beat Golden God.


    It was obvious, after all.


    She fired down onto Intake with everything she had. The fire erupted from her hands, as big as a bus, and it slammed down into the back of the villain, shaking him. He began to fall towards the ground and roared. Despite that, though, he remained in the air, the stone on him already starting to heal, and with another flap of his wings, he lifted back up. The force of the wind smashed into her, and she was sent tumbling up and away from him. ¡°Uh oh-¡±


    She fell through the air but was quickly caught by Ocean Empress, who continued to surf on the ice board. She landed in the older woman¡¯s arms and gritted her teeth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hurt him with my fire.¡± She whined.


    ¡°My turn, then.¡± Ocean Empress set her down on the board and brought a hand up. The water began to bend and twist around the woman, forming into what almost looked like a bow. Ice began to grow solid like an arrow, and with a snap, it blasted out like a bullet. It slammed into Intake¡¯s tail, blasting the thing off and causing him to smash into the side of a building.


    Intake slammed into the ground, his feet shooting debris out in all directions. Bubbles of water began to flow out, covering any person that was down on the street, as well as cars, keeping them all safe. The water tried to spread over the villain as well, but he sprinted out, his massive feet leaving craters in the road.


    ¡°He¡¯s heading to the mall.¡± Ocean Empress muttered.


    ¡°Why¡¯s he going that way?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the other villains were. They had broken into several teams. I came to the hospital because my daughter called and told me the mall was under control and that I needed to get Paragon.¡± Ocean Empress threw her hand out, and shards of ice blasted toward the villain. ¡°Let¡¯s stop him while we still can!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± She pointed her fingers out and fired beams of fire alongside the woman.


    Intake grunted when he felt the icy shards impaling his back and the fire that started to melt him. He came to a sliding stop and sliced out with his hand, ripping a chunk of building out. He turned around and threw the stone block as hard as he could at the two girls who rode the water. ¡°Leave me alone! I¡¯ll deal with you after I find my target!!¡±


    Ocean Empress sliced her hand up, and the water shredded the chunk into small debris before it could reach them. ¡°Think you can perform that big blast you did earlier again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but only one more time. I don¡¯t have a ton of energy, sorry.¡± She blasted shards of rocks that threatened to fall on the people down below.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ocean Empress frowned. ¡°In that case-¡±


    Intake¡¯s tail grew back, and he cut the woman off by suddenly whipping around and slicing out with the limb. A bubble of water formed around the two just in time, but the force was still strong enough to slam them through a building and destroy the wave that they rode on. She could feel the older hero wrap their arms around her, defending her from the fall. They slammed down into the road, leaving a crater in the ground.


    Ocean Empress groaned, her back having taken most of the damage. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She pulled herself out of the woman¡¯s arms and set up. She felt perfectly fine. The woman had kept her completely safe during the crash.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hit by worse.¡± Ocean Empress managed to push herself up shakily. The woman wobbled slightly and shook her head, clear of messy thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m not as durable as some other heroes and usually rely on my barriers to tank the hits for me. One more swing, and something in me will break for sure.¡±


    She balled her hand into a fist and nodded. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll go on ahead and let him swing at me while you attack him, then!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid idea.¡± Ocean Empress said flatly and hit her over the head. She forgot about the fact she didn¡¯t have her helmet anymore. Her face was still hidden by the bit of black mask she had tied around her eyes, but that was it. ¡°You¡¯re a kid, and besides, we don¡¯t have to beat him. We just need to stall him long enough for another Enforcer member to arrive. They¡¯ll be on their way soon, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± A voice piped up, causing them to jump. They saw a blur, and suddenly, Battery came to a stop in front of them, carrying Paragon on his back. It was Paragon who had spoken, Destiny resting on her shoulder. ¡°I think I have a way to beat him.¡±


    Intake laughed as he jumped over a building. He was so much taller, filled with way more power, and his body healed faster than the heroes could hurt him. The flesh beneath his armored form constantly grew back and recreated the armor he now had. His power allowed him to absorb things and then recreate what he absorbed, which was how he could heal in the first place.


    That drug, whatever it had been, he would have to thank Avalon before he killed the scientist. Thanks to his power, he was constantly recreating it. What should have had a time limit had become endless within him. His blood had practically changed into the substance.


    He roared as he took to the air again, and his stone face twisted into a smirk when he saw the mall. It was still standing, though it had clearly been torn apart by several fights. Down below, he could see the crowd that had been rushed out. They stared up at him in horror.


    He grinned and landed. He had no idea which one was the leader of the Wandering Coin or if they were even still in the crowd, but it didn¡¯t hurt to look. He opened his mouth as wide as he could. He would just devour everyone below him until one of them fought back. It was the only way to be sure.


    The crowd screamed, and he towered over them, about to fall face first onto them, when suddenly something rammed into his ear, blowing it off. He clutched at it with a growl. It had been a beam of golden energy.


    ¡°Ah! So, I¡¯ve finally found you.¡± He turned around and, sure enough, the man he wanted to kill as much as Cinder had arrived. The janitor wore a red costume now, but he could tell it was the man.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡± Battery taunted. Standing next to him were Paragon and Cinder. Ocean Empress was nowhere to be seen. ¡°What are you going to do about it!¡±


    Intake growled and turned away from the hero. He raised his arm up, trying to grab at several of the fleeing people, but a golden chain suddenly wrapped around the limb. Cinder and Battery tried to pull his arm back, both gripping onto the chain. It wasn¡¯t the only one, either. Dozens of more chains began to stab out of Battery¡¯s back and fly through the air, wrapping around the villain¡¯s legs and arms.


    ¡°You think this can stop me?¡± Intake said, letting out a great, booming laugh that shook the parking lot.


    ¡°I think you forgot who was at the mall!¡± Battery yelled.


    Intake grunted when he felt a massive amount of weight surrounding him. He was forced to drop to his knees as Poseidon glared down at him from on top of the mall. She wasn¡¯t the only one either. Diamond dust began to surround the golden chains, hardening them and giving them more weight as Money Tree gave a wide grin and tipped his hat.


    Myth transformed into his bull form and had already made his way over to Cinder and Battery. He took hold of the chains and began to pull, dragging the villain away with the other two heroes. ¡°Sorry if I don¡¯t have all my power.¡± Myth winced. ¡°Had to get some sense knocked back into me by Poseidon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal you as soon as we¡¯re done here,¡± Paragon said. ¡°Do you think you can keep him held down for a bit on your own, Myth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± The bull man said, nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all!¡± Intake roared. ¡°All you heroes will be my prey to slaughter! I cannot be stopped so easily.¡± It seemed he spoke the truth, as even now, he was already pulling himself back up to his feet and began to snap the chains off of him.


    That was when Ocean Empress struck. The sewer lids exploded as massive amounts of water rose up. It was a mini-tsunami, and it crashed down onto the villain and began to freeze his lower body and bind his arms up. He thrashed around with his head as the Enforcer floated down on a new board she created. She forced more water to hold him down, and when she was sure he couldn¡¯t move, she gave the command.


    ¡°Now¡¯s your chance.¡± Ocean Empress called out.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure this will work.¡± Battery grunted. The chains that came from his back faded, leaving only a single one that had come from his hand, which he let go of, leaving Myth to keep all the weight held down on his own.


    ¡°It¡¯s our best bet.¡± Paragon shrugged. ¡°Now that he¡¯s changed, it could work.¡±


    Battery shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s finish this before my heart gives out. You two ready?¡± Cinder nodded and gently picked Paragon up, holding onto the girl in a bridal carry. Battery then grabbed Cinder by the back of her costume, picking her up off the ground with one hand. ¡°You¡¯re not going to use the ¡®you know what¡¯ on him, are you?¡± He asked Paragon.


    Destiny flew off of Paragon¡¯s shoulder and landed on Myth¡¯s, now that the bird was fully healed. The girl snorted and shook her head. ¡°One of these days, I¡¯m going to seriously need you to tell me how you know all of this. Anyways, no, I¡¯m not going to use ¡®that power¡¯ on him. I already used it earlier and can use it once every few days only.¡±


    ¡°What power?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Battery brought his other arm up and jammed something down on her head. It was her helmet. He must have grabbed it before he came here. ¡°Good luck, you two.¡± And with that, Battery spun his body as fast as he could, a golden light shining out and then switching to a shimmering blue for a single heartbeat. She felt something close around her and realized that a giant hand had formed out of Battery''s body. It was the size of a car and forged from crackling blue energy coming out of his wrist and clutching onto her and Paragon as if they were some sort of baseball.


    Then the hand let go.


    She blasted through the air faster than she had ever moved, fire gushing out of her feet as Battery''s blue energy vanished and the giant hand shrank back down. A golden barrier, the last of Battery¡¯s energy, barely clung to her and Paragon to keep them safe. She held the girl close and hoped the barrier would hold strong. As soon as it was gone, any average human would basically die from the sheer speed they were moving at, but the barrier was preventing that.


    As she flew through the air, she twisted her body around, her fire getting so hot that for a split second, it turned white and mixed with the gold around them, and she smashed into Intake¡¯s gut feet first. Just like the Victorian had done, the blow was so strong that it ripped the man¡¯s upper body off of his legs, and he went flying, going over the mall and past most of the city, slamming down into the ocean. Her feet were literally embedded in his chest, and when they finally hit the waters, the barrier around them cracked.


    The stone skin on Intake shattered around the spot she had rammed into, revealing his human skin. The stone was already starting to creep back up, and he was beginning to heal as he roared and ripped his arms up, about to squish them.


    ¡°Now¡¯s your chance, Paragon!¡± She dropped the girl and raised her hands, catching the palm that tried to crush them. She gritted her teeth, feeling light-headed from all the power she used, but she refused to falter.


    Paragon pulled her glove off and then lightly placed it on the man¡¯s skin. ¡°We win.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Intake screamed as loud as he could.


    The plan had been simple, in theory. Just get some of his armor off for Paragon to touch him. When she fought Intake, she had seen the skin beneath his armor several times, and he would have to form new skin each time it broke. That meant that there was still flesh, which was good, as that meant Paragon could touch it. Intake¡¯s new form was from a drug. Something foreign to the man¡¯s body.


    All Paragon had to do was heal the monster. The girl simply cured him of the substance that ran through Intake¡¯s system. It was the same thing Paragon had done to her when she was infected with Red Scorpion¡¯s venom.


    ¡°My power! No!¡± The man shrunk down slowly, his stone skin shattering away fully until he reverted back to his normal height. She collapsed into the ocean and struggled to stay upright. A flaw in their plan had been she never actually learned how to swim all that well, something she quickly regretted as she began to go under the water. When the man was fully cured, Paragon removed her hand and slipped her glove back on.


    Intake growled and threw her off of him. He could feel the drugs leave his system and his body, cured of it. ¡°I¡¯ll kill both of you.¡± He grabbed one of the rocks that had broken away during his body reverting, and his skin began to change. He still had his powers, after all. ¡°You two are-¡± Ice erupted from the water he swam in, and in an instant, he was frozen in a cube.


    She gasped, spitting out water, as she felt a floor of ice lift her up out of the ocean, and she dropped down to it, breathing heavily, as Paragon grunted and pulled herself onto the board as well. Up above, Ocean Empress watched, floating on her own ice platform, a small smile on her lips. ¡°Not too bad.¡±


    ¡°Did we do it?¡± She winced. She waited for Paragon to answer, but the girl didn¡¯t. ¡°Paragon?¡± She turned to look at the girl and felt her blood run cold. A stream of red poured down Paragon¡¯s body, all coming from under the girl¡¯s mask. ¡°Oh my God!¡± She pulled the girl¡¯s mask off and watched in horror as blood was oozing from the girl¡¯s eyes, nose, mouth, ears, everything. Ocean Empress flew towards them with her own eyes wide, but it was too late. Paragon collapsed forward into her arms. ¡°Sky!¡±

 Chapter Forty-Four: Polaron’s Rage

    Golden limbs drifted through space, forever moving away from the planet. Oil spilled from Golden God¡¯s many wounds. His body was covered in dents and cuts, and sparks flowed over the robot''s metal flesh.


    Max Lightning stood on an orb of air he had created, and even in space, his powers allowed him to create and control enough wind to breathe. His arms were folded as he stared the villain down.


    Victorian floated forward slowly. She was still flawless and untouched, her golden barrier keeping her safe from all damage. Her sword followed after her flying through the air. The golden blade was coated in so much oil she had to wonder just how much Golden God had left in him. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°Would you believe that we are trying to save the world?¡± Golden God¡¯s voice was still bland and flat despite all the damage he took. He didn¡¯t seem bothered by his wounds.


    The golden woman snorted at the golden robot''s remark. ¡°You? Save the world?¡±


    "Well, maybe that isn¡¯t the right way to put it.¡± The machine admitted. ¡°Fifteen years ago, you bore witness to my master''s loss. Do you believe he died?¡± The machine cocked his head to the side, and his question made the number one hero tense up. ¡°It is a thing widely debated amongst heroes, villains, and even civilians. My master''s body was never found.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Full Monarch turned him into ash and scattered his remains through space.¡± Max Lightning said bluntly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Victorian seemed to calm down. ¡°The Emperor is dead, and he isn¡¯t coming back.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Golden God admitted. ¡°You could be right. Not even I know for sure if the master survived or not. But... If there is even a single chance that he is alive and that he is out there, I will do everything in my power to set the stage for his return. And I¡¯ll start by removing the thing that can threaten him. Down below in Oleander, a monster awaits. One that, if left unchecked, could even leave its fangs in your flesh, Ruby.¡±


    The Victorian frowned for a moment. ¡°You should go ahead and give up.¡± Her lips formed into a sly smile. ¡°Boy Genius and Old Dog will be arriving soon. You¡¯ve already lost, so why don¡¯t we stop this silly fighting?¡±


    ¡°For once, it would seem that you are right.¡± Golden God had only a single arm left attached to his body. ¡°I doubt the target is down there anymore. And Intake has lost. I have no reason to remain.¡± He raised his remaining hand up.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± Max Lightning yelled, his eyes making out the dozens of Paths that he could see. He fired a bolt of lightning towards the robot, and Victorian threw her sword, but both of them were too late. ¡°Damn it...¡±


    ¡°Until next time, dear Ruby.¡± Their attacks hit empty air, as in a flash of golden light, the machine was gone.


    Max Lightning grumbled and folded his arms. ¡°Guess he got away. We really need to get a teleporter or two for the good guys. Why is it that teleporters always seem to be on the bad guys side?¡±


    The Victorian ignored her fellow Enforcer member. A frown was back on the number one hero''s lips. ¡°A threat that could even harm me.¡± Slowly, she gave another smirk. ¡°I¡¯m getting a little excited. Just what is going on in Oleander exactly?¡±


    ***


    The sun steadily set, and the moonlight cast everything in an ominous silver glow. Snowdawn did his best to cheer up several kids, as did BB, the two showing off their powers and playing with the children. While the two heroes did that, many Hero Branch officers were busy tending to the injured, all the while Oleadern¡¯s most ¡®famous¡¯ newswoman was getting ready.


    The newswoman gradually finished doing her hair and gave a fake look of concern for the many drones that were flying around the city recording everything. ¡°My name is Alice Ward, and I¡¯m currently on sight of the most recent tragedy to happen in Oleander City." Nearly one hundred people were killed during a mass villain attack, and triple that have been injured. Dozens of buildings have been torn down, and I¡¯m currently standing in front of a hospital that had been built by Mr. Avalon to be Super proof, and I have to ask. Why didn¡¯t the heroes do more-¡±


    Hope did her best to ignore the news lady who spoke. She wasn¡¯t the only one who was voicing their thoughts on the matter. The streets were filled with cops, the Hero Branch, doctors, and civilians.


    Dozens of heavily armored vans had appeared and were loading up the villains. Red Panda, Ghost, Black Crow, and Intake had been caught. Four bad guys. Just Four. So many people died, so many people were hurt, so many people lost their homes, their jobs, or their lives¡ªall so four bad guys could be caught.


    Money Tree stood in front of several reporters, as well as police officers, alongside Myth, the two talking and giving their statements. The skies above were filled with nearly one hundred drones that kept scanning the city, looking at all the damage around them. Battery and Whisper were off to the side, talking to several members from the Hero Branch. Many ambulances had appeared and were loading patients. She stood in front of one ambulance in particular. Poseidon stood next to her, and Wasp Nest was there as well, holding his girlfriend¡¯s hand. Ocean Empress also quietly stood, her dress flowing wildly.


    Metal Ronin was in a different ambulance watching Oxide get loaded on. She felt bad. She hadn¡¯t even known Oxide had been hurt, but at least Oxide seemed like she would recover if given enough time. As for Paragon...


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be okay?¡± She asked, wincing a bit.


    Oxide and Paragon were being loaded into an ambulance Harrison Avalon had created for the heroes. It had state-of-the-art supplies, was operated by drones, and would take the two girls to the nearest Super hospital. Sadly, the nearest Super hospital in Oleander was currently rubble, so it would have to actually take them to the next best thing, which was in Lillian.


    ¡°This happened once before. Well, it hadn¡¯t been this bad.¡± Ocean Empress sighed. ¡°Her body is almost like a glitch. Her powers are strong, almost as strong as her sisters. Her body, though, is just a human¡¯s. It¡¯s like trying to run advanced computer software on the first PC. She nearly fried her brain. She¡¯s still breathing, and I¡¯m going to make sure she gets the best help she can. Boy Genius might not be the best healer in the world, but he saved her life once, and I pray he can do so again.¡±


    She nodded her head dully. ¡°I-¡± Her throat closed up as she struggled with what to say. What do you even tell someone who is going through something like this? Her ears twitched slightly as she heard Poseidon mumble something. ¡°D- Did you say something, Poseidon?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay put?¡± Poseidon said it louder. The girl¡¯s eyes were turned to the floor, and she gripped her boyfriend¡¯s hand tighter. ¡°I asked you to watch her. I asked you to make sure she was safe. Why did you leave the mall? Why didn¡¯t you just do what I told you to?¡± Her voice raised slightly. ¡°If you had just stayed where you were supposed to, then...¡± The girl bit her lip hard enough to draw blood¡ªblack blood, which dripped down her chin.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not do this now, okay?¡± Wasp Nest winced slightly and tried to pull Poseidon away. ¡°No one could have seen this coming-¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right.¡± She felt her fingernails dig into her palm from how hard she squeezed. ¡°I should have been more careful. I wasn¡¯t strong enough. I¡¯m still too weak.¡± Her words didn¡¯t seem to make Poseidon better. If anything, the hero turned her nose up and finally walked away with her boyfriend. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She mumbled quietly.


    ¡°So am I.¡± Ocean Empress felt her dress come to a stop as it settled on a shape. ¡°I broke my promise to you for a second time, Full Monarch. I hope you can forgive me.¡± The ambulance that held Oxide began to pull out and leave, and Paragon¡¯s began to follow it. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and wrap things up here. Would you like me to contact you when Paragon wakes up?¡±


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± She nodded.


    Chatter was all around her as heroes talked and people grieved. She stood there by herself, watching flashes of lights and cameras as people recorded them or took pictures of them. No doubt she would be on the front page. Or rather, Ocean Empress, who she stood next to, would be. She really didn¡¯t pay attention to anything.


    The others were handling it, though every now and then, a member from the Hero Branch, or one of the drones, would approach her for a statement.


    ¡°-and you said you fought how many villains-¡±


    ¡°-exactly how many buildings do you think were destroyed-¡±


    ¡°-what was your name again, and your powers-¡±


    ¡°-which team are you in-¡±


    ¡°-the force you used against Intake was vital; you are certain of this-¡±


    She did her best to answer them, but it was all so numbing. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You alright, kid.¡± Mr. Larison asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°It looks like everything is done here. The others are giving their last few statements and speaking to the officers. Let¡¯s get you home and out of this suit. You need a good night¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°Is it really okay if I just leave?¡±


    As she was pondering this, another drone appeared, buzzing loudly. ¡°Your name is Cinder, correct! One of our drones caught you standing next to the Victorian! Did the woman say anything important-¡±


    Battery¡¯s hand came down on the drone as he flicked it and sent a wave of golden energy through it, causing the thing to shake a bit and fall to the ground motionless. He had done the same to every other drone that approached him. Each machine always asked the same question, ¡®Why are your powers golden like the Victorian''s?¡¯ and each time the man refused to answer and simply broke the machine. Reporters were likely not going to speak very kindly of the hero that called himself Battery.


    ¡°Do you want to go home, kid?¡± Battery asked again.


    She couldn¡¯t help the small smile that came onto her face. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d like to go home.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then.¡±


    Her and Mr. Larison jumped as high as they could and landed on the roof of an apartment away from everyone. They moved with a bit of speed and soon left the crime scene, finally getting out of sight. When they were able to, they ducked into an alleyway and finally got undressed and out of their costumes.


    She walked alongside the man slowly. He wobbled slightly and was breathing kind of funny but managed to stay standing. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t get Paragon to heal you when you went and got her.¡±


    ¡°Nah. Made sure I never made skin-to-skin contact with her.¡± He pulled one of his cigarettes out, taking a drag on it. ¡°How are you holding up?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I got healed by the Victorian and Destiny-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± She went silent at his words, and for a moment the flicker of her fight with Intake went through her mind. The beating she took. The way her bones had broken, the state of near death she had been put into. How Destiny had almost died. That fear began to rise back up inside of her. She had been helpless, only able to think about the faces of her family. That was the closest she ever got to death. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± The man asked again. ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine. Seriously-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to admit you aren¡¯t happy. That you¡¯re scared or mad about what happened today.¡± The man took another drag on his cigarette and blew out a bit of smoke. ¡°Heroes are allowed to be emotional. You can tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°W- Why do you think something happened?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re crying.¡±


    Her hand came up to her face, and she felt a wetness on her cheek. Her lip quivered for a moment, but she clenched her fist and tried to fight down the rush of emotion that was hitting her. ¡°I almost died.¡± The words left her coming out hollow. ¡°I fought Intake, and he was going to kill me. I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.¡± She wiped at her eyes and let out a soft growl. ¡°I feel so useless. There was nothing I could have done, and I wasn¡¯t able to save Destiny or Sky. I fought a villain all on my own and lost. I failed to save anyone, not even myself. I- I don¡¯t think I¡¯m strong enough to be a hero.¡±


    Mr. Larison stopped walking and dropped his cigarette, stomping it out. ¡°I almost died, you know. Myth did too, I bet. Snowdawn and Whisper were there when Oxide got badly hurt. How do you think they feel about the fact they failed to save her? What about the other heroes that watched the civilians get hurt or die?¡±


    She looked back at him and tried to fight back the tears. She hadn¡¯t even considered how the others might have felt. That just made her feel worse about herself. What was Armin going through? ¡°What do I do about it then?¡± She asked quietly. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m not ready for any of this.¡±


    Jack placed his hands in his pocket and looked up to the sky. ¡°I told you, didn''t I? When we first started this job, how hard it would be. How you would lose, fail, and sometimes be unable to do something about it. You almost died, so you¡¯re scared. You failed to save Sky, so you¡¯re mad. You didn¡¯t put up a better fight, so you think you¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°I am weak though-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a kid. A stupid, stupid kid.¡± She almost snorted at his words. ¡°I¡¯m not expecting you to suddenly save the world. Anyone who does is an even bigger idiot. Instead, they should be happy for what you did. You did stop Intake, you did save Destiny, you did stop Sky from drowning, you did make progress from when you first started off as a hero, and you will learn from these mistakes and figure out how to grow.¡±


    ¡°I still failed to save Sky or beat Intake on my own!¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°Looking at the positive side of things doesn¡¯t change that fact!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it doesn¡¯t.¡± She clenched her fist into a tighter ball and glared down at the ground, feeling even mad at herself. ¡°You can¡¯t change the past. But you can change the future.¡± Jack placed his hands in his pockets and looked up toward the moon. ¡°We all make mistakes. Some of those mistakes are huge, world-shattering ones. Some of them cause other people to pay the price. Some of them end lives. Some of them hurt more than others. Some people can¡¯t accept the fact that they made these mistakes. They try to ignore them. They repress it and pretend like it didn¡¯t happen. Those people waste their lives. They spend fifteen years not doing anything. Not moving. Not going anywhere. Not trying. The fact you feel sad, angry, or hateful toward yourself means you¡¯re focusing on this mistake that you made. Sky is in the hospital. Nothing you do now will change that. Intake nearly killed you. You can¡¯t do anything about that. Not anymore. But you can make sure something like that doesn¡¯t happen again. You save people like Sky a hundred, or even a billion more times if you want. And you can try and become stronger so that something like Intake never happens again. You can still grow Hope.¡±


    Tears flowed down her face, and she bowed her head. ¡°I want to get stronger.¡± She finally said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel this way ever again. I want to be a hero that can save everyone! Please! Help me, Mr. Larison.¡±


    She looked back up at the red-haired man just in time for him to flick her on the head. ¡°Then grow. Keep getting stronger. Keep pushing forward to save lives. Don¡¯t stop moving because of one little bump. Become so strong that you can even rival the strength of Giants.¡±


    ¡°Giants?¡± Why Giants?¡± She asked curiously.


    The man cracked a smile and rubbed the back of his head. "When I was a kid, I used to want power that could rival those creatures from legends. I told you what my energy is right.¡± For a moment a flicker of blue light crossed over his hand. ¡°My power is Imaginary energy. Energy that doesn¡¯t exist and, as such, can be changed into other forms of power. As a kid, I used this power to give it the strength from legends. I used the imagined power of Giants. I thought that those guys were what I needed. They were the tallest, the strongest, and above all, they were the rivals to the goal I wanted to strive for.¡±


    He could still remember what Nick said.


    Less than two years left.


    ¡°What was your goal?¡± His head jerked back down, and he looked down at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever asked who you used to be, Mr. Larison.¡±


    ¡°My goal?¡± Jack rubbed his neck and hummed. ¡°The same thing you want. I just wanted to be so strong I could keep everyone I cared about safe.¡±


    ¡°And you failed at that goal?¡± She still remembered when he brought up his wife. He didn¡¯t seem like the person who would be divorced. Mr. Larison was a kind man. Someone who would have a kind wife.


    ¡°Only because I ignored my mistake.¡± She jumped a bit as he placed his hand on the top of her head. ¡°You¡¯re not like me at all, though, kid. We¡¯re going to make you strong. So strong, even someone like the Emperor won¡¯t hope to sink his fangs in you. So strong you¡¯ll surpass the ruler of Giants.¡±


    She looked down at her hands and watched as her fingertips ignited with her orange fire. ¡°Do you think Paragon knew what was going to happen to her? Do you think she knew her body would be left in that state?¡± She asked quietly.


    Jack removed his hand and turned away from her. A sly smile came onto his face. ¡°Well, I know a lot of things, but people can sometimes confuse me. Still, even if she did know, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d have backed down. She¡¯s a real hero, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    She felt something land on her shoulder, and her eyes went wide when she saw Destiny. The bird quietly crouched down and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Sky regrets what she did for even a moment.¡±


    She smiled softly and ran her fingers through the birds¡¯ feathers. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard explaining this to Mom.¡±


    The rest of the walk was mostly quiet. Mr. Larison took her home, and she waved as he began to head down the street leading to his own apartment. She took a moment to look up at the building. She could see that on the top floor, the place where she and her mother stayed, the lights were still on.


    She¡¯d likely get a talking-to. Her mom would demand to know why she didn¡¯t come home on time. Plus, she now had to explain why this bird was riding her shoulder. Destiny had seemed content to stay with her the entire time and not leave.


    She walked up the set of stairs and rubbed at the back of her neck. Slowly, she pushed her glasses further up her nose. This was likely going to be it. She didn¡¯t think she could hide it anymore. Her mom would find out.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± She called out as she pushed the door open and entered their apartment. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, but I can-¡±


    Her heart stopped when she saw her mother resting on the couch, dozens of metal blades pointed at the woman¡¯s throat. ¡°Ahh, you¡¯ve finally arrived.¡± Polaron cocked his head as he rested on the couch next to her mom. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat, Hope?¡±


    That memory played out through Polaron¡¯s mind. The one in which he had been saved by Full Monarch. His armor was shaped in the image of Mars King, and he could no longer sense his friend. Demonica had been captured, as had Ghost. That left the few remaining monsters to get their revenge.


    Dozens of razor-sharp chains and blades were pressed to her mother, getting dangerously close to the woman¡¯s flesh. ¡°If you even think about hurting my mom, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Hope yelled, bringing her arm back and about to throw her fireball.


    ¡°Now, now, do that, and she dies.¡± Polaron¡¯s voice was strained and broken. ¡°Even if you managed to get me, do you think you can stop him?¡±


    She turned and felt her eyes widen when she saw the second member of the Bad Timers. Ears stood with his cloak finally off, revealing his body. He looked mostly human, save for a few things. He had a regular mouth, though he didn¡¯t have eyes; rather, a set of ears were where his eyes would be. Not just there either; all along his body, from his stomach to his hands to his arms, hundreds of ears were placed on him. All of them dripped yellow ear wax, and when it touched the floor of their home, she could hear a sizzling and bubbling sound as it worked like an acid and began to eat away at everything.


    She focused her senses, checking for any others, but saw none. These were the only two here. The fire in her hand didn¡¯t go out, and she could feel part of her head heat up as the strands of her hair almost seemed to turn a blondish color and ignite. ¡°You made a mistake coming here.¡± Smoke rose from her palm as the orb of fire heated up, and the fire alarm to their building was set off.


    Ears growled and raised his arm in the direction of the alarm. The sound seemed to make him uncomfortable. In the center of his palm, an ear rested, which blasted out a stream of wax that ate through the alarm, putting it out. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡± Polaron warned. One of his metal blades lightly pierced her mother¡¯s neck, causing a slow stream of blood to drip down. ¡°Last warning. Sit.¡±


    She gritted her teeth, and the fire around her died out. She walked forward with her eyes not leaving the man as she finally took a seat on the couch next to her mom. She felt her mom¡¯s hand on hers, and she gripped it tightly. The image of the bank kept flashing through her mind. She was just as powerless back then as she was now.


    He had known her name, her slip-up from the very beginning coming back to haunt her at this moment. She had assumed he wouldn¡¯t use it. That he¡¯d play fair. In one day, her failures just kept coming at her.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Her mother winced a little. ¡°You have...¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I have powers. I- I was going to tell you, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for that.¡± Her mother said, shaking her head. ¡°Just do whatever they tell us to do.¡±


    Polaron stood up and crossed his arms. She couldn¡¯t see his eyes, but she could tell he was glaring at her. He paced back and forth, and she was reminded of a mad animal. A beast that had nothing left to lose. ¡°What do you want?¡± She did her best to keep her cool.


    Polaron stopped pacing and turned to face her. His eyes bore into her, and finally he asked his question. ¡°Mars King. What happened to Mars King?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± That caught her off guard and ceased her thoughts. She stared up at Polaron with a frown. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What the hell happened to my best friend?¡± The metal man demanded.


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Polaron yelled, and his voice boomed around the room, causing Ears to wince. Polaron¡¯s metal teeth ground against one another and sparks hissed off his armor. His sword formed together into his palm, and her eyes stared into where his should have been. ¡°I no longer sense his life force. He¡¯s dead. A being I knew since I was first created is dead. Did you kill him? Or was it that Paragon girl?¡±


    Her thoughts raced a million miles an hour. Mars King was dead? Did Paragon actually kill him? If so, what was Polaron¡¯s plan once he found out? ¡°Hope.¡± Her mother shot her a pleading look. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    She made up her mind. ¡°Okay.¡± She finally said. ¡°You want to know what happened?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Tell me!¡±


    She took a deep breath and prepared herself. Then, in a flash, she struck. Her hands went over her mother''s ears, and she blocked them out. Polaron sprung up, but she ignored him and instead screamed in the direction of Ears. She didn¡¯t hold it back and yelled as loudly as she could. It was enough to cause her mother to yell, and Polaron was even hit with pain.


    Ears had it the worst. The monster screamed in agony, and his ears exploded across his body with a trail of black blood. He dropped back, and her own ears felt like they exploded. Every window for miles exploded into a hail of glass, and most of the city block had likely heard that scream. It had been so loud though, echoing out, that it would be impossible to tell what direction it began and ended. The same Super yell she had used after beating White Lamb.


    Polaron was back on his feet, and the metal around her mom stabbed down, but it never made it to the woman¡¯s flesh. A golden barrier formed around her mother, keeping her safe. The window exploded as Jack came crashing in. The bird on his shoulder flew off and landed on Hope''s, giving her hearing back, and then fixed her mother.


    She didn¡¯t slow down and easily ripped the metal and blades off the barrier around her mom, getting the woman out of danger. ¡°You should have paid more attention, Polaron.¡± She taunted. She had created smoke, which wasn¡¯t to block out the alarm but rather was to hide Destiny and allow him to escape. The bird had gone straight to Mr. Larison, and once she was sure he was ready to act, she unleashed her sonic scream.


    Ears twitched on the ground, more blood leaking out of him. Polaron roared, and all the metal in the house blasted their way. ¡°Run, kid!¡± Mr. Larison yelled.


    ¡°Right!¡± She scooped her mother up in her arms, causing her mom to let out a loud yelp. She jumped out of the window Mr. Larison had crashed through and began to free fall down the balcony. Fire erupted from her feet, shooting her higher into the air.


    ¡°Y- You can fly?¡± Her mom asked with wide, shocked-filled eyes. The woman clutched onto her daughter as they soared through the air, metal firing after them.


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± She sheepishly giggled as they began to fall through the air at high speeds once more.


    Polaron ripped his way out of their home, and it wasn¡¯t just their building that was affected, but dozens of others, the walls and roofs, came apart as the man threw everything he could at them. Mr. Larison fell through the air and fired a beam of energy towards the metal monster, shaking the man as the villain¡¯s nerves lit up.


    Jack then ran, not going at his full speed but instead keeping pace with her, as she did her best to keep launching herself in the air with her fire. He stayed under her, running alongside. ¡°We don¡¯t need to beat him; we just need to either stall until a hero notices us or we make it back to the base.¡±


    ¡°Can you call for help?¡± She yelled down towards him.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°He fried our phones. He¡¯s frying everything around us with his power.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± Despite the tense situation, she couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly as she held onto her mom. She landed on the ground and took off running. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep you safe. I promise. Because I¡¯m a hero, mom!¡±


    And with that, she finally revealed herself to her mother.

 Chapter Forty-Five: Another Word For Hope

    ¡°Young Master, you truly are amazing!¡±


    ¡°I am?¡± P frowned as he stared down at his hand. He could see the flesh in his palm start to tear away, the metal beneath shining through. Soon he would shed his human form and become a warrior of the Emperor as his power evolved. ¡°Am I really that good?¡± P considered and lowered his hands, turning his ability off and causing the various metal objects that had been floating to crash down.


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re amazing, young master.¡± In the corner, a woman stood. Sharp wings jutted from her back, and she sported a face twisted into a smile, with bits of grass that formed clothes that barely covered her body. Fairy Queen, one of the four elite members of the Organization, tasked with serving the Emperor himself. ¡°You¡¯ve been selected to serve in the Emperor¡¯s army after all. You¡¯re a member of the Organization, now. The group that will bring all of humankind to its knees.¡± Her voice was always sly and almost seemed to have a mocking tone to it.


    The two of them were in a fairly boring room, or at least that was what P thought¡ªa training room built somewhere in the dark castle the Emperor had created. There were dozens of scattered training dummies about, many of which he had blown to bits, as well as weapons and weights he had been using his control on to throw around. The only thing he liked about the room was a large window that was near the back. Built out of glass strong enough to resist even a nuke, it allowed him to see past the walls of the castle and watch the small planet known as ¡®Earth¡¯ float out in space.


    P found himself often looking at the planet from where they were on the moon. They said that the planet was where the humans lived. The people who had betrayed the Emperor. The people they had been created to wipe out. P scratched at his head, feeling his hair begin to fall out as more of his skin started to rip away, showing the metal bones beneath. ¡°Are humans really that bad?¡±


    ¡°Of course they are!¡± The Fairy¡¯s tone suddenly changed, her eyes snapping over to him. ¡°Humans are disgusting, hideous freaks. They created us for their own gain and then went out of their way to get rid of all of us the moment they realized we were free. They lie, cheat, and steal, and that¡¯s to their own kind. This entire universe is better off without them!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. Forget that I asked.¡± P sighed. He scratched at more of his skin, wincing. It was itchy, so much so that he couldn¡¯t help but pick and pull at it. His hair had mostly fallen out long ago, as had his nose and large bits of his face. It wasn¡¯t just a physical change that was happening to him, though. There was a voice, one that stayed in the back but had been getting louder. It was always screaming and howling, ordering the death of humanity. He mostly ignored it, more focused on the fact that his powers had been getting unstable. Metal seemed to want to cling to him constantly now. ¡°We all used to be humans, didn¡¯t we? You and dad were normal people once; I was too.¡±


    ¡°That was before his majesty saw fit to wipe out the impurities within us, creating us into perfect beings.¡±


    ¡°Perfect being, my ass...¡± A glob of his skin and muscle tore away, causing black blood to gush down his arm and soak the floor.


    ¡°Polaron.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He snapped his head back up to the woman as she floated gently into the air.


    ¡°Your new name. It has been chosen by the Princess of Life. You will be known as Polaron from now on.¡±


    Human, no more. After being betrayed by mankind, the Emperor left the planet and claimed the moon as his domain. There he built his castle and used his power to transform his loyal subjects. They had lost their old names; many didn¡¯t even remember who they used to be. Changed to such an extent that even those without powers had suddenly gained them. All of them waited for one thing. To be given a new goal from the Princess of Life. A new name.


    He had been less than three years old when he had been transformed. That had been nearly ten years ago. To get a name meant you were finally someone.


    Polaron...


    ¡°That name¡¯s weird.¡± His words caused Fairy Queen to let out a snort. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    He didn¡¯t get a chance to say more as the door to the training room suddenly burst open. ¡°P!¡± An excited voice called out. A young boy ran in. One with red skin and a growing pair of horns, as well as a tail that flicked back and forth. He was followed closely by a younger girl. She wore a full-body black suit, with the only part that wasn¡¯t covered up being the very top of her head, which flowed with purple fire. ¡°P! Were you given your name?¡± K asked happily. ¡°D just got her name!¡±


    P turned and raised an eyebrow at the quiet girl, who began to fidget. ¡°Demonica.¡± She finally said, bowing her head out of embarrassment. ¡°The Princess has decided I am now Demonica.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it badass?!¡± K asked, hopping around.


    ¡°Sounds kind of mean, considering how she looks. Besides, you¡¯re the real demon.¡± P muttered.


    K shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. ¡°My father was named Alien. Thus, the Princess has declared me the title of Mars! And since, naturally, one day I will be one of the four elite members in the Emperor¡¯s army, they added King to my title! I am now Mars King!¡± Mars King grabbed P by the shoulder and began to shake the boy violently. ¡°What about you, P! Now that your powers have started to awaken, do you have a name?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± P reached to the back of his neck and ripped away more of his flesh. ¡°Polaron... That¡¯s my new name.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± K announced, fist bumping the air. ¡°Mars King, Demonica, and Polaron! The three of us are going to be unstoppable! Let¡¯s go try and come up with neat costume designs, P! I¡¯m thinking you need something cool. The Emperor wears armor, so something that will make you look like a knight or something!¡±


    P shot a look at his teacher, and the woman smiled and folded her arms. ¡°Okay. I guess we¡¯ve trained enough for today, P. Go have fun. But I expect you to be back here tomorrow. The invasion will start soon, and we¡¯ll need all the warriors we can get.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± P nodded his head and bowed. ¡°Thank you, mother.¡±


    The three of them ran out of the hall, and for the first time in what felt like weeks, P couldn¡¯t help the smile that was on his face. Fairy Queen watched her son leave and thought to herself, looking back at the blue planet down below. ¡°Soon¡­ Very soon.¡±


    The three kids ran at their full speed through the hallways of the Emperor¡¯s castle. It was a large structure, one made out of solid black stone. It held many corridors and rooms, most of which were filled with monsters. Those deemed too insane had been sent ahead early and would be landing on planet Earth, where they would be free to grow as big as they needed to.


    ¡°Slow down, P!¡± Demonica yelled out. ¡°Don¡¯t make me use my power!¡±


    P shot a look at his two friends, giving a sly grin. ¡°Nah. You¡¯ll have to catch me-¡± He felt himself collide with something, and K and D instantly came to a halt, their eyes going wide with shock. P fell down and grabbed at the back of his head. ¡°Ow! Hey, watch where you¡¯re going-¡±


    His voice caught in his throat. He felt his eyes go wide as he stared at who he crashed into.


    Blood-red armor that almost seemed to crackle with energy. It wore a helmet shaped like the head of a wolf. Two slits were in the helm, and crimson lightning poured out of them. Those dark eyes stared into P¡¯s, and the boy could feel his blood begin to freeze in his veins. Everything got so cold, and he couldn¡¯t stop shaking as he stared up at the monster before him.


    His mother was Fairy Queen, the second strongest member of the four elite warriors. Only one being besides the Emperor himself ranked above her. The most loyal soldier the Emperor had was his very own bodyguard and personal shield.


    Hell Hound slowly lifted a hand. P flinched as it came down on his head. Then in an instant, he felt a wave of relief as the itching all along his body stopped, his flesh being burned away by gentle black fire that almost seemed to hug him. He looked down at his metallic hands as he was finally fully free of his flesh suit. Hell Hound removed the hand softly and turned away from him. ¡°As you were saying, my Princess.¡± The voice that came from the helmet was one he hadn¡¯t expected. It was soft and soothing. Gentle in nature. It was also the voice of a woman. ¡°Have you decided on a name?¡±


    "Yes, Hell Hound. I have thought of a name.¡±


    P''s head jerked at the sound of the voice. She stood behind Hell Hound. One of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. A human. The only human allowed to stand with them. One with long brown hair and gentle yellow eyes. She was dressed in a simple set of white robes and wore a small crown on her head. The Princess of Life was the teacher of the Emperor, his bride, and the one that carried his heir. The one that made sure every monster was given a name and an identity, that their bodies wouldn¡¯t destroy themselves in their transformation, the one giving them all hope... Her stomach was round and almost looked to be plump. A baby on the way. The one that would carry out the future of the Emperor¡¯s will.


    The woman¡¯s hand brushed over her stomach. ¡°Sky. The one who will bring about ¡®his¡¯ world.¡± She hooked her arm around the limb of Hell Hound, and the two set back down the hallway together. ¡°Earth¡¯s villains have agreed to swear themselves to our master as long as we promise them we can wipe out Full Monarch. That should be easy enough. What with the Emperor¡¯s secret weapon?¡± The pregnant woman explained with a giggle.


    ¡°That secret weapon has a name.¡± Hell Hound growled.


    P felt a hand on his shoulder as K dragged him and D out of earshot of the two legends. ¡°Wow. She was even cooler in person.¡± K whispered.


    P watched the two Demi-Gods turn a corner at the end of the hallway, a small frown appearing on his metallic lips. ¡°Yeah. Hard to believe Gods can be so kind.¡±


    ¡°What did they mean by secret weapon, though?¡± D asked.


    K threw his arms behind his head. ¡°I think I heard about that, actually.¡± His words caught them all off guard. ¡°I heard that Golden God returned with someone. The machine had been personally sent out to pick them up.¡±


    P felt his frown grow. Golden God was someone important. Maybe as important as the Princess. For him to be sent out to get someone¡­ ¡°I¡¯d like to see this person for myself.¡±


    ¡°Tough luck.¡± K snorted. ¡°This castle is huge. We¡¯d spend days looking. Besides, they¡¯re likely in some restricted section-¡±


    ¡°Actually.¡± D cut in. ¡°My father Daemon manages the training room schedules. I went into his notes to find out which training room you were in P and saw that there was only one more room that was reserved. The one who requested it had a name I never saw before. I guess maybe this mysterious person could be there, but I doubt it.¡±


    P nodded softly. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt to check it out. Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care so much?¡± K questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious, that''s all.¡± P shrugged. That was a lie, though. In reality, his mother''s words kept coming back to him. He was amazing. Truly. A child of one of the four elite guards, blessed with an amazing body. Why wasn¡¯t he the secret weapon?


    D led them through the halls of the black castle. They backtracked a bit, heading back towards the training room section. It was a long hallway with dozens of rooms on all sides. He had been in room four when his friends came for him. They went past that room and made their way over to one listed as eight. Like all the others, it would have various weights and dummies inside. Or at least it was supposed to. That wasn¡¯t the case when they entered, though.


    Everything was a mess. The walls had been burned a nasty black. The roof was torn to bits, with large slash marks over every inch. Every training dummy had been cut cleanly in two, and the air sparked with a powerful energy. Standing in the center of the room was the one responsible for it all. Their back was turned, and they wore a heavy brown-looking cloak that covered most of their form up. Their hands, however, stood out, gripping a long sword.


    P felt his eyes narrow slightly. Human flesh. Not to mention the person''s scent. Even without a nose, he could tell. This person wasn¡¯t a monster. His mother''s words came back to him once more. They had all been turned into monsters, beings made more perfect. He didn¡¯t really understand it, but something about seeing just a normal human made his blood boil. That voice in the back of his head began to go off again. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you changed into a monster yet?¡± He called out. He could tell the figure was older than him, maybe in their early twenties or late teens.


    The figure ignored him, ripping its sword out of the ground and stepping forward. It swung its blade at the wall, or at least it tried. P raised his hand and forced the sword to stop.


    ¡°I asked you a question. Only the Princess of Life was granted the right to stay human. Why haven¡¯t you been changed yet?¡±


    The figure finally turned, and P felt himself take a step back. He couldn¡¯t see their face; it was cloaked in the dark. What he could see though was a pair of glowing blue eyes. They stabbed out and even managed to make P step back a bit. The figure said something, but it was almost as loud as a whisper. P frowned and felt his anger grow. The only thing he knew for sure now was that whoever this person was, they were male.


    ¡°P-¡± K tried to grab his friend, but the prodigy child avoided the grasp and moved further into the room.


    This man couldn¡¯t be that strong if he was only a human. Humans weren¡¯t the perfect lifeforms, after all. ¡°Speak up.¡± P ordered. The air around him suddenly became charged with magnetic force. ¡°Or face atomic destruction.¡±


    ¡°I said. I¡¯m not fodder trash that requires the boost like you all do.¡±


    Metal slammed into the figure as everything that wasn¡¯t bolted down in the room came crashing forward. Or at least P thought it did. One second the man had been standing there, and then in an instant, as soon as he had attacked and smashed his objects around the man, P felt a hand grip the back of his head. He was smashed down face-first into the floor, and he gasped out as his metal skull began to bend and twist from the man¡¯s fingers digging into him.


    K smashed his fist into the back of the figure¡¯s head, which now rested on Polaron, but that only caused K to howl in pain as his hand broke. Demonica threw her hand out and sent a blast of purple fire forward, but the man brought his other hand up, and the air shimmered as from out of nowhere a massive hand forged from blue energy appeared around Demonica and gripped down hard enough to crush the girl¡¯s bones and make her scream out. The hand was attached to the man and as big as a car, belonging to that of a Giant. It came out of the man¡¯s arm surrounding it like some sort of astral armor.


    P roared out and felt all the metal respond to him. He sent it- The man flicked his human-sized hand down, and the metal all froze. P felt his eyes go wide when he could no longer feel his power inside of himself. ¡°What did you-¡±


    The man brought his hand up and smashed it down hard enough to blow P¡¯s skull to bits. His fist broke through the floor and shook the room. P, however, had never been hit by it. Moments before the attack landed, he felt space twist and bend. The next thing he knew, he was in the arms of his mother.


    Fairy Queen stood at the entrance of the room; her face twisted in anger as she glared at the hooded figure. ¡°Hell Hound!¡± She screamed. ¡°Do your fucking job and get this thing out of my sight before I have to explain to the Emperor why I broke his pet!¡±


    The floor of the room began to twitch and rise up, the shadows lifting. Hell Hound pulled herself out of it, walking out of the darkness. She took a knee and bowed before the man in the cloak. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ve been asked to escort you back to your room. Please give me the honor of walking you back.¡± The energy arm the figure had created flickered out, causing Demonica to crash to the floor.


    P stared back at the cloaked figure, his body shaking as he clung to his mother. Those blue eyes stared back at him. It was like looking into the heart of an endless void. Slowly though, the figure turned and allowed himself to be grabbed by Hell Hound. The bodyguard of the Emperor placed her hand on the figure¡¯s shoulder, and the two of them began to sink through the floor, soon vanishing from sight. The air gradually settled down, and Fairy Queen let out a breath she had been holding.


    The woman sighed and allowed her arms to let go of her son. ¡°That was a close one. For a moment, I thought he was just going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°H- He couldn¡¯t though, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he could...¡±


    ¡°B- But you¡¯re Fairy Queen!¡± P argued. ¡°You¡¯re one of the four elite warriors; you¡¯re a monster; he was just a human- How did I lose! I¡¯m your son! I¡¯m a prodigy, I¡¯m amazing, you said so yourself, humans are trash- How did that- Who was that? I thought I was strong!¡±


    ¡°You are strong. You¡¯re my son, after all.¡± Fairy Queen ran her fingers through her son''s metallic skull, feeling the dents that were left in it. ¡°That ¡®thing¡¯, though¡­ Well, just as you being my son makes you strong, it is his father that makes him special. You just met the Emperor¡¯s son. His weapon. Alpha. The Giant.¡±


    ***


    Present Day¡­


    Hope crashed down in an alleyway near Spider Street and turned, throwing her mother. The woman screamed and flailed as she was thrown through the air and then landed in the arms of Jack, who caught her.


    ¡°Hey! Watch where your hands are!¡± The woman yelped.


    ¡°Mr. Larison! Polaron is catching up to us fast.¡± She turned and faced the direction the monster was coming from. Metal was ripping its way off of anything the villain could seemingly get his hands on. ¡°Get my mom out of here and make it to the Pantheon base. I¡¯ll hold him off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you to fight Polaron.¡± Jack said, shaking his head.


    ¡°You have to. He¡¯ll use his power to attack you on the inside. I¡¯m not sure why, but it doesn¡¯t work on me. That means only I can do this.¡± She reasoned. ¡°Besides. In a way, doesn¡¯t this remind you of how we first teamed up? It¡¯s like with Intake, you know. You have to save me by getting a strong hero.¡±


    Her mother shook her head and tried to worm her way out of Jack¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡¯re not actually going to leave my daughter, are you!¡± She hissed. ¡°Let me go!¡±


    Jack stood there for a moment, staring back at her. His grip on her mother ensured the woman wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. ¡°In the past, I could have beaten Polaron even with his ability.¡± The man mused. ¡°It seems though that time has long since gone. The injuries my body received made sure I''d never reach a level like that again. You¡¯re a strong kid. You can be stronger than I ever was.¡± Jack turned and threw her woman he was holding over his shoulder, carrying Jane Lauren like a bag of potatoes. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a flash, kid. Don¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t die. Because I¡¯m going to be the number one hero!¡± She announced. A golden barrier formed around Jack¡¯s body, and he took off at top speed, breaking the ground from how fast he moved and using the barrier to keep her mom safe. ¡°Besides.¡± She said to herself once the man left. ¡°I¡¯m not alone.¡± Destiny landed softly on her head.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve come to face me yourself.¡± The voice of Polaron taunted her from above. His armor twisted and changed as if it were a liquid metal. It sort of reminded her of Oxide in a way. Black dust also trailed behind him as he broke down all forms of metal that he could, changing it into a solid powder he could then change in whatever way he wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who killed Mars King, just so you know.¡± She yelled up at him.


    ¡°That no longer matters!¡±


    ¡°I think it kind of does, though.¡± She trailed off. Polaron was an arrogant, foolish man. The longer she could keep him talking, the better.


    The monster landed on the ground, staring her down. The streets were empty. Anyone that had been left already escaped when they saw the mass of black that trailed above. No one was around. Their base was still a few miles back, and it would only take Mr. Larison a couple of moments to drop her mother off and find a way to call for help. Even if she did die here, Polaron already lost, and he didn¡¯t even know it.


    ¡°I saw that man in the man you were with. He was at the warehouse.¡± Polaron stated. ¡°Did you stay behind so he could escape? Do you even know who he is? Who he really is. Demonica told me who he was when she fought him, but after seeing him for myself, I¡¯m certain. He¡¯s like the dead brought back to life.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying Mr. Larison is a zombie?¡±


    ¡°Not quite. I just assumed he died when his master did. The Emperor died fifteen years ago, as did most people in his army. That man. You truly don¡¯t know, do you?¡± Polaron¡¯s voice almost mocked her. ¡°He¡¯s a villain. One of the worst villains I¡¯ve ever known. He served the Emperor. Well, he did more than that. He¡¯s almost as bad as the Emperor after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± She yelled.


    ¡°Am I? I could be, I guess.¡± Polaron pointed at her. ¡°It hardly matters now, though. Die.¡± The dust formed together into a jagged metal tendril. It almost reminded her of how Poseidon used her water. She was glad she had seen the woman in action because her body moved on sheer instinct, already knowing how this attack worked. She blasted herself into the air as the tendril sliced out at where she had been. It ripped apart the buildings around her, narrowly missing her.


    Fire blasted out of her feet, and she blasted higher and higher, much like a rocket. She created a ball of fire in her hands and threw it down at Polaron as hard as she could. It scorched the air, and Polaron¡¯s iron dust twisted and took shape, forming an ocean of metal that tried to swallow up the fire.


    It exploded and sent molten liquid blasting out in all directions. She dropped through the air and broke her fall with a roll, but a second later she was forced to jump toward the side as a sword of iron tried to slice into her. Its blade hummed and vibrated like a chainsaw, and she felt part of it dig into her shoulder, cutting it open and causing her to yell out in pain.


    Polaron had found a way to harm her. She shook off the pain, and fire twirled around her fist, and she smashed it into the blade, shattering it. Then, without skipping a beat, she fired dozens of her lasers towards Polaron from out of her fingertips the same way Mr. Larison would. The villain tried to make several shields to block them, but her beams twisted and went around the metal stabbing through his armor. This time it was his turn to yell out in pain as dozens of holes were blasted through him.


    Black liquid gushed out of him, and he grunted. The metal twisted around, and the dust formed together. He blasted toward her faster than before, and his iron changed into a giant metal fist, which he swung out at her. Electricity danced off the metal, and she felt her hair stand up as she was dragged directly into the fist, which smashed into her stomach. She gasped out, and a second later a blast of pure energy went through her body as the metal unleashed its electromagnetic power. It was nothing compared to Jack''s, though.


    She gritted her teeth and wrapped her arms around the metal fist and shattered it easily. On the other side of the metal, Polaron was already swinging out with a sword. She opened her mouth, and he rapidly created several shields to block the fire blast, but she didn¡¯t unleash it. Instead, she let out another yell using the strength of her Super lungs. People like the Victorian had lungs so strong that they could freeze lava by breathing hard enough. Hers wasn¡¯t anywhere on that level, but it didn¡¯t need to be. It didn¡¯t matter that Polaron created a shield in front of him; her sonic attack vibrated through his metal form and caused him to scream out in pain. She had made sure to cover her own ears, but the force of her scream still caused them to ring a bit.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°I learned that one from Myth!¡± She announced. ¡°And I learned this one from your teammate Demonica! Eat rocket punch!¡± Fire blasted out of her elbow as she launched her hand forward as hard as she could directly through the metal shield. Polaron tried to escape, but she brought her fist up and rammed it into his stomach as hard as she could. The sound he made was a horrible screeching noise, and his normal-sized fist grew large spikes, which he rammed into her stomach, cutting it open.


    She stumbled back but didn¡¯t falter. Already her wound healed as Destiny fixed her up. She wiped at her face, feeling refreshed. Polaron¡¯s armor fixed itself as the metal healed, and he growled as he glared at the bird. More blades of metal fired off of him, all aimed at Destiny, and the bird was forced to take flight to avoid it. As soon as the bird got away from her, he kept firing at it, stopping it from coming down. All the while he kept up his own fight with her.


    In one swift motion, Polaron had stopped her from healing. His iron dust twisted and changed, taking shape. It grew larger and didn¡¯t turn into a weapon. Instead, it seemed to form arms and legs as he created a giant metal-looking statue. A golem. The golem pulled its fist back and threw out a mighty punch towards her. It stood at ten feet tall and reminded her of Intake in a way. She had already beaten Intake, though!


    She rammed her fist forward, launching it like a jet again as fire blasted out of her elbow. The golem roared down at her and brought its own fist towards her. The two attacks clashed, and her fire gushed out of her knuckles as she shattered the creature''s limb. The flames didn¡¯t stop there though; they easily sank into the monster''s metal flesh and expanded, blowing it to pieces. Despite having beaten it, her arm ached, and the bones within cried out.


    She had no time to react as Polaron reached her and slammed his palm into her stomach. He blasted out with his metal, grinding it together and causing a spark of fire to erupt from it. It fired into her gut, and while she was heat-resistant, she definitely was not exploding metalproof, as the jagged shards dug into her gut. Destiny screamed down and tried to fly towards her, but metal tendrils stayed in the air, whipping at him and keeping him away.


    She stumbled back clutching her gut wound and raised her shaking arm up just in time to block a strong smack from Polaron. ¡°Liquid metal, shooting sparks out, living metal, and now fire. You trying anything you can think of?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± She dodged another strike, his flash of emotion making him go long. She slammed her leg into his side, denting the metal and causing it to partially cave in as he groaned. He fought through the pain though and created another vibrating sword, bringing it down toward her. ¡°I win!¡±


    Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she raised her hands above her head. It was futile, though. She knew the sword could cut her. It was sharp enough to slice her in two, and she had no time to dodge. She was about to die.


    A flare of blue dropped from the sky. Crackling and wild, a bolt of pure lightning smashed into Polaron. The man screamed and his armor began to steam and melt as more bolts rained down. It hit him over and over and over, and his screams grew.


    This was her chance. She threw her hands out and screamed out as loud as she could as the fire and her wild sound mixed together into a chaotic beam that smashed into Polaron. It wasn¡¯t just that though, as a second later gold mixed with her attack. She looked up, finding Mr. Larison, his arm held out as he fired his own energy into hers. It all swirled together and then erupted.


    A barrier formed around her and Jack, keeping them safe. The street was in ruins, buildings falling apart, and soon someone would take notice if they hadn¡¯t already. Polaron¡¯s back hit the road. His armor was in utter ruins, burned, and blackened, part of it dripping down his body and steam pouring off of him.


    ¡°I got a strong hero.¡± Jack said, pointing towards the sky, where the lightning had come from. ¡°A buddy of mine owed me a few favors still. He¡¯s keeping your mom safe, and with him on our side, we won¡¯t be losing to this guy.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You sad?¡± Rowan asked.


    Ken scratched at the back of his head and let out a sigh. ¡°I mean, yeah¡ªa little. Ocean Empress said she likely wouldn¡¯t be able to pop into Oleander City for a while. She¡¯s going to be too focused on holding her own city down since the gangs there saw how well teaming up here in Oleander went. That also means Poseidon won¡¯t be showing up either.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention Oxide. I mean, I don¡¯t really like Ashley, but still. It sucks what happened to her. She¡¯s going to be stuck in bed for at least a month since our healer is down now.¡± Rowan threw his arms behind his head in a casual manner. ¡°Besides, with Golden God¡¯s return, every villain is going to be ramping themselves up in case the Organization is making a full comeback. Plus, it¡¯s getting close to Lucifer striking once more. I imagine Oleander is going to be on its own, as every hero will be busy with the massive amount of crime that is going to start soon. You know what that means for us, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ken sighed. ¡°Next time the villains team up like that, we won¡¯t have Poseidon, Ocean Empress, or Paragon, and I doubt the Victorian will be there to save us a second time. Starting today, it¡¯ll be up to us to keep this city safe.¡±


    The two boys, Metal Ronin and Wasp Nest, were no longer in costume. They stood under the moon, watching as men went through some of the rubble of the mall. Within the mall, only a few people got hurt, and it had all been minor. The heroes there had been a little banged up, but they would recover. Of their own group, Oxide had gotten badly injured, obviously, and a few of the civilians didn¡¯t make it, caught in some of the blasts. Lastly was the hospital, which had thankfully been cleared out during the fighting.


    All in all, their city, specifically the ¡®rich¡¯ part, had taken a big hit but would still stand tall.


    Oleander had just gained a few more scars.


    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Money Tree when we head back and see what he says.¡± Ken folded his arms, and his eyes followed the many people who dug through the rubble of destroyed buildings. The Cleanup Squad, people who showed up after hero battles. It would be their job to fix the city.


    ¡°Hey, so can one of you two walk me home?¡± A sheepish voice caught their attention, and the two heroes turned, finding Kyle. The caramel-skinned boy rested on the curb, his arms folded. ¡°My dad went and ditched me to go hang out with the mayor and discuss everything that happened today and wants a hero to get me back home.¡±


    Rowan rolled his eyes and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, sure. I want to head back to my lab, anyway, and it¡¯s on the way. Are you read-¡± Rowan stopped when he noticed someone standing on the other side of the road, watching the cleanup crew work on the mall. ¡°Whoa. Why¡¯s he here?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kyle and Ken both turned, and their eyes went wide when they saw who it was.


    Harrison Avalon, the richest man in the world, said to be one of the smartest, rivaled only by the former Mr. Sini and Boy Genius. The man looked good despite his old age, only sporting a few grays. Though that was mostly due to Supers staying youthful for longer than normal humans. The man¡¯s arms were tucked away in his pockets, and his eyes had heavy bags under them. A cigarette poked out between his lips, and his shoulders were slumped.


    He didn¡¯t look happy.


    ¡°Mr. Avalon, what are you doing here?¡± Rowan hurried toward the man. Avalon was one of the best mental-based Supers in the world and was one of the first to get the idea of creating a suit of power armor and fighting within it. The man was an inspiration to every tech-based hero out there, even if he himself didn¡¯t go around as a Super. His tech also pushed several heroes to the front of the spotlight. In other words, heroes really relied heavily on him.


    Harrison turned when he heard his name being called out. He gave a sly smile and a half-wave. ¡°Oh, hello, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met. You¡¯re one of the Sub Enforcers in Oleander, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Rowan said, giving a large grin. ¡°I saw you standing over here. I thought you left Oleander City a while ago, sir.¡±


    ¡°Well, I had some things I needed to clear up first. I¡¯ll likely be staying here for the next few months.¡± The man smirked. ¡°As for why I¡¯m here? Well, I do own the Cleanup Squad. I¡¯m the one who funds them. Mr. Moore runs this particular one.¡±


    Kyle felt his eyes go wide when he heard that name. He looked around, trying to spot anyone that might look like Armin¡¯s dad.


    ¡°This building was rather special to me.¡± Avalon let out a small sigh. ¡°It had been set up by Mr. Sini. The man was a mentor to me when I was a kid. He was the previous Lord of the Sea, yet never got into fights, instead focusing on bettering the world, and with his vast wealth, he created Sinicorp and tried to make the lives of humans easier. After his death, I was the one who bought out most of his company and turned it into Avalon Industry. In a way, this landmark was special to me, and I feel a little sad that it got so badly harmed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just this mall. A lot of buildings were torn down.¡± Ken explained. ¡°The villains really did a number today.¡±


    ¡°That they did.¡± Avalon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve already set some funds aside and promised I will rebuild and reimburse anyone who was harmed today. It¡¯s the least I could do.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault this happened, Mr. Avalon.¡± Rowan said, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s the fault of those damn villains. They¡¯re the ones who should be paying for the damages out of their own pocket. I¡¯m glad we caught as many as we did, but I still wish we got more.¡±


    Avalon smiled gently and patted the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll make a fine hero one day. I¡¯ve been keeping tabs on your Sub Enforcers. If you ever need a job, hit me up sometime. Avalon Industry can always do with having more tech-based heroes. But for now, I believe it is getting late. You kids should run home. I doubt school will be held for a few days, but still, with everything that happened. Better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I need to get home anyways,¡± Kyle said, throwing his arms behind his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t even fight a bad guy, and I¡¯m tuckered out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rowan nodded and turned away from his idol. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back home.¡± He began to walk but stopped when he noticed his friend hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°Kenny, you coming?¡± Ken¡¯s eyes were locked onto Harrison, looking the world¡¯s most thoughtful man up and down.


    Finally, Ken turned away. ¡°Yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking of some stuff.¡±


    Harrison Avalon didn¡¯t say anything as he watched the three boys finally leave. He stood there for a few more seconds, watching the cleanup squad do their best to rebuild the mall, all with the gear he provided them. After a bit, he gave a small smile and turned away.


    ***


    Polaron groaned and tried to push himself up. More of his metal dripped down his body, and his limbs shook. ¡°K- Kill. I¡¯ll kill you. All of you!¡± That voice in his head was back. One that all monsters had. It howled and demanded their deaths.


    A golden sword appeared in Jack¡¯s hands, and the man stared down at Polaron. ¡°Easy now. You really think you can beat me and the kid?¡±


    She stared at Mr. Larison quietly for a moment. Polaron¡¯s words echoed around in her head. He had claimed this man was a villain. One as bad as the Emperor. She shook her head. No way. Jack Larison was a hero. She took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Give it up, Polaron. You lose.¡± The man was on his knees, barely clinging to consciousness. The lightning and her final attack had done their jobs.


    Destiny landed on her shoulder, and she felt her body heal back up as her wounds mended and her energy returned. ¡°I will not lose.¡± Polaron struggled to push himself up. ¡°I won¡¯t quit. I won¡¯t give up. I have to win. I was raised to win.¡± The flash of a memory came back to him. ¡°I was created to win. Monsters aren¡¯t Supers. We aren¡¯t humans. Monsters are- Are- We-¡± Black blood poured from his wounds, and he shook.


    ¡°Please.¡± He looked up and saw the hand she stretched out to him. ¡°I never got why people are bad. Green Wolf and Red Ape said they do it for fun. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that way, though. You¡¯re clearly evil, but why? Why do people like you decide to be evil? I don¡¯t get it. You have powers. I have powers. You could have been a cool superhero. I mean, with those powers, you could have saved hundreds of millions of people.¡±


    ¡°I was made to be a monster.¡±


    ¡°You killed people. That¡¯s what made you a monster. It has nothing to do with who made you. I think you just hid behind that shell.¡± She stated sternly.


    ¡°You¡¯re na?ve.¡± He growled. ¡°The voice it- I never had a choice!¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± She still held her hand out to him. ¡°You lost, though. Let¡¯s call it here. I¡¯ve never been good at debating. I beat you, though. I may never understand why you¡¯re evil or do what you do, but I¡¯ll say this. I¡¯ll stop you. It doesn¡¯t matter how many times I have to do it. I will beat you every time. Not just for the sake of the people but for your sake as well. I won¡¯t let you hurt yourself by hurting others. So please, let¡¯s stop fighting.¡±


    Polaron¡¯s arm swiftly came up towards her. He stared at the outstretched hand. ¡°You wanted to know why I¡¯m evil. Honestly. I¡¯d like an answer for that as well.¡± He raised his hand up, and he activated his strongest move.


    Jack gasped and dropped to his knees as he felt his blood begin to attack him from within his body. Not just him. She could hear cars begin to crash all along the road miles back suddenly, and the sounds of hundreds of screaming people began to echo out. Polaron was about to kill hundreds in this single moment.


    Jack raised his arm, struggling the entire time, and managed to fire a golden bolt. Polaron blocked the strike with his arm, more of his armor blasting off. Despite that, Jack managed a smirk even as his body was being torn apart. ¡°You got this kid.¡±


    Polaron¡¯s eyes went wide again, and he turned just in time to see her throwing a punch at him. He had forgotten she was immune to his power. The villain went to move his body but found his nerves locking in place as Jack''s earlier attack stunned him and lit his nervous system up. The first blasted forward like a rocket and slammed directly into his helmet.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Cracks began to spread across his body, starting from the top. He barely remained standing as his suit began to rapidly fall apart. He screamed as his armor shattered, revealing his proper skeletal form beneath. With no Princess to manage his powers, they began to go out of control. All the dust began to surge forward and mold over him, and his screaming got louder as metal started to stab into him.


    Polaron glared at her, and she was about to throw another attack out, but suddenly Jack screamed, as did everyone else affected, as the villain turned his powers up as much as he could.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± She yelled in horror. He wasn¡¯t stopping his attack on their insides. ¡°You¡¯ve already lost!¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m dying, they¡¯re coming with me!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± She shouted. He screamed back at her and started to close his hand into a fist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pop their hearts, their brains, and their lungs! Hell, I¡¯ll pop their whole body! The world¡¯s messiest balloons!¡±


    ¡°I said stop it!¡± She let out a mighty cry and got ready to finally end this. She pulled her fist back and threw a punch at the villain. All the metal was still fusing into his form and stabbing him, but despite that, he narrowly dodged the attack and was about to counterattack her, but as her fist soared past him, she opened her palm and closed it around the handle of something that formed.


    Her hair lit up, becoming the color of the sun, and her eyes glowed red, and with a slice, a sword forged from fire struck out¡ªthe very same she had seen Mr. Larison and the Victorian create. Polaron managed to take a step back and stare at her in shock. All the metal on him slowly broke away, and a clear, fiery line formed on his stomach. The sword was stabbed directly into his abdomen, having nearly split him in half. All it would take was a little more effort on her part, and he would be divided in two.


    Despite that, Polaron still screamed in rage and grabbed her by the throat. She felt his fingers begin to dig into her skin, and she gritted her teeth. All she needed to do was move her arm a little more. Just a slight bit of movement, and it would be over. He would be...


    All she had to do was kill him.


    Her hand gripped the handle of the sword of fire, much like how his grip grew tighter around her throat. She was a hero. People were in danger. It was simple. If she just took his life¡ªher hands shook more, and the sword barely moved an inch. The screaming got louder, her senses feeling like they were about to explode, and her own shouting joined them as she tried to muster up the power needed to be a hero.


    Then, in a single instant, it was all over.


    She saw it for only a second. A glimmer of gold. Mr. Larison had managed to take a knee and held his hand up even as he was being torn apart. Thin golden threads seeped out of his finger. Polaron saw it a second too late. She felt them wrap around her arm, and Jack jerked his hand to the side.


    Her sword followed.


    All at once, the metal under Polaron¡¯s control crashed to the ground, and the screams cut out. Polaron stood there, the skull that was his head looking down.


    ¡°Did I seriously just lose to a fucking kid-¡± Black blood suddenly gushed from between his stomach, and his legs fell one way, while his upper body fell another, and the man was cleaved in two. Hope winced as the sword faded, and Polaron grunted and shook, the black liquid seeping out. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. I would never... I can¡¯t be about to¡­ My healing! Why isn¡¯t it working! Why can¡¯t I heal! What did you do to me!¡±


    ¡°Take it from someone like me, Polaron.¡± Jack spat out a glob of his own blood, the red liquid mixing with Polaron¡¯s black. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how good your healing is. Some attacks will just hurt you in ways you can¡¯t heal from. Some wounds will end your career in an instant and turn you into a shadow of your former self.¡± As the man spoke, he rubbed his heart.


    ¡°You-¡± Black blood gushed down Polaron¡¯s chin as the skeleton spat it up. ¡°Damn you, you traitor!¡± Polaron¡¯s vision was unable to focus on the red-haired man as Hope stepped in front of him and looked down at him. It was a look he had only ever seen once before. The same look that had been in the eyes of Full Monarch. A look of pity.


    She clenched her fist and was about to look away. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t want to, but I won¡¯t let you hurt my family.¡± She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, seeing Mr. Larison. The man nodded down at her. She took a deep breath and looked down at Polaron. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. You were amazing, Polaron.¡±


    ¡°Amazing?¡± Those words rang in the villain¡¯s mind for a second. The very same, his mother had said.


    ¡°Yeah. You were strong. Too strong. I wish you could have been a good guy. I wish you could have had a better ending than this. I¡¯m not happy about what I just did, but I¡¯m not sad either. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± She wiped at her eyes and tried to clear her head. ¡°I guess that¡¯s all I had to say. Sorry, things ended this way. I¡¯d have rather captured you if I could.¡±


    Polaron didn¡¯t bother turning on his back. He stayed face down in the dirt and softly closed his eyes. ¡°Guess I wasn¡¯t as amazing as everyone thought after all.¡± Then he noticed something. He was hearing a voice. It wasn¡¯t the usual one, though. That voice had gone silent. This one was familiar to him, though.


    ¡°P!¡± For a moment, he saw him. K stood waving at him. Not just K but all the others. Every monster that died in the war. ¡°Looks like you caught up!¡±


    P rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Guess I did.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, P.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± P frowned.


    ¡°For being amazing. Right up to the very end. You were such an amazing leader.¡±


    P¡¯s frown only grew. ¡°Amazing? Me? Nah. Right up to the very end, I never reached his level. I never came close to making the life he saved all those years ago worth anything. Oh well. Guess I¡¯m dead. I¡¯ll be going on ahead of you, Alpha. But just wait. One day I¡¯ll see you in hell. I¡¯ll be saving a seat for you, you traitorous bastard.¡±


    And just like that, as everything truly faded to black, one of Oleander¡¯s greatest villains had their story come to an end. Polaron, son of Fairy Queen, leader of the Bad Timers, died.


    Hope bit her lip and finally turned away. She felt Destiny land on her shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill him, but I panicked-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s fine.¡± Jack squeezed down harder on her shoulder. ¡°You aimed the gun. I pulled the trigger. What¡¯s done is done.¡±


    ¡°But I still-¡±


    ¡°Your mom is okay. You should go check on her.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Jack pointed toward the sky, and she looked up. Her eyes went wide when she saw someone begin to smoothly descend from above. Max Lightning floated down, his arms wrapped around her mother. He landed softly on the ground and set the woman down. ¡°Mom-¡± She didn¡¯t have time to say anything else as she was tackled in a bone-breaking hug from her mother.


    Her arms wrapped around her mother, and she felt the woman¡¯s hands go through her hair. ¡°You really are a superhero, aren¡¯t you?¡± Her mother didn¡¯t sound too pleased.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She winced and tried to give a nervous chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m not bad at it, either. Well, you know. I won a few fights and came out okay.¡± She flinched, trying to figure out what to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I put you in danger.¡± Her voice cracked a little as she squeezed the woman back.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡± Her mom said quietly. ¡°You are okay, right?¡±


    "Yeah, I am."


    "So, are you going to stop glowing?"


    "Glowing?" Her eyes went wide when she saw a few locks of her hair. "Whoa, holy cow, I''m blonde!"


    "Your eyes are red also." Her mother said unhelpfully.


    "They are!"


    "Did you not know you could do this?"


    "No! How long has this been happening for!" She panicked. "How do I turn it off? Mr. Larison help-" She stopped when she saw him. The man quietly stared down at the body of Polaron. He ran his hand through his messy reddish-brown hair and finally let out a heavy sigh. She winced a little and squeezed down on her mother''s hand. "I knew I would have to, eventually. Some villains can¡¯t be saved or caught, and he was about to kill so many people, but I guess I wish it went better.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be a hero that had to do this.¡±


    Jack glanced up at her. He took the sight in. Her red eyes and blonde hair. She really did remind him of the powerful man. "Try and calm yourself down. Stop focusing on your powers, and it might fade."


    "Might?" Either way, she listened. She closed her eyes, and instantly she felt the warmth leave her. When her eyes did open, she was relieved to see her hair was back to being black. "What was that? Can I transform like Myth?"


    "It isn''t the first time it happened." Mr. Larison said, shocking her. "Usually, it lasts for only a few seconds and goes back to normal. This time was different though. It means that ''his'' power is finally settling inside of you."


    "His power? What do you mean?"


    ¡°Making the kid do your dirty work isn¡¯t cool.¡± Jack called out, looking up towards Max Lightning.


    ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you.¡± The hero spat out. The wind twisted around him, and she finally got a good look at the man that had allowed them to beat Polaron.


    He was dressed in a damaged hero costume and covered in battle wounds, but she knew who he was instantly. His costume was that of Max Lightning, but his face. ¡°Homeless man!¡± She asked with wide eyes. ¡°Whoa, okay, seriously, what the hell is going on now?¡±


    Max Lightning ran his hand through his dirty beard and sighed. ¡°Should I tell her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do our paths say?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t see your path, and her path gets foggier the stronger she gets, so I have no clue.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re freaking useless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The homeless man turned away and looked towards her. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, Ms. Lauren. Yes, I am the homeless man you¡¯ve been spotting. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you.¡±


    Her mother stood in front of her frowning. ¡°That sounds really creepy. Want to try again, buddy?¡±


    She looked past her mom and towards the man. Her thoughts raced. Everywhere she had been, he followed. He was at her school; he was there when she first went on patrol; he was even at the mall and the beach. ¡°Why. Y- You¡¯re Max Lightning. A member of the Enforcers. This isn¡¯t your city. Why would you be here?¡± She had seen Max Lightning a few times on TV. Back then, he had been cleanly shaved and had short hair. It was hard to believe this hairy, dirty man was one of the ten strongest heroes in the world. ¡°Why would you watch me of all people?¡±


    Max Lightning closed his eyes, watching the Paths change. ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± He stared back at her, and his eyes followed the many Paths. ¡°My eyes can see that which others cannot. Only my daughter shares this gift. This lets me know things I shouldn¡¯t. Tell me, do you remember what I told you when I called out to you?¡±


    Her eyes went wide, and she nodded. ¡°You told me you knew how I could cure the Dead Virus, right!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Her mother jerked and stared at the man in shock. ¡°You mean my husband can still be saved.¡±


    Max Lightning stared at her, and she shrunk back a bit. ¡°Do you know who created the Dead Virus?¡±


    Of course she knew. He was always in her thoughts anytime she would close her eyes, lurking just out of reach. A pale man, with golden eyes, clutching a book. ¡°The villain Lucifer, right?¡± She said slowly.


    ¡°Correct. Leader of a team known as the Immortals.¡± Max Lightning nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why we heroes fear the Dead Virus so much. It corrupts the body and breaks it down, crumbling it bit by bit. It isn¡¯t a quick death typically.¡±


    She gulped and shook but managed to keep her rage in check. Just thinking of that monster and what he did to her dad seriously pissed her off. ¡°I know all of that. Why is it important?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important because the virus has been fixed once before.¡± Mr. Larison was the one who spoke up now. ¡°A single person has the power to cure it.¡± He turned and looked her mother dead in the eyes. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you show it to her. The thing you¡¯ve kept hidden. It¡¯s time she sees where she really came from. It¡¯s time she sees the pod.¡±


    ***


    Mr. Brenner checked his watch as he rested at the table. Oleander City was so busy¡ªnothing like his home city of Lillian. After the death of his wife and him being promoted to police chief, he had been forced to move here in order to keep his son Kyle safe.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Mayor Grove questioned.


    ¡°No.¡± Mr. Brenner shook his head. ¡°I was just a little distracted with the time. It¡¯ll be starting sometime in the next few months, after all.¡± The officer said, letting out a tired sigh.


    After the attack at the mall, he had gotten the mayor home ASAP. They were now in the man¡¯s manor. Specifically, his dining room, discussing plans for the future. ¡°Ah, yes. Soon, it will be Lucifer¡¯s hunting time once more.¡± The mayor explained as he began to cut into his steak. ¡°With any luck, he won¡¯t come here.¡±


    ¡°Lucifer is a monster. Maybe even worse than the Emperor. Every few years, he appears with his group known as the Immortals, and he causes utter chaos in whatever city is unlucky enough to be a target. He calls it the Murder Games. A sadistic game made to kill as many people as possible. He marks some people, and those people are the ones he goes after. A few years ago, my wife gained his mark. After her death, it passed down to my son.¡± The officer grunted out, bowing his head. ¡°I won¡¯t lose Kyle. No matter what.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of how Lucifer works.¡± The mayor hummed and took a sip from his cup of tea. ¡°He marks several people in each city he visits and then selects one every few years when he returns, tormenting them and then marking others. He usually has about tenish marks, so it¡¯ll be a one in ten chance of your son being picked.¡±


    ¡°And what about the year after that or the one after that? I don¡¯t care if the odds are less than one percent; if there is even a chance my son could be harmed, I will do whatever I must to keep him safe. Even if it means working with scum like you.¡± Mr. Brenner rammed his hand down onto the table. ¡°You promised me. You said you had a plan, right?¡±


    The mayor didn¡¯t say anything to that remark. Instead, he calmly brought his cup of tea to his lips and sipped it quietly. The dining room was large and fancy, and the food was to die for. Dozens of pictures lined the wall, but Mr. Brenner couldn¡¯t bring himself to enjoy it. His eyes never left the three people who stood directly behind the mayor of Oleander City.


    All three of them were tall and dressed in long blood-red robes, wearing pale bone-white skull masks over their faces. Two golden coins covered the eyeholes of their mask, and they were all silent and unmoving.


    The mayor took a moment before speaking. ¡°Perhaps a demonstration is required to show you the power my team has. It took me a while to make all three, but watch. This is the perfect time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The officer asked, frowning.


    The mayor snapped his fingers, and the doors opened. Smoothly, a butler walked in carrying a large metal table on wheels. Someone was tied to the table, thrashing around and hissing wildly. ¡°You won¡¯t all get away with this! When the Enforcers find out, or the Sub Enforcers, or anything! They¡¯ll come save us!¡± It was a young man dressed in rainbow-colored knight-like armor that buzzed with an electronic sound.


    Mr. Brenner felt his eyes go wide when he saw the hero. ¡°That¡¯s one of the Pallet Boys, isn¡¯t it? They¡¯re a duo of low-tier tech-based heroes that became famous for their bright colors and silly fighting styles.¡±


    The table clicked, and suddenly, the restraints on the hero broke away. He instantly jumped to his feet, his armor powering up. ¡°I am Pallet Boy Red! Defender of justice and peace! You might have caught me, but I¡¯ll defeat you all here and now!¡± His arm unfolded into a large cannon that fired a red plasma beam.


    ¡°Mr. Buckle, if you would.¡± The mayor said softly.


    One of the figures in red raised his arm up, and in an instant, his flesh grew as his hand became massive, and he held it in front of the mayor, keeping him safe from the blast. His entire palm had nearly become the size of a small car. His robes ignited, and he threw them off along with his mask with his other hand. Kevin Buckle crouched down with a fire in his eyes as the muscles in his legs grew larger, and he fired himself forward like a rocket, moving so fast he shattered the floor.


    ¡°So fast-¡± Pallet Boy Red raised his other arm, which morphed into a red blade, but it was too late.


    Kevin grabbed the hero by the head. ¡°Sorry.¡± And then he squeezed down as hard as he could.


    Mr. Brenner raised his arm, blocking the splatter of red that gushed out. ¡°Seriously? I was eating, man.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± The mayor cocked his head to the side. ¡°What do you think? He had been a simple teenage boy with no powers, and now he has the body of a full-blown Super. It¡¯s quite amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Kevin slowly wiped the blood on his shirt, and he grabbed his robes, gently putting them over the body of the hero. ¡°Where are you going?¡± One of the other two robed figures asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go give him a proper burial next to his brother.¡± Kevin picked the hero¡¯s body up gently and began to head for the door. He stared down at the covered-up corpse quietly. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I really am sorry. But I¡¯m strong now. Stronger than you were.¡±


    The officer watched the young man carry the corpse out of the room, his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn¡¯t like being on this side. He hated it. But it was the winning side. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m impressed. Still, the Pallet boys are one thing. I¡¯d like to see what they do like a real threat before I trust your manufactured Supers to keep my son safe. Not even the superheroes were able to save my wife, so you¡¯ll beg my pardon if I don¡¯t exactly trust you.¡±


    The mayor chuckled and nodded. ¡°I understand. Still, for the time being, you have my full group backing you. The Wandering Coin will aid you.¡± The mayor stood up and smoothly made his way over to his wall, which began to open. Inside something rested. He placed his hand atop it. ¡°After all, I alone possess the Lord of the Land and Life. And with her power, not even Lucifer and his Dead Virus can bring harm to us.¡± The metal orb glowed with a faint blue light.


    The very same thing Hope Lauren was born from resided within his home.

 Chapter Forty-Six: The Path That Leads To The Past

    When her father got sick, they had been forced to sell a bunch of things. Even their home. What they didn¡¯t sell, though, they put up in a storage locker somewhere in Spider Street. She had never bothered to go to it and didn¡¯t even really know what was in it.


    Now she stood in front of that locker, a sense of dread starting to course through her mind.


    Her mother''s lips had been pulled into a thin line, and the woman¡¯s hands were shaking. Despite that, though, her mom still took the three of them to the storage unit. As it opened and revealed the contents inside, nothing really caught any of their eyes. It wasn¡¯t a big locker, and it was packed to the brim with so many random items. Book shelves that held novels they¡¯d never bother to read, clothes they¡¯ve grown out of, random furniture, some of her old comics, and toys, yet despite how normal it all looked, she found her eyes drawn to something directly in the middle.


    It was covered up by a large tarp, yet that wasn¡¯t enough to stop the hints of blue that came from beneath the cover. The ¡®thing¡¯ let out a low hum, and for a reason she couldn¡¯t explain, she almost felt tears start to well up in her eyes.


    She knew instantly what it was.


    Mr. Larison had told her about it once. A metal. One that could create a Super.


    Max Lightning and Jack both stayed still, simply staring at the tarp. Her and her mother walked forward slowly. ¡°Hope¡­¡± Her mother trailed off.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything, mom.¡± She cut the woman off and shook her head. ¡°You knew I was a Super from the very start, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I never wanted things to end up like this.¡± Her mother said, bowing her head. ¡°Your father and I just wanted to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing you could have done to stop this.¡± Max Lightning said, shaking his head. ¡°This was fate. The paths of hundreds of different stories bound together and formed the road of destiny that we all walk on. This destination was always on the path. A turn someone like her would make. Grab onto it, Hope Lauren. Behold your story.¡±


    She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the tarp, dragging it away. The pod rested beneath it. Forged out of a familiar silver metal. The same metal her helmet was made out of, as well as the weird hands Red Ape had and even the trident Poseidon used. The pod glowed softly, illuminating the dark locker, and she placed her hand onto it, feeling a soft vibration course through her. She felt her mother¡¯s hand go over hers, and they both stared at it. She could see her reflection in it. A wide-eyed young girl was looking back at her.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s where your father and I first found you.¡±


    ¡°This thing created me?¡± She gulped and tried to process the emotions she was feeling. ¡°What does that make you then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your mother, of course.¡± Her mother reached out and cupped her face, staring into her eyes. ¡°From the moment this thing opened and I laid eyes on you, I became your mother. And you¡¯re your father¡¯s little girl. I knew one day that you would find out. That you¡¯d discover the truth. Your father did as well. It¡¯s why we hid it. He had a friend. One that was able to get Super Tech. They built your glasses. We never wanted you to discover your powers. Your father knew early on what would happen.¡±


    ¡°That I¡¯d be a superhero.¡±


    ¡°We just didn¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Her mother¡¯s face broke for a moment, and the woman stepped away, turning around so she couldn¡¯t see her.


    ¡°You won¡¯t lose me, mom. I¡¯m strong. Like crazy strong.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter is right.¡± She jumped when she heard Max Lightning speak up. She had forgotten that he and Mr. Larison had been standing behind them. "That pod¡ªmuch is unknown about it even to the higher-ups in the Enforcers. What I can tell you though is that it¡¯s special. It takes DNA from hosts it deems worthy and then creates a brand new baby Super with them. Not just any Super though. A special one. In fact, there are only ever four of them in the entire world.¡±


    ¡°Four?¡± She felt her eyes go wide. Was he implying that she was a¡­ Her face paled, and her body shook. Her mother also seemed shocked. She felt her heart twitch, and she shook her head. ¡°T- That can¡¯t be real. I¡¯m not- I mean- Mr. Larison, he¡¯s joking, right¡ª¡±


    She went silent when she saw the man drop to his knees, his head bowed. Mr. Larison, the man she looked up to, the one she respected more than anyone else, was on the ground before her, his head low. He was bowing to her.


    ¡°Fifteen years ago, I made a promise to Full Monarch.¡± Jack spoke softly and slowly raised his head. His eyes met hers. ¡°Hope Lauren. You are the Lord of the Sun and the Cosmos. You are the one who will carry out Full Monarch¡¯s will. In other words, you are humanity''s best hope for stopping the Emperor should he ever return.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, you can¡¯t be serious about this, right?¡± She stepped back and looked towards her mom. The woman seemed as shocked as she was.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve shown more than enough to prove you can do more than just create fire.¡± Max Lightning grunted out.


    Her hand shook as she stared at Jack. Polaron¡¯s words came back in her mind for a moment. Just who was this man? How long had he known? ¡°When you agreed to help me become a hero. Did you know what I was?¡± She asked softly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mr. Larison¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t meet hers. ¡°I had no idea who you were until I saw your fire in the fight with Red Ape. I knew then and there that Full Monarch¡¯s fire had somehow found its way in you.¡±


    She felt a painful twitch in her chest. He had seemed annoyed with her in the past when she first met him. Then, out of the blue, he switched and decided he wanted to be a hero. Was that all because she was a Lord? Had her efforts truly meant nothing. Her thoughts stopped when her mother spoke up.


    ¡°If you knew, why did you let my daughter be a hero?¡± Jane stared at Mr. Larison. It wasn¡¯t a hostile look, not yet anyway¡ªmore of one wanting to understand his reasoning. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the Enforcers? Why didn¡¯t you get her the help she needed?¡±


    ¡°She decided to be a hero all on her own.¡± Jack stood back up and wobbled slightly. ¡°I had nothing to do with it. As for why I didn¡¯t get the Enforcers involved... Let¡¯s just say they might not take it so well.¡±


    Her mother didn¡¯t look too happy with the answer. She stopped the woman from saying more by grabbing her wrist. She turned to look back at Mr. Larison. ¡°I can trust you, right?¡±


    Jack glanced down at his hand for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d like to think so.¡±


    She really didn¡¯t like that answer. She looked back up at her mom. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that I had Full Monarch¡¯s powers?¡±


    ¡°I had no clue!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a closely guarded secret, even among the high-ranking members in the Hero Branch.¡± Max Lightning cut in. ¡°I¡¯ve had my eye on you for a while. The day Full Monarch died was the day you were born.¡±


    "Wait, if Poseidon is a Lord as well, does that mean she was also born from a Pod!¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Max Lightning trailed off.


    ¡°I knew I had powers. But this... How do I even wrap my head around it? Full Monarch¡¯s powers are... It just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Her mom squeezed down on her hand. Max Lightning cleared his throat and stepped forward. ¡°I have something else that concerns you, Lord of the Sun.¡± The wind began to twirl and twist in the palm of his hand, and he held it up. ¡°With your permission, I¡¯d like to show you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± She frowned and held onto her mother tighter.


    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt you. I swear it.¡± The man said softly. ¡°Within my palm, I currently hold the Paths that lead to the past. To put it more specifically, I hold the paths of Full Monarch. The previous Lord of the Sun, the one before you. I¡¯d like for you to bear witness to that.¡±


    She shot a look towards Mr. Larison, and the man nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay, kid. You can trust him. This is important and something you need to see. It¡¯ll help you.¡±


    She nodded her head slowly. ¡°Okay then. I¡¯m ready, Max Lightning.¡±


    ¡°Now, hang on.¡± Jane Lauren, mother of Hope, folded her arms. ¡°I never agreed to any of this.¡±


    ¡°Mom-¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Mom¡¯ me! We still haven¡¯t even discussed you being a hero yet!¡±


    ¡°This is super important, though!¡±


    ¡°I know, but still. I don¡¯t want you getting hurt in a fight with a villain. I don¡¯t want my child dying before her father.¡± She winced at her mother¡¯s words and looked away. ¡°I just wish you told me sooner.¡± Jane gripped her shoulder tightly. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re going to show her, please allow me to see it as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let me be a hero!¡± She asked, shocked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I just want to see whatever this ¡®important¡¯ thing is.¡± Jane said, shaking her head. ¡°I know I can¡¯t control you or stop you, but I¡¯m still your mother. Whatever you have to go through, I want to be there. I don¡¯t want to worry about you like I do with your father.¡±


    ¡°If you wish to come along, then that is fine with me.¡± Max Lightning stated. ¡°I planned on taking Battery along, but you can come in his place. Are you okay with that Battery? I can only take two others besides myself.¡±


    Jack gave a half-wave and turned his back. ¡°Sure. I got better things to do than watch a couple of idiots talking about the good old days. I didn¡¯t want to go see ¡®that¡¯ time again anyway." He began to walk away, not looking at them.


    She watched her mentor leave and frowned softly. ¡°He looked kind of sad. You¡¯re not going to show me anything good, are you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m going to show you the truth.¡± Max Lightning replied firmly.


    ¡°So, who¡¯s Battery, exactly?¡± Her mom whispered. ¡°I thought he was Mr. Larison?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Larison¡¯s hero name.¡± She explained. ¡°Oh yeah, my name is Cinder; pretty cool, right? Picked it all by myself.¡±


    ¡°That sounds goofy.¡± Jane pinched her daughters¡¯ cheeks when the girl puffed them out in annoyance.


    ¡°Get ready. It¡¯s finished.¡± Max Lightning announced. The orb of wind in his hand rapidly grew and expanded suddenly. It seemed to form out of his hand, like a ball, taking on a silver color, and in a flash, it covered the three of them. Then, in a silver glow, it vanished, leaving the storage locker empty.


    Jack stared down at the body of Polaron once he made his way over to where the monster¡¯s corpse was. His eyes shone with dozens of emotions, but after a moment, the man crouched down and took off the black jacket he wore, gently putting it over the villain¡¯s body. A light filled the alleyway they stood in, and seconds later, a car door slammed shut as Nick Ale walked forward. ¡°I came as soon as I could.¡± The dark-skinned man, for once, had a somber tone.


    Jack lifted the body of Polaron, gripping both halves. ¡°We¡¯re going to take him where the other monsters were buried during the war. I hope you¡¯re free ''cause we have two graves to dig.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡±


    ¡°One for him and one for Mars King. ¡®Course nobody knows when it comes to Mars King. The man ain¡¯t exactly dead. He¡¯s become one with Sky, but still. Figured they deserve a proper gravestone at least.¡±


    ¡°What about this one?¡± Nick poked at Ears, who was flat on his back, unconscious, resting in the back of the truck Nick had driven up in. ¡°He was right where you said he would be.¡± Golden chains wrapped around the villain¡¯s body, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere even after he was up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll drop him off at the nearest Hero Branch Station. They can take all the credit if they want. I don¡¯t care.¡± He gently lifted the body of Polaron up and placed him in the back of the truck next to Ears. When that was done, Jack finally allowed himself to collapse. He dropped flat on his butt; his back pressed to the back of the truck as he slumped down. Nick was quick to get his supplies ready.


    ¡°How are you holding up?¡¯


    ¡°I feel like hell,¡± Jack muttered.


    Nick pulled out a vial of blue liquid. ¡°¡®I¡¯m running dangerously low on Blue¡¯s medication. With Doctor Blue being dead, I can¡¯t make anymore of this stuff. You shouldn¡¯t push yourself this hard ever again. Next time I doubt I¡¯ll have enough to save you.¡± The man poured it into Jack¡¯s mouth and pulled out one of his scanners, bringing it up to Jack¡¯s heart. It read off several numbers, and Nick finally let out a sigh. ¡°Nine.¡±


    ¡°Nine? I thought it was two last time. You¡¯re saying I have nine years left to live instead of two-¡±


    ¡°Nine months.¡± The dark-skinned man pulled away and put his device away. ¡°You have less than a year now. Use that light again, and it¡¯ll drop to six. Not six months, six weeks. That shit burned through all your energy. Before, when your body was damaged, you¡¯d just heal it with your powers; however, the shard within you, the blade the Victorian stabbed into your heart all that time ago, damages you more than you can heal. Honestly, I¡¯d say stop being a Super.¡±


    ¡°I wish it were that easy.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Nick said sternly.


    ¡°If only-¡±


    Nick balled his hand into a fist, squeezing the vial. ¡°Full Monarch died to save you. That man gave up his life so you could live a few more years, and now you¡¯re throwing it all away. And for what-¡±


    ¡°For the future.¡± Jack wiped at his mouth and slowly stood up. ¡°I¡¯m doing it for the future. He would understand.¡±


    ¡°Would he?¡± Nick asked softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I could get it fixed.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Only someone as strong as Paragon could fix the damages; however, the shard could go off if it thought my heart would be healed. Only if the Victorian gave me permission to be healed would it work. That would require her understanding who I was, though. And if she finds out who I really am, good chance she would just take my head off on the spot.¡±


    ¡°You could ask Avalon for help. He was your old friend, right?¡± Nick questioned.


    ¡°Nah. Avalon¡¯s just as likely to backstab me. He gave my sword to Green Wolf after all.¡± He rolled his shoulders and got into the truck. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, I¡¯ll die. I¡¯m fine with that. I don¡¯t need nine months anyway. I¡¯m close. So close to getting her to that level. Who knows. My death could be the thing that fixes it all. Maybe that¡¯s how I¡¯ll wipe my back clean of all my sins. That¡¯s how I¡¯ll truly defeat the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°What a sad way to view your life.¡± Nick climbed into the truck and started it up. ¡°Is that truly the ending the last person saved by Full Monarch deserves?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t if I deserve it or not.¡± Jack looked out the window, staring at his reflection as the car hit the road. ¡°We all have a time to go. My story is soon to come to an end. That¡¯s okay though. It wasn¡¯t a good story in the first place. The great thing about even a bad book is that it eventually ends one way or another. It¡¯s my turn now. I want to reach the end of my story. I want this bad book to end.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, Hope, Jane, and Max Lightning found everything bending and twisting around them. A mass of color and sounds that swirled together and then suddenly broke apart. Hope gripped onto her mother, stopping the woman from stumbling as they suddenly appeared in an empty void.


    Instantly she was reminded of the void that she saw between realms. When she had been in the Bad Timers hidden base, Green Wolf had somehow cut through space itself to shove his way in. That had caused the entire realm to crumble and shatter, allowing her to see the empty void that was outside of it. That was the same thing that she saw now.


    It was pure white all around them. An endless sea of nothing. Then something began to shimmer. All around them, so tiny only her enhanced eyes could barely make them out, trillions upon trillions of strings were taking shape. The lines twisted around each other and formed a path beneath them, turning into a massive road. More of them began to appear, forming and weaving together, becoming a sky and a field.


    It was like paint being placed on an empty canvas or playing a video game and watching the world render around you.


    ¡°In the beginning, there were four.¡± Max Lightning spoke softly as the threads vanished out of her sight, and she found herself standing on what looked almost like a field of sand. The sky above was black yet glimmered with hundreds of stars. ¡°They stood at the top of the food chain. The first ever four Lords. Their power dwarfed all of humanity, allowing them to be hailed as gods.¡±


    That was when she saw them. In the distance, four beings stood across the field of sand. They were shaded and hard to fully make out. One was of tendrils that squirmed around, another one seemed to have the upper body of a lady, at least they had breasts, but instead of legs, they jutted out of what looked almost like a giant rose flower. The third one was made up of jagged lines that crackled with lightning, and they stood on the air. Then there was the final one. Standing above the other three, it stood tall¡ªso tall it dwarfed even mountains. It was a giant of a Super, and every inch of them was coated in layers of thick blue fire.


    Even just glimpsing a false image of them was enough to make her heart beat faster. Her blood was flowing, and her ears began to ring.


    Max Lightning began to speak up once more. ¡°The four Lords, however, despite all the power that they held, would soon discover that they were not the ones who truly stood above all. Planet Earth would find itself meeting a disaster above all others. A great evil that trumps all. One in which we have dubbed it the Shadow.¡±


    All four of the figures stared up at the night sky above. It was filled with trillions of glowing lights. Stars. At least she thought they were stars up to the point where they blinked. They were in fact not stars. They were eyeballs. Millions, possibly even billions of eyes, as something became to come toward the planet.


    The ground began to shake, and her mother stumbled, but she caught the woman quickly. ¡°W- What¡¯s happening?¡± Her voice squeaked out. ¡°What is that thing.¡± Though she already knew. The legends have spoken of the Shadow. The first villain. The one who started it all.


    The four figures all acted. The mass of tendrils squirmed, and an entire ocean worth of water was suddenly birthed out of them. The woman who came from the flower snapped, and the air was filled with billions of red birds that all looked like Destiny, only hundreds of times bigger. The jagged lines began to spin, and the air crackled with lightning. And Giant forged from blue fire simply raised their hand and drew a sword that sliced the tops of mountains off.


    ¡°The four Lords would do battle with the Shadow. A battle that would change the world as we know it and force it onto a new path of destiny.¡± Max Lightning explained. Everything flashed, and in a great burst of light, the world that she saw shattered and exploded as the lines that formed everything came undone. ¡°The four Lords died that day, but they wielded the power of the first ever Supers. A power so great it forced itself back into creation.¡± From the shattered void, she saw four more things. Metal orbs, each like the one that had created her, all glowing with a bright blue energy as the paths created the world around them and the orbs fell to the planet below. ¡°The power of the four Lords would live on, passed down through generations in a never-ending cycle of rebirth and death!¡± Max Lightning called out. ¡°Their energy was so great in fact that humanity itself was changed and twisted. The instant those Pods touched the ground, somewhere out there the first ever Super was born. A new species had found itself being created on our planet. The race of Super. Born from the death of the Lords and the Shadow! Even years later, our planet is still seeing the effects of this change! One that shook even the Cosmos. What I am about to show you is the story of a group of Lords that previously existed before even I was born. This is the story that was created thanks to the power that flows through our blood, Hope Lauren.¡±


    Once again, she felt her eyes sting as the Paths finished loading into the world around her. This time it was a field of flowers, and unlike in the last world, the sky wasn¡¯t so dark that it made seeing impossible. Instantly, she could tell they were in danger. Her ears felt like they were about to burst as screams filled the air, followed shortly by the sounds of gunfire and explosions. All around her, she stared with wide eyes as men in old red and blue soldier uniforms fought to the death.


    ¡°What? Where did you take us?¡± She asked, standing protectively in front of her mother.


    ¡°I told you I was going to show you the story of Full Monarch.¡± Max Lightning stated. He held his arms out, and for the first time since she saw him, he smiled. ¡°Welcome to nearly one hundred years in the past!¡±

 Chapter Forty-Seven: The Path That Leads To The Future

    She threw herself in front of her mom as gunfire rang out. Men screamed, and horses stomped around wildly. It was far more intense than the gang fights she had seen with Armin. There must have been hundreds of men, some in red, some in blue, some holding rifles, some wielding swords or chunks of wood, or whatever they could get their hands on. Either way, all of them had one thing in common.


    They were all out for blood.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say we would be in the middle of a fight? Get my mom out of here!¡± She screamed towards Max Lightning.


    It was already too late, though. One of the men in the blue military cloak drew a knife and ran at her and her mom. She raised her arms to defend herself, but as the man swung, he passed through her. Literally, it was as if he didn¡¯t even notice her or her mom. He ran through them and swung his knife out at a soldier in red, who blocked it with the butt of his rifle.


    ¡°We¡¯re not actually here, are we?¡± Jane Lauren asked, looking around the battlefield. She was frowning and wouldn¡¯t stop shaking at the sounds of gunfire, but wasn¡¯t as bothered as she had expected.


    ¡°You catch on fast.¡± Max Lightning.


    ¡°I watch a lot of movies.¡± Her mother bragged.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± She asked with wide eyes. She held her hand out towards a man and watched as it phased through his chest.


    Max Lightning folded his arms and sighed. ¡°Think of it as all one big illusion of sorts. See, most Supers can have more than one power, especially if they¡¯re the children of two Supers. Lords like us have two titles. You are the Lord of the Sun and the Cosmos. I am the Lord of the Sky and the Weather. We carry two titles because we have more than just our elemental mastery. I am able to control the weather as well as the wind that blows through time. Humans have evolved over the years to be able to make predictions of the weather. This is likely why my powers work the way they do. Because weather prediction is so common, and there are dozens of ways for it, the first Lord of the Sky was blessed with the ability to follow the paths of the world¡ªstrands of time. Of course, these paths are easily broken by powerful heroes, and some powers negate them, but for the most part, they give me a good idea of both the past and the future. I¡¯ve woven these trillions of paths together to show you this scene.¡±


    ¡°I don''t really get it, but sure!¡± She shook her head and folded her arms. ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± She questioned. She really missed the good old days where everything made sense and wasn¡¯t all weird. ¡°First I find out that I was born from a pod, and now it turns out I have the power of Full Monarch within me, and my hair can randomly turn golden. I need an explanation now! What is this war!¡±


    Max Lightning rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly trying to come up with an explanation. ¡°The Lord of the Sea and the Depths. The Lord of the Land and the Life. The Lord of the Sky and the Weather. And lastly, the Lord of the Sun and the Cosmos. Those were the four beings I showed you a moment ago. They existed thousands of years ago. With the great Shadow dead, other things would try to take its place. Nowadays we know them as Calamity level threats. People like the Beast and the Emperor. Back then, though, Supers were rare but still strong. All it took was one Super rising up and taking over. Nearly five hundred years ago, this happened with a Super. Just when it looked like he would take everything over, they returned. The four Lords. They defeated that Super and once again vanished. They would return again nearly thirty years later. Each time they appeared, they were always different people. People who had gained the power. The cycle of the Lords had been discovered. With the discovery that the Lords could come back and that they could be raised and molded by those who found them, it didn¡¯t take long for factions to be created.¡±


    ¡°I remember Whisper saying something similar. How there are always four, and they can appear. Poseidon is called the Lord of the Sea as well, so like me, she¡¯d be the latest one. You said she wasn¡¯t grown from a pod, though? Were you created by a pod?¡±


    Max Lightning raised two of his fingers up. ¡°As of now, there are two known ways for a Lord to be created. The first is for the title of Lord to be passed down. When a lord is nearing death, they can pass down their powers and title to a Super that has similar powers. This is typically done through a parent and child. Both Poseidon and I became Lord¡¯s this way. My father gifted me the title, and her great-grandfather gifted her the title. However, should a Lord die in battle or not pass on their title, then the second option for creating a Lord will happen.¡±


    ¡°The Pods?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Max Lightning nodded his head. ¡°They were first discovered a bit after the first four Lord¡¯s died. It is believed that each Lord created them before they died. Perhaps it¡¯s a gift from God or Alien tech; I am unsure, but they seem to all work in a similar way. They contain the power of a Lord, as well as the first Lord¡¯s DNA, and will then mix it with the DNA of two hosts that it selects. Because of this, by all accounts, Ms. Lauren, your mom and dad really are your parents, and the Pod would serve more or less as a third parent that actually birthed you.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it has a hell of a lot of late birthday presents¡­¡±


    ¡°It gave you Superpowers, be grateful.¡± Her mother said, bonking her on the head.


    She nodded before turning to look at the field they stood in. Blood was constantly flowing, and screams of anguish and rage didn¡¯t stop. All of the men used old-looking guns, the kind that were slow to reload and made a mess when it hit someone. She winced as she watched the battle. She felt sick to her stomach. She didn¡¯t know which side was right or wrong, which one started it, or which one was winning. All she saw were men, some even young boys, charging toward their deaths, humans against humans. ¡°Why did you bring me to this time though? Why am I seeing this?¡±


    ¡°This is all a little much, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jane muttered. The woman gripped her daughter¡¯s shoulder tightly as blood splattered against the ground and men beat each other to death either with their bare hands or broken weapons.


    Max Lightning folded his arms and didn¡¯t look away as he watched the fighting. ¡°My power can¡¯t take me to any point in time. I am limited. This was the closet point I had that I could use to show you ¡®him¡¯. After you see him, I¡¯d like for you to decide.¡±


    ¡°Decide what?¡±


    ¡°Decide if you want to keep being a hero.¡±


    None of them were Supers. That was the first thing she realized. There was nothing heroic about this, nor villainous, in a sense. It was all just a hail of bullets, knives on skin, and a song of bloody screaming. Her mother looked away, but she didn¡¯t. She never enjoyed things like this. Even fighting ordinary bad guys, she never liked hurting them. But in the moment, she felt like she couldn¡¯t look away from either side. Men, boys, and kids fought forward for some unseen goal. Their story, at the very least, deserved to be seen. Even if she didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°War isn¡¯t new.¡± Max Lightning explained. ¡°It was around before the Calamities. It was around after them. What you see now is almost the same every time. Humans. Supers. Good. Bad. None of it matters. I don¡¯t know if the Emperor will come back. I don¡¯t know if there will be a bigger threat than him. I don¡¯t know if the Calamities will return or if the walls around Chrysanthemum will shatter. What I do know, though, is there will be another war like this. So, you need to decide if you can really say you want to be a hero.¡±


    The battle seemed to begin winding down. The blues were clearly winning. The men in the red cloaks were pushed further back. Many were shot at while their backs were turned. The few that did manage to get to cover jumped down into a trench they had built and hunkered down.


    ¡°Battles like these. They still happen. The Hero Branch, or the common thugs of the villains. Normal humans are forced to fight against one another as well as go up against forces far greater than themselves. It can be hard to hold back. Especially on a battlefield. As a soldier, you¡¯re left with no choice but to fight. And if you¡¯re a Super, you see just how different you are from your common folk.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of showing my daughter all of this?¡± Jane grabbed Max Lightning by his wrist and glared up at the hero. ¡°You said she¡¯ll have to decide on whether she wants to be a hero or not, and now you¡¯re going on and on about some war you think might happen. Explain it better. Stop with these vague answers.¡±


    ¡°Mom-¡±


    ¡°No. Your mother is right.¡± Max Lightning pulled his hand away. ¡°I truly believe that, soon, a choice will have to be made. Whenever two opposing forces are created, the conflict won¡¯t stop until there is a clear winner. Powers have been both a blessing and a curse. I wanted to show you this so you can see what a war looks like. The civilians you put in danger when you fight like this. Not the Supers like us, but the people. By declaring yourself a hero, you¡¯ve selected a side, Ms. Lauren. Whether you accept it or not, heroes and villains will war until the end of time, even if they have to go by other titles. Cinder. Is she a game to you? Or do you truly wish to be her? Selecting a side will breed trouble for not just you but your family. By saying you are a hero, you are saying you are against the villains. By being Cinder, you challenge them. As it stands, you currently aren¡¯t known by many to be like Full Monarch. Cinder isn¡¯t well known, either. You could leave. Here and now. You could quit being a Super. Throw it away and go into hiding. But, should you stay, others like Polaron will come. The ones who won¡¯t hesitate to go after your family. And just as I have shown you here, other humans will be dragged into the fray, as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯ll have to kill people if I stay as a hero,¡± She said quietly. The thought of Polaron came to her mind. She had killed him, left with no other choice. She hated it. She despised it even, but she had been forced to. Polaron was a Super, like her. A man who had killed hundreds, maybe even thousands, who could fight back, even potentially kill her. Would she be able to do that to a human? Someone who stood no chance, who was doing whatever they could to survive. Would she be able to bring herself to kill that person? With Polaron, it had been kill or be killed. With a normal person though¡­ She felt sick in her stomach.


    ¡°Hope.¡± Her mom placed a hand on her shoulder.


    A horn buzzed through the air, causing her to turn. The reds had either been backed into a ditch or near the edge of the woods, outnumbered greatly by the blues. They had been on the verge of giving up, throwing their weapons down until the sounds of the horn. They screamed out with renewed force and charged, grabbing whatever they could get their hands on.


    A horse galloped. She had seen a few horses in her life, though she never got to ride one before. From the woods, it came, carrying a young-looking man. He wore armor formed out of shifting blades of ice, all of which formed together around his head, the ice melding into the shape like an ancient warrior''s helm, complete with what looked like a large crest of flowing water along the top of the helmet. He held a mighty weapon in his ice-gloved hands. A long silver trident, water bending and flowing around it. What little of his skin could be seen showed that it was dark and filled with scars. He screamed at the top of his lungs, letting out a mighty warrior¡¯s battle cry. Just like when she would scream, his lungs were far stronger than a human''s, and it literally caused the battlefield to shake.


    Water exploded around him, and he was raised high into the air, lifted off of his horse. He spun around and hit the center of the field hard enough to send out a wave of force that knocked everyone over. Tendrils of water sliced out of his back, taking the shape of a Kraken¡¯s many tentacles, all of which smashed into the men hard enough to make sure they didn¡¯t get back up.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one that arrived, either. The wind twisted and changed as miles above, and the clouds began to rip apart as someone dropped out of the sky and rammed into the center of the field so hard they kicked up a massive dust cloud. They had slicked back blonde hair and reminded her of Max Lightning in a way, but way cleaner and younger-looking. He wore the same red soldier uniform as the other men, but a cloak of clouds wrapped around his upper body. Lightning and wind danced at the hero¡¯s fingertips as they blasted down towards the villains and stunned dozens of them. He took his enemies down with ease.


    "Pay close attention." Max Lightning spoke up, causing her to jump a bit. She had been so focused on the battle she forgot what was happening. "Here ''he'' comes."


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    What happened next was shocking even by Super standards. The forest erupted and broke away. Trees began to collapse in on themselves as something massive came crashing out. It cast a large shadow and slithered on the ground like a snake. It was long and narrow, bigger than even a skyscraper, and just by moving it tore the battlefield to bits. It looked almost like a serpentine-like dragon. Instead of flesh, though, it was made out of vines and wood. Two small little arms, like that of a T-rex, poked out of it, which the wooden monster used to crawl forward.


    Someone in the same red uniform as the soldiers stood on top of the head of the mighty beast. She wasn''t able to get a good look at them, but she realized they were pointing at the enemy forces.


    Plants blasted out of the fingertips of the figure on the wooden dragon. Strings of roses flew through the air and began to tie themselves around the men in blue, knocking them down. The grass surged like a tidal wave and seemed to come to life, and all the trees in the forest began to rip their way out of the ground as they grew arms and legs and charged into the battlefield behind the dragon rider.


    It took them no time at all to change the tide of battle.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡± She asked, though she had a pretty good idea already. She felt a little bitter watching them all at work. They were all taking the guys out nonlethally, something she hadn¡¯t been able to do with Polaron.


    Max Lightning turned to the battle around them. ¡°I showed this to Posiedon and will do for the last Lord, for another reason. Should you remain on the path of a hero or turn to the side of the villains, you will paint a target on your back. That said, while war will be filled with those who are weak and those who are strong, I believe that the ones who can take a life but decide not to are the ones that truly deserve being called heroes. If you want to stay as Cinder, if you want to save Oleander City, it will mean every side you aren¡¯t on, they will be against you¡ªthose who will come against you and your family. If you want to keep them safe, you¡¯ll need to get as strong as these ¡®idiots,¡¯ as Jack put it. So, watch closely; see what a real hero looks like.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The blues crashed to the ground, all unconscious. The reds cheered out, and hats were thrown high into the air.


    The dragon came to a sudden halt a few feet away from her, and the figure on the head of it dropped down and crashed to the field below. For a moment she swore his eyes met hers, and he had a sly smirk on his lips. He was the youngest one there when it came to the Supers that had arrived. He was around her age, maybe older, eighteen at the most. He had messy, blonde hair, and his eyes glowed with a bright blue glow. The man in the ice armor came to stand next to him, as did the one cloaked in clouds.


    ¡°Is that them?¡± She asked.


    Max Lightning nodded his head. ¡°Yes. These three men are the ones. They are previous incarnations of the Lords.¡±


    ¡°Oi, Nier, those men were mine; you stole all my glory.¡± The man in the cloak of clouds used his power to send a sharp gust of wind in the direction of the blonde boy, but the kid gave a cheeky grin, and his dragon moved faster, blocking the strike with its body.


    ¡°Sorry. You guys were so slow. I got pretty bored, just waiting around-¡±


    ¡°Your job was to stand guard over the injured.¡± The man in the ice armor¡¯s voice was loud and booming. He was a large, dark-skinned man, and Hope was instantly reminded of Myth with the no-nonsense attitude he gave. The man gripped his trident as his eyes bore into the blonde kid¡¯s. ¡°If there had been an enemy Super here, on the battlefield, any that got past us¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eh, it all went fine.¡± The blonde, apparently named Nier, shrugged and threw his arms behind his head casually. ¡°Lucky and I handled it!¡± The large wooden dragon shrank down in fear when the dark-skinned man shot it a dirty look.


    She frowned a bit, eyeing the three of them up. She had just learned about Lords and didn¡¯t really understand them, but she was guessing they usually didn¡¯t act like this. "Not what you expected?" Max Lightning snorted.


    ¡°I mean, I guess they¡¯re as weird as Poseidon and I am, so it checks out.¡± She muttered. "I like the dragon though. That thing is cool. He called it Lucky?¡±


    Max Lightning looked all three men up and down before his eyes finally settled on the one in the cloak of clouds. ¡°Each of these men is currently the strongest Super of this era, though that is soon to change. You may have noticed there are only three of them. The Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, the one who would later go by the name of Full Monarch and create the Hero Branch and superheroes, hasn¡¯t been discovered yet. The man covered in ice is the Lord of the Sea and Depth. He is also the oldest of the four Lords currently and the only one to have a kid. He is Mr. Sini, the man that would later create Sinicorp, as well as the father to Old Dog and the grandfather to Ocean Empress. Before his death at the hands of the Emperor years later, he gave his title of Lord to Poseidon. The blonde boy is named Nier. He is the Lord of Land and Life and possibly related to the current Lord of Life in our time. You likely haven¡¯t heard his name before. Lastly, that leaves Wano. The Lord of the Sky and Weather, as well as my father.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! So that¡¯s why the Lord looks like you.¡± She frowned a bit. ¡°So, what is this army exactly? You mentioned a war? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°If you paid more attention in school, you would know.¡± Her mom sighed.


    ¡°Do you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, but I don¡¯t go to school anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the worst¡­¡±


    ¡°These three were called the Full Force.¡± Max Lightning explained. ¡°The ones in red are the Full soldiers. They¡¯ve been slowly getting pushed back by the blue enemy forces led by Lucifer.¡±


    ¡°Lucifer.¡± She felt that small bubble of rage inside of her start to expand. Just hearing his name was enough to piss her off.


    ¡°In our time, there are enough Supers to form dozens of teams and guard various places.¡± Max Lightning stated. ¡°This is mostly due to the Emperor. Not only did he use the power to create his monsters, his threat was so great that dozens of Supers were created when he was gone. Supers seem to pop up most when the world needs them, and the Lords are reborn. Back here during this time, there weren''t as many Supers that existed. Maybe less than a thousand. Lucifer isn¡¯t the strongest threat in the world. There are many Supers that are stronger than him. Still, it will be good for you to see him. After I showed Poseidon this, it steeled her nerves, and she used it to motivate herself. Should you decide to stay as a hero, you will need to work harder than ever. Most of the Lord of the Sun¡¯s energy has been lost, unable to be passed down after the Emperor nearly devoured Full Monarch. You have a mountain to climb, one that leads to a further hellish climb if you wish to become strong enough to protect your loved ones.¡±


    She quietly balled her hand into a fist and nodded her head. Already she could feel her nerves steadying at the thought of Lucifer. In comics, a hero always had an arch enemy. Their equal. Full Monarch had the Emperor, and if she got to pick, then hers would be Lucifer. The man who started it all for her. The man who ruined her life. She quietly watched the legends of this time as they joked and bantered.


    ¡°Speaking of the Lord of the Sun, where is he? I don¡¯t see him anywhere. Only three of the Lords are here.¡±


    "You''ll see him soon." Max Lightning smirked.


    Mr. Sini was still reprimanding Nier, who didn¡¯t look like he was actually listening, when Wano lightly punched Sini in the shoulder, giving a smile to his boss. ¡°Chin up, sir. Nier got the job done, and that¡¯s all that matters, right?¡±


    ¡°The job isn¡¯t done.¡± Sini looked up towards the sky, watching the rain clouds that were already starting to form. ¡°We¡¯ve been fighting for hours and not a single sign of the Monarch Force¡¯s Supers.¡±


    ¡°The Monarch forces?¡± Hope shot a look towards Max Lightning.


    ¡°The ones in blue. Led by Lucifer and others, who weren¡¯t happy with the Full Force¡¯s approach to how the Lords should be handled. Lucifer is a madman who just loves chaos. Evil without a goal, he gathered the unhappy Monarch forces so that he would have an army to battle the Full force with.¡±


    ¡°Oh, relax.¡± Wano snorted, throwing his knife up and down through the air. ¡°We¡¯ve been at this for months now. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve gone and wiped out all of Lucy¡¯s big hitters.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still strange.¡± Nier hummed, seemingly agreeing with Sini. ¡°I mean, Lucifer isn¡¯t one for doing little things. His army is immortal and doesn¡¯t have to worry about casualties, unlike ours. I''m not bad at healing, but I''m not that good at it either. All he needs to do is stall us out, so why isn''t he doing that?¡±


    Sini frowned and looked like he was about to say more but was stopped when a loud bird-like screech came from above. A large red hawk came crashing down from above and smashed into Nier, knocking the man over. ¡°That¡¯s the same species as Destiny, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hope asked, a little surprised when she saw the bird. This one was far larger than Destiny and a more orangish color, but the resemblance was striking.


    ¡°Destiny?¡± Her mom questioned. Nier thrashed around as the bird cocked its head to the side and sat on his chest. It was about the size of a small child and seemed very heavy. A letter was tied to its right foot, which it held out to Sini.


    ¡°He¡¯s the bird that I¡ªOh crap, what happened to Destiny!¡± She felt something rustling around, and her backpack opened slightly as Destiny poked his head out, giving a loud caw before darting back into the darkness. ¡°Oh, there he is.¡±


    ¡°Destiny and that one are part of the same species.¡± Max Lightning said flatly. ¡°They were created by the first Lord of Life and can link up to powerful Supers, gaining a portion of their master¡¯s powers. Sadly, most died out in the battle with the Emperor, and since we haven¡¯t had a Lord of Life since then, we haven¡¯t been able to make more.¡±


    ¡°Get this damn bird off of me,¡± Nier yelled. His dragon just rumbled and turned away from him. "I''m not picking it over you! Don''t be that way, Lucky! Help me! Sini? Wano!"


    Sini ignored his teammate and took the letter from the hawk. He unfolded it, and his eyes went wide. ¡°Not good.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wano asked.


    ¡°A distraction.¡± Sini hissed. ¡°We¡¯ve been fighting non-stop battles all day against his low-level grunts because he¡¯s been saving his real forces. As we speak, Galanthus, Snowdrop, and Daffodil are all three being attacked.¡±


    Nier instantly grew tense and sat up, quickly lifting the bird off of him. His dragon also grew straighter, and its eyes narrowed. ¡°Three attacks at three different villages?¡±


    ¡°Not just three attacks. Supers are there, and they¡¯re all going wild. If we don¡¯t hurry, they will be wiped out.¡± Sini grunted.


    Wano stepped forward with an idea. ¡°If the three of us hurry, Galanthus village is the closest. We should-¡±


    ¡°If we all head to one, we won¡¯t have time to save the others.¡± Mr. Sini said, cutting his student off. He whistled, and his horse came galloping over to him. It was larger than an average steed, with deep red fur. He mounted the beast, and its sides twitched, a pair of giant wings suddenly sprouting out. ¡°We¡¯ll have to split up. Wano, since you and I can fly, we¡¯ll take the further towns; you go for Daffodil, and I will head to Snowdrop. As for Galanthus, that¡¯s where you¡¯ll be coming in, Nier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let that village be destroyed,¡± Nier announced as he crouched down. He jumped into the air and spun around, landing on the head of his wooden dragon. ¡°I¡¯ll get there before any of you make it to your destinations, and I¡¯ll be back before you¡¯ve all even had a chance to fight your villains.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky.¡± Wano called up toward his friend. ¡°As soon as I finish up at my place, I¡¯ll come save you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right! I¡¯ll finish first and then come and save you!¡±


    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s more.¡± Mr. Sini stated. He closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a good chance that one of these villages will have Lucifer in it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that one of us might have to fight Lucifer on our own?¡± Wano winced and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Man, I wish I figured out how to use the Paths more. I¡¯ll seriously need to work on that skill so things like this don¡¯t bite me in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Scared?¡± Nier taunted.


    ¡°A little, yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Nier shook his head and shot a sly smile to his friend Wano. ¡°I¡¯m heading out. I¡¯ll keep you all updated.¡±


    Wano flew up and patted the Lord of the Land on the back. ¡°Right. Stay safe, Nier.¡±


    ¡°I always am.¡±


    "Make sure he stays out of harm''s way, Lucky." Wano whispered to the dragon, and it nodded its head.


    Hope watched the display of comradery and couldn''t help but feel slightly jealous. She would say she was pretty close to her fellow Pantheon members, but not in the way these three were. The dragon took off fast. It didn''t fly, but it did hover above the ground slightly. Two tiny little arms poked out of its side, which clawed at the ground and ripped it apart as it went. It reminded her of the way Mr. Larison would run. He also seemed to almost float across the ground.


    Max Lightning waved his hand, and the image began to bend and change. She gasped at what she saw next.


    They stood in the ruins of an old-looking village. Wooden huts scattered about, many on fire and burning away to ash. It was what stood at the end of the village though that caused her face to pale. A battle was going on. A very one-sided battle¡­


    People were screaming and running through the village, and the sounds of combat had filled the air. At the center of the village, a familiar face caught her attention. ¡°M- Myth?¡± She asked, stunned.


    It was a large creature with a bull''s head and arms covered in slick black fur and massive muscles. It was decked out in heavy-looking armor and swung around a massive great sword at whoever he was fighting. ¡°I will not let you harm anyone!¡± The Myth lookalike roared. ¡°This village is not fit for you!¡±


    ¡°Myth is related to this man.¡± Max Lightning nodded towards the raging bull. ¡°The Thaddeus clan all share similar powers with one another. Sadly, though this member doesn¡¯t make it far in this war.¡±


    That was when she noticed the man the bull was fighting. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him; every time she dreamt, he would be there. A tall, pale man with black, oily hair and golden eyes. He was dressed like a priest and even clutched a book close to his chest. She wasn¡¯t the only one who stared at the man. She felt her mother grow tense, the woman¡¯s eyes never leaving Lucifer¡¯s.


    The bull howled and brought his sword down towards Lucifer, ripping the ground that they stood on apart. Lucifer¡¯s eyes held no emotion; they were dull and bored as he moved past each swing of the blade as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Then he struck. Faster than the warrior could react, Lucifer''s hand pressed to the chest plate. Black energy crackled out of his palm, and screams radiated off his hand as the armor broke away and he touched the bull¡¯s fur directly.


    She knew what it was right away. The very same touch her father had suffered. Her dad had taken a single finger''s worth that lasted less than a second. The man related to Myth wasn¡¯t so lucky.


    The sword dropped from the bull''s grip, and he dropped to his knees gasping and vomited up a wave of blood. Cracks appeared across his fur, and with a simple push, Lucifer¡¯s hand shattered past the man¡¯s chest and ribs as the bull hero rapidly turned to ash. From the thick dust that rained, a single page floated softly to the ground, which Lucifer caught. He opened his book and gently placed it inside.


    The Dead Virus stole another life.


    ¡°I hate him.¡± She seethed. ¡°I really hate him.¡± The villain paid no mind to her comment or her emotions. He placed his hand on the ground, and his virus began to seep out, breaking the earth apart and forming a small crater that began to expand as he tried to fish something up. ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± She asked. Instantly, he stopped and turned to look at her, and she couldn¡¯t help but step away.


    He wasn¡¯t actually looking at her, though. She realized when she heard the whimpering. There were still several people in the village, and they had fallen into the gaze of Lucifer. He cocked his head to the side and then slowly opened his book. He placed his hand over a page and tore it out. Paper twisted and rose from the ground, taking shape, and suddenly the bull was back. Decked out in his armor and gripping his sword, he stood alive.


    The newly born book zombie howled. It wasn¡¯t the kind man it had been, now all that was left was a mindless killing machine. It took off into the village swinging its sword and cleaving the remaining buildings apart. What few people remained were forced to run, and the protector of this village gleefully chased after them, ready to cleave them in two with his sword.


    The monster laughed and ran after a child, swinging its blade down. She tensed her body, about to jump at it. She knew she couldn¡¯t stop it. It was a memory, but watching it attempt to hurt a kid was too much for her. She yelled and flew forward, throwing out a strike, but as expected, it had no impact, simply passing through the man. To them, she was unseen and didn¡¯t exist. She couldn¡¯t change the past no matter how hard she fought.


    Thankfully, she didn¡¯t have to.


    A large blur smashed into the beast, and it gasped as all of its ribs were shattered. The creature was flung back, crashing through several houses, and looked like it was about to slam into Lucifer, but the man just opened his book and summoned up another one of his many zombies. This one was dressed like a nun, though her outfit was made out of metal chains, and she wore a wooden mask. Her dress came undone, and dozens of metal wires sliced out, ripping the monster to shreds. No blood flowed, though. Instead, the beast gasped, and its body suddenly turned to paper, a single page floating in its place once more.


    Lucifer opened his tome and held it up, letting the page fall gently inside, closing the book once it landed. ¡°I was wondering if you would come.¡± His voice instantly reminded her of Golden God. It didn¡¯t hold much emotion. It was flat and drawn out. As if it were a bother for this thing to even make the effort to speak. It pissed her off more than it should have.


    The wooden dragon growled as it came to a stop. Its body began to wrap around the village, and it glared at the villain down below. Nier walked forward and hopped off of his beast, landing a few feet away. Already the plant life around him began to twitch and move, reacting to his call. ¡°I¡¯m going to defeat you. Today is the day hope comes out on top.¡± He announced. He held his hand out, and a long chain of flowers crackled forth as he used the power of the Lord of Life and Land to create new plant life from thin air.


    ¡°The Lord of the Land and Life comes to challenge me.¡± Lucifer taunted and held his free hand up. A black swirl of darkness seemed to drip off his palm. The Dead Virus hissed and spat as it came into existence. All the grass beneath him began to wilt and die. ¡°I am the Ruler of Death and Rebirth. You don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing more than a title you gave yourself.¡± Nier snorted. ¡°All because you¡¯re jealous that we Lords hold real titles and powers.¡±


    ¡°It was given to me by the great one.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Shadow? News flash buddy, the Lords killed him. Basically, that means I should be at least one fourth as strong as your God.¡±


    Hope gripped her hand into a fist, feeling the fire begin to swirl around her hand. ¡°Who wins this fight?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°Neither really.¡± Max Lightning sighed. ¡°Lucifer escapes. Later on, he is beaten by Full Monarch and loses his army and most of his power, but this fight is a draw at best. Still, it¡¯s important you see Nier. I want you to watch him closely.¡±


    ¡°Okay? Why though?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Nier was only meters away from Lucifer, the young man eyeing up the strange nun that stood next to Lucifer. ¡°You made some new friends, I see.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Lucifer held his hand out, and suddenly, the nun¡¯s body began to shake. Large cracks appeared all along her skin, and then, in a flash, she shattered. Just like the bull had, a stray page fell from her remains and into the open book Lucifer held. The man shut the tome tightly, his free hand swirling with the mass of the Dead Virus. ¡°I¡¯ve inverted the power gifted to me by the Shadow. I¡¯ve conquered life and death.¡±


    "God, were you always this edgy-¡± Nier jumped out of the way at the last second as Lucifer sprung toward him. The man¡¯s palm came at the boy, but Nier¡¯s body hummed, and in a flash, he appeared behind Lucifer, kicking at the villain with speed that surpassed even Battery. Lucifer managed to block the strike with his arm, the one that held the book, and he shoved Nier off of him. As Nier slid away, he pulled his arm back before thrusting it forward. Wooden spikes blasted out of the ground beneath him, spinning so fast they twisted the air itself around them and broke the sound barrier.


    Then, to her horror, Lucifer did something she had seen many times. Something she had even done countless times now. Lucifer held his arm out his hand, making the shape of a gun. ¡°Bang.¡±

 Chapter Forty-Eight: Sun And Death

    A piece of Dead Virus blasted out of Lucifer¡¯s fingertips as the man cocked his hand like a gun, eating through the wooden spikes as it chased after Nier. The teen managed to duck down just in time, the orb of darkness chewing away at the house that was behind him. The stone on the building began to turn gray before it cracked, breaking into dust. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you deal with this.¡± Lucifer opened his book and placed his palm over it. He ripped out one of the pages, throwing it on the ground.


    A disgusting glowing glob of black darkness grew out of the page, which began to make a loud ringing sound. The ring started to distort and morph, disturbingly beginning to sound like a baby crying. The darkness took shape, and paper began to appear into a pair of arms and legs that grew out of the mass. When it finished, a large red ogre appeared. It roared and charged at Nier, swinging a piece of a house it used as a makeshift club.


    Nier blocked the strike and rammed his fist into the monster¡¯s stomach. It ignored the damage and grunted as it raised its weapon, smashing its weapon into the side of Nier¡¯s head. The boy groaned as he was flung back, the spot where he¡¯d been hit igniting with a burst of fire. He rolled across the ground, trying to put the fire out. "Lucky!" Nier called out.


    The ogre managed to take another step, but in an instant its head was torn clean off by the wooden dragon that had wrapped around the town. The jaws of the beast had locked in around the neck of the ogre and easily ripped it off. The red undead creature crashed to the floor. For a moment it seemed like it was actually dead, but then suddenly it sprung back up. Black paper exploded from its neck wound, and a new head grew back.


    The ogre laughed and swung its club into the eye of the dragon, causing the creature to howl. The wooden dragon smashed its full weight into the zombie and sent it flying through the village. It began chasing after the zombie roaring and spewing out an intense wave of green fire.


    Lucifer stood at the town¡¯s other side, watching the fight with a bored look. Slowly, the man turned to look at the many people that hadn¡¯t yet made it out of the village. The faintest hint of a smile came to his lips as he raised his hand towards them and blasted out his Virus, though not at Nier. Instead, they all stabbed into the backs of the fleeing civilians. ¡°No!¡± Nier yelled. He slammed his hand into the ground hard enough to shake the entire village. Rows of plants formed barriers around some of the people, sadly though many weren''t saved in time, their bodies crumbling and breaking away to dust.


    Pages flew through the air towards Lucifer, and that darkness came back, morphing over the paper. Suddenly, the crumbling people around Nier rose up, reformed through Lucifer¡¯s power, and all charged at the hero with mad cackles. They were just regular humans, though, and their attacks bounced off of the teen, their limbs breaking and twisting. They didn''t stop though, even as their arms were torn off of their bodies just from the Super walking into them.


    ¡°Stop this now!¡± Nier screamed out. Lucifer stared at the Lord, his face remaining blank. ¡°Lucifer!¡±


    Hope watched the fight, her eyes darting back and forth as the two men fired attacks at each other. ¡°You know for the Lord of the Land that Nier guy isn¡¯t really using any animals or anything. He seems to be limiting himself by only using plants. Poseidon can create water and also mess with gravity, so I''m sure a Lord of freaking Life could do more than make plants move in cool ways, right?"


    ¡°There is more to a Lord¡¯s power than just their control over an element.¡± Max Lighting stated. ¡°Nier right now is a young kid much like you. The spark and desire to be a hero aren¡¯t there yet. So instead he inverts his power, much like Lucifer is doing.¡±


    ¡°Inverts?¡±


    ¡°It means to flip something or put it the other way around.¡± Her mother explained. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure what it has to do with powers.¡±


    ¡°A lot of things.¡± Max Lightning explained. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before. Ocean Empress and Poseidon both do it. Even I am doing it at this moment. See, powers that exist within us are brought out and used by our will. Some people have been able to take this energy source that seeps out and reverse it. They give in to their power. Instead of our will directing the power, the power directs our will. This causes inverting. Ocean Empress has a water-based power, but by using inverting, she can flip the switch, so to speak, and change it to an ice-based power. Going from a flowing liquid to a solid object. Not all Supers can do this, but the big ones can. Even lesser heroes like BB.¡±


    ¡°BB?¡± Instantly, the image of the young wind-based hero came to her mind. BB could shrink and control wind. Now that she thought about it, though, the girl had also grown in size during the fight with Zoo. She had just assumed it was something BB could do, but from the way Max Lightning explained it, that was simply an inversion of the girl¡¯s ability to shrink. ¡°I think I get what you¡¯re saying.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Lucifer was cursed with a sinister power. One that can only kill. He inverted it though, allowing him to bring back those he killed. This is why he gave himself the title of Ruler of Death and Rebirth.¡± Max Lightning clenched his hand into a fist. ¡°A monster, through and through. Nier is using Inversion as well. Instead of creating new life, he controls that which already exists. And as I said earlier, I am also inverting my own power. My second ability is what allows me to see the Paths of this world, getting a memory of the future or past. By inverting that, I¡¯ve allowed us to stand in this moment of history and watch it together.¡±


    ¡°Would I be able to use water powers or something if I inverted my power?¡± She giggled. Armin would be so jealous of her.


    ¡°Who knows. I wouldn¡¯t try it though. Your will is what directs your power, but Inverting is where your power directs your will. If you¡¯re not careful, you may find your power doesn¡¯t like you and decides to get rid of you.¡±


    She felt her mother¡¯s hand grip down on her shoulder. She looked up at the woman. She patted her mom¡¯s hand and got back to watching the battle between the Lord of Life and the Ruler of Death. ¡°Beat him, Nier!¡± She cheered.


    The teen, of course, was unable to hear her. Nier practically soared across the ground, skating across it with his feet. He wove in and out of the grasps of the zombies, any damage he dealt to them simply reverting instantly, even total destruction. As long as Lucifer continued to use his Virus, it would be impossible to stop his undead army, so Nier aimed directly for the head of the snake.


    He used his power to heal any wounds he might have had and then got ready to strike. Vines grew out of his skin, twisting and flowing down his arm like water, pulling him towards the villain. He was in front of Lucifer in a heartbeat, throwing out a powerful punch. The villain narrowly blocked the strike with the arm that held the book. The force of the attack caused the book to fall from his grasp, and instantly, all the undead creations broke away, their pages flying out in all directions. Lucifer didn¡¯t seem bothered by it, smashing the hand that was coated in the Dead Virus toward Nier¡¯s face.


    Nier curved his head, the palm flying past him, missing by only a few centimeters. The crackling energy smashed into the ground, causing it to begin to crack and decay. Before he could get his bearings, Lucifer smashed his knee into the Lord¡¯s gut, and his other hand pounded into Nier¡¯s face as hard as he could.


    Nier smashed into the ground, groaning. Lucifer didn¡¯t follow up with an attack, though. Instead, the man slowly reached down to grab his book. He opened it, and all the scattered pages flew back towards him. Nier jumped back to his feet and threw his arms out, firing a massive blast of spiked vines. Lucifer didn¡¯t even bother to dodge the Dead Virus crawling up his left arm, and he casually slapped the power away, shattering it and ending the attack, a massive wave of dust kicking up.


    ¡°The Dead Virus kills all. Life, energy, and even the gods themselves. It is the purest form of the End.¡± Lucifer¡¯s voice never held any emotion, even as he talked down to his foe. ¡°You can¡¯t win, and soon you will join me. Soon, the whole world will join me. A world without Life will¡ª¡±


    Vines flew out of the dust cloud that had formed around Nier. They wrapped tightly around Lucifer¡¯s body, binding the man. Nier sprinted out of the cloud, dragging the vines with him and forcing Lucifer to follow. Nier ran towards a building as fast as he could. Before he hit the building, he came to a sudden stop and swung his body. Lucifer was lifted off of his feet and slammed directly into the building. He broke through the walls, crashing into the house, while the vines unwrapped and reformed around the home on the outside.


    Nier ran the other way and literally ripped the building from the ground, dragging it with him. He reached the edge of the village and stopped once more, swinging the massive building around, the vines growing in length. It was like some sort of wild wrecking ball, smashing into other buildings and leveling the entire town in only a few swings. As more and more of the building broke away, the vines grew tighter and stronger until they eventually shattered the house and rewrapped around Lucifer inside once more.


    ¡°He¡¯s strong,¡± Hope said with wide eyes. ¡°He¡¯s literally throwing buildings around. I don¡¯t think even Myth can do that.¡±


    ¡°Supers from this era were strong. Most are on the level of the Enforcers of today.¡± Max Lightning shrugged. ¡°But keep watching. You haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡±


    Nier finished the combo off by swinging his arms up as high as he could and then bringing them down as fast as he could. Lucifer was swung up and then came rocketing down onto the rubble Nier had created. Any standard Super would have had all their bones shattered from the force. Even a powerful Super would have found themselves impaled on all the jagged wood and rocks that had been formed.


    Lucifer slowly stood up and dusted himself off, not even harmed. ¡°Now, now, you don¡¯t want to cause civilian casualties, do you?¡± Lucifer didn¡¯t speak mockingly; his voice had remained the same as it always had, yet it was clear he wasn¡¯t taking Nier seriously at all. ¡°I watched you grow up. I raised you alongside Sini. I know all your tricks. Besides, you¡¯re not strong enough to hurt me. Sini should have never brought kids onto the battlefield-¡±


    Nier appeared in front of Lucifer and threw out a powerful right hook. The force of it sent a shock wave through the air and shattered any window that was left standing. The ground cracked from it, and Lucifer¡¯s neck cocked back slightly as he stared down at the boy he had practically raised. ¡°Shut up! I won¡¯t let you look down on me! Besides, everyone is gone now. I don¡¯t need to hold back!¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Noted.¡± The villain stated coldly.


    Lucifer grabbed the Lord by the arm. His Dead Virus didn¡¯t turn on, though. It wasn¡¯t that it couldn¡¯t; rather, he simply didn¡¯t need it. With a straightforward squeeze, Nier screamed out in pain as his wrist shattered. Lucifer then raised his other arm up, the one that held the book, and brought it down on the child¡¯s face, breaking the boy¡¯s nose. As soon as Nier hit the ground, Lucifer kicked him in the gut, sending him flying back and crashing into the walls of the destroyed village.


    ¡°Stay down.¡± Lucifer turned his back, opening his book. The nun from before appeared, her dress coming undone, forming into hundreds of small chains that began to wrap around Nier¡¯s body. As that happened, Lucifer turned and held his hand out, blasting the Dead Virus towards the ground. It came out as a stream of hellish screams, the earth breaking apart, a massive crater beginning to form into the ground. It expanded, and the entire village began to shake, the ground crumbling into the sinkhole that Lucifer was creating. ¡°How many people do you think are hiding in the last of these buildings? How many villagers are stuck waiting for death to consume them?¡± Lucifer¡¯s power grew, and the hole began to grow, the edge of the village breaking apart. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring it all down. Watch, little boy. Watch as you fail to save even a single person.¡±


    Then she saw it. Hidden beneath the ground under layers of stone and dirt. The reason Lucifer had come to this village in the first place. It hummed and glowed with a familiar blue light. Deep beneath the ground, a metal pod finally saw the first signs of sunlight as the Virus ate around it.


    ¡°That¡¯s-¡° Nier¡¯s eyes were wide and filled with shock as he stared at the metal pod.


    ¡°There it is.¡± Lucifer showed the smallest hint of emotion as he gazed down at the metal ball. The Virus cackled down his hand, and he took a step down into the crater. ¡°I wonder what would happen if I were to infect it with my Virus.¡±


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± Nier yelled. He tried to thrash around, but the nun kept him held in place with her metal, slowly forming it into a ball around him and binding him in place, with only his head sticking out. ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Lucifer ignored the boy and was about to finish it. About to wipe everything out. He was only a few meters away from the pod, holding his hand out and letting the Virus crackle around it. Then it happened.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Nier roared out, and instantly the ground around him exploded as jagged spikes snapped the chains around him, and an aura of power seeped out, blowing the nun to bits. ¡°I will stop you.¡± Nier changed. His eyes were a fiery red, and his hair had become snow white. She was instantly reminded of how her hair would apparently sometimes change as well as Poseidon¡¯s. The transformation didn¡¯t stop there, though. Bones jutted out of Nier¡¯s flesh, wrapping around him and forming jagged armor. A pair of large, demonic-looking horns stabbed out of the top of his head, and his back split open, sending out tendrils of red liquid. Blood. They moved like tails swaying back and forth, and all the power that was eating away at the village instantly halted as Life devoured the Dead and grew over it.


    The nun¡¯s body reformed, but she didn¡¯t even have a chance to react, as a massive scythe-like blade, forged out of bones and muscle, ripped out of the ground, slicing her in two. Lucifer narrowly dodged the attack, part of his shoulder being torn clean off, and he groaned for the first time since the fight started.


    Hundreds of massive pale hands ripped their way from the ground, each bigger than a castle. They blotted out the sky, casting darkness down on the land. One of the hands grasped the pod, lifting it and holding it in its palm protectively.


    ¡°I made a mistake.¡± Nier¡¯s tone was a lot darker now as he glared at Lucifer. ¡°I fought you as a Super when, in reality, I should have treated you like the monster you are and used my full power. Get ready. This is the power of a Lord!¡±


    Lucifer¡¯s Dead Virus ignited and grew out of his hand, almost like a blade. He sliced it up, and the thing grew longer and longer, reaching over one hundred meters in length and easily splitting through hundreds of the fleshy arms that began to rapidly crash to the ground. One of the hands managed to wrap around him, and the others followed, holding the man down for only a single second. That was all Nier needed. The teen kicked the ground, and it rose up like a wave. It was as if the land itself had come to life. It grew jagged blades of wood and bone, slicing through Lucifer¡¯s back. Lucifer growled and flexed, shattering all the arms around him.


    He tried to open his book, but a small chain of flesh wrapped around it, binding it to his hand. He would be unable to call for backup. Dozens of blades started to stab through the ground, piercing the man¡¯s feet and severing some of his toes.


    Lucifer finally showed some emotion, letting out a roar of frustration. He blasted out a glob of the Dead Virus from his mouth, but Nier lazily slapped at the air and shattered the attack. Life was beating Death.


    Nier walked forward slowly, holding his hand out and forming a scythe of bones that grew out of his arm. Then, with a simple yet strong swing, he split the land in two and sliced Lucifer clean in half in one attack.


    Lucifer¡¯s eyes grew dull, and a line appeared down his body as he fell apart, finally dead. She stepped back in shock, having watched all of this. ¡°I thought you said it was a draw. Nier just destroyed Lucifer-¡±


    ¡°Why do you think his group is called the Immortals?¡± Max Lightning said bluntly.


    Nier jumped back just in time as a black aura began to seep out of Lucifer¡¯s corpse. Shadows seemed to rise up and twist around the boy, merging it back together and healing all the damage it had taken. In death, Lucifer was being reborn. Then a voice seemed to seep out of the darkness that cloaked around Lucifer¡¯s form.


    ¡°Did you really think I would let you die so easily? I didn¡¯t say you could die yet. Rise, my Ruler. My Death. My Rebirth. Wake up, my warrior.¡±


    The shadows dropped away, and Lucifer¡¯s golden eyes peered into the anger-filled ones of Nier. The man was fully healed. Even his costume had been fixed. Lucifer picked his tome back up and looked back at Nier, who began to create more blades of bone and flesh.


    Lucifer seemed to weigh his options for a moment before the man tutted. ¡°If we fight any longer, the rest of your team will arrive. I¡¯ve already paid the price for being reborn once today and would rather not do it again. Don¡¯t think that this is over.¡± The pale man turned away, still holding no emotion. In fact, they seemed even colder than they had been moments ago. ¡°Every day, my power grows just a bit stronger. It won¡¯t be long before I break through my limits. I surpassed all Supers, and soon I will surpass the Lords. I will be a Ruler, one who stands at the side of the Shadow.¡± His back tore open even more, and long, angel-like wings forced their way out. They were almost pretty in a strange way, made up of pitch-black feathers.


    Nier swung his weapon so hard he tore the air apart and sent it out as a long blade. Lucifer dodged it by flying high into the air. She watched him leave with a frown. Nier¡¯s arms tried to grab at the monster, but he was too fast and just kept getting higher and higher until he was just a small dot in the air, too far out of reach.


    ¡°Damn it. If only I was actually in the past. I could have changed history.¡± She sighed and kicked her foot down, stomping out of frustration. Her mom rubbed her shoulder, and it helped her ease down a bit.


    Max Lightning folded his arms while watching Lucifer vanish. ¡°Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°See what? A lot of stuff happened.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what I first told you when you were on the beach?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You said you knew of a way to save my dad from the Dead Virus.¡± She questioned. ¡°That was why I bothered to listen to you. Now that I think about it, you never told me how.¡±


    Max Lightning snorted. ¡°I thought it would be better to just show you, but it seems you¡¯re a little slow.¡±


    ¡°Did you just call my daughter stupid?¡± Jane asked, stepping forward. ¡°She might be an idiot, and she might be rash and not smart and fail a lot, but she isn¡¯t that stupid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks mom¡­¡±


    ¡°In the fight with Lucifer, you watched Nier bat away his Dead Virus.¡± Max Lightning stated. ¡°The Lord of Life, when they reach their full power, has the ability to conquer even death. You saw him transform, and you¡¯ve even gone through a similar change yourself. Lords are as strong as normal Supers typically. They might be a bit stronger, but for the most part, the power you have now is one a majority of Super¡¯s could reach. However, when a Lord¡¯s power evolves and reaches its peak, they transform, changing their body in some way. Usually their eye and hair color change, and they now possess a portion of the power the first four Lord¡¯s have, greatly enhancing them. This power trumps almost all other Supers. If you want to save your father, you¡¯ll need to find the current Lord of Life that came about after Nier¡¯s death and convince them to save your dad¡¯s life with their full power.¡±


    For the first time in a long time, she felt a bit of hope. It was ironic considering who she was. Supers seem to have a way of coming together. Maybe it was fate or something else, but they tend to draw one another in. She bet it was the same way for the Lords. In a short amount of time of having her powers, she had already met two out of the other three Lords. Saving her father didn¡¯t seem like it was some impossible goal anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually possible.¡± Her mother whispered. ¡°We can actually save Alexander¡¯s life. He might not die?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Max Lightning gave a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°So... I don¡¯t suppose you know who the Lord of Life is in the present?¡± She asked sheepishly.


    ¡°Not really, but I have a good idea.¡± Max Lightning hummed. "Currently, I believe it to be the leader of the Wandering Coin. Capable of manufacturing drugs that can grant a normal human pseudo-Super abilities. Always recovering, no matter how many of their bases get raided. It would also explain why all the villains were interested in them.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. It¡¯s settled.¡± She punched her hand into her palm. ¡°All I have to do is find the leader of the Wandering Coin, and I save my dad. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Max Lightning shook his head. ¡°We should see this first.¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± She asked, frowning.


    Max Lightning ignored her and pointed towards Nier. The boy walked directly toward them before passing through her body, not even noticing her. The armor broke away, and his horns sunk back into his head. His hair and eyes shifted back to their normal color, and the arms began to break apart, but not before they placed something gently on the ground in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s really here. It¡¯s the-¡° He was cut off suddenly when he was knocked over by his dragon. The creature dropped the now-dead corpse of the red ogre, which broke apart and began a small page. "Yes, yes, I''m very proud of you, Lucky, you-" He grabbed at his stomach wound and gasped, nearly collapsing again as the pain coursed through him. His dragon whined and used their body to support him. "I''m fine. I''ll heal myself up and be as good as new." He had taken a beating.


    There was something more important though at the moment.


    His look grew serious, and the young boy turned to look down at the small metal pod that had been placed before him. It still hummed and glowed with a pulsating blue light. He placed his hand on it, and a light clicking sound echoed around them. She heard her mother¡¯s breath hitch as the woman stared at the scene, unable to look away. Jane had seen a scene like this place out before, after all.


    Slowly, the metal twisted and pulled back part of the pod, opening up. She didn¡¯t need her enhanced hearing to realize that the cries of a baby had filled the air. She stepped forward, moving out of her mother¡¯s arms, and stood next to Nier, looking down into the machine along with the Lord of Life.


    A baby, wrapped in a light yellow blanket. Its hair was the color of the sun, a deep golden that had sparks of flame flickering off of it. She felt her heart twitch as the child''s fiery red eyes locked onto her. Unknown to even herself, her body mimicked him, her hair rapidly switching to a pretty gold, and her eyes shifting to a red. It was only for a single heartbeat, and the color returned to normal, but it was more than enough for her. ¡°That¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Nier walked forward steadily and picked the baby up, holding it in his arms. ¡°On this day, Nier finds a young baby. Seemingly by pure chance, he ran into the latest form of the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos.¡± Max Lightning stood behind her and stared at the child. ¡°He names the child Jackson. The baby later goes on to become Full Monarch. The future number one hero. The one who will one day create the Enforcers, Superheroes as a whole, and defeat both Lucifer and the Emperor.¡±


    On this day, a new Lord was born.


    On this day, Earth received a true hero.

 Chapter Forty-Nine: A Chapter Closes

    The shovel stabbed into the cold ground, and with a grunt, he raised it up, forcing the dirt off of its spot. ¡°You seriously ain¡¯t gonna help?¡± Jack grumbled.


    Nick rested on the hood of the truck, texting away on his new phone that Jack had bought for him. ¡°Can¡¯t. Need to see if this team I bet on wins.¡±


    ¡°Gambling again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only gambling if I lose. If I win, then it''s a smart money method!¡±


    ¡°No. Just no.¡±


    Like all cities, Oleander had its fair share of graveyards. It was rare that you would find a dead Super body. Most were cremated to ensure they couldn¡¯t be studied or tampered with by enemy forces. That said, unknown to your average hero, there was a graveyard that would serve as the final resting place for the less heroic folks in the world.


    Unmarked graves in the past were used for executed prisoners. Here, though, in a hidden back section of the graveyard in the poor part of Oleander, was where many villains would bury their deceased comrades. A secret among the villains. Jack moved more of the dirt away until he had finally dug a six-foot hole.


    Even with super strength, it had been hard work.


    Jack grimly placed his arms under Polaron and lifted the man up. He gently placed him down on the ground. It was crude. It was not the sort of place he would want to end up, but it was the best that Polaron would get from him. He looked down at the body in silence.


    Made out of twisted metal, Polaron looked almost like a human skeleton. The man didn¡¯t need to eat, sleep, or breathe, surviving entirely off of raw metal, which his ¡®flesh,¡¯ or rather metallic bones, would pull in and absorb. His powers, however, like most monsters created by the Emperor, went out of control, and he had been forced to wear a suit of armor that kept them under his command.


    For just a second, the image of P came to his mind. A young boy forced into a war by a selfish monster.


    ¡®He had been a boy back then.¡¯


    Jack nearly jumped when he heard the voice. It was a familiar, playful tone, one he hadn¡¯t heard in nearly fifteen years. He looked around but saw only Nick, who was still resting on the truck¡¯s hood. ¡°You say something?¡± Jack asked, climbing out of the hole.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Nick set up and shot his friend a look. ¡°No? I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Jack shook his head and rubbed at his chest, a frown coming onto his face. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just ever since I told the kid the truth; I can¡¯t help but think of him. Part of me wonders if I made a mistake. Letting her know so soon. Was it a mistake for Full Monarch¡¯s legacy to come this early...¡±


    Flames that were filled with the light of hope. Able to rival the light of hate. Determined to save the world with the light of justice. He was harsh to his foes and calm to those he called his teammates. Fire that could burn and heal. Full Monarch had really been something else.


    He had no idea how long he was out there. Thankfully, filling the grave took considerably less time than it had taken to dig it, solemnly covering the body of the former villain. Jack looked down at his watch and sighed. He scratched at the bit of facial hair that was starting to grow back in his face. ¡°We should head back. They¡¯ll be leaving the memory any second now.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say any last words?¡± Nick questioned.


    Jack gave an awkward shrug. ¡°Here lies Polaron, formerly known as P. Sorry I killed you.¡±


    ¡°My bad, P, didn¡¯t think he was going to suck so bad at last words; I¡¯ll give it a go.¡± Nick cleared his throat and slid off of the truck''s hood, standing in front of the grave next to Jack. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t really know you all that well, but I¡¯ve seen a lot of monsters in my time as a doctor for the Hero Branch. Most are insane and have no control over themselves. You weren¡¯t like them. You were truly amazing, keeping your sanity. Guess that¡¯s what makes you being a bad guy all the more tragic?¡±


    ¡°That was worse than mine.¡±


    ¡°I tried at least.¡± Nick shrugged. They climbed into the car, and Nick started it up, ready to leave. ¡°Are we stopping anywhere else or heading straight home?¡± He waited for his friend to answer, but Jack never did. ¡°Uh yo. Buddy? Earth to Jack?¡± He shot a look at his friend. Jack¡¯s brown eyes were locked onto the mirror in the car, staring at the back seat through the reflection. He turned around, expecting the worst, but saw nothing. ¡°Um, Jacky, whatcha looking at?¡±


    Jack stared at the reflection in silence. The man in the back seat stared back at him. Resting in the backseat of their truck, the man had messy blonde hair that he had obviously attempted to comb and keep neat but failed. The man had bright, fiery red eyes that shone with the light of the sun itself. The man wore a gold skin-tight outfit with bits of white across it. A butterfly was woven into the center of the suit, and a long cape covered part of his body. Most of all, though, the man had a giant smile on his face.


    Full Monarch.


    The greatest hero in the world.


    Jack slowly turned his head around and stared at the empty seat. He looked back at the mirror and found it was empty now.


    ¡°Jack?¡±


    Jack quietly rubbed at his nose, which had begun to bleed, the pain in his chest gradually growing worse. ¡°Sorry. I was just remembering something. Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sure. You okay, though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Nine months left.


    The clock was ticking.


    ¡°When I¡¯m dead, you can¡¯t have my stuff.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Jack stared back at his reflection. ¡°Oh boy.¡± He winced.


    He just had to keep going for a little longer. Just a bit more effort, and his story would be done. Just a bit more effort, and he could finally rest.


    ***


    Everything changed once again. A swirling mass of colors circled her. She gripped her mother¡¯s arm as the world faded and reloaded. They were in a hospital room now. It wasn¡¯t a very big one. It reminded her of her father¡¯s, in a way.


    Max Lightning rested against the wall with his arms folded. She stood in a corner with her mom, and Nier rested in a chair, facing a medical crib. A baby slept peacefully, its body twitching every now and then. He was a baby boy and had a shock of reddish brown hair. Currently, his eyes were squeezed shut. The Lord transformation had finally ended once the child calmed down so it no longer glowed with the force of a sun.


    In another corner of the room, the baby¡¯s metal pod rested. It had finally stopped glowing and seemed to have deactivated.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Full Monarch?¡± She placed her hand on the crib, staring down at the child. ¡°He¡¯s so cute! You¡¯re going to grow up to be a big badass hero, aren¡¯t you! Yes, you are! When you see Lucifer, be sure to really kick his ass!¡±


    ¡°Please stop talking to the baby.¡± Max Lightning sighed.


    She giggled and pulled away, throwing her arms behind her head casually. Her eyes looked over to the pod, and she tried to lightly kick it, but her foot phased through it. ¡°If I¡¯m the Lord of the Sun, then that means that, in a way, Full Monarch is like my brother or something, right? If we came from the same pod?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Max Lightning shook his head. ¡°When a Lord dies, the pod that birthed them ceases to exist. It vanishes from the world instantly. That said, if the title is passed down, then the pod remains and is instead also passed down to the next Lord. Lord¡¯s have a weird connection to their pods. It almost feels alive to them. Maybe in a way it loves us. When my father died, he passed the power down, and the pod now belongs to me, despite the fact I wasn¡¯t created from it. I guess it¡¯s like adoption of sorts. When a Lord doesn¡¯t give transfer of their title and powers, the Pod fades away and a brand new one will appear somewhere on Earth. The moment Full Monarch died in his battle with the Emperor, I used my power over the Paths and saw your pod be picked up by a fisherman.¡±


    ¡°My dad.¡± She folded her arms and nodded. ¡°So, I¡¯m not the aunt of the Victorian then. That sucks.¡± She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Oh well. If that¡¯s everything, then let¡¯s get out of here. I mean, this has been fun and all, but I think I¡¯d like to get back home.¡± As interesting as it had been to see the previous Lords, she was more concerned with her father''s health now that she knew what her goal was.


    Max Lightning¡¯s eyes darted over to her for a moment. ¡°Well. I already told you why I brought you here. Think carefully about how you answer, child. You are a Lord¡ªone of humanity¡¯s four great weapons. You will turn all other factions into adversaries. Even the side you do choose might not have your best interests at its heart. There are hundreds of villain groups, dozens of which are thousands of times stronger than Zoo or the Bad Timers. As it stands, most don¡¯t know who Cinder is. The longer you stay in the spotlight, though, the more you risk them discovering who you are. Rest assured when I say that it will happen one day. Knowing that, do you still want to be a hero?¡±


    ¡°Ever since I was a little kid, I always dreamed that I¡¯d be a hero. When I first got my powers, I was scared. I was afraid I would reveal myself and die at the hands of some random villain.¡± She looked down at her hand, feeling the fire beneath her skin. ¡°The more I tried, the more things seemed to go wrong. I kept getting hurt and feeling like I didn¡¯t make much progress. It would be straightforward to just throw in the towel and quit. That said, I¡¯ve met a lot of new people.¡± Images of everyone came to her mind. Kyle, Armin, Lois, Mr. Larison, and finally Sky. ¡°I made some new friends and got to see the heroes I love up close. I was happy. I think I was really happy for the first time in a while.¡± She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. ¡°Also, I want to save my father. Not just him but other people, too. I¡¯ve gotten stronger, and I really think I can do this. And in a way, things haven¡¯t really changed the more I think about it. I started afraid that I would reveal myself and die. From what you told me, that¡¯s what being a Lord will do to me. On top of that, I doubt I¡¯d be left alone if I just stopped being a hero. Some villains have already seen my powers in action.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t just the villains you will have to worry about.¡± Max Lightning¡¯s voice was stern. ¡°The heroes are a concern as well.¡±


    ¡°They are?¡±


    Max Lightning turned to look at Nier, who was slumped over the crib, looking down at the child. ¡°What did you think of him?¡±


    ¡°I mean, he was cool and all, but I¡¯d rather focus on finding the current Lord of Life rather than idling on about the past one, you know.¡±


    Max Lightning nodded his head. ¡°I was the son of the last Lord of the Sky. Poseidon was the great granddaughter of the one before that. I also have reason to believe that this ¡®new¡¯ Lord of Life that the villains were after could be related to the last Lord of Life as well. Do you see the issue I¡¯m getting at?¡±


    ¡°Hope¡¯s not related to Full Monarch?¡± Her mother asked quietly.


    Max Lightning turned to stare at her, and she felt a strange chill go up her spine. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born with the power of a Lord. When I was a young man, my father died. When Poseidon was a baby, her great-grandfather died. With the deaths of the Lords, their power went to us. It¡¯s passed down to a member of their family. All but the Lord of the Sun. Instead of going to the Victorian like it should have, it went to you. The Victorian is strong. She got to where she is with sheer hard work. The power that should have been hers ended up in you. So now we have a strange situation. What will the other heroes think?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    For a moment, she felt like her heart stopped. Her face paled, and her arms shook. ¡°A- Are you saying the heroes would kill me?¡± Her mother''s eyes went wide, and the woman stood between Max Lightning and her daughter protectively.


    ¡°I doubt they would go that far. Still, they might try and force you to give up the title. Doing so only happens on a Lord¡¯s death bed, though. The best case if they made you do that is you¡¯d live but be reduced to a normal human. The worst case is you die, but in turn the Victorian or her daughter becomes the new Lord.¡±


    ¡°She has a daughter!¡±


    ¡°I used to be married to the Victorian and had a daughter with her. Not important.¡± Max Lightning brushed past it. ¡°The worst-case situation, and the one the heroes might come to, is that you dying could cause the Lord¡¯s power to simply vanish since you aren¡¯t related to the Victorian. I don¡¯t know. And neither will the Enforcers. So we¡¯re left at a crossroads.¡±


    ¡°What exactly would they do?¡± Her mother asked with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Do you know why Poseidon has her freedom? It¡¯s because she¡¯s strong. She has defeated every villain that has attempted to go up against her. At the age of seventeen, she has power that rivals and perhaps even surpasses that of the former Lord of the Sea, Mr. Sini. She¡¯s even been able to fight Fable, a Super many consider to be one of the ten strongest in the world, up there with the Victorian, Lucifer, Golden God, and Boy Genius. You, however, Ms. Lauren, are not strong. Your power has proliferated, but you haven¡¯t shown anything above standard Super levels. The heroes wouldn¡¯t just let you walk around and be free if they discovered you were a Lord.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Her mother folded her arms, trying to stare the Enforcer member down.


    Max Lightning held his hand up slowly. ¡°Relax. Larison and I haven¡¯t told anyone. We kept it a secret for a reason. He even ensured that Whisper wouldn¡¯t blab when she found out.¡±


    ¡°Whisper knew!¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s not important, though.¡± Max Lightning stated. ¡°You don¡¯t need to just hide from the villains but from the heroes as well. There are several villains out there who have dark powers. Some of them can control people. Namely, Fairy Queen or Uriel, members of the Emperor¡¯s Organization and Lucifer¡¯s Immortals, respectively. There are others, as well. The heroes would be scared of you getting controlled by one of these powers or simply being killed off and the power ending up in the hands of the villain¡¯s if they find the next Pod first. If I had to guess, the heroes would put you up somewhere away from all the danger.¡±


    She leaned against the wall, frowning. ¡°So, basically, you¡¯re saying I would be locked up, forced to train and get stronger before they let me go?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. However, you would be locked away with no loved ones or friends. Trapped and put through training every single day. If I¡¯m being honest, I think it would take nearly fifteen years before you reach the level of Poseidon. And only then would they be fine with letting you walk around.¡¯


    ¡°Fifteen years of not seeing any of my friends. Hard pass.¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°That defeats the whole purpose of me being a hero. I won¡¯t be able to save my dad like that or fix Oleander City.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll need to be careful.¡± Max nodded along with her. ¡°The Lord of the Sun can do more than just create fire. Usually, I would recommend practicing other things besides just your fire to improve your power, but for you, doubling down and only using the powers you have so far is the smarter play. It¡¯s best not to risk someone like the Victorian getting any ideas. In the meantime, I will be doing my best to throw them off your trail. You must grow stronger. A lot stronger. Each Enforcer is able to protect an entire city, and in turn they can tear one down. The villains we fight are just as strong, if not stronger, and far more cruel. You are playing a rigged game. At best, all I can do for you is help you keep up in this cheated system."


    ¡°Why are you doing all of this, though?¡± Her mother asked, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re going through a lot of trouble to help my daughter. You and that weird Larison guy.¡±


    ¡°Larison¡¯s reasons are his own as for why I help. I owe Mr. Larison a great debt. He saved my life. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t be here. Without him, I doubt anyone would have been here. He asked me to help, and so I shall.¡±


    ¡°So it looks like Hope will have a lot of trouble if she¡¯s going to stay as a hero.¡± Her mom sighed.


    She looked towards her mom in shock. ¡°Are you really fine with me being a superhero?¡±


    ¡°Hell, no.¡± Her mother¡¯s words caused her to nearly deflate. ¡°But I doubt I can stop you. Especially if it means it could save your father¡¯s life. That said, we¡¯re going to have hundreds of new rules, and you will still have a curfew. And it had better not start affecting your grades in school!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She shrunk back under her mother¡¯s glare. ¡°It won¡¯t. I¡¯ve been good about it.¡±


    Her mom pulled her in for another hug, holding her tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a hero or not. You worry about yourself before anything else; do you understand that? You save your own life before you save some stranger¡¯s, mine, or your father¡¯s. That¡¯s a rule I won¡¯t let you break.¡±


    She gently wrapped her arms around her mother. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. I swear. I have a new friend who can heal me a bunch, and she¡¯s pretty cool; I¡¯ll introduce you, though I guess you¡¯ve met her already. Oh, you need to meet my boss and Whisper; also, you¡¯ll never guess who Armin is. Oh, and also I met the Victorian, which was-¡±


    ¡°Hope, you¡¯re rambling.¡±


    She giggled softly and reluctantly pulled away from her mother¡¯s embrace. ¡°Okay, Mr. Lightning. If that¡¯s everything, then I¡¯m ready to go-¡±


    The door to the room slid open, and Wano entered. The blonde man still wore his red uniform, though it was missing the storm cloak she had first seen him wearing.


    ¡°Nier.¡± The man called out, causing the boy to jump.


    ¡°Hey, Reggie!¡± Nier turned and managed to flash a small grin. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he shoved past Nier and looked down into the crib at the small baby. ¡°Is that him?¡± The soldier asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure he¡¯s the Lord of the Sun-¡°


    The baby let out a strange sound in his sleep, and golden lasers erupted from his eyes, which opened for a second, melting a hole in the roof above. Nier lightly swatted at all the debris that fell. ¡°Just a hunch.¡±


    ¡°Just like you.¡± Jane teared up a bit, wiping at her eyes. ¡°Such fond memories.¡±


    She looked at the man named Reggie and eyed him up. ¡°Your dad''s name was Reggie? I thought it was Wano.¡±


    ¡°Wano is his surname and mine.¡± Max Lightning explained. ¡°He passed the title of Lord down to me when he was killed. That and a weak ability to create static electricity. A lot of heroes'' children inherit at least one of their parents'' powers, like your friends, Snowdawn and Myth."


    ¡°Then you have Paragon, who has powers not similar to her parents at all.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°No, that''s different.¡± Max Lightning said, shaking his head. ¡°Paragon is adopted. Her real parents are-¡°


    Wano cut off whatever Max Lightning was about to say by turning away from the child. ¡°When Sini gets back, he¡¯ll expect a full report on what happened out in the field, Nier. You¡¯re lucky. Most people don¡¯t come back after fighting Lucifer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not most people.¡±


    Wano nodded before heading out of the room. The door slid shut behind him. A second later, though, the door suddenly opened again. ¡°You forget something, Reg-¡° Nier joked before he stopped when he saw who entered.


    She felt her eyes go wide when she saw the woman. She could feel a fire in her veins heating up and pulsing. The woman looked sort of like Sky, though more grown up. Whereas Sky had red hair, this woman had brown locks, and her eyes weren¡¯t blind but were a pretty yellow color. The woman wore a loose set of robes and walked into the room, looking at Nier.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± She questioned. Part of her knew right away, though. This woman was related to Paragon in some way.


    Max Lightning watched the woman closely. ¡°Humanity¡¯s biggest traitor is who she is.¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t look evil. She walked into the room softly, smiling down at the boy who rested in the crib. ¡°Still here?¡± The woman asked. Her voice even sort of sounded like Sky¡¯s, a slight mocking buried under the melodic tone.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nier replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been just looking down at him, thinking. Are Sini and the others back yet?¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡± The woman lightly brushed her fingers through the blonde¡¯s hair, and instantly, all his wounds vanished as he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I heard you faced Lucifer in combat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he got away again.¡± Nier bemoaned and slouched down against the crib. ¡°As usual, that cockroach is still living up to his name.¡±


    ¡°The others made it out fine, from what I heard.¡± The woman stated. She stared down at the baby and gently stroked its face. ¡°So that¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since all Four Lord¡¯s have been in one spot.¡± The woman hummed. ¡°Could this be fate or something else?¡±


    The woman giggled slightly. She had a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact this woman was some mega traitor. ¡°What did you mean when you said she is a traitor to mankind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know her name, but she was often called the Princess of Life. A child of a previous Lord of Life. Like how Victorian is crazy strong, thanks to being the daughter of Full Monarch, this woman is also just as strong.¡± Max Lightning explained. He spoke in a cold tone, and lightning was practically starting to seep out of his eyes. ¡°This woman also happens to be the mother of someone you know well.¡±


    ¡°Sky.¡± The resemblance was uncanny.


    ¡°Paragon is the daughter of both Nier, the Lord of Life of this era, and the Princess of Life.¡± The man explained. ¡°I believed for the longest time she was going to be the newest Lord of Life when Nier died. She has amazing healing powers, but it seems the power didn¡¯t reach her.¡±


    ¡°Earlier you said the Wandering Coin member was the Lord of Life? You also said you believed Nier was their father? So then...¡±


    ¡°I believe Paragon has a sibling. One who inherited the power and decided to be evil.¡± Max Lightning finished.


    ¡°Evil¡¯s a strong word. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just misguided.¡± She muttered. She really hoped, pun intended, they weren¡¯t actually evil.


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have you.¡± Nier finally looked away from the child and up towards the woman, giving a smile. ¡°We¡¯d all be dead if not for your healing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it is rather unfortunate this war is lasting as long as it did.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°Lucifer... To think he would go this far all in the name of his dark God. Damn the Shadow.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way to stop him.¡± Nier promised. ¡°Hope will win.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes roamed the room for a bit. ¡°Hope.¡±


    She scratched at her chin awkwardly. ¡°So is there anything else I need to know about Lightning?¡±


    ¡°You paid attention to how Nier fought, correct?¡± Max Lightning asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Of course. It was hard to look away. Why?¡±


    Max Lightning¡¯s eyes traced Nier. ¡°Well. In reality, I am unsure if the leader of the Wandering Coin is truly the Lord of Life.¡±


    ¡°What? Then who else could it be?¡±


    ¡°I say I don¡¯t know, because the state of Nier is an unknown. He could be alive in the present time.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s still alive, why haven¡¯t I heard of him?¡± Her mother frowned.


    "Oh, you have.¡± Max Lightning slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Shortly in the future, Nier trains the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, who will go on to become the hero Full Monarch and defeat Lucifer. A bit of time after that, the first ever recorded Calamity attack of the Beast from Space happens. It is around this time the concept of superheroes is brought forth, the Enforcers are created, and Full Monarch claims his title as the world''s strongest hero in his battle with the Beast. It¡¯s also around the time Nier goes missing only to return dozens of years later. You see, the entire world knows who Nier is. Fifteen years ago, Nier, the Lord of the Land and Life, used his title and powers to create powerful monsters and declare war on Earth. Though he went by a new name when he did this.¡±


    Nier was...


    The sounds of a baby giggling caused Nier to turn around. He stared down at the child and gently picked it up, holding it in his arms. ¡°Right. So I guess starting today, I¡¯m going to be the one to train you, little guy. In that case, you¡¯re going to need a name. I¡¯ll name you after a friend I once knew. You even sort of look like him.¡± Nier stated, smiling. ¡°Get ready because I¡¯m going to make sure Lucifer never harms you. Jackson.¡±


    Hope stared into the child¡¯s eyes. The one who would later go on to become Full Monarch. ¡°Jackson?¡± The child stared back at her and giggled. After a moment, her gaze turned to look back up towards Nier. The man that would one day become the Emperor.


    ¡°That¡¯s about everything.¡± Max Lightning¡¯s words caused her to jump. ¡°I can¡¯t keep us here for too much longer. The Paths will start to break. It¡¯s time we leave.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She gripped her mother¡¯s hand, staring at the child. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Max Lightning clasped his hands together, and with a wave of energy, the world began to fade. She balled her free hand into a fist, her mind racing over every detail of the fight between Nier and Lucifer. She was going to get stronger. So much stronger. ¡°This is the start of Cinder¡¯s story. Get ready, world, because soon I¡¯ll be a big shot!¡±


    ***


    Darkness.


    There was no light. Sky felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster. She could hear the sounds of hospital equipment all around her. She tried to focus her powers and connect with Destiny, but it failed. The bird was too far away from her. She would have to wait and call him over.


    Her body ached, and it was hard to breathe. It was nothing compared to the pounding in her head, though. It felt like her skull was about to crack open like fire was swirling around in her brain.


    ¡°Sky.¡±


    She felt her breath hitch when she heard the voice of her sister. Lily, also known as Poseidon, gently reached down to hold her hand. She gasped when she felt the hand.


    She didn¡¯t have her gloves on. She was in a hospital bed, and her sister was-


    Lily¡¯s hand caused her to shiver. Her sister¡¯s hand was different. The girl wasn¡¯t in her human form. How long had her sister stayed in contact with her? The last time her sister turned into this, it took both Fable and Boy Genius to turn her back.


    ¡°Are you okay, Sky?¡±


    Her sister¡¯s voice was different. It had a bit of a rumble to it. Lily¡¯s hand was larger as well. She couldn¡¯t see her since her eyesight was gone, but she could feel it and hear it. The girl¡¯s hand felt scaly and slimy, like touching a fish. She could also hear something moving around the room, sloshing around the floor and slithering.


    She tried to speak or make any sort of noise, but she couldn¡¯t. It was hard to focus. To think. Her mind was a mess, her thoughts breaking apart.


    ¡°Shh.¡± That hand lightly brushed the side of her face, and she felt a cold tendril brush her leg. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak. You¡¯re still hurt. You shouldn¡¯t even be up yet. Your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡±


    Despite being blind, she squeezed her eyes shut as tight as she could. The last time she had looked at her sister, Lily had blinded her. Who knew how far Lily¡¯s transformation had come this time?


    ¡°Keep resting. Your big sister will keep you safe. I¡¯ll make sure nothing ever hurts you again.¡± She didn¡¯t bother pulling away. She knew Lily wouldn¡¯t let her go. Not until her human side came back out. The tendrils had already wrapped around her body, forcing her into a strange embrace. She did her best to ignore it and fall back to sleep, hoping this nightmare would be over. ¡°As for that girl who put you in this situation.¡±


    She felt her blood run cold momentarily when she heard the dangerous edge in her sister¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let her get away with what she did to you.¡± She sat up, forcing her body to move. She threw her arms out, trying to shove her sister away from her. ¡°Sky, what are you doing? You shouldn¡¯t be moving around.¡±


    She felt something drop from her mouth. Some sort of tube, part of the medical equipment. Her throat felt sore, and she could feel herself on the verge of blacking out, but she ignored it, trying to speak.


    ¡°G...et... Out.¡±


    Her voice cracked and broke. She wondered how long she had been here. Not long enough, that was for sure.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Get out. A... And don¡¯t you dare harm my friend. I¡¯ll hate you if you do¡­¡± She could feel blood pouring down her chin. L- Leave.¡±


    An eerie silence filled the room. Then she heard the sounds of slithering, followed closely by a door opening and closing. Sky sat there, surrounded by darkness, before she slowly collapsed onto the bed, falling back into a deep slumber.

 Chapter Fifty: A Chapter Opens

    A roaring inferno raged across Oleander, tearing down everything in its path, be it building or person.


    The sound of battle cries, cursing, and screaming almost seemed louder than the rumble of collapsing buildings or the roar of the invading monster that went out of its way to attack anything that moved.


    Children wailed in their parents¡¯ arms as they were carried across the last bridge that stood, the only way left out of the city.


    Cinder did her best not to groan. The creature had hit her only once, and yet she was sure this was the worst pain she had ever felt in her short life. She quietly fastened the straps to the silver shield that hung on her arm.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± The voice of Poseidon almost caused her to jump.


    Cinder nodded her head. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± As far as she knew, it was just her and Poseidon that were left standing. Mr. Larison, Myth, Snowdawn¡­ Even the Victorian. The others were all¡­


    ¡°Good. Because here he comes.¡± The water twisted and formed, rising out of the river beneath the bridge they guarded. It developed into a large trident, which Poseidon gripped tight enough to turn her knuckles white.


    Cinder felt part of her life leave her when she finally saw the thing that had caused this nightmare. It ripped past another building with ease and was covered in molten metal. The nearby stone began to melt from the heat the thing radiated. It approached menacingly, not even bothering to look at the two of them; its eyes focused on the group of fleeing civilians behind them.


    ¡°We have to win,¡± Poseidon stated, pointing her trident forward.


    Cinder nodded and gripped her shield tighter. Smoke rose from her skin, and her costume ignited as she became a blazing inferno. Both of them powered up into their Lord states. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll win.¡±


    And with that, their battle began¡­ A battle to take down a Calamity that had arrived on planet Earth. A battle to take down the Beast from Space, which was currently rampaging.


    This was it. The final battle was about to begin-


    The world cracked. Everything began to fade and break away as the Paths that formed this vision came undone. Whisper sat there, feeling her eyes burn for a moment as the glimpse she had just seen in the future crumbled and faded away. Already the sounds, sight, and emotions she had just felt when she bore witness to it were vanishing along with it.


    It was like waking up and being unable to recall what happened in your dream. All that remained was a strange sense of dread. Dread that Whisper couldn¡¯t place as her mind blocked out what she had just seen. As the Paths fully faded away and the real world came back into view, the first thing that Whisper noticed was a palm waving in front of her face.


    ¡°Yo!¡± Cinder leaned over her teammate and brought her hand up and down slowly. ¡°Earth to Whisper? You there? I don¡¯t have to kiss you to get you to wake up, do I?¡±


    Whisper finally moved, her eyes turning to look at Cinder. ¡°Sorry, but the only people on this team I¡¯d be willing to lock lips with are the men, like Battery or Myth.¡± The girl shrugged.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Snowdawn asked, looking back at the two girls from where he set up front.


    ¡°I said what I said.¡± Whisper giggled softly. It was a fake laugh, though. Her body kept twitching a bit and looking around, still processing everything.


    ¡°Are you really okay?¡± Cinder asked in a worried tone. ¡°You were spacing out for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I get that way when I use my power to look at the Paths.¡± Whisper said sheepishly.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the mask she wore, Cinder and Snowdawn would have seen the large frown that appeared on Whisper¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°That was pretty fast to forget!¡±


    The girl just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not like my father. His power was made to trace the Paths. My mind can only handle so much. I usually can only see a few seconds into the possible branches that are the future. Sometimes though I slip up and look too far. It¡¯s like driving down a road and missing a turn. By the time I realize it, it¡¯s too late, and I have no choice but to see the vision through to an end. Issue is, my mind can only process so much information, and it sort of all blurs together. I tend to forget it almost instantly. Like walking up from a bad dream.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope whatever you saw wasn¡¯t important.¡± Cinder noted folding her arms.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Whisper went silent, and for a moment they stared at the billions of lines that only her father and her were able to see. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was nothing.¡± That sense of dread wasn¡¯t leaving though¡­


    Cinder clasped her hands together. ¡°Well, whatever it was about isn¡¯t important right now. We have way bigger fish to fry. Like the fact that we¡¯re currently in the middle of a standoff!¡± She announced, pointing forward.


    It had been a full month since the events of the mall happened. One month since she fought both Zoo and Bad Timers. One month since she learned that she was a Lord and got to meet Max Lightning and be held in the Victorian¡¯s arms. One month since she traveled back in time and got to see visions of the past. One month since she accidentally killed a person¡­


    Crime didn¡¯t sleep. Neither did heroes, though. Despite everything that had happened last month, bad guys were still active. In fact, they were even more active now than they usually were. That was why she, as well as her other two teammates, found themselves at the latest crime scene that was going down!


    She was instantly reminded of how her story first began. It had all started in a bank. Now here she was on the sidelines watching a bank robbery go down.


    After the mall incident, both Zoo and Bad Timers had yet to make a move. There was one group though that didn¡¯t seem to have any issue with acting out while the city was still trying to rebuild. The Wandering Coin had attacked one of Oleander¡¯s many banks once they discovered that the Sub Enforcers were busy dealing with a giant crab monster that had floated up onto the beach. The Victorian was also busy at the moment up in space blowing up giant meteors, so unlike last time there was no way the golden woman would show up and save the day.


    Normally it would fall upon the group known as the Watch Dogs to step up and save the day, yet no one had seen the heroes since Old Dog retired. That was why it had finally fallen to the last hero group in Oleander. Team Pantheon rested out in Whisper¡¯s van. They were parked in an alleyway across from the bank, waiting for their moment to act.


    Dozens of cop cars were all pulled up outside of the bank with their lights flashing. Myth also stood out there holding a megaphone. ¡°There¡¯s no need for anyone to get hurt! Let the hostages go, and let¡¯s just talk this out!¡± The dark-skinned man called out.


    The bank had been put into defense mode. This mode normally existed so that, during a supervillain fight happening out on the street, it would reinforce the building so it would hopefully not be destroyed. It had been created by Harrison Avalon and was something most banks were trying to install. Now though it made dealing with the issue at hand very difficult as the Wandering Coin were all on the inside in the locked-down building, with dozens of hostages.


    ¡°Piss off, Hero Branch pet!¡± A loud, booming voice came out of the speakers of the bank. ¡°We want a helicopter and for you heroes to clear out of this area! If we don¡¯t get what we want in the next hour or so, I swear I¡¯m going to start putting a bullet into some of these people¡¯s heads!¡±


    Myth gritted his teeth and lowered his megaphone. He placed his fingers on his earpiece and calmly spoke. ¡°Alright, Battery. You¡¯re up.¡±


    They didn¡¯t have an issue getting into the building if they really wanted to. She was more than strong enough to bust down a wall or two; the same went for Myth and Battery. As soon as they tried anything, though, the men inside would likely take out the hostages they had. That was why they were doing this as a stealth mission.


    She upped her enhanced hearing and sight and focused her power forward, watching as a shimmer of gold appeared on top of the bank. Battery looked down at the building that he stood on, and slowly his body began to hum and vibrate. Golden lightning seeped around the man¡¯s flesh as his very molecules began to rapidly speed up. Then, in a flash, he was gone, sinking through the roof as if it weren¡¯t there! Battery had phased through it by using an old speedster trick of vibrating so hard you could pass through a nonmoving object.


    Inside the bank, whimpers hit the wall. Dozens of people had been forced down to their knees with black sacks placed over their heads. Their arms were bound, and pacing back and forth in front of them were the ones who caused all of this.


    The Wandering Coin hadn¡¯t done a job like this before. Normally the group just sold drugs or weapons to people and would get other gangs to join their group. Now that both Zoo and the Bad Timers were out of the picture due to the damage they took last month from the mall incident, it was the perfect time for the Wandering Coin to pull off a real job.


    Several bags filled with money scattered the floor as the gang members paced back and forth. They wore large riot armor they had swiped and carried heavy guns able to tear through cars with ease. They even had some Mental-based tech and Super related weapons that could pack a mean punch. Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for the police force to take them on. Luckily, the police force didn¡¯t have to be the one to best them.


    From the roof, Battery dropped, seemingly appearing inside the building. The red hero landed on the ground, causing all the gang members to jump and turn to him in shock.


    ¡°A hero! I told you not to come here! The deaths of these people are on your hands!¡± The leader of the group screamed and pulled out a handgun, which he aimed at a female hostage. ¡°This is your fault!¡±


    The gun went off, but it stood no chance. Bullets were fast, but Battery used literal light, so his attack was beyond faster. In a flash, every hostage felt a wave of warmth coat them as Battery used his power to create a barrier. The bullet smashed into the head of the woman but bounced off due to the shield that now clung around her body. Without skipping a beat, Battery blasted out a beam of golden energy from his hand toward the wall, blowing a hole right through it.


    The Wandering Coin members scrambled to aim their guns, but before they could, a loud roar shook the building, and seconds later, a charging bull monster crashed through the hole in the wall. Myth ran forward, ignoring the gunfire that sprayed across his body. There were at least twelve men in the room, but it was possible there could be more, with other hostages in other rooms.


    Battery didn¡¯t stick around long, taking off at a high speed as the man began to search the entire building from top to bottom, making sure no one else was in danger. As he did this, Myth got to work, unleashing a strong punch right into the gut of one of the men. The hero held back his power by a lot, so the force of the strike only caused the man to vomit and fall to the ground unconscious rather than snap his spine in two like Myth could have done.


    The Wandering Coin members fired more of their guns but were then stopped when a loud rumbling echoed out, and seconds later a van came crashing through the same hole the bull monster had used.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kick some butt!¡± Cinder called out, jumping out of the van.


    ¡°You guys should seriously take a chill pill or two!¡± Snowdawn called out, and the boy launched a wave of snow through the room, knocking several of the men over and weighing them down with layers of cold.


    ¡°Can you seriously stop with the ice puns?¡± Whisper asked, letting out a sigh. The girl turned her power on, becoming totally invisible, and then used the power of the Paths to make sure she wouldn¡¯t accidentally get shot or hit by one of her teammates. Whisper danced through the room and swung her taser out, downing one of the men.


    ¡°My puns are cool!¡± Snowdawn defended himself. ¡°Get it? Cool?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t see the rest of us making jokes like that.¡± Cinder snorted softly. She moved through the room with her enhanced speed. She dodged in and out of the wave of gunfire. She didn¡¯t really need to worry about getting hit; she just didn¡¯t want to damage her costume, which had been fixed up since the previous fights she got into and was now brand new. She balled her hand into a fist as she reached the biggest gang member, the one she assumed to be the leader. ¡°Lights out.¡±


    Like Myth, she held her strength back a lot. A human body could both take a lot of damage while also being shockingly frail. She used enough force in the strike to send the man tumbling back with her punch, but she held back a bit too much, and combined with the armor the man wore, it meant he wasn¡¯t out cold. The man scrambled to stand back up, and she quickly reached him, ready to strike again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡± The man cried out. Her foot paused midair, halting the kick she was about to unleash. She stared down at the man and felt her heart begin to twitch. The memory of Polaron came back to her. She shook slightly and felt her power dim a bit. Max Lightning¡¯s words came back to her as well. These were normal people. They weren¡¯t Supers. They couldn¡¯t take a beating like she could. Had she almost killed the man? Was she about to take another life and not even realize it? ¡°Stupid girl.¡± In an instant, the man lifted his gun up, catching her off guard.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The man had been bluffing.


    The gun he held was massive and had a second barrel down at the bottom of it. The second weapon attached to the rifle they held had been built from the remains of the Pallet Boys tech, and it hummed with a bright glow of energy before it unleashed a red laser beam directly into her gut. Her body easily took the heat and was unaffected, but the force of the attack knocked the air right out of her lungs and picked her up, tossing her into the air.


    She hit the roof head first and felt her brain rattle around in her skull as the helmet she wore vibrated. ¡°Cinder!¡± Snowdawn yelled out. The gang member let out a laugh and was about to fire again, but Myth¡¯s fist rammed into the leader¡¯s face, easily breaking the man¡¯s jaw and knocking him out.


    She began to drop from the sky, but she felt herself crash into the arms of Battery, who appeared beneath her in a flash of gold. ¡°I got you, kid.¡±


    She chuckled a bit as he set her down. ¡°Guess I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± Her stomach ached a bit, but the attack hadn¡¯t been that bad. She had been working out a bit over the course of the month, trying to raise her strength and durability. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± She said, rubbing her stomach.


    Battery nodded and lifted his other hand up. All five of his fingers glowed, and a golden laser fired out of each one. The lasers twisted and smashed into the remaining men, causing them to scream out as they were hit with the effect of a taser and crashed to the floor. ¡°I took out the rest that were in the bank as well.¡± Battery called out to Myth and pointed toward a set of stairs with his thumb. They all followed where he pointed and found ten more men, all unconscious and stacked up on top of the stairs. ¡°This place is clear now.¡±


    Myth nodded. ¡°Good work. Whisper, start tying these guys up. Snowdawn and Cinder free the hostages. Battery, you stand guard, and I¡¯ll let the Hero Branch know it¡¯s over.¡±


    That was how they found themselves stepping out of the bank. Dozens of cops and Hero Branch workers grabbed the men and began to force them into the backs of cars. The hostages were free and ran out, hugging their family members or friends who had shown up. The air was also once again filled with dozens of drones, all of which had their cameras trained on them.


    She felt a little guilty about destroying the wall. She didn¡¯t like damaging the city if she could help it. Places where people didn¡¯t live were fine, but now this building would be shut down until it was fixed up. Still, they really didn¡¯t have much choice. She just hoped the drones would understand that and not try and pin anything on her or her team.


    Speaking of the drones as they floated down, the first round of their questioning began.


    ¡°Myth, is this the new team that you created?¡±


    ¡°What are all their members'' names?¡±


    ¡°Is the reason you created this group because you weren¡¯t given the role of Sub Enforcers leader?¡±


    Myth folded his arms. ¡°I created Pantheon for my own reasons. We were there at the mall as well, so this is hardly the first time we¡¯ve done jobs. I¡¯m also sure you¡¯ve met several members of my team already. Cinder, Snowdawn, Whisper, and Battery-¡± Myth stopped when he saw Battery picking at his nose.


    More questions were thrown at them.


    "Snowdawn, are you aware that there is a forum post trying to ban you from making ice puns?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never stop.¡± The boy announced. ¡°Never!¡±


    ¡°Whisper, is it true that you took down the villain known as Ghost and were the reason the Sub Enforcers did as well as they did during the attack last month?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I was the only reason.¡± The sly girl said, throwing her arms behind her head. ¡°I only hard-carried a tiny bit.¡±


    Then it was her turn. ¡°Cinder! I notice you and Snowdawn are around the same age. Are you two a-¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± She folded her arms and shook her head. ¡°Never in a billion-trillion-sextillion years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little cold.¡± Snowdawn snorted.


    ¡°I only like girls!¡± She announced, pointing into the camera of one of the drones. ¡°Do you hear that! All you lovely ladies out there! I bat for the superior team!¡±


    The drones barely focused on her statement and instead turned to the final member of their team. ¡°Battery! By any chance are you related to the Victorian?¡±


    Battery stopped picking his nose and flicked his finger. He rubbed the back of his neck, then stared at the drone with a stern look. ¡°Yes.¡± All of them jumped and stared at him in shock, and the drones began to rapidly crowd around him. ¡°We¡¯re siblings.¡± Battery said casually. ¡°We come from a distant planet in another galaxy. It blew up when we were babies, though, and we were sent off of it by our parents. I arrived first and grew up on a farm-¡±


    ¡°Okay, so he¡¯s just bullshitting.¡± Snowdawn wiped some nervous sweat away and let out a relieved sigh. ¡°For a moment I thought he was being honest.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not related to the Victorian?¡± One of the drones asked.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know I exist.¡± Battery said flatly. ¡°Just because our powers are similar doesn¡¯t mean we have to know each other. That¡¯s kind of racist, not going to lie, just assuming all Supers have a connection or something.¡±


    Myth masked a laugh with a cough and cleared his throat. ¡°To be fair, most Supers do have weird connections with one another. A Supers family tree can be one big mess.¡±


    Another drone came down, landing in front of her while she watched the bizarre exchange that was going on. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Alice Ward.¡± She almost groaned when she heard the name. It seemed like anytime this newswoman showed up, she always got weird questions. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed recently that the groups Zoo and Bad Timers haven¡¯t appeared anywhere in the city and have been laying low. There are also rumors that the leader Polaron was killed in battle.¡±


    She felt herself freeze up once more, and all the other drones had suddenly gone silent and turned to look up at her. She stared down at the camera with a blank expression. All around Oleander City, dozens of people had stopped what they were doing and watched the live stream Alice Ward had going.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She said softly. ¡°Polaron¡¯s dead. I know because I¡¯m the one who killed him.¡± That feeling of disgust and self-loathing was back. She hated herself for what happened to Polaron. If she had been a bit stronger, she could have saved the villain somehow. But instead she failed.


    The others all looked at her in shock. She had left that bit out about what happened to Polaron, so only Battery knew. The man looked away awkwardly as Myth shot him a look. The drones began to buzz loudly, gearing up for another round of questioning, but they weren¡¯t able to, as seconds later a large wall of ice appeared in front of the machines.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough questioning for one day.¡± Everyone stared up at the roof where Ocean Empress was seated. The woman stared down at them from the bank, flicking her finger out. ¡°Interview is over.¡±


    With a shrug, Battery flared his aura up, letting out a soft EMP wave that downed all the drones. Myth cleared his throat. ¡°Scatter.¡± Was all the man said, and just like that, they all left.


    Myth turned into some sort of flying monster and took to the sky, Battery ran at top speed, Snowdawn and Whisper got into the van and drove away, and she used her super jump to make it on top of a building and escape.


    Ocean Empress let out a soft sigh and also vanished on a current of water. The woman surfed for a bit until she was several blocks away. She dropped and landed on another roof. No sooner had she stopped, when she spotted the flicker of gold as the wind rippled and Battery came to a sliding stop next to her.


    ¡°Why are you back in Oleander?¡± The man asked in a blunt tone.


    ¡°Straight to the point?¡± Ocean Empress let out a soft chuckle, and the woman moved, sitting over the edge of the roof that they were on. They were all the way on top of a large skyscraper somewhere in the middle zone of Oleander.


    Battery shrugged and took a seat next to the woman. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you do have a reason for coming here. After all, with the return of Golden God, I know crime has been chaotic for all places.¡±


    The hero nodded her head softly. ¡°I normally wouldn¡¯t leave my city, but I promised your daughter I¡¯d give her an update on Paragon¡¯s recovery.¡±


    ¡°My daughter?¡± Battery stopped and snorted. ¡°Cinder ain¡¯t my kid.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I just assumed?¡± Ocean Empress shrugged. ¡°Either way, I promised I¡¯d update her. So pass this on, okay? Paragon is still out, but she did wake up a few days ago. Hopefully her body will recover fully, and she¡¯ll be back up and running around within a week or two.¡±


    Battery nodded his head. He looked down at his city as he sat next to the Enforcer in silence. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have another reason for coming though.¡± He asked. ¡°After all, you could have just called and let Cinder know that way.¡±


    Ocean Empress allowed her dress to flow softly, the water taking various shapes. ¡°I actually came here for you-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in dating right now.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t for that!¡± The woman hit him over the head, and her eye twitched a bit. ¡°I had another reason for why I came here. Soon the Enforcers are going to be called to another meeting again. I wanted to ask you. Are you really not related to the Victorian? After all, your powers are similar to hers. And I¡¯m not talking about the color or the fact that you can heal with her golden light. I¡¯ve spoken to Boy Genius and know about the shard in your heart. You¡¯re getting your power from that, but for something like that to have ended up inside of you, you must have some sort of connection, right? On top of that, for your body to handle even a fraction of that woman¡¯s power, you must have a body used to that energy.¡±


    ¡°If you want to know, just ask the Victorian.¡± Battery shrugged.


    ¡°She says she doesn¡¯t know you.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess she doesn¡¯t know me-¡±


    ¡°Are you a threat to my planet?¡± Silence hung in the air for a moment, and the hero stared at Battery.


    Battery rubbed his fingers together, feeling the spark of energy between them. ¡°The name Ocean Empress was one you selected after the death of the Emperor.¡± The man said softly. ¡°It¡¯s weird, isn¡¯t it? Why would you have a title like Empress when a monster like the Emperor once existed? The answer, though, was pretty obvious. At least it¡¯s the conclusion that I came to. You turned yourself into a target on purpose. After all, when the Emperor died, all Lords besides Max Lightning also died. That meant that the power of the Lord of the Sea would be passed down. Many assumed it would go to you. Even back then, you were a great hero who called herself Mermaid. Instead, the power went to your daughter, Poseidon. This fact wouldn¡¯t be known about for years, though. You gave yourself a name like Ocean Empress so that the Organization would come after you instead of your daughter. Even after the death of the Emperor, his army still existed and thrived. And they still craved revenge. That¡¯s why becoming a target was the path you chose. You picked a high and mighty name so all eyes would be on you and Poseidon could grow strong in the background.¡±


    ¡°So what if that¡¯s the case?¡± Ocean Empress sighed. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°I guess you can say I¡¯m doing the same.¡± Battery said flatly. ¡°I¡¯m turning myself into a target as well. I have someone I¡¯d like to hide. Most eyes have been focused on me thanks to my powers; so many people have overlooked them.¡± The man turned to look back at her. ¡°I can assure you, I won¡¯t be a threat to this world. I want what everyone wants. A total end to all Calamities. I want proof that the Emperor is really dead.¡±


    ***


    Hope stared up at the building, feeling a weird sense of dread. It had been a day since the bank incident, and she had been requested by Myth to stop by Pantheon¡¯s base. Just her. Snowdawn, Whisper, and Battery would be patrolling the city.


    She didn¡¯t really know what the hero would want with her, but she had a feeling it wasn¡¯t anything good. Slowly, she opened the door and stepped into the warehouse.


    Her ears twitched a bit as she heard laughter from upstairs. It was a familiar voice, and she felt shock run through her. She moved up the steps quickly and burst into the lounge room that they had. Her worst fears were proven true instantly. Her mother was seated in front of Myth¡¯s desk talking with the dark-skinned man.


    ¡°-so anyways, that¡¯s how I discovered Hope didn¡¯t like vegetables.¡± Jane said, chuckling as the woman recalled the fond memory.


    Myth let out a soft chuckle as well. ¡°I, too, was quite a handful for my own father. It sounds like you¡¯ve done an amazing job raising her, Mrs. Lauren. As a matter of fact, there she is now.¡±


    Both adults turned to look at her, and she felt a weird chill go up her spine. ¡°Mom? Why are you here?¡±


    Her mother just smiled and stood up. ¡°I just wanted to check this place out. I had been brought here once by that Battery guy but didn¡¯t get a good look at it since that was when Polaron had been attacking. I thought it would be good if I met Myth. He¡¯s sort of like your boss, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± She awkwardly shrugged.


    ¡°I was just stopping by.¡± Her mother patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I need to get back to work. I¡¯ll see you when I get home, sweetie.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± She watched her mother leave, feeling her gut twist a bit. ¡°She didn¡¯t just come to stop by, did she?¡±


    She jumped when Myth dropped a stack of papers down onto the table, his grin growing. ¡°She came by to drop your homework off and make sure I¡¯m actually giving you time to do it.¡± The man chuckled some more when he heard her groan. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have her, Ms. Lauren. My own father wasn¡¯t as kind.¡± The man¡¯s smile faded for a moment, and Myth softly shook his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡±


    ¡°Sure. So why¡¯d you ask me to come here?¡± She asked, taking a seat. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not just about the homework.¡±


    The man¡¯s look grew serious, and her nerves got worse as he looked at her. ¡°Did you really kill Polaron?¡±


    She felt her throat go dry as she recalled that memory. Mr. Larison had claimed she could blame it on him. He had been the one to force her hand to move after all. It was still her power and her attack that had killed Polaron, though. She felt a bit of guilt rise back up, and she bowed her head. ¡°Yeah.¡± She said softly. ¡°I killed him.¡±


    Myth stood up and moved around the table, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    She felt tears in her eyes, but she did her best to hold them back as her nails dug into her palm. ¡°I just feel weird about it.¡± She admitted. ¡°Mr. Larison said I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I know heroes kill. I get that. I¡¯m not stupid enough to think you can just save every villain and that it¡¯ll all work out. I¡¯ve seen people die before; I¡¯ve seen dead bodies, but this... It was by my own hands. I just don¡¯t know if I can get used to killing bad guys.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡± Myth said, shaking his head. ¡°Do you remember when we first met?¡±


    ¡°During the Red Ape stuff?¡± She asked, wiping at her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The man nodded. ¡°During that battle, I went for the kill on Red Ape, but you stopped me. You¡¯re right when you say that the world isn¡¯t so black and white. Sometimes you do have to kill a villain. When a police officer goes after a criminal, they go in with the intent of capturing that criminal. If it is required and left with no other option, they will use deadly force. It is the same for heroes. We shouldn¡¯t go in deciding to kill the person we¡¯re fighting. That¡¯s not what a hero does. That¡¯s what a soldier does. Sometimes though your hand will be forced. And when it does happen, feeling guilt or shame means that you¡¯re still a person. That you still feel empathy.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larison keeps saying that I did a good job. That it was natural or that I could blame it on him if I wanted to, but I don¡¯t want to do that. It¡¯s my fault and my burden.¡± She said quietly.


    ¡°Jack Larison is an interesting man.¡± Myth hummed. ¡°I have a feeling that at one time he used to be more of a soldier than a hero. He¡¯s trying to help but likely doesn¡¯t understand it. He¡¯s the kind of person who¡¯s killed before and feels nothing when he does it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± She shook her head. She remembered after Polaron¡¯s death. The way Mr. Larison looked down at the body. The man had seemed so sad. ¡°I think he does feel sad. I think he¡¯s still human. He still feels. Just less than others.¡±


    Myth¡¯s grip grew tighter on her shoulder. ¡°Saying things like that is why I picked you to be on my team. Empathy is an important trait. Being able to put yourself in other people¡¯s shoes and view the world through their eyes is something all heroes should do, but sadly many don¡¯t. I won¡¯t tell you that this job will get easier. There¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll have other cases like Polaron. You¡¯ll have to go through that all over again. It won¡¯t get easier either. It shouldn''t, though. But know this: anytime you do have these thoughts or feelings, I¡¯ll be here to speak to you. It is my job to ensure that you all are safe. I¡¯m an adult after all.¡±


    ¡°Would you have killed Polaron if you were in my shoes?¡± She asked.


    Myth let go of her shoulder and let out a soft hum. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t answer that, Hope. I don¡¯t know what I would have done. That said, I can promise you one thing. I wouldn¡¯t have felt nearly as sad about it as you are, and for that reason alone, I am filled with shame.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good hero, Myth.¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to be on your team.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m lucky to have you.¡± The man clapped, causing her to jump a bit. ¡°Now. I think it¡¯s about time we get through some of this homework.¡±


    She let out another loud groan but slowly felt a smile cross back onto her face. It was nice to have a distraction. To do something that wasn¡¯t Super related.


    In a way, she felt like she was saving herself. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start, I guess.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-One: It Comes Knocking

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve all been back here.¡± Ocean Empress muttered. The woman had to crane her neck as far back as she could to gaze up at the large stone tower that resided within Rose City.


    Rose City was sometimes called the city of the rich. It was placed inside a large glass bubble, one that stopped the outside world from reaching it, and only a select few were able to get in and out. Of course, some villains, such as the remnants of the Organization, were able to get in, but they only popped their heads up on a few occasions and were dealt with by the city¡¯s protector.


    The city had been built as a last resort. A way to keep all of humankind safe should shit hit the fan, so to speak. The streets were primarily barren, with everyone at work or school. All the buildings were massive towers made by the late Sini and upgraded by Avalon. Well, all of them save for one.


    Enforcer Tower stood out like a sore thumb. It was crafted from old stone covered in moss, an ancient monolith. So ancient, the words carved in the stone had been long forgotten. It was around before the city, and even should the world vanish, it would remain. They say it had been the home of the first four Lords. The tower they defended to the very end during their battle with the Shadow.


    ¡°Quit daydreaming.¡± Ocean Empress jumped at the voice and was reminded of the fact her father was with her. Old Dog was seated in a wheelchair, dozens of machines hooked up to him. He didn¡¯t look thrilled to be here. Neither did Boy Genius, who stood next to the old man, unable to play any of his games.


    ¡°Your father is right. My guess is the others are already here. We shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting any longer.¡± The child said, pushing his glasses further onto his face and messing with his suit.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ocean Empress agreed, her dress flowing in a chaotic fashion. She grabbed her father¡¯s wheelchair and pushed him forward. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Dust spilled out, and the ground rumbled as part of the tower rose up, forming a door. The inside was dark, and she had to do her best not to sneeze. Statues lined the walls. There were hundreds of them all scattered about. Some she knew, and others she didn¡¯t. She took a moment to look at the statues of Sini and Full Monarch, which stood side by side. Even in the stone, the hints of a smile still played out on Monarch¡¯s face.


    Whenever a Lord would die, a new statue would be found the next day within this strange tower they called their base. No one really knew how this strange place operated. Even amongst Supers, this tower seemed to follow its own code and rules.


    Behind the statues, a large stone ramp curved its way all around the building, heading to the top. This front room was scattered about with dozens of other things besides the stone men and women, namely things the Victorian had placed down at the foot of each statue to pay respect. This tower served as the closest thing the woman had to a home.


    Going up the large stone ramps, the sides were covered in graffiti, some drawn by markers, some by spray paint. Some had been carved in by a knife. All of it, however, had been caused by Whisper. Ocean Empress often found herself disliking this tower. It was cramped and dusty, the noise from outside constantly bouncing around wildly. She sometimes wondered how the young girl hadn¡¯t gone insane, growing up alone in this tower, left by herself in the dark, while her mom and dad would be out fighting crime.


    There were sections along the ramp where they could exit and find themselves in one of the dozens of rooms that would serve as a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, or a bathroom, but their destination was all the way at the top. There were sections of the tower that had been torn down or tinkered with in a small attempt to give it power or air conditioning, and parts of it were successful, while other parts weren¡¯t. At the very top of the tower, after climbing up that damn ramp for nearly a minute straight, it opened up into an open space.


    The air was thankfully fresh up here, and it was clean. It was the most modern space in the tower, with several rooms serving as a place for the Victorian to crash or for the woman¡¯s daughter to sleep. The main hall of the tower had a large metal table placed in the center, and already seven people stood, all of them staring at her and her dad, as well as Boy Genius, when they finished their journey up the ramp.


    ¡°Finally! I thought they were never going to show!¡± A woman huffed and rolled her eyes. She was dressed in a bright gold costume with various silver designs going along it, all taking the symbol of a clock. Her hair was long and snow white, and her iris glowed with a faint golden tint, much like the Victorian; she wore a long flowing cape.


    Lady Time. The cheater.


    ¡°Now, now. I would think you, of all people, would be patient, you old hag.¡± A man retorted, taking a long drag on an old-fashioned cigar. He wore a long brown trench coat and wore a cowboy hat, an expensive-looking revolver at his waist. He didn¡¯t really look like most heroes, but he did cover his face with a domino mask.


    Mister Man. The vigilante.


    ¡°Who the hell are you calling an old hag!¡± Lady Time gritted her teeth and jumped to her feet but was stopped when she felt something wrap around her waist.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t fight in such a sacred place as this.¡± A calm and collected voice stated in a blunt tone. It was a woman, one who was seated next to Lady Time. She was young, the second youngest one there, besides Boy Genius, and she had long red hair tied back into a ponytail and a red tail stabbed out from behind her, which wrapped around Lady Time. She was dressed in a simple hero outfit, wearing only an essential red tracksuit. A few dozen scales covered her pale skin.


    Wyvern. The monster.


    ¡°Will the three of you just shut up?¡± A fourth voice piped up. He had his head down on the table and was practically half asleep. He was the most prominent man in the room, standing at nearly ten feet tall, and his body was covered in bulging muscles caked in scars. He was dark-skinned and had a large lion cloak over his form, a heavy great bow resting on the ground next to him.


    Fable. The exhausted.


    ¡°Should I make a report of this and send it into the Hero Branch?¡± In the back, their strangest member was seated. It spoke in a male voice, though it wasn¡¯t human. It had metal skin and the outline of a human, a single glowing red eye in the center of its head, no mouth visible. It wore a long black trench coat and carried a prominent case in its hands.


    Beta. The robot.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± The Victorian replied. She was dressed in her usual outfit, that being a black military-style uniform with a long red cape tied around her. A massive golden greatsword the size of a car floated behind her, and she leaned against it lazily, not actually taking a seat. Ready to bolt at the first sign the world was in danger. ¡°He¡¯s been threatening us more and more; think you could take a look at him, Genius?¡±


    The Victorian. The Goddess.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Boy Genius said, sighing. He was dressed in his standard suit and round glasses, his arms folded. He had dark skin, messy brown hair, and plain brown eyes.


    Boy Genius. The inventor.


    ¡°I notice we seem to be missing one.¡± Old Dog hummed, turning around the room slowly. He was the oldest member there, with messy gray hair and a scruffy beard. His eyes were set with heavy bags, and he barely wore his hero costume, wearing only the first part of it as a shirt.


    Old Dog. The human.


    ¡°Max Lightning didn¡¯t come?¡± Ocean Empress asked, raising an eyebrow. Her long blue hair was tied back, though the strands would bend and flow, like her dress, which was formed out of water. Her eyes were plain green, and her pale skin, mixed with her gown, caused light to reflect off of her, making her look like how you would expect a princess to.


    Ocean Empress. The hero.


    Founded by Full Monarch after the battle with Lucifer, filled with the best of the best, made of the ten most vital legends in the world, ready to save the human race. The Victorian, Boy Genius, Fable, Max Lightning, Wyvern, Lady Time, Mister Man, Beta, Ocean Empress, and Old Dog. They were the Enforcers.


    ¡°Max Lightning never shows up to these meetings.¡± Mister Man said, rolling his eyes. ¡°He thinks his sight will let him figure out what we discussed.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, it usually does.¡± Lady Time snorted. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous you don¡¯t have the power to see the future like the two of us do.¡±


    ¡°Eh. Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider.¡±


    ¡°Huh-¡±


    ¡°Can we just get this over with?¡± Fable sighed. His eyes were already closed, and he looked like he was moments away from drifting to sleep.


    Wyvern pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by idiots. All of them.¡±


    ¡°Should I send that in to-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± They all yelled, cutting Beta off.


    The Victorian rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start already? Genius, if you would.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Boy Genius, with the help of Ocean Empress, got up onto a highchair. He reached into his backpack and fished out a small square metallic device, which he rolled across the table. ¡°I¡¯ll start with the basic point. Oleander, Rose, Gladiolus, Lillian, and Daisy were all attacked by dozens of teamed villain attacks simultaneously. Each city took a heavy hit; however, it was Oleander I would like to point to¡ªthe villain. Golden God. is likely behind all of this, as he was spotted above the city and engaged the Victorian in combat. He didn¡¯t do this in any other city.¡±


    ¡°Golden God¡¯s back.¡± Lady Time rubbed at her head. ¡°That guy¡¯s a pain. Mine and his powers always end up clashing, and it never ends well for me. His showing up would cause so much chaos, from both the people and the villains. I¡¯m not surprised so many cities were attacked all at once.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to cause some issues.¡± Boy Genius nodded. ¡°Even as we speak, I fear something is happening in our city. Because of this, after the meeting, I¡¯d recommend focusing on getting your area back under total control. We¡¯re all going to be held up, so don¡¯t expect any help unless it¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Surely you wouldn¡¯t call us all together for just that, right?¡± Fable grumbled the words out, practically half asleep. ¡°Last time we all came together, it was because the third Lord of the Sea, Poseidon, had been found. How are things with the Lords going?¡±


    Boy Genius gave a somber look. ¡°Well, I personally spoke to several of the heroes that fought the wave of crime, the ones that were able to take down the villains during Golden God¡¯s attack. All of them claimed the same thing. The villains were looking for the Lord of Life. They were all also certain the Lord was tied to a villain group. Lillian believed the Crimson Devils had the Lord, while Oleander believed the Wandering Coin had the Lord, and Daisy claimed the Metal Gears had them. My guess is that Golden God told each group that a rival group had the Lord, causing the other villains to go on a rampage in an attempt to jump each other, causing widespread chaos. Whether any of these groups have the Lord, I¡¯m unsure about as of now, but I¡¯ll be keeping tabs on all of them. The Lord of Land and Life is especially dangerous. As for the Lord of the Sun, we still haven¡¯t gotten anywhere on that.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure.¡± Ocean Empress muttered. Several of the heroes shot her a look. ¡°There was someone. I didn¡¯t think she was the Lord when I first met her. She was far too weak for that, yet last month, I watched her in battle, and she grew once more. I¡¯ll have a talk with my daughter. She was the closest.¡±


    ¡°If there is even a chance of there being another Lord, we should just go grab them now.¡± Mister Man argued.


    The Victorian shook her head. ¡°I agree with Ocean. Besides, I saw that same girl, and she wasn¡¯t impressive at all. My father was a billion times stronger than her at that age. My guess for who the Lord could be is an upcoming hero that popped up in Gladiolus. Max told me about him. A young boy with powerful fire-based powers. Max said he would speak to the boy and keep me in touch once things settled down.¡±


    "Well, we at least have a lead on where the Lord of Life could be.¡± Beta piped up. ¡°After all, if Golden God was in Oleander, then that likely means the Lord really was in Oleander, while the other cities were just used as a distraction.¡±


    ¡°So then it¡¯s simple.¡± Mister Man tilted his hat and shot Old Dog a look. ¡°You get off your ass and find that Lord.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ocean Empress glared at the man, but he didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°What? Daddy too old? Okay, then you do it. It doesn¡¯t matter who. One of you two find the damn Lord. I got half a mind to come to Oleander and fix the place up myself.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to our next topic.¡± Boy Genius said before an argument could break out. He snapped his fingers, and the metal cube he had thrown earlier ignited. A picture appeared in front of all of them¡ªone of space, showing a strange metallic structure that rested in the center of Mars. ¡°Avalon and I have been keeping an eye on the Beast from space. So far, it hasn¡¯t budged an inch. The same can be said for the walls of Chrysanthemum.¡± The image changed, this time showing a city that had been long abandoned, covered by a massive metallic sphere keeping everything inside. ¡°As of now, there are no Calamity level threats we need to worry about.¡±


    That caused the mood to brighten up a bit. There were three significant things considered life wipers. The Emperor¡¯s return, the Beast from space, and the walls of Chrysanthemum breaking to unleash the full force of the true Dead Virus.


    ¡°That said,¡± Boy Genius held his hand up, and the image changed. This time, it showed a long, slender man dressed in a priest outfit, clutching a book close to his chest, with hair as black as tar and eyes the color of gold. ¡°It is getting near that time again, so Lucifer will likely arrive soon.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± Beta asked this question while cocking his robotic head to the side as he scanned the image of the villain.


    ¡°Very soon.¡± Boy Genius stated. ¡°He attacks every few years, and if we follow his M.O., it¡¯ll be on that day. As it stands, there are four main cities that could be hit; however, only one of them will be. The four are Lillian, Oleander, Rose, and Dandelion. We¡¯ll need to up our security around those four before he strikes. Also, as a reminder, Lucifer is considered leagues stronger than Golden God. We¡¯re not to engage him in battle unless there are at least three of us or the Victorian is there. I¡¯d also like to discuss his team, the Immortals. As the name implies, everyone in his group has a means of cheating death. Because of this, do not fight to kill; rather, fight to restrain or seal the members. But above all else, don¡¯t let him touch you with his palm.¡±


    Old Dog felt his bones crack as he pulled his fingers into a fist. ¡°Well. This year, we¡¯re going to stop that bastard.¡±


    Wyvern stared at the image of the villain. She had never actually seen him. She had joined the Enforcers only recently. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll take him down for sure.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else we need to discuss?¡± Ocean Empress asked.


    ¡°Just the typical stuff.¡± Boy Genius smiled. ¡°Things like files and territory. Feel free to tune this all out.¡±


    Ocean Empress did. She found herself gazing out a window in the Enforcer Tower, watching the clouds slowly trickle by as the moon cast its silvery light onto the street below. No world-wiping threats had been spotted yet, and even Lucifer was something they could deal with. Still. She couldn¡¯t help the feeling in her stomach, one that screamed that something was really, really bad.


    ***


    Jack grunted as he brought the large hammer down. The stone block didn¡¯t stand a chance and shattered instantly. ¡°Clear.¡± He shouted out.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Another Cleanup Squad member stepped forward carrying a large shovel. She used it to scoop up the scattered rocks that he had created and drop them down into a bucket. ¡°Man, at the rate we¡¯re going, we¡¯ll have this hospital cleaned up in no time!¡± The squad member said happily, clapping her hands together.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack muttered quietly. ¡°Looks like it.¡± It had been over a month since Golden God pulled his little stunt. A lot of buildings had been destroyed, so naturally, it was the job of the Cleanup Squad to get rid of the mess. There were dozens of workers going back and forth, and the road was filled with trucks carrying tools and debris.


    To top it all off, it was super early in the morning, and he didn¡¯t get a lot of hero work done this week; he was too busy with his actual paying job, so he hadn¡¯t gotten to speak with Whisper or Myth and discuss the gang issue after the bank heist they stopped a few days ago. That was fine by him, though. Not a whole lot was really going on at the moment.


    After the death of Polaron, as well as the capture of several high-ranking Bad Timers members, the villain group hadn¡¯t so much as made a squeak. If they were lucky, Bad Timers would fully break apart from this. They weren¡¯t the only ones, though. Zoo had gone almost entirely silent as well. They didn¡¯t take as big a hit as Bad Timers had, but they lost some members and would presumably take some time to lick their wounds.


    There was one group, though, that was doing just fine.


    Jack¡¯s grip grew tighter around his hammer, and he smashed it down onto another large boulder, shattering it. ¡°Clear.¡±


    ¡°So, how long have you been in this job now?¡± One of the new recruits asked as they scooped up the rocks. She was an older woman, one who had recently joined this job a few days ago. A lot of the other boys had been ogling her. Women didn¡¯t join this kind of work every day, after all. He had to admit she wasn¡¯t bad-looking. She had long black hair, which she tied back, and simple sea-blue eyes. Her skin was fairly pale, but her body was toned and muscular. Even with the baggy suits they wore, he could tell she worked out.


    ¡°Dunno. Few years, I guess. Reckon this will be my last year, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you find a new job or something?¡±


    ¡°Or something.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope it¡¯s something good.¡± The rookie said, giving him a large smile. She nudged his sides. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking excellent lately, sir!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Jack glanced down at himself with a slight frown. Only about three months ago, he had been shaggy, with a large beer gut and heavy bags under his eyes. Now, though, his hair had been cut shorter, and he was making a point to shave every few days. He still had some bags under his eyes, but his gut was practically gone now. Pretty soon, he might even start to have abs. ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Are you doing anything later?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°In that case, would you maybe like to go out and see a movie sometime?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°What? Why not?¡± The woman asked, frowning.


    He brought his hammer down once more and lightly wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m married.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, okay- Wait, what?¡±


    Jack tossed the hammer onto one of their trucks as it drove by, and he turned away from the woman. ¡°Yo, sir, I finished my workload. I¡¯m heading to go get something to eat.¡± He called out to his boss.


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Mr. Moore, Armin¡¯s dad, waved back from the side of the road that he stood on.


    He placed his hands in his pockets and began to head out of the work zone, leaving the woman standing all alone. He looked up at the rising sun, his eyes squinting slightly. Cars began to fill the road, and people walked the street. Everything was so ordinary. So simple.


    Part of him had never expected to still be here. To be working and helping out. He definitely didn¡¯t expect he would be a hero someday.


    ¡°Feels like it was yesterday since ¡®she¡¯ gave me this job.¡±


    His mind trailed back to nearly fifteen years ago. It was shortly after the battle with the Emperor. His arm was in a cast, and he wore whatever expensive suit Nick had on hand for him. He was seated in a wheelchair, Nick standing behind him, slowly pushing him into the office.


    ¡°After reviewing your final battle and considering the words of Full Monarch and Mr. Sini, I¡¯ve decided it would be best if you simply vanished off the face of Earth.¡± The office was messy, with knocked-over bookshelves and scattered papers everywhere. Seated behind a desk covered in documents was an older woman. She had short brown hair that was starting to fill with grays from years of stress, and heavy bags were under her eyes. She was dressed professionally in a costly suit.


    Her name was Luna Laps. Ms. Laps was the head of the Hero Branch in Oleander City. In other words, she was crucial to keeping the order of the city in check. Whenever a hero got too big of a head, she would be the one to pay them a visit and remind them why the Hero Branch was in charge.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be given a job in the city, and as long as you behave and don¡¯t make any scenes, I can keep the rest of the Branch off your back.¡± The woman never bothered to look up at him. She was too busy signing off on the hundreds of stacks of paperwork she still had to complete.


    ¡°Got it.¡± He said softly. ¡°I have the perfect job in mind already.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°If given the chance, I would like to work for the Cleanup Squad. I would like to help fix this city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich.¡± Ms. Laps let out a dark chuckle. ¡°If I had gotten it my way, I would have thrown you into Nightshade at the first chance I could. Though I guess it is a good sign you feel remorse. Full Monarch¡¯s gift must be working on you.¡± She waved her hand at Nick. ¡°Get him out of my sight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Nick began to pull the wheelchair out of the room.


    ¡°Actually.¡± Ms. Laps looked up, meeting his eyes. ¡°One more thing before you leave, sir. You¡¯ll need a new identity. Have you settled on a name yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°I have the perfect name in mind.¡±


    He scratched at his chin as the memory began to fade suddenly. He was back in the present, heading down the street once again. It had been a while since he thought of Ms. Laps. He wondered how she was doing. She would undoubtedly have more paperwork to deal with after everything that happened the last few months.


    ¡°Mr. Larison?¡± His thoughts were suddenly shattered when he heard a familiar voice. He looked up, finding Hope standing at the same crossing line he stood at, waiting for the light to change so she could finally cross. ¡°Hey, sir! What are you doing out here?¡± she beamed, giving a large grin.


    ¡°Just walking,¡± Jack said awkwardly. ¡°How ya doing, kid?¡±


    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re doing fine.¡± A second voice piped up. Standing next to Hope was her best friend, Armin. The boy had a goofy smirk on his face and held a bag over his shoulder. Now that he looked at both kids closely, they were both dressed for school. ¡°It¡¯s about time we head back to class. It¡¯s starting back up now that the city has calmed down.¡± Armin explained.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Well, what about you?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting food.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright. Do you know when Mr. Thaddeus will call us back to the base? It feels like he¡¯s been avoiding everyone after the bank incident.¡± She huffed.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything from him either.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get in contact with Lois and see if she heard anything.¡±


    She was about to say more, but the light suddenly changed, and the flow of traffic slowed to a stop. ¡°Well, we got to go. We¡¯re already running late to school because of Armin. Later, Mr. Larison.¡± She waved at the man as Armin dragged her across the street so they could get to school on time.


    Jack watched them leave, standing there in silence. He was completely alone once more, cars and people drifting away in the distance. Despite that, though, he didn¡¯t feel like he was by himself. He hadn¡¯t truly felt alone in a while. And it was all because of a single voice that had started to follow him around. ¡®So, that¡¯s the current Lord of the Sun you told me about, right? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve said anything about that boy with her, though.¡¯ The voice asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s Armin. He¡¯s on the same team.¡± He explained. ¡°He¡¯s a rookie, but with a bit of polishing, he could be even stronger than me someday. Right now, the kid¡¯s only good for making snowmen at birthday parties.¡±


    ¡®Oh, that¡¯s pretty cool.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re making puns as well.¡± He grumbled.


    ¡®Hey, I had no idea he had ice powers until you thought about it.¡¯


    ¡°Whatever, just shut up. People are going to start staring if they see me talking to myself.¡± He would sometimes see the owner of the voice out of the corner of his eye if he wasn¡¯t paying attention. Full Monarch would always be scattered around, either seated or leaning on a wall. He never got a good look at the man; the voice would always go silent when he tried to glimpse at the hero. ¡°So be honest. You real, or did I go batshit crazy?¡±


    ¡®I dunno.¡¯ The voice snorted. ¡®You¡¯re the one seeing and hearing things. You tell me.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He rubbed at his chest, feeling the heart beating softly within him. ¡°I think I went insane.¡±


    ***


    They arrived at school earlier than she expected. ¡°Alright, we still have time to hit my locker.¡± She fist-bumped Armin and hurried over to try and get some of the things she owned before class started.


    ¡°I told you we would make it in time.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± She rolled her eyes at her friend and opened her locker. ¡°This is the last time I agree to stay up all night playing a new video game with you on a school night.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do it again.¡± She giggled.


    Armin¡¯s goofy look suddenly faded as he folded his arms. ¡°So.¡± He spoke quietly now. ¡°Have you heard anything yet?¡±


    She winced a little. ¡°No. I mean, I don¡¯t really have a way to get in contact with them, but Ms. Ocean said she would let me know when Sky was moving around again. It¡¯s been silent all month. I¡¯d like to go up there, maybe, but with the Wandering Coin, I¡¯m sort of afraid to leave in case they pull some stunt.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve been pretty busy lately. They basically won that mall battle last month. Made out without getting harmed in the least while their competition, Bad Timers, and Zoo lost a lot of members.¡± Armin agreed. ¡°That said, though, I¡¯m sure we could survive a day without the mighty Cinder. No offense.¡±


    ¡°I guess. I¡¯ll ask Thaddeus about it when I see him again.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I just feel bad about the situation. I can¡¯t help but wonder if it¡¯s my fault she got hurt. I mean, Sky is sort of a jerk at times, but I don¡¯t want her to die. I think I made Poseidon mad at me as well, which totally sucks.¡± She sighed in defeat. She had felt like Poseidon and her had become friends until the mall stuff happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with Oxide.¡± Armin nodded. ¡°I wish I knew what Ghost had been planning. I hate how badly she got hurt. I¡¯ve been chatting with Rowan. He gave me his number after the battle; thankfully, she¡¯s doing better now. She¡¯ll be back on her feet in no time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Oxide is pretty cool.¡± She was a little glad there was some good news at the very least.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also been trying to spy on Poseidon¡¯s Hero Hub. See if she said anything about Sky or Oxide since they¡¯re both at the same hospital in Lillian, where Poseidon is. The girl usually posts about the city and all the deeds she¡¯s done or people that were helped, but this week, it¡¯s been totally silent. Rowan got a little spooked by it when he told me. Apparently, Wasp Nest hasn¡¯t been able to get ahold of Poseidon, and I guess the two of them are dating or something, so it sounds really bad.¡±


    And just like that, the good news vanished. She frowned and rubbed at her chin, trying to think. ¡°Maybe I will pay Lillian a visit just to check-in. I¡¯m sure the others did as well, but if it¡¯s my fault Poseidon is avoiding everyone, I should try to apologize or something.¡±


    She went to say something but never had the chance. ¡°Just leave me alone! I said I¡¯m fine!¡± The slamming of a locker accompanied the shout.


    ¡°Seriously, what is your problem, man?¡± A second voice yelled. ¡°Dude, you¡¯ve been acting insane all week.¡±


    Further down the corridor, one of the more popular boys was shouting at his friends, who were trying to calm his nerves. The nearest students retreated before turning back to watch. When it all came down to it, a hallway full of students was the same no matter what school you were in. If something interesting happened, say a public meltdown, everyone stopped to watch it. Like a bad car crash, it was hard to look away.


    ¡°Wait, I know them.¡± She stared at the boy who was having a meltdown. It was one of Kevin¡¯s goons. A member of the football team. Not just that, though. The flashes of a dog went through her mind. He had been one of the boys who attacked and kicked the puppy that had been hit by a car.


    ¡°I heard he got kicked off the football team around the time Kevin went to prison,¡± Armin explained. ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor, but Hannah said he got caught shooting up.¡±


    ¡°Hannah?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s one of Ashley¡¯s friends. My lab partner, though I say that loosely since I do all the work.¡±


    She watched the boy thrash around a bit, his friends all jumping away from him. He looked angry, that was for sure. The football team was basically the only thing Oleander had that mattered to many of the kids. If he had gotten caught shooting up drugs, she didn¡¯t think he would be at school anymore. Then again, this place was almost as shady as Spider Street. She wondered why he was really kicked off of the team.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t because of his size, as the young man was huge. He almost looked overinflated, six feet plus, and built like a brick wall. He had been smaller than Kevin when she last saw him, but now he was much more prominent. Drugs were clearly at work.


    ¡°I¡¯m just tired! Now if you¡ªif you¡ªI,¡± he trailed off, his words slurring together as his arms began to tremble. His hands curled as the trembling spread across his body, getting more violent as they went. His friends tried to catch him as he collapsed, but the best they could do was slow his fall.


    She was there before he hit the floor. Everyone was so focused on the show that no one noticed her rocket forward. She managed to whip her backpack off and throw it under him just as he crashed to the floor. It cushioned his crash and protected his skull, but the rest of his body began to thrash around.


    She had seen something like this before with Mr. Larison. A seizure. Her mind raced as she tried to recall what you do when someone is going through this. His arms and legs were kicking around, and one of his arms slapped out at one of his friends, who was doing his best to help him. The hand smacked into the boy, and he screamed as he was sent crashing into a locker and hit the ground, groaning in pain.


    That caused yells to go through the hallway. One of the other boys tried to move away, but the thrashing kid kicked him on accident, and it was enough to snap the boy¡¯s leg and cause him to scream in pain as he dropped to the floor.


    She didn¡¯t even have time to help anyone, as seconds later, the boy¡¯s arm thrashed up and smashed across her face. She had taken worse strikes. Despite that, though, she kicked off of the ground as the hit slammed into her and threw herself back, crashing head first into a locker, making it look as if he had thrown her back as he had done the others. The last thing she wanted was anyone wondering how she was fine after two other boys were severely injured from the same hit.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Armin yelled, running towards her.


    She made a show of groaning a bit. She didn¡¯t have to fake the pain, as it had really hurt. He had super strength, enough to negate her durability. That meant one thing was at play.


    ¡°Someone call an ambulance.¡± Kyle¡¯s voice boomed down the halls, and he was followed by several teachers. Kyle shot her a look, and she nodded back at him. ¡°This guy is in serious trouble.¡±


    Already, people were pulling out their phones. Some actually did what they should have done and called for help, while others did what most kids did in a dangerous situation and began recording everything. She made sure to duck out of there, with Armin quickly leaving to the back of the crowd when he helped her up. She had already caused a bit of a scene by being slapped and would just have to hope no one else realized just how strong the boy really was.


    ¡°You should go to Myth and let him know what happened.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°If he ends up smacking a person, he could badly hurt them or even kill them. I¡¯m going to stay behind just in case.¡± She explained.


    ¡°Got it. Good luck.¡± He ran down the hall, and the teachers didn¡¯t bother to stop him, finally reaching the scene.


    Kyle walked over to her and made a show of helping to keep her standing up. The sirens were already in the distance, and the teachers were yelling at everyone to stand back and stay calm. However, that just made everything far worse. ¡°Wandering Coin?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. She fixed her glasses, which had become a bit crooked from the slap she had received. ¡°They¡¯re selling to kids.¡± She balled her hand into a fist and felt a fire begin to pump in her veins. ¡°I¡¯m going to stop them.¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, how much do you know?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I know anything?¡± Thaddeus questioned.


    ¡°I can see your paths,¡± Lois smirked. ¡°In a few seconds, you¡¯re going to ask me how long I knew about it.¡±


    They stood in his library. As usual, it was empty. The place would have shut down long ago if not for the mayor. Thaddeus was dressed professionally and leaned behind the counter, typing away at the computer. She was dressed in simple winter wear as the weather was starting to get cold. She sat on his counter, reading a random book she had stolen from one of the many shelves.


    Thaddeus played with a set of glasses he wore and finally let out a deep sigh. ¡°How long have you known what Hope really is?¡±


    ¡°Called it.¡± Lois closed her book and leaned back on the desk, practically lying down. Despite that, though, her joking tone soon faded. ¡°Well, to be honest, I didn¡¯t know how you would react when you found out.¡±


    ¡°You thought I would react negatively to having a Lord on the team?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d react negatively to having a weak Lord on the team.¡± She looked up at his roof and closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not as good as my dad. Mom and him never really bothered to explain how my powers work. They were always way too busy. I don¡¯t see all the Paths. Just how they can affect me. Sometimes, they¡¯re wrong, or they change, or the Paths just end and break. Then you have weirdos like my mom or Jackson; their paths are blank. Yours change a lot, though. Constantly. I¡¯ve never seen anyone shape their own destiny quite like you do. In fact, the first time I saw you, your Path ended two years ago when the Beast from space returned. Yet here you still are.¡±


    ¡°My loyalty is to this team above all else.¡± Thaddeus finished typing and folded his arms. ¡°I created Pantheon because I saw how the Sub Enforcers, and even the Enforcers, can drop the ball sometimes. This group was made to take care of kids who had nowhere else to go to as heroes. I would have liked to know that I was dealing with a Lord ahead of time. That said, I¡¯m not going to throw her under the bus. She¡¯s just a kid. This makes me wonder what else you and Mr. Larison have been hiding from me.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, that was really just it.¡± She opened her eyes and squinted as the lights above burned down. ¡°He knew she was a Lord from the beginning, I think. I don¡¯t know a lot about him. No one does. I trust him, though. He reminds me a lot of Ocean Empress in a way. I think he has a bad hand, and he¡¯s been trying to play it well. Hope, though? Yeah, she had no idea. I knew thanks to my Paths and Jackson came to me and asked me to keep it under wraps, which I did because I ain¡¯t a snitch.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Thaddeus nodded slowly. ¡°It will take time for trust to be reestablished. I still feel as if it would have been best if I was brought in on it from the get-go.¡±


    ¡°You mean like how we should have been brought in on the fact that the Lord of Life is likely the leader of the Wandering Coin, or at the very least, they¡¯re working together.¡± Lois shot back. That caused the man to go silent, and she gave a slight smirk. ¡°Yeah. Jackson told me. He figured it out, too. All that talk about stopping the Wandering Coin. Be honest with me; was it all so that you could get your hands on a Lord?¡±


    Thaddeus pursed his lips together into a line. ¡°The Wandering Coin is a dangerous group. I would have taken them out, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± She replied, sitting up. ¡°Let¡¯s just agree that we both hid information from each other regarding Lords. Oh, and that we should keep a closer eye on Jack. I¡¯m tired of him knowing all this stuff and not telling anyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. For what it is worth, I am glad you¡¯re on our team.¡± Thaddeus finally stated.


    She smiled and nodded. ¡°Oh, by the way, Armin is about to show up.¡± As if on cue, the door burst open as Armin ran in. ¡°What are you doing here on a school day?¡± She said mockingly. ¡°By shame-¡± She stopped when she saw the serious look in his eyes.


    Armin made his way over to the desk and banged his fist down on the wood. ¡°No more sitting around, Thaddeus. We have to get back out there. A student at our school was doped with something that gave them super strength. We have to stop the Wandering Coin. They can¡¯t keep doing this!¡±


    Thaddeus stood up and took his glasses off. ¡°I had been told to hold off on doing anything for a while.¡± He admitted.


    ¡°Who told you?¡± Lois asked, frowning.


    ¡°The one person that can order any hero around, in Oleander city.¡± He folded his arms and frowned. ¡°Ms. Laps, head of the Oleander Hero Branch, has stated she wishes to view our team before we move forward. In other words, Pantheon doesn¡¯t exist right now. Not until she gives the go-ahead.¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Armin said with wide eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been attempting to fight back her claim,¡± Thaddeus admitted. ¡°The mayor had been greatly helping keep us afloat but has now suddenly pulled away and stopped backing us. As it stands, we¡¯re more alone than ever.¡±


    ¡°And.¡± They turned when Lois spoke. She gave a sly grin and a golden twinkle in her eyes. She flipped her golden hair back smugly. ¡°Since when do we care what the Hero Branch thinks? They might have control over the Enforcers and the Sub Enforcers, but Pantheon doesn¡¯t work for them.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we go in with zero funding?¡± Thaddeus asked. ¡°Our costumes, your drones, building repairs, and base funds are all provided by either the mayor or the Hero Branch. The last thing we want is to get on their bad side. Otherwise, every building you tear down will have to be rebuilt with your own funding.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the thing. There¡¯s another group that has been getting a ton of funding but has done literally nothing for months now.¡± Lois grinned.


    ¡°Who?¡± Armin looked between the two, confused.


    ¡°The Watch Dogs.¡± Thaddeus snorted and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Yeah. I guess it¡¯s about time Pantheon pays them a visit.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Two: Stake Out

    ¡°So, you catch that game last night?¡±


    ¡°No, was it any good?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t freaking know. Why do you think I was asking you, dumbass?¡±


    The underground of Oleander was vast, with hundreds of bunkers, miles of sewers, and abandoned subway stations. In fact, if one were to journey far enough underground and travel well into the depths of the ocean, they would even find the remains of ancient cities lost to time after the first attack by ancient Calamities.


    It was here underground that two men stood guard. Behind them was what used to be a bunker, though it had since been hollowed out and turned into a base for them to smuggle goods. Inside were hundreds of crates filled with their newest type of drugs, which the big boss had managed to create, as well as dozens of armed soldiers. This was one of their more significant bases, and the Wandering Coin wasn¡¯t too keen on losing it.


    ¡°So, any plans for the next game?¡±


    ¡°No, Greg. I¡¯m going to be here, standing guard like I always do. Freaking idiot.¡±


    Greg was about to say more but stopped when he noticed a large black wasp sitting on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh man, sit still. You got a bug on you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Oh hey, you do too?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Greg looked down at his arms, finding three wasps clinging to him. ¡°Must be a nest or something down here. Hey, turn around. I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s any more on you.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking.¡± His friend turned around, and Greg instantly felt his face go pale. ¡°So, are there any on me?¡± His entire back was covered in them. They all sat there silently, not making a sound or twitching in the slightest. Shaking, he brought his arm up and flinched when he reached his own back. He didn¡¯t feel his shirt. ¡°Greg?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re screwed.¡±


    Instantly, the buzzing pierced their ears. Every wasp on them sprung to life, and from the darkness, a mass of them poured out, swirling in the air. He managed to turn and scream past the doorway to get the attention of the others inside, but it was too late. The wasps all formed together, taking the shape of a person, and instantly Greg was knocked out as a fist slammed directly into his face.


    Wasp Nest smirked as he settled into his human form. He was dressed in his hero costume, which consisted of just a basic black cloth he would drag around with him when he shifted in and out of his form since he couldn¡¯t bring his clothes with him. The fabric wrapped around his waist, hiding his private parts. His smirk faded when he felt something hit the side of his head.


    The goon behind him had drawn a knife and tried to impale the boy¡¯s skull, only for the blade to sink into a swarm of hundreds of angry wasps. The bugs swarmed him, and he screamed as he was given the stinging of a lifetime. He managed to jump out of the swarm and crashed into something hard. He looked up just in time to see the fist of Metal Ronin smash directly into his face.


    Several guards ran towards the entrance of the open bunker and opened fire on the futuristic cyborg warrior. Before any bullets could land, though, a golden barrier appeared around the hero, blocking the gunfire.


    ¡°Sir, my armor is bulletproof. No need to protect me.¡± Metal Ronin said, speaking up.


    ¡°If ya sure?¡± Battery jumped from the darkness behind Metal Ronin, his body igniting with traces of golden lightning, lighting the underground area up. He moved like a blur, casually dodging gunfire as he stepped into the vault. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what we¡¯re working with here.¡± He grinned.


    The bunker was quite spacious and consisted of only a single floor. Besides the boxes of drugs and the armed dealers, there were a few chairs and tables scattered around, a few TVs, game consoles, and some fridges. Near the very back was also a giant ladder that led all the way up to the roof, which would no doubt open up into the many sewer tunnels and function as a makeshift getaway.


    The goons were all wearing makeshift riot gear that seemed to be thrown together and held big guns that fired rapidly and loudly. All in all, he counted about sixtyish men.


    Everything slowed to a crawl, and his eyes practically poured lightning. The black lines of his outfit had shifted to gold, and light pumped through his veins as he walked toward the men. He lazily slapped his arm out, a golden chain firing. It whipped through the air and smashed into the sides of about twenty or so men, slamming them all into a wall and shocking them until they blacked out. His other arm raised up, and all his fingers glowed, blasting out beams of energy, which then further separated into five more beams, creating a total of twenty-five that scattered around, knocking more men down.


    ¡°Show off...¡± Wasp Nest muttered. The boy ran into the room and separated into a mass of bugs that swarmed people. His swarm took form and seemed to almost morph into a massive fist that would then ram into people head-on to ensure they had the wind knocked out of them.


    A few of the goons made for the boxes and pulled out the jars of orange liquid. They downed them and let out roars, charging forward but didn¡¯t get far. Metal Ronin jumped in front of them with a pair of tonfas forming around his arms. They buzzed like tasers, and his shoulder opened up, firing darts. Anyone hit by a dart blacked out instantly, while the drugged-up goons slowed from its effect. He swung his weapon out and slammed it into their heads, and as soon as they hit the ground, golden chains blasted from Battery¡¯s hands, wrapping around them.


    ¡°Damn hero, bastards!¡± One of the goons screamed in rage. ¡°Cover me. I¡¯m going to show these guys why you don¡¯t screw with us!¡± The gang member ran to a different box as his quickly dwindling men began to drop. On a table, a black suitcase rested, which the man picked up and pressed a button on it. The thing unfolded and began to rapidly grow in size. It twisted over his body and changed colors, locking in place. ¡°How do you guys like me now!¡±


    Metal Ronin was the first to see it, and his eyes widened as his blood ran cold. ¡°That armor. Where the hell did you get it?¡± The goon was now dressed in what almost looked like a set of knight armor, though it had a far heavier tech vibe to it. It glowed a faint red color and hummed with energy. ¡°That belongs to one of the Pallet Boys! Why the hell does the Wandering Coin have one of their armors!¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself.¡± Battery barked out, though even he was a little pissed. He doubted they just borrowed it. ¡°Remember why we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Metal Ronin stepped forward in his own metal suit and let out a loud roar. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this bastard.¡± The handle of a katana popped out of his leg, which he lifted. It ignited into a beam of pure plasma.


    The goon drew his own sword, a prominent shimmering bastard sword that let out a mechanical hiss. Dozens of moving parts ran along the blade, and the Wandering Coin member swung it out. A beam of rainbow-colored energy followed, but Metal Ronin casually blocked it, simply raising his free arm up and causing a blue barrier to appear.


    The shoulder of the Pallet Boy suit opened, a large minigun folding out, which began to unleash a hail of bullets around the room. Metal Ronin stopped that as well, activating his gloves, which glowed, and gained a magnetic force to them, suddenly pulling all the bullets out of the air and towards his palm. They twisted into a ball, and with a flick, it blasted towards the enemy suit. It tore through whatever barrier was around the armor and easily blasted the gun off the shoulder.


    ¡°I made that after seeing Polaron in action.¡± Metal Ronin announced. He swung his sword and met the blade of his enemy. ¡°You might have a fancy suit, but there is a reason we don¡¯t just give things like this to normal people. You¡¯re sloppy with it. Wasting all its power and diverting it all over the place. The real Pallet Boys would never make a mistake like you¡¯re doing. They¡¯d have torn my barrier down with ease and would up their force field for my own attacks.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you bastard!¡± The man raised his sword up but suddenly froze. As in, he simply couldn¡¯t move. ¡°What happened!¡± He tried to budge his arms, but his suit refused to obey itself.


    ¡°I told you. Used up all its power.¡± Metal Ronin simply tipped him over with barely any force. ¡°See, us Mental-based power users give off a special energy that fuels whatever we create. Sure, a normal person could pilot one of our suits for maybe ten or twenty minutes if they¡¯re careful, but without us, the thing will have no way of recharging. Now stay put as I deal with the rest of the trash.¡±


    ¡°Screw you!¡±


    Only two men seemed to be left standing. One had been slammed into a wall and barely managed to start climbing up the ladder, making an escape attempt to the roof. The other had been zapped by Battery¡¯s beam. Unlike the others, though, he didn¡¯t black out, seemingly taking it. Battery didn¡¯t move. Instead, he simply watched the man crawl back to his feet and make a break for the ladder, much like his friend.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re letting two go?¡± Wasp Nest asked once the two goons were out of earshot and managed to escape through the hatch up top.


    ¡°Money Tree just said let a few go. We might have gone a little overboard.¡± Battery smirked.


    Metal Ronin marched over, pocketing his gear. ¡°Bastards had it coming. Now come help me with this big guy over here-¡±


    It happened in a flash. Faster than any of them could react, the walls glowed, and a loud beep echoed throughout the room. Then, in an instant, a massive blast shook the room!


    ***


    ¡°So, is anyone else bored, or is it just me?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    ¡°No, this is totally boring.¡± BB snorted.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be that way. I¡¯m glad to have two elemental users on board.¡± Money Tree said, giving a grin.


    ¡°Yeah, because we¡¯ve been so helpful.¡± Cinder said in a sarcastic tone. She almost regretted her declaration against the Wandering Coin as, so far, she had basically made zero progress. Not much time had passed since the incident at the school. It had only been a day, in fact, but that time felt like it was stretching on forever.


    This was partly the fault of the job they now did. Something you almost never see in fiction is just how boring a lot of investigative work really is. Myth had finally called a meeting. School had ended early due to everything that happened, so the hero finally called them all back together.


    And what was his first mission? To dump them onto the Sub Enforcers.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. They had formed into three main teams. Team One consisted of Myth and Whisper. They weren¡¯t in the city anymore. Instead, the two of them went off to go meet the Watch Dogs. She was pretty bummed about that, actually, as she would have loved to see that hero team in person. Team Two had Battery, Metal Ronin, and Wasp Nest. They were somewhere in Spider Street, exploring dozens of warehouses. Team Three was led by Money Tree. It had her, Snowdawn, and BB on it. It was also easily the most boring thing ever.


    They stood ducked down behind shipping crates or on the rooftops of buildings and simply watched. There were a few large boathouses and some warehouses scattered about. The piers themselves were large and connected to part of the beach, though the beach was mainly just a trash heap. There were dozens of boats scattered throughout the ocean, some sunk and some sinking. It gave off such a gloomy look. Years ago her dad had worked for the docks, but Oleander had shut them down a few years after he was unable to work due to the dangers of the Beast from Space.


    There was heavy mist in the air, and it lightly sprinkled. Combined with the night and the slow winter weather that was approaching every day, it left the docks as a cold mess most people would avoid. ¡°So, remind me again what we¡¯re looking for?¡± She asked, speaking into the radio they all had on them.


    Her radio lightly buzzed as Money Tree responded. ¡°Pantheon once stopped a Wandering Coin hideout here.¡± The hero explained. ¡°Wandering Coin can grow insanely fast and seem to have hundreds, maybe even thousands, of bases. See, the thing is, every base in Spider Street is always a minor one used to store their product. I say we need to get to the bottom of a big base.¡±


    ¡°And you think that¡¯s here?¡± Snowdawn questioned.


    ¡°The base you guys stopped here was much bigger than any of the ones on Spider Street. On top of that, though, when Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin were on patrol, they spotted a few Wandering Coin goons here on the docks, though they quickly lost track of them. So now, we¡¯re going to do a good old-fashioned stakeout. I don¡¯t care how long it takes. We¡¯re going to wait for one of these guys to return and lead us straight to this bigger base, whatever it is. That¡¯s where Team Battery comes in.¡±


    ¡°Team Battery?¡± She snorted at the name, though she was a little jealous. Battery got to work with Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin and was actually getting to have fun. There was a light buzz in the air, and BB flew over to her, lightly landing on her shoulder. The girl was about the size of one of her smaller Victorian action figures.


    ¡°Team Battery is going to make a series of attacks on those smaller warehouses and capture as many people as they can while deliberately letting one or two escape. Wasp Nest is good at finding these small bases because of his power. Metal Ronin also built a device that will shut off communication, so these guys can¡¯t radio each other or call in. Eventually, the goons will have no choice but to return back to base to report on what¡¯s happening, and that¡¯s when we¡¯ll get them.¡± The tiny girl announced.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± She said, lightly poking the tiny girl.


    ¡°Hey, knock it off!¡±


    ¡°Sorry. My bad, you¡¯re just so weirdly small.¡± Her and BB hid together, while Snowdawn was up on the roof of a nearby boathouse. Money Tree had decided on a ¡®next level¡¯ hiding spot, as he put it, and actually went under the docks hidden in the water, ready to strike.


    She had bets on him getting a bad cold before the hour was up. ¡°So, how¡¯s Oxide?¡± She asked quietly.


    The tiny hero¡¯s arms folded, and BB took a seat on her shoulder, letting out a sigh. ¡°Well, she¡¯s doing good, I guess. The girl will be returning tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Though you don¡¯t sound too happy.¡± She noted.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m glad she is fine and all, but Oxide is kind of a pain to deal with when she¡¯s out of costume. She is almost like Myth, where she completely swaps who she is. Out of costume, she basically turns into a stereotypical mean girl prom queen type.¡±


    ¡°Sounds a lot like Ashley.¡± She said quietly. She didn¡¯t notice BB freezing at the mention of the name. ¡°She¡¯s a girl at my school, and the way you described Oxide out of costume is her to a T. Guess that¡¯s just how some of the popular girls are. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen Ashley in a while either-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else,¡± BB said sheepishly. ¡°I saw what you said on the news. Is it true you killed Polaron?¡±


    She winced and made a face. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about that.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure. You¡¯re getting pretty popular though, Cinder.¡± BB giggled and winked at her. ¡°I also saw your declaration.¡±


    ¡°Declaration?¡± Her thoughts went back to what she said in front of all the drones. Her face shifted into a red color, and she covered it with her hands. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know why I thought it would be a smart idea to mention what I was into. It just sort of came out in the heat of the moment.¡±


    "Well, I¡¯m sure you got plenty of female fans out there all swooning when they learned you were into girls.¡± BB joked and nudged her ear with an elbow.


    ¡°Maybe. Dating isn¡¯t really something I¡¯m looking to do at the moment, though.¡± She admitted. ¡°I¡¯m more focused on figuring out this hero stuff. You¡¯ve been a hero for a while, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I was a hero back when Myth was still a teenager.¡± The young girl bragged. ¡°Before you ask, no, it doesn¡¯t get easier. Also speaking of Myth, how is he as a team leader?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really cool but strict.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder how different everything would have been if he was made team leader,¡± BB muttered quietly. ¡°I was still a kid two years ago. Had just turned fourteen. Myth was being groomed for the position of team leader by Red Iron. Then the Beast attack happened. I- I didn¡¯t go. I wasn¡¯t brave like Poseidon or Wasp. I don¡¯t know what happened, but they changed. Not just physically but mentally. Myth changed the most, too. They don¡¯t like talking about it a lot, but he did something. Something the Hero Branch didn¡¯t like, and just like that, he lost his chance of being a leader.¡±


    She frowned, taking that in. Myth had mentioned a small bit about his time on the Sub Enforcers. He never really mentioned why he was looked over for the position of leader, though.


    She never got a chance to ask anything else, though. Static filled their radio, causing them both to jump. ¡°We got something coming,¡± Snowdawn said. ¡°Get ready, you two.¡±


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m up. Wait for my signal, everyone.¡± BB said, slowly standing up. Somehow, the girl got even smaller and looked to be about the size of an actual bee. BB¡¯s glass wings unfolded, and she gently floated into the air, giving Cinder a nod. The fire-based hero watched her fly off.


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    BB danced through the air. The wind bent to her will and created a cradle around her that masked the buzzing noise of her glass wings. She would have to thank Harrison Avalon someday. The wings were perfect and fitted her style fully. ¡°Alright, I see them.¡± The wind also masked her voice from anyone, even those with enhanced senses. Only those who had their radio could hear her now. ¡°They don¡¯t look like Wandering Coin goons.¡±


    Besides being connected to the beach and ocean, the dock was also connected with the rest of Oleander, and on the side of the road, a very expensive-looking muscle car pulled to the side. Two men stepped out, one nearly dropping to his knees. ¡°Bastard.¡± One of the men growled. ¡°How the hell did those heroes find us? We were underground.¡± Both of the men looked like they had received the beating of a lifetime. They sported black eyes and bruised skin, and just walking caused them both to stumble.


    ¡°Look, just be glad we made it out of there.¡± The other grunt walked towards his friend and helped support the man. ¡°We¡¯ll get Doc to take a good look at you. You were hit by one of those golden beams. It¡¯s a miracle you¡¯re still conscious.¡±


    ¡°Doc isn¡¯t going to be happy.¡± The badly injured man said, letting out a sigh. ¡°We had a ton of sales that just went up in flames because of the heroes. Think he¡¯ll report it to the big boss?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Sunshine is likely to blame Doc as well, if the man blabs.¡±


    BB quietly snickered to herself as she stayed above them both, staying directly out of their sight and masking in the darkness of the night sky. It seemed Battery¡¯s team did their job. Still, she learned something important. ¡°Hey, Money Tree, are you listening in to what they said?¡± BB asked, flying a small bit closer to the duo.


    ¡°Oh yeah, we heard loud and clear.¡± Money Tree said over their radio. ¡°Whoever this ¡®Doc¡¯ guy is, they seem to think he can get a hold of Sunshine. This could be a bigger lead than I thought. Stick close but stay out of sight, BB.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± BB dropped from the sky and curled up into a ball. None of the men even noticed as she casually dropped into one of their pockets. She rested herself against the man¡¯s phone and folded her arms as they began to carry her. She was able to poke her head out just barely and follow where they walked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that golden bastard followed us, do you?¡± The injured man groaned as he began to walk down the heavy wooden docks, passing by the many boat houses.


    ¡°No way.¡± His friend said. ¡°I blew that place sky high. Even if he didn¡¯t die, that had to slow him down. Him and that robot sword freak.¡±


    BB frowned and folded her arms. Metal Ronin and Battery could take a beating, but Wasp Nest either had the durability of an average human or was millions of bugs. A connected hive mind of wasps, but still bugs in the end. She¡¯d have to tread carefully around Poseidon if he was even slightly hurt. The girl was already in a dark place after the state her sister was in. A bit more of a push, and the monster could fully crawl its way back from the abyss.


    The men finally began to reach the pier¡¯s edge near where Money Tree hid. The hero was beneath them entirely, and his outfit had changed to form more tendrils off his coat, making him look like a bundle of seaweed. The men didn¡¯t even notice him as they walked further down. Many boats were barely held together and falling apart. Some had fully sunken to the bottom of the ocean, while others had crashed into the dock.


    The men both stopped, and for a second, they looked around. Their eyes roamed every which way, though they never bothered to look down beneath them. Finally satisfied, they stepped off of the docks and onto a small boat that was halfway sunk, its hull reaching the bottom of the beach floor. It wasn¡¯t a big ship. One of the kinds that could fit a few people and had a cabin.


    One of the men opened the door to the cabin and peered in, making sure no homeless person had decided to call it a home. It was flooded up to the knees, and the man shivered as he stepped down into it. Most of it had been gutted, any valuables were long gone. There was only one thing left¡ªthe doors to a closet.


    He dragged his injured friend over to the closet door and grabbed the handle of it. Then he spoke. ¡°Warp us to the Penny.¡±


    BB felt her blood run cold at that. At first, nothing happened, and she debated flying out, but it was far too late. A blue light shined from the closet and went up and down, scanning the two men. A mechanical voice echoed through the gutted boat suddenly. ¡°Error. Unknown life form detected. Error. Unknown life form detected. Error-¡±


    ¡°What does it mean by an unknown life form?¡± The goon¡¯s eyes went wide, and he suddenly whipped his jacket off. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s got to be a Super or something! We really were followed-¡±


    BB grew to her full height, ripping his pants apart. Her foot came up as she rammed it into his groin as hard as she could, and with her other arm, she smashed it back directly into the nose of the other badly injured one before either goon could even think about standing up. A rope of literal money fired through the doorway and wrapped them both up, dragging them out of the boat.


    ¡°What now?¡± BB sighed, following after.


    Cinder and Snowdawn popped out of their hiding spot and moved over to the size-altering hero. ¡°I could try and bust the door open,¡± Cinder suggested.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Money Tree shook his head. ¡°Sadly, it wouldn¡¯t work. It is just a normal closet door until it is activated. Once activated, it overlaps itself with a door that leads into a separate part of reality that is hidden away from this one. Our base is just like it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume I understood what you just said. How do we get it open then?¡± She asked, frowning.


    ¡°Well, the short answer is you really don¡¯t. Or at least none of us can.¡± Money Tree said, sighing. ¡°See, Harrison Avalon builds these doors. He provides them to many of the Sub Enforcers of other cities, including several Enforcers. Only one who doesn¡¯t use them is the Victorian since she has her precious tower. He made a bunch of these all over the world. If the Emperor had won, the plan would have been to move as many people as possible into them as bunkers.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so then Avalon gave this to them?¡± Snowdawn asked with wide eyes. ¡°Is he secretly evil or something?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± BB said, throwing her arms behind her head. ¡°He closed down most and got rid of them after the Emperor was dealt with. Usually, he hands them out to big heroes for their bases, though he can¡¯t really do that anymore since he can¡¯t create them now. I bet whoever the leader of the Wandering Coin is, they must have gotten their hands on it.¡±


    Money Tree frowned and looked at one of the goons. ¡°You said, Penny? Penny was the base that belonged to the Pallet Boys. I haven¡¯t heard back from them for some time. Care to explain?¡±


    ¡°As if.¡± One of the goons spat onto the man¡¯s suit. ¡°You¡¯ll only be talking to my lawyer, hero trash-¡± A wad of cash filled his mouth, silencing him.


    ¡°They definitely got this one from the Pallet Boys and took it over.¡± Money Tree winced. ¡°If they did anything to those brothers, I¡¯d be kind of ticked off. I actually rather like them. I guess this explains how we never got to them, though. I bet they targeted many of the solo heroes, or small groups, that had these gates and took them. Chances are the leader¡¯s base will be in another one.¡±


    ¡°So then, do we just cut our losses here?¡± BB asked, frowning. ¡°Once they find out we know there is a door here, they¡¯ll move the entrance to somewhere else. I doubt we¡¯ll get lucky twice in a row.¡±


    ¡°There has to be something we can do,¡± She argued. ¡°If Avalon made this, then maybe he could get it open, right? You said something about him not being able to make more. Does that have to do with anything?¡±


    BB shrugged. ¡°Avalon helped build the doors, but not even he is able to create a mini-pocket realm. Only one that could do that was Max Lightning. Apparently, he used to be really strong and could do some crazy stuff. The first Lord of the Sky was said to be able to mess with time and space, and so Avalon used Max to make these during the war, fifteen years ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what makes this so tricky.¡± Money Tree sighed. ¡°Max Lightning could easily get this door open, but with everything that happened, villains in every city are rioting. He¡¯ll be far too busy dealing with stuff in Gladiolus, so I doubt he¡¯ll have time to rush over here and help even if he did, though it would take too long. They¡¯re going to move this door in a matter of hours, maybe even less.¡±


    ¡°Damn, so we really just lost out on a massive base.¡± Snowdawn kicked the side of the boat in frustration and frowned.


    She shook her head and folded her arms. Slowly, she closed her eyes and began to think. ¡°I remember Max Lightning telling me a bit about how his powers work.¡±


    That caught the veteran hero off guard. Money Tree raised an eyebrow and stared at her. ¡°You spoke to Max? And he actually talked to you long enough to explain his superpower?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± She opened her eyes, and they seemed to shimmer with a red luster. ¡°He said he uses the wind to move these things called Paths. I guess these Paths are more like molecules in a way. Something we can¡¯t see but still exists around us, going through space and time. I don¡¯t understand it fully, powers are sort of bullshit at times, but he said he can shift them. You said he could open this door with his power, right? Well, BB, you also have wind-based power, so do you think you could use it to maybe move the Paths and force the door open?¡±


    BB let out a laugh and rolled her eyes. ¡°Look, Cindy, I¡¯m flattered you think I¡¯m even remotely that talented, but there are dozens of things wrong with that logic. First of all, I have two powers. Some Supers like me can have more than one, and it¡¯s really not that good of a thing. I can mess with my size and also control wind. Since I have both powers, the energy I have is split between them. The split also isn¡¯t even. I¡¯m more like seventy percent size-changing, with thirty percent aerokinesis. That said, even if I did have full aero-based powers, Lord stuff works differently. Poseidon explained it a bit to me, but basically, they give off this weird aura that affects stuff, and this stuff can only be affected by other Lords. Things like blood control or the like wouldn¡¯t work on a Lord because of this unless it was able to reach the power of a Lord, and only a handful of people can claim to do that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but what if you had the energy of a Lord?¡± She asked slowly. ¡°Like if you had just the energy, do you think you could combine that with your wind and make the Paths shift, even if it¡¯s a little to recreate Max Lightning¡¯s power?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. I¡¯ve never had the energy of a Lord.¡± BB shrugged.


    ¡°There¡¯s no telling.¡± Money Tree put his two cents in. ¡°It could work, but it could also not. Not a lot of people who have the energy of a Lord are willing to share it, even if it is temporarily.¡±


    She rubbed the back of her head and then finally shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d like to try something.¡± She said sheepishly. ¡°I think with BB¡¯s help, I could maybe get us into that base.¡±


    ***


    Whisper let out a loud whistle as she looked up. ¡°So, this is the base of the Watch Dogs, huh?¡± The girl asked, craning her neck.


    ¡°This would be the place.¡± Myth nodded.


    The two of them were on their own little team. He had left most of his crew to aid Money Tree in a sting operation the man had wanted to do. Currently, he and Whisper were out at sea. They hadn¡¯t gone through the docks, and instead, he had been forced to change into a very strange form.


    A dolphin.


    Well, he wasn¡¯t just a dolphin. He was far bigger, big enough to carry Whisper, and like all his forms, he could still speak. He had semi-legs and arms, and he swam through the water heading towards their destination faster than any boat. The downside was he looked goofy.


    It was either the dolphin or one of his other sea monster forms, and he honestly wasn¡¯t confident he could control anything cool-looking due to how big those forms got.


    ¡°So, their base is just out at sea for anyone to come take a look at?¡± Whisper asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°The Watch Dogs were created by Old Dog. He doesn¡¯t like leaving Oleander if he can help it, and that includes going into pocket realms.¡± Myth explained as he swam through the sea and neared their destination. ¡°This place was gifted to him by a hero named Levithan. She made a makeshift island with it, and they built their base on it.¡±


    In front of them was the island in question. It was on the border of Oleander, at the edge of the sea between it and Lillian. It was a massive chunk of ice. One that caused the water around it to freeze slightly. It was about the size of two, maybe three, city blocks and seemed to have its own mini weather around it, a black cloud above raining snow onto the ice island. Dirt and other such things had been layered onto the weird island, and it had a mini forest around it. A large dock also poked out of it, where a big ship resided.


    In the dead center of the island was a large stone building, which had the logo of a wolf on it. As they neared, she could hear the sounds of loud music and childlike laughter.


    Myth gradually came to a stop next to the dock, and she climbed off of him. He crawled his way out, and his body reverted back to his human form, his white robes totally soaked. ¡°Can we fly next time?¡± She joked. He shot her an unamused look, and she just grinned wider. ¡°So what now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Now.¡± Myth cracked his knuckles and stared at the building further into the weird forest. ¡°Now we find out why the Watch Dogs haven¡¯t done jack shit for months, and if I don¡¯t like the answer, we give them the beating of a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Oh, look at you all, pro-violence.¡± She nudged his shoulder, and her grin grew. ¡°Dibs on breaking their legs.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Just so long as they can explain themselves.¡±


    They stepped off of the dock and made landfall, looking towards the series of trees that blocked their way to the heroes base. ¡°So, have you ever actually been here before?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Myth shook his head. ¡°But how bad could it be-¡±


    A loud roar pierced the air, and dozens of trees suddenly exploded into a hail of wood as something came tearing its way toward them. Whatever it was, it was big, and its eyes glowed with anger as it tore its way out of the foliage.


    ¡°Seriously.¡± She yelled. ¡°Has being a hero taught you nothing? Never ask how bad could it be!¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Three: The Watch Dogs

    A few hours before the start of the mission...


    An armored truck came to a sudden stop as it rammed into something in the middle of the road. The car was one of the kinds that escorted money between banks. It was made to be strong and sturdy, yet the thing it rammed into was simply stronger.


    Cinder gritted her teeth and held her arms up in front of her, feeling the truck shatter and bend around her as she took it head-on. She knew that she had been growing stronger every day as her powers got more and more used to her being a Super, but ever since she had learned of her golden form from Mr. Larison and seen the past with Max Lightning, her power had skyrocketed. She was sure she could even level a small building if she really wanted to.


    The truck was forced to stop as her durability and strength outweighed it. Smoke rapidly spewed from the front of it, and the doors were thrown open as men stumbled out. She opened her mouth to say something, but they opened fire on her, the bullets bouncing off of her skin. She spat a few of them out and made a face. They tasted nasty.


    The men spread out and kept firing at her as she ripped her way out of the car. She didn''t bother attacking them. They already lost. From above, Snowdawn came crashing down, sending out a wave of snow that smothered itself over most of the men and shoved them to the ground. "Nice try Wandering Coin!" Snowdawn announced loudly. "You guys are already on thin ice, we''re not letting you get away with all this money! Thin ice? Eh? Get it? Ice pun-"


    A red blur flew past Snowdawn as Battery zipped forward with inhuman speed and left all the men; he touched and knocked out with simple takedown moves. One of the grunts turned and tried to run away but suddenly stopped when Whisper appeared in front of him and jammed her taser into his neck. The roof of the van dented a bit as Myth suddenly crashed down from above, turning his flight form off. He looked down at the dozen or so Wandering Coin members that had been piled in the truck moments ago.


    "Good work. That''s our third group tonight." The leader of Pantheon grunted out. "Looks like they''re getting bolder."


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you called a meeting, Myth.¡± Cinder said, plopping down on the body of one of the snow-trapped men. School had just ended when she got the call¡ªdue to the incident with the student, class had once again been canceled. All Pantheon members were to meet at their base. Myth had quickly gotten them to go out in the field dressed in their costumes, where they had spent most of the night stopping the many members of the Wandering Coin.


    ¡°I have been busy dealing with things,¡± Myth said, waving off her comment. ¡°Zoo and Bad Timers have pretty much vanished since last month. Even their non-powered grunts aren¡¯t making any moves. The Wandering Coin is another matter.¡±


    ¡°We need to stop them!¡± She declared. From what Max Lightning and Jack had told her, the Lord of Life was likely either the leader of the Wandering Coin or in the possession of the leader. The sooner she got her hands on that Lord, the sooner she could make them heal her father.


    ¡°And we will,¡± Whisper said, patting her shoulder. ¡°But we have some things we need to go over first."


    ¡°Like what?¡± Snowdawn asked. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to it, right? We just keep taking their bases down and stop them when they pop up like this." He kicked out with his foot, nudging the head of one of the men Battery had knocked out.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy.¡± Myth sighed. ¡°For one, the Hero Branch doesn¡¯t exactly like me, and since I¡¯m running a group, that leads to them not liking Pantheon. On top of that, we¡¯ve been requested to stop what we''re doing by Ms. Laps.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± She never heard of that name before, but the way Thaddeus said it, she was guessing this ¡®Laps¡¯ person was important.


    Battery shuddered a bit and folded his arms. ¡°She¡¯s someone you don¡¯t want to get on the bad side of. All ten main cities in the world have their own Enforcer member. Ours has Old Dog. Each Enforcer member also has their own team. Old Dog leads Watch Dogs. Every city also has its own Sub Enforcers. All of these are managed by the Hero Branch. In total, there are eighteen official hero teams. Victorian doesn¡¯t have a team that she leads, and both Rose and Lillian don''t have the Sub Enforcers either. So, eight Sub Enforcers, and nine adult hero teams, plus the Enforcers. Because of how many there are and how split they are, each city has its own Hero Branch. Oleander¡¯s Branch is led by Laps.¡±


    ¡°So, she¡¯s a real big deal then?¡± She asked, frowning.


    "Should we be talking about this in front of those guys?" Snowdawn pointed a thumb down toward the knocked-out men. Battery waved his hand and created a thick golden box around them that would trap any noise they made inside, stopping the men who weren''t actually knocked out from hearing what they were saying. "That''s better." The snow-based hero said, leaning back against the wall of the golden box. ¡°There are more than eighteen hero teams. There might only be eighteen Hero Branch teams, but other teams like Pantheon or the Pallet Boys exist. If you become a Sub Enforcer and then finish your training, you either go on to join the team of your city, become a solo hero, or join an indie team. Solo and indie teams aren¡¯t sponsored by the Hero Branch, so we don¡¯t have to listen to them.¡±


    ¡°In a way, you¡¯re right.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t officially work for them, so they can only suggest things. That said, we still heavily rely on them. It¡¯s sort of like being in the Navy and being ordered around by the Air Force. We don¡¯t want to make her mad if we can help it.¡±


    ¡°Why is she doing all this in the first place?¡± She muttered. ¡°We¡¯re trying to help people.¡±


    ¡°She said she wished to review our team before we go into action.¡± The leader of Pantheon shrugged. ¡°That said, I am not too keen on fully listening if I can help it. Especially not now. Recently, indie teams have been going missing¡ªspecifically tech-based teams. No one has seen the Pallet Boys in over a month. Money Tree recently came to me with an idea, and it will require more hands. Because of this, I¡¯ve agreed to loan you guys to him. You¡¯ll all temporarily be seen as Sub Enforcer members acting under his care starting tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I ended up joining the Sub Enforcers after all.¡± She mused. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll get to see Poseidon or Paragon again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Whisper said, folding her arms. ¡°There¡¯s more news, too. You see. Myth and I are going on a honeymoon!¡±


    The man in question shook his head when he saw the shocked look on the kids'' faces. ¡°She¡¯s joking.¡±


    ¡°I am not. We¡¯re going to a nice resort-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re heading to the Watch Dogs base?¡± Battery asked, cutting the woman off.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think he can see Paths too,¡± Whisper mumbled.


    ¡°That we are.¡± Myth nodded towards Jack. ¡°I will be taking Whisper with me and won¡¯t be joining you. The Hero Branch made it clear they don¡¯t want me in the Sub Enforcers ever again, so it¡¯ll be for the best if you aren¡¯t seen with me. I plan on having a nice long talk about why the Watch Dogs haven¡¯t been present in several incidents.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯re working with the Wandering Coin?¡± Battery questioned.


    ¡°I hope not.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Hope.¡± Whisper piped up. ¡°When are we going to discuss what her being a Lord means?¡±


    She felt her blood run cold for a second, and she shot a look towards Mr. Larison, who drew his lips into a thin line. She didn¡¯t get the chance to speak, though, as laughter burst through the golden box. Snowdawn threw his head back and clapped Whisper on the back, shaking the girl. ¡°Yeah. Good one. Man, I believed it for a second. God, can you imagine?¡±


    ¡°Um, Armin.¡± She winced and rubbed at the back of her neck. ¡°I¡¯m the Lord of the Sun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m the Lord of the Sea-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Armin.¡± She stood up, and for a moment, fire seemed to burst off of her, her hair glowing with a golden light. ¡°I am the current Lord of the Sun. I found out recently.¡±


    Snowdawn stood there, rooted to the spot. His eyes were wide, and she could tell he was trying to process that. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re giving out secrets.¡± Whisper threw her arms behind her head casually. ¡°I¡¯m the Victorian¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Armin threw his arms up. ¡°Is there anything else we should know about?¡±


    Thaddeus gave an awkward shrug. ¡°The reason the Hero Branch doesn¡¯t like me is because I killed a member of the Enforcers two years ago.¡±


    Armin blinked a few times, and even Jack looked a little surprised at that. Armin slowly sat down, his mind barely hanging on. ¡°Wait. Am I the only normal person on this team? Mr. Larison?"


    "Don''t look at me, I used to be a bad guy, nothing normal about me."


    "What!"


    ***


    Present day...


    Snowdawn stared at Cinder as she spoke. He usually didn¡¯t feel cold. Not since he got his powers about a year ago. In that moment, as she spoke, though, he could feel a chill crawling up his spine. She was basically about to out herself as a Lord to BB and Money Tree.


    Myth had made it clear what could happen if the Enforcers found out they had a Lord. Hope was getting stronger every day, but she was still far weaker than most of the big villains out there. Those guys getting their hands on her would be bad. The Enforcers would never let that happen, even if it meant eliminating the girl¡¯s humanity. On top of that, the Hero Branch already didn¡¯t like Myth. All it would take is this slipping out, and he¡¯d be screwed as well.


    What was she thinking?


    ¡°Um, Cinder, I think we should just call this here-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Cinder shook her head. ¡°My father doesn¡¯t have a lot of time left. I want to take down the Wandering Coin and save him. This is the best bet we have.¡± She looked at Money Tree, and she could feel fire pumping through her veins. ¡°There¡¯s something you should know about me, sir. Myth wanted it to be kept a secret, but I think it¡¯s important, you know.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Money Tree folded his arms and frowned.


    ¡°The thing is.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t actually have fire-based powers.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an energy absorber like Battery! Yeah, that¡¯s it! And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen how close his energy is to the Victorian¡¯s right. Well, she¡¯s the daughter of Full Monarch, so her energy would have to be from the power she got from her dad, and Battery can mimic that energy, and I can mimic his, so if you think about it in a weird way, I sort of have a fraction, of a fraction, of a Lord right! So I mean, maybe we can open the door!¡±


    Snowdawn stood there frozen. Money Tree took a second to recover. He rubbed his chin, seemingly processing her words. ¡°So you say you absorb energy, huh? I guess it¡¯s possible to convert that to fire. I¡¯ve always wondered about Battery. His energy is almost the exact same as the Victorian¡¯s at times. When I first saw your powers, I actually thought you were maybe the daughter of Demonica or something to tell you the truth.¡±


    ¡°You thought I was the daughter of a villain?¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I thought you were about to reveal you were one of the Lords.¡± BB snorted. ¡°That would have been cool. I guess it wouldn¡¯t have made any sense, though. You just have fire. Full Monarch could do a ton more and was able to fly and mess with matter and other stuff.¡±


    She shrugged sheepishly. "Well, either way, we should at least try and give it a shot, right? I mean, it might not work, but if there is even a chance I could use my energy to open the door, then what are we waiting for?¡±


    Money Tree just shrugged once more. ¡°Alright. Well, it¡¯s at least worth a shot. I¡¯ll try to keep this a bit under wraps for Myth, but in the future, be careful who you talk to about stuff like this.¡±


    ¡°You got it, sir. I just felt you should know since you¡¯re my boss, currently.¡± She chuckled sheepishly.


    Snowdawn let out a sigh of relief and lightly nudged Cinder. Hope was seriously going to give him a heart attack. He already had to look out for her because of how reckless she was. Her being the freaking Lord of the Sun just made it all a billion times worse now. She shot him a look and smiled. It was the sort of look that told him she had no idea what she was doing and was simply flying by the seat of her pants.


    He wasn¡¯t just the only average person in Pantheon. He was starting to suspect he was the only ordinary hero in the whole city.


    BB glanced down at her hand and then looked back up toward the boat in question. She could already picture the door in her mind¡ªthe gate to a pocket world. ¡°So, if we¡¯re really going to do this, then I have to ask Cinder. Any idea how this is going to work?¡±


    Cinder placed her hands on her hips and gave a large grin. ¡°Not a clue!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re useless. I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t our Lord.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± She folded her arms and shrugged. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯ll figure it out. You ready, BB?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    Both girls moved into the boat. Money Tree watched them both with folded arms. He still partially doubted the story he had been given. It was all a little too convenient. There was one way to tell for sure, though.


    BB stood in front of the door awkwardly. Hesitantly, she held her arms out, frowning a bit. ¡°So, should I do anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really not sure. We¡¯re just spitballing here. Try to create some wind, though, and I¡¯ll see about powering you or it up.¡± She shrugged.


    BB nodded and held her hands out. Gradually, the wind started to bend and twist in her hands. It took shape, forming into a perfect sphere of swirling air. The sphere bubbled and twisted every now and then, and it was a struggle for her to force it to keep its shape, but she managed. Then it became Cinder¡¯s turn.


    Slowly, Cinder brought her own hand up. She stood behind BB and gently placed her hands on the girl¡¯s back. She could feel her power begin to surge up, but she halted it. The thing was always wild and crazy, like an inferno. She didn¡¯t need that, though. Instead, she pictured two things. The first was the Victorian. She had seen the golden woman let her light out as an aura. This same aura had saved her mom¡¯s life during the bank incident so long ago¡ªthat healing effect. The second thing she thought of was Mr. Larison. She had felt his aura of healing firsthand.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She healed faster than others. She had a faint healing factor. That¡¯s what she targeted. She felt it, and she forced it to the front. Her next thought was Polaron. The sword she had created that killed him was her next goal. Pushing that wild, untamed power to take shape. She did that once more, but instead of a sword, she tried to imagine it taking shape into the healing effect, and instead of her firepower, she focused on the energy itself. Then she flared her power up.


    ¡°My eyes!¡± Money Tree hissed a bit and looked away as a bright flash came from her hands. She had done that on purpose so he wouldn¡¯t see the change. BB¡¯s back was turned to her, so the only one able to look at her was Snowdawn. She felt her power grow and expand, and she tapped into it. The same feeling she had when fought Intake, or Polaron. The same heat that bubbled up in her veins when her eyes had seen a baby Full Monarch.


    Her hair became the color of the sun, and the red fire in her eyes grew stronger. Her skin lit up, and it wasn¡¯t fire that came out. It was a tiny orange spark. She directed it and felt the flow of the power begin to leave her, and it started to quickly climb over BB. The girl became cloaked in orange light, and the orb of wind BB held started to crackle with the same orange glow she had shown seconds earlier. BB could feel a surge of power through her¡ªmore power than she had ever felt before.


    ¡°Holy cow,¡± BB said with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re as old as me, and you¡¯re this strong!¡±


    ¡°No talking,¡± She said, gritting her teeth. ¡°Can¡¯t do this for long.¡± Already she could feel the blonde in her hair fading back to black, and it would only take Money Tree a few more seconds for his eyes to recover. ¡°Do it now!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± BB brought the orb up, and it began to unfold and expand. The energy lashed out and began to slice up the wall of the ship and spill out wildly in all directions. Money Tree flicked his hand, and a wall of cash rose in front of him and Snowdawn just in time as he opened his eyes. BB tried to force the power forward towards the door and watched as the wood caught fire. Despite that though, she felt something. ¡°I think you were on to something, Cinder.¡±


    BB could feel her wind as if it were a limb. She had never given it much thought before, but this was different. The wind was sharper and developed as if it were something the universe had never seen before. This new air, whatever it was, had spotted something. Something unseen by all save for a select few.


    BB slowly brought her hands to the door. The door broke apart, and she saw the closet on the other side but ignored it. Instead, she placed her hand where the door had been. Her fingers grabbed nothing, yet she pulled. The wind howled, the fire screamed, and space began to rip and tear as her fingers sunk into a surface in midair.


    A large tear appeared where the door had been. Black energy seeped from it, and as she pulled it, it got larger and larger until it took the shape of the door. No longer did they see the closet. Instead, now they saw grass and a paved road leading somewhere. They were now glimpsing into another world.


    Cinder dropped back, the light fading out, as she began to breathe heavily. ¡°I... I think I¡¯m sticking with fire. Holy crap, that felt weird and was super draining.¡± She groaned. Her hair and eyes had changed back as well, and she felt super dizzy.


    BB grunted as the girl felt the door start to forcefully close. The hero¡¯s arms struggled to keep it open, and her wind was no longer able to affect it, just barely keeping it held still. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep this open for much longer. Game plan?¡±


    Money Tree rubbed his chin, thoughts coursing through his mind. The door was open. Past it was the base of the Wandering Coin. The power they had could be anything. This wasn¡¯t a mere warehouse; it was a realm they had taken over. That said, if they left now, the door would surely close, and if the Wandering Coin didn¡¯t know about them before, they would now. The realm would shift and move somewhere else. It was only a matter of time. Likely as soon as this door closed, that meant no time to wait for backup.


    He glanced at Snowdawn, then at Cinder, and finally at BB, who struggled to hold the door. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve decided on what we¡¯re going to do.¡±


    ***


    Whisper wasn¡¯t very strong. He had known her growing up. His father had been on good terms with Ocean Empress, so growing up, he often was forced to see the kids she took care of. Namely Wyvern, Whisper, Poseidon, and Paragon. Because of this, Whisper had been one of his first picks for joining his team.


    He knew her power better than almost anyone else. Given the worst of both worlds, she had been born with a body far too frail, not receiving the gift of the sun. Given only minor light control, unable to create her own or use the power of emotions, it was all made worse by the relatively weak clan power she did get blessed with from her father. The Paths were mighty if used in the right hand, but it didn¡¯t matter how good your future sight was in the face of someone who defied the laws of fate.


    This was all to say that in an all-out battle, she wasn¡¯t exactly the strongest member of their team. In a way, he sort of regretted not bringing someone like Snowdawn or Battery.


    Myth felt his body take shape and transform as he powered up. He turned into his bull form and let out a loud roar. An equally powerful roar challenged him back, the eyes in the woods narrowing. Snow rained down, and he began to pound at his chest, trees being ripped away as the thing came crashing towards him.


    That was when he was suddenly nailed in the head by something. ¡°Ow!¡± He groaned, dropping down. He stared at what hit him. It was a long wooden stick. ¡°What the hell-¡±


    The thing jumped out of the woods, bounding toward him. The moonlight shone down from above, allowing him to make it out. Whisper snorted before suddenly breaking out into full-blown laughter. The mighty beast, as it turned out, was kind of cute. It was a golden retriever. One the size of a bus, but still a golden retriever. The animal barked, and before Myth could move, it was on him, licking his face and grabbing the stick that had smacked him.


    It wasn¡¯t the only one, either. A German shepherd the size of a car stalked out to see what all the noise was about, followed shortly by a Beagle the size of a lion. He wasn¡¯t the only one ¡®attacked¡¯ by the dogs either. Whisper felt herself be tackled to the ground by a swarm of people-sized pugs.


    ¡°Oh my God, I love it here.¡± She cheered, wrapping her arms around the dogs. ¡°Myth, can we make this our new base?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Myth shimmered and changed into his lion form, letting out a loud roar and hiss that caused all the dogs to let out yelps and back away. He was always a cat person. ¡°Watch Dogs!¡± He roared to the sky above, screaming so loudly the entire island shook. ¡°Get over here! Now!¡±


    Just like that, the music suddenly cut out. All the dogs backed away and began to circle them from a distance. Myth¡¯s fur stood on its end as he eyed the animals up. They began to hear muttering as something began to approach. A whistle caused all the dogs to stop circling them and run back towards the woods as someone finally stepped out.


    ¡°That you, Myth? I haven¡¯t seen you in a bit.¡± It was an older man around his late thirties or early forties. He was clean-shaven, and his black hair was neatly combed down. He wore a white martial arts gi, dozens of belts tied around it, and a headband was pulled down, covering his eyes. In one hand, he held a long wooden cane, which he used as a walking stick. A goofy grin was on the man¡¯s face, and he pointed the stick towards the lion. ¡°You should have called first. We¡¯d have saved you some stuff for the party.¡±


    ¡°Backup.¡± Myth spoke softly, staring at the hero. ¡°You¡¯re the hero, Backup, right?¡±


    ¡°That I am.¡± The man announced, twirling his staff. ¡°The brave and handsome master of martial arts. A hero that will rise to any challenge no matter how many times he is beaten. I am the epic and truly amazing Backup!¡± He pointed to the sky and gave an even larger grin.


    Whisper giggled a bit. She was glad she and Myth came in full costume because her mask hid how much she was rolling her eyes. ¡°These are the people you want to ask for help from, Myth?¡±


    ¡°Not all of my plans are well thought out.¡± Myth frowned as he looked at the hero. ¡°I need to speak with the leader of the Watch Dogs.¡±


    ¡°Our leader?¡± Backup hummed and rubbed at his chin. ¡°Well, Old Dog hasn¡¯t been here in nearly eight months. Too busy dying. I guess that would make Bad Wolf our current boss. You want to talk to her?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that, yes.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°You said save some stuff for the party. What did you mean by that?¡±


    Backup pointed his staff down into the woods. ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow me and come take a look?¡± He smirked.


    Slowly, Myth¡¯s body shrunk back down to his human form, and he gave a faint nod. He followed Backup, walking close behind the man. Whisper walked next to him, her eyes darting around at the many different Paths that were forming, ready to hide at even the slightest hint of danger. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with all the dogs?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of the villain known as Red Ape?¡± Their groans caused Backup to snicker. ¡°I¡¯ll assume that¡¯s a yes. To sum it up, he mutates and turns animals into monsters. A lot of these poor creatures can¡¯t be fully changed back. Whenever a dog is infected, we often claim it, and thanks to one of our members, we can kill off most of the power inside of it, though it often is stuck in whatever size its body was twisted into. We really like dogs, so it thankfully works out.¡±


    There didn¡¯t seem to really be a path through the woods, but Backup walked with experience, taking every turn he should. Soon, the woods began to open up, and they stepped out. That was when they finally saw the Watch Dogs base.


    It was a freaking beach resort.


    The land was all artificial. The island they were on was made of solid ice but had various soils and other things forced onto it. The sky was fake here, a constant stream of snow ever present¡ªall but this part. There was a perfect hole cut out right above their base, and despite the fact it was night, sunlight streamed down, lighting it up. Instead of grass, there was sand, and it was suddenly very warm, as if it were the summertime. There was a metal fence around the place, but it was small enough that Backup just hopped it. A large motel-looking building stood up ahead, and next to that was a massive outdoor swimming pool. Dozens of tables were scattered around.


    Dogs swam in the pool, seeming to have the time of their lives, and a constant stream of bubbles rained down. The music was back on, some wild rock and roll theme, and the sounds of children giggling were ever-present. Scattered around the pool area and running back and forth on the beach were dozens of kids. As Whisper got a closer look, though, she realized something. Every child was dressed the exact same, that being a simple black bodysuit. They all also had on the same black domino mask; all of them had blonde hair tied back into a ponytail; they all had the same green eyes; and they all looked about thirteen years old.


    ¡°That¡¯s Duplicity.¡± Backup said when he saw their confused look. ¡°Yo Dup, get over here. We got guests.¡±


    The giggling girls all stopped and seemed to turn to look at them. It was a bit creepy seeing so many eyes on them. Several of the girls glowed with a faint blue light and then simply vanished from sight until, finally, there was just one girl left who ran over towards them. "Oh, hey, I know you.¡± The little girl said, poking at Whisper¡¯s stomach. ¡°You¡¯re the Victorian¡¯s daughter, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? I thought Watch Dogs were just adults.¡± She whispered to Backup.


    ¡°She is an adult.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Wait, what?¡± Supers typically didn''t have longer life spans than humans typically. Some did, but it was very rare. Despite living as long as your average human, though, Supers did stay youthful for a lot longer. This mainly happened to Supers with enhanced bodies. They would seem to stop aging around the time they hit their thirties or forties and would maintain their peak bodies until around their eighties or nineties, when the age would suddenly catch up with them. It was how someone like Old Dog had been a hero for so long. Seeing a Super who didn¡¯t look their age wasn¡¯t really that odd, but a Super who had seemingly had their aging paused in their youth was a new one for her. ¡°What are her powers?¡±


    Backup ignored her question and lightly poked the very young-looking adult with his stick. ¡°Hey, Dup, they want to speak with Bad Wolf. Is she still up on the roof?¡±


    ¡°Last I saw, yeah.¡± Duplicity said, throwing her arms behind her head. She glowed a second, and a copy of her suddenly appeared. ¡°I saw her there last, too.¡± The clone said unhelpfully.


    ¡°And Roulette? Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Near the ramp!¡± The girl announced.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Backup gave a grin and waved for the two Pantheon members to follow. Finding the entire situation to be a bit strange, they slowly did. They moved past the pool and towards the back, where the sound of music grew stronger. ¡°We all pulled straws to see who would come and have to deal with whoever was screaming.¡± Backup explained. ¡°I sadly drew the short end. Usually, we all just sort of hang out here and do our own thing away from the others.¡±


    ¡°How many are there?¡± Whisper questioned.


    ¡°Four, not counting Old Dog.¡± Myth spoke up. ¡°That is unless you guys recruited more members.¡±


    ¡°No. Sadly, we didn¡¯t.¡± Backup¡¯s smile seemed to fade for a second, but it came back twice as strong seconds later. ¡°We lost a lot of our bigger members in the Calamity attack two years ago. That¡¯s okay because we¡¯re still strong even with just the four of us. Bad Wolf will make sure we don¡¯t lose.¡±


    When they finished walking around the resort, they saw the third member of the strange team. This part of the beach was more closed off, a large wooden stage having been put up where someone could do a concert. The stage shimmered blue, and a hologram stood rather than an actual person.


    Pretty Face was a hero she had seen a bit of in her time. He was often featured in magazines and posters, ranking him in the top five hottest male heroes every year. He was apparently really handsome. On stage, his hologram wasn¡¯t doing him any favors. It flickered in and out and was blurry, making it hard to make out any true appearance. It danced on the stage singing, though the volume was turned up so high it hurt her ears, and the deafening sound of rock music drowned most of the lyrics out.


    In front of the stage, sitting in a front row seat, an older man rested. He was old. Sixties or seventies, for sure, which was saying something since again, Supers tended to stay younger for longer. His hair was balding, and he wore a little cap to cover it. His outfit was a strange mix of black and white, like a zebra or maybe a mime. He wore dark black pants, and strapped to his side was a revolver of some sort. In his hands, which he used as a walking cane, he held a long, very old-looking rifle.


    ¡°YO ROULETTE!¡± Backup screamed as loud as he could. ¡°TURN IT DOWN! WE GOT GUESTS!¡±


    The old man reached into his robes and pulled out a remote. He clicked a button, and the music suddenly stopped. Whisper rubbed at her head. She¡¯d have to remember to ask Paragon to heal any damaged hearing she just took when the girl was back up on her feet.


    The old hero swirled in a chair to look at them. He gripped his rifle by its butt and held it face down towards the sand. Jamming it into the ground, he used it to raise himself up to a standing position. He didn¡¯t wear a mask, and his eyes were sunken and hollow as he took slow steps towards them. ¡°Backup.¡± He raised his gun up and smashed it down onto the hero¡¯s head. ¡°What have I said about bringing guests?¡±


    ¡°Ow! Cut it out, Roulette.¡± Backup winced and rubbed at his skull. ¡°They said they needed to speak to Bad Wolf. It¡¯s important, I guess.¡± Roulette ignored him and swung his rifle again, but it was suddenly deflected by Backup when the man raised his left arm up. The sleeve of his gi tore, and suddenly, a round brass shield formed on his wrist, easily blocking the swing. ¡°Seriously, old man.¡±


    Roulette muttered several choice words under his breath and turned to take a closer look at Myth and Whisper. His eyes roamed up and down. ¡°You¡¯re Myth.¡± His gaze narrowed, and Myth found himself taking a step back.


    Whisper shot her friend a look. ¡°His Paths are a mess.¡± She said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at a Lord or something. His future is constantly shifting. This old guy isn¡¯t anything to be messed with.¡±


    Myth folded his arms and tried to stand up straighter. Roulette had been a member of the Watch Dogs since the time it was first created by Old Dog. That said, no one really knew the full extent of his powers. Roulette was the type of guy you only sent against villains you didn¡¯t want to take to prison. In other words, his job wasn¡¯t to save people but rather to execute evil. In this case, anything the Hero Branch viewed as evil. ¡°Mr. Roulette, I¡¯m Myth¡ªa former Sub Enforcer member. I¡¯ve come to discuss some personal matters with whoever is running this current team. I was told it was someone named ¡®Bad Wolf¡¯ by Backup.¡±


    The old man let out a grunt and slightly turned. He raised a shaky arm up towards the roof of the resort. Slowly, the ground beneath him began to crack and break. Metal began to rise from it. Or rather lead, as upon a closer look, Myth realized it was bullets. The bullets tore their way out of the floor and connected with one another, getting higher and higher. Soon, all the bullets took the shape of a large, curved ramp that connected to the roof of the resort and came all the way down in front of the man.


    ¡°You¡¯ll mind your tone around her,¡± Roulette instructed in a blunt tone. ¡°I expect you to help keep her in the cage if anything goes wrong, Backup.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Backup sighed and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± He turned to the two Pantheon members and gave a smirk. ¡°So, ready to meet our leader?¡±


    ¡°This is all super weird, but sure.¡± Whisper shrugged. Everything about this was setting off her powers. Duplicity had been hard to read, meaning the girl was strong enough to break Paths. Roulette was like a glitch, someone like Myth. Backup was actually able to be easily read. He didn¡¯t set off any alarms, which made her more concerned about him. So normal when surrounded by fatebreakers. As for whoever was on the roof...


    She couldn¡¯t see them yet, but the Paths were in an uproar. The Paths sort of looked like strings to her. Lines that wrapped around time. Above, she watched them whip back and forth like a tornado.


    ¡°You think you can fight someone from Watch Dogs?¡± She whispered.


    Myth shrugged. ¡°No clue. They¡¯re directly under OId Dog. He¡¯s one of the ¡®weakest¡¯ members of the Enforcers, but he¡¯s still an Enforcer at the end of the day. These guys are made to replace a member of the Enforcer if they¡¯re lost in battle. I don¡¯t have that honor, though part of that might be from the way the Branch does not like me...¡±


    They walked up the ramp, standing behind Backup. The bullets held strong beneath them. It was a little odd walking on them, but eventually they reached the top. The roof was surrounded by a clear glass dome. It went around the entire top of the building, and inside there were dozens of trees. It was like a mini forest. One that looked just like the forest around the island. Snow rained inside of the dome; a mini-cloud system had formed.


    ¡°Whoever this Bad Wolf is, she must be a weather manipulator or something, right?¡± Myth questioned. Clouds like these didn¡¯t usually form. ¡°Why is she in this ¡®cage,¡¯ as you put it? What did Roulette mean by ¡®keep her in¡¯? Just what¡¯s up with this team?¡±


    Backup was about to answer but stopped when he saw something. He looked into the glass cage and smirked. They followed his gaze and saw it. Something was crouched in the woods. A set of eyes peering at them from a large bush. ¡°Yo Bad Wolf-¡±


    They stood up, draped in a dirty brown cloak. Myth didn¡¯t even have time to think about transforming as the cloaked figure was already on them, crashing into the glass wall. They pulled their fist back, and then, in an instant, sharp claws stabbed through the glass, stopping inches away from Myth¡¯s eyes.


    Myth dropped back, falling back with shocked eyes. Backup had his arm raised, his shield appearing once more, and he used it to smack the stabbed-out claws. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Bad Wolf.¡± He stated. ¡°These guys came to talk to you.¡±


    The cloaked figure cocked their head to the side. They were almost fully covered head to toe, but what little bit of skin Whisper could see was covered in white fur. She felt a chill go up her spine as she gazed at the woman. ¡°You¡¯re one of the monsters that served under the Emperor!¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Four: Life Finds A Way

    When he was a young boy, he once tried to join the baseball team. There wasn¡¯t really a reason for why he wanted on the team. It was the popular thing at the time, and he was only twelve, so that felt like a good enough excuse. He didn¡¯t get on the team, though.


    He failed.


    He was born awkwardly small, and years of bullying had resulted in him becoming overweight at just twelve years of age. He wasn¡¯t athletic. Never had been the type. That experience had opened his eyes. Later that same day that he tried out for the baseball team, he went home and began working out for the first time.


    He ignored the bullying and focused solely on keeping up with his studies and improving himself. When the next year came around, baseball stopped being popular. Now, the new thing was football. He tried out, and of course, he made the team. Nearly four years later, he still played football. Could have even gone pro. Part of him still wished baseball was more popular, though.


    ¡°Something on your mind, kid?¡± The chief of police asked.


    Kevin was taken out of his thoughts by the voice. He turned slightly, and even in the dark they were seated in, he could still see the large man. Aarush Brenner was a formidable man with light-brown skin. He had moved here recently with his son, Kyle Brenner. Kevin still cringed when he recalled how he had almost beaten Kyle and Hope. Thankfully, the officer didn¡¯t know about that incident. He was muscular and strong, dressed in simple winter wear.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, sir. Just a bit lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive Mr. Buckle.¡± The mayor spoke. He still sported his pencil-thin stash and his neatly combed hair. Sunshine was what he preferred to be called when he was doing his ¡®job,¡¯ though Kevin really didn¡¯t like calling a grown man that. He was dressed in a typical suit and seemed casual despite what was happening. ¡°Buckle¡¯s body took well to the mutations and allowed him to shift into a Super, but his mind, however, was never meant for it. He can get a little-¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡± Kevin didn¡¯t growl; he was smart enough to know how bad it would be to bite the hand that was feeding him. Still, he put some force behind his voice. For a moment, the image of that Cinder girl came to his mind. He was sure of who she was. He had been barely conscious from a bat to the head, but he had made out enough to know that Hope Lauren had gained powers. Then, low and behold, he¡¯s suddenly saved by a female hero, around her age, that sounded exactly like her. A hero who was so strong that he knew at that moment no amount of training would ever allow him to keep up. ¡°I can handle it.¡± He sighed.


    He had to handle it.


    The mayor gave a faint nod. ¡°Very well.¡±


    They weren¡¯t in a room. Rather, they were all seated in a large limousine. The car in question drove around the city block at a slow pace. It was heavily armored, though it didn¡¯t look like it, and had blacked-out windows. He was seated in the back with the mayor and the chief of police. The two men had been quietly talking about how the Wandering Coin was growing.


    He wore his red robes. Long and flowing, they were awkward to move around in, but Sunshine insisted on it. The robes reminded him of the fact that he was basically in a cult. That in his quest for power, he had stepped a bit too far. The masks were worse. It covered his upper face and looked sort of like a skull. Two golden coins covered the sockets, and they made it impossible to see.


    At the front of the vehicle, his two siblings, if you could call them that, were seated. One drove the vehicle, and the other sat quietly in the passenger seat. They never really talked all that much. There were only three of them, and he was blessed to be one of them. No one else had been able to survive the drastic change their body had to undergo in order to become a Super. Only the three of them did. Maybe they were more driven; perhaps they really were unique and this was fate, or maybe it was utter dumb luck.


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°So, do you want to tell us where the others are?¡± A sly voice asked, causing Kevin to look up.


    Ahead of them, where he and the mayor were seated, two men were tied up in the next row. One of them was screaming his head off, though no matter how loud he yelled, it would never escape the car. His friend was gagged and made muffled screams as well. There had been three of them, but the third one had become a red puddle staining the floor of the limo.


    Between the two of them, ¡®she¡¯ rested. She was in the seat the third man had been in before he was reduced to a puddle. Her arms were around both men, and she had a grin on her lips. She wasn¡¯t dressed in the red robes like he was. She was very casually dressed in a black tank top and loose shorts. She had her legs folded, and her head was thrown back. Long white hair ran down her back, along with a set of stunning red eyes.


    ¡°W- We don¡¯t know where the boss is! It¡¯s the truth. They never tell us anything!¡± The man that wasn¡¯t gagged up spoke in a fearful tone. Both of the men were dressed for the streets. The only notable thing about them were the letters ¡®BT¡¯ carved onto a fine leather belt they wore.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably telling the truth,¡± Aarush spoke up, causing the girl between the two men to frown. ¡°Threatening them won¡¯t make them suddenly know where Polaron¡¯s warriors are hiding. Bad Timer¡¯s inner circle is only made up of monsters. Of course, since most beasts are driven mad by their powers or shatter their unstable bodies, they¡¯re forced to recruit random riff raff like these two, but those men are mostly used as random servants. I doubt they¡¯re kept in the loop.¡±


    ¡°T¡ªThat¡¯s true!¡± The goon said quickly. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Really.¡± The white-haired girl rolled her eyes. ¡°So, we picked them up for nothing?¡±


    ¡°Well, you said you were bored. I figure it would be a good way to kill time.¡± The mayor shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The girl let out a giggle and poked the side of the Bad Timer goon who had been speaking. Kevin turned his head just in time and squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn¡¯t able to cover his ears, though forced to hear the sickening ¡®pop¡¯ noise once more. When he finally turned back, the puddle of red on the floor had grown larger, and now only one Bad Timer goon remained. One who thrashed around and tried to scream through his gag. ¡°Still, it¡¯s no fun doing this to normal people.¡± The girl complained. ¡°It¡¯s way too easy to make their cells come undone.¡±


    ¡°Then stop doing it,¡± Aarush said in a deadpan voice. ¡°You¡¯re making a mess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± The girl huffed, fell back onto the open seat, and threw her legs over the third Bad Timer member. ¡°There¡¯s got to be something we can do, though. I never get to have fun. You¡¯re always making the boring no-names do everything.¡±


    A loud buzzing suddenly filled the limousine. The mayor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose when he checked his phone. ¡°Well, Wish, you might get to have some fun after all.¡±


    Wish sat up and raised an eyebrow, another sly grin on her lips. ¡°Go on?¡±


    ¡°A nearby base was attacked by some heroes.¡± The limo pulled to a stop. ¡°It isn¡¯t anything too important, but one of the heroes that attacked it is a tech-based hero. Metal Ronin. I assume you know what to do.¡± The girl was already out of the limo, giggling like a child as she headed toward the base in question. ¡°Kevin, go with her.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Yeah, okay, sir.¡± He slowly climbed out of the limo, and it quickly sped off, leaving him alone, left to follow after the Wandering Coin¡¯s biggest monster. He stared at Wish, who was practically skipping down the road. He glanced down at his hand and balled it into a fist.


    ***


    ¡°That bastard actually tried to blow this place up!¡± Metal Ronin yelled. ¡°Does he not care about his own people? They¡¯re trapped down here, too!¡±


    Wasp Nest had never feared cramped places, but as everything came crashing down around him, he was sure he just developed a new phobia. Gold shimmered out in all directions right as the explosion started. Battery had been fast, throwing his arms out and using his power.


    A sort of barrier-like thing covered the walls of the vault and the roof as everything shook.


    ¡°Get the knocked-out guys out of here.¡± Battery barked. He still held his arms up, threads of gold seeping from his fingers and forming his walls, as well as pillars of shimmering light, as he attempted to hold the place together for as long as he could.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Wasp Nest questioned. He didn¡¯t know Battery too well, but he also didn¡¯t want the older hero to pull some sort of sacrifice move and go out in a blaze of glory. He had seen enough heroes do the same exact thing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve had a whole lot of worse things try and crush me to death. I can take it. Just get these guys out of here.¡± The red hero ordered.


    Metal Ronin grabbed as many as he could hold. His suit allowed him to easily lift up nearly ten tons, so he had no issue throwing a bunch of the knocked-out Wandering Coin goons over his arm. Wasp Nest followed his lead.


    It wasn¡¯t just the outside of the vault they had to deal with. The crazy bastards had basically rigged their base to be completely buried beneath the city. The vault was built into a system of underground railroads that were no longer in use. Thankfully, they already knew the path they had to take, so they hurried their way to a hole in the wall they had carved out and were able to head up a set of stone stairs that led out of the underground, emerging through the entrance of an abandoned building.


    ¡°I feel so useless.¡± Wasp Nest growled. He didn¡¯t bother dropping the Wandering Coin grunts gently. He practically threw them onto the floor of the building and gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Not a whole lot we can do.¡± Metal Ronin sighed. ¡°My suit has its limits, and you are either a normal human or a bunch of bugs. Pretty sure an entire room collapsing in on itself is something neither of us can really handle.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Wasp Nest clenched his fist as his friend set down the small dozens of goons he had managed to get. ¡°I just feel so useless. This is just like the Calamity all over again.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on saving these guys, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡±


    They had to go back and make the same trip nearly five more times, dropping off more and more grunts each round they went into the vault. On each return trip down, they watched Battery¡¯s struggles grow worse and worse, larger cracks forming along and starting to seep out of the vault. The floor grew unstable and crooked, and it became hard to even properly walk straight down there.


    Still, though, they did start to make good progress carrying the grunts of the drug gang out. ¡°That¡¯s almost all of them. You radio Money Tree¡¯s team. I¡¯m going back in for the last few guys.¡± Metal Ronin yelled, heading back into the ruined tunnels.


    Wasp Nest tried to get in contact with his leader, but the signal never went through. Even if the man was busy fighting in another hidden base, the signal should have gone through, but it was as if the hero was no longer on Earth.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Wasp Nest felt his body separate, and he flew back down into the hole, catching up with Metal Ronin, who had just arrived back at the vault entrance. ¡°No use. Either the base they found has jammers, or they¡¯re in a pocket realm; I can¡¯t get in contact at all.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Seriously? Okay, we¡¯ll hurry over to where he told us to meet then.¡± Metal Ronin entered the vault. There were only three people left besides Battery, who was still managing to hold the entire building together. The walls had practically caved in, same for the roof, his barriers now sporting dozens of cracks as they held back an ocean of rubble that must have been well over a thousand tons. ¡°We¡¯re almost done, Battery. Are you going to be able to get out of here yourself?¡± Metal Ronin called out.


    Sweat poured down Battery¡¯s face, and his arms were shaking a bit as he gritted his teeth. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine. Said it already. Just get these three out. My heart feels like it¡¯s about to blow.¡±


    Wasp Nest grabbed one of the men, while Metal Ronin grabbed the last two. They raised them up and turned back towards the exit, about to leave. That was when they saw them. ¡°Uh oh. Looks like we¡¯ve got trouble.¡± Wasp Nest groaned. ¡°Why do they always show up at the worst time?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Battery grunted. When the blast had begun, he had his back to the vault. He was stuck like that now, facing away from everyone, unable to move due to the golden threads he was emitting out of his fingers.


    ¡°Two villains.¡± Metal Ronin explained. His arms were full with two of the people he held; same with Wasp Nest. This wasn¡¯t a very good place to be getting into a fight.


    Two figures stood in their way. The first wore an odd set of red robes, as well as a skull-like mask. The second was a young-looking girl, sixteen or seventeen at the most. If not for her strangely colored hair and eyes, she would have looked normal. She had a large grin on her face, and her eyes roamed over Metal Ronin, causing the tech-based hero to shiver a bit.


    ¡°We just need him, right? That¡¯s what Sunny said? So, I can do whatever I want with the others?¡± She asked, shooting a look towards her partner.


    The one in the red robes just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was told to just come babysit you. Do whatever you want, I guess. I¡¯ll just back you up-¡± He suddenly stopped speaking when he noticed the hero that stood in the back. He hadn¡¯t really taken notice of Wasp Nest or Metal Ronin. The one in red, however, caught his eye. ¡°You¡¯re Battery.¡± He trailed off, his thoughts going back to that damn warehouse that led him to the situation he was in.


    ¡°You know him?¡± The white-haired girl asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t hurt him. You can do whatever you want to the other one, though.¡± The red figure stated. ¡°Just please don¡¯t hurt the adult hero, okay?¡±


    Wasp Nest raised his arms up and shot his friend a look. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurt anyone. Look, this area is coming down. We have some of your friends. You guys are with the Wandering Coin, right? Battery can¡¯t hold this place together for much longer. Let us at least get these people out of here.¡±


    The girl rubbed her chin as if she were thinking about it. Then she grinned and pointed at him. ¡°Nah.¡± Wasp Nest barely had time to scatter. His body exploded into a hail of bugs just in time. Something fired out of the girl¡¯s finger and went through where his head had been. The body he held collapsed to the ground, and he flew away, reforming himself closer to Battery. ¡°Oh wow, you can scatter your body like me!¡± The girl said excitedly.


    ¡°Like you?¡± His eyes widened when he saw her hand. The one she had pointed at him with. It was missing a finger. She had fired her- Wasp Nest felt a surge of pain, and he yelled as he collapsed. He stared down at his leg and felt sick at what he saw. Her finger had jammed into his ankle, stabbing it like it was some sort of bullet.


    ¡°Wasp!¡± Metal Ronin dropped the two bodies he was holding and lifted his arm. The wrist slid open, the barrel of a long gun folding out. Energy began to emit from the barrel as he got ready to fire a beam cannon. It never had time to aim, though. The goon in red threw his arm out, and a sick crack echoed through the vault. The villain¡¯s arm grew in size, stretching out across the room and reaching Metal Ronin. It grabbed his wrist, forcing his arm to point up just in time.


    The energy fired out toward the roof and away from everyone. Battery twitched his finger, and the barrier around the roof glowed, and a shape suddenly grew out of it, forming into a curved tube-like state. The beam of energy reached the tube, and the thing twisted around, pointing down towards the direction of the bad guys, the tube opening and firing the beam right at them.


    The cloaked figure pulled his arm back and jumped away. The girl, on the other hand, didn¡¯t move fast enough. The energy sliced through the air, slicing out wildly, and in a single heartbeat, her head was severed from her body. Silence echoed through the room, followed shortly by the sound of her body hitting the floor with a sickening plop sound, and then seconds later, her head rolled off her body.


    Metal Ronin felt his blood run cold as he turned the laser off. ¡°She didn¡¯t have any enhanced durability. I- I just- I thought her body would be durable, but it cut right through her-¡± He grabbed his arm, the barrel pulling back in as he stumbled back.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Wasp Nest yelled. ¡°You had no way of knowing. Don¡¯t let your guard down. There¡¯s still a second one.¡± He tried to break away into wasps, but it didn¡¯t work. The pain in his foot grew worse, and he couldn¡¯t feel his leg. His power was refusing to obey him, denying him. He was stuck in place next to Battery.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Battery yelled. ¡°Besides, I was the one that caused it to hit her. Blame it on me. We can tell the Branch I did it later; right now, you need to focus, Metal Ronin! It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Metal Ronin shook his head and glared at the remaining villain. ¡°Look. Just give up. You¡¯re outnumbered, okay?¡±


    The figure in red shrugged. ¡°I mean, it is three on two, but I¡¯m not too scared. You¡¯re like the Pallet Boys. I took down both of them by myself.¡±


    ¡°Took them down?¡± Metal Ronin felt his blood begin to boil, and he took a step forward. ¡°So, it was you!¡± He screamed, and his leg opened up, allowing him to draw his weapon. ¡°You¡¯re why the Wandering Coin has their armor! I swear if anything happened to them, I¡¯ll-¡±


    As he passed by the corpse of the woman, it suddenly sprung up, throwing its leg out toward him. The leg smashed into him with so much force it cracked and dented his armor, breaking several of his ribs. He was sent flying back so fast he was sure his spine would have snapped in two when he crashed into the wall. Thankfully Battery was quick and caused the barrier Metal Ronin was about to hit to change into the shape of a massive pillow that cushioned the fall.


    ¡°Ha! That trick never gets old.¡± The girl chuckled, her severed head giggling. The body began to pick itself up and grabbed her head, pulling it back onto the neck. Tendrils pulled it together, and a wave of steam blew off of the cut as her head reattached itself and the damage healed. Even her hand regrew its finger. ¡°Did you see his shocked face, Kevin?¡± She clapped her hands, and her grin grew larger.


    ¡°Uh, no, I didn¡¯t,¡± Kevin said sheepishly. ¡°He¡¯s wearing a helmet.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I guess you don¡¯t have X-ray vision like me.¡± She noted. ¡°Well, the look on his face was funny. They¡¯re always so off guard when they see me do stuff like that.¡± Metal Ronin slid off of the barrier and collapsed to his knees. He was making a horrible coughing sound, and blood trailed out of his helmet. He didn¡¯t look too good.


    ¡°Her head reattached.¡± Wasp Nest said in horror.


    Battery gritted his teeth, still not seeing the battle. ¡°Damn it. Listen Wasp. My belt has a phone in it. I need you to call a number listed as Sword-man. Tell the guy who answers that the Giant needs his sword.¡±


    ¡°What-¡±


    ¡°Just do it!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± The woman giggled, and her legs suddenly twisted and changed. They grew longer and curved slightly like a grasshopper¡¯s. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± She literally jumped forward, blasting through the air. Battery¡¯s back glowed, and a wave of golden chains suddenly fired from it, stabbing throughout the room. Both Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin were either next to him or in front of him, so he was free to go wild in the direction he wasn¡¯t facing.


    Kevin¡¯s body twisted and seemed to literally go flat as he dropped to the floor like a piece of paper, all the chains passing him. The girl, however, was ripped apart and impaled by them. She didn¡¯t let that stop her, though, as she reached for her head and ripped it off. Next, she threw her severed head as hard as she could through the air. It opened its mouth wide, and its teeth grew massive, forming into blades.


    Metal Ronin¡¯s suit managed to move, and it fired another beam of energy, blowing the head to pieces. It seemed he got over his guilt fairly quickly once he realized just how dangerous of a threat these two were. Not missing a beat, Battery¡¯s chains suddenly ignited and began to wrap around the headless body. It squeezed down as golden flames poured off of them, and the body was consumed, burning away to ash. The parts of the head also caught on fire, and soon, the woman was nothing more than dust.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see her recover from that.¡± Wasp Nest said, feeling a little sick at his stomach. He was pretty sure they really did just kill someone.


    Kevin¡¯s body twisted and morphed, becoming a weird worm-like shape, and it quickly slithered toward them. It was forced to dodge when blades erupted from the chain. The villain¡¯s body twisted in bizarre ways, and slowly, he pulled himself back up to his standard form. ¡°Look. I¡¯ll make this quick now that Wish is gone. You two are part of Oxide¡¯s team, right? I¡¯d rather not hurt you, but I was told to come get that suit. So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.¡±


    ¡°You say that now that you¡¯re all alone.¡± Wasp Nest smirked. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t stand, Metal Ronin is back on his feet. He can easily beat you. Plus, Battery here is basically a mini version of the Victorian. I¡¯d be scared if I were you.¡±


    Kevin rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Alone? What are you talking about? Wish already ensured we would win the moment she hit you.¡±


    ¡°Huh-¡± Utter hell. That was the only way Wasp Nest could describe what he felt. He screamed out as he was assaulted by white-hot pain. All of it came from his foot, and in an instant, the side of it seemed to literally explode. There was still one piece of Wish left after all. His entire right foot was utterly gone as the finger that had impaled it regrew into the girl. Her clothing was completely gone, and she managed to give a wide grin, her palm easily pierced through Wasp Nest¡¯s stomach and came out his back as she casually impaled the shocked boy, whose powers still weren¡¯t working.


    ¡°No!¡± Metal Ronin screamed and jumped to his feet, but the girl waved her arm at him, the entire limb firing off of her body. The fist smashed into his helmet hard enough to shatter it. His face was revealed, blood trailing down as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he dropped.


    The arm pulled itself back through the air and reattached to Wish¡¯s body, and with her other arm, the one she had in Wasp Nest¡¯s gut, she pulled it out, and the hero collapsed to the floor, gurgling. The blood on her hands flowed off as if it were alive, rushing off of her flesh and leaving her spotless as she stood up fully and finally allowed Battery to see her.


    His eyes traced her body, and instantly, two people came to his mind. ¡°I guess it was only a matter of time before I saw you again.¡± The first person was Sky. This girl was the spitting image of Paragon. If her hair color and eye color were different, he might have even thought he was staring at the blind girl. The other person she looked like was someone he had known long ago. The Princess of Life. One of the four warriors in the Emperor¡¯s army. Just younger. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on.¡± The girl giggled and placed her hands on her hips, looking Battery up and down. ¡°I would have thought you, of all people, would recognize me.¡±


    ¡°Princess of Life died. You aren¡¯t her. That would make who you are obvious. You¡¯re the Lord of Life. And if you¡¯re here, then it means the Emperor is dead.¡±


    ¡°The Doc was right. You do know a lot.¡± The girl snickered. ¡°Hey Kevin, I know I told you I would let this one live, but I think it would be more fun if I made his insides pop.¡± She reached down and placed her hand on his stomach, giving the hero a wide grin. ¡°I am the current Lord of Life, born anew after the Emperor died at the hands of Full Monarch. As for why I look like this¡­ It¡¯s a little complicated. You wanted it to be Sky, didn¡¯t you? You assumed that because she was the daughter, the power would have passed down to her. Sorry, but that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Is that why you made yourself look like this? You¡¯re jealous of her.¡± Battery snorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you blow up.¡± She said cheerfully, cocking her head to the side. Her power flared up but stopped when it met a thin golden barrier that clung to Battery¡¯s body, keeping him safe. ¡°Hey? What¡¯s this.¡±


    It was the very same barrier that had gone up around himself when Paragon had tried to heal him after he blacked out. The barrier that would ensure no power could save his heart. Despite that, though, cracks began to appear across it. In only a few moments, Wish was ready to bring it all crashing down with her power.


    ¡°Even if you do kill me, there is someone else that will stop you.¡± His mind raced over to Hope. He was sure she wasn¡¯t ready yet, but she was close enough. He turned his head slightly, finding Kevin had walked closer. ¡°You were the boy in the warehouse. I was sure you weren¡¯t a Super then. Was I wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, you were right.¡± Kevin shrugged. ¡°I was saved by the Wandering Coin. With the help of Wish and Doc, they were able to turn me into a Super. That drug isn¡¯t fully ready yet, though. Around ninety percent of people die when they ingest it. Soon, though, it will be. Soon, everyone will be a Super. Soon, the world won¡¯t be as unfair.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid goal.¡± Battery retorted. He turned back to look at Wish. ¡°If you¡¯re the Lord of Life or not, it really doesn¡¯t matter. Either way, I¡¯m sure this building falling on you will hurt.¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, but I have time to kill you and escape-¡±


    Battery flicked his hands, and suddenly, the barriers changed from holding the place back to erupting in a golden flame. The room shook and instantly began to cave in. With another flick, a golden bubble appeared around Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin, keeping them safe, while the entrance to the vault was covered with a golden barrier trapping him and the two villains in.


    Wish didn¡¯t even have time to move as Battery wrapped his arms around her tightly, snapping her spine. ¡°Oh, go to hell, you annoying bastard.¡± She groaned.


    ¡°You first.¡±


    And with that, the room collapsed entirely, the walls shattering, the floor breaking, and the roof falling. An ocean of stone and a sea of dirt rushed in, the golden blasts getting even bigger. The city block shook, and the sewers above them, as well as the railroad systems, were pulled in as well.


    The bubbles around Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin held strong and were lifted by an unseen force, carrying them to the top and breaking past stone until it forced its way out of the ground, breaking the road above and dropping them off on the side of the street. Sirens roared in the distance, hearing the collapse. Help would come soon.


    The building they had used to get down to the vault had been pulled in, a massive sinkhole being the only thing that remained. Wasp Nest felt his body begin to grow cold as his eyes started to flutter close. ¡°B- Battery.¡±


    And with that, the heroes had gotten their first glimpse of the villain known as Wish¡ªthe newest Lord of the Land and Life.

 Chapter Fifty-Five: The Castle

    Dozens of cracks began to seep through the stone floor of the alleyway. A massive red fist tore through the debris as Kevin crawled his way out of the massive sinkhole that had swallowed an entire block. His robe was gone, leaving him in only his shorts, and his body was bulky and oversized, his muscles inflated.


    He had tried to make his hands look mole-like and used them to dig his way out of the collapsed base. Now that he was back on the surface, the moon cast a silver light below. He stared at his pale hands, which were caked in dirt as well as blood, and for a moment, they shook. ¡°Okay. We¡¯re out.¡± There were hundreds of sirens and horns all around them. He had pulled his way into an alleyway hidden from sight; the roads were filled with emergency vehicles. ¡°You can reform now.¡±


    His stomach began to grow larger as if it inflated, and he began to cough violently. Seconds later, his jaw practically unhinged, and he collapsed to his knees, literally spitting up Wish. Her body tumbled to the ground, all the goo that came from hiding inside of a person moving off of her as if it were alive.


    ¡°That golden guy got away.¡± She muttered with a heavy frown. Not just that, he had managed to kill her. In an instant, another one of her bodies had been reduced to ash when everything collapsed. All caused by a brilliant blue light that had formed around him. If not for the cells she hid inside her homemade Supers, she would have actually been in trouble.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you to let someone escape.¡± Kevin¡¯s body slowly shrank back down to its standard size, and he sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°Maybe it was for the best, though. I really didn¡¯t want to kill any of them.¡± A loud buzz echoed through the alleyway, and Kevin pulled a heavily damaged phone from his pocket.


    ¡°Kevin.¡± The voice of Aarush Brenner caused his nerves to ease a bit. The police officer was often kind. The man was walking through hell, all for the sake of his son. The heroes never beat Lucifer, but Sunshine was confident he could win. ¡°I was told the base collapsed. Are you two, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine, sir.¡± He eyed the naked Wish up, who was sulking in a corner of the alleyway. ¡°We weren¡¯t able to get the heroes, though. They collapsed the base and killed all our men.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame, but what really matters is you two are safe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re safe.¡± Kevin nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading back shortly now-¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m afraid your job isn¡¯t done.¡± Aarush cut him off. ¡°I hate to ask this of you after you¡¯ve already done so much, but we¡¯re still in need of your help. On our way to the Penny Base, we spotted the gate had been tampered with and were having a hard time getting in contact with anyone inside. The boss was afraid the heroes might be on to him, so we¡¯re taking him to another hideout. We¡¯d like you to bring Wish to Penny and have her deal with any of the heroes that are inside. No survivors this time.¡±


    Kevin felt his heartbeat begin to increase gradually. Finally, he nodded. ¡°Right. Yeah, I¡¯ll let her know.¡± The line went dead, and he increased his grip, crushing the phone. He often found himself wondering how different everything would have been if he had tried out for baseball and made it onto the team, even if it hadn¡¯t been the most popular sport at the time.


    For a moment, his eyes roamed over Wish. The girl was looking down at her hands. She didn¡¯t often get into fights. She was still new to combat, mostly. She learned fast, though. ¡°He had attacked while not looking. Something like this, right?¡± Red chains suddenly stabbed out of her back, whipping at the walls of the alleyway and slicing them apart. Her giggling filled the air. ¡°Cool, cool, cool, so cool. I see why he did it. It¡¯s like having extra limbs. I¡¯ll have to thank that guy when I next see him. What was his name?¡±


    ¡°Battery. His name is Battery. He¡¯s a member of Pantheon.¡±


    ¡°Pantheon?¡± Wish folded her legs and rubbed at her chin, cocking her head to the side. ¡°You talk about them a lot. Or rather, you talk about that girl in that team. You said she was strong, right? Who would win? Me or her?¡±


    Kevin shrugged. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I want to know! Please?¡±


    He folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever seen her in action once, but I heard she became stronger. She took on Intake and some other threats, and she¡¯s saved me twice now. So, if I had to really say who would win, I¡¯d say she would find a way to beat you. She seems to have a knack for that.¡±


    ¡°Aw, you don¡¯t want to root for me! No fun.¡± Wish whined. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to say I would win! It¡¯s like when a girl asks her man who the prettiest girl in the world is. I should be the default answer, Kevin!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really been good with girls.¡± Ashley came to his mind. How would she react if she saw him? She had fought so hard for him. She had become a great hero, a member of the Sub Enforcers, and trusted him enough to tell her secret. She had been there when he could barely control his anger, and now he had reached rock bottom.


    ¡°Hello!¡± A voice suddenly called out in the alleyway, and a light hit them. A man walked forward, clutching a flashlight. He had the jumpsuit of a Cleanup Squad member, though he seemed to be wearing very fine clothes from beneath it. ¡°Oh, thank God we found some survivors! Are you two hurt? I¡¯ll call for help-¡±


    ¡°You should leave.¡± Kevin began, but he didn¡¯t have time to finish his sentence. Wish¡¯s hand rose, and a red chain blasted out. The man was pulled towards her, and Kevin closed his eyes. He heard a ¡®splat¡¯, and when he opened his eyes, Wish stood in front of him, dressed in the outfit of the Cleanup Squad and posing for him.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± She asked. ¡°Do I make it look good or what?¡±


    ¡°Or what.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°We should get back to work. We¡¯re needed elsewhere.¡± Kevin said, turning away.


    ¡°Kevin? Kevin! Come on, don¡¯t ignore me! Kev!¡±


    ***


    A few moments earlier...


    Between Snowdawn¡¯s snow, BB¡¯s wind, and dozens of walls of cash from Money Tree, they had managed to stop the portal from closing fully and bought them all a few moments to come up with a game plan.


    Money Tree finally settled on a choice. ¡°Okay. Here¡¯s the plan. BB. I¡¯d like for you to stay out here while Cinder, Snowdawn, and I enter.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± BB asked with wide eyes. ¡°No fair. Why don¡¯t I get to come in?¡±


    ¡°Leaving this gate will be easy once we¡¯re on the inside.¡± Money Tree explained. ¡°They¡¯re built with dozens of failsafes and have a control room that, if we get to, will open up for us. On top of that, it will eventually forcefully open on its own so that people won¡¯t be trapped if they sense the control room has been tampered with. So, we won¡¯t need you to open the gate while we¡¯re inside. More than that, though, Battery¡¯s group will have no way of getting in if we bring you. When they are done, they should be heading this way. From what Cinder said, he¡¯ll also have a way to open the gate with your help. When he gets here, catch him up on what¡¯s going on, and then you¡¯ll enter with him and back us up.¡±


    BB didn¡¯t look very happy, but she slowly nodded. ¡°Yeah, okay. I¡¯ll play the role of the support, I guess.¡± She huffed and held her hand out towards Cinder. ¡°You¡¯ll need to work double time if I¡¯m gone. For every Wandering Coin grunt you knock out, I expect you to take an extra one out for me, got that?¡±


    Cinder snorted and slapped the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help too,¡± Snowdawn announced. ¡°This is my chance to show off my skills!¡±


    ¡°Just because we¡¯re going in doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re going to suddenly become careless.¡± Money Tree barked out, causing all the kid heroes to jump slightly. ¡°The Wandering Coin will know we¡¯re here as soon as we step foot into the realm. They¡¯ll be fully on guard. That said, everything we¡¯ve been told so far says they lack Supers. Despite that, though, we¡¯re going to treat this as if it is a base full of Supers we¡¯re entering into. We¡¯ll go slow and steady and reserve our strength. We don¡¯t have to win; we just have to make a dent in them and let Battery¡¯s squad bring up the rear. Nothing flashy. Take everything down as soon as you can.¡±


    With a flick of his finger, coins suddenly filled the air and began to swarm Cinder and Snowdawn. The coins buried themselves beneath Snowdawn¡¯s snow and coated Cinder¡¯s outfit, giving her a bronze armored-like look.


    ¡°This should boost your defense.¡± Money Tree explained. ¡°It¡¯ll work like armor and can block heavy gunfire. It¡¯ll also repair itself, though at a slow rate. Don¡¯t get cocky and rely on it, though. This is strictly to soak up damage you normally can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°This feels cool.¡± She ignited part of her body, watching the orange fire dance over the coins. ¡°So, do you just carry a bunch of cash on you at all times?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I created it.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!¡± Snowdawn asked with wide eyes. ¡°So, you¡¯re like an actual infinite money glitch or something?¡±


    Money Tree gave a sly grin. ¡°Something like that. You create and control snow; Cinder creates and controls fire, and I can create and control currency. The more valuable the form of currency is, as well as the quantity, the more energy it takes to create and control it. There are also certain rules I have to follow to ensure I don¡¯t abuse it and break the economy, all placed by the Hero Branch.¡± A sword formed from twisting dollar bills formed into his hand, and he pointed at the portal. ¡°We¡¯ve stalled for long enough. I think it¡¯s time we finally do this.¡±


    She took a deep breath, and she hesitantly stepped forward into the portal, quickly followed by Snowdawn and Money Tree. It was a weird feeling, though one she experienced already. Her time travel jumps with Max Lightning were very akin to this. Only this time, she didn¡¯t have her mom or a Lord to back her up.


    Snowdawn¡¯s face was mostly hidden, but she could make out the slightly ill look he got as the world faded in and out of the realm appearing before them. Money Tree, on the other hand, seemed fine, having gone to dozens of realms, hundreds of times.


    She had seen a bit of the world from outside the portal, but being there in person was something else. They appeared at the edge of a large forest. The sky above was dark but had dozens of bright silver stars above that cast rays of light down. Everything seemed to sparkle, and a long dirt path led toward a sight that caught her breath away.


    If you were to look at a castle in a children¡¯s fairy tale, it would likely look something like what stood before them. The path led towards the castle, which stood nearly a mile away from them. It was more of a large fort, with a massive stone wall around it and several layers of buildings stacked upon one another. It had seemingly been fitted out with dozens of lights and other electronics, as well as heavy guns. Many of the windows had turrets that poked out of them, and already the guns were starting to take aim towards them. Outside of the walls that kept the fortress protected was an actual moat, and a wooden drawbridge had already pulled itself up.


    The turrets ignited into a hail of bullets blasting at them, riddling the trees and floor around them with holes. All three of them stood there awkwardly as the bullets bounced off of their armor. Even the ones that managed to hit her exposed lower mouth left little more than a light sting, which had already faded away.


    ¡°So, do we wait for them to run out or what?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    ¡°Cinder. Would you like to do the honor?¡± Money Tree asked.


    ¡°Boy would I.¡± She stepped forward and brought one of her arms out. ¡°I always wanted to try this. So many comics and stuff have people that do this, and after seeing Battery¡¯s sword, I got to thinking about what else could be used as a shape.¡± Her palm ignited, and slowly, the fire took shape, forming into a bow. She pulled back on it, a string of embers appearing between her fingers and a swirling inferno turning into an arrow. ¡°Eat flame bow, losers!¡±


    The arrow exploded through the air, burning through the bullets, stabbing through the stone wall, and continuing all the way through the castle. She sadly missed all the turrets quite badly, but damn, did it still look good?


    ¡°Yes! Cool, cool, cool! So cool.¡± She cheered.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty silly concept.¡± Money Tree snorted. ¡°You¡¯ve already shown you can fire off beams of fire. What does giving it the shape of an arrow do? If anything, you¡¯re just wasting more energy for a weaker but flashier attack.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yeah, but it looked cool, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it looked pretty cool. Do it again.¡±


    They stalked closer towards the fortress, heading down the path. This time, when she pulled back on her bow, three arrows appeared, giving her three times the chance of missing. It took her dozens of shots, and soon, the wall around the castle was all but gone when she finally started to hit the guns. It was hard to aim the thing; much more complex than just pointing and shooting lasers out. Still, she felt like an elven archer and was living out the fantasy dream.


    When they approached the moat, Snowdawn grinned and cracked his knuckles. ¡°My turn.¡± He raised his foot up and stomped it on the ground as hard as he could. An actual avalanche of snow rose from the ground and poured down the hole. It piled into the water below, waves of it seeping out, and in no time at all, the moat was perfectly filled in with ice and snow, allowing them to easily walk across towards the wooden bridge.


    Money Tree lazily sliced his arm out, a sword forming into it, and the gate was split in two, crashing down into the courtyard of the castle. The courtyard was expansive and filled with actual soldiers. All of them were dressed in military gear and carried heavy-looking guns. There were also two straight-up tanks that were aimed at them, blasting rockets toward them. Quarters swarmed the missiles, tearing them apart midair and forming around the explosion. With another slice of his sword, Money Tree¡¯s blade extended, severing the barrels of the tanks.


    Sirens filled the air, and a large metal gate closed off the entrance that led into the actual castle. The men screamed and fired at them, but the bullets did even less damage than the turrets had.


    Not all Supers were equal. There were some, like Whisper, who had solid and complex powers but had the weak body of a human. Then there were Supers like Myth and Snowdawn, with relatively simple abilities, yet no matter what an average human threw at them, short of a nuke, it likely wouldn¡¯t harm them. This became clear very quickly as they threw themselves into the horde of soldiers.


    There must have been at least a hundred of them. So many She became sure that there was no way the Wandering Coin was just recruiting from Oleander. Neither she nor Snowdawn used their ice or fire. Instead, they just threw out simple punches or kicks. Every blow blasted dozens of the men away, and they crashed into the ground hard. The two of them used just enough force to make sure they didn¡¯t accidentally kill any of the men while still hitting them hard enough to knock them out or break bones.


    It was kind of sad, actually. They were kids, and yet these grown men couldn¡¯t do anything to stop them. As they easily finished off the grunts, knocking them all out, Money Tree got to work ripping the metal door to the castle off. The inside of the castle had sets of large hallways that led to a series of stairs. Suits of armor lined the walls, though they were just plain suits, none of them having advanced tech in them. Sections of the walls looked like they should have held portraits, likely whatever the Pallet Boys had found stylish, but were now removed when the Wandering Coin took over. The place looked gutted and torn apart, with boxes and supplies lining the corners of hallways and walls being removed to expand the size of rooms.


    As She and Snowdawn fought the soldiers that were in the courtyard, Money Tree got to work, taking the ones who guarded this front entrance down. There weren¡¯t as many, and already dozens of them were running away. In total, there were less than ten soldiers who bothered to stay and put up a fight, the others either instantly dropping or running for the stairs in an effort to escape to a higher floor.


    One soldier, however, stood out to Money Tree. He was dressed head to toe in metallic knight-looking armor. Lines along the armor lit up with a faint blue glow. Pallet Boy Blue''s suit. The man drew the suit''s longsword and charged, a shield appearing on his other arm, which he used to block a series of knives made of coins Money Tree threw.


    ¡°Leave this guy to me!¡± Snowdawn had noticed the armor-wearing grunt and instantly went on the attack. He left the remaining grunts in the courtyard to Cinder and sprinted past Money Tree, meeting the armored soldier head-on. He easily ducked under a mighty swing of the knight¡¯s sword and threw his fist out. The warrior managed to block it with his shield but was pushed back. Snow began to grow out of the spot Snowdawn had touched, piling up larger and larger, and the man clicked a button, which quickly shot his shield off before the snow could begin to swarm his arm. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this suit doesn¡¯t belong to you, right? You guys stole it!¡±


    ¡°So, what if we did?¡± The knight swung his sword out again, firing an arc of energy that smashed into Snowdawn¡¯s chest, but the snow on him expanded and puffed out, blocking most of the damage. ¡°We¡¯ll make better use of this stuff than they ever did.¡± The Wandering Coin member raised his arm up, a tube popping out of his palm, which fired a wave of fire.


    Snowdawn jumped away from the attack and threw a glob of snow that put out most of the fire. Next, he did something odd. He squatted down until he was able to wrap his arms around his legs. Now in the fetal position once more, his body rapidly expanded with more snow and ice forming around him, and in a single instant, he went from looking like a walking, talking snowman to suddenly looking like a perfect giant snowball slightly larger than a person.


    ¡°Stealing just isn¡¯t cool, man.¡± He yelled, making another cold-based pun. His now orb-like shape began to roll forward quickly, gaining speed. ¡°You should chill out.¡±


    ¡°Enough with your words!¡±


    The Wandering Coin member sidestepped the ball as it shot toward him. It rolled past him, picking up more speed as it got faster and faster. The ball began to tear up the floor as it grew more ice-like, getting colder, and then suddenly, it bounced and began to roll up the side of the wall, ripping it apart. It reached the end of the hallway and started to get bigger in size as it used the hallway as a ramp to fire itself up onto the roof above. It slammed into the back wall and rolled back down, picking up even more speed as it looped around entirely and roared back towards the knight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The knight screamed and raised his sword, twisting a switch in the handle. The blade extended, getting larger, and the glow got brighter. Right as the ball was about to hit him, he swung down as hard as he could. Before the sword made contact, the ball morphed again, the snow and ice twisting as it formed into the shape of a giant fist!


    The sword shattered against it as it slid across the floor and rammed into the knight in armor so hard it ruined most of the man¡¯s suit and slammed him past the broken gate, sending him all the way into the wall outside of the castle. The giant ice hand pinned him down, and it broke away, forming back into Snowdawn, who smashed his fist directly into the helmet of the knight and finally knocked him out.


    ¡°Yeah, way to go, Snowdawn!¡± Cinder cheered, knocking out the last soldier with a strong gut punch.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time I get to do something useful.¡± Snowdawn let the man¡¯s body tumble to the floor and turned away. Snow piled onto the armor and began to freeze it to the ground, ensuring the stolen armor wouldn¡¯t be leaving anytime soon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky.¡± Money Tree called out. ¡°This castle is big, and we still have several floors to go before we¡¯re at the top. They likely filled all the other floors with the rest of their goons, many of which will have more stolen Super tech. On top of that, they¡¯re going to rig all these hallways with traps. If I had to guess, then that Doc guy they were talking about is at the very top. Either he¡¯s a Super, or they¡¯ll have a Super with him if they were smart. Either that or a bunch of their men that will dose up on that drug that gives them enhanced strength. They know they can¡¯t beat us in an outright fight, so this is a gauntlet. Made to tire us out and use up all our energy so when we do get to the top, the real threat will have an advantage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a level in a video game,¡± She hummed. She looked up at the castle until she stared at the top floor. ¡°We need to get past the weak mobs before we reach the boss and take it out. That is unless we cheat.¡±


    ¡°Cheat?¡± Money Tree raised an eyebrow at her.


    She gave a sheepish grin and placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, sometimes when I play a game, I get super paranoid about using up all my items before the boss. When this happens, I¡¯ll just skip past the level, running by all the enemies and heading all the way to the top, where the boss is waiting. Sometimes it is hard to do that, though, so I tend to look up glitches and stuff. Some of them let you skip all the floors entirely and instantly go to the top floor.¡±


    ¡°I think I get what you¡¯re saying.¡± Money Tree gave a grin, and coins began to form together beneath him and the two young heroes. They formed into a perfect circle-like shape, making a platform for them to stand on. ¡°I like the plan, Cinder.¡¯


    ¡°What exactly is the plan?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to skip straight to the top!¡± Cinder and Money Tree announced as the platform they stood on began to rise to the air.


    ***


    Myth allowed his heartbeat to settle as he stared at the figure in the glass cage. He was able to get a better look now as she stalked away. She had retreated several meters back and was crouched low. Most of her skin was covered in snow-white fur, and her hands were a bizarre mix between human-like and paws. She seemed to have a snout and long dog-like ears that flopped down.


    It was the previous Lord of Life that had created the race known as Monsters. They were made to be superior to Supers, with bodies perfectly made for their power. The Emperor had used them in his war fifteen years ago, and it was his bride, the woman known as Princess of Life, that kept the Monsters sane.


    Her power had kept them held together physically and mentally. With her death, the wall that held their DNA together crumbled. A majority of the monsters transformed into giant beasts. Many of them sleep somewhere deep within the core of the planet or at the bottom of the ocean, still growing and changing. Every now and then, one will wake up and cause a rampage due to the amount of pain it is in. Those that didn¡¯t mutate still had their sanity shattered and forever had an altered body.


    Almost every main member of the Bad Timers were monsters that had gone insane.


    Her cloak rippled a bit, and Myth realized that it wasn¡¯t made out of cloth. Or at least not all of it. Part of it was the dirty brown cloak he had first taken note of, but other parts of it were wisps of black clouds, compressed and small. Bits of snow, or lightning, pouring from them and swirling around the arms of the woman. He could make out a tail as well that poked out behind her. It wagged back and forth, and above it, a small nimbus cloud had formed following its wagging, raining down softly onto it.


    ¡°Come on, Bad Wolf.¡± Backup huffed and placed his hands on his hips. ¡°These guys came all this way just to talk to you. The least you can do is use your words.¡±


    Whisper hid most of her body behind Myth, peeking out from his shoulder. ¡°Honestly, with how weird all of these guys have been, I¡¯m starting to see why we haven¡¯t seen them in a while. With the loss of Old Dog, they seem so out of touch with everything.¡±


    The wolf-like girl snapped her head over to Whisper, and the young hero let out a squeak and ducked back down behind the much bigger hero. Bad Wolf inched forward and pulled the hood of her cloak off. She, of course, had the head of a wolf, but it also had some human traits to it. Her eyes were very human-like, as were her teeth, surprisingly. She also sort of had hair besides the white fur. It was puffy and went down her back, but rather than actual hair, it looked more like a solid cloud. It even had droplets of water flowing down with it.


    ¡°I like to meditate.¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t what he had been expecting. It was quiet, and she spoke almost in a dreamy way. As if she was tired. ¡°It helps me to focus my mind and clear my thoughts. Sometimes, though, when prey walks so willingly close to me and practically offers itself up, it can be hard to stay focused.¡± Her snout seemed to twist slightly into an innocent grin, and she cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°I¡¯m Myth. I¡¯ve heard a bit about you from Old Dog when I spoke to him nearly two years ago. I¡¯m a member of Pantheon. Its leader, in fact. Recently, we¡¯ve been gaining the eye of the Hero Branch. They don¡¯t exactly like me and are sort of getting in the way. I¡¯ve come for two main reasons.¡± The girl stared at him and slowly approached the glass, getting closer until she was able to place her palm on it. ¡°I would ask my friend for this, but if the Hero Branch found out he was helping us with funding, they would likely cut it for him and the other Sub Enforcers. Especially if they found out he was using his power to provide that. Watch Dogs, though, belong strictly to Old Dog. He has a lot of sway on the Branch. I¡¯d like to speak with him directly about it, but with him being absent, it seems you¡¯re the next person in charge. Basically, I¡¯m asking for a cut of the funding you guys make and access to some of the resources you get. Even if the Hero Branch gets mad at you guys for helping me, I¡¯m confident that they won¡¯t try anything when it comes to a team owned by an Enforcer member. That wouldn¡¯t look good for them.¡±


    Bad Wolf let out a snort, and the clouds that formed along her body crackled a bit with lightning. ¡°That¡¯s quite bold. You walk in here and demand that we fund a group we¡¯ve never heard of. You didn¡¯t even try to list why we should help you-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done.¡± Myth cut her off. ¡°I said I have two reasons for coming here. My second reason is this. I want you guys to stop staying at this base. I¡¯d request you move it closer to Oleander and get back to doing weekly patrols. Things are bad in the city, and we need you guys more than ever now.¡±


    This time, the monster giggled. ¡°So let me get this straight. You want us to get back to work even while our boss is away and help out in a city that you and the Sub Enforcers are failing to save, as well as pay money out of our own pockets because you have too much pride to go before the Hero Branch and ask for forgiveness? And you¡¯re doing all this without offering anything in return or having any conditions that benefit us?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there is something that benefits you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    Myth took a deep breath and folded his arms. ¡°We lost an entire city block, and hundreds of people either lost their lives or were injured when Bad Timers teamed up with Zoo. The Wandering Coin is still causing us big issues, and we¡¯re struggling to repair the city. If you had all been there, I¡¯m sure things could have gone differently. More people could have been saved. I can¡¯t forgive you guys for not even bothering to show up while we struggled and while solo heroes and teams began to vanish.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Bad Wolf¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and the clouds started to ripple more.


    ¡°If you do what I say, give us some funding, and get back to work, I¡¯ll overlook the fact you guys failed to do your job.¡± The hero said in a blunt tone. ¡°If you don¡¯t, though. Well then, you¡¯ve just made a lifetime enemy of Myth. Staying on my good side is what benefits you, guys.¡±


    Bad Wolf actually took a step back, her eyes roaming over him up and down. Backup and Whisper both looked at Myth, slightly in shock at his bold declaration. ¡°Do you think you could beat all four members of Watch Dogs on your own, and even if you somehow could, do you think Old Dog, or the Branch, wouldn¡¯t retaliate?¡± Bad Wolf asked. ¡°Are you really this stupid?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a matter of being smart or not. It¡¯s a matter of doing what¡¯s right. I can¡¯t accept the fact that you guys exist if you won¡¯t even bother to help the city when it needs you the most. I won¡¯t allow you guys to call yourselves heroes if it means you stay here. I¡¯ll throw away what little faith the Branch has in me if it means stopping you. Not stopping a crime when you have the power to do so is almost just as bad.¡± Myth growled out. ¡°Those are my conditions. Take them or leave them.¡±


    The woman nodded happily and folded her arms. Her tail began to wag, and her ears dropped down. ¡°You know. I think I like you.¡± She gave another grin. ¡°That said, there¡¯s a bit more to the story than you know.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know why Old Dog really got sick? Even without proper powers, he was built with the body of a Super. In a way, he¡¯s like the reverse of that girl you have with you. Having the right body but lacking the powers. He was able to age far slower than humans, and even amongst Supers, he seemed to outlive them all. So why now? How come his age has suddenly caught up to him?¡± Bad Wolf¡¯s smile faded slightly, and the look in her eyes changed somewhat. ¡°To tell you the truth, we aren¡¯t just sitting around on the island doing nothing because Old Dog isn¡¯t here. We¡¯re scared.¡±


    ¡°What? Besides the Calamities or the Emperor, what could possibly scare an entire hero team?¡± Whisper asked.


    ¡°Someone caused Old Dog¡¯s body to fail him.¡± Bad Wolf explained. ¡°With a single touch, his body was altered and lost many of its gifts. Just like that, gone was the ancient warrior, leaving only a weak old man on the verge of dying.¡±


    ¡°All from one touch?¡± Myth asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°All from a girl with long white hair.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Six: The Loss of Jack

    Nearly One Year Ago...


    ¡°Whoa, so they made Money Tree the leader of the Sub Enforcers?¡± Backup asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good time to discuss this.¡± Bad Wolf mumbled as she ducked under the swing of a goon¡¯s bat.


    Old Dog casually twirled his body, a bullet flying past him. He brought his arms up and poked two of his fingers into the eyes of the grunt he was fighting, then hooked his thumb into the man¡¯s nose, and with a twist of his wrist, he forced the goon¡¯s body to twist until it slammed head first into the ground. ¡°I am just as surprised as you are, Backup.¡± He kicked his leg backward, his shoe flying off, sending it into the barrel of a gun another goon had been holding and causing the gun to go off into the air. ¡°Myth had been a sure pick. At least I would have thought.¡±


    ¡°I feel like we should be talking about this later.¡± Bad Wolf poked another grunt in the center of his stomach, sending the goon crashing into a back wall. ¡°Who even are these guys, by the way? They don¡¯t have the Bad Timers logo on, and they don¡¯t have the masks of Zoo. Did we accidentally find a new crime group?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it.¡± Backup shrugged. He wasn¡¯t in the middle of fighting. Instead, he scrolled on his phone, casually dodging bullets and swings as he read the latest hero news on Hero Hub. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re calling themselves the Wandering Coin.¡±


    ¡°Bad Wolf is right. We should focus on these guys first.¡± Old Dog grunted.


    It was the middle of the night, and with Sub Enforcers recovering and trying to recruit new members after the ones that were lost in last year¡¯s Calamity attack, it was up to Watch Dogs to take care of Oleander. They had also lost a few members and had become short on recruits, but they¡¯d have to manage. Old Dog¡¯s team was split into two groups, his group including Backup and Bad Wolf.


    The three of them had been patrolling the city when they stumbled across a warehouse that was up to some shady stuff. Old Dog didn¡¯t know what kind of products they were trying to sell, but he did know he wasn''t going to let it happen on his watch.


    That was why they now fought their way through a horde of grunts. Most villains didn¡¯t really trust one another. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and they mostly had to fend for themselves. Even the ones they did team up would need to constantly watch their backs. That was why they mainly hired non-powered grunts. It was a means of either slowing heroes down or tiring them out. Sometimes both.


    Old Dog practically swam through the crowd of goons, hitting the perfect spot to knock them all out instantly. He came to a stop as dozens of them dropped to the ground around him. His outfit was worn back in the day during the war with Lucifer. The red military-like jacket had faded to a black matching the Victorian¡¯s own. Of course, her jacket had also belonged to Nier and had been gifted to her by her dad. He¡¯d have rather it ended up in a museum in order to honor Full Monarch, but that was too much to ask for, apparently.


    The warehouse itself wasn¡¯t anything too impressive. It had been mostly gutted, all the heavy machines in it having been taken out and replaced with boxes of their drugs. The only actual notable thing was a set of stairs that had been built in, which would lead to the underground section of the city.


    Bad Wolf threw her hands out, and black clouds blasted out, rising high into the air above all the grunts. The air filled with static, and then, in a flash, lightning rained down. It was mild and kept low, only having the stun of a taser, but that was more than enough for these guys. They all dropped to the ground as if their strings had been cut.


    Backup let out a giggle and then broke out into full-blown laughter. Even Old Dog had to cover his face as he began to snicker. ¡°What?¡± Bad Wolf asked. The old man pulled out a mirror and flashed it to Bad Wolf, allowing her to see how her fur expanded and fluffed out wildly. She sighed and caused rain to pour down on her, fixing it, and she drew her cloak tighter around her body.


    It was nice to see her out and having fun. On missions, it was easy to get her to do her job. With all the fighting and tasks, it kept her mind constantly rolling. Back home, though, was when that inner beast would start to get fussy.


    ¡°That seems like it was the last of them.¡± The old man grunted out. ¡°We should head back before it-¡± He stopped suddenly, and his eyes widened. ¡°Sky?¡± Before either of the heroes could question what he meant, he took off running down the stairs that led to the lower levels.


    ¡°Whoa! He¡¯s fast for an old guy!¡± Backup said, running after the man.


    Bad Wolf sprinted past him with inhuman speed as she dropped to all fours and began to quickly catch up to Old Dog, leaving Backup in the dust. ¡°Sir, why did you suddenly run off?¡±


    Old Dog ran faster, moving faster than even a fit human in his prime should have been able to. ¡°I thought I saw my granddaughter.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°One of Ocean Empress¡¯s daughters is here?¡± Bad Wolf frowned. ¡°That is bad. Either of them could be in serious trouble if bad guys injured them.¡±


    ¡°My daughter isn¡¯t the brightest. She¡¯s struggling with the deaths of her mother and husband after the Calamity attack. I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if she stopped paying attention to a child that isn¡¯t really hers and allowed Sky to escape her sight. Maybe giving her Sky wasn¡¯t my brightest idea.¡± The old man narrowed his eyes and whipped around a corner. ¡°Still, if I find out this gang has tried to do something to her, I¡¯ll call Roulette in on them and have him erase them off this planet. I won¡¯t let Nier¡¯s legacy be erased so easily.¡±


    ¡°But if you did see Sky, why would she be running away?¡± Bad Wolf asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she run to you for help or use the gift of her true mother to escape?¡± Bad Wolf pointed out. ¡°Seeing a glimpse of your loved ones but not being able to see them fully sounds more like Fairy Queen¡¯s powers. She was a member of the-¡±


    ¡°I know who she is.¡± Old Dog barked out. ¡°One of the strongest beasts of the Organization, she served under the Emperor alongside Golden God, Hell Hound, and Princess of Life. I fought her on the front lines years ago. She can invade a person¡¯s mind and take on the form of their loved ones to trick them. Even in Nightshade, she can sometimes use her powers. The issue is she hasn¡¯t done anything in years. She¡¯s remained perfectly still in her cage, awaiting her master¡¯s return.¡±


    The tunnels opened up into a large stone platform. There were railings on either side, and past the railing were tracks. It seemed they stumbled into an abandoned subway station. Large stone pillars held the ceiling up, and the air was dusty and hard to breathe in.


    Old Dog walked forward slowly, looking around. ¡°Sky-¡± One of the pillars exploded into a hail of debris, causing the stones to rain down. Large white bone-looking spikes stabbed through it, nearly impaling the old hero, but he dropped to the ground and rolled at the last second. ¡°We got a Super!¡± He called out.


    ¡°Aw, come on, Hannah! You missed.¡± The voice of Sky echoed throughout the tunnel, causing his eyes to narrow. It sounds almost exactly like her, but it was off slightly. The tone it had was more carefree and childish, and it giggled¡ªsomething Sky never did. Two figures walked out from behind the stone pillar. The first wore long red robes and a bone-like mask that covered their face. He couldn¡¯t get a good look at them due to the clothes, but they were short, so he figured they were either a young boy or an older girl. The other, though, caused his eyes to go wide. It looked like Sky, only older and with white hair and red eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, Wish.¡± The figure in red said. It sounded like a girl. She must have been Hannah. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to miss again.¡±


    ¡°Man, what is our luck that we¡¯d stumble into two heroes here?¡± Wish hummed, folding her arms. She wore random street clothes and honestly didn¡¯t look like a Super, but Old Dog could tell with just a glance she was trouble. He had been the son of a Lord, and fought alongside all of them during the war. He knew the energy a Lord would give off better than anyone.


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± He questioned. He stood up straight and placed his arms behind his back casually. He pressed a button on his belt. He would just have to hold out until the Victorian showed up. Bad Wolf backed away, her eyes wide as she stared at Wish, likely remembering the Princess of Life and her former master.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass on answering the question,¡± Wish said, waving her arm. ¡°Get him, Hannah.¡±


    The girl in red raised her arms, and skin tore as jagged bones stabbed out like spikes. Bad Wolf jumped back, but Old Dog remained standing still. Seconds before they reached him, Backup jumped in front of him and raised his arm, a long greatshield forming into it. Backup held his staff out and clicked a button, causing it to open up into a spear. His shield withstood the barrage of spikes, and he pushed through them, stabbing out with his spear.


    Backup¡¯s weapon bounced off the woman in red, bone-like armor seeming to form out of her skin. The bones coated her arms, giving her a set of long white claws, and Hannah slashed out at Backup, but he dodged the blow, ducking under it. As the Super failed her swing, Old Dog was on her, jumping onto Backup¡¯s back. He palmed and struck the girl¡¯s chest hard enough to shatter the bones that coated it and shove her back.


    Wish watched the fight, standing further away with her arms behind her head. ¡°Come on, Hannah. You can do it.¡± She cheered.


    Clouds flowed out in the room, and a hail of ice rained down on the cloaked girl. The villain thrashed around, unable to see correctly, and as she was blinded, Old Dog jumped off of Backup, spinning over her and kicking her with his heel. She stumbled forward, and Backup moved behind her, stabbing into her back with his spear. She let out a grunt of pain, and he was forced to let go of his spear and raise his shield as large blades of bones stabbed out in all directions of the girl.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Bad Wolf shot through the air, bouncing off one of her clouds as if they were a solid object, and wrapped her arms around Old Dog, pulling him to safety at the last second. Backup¡¯s shield cracked and dented, and he was pushed back. The bones pulled themselves back into Hannah¡¯s body, and Bad Wolf threw Old Dog at her. The old man came to a sliding stop and threw his arm out, slamming it into the woman as he passed.


    As she dropped, Backup smashed his shield into the spear that was stabbed through Hannah and shoved it in deeper, causing it to come out of the girl¡¯s stomach. Old Dog stood on the other side of her, and he grabbed the head of the spear and pulled it until he ripped it out of her. He clicked a button on it, the blade pulled back, and the staff broke into two. Those two halves then further broke apart a chain connecting them as it turned into a pair of nunchucks.


    Old Dog twirled the weapons around and began to smash them into the girl¡¯s skull and her rips. She groaned, stumbling back, and formed a blade out of her palm to impale Old Dog, but Backup grabbed her by the wrist and brought her arm up, forcing the strike to miss. She tried to cause spikes to jut out of her arm to cut his hand but lost focus when Old Dog slammed the weapons into the top of her head over and over again as if she were a drum.


    Bad Wolf came crashing over and rammed her hand into the hole in the girl¡¯s cut. A cloud formed, and then Hannah screamed as a surge of lightning rammed its way through her body and out her mouth. She collapsed to her knees, and Old Dog clicked another button, causing the staff to come back together, and he rammed it into her face hard enough to throw her back.


    Hannah crashed back and landed in the arms of Wish, who caught her. ¡°Aw. Poor Hannah. I guess pro heroes would be too much for you.¡± Wish placed her hand under the girl¡¯s face, stroking it. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll handle it then.¡± Hannah gasped as her skin began to mend, and her body put itself back together as Wish seemingly healed her.


    Old Dog tossed the staff back at Backup, who caught it, as the three heroes all jumped back, keeping their eyes locked onto Wish. Wish placed Hannah down and began to stretch. Her eyes traced Bad Wolf, and she grinned.


    ¡°You were pretty fast and had good jumps.¡± Wish¡¯s legs twisted and grew long, becoming wolf-like, much as Bad Wolf¡¯s were, and she used it to come crashing toward Bad Wolf, her hand outstretched.


    Bad Wolf didn¡¯t have time to react. Her eyes were wide open as the hand approached her in slow motion. Seconds before the attack landed, she felt something ram into her as Old Dog¡¯s body slammed her and knocked her out of the way. He slammed his fist out, smashing it into Wish¡¯s face as her palm brushed his, and he jumped away. Wish crashed to the ground, rubbing at her bruised cheek, which was already starting to heal.


    ¡°We just need to hold out for a bit-¡± Old Dog stopped speaking suddenly and grabbed at his face. It burned. His eyes went wide, and he dropped to his knees, gasping. Blood poured out of his mouth, and his toned muscles started to shrink and vanish, his skin growing hundreds of new wrinkles. Most of his hair started to fall out, and his eyes became sunken. It was as if he suddenly doubled in age. He was already ancient before now too.


    ¡°Old Dog.¡± Backup yelled with wide eyes. Wish was back on her feet and jumped toward Old Dog, but Backup threw his arm out and clicked a button, causing the heavily dented tower shield he had to blast off his arm.


    It slammed head-first into Wish, and clouds formed around her, shocking her with bolts of lightning. She wobbled and seemed dizzy but had a giant smile on her face as she stumbled back. Bad Wolf lifted Old Dog up, jumping around to join Backup.


    Wish¡¯s body mended itself of all the damage as she shook her head. ¡°That sort of tickled. My nerves were all over the place. I wonder if I could do something like that.¡± She stared down at her hand, and slowly, her skin began to change into a blackish color. Similar to an eel. Sparks of electricity danced along it. It was nowhere near as potent as actual lightning, but she had seemingly given herself bioelectricity in an instant. ¡°Nice!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this thing?¡± Bad Wolf growled.


    ¡°I was sort of hoping you had an answer to that.¡± Backup winced. ¡°She can¡¯t be human, right? A monster maybe? Or at least half like Sky?¡±


    Wish cocked her head to the side. ¡°Sky? I¡¯ve heard that name before. Yeah, that name.¡± She frowned a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. I hate it even.¡± Her hands morphed and changed, growing long razor-sharp claws and wolf-like hands similar to Bad Wolf. ¡°Why¡¯d you have to spoil my mood by bringing that name up-¡±


    The roof above exploded as a beacon of sunlight crashed down. She wore a black military-like uniform with a long red cape tied around it. Her golden hair flowed out as she raised her hand up, forming a greatsword of pure light. Wish didn¡¯t even have time to think as she was cleaved in two. Her corpse exploded into golden fire that ate away at her and burned her to less than ash.


    ¡°Are you guys, okay?¡± The Victorian turned, her sword fading. Her eyes went wide when she saw Old Dog. ¡°What happened!¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I forget how scary the Victorian is.¡± Backup muttered. He shook his head. ¡°There was another one!¡±


    They all turned to where Hannah had been, but the girl was long gone. She had likely left even before the Victorian arrived. ¡°Victorian, please get Old Dog somewhere he can get help.¡± Bad Wolf said, handing the man over to the world¡¯s strongest hero. ¡°We¡¯ll look for the missing villain. You might have just killed the second Lord of Life, if we¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!¡± The golden woman took Old Dog and began to try and mend his body with some of her healing light. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a flash in that case.¡± She fired off into the air, vanishing out of sight.


    Backup gripped his staff. ¡°Be honest. Could we have beaten that Wish girl?¡±


    Bad Wolf didn¡¯t answer. She just turned and began to head further into the tunnel. ¡°Come on. We have a job we need to finish.¡±


    Present Day...


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you never found that bone girl?¡± Whisper asked.


    ¡°Nope. She got away.¡± Backup stated.


    ¡°Damn. But I don¡¯t see what got you guys so freaked out. I mean, it sounds like the Victorian killed that Wish chick.¡± Whisper shrugged.


    ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± Myth grunted. ¡°From the sounds of it, you guys ran into the Wandering Coin. It was likely when they were just getting started. That Wish girl is dead, but I¡¯m disturbed to learn that the one in red got away. We have been working under the assumption that they don¡¯t have any Supers or lack powerful Supers. There was a rumor that the Wandering Coin might have had the Lord. I wondered why the Enforcers didn¡¯t get involved if they knew about that fact. Now it makes sense. They were sure the Victorian killed the Lord. They also likely don''t want it getting out that the newest Lord of Life turned out to be as evil as the previous one was, which is why Old Dog likely hid that fact from the Sub Enforcers and my group. But why didn¡¯t we learn some of the other details sooner? Like the fact they have other Supers in their rank?¡±


    ¡°The others are attacking a Wandering Coin base, right?¡± Whisper winced.


    ¡°Yeah, but what are the chances they stumble into the Super? I mean, we¡¯ve attacked plenty of their bases, and it- Why am I jinxing it? They¡¯ve definitely run into a Super.¡± Myth sighed.


    ¡°Sounds like you should hurry to help them then.¡± Bad Wolf said in a blunt tone.


    Myth placed his hand on the glass. ¡°I will. I need to know that you¡¯ll at least hear out what I said. I don¡¯t want to make an enemy of you guys if I can help it, but I will do what I think is right. Do you understand?¡±


    Bad Wolf folded her arms and stopped her pacing. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it. For now, though, your team needs your help.¡±


    Myth nodded and turned away. ¡°Alright. Just know this though. I don¡¯t agree with you guys sitting on the sidelines just because you¡¯re scared to act. That information your crew had could have allowed Money Tree or I to make a different plan. If any of my teammates die because you guys failed to inform us¡­¡±


    ¡°What will you do about it?¡± Bad Wolf said with a snort.


    ¡°Trust me. You don¡¯t want to know.¡± Myth turned away from her. ¡°I can be an even worse monster than anything the Emperor created. Whisper. Let¡¯s go save our team.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hey...¡± Battery spoke softly as he stared down at the ground. ¡°The Giant needs his sword.¡± He dropped his phone, the thing shattering to bits before he bothered waiting for a reply.


    He had managed to crawl out of the sea of debris. His costume was a torn mess, the legs and arms shredded. His mask was also gone, torn to pieces by the woman¡¯s claws. It had been close, but he managed to burn her away. For once he was glad he had been blessed with corrupted DNA, as that had stunted the power she had tried to use on him.


    ¡®You sure this is a good idea?¡¯ The voice never spoke in a tone that held any real emotion, but he always figured it was mocking him. He could see the former number-one hero. Or at least he saw the man¡¯s shadow. Standing just behind him. Of course, the moment he actually turned, it would be gone, and he¡¯d be alone once more.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure.¡± Battery rubbed at his side. His costume¡¯s color made it hard to see the extent of the blood loss he was suffering from. ¡°Golden God nearly tore this city apart looking for that girl, and now here she is running around. She has to be stopped. I don¡¯t know what they plan to do with her, but I won¡¯t let them get her.¡±


    ¡®So you¡¯re going to kill her?¡¯


    ¡°Gladly. She¡¯s a genetic anomaly. I¡¯ll put her down like the rabid freak she is.¡±


    ¡®When you speak like that, I¡¯m always reminded of who you used to be.¡¯


    ¡°You mean back when I was a villain.¡± He glanced down at his hands. His fingers heavily bled from the abuse of clawing his way out of the ground. He rested in an empty alleyway, now alone with his thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s how I know you aren¡¯t really Full Monarch. He wouldn¡¯t talk about my past. About who I used to be. He¡¯d just be glad seeing who I am now.¡±


    ¡®Things don¡¯t ever change, you know. Not this much. Deep down, you know you¡¯ll never escape the shackles of who you used to be. You¡¯re nothing more than a dying mutt waiting for his master¡¯s return. What will you do when the Emperor returns? I bet you¡¯ll crawl your way back to him like you did to me-¡¯


    Jack turned, and the shadow was gone. He was alone in the alleyway, and the voice was no longer there. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t alone for long. The crackle of energy filled the air, and seconds later, a bright flash lit everything up. Harrison Avalon took a second to dust himself off as he finally appeared.


    ¡°Yo. It¡¯s been a while. Hey, uh, what do I call you exactly?¡± The world¡¯s richest man asked sheepishly.


    ¡°Just call me Jack or Battery. I don¡¯t care.¡± Battery said, waving the man off. He grunted and slowly pushed himself back up to his feet, feeling his bones crack.


    ¡°Got it. Well, Battery, I have to say you look like hell.¡±


    ¡°And you look like you¡¯re trying to copy Mr. Sini.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. So, did you just call me out here to insult me or what?¡± The man asked, giving a grin. He leaned back on a wall and folded his arms. ¡°I mean, we haven¡¯t seen each other in fifteen years now, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you know who the Lord of Life is?¡±


    ¡°If I did, the heroes would know about it.¡± The man shrugged.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re still on the heroes¡¯ side?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡± Avalon snorted. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°Green Wolf used your tech to escape.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he stole it.¡± The man said, rolling his eyes. ¡°He raided one of my towers and made off with a bunch of experimental stuff. Nothing too big, thankfully. Why would I ever side with someone like him? I heard they were working with Golden God. You know I hate the Organization as much as you do. After all, I was the one that allowed you to split the Emperor¡¯s gut open and save Max Lightning.¡±


    Battery looked up towards the full moon, watching as it cloaked everything in its ethereal glow. He never did like the moon. ¡°Sometimes people do weird things because of their hatred. Either way, I did call you out here for something important. I¡¯d like my sword back.¡±


    ¡°You want that hunk of junk?¡± Avalon said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Seriously? I mean, I¡¯ve gotten pretty rusty with my power, so I don¡¯t even think it¡¯ll be that good anymore. Besides, that sword isn¡¯t exactly befitting of a hero. Don¡¯t want anyone seeing it and getting the wrong idea after all.¡±


    ¡°I just want to borrow the sword.¡±


    Avalon rubbed his neck slowly. ¡°Okay. But you know it¡¯ll cost you, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡±


    ¡°Can you even pay the debt off?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work something out.¡±


    Harrison sighed but finally smiled once more. ¡°Okay then. In that case, I¡¯ll let you use it for the rest of the day. Until midnight, the sword that belonged to the Emperor will be yours.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Seven: Life That Blooms Into The Sun

    Sirens wailed around his lab as he grabbed at his hair. ¡°I know! Shut the hell up!¡± Of course, he knew there were intruders. The alarms didn¡¯t need to tell him that. He could hear them tearing through the castle.


    ¡°Sir, what should we do?¡± One of his men asked. There were dozens of them all piled in his lab, barricading the doors and walls. Down below on the other floors, the rest of his men had the task of setting up various traps and being used as decoys to hopefully slow the heroes down. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking, you idiot!¡±


    Doc was not a very lucky man. At a young age, he had gained superpowers. Not the cool kind, though. He couldn¡¯t shoot lasers, fly, or control fire. Instead, he had a knack for creating a type of medication. Miracle pills. These are things that should have gone down in history as something that would make him famous but never happened.


    The Hero Branch had snatched him up at a young age, and he was forced to heal the heroes. They didn¡¯t let him do most of his studies either. It was always the lame stuff he was forced to work on, like healing limbs, rather than perfecting cloning like he always wanted to do. Worse yet, he had been forced to work alongside other Hero Branch doctors, many of whom weren¡¯t even Supers.


    He almost viewed the Emperor appearing as a blessing. He faked his death and went into hiding. That was where his story should have ended. He should have gotten a happy ending where he got to do whatever he wanted, but instead of being blessed like many others, he discovered he wasn¡¯t suited for a boring life.


    So he found himself wanting to do something.


    Long story short, he backstabbed Avalon, stole something he really shouldn¡¯t have, and in order to avoid Avalon¡¯s wrath, he was forced to get the protection of an upcoming gang boss by the name of Sunshine. Forcefully recruited into the Wandering Coin, he was able to have some fun here. And with the help of Wish, he was finally making a breakthrough in his research. His powers were created as a way to heal people. What better way to truly heal and save the human race than to ensure they were evolved, perfected lifeforms? In other words, he sought to create a world of only Supers.


    His lab was all the way at the castle¡¯s top floor, which held the control room to the gate of this realm. The gate in question, though, would only appear at the edge of the woods because the Pallet Boys had thought it was ¡®cool¡¯ and ¡®cinematic,¡¯ so using it as an escape plan was out of the question since it meant he would have to go through whatever heroes were currently ripping their way towards him. There was another exit that served as an emergency escape, but it was placed all the way at the bottom of the castle. It was things like this that made him truly glad the Pallet Boys were dead.


    ¡°Sir, they breached the wall.¡± One of the men yelled as he stared down towards the courtyard below. ¡°They¡¯re taking the others out with ease.¡±


    ¡°Of course they are. Blast it all.¡± Doc cursed, kicking a table over and causing everyone to scramble in fear of what the many jars of liquid would do. ¡°We just need to hold out for a bit longer. I told Sunshine what was happening. There is no way he would let me be caught. I go, and the whole first half of his plan goes to hell. He¡¯ll send my three creations or Wish or he¡¯ll even come himself. We just need to hold out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done.¡± One of the men grunted.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand around, you idiots! This lab is filled with some of the finest Super created products in the world. Get whatever you need!¡±


    The lab in question was highly messy. There were dozens of suits of spare Pallet Boy armor that lined the walls. Some were functional, but others were half-built or extremely old models. He didn¡¯t specialize in that kind of tech, but Sunshine didn¡¯t care. He had cut his fingers open dozens of times, trying to open the metal slots and tinkering with the wires. Dozens of tables were also everywhere, filled with jars of different colored liquids. Many didn¡¯t really do anything or would kill you if you drank it, being experiments, but a few were the drugs he made for the Wandering Coin.


    There were two drugs in question. The first was given out to their soldiers. It was the one that would boost their power by dozens of folds and give them pseudo-Super-like bodies. The second drug was what they gave out to the people when they needed to replace their goons. It would instantly hook you and was so addicting that most people willingly signed away their lives for just a second dose. There was a third one as well, but everyone who drank it died, save for three.


    He himself was almost as messy as his lab. His hair was wild and colored so many different shades it might as well have been rainbow. His eyes were hidden behind a set of sunglasses that masked the fact that he was blind, and his lab coat was covered in just as many colors as his hair. He had pale skin since he rarely left the pocket realms, and he clutched his walking cane so hard he thought that it might break.


    His soldiers moved around the lab, some grabbing the orange jars of enhanced drugs and popping them, while others tried to find a working suit of tech armor. Some still decided to take their chances with just their firearms. Either way, all of them faced the door, waiting for the heroes.


    The castle had grown eerily silent. All his other men should have been causing an uproar down below as the heroes fought through them, but instead, it was as if all noise had stopped. ¡°Wait,¡± Doc said slowly. ¡°What if one of them, or all of them, could fly? I sort of forgot to think of a plan in case that-¡±


    The wall behind him exploded, debris and glass scattering through the room. Screams filled the lab. The Doc threw himself to the floor just in time as his men unleashed a barrage of bullets into the opening, but it didn¡¯t matter. Not anymore.


    Money Tree came floating in first. Despite the fact his suit was made out of paper, it easily blocked all the bullets, tendrils of dollar bills forming out of his back that swatted them away. He stood on a platform made of quarters that carried him into the room. Following behind him were Cinder and Snowdawn, both of whom jumped off of their platforms as soon as they entered the room.


    Doc scrambled to his feet but tripped over one of his men. His cane went flying and smacked against the wall, and he was forced to feel his way around on the floor. The room was filled with the sounds of combat, and even without his sight, he knew his guys were losing.


    Outside of the room, his other soldiers realized the heroes had skipped past them and were trying to enter the lab, but it was blocked off and locked down by all the barricades that had been built. He had basically trapped himself, along with his soldiers, in the room with the heroes.


    Cinder blocked a strike one of the enhanced grunts threw at her. She slammed her fist into the goon¡¯s gut hard enough that he almost vomited. Her leg smashed into the man¡¯s shin, bringing him to his knees, and with a simple palm strike to the face, he was sent slamming into the back wall, hitting the ground unconscious. Another grunt charged at her, his skin starting to glow red-hot as he roared. She narrowly dodged a heavy punch he threw and jammed her finger into his gut, blasting a beam of fire into him. It picked him up and carried him across the room, smashing him into several of the other drugged-up grunts.


    Snowdawn dealt with the ones in the suits, sending his snow out like a tidal wave and freezing them all in place, trapping them against the wall. The ones that did manage to dodge, or escape, the onslaught he took out with a bit of hand to hand, every strike forcing globs of ice to grow out of the spot he touched, weighing the suits down and causing them to crash to the floor below.


    This left just the standard gun-wielding grunts, which Money Tree easily dealt with. Quarters formed together into the shape of spinning blades, which wildly began to spin through the room, slashing the guns the men held apart. Dollar bills wrapped around their arms and legs, easily bringing them all to the ground and binding them all.


    This left just one person remaining. ¡°I know you¡¯re faking.¡± She snorted. In front of her, the man in the strangely colorful lab coat was on his back, spread out with his eyes squeezed shut, pretending to be knocked out. ¡°None of us even touched you.¡±


    ¡°Judging by what he¡¯s wearing, he¡¯s likely the one everyone was talking about.¡± Money Tree noted.


    She felt her heart skip a beat and reached down, grabbing the man by the back of his coat. He stopped his act, letting out a fearful yell as she shoved him into the wall. The alarms of the base still went off, along with a new siren, and outside their door, more men were trying to bust in, but she ignored it all. The only thing she focused on was the man in front of her. He was shivering, and her nose ached as he smelled quite pungent. She got the feeling he hadn¡¯t bathed in several days.


    ¡°You know who Sunshine is. Tell me-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know; just don¡¯t hurt me!¡±


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s all it took.¡± She blinked a few times in surprise. She had been in the middle of putting on her Mr. Larison tough act, ready to try and rough him up a bit to make him talk.


    ¡°I like living and don¡¯t really care for this team all that much.¡± The blind man said sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ll sell them out if it means I get a lighter sentence. Can I do a plea deal or something?¡±


    She shot a look towards Money Tree, who just shrugged. It seemed he also didn¡¯t expect a high-ranking member of a crime team to just give up info so easily. Her mind raced as she thought about what to ask. ¡°The Lord of Life. Do you guys have them on your team?¡±


    The Doc winced a bit. ¡°I suppose it was only a matter of time before you heroes figured that out. Yes. We have the Lord of Life. She¡¯s a girl around your age, maybe a little younger. She was made out of the pod.¡±


    ¡°Pod?¡± Both Money Tree and Snowdawn looked lost. She had almost forgotten the fact that most people didn¡¯t know how the Lord¡¯s were really made.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t important.¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°If he knows about the Pod though, then that means he either knows way more than he should or he¡¯s telling the truth. And if he really is telling the truth, then that means¡­¡±


    ¡°The Emperor really is dead?¡± Money Tree put it together first. His eyes sparkled with a mix of various emotions as the memories of the terror that rained upon the land came back to him. ¡°He¡¯s really dead. I had thought so and held out hope, but for it to be confirmed like this¡­¡±


    ¡°This new Lord of Life. Do you think we could get her to work with the heroes?¡± She asked. She had sort of hoped the Lord would be younger than her. It¡¯d be easier to get a child to come around and be a good guy than an already brainwashed teen.


    ¡°Fat chance.¡± The villain let out a snort. ¡°You really think a Lord of Life would work alongside the good guys? The Lords represent something more. They aren¡¯t mere humans with morality. They are titles turned into people. The Sea will always hide a monster beneath the waves of its humanity, the Sky will always be stuck in a state of disaster somewhere along the way, the Sun will always be a force of utter destruction waiting to go supernova, and Life will always be just as twisted and evil as evolution. She is the closest thing to a true human. And with how people are, it¡¯s no wonder she would hate them.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°That complicates things.¡± She winced. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to either try and convince them or force them to save my dad now.¡± Why couldn¡¯t the Lord of Life just be the kind that would cling to her like a little sister? This would have all been so much easier. She still learned a lot from Doc, though, so it was worth it in the end, even if the news hadn¡¯t been the best. ¡°Okay then. Anyone else have any questions they want to ask?¡± She stopped pinning the man to the wall but still gripped him tightly by his coat.


    Snowdawn raised his hand high and jumped slightly. ¡°Oh! Me, me! Pick me.¡±


    ¡°Um? Yeah, okay, you want to ask him anything, Snowdawn?¡±


    The snow-covered hero folded his arms and gave a wide grin. ¡°So, before any of us forgets or before we¡¯re interrupted by someone. What¡¯s the name of your boss? His real name. This Sunshine guy. You know who he is right.¡±


    Doc winced again and gave a light shrug. ¡°Yes. I do know him. I¡¯ve seen him in person, too. In fact, I know where he lives, what he likes to eat, and his full name. He¡¯s a pretty big deal. Only he can get the Lord of Life to obey him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so then what¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Before I tell you, haven¡¯t you found it odd?¡± Doc asked, frowning.


    ¡°Found what odd?¡± Money Tree narrowed his eyes, and slowly, a second sword appeared in his hand. The first one was still pressed to the blind man¡¯s throat, and he applied the tiniest hint of pressure, causing a drop of blood to slide down the doctor¡¯s throat. ¡°We aren¡¯t in the mood for jokes.¡±


    Doc gave a toothy grin. ¡°I just thought you would find it odd how quiet it suddenly got.¡±


    They all froze at his words. The alarms had shut off. When they didn¡¯t know, they had been distracted and never noticed it. Not just that, but the banging outside the door had also stopped. The men had either given up or someone told them to stop. She tried to think back to when they had started to talk to the man. Right at the start, there had been a second siren that went off.


    ¡°Someone else came through the gate. He was stalling for time.¡±


    The wall next to the entrance suddenly exploded, sending a wave of debris. She threw the doctor on the ground and swatted at the stone. Seconds later, dozens of blood-red chains came slicing out in all directions. They cut through everything they touched and moved in ways that showed whoever controlled them could see them all. She felt herself get a little sick when one of the chains passed by her, and she saw dozens of eyeballs lining them. They weren¡¯t made out of metal, either. Instead, it was as if liquid had taken on a solid shape.


    They all did their best to dodge the barrage of chains, which flowed like whips. There were six in total, and two of them wrapped around Doc¡¯s waist and pulled him out of the room. She threw an orb of fire towards him, but the chains blocked it with ease.


    The things pulled themselves back out of the room, and seconds later, dozens of armed men came running in, pointing their guns at them. None of the heroes bothered to look at them, though. Instead, they were focused on the three Supers who strolled back into the room.


    ¡°I never doubted in my mind you wouldn¡¯t come to save me, baby!¡± Doc¡¯s arms were wrapped around the shoulders of a young seventeen-year-old girl. One which took her breath away. The girl looked almost exactly like Sky, or maybe a younger version of the Princess of Life. She had a feeling she knew who the next Lord of Life was. The girl was also dressed in the outfit of a Cleanup Squad member.


    ¡°Dad, not in front of Kevin.¡± Wish said, rolling her eyes and shoving the doctor off of her, sending him crashing into what was left of the wall.


    ¡°Kevin?¡± She jerked her head and felt her blood run cold when she saw the last Super. He stood only in his boxers, awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot. ¡°Kevin!¡± Kevin didn¡¯t look her in the eyes, instead staring down at the floor in shame.


    Wish cocked her head as her eyes glanced Cinder¡¯s body up and down. ¡°Hey, Kevin, this is one of the girls you talk about, right? Is she Hope or Ashley? This one had fire, so that means she¡¯s Cinder, so I¡¯d say she¡¯s Hope!¡± The girl announced, and Hope once again felt her blood run cold.


    ¡°Not cool, man,¡± Snowdawn yelled. He glared at Kevin. ¡°Didn¡¯t she save your life twice now? And you still sold her identity out to some villains? Worse yet, you¡¯re working for the Wandering Coin as one of their goons now! These guys tried to kill you! You- You were in jail for trying to get their drugs. Why did you- How could you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She blocked her friend with her arm before he could step towards the villains. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that issue later.¡± Her gaze never left the white-haired girls. ¡°You¡¯re not Paragon¡¯s secret twin by any chance?¡±


    The girl rolled her eyes. ¡°Why does everyone always bring her up when they see me? First that golden man, and now you.¡±


    ¡°You met Battery?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± She gave a wide grin. ¡°He was with those other two boys. They really weren¡¯t all that great. Pretty sure I killed one of them. That one with the wasps-¡±


    Money Tree was on her in an instant. A look of pure rage in his eyes. He had seemingly given up his calm nature as he swung out as hard as possible. His sword became coated in diamonds, and in an instant, he sliced both Kevin¡¯s and the white-haired girl¡¯s heads off. Tendrils flowed out of Kevin¡¯s head, grabbed onto his body, and pulled it back on. Money Tree didn¡¯t even blink, dodged Kevin¡¯s punch, and brought his sword up again. This time, he cleaved the boy in two once again, though Kevin¡¯s body pulled itself back together.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me.¡± Wish giggled as her head also reattached itself. She reached for Money Tree, and he blocked the strike with his sword, but instantly, his blade shattered, causing his eyes to go wide. Her hand snaked around his wrist, and she squeezed down on it, her fingers digging into the dollar bills. ¡°I win.¡±


    Money Tree formed another sword in his free hand and swung fast. Hope felt herself let out a scream, her eyes wide as she watched the man slice his own arm off. He cut it off at the elbow and jumped away just in time.


    The limb began to bubble and boil in the girl¡¯s arms and melt into a puddle. She dropped it and frowned. ¡°You actually cut your arm off before I could affect you fully? How crazy are you?¡±


    ¡°Money Tree!¡± Snowdawn ran over to the man and placed his hands on the man¡¯s wound. ¡°We need to stop the bleeding!¡± Money Tree ignored him, still staring at the girl. He had no doubt in his mind that this woman was the Lord of Life or at least something close to it. His powers gave him fine control over small things. It required constant focus. That was what allowed him to pick up on the energy that appeared in the cells of his hand. A moment too late, and he¡¯d be dead.


    The image of Lucifer kept coming to her mind. The version she had seen. The one Nier, the great hero, had struggled with. This woman was a monster like that.


    An utter freak.


    She shook her head, getting her mind back on topic. She let out a loud whistle, and suddenly, bursting through the broken window, a bird landed on Money Tree¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Destiny?¡± Money Tree asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Ever since what happened to Paragon, he¡¯s been following me.¡± She explained. ¡°I¡¯ve kept him above us the entire time and brought him in with us in case we needed some healing.¡±


    Despite how good Destiny was at healing, Money Tree¡¯s arm didn¡¯t suddenly regrow. The wound closed, and his bleeding stopped, and he felt himself regain a lot of his blood, stopping the light-headed feeling he had, but the limb was still gone¡ªa price he paid for letting his emotions get the better of him.


    ¡°That bird is really cool.¡± Wish said with wide eyes. ¡°I wonder if...¡± She raised her hand, and slowly, something began to bubble into it. It let out a bird-like chirp as she created a small, chicken-looking thing. ¡°Ah. I¡¯ll need to work on it more, I guess.¡± She closed her fist and crushed the newly created animal, pulling it back in her hand. ¡°Still, you¡¯ve given me some new ideas!¡±


    ¡°What did you do to BB?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°She was outside of this gate.¡±


    Wish shrugged. ¡°Never saw anyone.¡± That caused her to let out a sigh of relief. BB likely hid when the girl saw Wish. The girl¡¯s instincts were sharp. Winning a fight against this monster was next to impossible. ¡°This is the girl you told me about, right, Kevin?¡± Wish hummed, still looking directly at her.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Kevin nodded.


    ¡°You said she was stronger than me, right?¡± Wish gave a broad smile and placed her hands behind two of the armed goons next to her. They screamed out, and their bodies began to twist and change shape. One seemed to bend and narrow out his body, breaking until he was turned into a gross flesh-looking sword. The other became round and thin, growing bones across his skin, turning into a shield. ¡°I¡¯d like to see just how good she is.¡±


    The other soldiers pretty much gave up then and there. It was clear Wish wasn¡¯t really on their side. Many of them dropped their guns and made a break for the exit. No one bothered to stop them. Money Tree took a step back, wincing. ¡°Okay. I have a plan. The controls to the gate are somewhere in here. We find them and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kevin, destroy the controls!¡± Wish yelled. Kevin threw his arm out, and it grew to a massive size, swatting across the room and ripping everything that was electrical apart. ¡°Next time, maybe don¡¯t say your plan out loud, dumbass.¡±


    Money Tree gave a nod toward Cinder and Snowdawn, and all three knew the plan. Wish wasn¡¯t very bright when it came to these realms. By destroying the controls, the gate would forcefully open up in only a few moments. Now, they could actually get out of here.


    ¡°Run.¡±


    ***


    Nothing.


    She still saw nothing.


    Destiny was still too far away. Sky slowly sat up in her hospital bed. How long had she been trapped in this place, she wondered. Her head ached, but for once, she felt like she wasn¡¯t going to instantly black out. ¡°Sky?¡± A familiar voice took her breath away.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    Inside the hospital room, there really wasn¡¯t much. It had a bed and a table, as well as a large TV that hung up on the wall. Her mother rested in a seat next to her bed. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Sky flinched when she felt the woman¡¯s arms wrap around her, but she relaxed when she felt the cool water on her skin. She wasn¡¯t actually in physical contact with her mother.


    ¡°Hey, sissy.¡± Lily¡¯s voice caused Sky to jump once more. Lily sounded normal.


    ¡°Lily. Are you-¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lily stood behind her mom, her arms folded. ¡°I¡¯m back to normal. For now, at least. Mom managed to bring me back while you were knocked out. Got to say I was a little worried you wouldn¡¯t wake up. You¡¯ve never pushed your powers that far before. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Tired,¡± Sky admitted. ¡°How long have I been out for?¡±


    ¡°A full month.¡± Ocean Empress sighed. ¡°But you¡¯re awake now. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°I had the strangest dream.¡± She balled her hand in and out of a fist. ¡°I thought I saw Kenny and Rowan. That Battery guy was there, too. Others I didn¡¯t know either. I... I was evil or something¡ªI think I¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She felt her sister¡¯s hand squeeze down on her shoulder. ¡°It was just a bad dream. I get them all the time.¡± Her sister giggled. ¡°I know it was just a dream because there is no way you would ever be evil. You¡¯re way too nice for that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not nice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes you can be a real bitch.¡± Her sister admitted.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Their mom said, horrified.


    ¡°But!¡± Lily clarified. ¡°Sky is always helping people. Constantly, whenever she gets the chance, she¡¯s a good hero.¡±


    Sky felt herself smile for a second. Her dream was already starting to fade from her mind. It had been way too weird to really recall. Though at the end, she remembered seeing Cinder¡ªor maybe it was Hope. The girl¡¯s mask had been removed, and she looked like she was on the verge of- Sky shook her head, squashing the bad thoughts back down. It was only a dream. Hope was fine. Destiny was with her. He would keep her safe. He would keep all of the Sub Enforcers safe, too.


    ¡°Yeah. It was just a bad dream I was having-¡±


    All the windows shattered suddenly, and a high-pitched whistle filled the room. She felt herself be shoved back as Lily threw herself onto her sister in case there was an attack. Ocean Empress formed her dress to its full height and raised her hands up, ready to fight.


    A loud popping sound echoed throughout the room, and suddenly, both Ocean Empress and her daughter felt their eyes go wide when they saw who appeared. ¡°W- What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Sky demanded. Sometimes, she cursed being blind. She wished Destiny was here more than ever now.


    Ocean Empress took a step forward. ¡°Battery, are you okay?¡± The hero didn¡¯t have his mask on. She had seen him before, but it was the first time Lily saw him. She never really liked looking at his actual face. It always reminded her of people she once knew. Sometimes, he sort of looked like Full Monarch; other times, he didn¡¯t, though. Now, well now, his face was bloodied, and he was covered in bruises. His costume was a torn mess, and he looked exhausted.


    Battery ignored her and raised a sword up. Ocean Empress gasped when she saw it. The blade wasn¡¯t made from his energy. It was an actual sword, one made of a pure white metal. It glowed faintly, and all along it were golden lines and symbols. Runic almost. The words ¡®Story Maker¡¯ were carved along the blade. He stabbed the sword into the floor. ¡°Bring them here.¡±


    The hissing noise was back, followed by the pop. Lily screamed suddenly when she saw who appeared. Like Battery, they had seemingly formed into the room. Rowan¡¯s armor was torn to bits, and the boy¡¯s stomach was caved in. That was nothing to Ken, though. There was so much blood around him his entire foot was missing, and a massive hole was punctured all the way through him. He didn¡¯t look to be breathing.


    ¡°Heal them.¡± Battery grunted as he turned away.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Ocean Empress yelled.


    ¡°Heal them!¡±


    Lily practically threw her sister off the bed. ¡°You have to save him, Sky! Heal him!¡±


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Ken! He¡¯s dying!¡± The room was filled with her panicked mothers yelling, as well as her sisters sobbing. Sky nodded and slowly reached for the floor. She flinched when she felt how much blood it was coated in.


    Battery turned away fully and gripped the handle of his weapon tightly. ¡°Take me to the Lord of Life.¡±


    The room shook, and then a pop, and he was gone, just like that.


    Ocean Empress stared at the spot he was at, her eyes downcast. ¡°I¡¯ll call for help. Try to help them in the meantime, Sky.¡± And with that, she left the room. Things seemed like they weren¡¯t doing well in Oleander.

 Chapter Fifty-Eight: Rivals

    A few weeks ago¡­


    She hit the ground and rolled across it, letting out a soft groan. Slowly, she picked herself up off the ground and gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Maybe we should call it here.¡± Mr. Larison said casually.


    ¡°No!¡± She shook her head and looked back up at her mentor. ¡°Again!¡± She demanded. ¡°I need to get stronger! A whole lot stronger!¡±


    It had been a full week since she and Max Lightning had gone back in time. That adventure had opened her eyes up. She was really a Lord, the real deal. Yet despite holding that title most fights she got into, she nearly lost or barely squeaked out a win. It was no wonder no one suspected she was the Lord. She was so weak.


    ¡°Look kid. It¡¯s fine to want to get stronger, but don¡¯t force your body to do things it can¡¯t.¡± Jack sighed and folded his arms. Golden lightning seeped out of the man¡¯s flesh, crackling in the air around them. ¡°The power has to come out as a need, not a desire.¡±


    She nodded numbly and dusted some of the sand off of her. They were back in the junkyard training some more. Mr. Larison had put up another barrier that would ensure no humans could hear or see what they were doing. He was showing her a bit more of his fighting style. Namely take down moves or other such things.


    There was one thing she really wanted to learn, though¡­


    ¡°You said you were really good with a sword, right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The man shrugged his shoulders, and for a moment a flicker of blue danced across his aura as he created a jagged claymore forged from blue energy. He placed it over his shoulder. ¡°As a kid, I was forced to learn how to use it.¡±


    ¡°Could you teach me how to use one?¡± She asked sheepishly. ¡°I think it would be so cool to have my own giant sword like the Victorian uses!¡±


    Jack rubbed his chin and shrugged. ¡°I mean, I could, though I don¡¯t know how much it would help. You do have fire-based powers and have made a sword once with your elements, so it¡¯s possible. I don¡¯t know if a sword would suit you best though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked a little bummed out.


    ¡°Some people are just better suited for different things.¡± Jack said, shrugging. ¡°You¡¯re more of a striker and have been practicing punches this entire time. Knowing different ways of fighting is good, but it¡¯s best to master something first before you move on. That said, it could still be good to teach you a thing or two. How good at controlling your fire are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made it take shapes before and do things that fire normally can¡¯t.¡± She looked down at her hand, watching the fire swirl around. ¡°Like in my fight with Polaron, where I made that sword. Sometimes my fire also doesn¡¯t burn and seems almost like a physical object.¡± She had created a ball of fire and was able to grab and throw it in her fight with Saw Head, and her sword had seemed like a real object able to cut Polaron. It was as if she could make her fire solid and control how much she wanted it to burn, though each time had been done on instinct. ¡°I never created something complex without having my hair be in its golden form.¡± She finished.


    Jack nodded his head. ¡°Then that¡¯s what we should work on. That form is called a Battle Mode. It¡¯s something all Lords have. You get a huge surge of power and gain strength beyond anything most Supers can reach. That said, it¡¯s draining and can put a mental toll on you. It¡¯s sort of like the Lord''s version of Inverting their power. I wouldn¡¯t recommend using it in front of people, as it¡¯ll instantly tell them you¡¯re a Lord. That said, if your life is in danger, then go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to use that form.¡± She admitted. ¡°I can sometimes feel it turn on or off, but it usually lasts only a second. I¡¯ve never gone back into it since my battle with Intake or Polaron.¡±


    ¡°That could be for the best.¡± Jack hummed. ¡°While the power boost is great, and your flame control seems to skyrocket, we don¡¯t want you falling into the habit of using that power. It¡¯s better to make your base form stronger and get better control of your powers as you are now. That way, when you do go into that form, the multiplier boost you¡¯d get would be for a you that is much stronger.¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s like using a bunch of power-ups on a level eighty character vs using a bunch of them on a level one hundred. Because the level one hundred is stronger, the boost they get from the power up is greater.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jack flicked his hand out, causing his burst of gold to sparkle out. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics. I want to see how much fire control you have. Come at me with everything you can, kid.¡±


    She balled her hand into a fist and smirked. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve been working on an idea ever since I saw you create that giant hand in our battle with Intake. Get ready, Mr. Larison! I¡¯ll show you my new ultimate!¡±


    ***


    Present day¡­


    She didn¡¯t hesitate. In a single moment, she brought her hands up, igniting them in as much fire as she could. The air hissed and then began to spark.


    The air rippled for a moment, and Kevin brought his arms up. Bones formed out of Wish¡¯s back and jutted past the girl¡¯s shoulders, forming a thick barrier just in time as the entire room was suddenly turned into ground zero.


    Snowdawn dove out the window, as did Money Tree, and she was quick to follow them, her fire pushing her out as they escaped into the air. The stone of the castle began to liquify and drip as fire turned the stone into lava. Dozens of the soldiers had already made it out of the top floor, and only the villains remained, all of whom she knew would survive an attack like that.


    No way it would have actually been that easy.


    She felt dozens of coins wrap around her. It wasn¡¯t just her either. Money Tree and Snowdawn were covered in bills that folded together into a parachute. They crashed down, breaking their fall as best they could, and hit the ground with a hard roll.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± Snowdawn asked. She felt his hand on her, and he was doing his best to pull her up.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine. We need to-¡±


    The upper floor of the castle came crashing down, the magma she had created dripping down it. The sounds of Wish¡¯s laughter also filled the air as, moments later, the girl came sliding down the wall of magma that was pouring down towards them. The bones that formed out of the girl¡¯s skin almost turned into jet skis, and Doc gripped tightly to her back, screaming as they surfed down.


    Money Tree sent a wave of coin blades towards her, raising his good arm up. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± The swords didn¡¯t even slow Wish down, tendrils of flesh slapping out of the villain¡¯s body and blocking them. They turned and began to run. They threw attacks back at the Lord when they could, but it didn¡¯t really matter.


    Wish crashed into the ground, her legs bending and twisting. They grew longer, and the girl crouched down, using the force to amplify her jump and blast toward them. Whether it be an ocean of coins or an avalanche of snow, Wish met it all head-on and was quickly making gains on them.


    Their plan really wasn¡¯t that well thought out. The gate was open, sure, but Wish would be able to come out as well. At least back on Earth, they¡¯d be able to call for help. They just had to make it to the forest. Already, as they ran dodging past the bodies of the unconscious men down below and piles of debris, Cinder could make out the glowing gate that rested in front of the woods. They had made it to the large moat of snow that Snowdawn had filled when Wish was finally about to reach them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re running! I¡¯m faster than you all are, and you can¡¯t slow me down.¡± The sinister villain called out in a mocking tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She came to a sudden stop and spun around, ready to meet the villain head-on. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone heal as much as you do. You¡¯re also pretty insane, but I think you¡¯ve made one big mistake.¡± Wish jumped towards her, the girl swinging out the flesh blade she made. It never reached her, though, as fire blasted from her feet, shooting her up in the air.


    The ground suddenly shook, and Wish lost her footing. The snow they stood on¡ªthat massive pile Snowdawn had created¡ªin an instant melted from the heat of her flame. Her two teammates had made it just past the moat and onto solid ground just in time. She herself was high in the air after launching herself up. As for Wish, the girl suddenly found herself sinking into water as the ground steamed and broke apart.


    Doc let out another yell and grabbed on tighter to the Lord. His arms were grasped around a set of large bone-like handlebars that formed out of the girl¡¯s back, and his legs were wrapped tightly around her. Wish was scrambling to get out as more of the ice and snow broke apart, burying the two villains beneath the rapidly forming water.


    Up in the air, she flipped herself around and shot out another explosion from the bottom of her feet, sending her blasting back down to where Snowdawn and Money Tree were. Snowdawn caught her as she stumbled a bit, and they all took off running toward the woods once more, now halfway to where the gate was.


    ¡°That was quick thinking.¡± Snowdawn said as they ran. ¡°I don¡¯t think drowning them will work for very long though.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but it bought us sometime.¡± Money Tree grunted. ¡°We need to get out of here and radio for help.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan if that girl catches back up to us though?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    She rubbed her chin and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d just win.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d... Just... Win...¡±


    ¡°Yep. That¡¯s my plan.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on getting out of here alive.¡± Money Tree called back toward them. He was in the lead but was clearly holding his speed back in case he needed to come help them. Destiny clutched tightly to his shoulder, the bird letting out several whimper-like noises.


    They saw the gate up ahead. They were so close to it. Less than a few meters now. All they had to do was step past it and call for help- A wave of fleshy tendrils tore their way out of the ground and began to grow over the entrance to the gate. It circled it fully and formed a gross-looking cage around the thing, blocking it off. Rapidly, a body pulled its way off of it, and Kevin folded his arms as he now stood blocking their way.


    ¡°Sorry. I was told no one is to pass.¡± The man¡¯s body was covered in dirt, and his hands were massive and mole-like, his body far bigger than it normally was.


    ¡°Seriously.¡± Snowdawn sighed.


    ¡°He dug underground and beat us here.¡± Money Tree gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Move it, jackass!¡± Snowdawn threw a fist of snow that blasted off and flew out toward the man, but it didn¡¯t even make Kevin budge. The man stepped forward once they reached him, and he sliced out with his massive arms, sending them scattering. The force of it was able to rip trees to bits even without him touching them. ¡°Take this!¡± Snowdawn rolled under the strike and threw a punch out towards the man¡¯s gut, only for Kevin¡¯s stomach to rip in half as it turned into a giant mouth and opened wide. Snowdawn¡¯s whole fist entered, and it locked down, trapping it. Kevin raised his massive fists, about to bring them down-


    She moved behind him, cutting through his upper half with a clean motion as a sword of fire formed in her hands. As Kevin¡¯s torso was blasted upwards, Snowdawn ripped his arm out and managed to jump away with her just in time as tendrils jutted out of Kevin¡¯s body and fused the two halves back together.


    ¡°He¡¯s like a mini version of the Lord.¡± Money Tree winced.


    ¡°Speaking of the Lord!¡± They all felt a shiver go down their backs and looked up just in time to see Wish slowly landing. Large bat-like wings pulled themselves back into the girl¡¯s body. Wish discarded what was left of the torn-up Cleanup Squad uniform. That said, she wasn¡¯t fully naked, as bone-like joints were forming over parts of her body, giving her armor. The girl had a large cheeky grin on her face, as if this were all some sort of game. ¡°That was so unfair, Cindy. You almost drowned Doc, you know. I healed him and put him somewhere safe, so now you can¡¯t pull that dirty trick again. By now he¡¯ll likely be arriving at the basement of the castle, where another gate resides, making his escape. It¡¯s funny how close to an exit you guys were and didn¡¯t even know it.¡± Wish placed her hands on her hips and began to stroll toward them. ¡°Kevin, you keep the others busy. I want to play with her alone.¡± She felt Wish¡¯s eyes on her, and her blood began to boil and heat up.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± Kevin shrugged.


    ¡°Like I¡¯ll let that happen.¡± Snowdawn tried to move past Kevin, who blocked his way towards where she and Wish were, but the bully blocked him by growing his hand into the size of a small car and swatting the snow-covered hero away. ¡°Money Tree, keep Cinder safe-¡±


    ¡°I''m a little busy myself.¡± Money Tree called out. Chunks of flesh had suddenly blasting out of Kevin¡¯s back, forming arms that tried to grab the one-armed hero but missed. Grotesquely, the flesh broke away and pulled its way off of Kevin. It dropped to the ground and began to bend and twist into a set of arms and legs, and then a second Kevin stood up back-to-back with the first¡ªone for each of the two heroes.


    One of the Kevins tore off in Snowdawn¡¯s direction, swinging out as hard as he could. Every strike tore and raised the ground in cracked ripples. His body grew larger, and his limbs stretched as he used Godlike strength to catch up to the snow-covered hero. Snowdawn tried to dodge, but even when he did manage, the debris quickly tore their way past his snow. If not for the armor Money Tree had given them, he knew he¡¯d have already been impaled by dozens of stray rocks.


    Over with Money Tree, he was dealing with a similar issue. His Kevin had tried a different tactic. The man¡¯s hands had sprouted dozens of new fingers, and all the fingers grew to be nearly ten feet long and bent in whatever way they needed to. Sharp nails stabbed out of them, and it was as if dozens of bladed whips danced through the air. Trees were sliced to ribbons, and dozens of cuts tore their way onto Money Tree¡¯s body but were instantly healed thanks to the bird that rode his shoulder. Unlike Wish, Kevin¡¯s attacks could be reversed and healed.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal.¡± Wish called out. Bones began to cut through the forest, further blocking the others off as she singled Cinder out. ¡°Kevin isn¡¯t really as good as me when it comes to stuff like this. He actually has a big weakness.¡± The Lord pointed at her skull, smirking. ¡°Somewhere in that brain of his, there is something. Something that shouldn¡¯t be there. Find it and break it, and he dies. That happens, and the barrier around the gate goes, too. Only one of the two Kevin¡¯s has it, though, so you two will have to do your best to beat him and destroy it. You have until I¡¯m done killing Cindy. If you can do that, I¡¯ll let you all go. That sounds like a good deal?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± All the heroes yelled.


    ¡°Aw. Too bad!¡±


    Cinder calmed her nerves and steadily raised her arms. They weren¡¯t on the ground. Wish had forcefully raised it up. They were about sixty meters in the air, and the girl had taken a large stadium chunk out of the ground and raised it up with hundreds of thin, bone-like pillars. The pillars stabbed out of the bottom of the woman¡¯s foot and formed a massive cage around the land they were in. If she forced it, she likely could force the cage open, but that would mean making Wish mad, and the girl could just use these pillars she could casually grow to impale the others down below.


    Even if she did get out, she¡¯d only have a few seconds to figure out which Kevin is the real one and blast them. Money Tree and Snowdawn were dozens of meters away from each other and moving in the opposite direction away from the portal as their Kevin chased them down. If she guessed wrong, Wish would likely kill her friends.


    Even if she did escape, and guess correctly, they¡¯d then all have to make it back to the portal and escape before Wish followed them out and retaliated and then somehow further escaped from there and called for help.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never been the best at coming up with crazy plans for later. I¡¯m more in the moment. And right now, at this moment, I really, really want to punch you.¡±


    ¡°Aw, that almost hurts.¡± Wish taunted. The field was large, and Wish was on the other side. They had about thirty meters between each other. ¡°Why are you being so mean? We¡¯re basically sisters, you know.¡±


    ¡°So, you know...¡±


    ¡°I can see DNA.¡± The girl¡¯s tone changed for just a moment. Almost a flicker of emotion in it. Wish glanced down at her palm. ¡°I see them. I see them all¡ªevery cell. I hear them, too. The way they speak. They never shut up, going on and on about the code of life and work and work and work and¡ªGod, they¡¯re just so loud and everywhere.¡± Wish¡¯s hand balled into a fist. ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t go thinking I went crazy from them, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m evil. I don¡¯t need a lame excuse to do what I do. The fact is, I¡¯m just free. We¡¯re all free. We¡¯re gods, you know. Above these people. Wouldn¡¯t it be fun to stop being human?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Cinder shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not the Lord of the Sun. I¡¯m the Superhero Cinder. I picked this path because I wanted to help people. I¡¯m doing exactly what I want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Wish let out a giggle and rubbed her forehead. ¡°I was stressing out a bit on whether you would ask to side with me. I mean, I shouldn¡¯t say no to having a Lord on my team, but the thing is, I really want to kill you and turn your corpse into something new, and I wasn¡¯t sure which path I should have followed. So, thank you for making it easier on me.¡±


    She felt more of her blood begin to boil. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be evil, you know.¡± She hissed out. ¡°I need your power to save my father. He has the Dead Virus and I was told the Lord of the Land and Life can fix him.¡±


    Wish snorted. ¡°Oh, so you want my help to save your dad?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± She admitted. ¡°But someone as sick and twisted as you would never heal him.¡±


    ¡°Bingo!¡± Wish giggled and brought her hands together, making them into a heart shape. The girl looked through the opening in her fingers and stared right at her. ¡°You¡¯re pretty cute, so maybe if you did agree to join my side, I¡¯d have healed him for you, but you already said no. That said, I think I just thought of a fun game we can play.¡±


    ¡°Game? This is all a game to you?¡± She growled.


    ¡°Of course it is.¡± Wish waved her arms around. ¡°Just look around. We¡¯re so far above everyone. I have to make a game to have fun due to how boring this world can be.¡± The girl suddenly pointed at her, and she got ready for an attack, but it never came. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game. Just me and you. When a Lord dies, the power they have is passed on, either going to the Pod or their child or grandchild. If you can beat me and manage to kill me, my power will respawn somewhere out there in the world. I don¡¯t have any kids, so with my death, a new Lord will be born from the Pod, which will appear somewhere on Earth. Find it, and you can find the new Lord and have them heal your father.¡±


    She felt her throat grow a little dry. Killing was still something she didn¡¯t really want to do if she could avoid it, but what other option did she really have if she wanted to save her dad? She doubted she could beat Wish into submission and force the girl to work for her due to the fact the Lord seemed to have some insane healing factor. If it would save her father, would she do it?


    ¡°What do you get out of this game?¡± She asked slowly.


    Wish giggled. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Wish threw her arms behind her head and winked. ¡°I think I¡¯ll use my powers on you if I beat you. Twist your body and mind and make you into my monster. The Emperor was able to turn people into wild creatures. I¡¯d bet you would look so cute as a giant dragon. I could drop you off in Rose or something and watch you wipe out the city.¡±


    Her face paled, and she felt another chill go through her spine. ¡°You¡¯re cruel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a God.¡± Wish corrected.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re just a monster.¡± She balled her hands into a fist, and fire erupted down her arms, igniting them as she entered a battle stance. ¡°I¡¯m going to save not just my dad but everyone else that you could harm. You¡¯re a danger. One to the whole planet. That¡¯s why I swear! I¡¯m going to stop you here and now!¡± She announced.


    With no more words being exchanged, it was time for them to do battle.


    Wish crouched down low to the ground. Her legs twisting and changing, ready to launch. Cinder held her hands out in front of her, keeping her hands close together as if she were about to clap. The fire bow wasn¡¯t the only new ability she had created in the month since she traveled with Max Lightning. She had watched Nier and Lucifer fight, and those two had bent and twisted their powers in dozens of ways.


    The advantage was in distance. Wish was strong and basically immortal. Only an attack that would reduce the villain to ash faster than she could heal would be the only way to bring her down. A hard feat in itself. It was thanks to this, though, that Cinder had her plan. Wish was cocky. More than Polaron, and more than even Green Wolf. The girl would have to reach her first to use her life powers.


    Wish twitched.


    Then the villain fired forward!


    Wish was fast, maybe as fast as Mr. Larison, and already the girl¡¯s hand was coming at her face. Wish formed solid bone armor around her body to block any fire attacks she would create, but she had been expecting the villain to do something like that. Instead of trying to block or throw out her own attack, she plugged her ears with her fingers, then she opened her mouth, and she screamed as loud as she could.


    It exploded out of her. A wild, chaotic blast of sound as she used her enhanced lungs. For a moment she thought back to some of the training she and Mr. Larison had done over the course of the month. They had gone to the beach several times, and her mentor had practically drowned her dozens of times to enhance how long she could hold her breath. With that, plus the inhuman stamina she had, she was able to really cut loose on her sonic scream.


    The sound wave caused Wish¡¯s bone armor to vibrate, and the girl came to a sudden stumble as it blew her eardrums to bits and popped many of the girl¡¯s insides. She pulled her fist back while the villain was still recovering and launched her fist out as hard as she could. Fire exploded out of the bottom of it as she copied the rocket boost Demonica used and thrusted her arm forward like a jet. Her punch rammed directly into Wish¡¯s face, and she blasted out another wave of fire from her hand, launching the deaf girl high into the air.


    She dropped to a crouch and then jumped up as high as she could. She screamed out, unleashing another Super yell and frying Wish¡¯s brain and ears once more, keeping the girl stunned as she flew past the villain and made it into the air above them. Then she ignited her back in fire and began to focus on the second thing she and Mr. Larison had been working on.


    The fire twisted and took shape, seeping from her palm as it began to take the image of something. It was as if it were alive. She didn¡¯t make a weapon, though. Instead, the fire gathered and condensed on her back, sliding across her shoulders to form straps holding a dense flame-construct backpack that sprouted multiple arms and legs, each one long enough to reach past her. Wish, in return, sprouted several dozen arms from her back in a pale imitation of the flaming hero.


    Several of the arms on Cinder¡¯s back slapped at the air behind her, igniting the air and blasting the hero forward. Wish attempted to get the first strike in, but her rapid momentum carried her into the villain¡¯s space with no time to mount any defense. She punched forward with several of the flaming arms wrapping around her own, but Wish¡¯s extra arms surged forward as a shield, blocking the punch. But the villain had no time to gloat as a glowing orange fist slipped under her guard, sending her off further balance while they fell and forcing Wish to drop the guard she was holding up.


    They crashed down back into the platform, which began to crumble from the force of their crashing landing. Wish managed to scramble to her feet just in time for Cinder to come down with a powerful dive kick that blasted the villain through the raised stadium and them both smashing down into the forest below.


    As Wish looked down, the villain saw the backpack skittering across the ground, detached from Cinder as she rocketed forward with a flying knee that rattled the villain¡¯s brain. She and the backpack began to slam Wish with a barrage of hits from both sides, almost circling the villain as Wish screamed with frustration.


    As she jabbed at Wish¡¯s head, it split and formed into a fang-lined hoop that tried to slam closed around the hero¡¯s arm. Before it could, she grabbed one of her backpack¡¯s flaming arms and pulled that into the fanged hoop. Before Wish could release the arm, her sight was blocked by an inferno as the flaming backpack wrapped around her head and Cinder sent her flying into the air with a jaw-shattering uppercut.


    Ripping at the limbs around her head, Wish roared as the backpack rapidly superheated with a brilliant glow and detonated in a ferocious fireball that incinerated the nearby area and sent out a shockwave that bent the few remaining trees in the area.


    Cinder took a step back and looked around to take stock of the situation. ¡°Told Armin I would just win.¡± She wobbled a bit but kept a steady hand on a nearby tree, which began to burn.


    Much of the surrounding area was burning, in fact. She might have gone a little overboard. The idea for the attack had come when she saw Mr. Larison do something similar, though he had created a much bigger hand out of his blue energy. Either way, Mr. Larison, and even the Victorian, seemed to be able to create various things, from massive swords to expanding and bending chains, so it wasn¡¯t too different from how she created her bow. Besides the amount of energy it had taken, of course. She wouldn¡¯t be pulling off something that big again.


    ¡°I should hurry and help Armin-¡±


    She heard the crack, thanks to her enhanced hearing. It was too late though. She felt pain as a shard of sharp bone stabbed through the bottom of her foot and into part of her leg. She didn¡¯t even have time to scream or fall as Wish¡¯s body came pulling itself out of the ground.


    The girl¡¯s laughter filled the woods, and she rose from behind Cinder. Her arms wrapped around Cinder¡¯s body, and she pressed herself to the hero as her grip grew tight enough to shatter the bronze armor Money Tree had given the girl. ¡°I win.¡± Wish whispered, her fingers tracing Cinder¡¯s face. ¡°Want to know how I¡¯m alive-¡±


    Cinder ignited her body with fire. She burned through the bronze, revealing her costume beneath it, which managed to survive the burning. This wasn¡¯t like catching her fist or feet on fire, though. This was like how everyone always drew Full Monarch. Every cell was on fire. Or rather, it had become fire. Bright orange, she knew she couldn¡¯t keep it up for more than a second as she was now, but that was more than enough.


    Every nearby tree burst into fire, and in just a split second, it was as if the sun had taken shape. Even miles away now, Snowdawn felt all his snow begin to melt and drip, and Money Tree¡¯s suit began to smolder. It was for only a single moment, though, and Cinder¡¯s fire was put out.


    The bone in her leg was ash, as was the woman that had held her. There were no trees to hold onto now. Everything was ash, and for nearly a mile, it was just gray. Her body burned, as not even she could stand that force with how early she still was to being the Lord of the Sun. Her costume had held together as had the helmet, but her backpack was gone, and her skin had turned red-hot, steam pouring off of her.


    From the ash, Wish¡¯s hand rose up, wrapping around Cinder¡¯s ankle. Cinder stopped walking, breathing heavily as she slumped down. Wish crawled her way out of the ground. ¡°Will you just let me talk?¡± The girl giggled. Her bone armor reformed, and she gently poked Cinder on the chin. ¡°See. I guess your thought was a good one. I can¡¯t heal if I¡¯m gone, right? You¡¯d be right. I can¡¯t heal if you just get rid of me fully. You didn¡¯t, though. Your brain was way too small. You thought of my powers as if I were a Super. Gave me a limit that didn¡¯t really exist. I¡¯m a God. I don¡¯t have limits. All around us, miles under the ground, I reside. Outside this reality, all over the planet, I reside. Within my subjects, I reside. You might kill me if you got rid of every piece of me. Doing that, though, would require hunting every single tiny cell I¡¯ve planted across so many worlds. Sometimes, I don¡¯t even know where I¡¯ll end up. I¡¯m immortal. And not that baby shit Lucifer pretends to be. I. Am. Immortal.¡± Wish stopped when she heard Cinder¡¯s laughter. ¡°Care to explain what¡¯s so funny?¡±


    She pushed herself back up, feeling her blistered skin scream at her. The image of Nier was burning through her mind. ¡°You¡¯re not as strong as the last Lord of Life.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as the previous Lord of the Sun.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    She raised her arms up, and her skin screamed at her as the fire began to form back on her hands, but she ignored it. ¡°The Emperor was the last Lord of Life. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told. Some say he died; others say he¡¯s out there. Either way, even if you do have his power, it doesn¡¯t matter. He lost to Full Monarch fifteen years ago. In other words, the Lord of the Sun is better than the Lord of Life!¡±


    Wish¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re not fun anymore, bitch.¡± Her hand expanded out as she rammed it into Cinder¡¯s stomach. The hero gasped and nearly vomited as the fingers broke past the costume and dug into the girl¡¯s stomach. ¡°I¡¯ll make you into a pretty puddle of foolish hope!¡± Wish¡¯s body ignited with a faint black glow, and she grinned. And grinned. And- ¡°Wait...¡± She stared down at Cinder, who wasn¡¯t changing. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you-¡±


    Cinder rammed her fist into the girl¡¯s head hard enough to twist it all the way around. Wish allowed her neck to snap back around, and she smashed her fist forward. It grew larger and rougher, growing scales, and she rammed it into the helmet. A large crack appeared along Cinder¡¯s helm, and the thing split in half. As it broke apart, blood poured down the hero¡¯s face from a large cut on her forehead, but the girl ignored it, smashing her other fist into Wish¡¯s stomach hard enough to blow a hole in it.


    Wish kept her fist going, shoving it past the broken helmet, and slammed her palm into Cinder¡¯s face. ¡°Die.¡± Black sparks danced across her palm and-


    Again nothing.


    ¡°Why!¡±


    Cinder ignored the pain and focused on the flaring growth of fire that was inside of her. She felt that power. Slowly, it was seemingly tapping into the energy in the air. The energy of the Lord that Wish was. Every time the girl tried to touch her, her own powers would react, and for a small second, her entire body would shift into fire. Her very cells were changing to something that wasn¡¯t alive to avoid being touched by Wish.


    Gradually, her hair began to change. It started at the top and worked all the way down through her roots. The black shifted into an orangish gold. Her eyes were next igniting in a fiery red glow that matched Wish¡¯s own eyes. She had entered her battle mode. The same boost of strength that allowed her to dominate Intake began to course through her body.


    ¡°I told you!¡± She called out. ¡°I¡¯m beating you here and now, you monster!¡±


    Her fist smashed into the girl¡¯s jaw, and claws of fire grew from her fingertips, slashing Wish apart. The halves of Wish ignited, burning to ash, and the ground tore apart as another Wish came roaring out of it, swinging her arm, which had morphed into a mass of blades.


    She flipped back, using her fire to carry her. The blades caught the edge of her black mask and tore it off of her face, narrowly clipping her eyebrows. As she slid back, she used the fire at the bottom of her feet and blasted forward, ramming herself into Wish. Spikes tried to form out of the monster¡¯s body, but they were burned to ash as Cinder flickered with fire on and off.


    Wish expanded her body and grew larger, her bones dissolving as she seemed to morph into a puddle. Water rapidly leaked out of her as she turned into a liquid-like state and tried to force the fire on Cinder out. Chains made out of fire blasted out of Cinder¡¯s back wildly in all directions and tore the back of her costume up. They wrapped around the flesh orb that Wish had become and crushed the girl, burning her to ash.


    ¡®Not all powers are equal. Some are godlike, like the Four Lords, and some are so weak you might as well not even have them. That said, I have found four main things that determine how strong you are. Body, Mind, Spirit, and Luck. The more fit you are, the more your head is in the game, the more you put your soul into it, and the luckier you are, the stronger you¡¯ll be.¡¯


    In this moment, while she might have lacked the body, and while she definitely lacked the luck, she more than made up for it in her mind and spirit. Myth had come up with the four ideas on what determines how strong someone could be. The story of the previous Lord of Life, whatever conclusion it might have held, Hope took her own meaning from it.


    The Sun will beat Life.


    That brief statement held no weight, yet that was all that was required to cause the seeds of doubt to begin to grow within Wish. For a while, Wish possessed the perfect body and an abundance of luck; she had never truly experienced what it was like for someone¡¯s mind and spirit to shake.


    This had become a battle of wills.


    An ocean of bones stabbed out of the ground and began to rise up in all directions. Cinder blasted her fire down from both her hands and feet, lifting her up higher and higher, and for a brief second, she flew. Her golden hair blew wildly in the wind as she escaped past the clouds, and the bone spikes stopped, unable to grow any further, having reached their limit in height.


    Instead, they pulled themselves back down and began to expand across the rest of the battlefield towards Snowdawn and Money Tree. She dropped from the sky and brought her arms up. Flames stretched out from her hand as a backpack made of fire reformed, this time the size of a garbage truck. She began to spin, speeding up as she fell until the flaming backpack and her almost formed a solid disk of flames. As she neared the ground, she slammed the giant backpack down with all of the momentum she had generated, creating an even bigger shock wave and sending out a massive tidal wave of force and debris as all the bones were shattered. The fire blasted down through the ground, melting everything nearby, and in an instant, trillions of Wishs were wiped out.


    As the fire faded, revealing the massive crater that had formed, she landed down, breaking her fall with a roll. She only had seconds to catch her breath as, seconds later, a hand grabbed her face. Wish was nearly ten feet tall now, twisting black horns stabbing out of her head, and her eyes blazing with the same red as Cinder¡¯s. Black scales covered her body, and a massive set of wings had formed out. She easily picked Cinder up by the face and threw the girl as hard as she could.


    Cinder crashed back miles away from where she had been, slamming through the walls of the castle and coming out the other side. The entire thing came crashing down, and magma rained, and she found herself slamming back first into an ocean of lava.


    Wish came crashing down and slammed into her. The girl¡¯s form had grown smaller, and her black scales ignited from the fire of the lava, but Wish ignored it, grabbing Cinder by the face and shoving it down into the lava. An extra pair of arms sprouted from her back, and she pinned the girl¡¯s arms above her head as she dunked her into the heat. Claws were stabbing from her body, but they weren¡¯t able to piece Cinder¡¯s skin any longer.


    Second by second, the girl was growing faster and faster, the glow in her eyes getting brighter. Wish felt her body¡¯s strength give out as Cinder forcefully raised herself out of the lava, and Cinder slammed her face into Wish¡¯s. Wish felt the girl¡¯s lips on hers as Cinder unleashed a wave of fire breath through Wish¡¯s mouth, blowing the girl¡¯s head apart.


    Wish¡¯s corpse crashed down into the lava, burning away to ash as Cinder climbed out of it, most of her costume still intact. She wiped at her lips, and fire flowed over them, briefly burning the cells of Wish that tried to cling to her.


    ¡°What the hell are you?¡± Wish stood on a floor above her eyes, filled with pure hate.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one going on about us being gods?" She jumped up to the floor above and shook the lava off her body.


    ¡°I am! I am a God! I am the God! Look at me! I¡¯m Immortal! Y- You¡¯re just fire! Fire! Just heat! I am Life! I-¡±


    ¡°Life couldn¡¯t exist on this planet without the sun, you know.¡± She moved faster than Wish could react and rammed her fist into the girl¡¯s side. ¡°Besides. Since when can Life battle the Sun?¡± Despite her cocky tone, she was panicking inside. She honestly didn¡¯t know how much she could keep this up for. She had hit empty a while ago and was just using whatever this second wind was. Any second now, she knew she was about to give out and her hair and eyes would revert.


    Unknown to Cinder and Wish, though, in Lillian, Poseidon suddenly stopped and turned to stare out the window toward the direction of Oleander. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her mother¡¯s voice caused her to jump a little.


    ¡°Oh. Nothing. I... I just have this weird feeling.¡±


    Across the seas, further away in the city of Gladiolus, Max Lightning sidestepped a strike of glowing pink energy a villain had fired at him. He frowned a little, his eye twitching as he struck out with a bolt of lightning.


    ¡°So, the two baby Lords find themselves up against each other. That explains this energy. I thought it was odd how her power grew when I met her. No doubt in my mind. Lords are meant to stick together.¡±


    The villains all looked at each other, confused, before suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning rained down from the heavens, shocking them all and knocking them all out.


    Max Lightning folded his arms behind his back as his sly grin faded. ¡°We cause explosive growth in one another. I wonder if you knew this, Jack.¡±


    He knew that the man wasn¡¯t here, nor that the man could hear him, but he still spoke it aloud. To him, the image of Jack, the swordsman, would know this all already.

 Chapter Fifty-Nine: Hero

    ¡°Sounds like things have gotten pretty crazy over there.¡± Kevin sighed.


    ¡°Yeah. Sounds like it.¡± Money Tree took a swig from the bottle of whiskey. ¡°I¡¯m not worried, though. Cinder is a member of Pantheon. My best friend would never take on someone who would lose.¡± He tossed the bottle over to Kevin, who caught it.


    Kevin finished the whiskey off and walked over to a shelf, placing the empty bottle back on it. ¡°Want me to grab another one? There¡¯s still a bunch left.¡± He asked his enemy.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Money Tree shook his head. ¡°That was plenty. Can¡¯t feel the pain in my arm anymore. Thanks for that.¡±


    They were far from the portal now. When the villain split himself in two, one of the Kevins had chased Money Tree away from it. They went even further when Cinder decided to turn the entire battlefield into an active volcano. Far in the distance, the remains of the Pallet Boys castle were slowly melting away.


    They were at a different section of the realm. One which had a large stone building that had been mostly torn down in all the shaking. It had seemingly served as a sort of wine cellar for the Pallet Boys, though it wasn¡¯t underground. A single shelf had survived the rumbling, and it allowed the two of them to take a much-needed break.


    ¡°Won¡¯t your mistress get mad when she learns you stopped fighting me?¡± Money Tree snorted.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Kevin cracked his neck, and his flesh bubbled. ¡°You just looked uncomfortable. I¡¯m not one to pick on someone who just lost their limb, so I figured you could use the break. Besides, you¡¯ve been fighting all day, right? Got to be pretty tired now.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again.¡± He muttered. It was hard to think that they had been in this realm for less than an hour now. So much stuff had seemingly happened, and they were still nowhere near done. This break was very much needed. It allowed Destiny to go and back up Cinder as well. ¡°So be honest. Do you have the thing in your head? The one Wish told us to break.¡±


    Kevin gave a lazy shrug. ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Well, I¡¯ll be seeing you, then. I need to go and help Snowdawn destroy that thing the psycho lord mentioned.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one in my head because it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± Kevin grunted. ¡°She lied. There is a core that stops me from growing back, but it isn¡¯t in my body. Sorry to say. If you really want out, you¡¯re going to need to either somehow kill Wish or tear through the flesh wall I created.¡±


    ¡°Could you take it down?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not programmed to.¡±


    ¡°Programmed- Ah. I get it.¡± Money Tree nodded. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not going to let me just kill you and go help Snowdawn either, are you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t do that. The moment you try to leave, I¡¯ll go back into attack mode and try to kill you; the same goes for when you attack me. I¡¯d say you have a single second to hit me with a solid attack. Either wipe me out fully or mostly. You can also try and convince me to take another break, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll work again.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense to me.¡± Money Tree gave a sly smirk. ¡°The thing is though; I¡¯ve already made my attack.¡±


    ¡°Huh-¡± Blood spilled down Kevin¡¯s stomach as a blade of shimmering diamonds jutted out of his side. ¡°How did you-¡±


    ¡°When you took a sip from the drink.¡± Money Tree raised his palm up, and more blades began to jut out of Kevin¡¯s body. ¡°I put a few strands of diamond dust into it. See, I create forms of currency. Few powers can just create things out of thin air, and I¡¯m one of them. I can¡¯t create stuff in places I don¡¯t see or inside of objects. I can only create things out of my skin. I say create, but that isn¡¯t really right. It¡¯s less creation and more transmutation. I infect matter with my power and turn already existing matter into a type of currency. I can¡¯t do this to living things, but the air around us is filled with trillions upon trillions of tiny bits of matter, all brushing my skin and being turned into dollar bills or shards of diamonds. This infection can then grow and start to infect other forms of matter. In other words, that tiny bit of dust you just inhaled is now changing into trillions of shards, growing larger and larger.¡±


    Kevin¡¯s body took a swing, his arm growing, but Money Tree easily sidestepped the attack. ¡°How could you get so many in me? I¡¯m a living person. Your power shouldn¡¯t be able to infect me-¡± More shards started to stab out of his limbs, and his arms crashed to the ground, suddenly too heavy for him to hold up. A giant crystal jutted out of his back, forcing him to his knees.


    ¡°There are plenty of things inside of a person that aren¡¯t living. Our hairs are made out of dead cells. Plenty of cells die. Of course, even with a massive number, they¡¯re so small I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this. That¡¯s where your power allowed me to.¡±


    Kevin''s arm shattered to pieces as the crystals formed over part of his torso. He tried to stand up, but his knee exploded, and his leg was replaced with a large crystal. Slowly but surely, he was being replaced fully. Soon he would just be a pretty art piece. His neck bubbled, and it grew longer like a snake. His mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth, and he tried to bite down around Money Tree¡¯s neck, but the teeth shattered as the man¡¯s entire outfit was replaced with a diamond suit.


    ¡°You see.¡± Money Tree casually batted the head off of him, ripping off most of its face. ¡°Your body grows and expands rapidly. You¡¯re creating new cells in order for your bones and muscles to take up the space of the new limb; same for the skin. New cells that then have to go somewhere when your body pulls itself back to its normal shape. Cells that will quickly die off. Your body is like a mini-universe filled with the dead. Matter my virus can infect easily.¡±


    Kevin¡¯s neck shrank back down, and he stopped fighting. From the head down, he was entirely made of diamond now, as it grew across his skin and connected with the parts inside of him. ¡°I see. This is quite the power, Mister Hero. I ain¡¯t done yet. I might not like the side I¡¯m on, but I still have my pride.¡± He opened his mouth as the virus expanded over his face. His tongue blasted out, growing massive, and he bit down on it, severing it just in time.


    The diamond finished growing, leaving him frozen in place, but his tongue started to slither like a snake as the front of it grew a mouth of its own. It darted through the tall grass of the field they were in, getting longer and thicker. Money Tree slashed out with his sword, but the thing dodged it and curved past him. An arm grew out of it, and the hand took hold of his ankle. Even with his armor, he grunted as he felt it shatter part of the bone in his foot.


    He twisted and broke his leg further, forcefully dragging it out of the grasp. His costume expanded and almost seemed to grow a flapping pair of wings made out of cash, which lifted him off of the ground and away from the beast.


    The tongue got even larger, reaching the size of a bus. The arm that had formed out of it grew larger as well, and it sprouted a second limb. Legs started to form out of its side, and large fleshy wings sprouted from its back. Its front seemed to morph into a head as well, which lifted up and growled. It almost looked like a large, fleshy dragon. The pink beast lifted up with its wings, and Money Tree narrowly dodged the strike.


    ¡°So, you took my lesson to heart, huh?¡± The thing was made entirely out of muscle cells now. It didn¡¯t have eyes, ears, or even a brain. It was just solid muscle forced to work from the boy¡¯s mysterious power. It didn¡¯t recycle any of its cells or create new ones once it was finished changing. No dead cells at all. An almost perfect life form. ¡°This might be harder than I thought.¡±


    He twisted and dodged as more limbs grew out of the beast, and it created another set of wings to better support it. The thing chased him up higher towards the sky, and he formed one of his platforms. Spinning blades of pennies were thrown at the monster, but its form was insanely thick and easily deflected them. Even when he made diamond blades.


    Dragons were mighty beasts, most having been real beings that once existed due to the power the Emperor held. Kevin had seemingly stepped closer to being more dragon than man as his new form roared and howled as it caught up to Money Tree.


    The hero flew past the clouds and could feel ice start to crawl up his skin. His lungs started to burn as well, and it was getting harder to stay awake. Still, he fought.


    He and the dragon got even higher, more limbs clawing through the air hard enough to send out shock waves while the hero fired more spears and blades of cash. Pink and white filled the sky as muscles and diamonds clashed. Money Tree started to form animals out of his creation, bombing the dragon with crows made of gold or hawks made of diamonds. Kevin¡¯s form grew tons of mouths and teeth made of muscles that crushed the beasts.


    The air got even thinner, and Money Tree felt his eyes grow heavy. He slipped and paid for it, not reacting fast enough as one of the dragon¡¯s many arms wrapped around his waist. He screamed out as he felt dozens of his ribs shatter. Despite that, though, he still managed to chuckle.


    Kevin couldn¡¯t see or hear him, lacking eyes. Instead, the muscles all formed and moved on instinct. Even if the man could hear, he lacked a brain, not allowing for thought. Because of this, it never bothered to actually notice that the further they got up, the more the wind beneath them began to bend and twist.


    ¡°Now¡¯s your time, BB!¡± Money Tree¡¯s outfit erupted, growing larger, and it forced part of the dragon¡¯s hand open. He slipped out of his outfit and began to free fall down past it. The beast¡¯s body tried to turn in the air, but it was too late. As Money Tree fell, he passed BB, who began to gradually revert back to her normal size. ¡°You got this.¡±


    BB had followed the duo of bad guys in the portal when they had first arrived. The monster that was Wish had forced her to hide before she could sneak close to Money Tree, ready to help when he needed it. This dragon, though, was something she wasn¡¯t scared of. BB gave a grin and held her hands out. She thought back to what Cinder had done and copied it, forcing all the wind she had created as she followed after Money Tree and Kevin to form into the center of her hands.


    ¡°Take this!¡± The hero yelled.


    The dragon roared, and the wind formed into a beam-like state as so much air pressure fired out. It punctured straight through the monster and forced it up higher into the air, lifting it up further and further. It tried to fight back, but it was too late. As the wind stabbed through it and lifted it, it also began to wrap around him. The further he got away from the planet, the colder it got, and soon he was about to be launched into outer space!


    His body began to rip off chunks and try to throw them away before it froze fully. ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± Money Tree created a new platform for him and BB to stand on. As she sent the big one up higher, he used his power on the falling chunks, wrapping them up before they could grow and forcing the makeshift cages to fly past the beast and into space.


    BB let out one final yell as all the wind was fully unleashed and the flesh dragon broke past the atmosphere. Its wings started to shatter, and its body became coated in a thick layer of ice, slowly twisting through space and getting further away from the planet.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± BB yelled. ¡°We did it-¡± The platform beneath them broke apart, and they suddenly began to fall. ¡°Money Tree?¡± She called out, forming her wings. The man didn¡¯t answer her, his costume breaking off of him. His eyes were rolled to the back of his head, and she realized he had blacked out. ¡°Oh crap!¡±


    She tried to use the wind to stop his fall, but it didn¡¯t work. She had used up a ton of energy creating the gate and then that massive beam. The wind barely had enough control to form into small puffs of air. Her wings couldn¡¯t lift her up either, while she was big and while small, she wouldn¡¯t be able to carry him.


    ¡°What do I do, what do I do, what do I-¡± She stopped as she stared down at the man¡¯s face. The face of a hero. The face of the man who kept the Sub Enforcers held together.


    Money Tree had been there when Myth left them all. He had been there when their former leader died. He had been the one to take it over and rebrand it to what it is now. The one who helped get Lily and Ken back into society as well as dozens of other heroes who had their lives changed by the Calamity event. He was the one that helped her to grow her powers, helped Rowan to build better suits, helped Wasp Nest learn, and brought Oxide out of her shell.


    Money Tree was a hero.


    One who the world still needed.


    BB body shrunk down, and her wings unfolded as she flew past Money Tree. She turned around and grew back to her full height, wrapping her arms around him as he crashed into her. The ground was coming up fast, and soon both of them would be a stain, but she could at least make sure one survived. ¡°You were a good teacher.¡± Her body began to expand as she inverted her power, getting bigger.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    She would shield him from the fall and take all of it onto herself. She became big enough to wrap her hands fully around his body, and she closed her eyes. Then suddenly she saw it and felt something seep over her body. A bright, warm glow. BB¡¯s eyes shot open as she felt a wave of energy going through her.


    ¡°Looks like I made it in time.¡± Despite her massive form, BB could feel something wrapped around her. It wasn¡¯t arms though. It was pure golden light. Something had stopped her fall moments before she hit the ground. The light carried her softly down and gently placed her on her feet. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Her body began to shrink, and she still gripped Money Tree. She looked up at the beaten face of Battery. She blinked a few times, still in shock. ¡°You made it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Battery brought a weapon up. A sword that was solid white and danced with the symbols of hundreds of runes. He placed the edge of the blade on her throat, but she felt no sense of harm. ¡°Take them to Sky.¡±


    Her ears popped, and in an instant she and the unconscious Money Tree stood in a hospital room. ¡°More of them¡ªOh my God, that¡¯s Money Tree!¡± Lily said in horror.


    The room was fairly crowded now. Ocean Empress stood off to the side, and there were several doctors and Hero Branch workers trying to cut Rowan out of his armor while Sky worked on Ken, who had seemingly woken up and was shivering, his face pale due to the amount of blood he was losing.


    BB placed Money Tree on the ground, her eyes wide. ¡°I- I was brought here by Battery, I think¡ªParagon, please help Money Tree!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡± Sky muttered. She placed her second hand on Money Tree. ¡°Oh God. Just who the hell have you guys been fighting!¡±


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ocean Empress stepped forward, placing her hands on BB¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Listen. You seem to be fine; are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No. I-¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Do you think you can tell me where this is all happening? Battery left without answering. I¡¯m getting involved now.¡±


    BB gulped the image of Wish coming to her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you could win.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting something mom can¡¯t handle.¡± Lily¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s a Lord, right? Sun or Life? Which one is evil?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s a Lord?¡± Sky questioned. ¡°Mom¡¯s strong, but there are threats besides the Lords out there that can beat her.¡±


    ¡°I just know it. I don¡¯t know how, but I do. Mom, take me with you-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ocean Empress shook her head. ¡°I need you to stay here. We have three unconscious heroes and Sky. You need to keep them safe. I¡¯m going.¡± She turned to look back at BB. ¡°Please. Tell me where it is.¡±


    BB nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there. Cinder and Snowdawn haven¡¯t made it out yet.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, too.¡± From the doorway, dressed in his hero costume, Old Dog stood with his arms folded behind his back. His body shook, and his eyes looked tired.


    ¡°Dad-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡±


    Ocean Empress sighed. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s head to the roof. BB, lead the way to this place.¡±


    ***


    Snowdawn screamed and rammed his fist into Kevin¡¯s face. The massive brute stumbled back and swung his own arm out, smashing it into Snowdawn¡¯s stomach and causing the hero to gasp.


    The two of them were in rough shape. They were miles away from the forest, the castle, and wherever Money Tree had ended up. The fighting itself had taken a bit of an odd turn. This second Kevin seemingly had been inspired by the arena Wish had made and created one of his own. It wasn¡¯t very big, only ten feet wide, and was a perfect circle.


    That was where the two of them stood. Kevin¡¯s body was covered in shards of frozen skin, and he was bruised and battered, stumbling and struggling to hold his arms up. Muscles poured out of his fists, making them larger and giving him fleshy knuckle dusters. Across from him, Snowdawn had similar weapons made out of bits of solid snow and a tiny amount of ice. His snow armor was mostly gone and cracked, revealing the black bodysuit he wore as well as his very bloody face. His glasses had broken a while ago in their fist fight.


    Kevin took a step forward and threw a right hook out. Snowdawn barely blocked it and groaned as he felt the muscles in his arm scream out. More of his snow tumbled off his body, and his fingers grew tighter around his weapons, which he raised up, slamming into Kevin''s jaw and cutting away flakes of flesh with razor-sharp droplets of water.


    ¡°I have to say, Moore.¡± Kevin wiped at his bloody nose and gave a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m a little impressed. I never knew such a scrawny nobody like you could be a hero. I really did get unlucky, not getting a power, didn¡¯t I?¡± Unlike the other Kevin, this one held more of the original body''s pride and hatred, as opposed to the hopes and dreams the dragon body had.


    ¡°Shut the hell up.¡± Snowdawn grabbed Kevin by the hair and smashed his forehead against the man. He ripped out the villain¡¯s hair when Kevin stumbled back and hit his foot with a leg sweep. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for talking to a selfish jerk like you!¡± He tried to elbow-drop Kevin, but the villain rolled out of the way and was back onto his feet.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. Honestly, I never liked you, so the idea of talking to you makes me sick.¡± Kevin grabbed Snowdawn by the ankle and forcefully lifted and swung the teen. He let go and sent Snowdawn spinning and crashing headfirst into a large tree. Blood poured down Snowdawn¡¯s face, but his eyes were filled with pure rage as he struggled to stand back up. ¡°Besides. Haven¡¯t you figured it out yet?¡±


    ¡°Figured what out?¡± Snowdawn spat. He raised his leg up and kicked the ground, shooting out a wave of snow that took the form of a giant tank-sized fist that slammed into Kevin.


    Kevin¡¯s left arm grew, and the muscles formed a shield of flesh, which he used to block the fist. The shield covered his entire arm, and he held it out, running forward. He smashed through another wave of snow that Snowdawn shot at him and tackled Snowdawn, breaking several trees as he tore the boy through the wood.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been going easy on you.¡± Kevin smirked. He grabbed Snowdawn by the front of his suit and pulled the hero into his other hand, which grew larger. His fist rapidly smashed into Snowdawn until the front of the boy¡¯s costume tore apart and the kid was sent flying further into the woods. ¡°I haven¡¯t healed since we began fighting here. I¡¯ve been letting you hurt me and stopped my healing all so we could have some fun. At any time, though, I can get rid of all these wounds. You don¡¯t stand a chance of winning.¡±


    Snowdawn hit the ground, rolling across it, and began throwing up blood. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± He groaned. He stared up past the section of the woods they were in and spotted the large castle in the distance. It was almost gone now, and even with how far it was, he could still hear the sounds of Cinder¡¯s battle.


    ¡°Am I?¡± Kevin walked behind him slowly and raised his foot, smashing it down into Snowdawn¡¯s back. All his wounds began to rapidly close shut and heal as he fixed all the damage. ¡°It kind of pisses me off. I was strong without power, but then people like you get them! I mean, you¡¯re able to hurt me in this form and actually put up a bit of a fight. I bet you¡¯d have easily killed me if I were my old self.¡±


    Snowdawn screamed out, feeling his spine almost snap as Kevin began to apply force. The villain¡¯s body started to grow larger and Snowdawn gritted his teeth. He tried to push himself up with his hands and feet, feeling the ground begin to crack beneath him. His arms and legs shook, feeling like they were going to give out, and the last of his snow dropped off of his body.


    A pillar of fire blasted high into the sky, ripping through the roof of the castle. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s putting up more of a fight than I thought. I told Wish it wouldn¡¯t end well for her. She¡¯s too na?ve for someone like Cinder.¡± Kevin muttered. ¡°After I kill you, I¡¯ll have to go and help Wish finish her off.¡±


    Armin felt his teeth begin to shatter as he gritted them, and his bones started to snap. ¡°G- Get real.¡± He let out a loud scream, and suddenly a blade of ice stabbed out of his back, ripping Kevin¡¯s leg off. It wasn¡¯t made of snow but rather fully ice, just like Ocean Empress would create. It didn¡¯t last long and quickly shattered, but it had been enough to get him back on his feet. His arms dangled at his side, and he looked like he was on the verge of blacking out. ¡°You really think you can beat Cinder. As if. She¡¯s too cool for someone like you. Besides, I¡¯m still standing. I¡¯m not going to let you reach her.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you can stop me?¡±


    ¡°I have a foolproof plan.¡± Snowdawn raised one of his fists and snow coated it as he balled it. ¡°I¡¯m just going to win!¡±


    Kevin didn¡¯t seem amused. He sighed, and his skin started to rip as his muscles began to spill out. They coated his form, growing larger and forming armor. A tail whipped out behind him, and the top of his head formed into a set of large red horns. He stood up to his full height and folded his arms. He looked almost exactly like Mars King now. Maybe a little slimmer and younger, but the look was there.


    ¡°Die.¡± Kevin blasted forward with new godlike speed and rammed his fist into Snowdawn¡¯s arm. The entire limb shattered and broke like a twig from the force of his punch. His arm easily slammed through the defense and smashed Snowdawn back, sending the boy crashing and rolling out of the forest. Despite that insane blow, though, Snowdawn climbed back to his feet on wobbling legs. ¡°Seriously! Stay down!¡±


    Kevin sprouted a set of wings and flew through the forests, ripping the trees apart. Right before he reached Snowdawn, he curved his body and twisted it around, coming feet first like a rocket. Snow formed around the hero, bringing his armor back, but it barely blocked the attack, the rest shattering all of the kid¡¯s ribs and causing a massive sonic boom to go off that likely broke Armin¡¯s eardrums. Again, he was slammed back and smashed into the ground hundreds of feet away.


    And again, Kevin¡¯s eyes went wide as the hero shakily stood back up.


    ¡°W- What the hell is with you?¡±


    Snowdawn didn¡¯t speak, barely able to keep his eyes open. He couldn¡¯t even raise his arms anymore. Despite that, though, he took a step forward. A shard of ice formed between his teeth, making a dagger, and he gripped it with his mouth, ready to keep fighting.


    His mind couldn¡¯t help but race back to his best friend. Growing up, he sort of knew he was going to get powers. His dad had them, the same for his grandfather and his grandfather¡¯s father. The Moore¡¯s always seemed to be blessed with the gift of the cold. Despite that, though, none of them ever bothered trying to become heroes or doing anything with their powers. After all, heroes like the Lord of the Sea could do what they did, but on a much grander scale and more. Even people like Ocean Empress were hundreds of times above them.


    He had been the first to look at his power as something more than a cool trick. He was the first who actually viewed it as something that could make a difference.


    Growing up, he had a mother. She was no longer with them, though. Two years ago, she had been away on a business trip and was caught up in the attack from the Calamities. Like the millions of lives that were lost every time they showed up, she didn¡¯t make it. That was sort of when it clicked. He would be a hero. He didn¡¯t have to be a good one, a popular one, or even a strong one. He just wanted to be a hero that would help when the world needed them most. When the world was on the brink of destruction, even if it would be wiped away, he wanted to help.


    ¡®She¡¯ would have called him stupid. Hope hadn¡¯t been happy when he told her. She was always saving him back before he had his powers. Keeping him safe from bullies. Keeping him safe from the pain of losing his mother. Keeping him safe from the endless wave of being alone. Even when he got his powers, she was keeping him safe. She acted at the bank. She was the one who fought the big threats. Even now she was still doing it.


    ¡°I guess I was left in the dust a while ago, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Snowdawn dropped the dagger and gave a sly grin.


    Kevin launched at him, this time ready to tear the hero''s head off. ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Maybe I am.¡± Armin smirked as the fist soared at his face. ¡°But you¡¯re coming with me. I still have one trick up my-¡±


    The attack never landed. He never got to do his finisher move. Kevin¡¯s arm was sliced apart, and a golden chain grabbed Armin, moving him away. ¡°No one¡¯s dying on my watch.¡± Battery sighed.


    ¡°B- Battery?¡± Armin looked up, blinking. Mr. Larison didn¡¯t look too good. His costume was a mess, and he wobbled, but his eyes were filled with a determined blue glow. ¡°How did you get here-¡±


    Battery placed the blade on Armin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°To Sky.¡± There was a silent pop, and suddenly he stood alone in the field with the monster. Kevin glared at him, still in the shape of Mars King. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°So, you came back? You should have left when you had the chance. Wish won¡¯t be happy, and I won¡¯t be able to stop her from-¡±


    ¡°Put me in front of him.¡± Battery literally vanished and reappeared in front of Kevin, stabbing his sword into the monster¡¯s gut. Kevin gasped in shock and winced.


    ¡°I can heal. This won¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Send him to the bottom of Earth¡¯s ocean.¡± Kevin vanished in a pop, and Battery gripped the handle of his sword tighter, his eyes burning. ¡°Put me behind the Lord of Life.¡±


    At the battle in question, Wish scattered to ash. She had lost count of how many times it had happened now. ¡°Okay, fine. You want to play unfair?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Cinder winced. Her vision blurred, her ears rang, and her skin felt like it was going to fall off of her any second now. Parts of it were no longer red, having morphed into a nasty black. Her hair was a mess as well, part of it having been burned up in the lava. ¡°Can we just agree that I beat you?¡±


    ¡°Like hell you did! Look at you!¡± Wish growled.


    ¡°Yeah. Look at me.¡± Cinder brought her fingers to her lips and whistled. Wish felt a massive block of stone smash into her skull as up above Destiny dropped the cinder block that he had picked up. He landed down on Cinder¡¯s shoulder, and instantly her body began to mend. It was still damaged in parts. Any damage Wish had made with physical contact remained, as had much of the damage she had inflicted on herself with her abuse of fire. Despite that though, she felt way better and felt her stamina shoot back up. ¡°Oh, hey, it looks like I can heal, too. Guess you aren¡¯t that special.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± Wish screamed, her skull putting itself back together. ¡°I- I- You¡¯re cheating! This isn¡¯t fair!¡±


    ¡°Fair?¡± Cinder blasted forward with her fire, ramming her fist into the girl¡¯s stomach. ¡°What isn¡¯t fair is harming my friends!¡± Her elbow came down on the girl¡¯s head, caving the girl¡¯s skull in. ¡°Wasp Nest! Metal Ronin!¡± She kicked the girl up with her leg and blasted a wave of fire, catching the girl on fire. ¡°And Battery!¡± She sidestepped just in time as the floor exploded into another hail of bone-like spikes. Wish¡¯s upper body grew out of the spikes, and the girl¡¯s mouth produced more of them that tried to stab into Cinder. ¡°What isn¡¯t fair is you hurting the people that are on your own side! You didn¡¯t even bother using that sword and shield you created out of your own grunts!¡± She raised her arms up and blocked a wave of spikes that were barely able to pierce her skin and quickly shattered. ¡°What isn¡¯t fair is you being the only person who can save my dad, and you¡¯re nothing more than some crybaby with a God complex! You¡¯re no better than Polaron and Green Wolf!¡± A blade of fire formed into her hands, growing longer and longer as she sliced it out and split what was left of the castle in two. ¡°I am seriously getting sick and tired of villains like you!¡±


    Wish collapsed to the ground, her body slowly mending together. ¡°I¡¯m not Green Wolf! Don¡¯t compare me to him!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right.¡± She glared down at the girl. ¡°I was scared of Green Wolf. You aren¡¯t him. Honestly. I¡¯d take Red Ape over you.¡± Wish threw out a punch, and her entire arm shattered against the block Cinder brought up. ¡°And the thing I hate most.¡± She blocked another strike, but a third got through, and she collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. ¡°Even after all of that. I¡¯m still not strong enough.¡±


    Wish pulled away, watching as Cinder struggled to breathe. Destiny had his limits. The damage she had received was massive. Beyond what most should have taken. All of it centered on her lungs. Forced around layers of smoke and fire and then further being dunked in lava. Something that produces great toxins. She coughed, covering her mouth. She could feel Destiny¡¯s power trying to heal her, but any damage that was fixed was replaced by something new or came back seconds later.


    A Lord¡¯s energy was vast, but she still lacked the full body of a mature Super. It didn¡¯t matter how explosive her growth was. She had gone further than her current state could follow.


    ¡°I won?¡± Wish blinked and then laughed. ¡°Y- Yeah! Of course, I won.¡± She stabbed out with her hand and rammed it into Cinder¡¯s face hard enough to throw the girl back and send the bird on her shoulder flying off. ¡°I told you I would win! I¡¯m-¡±


    A white blade jutted out of her mouth as Battery shoved his sword through the back of Wish¡¯s head. Wish¡¯s eyes met his, widening as he twisted the weapon.


    ¡°My turn.¡± The man growled.

 Chapter Sixty: The Daughter And Son

    Once upon a time, there was a young boy. One said to have been found by a great Devil. This Devil took the boy in and raised him as his own. But the Devil didn''t want a son. He wanted a weapon. One that would obey him always and help him slaughter his enemies. He wanted something that could devour the Sun.


    So he raised this boy up. He forged him powerful armor and gifted him a weapon that was alive so long as the child trusted it¡ªa partner for this young boy, and he drilled into him the image of what true power should be. Slowly, this child grew and eventually surpassed that of his mortal shell as the Devil fed him more and more. Bigger and bigger, this child became until soon only one word could truly describe him.


    Of course¡­ This is just a story.


    Right?


    The air smelled of salt. The sand felt nice on his feet. Jack took a moment to roll his pant legs up. He dipped his hand into the water and raised it above him, allowing it to drip down onto his red hair. The sun cast down from above, feeling great on his skin, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    He felt so good.


    He hadn¡¯t felt this good in years.


    His heart didn¡¯t ache.


    Not right now.


    He walked along the beach. That was all that it was. Just a vast set of sand and a sparkling ocean. Something he had all to himself. Though he wasn¡¯t alone, that would have been sad, and this was a moment of peace.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    He spun around and opened his arms wide as his daughter landed in them. He fell back into the sand, hugging her tightly. He couldn¡¯t really get a good look at her. It was all so blurry, but it was enough. Even knowing this was fake and that it was the sword''s doing, he relished the moment for a bit, feeling her in his arms once again.


    ¡°Papa, where did you go!¡± She whined.


    ¡°Papa had to leave for a while... He- He¡¯ll be leaving again soon...¡± He felt his voice crack and his arms gripped tighter around the child.


    ¡°But I want you to stay!¡±


    ¡°I do, too.¡±


    ¡°So then stay.¡± A new voice responded. He looked up, and for a moment, he saw her. It was all so blurry, hard to make out, but he could see part of her. Her brown hair, her dog like ears, and the claws that come from her fingertips.


    ¡°Hell Hound?¡±


    ¡°Stay just a bit longer.¡± The woman said softly. ¡°It¡¯s nice here.¡±


    She was right there. He just needed to take the hand, and he-


    ¡°Cut it out.¡±


    All at once, the pain was back. He felt his body change. His eyes lost their spark, his heart filled with pain, and he wanted in that moment to make the pain stop. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re no fun.¡± The voice of Avalon filled his head. The man didn¡¯t seem to be with him. Jack no longer stood on the endless beach. Rather, he was nowhere. Sort of. A blank white void. A place outside of time and space, waiting for the sword to take him to where he needed to go to tell the next part of the story. ¡°Did you have a nice dream?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Jack gripped the handle of the sword.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about our little price. You¡¯ll have to pay me back for letting you use Story Maker.¡± Avalon¡¯s voice was all around him, and Jack craned his neck, feeling the bones in it crack.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He raised the sword up, holding it out in the air. ¡°Enough stalling. Take me to her. You said I have it till midnight. That¡¯s less than an hour. I¡¯ll take her down before time is up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    ¡°When I see you in person again, I¡¯ll carve your face off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re slowly becoming your old self again!¡±


    ¡°Avalon-¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. One super glitched up Lord, here we come!¡±


    ***


    By now, the castle had been mostly reduced to a melted husk of its former self. The three of them all stood on the only floor that wasn¡¯t filled to the brim with lava. It shook and would give out soon. Cinder rested on her knees, staring up with wide eyes.


    ¡°Battery?¡±


    Battery stood behind Wish, his sword going through the back of the girl¡¯s head and out her mouth. The villain tried to turn her body and swing at him, but he spoke too fast. ¡°Send her into the sky.¡± There was a loud pop, and Wish¡¯s yell came from miles above as the girl dropped. ¡°Hey, Kid. You doing, okay?¡± He said softly, finally turning to look at her.


    ¡°Do I look okay?¡± Cinder asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Better than most of the others.¡±


    ¡°The others! Are they okay?¡± She tried to stand but wobbled and slipped.


    Battery placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. ¡°They¡¯re fine. All of them are with Sky, being healed.¡±


    ¡°Sky¡¯s awake?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Battery placed the handle of the sword on her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to send you there and beat this villain-¡±


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t do it alone.¡± She argued.


    ¡°With this sword, I can.¡±


    ¡°What is it then? Where did you get it- How did you even get here? Sir, you have a lot of secrets, and I¡¯m having a harder and harder time finding ways to trust you. I- I don¡¯t want to not trust you, but...¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Battery gave a slight grin. ¡°Well then, once all of this is over, how about we have a long talk? Until then, I¡¯ll tell you my secret. My biggest one. My name isn¡¯t Jack Larison. I¡¯m actually...¡± He leaned in and whispered into her ear. Cinder felt her eyes go wide, and she stared at the man. He smiled softly. ¡°Take her to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I let the helmet you made me break.¡± She managed to get it out before the pop hit her, and she was no longer on the battlefield. Instead, she seemed to appear in a cramped hospital room.


    ¡°Oh great, another one¡ªCinder.¡± Poseidon¡¯s voice caused her to jump. She turned and saw the girl. Poseidon wasn¡¯t in costume. No helmet or mask, but she knew it was the Lord of the Sea. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The girl spat out.


    ¡°Cinder is here?¡± She turned and saw Sky sitting on the floor. The room was filled with a few Hero Branch doctors, as well as Metal Ronin, Wasp Nest, Snowdawn, and Money Tree. All of them looked to be in bad shape, barely hanging on. Sky was seated between Money Tree and Wasp Nest, a hand on either of their stomachs, doing her best to heal them. Money Tree was coming along much better as most of his wounds were caused by Kevin, which could be healed, but Wasp Nest was getting worse and worse. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re here.¡± Sky sighed, allowing her connection to mingle back with her bird. She could see again for the first time since she had woken up as Destiny rested on Cinder¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I can- Oh my God, how are you standing, Cinder?!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Cinder looked down at herself. She honestly didn¡¯t realize how bad it was. Her skin was still a nasty red from her hellish fire, her lungs were extremely damaged, causing her to have a raspy cough, and she was covered in dozens of cuts and bruises. Her forehead still leaked blood from the massive cut she received when the helmet broke, and her costume had been torn almost as severely as Mr. Larison¡¯s had. ¡°Oh, now that you mention it¡ª¡±


    She stumbled and tripped past her feet, smashing into the wall and sliding down it. Her hair and eyes had long gone out before Battery had even arrived to save her. She could barely feel any of her power and she groaned weakly. Poseidon folded her arms and turned away. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Get through Ken first, Sis.¡±


    Paragon nodded and focused on healing the two most severely injured. However, some of her power leaked through Destiny, and Cinder felt her body ease more. His healing had seemed to grow stronger. Her lungs felt far better as they fixed, as did all her broken or bruised bones. Her burns also mostly faded or healed fully. She still had a few noticeable bruises, and the wound on her forehead had closed and became a nasty scar, but other than that, she was primarily fine once more.


    ¡°Destiny came in real handy, Paragon.¡± She reached up and ran her fingers through the bird¡¯s feathers. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would still be alive without him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you brought him with you,¡± Sky admitted. ¡°I need the extra hands.¡± The bird flew off of her shoulder and landed on Snowdawn. Already, the boy¡¯s body began to heal. ¡°What happened? No one is telling us much. BB spoke a bit, but she left with Mom and Grampa.¡±


    ¡°I want to know too.¡± Poseidon glared down at Cinder. ¡°Start talking.¡±


    She shrunk down a little from the girl¡¯s hostile gaze. She got the feeling Poseidon still didn¡¯t like her all that much. ¡°R- Right. Well... I¡¯m pretty sure we found the Lord of Life.¡± That caused the room to mostly go silent. One of the Hero Branch members stood up and walked out the door, clearly about to pass the information to the higher-ups, but she really didn¡¯t care at that moment.


    ¡°That confirms it, then.¡± Poseidon muttered. ¡°We had the feeling, but... Well, none of us wanted to believe it.¡±


    ¡°Will mom be okay?¡± Sky winced.


    ¡°Ocean Empress has nothing to worry about.¡± She spoke up. She gave a slight grin. ¡°Battery is going to beat the Lord.¡± She stood up, wobbling a bit. ¡°I¡¯m going to go find a payphone or something and call Myth. He has no idea what he¡¯s missing.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Sky nodded. ¡°Stay safe. This is a Super hospital run by the branch, so everyone here knows who we are.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Cinder made for the exit, and Sky sighed as she felt her powers continue to mostly fail at healing Money Tree¡¯s arm and Wasp Nest¡¯s leg. ¡°Lily, I¡¯m doing my best, but it isn¡¯t looking good. I think we should¡ªLily?¡± She stopped when she didn¡¯t hear her sister.


    Poseidon stepped out of the room, her eyes glaring at the back of Cinder, who walked down the hospital walls. She bit her lip hard enough to cause a stream of black blood to pour down it, and she slowly followed after the girl. ¡°Her. It¡¯s always her. Ever since she showed up, she¡¯s been getting everyone I loved hurt.¡± She could feel it. The changes were starting. She raised her hand, pointing it at the back of Cinder. Water began to swirl, and at any second, she would blast a hole through the girl¡¯s head.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Please help me to get stronger.¡± Poseidon jumped when she heard the voice. She whipped around, and her eyes went wide by what she saw. Snowdawn was moving again. He had seemed to heal better than the others, not having been damaged by the Lord at all. He was bruised and battered but back on his feet. Currently, he stood bowed down before her. ¡°Please! I want to get stronger!¡±


    Poseidon blinked, a little taken aback. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Lord of the Sea. Your power is far above mine, but we share some of the same things.¡± The hero explained. He gritted his teeth and smashed his head into the floor hard enough to crack it and cause blood to spill down his face. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being weak. I want to be strong enough to protect my friends. Strong enough to actually do something. Every time there¡¯s a big threat, I¡¯m always on the sidelines. Please, Poseidon! I¡¯ll do anything. Just tell me, how can I ever get as strong as you?¡±


    ¡°As strong as me.¡± Poseidon looked down at her hands. They were normal again. What had she been about to do again? She couldn¡¯t recall. She remembered seeing Cinder, and then everything went black¡­ She felt her rage fading gradually, and she sighed before smiling. ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know if you could ever be as strong as a Lord, but reaching the level of the Enforcers sounds possible if your power is what I think it is. It won¡¯t be easy, and I don¡¯t have a lot of time before I need to get back to my own duties. I can give you about a week, maybe two if you¡¯re lucky.¡±


    Snowdawn¡¯s fingers dug into the stone. ¡°Anything is fine. I- I just don¡¯t want to be a burden anymore.¡±


    The girl held her hand down towards him. ¡°Then let¡¯s make you into a warrior.¡±


    Hope walked the halls, throwing her arms behind her head. She needed to call her mom badly. She had said she¡¯d let Myth know what was going on, but she honestly didn¡¯t remember his phone number off the top of her head. At the end of the halls, she spotted a payphone and made her way over to it.


    Of course, that would have been easy and nice, and today wasn¡¯t her day, so instead, her ears rang out, and she dodged back just in time as a window exploded, sending a hail of glass everywhere. She threw her hands out and blasted her fire out, hitting all the shards and wiping them out before they could hurt anyone.


    It had been a person that crashed through the window¡ªone dressed in what looked like a tracksuit of all things and with long red hair. A pair of scaled wings stabbed out of the girl¡¯s back, but they slowly pulled their way back into her body. A long red tail, however, continued to smack the floor as the girl stood up to her full height.


    Wyvern, a member of the Enforcers, turned to stare at Cinder. Cinder felt her heartbeat grow more rapidly as her eyes went wide. ¡°Oh my God, you¡¯re Wyvern. I am like a huge fan! I had a massive crush on you for years. Can I have an autograph-¡±


    Wyvern sprung through the air, grabbed Cinder by her costume, and slammed her into the wall back first. The hero¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared down at the young girl, and she leaned in.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, I¡¯m underaged; wait a second-¡±


    Wyvern sniffed a few times and pulled away. ¡°You stink of death. Who the hell are you?¡± The girl frowned.


    ¡°She¡¯s Cinder.¡± A new voice spoke up. Sitting on the side of the window that Wyvern had come through was a young boy in a black suit. He couldn¡¯t have been older than twelve, and he had dark skin. Boy Genius played some video game on a handheld device. ¡°She¡¯s a member of Myth¡¯s team. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s the Lord of the Sun.¡±


    She blinked. ¡°Nuh uh.¡± An airtight response. They would suspect nothing-


    ¡°Yuh huh.¡± Was the boy¡¯s equally airtight counter. They suspected everything. The little boy hopped down to the floor and made his way over to her. He lightly poked her in the stomach, causing her to giggle a bit from how ticklish she was. ¡°I just had a great idea.¡± The boy said, snapping his fingers.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer and instead looked up at his teammate. ¡°Wyvern. Let¡¯s kidnap her.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°Yeah okay.¡± Wyvern nodded.


    Wyvern¡¯s wings shot out, and before she could even think of fighting back, she was scooped up in the woman¡¯s arms. The tail wrapped around Boy Genius, lifting him up as well, and then she blasted through another window, exiting the hospital...


    ***


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very nice, you know. Not like it matters, though, since I can fly.¡± Wish taunted. Large bat-like wings pulled themselves back into her body as she landed on the ground.


    ¡°Yeah, I just needed to get you away for a bit.¡± Battery admitted, placing the sword over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll go all out and kill you now, though.¡± He smirked.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a cocky little shit? To be honest, I¡¯m not that interested in you anymore.¡± The girl admitted. ¡°The more I look at you, the more I can tell. Your DNA is a total mess. I have to ask. Are you even human?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you.¡± Battery quipped. ¡°I guess you can tell I¡¯m dying though. The shard from the Victorian¡¯s blade is slowly killing me.¡±


    ¡°Aw boohoo.¡± Wish started to stalk toward him, her eyes roaming over the sword he held. ¡°Now, where on Earth did you get that from? I¡¯ve heard you struggled with Green Wolf and other guys. If you had that in your back pocket, why didn¡¯t you use it?¡±


    Battery looked down at the sword, frowning a bit. ¡°It¡¯s a Super. This sword is alive and has its own powers. It also isn¡¯t mine. Not anymore. We pass the sword on when we think we¡¯ve reached our final battle. Currently, the sword belongs to Paragon, though I¡¯ve been far too scared to actually face her and present it to her. Since I am no longer its proper owner, I am only able to try and bargain for some time with the sword. If the bargain pays off, then I am allowed to wield Story Maker. This blade folds the Paths in on themselves across all realms, twisting all of reality in order to shift the place of something. It can take me to any person or place I¡¯ve come in contact with before and can send any person it touches to a place I¡¯ve been to. So sadly, I couldn¡¯t just teleport you to the sun or something like that since I¡¯d have to go there.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you send Kevin to the bottom of the ocean?¡± The girl questioned. She had seen it happen thanks to the cells inside of Kevin.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Battery responded bluntly.


    ¡°So then that would mean you¡­ You know what? It doesn¡¯t matter. Your big trump card is teleportation.¡± Wish snorted. ¡°Most powers like that have a gimmick, and I¡¯m sure yours is no different, but even still, do you really think you can beat me with a weak-ass ability like that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can.¡± His words caused her to growl.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Her bones popped and cracked as she crouched low, looking like a predator that was about to go feral. Her teeth grew longer and fanged like, and her flesh tore as spikes of muscle and bones began to come out. "I''ve learned a lot from my fight with little Cindy. She might have caught me off guard for a bit, but never again. Next time I see her, I''ll skin her alive."


    ¡°You really are the Lord of Life, aren¡¯t you? '''' Jack hummed. ¡°So that means the Devil''s really dead.¡±


    ¡°And soon you will be as well!¡± Wish promised.


    Battery sidestepped as a wave of bone-like blades blasted from her right arm. He dodged the attack, and his body ignited with a wave of golden lightning. Time seemed to slow down, everything turning a dark gray as he blasted at Wish at his fastest speed yet. She tried to bring her arms up, but she wasn''t fast enough. ¡°Dozens of years ago, Nier married. He had a single daughter with this woman. However, his life took a tragic fate. The Beast from Space arrived on Earth for the first time and wiped the city he lived in off the face of the map. His wife and his daughter both died. This event is what led to him becoming the Emperor.¡± Battery announced.


    Wish tried to block, but his sword sliced through the shield that grew out of her arms. The blade hacked its way into her shoulder, burying it deep in her body. She growled as her flesh healed over it. Spikes stabbed into Battery but shattered, unable to break his golden barrier.


    "Die!"


    Battery ignored her and put more effort into his swing, dragging the blade further along her chest. ¡°That was when he used his power to create a new wife for himself. Out of the corpse of his loved one, he brought her back. It turned out wrong though. It might have looked like her, but it lacked a soul and an Ego. His wife was truly dead. All that remained was a ghostly image. The Princess of Life was born. A woman who¡¯s job was to look after all the future monsters he created and carry his heir.¡±


    ¡°H- How do you know all of this?¡± The villain hissed. ¡°Who the hell are you-¡±


    Battery cleaved her in two and blocked dozens of blood spikes that fired from Wish¡¯s corpse. ¡°The Emperor also failed to bring his daughter back. Much like his wife, the corpse of the child came back, but it lacked the soul or Ego that made them truly his child. A new being had been created. One out of his power, and not out of the love he and his wife had combined. This drove the Emperor mad. In his crazed state, he finally snapped. He lost his wife, and his daughter, left with only walking corpses that were different people entirely. It was no wonder he became evil due to the broken state his mind was in. That was when he found someone. A young child needing help. A young child with the ability of Imagination. A young child who wielded creation and destruction. And with this child''s help, the Emperor would go on to recreate the lost soul of his daughter and rebuild a brand new body that the Princess of Life could carry within her womb. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying? You might be the Lord of Life right now, but that power isn¡¯t meant for you. It¡¯s meant for his daughter, someone he went to hell and back to create. The rightful owner of your power is Sky!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Wish roared, and her body began to expand out, firing waves of bone blades into Battery, who stood there and took the attack.


    ¡°I¡¯m already dead. I¡¯ve been dead for a long time now.¡±


    Once upon a time, there was a young boy. One said to have been found by a great Devil. This Devil took the boy in and raised him as his own. But the Devil didn''t want a son. He wanted a weapon. One that would obey him always and help him slaughter his enemies. He wanted something that could devour the Sun.


    So he raised this boy up. He forged him powerful armor and gifted him a weapon that was alive so long as the child trusted it¡ªa partner for this young boy, and he drilled into him the image of what true power should be. Slowly, this child grew and eventually surpassed that of his mortal shell as the Devil fed him more and more. Bigger and bigger, this child became until soon only one word could truly describe him.


    Giant. The Devil had created a Giant that was so strong it could devour the Sun itself. At last, the Devil had his perfect weapon.


    ¡°All of her cells.¡± Battery twisted his sword and rammed forward with blinding speed, jutting the blade into Wish¡¯s neck. ¡°Put all of her cells back into her.¡±


    Wish¡¯s eyes went wide, and she suddenly screamed as trillions upon trillions of pieces were unexpectedly jammed back into her, and she became whole. Her body expanded, but she had no control of it. Blades of bones stabbed out, and her limbs twisted and lengthened in awkward ways. Her neck stretched, and more limbs began to jut out of her as her form tried to expand to accept all the new tissue that had suddenly been shoved into her. It was as if she had been filled with hundreds of more bodies.


    Battery stared up at her face, her red eyes meeting his. His hand grew tighter on the sword, and he ripped it out, jumping back just in time to dodge a swipe she sent at him. Wish screamed and howled, and the world around them shook as her unstable body grew larger and twisted. She tried to thrash at him, but he used his sword and appeared dozens of meters away from her. "Myth. Bring him here."


    Space twisted and shifted, and in a flash, Myth crashed to the ground. The leader of Pantheon''s eyes were wide with shock as he stared up at the monster that was still growing. "W- What the actual fuck!" The man stared back at Battery in shock.


    "Myth! Something that can freeze! Now is our chance; she''s down to her last life!"


    Myth didn''t even skip a beat. He spun back around and faced Wish. He transformed, and his body began to expand. His legs melded together into a large tail, and scales coated his flesh. His head sank in and became snake-like, and from the roots of his hair, dozens of other snakes grew out, venom dripping from their fangs. A beast able to kill with its looks. A power that was hard to pull off fully as most Supers resisted the effect; however, Wish was so unstable and unfocused she stood no chance. His snake-like eyes blasted out a wave of gray energy. Wish''s screams grew louder, and the ground began to break. Cracks appeared in the air around them as she was unleashing so much power that the very realm they were in began to shatter. Slowly though, her flesh began to harden, and her movement slowed as she began to become encased in solid stone.


    In an instant, she was frozen. Turned into a grotesque statue. Battery walked forward steadily, golden lightning swirling around the handle of the sword. Myth''s body quickly changed back to normal. "That sword. I''ve seen it before. That blade is-"


    "The sword of the Emperor. Created by him with the power from the Lord of Life." Jack slashed out, his golden energy erupted forth, and Wish''s stone body exploded. Golden fire surged out of the pieces and began to eat away at her. In a single instance, they had destroyed her body. Every last cell. That just left him and Myth alone now. ¡°That¡¯s how most people know the story. What they don¡¯t know, though, is the sword was never actually his. It belonged to someone else. Someone he gifted it to.¡±


    He could hear the sounds of wings beating in the air. Small and faint. Footsteps crunched on the grass. He turned slightly and saw them. BB floated over quietly. Ocean Empress stalked behind the girl, her eyes tracing him up and down. Lastly was Old Dog. The man¡¯s face was pale, and he looked like he had seen a ghost. His eyes were locked onto the blade.


    "That sword!" Old Dog stared up at Jack with wide eyes. ¡°My God. Your face! You were one of them. A member of the Emperor¡¯s army!¡±


    "The Emperor''s!" Ocean Empress felt her eyes go wide. They narrowed and locked onto Battery. "No more games. Who the hell are you?"


    Myth stepped forward and was about to say something, but Jack stopped him. Resolutely, he stabbed his sword in the ground, not bothering to meet his eyes. ¡°My name is Jack Larison. This sword. It used to belong to the Emperor. In his final battle with Full Monarch, this blade became mine, and I used it to cut his stomach open. Back then, I went by a different name, though. My name is Alpha. I¡¯m the son of the Emperor.¡±


    The clock finally struck midnight.


    The end results... Both sides suffered losses. The Wandering Coin lost an entire realm, countless soldiers, and a majority of their stolen tech, and as of now the warriors known as Wish and Kevin are MIA. The Sub Enforcer members known as Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin were left hospitalized and struggling to recover. The same can be said for their leader, Money Tree.


    Later that night, Old Dog passed away peacefully in his sleep.


    Doc sighed as he walked down the long stone hallway beneath the realm¡¯s grounds. It had been the place Wish took him shortly before she left for her fight.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this all just great?¡± He muttered. A swirl of energy grew within the tunnel as a gate to another realm opened. It was the secret exit the Pallet Boys had installed under the castle. ¡°Sunshine is going to be pretty mad...¡± When he stepped out of the portal, he found himself in a new lab. One that held a familiar metal pod that glowed with a bright blue energy. ¡°Oh well. No matter. We can always regrow you, Wish. After all, you¡¯re not really dead. Not yet. Not until your story comes to an end.¡±

 Chapter Sixty-One: They Begin To Move

    ¡°So, is this all of us?¡± Green Wolf asked, looking around the room. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that this little ¡®team up¡¯ is made up mostly of my own men.¡± He grumbled.


    ¡°Well, if you didn¡¯t leave Mars King and Polaron to die, then maybe we would have more members,¡± Block growled. ¡°As it stands, you¡¯ve managed to finally wipe out most of the Bad Timers.¡±


    There were eleven of them in total. This new team that Harrison Avalon was building, whatever it was going to be named, was placed under his tower in Oleander City, far below the earth. The room they were in looked like a set of ancient ruins. It was massive and filled with large stone pillars that held it up. Near the back of the ruins, they stood in front of what looked like a gigantic metal vault door. It was locked, and none of them had been able to get it open.


    Next to the vault door, Golden God rested. The giant man was still missing several of his limbs, and wires poked out of him. His head was slumped, and he didn¡¯t move or make any sound. He had been powered off ever since the incident nearly one week ago. Avalon had managed to fix several of the broken limbs, but the hand of the Emperor would still be out of commission for a while longer.


    Of the ten of them, not counting Golden God, only three were from Polaron¡¯s team. The other eight belonged to Green Wolf, a fact that annoyed the masked villain. Their members were Block, a monster that stood at fourteen feet tall and was made entirely out of hard stone, with blocky arms and legs and a square-shaped head. Saw Head, who they had to bust out of a trip to Nightshade. He looked almost human, having normal skin, though instead of a face, a perfect circular saw rested in its place. He also had a saw going through his head and arms. Lastly was, of course, Demonica, who was missing one of her limbs. The damage she received from Myth hadn¡¯t left her.


    The other members of this team all used to be part of Zoo. They all wore a colored suit based off of their name as well as an animal mask. They were Green Wolf, Red Ape, Red Monkey, White Cow, White Lamb, White Spider, and Black Shark.


    ¡°I would have thought Polaron could handle himself.¡± Green Wolf snorted. ¡°I can see Mars King going and getting himself killed off, but Polaron? I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m a little bummed out. I viewed him as a rival of sorts. We don¡¯t even know who killed him, do we?¡±


    ¡°It was that bastard, Poseidon.¡± Block hissed. ¡°He fought her last and went missing after that. I¡¯m sure she did it. The same goes for Mars King. He fought Paragon, and then we never heard of him again. Those two sisters are monsters. Now that we know we don¡¯t need Paragon, I¡¯ll rip her limb from limb!¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that.¡± Green Wolf chuckled. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a little too weak to be challenging the big dogs.¡±


    Block¡¯s teeth ground together, and flakes of stone began to rain down his skin as he flexed his body and took a step toward the man in the suit. ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you just how strong I am-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Block.¡± Demonica threw her arm out in front of her teammate and shook her head. ¡°It isn¡¯t worth it. He¡¯s nothing more than a rowdy dog that has grown jealous that his master¡¯s found other pets.¡±


    Green Wolf gripped his fingers tightly around the handle of a steak knife. His mask was raised a bit, showing off his sly smirk. ¡°How¡¯s the arm bitch?¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Block stormed past Demonica and slammed his fist down toward Green Wolf. The fist bounced off of the man in the wolf mask, all the kinetic energy being absorbed. Green Wolf stabbed out with his blade, thrusting it forward and slamming it into Block¡¯s gut. It hit hard enough to crack the stone man¡¯s skin and send him flying back. Block slammed into a wall and slumped down, groaning.


    Green Wolf didn¡¯t have time to say a witty remark, though, as seconds later, Saw Head was behind him. The monster¡¯s hand had twisted and formed sharp blades, placing them under Green Wolf¡¯s barrier. Despite the shield he usually had on, the leader of Zoo still felt the knives lightly pierce his flesh, causing a small drop of blood to trickle down his body.


    Saw Head froze, however, when he felt the barrel of a gun be pressed to the back of his head. Red Monkey wasn¡¯t like Red Ape. He was someone who actually got his job done. He gripped a large handgun and casually toyed with the trigger, staring at Saw Head with a cocked head.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one, either. Saw Head felt cold liquid wrap around his ankles, stopping him from being able to move. It wasn¡¯t water, though. It was milk. The milk flowed into a mini-lasso, connecting into the hand of White Cow. She stood larger than most humans, and her suit looked like it was struggling as it stretched over her body.


    Demonica pointed her hand out, ready to blast White Cow and Red Monkey with a wave of fire if they harmed Saw Head.


    It had turned into a strange standoff.


    Red Ape and White Lamb stood off to the side, staying out of it. White Spider, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but giggle. The other members of Zoo tensed up, ready to move in case a fight happened.


    ¡°I leave for a few hours to go and help a friend out, and I return to see you all at each other¡¯s throats.¡± The ruins echoed out with the voice of Avalon. The sound of his steps bounced off the walls as the man walked out of the darkness and began to head toward the vault door, which they all stood in front of. He was slouched and had his hands in his pockets, looking very casual. ¡°I thought we agreed to behave, Green Wolf.¡±


    Everyone slowly backed away, and Demonica and Saw Head helped Block stand back up. ¡°It was self-defense.¡± Green Wolf smirked. ¡°They struck first. I was just chatting with my new teammates.¡±


    Harrison snorted and shrugged. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m honestly impressed you¡¯ve all managed to stay apart for this long. That said, I come bearing good news.¡±


    ¡°You better.¡± Demonica spat. ¡°We lost several of our brothers. Polaron has left us behind, and Ears has been captured. I barely managed to escape and make it back here on my own. We haven¡¯t done anything all week!¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t you all worry. We¡¯re finally nearing the end of all of this.¡± Avalon stopped in front of the vault and placed his hand on the cool metal. ¡°I know who the Lord of Life is, and thanks to an old friend of mine, I know how we can get her. We¡¯re nearing his new birth.¡± Sometimes he heard it. He knew he wasn¡¯t the only one. They all heard it at times. The whispering behind the vault door.


    ¡°How do you suddenly know how to do all of this?¡± Block grumbled.


    ¡°I built realms several years ago with the help of Max Lightning. I got locked out of dozens of them, and they all had a few flaws, which is why I left most of them behind. By luck, though, an old buddy of mine needed to get into one. This realm had been taken over by the Wandering Coin. When I was finally able to sneak off, I took some of the data that was left in the realm, and it showed me everyone who ever stepped foot into it.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing the leader of the Wandering Coin has been in there before?¡± Red Ape asked.


    ¡°Exactly. Not just that. I know who he really is.¡± The world¡¯s richest man gave a sly smile.


    ¡°So, when do we set out?¡± Green Wolf sighed. ¡°I was starting to get bored, so this better be a little fun, Avalon.¡±


    ¡°Soon, Green. Soon. But first, I have a job for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? I like the sound of that.¡± Green Wolf cocked his head to the side. ¡°What kind of job are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need this big guy up in tip-top shape if we want to beat the Lord of Life.¡± Harrison moved from the vault and placed his hand gently down onto the injured form of Golden God. ¡°The only Super that can fix Golden up is Hell Hound, or Fairy Queen. Sadly, Hell Hound... Well, they can''t help us any more. So in that case, we¡¯ll have to do the next best thing. I need you to bust Fairy Queen out of Nightshade.¡±


    Green Wolf slowly gave a smirk as he put it together. ¡°Oh yeah. I¡¯m going to love this game.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Crap, crap, crap-¡± Hope dodged to the left as a stream of lasers fired down toward the ground, narrowly missing her.


    The lasers bounced off of the ground, hitting the walls of the maze and jumping back in her direction. She sidestepped them, and more fired down in her direction from above. In the air were small drones similar to the ones Rowan had created, but they weren¡¯t made out of trash, were a lot bigger, flew faster, and their lasers really hurt.


    ¡°This is so much worse than when Rowan did this to me!¡± One of the beams hit her leg, and she felt herself spasm out a bit. The drones flew around rapidly, shooting her from all directions and making her yelp. ¡°Why do they always zap my butt?¡±


    She was in a strange maze-like place. There were large iron walls about twenty feet high. It was very spacious and offered a lot of room. The maze was filled with twists and turns, and she had no clue how she was supposed to get out of it. The floor was also made out of the same metal as the walls. She had tried to punch it, but while she could dent it, she would have to hit it several times before she broke it, which was next to impossible thanks to the massive drones that followed her and zapped at her. She could have tried to use her fire, but the walls and the floor were coated in a thin layer of oil, and the air had a smell in it.


    If she even tried to use her fire, the entire place would go up in a massive ball of fire. She could survive the blast, but she didn¡¯t have her hero costume on and would rather not kill whoever else was in this maze and then have to run back home naked. Instead, she was dressed in a black skin-tight suit. The same kind that Armin would wear beneath his snow.


    The suit did nothing to block the lasers. The lasers in question didn¡¯t ignite the oil, which was good. There were four drones in total, each the size of a large basketball. Two of them would stay low to the ground, and the other two would stay high up in the air, all of them blasting down at her.


    She dodged more of the lasers and tried not to slip on the floor as she dove past one of the corners of the maze and made a run for it. The drones took chase, and she passed by more walls and directions, and soon she saw a dead end up ahead. She moved faster, smashed her leg into the wall, and ran up it.


    There was a metal ceiling up above that blocked off her escape, but as soon as she reached it, she used the roof to kick off of it and bounce down toward one of the drones that floated in the air. Her hand slapped the side of it, and she smacked the robot hard enough to slam into one of the walls.


    The drone exploded into a hail of metal and bolts, breaking apart into hundreds of small pieces. It sparked a bit, and she winced, waiting for the explosion to happen, but it never did.


    ¡°Wait, does this mean the oil is fake? Can I use my fire-¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± The maze rumbled as she heard the voice of Boy Genius. ¡°These robots are special, and I built them to not cause the fluids to ignite. It isn¡¯t really oil, but it is close enough. It¡¯ll only ignite when it meets your fire specifically, and a single flicker will be enough. No using fire, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± She took off running again, moving at her full speed. Despite this, the drones kept up with her. She tried the same trick again, running up the wall and bouncing off the roof. The drones, however, dodged her strike with ease, now not falling for the same tactic twice. ¡°Damn it! If they dodge and I can¡¯t use my fire, how am I supposed to blast them out of the air!¡± She whined. ¡°This is so unfair.¡±


    The three drones didn¡¯t seem to care how unfair it all was and kept blasting her. She shook, feeling her nerves light up as she twitched and tripped. She rolled out of the way as more lasers rained down towards her. She was about to go sprinting through the maze again but never had the chance to start running.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    The maze shook, and dozens of cracks appeared on one of the walls. The metal imploded in on itself, sending shards of debris in all directions. One of the drones exploded as it was pierced through by a shard of sharp metal. She barely managed to crouch as a red-scaled tail whipped through the room coming from the shattered wall. It left a significant slash mark across the room, splitting the floor they were on in half.


    The wind was strong enough that it peeled her off the floor and threw her into the air. She slammed back first into the metal roof, and before she could begin to fall, she dug her fingers into the roof, piercing the metal, and used her grip to turn her body just in time. Wyvern blasted out of the hole in the wall and slammed her fist at the spot she had been. The ceiling shook and rumbled, causing her to lose her grip.


    She slammed back first into the floor and groaned. The last two drones zapped her and caused her body to twitch again. Wyvern dropped from the roof and tried to dive-kick her, but she rolled to the side just in time. The floor shattered and broke apart, causing them both to fall, and they came crashing down into another maze.


    In total, there were five of the mazes all stacked up on one another. Her goal was to get to the very bottom where she could escape, so Wyvern had sort of helped her. She still had several more to go, though. As soon as she hit the floor, she sprung out with her legs, kicking at the Enforcer member, but wings burst out of Wyvern¡¯s back, and the hero flew up where the drones were staying out of her reach.


    She held her arm up and pointed it at the hero. She was about to blast out with her fire but stopped when she saw how much of the strange oil covered her body. This part of the maze was also filled with it. ¡°Hey, come on down! I can¡¯t fight you if you¡¯re up there.¡± She yelled.


    ¡°Aw, that¡¯s too bad.¡± Wyvern inhaled and suddenly blasted out with a wave of fire. The oil once again didn¡¯t ignite; Boy Genius had seemingly made it only react to her fire, just so he could really cripple her powers. She threw her arms out in front of her, and the fire washed over her. It didn¡¯t burn. She was used to hotter fire. It did melt the sleeves of her costume, though, and put a few holes in it.


    The floor melted from the fire, and she slammed her fist into it, easily shattering the melted metal and allowing herself to fall to another floor below to escape the fire before it burned her clothes entirely off. ¡°This is so bullshit.¡± She growled. She hit the floor and dusted some of the ash off of herself. The suit was mostly holding up.


    From the roof, Wyvern floated down softly, followed by the drones. ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t supposed to be fair. You¡¯re supposed to lose.¡± The woman landed on the floor, and her tail whipped around and cracked the floor as she cocked her head to the side. ¡°Still, if you really want to play a round of hand-to-hand with me, then I¡¯ll let you try to entertain me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll just be all the sweeter when I beat you.¡± She taunted, raising her arms up and entering a fighting stance. ¡°You¡¯re going down-"


    Wyvern moved faster than her. The woman¡¯s fist was inches from her face, everything seeming to slow down. She knew she wasn¡¯t going to be able to dodge this. It came at her slowly, her mind racing, trying to figure out what she would do.


    ¡®This is going to hurt, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Was the only thought that came to her mind.


    Her nose shattered, and her head was thrown back as she was smashed through the air. Her eyes were wide and rolled around as she began to black out, though she thought back to how she ended up in this situation.


    Well, it started a few hours ago...


    ¡°Not sure if I introduced myself yet, but I¡¯m Boy Genius.¡± The dark-skinned boy said awkwardly, holding his arm out toward her.


    She sheepishly reached past Wyvern¡¯s shoulder and shook it as they flew through the sky. ¡°Yeah, I know who you are. I¡¯m a huge fan of the Enforcers. So why exactly am I being kidnapped? And should I be trying to break out?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡± Wyvern snorted. The woman moved fast, almost like a jet, her wings causing cracks to echo through the sky as she flew. Wyvern had her arms underneath Hope¡¯s shoulders, dangling the girl as her tail wrapped around the waist of Boy Genius. ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to drop you.¡±


    ¡°I could take it.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case-¡±


    ¡°Wyvern.¡± Boy Genius shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s only natural she¡¯s worried. A lot has happened. To answer your question, Ms. Cinder, we¡¯ve kidnapped you mostly because I am interested in looking at something. Wyvern and I never got to see what a Lord of the Sun is like. I was born after the events of the war, so I only ever get to hear rumors about how great Full Monarch is. I¡¯d like to see it in person, and Wyvern herself would have been too young to remember anything from back then, made worse by the fact she¡¯s a monster, and they tend to have bad memories.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not the Lord of the Sun-¡±


    ¡°Lying doesn¡¯t work.¡± Wyvern¡¯s claws dug down, and she winced as she felt part of her skin break. She was still pretty tired after dealing with Wish, and her body hadn¡¯t fully recovered. Plus, most of the energy she had during that fight had seemingly faded when her hair changed back. ¡°I can tell when someone tells a lie. I picked this trait up from Old Dog.¡± The Enforcer woman hissed. ¡°We both know you¡¯re the Lord.¡±


    ¡°Fire powers and a powerful body that seems to grow constantly. The right age for the next Lord. Winding up in serious life-threatening issues but getting stronger after them. Plus, you¡¯re surrounded by so many strong people. Either you¡¯re the main character in some series, or you¡¯re a Lord.¡± Boy Genius snorted. ¡°It would also make sense why Max Lightning was keen on talking to you.¡±


    ¡°You knew about that?¡±


    ¡°I like to monitor all my coworkers.¡± The boy shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. But it¡¯s fine since I¡¯m so cute and adorable.¡± The boy waved off the concern. ¡°Okay, Wyvern, we should be here now.¡±


    She wondered what ¡®here¡¯ was, but thankfully, she didn¡¯t have to wait for long. The red-haired hero dove through the air and swooped, landing on a set of stone stairs leading to an apartment building. They were still in the city. In fact, they were somewhere she was used to seeing. ¡°This is where I live,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°The Hero Branch likes to know who people are.¡± Boy Genius explained. ¡°It¡¯s really quite easy to figure out a hero¡¯s identity when you know how to look for it. Heroes that don¡¯t work for the Branch are still monitored but mostly left alone. They don¡¯t know anything important about you, just that you live here, so if the day ever comes for any reason that Cinder is getting on their nerves or in their way, they¡¯d know how to get in contact with you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like the sound of that but held her tongue. The Hero Branch, the more she heard about it, didn¡¯t sound very heroic. Slowly, she folded her arms. ¡°Okay, so why did you bring me to my home?¡±


    ¡°You need to get a change of clothes and say bye to anyone.¡± Boy Genius¡¯s words caused her blood to run cold. ¡°I¡¯m sure Max Lightning or someone would have told you about it. You weren¡¯t shocked when we said you were a Lord. That means you knew and were hiding it. You know what happens, right?¡±


    ¡°I have to go away.¡± She clenched her hand into a fist.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Boy Genius hopped up on the railing, casually hanging off of it as he gave her a lopsided grin. ¡°We can¡¯t have a weak Lord running around. It took a while for Poseidon to gain enough trust to be left by herself. If you die, then we lose a potent player that might later end up in the villain¡¯s hands. Or even worse, someone like the Fairy Queen might come for you. She used to be in the Emperor¡¯s army and is quite good at brainwashing and tricking people. Even a Lord could have some issues dealing with it if they aren¡¯t strong enough.¡±


    ¡°I am strong, though.¡± She could feel her nails digging into her palm. ¡°I fought the Lord of Life all on my own and almost beat her. She took down people like Money Tree. I¡¯m strong. I don¡¯t want to be locked up. I became a hero to help people; I can¡¯t do that like this. Besides...¡± The image of her father came to her mind for a moment. He really didn¡¯t have much longer left. She had to either find and kill the Lord of Life or get someone else that could heal him. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to leave my friends. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Quit yapping, girl.¡± Wyvern sighed. ¡°Do you want someone to see us? The state your costume is in isn¡¯t good. Go inside and get dressed, and say bye to mommy and daddy, and we can begin the test.¡±


    ¡°Test?¡±


    Wyvern and Boy Genius shared a look. Quietly, the young boy let out a chuckle. ¡°Here¡¯s the truth. We¡¯re swamped. Like mega super duper busy. Golden God pulled a massive stunt that caused every city to go hog wild with villain attacks. The only reason I came by the hospital was because I detected someone was abusing the fabric of space, which is never good. That¡¯s when I happened to see you and decided to play a game.¡± He clasped his hands together and gave a grin. ¡°See, you¡¯re sort of a wildcard. All the Enforcers have their winning hands, but if we throw you on the table, it all goes up in smoke. Every Enforcer always has their own idea of how the Lord should be raised and treated. We¡¯re too busy to be fighting over something like that right now, though. With everything going on and the threat of Lucifer, I decided to solve this issue myself. Poseidon and Max Lightning are left alone because they proved their strength. We don¡¯t have to worry about them. Can you prove the same?¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡± She gave a smile and folded her arms. ¡°I just need to show you why I¡¯m so cool, right? Then you¡¯ll let me be like them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mostly right.¡± Wyvern boredly chimed in. ¡°Poseidon had to fight Fable and beat him without losing control. Since they¡¯re busy, we haven¡¯t told the other Enforcer members about you yet. We¡¯ll be giving you the tests ourselves. Pass, and we¡¯ll let the Enforcers know about you at our next meeting, when they¡¯re calmer. Fail, and I won¡¯t risk anything. You¡¯ll be handed over to Fable, and trust me, you really don¡¯t want to go through his brutal tests.¡±


    She turned and gave a half wave. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m going to get out of this mess of a costume and then I¡¯ll do whatever you need me to do. I have some things I want to try out on a strong person, so you¡¯ll do well as a test subject.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to break your nose,¡± Wyvern said flatly.


    She left and made her way up the stairs. She doubted she could escape them, so there was no point in running. Besides, she had just been handed a golden chance to prove that she was a competent Lord. Wyvern was strong, an influential Enforcer member even, but she was the Lord of the Sun. After this, the Victorian might even take note of her.


    She pushed the door to her home open and stepped inside. It was late, so she wasn¡¯t expecting to see her mom, but the woman was still up. ¡°Hope!¡± Her mom was on her before she could say anything, pulling her into a bone-breaking hug. ¡°I told you, you can¡¯t just vanish without warning. I need to know if you¡¯re going to be late! What in the world happened to your costume?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sort of got messed up.¡± She chuckled and pulled herself out of her mom¡¯s arms. ¡°But look. I¡¯m fine. No injuries.¡± She¡¯d have to seriously thank Sky for that. ¡°I wanted to call, but some stuff went down.¡± She winced. ¡°I sort of blew my phone up, too. Both my hero phone and my civilian one. I¡¯ll just make Mr. Larison or Whisper get me a new one, though.¡±


    Her mom let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Don¡¯t scare me like that again. Are the others fine also?¡±


    Her smile faded. ¡°Y- Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hope.¡±


    ¡°I mean, some got a little banged up, but they¡¯ll be fine. Paragon is going to heal them. She¡¯s a great healer.¡± She pushed past her mom. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I promise. So are the others. I need to get out of this suit, though.¡±


    Her mother looked at her but hesitantly nodded. ¡°You have school tomorrow, so make sure you go to bed right away.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I will, but I need to head back out. I have something I need to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Hope.¡± Her mom placed her hands on her hips. ¡°You said this wouldn¡¯t get in the way of your schooling.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t! I¡¯ll pass. I already studied.¡±


    ¡°Nerd.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Do you want me to be a good daughter or not?¡± She closed the door to her room and sighed. She had sort of hoped that telling her mother she was a hero would mean fewer lies, yet here she was. The humming of the pod made her look up. They had brought it home once she discovered who she was. It stood in the center of her room and let out a faint blue light.


    Max Lightning had claimed it was also a third parent of sorts. It always seemed to be glowing constantly. She liked to imagine that meant it was worried for her. She placed her hand on it and rubbed the metal slowly.


    It seemed to almost hum back at her. The metal bubbled up like a liquid and wrapped itself gently around her hand, squeezing down on it. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Quietly, she changed out of her costume and got dressed in regular winter clothes. She had a backup pair of glasses Rowan made her, so she slipped them on and finished getting ready. ¡°Damn. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s this bad.¡±


    Her costume rested on her bed. It was covered in dozens of holes and had a few burn marks across it. It had taken a beating, that was for sure. Her mask, as well as the helmet Mr. Larison had created, were also gone. The remains of the metal would be somewhere in the forest of that realm. She was bummed about that. The mask could be replaced, but that helmet had been memorable. Same for her backpack. It had been the bag she used on Kevin and Mars King so long ago.


    So much happened, and yet the night still wasn¡¯t over.


    She stepped out of her room quietly. Her mother had seemingly finally decided to go to bed. She made her way out and walked down the stairs to where Boy Genius and Wyvern were still waiting. When she arrived, Wyvern threw something at her. She caught it at the last second.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± It looked sort of like a watch. It was made out of a silver-looking metal and was thin, made to go on her wrist.


    ¡°A lot of the pro heroes have them,¡± Wyvern explained. Her tail wrapped around Boy Genius and lifted him up. She then easily picked the young Lord off of the ground and flew into the sky once again. ¡°You put it on your wrist and press a button, and it will replace the outfit you¡¯re wearing with the costume that is inside of the watch.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!¡± She quickly put it on and pressed the button. It glowed, and then, in a flash of light, she was no longer in her casual clothes. Instead, she wore a black skin-tight combat suit. It had what looked like a bulletproof vest that covered her chest and gloves, though weirdly, it lacked boots, and she shivered as the cold air hit her toes. ¡°This is cool. It looks like what Snowdawn wears!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a modified field suit.¡± Boy Genius explained. ¡°The fabric is durable and will allow your body to use more of its natural strength. It is sort of like low-level power armor. We give them out to the Hero Branch members who fight in the field, as well as the Cleanup Squad. A lot of heroes also have them built into their costumes. I¡¯ll be making your next costume and will include some in it, though I bet your old one already had some old tech in it since it was so durable.¡±


    ¡°Nice! So I¡¯ll get a new, stronger costume! Wait, but if you were going to put me in this, why did I need to change out of my other suit?¡± She asked.


    ¡°If you look at your wrist, you¡¯ll see the watch is still there. Push the button, and your swap will happen again. I thought it would be good to get proper clothes for after the test. Also, in case you do fail, it gives you a chance to see your parents one last time.¡± The boy spoke in a cheerful tone, but it caused her to frown and remember what was at stake.


    She played around with the watch, swapping in and out of her suits for a bit before settling on the combat one. Slowly she punched her palm, her eyes lighting up. ¡°So. Just what kind of test do I need to do?¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Two: Life Meets Life

    That was how she found herself in the slippery maze filled with oil that would only react to her fire. The test itself was simple. She just had to fight Wyvern and either escape to the bottom of the maze or beat the woman. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that easy in practice.


    Her plan had been to go into her blonde state. The form where she seemed to get a crazy boost in power. She hadn¡¯t been sure if she could freely go into it, but ever since she had seen her pod, anytime she tried to go all out, her hair would change color, and she¡¯d get that massive boost of energy and crazy hot fire.


    With all the oil, though, that proved impossible, as even a small spark from her energy would blow the place sky-high. Then there were the laser-blasting drones that kept stunning her. Of course, all of it paled in comparison to Wyvern herself. The Enforcer member was free to blast her fire out willy-nilly, without a care in the world, and was fast enough to easily break the sound barrier, the woman¡¯s attacks causing gusts of wind so strong they would rip the walls apart.


    She felt her nose break as the woman¡¯s fist smashed into her face. She nearly fell unconscious and crashed back, her head smashing into the metal wall. It took everything she had to stay awake. The woman hit almost as hard as Wish had, but Wyvern was far faster and skilled. If she had her blonde-haired mode, she was confident she could keep up and be evenly matched or something, but as she was like this, she was getting destroyed.


    ¡°Is this seriously all you¡¯ve got?¡± Wyvern taunted. The woman kicked out, sending a blade of wind that would have cut her in two, but she managed to come back to her senses and dodge the strike just in time. The metal wall that had stood behind her shattered and broke apart, falling to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to lose just yet!¡± She yelled. She ran forward and used the slick floor to slide across it. She threw out a powerful punch at Wyvern, but the girl jumped into the air, and wings jutted from the hero¡¯s back, allowing Wyvern to stay high up with the drones. The two drones that were left circled around and fired out. She jumped back, dodging one of the lasers, but the other one nailed her in the leg, and she nearly collapsed again, gasping.


    Before she was able to recover, Wyvern raised her hand up and struck down, shooting down a massive air current. She blocked it just in time, the force of the attack smashing her into the ground and denting the floor. She rolled over and kicked at the floor, sliding on her stomach across it and using the force to get back up on her feet. She took off running, moving as fast as she could, trying to escape the dragon-themed hero.


    ¡°Oh, I thought you wanted to fight me.¡± Wyvern taunted. The woman was able to easily keep up with her running as if it were nothing. Even the drones kept pacing, firing at her rear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do a lot if you¡¯re just going to stay up there and hide like a coward!¡± She yelled back.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t cowardly. It¡¯s smart.¡± Boy Genius responded. His voice rumbled through the entire maze. The place he had taken them all was a testing ground outside of Oleander City. It had taken them nearly an hour to fly there, going through the wasteland that was the rest of the world. A massive metal tower was where this strange maze took place. One that was nearly the size of the Enforcer Tower. ¡°If you really don¡¯t like what she is doing, then blast her down.¡±


    ¡°Sort of hard to do when you placed me in this situation!¡± She yelled. ¡°No fire, just super strength! This is impossible!¡±


    The boy¡¯s snort caused everything to shake. ¡°Maybe. What if something like this does happen, though? If a bunch of hostages are in danger, all a villain would need to do in order to weaken you is bring some oil, gasoline, or even worse things. You¡¯ve gotten really good at using your fire, but can you take down someone like Intake or Mars King with just your super strength? If Polaron attacked you and he used this strategy, would you just be deadweight and have to give up? Full Monarch fought even when his fire had gone out. He fought and was still the strongest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Full Monarch.¡±


    ¡°Of course you aren¡¯t. You¡¯re Cinder. So show me just how much of a great hero Cinder truly is.¡±


    ¡°Enough talking,¡± Wyvern yelled. The Enforcer spun through the air and blasted out a wave of fire from her mouth. It twisted and flew directly at her. She spun around and smashed her fist into the top of the fire, slapping it down and causing it to explode on the floor. Or at least it should have. Rather than blow up, the fire washed over the ground like a liquid and flew back toward Wyvern. The woman¡¯s mouth was open, and the flames swam into it, and the hero swallowed.


    ¡°You just ate your fire!¡±


    Wyvern¡¯s cheeks puffed out, and this time, the fire that blasted out was a wicked blue, burning even hotter and causing much of the metal to start to melt. She screamed as it hit her, the wave of fire actually burning her and blasting her through several walls of the maze before she finally crashed back first on the floor. The beam kept going, reaching all the way to the final wall and blasting out of the building.


    She struggled and tried to stand back up, her body aching once more, but before she could, the two drones from above her began to blast her with their tasers, causing her to yell once again. Wyvern stalked past the many broken walls, heading to where she was. The woman stopped and stared at her. Slowly, a memory came back to Wyvern.


    ¡®The Lords? Are they strong?¡¯


    ¡®Of course they are, Wyvern. Much stronger than either you or I could hope to be. They¡¯re just in a different league when it comes to their power. Do your best to not piss one off, okay?¡¯


    ¡®Okay, Mermaid.¡¯


    Wyvern shook her head as the memories hit her. She growled a little, looking down at Hope. ¡°I guess it was a lie. I somehow thought you¡¯d be better than this. I¡¯m a little disappointed. See, you kids born after the Emperor are all the same. Even Boy Genius has this flaw. You all waste your potential. People who can control ice, lightning, or fire are all alike. You throw your attack out, and that¡¯s it. Ocean Empress taught me there is more, though. She wasn¡¯t born with godlike strength. She had to train. We have control over our elements. You can do more than just fire a big-ass attack out. You can recycle that power to save stamina or even fuse it into a bigger attack like I used on you. Of course it¡¯s too late now, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hope remained motionless on the ground. ¡°Call it, Boy Genius. She¡¯s down for the count-¡±


    Hope¡¯s foot slammed into Wyvern¡¯s stomach, and the woman¡¯s eyes went wide as she was smashed into one of the metal walls, causing it to shake.


    Wyvern glared at Hope, who smirked as she got back up. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that really hurt, and I almost got knocked out from it, but you made a bit of an error.¡± She sidestepped the lasers dancing between them as she kicked the downed Wyvern and sent the woman tumbling back further. ¡°My body has a minor healing factor. Nothing crazy, but I can take a lot of damage, and given enough time, I¡¯ll bounce back. Besides, you¡¯ve given me a few ideas.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Wyvern jumped back to her feet and breathed in. Her stomach expanded slightly, as did her mouth, as the hero blasted another powerful wave of fire out. Hope dodged the attack, but the beam twisted and came back around, meeting Wyvern head-on. The hero swallowed her attack and blasted it back out twice as strong, now sending the blue fire at the Lord.


    Hope pulled her fist back and smashed her arm forward as hard as possible. A loud crack filled the air, and a massive force of wind blasted into the beam of fire, causing it to explode with a powerful force and shatter. Wyvern felt her eyes go wide as she jumped back.


    ¡°Did you just-¡±


    ¡°Copy that cool wind thing you did? Yeah.¡± She gave a sly smile. ¡°I kept wondering how you do it, but it¡¯s pretty obvious. I mean, your body is super strong, and you have that tail and stuff. It must be made of pure muscle, and you whip it through the air crazy fast with as much force as you can to send a blast of wind out. It isn¡¯t quite like Max Lightning or BB; it has no control and is just all offense. You don¡¯t have control of the air. You¡¯re just hitting as hard as you can to fire off an air current. Even I can do that if I push my strength to its limit.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Wyvern snickered. ¡°You¡¯re going to use my move and use it on me?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I sort of forgot about it in the heat of the moment, but I do have another strong attack I can use that doesn¡¯t use any of my fire.¡± One of the beams narrowly missed her as she easily dodged and gave a wicked grin. ¡°You might want to plug your ears.¡± She opened her mouth and aimed at the robots, letting out the same sonic scream she used on Wish.


    The entire building rumbled and shook, and Wyvern yelled, clutching at her ears. The metal cracked, and the sound waves bounced off of the walls. The robots crumbled to the ground, exploding in a hail of metal as the force of the vibration caused by the scream destroyed them.


    As it slowly died, Wyvern felt blood dripping down her neck and her ears rang. The hero grumbled and glared up at Hope, who had an innocent look on their face. ¡°Think you could teach me how to fly next?¡±


    ¡®Much stronger than either you or I could hope to be. They¡¯re just in a different league when it comes to their power.¡¯


    Wyvern blasted forward at her top speed. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, brat!¡± The hero easily dodged the rookie¡¯s wind attack that Hope sent at her, spinning out of the way and reaching the younger girl. ¡°Things like that don¡¯t work if I can stop you from covering your own ears! Face it! You¡¯re outmatched!¡±


    She tried to block the strikes that came at her, but they caused her arms to shake, and a pained groan escaped her. Wyvern was fast¡ªfaster than even Mr. Larison. The woman had some sort of grudge clearly, unleashing blow after blow and bouncing her between the walls and the floor. She gasped as her skin was bruised and she was smashed around.


    Gritting her teeth, she threw out a punch towards Wyvern, but the lady dodged it with ease and spun around, smashing their dragonic tail into her side. She gasped, feeling some of her ribs crack, but she ignored it and tried to wrap her arms around Wyvern¡¯s tail. That proved to be a horrible idea, though. The scales all along the tail were rough and tore into her palms.


    Wyvern slammed a fist into her head and threw her back. She stumbled away from the hero and caught her breath, wiping her hands on the black battle suit that was starting to fall apart. ¡°Yeah, close up, you¡¯re rough.¡± She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re faster than me, stronger than me, more skilled than me, and you have a limb I don¡¯t. As I am now, I don¡¯t think I can win.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to give up then!¡± Wyvern ran at her and threw out a strong punch, which she tried to meet with her own. She lost the exchange, her hand screaming at her as she was shoved back, and several of her fingers broke. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll be Fable¡¯s problem after all!¡± The hero taunted, kicking out with her foot and smashing it into Hope¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I give up!¡± She gritted her teeth and took the stomach blow, not falling back. She gave a cheeky grin and lowered her arms. ¡°I said, as I am now, I can¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so?¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll just use my Lord form and beat you.¡± She declared. ¡°Or at least even the fight.¡±


    ¡°Are you a dumbass?¡± Wyvern retorted and gave her a condescending look. ¡°I think I broke your brain. What happens when you light up? This whole place goes? I guess we could take the attack, but you¡¯d basically be accepting defeat, unable to finish Boy Genius¡¯s test. All those fake hostages would be fried. I mean, you can do it if you want, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be happy if you destroyed this entire building.¡±


    ¡°I also wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡± Boy Genius'' voice rumbled throughout the maze once more. ¡°Wyvern¡¯s body is not on the level of flame resistance yours is at, and even you would be harmed by such harsh flames erupting so quickly.¡± The child explained. ¡°I am not on scene and am back in Oleander enjoying the show, so do feel free to blow the place sky-high if you feel like it; just know you might die.¡±


    She rubbed the back of her head, sighing. ¡°Geez, why does everyone think I¡¯m an idiot? I¡¯m not going to blow this place up.¡± She snorted. ¡°I¡¯m going to beat you without using any fire attacks. I¡¯ll just use my fire form to give myself a stat boost like when I fought Wish and use that power to kick your ass. I want to beat you under the rules now. I really looked up to you when I was younger, but you¡¯ve made me a bit mad, Wyvern.¡±


    Wyvern folded her arms. ¡°Again, fire or not, you¡¯d still cause a spark powering up. Are you really insane enough to blow us both up? I see why Poseidon talked badly about you now and why she doesn¡¯t want you around Sky.¡±


    That caused her to growl a bit. ¡°You know what. I think it¡¯s better if I just show you. After all, you taught me how to do this.¡±


    ¡°Another one of my stolen moves?¡±


    ¡°Just watch.¡± Her eyes ignited with a red spark, and the black in her hair began to fade into gold. She could feel it. The power of the sun danced through her veins. Just as when she fought Wish, or when she used it on Polaron or gifted some of the power to BB. A spark of orange danced across her flesh, and fire ignited at the tips of her hair.


    ¡°You actually-¡±


    Wyvern never got to finish her sentence as everything went white hot. That tiny spark was all that was needed, and in a single instant, the entire building- Was perfectly fine. All the oil, gas, and fire that had sparked were instantly gone. Across the entire building faster than it could detonate. She held her palm out, and resting in it was what looked almost like a mini sun.


    Stellar cannibalism. This is an event that sometimes happens in space. A star will attempt to devour another star. Normally, this results in a supernova being formed. This was similar but different. In a single heartbeat, as everything had been ignited by her spark, she copied what she had learned from Wyvern. All that fire faster than it could even begin to exist was all devoured into a single instance in space. A mini-star containing the force of the entire exploded building was formed before it could explode. She was able to control fire, that was how she formed her sword and backpack. She had never thought to control other types of fire or explosions, though. At least not before she saw Wyvern doing it.


    Her hand shook as she tried to hold the ball she created. The thing was heavy. So dense, even nearby debris began to raise and orbit her mini-fireball, and even Wyvern could feel a wave of force dragging her towards it. She raised her palm up towards the sky, and the ball moved to the tip of her pointer finger.


    ¡°Bang.¡± She formed her hand into the shape of a gun and fired her newly created bullet.


    The roof never stood a chance. Floor after floor, it blasted through them all, flying out of the building and going higher and higher, a massive beam of tamed energy, piercing past the clouds and going beyond the planet, reaching space, and soon passing the moon before it finally exploded well beyond anyone that would be harmed by it.


    Wyvern stared at it in silence. ¡®Do your best to not piss one off, okay?¡¯ She looked down at the innocent-looking blonde girl who had her arms folded now.


    ¡°So. Ready to keep going?¡± Hope asked slyly.


    ***


    ¡°Hey, Mrs. Lauren, this is Myth; I was wondering if your daughter mentioned anything about where she¡¯s headed. We¡¯re in a bit of an emergency, and we need her.¡± Myth hung up after leaving the voicemail and placed his phone back in his pocket.


    ¡°How do you know her mom¡¯s number off the top of your head? That¡¯s like super weird.¡± Whisper muttered.


    "I don''t even know the mom''s number, and I''ve been to her house. Even helped fix it up with the rest of the Cleanup crew after Polaron leveled the building." Jack snorted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is what we should be focusing on, everyone.¡± Ocean Empress''s voice was stern, and her eyes never left Jack''s. They were in an office room somewhere in the hospital. Hero Branch members ran around the halls in a panic, and last they saw her, Paragon was still trying to help Wasp Nest and Money Tree. Rowan had finally woke up, along with Armin. Both the boys had seemingly left with Poseidon. Old Dog had to go lie down due to chest issues. The office space had been turned into a makeshift interrogation room of sorts. Battery, Myth, and Whisper were all on one side, while Ocean Empress guarded the exit. "I want answers. Start talking."


    "What do you wanna know?" Jack asked slowly.


    "You know."


    "Ah. Well, sorry, I''m not interested in you-"


    "Not that!" Ocean Empress banged her hand on the table.


    "Battery play nice." Myth quietly instructed.


    "What happened to that sword?" Ocean Empress growled. "Why do you have the blade of the Emperor! That was the weapon that helped him slay Full Monarch. And what did you mean you used that sword on the Emperor? So help me, God, if you don''t give me some answers-"


    "The sword is long gone." Jack shrugged. "It wasn''t mine. Not anymore. I can only borrow it. You''ll need to speak to the current owner if you want to learn more about the blade."


    "Who''s the current owner?"


    "Can''t say."


    "You little.¡± Ocean Empress gritted her teeth. ¡°How do you think any of us can trust you if you act like this?¡±


    Jack tilted his head. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry, it seems you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone who gives a fuck!¡±


    Myth sighed. ¡°In the hospital, Battery, I asked about your past, and you told me of the shard inside of you. I had a feeling you used to be a villain, you¡¯ve even said as much. I even guessed that you were once a member of the Emperor¡¯s army. Many people were forced to join his group. People like Wyvern or Bad Wolf, who weren¡¯t given a choice and had been forcefully transformed and altered into new states. This is why the Hero Branch can sometimes be a little lenient to some of the monstrous villains, as they didn¡¯t have choice in the life they were given. Is this the same for you?¡± Myth asked.


    ¡°Are you asking if I had a choice on the matter, would I pick a different path?¡± Battery asked.


    Myth nodded his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Battery shrugged. ¡°I guess I would. I don¡¯t look back on my time under the Emperor very fondly.¡±


    Myth let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Ocean Empress. Battery has been on my team for months now. Since then he¡¯s battled various villains, helped my teammates grow, has gone out of his way to save people, and even risked his life several times. My life was also saved by him once. I think I would like to trust him-¡±


    "Like I''d trust you.¡± Ocean Empress hissed, cutting Myth off. ¡°You¡¯re the man who killed his own father. Your dad was a member of the Enforcers. I trusted him. Looked up to him even, and now he''s dead because of you." The woman growled, and the water on her skin danced across it softly as she glared at Battery. "I tried to play nice. Your powers are close to the Victorian''s. You just showed up one day out of the blue, and now you claim yourself as the son of the Emperor. Sorry, but there is zero way I can trust you or your team-"


    "Then maybe we should tell you the truth." A new voice called out and caused the room to freeze. They turned and saw her. Standing in the doorway to the office was a very powerful person. Laps looked a little older than Jack last saw her. She had a few grays in her hair, a few lines on her face, and heavy bags under her eyes. Her suit was half put on, having been woken up at around midnight and forced to come down. The tired woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "What have you gotten yourself into, Mr. Larison?"


    "You know Laps?" Myth asked.


    "Yep. You, too?" Jack raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah. Remember that time there was the warehouse incident and I showed up late? I was dealing with her."


    "Neat-"


    "What are you doing here, Ms. Laps?" Ocean Empress stood up and stared at the woman. By all accounts, Laps was sort of her boss. The woman was basically in control of all of Oleander City. In charge of all the heroes. Currently they were in Lillian, but it would still be best to not get on Laps''s bad side.


    Laps slowly closed the door and folded her arms. She gave off an aura of control. Someone you would want to listen to if you knew what was good for you. "I came down when I heard two special cases were here." Her eyes roamed over Battery and Myth. "The man who killed his own father, and the man who fought alongside Full Monarch."


    "Fought alongside-" Ocean Empress stared back at Jack with wide eyes. "You mean..."


    Laps took a seat and grabbed the first cup of coffee she saw that was on the table. She downed it and sighed. "Are you fine with me telling her?"


    "Pretty sure she''ll murder me if you don''t." Jack chuckled.


    The woman nodded. "Do you all know how monsters are created?"


    Whisper shot her hand into the air. "Oh! Pick me, teacher! Monsters were created fifteen years ago by the Lord of Life! The Emperor used them in his army as soldiers! All of them have superpowers, but their powers have gone out of control and transformed their bodies to better suit their abilities. Some have evolved to the point of becoming massive monsters."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "That''s right." Laps nodded. "One thing people don''t know is that they used to be people." That caused the room to grow silent. "All monsters at one time were normal humans or Supers. Most didn''t have powers, and the Lord of Life used his dark gift to evolve them into new beings. One that did have powers." The image of Kevin came to Jack''s mind instantly. A normal human who had now become a Super. He had even started to look a lot like Mars King at one point. "The ones that were Supers already tend to become extremely powerful. Golden God, Hell Hound, Fairy Queen, and the Princess of Life were all Supers who then later became Monsters, explaining why they seem so much stronger than the others. As far as we know, there is only one way to turn a monster back into a person, and it was only done once."


    "Who was it?" Ocean Empress asked, frowning.


    "He''s in this room." Everyone''s gaze turned to Jack. "Jack Larison. He used to be a monster. One who served under the Emperor himself as his son. However, in his final battle, Full Monarch changed that wild creature back into a man. And thus Jack was reborn. The only case of a monster becoming a human. With the loss of Full Monarch, we may never see it happen again. It was thanks to this act that we were able to win the war fifteen years ago. You see, Jack Larison here would go on to leave a scar upon the Emperor¡¯s body and allow Full Monarch to get the final blow, taking out the Emperor.¡±


    "Full Monarch saved my life." Jack explained, slumping his shoulders. "He went out of his way to save the lives of so many people that day. Humans, Supers, and Monsters. Because of him, I''m still standing here. I¡¯m not proud of who I used to be or the life I lived. I was given the name Alpha and raised as the Emperor¡¯s son. He wanted a weapon that could kill Full Monarch. I was that weapon. I was his Giant. Full Monarch though didn¡¯t see me as a weapon. He used everything he had and saved my life. The first real choice I got to make in my life was who to side with. In the end, I chose Full Monarch, and with my own two hands, I used that sword you all saw to split the Emperor¡¯s gut open and save the life of Max Lightning, repaying the debt I owed to the Lords.¡±


    Ocean Empress sighed and nodded. "I see. So you used to be a monster. For the most part, I see why that would be something you wouldn''t be proud of. Twisted and transformed against your will. However, I''m guessing there is more to this story. You''re a Super. That likely means you were one when you changed, right? In other words, you''d be one of the powerful monsters. Princess of Life and Fairy Queen are both women. By most accounts, people thought Hell Hound was a woman. Although, with all the armor, it was hard to tell. Golden God isn''t you. That means you''re not one of the big four Organization members. So what exactly did you need to hide?"


    "He already told you." Laps stated. "He struck a blow on the Emperor. In the fight with Full Monarch, the Emperor''s own sword was turned on him, and he was nearly torn in two. If information got out that a monster had become a human again or that he was someone that helped the number one hero slay the Emperor, then there was a good chance many of the Organization members or other monsters would stop at nothing to kill Mr. Larison. He also couldn¡¯t turn to the side of heroes for help if it got out since it could have been leaked that he was the Emperor¡¯s honorary son. After all, the first thing you did when you found out he held that title was force him into this room and demand answers. I imagine most heroes would hold this view.¡±


    Ocean Empress flinched at the words and looked away. ¡°I just¡­ I was there.¡± Her voice went a little hollow. ¡°Fifteen years ago, I was on that battlefield. City after city, I watched them crumble. I heard people die. I witnessed the moon crack and felt the planet shake. Ash rained upon the land, and I heard the voice of so many people I knew scream out in terror. I can¡¯t trust anyone who fought in that war willingly on the Emperor¡¯s side. He wasn¡¯t like most villains. He didn¡¯t have some big goal. He just wanted to end the world that hurt him.¡±


    Laps let out a sigh. ¡°I understand how you feel, but he helped beat the Emperor, and also because Full Monarch himself requested it, I pulled some strings and helped Mr. Larison fade away from the world. I gave him a new name and a job. He should have worked until he died, never seen by the public, but now this idiot has gone and gotten himself seen, making my job way harder."


    Jack awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Well-¡±


    He never got a chance to finish his sentence, as seconds later, the door to the office burst open, and a doctor ran in. ¡°Ms. Ocean Empress.¡± He breathed heavily, having clearly run here. ¡°It¡¯s about your father. He¡ªWell, he just- His heart stopped, and they¡¯re trying to get it to restart but are having trouble! We need your daughter, Paragon, but we can¡¯t find her anywhere!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Geez. Things went that bad, huh?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Rowan muttered, rubbing at his chest. He shuddered a bit, still remembering the pain that had coursed through his body from that villain. ¡°I got off lucky. Most of my armor took the brunt of the attack, and all my damage was able to be reversed thanks to Paragon. Same for Snowdawn over there. You called him Armin, right?¡±


    He never actually got to know Pantheon¡¯s secret identities besides Whisper and Myth. He found himself back at his usual spot. The junkyard. He rested on a turned-over destroyed boat, looking up at the stars with Kyle. Kyle had left his house after noticing his father still wasn¡¯t back, so the two decided to meet.


    In the center of the junkyard, three other people stood. One of them was Snowdawn. His black suit was in tatters, and he seemed like he was having a hard time creating his snow. Even after being healed, he had taken a beating. Poseidon stood across from him, quickly blocking globs of snow with wheels of water.


    Most shockingly, though, was Oxide. ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong.¡± The girl huffed and flipped her hair.


    ¡°I think I liked you more when I didn¡¯t know who you were,¡± Armin grumbled. ¡°Also, what do you mean I¡¯m doing it wrong?!¡±


    Ashley folded her arms. She had followed them out of the hospital, finally able to leave after nearly a full month. She was basically back at her full strength, and currently, her dress flowed just like Ocean Empress¡¯s would. Her mask was placed at her side, being held by a metal hook. She had a mild scar; well, to her, it was a significant scar. A nasty red burn mark that started from her side and climbed all the way up her body, covering a small portion of her face. All caused by her metal and glass melting to her body when she had been caught in an explosion by Ghost.


    ¡°You¡¯re able to make snow, but you need to be making ice.¡± The girl stated. ¡°Harder and stronger. Like how I solidify my metal.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s harder than it looks!¡± Snowdawn growled.


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong.¡± Poseidon chimed in. She was in full costume now, save for her helmet, which rested on the ground at her feet. She held a finger up, and water began to form out of thin air. It flowed, making various small shapes. ¡°Controlling a liquid is often easier than solid things. Making that liquid stand still and harden is difficult but possible with effort.¡± The water halted its movement and shimmered a bit. ¡°This is what you do, Oxide. You¡¯re not really freezing it, more making it grow tense and sturdy. What Snowdawn is trying to do is shift it from one state of matter to another. Causing the molecules to stop fully and the liquid to change into ice. Even I can have trouble doing that.¡± Despite how humble she tried to sound, the orb of water instantly morphed into a giant ball of ice. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the ability to make water; rather, he creates cold itself, so with a bit of inverting, he should be able to make ice.¡±


    ¡°Inverting?¡± Snowdawn frowned. He shot a look toward Oxide, but the girl just shrugged, clearly as lost as he was.


    Rowan sat up and snapped his fingers. ¡°Inverting is something a few heroes can do. Not all heroes can, however. I can¡¯t, and many people with Mental powers are unable to. There really isn¡¯t a true rule to it; it seems like some heroes are just suited for it, and others aren¡¯t. I don¡¯t know if you can do it or not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but what is it?¡± Kyle asked. ¡°You never explained it. This is the first I¡¯m hearing about it, too.¡±


    Rowan folded his arms and hummed. ¡°So basically, it does as the name suggests. It inverts power. Ocean Empress can create water, but by inverting her power, she creates ice instead.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the inverse of water be fire, though?¡± Armin asked, looking down at his palm. His snow coated it, and he squeezed it. ¡°Could I use Inverse to get fire like Cinder? She¡¯d be so jealous- Oh shit! Could she use Inverse to get ice? Oh God, oh no! I¡¯ll be worthless if she copies my moves. Next, she¡¯ll steal my ice-cold puns, and I¡¯ll be a worthless hero!¡±


    Poseidon snorted and patted the boy calmly on his shoulder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that exactly. It isn¡¯t really an A to Z kind of thing. It¡¯s more subtle than that. Some people that can Inverse can only do it by a small bit. Others can do it massively.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Oxide muttered.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Snowdawn whispered back.


    Rowan rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Poseidon sucks at explaining things. Think of it like this. Imagine every Super has a one to ten scale, and we all fall in between five and six. On the left are one, two, three, four, and five. On the right are six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. That center point is your power. In your case, Snowdawn, it¡¯s the ability to create snow and control it. By using your powers, you move this scale down. Each number is a more heightened form of your power. You lower the bar down to five, and your snow creation is colder and tougher. Move it down to four, and it¡¯s even stronger. Get to three, and it would start to become ice instead of snow. Move it even further down, and it becomes more ice; reach one, and your power would be at its max and become something past snow and ice. The stronger a Super, the lower they can get that number. Inverse, on the other hand, changes how the scale moves. You go up instead of down. So you would hit six, then seven, then eight. Each number makes your power change, and the further the number, the more different it would be. Six would maybe give you the ability to create melting ice, seven would make it a water-based power, eight could be boiling water, nine might be fire, and ten could be pure lava.¡±


    ¡°So I could get fire!¡±


    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Rowan¡¯s words caused the boy to deflate almost instantly. ¡°Most Supers can only move the bar up or down by a small bit. If you¡¯re lucky, you could maybe get it down to three and maybe up to eight. Of course, there are some heroes like the Victorian who can freely change her power in almost any way she wants, going from one to ten.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve created ice a few times,¡± Armin said, balling his hand into a fist and causing his snow to swirl out and shake as he struggled to freeze it but failed to do so, making him curse.


    Poseidon hummed and rubbed her chin. ¡°You¡¯ve made ice before? That¡¯s neat. What caused it?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I just can.¡± The boy sighed as his shoulders slumped. ¡°Usually, when I am in a fight or something. Maybe that has something to do with it.¡±


    Poseidon snapped her fingers as her eyes lit up. ¡°I got it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She raised her fist up, and suddenly, it began to glow, and the space around it started to bend and twist. ¡°As the Lord of the Sea and Depths, I have control over water and the crushing depths. Using Inverse on my depths, I can cause gravity to fall under my control.¡± She pulled her fist back, and the gravity grew more tense. ¡°All I have to do is put your life in deep danger! Get it? Deep? Cause the ocean? Making puns is fun.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, I don¡¯t think I like this plan,¡± Armin said, stumbling back. He shot a look towards Oxide and Rowan, who both just gave him awkward shrugs.


    ¡°Too bad! Punching you really hard now!¡± Poseidon yelled, throwing out a mean right hook as hard as she could, aiming directly for Snowdawn¡¯s face.


    In a panic, he threw his arms up, trying to block the punch. Then it all stopped. For just a single heartbeat, everything froze...


    ***


    Wyvern crashed onto her back and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Alright. Screw you. I give.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± Hope collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be honest. I was sure I was losing that fight.¡±


    The tower they were in was basically gone. They had crashed through several floors now. The walls had come down, and the roof had been blown off. Wyvern was covered in dozens of bruises, several of her scales were cracked, and she had a busted lip. Hope was in pretty much the same state. She had dozens of mild burns and a few cuts and gashes. Part of her golden hair had been awkwardly sliced, and she would need to get a good haircut to even it out again. Her black eye had gotten worse, and she was due a visit to Sky once again.


    Her golden hair shimmered and faded back to black, and her fiery eyes died down. She pressed the button on her wristwatch, and suddenly, she was back in her civilian clothes, which were thankfully undamaged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky. You didn¡¯t beat me in combat. We just reached the bottom of the maze. That was the goal, remember.¡± Wyvern said, sitting up.


    ¡°Yeah, but I bet I could beat you.¡±


    ¡°Why, you little brat.¡±


    She gave a chuckle and winked. ¡°I didn¡¯t use any of my fire. I just fought you hand to hand. I¡¯m way better with my superpowers. I can do crazy cool stuff! Check it out!¡± She held her palm out, and the fire swirled and twisted, forming into a tiny backpack made of fire with arms and legs that flexed as the construct posed. ¡°I can make the world¡¯s most helpful backpack! Explosive, yet surprisingly stylish. Introducing: Baggy!¡±


    Wyvern looked at Cinder, unimpressed. "You made a fire construct and called it Baggy?"


    "Yeah, I had the idea when I was fighting Wish. I wanted to copy Battery and make something cool, but it came out like this. The weird part is I think it has a personality." She shrugged, showing off the small flaming bag, which had taken a break from posing to swing from her thumb. "I''m a little sad I couldn''t use him against you. Little guy''s pretty handy in a fight."


    Wyvern''s unimpressed look cracked, and the woman couldn''t help but let out a little smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± Wyvern stood up and rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t use all my power either. Let¡¯s just agree we¡¯re both awesome.¡± She held her hand out to the girl and helped pull Hope up to her feet.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She smiled. ¡°We¡¯re both awesome-¡±


    What was left of the tower exploded in a hail of debris, shaking the ground. They were left unharmed, but the building began to come crashing down. Wyvern fired a wave of flame toward the sky, burning all the stone before it could land on them. Slowly, something landed down in front of them. It stood at eighteen meters tall, forged from solid white metal with bits of red painted across it. It was a giant robot of some kind that had an impressive shield across its arm and a beam sword in its other hand, along with a huge jetpack on its back.


    ¡°Is that...¡± She trailed off. Baggy, the tiny flaming backpack dropped to the ground and raised its fists, beckoning for the robot to bring it.


    ¡°Yep. A goddamn mecha!¡± Wyvern nodded equally as stunned.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s my turn now!¡± Boy Genius announced, his voice echoing from the robot. ¡°I¡¯m done being on the sidelines! I wanna fight too!¡±


    ¡°I think this is a little unfair!¡± She yelled, using Wyvern as a human shield in case the boy swung his sword. ¡°At least give me a cool giant robot or a kaiju or something so I can fight!¡± If she was at full power, she could turn her gold mode on again and recreate those giant blasts she¡¯d made with the fire backpack, but sadly, she seemed to only be able to swap into her golden form once a day right now. Twice if she got her stamina back from Paragon or Destiny.


    The giant robot placed his arms on his waist and tilted his head. ¡°Well, that would be fair. I never play a game that¡¯s fair. I cheat at every game I¡¯ve ever played. I¡¯m a genius. And the first thing you learn when you¡¯re smart is that playing fair is for stupid people.¡±


    ¡°Wyvern, help me out!¡±


    Wyvern sighed, still being used as a human shield. ¡°Knock it off, Boy Genius! It¡¯s late, and I¡¯m not in the mood to sit around any longer! I need a shower.¡±


    Boy Genius let out a pouting noise, and the robot slumped down, kicking some of the debris high into the atmosphere. ¡°Aw. But I never get to use Super-Diama-Mark-Three-Model-Zero-Ultra-Ray-Blade.¡± The robot pouted.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be its actual name.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Wyvern yelled, raising her fist up. ¡°No more fighting! We¡¯re done here!¡± She folded her arms, her tail growing out and reaching all the way up to the top of the robot¡¯s head and smacking it on the dome. ¡°Now put your toy away, or the next one will be on you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The robot kicked another rock and folded his arms, huffing. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll just use this on Lucifer or something, I guess. I bet he¡¯ll love it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought it was cool!¡± She called out, waving her hand. ¡°I¡¯d love to see what it can do another time. When you use it on Lucy, let me know. I would kill to see him get stomped out by a giant mech suit!¡± As she spoke, the tiny flaming backpack climbed back onto her shoulder and sat down, slouching in a way that made Cinder think it was disappointed at not getting to fight.


    Boy Genius was about to say something, the robot¡¯s head turning to look down at her. He never got the chance, though. An alarm filled his robot¡¯s head, and it lit up, causing his eyes to go wide. Wyvern¡¯s nose twitched, and she winced a little, looking up. Hope felt her ears burn as she heard a loud cracking noise all around her. She stared up at the sky, her eyes filling with shock. Gold filled the skyline above them. Despite the fact it was well past midnight, it was as if the sun was coming down. Baggy perked up and slid down her arm, landing on the ground and raising its fists again, hopping from foot to foot.


    Hope felt her heartbeat begin to increase. This wasn¡¯t the first time she saw the woman, but there was no crime or anything around them. This was her chance¡ªthe perfect moment to talk to her hero.


    The Victorian held a massive golden blade, which she had over her shoulder. Her hair blew wildly in the wind, and her costume glowed with a golden light. She gently landed on the ground and twirled her sword around, stabbing it into the ground. ¡°You¡¯re that girl, right?¡± Her eyes were like the sun and slowly landed on Hope. ¡°I really didn¡¯t think you were the Lord of the Sun. Oh, how my father has fallen.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Wyvern threw her arm in front of Hope and stepped in front of the girl. Her tail twitched a little. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was out in outer space.¡± The Victorian explained, pointing up towards the sky. ¡°There was an asteroid nearly ten miles wide. I went and destroyed it, of course, but then randomly, out of nowhere, this really big fireball suddenly slammed into me.¡±


    ¡°Uh oh.¡± Now that she got a closer look at the woman, the number one hero¡¯s cape was a little burned. ¡°That was an accident.¡± She tried to explain.


    ¡°Yes. A lot of accidents seem to happen around you, don¡¯t they?¡± The hero snorted. Hope was starting to get the feeling the Victorian didn¡¯t like her. ¡°I think a better thing I should be asking is why I wasn¡¯t informed you two found the Lord.¡± The woman asked, shooting a look up at the giant robot that was trying to sneak away.


    She stepped forward and held her hands up. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve known who I was for a while now. When they found out, I wanted to show that I was strong enough that I didn¡¯t need to be watched all the time. More than that, though, I wanted to see how strong Wyvern was. She¡¯s an Enforcer member, and I wanted a clue how strong I was compared to one.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And why¡¯s that?¡±


    She took a deep breath and suddenly grabbed the Victorian¡¯s hands. ¡°I want to fight alongside you!¡±


    "Huh?¡± Despite the number one hero¡¯s sheer power, the woman seemed totally off guard by her sudden announcement. Even Baggy, still in a fighting pose near Cinder''s feet, paused and looked up at its creator.


    "Your father was the previous Lord of the Sun." She stated. "I don''t know why it happened, but somehow, I am now the one who holds that title. The power of the Lord didn''t go to you like it should have. You''re the number one hero. I''ve always looked up to you, ever since I was a little girl. I don''t care how it happens, but if I can help you out in any way I can, then I want to. You might not be able to be the Lord of the Sun anymore, but you can still use that power through me. I want to help you save my city, my world, my friends, and my family."


    The Victorian pulled away and raised her arms. "Okay! So, the current Lord of the Sun is a fangirl. That''s good to know!" The woman rose off the ground a bit, levitating. "Look, this is weird. I''m still thinking about what this could mean or how you have my dad''s power. Boy Genius, I''ll leave her to you."


    Boy Genius gave a shrug. "Yeah, okay."


    "What about me?" Wyvern asked, frowning. "I''m the one who trained her."


    "You''re a little too young to be taking care of a kid." The Victorian said flatly.


    "Boy Genius is twelve!"


    The Victorian just shrugged and got up a little higher. "Wait!" The woman stopped for a moment and looked down at her. The hero folded her arms and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something. "I want to fly!"


    "What?"


    "How do you do it? Seriously! I can boost myself up with my fire, but how are you able to fly? Mr. Larison has the same power as you to an extent, but he can''t fly. Full Monarch could fly, and I can''t! What''s the secret to flight? I want to know!¡± Cinder demanded. At her feet, Baggy undid the clasps of his backpack form, letting the flap loose in the breeze, posing as if he were flying.


    The Victorian softly landed back on the ground and let out a hum. "How to fly. I taught Max Lightning how to do it. It was easy for him since he could control the air. As for how I figured it out, my dad taught me. He told me to simply tell gravity it doesn''t boss me around."


    "That... Feels like it shouldn''t work."


    The Victorian let out a soft chuckle and slowly rose off the ground once more. "You wanted to help me out? Well, maybe when you''re able to actually fly, I''ll consider it."


    "I''ll figure it out for sure!"


    "You better, Cinder. If the power of the Lord of the Sun isn''t mine to command, then it better belong to someone just as strong."


    The golden woman didn''t wait for the child to respond. The hero took off into the air, getting faster and faster until, after only a moment, she broke past the clouds. Coldness hit her as she soared out of the planet and made her way back into space. Earth always looked so tiny up in space. Peaceful and calm, she flew over and watched the earth in utter silence before finally landing on the moon.


    The Victorian let out a sigh and took a breath of fresh air as she allowed the muscles in her body to ease up. The moon wasn''t a place normal humans could live on yet¡ªit might never be¡ªbut for powerful Supers like her, it was an okay spot. The Emperor had done just enough to give it some oxygen after he placed his castle on it.


    Her father liked coming up here a lot, too. It was one of his favorite spots back in the day. When he wasn''t saving the world, he stayed up here and waited for the Beast¡¯s return. A job that now belonged to her.


    This moon was the place where she kept his body and the cause of her divorce from her husband. Max Lightning was already plenty busy¡ªtoo busy to take care of Lois¡ªand didn''t like when she would leave for weeks on end to watch over the planet. She had no choice, though. If she didn''t, then the Beast could sneak up on the planet and wipe out a city.


    The golden woman floated over to the ruins of the Emperor''s old castle, a mighty black structure forged from living darkness. It had long since died and crumbled, leaving a crater in the ground where a single glass coffin resided.


    She floated over to it, cross-legged, and sighed. "I wonder how Lois is doing. Maybe I should bring her up here one day. I don''t really get to spend a lot of time with her." How many years had it been since she even talked to her daughter? She was ashamed to admit it, but part of her had actually forgotten about Lois and was only reminded of the girl¡¯s existence around the time her friend Ocean Empress had been looking into that hero known as Battery. ¡°Should I get her a present? What was that thing she liked again? It was some snack she used to eat a lot. Come to think of it, how old is she now? Sixteen? No. I think it¡¯s more. Is she an adult now? Did I miss that many years?¡±


    "Talking to yourself again?" The Victorian didn''t bother to turn around or move as she felt fingers start to go through her hair. "Your hair is all tangled! Did you even brush it at all today? Also, your clothes are covered in burn marks! When''s the last time you took a bath or ate any food?"


    "I can negate things like sleep and the need to eat by consuming my energy and using my golden light¡¯s healing power." The number-one hero cocked her head back and stared up at Lady Time. "How did you even get up here?"


    Lady Time placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I''m an Enforcer. Any half-baked Super could get to the moon if they put in some effort." She was quite a beautiful woman, constantly winning votes for magazine covers, and had many TV shows and movies. Only one of her eyes was visible. A silver clock covered her left eye, and she wore a golden costume that had a skirt and cape, as well as silver clock designs all over it. Lady Time''s finger brushed the Victorian''s skin, covering her index finger in dust. "You''re totally filthy. At least go take a bath. If it''ll help, I''ll come join you." She winked.


    "As much fun as that sounds, I''m too busy." The Victorian balled herself up, still floating off the ground. She stared down at the little blue planet. "I met the Lord of the Sun."


    "Whoa! Really?"


    "She''s young. About my age when I started using my powers for real." The Victorian''s eyes broke away from the planet, and she stared down at the body of her father, who rested in the coffin. "She''s so weak though.¡±


    "Then train her."


    "I don''t want to." The number one hero said pouting.


    "And I don''t want to be the one who has to make sure you take a shower once a month and eat, but guess who got stuck babysitting you?"


    "You do it because you love it."


    "Yeah, you''re right." Lady Time folded her arms and stared at Earth. "It really is pretty, though, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah."


    "Do you think we can really save it? Can we stop the Beast, the Emperor, Lucifer, or any other threat that appears? Are we actually heroes, or are we soldiers in costumes?" Lady Time asked quietly.


    "I can''t answer that." Slowly, her feet touched down on the moon, and she felt one of Lady Time''s arms wrap around her. "I''ll do my best, though. Whatever it takes. I don''t want this world to end. Even if I''m not the hero my dad was, even if I might not be a symbol people can turn to, I want to save it. Since the beginning, I knew the Lords would return. That they would appear. I¡¯ve been keeping this seat filled, waiting. Someone, somewhere, surely they¡¯ll be able to do it. They can fix this planet and do the job I don¡¯t want to do.¡±


    Lady Time''s fingers locked with the golden woman, and the white-haired girl snorted. "If it''s you, I''m sure you will. You''re the one who will make the impossible possible. For now, though, you can relax. Everything is fine at this moment. You don''t need to be the Victorian, and I don''t need to be Lady Time."


    The Victorian gave a sly smile. "Well, Boy Genius said he created a bunker for me after the last one blew up. I need that bath. Would you care to join me?"


    She liked coming up to the moon. It was always nice and peaceful, and it was a place she could call her own. She liked it better, though, when she wasn''t entirely alone.


    ***


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Sky looked around with wide eyes.


    It had only been a few seconds that she had nodded off. She had grown tired of using her power so much trying to heal Wasp Nest and Money Tree. It didn¡¯t help that she had been left alone. The only conscious person in the room besides herself, having been BB, who remained silent, constantly gripping Money Tree¡¯s remaining hand.


    Sky looked around, frowning. She stood in a field of flowers; massive twisting trees hung in the distance, covered in strange plant life, and the sky glowed a pretty green color, casting sunlight down upon the land. She knew where she was. She had seen this place before.


    Speaking of seeing, she realized Destiny wasn¡¯t with her yet, in that moment, she was no longer blind. She looked down and stared at the dress she wore. Her fake world. That was where she stood. Somehow she had dragged herself into her dream land.


    She took a nervous step forward, looking around. Gradually, the scene began to change. The sky above cracked, and black flames rained down. The trees started to fall, the flowers died, and the ground began to break apart. Everything crumbled and shattered as the world died. It was all replaced with an endless stream of white as the sky became pitch black, and never-ending snow covered what was left of the planet. There was no more life on the planet; all of it was gone, nothing left but the chunk of the world.


    That was when she came face to face with herself. Or rather someone that looked like her. They had long white hair and fiery red eyes and wore a black dress.


    ¡°You.¡± Wish frowned. ¡°Great. You¡¯re the person I least wanted to see.¡±


    Sky stepped back and stared at her reflection with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the girl from my dreams.¡±


    ¡°Terrible pickup line.¡±


    She threw her hand out, trying to bend the planet to her will. Nothing happened, though. After all, there was no life to bend here. ¡°Crap.¡±


    ¡°Now, now.¡± Wish stepped forward, and before Sky could react, the villain¡¯s arm was thrown over her shoulder. ¡°While you¡¯re here, let¡¯s talk. After all, I need someone to keep me company.¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Three: Life Moves On

    Rockets waved down from above and smashed into the wall of ice that Armin created. The wall shook, and large chunks of it snapped off, but it held strong. Hope crouched down next to her friend, who nodded at her. She took a breath and jumped out from behind the wall as the explosions died down.


    Instantly, she was met head-on with a punch. She narrowly tried to block the strike but felt wind smash into her as Sera rammed her palm forward, blasting the Pantheon member with compressed air. She slid back a bit and kicked out with her leg, but Sera easily jumped over the strike. The younger girl had been a hero for far longer and had practiced hand-to-hand combat every day, something that became clear as she danced circles around Hope.


    Every strike Hope unleashed was strong, easily breaking apart the ground, but it simply didn''t matter if it couldn''t hit. She seriously needed to practice more at hand to hand. Sera struck out again with a wave of compressed air, throwing Hope back. Armin jumped out of his cover and jabbed out with his own punch, but Sera easily dodged that as well, redirecting the attack with her wind.


    "Seriously, how are you so good at this!" Armin asked with wide eyes.


    "Years of practice!" Metal Ronin called out from up above them. After the battle with Wish, or rather his utter loss to the hands of Wish, Rowan had spent nearly three days straight creating a brand-new set of armor. It was taller than his old one, standing at eight feet tall. It was also bulkier, with bigger, longer arms, legs, and a thick protective chest plate on the front. He had lost some of his weapons but made up for it with a set of large foldable cannons that would come out of his shoulders, and he still had one of his swords, though the blade was now nearly five feet in length and burned with a white-hot beam of energy. "Remember it was you two who offered to help me practice and test out my new suit."


    It had been only three days since the fight with Wish¡ªthree days of waiting and planning, trying to see what would happen. The Wandering Coin had seemingly gone dead silent, not wanting to get involved now that they lost some of their best warriors. Even the low-level goons that stayed in the warehouses and sold drugs had dried up.


    Bad Timers was seemingly gone for good, and Zoo was also lying low. Usually, she¡¯d be glad there was nothing going on, but the constant silence and lack of action were starting to get to her. Myth had been busy planning and speaking with people because they could all feel it. Soon, a storm would be arriving. A storm that could shake everything up.


    During this silent time, she had decided that no matter what, she was going to improve and get even stronger. She had the image of what her ideal hero was, and she hadn''t yet reached that point, so the only thing to do was train and grow stronger. That was why she found herself in the Sub Enforcers base.


    Metal Ronin had been looking to practice with his new suit, but most of his team members were still recovering and being healed by Sky. She offered to help, as did Armin. Sera had also seemingly jumped at the chance to beat up some Pantheon members, and so they turned it into a sort of two-on-two battle. They didn''t have any of their gear or armor aside from Metal Ronin, and they were mainly trying to use their powers as little as possible in order to work on their physical stats and skills.


    It was quickly becoming clear though that team Sub Enforcers had simply been trained more as Pantheon was losing this friendly match.


    Sera engaged with Armin once more. The young girl dropped to a crouch and kicked out with her legs smashing into Armin''s ankle and causing the boy to fall. As he dropped, he twisted his body around and landed on his palms, freezing the ground around him and causing Sera to slip and fall. "Don''t get too cocky!" He announced proudly. "I''ve been working like a dog with Poseidon and know a couple of new tricks!" He used the sliding ice to his advantage and came down on Sera with an elbow smashing into the girl.


    "Y- You''re not supposed to hit girls as hard as you can." Sera squeaked out.


    "Screw that!" Armin announced and rapidly pinned the younger girl down. "I''m playing to win; morals can kiss my ass!"


    Hope giggled and stood up, dusting herself off. She twisted herself out of the way just in time as Metal Ronin brought his large sword down on her. She turned and unleashed a powerful punch, ramming it into the older teen and causing him to go sliding back, but he still held his ground. His suit was a little dented and cracked, but it still worked. The cannons unfolded from his shoulder and pointed at her about to fire.


    She jumped back about to dodge, but the ground around her suddenly rumbled and changed. The Sub Enforcer¡¯s base was held inside of another pocket realm. She was starting to get a bit sick of them with how many she ran into now. It had taken on the form of a massive manor, and in one of the rooms was the massive training room they were now in. It was a plain square-shaped room that stretched out far with nothing in it.


    That was until Metal Ronin casually pressed a button on his gauntlet. The floor shook and changed, and she suddenly found herself surrounded by large gray walls that appeared on either side of her, boxing her in and stopping her from being able to escape as the hero charged up his laser blasts. She had no way of avoiding it now. Purple energy spilled out to the cannons, and Metal Ronin gave a dry chuckle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s set to stun.¡± The cannons fired out a massive wave of energy toward her.


    She closed her eyes and felt her power surge forward. In an instant, her hair was cloaked in golden fire, and her eyes ignited with a red fury. She vanished in a flash, far faster than the lasers could move. She appeared in front of Metal Ronin and with ease ripped the shoulder cannons off of the boy¡¯s suit. He went to strike out, but she vanished again, appearing behind him. She was moving so fast she was literally setting the ground on fire and leaving an afterimage, something that fooled the tech-based hero as his blade swung through the image she left behind. She reached out and gently flicked him on the back of his helm.


    Metal Ronin dropped forward, his mask shattering from the force of the attack, revealing the face of Rowan. "That feels a little unfair." He grunted out.


    Hope sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, feeling her energy surge through her. "Maybe a little. This form is sort of a cheat code." She was strong in her normal form. Able to go toe-to-toe with most bad guys, but she simply felt like a god in her golden form. She was sure that normally she was now strong enough to level a building or two with a punch, but in her golden form she had been able to keep up with Wyvern. Max Lightning once told her the Enforcers were strong enough to protect an entire city as well as bring one down if they needed to. Did that mean she was able to destroy a city in this form? The thought of being anywhere close to the Victorian in terms of power really excited her. "I''m just built different." Her hair and eyes reverted to normal as she dropped out of her Lord state.


    "You''re built like an asshole." Rowin grunted. "Seriously, it''s just not fair using the power of a Lord like that!¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± He shook his head and folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯m just a little ticked off, is all. I feel like this new suit is barely better than my old one. I want to do better. Next time I see that girl, I¡¯ll be ready for her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with a grudge.¡± Hope looked down at her hand, watching as fire seeped out of the tips of her finger. ¡°For my next fight, I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m winning no matter what. Not just winning but dominating. I¡¯m tired of how much stronger everyone feels. I¡¯m going to improve and get better. No matter what!¡± She was getting better with her powers. There were still some things she could only do when she actively channeled her Lord powers, but basic stuff with fire was becoming a breeze. ¡°By the way.¡± Her voice trailed off a bit, and she winced. ¡°How is¡ªWell, actually, I don¡¯t really know their real names. Um, how are your friends doing?¡±


    Armin and Sera had both stopped fighting as well and were in the process of helping each other stand up on the slippery ice. Instantly, Sera''s look turned into a mix of sourness and depression at the mention of her teammates.


    Metal Ronin slumped down in his large armor, and the sword he held slowly went out as he pocketed. He let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Money Tree is fine. He¡¯s still on bed rest, but he can move around. He lost his arm, though, and I¡¯m doing my best to make a prosthetic for him to use. I¡¯m thinking something cool and badass, like laser claws or a gun that shoots chainsaws or something. Still workshopping it.¡±


    "Please make sure it doesn''t explode." Sera said, letting out a sigh. The young girl tapped her foot down and stared at the ground. "I wish I had been brave enough to arrive on time. I might have helped him." The young girl hissed.


    "It''s not your fault." Armin said, shaking his head and patting the girl on her shoulder. "It''s that one girl''s fault. That girl is seriously a frigid bitch."


    "You''re still making puns?"


    "It''s how I cope. Pretty cool?"


    "No."


    ¡°And Wasp Nest?¡± Hope asked, steering the conversation back on track. "How is he doing?"


    She winced a little as Metal Ronin¡¯s slouch and mood got far worse alongside Sera. Metal Ronin was silent for several seconds, and she almost regretted asking. Finally, he answered, though. ¡°He uh... He¡¯s not doing well.¡± She could hear his voice break for a second. ¡°Paragon did her best, but she vanished in the middle of healing him. By the time the heroes found where she went, it was almost too late. His body had to be placed into a deep sleep to heal slower. He could be out for months if he¡¯s lucky, years if he isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°He was your friend, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°My best friend. He was practically my brother. I was sure that within a year, he would be the new leader of the Sub Enforcers or be a high-ranking member of the Watch Dogs or something.¡± His fist grew tighter around the handle of his sword. ¡°I¡¯m going to make that woman pay.¡±


    Her thoughts briefly drifted over to Wish, and she silently fidgeted. There were so many questions she wanted to know about that girl. She never got evil. If you had powers, why on Earth wouldn¡¯t you use them to be an incredible superhero? Wish was something that went beyond evil, though. The girl was a true monster.


    ¡°I¡¯m still shocked this girl turned out to be a Lord.¡± Sera said, nudging her with an elbow. ¡°I think I figured it out when you lent some of your power to me. Money Tree was also suspicious then, but for you to just randomly confirm it.¡±


    She sheepishly scratched her chin. Now that she passed the Enforcers test, she didn¡¯t have to worry about hiding who she was. It was still being kept under wraps from the public, and she didn¡¯t plan to make it common knowledge who she really was for fear of what the villains would do, but she no longer needed to hide that fact from BB¡¯s team, which was nice as she and the size-changing girl had become sort of friends.


    Her thoughts suddenly stopped when she heard an alarm go off. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a new phone Lois had gifted her. ¡°I gotta go. I¡¯m going to be late.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    "She''s got a date!" Armin called out.


    "It''s not a date." Hope huffed. ¡°I¡¯m meeting up with a friend.¡±


    "Sounds like a date." Sera nodded. The girl looked to Armin. "So, you think she and Sky are..."


    "Yes. Without doubt. One hundred percent."


    "You two are the worst." Hope sighed.


    Metal Ronin gave a nod and put his weapons up. ¡°I¡¯ll head out as well then. Tell Myth that if he needs any more members for a mission soon, I¡¯m ready to go.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± She watched the boys and one girl slowly leave, and she stood in the metal room of the Sub Enforcers training arena by herself. She looked down at her clothes. They were just basic civilian clothes since her hero costume was still being remade. She¡¯d need a shower first. This was an important meeting, after all. ¡°Here goes nothing¡­ It¡¯s totally not a date. Right?¡±


    ***


    When Full Monarch had died, people visited his grave for months. Even now, it still constantly gets visitors. Or rather, the place people think his grave is at. The real body is, of course, not kept on Earth. Old Dog¡¯s death was very different from Full Monarch¡¯s, though. His body was actually at his grave.


    Jack placed the flowers down and stepped away, folding his arms. In the movies, the weather would be bad. It would be pouring down rain, and dozens of people would be standing in front of the grave in suits. That wasn¡¯t how it went, though.


    The weather was fine. In fact, it was strangely nice today. Despite the brisk winter wind, it wasn¡¯t too cold nor was it too hot. The sun lit everything up in a golden glow, and most importantly, there weren¡¯t dozens of people lined up in suits. Three days ago, there were a lot of people paying their respects. The day after, there was less, and the day after that, there was practically none. Now, here he stood three days after that event, and no one bothered to attend.


    Jack didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t need to. He simply stood there and stared down at the stone. It was very pretty, carved with stuff like when Old Dog had been born and when he died, and had a few cheesy things on it like ¡®gone but not forgotten.¡¯ The kind of things the hero would have hated. Natural causes. Adam Sini, the man who lived through two different wars, who had no superpowers of his own, who had been infected by Wish, in the end, died of natural causes.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Lucky bastard.¡± Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He could feel his own time was starting to run out. How long did he have left? Nine months? Less. A month? A week? A day? A few hours? What was stopping him from just dropping dead? How many people would show up at his funeral? None? It¡¯s what he would deserve.


    ¡®I¡¯m kind of sad he¡¯s gone. I rather liked Old Dog, you know.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± He almost sighed when he heard the voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the man¡¯s cape. Full Monarch casually rested on one of the rocks just out of the edge of his vision. ¡°I thought I told you to leave me alone. Stop pretending to be him.¡±


    ¡®Am I pretending? Maybe I¡¯m haunting you. Maybe I¡¯m some of his consciousness taking over, or maybe I am just your insecurities manifested. Does it really matter? I¡¯m not going anywhere, after all.¡¯


    ¡°Would you just leave me alone?¡±


    ¡®Why on Earth would I do that, Jack?¡¯


    ¡°The real him would never call me Jack.¡±


    ¡®Then would you like me to call you by your proper name? Alpha?¡±


    He stuffed his hands into his pockets and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°So. How long are you going to be standing there watching me talk to myself like I¡¯m insane?¡±


    He heard footsteps on the grass, and slowly a woman stood beside him. She was a young woman with black hair that had been neatly brushed. She was dressed in a simple suit as well and also held flowers. Normally, her hair was blue, and she was covered in flowing water, but today, Ocean Empress wasn¡¯t a hero. Today she was River Sini. A daughter who lost her father.


    The woman placed her own flowers down at Old Dog¡¯s grave and stepped back. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± She asked. The man had been here yesterday before she arrived, and he had stayed when she left. Now, the next day she came back, he was still just standing there.


    ¡°I left to get some flowers and came back.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°If I use my power, I''m able to store energy, which I can use to improve my stats or fire my attacks out. That¡¯s why I¡¯m called Battery. By consuming my energy, though, and using my golden light¡¯s healing power, I can negate things like sleep and the need to eat.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound healthy.¡± The woman frowned.


    ¡°I felt like I wanted to stay here for a little longer.¡± He ran his fingers through the messy and wild red beard that was starting to come back. He¡¯d need to shave again soon. "Old Dog was a good hero. Fifteen years ago, I always saw him on the battlefield."


    "You mean when you were an enemy of mankind."


    Silence hung in the air at her words. Jack didn''t look at her. He kept his head low, staring at the grave. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah. When I was an enemy of mankind."


    "Were you in control?"


    "Huh?''


    Her eyes slowly turned towards him. "As a Monster. Were you in control? Did you decide to be evil? Bad Wolf is also a monster, but she''s good. Polaron was a very evil man and also a monster. Does being a monster make you evil, or are some monsters also just evil?"


    "I don''t know." Jack shrugged. "I don''t remember much of my time to tell you the truth. It''s all a bit of a blur. I guess it was like a bad dream. A nightmare that I''m glad is over."


    "I don''t like you."


    "I understand."


    "I don''t think you do." The woman shook her head. "I think that I might even hate you. I keep wondering if I saw you. Fought you. Watched you murder anyone. I was there fifteen years ago. I remember fighting the Emperor himself. I remember the way my best friend screamed when she discovered her father''s corpse. The way her body broke and twisted as she was nearly torn in half by that Devil. The ash rained down for days, and I thought that the world was going to truly end. Do you know what that''s like?"


    "I was there. Of course I do."


    "Right... I guess you would." Silence hung in the air for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re a bad person.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± His shoulders slumped. ¡°And you¡¯re a good person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not-¡±


    ¡°You are.¡± Jack let out a dry chuckle. ¡°Let¡¯s face it. The Victorian isn¡¯t winning any parent of the year awards. I remember all the news years ago. You changed your name from Mermaid to Ocean Empress. You also happened to adopt a lot of kids. Poseidon was your biological child, but you went out of your way to take care of people like Sky or Wyvern and her little brother. It was you who convinced the Hero Branch to not get rid of the Monster kids that had been created by the Emperor. It was you who allowed someone like Wyvern or Bad Wolf to become high-ranking heroes. You¡¯re a good person. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t blame you one bit for disliking me. Someone as pure as you must have good reasons.¡±


    River scowled a bit and looked away from her father''s tomb. ¡°When I said I hated you earlier, it might have been a broad term¡­ I¡¯m a hero. That means I help people. I¡¯ll help you if you ask me to.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He flinched a bit when he felt her hand brush his wrist. "I guess I''m glad someone came here, though. Even if it had to be an edgy secretive weirdo like you."


    "Thank you?"


    "It wasn''t a compliment."


    "I know."


    He couldn''t help but crack a small smile. They stayed out there for a little bit longer. It was nice to not be alone.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m not late, am I?¡± Hope asked, taking a seat.


    ¡°How could you be late?¡± Sky mumbled. The girl¡¯s face was down on the table, her head resting in her folded arms. ¡°I just asked if you wanted to hang out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know, but I didn¡¯t want to keep you waiting for too long.¡± She sheepishly shrugged.


    They never did get that food. Over a month ago, when they had been in the hospital, Sky had suggested they go out to eat, and with everything that happened, a rain check had been put on it. She didn¡¯t think too much of it until Sky messaged her out of the blue and asked if she wanted to go get food at that restaurant. Well, ¡®restaurant¡¯ wasn¡¯t the best way to put it. The place was just a fast-food burger joint.


    The kind of place that made food that would likely eventually kill you if you ate too much of it. It was created by an old Enforcer member named Feast who died during the war with the Emperor. They were still a fast food chain years later. Despite being a healer, Sky didn¡¯t really seem to be a health freak if this was the girl¡¯s chosen location for a hangout spot.


    Speaking of which, the girl didn¡¯t look that well at the moment. Her skin had gone paler, and her hair was a bit messy. She didn¡¯t have Destiny with her, and her sunglasses blocked her blind eyes. The weather wasn¡¯t that bad today, but Sky was still dressed for a blizzard, wearing heavy coats and gloves that covered almost all of her skin. The girl looked tired, though. Exhausted even.


    ¡°Are you doing okay?¡± She asked slowly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I can tell when you¡¯re lying. I literally hear your heart twitch and beat.¡±


    Sky huffed and slowly pushed herself back up. She leaned on her elbow as they waited for their food to be dropped off at their table. ¡°I¡¯m just tired. Like really tired.¡± The girl yawned a bit and stretched. ¡°I really haven¡¯t had a chance to stop and rest all that much. I wake up and find that a bunch of heroes are wounded, and then my powers can barely help fix them. Worse yet, the month I was out cold, Lillian needed a bunch of people to be fixed up from villain attacks, and apparently, Oleander also needed a bunch of help. Other cities are also asking, or rather demanding, that I go and heal their people, too. I¡¯ll do it, of course, but jet lag is starting to hit me.¡±


    ¡°Geez. I didn¡¯t know it was that bad.¡± She winced a little. Healing powers were rare. Powers on the level of Sky''s were seldom seen. The girl could heal almost anything, the only exception being things on the level of the Lords, like the Dead Virus or the Lord of Life. Now that she thought about it, Sky was the daughter of the Princess of Life. ¡°I¡¯m glad you decided to take a break now, though. You needed it from the sounds of it.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, it isn¡¯t my choice.¡± The girl¡¯s hands balled into a fist. ¡°I wanted to help more people. It seems no matter how many times I help, I never make an actual dent. I¡¯m not strong like my sister or you. Things like this are all that I can do. Lily told me to take a break, though. Practically demanded I go ¡®hang out with friends,¡¯ as she put it.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± She chuckled. Despite that, though, she shuddered a bit at the mention of Poseidon. She had known she was going to meet with Sky. Poseidon had talked to her before she talked to Sky.


    It had been yesterday, and she had been in the middle of training. The door to Pantheon¡¯s base had practically been kicked open, and the Lord of the Sea and Depths had stormed in. Poseidon had dropped by their base a few times over the course of the three days in order to see Armin, but this time it was different. The girl stormed over to her, and she found herself slammed into a wall by Poseidon.


    ¡°Why do people keep doing this to me? First Wyvern, now you!¡± She threw her arms out wildly as the water-based hero frowned. ¡°Be gentle, okay!¡± She said, squeezing her eyes shut.


    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Her eyes opened.


    Poseidon¡¯s look softened, and the girl sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t like you, but I need your help, okay?¡± She flinched a little at the hero¡¯s words. Ever since the mall incident, it seemed like any good faith she had gained with Poseidon had gone down the drain. Now, the girl confirmed it to her face.


    She debated throwing the hero off of her, but the look in Poseidon¡¯s eyes caused her to stop. She sighed and nodded. ¡°What do you need my help with?¡± She was a hero after all.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Sky.¡± The girl frowned. ¡°After you were taken by Wyvern, she also vanished. We know you weren¡¯t behind it, but the timing is awfully strange still. We looked at the footage, but she just vanished. It¡¯s like she was teleported or something. We found her shivering out in the cold hours later, but by then, it was too late. Kenny... He...¡± She winced as Poseidon¡¯s fingers dug into her shoulder. ¡°She won¡¯t say where she went or what happened. She refuses to talk about it. I want you to talk to her and see if you can get her to open up to you.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± She asked, confused.


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    Poseidon snorted and dropped her. The hero turned away and flicked her hand. ¡°Just talk to her. I¡¯ll set something up and give you the chance. Try not to make it obvious. Oh, and don¡¯t blow your chance. I¡¯m already really, really mad.¡±


    She shook her head, the memory fading. She glanced over at the table at Sky, who played with her food. The girl was stacking pretty much everything on her burger, from french fries to chicken nuggets. She was about to say something, but Sky beat her to it. ¡°I heard you were kidnapped by Wyvern and Boy Genius.¡±


    She froze for a moment, then snorted. ¡°Yeah. It wasn¡¯t really kidnapping, though. They wanted to test me and see how strong I was.¡±


    ¡°Is it about you being a you-know-what?¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m a Lord?¡± Much like her secret identity, it seemed she sucked at hiding that fact.


    Sky picked her monstrously stacked burger up and took a bite out of it. ¡°I had a feeling due to my power. I was pretty confident you were one. My dream confirmed it, though.¡±


    ¡°Your dream?¡±


    The girl wiped her hands off and then slowly reached over. She flinched a little as Sky¡¯s gloved hands brushed her forehead. The place Wish had punched her. The girl¡¯s fist had shattered her helmet and left a scar. It was across her forehead, though it wasn¡¯t that deep or bad-looking. It was still there. A permanent line. ¡°I saw it. In my dreams. Your fight with that Lord.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Can you still see through Wish?¡±


    Sky pulled away. ¡°Maybe. When I was healing Wasp Nest, I ended up falling asleep, and I-¡± The girl stopped and folded her arms in on herself.


    ¡°Is that when you vanished?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Sky nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it though.¡±


    She gulped a little. Hopefully, Poseidon wouldn¡¯t be too mad. She took a bite out of her own burger and quietly set it down. ¡°Wyvern and Boy Genius put me through an interesting test. I think I became a lot stronger. I saw the Victorian, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. No... Actually, it isn¡¯t.¡± She glanced down at her hands and frowned. ¡°I- I actually managed to touch her. It was the greatest thing I¡¯ve ever done. I even managed to get the courage to ask the woman to make me her sidekick. It didn¡¯t go well, though. She just stared at me and then flew off. I think I made her mad.¡± She chuckled. She stopped though and slowly frowned. ¡°Sky. When you vanished, did you see Wish?¡±


    The red-haired girl quietly ate more of her food before slowly nodding her head after some time. ¡°Yeah. I did. I even spoke to her.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell anyone?¡±


    Sky shook her head. ¡°I- I didn¡¯t like speaking to her. I don¡¯t like thinking about it either. When I looked at her, part of me felt like I was looking at myself.¡± The girl shrunk down in her chair. ¡°I know she isn¡¯t me. I know she is someone else. But my dreams and my powers. The more I watched her, the more I found myself wondering about something disturbing. Could I do what she does? She doesn¡¯t care how her powers harm people. If I had that mindset, would my powers be the same as hers? And if they are the same as hers, then what makes me, me, and her, her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a dumb question.¡± Her blunt response caused Sky to snort. She reached up and pressed a finger to the girl¡¯s chest. ¡°I guess this is cheesy, but it¡¯s your heart, obviously. People with powers always have a choice. You have to decide for yourself whether you use your power to help others or you use it to hurt people. Wish might look like you, and her powers might be similar or even the same, but you¡¯ve worked yourself to exhaustion, helping hundreds of people every day. People that no other hero could help. Wish, on the other hand, goes out of her way to hurt people. Not only does she hurt people, she makes other people stoop down to her level. People like Kevin. He was never good, but he was never evil either. You¡¯re good, though, Sky. You¡¯ve saved more people than I ever have.¡±


    Sky was silent, maybe thinking on her words. Slowly, though, the girl spoke. ¡°Hope.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop touching my breast?¡±


    Her hand yanked away, and she pulled it back to her side. ¡°Sorry.¡± She said sheepishly. She forgot Paragon didn¡¯t like being touched.


    Sky brushed her coat down and gave a sly smile after some time. ¡°I guess I liked hearing that, though. Sometimes, I wonder if I really am helping people. It¡¯s nice to know I have a higher save count than you, though.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯ll get a higher save count eventually! I¡¯m still a rookie to this all! Just you wait! One day, I¡¯ll be a cool hero! Even cooler than you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡±


    She tried to keep a straight face but couldn¡¯t, letting out a giggle. Sky snorted and then also laughed. It took them a moment to calm down, and slowly silence filled their table once more. They ate the rest of their food mostly in silence, just happy to have someone across from them.


    Eventually they left the fast food place with slightly bigger stomachs. Sky and her walked down the streets of Oleander City. The blind girl was gripping her arm tightly, which confused her a bit since Sky had brought her cane and didn¡¯t seem like the person who needed help getting around, yet the blind girl still kept an iron grip on her arm.


    ¡°The day is still young, you know.¡± Sky hummed as they walked. ¡°We could go do some other things?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down for that.¡± She said, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand. It felt a little weird having someone cling to her limb so tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any hero work or anything until tonight, and school was shut down due to a giant earthquake that was caused when the Victorian battled some giant mountain monster on the other side of the world.¡±


    ¡°At Lillian, our schools normally stay open no matter what.¡± Sky hummed.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s cool. Oleander seems like it looks for any excuse to give its students a day off.¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Oleander is different from Lillain.¡± Sky agreed with a low hum.


    She went to say something but stopped when she saw something. ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sky asked.


    They had been walking for a bit and made it all the way over to the part of Oleander that had a lot of retro stores. One of which caught her eye. It was an action figure shop and had two hero figures standing side by side in the window. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Sky stood there awkwardly as Hope left her grasp and entered the shop. The blind girl made a bit of a face and waited before her friend returned a few moments later.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m blind, right?" Sky said flatly. ¡°Whatever you just got, I can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Then feel it!¡±


    Sky felt something be shoved into her hands, and she ran her finger along it mostly in silence, taking it in. She felt plastic and could tell she was holding some sort of hero figure of a female hero, if the small bumps she felt were any indication. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A hero figure!¡± Hope said proudly. ¡°There were two side by side, and I bought them both! That one is yours to keep.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s it of?¡± Sky asked slowly, setting the figure in her bag. She had never been the type of person to collect the figures, but Hope had gone out of her way to gift it to her, so she wasn¡¯t going to turn it down.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Hope said with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re not going to tell me?¡± Sky complained.


    ¡°Nope. You¡¯ll have to find out yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of mean. What one did you get?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also a secret.¡± Hope looked down at the figure she held. She could also see Sky¡¯s tucked away in the girl¡¯s bag. Her figure was of the newest healer, the one and only Paragon. As for the one she gave Sky, it was Oleander¡¯s newest flame-based hero, Cinder. Paragon and Cinder were currently being sold together. She smiled and played with the hair on her figure for a moment before setting it in her bag. ¡°Sky. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you for a while now.¡± She trailed off a bit, feeling awkward all of a sudden. ¡°I mean, I guess this is kind of weird to ask, but would you consider maybe joining-¡±


    A loud buzz echoed through her pocket, cutting her off. She pulled her phone out and stared down at it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sky asked.


    ¡°Myth.¡± She said slowly. ¡°He¡¯s requesting all members of Pantheon return to base. Looks like Pantheon is ready to go once more.¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Four: A Mission

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m the last to arrive again!¡± Cinder grumbled as she slowly walked up the stairs to their base.


    Already sitting inside, hanging around the general area, were Whisper, Snowdawn, Battery, and Myth, all of them in full costume, though they all had their masks off. In Snowdawn¡¯s case, he was sitting in the simple outfit he usually wore under his snowy form. Both Battery and Snowdawn had several chunks of their outfit missing, with parts being half stitched together. It was clear neither of them had managed to get new outfits.


    Their suits were still in better condition than hers, though. She wore her outfit but had also thrown on the jacket that was part of her old prototype suit. It clashed with her suit and didn¡¯t really look too good, but at least it covered most of her body up. Her helmet and mask, however, were still destroyed, so she had ripped off more cloth from that old Victorain costume and fashioned a new eye mask.


    ¡°Sorry. I think it¡¯s my fault you arrived late.¡± Paragon stated, following her up the stairs. The girl¡¯s bird Destiny rested on the sleeve of Paragon¡¯s doctor¡¯s uniform. ¡°We had to make a detour to get my costume and bird after all.¡±


    ¡°Paragon?¡± Myth raised an eyebrow when he saw the Reservoir team member. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d guess they¡¯re staying in Oleander.¡± Battery spoke up. ¡°After all, with Old Dog...¡± He trailed off quietly. ¡°I ran into Ocean Empress at the very least, and if she¡¯s here, I¡¯d bet her kids are here too.¡±


    ¡°I meant, why is she at our base?¡±


    She shrunk back a bit by the gaze everyone shot her. ¡°Well, she was with me when I got the warning and offered to come. Figured it couldn''t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Also, let¡¯s be honest.¡± Paragon folded her arms, and her bird scanned the room, eyeing all the members up. ¡°You guys don¡¯t have a good track record of coming out of a mission perfectly healthy.¡°


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t fight that logic.¡± Whisper cheered and made her way over, patting Paragon on the back. ¡°Dibs on getting healed first. I haven¡¯t had it happen to me yet because, unlike all these scrubs, I¡¯m good at what I do.¡±


    ¡°You always hide in the back,¡± Snowdawn grumbled. Whisper just poked her tongue out at the boy.


    Myth shrugged after some time. ¡°Very well. I will allow Paragon to stay. I doubt it will affect anything. I do expect you to follow orders if it does come to it and stick close to someone if we do fall into combat. From what I understand, you don¡¯t have much combat experience, so we¡¯d do well to avoid getting on Ocean Empress¡¯s bad side and letting you get hurt. Why don¡¯t you begin, Laps?¡±


    That was when she noticed there was someone else in the room. An older woman who was seated at a desk. She looked primarily bored but perked up once she was called on. Laps gave a faint smile as her eyes traced over all the members of Pantheon. ¡°Now that all your members are here, Myth, I¡¯d like to congratulate you.¡±


    ¡°On what exactly?¡± Myth¡¯s eyes narrowed a bit. She was the reason he had called everyone together. Out of the blue, she had shown up to his base and demanded he get his team together. She apparently had some big news for him.


    Laps brushed her hair back a bit and sighed. ¡°I normally wouldn¡¯t come down here for this, but with everything going on with this team, I felt it best to say it in person. Every city, with the exception of Rose City, has two sponsored teams from the Hero Branch. There is the junior team, the Sub Enforcers, filled with young teen heroes, and then there is the senior team. In Oleander¡¯s case, it was the Watch Dogs. The senior team is always run by a member of the Enforcers and is tasked with going on special missions hand-picked by the Hero Branch; they may involve working alongside other Enforcers.¡±


    Battery was the first to pick up on it. His eyes closed, and he sighed. ¡°We¡¯re about to become a lot busier, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Laps gave a nod, her grin growing. ¡°Watch Dog¡¯s current commander, Bad Wolf, has requested they step down as the sponsored senior team. In its place, Pantheon will be taking over. You guys are officially the senior protectors of Oleander, now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re allowed to have a senior team with kids on it?¡± Cinder questioned.


    Paragon was the one to speak up next. ¡°Team Reservoir is Lillian¡¯s senior team and is led by my mom. Despite being underage, both my sister and I are members of it. Normally, kid heroes do work with the Sub Enforcers, but there are a few exceptions here and there.¡± The healer explained.


    ¡°Does this mean I can boss the Sub Enforcers around?¡± Myth asked.


    ¡°I guess.¡± Laps shrugged.


    Myth nodded, and for once, he seemed to sport a rare mischievous smile. ¡°Money Tree is going to hate this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too happy yet,¡± Laps said, cutting him off. ¡°You see, it hasn¡¯t actually become official yet. While I have marked you guys down at the senior level, there are people above me who have doubts or grudges about this team. They¡¯re halting the work right now, so you guys are still not getting paid and aren¡¯t real heroes yet. Normally I wouldn¡¯t help you guys out at all, but with Battery on your team, I¡¯m willing to lend a hand since he and I go way back.¡±


    ¡°Way back my ass.¡± Battery grumbled. ¡°You¡¯re just doing this to cover your own ass. Once word gets out to the higher-ups about who I am, you want to make it look like it¡¯s all under your control and that you have a leash on Pantheon.¡±


    Laps'' smile didn¡¯t fade. ¡°Maybe. As it stands, though, nothing has been settled yet until the people above me decide.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡¯d you congratulate us?¡± Cinder frowned. ¡°It sounds like nothing has really changed.¡±


    ¡°I congratulated you guys because you¡¯ve earned the ability to become the senior team.¡± The woman folded her arms and tilted her head as her eyes roamed over most of the team. ¡°This is something that would normally never happen with the members on your team, yet again and again, you guys have fought off some of the greatest threats in Oleander. The fact your team is eligible at all is a miracle. After all, on this team we have Myth, someone whose actions resulted in his father¡¯s death, who had been a member of the Enforcers two years ago. We also have the daughter of the Victorian, someone who has been thrown away by her mother and left on the sidelines to be ignored. Then we have Mr. Larison, a former monster."


    ¡°Whoa, wait! Former Monster?¡± Snowdawn asked, looking around the room. ¡°So judging by the fact no one seems shocked by this, I¡¯m going to guess you all knew this before me.¡± Everyone gave a sheepish nod, and Snowdawn sighed, folding his arms. ¡°Yeah, cool, yeah, that¡¯s¡­ Why not? I can be the last to find out about something important again. Not like I¡¯m a member of the team or anything.¡±


    Cinder shot a look toward Paragon at the mention of Monster. She hadn¡¯t thought about it, but hadn¡¯t Max Lightning said something about Nier being her dad, and Nier was the Emperor? That meant her dad had sort of ruined Mr. Larison¡¯s life? Paragon¡¯s bird had its eyes locked onto Battery, and she could tell the girl was shaking a bit. Battery seemed to notice it as well and spoke up.


    "Relax kid. I don''t really care what your father did to me. He-"


    ¡°The Emperor.¡± The words left Paragon¡¯s lips before he could say them. The girl¡¯s head was bowed low, and her fists were clenched tightly, her body still shaking a bit. ¡°He isn¡¯t my dad. And the Princess of Life isn¡¯t my mom, either. I¡¯m the daughter of Ocean Empress. Even if he was behind my birth, I still don¡¯t consider him my father. The only family I have is my mom and sister. I don¡¯t need anyone else. You being a monster or one of his creations doesn''t bother me. I''d never consider you family either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Battery nodded. ¡°I¡¯m glad you see it my way as well, because truthfully, I don¡¯t think I like you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Cinder almost shocked herself by how loud her voice echoed through the room. Fire had blown off her, burning a bit of the floor, but she quickly stomped it out. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to be doing this. Ms. Laps was still in the middle of explaining something important.¡±


    Laps gave a half-nod, seemingly amused by the entire situation. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Cinder. As I was saying-¡±


    She didn¡¯t really pay attention to Laps, though, instead shooting a look toward Paragon again. The girl¡¯s arms were folded tightly around herself, and her bird had seemingly shrunk down and was shaking. Part of her had no idea what she could say or do. Her own father was dying in a hospital, and she only really had her mom, but Paragon had even less than that.Her ¡®real¡¯ dad was apparently a mass murder monster that almost slammed the moon into the planet fifteen years ago, and her mom wasn¡¯t that much better. Paragon was the daughter of two of mankind¡¯s biggest enemies.


    Sky¡¯s earlier words echoed through her head. The girl''s power allowed the healer to control cells. If Sky wanted to she could kill with just a touch, right? Another Lucifer, or another Wish. If Paragon decided one day to be evil, would she be one of those two? Or maybe... another Emperor.


    She shook her head and reached out, grabbing the girl¡¯s hand. Paragon jumped a bit and turned to stare at her despite being blind. She gave a half smile to the girl and mentally traced the goofy mask Paragon was always wearing. Nah. There was no way Paragon would become evil. Paragon was a hero. A good hero.


    ¡°So that settles it.¡± Her thoughts were stopped by Myth, and she turned away from Paragon to find everyone else nodding in agreement. Myth folded his arms and looked towards Laps. ¡°Thank you for telling us this. Get ready, everyone. We¡¯re going sailing!¡±


    ¡°Bu wah?¡± Was all she could say, and for a moment, she regretted not paying close attention to what had been said.


    ***


    ¡°Hey, Mom, I¡¯m going to be late getting home tonight.¡± She said into the phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening now?¡± Her mom sighed from over the phone.


    She sheepishly thought about how she should explain it. ¡°Well, it is actually good news for once.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She rested her back against the railing and looked up at the bright sky. ¡°We¡¯ve been called out on something that will be taking us out of Oleander. Ocean Empress agreed to keep the city safe for today while we¡¯re gone in case something happens, but I doubt it. We need to do some big mission or something, and if we do it, Pantheon will be sponsored.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good?¡± Her mother asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than good!¡± She grinned. ¡°It means I¡¯m going to be earning money. Like a lot of money! I won¡¯t be making as much as some big pro heroes, but I can finally start helping with Dad¡¯s bills. I might even be able to help pay rent or help us get a bigger house.¡±


    ¡°That is good!¡±


    ¡°Yeah-¡± A loud horn made her wince as her ears began to ring. ¡°Okay, I got to go. Love you!¡± She hung up and turned to look out at the docks. The ship was finally about to set sail.


    Myth had been serious when he said they were going sailing, as it turned out. They had all gathered at the destroyed docks. It had brought up some bad memories of Wish, but she managed to squash it down. A boat had been waiting for them. It had broken past all the destroyed ships that resided in the water and came to a stop at the docks.


    That was the ship she now boarded. It was a large sailboat. One that belonged to the Watch Dogs. It had likely been created by a Super with a Mental power, as the ship had very large cannons poking out of the side of it, as well as what she swore were jet engines stabbing out the back. It had three floors in total, along with a basement, or whatever the basement to a boat was called, she didn¡¯t know. A massive sail poked out the top of it, but it seemed more for decoration, as with all the engines and the roaring it made, the boat appeared to have no issue going forward. It also had a large flag that showed a massive wolf chasing a moon. Despite being the daughter of a fisherman, she had actually never set foot on a ship before, so it was pretty cool.


    Team Pantheon, as well as Paragon, were all scattered about on the first floor. They weren¡¯t alone, though. ¡°So a few things.¡± Backup announced. He was a member of the Watch Dogs and had been the one to get the ship here for them. A sly smile was on his lips. ¡°This thing is piloted by an AI and will not stop if you fall overboard, so please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times. Also, I would suggest not looking over the railing and sitting still if you get air sick easily.¡±


    ¡°You mean seasick, right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Fire erupted out the back of the ship, causing the water to bubble up. The sides of the boat opened and began to unfold. The ship rocketed forward so fast she was thrown off her feet and crashed into the railing. Whisper and Paragon also slipped, slamming into the floor. Poor Snowdawn had actually been almost thrown overboard, but a golden chain wrapped around his waist as Battery pulled him back. Only Battery, Backup, and Myth seemed to be able to stay standing.


    It only got worse from that point on, though. The entire ship jerked, and it began to rise up. The lean caused her to almost fall over the rails, but she managed to get her grip around the bars, holding on for dear life. Wings finished emerging from the boat, the kind you would see on a jet, and the ship lifted into the air, picking up even more speed.


    Wind whipped around wildly, and she became blind as her hair began to smack her in the face. Finally, though, the top of the ship glowed, and a blue bubble of energy morphed out, surrounding the entire boat in a force field. The wind died down to normal, and the shaking stopped as she fell face-first and hugged the ground, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Alright, no casualties!¡± Backup cheered. ¡°That¡¯s a new record!¡±


    ¡°What the hell was that for!¡± She yelled.


    ¡°You gotta give a way stronger warning!¡± Whisper screamed.


    ¡°Oh God, I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡± Paragon¡¯s hands covered the front of her mouth as the girl¡¯s body shook.


    ¡°Guys! A little help!¡± Snowdawn hung off of the ship, gripping the rails tightly.


    Backup gave a deep belly laugh and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, my bad. It¡¯s been a while since we took this bad boy out for a spin. Fun fact: I built it myself!¡±


    ¡°That explains a lot,¡± She muttered. She slowly stood back up, still on slightly shaking legs. Now that the launch itself was over, she had to admit the ride wasn¡¯t all that bad. She stared down at the ocean, which they flew over. It sparkled in the sunlight, and even with the high speeds the ship was moving, the barrier around it kept them all safe. ¡°It¡¯s a little cool, I guess.¡± She admitted dryly. ¡°Messed my hair up a lot though.¡±


    After the battle with Wish, part of her hair had been burned off. Then she got into a fight with Wyvern, and more of her hair had been torn up. Over the three days since everything happened, she had gotten her mom to cut her hair. It was a lot shorter now, falling just above her shoulders. Due to how much shorter her hair was, she didn¡¯t bother tying it back into a ponytail. It also meant she couldn¡¯t hide the nasty scar she got from Wish either.


    The line was still directly across her forehead, a faded red mark that Paragon¡¯s powers couldn¡¯t heal. Every now and then it would twitch or ache a bit. She felt a little ashamed at having the mark on her, but at the same time she had been using it as motivation. After talking with Paragon, she was sure that Wish wasn¡¯t dead and would return. She¡¯d be ready for when it happened. The girl would never hurt her that bad ever again.


    ¡°We should arrive at our destination soon.¡± A new voice called out. A set of stairs led up to one of the floors above, and a young girl walked down them slowly. She wore a black bodysuit, the same kind Snowdawn wore, and she had a simple black half-mask. Her blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, but what was most shocking about her was the fact she looked to only be thirteen years old. Duplicity smiled and gave a half-wave. ¡°In about three hours, we will be docking. If you head below deck, you¡¯ll find a hallway with several rooms. Each door to a room will have your name on it. You¡¯re welcome to stay in your rooms until we arrive. For the adults, the fridge has an assortment of beverages. For the kids, you¡¯ll find a bunch of games to play in the closet. Please have fun.¡±


    ¡°She talks like she isn¡¯t a kid herself.¡± Snowdawn snorted as he finally managed to pull himself back onto the ship. ¡°Still, I think I¡¯m going to go sit down and maybe rethink my life choices.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I need to cool off as well,¡± Cinder admitted, slumping her shoulders. ¡°Even for me, this has all been a little crazy.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you all head down?¡± Myth nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have a chat with these two and will let you all know when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Myth! You¡¯re the best!¡± Whisper announced.


    She helped Paragon up, who was still shaking from the flight, and began to make their way downstairs with the girl. Soon only Battery, Myth, Backup, and Duplicity remained up top. Battery leaned against the wall with his arms folded and eyes closed. Myth, on the other hand, turned to look at the two Watch Dog members and gave a nod of his head.


    ¡°Thank you for agreeing to do this for us.¡± Myth said.


    Backup held a hand up, stopping him. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯d do the same, right?¡¯


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Myth snorted and held his hand out. ¡°Still. I heard you guys stepped down. I¡¯m sad it happened, but I¡¯m not disappointed. I hope your group can recover and eventually become great heroes again.¡±


    Backup nodded and took the hand, shaking it. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of issues we have with our team. Issues that only Old Dog could fix. I still can¡¯t believe he¡¯s really gone.¡± For a moment, the cheerful look in the man¡¯s eyes vanished. Slowly, he shook his head as his smile came back. ¡°I¡¯m going to do my best. I became a hero to have fun. I guess it¡¯s been a while since I have been happy, though.¡±


    ¡°If it were up to me, we¡¯d be helping out more.¡± Duplicity announced proudly. She glowed, and then suddenly, a second Duplicity appeared. ¡°Sadly, Bad Wolf doesn¡¯t think she can be controlled out in the field without Old Dog, and Roulette and I are a little too strong to be dealing with low-level crime. Only Backup can really help.¡± The copy explained.


    Myth stepped away and folded his arms. ¡°Well, you have my word that Pantheon is going to make a difference. This is where our story starts. We¡¯re going to save Oleander. I know we will. I¡¯ll bet my life on it.¡±


    Backup casually leaned back and sat up on one of the railings. He held half his body over the side of the ship, only using his legs to keep himself held up. ¡°I¡¯ll be rooting for you, then. I guess I¡¯m glad something is finally happening, even if it isn¡¯t good for Watch Dogs. None of it will matter if you don¡¯t step up, though. You guys have to prove you have what it takes. You have a lot of people who are placing their trust in you, who have everything to lose if you fail.¡±


    Myth clenched his hands into a fist and nodded. ¡°We won¡¯t.¡± He turned away and was about to head upstairs to watch for their destination point. ¡°I refuse to fail again. I¡¯ll make a difference.¡±


    Down below the ship, it had been just as Duplicity said. It was sort of trippy, as when they reached the bottom, the hallway within the boat was long and stretched out. It was bigger than the ship. On both sides, there were simple white doors with names carved into them. On the left were the boys. ¡®Myth, Battery, Snowdawn, Backup¡¯. While on the right, it was the girls. ¡®Cinder, Paragon, Whisper, Duplicity¡¯.


    Snowdawn and Whisper both entered their own rooms, giving a half-wave. She stood in the hallway awkwardly with Paragon. ¡°So...¡± She trailed off. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the ship to suddenly lift off like that. You doing okay?¡±


    Paragon huffed and folded her arms. ¡°Well. To be honest, I¡¯m rethinking my choice of coming. I don¡¯t hate flying, but that was a little too much for me.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you launched at like hyper speed by Mr. Larison once?¡± She snorted.


    ¡°That was different! I was ready for that and knew I wouldn¡¯t be in danger! This boat is a death trap as far as I¡¯m concerned!¡± Paragon stomped her foot down on the flooring a few times, seemingly to get her frustration out.


    She nodded but frowned softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what Battery said earlier.¡± That caused Paragon to freeze up a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t know what got into him. Ever since Wish he¡¯s been... I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dying.¡± This time, it was her turn to be shocked into silence. Paragon turned away from her and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t care what he said because it¡¯s just the ramblings of a man running out of time. It must be stressful knowing he¡¯s on a time limit. I guess he didn¡¯t tell you, though, did he? When I was dreaming, I saw through that villain¡¯s eyes. She sees the world vastly different from us. She sees the body for what it is. A collection of cells. That man. His body is barely held together. He has about six months left if he¡¯s lucky.¡±


    She stood there stunned. Paragon didn¡¯t say anymore and simply walked into her own room, closing the door. Slowly, she gripped her hand into a fist. She could feel fire swimming just below her skin. She knew Mr. Larison always had heart issues, but he was seriously dying. Her thoughts went to her father for a moment.


    If that was truly the case, then she was even more motivated. She would just find and defeat Wish, then discover the next Lord of Life and use it to heal Mr. Larison, along with her father. It was easy and straightforward. She would save them and anyone else that needed it. She closed the door to her own room and sat cross-legged on the bed. She didn¡¯t play any games or bother with any of the food. Not when she still had work to do.


    In her hands, she created an orb of fire and began to play with it. She shaped it, shrunk it, grew it, and whatever else she could think of. She still had to get so much stronger. She¡¯d have to fix everything quicker than she expected now. ¡°I¡¯m going to save them. No matter what.¡±


    Up above the deck, Battery slowly opened his eyes. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. He had stayed rooted in place, getting some much-needed sleep after spending most of his nights at Old Dog¡¯s grave. Backup had rambled on to him, but he wasn¡¯t really paying attention.


    ¡°-so yeah, that was the point in my life where I got catfished by the hero Fisherman.¡± Backup explained casually. ¡°What a truly magical experience it was-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Battery said bluntly, doing his best to ignore whatever the hell he had just heard.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Backup turned and looked out past the ship. Slowly, a smirk came onto his face. ¡°Oh yeah. We did. Good catch. Hey, that¡¯s pretty cool. How did you-¡± Battery stepped past him and walked up the steps to where Myth and Duplicity were. The young-looking girl pointed out past the window and towards the destination.


    It was massive. Bigger than a city, it floated one hundred feet above the water. It was made out of a solid white metal that reflected light in all directions. The entire structure was perfectly cube-shaped and was made of hundreds of tiny, smaller cubes, though each cube was larger than the average building. It hummed and rumbled with a loud noise, and the water below it constantly swirled around, forming hundreds of whirlpools. Metal drones flew through the air around it, and Hero Branch soldiers stood all along the surface.


    On top of the cube, there were hundreds of buildings, some towers, and some more minor in nature. Even along the side of the building and the bottom, there were structures and people who walked, seemingly unaffected by gravity. Built beneath each floor were anti-gravity pads that caused each side of the cube to work as if it were right side up. Constantly, the cube was rotating, softly spinning, and twirling around, and thanks to the pad, the men on it weren¡¯t flung off when it would turn entirely upside down.


    ¡°There you have it.¡± Duplicity announced. ¡°The thing that gave Boy Genius a free pass to join the Enforcers. Nightshade. A prison created for the worst of the worst.¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Five: New Costumes Same Issues

    Long ago, during the war with Lucifer, the villain created a machine. One shaped like a box, which he used to stay far above the planet, an orbiting fortress. In his final battle with Nier and Full Monarch, this ship crashed down to the planet below and shattered.


    In the present day, the concept had been recreated by Boy Genius. Every part of the cube¡¯s imitation, stretching for miles, was a recreation of that machine Lucifer had made. All layered together. The smell of the sea coated the place in all directions, and it only took a few moments for their ship to land.


    It was very strange to walk on the surface. The cube constantly spun and twisted, slowly and deliberately. In one moment, the ocean would be your sky, and in the next, it would rise in front of you like a monolithic wall with the endless sky to your back.


    Cinder¡¯s legs wobbled, and she held her arms out as she stepped off of the ship. She was already super dizzy. She wasn¡¯t the only one who was struggling either. Stars rolled around Snowdawn¡¯s head as the teen covered his mouth and did his best not to vomit. Whisper looked like she was drunk¡ªthe way she kept nearly tripping.


    Myth and Battery stepped off with grace, the two seemingly unaffected by the shifting view. Finally, that just left Paragon. The poor girl''s bird was constantly spinning its head around in all directions as the girl slowly inched down the ramp, jumping back when she felt the strange gravity.


    Just taking a step was odd enough, as the cube had its own gravitational field. One that kept them rooted in place so they wouldn¡¯t go flying or falling off, but the downside meant that moving was sort of like walking through water, as if the air was trying to hold them back.


    ¡°Just come down already!¡± Whisper yelled.


    Paragon huffed and then took a step forward, only to instantly faceplant into the floor and slide down the ramp. She laid on the floor face down, not moving. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s really not that bad once you don¡¯t see the spinning.¡± The girl finally said. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay down here.¡±


    She sheepishly helped the girl stand back up. ¡°Maybe leave Destiny behind. He doesn¡¯t seem to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but then I¡¯m blind.¡± Paragon sighed. ¡°And I didn¡¯t bring my cane.¡±


    ¡°Ooh! This is my chance!¡± Snowdawn clasped his hands together, and he pulled them apart slowly. ¡°Behold! My all-new ability to use ice constantly! Ice cane! Hell yeah!¡± As the name suggested, he created a makeshift walking cane out of solid ice. It actually didn¡¯t look that bad, and it even had carvings, adorned with a bird-shaped head. He had clearly gotten better.


    ¡°That would be way too cold to hold.¡± Paragon pointed out.


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing gloves.¡±


    ¡°Plastic gloves.¡±


    ¡°Still gloves!¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± Whisper said, raising her hand. ¡°You can leave Destiny here and just stick close to Cinder, and she¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t crash into anything.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to do it?¡± Cinder asked.


    ¡°You brought her along.¡±


    ¡°Fair.¡±


    Up on the ship, Backup leaned out of a window. ¡°If you want to leave Destiny here, you can. I¡¯m staying behind with Dups, so we can watch him.¡±


    Paragon finally sighed in defeat. Watching her bird try to fly was really sad. The poor guy flopped through the air like a fish and eventually managed to land on Backup¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Make sure you feed him well.¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡±


    ¡°Now that that¡¯s done, I believe this gentleman is ready for us.¡± Myth commented. That got their attention. They had made quite the scene with their landing. All around them, dozens of those guards stood. Cinder fidgeted a little and eyed them up. From head to toe, they were covered in thick black armor, the sort of thing that a Mental user might make, and they carried heavy-looking guns. Each one looked like they could have been on the level of Metal Ronin. ¡°Hello.¡± Myth called out awkwardly to the men. ¡°We¡¯re team Pantheon. Boy Genius asked us to come here and discuss an issue with a breakout?¡±


    After Laps had told them of their potential promotion, she also told them of how they could help earn it. She hadn¡¯t been paying attention at the time, too lost in thought, and had to be told on the way over. Nightshade, the greatest prison in the world, made to hold mega-threat supervillains, had been broken into as part of a breakout. No matter who had gotten out or who had broken in, it could only be bad news.


    A few of the men looked at one another, and finally, one of them stepped forward. ¡°Hello.¡± His voice instantly reminded her of Golden God. This thing was a machine. She had no doubt about that. In fact, if she had to guess, every guard here was likely a robot. ¡°Greetings, Pantheon.¡± A red light came out of the head of the machine''s armor, scanning them up and down. Finally, it let out a click. ¡°Boy Genius is waiting on you. Please follow me.¡±


    She shot a look toward the others, who seemed just as lost as her. Slowly, though, they followed after the strange robot, doing their best not to fall. She wondered if Myth and Battery had been here before. Neither of them seemed bothered by the shifting land. She kept close to Paragon, making sure the blind girl didn¡¯t slip. For the second time that day, Paragon clung to her arm, holding onto her tightly.


    The machine stopped and brought his arm up. A blue glow came from it, and an even tinier cube rose up from one of the mini cubes that made up the massive cube they were on. It was large enough to fit them all, though a little cramped, and seemed like an elevator of sorts. They all piled into the strange box, and it slowly sank back into the floor of Nightshade.


    There were no lights. The robot didn¡¯t seem to need them, so it meant they were basically stuck in total darkness. Battery brought his pointer finger up, and it hummed with a faint golden ball of energy, allowing them all to see. Mechanical noises echoed through the walls and the roof, and just like an elevator, she felt motion as the cube began to move. It didn¡¯t just go up or down, though. Instead, it went in all directions, her stomach lurching as it changed direction multiple times. On the outside of the cube, nearby guards watched as the walls of Nightshade responded, metal folding and opening, allowing them through.


    Finally, after some time, it stopped and opened. Her eyes squinted as bright white light stabbed into her from all directions. Battery put his own light out, and they all stepped out into what looked like a massive hallway. The floors were shiny and clean, so much so that they reflected everything. The issue was that, like the outside, the hallway was constantly rotating beneath them, so the floor, the ceiling, and the walls were all sort of like a mirror. It was easier to walk than outside, but it was still so trippy-looking, and at any time, she saw at least three reflections of herself.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like this place.¡± She muttered.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to.¡± Paragon hummed. ¡°This place is constantly shifting and changing, making it a maze. Prisoners are kept in the dead center and need a teleportation ability on the same level as the Emperor to have even a chance of getting out. Pretty sure Boy Genius wanted to make everything as irritating as possible since it usually doesn¡¯t have people here.¡±


    ¡°He could have toned it down a bit.¡± Snowdawn snorted.


    ¡°Please follow me.¡± The robot began to walk down the hallway, leading them further into this bizarre maze-like place.


    There were so many hallways and sections; some were open, most were closed and sealed off. At the end of every hallway, large cameras were mounted, and she even saw a few heavy-looking turrets and other things. More of the machines walked the paths, some on the roof or walls. Most looked like their guide, but a few others were either slimmer, smaller, or bulkier, with even bigger guns.


    She¡¯d pity whatever poor villain had to fight every single one of them. She was also guessing there were way more traps and other ¡®goodies¡¯ hiding just out of sight. She had to wonder how this place ever even got escape attempts, much less a successful one.


    Finally, the robot took them to their destination. Everything finally began to look normal, and a set of stairs led up. The door at the top of the stairs was heavy and reminded her of a vault entrance from some games she played. It twisted and opened as they neared, allowing them inside.


    Her headache faded as she stepped on solid, normal ground. ¡°Thank God,¡± Snowdawn said, rubbing the back of his head.


    ¡°I really hope one of us finds a way to teleport so we don¡¯t have to walk through this entire place again,¡± Whisper said, shivering a bit.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t change anything.¡± Paragon shrugged.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked.


    ¡°During the fight with Mars King, Metal Ronin had been able to create a device that halted Ears teleportation.¡± The blind girl explained. ¡°If he can do that, then someone like Boy Genius can do it a billion times better. This entire cube, as well as the sea and sky above, are filled with anti-teleportation, or reality-wrapping fields that stop villains from teleporting in or out. The only person in the world who would be able to outpower these fields and teleport would be someone like Full Monarch or the Emperor, both of whom were so strong they were easily able to rip holes in the fabric of space with just their raw power alone.¡±


    She frowned a bit and rubbed her chin as they kept walking. ¡°If this place could really only be broken in with powers on those guys¡¯ level, then how the heck did anyone manage to escape at all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question!¡± A familiar voice announced. ¡°Hello, team Pantheon.¡± Boy Genius gave a polite bow of his head toward Myth. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all take a seat?¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The room in here didn¡¯t spin. It also wasn¡¯t weirdly bright. In fact, it looked relatively normal. The walls were painted to look like wood, and the floor was a simple carpet. It had a sort of homey feel to it, and shelves filled with video games were scattered about, as well as dozens of TV¡¯s all with their own game console hooked up. It was a spacious room and had a few sections like what appeared to be a mini kitchen and a makeshift bedroom. A door was near the back, which was opened, showing off a large bathroom area, and another door showed a makeshift lab, a gym, and even an indoor pool.


    It was sort of like how a child might want to live if they didn¡¯t need parents. A little bit of everything scattered around, not really in any order. The place you could pretty much spend the rest of your life in.


    Boy Genius was in his typical suit and seated behind a large desk that was comically too big for him. Despite that, he had that childish, goofy smile he always wore as he slaved away at a mountain of paperwork.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± The boy asked, raising an eyebrow.


    They all scattered about and took some seats. Myth took one in front of the desk, along with Whisper. Cinder and Paragon got stuck on a makeshift couch, Snowdawn claimed a kitchen table, and Battery decided to stay standing because he thought it made him look cooler.


    ¡°I must admit, I didn¡¯t expect you to bring Paragon.¡± Boy Genius noted, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Was I not allowed to bring a plus one?¡± She joked.


    ¡°Oh, you were the one who brought her? I would have thought it was you, Myth. I assumed you tried to poach Paragon.¡±


    ¡°Hey. No one¡¯s poaching me.¡± Paragon huffed. ¡°I¡¯m on my mother''s team, and that isn¡¯t changing any time soon. I just have nothing going on, that''s all.¡±


    So much for trying to convince Paragon to join her team¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡± Battery spoke up. ¡°You said you had a breakout. This place is made to hold some of the worst of the worst. We should talk about that.¡±


    ¡°In due time.¡± Boy Genius nodded. He pressed a button, and a section of the wall opened up. Another one of the strange guard-like robots walked in holding a suitcase, which it set on the desk in front of Boy Genius. ¡°Since I¡¯ve asked you all here, and Wyvern told me I need to be a good host for putting you all through the horrors of this place, I made some gifts. See, this issue I asked you all here for... Well, think of what''s in this case as an upfront payment.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to get us anything-¡± Myth was cut off when Whisper instantly let out a cheer and opened the case. ¡°Seriously.¡±


    ¡°What? This is Boy Genius. The chance of there being a key for a mech suit that can then combine with other mech suits is too high for me to let you refuse to accept.¡± Whisper popped the lid of the case open and stared down. ¡°Oh my. Fancy.¡±


    Cinder stood up and peeked over Whisper¡¯s shoulder. In the case was something she had seen before. Boy Genius had mentioned he¡¯d make one for her. A metal bracelet. Five of them. All were a silver color, and their names were written into the metal.


    ¡°Some of you.¡± Boy Genius eyed her, Battery, and Snowdawn up. ¡°Could use some new costumes.¡± Their suits were still a torn mess. Her and Battery wore a simple cloth mask to cover their faces, and Snowdawn hadn¡¯t gone into his snow form, so he was just wearing a simple jacket over his torn battle suit. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all try it on?¡±


    ¡°Whisper and I didn¡¯t need new suits.¡± Myth noted. ¡°You made one for us too, though?¡±


    ¡°I was bored. Oh, and sorry, Paragon. I didn¡¯t know you were coming, so I didn¡¯t make anything for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cool. I wouldn¡¯t be able to see the new suit anyway." The girl shrugged.


    Slowly, they all took the metal watches and put them on. There was a moment where they all waited for someone to go first, but then all at once, they pressed the button for their new suits. It was on them in a flash.


    Snowdawn didn¡¯t really look any different. The suit he wore was a male version of the training suit she had been given. It was still black, and for the most part he was left alone, since he¡¯d be coating his body in his snow and covering it all up. It did have a vest on it, offering more protection, as well as a backpack that was attached to it, allowing him to store stuff.


    Whisper¡¯s costume also didn¡¯t have that big of a difference. The suit she now had on was a little more protective than her old one and had a few more holsters for gadgets as well as a backpack. Her helmet was more fancy-looking, though, and had a knob on the side of it and a red dot in the center. It reminded her of Red Ape¡¯s helmet, though it covered the girl''s lower mouth and also had a mix of night vision goggles in it. The big thing, though, was along the arms.


    Whisper flexed her arms, and a pair of metal tonfa folded out, which she gripped down on tightly. Sparks of electricity hummed off of them when the girl tapped them together, and even beneath the mask, it was clear Whisper was grinning ear to ear.


    Battery¡¯s suit was next. It was made out of the same material as Snowdawn¡¯s, though it didn¡¯t have the backpack. It had his former belt, and the suit was dyed red. It still had that runner look, with a set of makeshift running shoes in it, and the helmet still allowed his lower mouth to be seen. Rather than a few bits of black, it had been replaced with silver, which sparked into a gold color as his energy seeped into them. He also had a pair of fingerless gloves that had a set of knuckle dusters built into them.


    Myth had the most significant change. He still wore robes, though the colors had seemingly switched from the classic white robe with a red cloth over it. The white had changed into a deep blue, and instead of a basic red cloth over his shoulder, he now had a large golden fleece with ram horns on the end of it. It didn¡¯t stop there, though, as he wore a brass chest plate and an armored helmet that opened up in case he had horns or some other change to his body.


    He cracked his neck, flexing his body, and changed into his bull form. The costume changed with him, molding and switching its size so he didn¡¯t have to adjust it.


    Last was herself. She glanced past the open doorway that led to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hands reached up and brushed the new helmet that she now wore. The suit was in a lot of ways like her old one. It went from her neck all the way down her body and had fingerless gloves. Her first suit had been blue, but this one was red, much like Battery¡¯s, with gold trimmings on the sleeves and the leggings. Her helmet was mostly the same, though a little slimmer, and a button rested on the side of it. She clicked it, and part of it unfolded to cover her lower face, giving the helmet a more armored look. Like Snowdawn, she had a backpack that was attached to it. It made her strangely happy. Her first makeshift costume had the backpack she had used as a weapon with it. That bag had burned up in her first fight with Polaron, though. It made her glad to have a backpack once again. It even could come off and on, seemingly attaching through magnets. Sadly, there was no cape though. What rested on the front of her suit was most eye-catching. The symbol of a golden butterfly. The very same symbol Full Monarch had.


    Boy Genius sure wasn¡¯t subtle.


    ¡°Damn, we look fine as hell,¡± Snowdawn said with a grin. He slammed his fists together, and instantly, a wave of ice formed around him. It wasn¡¯t snow. Not anymore. In a way, Snowdawn was gone. He was Icedawn now. It formed a crystal blue-like ice cloak around his body from head to toe. His fingernails were jagged and claw-like, and he looked like he could take a way bigger beating now.


    She flexed her fingers a bit, feeling the suit respond to her. She was a little annoyed she had lost the blue color to it, but she had to admit it still looked pretty rad. ¡°I¡¯m going to look so clean as I beat Zoo. I feel cooler already with the new drip.¡±


    "What the hell is drip?" Battery muttered.


    Boy Genius gave a grin and nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m glad you all seem to like the suit. I worked hard on them. They should be more durable than your last ones were. Avalon made those old things, and he can¡¯t hold a candle to my skill. I create the suits for all Sub Enforcer members and Enforcers, after all. These costumes also have a few enhanced features you may all play with down in the training room once the meeting is over, if you wish. In general, though, for those without Super strength, it gives you about one and a half times the strength of a normal human. For those with Super strength, you won¡¯t notice much of a change, but you might be able to lift a few more pounds than you used to.¡±


    They all took a few more moments to admire themselves. Paragon awkwardly cleared her throat, causing them all to remember that she was here. ¡°So, I have no idea how anyone looks since I¡¯m blind, and also, I didn¡¯t get a cool new suit, so not to sound ungrateful or anything, but could we please get back to the topic at hand? The thing about the breakouts?¡±


    Boy Genius nodded and clicked another button. On the wall, a screen unfolded and lit up. ¡°Of course. Allow me to turn your attention to the screen. We keep some humans here in areas where it could be bad for the machines to be. For example, the door to Nightshade can mess with the robots. Not sure why, but they can¡¯t see the thing. Had a few of them walk in. Not great.¡±


    On the screen, it showed a large room, likely somewhere else in the cube. This room was spacious, and guards were seated all around it. Not the robots but actual human guards. They were decked out in pretty standard-looking armor and didn¡¯t have futuristic-looking guns. There were dozens of balconies, all overlooking the center of the room. In the dead center, a weird metal orb floated. It hummed and glowed with a faint white light. It was hard to look at, even through the TV.


    ¡°Entrance to Nightshade? I thought we were in Nightshade?¡± She asked, frowning.


    Boy Genius shook his head. ¡°Nope. We are in the outer layer of Nightshade. This entire cube is all one big lock for the real Nightshade. The orb is a gateway to a pocket realm. It only has one way in or out, and it¡¯s through that orb. The realm itself is the real Nightshade, and trust me, if you thought this place was bad, it¡¯s far, far worse in there. We bring prisoners through here and throw them into the orb, trapping them in a realm made of unstable matter where the villains can spend the rest of eternity amongst one another.¡±


    She folded her arms and frowned. Nightshade was for the worse of the worse, so she didn¡¯t really feel bad for anyone that got sent here, but it made her wonder what it must have been like past the orb. Was there another prison, or was it just a new world where they could do whatever they wanted? And how did they manage food? Or did they simply not, and villains would have to starve to death, or worse...


    ¡°There is a single issue with this doorway.¡± Boy Genius commented. ¡°See, it gives off faint gravitational waves. It¡¯s actually what I use to keep this place floating constantly and how we can walk around on any surface. If a villain somehow does escape through all of this, it¡¯s almost impossible to get off this cube, as all sides will pull you back down, making jumping off impossible. Only someone who can fly could escape through the air. This gravity has a risk, though. Tech, more specifically advanced Mental tech, doesn¡¯t seem to work around it that well for some reason. Because of this, we need to keep some workers here. People who can fix up the robots when I¡¯m away or monitor the orb.¡±


    ¡°How many are there?¡± Battery asked.


    ¡°Around two hundred. We keep fifty in that room on eight-hour shifts, which rotate with others.¡±


    Myth frowned and slowly reverted back to his human form. ¡°That brings up an issue, though, doesn¡¯t it? Someone would have to find the entrance out of the realm for a breakout to happen, then get past all guards and somehow exit this place. You¡¯d need outside help, but that would require someone breaking into this place and then getting past all fifty guards and into the realm, getting the prisoner, and then leaving.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what happened.¡± Boy Genius nodded. His face grew a little somber. ¡°A few days ago was when it happened. Shortly, when I was testing Cinder¡¯s powers with Wyvern, someone broke into this place and got into Nightshade. And they did it by slaughtering all the guards who were on duty at the time. Even the guards outside of the room, who were monitoring it from cameras, weren¡¯t safe. The culprit knew where everyone was and picked them all off. The most concerning part was that they could teleport. Which, for most people, is impossible in this place. The one exception is the Emperor. And even he used a special weapon, a sword, to do so.¡±


    Her face paled at that. One man had done all of that. Who could it have been?


    ¡°How many prisoners escaped?¡± Myth sighed.


    ¡°Just one.¡± Boy Genius clicked a button. ¡°See. The reason I asked you all to come is because the one who broke into this place is someone from Oleander.¡±


    The image changed and showed two people slowly appearing out of the orb. The room was now coated in blood after all the guards had been slaughtered. The first person wore a black suit and a familiar-looking wolf mask. A white sword slung over his shoulder. Green Wolf had broken into Nightshade, upping the stakes of his twisted game.


    It was the person behind him, though, that Battery and Myth focused on. A woman cloaked in rags. Her hair looked like it was made out of veins, and her pale skin was covered in black runes that danced across her flesh. A large pair of butterfly-like wings jutted from her back.


    Fairy Queen, one of the four warriors of the Emperor, had escaped¡­

 Chapter Sixty-Six: Fairy Queen

    The waves slammed down on the shore of the island. They were somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, far away from Oleander City. He had never actually left his city. When he had gained the title of Green after killing the previous leader of Zoo, it had almost bound him to his city.


    Yet here he was now. Shivering out in the cold as the sun set. It was a mostly sunken island. One that had been nearly destroyed during a Beast attack a few years ago. Demonica and Saw Head stood near the back. Monsters, the type created by the previous Lord of Life, would be needed to try and speak to the person he was about to break out of Nightshade.


    Besides those two, he was the only other person on the island. He gripped the handle of the sword Harrison Avalon had allowed him to use. A white blade covered in runes. The thing that allowed him to freely teleport to anywhere the blade had been. Luckily, wherever Avalon went, the sword went, so needless to say, there were quite a few options for the sword''s teleportation.


    Green Wolf took a moment to stretch his body and loosen his muscles. It was about to be time. ¡°So. Any advice for dealing with the woman? You served on her team fifteen years ago, right?¡±


    Demonica didn¡¯t bother looking at him. Her eyes were fixed on the sea. They were nowhere near Nightshade; despite that, though, her eyes never stopped looking out toward where the prison would be. Or perhaps she was looking in the direction of Fairy Queen.


    ¡°Okay, good talk.¡± Green Wolf picked his sword up and placed it over his shoulder. Saw Head let out a buzzing noise as the saw that made up his face began to spin. ¡°Oh yeah, I totally agree, man, Demonica¡¯s got an ass straight out of hell.¡±


    ¡°I hope Fairy Queen tears you in two.¡± Demonica finally said.


    ¡°And I hope Myth shows up and rips your other arm clean off. Even you out a bit. We don¡¯t always get what we want, though.¡± He pointed the sword out towards the island. ¡°Wish me luck.¡±


    ¡°Break a leg. Seriously. Both, if you can.¡±


    ¡°Take me there.¡± Green Wolf felt a surge of force around him, and colors expanded and exploded; then, in a loud ''pop'', he was gone. Everything came crashing back as he appeared.


    The gate to Nightshade was placed directly in the center of the prison. Due to the fact that mental-based technology would act up around it, the room that held the door had around forty soldiers. On top of that, there were ten different cameras, and at other parts of the cube, each in their own room, were ten other men, watching the security cameras at all times. In each of their rooms was another set of cameras, all linked to one another, so even if a person tried to start with them first, the other nine camera guards would know and have time to react.


    At least if they were dealing with any other villain...


    A guard slouched in his chair and let out a sigh. He rubbed at the bags under his eyes and stared at the various monitors in front of him. One of them showed the room that held the sphere. The other showed the other camera guards. That was when he saw it.


    It took him a moment to figure out what he was seeing. One of the cameras was just utterly red. It wasn¡¯t just one camera, either. Nearly half had been blocked out. From his view, he watched one of the guards who had noticed the same thing. Then he watched as, in a flash, that guard''s head rolled off their body.


    ¡°Oh shit-¡±


    It was too late for him to press any alarms.


    Green Wolf swung his sword, cutting another head off. Normally, he liked to play with his food, but this game was all about speed. In the middle of swinging his sword, he would teleport and appear behind one of the other guards. He¡¯d have about five seconds to kill them all before they could trigger the alarms.


    Borderline impossible, unless you happened to have a sword that was able to twist the Paths of the world and drop you off in each guard shack. The last of the camera guard¡¯s heads rolled off, and he twirled his sword, taking a moment to catch his breath. So many back-to-back fast teleportations, and he still wasn¡¯t even halfway done. The time was still ticking. It¡¯d only be a matter of time until someone radioed in or a shift change happened.


    ¡°The center.¡± The pop echoed around him, the world swirled, and then he stood in the center of a large room. Yelling broke out around him instantly. The room was spacious and set up with dozens of tables or TVs, as well as some rafters. In the center of it was the orb that served as the gate to the actual Nightshade. All around the room, the other forty guards were making for their weapons. ¡°Hello, everyone! Good news! You all don¡¯t have to worry about work anymore!¡±


    No one even had time to sound the alarm. Normally, a Super like Boy Genius or one of the other Enforcers would have been stationed here and in the room. As it stood now, though, all the heroes were too busy thanks to Golden God¡¯s stunt, and Boy Genius was off doing something else.


    Not a single gun was even drawn.


    He didn¡¯t even move like a blur. He literally just appeared in and out of existence mid-swing, beginning to cut through one guard, then finishing by cutting through another.


    He twirled the sword and impaled it through the last man who had attempted to run for the exit. As the last man dropped, Green Wolf placed the blade on a sheath that rested on his back. ¡°Am I almost done? Jumping around like this is making me sick.¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡± The voice of Harrison Avalon echoed around him. It wasn¡¯t actually there, more in his mind. ¡°Get ready, though. The real challenge is about to begin.¡±


    ¡°Fun.¡± He moved toward the orb and cocked his head at it. ¡°So, this is the thing that messes with tech? How¡¯d they even make something like this?¡±


    ¡°Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Always comes back to him, doesn¡¯t it...¡±


    ¡°By touching it, you will be transported into another realm. The real Nightshade is in there. It¡¯s quite similar to the prison out here but flipped. There will be other guards as well that you¡¯ll need to deal with. Some could even be Supers. There are twenty-six sections in total in the prison. You¡¯ll need to head to Section Z. I¡¯ve never been there myself, so you¡¯ll have to actually walk there.¡±


    Green Wolf didn¡¯t bother replying. He poked his hand out and touched the orb. He didn¡¯t even have time to jerk his hand back. It pulled him in, and his body crashed through the other side. He stumbled out and managed to keep his balance with some effort.


    Instantly, a loud siren pierced the air. His one saving grace was that it was impossible to get in contact with anyone outside of a realm, so being spotted here meant the others in the real world wouldn¡¯t know. It did, however, mean that he couldn¡¯t afford to let a single person get through the gate and into the real world until he was done.


    Bullets rang out and dinged off of him as he took a moment to gather the scene around him. There was no sun, but he was able to see thanks to the cube. The one here was smaller than the one in the real world but still quite big. It hung high in the sky above him and was made out of a glowing silver metal that worked almost like a mini-sun. It spun softly and had a layer of fire around it.


    Unlike the cube in the real world, this one was made out of only twenty-six smaller cubes, each about a mile big. All the cubes were stacked on one another, and the cube he¡¯d be after would be in the dead center, so he¡¯d need to go through the other outer layers first. Besides having the same weird gravity as the one outside, this cube was super-heated, so standing on its layer would kill most people, making it nearly impossible for a Super on the inside to get out.


    Even if they did get out of all the layers, they would then have to deal with the second set of defenses. The gate he had stepped through had placed him under the cube. This realm stretching out for miles was nothing more than a vast sea. The only thing in the realm, besides the cube, was the platform he stood on now.


    It was almost like a large oil rig. A massive, towering structure that had dozens of smaller buildings that all worked as bases for the guards on the inside. The orb that would return him to the real world was directly behind him, smack dab in the center of this rig, where every guard could see him and take shots at him.


    They were normal human guards with normal guns. Tech didn¡¯t work too well in here due to how close to the gate it was. Green Wolf lazily swung his sword, and an invisible wave of kinetic force cut most of them down. One, however, managed to survive.


    ¡°Oh? It looks like they got a full-on superhero guarding this place. You¡¯re one of the members of that smarty pants kids'' team, right?¡± Green Wolf called out.


    Across from him, a few meters away, a large man stood. The man was dressed in bulky silver knight-like armor. It wasn¡¯t like the Pallet Boy¡¯s, where it was high-tech or anything. This was actual armor. Like the kind a real medieval knight would wear. The helmet was shaped in the image of a dragon''s head, and fins ran along the arms and back. The hero had his arms held out in him in an effort to block the attack Green Wolf had sent.


    Blood flowed down the man¡¯s arms, and a massive crack was formed along the part of his armor that had blocked the strike. Despite that, though, he remained in one piece.


    Silver Dragon. A member of the team known as The-Future-Is-Now! Ran by Boy Genius. T-fin for short. ¡°I¡¯m actually kind of glad you¡¯re here.¡± Green Wolf called out. ¡°All the other people are just squishy humans that die way too easily.¡± As if to prove his point, he swung out again and tore through the remaining guards, splitting the entire platform in two and killing all but the Super. ¡°See. Such trash mobs, not even worth some EXP.¡±


    Silver Dragon¡¯s teeth gritted. The armor he wore began to hiss and crack as the man¡¯s form grew. He bulked up, nearly reaching ten feet in height, and from the broken bits of his armor, a silver scaly skin could be seen. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯ve made a big mistake in coming here-¡±


    Green Wolf swung the sword up again, and a massive gash cut into Silver Dragon¡¯s chest, spilling more of the man¡¯s blood, which was black. Silver Dragon was a monster. Despite the wound being great, the hero fought through it and took a step forward. The entire rig shook, and Green Wolf actually almost lost his balance. Silver Dragon was fast, despite being so big, and threw out an insanely powerful right hook.


    Green Wolf¡¯s finger stopped the punch. ¡°Aw. A for effort, big guy.¡± Silver Dragon struck out again, and his fist bounced off of the villain''s body. He kept swinging, hitting the man over and over again. ¡°Things like this just don¡¯t work on me.¡± Green Wolf calmly explained. He began stretching again casually as the punches were deflected by his kinetic absorbing barrier. ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t let me stop you. You¡¯re doing a good job-¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Silver Dragon¡¯s helmet cracked and split open. The man¡¯s body grew even larger, and jagged claws jutted out from his fingers. From the crack in his armor, his mouth had grown larger and filled with fanged teeth. He opened his jaws as wide as he could, a mass of silver light blasting out as he unleashed his silver dragon breath!


    Green Wolf was lifted off of his feet and sent flying back. He crashed into one of the buildings and broke through it, landing on the other side. ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have taunted him.¡± Avalon¡¯s voice teased.


    Green Wolf jumped back to his feet and dusted himself off¡ªenergy attacks bypassed some of his barriers. Key word was ¡®some¡¯. He still blocked and absorbed a majority of that energy, keeping him safe. Though now his jacket was slightly singed and smelt of smoke.


    The back of Silver Dragon¡¯s armor tore apart as a long tail jutted out of his rear. His boots also began to break, becoming talon-like feet, and horns were forming out of the top of his head, breaking through the rest of his armor. Slowly but surely, he was transforming into an actual dragon.


    ¡°You should have never come here.¡± Silver Dragon¡¯s voice boomed out and even shook the air. ¡°Prisoners of Nightshade are placed in this prison simply due to how hard it is to kill most Supers or put them down for good. Every person in there is someone who would require a great number of resources to keep put down permanently. Not you, though.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very hero-like. Oh my, what if your fans heard?¡± Green Wolf snorted. ¡°That is if you even got any. A no-named scrub like you. Sorry to say you¡¯re just going to be another mob count for me.¡±


    Silver Dragon¡¯s mouth opened again, and he blasted out an even stronger beam of bright silver energy. Green Wolf swung his white blade out as hard as he could and cut through the energy, causing Silver Dragon to gasp and wince as a gash was torn out of his throat. Still, the hero didn¡¯t falter and charged forward. Silver energy danced across his body, and he swung out with his tail.


    Green Wolf¡¯s arm came up to block it, and he absorbed most of the attack. He was lifted off his feet and flung through the air. Then, in a quiet popping sound, he vanished. Silver Dragon¡¯s eyes went wide, and blood flowed down his body as, from behind him, Green Wolf rammed his sword through the man¡¯s back.


    The hero gasped and gripped the sword, craning his neck back to glare at Green Wolf. ¡°Is that all you got?¡± Green Wolf vanished again and reappeared on the other side of the rig, stabbing the sword into the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll make it fair and not use this bad boy since it¡¯s too much for you. Sounds like a fun game, right?¡± He reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of knives, gripping them tightly between his fingers. ¡°These should do the trick.¡±


    ¡°Whatever your reasons are, I won¡¯t let you get past me.¡± Silver Dragon announced. ¡°You¡¯ve already made a huge mistake. In less than ten minutes, there will be a shift change. Someone is bound to notice all the bodies you left, and other heroes will show up. In other words, I don¡¯t need to beat you; I just need to stall you out!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re so weak. Think you can do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes!¡± Silver Dragon dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the ground. The rest of his armor broke away, and massive wings formed out of his back. His neck grew longer, and his muscles expanded. His arms twisted into front legs, and his waist evened out with his torso molding together. Silver Dragon stood at his full height, towering over the villain.


    ¡°Okay. Now that shit is pretty cool.¡± Green Wolf smirked from beneath his mask. ¡°Maybe this will be a fun boss fight, after all.¡± He brought his other arm out and held it away from him. Kinetic energy crackled across his body, and the palm of his hand glowed. He slammed it down into the rig, and the energy expanded and flowed, taking shape. ¡°While I take this guy out, you go do the mission I was tasked with. Got that, pup?¡±


    It stood nearly as tall as a horse. Made out of glowing green kinetic energy, a wolf howled. The energy wolf jumped into the air. It didn¡¯t fall and was able to easily walk on the wind. Silver Dragon tried taking a swipe at it, but fingers were sliced off by Green Wolf¡¯s blade.


    ¡°Sorry, big guy. I¡¯m the only thing you need to focus on!¡±


    The kinetic wolf made it all the way up to the cube. The gravity didn¡¯t affect it since it was made purely of energy and could fly. The same went for the superheat. It was immune to it. Its claws struck out against the side of the cube, and in only a few blows, it blasted a hole in the side of it and dropped through.


    It took a moment to look around. It wasn¡¯t alone. There were dozens of people all around it. They all stared at it in shock. Some screamed in pain as the heat from outside got through the metal walls thanks to the hole, setting many people on fire and killing them.


    All the men wore jumpsuits and had metal collars around their necks. The space was large in this cube. The letter ¡®D¡¯ was carved into the ceiling above, and there were many walls and sections. It was a mile-wide square room, and a few sections had makeshift walls that the prisoners likely created for themselves. A makeshift gym was scattered around, as well as a bathroom and a sleeping area. They also had a stand in the back where they could eat.


    It seemed like the villains had almost made a civilization of sorts with one another.


    The wall the wolf had come into began to slowly close up, the metal fixing itself and plugging the damage up before anyone could even think of escaping.


    The prisoners were all saying something, but the wolf didn¡¯t understand them. It began walking towards one of the walls in the back, and a man got the bright idea to try and grab the wolf. He screamed out as a wave of kinetic energy blasted from the fur of the beast and split him in two. Everyone left the wolf alone after that.


    It tore past the makeshift walls the prisoners had created and broke the wall that would connect this cube to another one. Like before, when it stepped through, the wall behind it closed shut. This cube was filled with dozens of female villains. They all stared at the wolf in shock or some other form of emotion. Up on the roof, the letter ¡®E¡¯ was carved in. Like the room before it, the prisoners had seemingly set up their own living space and had done their best to turn the room into a place they could all stay.


    The wolf sprinted past the women, weaving in and out around them, and clawed at the wall. It forced its way through and didn¡¯t bother looking around this room. The letters kept changing, and each section was a little different. Some had men, some had women. Some had hundreds. Some had less than ten. The letters above kept changing, and more than once, the wolf accidentally ended back up in a section it already visited.


    Luckily for it, those who were actually strong in Nightshade didn¡¯t bother taking note of the wolf, nor did they attempt to go after it. Either because they knew it wouldn¡¯t help them escape, or they were content to remain in place for the time being. Those not strong were either smart enough to leave it alone or so weak they didn¡¯t make it far after they tried to grab the wolf.


    Finally, though, after going through nearly fifteen different walls, the wolf shattered a section of metal and stumbled into a new cube. Instantly, it knew it was in the right place. Every other cube had been set up by the prisoners to be at least semi-livable. Not this one, though... There was neither a section for beds nor a section for the bathroom or kitchen. The floor was covered in a layer of bones.


    Garbs of prisoner clothes scattered about randomly. Any prisoner sent to Section Z never made it for longer than a day.


    Some of the bones had been gathered into a makeshift chair. It didn¡¯t look comfortable, but she rested in it. Fairy Queen was an older woman slumped down on her back. Dozens of prisoner jumpsuits had been sown together, which she wore like a cloak. She lazily stared up at the roof above where the letter ¡®Z¡¯ was carved in. Slowly, though, those eyes trained on the wolf.


    It approached softly. This wouldn¡¯t be a threat it could handle. When it reached her, it began to shake, and then its maws opened. Slowly, the kinetic beast vomited something out. Fairy Queen frowned when she saw what it was.


    Nearly the size of an arm, it was a small piece of one of Golden God¡¯s fingers. ¡°He has the audacity to call for help after leaving me trapped in this place for nearly fifteen years.¡± Her hair stood up on the end, and her expression was filled with venom. She managed to calm her nerves down and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bite.¡± She stood up, and her cloak tore as her wings expanded out. Massive in size, they were multicolored butterfly-looking and radiated a sense of wealth and importance. ¡°Lead the way, I suppose.¡±


    The wolf took off toward one of the walls and began to carve into it. She had the power to break through the walls herself. Most of the cube residents were strong enough to break out if they wanted to. Or at least the leader of every cube section could. None of them ever bothered escaping, though. It wasn¡¯t because it was impossible. A good portion of them could fly, so they could simply break out and fly off the cube. Getting past all the soldiers and the on-duty Super wouldn¡¯t be an issue either. Neither would getting through all the main layers of the cube in the real world.


    There were only two things that truly kept them in there. Boy Genius didn¡¯t have a city of his own. That meant he was almost always guarding the cube himself. While escape was possible once you truly made it to the real world and got past all of his guards, you would face the small child and would then very likely find yourself up against a massive force of giant mech suits.


    Even if somehow it was possible for them to get past the second strongest Super in the world, facing Boy Genius at all meant that it was known you were escaping. And if it was known you were escaping, that meant the Victorian would be on her way.


    Unless you had the ability to teleport, there was no reason to try to escape. Even then, your ability to teleport would have to be on the same level as the Emperor''s, since the whole prison and even an area of a dozen or so miles around the prison were peppered with anti-teleportation devices. It¡¯d be possible to get on the outside, but if Boy Genius didn¡¯t stop you, the Victorian absolutely would. This was the only thing keeping Fairy Queen put.


    However, if Golden God was trying to bust her out, that meant one thing. The heroes were distracted. This could be the only time it would be possible to try and escape.


    ¡°Are you really about to leave?¡± A voice questioned, and Fairy Queen stopped in her tracks and turned to look back at the person that had dared to speak to her. She was in section ¡®A¡¯ now, so close to escaping. That was when she saw him...


    Section A was almost the total opposite of hers. It was filled with a mix of men and women. It had various bleachers and rows of chairs. Music constantly bounced around the walls, and everyone wore handmade church robes. This was the place no villain wanted to end up in. Otherwise, they would become one of ¡®his¡¯ pets.


    He wore long, flowing white robes, as well as a red cloak that draped gracefully over his body. He gripped a book closely to his chest. He was the total reverse of his master. Long flowing golden locks, tanned skin, despite the years of no sunlight, and an elegant beauty to him. Uriel, member of the Immortals, and Lucifer¡¯s left hand.


    Fairy Queen felt her eyes narrow. ¡°My, my, so hostile.¡± The beautiful man raised his palm. ¡°No need to be concerned. After all, my Virus doesn¡¯t work on you. Not like it does to all of these people I¡¯ve made mine.¡±


    The singing in the room got louder. Like a choir, all directed by Uriel¡¯s will. All the villains in this block kept their heads low and their hands clasped together. They never had an issue with food or space. Here, it was peaceful. Here, Uriel was in charge.


    Fairy Queen turned her back on the blonde man. ¡°Are you wanting to come with me?¡± She asked slyly.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± His hand reached out, and he stroked the face of one of his people. He allowed his thumb to roam over their lips. ¡°I have much more fun staying here. My day to escape will come when my master needs me. I suspect it¡¯ll be soon. I am shocked that you¡¯re making a getaway though, Queen of Fairies.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t like you to fight against the inevitable end of fate. Your kind already lost. Your master was slain and is long gone. Nothing remains for you on the outside. Not your children, your family, your lover, or your friends. Honestly, someone like you belongs in here. You should just roll over and die.¡± Another trait that made Uriel different from Lucifer was his way of speaking. The man spoke in a kind and gentle way, even with the harshest of words. His smile was enough to lighten up a room. ¡°The world would be better off without your kind, after all, you disgusting genetic monster.¡±


    ¡°You might be right. Someone from my past needs my help, though.¡± She flicked her finger, and the man next to Uriel exploded. No one even flinched as the blood splashed onto them. They just kept their chants going. Uriel was spotless, not being touched by the filth. ¡°Next time you try to bother me, it¡¯ll be you I will do that to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll hurt, though.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Some of his followers began to clean up the remains of the man. ¡°When you end back up here, do visit me again. I¡¯d love to see how this little escape attempt went.¡±


    ¡°One day, when the Emperor returns, I¡¯ll ask him to eat you first.¡± She smiled, cocking her head to the side. With another flick of her finger, the wall behind her exploded. Heat rushed into the room, and Uriel¡¯s people were set ablaze. None of them bothered to put themselves out, though. They just kept praying even as the fire ate away at them. ¡°Till next time, sicko.¡±


    Her and the wolf dropped past the cube. The wall closed behind her, and she felt the gravity attempt to pull her back. By now, guards would likely know there was an escape attempt. She¡¯d only have a few moments to get away.


    ¡°Yo!¡± A voice called out.


    The wolf sprinted back to its master. Green Wolf had his boot on the remains of a slain dragon. The beast was covered in gashes, and chunks had been torn out of it. The man had carved its horns off and was playing with them, juggling briefly before he tossed them to the endless seas beneath the prison.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Fairy Queen sighed.


    ¡°Damn. Guess I¡¯m not that big, yet.¡± The man in the wolf mask cocked his head to the side and held his hand out, blood still dripping from the fingers. ¡°Well. To put it bluntly, I¡¯m the guy that¡¯s going to get you out of here.¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Shield Of Hope

    ¡°Just one prisoner was able to break out. Fairy Queen was a member of the Organization. Not only that, but she was one of the big four members, warriors who served directly under the Emperor. Each of those four is around the level of an Enforcer.¡± Boy Genius explained. ¡°Due to me being absent and us not having a break-out in years, I grew lax and stopped paying close attention. Even so, none of this should have been possible, but somehow Green Wolf got his hands on a potent weapon that allowed him to teleport in and out at will freely. He took down all the guards and then broke her out and used the sword to simply teleport away despite the barriers that should have made doing so impossible. Because of this, I¡¯m left with the conclusion that he must have gotten his hands on a weapon belonging to the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Is that the thing that¡¯s allowed him to teleport recently?¡± Snowdawn questioned. Green Wolf¡¯s main powers were known by most. He was able to absorb kinetic energy and shoot it out through his blades. It was only recently, though, that the man showed off the power to teleport. ¡°If he had something like that in his back pocket, why didn¡¯t he just teleport directly into the prison and then teleport directly out with the woman?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡± Battery spoke up. ¡°Like all teleportation-based powers, it has to follow a set of strict rules that it can¡¯t break. It''s freer than any other teleportation power, but still doesn¡¯t allow total freedom of movement.¡±


    ¡°What are the rules then?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    Whisper threw her arms over her head and shrugged. ¡°From what I know, it can¡¯t take you anywhere the sword hasn¡¯t been. So, if the blade never ended up in the prison, then you can¡¯t teleport directly into it.¡± The girl explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty mild rule... Stupid bs power! It''s extra bs that it isn''t affected by the anti-teleport things in this place.¡± Snowdawn sighed.


    Boy Genius cleared his throat. ¡°Since Golden God was seen above Oleander city, and also this was Green Wolf, a well-known villain from that city, my guess is that Fairy Queen will be there. Oleander is in a sensitive state right now. Not only has it lost its Enforcer member, but most of the other major cities are also still in an uproar of crime, meaning their Enforcers are very busy. I myself will be stuck modifying my prison to ensure something like this never happens again.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we¡¯re on our own?¡± Myth sighed.


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± The boy shook his head. ¡°Ocean Empress is right next door, and if a threat as big as an Organization member does pop up, she, as well as a few Enforcers, are bound to show up to it. Think of it more as they¡¯ll be arriving late. You will have to hold the fort down and keep the city safe from all low-level threats besides the Organization.¡±


    Myth nodded a bit. ¡°I see. Now, if you wouldn¡¯t mind me asking, why exactly did you call us out here? The information about the prison escape could have been told to us over a simple phone call and wouldn¡¯t break into your busy time.¡±


    ¡°Well, I did need to give you all your costumes.¡±


    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t want to mail them to us?¡± Snowdawn joked.


    ¡°I had some other reasons why I wanted to see you all in person.¡± The child smiled. ¡°I¡¯d actually like to talk to Myth alone, if you would all allow it. Down below, you¡¯ll find a training room. You can practice a few of your costume''s new features out there if you wish. One of the robots will lead you over.¡±


    Cinder rubbed the back of her neck and frowned slightly. She was getting the feeling Boy Genius wasn¡¯t going to let them say no at the same time, though she really wanted to know what he wanted to say to Myth. It had to be something big, right?


    Either way, she moved closer to Paragon, making sure the blind girl didn¡¯t slip or fall, and followed Battery and the others out of the room. Myth stayed behind, folding his arms. She tried to use her enhanced senses to hear what they were about to talk about, but the door shut behind her, and the sound cut off.


    A robot was waiting for them outside, and instantly her headache came back as she was reminded of the damn twisting maze they were inside of. She went to follow, but Battery held an arm out, stopping her and Paragon.


    ¡°Hang on a second. I have something for you.¡±


    ¡°For me?¡± She asked, getting giddy.


    ¡°Do I get a present?¡± Paragon questioned.


    ¡°No.¡± The man said flatly. Battery pressed his watch and caused his suit to switch to his old one. He had a backpack on. He normally didn¡¯t wear it, but there had been something he was carrying. He slowly took it off and caused his new costume to come back. Opening it up, he grabbed something. ¡°Do you remember when Zoo and Bad Timers first teamed up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She nodded slowly.


    ¡°You managed to break Red Ape¡¯s new helmet, and I guess he ditched it. Since I¡¯m part of the Cleanup Squad, my job was to help clean that area up, and I ended up pocketing the helmet when no one was looking.¡±


    ¡°You stole villain tech?¡± Paragon asked, letting out a snort.


    ¡°After the battle with Wish, I searched all over and managed to find your old helmet as well. Both the old one and Red Ape¡¯s new one were destroyed. So much so, I doubted I could turn them into a new helmet. I figured Boy Genius would instead just build a new helmet for you himself, so instead, I created this for you by smashing the helms together.¡±


    Much like the watch she now wore on her right arm that controlled her costume, Battery pulled out a small silver bracelet, which he tossed over to her. She looked down at it, and her fingers brushed over it. There was a single tiny button on the front of it, which she pushed. It clicked and suddenly expanded.


    Metal unfolded out of it, and it happened so fast it actually bonked her in the jaw, knocking her back. ¡°Ow.¡± She groaned.


    Paragon lazily tapped her with a foot, causing her wound to fade. What rested in her arms now caused her breath to nearly stop. It was a round shield, one big enough to cover her entire chest up. Created from a silver metal and the symbol of a butterfly woven into the iron on the front.


    She stood up with shaking arms as she held it. This might have been the coolest early birthday gift she ever got. ¡°W- When did you make this? How did you make this!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, exactly.¡± Battery shrugged. ¡°I got an old mental-based power buddy of mine to create it. Press the button, and it¡¯ll return to normal. You can also strap it to your arm and keep it held in place.¡±


    She eagerly slipped it onto her arm and pulled the leather straps into place. It fit perfectly, and she played around with the button, turning it off and on. Slowly, she raised it up and down, pretending to block an unseen attack. ¡°She has super durability. Why¡¯d you give her a shield?¡± Paragon questioned.


    ¡°Have you seen this girl in combat?¡±


    ¡°Good point. She gets hurt a lot.¡± The blind girl nodded. ¡°Give her a second one just to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t get hurt that much!¡±


    ¡°Sure, you don¡¯t.¡± Battery flicked the top of her helmet. ¡°Run along now, kid. I¡¯m staying behind until Myth gets out.¡±


    She nodded quietly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her and Paragon began to head through the hallways alone now. Snowdawn and Whisper had already left with the robot. She hugged the shield close to her chest and played with it a bit more. ¡°We don¡¯t actually know where the others are, do we?¡±


    ¡°What happened to our guide?¡±


    ¡°He left.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re just lost inside of a shifting maze!¡±


    ¡°We can head back to Battery-¡± She turned around and stopped when she saw a wall was now directly behind them, leading to the path of where Battery should have been. ¡°Nah. Never mind, we¡¯re lost. Guess someone will have to come find us. They got cameras all over the place after all.¡± She waved to a camera, and it even moved up and down as if it were waving back.


    ¡°Yeah, but if we don¡¯t get to that training room, you won¡¯t be able to show any of your new skills off.¡± Paragon hummed.


    ¡°Meh.¡± She lazily shrugged. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d get to do much anyway.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Recently, my powers have seemed to change slightly. My hair will start glowing, and I get this massive boost in power. I think it¡¯s Full Monarch¡¯s power bursting forth. At least, that¡¯s what Battery implied to me. I¡¯d like to learn more about it and see just what I can really do in that state, but it¡¯s a little too destructive. I might be even stronger than Myth or Battery in that mode.¡± She couldn¡¯t get the large grin off lips as she bragged.


    ¡°Ah, so you wouldn¡¯t use it in that room since it could destroy the prison we''re in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded, and slowly, her mind went back to her training with Wyvern. The firepower of that form was unlike anything she had seen before. She went from losing outright to Wish to nearly beating the girl. With a little more push or effort, it could become something really good. ¡°I¡¯d need a place where I could just cut loose and not have to worry. Nowhere in the city is like that, though." She shrugged.


    Paragon hummed a bit. ¡°Well. I have an idea, then.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? What¡¯s that.¡± Paragon pulled her rubber glove off and raised a finger. Then she poked Cinder. ¡°What are you-¡± Everything exploded around her. The colors twisted and changed, and sound blasted out in all directions. The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back, staring up at the sky. ¡°What the hell!¡±


    ¡°Language.¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡± She was no longer in the prison. Instead, she found herself in a field of flowers. Massive twisting trees hung in the distance, covered in strange plant life, and the sky glowed a pretty green color, casting green sunlight down upon them all. The smell was almost like when someone got done baking homemade sweets. Dirt clung to her hands as she pushed herself up to a standing position. ¡°Paragon!¡± She called out.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to shout. I¡¯m right over here.¡± She jumped when she heard the girl''s voice and turned about to say something but stopped. Her voice was caught in her throat. Paragon looked so different. Her mask was gone, and her red hair had been brushed down. The baggy clothes she wore were gone, leaving her wearing a simple white dress, and most notable were the girl''s eyes. Bright and full of life, they wandered around with interest. ¡°Wow,¡± Paragon spoke, nodding her head.


    ¡°W- What?¡±


    Paragon walked toward her slowly, and the girl began to circle her. She jumped a bit, feeling Paragon¡¯s finger poke at her side. ¡°Sorry.¡± Paragon shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just that the world through the eyes of Destiny looks so different. Birds can see more colors than humans and also see UV, and everything is sort of like looking through a cone or something. It can be hard judging the proper size of some things or their colors. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen another human with my own two eyes before.¡± Paragon¡¯s finger poked at her back this time. ¡°I guess you¡¯re stronger than I thought. Your cells are reacting fast.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean- Actually, a better question: where are we?¡±


    Paragon pulled away and gave a slow, lazy spin, holding her arms out. ¡°Welcome, dear Cinder, to my world!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need a better explanation than that, Paragon.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Sky while we''re here. I don¡¯t need a mask, and it is just us.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to need a better explanation than that, Sky.¡± She said again flatly.


    Sky nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The girl raised her palm up slightly, and from the skin, something began to pull its way out. Vines. They expanded and danced softly in the wind. ¡°I guess the simple way to answer your question is to tell you. I¡¯m the Lord of the Land and Life. Or at least I am while I¡¯m in here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m even more confused now!¡±


    Paragon giggled softly. ¡°To put it bluntly, I¡¯m the daughter of the Emperor and the Princess of Life. When Max Lightning¡¯s father died, the title of Lord was passed down to him. When Sini died, his power was passed down to my sister. The previous Lord of Life lost to Full Monarch. I don¡¯t know if he died or not, but he most certainly stopped being alive. The power should have passed down to me, but not all of it did. For years, I thought that meant it either died out or simply went to someone else. After all, I wasn¡¯t created the way a child should be. I was born from the use of the powers and implanted into the Princess of Life. Recently though, I learned where the Lord''s power really went.¡±


    ¡°Wish.¡± She growled out.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Most of the power went to her.¡± Paragon swept her arms out, showing off the land. ¡°In here, though, the world is the way I want it to be. I am the way I should be. So, while in here, I guess you could say I have the power of the Lord I should be.¡±


    She nodded her head slowly, feeling her throat go dry. ¡°Is this how you killed Mars King?¡±


    ¡°You know about that? Are you... disappointed?¡±


    She didn''t answer for a moment, looking around at the strange world. "I guess not. It would be kind of hypocritical of me if I was. After all, I killed Polaron that same day.¡±


    ¡°You killed Polaron?¡± Paragon sounded impressed. "I figured Battery was the one to take him out."


    She rubbed the back of her neck, easing some tension out of it. "Well, I can''t really say I''m proud of the fact that I killed him."


    "Did you have another choice?"


    "Maybe I would have if I was stronger."


    "Maybe. But when you start using the maybe card, then everything is flawed." Sky said bluntly. "Maybe we could have done more to stop Intake; maybe if one more hero showed up for the Beast incident two years ago, I wouldn''t be blind; maybe if we were all a little stronger, innocent people wouldn''t get hurt. We can''t change the past, but we can change the future. I don''t know if killing Mars King puts all of his victims at ease, but I do know for a fact that I stopped him from hurting anyone in the future."


    Battery had said something similar. She knew that there were some villains that were simply too dangerous to be kept alive. People like the Emperor or even Wish were dangerous. She had even gone out of her way to try and kill Wish. It wasn''t so much that she was against killing villains in general; she''d just prefer to not have to be the one to do it. Then again, though she had taken up this job for a reason. She wanted to make a difference. Had killing Polaron created a change in the world?


    She really didn''t know and would likely never find out. It didn¡¯t matter now, though.


    "So how does this place work?" She asked, looking around. "Did we teleport? I thought that wasn''t possible here."


    "Sort of, but not really." Paragon gave a half shrug. "When I touch someone, I am able to send them as well as myself to this realm. You''ve heard of the realms, right? Places in other realities that were built by Max Lightning and Sini when they worked together. Some powers are able to create their own realms, almost like a domain of sorts. I''m allowed to invite one extra person with me when I use this power. I used this place to slay Mars King. I can release a person out of here whenever I want. The only other way out of here is to beat me. Should I defeat whoever I am fighting, though, then they are absorbed into my world and cease to be.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°That sounds bad.¡± She winced. "You''re going to let me out without having to fight you, right?"


    Paragon snorted and folded her arms. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to become one with me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not exactly like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Despite how strong this power is, it can be hard to pull off. It drains a ton of my energy, so I can really only use it once every couple of days.¡± The girl explained. ¡°This is mainly what caused my brain to fry when I cured Intake. Doing that combined with making this realm proved too much for my body. On top of that, getting someone to be trapped in here is sort of a pain. Most Supers know that I have control over cells and will go out of their way to not let me touch them. Since I have the speed of a normal human, and all the strong Supers are well beyond the speed of sound, it¡¯s basically impossible to touch them.¡±


    ¡°How do you even have a power like this?¡± She asked, looking around the strange realm. ¡°I get the healing power since that came from your mom and dad, and I know that some Supers can have more than one ability, BB has air and size change, and I have my fire and enhanced senses, but your two abilities don¡¯t seem that linked to me.¡±


    Paragon folded her arms and let out a cute hum, seemingly thinking about what she said. ¡°My mother once explained it to me. The first time the Beast ever set foot on planet Earth, it had destroyed the city the Emperor lived in, killing his wife and daughter.¡±


    She nodded her head, feeling another chill go down her spine. ¡°Max Lightning told me the same thing. He said Nier used his power to bring the corpses of his family back, but they came out wrong and different.¡±


    ¡°They had different souls.¡± Sky explained. ¡°The Lord of Life created brand new souls for them and wasn¡¯t able to put the old souls into the body. This is because those souls had already moved on. The new souls inside of the body were basically new people. People that only looked like his loved ones. My mom told me this is what drove the Emperor mad. He became obsessed with a perfect world and tried to create new Supers. These were the monsters.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with your realm, though?¡±


    ¡°I was getting to that.¡± The girl huffed. ¡°Have you ever seen pictures of what Nier or the Princess of Life look like?¡± Sky asked.


    She nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve actually seen them in person before, thanks to Max Lightning.¡±


    ¡°Neat.¡± The girl said. "Well, you might notice I have some oddities about me. For one, the Princess of Life had brown hair. Nier, on the other hand, had blonde hair.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! Now that you mention it, you have red hair!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sky toyed with her red locks for a moment. ¡°Nier was gathering an army of monsters because he needed a specific power. I don¡¯t know all the details; my mother only knows a bit of the story, but he basically found a monster, or Super, that had the ability to create things. Using this power, the two of them recreated a soul that was a mirror copy of the Emperor¡¯s daughter¡¯s soul. Next, he needed a body to put it in. He didn¡¯t want his daughter to be reborn and be weak, though, so he did his best to ensure that his newly created child would be strong. This led to him taking DNA from all of his main warriors, such as Hell Hound, and creating a new child, which was then placed into Fairy Queen where it could grow.¡±


    She stared at Sky and looked the girl up and down. ¡°And that¡¯s you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Sky twirled around giggling, though it was obviously fake and held very little emotion. ¡°I¡¯m a freak of nature. A fake soul created from an ability shoved into a body built on the DNA of several different people. And I didn¡¯t turn out even a little strong. I did get this cool realm though from one of my parents. I guess in a way I would have about four different parents. Two moms, and two dads.¡±


    She stepped forward slowly and reached out, grabbing Sky¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re not a freak. Don¡¯t say things like that. I was born from a metal ball that my dad found out in the ocean. If you¡¯re a freak, then I¡¯m a walking disaster.¡±


    Sky¡¯s smile returned, though it was weak. The girl stepped away from her and shook her head. ¡°Enough about this sad past. Let¡¯s focus on the present. You said that you needed to have a place to cut loose. Here should do. This body can recover from anything, so you can go ahead and blast me with everything you''ve got.¡± Paragon held her arms out, seemingly excited for the fight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can, though.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why not?¡±


    She let out a sheepish laugh. ¡°Well. You don¡¯t really look evil like that. You look so normal; it would be like trying to blast a civilian. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m comfortable with it, even if it wouldn¡¯t hurt you. Can you at least put your costume on or something?¡±


    Paragon¡¯s eyes rolled. Slowly, the girl raised her hand, holding it over the ground. ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, then I¡¯ll just give you something to fight.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡±


    ¡°I told you. This is my world.¡±


    The ground began to bubble and twitch. Gradually, something began to rise out of it. Twisting branches and logs, which began to form and snake together. The wood formed into a body, and then slowly, its color began to change. It formed into a skeletal structure, which then began to grow nerves and organs. Muscle grew across it rapidly, followed by flesh. Paragon had created a new life.


    Well...


    Not new.


    The creature dropped to a knee; its head bowed. It was large¡ªnearly ten feet in height. Thick red muscle-looking flesh covered its body, and a pair of long horns stabbed out of its skull. A tail flicked back and forth, and she felt her face go pale as the monster looked up at her. Mars King looked exactly how he did the last time she saw him.


    ¡°No need to worry about him.¡± Paragon casually elbowed Mars King, who stood up. He didn¡¯t react to it, standing slouched. ¡°It is just his body. The real Mars King is long gone, but his data exists within me¡ªenough for me to make this shell. You should be good to blast this guy with everything you got, right? I can make more of him if he gets broken.¡±


    ¡°I guess. I mean, he did try to kill me.¡± She had greatly underestimated just how strong Paragon truly was. Her eyes stared at Mars King. ¡°He sort of reminds me of a training dummy in a video game.¡±


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± She rolled her eyes but slowly focused her power. Her hair shimmered, and she felt the power of the Lord course through her veins. Golden locks flowed down her back, and her eyes held a red fire within them. ¡°Since you¡¯ve shown me something like this, I¡¯ll go ahead and really cut loose.¡± Fire swirled across the shield on her arm. ¡°Get ready, Paragon. You might want to cover your eyes.¡±


    And with that, she stabbed her hand forward. The flaming disc that had formed on her shield shot forward, expanding as it flew. Nearly half Mars King''s size, it sliced through him like a burning knife through butter. Off to the side, Paragon ducked as the attack emerged from Mars King''s back, still increasing in size. As it flew past, it dug into the ground and emitted a wave of heat strong enough to force the two to cover their faces.


    When the heat died down, both looked at the scene with wide eyes. A trench had been dug into the ground, stretching out across the field they were in for miles, going several meters deep.


    "Wow!" Paragon said slowly. "Thank God we weren''t in the prison."


    She looked down at the shield that hung to her arm. The outline of it glowed a white hot from where it had fired her disk off. She rubbed it and grinned. "Oh yeah. I like this."


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong, you know.¡± Paragon hummed.


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ve been working on controlling my powers more. I¡¯m trying to make my fire flow like Battery¡¯s does, but so far all I can manage to do is a bunch of random backpack junk.¡±


    ¡°Backpack junk?¡±


    She flared her power up, and it took shape coming out of her palm. It morphed into a small backpack with arms and legs. The mini backpack flexed and began to show off. Paragon stared down at it with a blank face.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The girl said slowly. ¡°Maybe you should keep working on your control¡­ You know, to avoid things like this.¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, how do you like the new suits?¡± Boy Genius asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re nice.¡± Myth nodded. He was seated in front of the child''s desk. Several drinks had been brought to them, all of which were things like apple juice or orange juice. ¡°I¡¯d rather discuss this matter you asked me for, though.¡±


    Boy Genius nodded and took a sip of his drink, trying to look sophisticated and cool by swirling it around. ¡°Do you know why I don¡¯t send drones to every city and have them do the work, so the heroes don¡¯t have to get involved?¡±


    ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t.¡± Myth shrugged. It was well known that Mental tech was weird. It seemed to be powered by the creator. As such, robots, drones, or other tech they created had to stay close to the creator, or they would eventually run out of power. You could make a few drones and send them out, but they¡¯d only have a few hours of battery at most. That was why Boy Genius had to spend most of his time in his prison so he could keep it all powered, and it was also why most Mental based Supers had to wear their suits themselves instead of making robots.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason.¡± Boy Genius admitted. ¡°Given enough time, I could maybe figure out a solution if I tried to negate the power issue, though. The real reason why is that I don¡¯t like things like debts or other such terms. Either owing them or having others owe them to me. See, the truth is, I would have never asked you to help with this matter. Under any normal circumstances, I would simply go to Oleander myself and find Green Wolf and Fairy Queen and fix it.¡±


    ¡°So then, why are you doing this exactly?¡±


    ¡°Laps asked me to.¡± The child explained. ¡°With the loss of Old Dog, that only leaves the Sub Enforcers and the Watch Dogs as protectors of Oleander. Sub Enforcers have several members that are injured, and Watch Dog has a hard time keeping Bad Wolf on a leash, so they can¡¯t really do a lot right now. I understand the need for a new group to rise up and take it. I¡¯m sure Laps already explained it to you, but if you do this job, you¡¯ll be able to have an easier time taking over the sponsored spot for Oleander.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She said you¡¯d also help back us up for it, which is why I assume you¡¯re allowing us to do this job in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Boy Genius nodded and set his glass down. ¡°Your father was a member of the Enforcers. When he died, it was his spot that I took two years ago. His death is what caused the Branch to hate you. I guess, in a way, it never sat right with me.¡± The child shrugged and leaned back in his chair. ¡°That said, while I am allowing you to go after Green Wolf and Fairy Queen for me, I am not going to sit still for long. My job is a hero first, and should you not be able to get them back in time, I will have no choice but to come down to Oleander myself and do it.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± He asked quietly.


    Boy Genius hummed and rubbed his chin. ¡°One week. I¡¯m currently building a suit made to beat Fairy Queen. It will be done in one week. You have one week to beat her and capture her before then. If you can¡¯t do that, then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have no choice but to act. She is already a great danger, and I am putting a city at risk, allowing you guys to go after her at all. Laps¡¯ words are the only thing making this happen.¡±


    ¡°I assume that if we fail to get her and you have to show up to take her out yourself, then we won¡¯t be getting our sponsor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not up to me. Chances are you¡¯re right, though. This might be your one and only chance to prove to the Hero Branch you are worthy of their trust. You lost all of it after what you did two years ago, so you¡¯ll have to really give it your all.¡±


    Myth nodded and bowed his head. ¡°I understand. Thank you for doing this. I really mean that. Even giving us this small chance means a lot to me. You have my word that in one week, Fairy Queen will be back in Nightshade. Green Wolf, as well. Neither of them will be getting away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I think I also have just the way of figuring out where they¡¯ll hit next.¡± The boy smiled.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    The young hero leaned back in his chair and played with a nearby screen, scrolling through pages of diagrams and designs. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been doing a little work on a theory of mine. Basically, I figured that there has to be something in our subconsciousness that makes Supers gather into gangs like Zoo or teams like Pantheon.¡±


    Myth nodded. ¡°Sure, I can understand that. But how does that theory help us track down Fairy Queen?¡±


    ¡°Well, Supers and humans are pretty different, right?¡± Boy Genius replied, closing the screen with a soft beep. ¡°Like, on a biological level, there¡¯s something different. Humans will gather together because it¡¯s just an instinct. Cuddle together in the dark to avoid predators. Supers don¡¯t have to worry about normal predators. If there were any that could take down Supers, then it¡¯s not long before a group like the Enforcers come in and take it down.¡±


    The older hero hummed an affirmation. ¡°And Supers have this subconscious need to gather despite having no natural predators?¡±


    ¡°Right, just look at the Enforcers before this generation. I¡¯ve seen the records; they never agreed on anything. Hell, most of them couldn¡¯t even understand one of the members!¡± Boy Genius explained. ¡°But they stayed together. That wasn¡¯t just Full Monarch¡¯s doing. Something in them, somewhere in their minds or powers, kept pulling them together.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re researching a way to do what? Track groups of Supers? Amplify this instinct so Super gangs will gather and you can catch them all at once?¡± Myth asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I could tell you the details, but I¡¯m not sure our little eavesdropper would understand.¡± The door to the office room slid open, and Battery fell past it and hit the floor.


    ¡°Oh wow, this isn¡¯t the bathroom; damn maze always changing-¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Battery.¡± Myth sighed. ¡°Sometimes you can be worse than Cinder.¡±


    Battery stood up and dusted himself off. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. I needed to know.¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± Boy Genius asked, cocking his head to the side. Battery walked forward and took a seat in front of the desk next to Myth. He grabbed one of the glasses and took a shot. He then instantly spat it out, realizing that it wasn¡¯t alcohol and was, in fact, apple juice. Boy Genius slowly washed his face off. ¡°Well. I hope whatever your answer is, that it¡¯s good. That might be the only thing that saves you from being launched out of my prison at mach ten.¡±


    Battery rubbed the back of his neck and set the glass down. ¡°My bad. Either way, I just found it a little odd, is all. This place is old. Almost as old as you. Older than two years for sure, yet you¡¯ve only been an Enforcer for two years? Makes me wonder.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say something?¡± The child asked, cocking his head to the side.


    ¡°I just think there is more to you than you¡¯re letting on.¡± The speedster shrugged. ¡°Not my place, though. I have another reason for why I was listening in. I have information. Information that I think you¡¯ll want.¡±


    ¡°What could you possibly have that is so important?¡± Boy Genius asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Even I wanna know, now.¡± Myth muttered.


    Battery placed his hand on the table, and slowly, a golden light seeped from it. The light took shape and began to resemble someone¡ªa very familiar-looking man in a lab coat. Battery¡¯s fingers squeezed around the legs of the Harrison Avalon construct that he made. ¡°I know who has the blade of the Emperor. We find that and no more teleporting for Green Wolf.¡±


    ***


    Cinder let out a breath and turned to Battery, seated by a window with a cigarette in his fingers. ¡°So¡­ Green Wolf. I guess we¡¯re finally going after him, right?¡± She asked, a hint of worry in her voice.


    Battery exhaled a plume of smoke, most of which went out of the window but left the rest to torment a nearby Snowdawn. ¡°Yep.¡± They were back on the ship, everyone settling in, ready for the return voyage back to Oleander City. Unlike last time, they weren''t on the deck of the ship and instead stood in the pilot''s room, where Backup and Duplicity were seated. She wasn''t a boat person, but she could tell this wasn''t your typical captain''s control room. It had hundreds of levers and switches, as well as dozens of computers and chairs scattered about. It looked a lot more like the cockpit of a plane.


    She turned to look back at Battery. She hadn''t gotten to hear what he and Myth talked about, but whatever it was, it was the reason they were getting ready to head back now. Apparently, they had a plan to not just capture Green Wolf but shut down his teleportation. ¡°Think we can beat him?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Cinder fidgeted in her seat, keeping her head down. The man had been acting differently recently. Ever since he saved her from Wish. Not to mention she learned how much time he had left. ¡°That''s good, I guess. I mean, without the teleporting sword, he¡¯s just really tough, isn''t he? With long range slashes, and the more we hit him, the harder he¡¯ll hit us.¡±


    ¡°Like a boss going up in phases,¡± Snowdawn interjected, moving to a seat away from Battery and shooting the hero a dirty look. "He absorbs kinetic energy, so the longer the fight goes on, the more he gets faster and stronger. He actually reminds me a lot of you, Battery."


    Up ahead, in the pilot¡¯s seat, Backup turned to everyone. ¡°Everyone seated? Arms and legs inside the vehicle, buckle your seatbelts, all that jazz.¡±


    A brief moment passed before Paragon spoke up. ¡°Um... There are no seatbelts¡­¡±


    Backup shrugged, ¡°Sounds like a you problem.¡±


    As the Watchdog member pulled the throttle, everyone braced for the thump of inertia to press them into their seats. Cinder slammed her eyes shut, ready for it. When she didn¡¯t feel the hit of speed, she opened her eyes, shocked to see the ship had taken off, clouds zooming past the window while the inside of the ship felt almost like it was stationary. Even Battery looked curious, eyeing a glass of bubbling amber liquid in his armrest and watching the still surface of the drink. She stood up, peering out of the window to watch the water below, zooming past. ¡°Was this smooth ride mode a thing earlier? Are you telling me that the launch to the prison could¡¯ve been this smooth? There¡¯s no need to haze us, damn it!¡±


    Laughing raucously, Backup turned to everyone. ¡°I wish it was hazing. Nah, while you were inside, Boy Genius¡¯ bots came by and gave this old girl an upgrade. And a new air freshener.¡± He pointed to a small green tree dangling from his armrest.


    "Lovely." Whisper snorted, folding her arms.


    "I guess we owe Boy Genius another favor." Myth hummed.


    "You better be sure to pay him back with interest." Duplicity called back.


    She took a seat near the back where Paragon rested. The girl''s bird was back with her and stared out the window silently. It made her recall what the hero had said earlier that day. How seeing with human eyes as opposed to the bird eyes was very different. Part of her couldn''t really picture it. Being blind and forced to use an animal to see through. Destiny had been hurt once before in combat after all. "Why are you staring at me?" Paragon''s words caused her to jump a bit, and she shrank down when she saw the bird was gazing intently at her now.


    "Oh sorry! I was just lost in thought." She chuckled.


    "Oh yeah?"


    "Yeah." She nodded and looked out the window and down at the sea herself. Once upon a time, it was blue and looked pretty. When she had been a young girl, she would sometimes get to see it when her father took her to the beach. Back then, Oleander had been a lot prettier as well. "Your world was nice." She finally said. "The one you took me to. I liked it."


    "I thought it freaked you out."


    "It did." She laughed a bit and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I can''t say I really liked having Mars King there, and I''m still unsure of how I feel about that situation, but I don''t think that I want you as an enemy Paragon. I''d like to keep you as a friend."


    "I thought we already were friends."


    "Yeah. I guess. But I mean, I''d like to be actual friends, you know. Not just in costume." She looked back at the other members of her team. They were all in the front of the boat and out of earshot, talking quietly amongst each other. "Snowdawn is the closest thing I really have to a friend. He and I have known each other since we were little kids. He''s more like a brother, honestly. Whisper is cool and all, but I wouldn''t say we''re all that close. She''s more like a sister, I guess. I never really had any friends that were girls. It was nice when we hung out as Sky and Hope."


    "Are you saying you''d like to do that again?" Paragon questioned, cocking her head to the side.


    "Yeah. Sure. Whenever we''re not both busy and you''re in Oleander, we should hang out more. It could be fun!"


    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to try and practice my powers more also.¡± Paragon said.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The girl nodded and placed her hand on a potted plant that was on the ship. ¡°I¡¯ve become a little more motivated hanging around you. I normally don¡¯t have anyone to practice my cell control ability on since I¡¯m afraid of harming innocent people, but I¡¯ve recently been trying to control plant cells and think I¡¯ve gotten a bit stronger.¡±


    As the healer spoke, the plant began to twitch and the leaves moved, growing longer and sprouting various roses all across them. Her eyes sparkled as she watched it. ¡°Whoa! So cool!¡±


    Paragon plucked a rose and handed it to her. She took it and placed it into her bag next to the Paragon action figure she had bought earlier that day. ¡°I think if I get a little bit better with my power, I might be able to try and heal your father again.¡± The girl spoke softly.


    She smiled. ¡°Thank you. It means a lot to me that you¡¯re trying.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise if it¡¯ll work.¡± Paragon said defensively. ¡°I still need to practice a whole lot more, but I¡¯m getting better every day. I¡¯d like to be strong like you or my sister.¡±


    She nodded and placed her hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder. "Then, in that case, we should totally hang out some more and practice using our powers together again!¡±


    The healer nodded her head. "Alright then. It''s a date."


    "Yeah! Wait what?"

 Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Hero Snowdawn

    ¡°Let¡¯s see you get past my shield!¡± Cinder announced, lifting the shield up just in time to block a golden strike from Mr. Larison. Her arms shook a bit, and she felt the energy go through the shield and her arms, but she held on strong, blocking the strike and shoving the man back. ¡°Ha! This thing is the coolest-¡±


    Battery dropped to a crouch and kicked out with his leg, hitting her with a sweep attack, which caused her to come tumbling down back first. Before she could scramble and try to stand back up, the man planted a knee on her gut and placed his finger under her chin. ¡°I win.¡± He said flatly.


    ¡°Aw man!¡± She shook her head and jumped back at the man. ¡°Well then eat backpack!¡± She twirled her body and pulled her bag off of her, swinging it out as a makeshift weapon. Battery easily blocked the attack with his arm. ¡°But how!¡± She gasped. "The backpack strat always works-¡±


    Battery lazily slapped her across the face, sending her flying back once more. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, kid.¡±


    Off to the side Paragon let out a small snort as she watched the interaction through Destiny¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sometimes it shocks me seeing her like this compared to out in the field. She seemed a little more intense last time I teamed up with her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how she is.¡± Next to the blind girl, Snowdawn stood. The boy was practicing more of his new ice-based powers, freezing the ground over and over again around him. ¡°Sometimes she comes off like a battle genius, other times I have a hard time believing she¡¯s actually the Lord of the Sun.¡± The boy snorted.


    Paragon numbly nodded her head and kept watching the match between Battery and Cinder. The two got back up and had restarted. They had just finished up at Boy Genius¡¯s prison and got the Watch Dogs to drop them back off in Oleander. Before turning in for the night, Myth wanted to do some last-minute planning, and so they all stood on the beach of OIeander, surrounded by the junkyard. Myth and Whisper were off to the side discussing the plan, while Snowdawn got some more training in, and Battery tried to teach Cinder how to use her new shield.


    Paragon couldn¡¯t help but feel a tiny bit jealous as she watched the interaction everyone was having. Team Reservoir mostly kept to themselves, and the only people she really knew or talked to from that team, besides her mother and sister, was the second in command, Fisherman, who was an odd little man.


    As the blind girl watched the interactions happen, she used her power on some seaweed that had washed up, causing it to bubble up and stretch as if it were alive. She didn¡¯t need to worry about how power going haywire on something like this. At least that was what she thought.


    Off to the side, Myth rested on the hood of a car and kept his arms folded. ¡°Can you use your Paths to try and figure out when Green Wolf will next pop his head?¡± The man asked.


    Whisper was crouched down in the sand, the blonde girl playing with her new tonfa¡¯s as if they were sticks, using them to draw lines in the sand. ¡°No.¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°Sorry, but you should know by now my powers don¡¯t work that way. If I were my dad maybe, but I can only see a few moments into the future. Anything beyond five seconds, and I¡¯ll freeze up and lose control, then I¡¯ll likely forget about whatever it is I saw the moment it ends.¡± The girl shrugged.


    Myth nodded his head. ¡°I figured as much, I just thought I would ask just in case.¡± The man hummed. ¡°Green Wolf was the one who took Fairy Queen out. My guess is he¡¯s still in the group that was formed with Bad Timers.¡±


    ¡°Do we call them Bad Zoo, or Zoo Timers?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Paragon said flatly.


    ¡°Yeah! The bad guys need a cool name, so then we¡¯re even cooler when we take them down.¡± The boy announced.


    Myth let out a small snort. ¡°If I had to take a guess, I¡¯d say it¡¯s likely Green Wolf will be acting soon. He doesn¡¯t like sitting on the sidelines like this, and now that they busted out Fairy Queen, they¡¯ll be getting ready to pull another job.¡±


    Battery ducked under one of Cinder¡¯s shield swings and smashed his palm into the girl¡¯s stomach, sending Cinder flying through the junkyard. ¡°If I had to take a guess as to why they¡¯d bust out Fairy Queen, it could be to heal Golden God.¡± Battery grunted out.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Myth asked, frowning.


    ¡°Golden God fought the Victorian during the mall incident a while back.¡± Battery explained, giving a shrug. ¡°I figure he¡¯d have gotten pretty banged up doing something like that. Despite looking like a robot, it isn¡¯t as simple as just fixing him up. Back in the day, the only people able to heal him were the Emperor, Hell Hound, and Fairy Queen. It¡¯s likely Golden God is part of whatever plan they have, so they busted her out just to fix him up. If the goal had been to cause chaos, it would have been better to release someone like Uriel, but they didn¡¯t.¡±


    Myth nodded his head and rubbed his chin. ¡°I see. So Fairy Queen will be busy taking care of Golden God for a bit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It won¡¯t take her long though.¡± Battery agreed. ¡°With Green Wolf on the team, I¡¯d reckon the man will get impatient and try to attack the first chance he can get. So within the next few days for sure.¡±


    Myth folded his arms and got off of the car. "Then, in that case, I¡¯ll try and look up the most likely spots that will be attacked. Last time the group attacked two different locations during an event. In three days, several events will be held across the city, so if what Battery said is true, it¡¯s likely one of them will be the attack spot.¡±


    ¡°Last time they only split up because they were coming after me and Wish.¡± Paragon said quietly. The girl dug her fingers into the seaweed, her powers flaring up a bit as she stopped bothering to try and control her powers. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why they wanted me or why Wish looked exactly like me. It pisses me off though-¡±


    The bit of seaweed the girl had been holding finally snapped under all the pressure it was under. Paragon¡¯s powers had flared up a lot from the girl¡¯s emotion. Just like how Cinder could create fire or Money Tree could create cash, Paragon was able to control cells that she touched, as well as place new cells into a living object to regrow limbs, though she couldn¡¯t use her power on herself. In that moment, the seaweed suddenly bloated and expanded, with a wave of force getting hundreds of times bigger.


    Snowdawn let out a yelp as he was thrown back by the vines, which slapped at the boy, shoving him through a wave of trash. Myth jumped up and grabbed Whisper, pulling her out of the way, and Battery formed a barrier around himself, which blocked the vines that jutted out at him.


    The seaweed almost seemed alive now, growing itself around Paragon and swallowing the girl up. Its tendrils flowed like an octopus as it lashed out.


    It didn¡¯t get to survive for long, though. Battery turned his back on the thing, not even bothering to attack it. ¡°You got this, kid.¡±


    The pile of ash Cinder had rammed into exploded as the girl jumped out of it. Cinder spun around in the air, pointing her feet up toward the sky and unleashing a wave of fire that caused the girl to explode forward. In an instant, she blasted through the seaweed, setting it on fire, and pierced it all the way through, wrapping her arms around the trapped Paragon that was inside.


    She came out the other side of the flaming seaweed, one arm under Paragon¡¯s leg and the other under the blind girl¡¯s back, as she softly landed on the beach floor. Behind her, the seaweed finished burning up and slowly turned to ash.


    ¡°Are you okay, Paragon? Looks like you lost control of your powers for a bit!¡± She looked down at the girl in her arms.


    Paragon rested there stunned for a moment before suddenly shaking her head. ¡°Idiot! If I lost control, then why would you grab onto me! It could have affected you.¡±


    She just gave a sheepish laugh. ¡°I just trusted you¡¯d turn it off in time to not mess with me. Besides, in the battle with Wish, the girl tried to use her power on me, and it didn¡¯t work, so maybe I¡¯m immune to negative effects from powers? Polaron¡¯s iron blood attack also didn¡¯t harm me, so feel free to touch me as much as you want!¡±


    ¡°D- Don¡¯t say it like that!¡±


    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Myth called out once the last of the seaweed burned away.


    ¡°Y- Yeah.¡± Snowdawn crawled out of the pile of trash he had been rammed into. ¡°Just peachy.¡±


    ¡°Walk it off.¡± Battery snorted and waved his hand, using his golden light to heal the boy.


    ¡°You can put me down now.¡± Paragon said flatly, still in Cinder¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Oh yeah, my bad.¡± She placed Paragon back onto her feet and dusted the girl off. ¡°There you go!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really weird sometimes.¡± Paragon said with a sigh.


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I like weird.¡±


    As they all finished calming down, they suddenly noticed they weren¡¯t alone now. Slowly, a bubble of water that had been above them began to float down. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re getting along well with my daughter, Cinder.¡± Ocean Empress touched down on the beach and gave a small smile.


    ¡°Ocean Empress?¡± Myth seemed a little taken aback. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to get Sky.¡± The woman said, folding her arms. ¡°It¡¯s very late, you know.¡± The sun was already starting to set, and soon it¡¯d be night. ¡°It¡¯s a little past her curfew.¡±


    Paragon rubbed her arm nervously. ¡°Sorry mom. I just got a little distracted, was all.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The woman said, holding a hand up. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you were okay. We should return to Lillian. There are a bunch of people on the waiting list who still haven¡¯t been healed by you yet.¡±


    ¡°R- Right.¡± Paragon gave a slow nod. The girl turned back to Cinder and nodded her head. ¡°Thanks for hanging out with me today, Hope. I had fun.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡± She rubbed her neck awkwardly as she watched Sky walk to her mother. She felt a weird twitch in her chest, but she squashed it down and ignored it. ¡°I had fun, too.¡± She said quietly. She reached into her bag for a moment and felt the Paragon doll she had bought. In Paragon¡¯s own bag would be the Cinder doll. She wondered how the girl would react to it when she got home and saw it.


    Myth cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving as well. It¡¯s late, and we¡¯ll be busy in the next few days.¡±


    She nodded and moved over to the man and Whisper, about to leave with them. Snowdawn stayed behind and shrugged. ¡°You guys go on ahead. I have some last-second things to do.¡±


    Battery, on the other hand, stood next to Ocean Empress and Paragon. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you two out of here. I had some things I¡¯d like to discuss with you actually.¡± The man hummed, giving a nod to Ocean Empress.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ocean Empress gave a small grin. ¡°This should be good.¡±


    Off to the side, she watched the two adults plus Paragon leave through a different section of the beach. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if Mr. Larison and Ocean Empress hate each other or really like each other.¡± She said, letting out a hum.


    ¡°It can be both.¡± Whisper snorted. The girl through her arms behind her head as the three of them left out the other side of the beach, leaving Snowdawn behind. ¡°Ocean Empress is a kind woman. She raised me, and several heroes actually.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Whisper nodded. ¡°She¡¯s a little too kind for her own good sometimes. I think she doesn¡¯t like viewing people as evil and will go out of her way to assume they¡¯re good people. After the war with the Emperor, she actually adopted nearly every Super that lost a parent, including the monsters. She had her own orphanage that she and her husband used to run. It closed down two years ago after the death of her husband, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± That kind of sucked. She had no idea Ocean Empress was so kind, even out of costume, though. From what she knew, most Super parents didn''t tend to be the best. It was hard balancing a social life and a hero life, yet Ocean Empress had somehow done what no other Super had. The girl was a good parent and a good hero.


    Not even the Victorian had been able to do that. She didn¡¯t like thinking about it, but Lois, her friend, was the Victorian¡¯s daughter, and the stories Lois used to tell her, none of them ever involved the golden woman. Lois had been practically discarded and abandoned. She also met the Victorian recently, and it really hadn¡¯t gone that well.


    If you wanted to be a good hero, a strong one that could handle all threats, like Boy Genius or the Victorian, did it mean giving up a part of your humanity?


    Either way, Ocean Empress seemed like a good person. At least from what Whisper told her.


    Speaking of which, on the other side of the beach, Battery walked alongside Ocean Empress and Paragon as they reached the edge of the beach and stepped back onto the streets of Oleander.


    ¡°So what did you want to talk about exactly?¡± Ocean Empress asked as the woman turned to look at the hero in red.


    Battery looked down at Paragon for a moment before he looked back up at the Enforcer member. ¡°I need your help with something?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re asking me?¡±


    ¡°Well, you did tell me that I could ask for help, right?¡± The man said awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯re a hero, so it¡¯s your job to help people.¡±


    Ocean Empress nodded her head. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a hero. I¡¯ll help you. What do you need me for though?¡±


    Battery closed his eyes, seemingly thinking of his next words. After a moment, he opened them and looked the woman directly in the eyes. ¡°I need you to get the sword that belonged to the Emperor. I know where it is.¡±


    Meanwhile, back on the beach, Snowdawn rested there for a moment before he heard the sand crunch beneath him. ¡°How¡¯d you know I was here, too?¡± Poseidon asked curiously.


    ¡°I just had a feeling you¡¯d show up if your mom was here.¡± Snowdawn shrugged and looked back up at the older girl. ¡°After all, your sister was here, and I know you care about her a lot.¡±


    Poseidon nodded her head, and for a moment the girl looked Snowdawn up and down. ¡°So, is this it? Is this part of your new power?¡±


    Snowdawn gave a grin and flexed his arms. He was decked out in his ice armor now. ¡°Yep! After training with you and figuring out how to use my ice better, I was able to form this new and improved armor. It¡¯s way more durable than my snowcloak had been, and I get these cool-looking claws! Get it? Cool?¡± He held his hand up, showing the ice claws that jutted out of his fingers.


    Poseidon folded her arms and smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you got stronger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you.¡± Snowdawn nodded. ¡°You took time out of your schedule to help improve me.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t.¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°A lot of your power is your own. I just showed you how to invert your power is all. You unlocked it all on your own.¡± The girl began to walk toward the water and turned back to him. ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    The two of them began to walk across the water. It was a form of training she had taught him when he first began to unlock his power. Using the power of cold, he was able to create snow. Creating ice should have been the next step, yet he always struggled with it. He could get the snow or water to freeze if he really tried, but shaping things out of it was too hard for him.


    That was until Poseidon showed him a trick to it. Instead of trying to make constructs out of ice, it would be easier to make them out of snow, then further cool that snow off until it was forced to become ice. He had to focus his power and get the coldness of it to drop down even further. Using that method, he was able to walk alongside Poseidon as the two of them froze the surface of the water on the ocean and began to walk across it.


    The sun had mostly set by now, casting everything in an orange glow. He trailed after the girl slowly, carefully freezing the water beneath his foot so that he wouldn¡¯t fall through.


    ¡°Have you practiced more of your Inverting yet?¡± The girl questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried, but I still haven¡¯t gotten it down fully.¡± The boy noted looking down at his palm. Snow swirled into his palm into the shape of a ball, and then he flared his power up more, changing that snow to ice. He was getting faster at it, able to do one after the other so quickly it looked like he skipped past snow and went straight to ice. ¡°My Inverting is something I¡¯m still struggling a bit with.¡±


    The ice was not his Inversion. That was just something he unlocked after pulling off an actual Inverting in his fight with Poseidon. As Metal Ronin had said, his Inversion wasn¡¯t a fire- or water-based ability. Instead, it was more like an evolution of what his power was. His ability was cold control, so his Inverting went beyond cold and would reach the point of zero, something that was actually impossible naturally, yet powers being powers, they ignored the laws of the universe, creating absolute zero temperatures.


    It was due to how cold this ability would get that he was finally able to create ice naturally. After all, making something as hot as ice was way easier than trying to do anything at absolute zero temperatures. Not even he was immune to something that cold.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask you a question?¡± Poseidon asked as they kept walking out across the water.


    ¡°Go ahead?¡± The boy shrugged.


    ¡°Why did you pick the name Snowdawn?¡±


    Snowdawn sheepishly rubbed his chin. ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of stupid.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡±


    ¡°If you say the word Snowdawn quickly, it sort of sounds like you¡¯re saying Snow¡¯d on. Like get snow¡¯d on. So Snowdawn was basically another ice pun, because I¡¯d go around covering people up in snow.¡±


    Poseidon let out a snort and giggled softly at his explanation. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Seriously.¡± He grinned. ¡°Though now I think it has a different meaning.¡± He looked back down at his hand. ¡°It¡¯s almost scary how much the meaning changed. I don¡¯t really believe in destiny or fate, yet things like this make me wonder. After all, dawn is something connected to the sun, and Cinder is the Lord of the Sun.¡±


    ¡°I thought she was.¡± Poseidon frowned softly as the image of the raven-haired girl came to her mind. ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t know how to feel about her.¡±


    ¡°She can have that effect on people.¡± Snowdawn shrugged. ¡°What about you? Why¡¯d you pick the name Poseidon?¡±


    Poseidon glanced down at her own palm and curled her fingers. Her eyes could almost spot the black blood that coated her hand from where her nails dug into her palm. It had happened when she watched Cinder holding onto her sister. ¡°I got the name from Myth.¡± She finally said.


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Growing up, he spent a lot of time around Whisper, who was basically raised by my mom, so I got to talk to him a lot when I was a kid. He was sort of like an older brother for a lot of us that were raised by Ocean Empress. I¡¯m my mother''s only biological child, yet in a way, I consider all the children I grew up with to be my siblings. Especially Sky. Myth would visit a lot, and he told me stories. His power was one that was shared by a lot of members of his family. One that was passed down through an entire bloodline. See, he can trace his family back to some of the earliest signs of Supers, coming from some of the first Lords. The blood of both the Lord of Life and the Lord of the Sun flows through his veins.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s seriously cool.¡± Snowdawn said with wide eyes. ¡°I guess that explains why Myth is so powerful, but what does that have to do with your name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from the stories he would tell me.¡± The girl hummed and looked up at the night sky, which formed as the sun finally faded out of view. ¡°His power is based around a concept. One that existed before the Lords. Before Supers, before the Shadow, and before the Lords, humans still lived on this planet. They told stories, many of which were based off of gods, or monsters, that were believed to have existed at one time. I don¡¯t know how, but the Thaddeus clan became a clan that can embody these old stories and tales. Maybe they used to be part of it, or were the creators, not even Myth knows, but his power allows him to take on the form of monsters from some of these old stories. He was also able to somehow learn about the past through his ability. It was almost like he was able to talk to his power. Poseidon was a god that people used to worship. I¡¯m not sure if they were ever real or just a story, but they were said to be a God of the Sea.¡±


    Snowdawn listened and nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool. I never actually considered what the world was like before the Lords. I knew that it was ruled entirely by humans, and there were no Supers, but still. I wonder what the people were like back then or what they did about crime.¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡± The girl giggled a bit and shrugged. ¡°Why did you become a hero?¡±


    Snowdawn¡¯s smile faded. Poseidon turned to look back at him, sensing she said something wrong. It took him a moment, but Snowdawn spoke. ¡°I want to stop the next Calamity that appears.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of a lofty goal, ain¡¯t it?¡± The girl said, a little shocked.


    Snowdawn nodded his head. ¡°I know that. I get that it¡¯s stupid, but still! I want to make some sort of difference. I lost my mother to a Calamity. I just¡­ Even if I don¡¯t make it through, I¡¯d like to do something.¡±


    Poseidon flicked the boy on the nose, causing him to tumble back and fall into the water as he lost his focus and shattered through his ice. The girl placed her hands on her hips and stared down at the boy. ¡°None of this talk about not making it through. You¡¯re Snowdawn, someone trained by me.¡±


    Snowdawn poked his head out of the water and stared back up at the girl. ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m still not that strong.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not now, but keep pushing forward. Keep growing. Keep getting stronger.¡± Poseidon held a hand out for the child. ¡°I think you can do it. I think you can be a hero.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡± He took the offered hand and allowed her to lower his body''s gravity, lifting him out of the water.


    ¡°Because.¡± The girl turned away and shrugged. ¡°I just like to think you can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a really good reason.¡± Snowdawn snorted.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Poseidon giggled. ¡°Either way, let¡¯s head back. It¡¯s late.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Snowdawn stopped when he felt something hit his shoulder. He looked back at Poseidon, who lightly punched him. ¡°When there is a Calamity, you won¡¯t be facing it alone. I¡¯ll be there as well. I¡¯m a Lord. It¡¯s my job to make sure people like you can keep living in this world. That Supers like you can keep growing stronger. I¡¯d like for you to surpass me if you¡¯re able. It¡¯d be better if nice people like you were able to reach a level beyond the Lords.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re giving me a little too much credit.¡± Snowdawn said sheepishly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not.¡± Poseidon lifted them both up into the air, lowering their gravity. She gave a sly smile. ¡°Still. That¡¯s the kind of world I¡¯d like to live in. One where kind people like you or my sister can live a long life filled with joy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about a long life, but I¡¯ve lived one filled with joy, that¡¯s for sure.¡± The boy said as they slowly floated through the air. ¡°I¡¯m the hero Snowdawn, and I¡¯m lucky that I got to tell my story. Even if it¡¯s one that might not be as interesting as others.¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Wet Bandits

    "-you can see him standing next to the hero known as Cinder! We''ve identified him as the hero, Battery. As you can see from his power, he likely has a connection to the Victorian! His age is unknown, but we assume he is likely the number one hero''s son, as the Victorian used to be married to Max Lightning, and rumors said they had a kid!"


    "Yeah, but it was a daughter." Nick said, letting out a soft snort as he stared at the TV. It was on a hero conspiracy channel run by an old hero known as Golden Weaver, who used to be on the Enforcers back in the day when Full Monarch was the leader.


    The screen showed off an old studio room, which Golden Weaver was in. The ex-Enforcer member wore a skintight white and gold outfit that covered every inch of the man''s body. The symbol of a spider rested in the center of the man''s outfit, and a golden thread came out of the man''s hands, which connected to the roof. Golden Weaver rested upside down and faced the camera as he spoke about the hero Battery.


    "Decide for yourself, dear audience. Could this new Battery person be the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos we have been waiting for?" Golden Weaver asked. "After all, just look at this footage some drones caught!" The image changed, showing a clip taken during the battle with Zoo and the Bad Timers. In it, the hero Battery created a large blue hand made of energy and tossed the heroes Cinder and Paragon into the air. The image zoomed in on Battery, who had a blue aura around him, and a second picture of Full Monarch appeared next to it. The previous number one hero was bathed in skin-tight blue flames. "They look awfully similar, don''t they?" Golden Weaver said, letting out a hum. "Either way, up next. Should the hero Fisherman be tried for his crimes of catfishing men on the internet? Stay tuned."


    Nick watched as the show went to commercial and began to show off various action figures kids could buy. A new Pantheon set was being created that had the heroes Myth and Snowdawn. The hero Cinder was also an option, though she was sold in a box with Paragon for some reason. Finally, the Ferros toy company was also repackaging their Vitorian toys and Max Lightning figures, including them in a box set alongside Battery.


    All because of Golden Weaver''s theory.


    "Ooh, Jack is going to be annoyed when he sees that."


    "See what?" Nick jumped a bit when he felt the apartment shake, and a second later, Battery phased through the wall. The hero dropped down to his knee and wiped some sweat off of his mouth, slowly standing back up. After his conversation with Ocean Empress, he had run all the way back here and vibrated himself through the wall of his apartment since he was too lazy to take the front door.


    Nick''s eyes lit up as he stared at his roommate. "No way, is this your new costume?"


    "I guess." Battery glanced down at himself and flexed his fingers. His golden energy coursed through it. "Boy Genius made it."


    "It looks good." Nick grinned. "Think you could get him to make me one?"


    "You don''t have powers." Battery said flatly.


    Nick shrugged. "So?"


    "You''d die instantly when someone like Green Wolf decides to look at you." Battery snorted. The man walked over to his fridge and was about to grab something to eat. He hadn''t had any food since the death of Old Dog, which was still three days ago. He stopped though when he noticed the TV. "Seriously? You''re watching this?"


    It was back on the Golden Weaver show. The hero was slowly climbing up his thread and reached the top of the roof, where his golden web was. "Tell me, believers! Do you believe in destiny? Because I do! I think things are fated to happen-"


    The TV flickered and switched when Battery grabbed the remote. The channel changed to a different station, showing off Alice Ward. The famous news lady for Oleander, who was always reporting on nearly any hero-related case.


    "It''s been three days since the death of Old Dog." The woman said in a somber tone. Battery frowned and closed the fridge. He wasn''t hungry anymore. "Oleander has been hit with a heavy loss. Despite that, though, life goes on. I happen to be very good at my job, and I found out recently that the newest group to grace our city, Team Pantheon, might be the next sponsored team for our city."


    Nick''s eyes went wide as he heard that, and he shot a look up toward Battery. "Is she serious?"


    Battery collapsed onto the couch and pressed a button on his suit''s watch. His suit vanished in a flash of light, leaving him in his dirty dress shirt and pants, which he had been wearing for three days straight since he had gone to Old Dog''s funeral. "It isn''t set in stone yet." The man sighed. "We have seven days to find the villain Fairy Queen and send her back to Nightshade. If we can do that in time, then Laps will try and get us that sponsor position, but I doubt it''ll happen still."


    "How come?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Pantheon is still a very new team." The red-haired man explained. "I mean, we''ve existed for at most three months now, give or take. Not a whole lot of time. Since then we have stopped some crime, but most of it has been through the help of the Sub Enforcers or the like, so those guys always get more of the glory since they''re more famous. Anytime we do go up against other threats, it''s always normal robbers. I think taking guys out like that is fine, but sadly, the public doesn''t really care about that stuff since it isn''t flashy or dangerous."


    Nick rubbed his chin and hummed. "Well, wouldn''t now be a good time to do some work?"


    "We have to be on the lookout for Fairy Queen." Jack sighed. "Now that she''s busted out, she''ll be pulling a stunt. Though I guess she will be busy for a day or two, so maybe if we found something quick to deal with."


    "Well, it looks like you won''t have to look very hard."


    "Hmm?"


    Jack followed where Nick was pointing and stared back up at the TV. Alice was describing something as a picture was shown. It showed off what looked like a flooded manner. "It appears that the villain Cybercroc has arrived in Oleander. The villain attacked the manor of Sir Ward, completely flooding it and causing a massive amount of property damage."


    Jack let out a chuckle at that. "Ocean Empress is going to be mad when she hears about this."


    Cybercroc was the leader of a group known as the Wet Bandits. They existed inside of Lillian and were the rivals to Reservoir, the group Ocean Empress ran. The Wet Bandits were sort of like the equivalent of Zoo, but for Lillian. They would go around attacking the homes of rich folks, stealing everything that was inside, and then completely flood the house, either killing everyone in the building through drowning or causing serious damage.


    Recently, Reservoir, with the help of the hero Fable, another member of the Enforcers, took out the Wet Bandits, but the leader Cybercroc somehow managed to escape. Now it seems like that guy made his way over to Oleander and would be no doubt looking to build a new team made up of any solo villain he could get his hands on.


    "If Pantheon is out there, and if they are listening to this, I''d like to issue them a challenge." Alice Ward said, giving a smirk to the camera. "I''ve had my eye on your little group for some time now. If you can take down Cybercroc, then you''ll have my full support in becoming the next sponsored team."


    Jack frowned and clenched his hand into a fist. Alice was a strong woman. She was also a Ward, so it made sense that she''d be ticked off Cybercroc destroyed one of her family manors. Besides Laps, she was likely the strongest human in Oleander City.


    "I don''t like that look in your eyes." Nick said, letting out a sigh. "When I worked for the Hero Branch, my partner Doctor Blue would give that same look when he was issued a challenge. You''re about to do something crazy, aren''t you?"


    "I''m Jack Larison. I''ve always been batshit insane."


    ''Yeah, you have.'' The voice of Full Monarch whispered in his ear. ''Say it with pride.''


    ***


    "Can anyone tell me the first signs of ancient civilizations that were uncovered?" Mr. Pluto asked, sitting on top of his desk as he stared out at his students.


    Hope eagerly raised her hand. "It was a sign saying ''New York'' right! It was discovered by the hero Levithan near the ocean floor!"


    "That''s correct, Ms. Lauren." Mr. Pluto said, nodding his head. "New York is believed to have been a city that once existed, though it has likely now sunk to the bottom of the ocean. It was lost during the attack of the Shadow, nearly one thousand and one hundred years ago." The man folded his arms lazily as he looked out at the sea of students he taught. "New York was likely a magical place filled with wonderful science. After all, the people that lived there didn''t have Supers amongst them. They also likely had no crime."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "I think there was still crime, just crime with normal people." She spoke up, giving a shrug. "After all, humans still commit crimes in our society today, even with Supers running around."


    "Maybe you''re right, Ms. Lauren. We have no way of knowing though." The teacher turned to his board and began to write out several things across it.


    She stared ahead at the board but felt someone nudge her in the side. She looked over, finding it was Kyle. "How do you know all of this?" The boy whispered.


    "I cheat." She whispered back. "I read all the text books then memorize them so I can ace all the lessons."


    "That doesn''t sound like cheating? I think you''ve just been studying? Are you a secret genius, Hope?" Kyle looked back at her just in time to see her placing her pencil between her nose and mouth.


    "I have a mustache." She said, wiggling her eyebrows.


    Kyle blinked before turning away. "Nope. Definitely not a genius."


    The bell rang, causing her to drop the pencil. Mr. Pluto turned back to the class. "Alright. I''ll see you all tomorrow. Remember to travel in pairs, and if you are attacked, you don''t have to outrun the gang member; you just have to outrun the person next to you."


    All the students stood up and began to head for the door. She followed after them, walking alongside Kyle. It had been a full day since she got her new costume from Boy Genius. School had finally started back up again, though she doubted it would stay open for long, what with all the recent attacks by the new Wet Bandit gang. She''d be meeting back at the Pantheon base soon, where Myth would discuss their next move. Until then, though, she had to play her part as a normal schoolgirl.


    As she walked alongside Kyle, she couldn''t help but let her eyes roam across the hallway. She spotted who she was looking for. She wasn''t the only one staring either.


    Ashley Numen, the Queen Bee of their school, stood awkwardly in the hallway. Whispers echoed around as everyone stared at the scar that clung to the girl''s body. It was a nasty one, starting from the stomach and crawling all the way up to the girl''s right eye. It was a faint red and one that would likely never fade.


    She sympathized a bit with the other girl. She couldn''t help but reach up and rub at her forehead. Her own scar was there. The one caused by Wish. She had gotten it when the girl punched through her helmet, and Paragon hadn''t been able to heal it. She wondered if she should ask Paragon to heal Ashley or if the healer could even get rid of the scars now that they were there.


    "Stop staring!" A loud voice yelled out, causing everyone in the hall to jump back. Someone stood in front of Ashley now. One of the girl''s friends. Hannah was tall and had dark skin. The girl''s hair was braided back, and she glared at everyone in the hall. It was just Hannah. Paige, the final member of Ashley''s trio, wasn''t anywhere to be seen. "You all have better things to do than gawk at my friend, right!"


    Everyone looked away, not wanting to mess with the dark-skinned girl. They had all been there when Hannah had beaten one of Kevin''s goons who had been drugged up.


    "What are you looking at!" She jumped for a moment when she realized Hannah was staring directly at her. She had been deep in thought and didn''t focus on looking away like the others. "You have a problem or something?" Hannah asked, growling.


    "N- No?" She said sheepishly.


    Hannah let out a hiss and stepped forward about to grab her, but the girl stopped when Ashley placed her hand on Hannah''s shoulder. Ashley shook her head softly. "Don''t. Let''s go, Hannah."


    Hannah glared back at her one last time before slowly turning and following after Ashley as the two girls left. She stood there awkwardly in the hallway before she also turned and left, following after Kyle.


    "You seriously need to stay out of trouble." Kyle said, letting out a sigh.


    "I know." She chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. She was still getting used to having short hair. "I can''t help it sometimes, though. I just have bad luck."


    Eventually the school day came to an end, and Armin joined her and Kyle, the three of them stepping out of the school building. She felt a small shudder when she saw who was waiting for her.


    "The end times come! I tell you all! I speak the truth! The Sun will soon engage the Devil!" Max Lightning was back, dressed like the homeless man, and once again being dragged away by school security. She had thought he''d give this up after revealing himself to her, yet he didn''t. The man seemed to strangely like pretending to be homeless and would often show up still. He also always pretended like he didn''t know her, so it was awkward to try and ask about what he was saying and if that was the Paths he was seeing or if he was just making words up. "It comes soon." She felt the Enforcer members'' eyes on her as the security dragged him to the street. "Very soon."


    "Ominus." Armin said flatly.


    "I still can''t believe he''s Max Lightning." Kyle said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, what are the chances, you know?"


    "Maybe it''s destiny." She snorted and shrugged. "Nah. I still don''t believe in that lame concept. My fate is my own."


    "Tell that to your bad luck." Armin chuckled, elbowing her slightly.


    Kyle folded his arms as they reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped out into the parking lot of the school. "I have to head home, so I''ll be seeing you guys. Let me know how the talk with Myth goes."


    "Will do."


    They said bye to Kyle and made their way over to a familiar car. Her mother was out waiting for her. Jane Lauren smiled when she saw them walk up.


    "Yo! What''s up, Mrs. Lauren?" Armin said.


    "How are you doing, Mr. Moore?" Her mom smiled and shook Armin''s hand. "My daughter asked me to give you a ride to the¡­" The woman leaned forward and whispered out slowly. "B. A. S. E!"


    "You don''t have to spell it out, mom." She said flatly.


    "Sorry." Her mother winced. "I''m still just trying to get used to this whole thing. I''ve only been to the B.A.S.E. once before, you know. I really haven''t gotten to see what you do."


    "Well, you don''t have anything to worry about, Mrs. Laruen." Armin pointed his thumb at himself. "I''m always there to make sure your daughter doesn''t mess up and get hurt!"


    Her mom frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "So are you the reason my baby girl''s lovely hair had to be cut so short, and are you also the reason her pretty face has that nasty scar?"


    "Well¡­ When you put it like that¡­"


    She frowned and rubbed at her scar once more. "It''s not that nasty. I think it''s pretty cool, actually. Besides, I usually wear my helmet so no one can even see it when I''m out in my hero costume."


    "That isn''t the point, Hope." Her mom sighed and folded her arms. "I don''t want you getting injured like that anymore if you can help it."


    "I''ll try." She said sheepishly.


    They piled into her mom''s car. She rested in the backseat with Armin while her mom took them off of the school grounds. It didn''t take long for them to reach Spider Street, and even less time from there to reach the base. The three of them hid the car in an alleyway and went down the narrow path.


    She was a little proud of the fact that going down the path was a little more of a challenge. During all the Wish stuff she had actually become sixteen, though she never celebrated her birthday anymore since she had a tradition she would only do with her father and until he was out of the hospital she wouldn''t throw a party or get any presents due to the rule she set for herself.


    The months of being a hero were starting to show on her body. All the nights constantly running and training meant that her arms and legs were getting some muscles to them, and she was even on the verge of getting some abs if she kept at it. More importantly to her, though, she wasn''t as flat as she used to be. Still, they were nowhere near as big as Paragon''s or Poseidon''s, but she was slowly growing up.


    She''d have that Super body before too long. Then maybe she''d actually get some fans.


    Eventually they reached the base. She was a little surprised her mother was coming but didn''t really think anything about it. As they entered, she and Snowdawn pressed the button on their watch, causing their new hero costumes to appear on them.


    "Oh? Is that your new costume?" Her mom asked, walking around her.


    "Yep!" She said proudly and did a pose. "I''m the new and improved Cinder, now!" Her mother reached out and played with the button on her helmet, causing her face plate to open and close and her voice to distort. "Please stop that."


    Her mom just giggled, and they finished the walk up the stairs. Already Myth, Battery, and Whisper were there. The three of them were all in their costumes. "Mrs. Lauren?" Myth raised an eyebrow when he saw her mother. "What brings you here, ma''am?"


    "I just wanted to sit in." The woman said sheepishly. "I haven''t actually gotten to look at every member of my daughter''s team yet."


    "So you''re Hope''s mom!" Whisper decided to show off by doing a cartwheel and stopped in front of her mother. The girl held her hand out for her mother to shake. "I''m Whisper. Best member on the team, and also like a mentor to your daughter."


    "Really?" Jane said, shaking the girl''s hand.


    "No. I lied." Whisper back flipped away, getting back in place next to Myth.


    Myth cleared his throat. "Snowdawn, Cinder, please take a seat."


    She awkwardly took a seat near the table along with Snowdawn. Whisper remained standing next to Myth, who was in front of his whiteboard. The TV was on, showing off some cheesy movie about an old hero named Omega. Battery was on the couch watching it, and the man scooted over as her mom took a seat next to him. Once they were all in place, Myth began to speak up once more.


    "Now that we''re all here, let me begin." The man drew on the whiteboard, creating several cartoonish pictures of them and all the members of Zoo, along with Fairy Queen. "Green Wolf broke the villain Fairy Queen out of prison. Fairy Queen is very powerful but won''t be active until she is done fixing Golden God. Until that time, it''s unlikely Green Wolf and his crew make any moves. When they do attack, it will likely be in a large public place when an event is being held. I''ve gone ahead and looked into all events being held for the rest of this month and requested that the mayor shut them down. I''m still waiting on Mayor Grove to get back to me on that matter, though. If this does go as planned, we can set up a bait location and maybe capture Green Wolf and then use him to get to Fairy Queen. If that works, we''ll likely get our sponsor."


    "It won''t work." Battery said flatly.


    Myth raised an eyebrow. "And why''s that?"


    "Same reason I told Nick. Even if our plan goes the way we need it to and we capture Fairy Queen, chances are we still won''t get our sponsor. Several of the Hero Branch members still don''t like you, Myth. As for the rest of us, we don''t have the popularity we need."


    "We need to clout chase." Snowdawn said, nodding his head. "Up our numbers a bit? I''ll go get my phone so we can record an apology Hero Hub video. Cinder, go get a ukulele."


    "I don''t think that''s the solution." She said sheepishly. "A for effort though."


    "Do you guys actually have a plan?" Her mom asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Well, Battery does." Whisper said casually. "He''s about to open his mouth and suggest something right now."


    Battery shot an annoyed look in Whisper''s direction. "Using the Paths to guess what I''m going to say isn''t cool. I like being mysterious."


    "Just say your plan, sir." Snowdawn chuckled. "What do you have in mind?"


    Battery folded his arms and looked back up at Myth. "We have a few days until Fairy Queen is going to be active. I think it would be smart to use that time. We need to do something. Something big. The Sub Enforcers are MIA, and the Watch Dogs are still not ready to come back just yet. This is our chance to get credit for something that we do, and it will all go to us."


    Myth nodded slowly, processing Battery''s words. "What do you have in mind, Battery?"


    "The Wet Bandits." Battery closed his eyes. "We stop that stupid ass-sounding villain group."

 Chapter Seventy: Sniffing Out The Threat

    She rested in the back of Whisper''s van and stared out the window. "We''re heroes. Won''t they just let us in?" She asked quietly.


    They had set off once Battery explained the situation. Her mom had parted ways with her, heading back to work, while team Pantheon piled into Whisper''s van, which was now parked in an alleyway on Fly Street. Fly Street was the total opposite of Spider Street. Fly Street was where people like the mayor lived. The buildings here were straight-up manors, even bigger than Kyle''s or Armin''s houses. It was where the rich of the rich lived.


    Massive skyscrapers loomed over them, reaching well past the clouds, and the road was constantly busy. In front of them, one massive building stood out above the others. Ward Tower was a massive hotel, each floor being its own manner, where the richest rich folks of Oleander could blow through their money. At least they normally would be able to, but now the entire building was closed off, with hundreds of police patrolling around.


    Water poured out of every window, and the streets were flooded. The entire building had been turned into some sort of aquarium, filled with various fish and sharks that swam around inside of it. All caused by Cybercroc. He was living up to his name still, it seemed.


    "We could try and walk up to the front door and demand they let us in, but it won''t be as fun or nearly as cool." Myth said, rubbing his chin. "We''re going to do this stealthy."


    "That''s my specialty!" Whisper bragged. The woman was already gone, turning invisible.


    "The issue is the building itself." Myth explained. "Cybercroc''s power caused it to stay flooded even after every window has been opened. It''s like an infinite amount of water is in it. Until we can find the thing creating it, we won''t be able to properly look for clues. Even if we do get into the building quietly, we''d all drown."


    "Not all of us." Battery pointed at himself. "I can create a skin-tight barrier around myself. It''ll allow me to not have to worry about getting wet. Plus, I''ve sort of been to the bottom of the ocean before, and even space at one point; don''t even think about asking me how, so I''m pretty sure I''ll be fine."


    She raised her own arm up. "I got super endurance and super lungs! I can hold my breath for nearly an hour straight now!"


    "How''d you learn how to do that?" Snowdawn asked.


    "Battery kept trying to drown me."


    "It was for training," Battery said, shrugging casually.


    Myth nodded his head. "In that case, I have a plan. Battery, you and Cinder will enter the building through the top and work your way down. Whisper, once they find what is causing this building to be flooded, you''ll enter unseen and use the Paths to see if you can find any trace of where Cybercroc could have gone. Snowdawn and I will remain down here on standby and watch in case anything else happens."


    "Aw man, I don''t get to do anything cool." Snowdawn said, letting out a sigh. "Get it? Cool? ''Cause ice? See, not even my puns are that good anymore because of how bored I''m going to be! I just got my new ice armor and everything! Plus, I got this cool new ability I''ve been working on!"


    "You''ll get your turn, Snowdawn." Myth nodded. "We still need to take the bad guys out after all."


    "I guess." Snowdawn said, letting out a sigh. "That doesn''t mean I have to like it, though."


    She gave a small grin and folded her arms. "So how do we get into the building exactly?"


    Myth smirked. "I have an idea."


    "Oh no¡­"


    She''d have to seriously learn how to fly soon. It took Myth only a few moments to lift her and Battery up and carry them into the sky. They made sure they traveled in the shadows, made easier since it was night, and Myth easily flew above the many towers hovering over them. Battery carried her bridal style, while Myth, who was in his large eagle form, carried Battery by digging his claws into the man''s shoulders.


    Myth took them above the large, flooded building. They were so high up that they were able to hide in a cloud in order to avoid being seen. She had super durability, so she was confident she could survive a fall from this height, but it still made her clutch onto Battery.


    "Don''t worry, Kid." Battery held onto her and let off a soft snort. "I know my arms aren''t the ones you''d like to be in, but you got nothing to worry about. I won''t drop you-"


    Myth let go of Battery, causing the man to lose focus and drop her. She let out a yelp falling out of his arms as she began to rapidly spin toward the fast-approaching building. Battery dropped down from the sky and managed to grab onto her. She held onto him so tight she made him grunt as her fingers dug into him.


    Right before they rammed into the skyscraper''s roof, Battery''s golden barrier formed around them both, and it vibrated so fast and so quickly that they literally phased through the roof, using one of his speedster tricks.


    As soon as they were through the roof, she let go of him and moved away. Instantly, she felt herself be surrounded by water as they came out of the roof and reached the top floor of the Ward tower. It was of course flooded. She kept her mouth closed tight and tried to calm her nerves. Her eyes were able to see in the darkness of the room, due to her enhanced senses.


    No one had been hurt when the building had been flooded. Everyone had managed to thankfully escape in time. The Wet Bandits had done their damage, though. The room she was in was a fancy hotel room at one point, and now it was a mess. Water reached all the way up to the roof, and inside the room, several fish swam around.


    A shark lazily moved over to her, and she reached out to pet the thing''s nose, giving it a gentle boop. Battery didn''t swim and instead stood on the bottom of the room they were in, casually walking around as if the water wasn''t there. He was totally dry and gave off a bright golden glow as he looked around.


    She wasn''t the best swimmer, and unlike her mentor, she had a time limit. She pulled out some rope she had from her trusty backpack and tied it around Battery''s waist. She used him as a sort of anchor to keep herself grounded and swam next to him slowly as he moved around the room.


    All the electronics were a mess, and judging by the weird feeling she had through her skin, she was likely being constantly shocked with massive volts, though they didn''t have anything remotely close to the lightning she had been hit with by Battery. This stuff barely tickled.


    Battery made his way over to a wall and created a sword of light. He made use not to make his Imaginary energy have any electricity in it, only using solar. With his sword, he sliced through the door in one clean motion. That allowed them to step out into the hallway.


    It was also filled with water, and dozens of fish swam back and forth. She wondered how the villains could have gotten all the sea animals into the building. Why did they even bother? Was it for some prank? They normally went after wealthy people and would rob them, but jewels and pearls still floated around her in the water.


    If she were to take a gamble, she''d bet that whatever was causing this water to appear would be somewhere on the top floor that they were on, in one of the hotel rooms. After all, it would have to be in order to cause the rest of the building to be flooded since the water would flow down.


    Battery seemed to have the same idea as her, because he began to go to the different rooms and cut his way into them, looking around.


    She let go of the rope she had and swam over to a different room. It was listed as room sixty-C. There were sixty floors in the tower, and each room was A to Z. The rooms weren''t small either. Each one would be worth ten times as much as her apartment.


    She pulled her fist back and awkwardly punched the door. Despite being under water, her strength was able to easily force it open, nearly snapping it. She entered the room slowly and looked around. The first thing she noticed was the fact that it was swimming with crocodiles. Each one was fully grown and looked mean. Some were even the enhanced white versions that Red Ape had made.


    Those ones glared at her and rapidly darted through the water toward her. She wasn''t that helpless little girl anymore, though. She side-swimmed the bite and punched up with her fist, ramming it into the mutated animal''s mouth. Some of its teeth snapped out, and it seemed to howl, turning over in the water. It smashed its tail into her side, which shoved her into the wall, but it barely hurt.


    She tried to speak but couldn''t since she was underwater. She really didn''t want to beat up a punch of animals, but these ones were mean. She grabbed it by the tail and dug her fingers into it, shattering its scales. The animal whimpered and finally swam away.


    There were two more mutated crocs that glared at her and slowly circled, but they didn''t attack. She folded her arms and swam past them, kicking out with her legs. They could sense that she was the alpha in this situation and wouldn''t bother her anymore. At least that''s what she hoped.


    Something on the roof caught her eye, and she slowly swam up. The Wet Bandits normally didn''t bother to hide the thing they used to flood buildings. Due to all the sea animals, most humans wouldn''t be able to explore the building in time to find the cause of the issue. Especially when mutant sea creatures roamed around. Only Supers could explore a place like this safely, and among them, not many could survive under the water. Pretty much only Ocean Empress''s group was made to handle something like this.


    Because of that act, Cybercroc hadn''t bothered to hide his device again. It rested on the roof above her. It was a Mental-based tech. She was sure of that. It was some sort of metal cube, around the size of a basketball. It clung to the roof and was opened, showing an inky black void on the other side of it.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The room filled with a golden light, and she looked down, finding Battery had entered. The man lazily swatted and knocked out the two large crocodiles that tried to attack him, and then he stared up at the box she had spotted. He nodded at her. She nodded back and did her best to swim up to the box.


    When she reached it, she looked into it and stared into the black void that was past it. It creeped her. She knew what it was. It was a realm. One way too small to fit a person though. The realm on the other side was one that had no land or anything inside of it. The main reason Avalon gave up on the realm idea fifteen years ago was Max Lightning couldn''t control the realm he got. Some powers could create realms like Paragon''s, but they were also random and could be very deadly to live in. In this case, this one was connected to an endless ocean.


    She wrapped her hands around the box and simply squeezed down on it. The cube crumbled to bits in her hand as she easily shattered it. Instantly, the stream of never-ending water stopped. That wasn''t a good thing though, as all the windows in the entire building were open. All at once, the water began to rapidly drain from the building and flow out of it, taking the fish along with it. She hadn''t considered that fact.


    She felt herself collide back first with the floor, and she spat up a lot of the water that was in her lungs, gasping as air hit her. "No! The fish are in trouble! You have to help them, Mr. Larison!"


    "Kid-"


    "Please!"


    Battery sighed and waved his hand, creating several barriers around many of the fish. He began to run through the hotel, using his powers to move through the parts that still hadn''t fully drained. As he ran, he made more and more barriers around the fish, forming bubbles around them. Hundreds of the bubbles followed him, connected to golden lines that came from his fingers. Once he was sure he got all the fish in the building, he appeared outside and did the same to all the fish that had been dragged out of the building. He was moving so fast that not a single one had hit the ground yet. Over a hundred golden bubbles filled the air behind him as he took off running to the ocean.


    "The things I do." The man grumbled as he reached the ocean and ran across it, dumping all the fish.


    While he was busy doing that, Cinder slowly stood back up and caused a wave of fire to go over herself, instantly drying herself off and filling the room with steam.


    "I take it you cleared the water?" Myth asked, speaking into her ear. The man was outside, back in the van with Snowdawn and Whisper. Dozens of cops were going into the building to check it out now that the water had stopped flowing out. Battery had moved so fast that none of them had noticed the golden blur.


    "It''s my time to shine." Whisper announced turning invisible.


    "Wait!" She said over the earpiece she had. She held the cube in her hand, looking down at it with a soft frown. "I might not need Whisper''s help to come look for clues."


    "If you''re going to look for them yourself, do it fast." Myth urged. "Battery and you need to get out of there quickly; you''re about to be surrounded by people."


    She nodded her head and brought the cube closer to her face. She tilted her helmet up a bit, letting her nose out. It twitched softly as she smelled the metal. She had never used her enhanced senses through her nose before. Mostly because the stench would be bad. Even now, all she smelled was a wave of salt, but there wasn''t something else.


    Whatever Cybercroc''s power was, it had something to do with this metal. Even after being dunked in an ocean amount of water, it still held this strange scent to it. Like a dog, her enhanced senses were picking up on it. She could almost see a trail. One leading her to a certain path.


    She felt a little stupid if she was being honest. Dog-like senses were not something she would be bragging about any time soon. Still, she had to admit this power was useful. If she ran into someone like Green Wolf or Wish again and got close enough to smell them or got something that belonged to them, she might be able to track them down with her nose, like some sort of bloodhound or something.


    The air crackled as a golden light appeared and Battery stopped. He stared at her oddly for a moment as her nose was pressed to the cube. "I''m¡­ Not even going to ask, kid... Ready to go?"


    "Yeah." She gave a small grin and pulled her helmet back down. "I think I have an idea where we need to go."


    "Seriously?" Whisper asked over their shared line. "So now I''m just as useless as Snowdawn?"


    "Hey!" The boy whined. "Not cool!"


    Battery picked her up, and the two of them left the building, moving faster than any of the officers could keep up with. They appeared back in the van, and Whisper drove them out of the alleyway, leaving Ward Tower behind.


    She still held the shattered cube and smelled it, using her enhanced senses to filter through all the other scents that were across the city. "What is it, girl?" Snowdawn asked when he saw what she was doing. "Is Timmy stuck in a hole?"


    She flicked him in the forehead, the same way Mr. Larison would flick her, and kept focusing on the scent. She didn''t even need to tell Whisper what to do; the girl was way ahead of her, likely using the Paths to map out the destination. Whisper drove them through the city and slowly pulled the van into a parking position in front of a large building that had very loud music coming out of it. It was some sort of nightclub, the kind that had a bouncer out in front of it, and only adults would be allowed in.


    "Is this the place?" Myth asked, frowning.


    "Are we going to ignore the fact Cinder took us here through the power of her nose?" Snowdawn questioned.


    "Yes." Everyone said flatly.


    She nodded her head and finished crumbling up the strange cube. "I''ve always been able to see and hear things better than normal, so naturally my powers would also include an enhanced sense of smell. My super senses are well beyond anything a normal animal has, so my sense of smell would also have to be pretty good. At least that''s the conclusion I came to with the cube. It has this weird smell to it. One that I feel like I''ve smelled before, if that makes any sense?"


    Myth rubbed his chin and nodded. "Ward tower was heavily monitored at all times due to the guests that were in it. No one was able to spot any of the Wet Bandits arriving. The flooding just suddenly happened. I wonder if the weird smell you''re talking about is connected to how the cube got there."


    "How did it get there?" Whisper wondered. "I guess it doesn''t matter though right now. I''m going in!"


    "Wait-" Myth began, but it was too late. Whisper turned invisible and left the van, likely heading into the building. Myth grumbled under his breath. "There''s a good chance this place is a normal nightclub that is just owned or controlled by villains. If they spot any heroes running around, they could grab the hostages or even escape. We''ll need to find Cybercroc. There''s a good chance he''s trying to rebuild his villain group."


    "How do we get in?" She asked.


    "We go undercover." The man pressed the button on his watch, and his costume faded, leaving him dressed in his usual librarian outfit. Thaddeus adjusted his glasses. "I sure am looking forward to this night out." He said in a flat, unheroic voice.


    Battery pressed his own watch, and his clothes switched to his stained funeral wear, which he still hadn''t gotten out of. Instantly, she regretted having her enhanced senses on. Mr. Larion hadn''t bathed in over three days now.


    "You kids stay here." Jack said, exiting the van with Myth. "Even as civilians, you guys wouldn''t be allowed in this place. We''ll radio you if we need backup."


    Snowdawn grumbled and slouched down in his chair. "I never get to do cool things. See. Another boring ice pun."


    Jack and Thaddeus headed for the building. It wasn''t a tower, but it was still pretty big. It had no windows, but the sound of music still exploded out of it. A bouncer stood waiting for them. Thaddeus pulled his ID out, but Jack just strolled forward. "He''s with me." Jack said, pointing a thumb at Thaddeus.


    The bouncer nodded. "It''s good to see you again, Mr. Larison."


    Thaddeus shot a look at Jack as they entered the building. "Oh, don''t judge me; I used to party my ass off at this place ten years ago." Jack said, rolling his eyes.


    The inside of the building was filled with massive, colorful lights. Dozens of people were on the dance floor, and there were several bars set up as well. A DJ was up top, some man in a dinosaur mask who was going crazy on the music. Thaddeus made a face and wrinkled his nose. "This place sure is something."


    "It was way better back in the day." Jack shrugged. "There used to be these tables where you could do lines of- You know what, nevermind. Let''s just find where this Cyber bastard is and get this over with."


    Thaddeus went to say something but felt a hand grip his wrist. Whisper stood behind him, and she spoke softly in his ear. "Upstairs. VIP room. Something interesting is up there. Think that could be our guy."


    Thaddeus nodded, and his eyes darted around the room. In the back was a large set of stairs leading up to other floors, which were also crowded with people. There were many doors along the walls likely leading into back rooms, where mob bosses would hang out. Thaddeus went to take a step but stopped when he noticed Jack wasn''t moving.


    "Is something wrong?" He asked.


    Jack looked around, frowning softly. "I just felt a pair of eyes on me. I think someone here recognized me."


    "Well, apparently you''ve been here enough." Thaddeus said snarkily.


    "Not that kind of recognize." Jack rolled his eyes. "Just keep your eyes out, okay?"


    "Right."


    Whisper stuck close to them both as they made their way to the stairs. Battery lazily flicked his finger out, and faster than anyone could even follow, several jars exploded on a nearby bar, raining the liquor out and causing a commotion. The bouncer who had been guarding the stairs moved away to check what was happening, allowing the three of them to easily slip past him and head upstairs.


    "Can''t you use your barrier thingy to hide from people?" Whisper questioned.


    "Can''t." Jack said, shaking his head. "Sure, it''d work on normal people like this, but if a Super sees it, then it''ll be a dead give-away that we''re here. It doesn''t work on them after all."


    "Guess you''re not as stealthy as me-" Whisper grunted suddenly when the red-haired man elbowed her.


    "You''d be more stealthy if you shut up."


    They reached the room Whisper had discovered earlier. It was all the way in the back, on the second floor, with the words ''RR Private Office'' written across it.


    Thaddeus looked it up and down, frowning softly. "As soon as you kick that door down, the guy inside will be ready for you both." Whisper said. "I''m seeing him with my Paths. He''s a Super, though I''m not sure what his powers are. He can take one of your attacks. Be ready."


    Thaddues nodded. Jack flicked his hand out, putting up a barrier for a second that caused any human looking at them to be unable to see. It didn''t matter if a Super saw them or not anymore. They both pressed their watches, putting their outfits on, and kicked the door down, storming in now as Battery and Myth.


    It was a large office room with fine walls and a carpeted floor. A desk was in the middle where a man in a suit rested, and behind the man a large fish tank resided with a crocodile in it. The man looked average and gave a sly grin.


    "Ah. It seems E was telling the truth when he radio''d me. I knew you''d be here-"


    Battery fired his golden laser directly into the man''s head, causing the man to jerk. Despite that though, the villain stood strong and slowly stood up, kicking the desk over.


    "Fine." The man snarled, and his body began to change. His suit started to rip, and feathers jutted out of his flesh as his face expanded out and acid started to drip down his chin. "You want to be that way? I''ll just tear you to shreds!"


    "RR." Myth hummed. "Red Raptor."


    Red Raptor stood before them, grinning ear to ear as his tail slammed into the ground. "Time to die, heroes!"


    Meanwhile outside, Cinder and Snowdawn rested in the van, lazily watching the club. That was until Cinder''s nose twitched once more.


    She reached up, grabbing at it. "That smell is back." She hummed. "Actually, it''s getting closer-"


    An inky black orb appeared beneath them and rapidly expanded. It grew to full size, and then the next thing she knew, she and Snowdawn were falling through it. She suddenly realized what that weird smell was. The reason she recognized it and the way the Wet Bandit gang were able to get the device into Ward Tower without actually entering the building. She knew who Cybercroc had hired.


    She tumbled into the ground, no longer in the van. Snowdawn crashed down next to her, and before she could stand up, a wave of yellow acid poured onto her, causing her to yell out in pain.


    "You!" A voice hissed. "It''s you! The one who killed Polaron!"


    She forced her head up and stared at the man in the cloak. One covered in hundreds of small holes. Ears, former member of the Bad Timers, glared down at her.

 Chapter Seventy-One: Pantheon VS The Wet Bandits

    "How the hell are you here?" Battery jumped to the side just in time to dodge the wave of acid that spewed out of Red Raptor''s mouth. "I thought we were tracking the Wet Bandits, why is a member of Zoo here?"


    "Oh, don''t lump me in with Zoo anymore!" Red Raptor hissed. "I used to work for that bastard Green Wolf, but he never bothered to bust me out of prison! I got lucky! I was never placed on the transport vehicle that''d take me to Nightshade! Instead, I was able to escape thanks to someone else who had been abandoned by his team! Several months ago, Ears got into a fight but wasn''t properly disposed of, and thanks to his power, several of us were able to spring us out and get away! No thanks to Green Wolf!"


    Myth changed into his bull form and charged forward. He wrapped his arm around Red Raptor and rammed the man through a wall. The two transformed Supers crashed out on the other side, tumbling down to the ground. Red Raptor went to spit more acid out, but Myth rammed his fist into the villain''s head, nearly knocking him out in one blow.


    Red Raptor saw stars and stabbed up with his claws, barely throwing Myth off of him. "Ears!" The villain called out.


    A black orb opened up, which easily swallowed Red Raptor up. Battery cursed as the laser he fired missed and hit the floor. "That''s the pair of eyes I felt on me." The man stated. "When Polaron attacked the kid, both she and I were unmasked. Ears was there and saw me, so I bet he was hiding out in the club and noticed me."


    "Damn it." Whisper cursed. "I didn''t bother looking at all the Paths, and just focused on the one that would take us to the guy that owned this club. I should have been more careful."


    "It''s not your fault." Myth said, shaking his head. "We need to get back to Cinder and Snowdawn. I bet this building used to be owned by Red Raptor and was used as a hidden operation so they could earn money for Zoo. From what the villain said, he''s not working with Green Wolf anymore, so I doubt we can find out what Green Wolf is planning, but we might be able to discover where their base is. Maybe even what they''re planning."


    "Don''t forget, they''re working for Cybercroc now." Battery grunted. "From the sounds of it, that villain has rebuilt the Wet Bandit gang using members from both Zoo and Bad Timers."


    "Is Cybercroc strong?" Whisper asked, frowning.


    "Maybe around the same level as Green Wolf." Battery shrugged.


    A loud beep echoed out behind them, and they turned around, finding a drone slowly floating into the destroyed office. Their quick battle hadn''t been silent after all. "Well, well, well. Look who fetched the stick I threw." The voice of Alice Ward said in an amused tone. "Good doggies. You''re just like the Watch Dogs."


    "Don''t bother getting the story until we''re done with the mission." Battery flicked his finger out and caused the drone to explode. He reached up to his earpiece. "Kid, what''s your status? Kid? Cinder. Kid, are you there!" Battery zipped out of the building and made it to the van, finding it empty. "Shit!"


    "Are they gone?" Myth asked over the radio.


    "Yeah. Ears must have gotten them. That bastard could have teleported anywhere." Battery cursed.


    "Don''t worry, Cinder''s strong." Whisper said. "We''ll find her and Snowdawn. They can hold out. I have faith in them."


    "I hope you''re right."


    ***


    A wave of snow slammed into her, taking most of the acid off of her. Her skin didn''t burn that badly, and her costume was able to withstand it. She jumped back to her feet, as did Snowdawn.


    Ears crouched low and lifted his hand, firing out a wave of yellow acid toward them. She rammed her fist into the ground and caused her fire to swell out. It took on the shape of a large backpack, which opened up and swallowed the acid.


    "Seriously?" Snowdawn raised an eyebrow. "Since when can you do that?"


    "I did it in the fight with Wish." She shrugged. She wasn''t using her Lord form, so her flame control wasn''t as good. She also wasn''t nearly as strong or fast as she was in that mode. She didn''t want to have to always use the form if she could help it. Battery had told her not to rely on it as a crutch. She''d bust it out though if she had to. She wouldn''t let herself or Armin die.


    Her backpack faded out, allowing her to see Ears. The former Bad Timer member was growling at her. "It''s your fault Polaron is dead. Your fault Demonica has gone mad and joined that damn group! I''m all alone! Forced to work with this group! I''ll make you pay! You''ll suffer! I''ll kill you, and then your mom-"


    And just like that, she suddenly stopped caring about holding back.


    Her entire hair flickered into an orangish gold color. Due to how short her hair had become, it actually couldn''t be seen, and her eyes were hidden behind a visor on her helmet, so the fiery red also wasn''t visible. The only indication Ears had that something had changed was one moment she was across the room, and then the next she was in front of him, ramming her fist into the closest thing he had to a face.


    Ears was blasted back and smashed into a stone wall, shaking the entire area they were in. That was when she finally decided to look around. They were in some sort of underground parking arena. The kind with large stone pillars holding it up. There were a few cars, though not a lot, and she didn''t notice anyone else.


    "Damn?" Snowdawn stared at the cracked wall Ears had slammed into. "Did you really have to hit him that hard?"


    "He pissed me off." She said flatly.


    "Fair enough."


    Several black orbs suddenly appeared in the air above them. They opened up and began to drop several people into the area alongside them. It was normal civilians, from what she could tell. All tied up with bags on their heads. Another orb opened up, and she felt a chill go down her spine as Red Raptor, Red Scorpion, Black Skunk, and White Hummingbird all dropped to the ground. Hummingbird was already floating in the air, while Red Scorpion glared at her and Snowdawn. Red Raptor turned to face them and licked his lips, placing his claws on the head of one of the whimpering people.


    The man''s claws dug into the bag and caused the civilian to yell in pain as they cut into the person''s head.


    "Stop it!" She screamed and was about to move before Red Raptor yelled at her.


    "Take another step, and I''ll cave this bastard''s skull in. That goes for you as well, ice guy!" The villain hissed.


    Ears was most likely out cold from her attack. She was crazy fast in her Lord form, almost as fast as Battery, but she doubted she could cross the room in time and take out Red Raptor. Even if she could, though, Red Scorpion and Black Skunk both had weapons trained on their own hostages. Scorpion''s tail was placed under a bagged woman''s head, while Skunk held a grenade launcher with their finger eagerly on the trigger, aimed at a large group of people. In the back, Hummingbird stood, already pounding on her chest, buffing the three other former Zoo members even further.


    She slowly raised her hands up, though she kept her Lord form on. "Okay. Let''s just stay cool. Don''t do anything, man. Just chill out. Got that. We just need to stay frosty."


    Snowdawn glanced at her before looking back at the villains. His ice armor was already on, so he looked like some sort of ice demon covered in jagged spikes and claws. He also lifted his hands up. "Yeah. Cinder and I aren''t going to do anything rash. No need to burn through your load of hostages."


    "Do you two think I''m stupid?" Red Raptor growled. "One of you has fire powers, and the other has ice. You''re both making temperature-related puns. You''re about to do something! Well, not on my-"


    She blasted out a wave of fire. It seeped out in a bright flash, blinding everyone. Red Raptor howled and went to bring his claws down, but she blasted across the ground at top speed and rammed her fist directly into his stomach. Fire flowed out of her hands and feet, allowing her to move like an actual rocket, and she punched the transformed man so hard he was blasted clean out of the parking lot. She was only fast enough to get one of them, though.


    Red Scorpion brought her tail down, or at least tried to, but Snowdawn had somehow moved even faster than her. He had literally appeared in front of Red Scorpion and stabbed out with his claws, slicing the woman''s tail clean off. Red Scorpion howled and went to punch him, but her attack smashed into an ice sculpture of Snowdawn. The boy was gone again, seemingly moving with insane speed, as he was suddenly on the other side of the room, freezing the barrel to Black Skunk''s grenade launcher.


    The woman dropped her weapon and pulled out a poisoned knife, stabbing at the boy, but once again the knife found itself stabbing into an ice sculpture Snowdawn left behind, as the boy seemingly appeared behind Black Skunk instantly.


    "Teleportation?" The woman asked in shock.


    "Not exactly!" Snowdawn rammed his fist forward as hard as he could. He didn''t have super strength anywhere near the level of his best friend, but he was still able to punch Black Skunk hard enough to send the woman ramming into White Hummingbird.


    Red Scorpion went to bring one of her knives down on the hostage but never got the chance as Cinder came rocketing into her with a tackle, hitting the woman hard enough to break both of her legs. Red Scorpion screamed out and collapsed onto the ground, and Cinder pulled her backpack off, spinning around with it and using it as a weapon, smashing it into the girl''s head and knocking the villain out.


    She barely spun back around as her enhanced senses warned her of Red Raptor, who jumped at her. The man spewed out a wave of acid at her and the hostages, but Snowdawn managed to form an ice barrier around the people, appearing in front of them instantly again, and left another ice statue of himself behind.


    She dodged the wave of acid and grabbed the ice statue Snowdawn left behind, swinging it out as a makeshift weapon. It rammed directly into Red Raptor and exploded across the man''s body, causing him to howl. She followed up with the move Battery taught her, aiming one punch directly for the man''s liver and her final punch for his face, the fire blasting out of her elbow and downing the man instantly.


    Red Raptor smashed into the ground, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. She had knocked him out. Smoke poured off of her fist, and she blew it out as her Lord form slowly shut off.


    Red Raptor, Ears, Red Scorpion, Black Skunk, and White Hummingbird were now all unconscious.


    "Do you think you can freeze them so they can''t move if they wake up?" She asked.


    "Y- Yeah. Just give me a second." Snowdawn was on the ground panting. His ice armor kept cracking and was dripping off of his body. "I''m pretty tired." The boy gasped. "Used my new move way too much!"


    "What was that new thing you did anyway?" You kept teleporting, but also left an ice clone behind? It was like some move out of that old video game we used to play when we were kids."


    The boy managed to force his ice armor back on and gave a sly grin. "It''s a secret." He winked at her and stood up on wobbling legs, shakily going around the lot and freezing the bad guys in place with ice chains.


    She rolled her eyes and moved to the hostages. "Someone help!" One of the people pleaded. Her fingernails easily dug into the rope and allowed her to snap it off. She went around freeing them all. In total, there were ten different people. They were all fully dressed and looked like snotty rich nobles. They were likely some of the people who had been in Ward Tower. "It''s about time you come to save us!" One of them said when she freed them.


    "Do you know how loud you were during the fight?" Another rich woman demanded. "It hurt my ears, and your fire burned my skin!"


    "One of them nearly tore my head off, and you just stood on the side making puns!" A bleeding man demanded. "I almost died! I should sue you-"


    "Please don''t take an attitude with me. I don''t want to have to knock you guys out." That got the rest of them to shut up. Once Snowdawn was done freezing the others, she took her backpack off and pulled some bandages out. "Snowdawn, I still haven''t had any first aid training. You mind looking at this guy''s head?"


    "Yeah. Also, our signal is jammed; we can''t get a hold of the Hero Branch or Myth." Snowdawn said as he walked over. He grabbed the supplies she handed him and forced the rich guy to kneel so he could start bandaging up the guy''s bleeding head.


    "That hurts!" The man yelped.


    "Yeah, you got cut pretty badly. We need to get this checked out and treated before we move so you don''t get sick or anything." The boy explained.


    "What you need to do is get us out of here!" Another man demanded. "You guys are total newbies, aren''t you!"


    She casually placed her arms behind her head. "There''s a ramp over there leading out of this place. Be my guest if you want to leave. That said, we haven''t actually explored this area at all. We might not be in Oleander anymore, or we could be in the underground lot of some mafia man''s base. We can''t get in contact with our team either, so we''re by ourselves and possibly dealing with a powerful Super. Cybercroc was the one who kidnapped you guys-"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Cybercroc!" Another man rolled his eyes. "He''s in Lillian, not Oleander, little girl. Get your facts straight. Also, these guys are part of Zoo. So it''s obvious Green Wolf was the one to capture us."


    "Isn''t that so much worse than Cybercroc?" Snowdawn snorted and kept working on the guy he held, bandaging the head up.


    One of the rich ladies turned their backs on them and began to head for the ramp. "Well, since you''re not doing anything, I''ll just save myself-" She jumped forward just in time and wrapped her arms around the woman, dragging them to the ground. "U- Unhand me, you fiend-" The lady was shrieking but quickly shut up when a beam of water rammed into the spot she had been standing at.


    "Snowdawn! Barrier! Now!" She called out.


    "Right!" Snowdawn formed a barrier around the nine other rich people, while she kept the woman next to her safe. She glared up at the top of the ramp where the boss stood. Cybercroc had arrived.


    As the name suggested, the villain looked like a strange mix between a crocodile and a robot. Cybercroc was someone who had been turned into a monster and served in the Emperor''s army, but then got badly injured. Half his body was replaced with machine. An idea the villain had gotten from an old Enforcer member named Omega, who was also a cyborg.


    The villain stood at eight feet tall and had green skin. He had the head of a crocodile, though one of his eyes glowed red and had a camera built into it. He had two large metal arms and metal legs, and his tail slapped out at the ground behind him. On his shoulder, two large cannons rested. The same kind another hero known as Hydro Cannon would use. The villain had stolen them from the hero. Two of those cubes connected to the realm were at the end of the cannons, connected to the gun. The lid was able to open at such a tiny amount that the rush of water would blast out at supersonic speeds and slice through even steel as if it were wet paper.


    "G- Get me out of here." The rich woman whimpered.


    Cybercroc seemed to almost sneer as he stared down at her. "Bloody ''ell, luks like I went an got m''self a wiebitty ''ero t''at slinked ''er way in ''ere. Now ain''t t''at just a rill nee slappa, it is."


    She blinked, slowly processing what she heard. "What?"


    A wave of water rammed into her so fast she was yanked off her feet and rammed head first into the wall next to Ears.


    "Cinder!" Snowdawn cried out. He had formed a thick wall around the other nine hostages and vanished, leaving another statue behind. He appeared next to the last one, forming a barrier just in time to block another blast of water the crocodile sent their way.


    "Got ma se''f one of em coldy ones I do." Cybercroc growled as his water beam began to spin, causing the liquid to boil and melt through the ice. "Nothing a bit of ma, gud ol, heatem techy ''an''t solve."


    "S- Seriously please shut up." Snowdawn hissed. As soon as his barrier shattered, an ice sculpture was torn in two as he and the woman appeared near the back next to Cinder. He collapsed, more of his armor breaking off as he gasped and dropped to his knees. "C- Can''t do anymore. Out of energy."


    The woman shivered as ice clung to her from the spot Snowdawn had touched her at. "Y- You guys are heroes! Save me! Y- You have to save me! I- I''ll reward you if you do."


    She stood back up, rubbing her head. The spot the gun had hit her at bruised a bit. Her hair shifted back to its gold color, and she stepped past the woman and stared down the leader of the Wet Bandits.


    "Lil girlie, still waning ta go a fer runds? Ma techy will wipe ya outta this realm, it will."


    "I don''t want to hear another word out of you." She blasted out a beam of fire, which tore through the water blasts the villain sent her way. A wave of steam was kicked up, and she blasted forward with inhuman speed. She punched out with her arm and went to ram it into the villain, but his robotic eye was able to track her heat signature, allowing him to easily swing out with his arm. He rammed it down into her, hitting her into the ground, and shook the entire parking lot.


    "Die ya ''ire bitch." The villain''s hand wrapped around her face, metal claws trying to dig into her skin. They weren''t able to pierce her flesh though, and so instead the villain swung and rammed her into one of the cars. He smashed her all the way through it and rammed her into the ground, cracking it.


    She growled and reached up, grabbing the metal arm that gripped her. Her fingers dug into it, and with a simple pull, she casually ripped the entire arm off. Cybercroc howled and stumbled back as oil, and black blood flowed down his missing limb.


    "Ya bloody wanker! Wanker! Wanker ya ''re. A ''eal bitch-"


    She smashed her fist into the villain''s gut, hitting him as hard as she could. As she did that, he struck back. His cannon''s beams grew even smaller, and they fired out a thin beam that sliced into her shoulder, cutting it open. Cybercroc was sent flying back and rammed into the wall, but he was already back up. His remaining arm grabbed onto a car, and he threw it at her as hard as she could.


    She reached up and caught the car, but a moment later a thin water beam sliced it in two. She ducked her head down just in time and used her helmet to block the rest of the beam. It bounced off, unable to slice through the metal and split the roof above them apart. She threw both of the halves of the car she held at the villain as hard as she could.


    Cybercroc caught one of them, but the other half rammed into his face. He shattered his way past it, walking through the metal and howling. He looked back up at her just in time to see several backpacks surrounded her. They all had arms and legs and were made out of fire. All of them flexed, and she folded her arms.


    "Get him."


    The mini backpacks suddenly charged forward. Cybercroc went to jump away only to suddenly find himself trapped as ice surrounded his legs. On the other side of the room, Snowdawn gave a smirk. "Works every time." He groaned.


    The backpacks reached Cybercroc and jumped up. They all glowed and then rapidly exploded, self-destructing. She saluted watching them all. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain, my babies. I swear by my pride as a hero you''ll all be remembered in my hearts as Baggy-One, Baggy-Two, Baggy-Three, and Armin-Junior."


    From the mini mushroom cloud, Cybercroc came roaring out. His guns spun getting faster, and he aimed. "''Ie!" He roared. He didn''t fire at her, though. The beams flew directly for the rich woman who was cowering in a corner.


    Snowdawn was still down, too tired from spamming his weird teleport move, and her Baggy''s wouldn''t be able to make it in time. She blasted herself forward with her fire and threw herself in front of the woman just in time. One of the beams rammed into her leg, blasting through it, and she cried out, dropping to her knees. The other beam went directly through her gut. She clutched her stomach, spitting up some blood as Cybercroc stomped his way toward her.


    Behind her, the rich lady stared at her. "W- Why? Y- You saved me."


    "Saves a strong word." She groaned.


    He slowly reached her and took aim, pointing his gun at her head. Her eyes met the monsters. "Uny lest ''ords?"


    "Your way of speaking is stupid."


    The cannon opened, and she saw the flash of water. A pair of hands grabbed the guns as Snowdawn appeared in front of her. The cannons froze over, and he ripped them up, tearing them off of the villain. "I won''t let you hurt my best friend!" He rammed an ice fist directly into Cybercroc''s gut, causing the villain to howl. "Seriously! Her mom would freaking kill me!" He kicked up with his leg, ramming it directly into the junk of the crocodile.


    Cybercroc rammed his last arm out, and it opened up, unfolding into a straight-up minigun. The weapon spun and began to rapidly fire out a wave of water bullets. She grabbed Snowdawn by the waist and jumped back, looping her other arm around the other woman''s waist, and used her super jump to shove them out of the way. Due to her injured leg, though, she simply wasn''t fast enough. The bullets tore into her back, and she cried out, dropping Snowdawn and the woman to the ground. She stood over them, shielding them from the attacks. Slowly though, she collapsed forward, badly bleeding from her back.


    Cybercroc rammed forward, and Snowdawn jumped past her, but he was already spent from using so much power. The bullets tore into his stomach as he tried to form a barrier. The other rich folk stood behind their own wall, watching the entire thing.


    "D- Don''t just stand there!" The man with bandages yelled out. "You still have to save me! I have a family."


    Snowdawn crashed to the ground clutching his bleeding stomach. "C- Cinder. You can still fight, right?"


    "Hell, yeah, I can." She groaned. "Why?"


    "I got one more left in me."


    Cybercroc reached them and slammed his gun hand down. It smashed through the ice statue Snowdawn left behind. A second later, Snowdawn appeared, swinging out with Cinder! She was swung like a weapon, and she went with it. Fire exploded out of her entire back as Snowdawn put all his strength into his swing, gripping her by the legs. She rammed her head directly into Cybercroc''s stomach and hit the monster so hard his robotic legs exploded when they tried to keep him steady.


    The villain rammed head first into the ground and groaned, trying to stand back up. Snowdawn dropped her to the ground, and she spat out, shooting a thin beam of fire out that sliced off the gun arm before it could fire again. Cybercroc howled and began to spew out more curses at her. She stood back up, forcing her damaged body to move.


    "You really did a number on me, big guy." She crashed her knuckles, staring down at him. "I was beating you, but then you had to go and pull that dirty trick and shoot me."


    "Ya ''ust one big ol'' cu-"


    She rammed her fist directly into the villain''s snout, knocking him out. "Shush. No more talking."


    Off to the side, the rich lady rested, still shivering from the cold. "Is it over?"


    "Not yet!" A wave of acid flowed out, nearly covering the woman, before Snowdawn hastily managed to put a barrier up. Ears had woken up and teleported himself out of the chains. "It''s not over until all of you die-"


    The roof above the man exploded and he looked up just in time to see two fists. Both Battery and Myth came down hard, ramming their attacks into the monster hard enough to cave Ears''s face in. Battery unleashed a wave of golden lightning, while Myth transformed into his lion form and roared out, sending a sound wave. The attack rammed into Ears, and he once again hit the ground hard, rolling across it. He wasn''t going to be getting up anytime soon.


    ***


    "Can you tell us what happened?" Some Hero Branch workers questioned.


    "Well, I was staying in the Ward tower when I was suddenly grabbed by a disgusting monster!" One of the rich men was explaining.


    The underground parking lot, as it turned out, had been connected to the Ward tower. Cybercroc had wanted to remain close to the scene of the crime to find out if Ocean Empress had returned. They all made it out onto the street, where dozens of cops and Hero Branch workers rested. Several cars and ambulances were set up tending to the rich folk, who had mostly gotten a bit banged up. No doubt Paragon would be requested to heal them all before the end of the day.


    Drones flew around, taking the scene in. She watched from the sidelines. Her and Snowdawn were mostly healed up thanks to Mr. Larison.


    "Make sure this bastard doesn''t teleport out." Battery was grumbling to a Hero Branch worker. "I don''t want him getting out again. He''s too dangerous. Next time I see him, I''m killing him."


    Ears was being loaded into an anti-teleport van and would be sent to Nightshade ASAP. She felt a little guilty about all of this. She had knocked Ears out way back during the mall stunt yet never bothered to check if the villain got sent to the proper place or not. That slip-up had seemingly caused all of this.


    "I tried to read the bad guys'' paths." Whisper said casually, standing next to her. "What they said mostly checked out. None of them know about Fairy Queen or know where Green Wolf is, so we won''t be able to use them as a lead. They were all captured way before Zoo and Bad Timers were working together."


    Myth nodded. "I see."


    One of the drones slowly came down and stared directly at her. "Hello, Mrs. Ward." She sighed.


    "How did you know it was me?"


    "It''s always you."


    "I see." The drone floated up and down looking at her. "You''re Cinder. New costume?"


    "Yeah. Boy Genius built it." She bragged. "I''m kind of a big deal, you see."


    The drone let out a hum. "I had some cameras set up in this lot. Both you and Snowdawn took out all the villains, mostly alone. Would you like to say anything about that?"


    "Nope." She threw her arms behind her head. "I have nothing to say to you."


    "Okay. I''m glad your gang did clean this mess up, though it would have been better if you didn''t let two cars get destroyed." She stuck her tongue out at the drone. "Still, thank you for taking my request."


    "I didn''t do it because it was a request." She shook her head. "You don''t have to uphold your end or anything. I would have done this no matter what. I did it because I''m a hero. So don''t bother with a reward-"


    Snowdawn and Whisper both covered her mouth. "What my good friend is trying to say is she wants you to keep your end of the deal." Whisper said, chuckling. "See, last month at the mall, Myth said he was going to make a change. That wasn''t a lie. We''re going to save this city. No matter what. We''re going to repair it and cleanse it. We''ll stop any bad guy. Even the Emperor or the Beast. So please. Believe in us, Oleander City. Put your bet on Pantheon. It could even save the world one day."


    Myth folded his arms, looking into the drone. "We''ll be taking our leave now, Mrs. Ward. Spin this story however you want. We saved these people."


    The drone watched as they turned and began to leave. They were stopped though by a shout. "Wait!" They turned and looked back, finding that rich lady. The woman was staring directly at her. The woman stood there for a moment. "T- Thank you. For saving me."


    She felt a smile appear on her face. "It''s my job. I''ll do it any time. If you''re ever in danger, just scream for Cinder, and I''ll come running over."


    "Saving people does seem to be something you''ve managed quite well at, dear Cinder." Alice''s voice came out of the drone once more. "After all. You''ve even saved me once."


    "I have?"


    "Yes."


    "Neat?" She turned away and gave a wave of her hand. "Well, like I said to her, I''ll do it again. It was nice talking to you, Mrs. Alice. You can count on Cinder. Because I''m a superhero."


    They left soon after that. It wasn''t a school night; the disaster with Ward Tower meant Oleander Bay was closed down for the week, so she didn''t have to worry about heading home. It had been Whisper''s idea that they all have a night to hang out with each other. That was why she found herself stepping out of the shower in the Pantheon base.


    She wrapped a towel around herself and got her clothes. In the other bathroom stall, Lois was doing the same. "It''s been a while since I managed to get Thaddeus to agree to a sleepover." Lois giggled.


    "I''m more shocked that Mr. Larison agreed." She chuckled.


    Sleepover wasn''t really the right word. Mr. Larison wouldn''t be staying for too long, but he promised he''d stay for the movie. She got dressed, alongside Lois, in a pair of simple civilian clothes and left the bathroom. It had been night when they started this mission, and it was well past midnight by now.


    Upstairs, Armin, Jack, and Thaddeus were waiting for them. A movie was on TV. Some cheesy action comedy about the hero Pretty Face, trying to become both a pop star and a famous hero. She was reminded of the bowling alley.


    Myth had brought them there to celebrate alongside the Sub Enforcers for capturing Saw Head. Today, though, had been just them. No Sub Enforcers, no Watch Dogs, not even Paragon. Just Pantheon. Pantheon had taken down the Wet Bandits.


    "Yo! I got popcorn!" Armin announced. He was on the couch, so she and Lois got on either side of him as the movie started. She couldn''t help but smile a bit more. Times like these were nice.


    "Any word from the Watch Dogs?" Mr. Larison was back in his dirty suit and rested at a table next to Thaddeus.


    "Yeah." The man nodded. "They agreed to help us in the next few days when we try and go after Green Wolf."


    "That''s good." Jack adjusted his tie. "I won''t be able to stay long. I got work in the morning. I''m going to be busy fixing Ward Tower." He chuckled.


    "You said you''d stay for the movie though?" She whined.


    The man shrugged. "Maybe next time, kiddo-"


    A ring echoed out. Thaddeus reached into his pocket. "Excuse me. I need to take this." The man answered the phone and moved to another room. She forced her enhanced senses to not turn on this time. She didn''t want to eavesdrop.


    "Do you really have to go?" She asked, looking up at her mentor.


    Jack reached down and flicked her on the head. "Tell you what, kid. In the next few days, when we''re done with all of this, let''s go play a game of catch or something."


    "Can I come?" Armin asked.


    "Ooh, I want to come also!" Lois said, throwing her arm up. "I want to hang out with Mr. Larison!"


    "You guys are crazy." Jack sighed, shaking his head. "Sure though. We''ll all spend more time together. Pantheon''s story has just started after all. It''s got so much life left in it. I really think Myth is on to something. Pantheon is the team that could maybe save this city."


    Thaddeus slowly walked back up the stairs. The man held a heavy frown on his face. "What''s wrong?" She asked.


    "He said no."


    "Huh? Who did?" And to what?" Armin asked.


    Thaddeus took a seat, biting his thumb. "I asked the mayor to shut down any big events that are being held in the next few days to avoid anyone getting harmed by Green Wolf when the man finally strikes. He said no, though. He isn''t closing any of them."


    "What does that mean?" She asked slowly.


    "It means Pantheon can''t afford to lose." Jack stated, frowning. "The mayor just gave us a big handicap. You know what you did in this fight? Keeping those ten rich guys safe? Now do that with an event filled with people."


    Her face paled a bit. "Are there any big events coming up?"


    "One." Myth said quietly. "The biggest event in Oleander City. In other words, the perfect place, someone like Green Wolf would love to attack."

 Chapter Seventy-Two: The Concert

    ¡°Welcome to the third annual Pretty Face concert! Let¡¯s all make some noise, Oleander!¡±


    Music practically exploded from every corner, mixing with the loud cheering of the crowd. The sounds of feet stomping on stone echoed out in all directions, but it had nothing on the mix of drums and guitar. Fog poured out of the stage, blocking out the hundreds of flashing lights as people recorded the scene.


    Up on stage was where he stood. Pretty Face. King of magazines and posters. First place winner of the top five hottest male heroes three years in a row now and leader of the Sub Enforcers for Daisy City, former member of The-Future-Is-Now! Ran by Boy Genius.


    Unlike most heroes, Pretty Face wasn¡¯t known for engaging in combat much. In fact, the only villain he ever fought was the Beast, when he was one of the heroes shipped off to fight the Calamity two years ago. Pretty Face preferred to do the much easier and less stressful things of hero work. Namely, public appearances. Every year, he took it upon himself to go to all ten major cities and perform a live concert.


    Today, he was in Oleander.


    Oleander was known for being very competitive when it came to football. Near the rich part of the city, a massive stadium had been turned into a makeshift concert hall. A large stage had been constructed in the center, and the grass was filled with hundreds of people. Those who didn¡¯t get the premium tickets were up in the stands, which had been opened up, allowing for more room. Colored lights ignited the night sky, and up on stage, Pretty Face performed like there was no tomorrow.


    He didn¡¯t look like a hero. He was by no means normal-looking, but whereas most heroes wore costumes or gadgets, their weapons displayed on them proudly, Pretty Face was dressed in normal-looking clothes. Expensive for sure, but normal. A white buttoned-up shirt with a leather jacket over it. Tight black pants with dozens of chains forming the belt and shoes that would cost more than most houses in Oleander. His shades were tipped down, showing off a pair of stunningly blue eyes, and he had slick-backed, dyed silver hair. Like the Victorian, he didn¡¯t wear a mask. It was just Pretty Face, now. No silly thing like a secret identity. He was lean and tall and seemed to always keep a smirk on his lips.


    Despite looking almost soft, he raged out on an electric guitar. Behind him, a ghostly blue-looking Pretty Face went ham on a pair of drums, and in front of them, a glowing red Pretty Face was roaring into a microphone. The stage was filled with nearly eight different versions of himself, all glowing different colors and rocking out wildly¡ªa one-man band.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to gather my thoughts,¡± Jane muttered.


    Hope snorted and leaned over the railing she was on, staring down at the hero who had rocked out for the crowd. ¡°I heard last year''s concert was way more intense than this, Mom.¡±


    "Well, now I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t let you go.¡± Her mother huffed. ¡°You¡¯d have gone deaf before the night was over. Still might. Those tickets were so expensive, and it was just for these crummy seats.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pay for this. Myth paid for our tickets.¡± She was really regretting bringing her mother along to this thing. Children needed an adult to get in. The plan had been for Lois to pretend to be her older sister, and while in past events that might have worked, the guys at the front desk required a parent over the age of twenty-one, so she ended up inviting her mom, who happened to be free. She thought it would be a good bonding experience.


    ¡°So, you told your mom what this was going to be before you dragged her along, right?¡± Lois snorted.


    ¡°I might have left out some of the details.¡±


    ¡°Hope.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She waved her teammate off and slumped down. ¡°She just likes complaining.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I went to way more hardcore stuff than this!¡± Her mother argued. ¡°Your father and I were always getting h-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want you to finish that sentence, Mom.¡±


    Her jacket buzzed for a moment, followed by a stream of static. ¡°Mic check, one, two, three.¡± The voice of Thaddeus buzzed through.


    ¡°Hear ya loud and clear, big guy,¡± Lois responded, speaking into her own microphone.


    She and Lois had gotten the short end of the stick. Team Pantheon was scattered across the city in different teams. She was with Lois, and they were at the cramped, raging concert. Thaddeus, meanwhile, would be at a local amusement park. She could hear the sounds of joyful screaming and various rides going off from his radio. She was a bit jealous. Finally, that left Mr. Larison and Armin, who were on the other side of the city, where a famous museum was getting a new display.


    None of them were dressed in their hero outfits. They came looking like normal people and were attempting to stay under the radar. She wore an oversized T-shirt that had an old hero band on the front of it. The shirt belonged to her dad, and she felt it was appropriate. She wore a jacket with a built-in mic on it so she could radio with the others. All of them had the same gear for the most part. Thanks to how loud the concert was, no one seemed to notice them communicating in such a way.


    ¡°Are you sure that they¡¯re going to show at one of these three places?¡± The voice of Armin buzzed out through her jacket. She overheard the sound of a boring lecture as someone at the museum he and Mr. Larison were at drabbled on about famous rocks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Thaddeus replied back.


    Her jacket filled with static as a new voice came out. ¡°Well, when, or if, they do show, we¡¯re ready for them.¡± Backup announced. ¡°Watch Dogs is ready to get back in the swing of things. Though I hope they do show up soon. Bad Wolf is getting a little rowdy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go keep her company.¡± The voice of Duplicity replied.


    She hadn¡¯t gotten to see any of the other Watch Dog members, but she knew they were around somewhere in the city. Miles above, the boat that Watch Dog used flew around ready to go to any of the three other locations once danger struck.


    All three of the places they were at were points of interest. It had been five days since they visited and fought Cybercroc, and their time was starting to run out. Boy Genius had only given them a week, and that had been six days ago. They all knew that sooner or later the villains would have to attack. The bad guys had some sort of goal, though what it was none of them truly knew. Fairy Queen likely wouldn¡¯t sit by for long though, which is why they split their group.


    Pretty Face was holding a concert, the amusement park had opened a brand new ride, and the museum was getting priceless artifacts. All three of these places were just asking to be attacked. They had tried to explain to the mayor that all events should be shut down, but the man had refused, claiming it was bad for business. Not even Myth had been able to talk the man out of it.


    Because of the man¡¯s stubbornness, they were forced to split their group up and go to all three of these places, ready for when an attack would happen. They decided to use this as their chance to snatch Green Wolf or another Zoo member, hoping it would lead them back to Fairy Queen, which was why they weren¡¯t dressed in their hero outfits and were hiding out at the places of interest. It was Green Wolf¡¯s nature to pull some big stunt at a famous location now that he was back on the move, so all they had to do was wait for the villain to fall into one of their three traps.


    She turned away from the concert and zipped her jacket up. ¡°I¡¯m going to go do a quick walk around this stadium and make sure everything is still clear. You mind staying with my mom in case anything happens?¡±


    Lois shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be fine by yourself? I can come with you if you need me to.¡± Her mother asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you stay here.¡± She said, shaking her head. They were stationed near two different emergency exits, so if an attack did happen, her mother would have a better chance of escaping where they were. She didn¡¯t figure an attack would happen. Green Wolf was more likely to go after the amusement park or the museum, which was why she had been fine with bringing her mother here. ¡°You¡¯d be safer with Lois. Her power will let her know a few moments in advance if there is trouble near her. She¡¯ll be able to get you to safety easier.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m kind of cool.¡± Lois winked. ¡°Out of everyone on your daughter''s team, I¡¯ve never been harmed in combat.¡±


    ¡°You must be really strong, then.¡±


    ¡°Totally. I¡¯m the strongest, in fact!¡± Lois bragged.


    ¡°So we¡¯re just straight up lying to my mom now?¡± She asked flatly before she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe in Lois¡¯s hands, Mom.¡± She gave her mother a thumbs up and was about to turn away and leave but was stopped when the woman placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Stay safe as well, okay.¡± Her mother roughly pinched her cheek, shaking it. ¡°I only agreed to let you do this because it isn¡¯t a school night, and you told me you could handle all the grunts. If you have to face an actual villain like Demonica or Green Wolf, I want you to run away, got that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Myth, or Battery, will handle one of those two.¡± She shrugged off her mother''s concern. ¡°Besides, with how strong I got, I bet I could handle Demonica at least.¡± Green Wolf might have still been out of her league, thanks to just how busted his absorption and slashes were. Not to mention the bs teleportation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you can handle it or not.¡± Her mother said, shaking her head. ¡°Just make sure you stay safe, okay?¡±


    She smiled and nodded. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Aw.¡± The voice of Armin replied over the radio. ¡°That was nice.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, my radio was on the entire time!¡±


    ¡°It was sweet!¡± The voice of Duplicity replied. ¡°I wish my mother was like that.¡±


    ¡°Well. That¡¯s one embarrassing memory you¡¯ll carry for the rest of your life.¡± Lois patted her on the back.


    She struggled to get the red to leave her face as she made sure her radio was clicked off. Finally, she left, leaving her mother in Lois''s hands. She pushed her way through the crowd and slowly flame throwered the embarrassing moment within her mind. She would be on her own for a bit due to how big the stadium was. She also would have to be ready to rush over to one of the others. Thaddeus was fairly close by, the amusement park was only about two miles away from the stadium, and she could easily get there with a fire blast, but Jack and Armin were all the way on the other side of the city, and that¡¯d take more time. Thankfully, Mr. Larison was strong, so she was confident he could handle anything that came his way.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Every ten minutes, one of them was tasked with patrolling their protected area. Her and Lois had taken turns, and it was her turn now. As she walked, she looked around. People were dancing to the music, and she couldn¡¯t help but grin slightly. It was a little cramped up in the stands but still lively. She had to hand it to Pretty Face.


    The hero really was good at what he did. Despite how loud and blaring his songs were, there was an almost gentle nature to them. He was a Super blessed with more than one power, and his lyrics literally seemed to flow from his voice or his instruments and swirl around people. It felt really nice just listening to him.


    Whenever Pretty Face performed one of his concerts in a city, the people that visited him would seemingly be more productive and happy for nearly a month straight. His powers seemed to constantly help boost morale and crush things like doubt.


    It was for this big boost, as well as the rush of profit, that the mayor had likely refused to let the concert be canceled this year even if Fairy Queen had a one-in-three chance of showing up. The man had simply boosted security at the three locations and ordered they keep them safe.


    A job easier said than done...


    She was so focused on her thoughts she didn¡¯t even notice as she crashed into someone. She didn¡¯t fall back, though. Her strength instead caused the person she ran into to stumble back. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± A loud voice growled, and she felt an arm on her shoulder try and shove her back.


    ¡°Now, now, I¡¯m fine, Mr. Brenner.¡± A second voice responded. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was an accident.¡±


    ¡°Brenner!¡± Her eyes went wide, and she suddenly noticed who she had crashed into.


    A popular public event like this, ¡®he¡¯ was bound to be here. Mayor Grove looked the same way he had the last time she saw him. He was dressed in a simple suit and still had his pencil-thin mustache and neatly combed black hair. A few officers working as guards were with him and helped him stand up. In front of him was the chief of police, Mr. Brenner¡ªKyle¡¯s dad.


    The man had grabbed her by the jacket and had attempted to lift her up and shove her back. Her strength had easily overpowered him. She forced herself to step back, making it look like his shove had worked, and she dropped back, falling down.


    ¡°You said my name? How do you know who I am?¡± Mr. Brenner demanded. His eyes were narrowed as he stared at her. This was her first time actually properly talking to him. She had gone out of her way to avoid confronting him. From what little she had seen of him on TV, he was the total opposite of Kyle in every way.


    ¡°I- I go to the same school as your son." She winced and really tried to play up the act of a scared teenage girl. ¡°I¡¯m friends with him.¡±


    ¡°Are you the reason he keeps breaking curfew?!¡± She felt like she had just made him madder. There really was no winning with this guy. ¡°Are you trying to seduce my baby boy!¡± The caramel-skinned cop asked through clenched teeth.


    ¡°No?¡± She said awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh what? My son not good enough for you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Brenner. You¡¯ll scare the poor child.¡± Mayor Grove finally stood up and held a hand out to her. She took it slowly and got back up. Kyle¡¯s father was still glaring at her, but the mayor had a calm look on his face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The mayor questioned.


    She awkwardly shrugged and let out a sheepish laugh. ¡°Yeah. I was lost in thought, was all. Sorry for running into you.¡± She did her best ¡®not Cinder¡¯ voice. What were the odds that she¡¯d run into the freaking mayor of all people? She didn¡¯t know if she should have been excited or freaked out. She really didn¡¯t know anything about him and had only talked to him once when she was dressed as Cinder.


    ¡°Are you enjoying the concert?¡± The mayor questioned.


    ¡°I guess?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I considered canceling it this year, but many of you kids seem to enjoy it despite the danger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the danger that they like it.¡± Mr. Brenner spat out. ¡°Idiots. All of them. Even with heroes and the best security in the world, you¡¯re still going up against an insane madman. People just think that they¡¯re special and will be one of the ones that make it out.¡±


    ¡°I trust the heroes to handle it.¡± The mayor said in an effort to calm his bodyguard. ¡°It is their job to keep us safe. That means civilians like you won¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± It took her a moment to realize he was addressing her.


    ¡°R- Right. Well, of course, I¡¯m worried about a villain attack, but...¡± She slowly looked around at the vast crowds. Seats were filled, people were dancing, and down below, a massive party was going on. Even outside of the stadium, there was a giant crowd. ¡°People seem happy. I guess even knowing that they might be putting their lives on the line, they are willing to risk it.¡±


    In a way, it reminded her of being a hero. She risked death or injury each time she went out, but it was thrilling and fun. Something that kept dragging her back in. The way her heart would beat when she was engaged in combat or meeting other heroes. The way her strength and powers expanded constantly. She understood why people would do something stupid and put themselves in danger for a high like that.


    Unlike her, though, they had people that would protect them. She would make sure they were all kept safe.


    ¡°Precisely, my young friend. I¡¯m lucky that these are the people I serve.¡± Grove cheered at her words. The mayor leaned over the railing and looked down at the stage below. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see the people happy. We live in a world where it can be hard to keep going on. Our planet suffers, our people suffer, all caused by the threat that is the root of all evil. Yet still, kids are born, people go to school, lives flow forward, and humans laugh, smile, cry, and die of old age. I¡¯m truly blessed to be in an era like this where humanity still exists even among the disastrous Supers.¡±


    She stood next to the man and stared down at the concert, feeling a dryness in her throat. She knew how hard it could be to live in this world. For fifteen years of her life, she grew up as a normal human. She almost died that day during the bank attack. She had barely been saved. How did everyone else feel going about their lives like this knowing there was some terror out there? Every city seemed like it was always one bad day away from being wiped out.


    That was what the heroes were for, though, right? They existed to let humans keep being humans. Pretty Face was on his third song now and had created four more images of himself that were serving as backup dancers.


    The mayor kept talking. ¡°There is just something about Supers that seems to draw the eyes of normal humans. Some view them as blessings; others are jealous of the powers that they have. In the end, though, I think everyone views them with respect.¡± The man cleared his throat. ¡°Oh. Pardon my ramblings. I lost my thoughts. I shouldn¡¯t keep you held up here. Be on your way and stay safe, young lady.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± She managed to squeak past the mayor¡¯s group and jumped over a railing leading downstairs to a lower section. ¡°Well, that was weird-¡±


    ¡°Whisper to Cinder.¡±


    She instantly cleared her mind and gained a serious look. Lois wasn¡¯t just chatting. That was her hero name. ¡°Go for Cinder.¡±


    ¡°Get ready. It¡¯s about to start directly where you are. Whisper to Myth, Whisper to Battery, Whisper to Snowdawn¡ªthe attack is happening at the stadium. Get here now.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Can you get my mom out of there and then get ready to evacuate everyone on your level?¡± It might have been a bit selfish saving her mom first before the other civilians, but what they didn¡¯t know wouldn¡¯t hurt them.


    ¡°Doing so, now,¡± Whisper replied.


    Backup¡¯s voice came crackling next. ¡°I¡¯ll pick Myth up in my ship and fly him over, I¡¯m right in the area.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got Snowdawn and am heading that way now.¡± Battery¡¯s voice came over the radio distorted as the man ran at his full speed, blasting through the city and rapidly heading toward them. It¡¯d take him only a few seconds to arrive, thanks to his top speed.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± Whisper said from over the radio. ¡°Three, Two. One-¡±


    She stood on a set of stairs that led down to a lower level. No one else was at the bottom of the stairway nor at the top, so she ducked down and made sure she was out of sight. She slid the sleeve of her jacket up, revealing a silver watch she wore on her right wrist. She had to admit that she felt pretty badass, like a real superhero about to go on a secret mission. With a press of a button, a faint flash hit her, and then, in an instant, her clothes were replaced with her costume. On her left arm, she clicked another button, and the shield Battery had created for her unfolded. Finally, she pressed the button on her helmet, causing it to fold down and cover her mouth, keeping her entire head hidden.


    She didn¡¯t want the mayor or someone else seeing her and figuring out who she was based off of her lower face.


    For that reason, she didn¡¯t immediately jump and head out. Instead, she stayed put and began to focus her powers. She had never really considered why she had been blessed with enhanced senses. Perhaps it was from the title Lord of Cosmos that came with being the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, or maybe it was something else. Either way, she loved that she had them, as it always seemed to come in handy at the best time.


    This was not one of those times.


    The roar of the crowd nearly blew her eardrums out, and she had to shake and grab her head. If it was loud before, then it was an actual war zone now. She fought through the intense pain and forced her body to focus.


    Ears had been a member of the Bad Timers. He had teleportation, was able to move people to other locations, and enhanced hearing. Whereas most people could only teleport to places they could see, his powers allowed him to send people to places he could hear. His hearing was so advanced it covered the entire city. In order to not drive himself mad, he had focused his power on certain phrases or words and would block out all other noise.


    At least, that was how Battery explained it to her a while back.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she could do something like that exactly, but she did her best. She tried to ignore all the background noise. The music, the singing, the yelling, the dancing¡ªall of it was what she needed to drown out. She had no clue how Ears managed to do something like this on the level of a city.


    Her head ached, and the noise kept expanding, shaking her skull. Her vision even began to grow blurry, but she didn¡¯t let up and began to push her senses even further. Just as she would increase the power of her flames with sheer will, she began to try and force the height of her hearing to change. It was quiet. So quiet she doubted anyone other than her could have heard it. A familiar ¡®popping¡¯ noise.


    Green Wolf¡¯s annoying teleportation.


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± She said over the radio. Then she blasted out a wave of fire from her palm high into the air, instantly getting the security''s attention.


    It didn¡¯t even take a second for the others to jump into action. The music cut out, and all the colorful lights turned off, replaced with normal spotlights that lit the stadium up. A siren rang out, and she could see confusion on a few people''s faces before it began to sink in what was going on.


    It might have been a little bad using Pretty Face as bait. Myth hadn¡¯t liked the idea when the mayor suggested it. There was a good chance someone innocent could get hurt or even worse. She knew that this was a choice that was beating Myth up inside. It was for that reason she decided she wouldn¡¯t fall behind or make a mistake. She would ensure that nobody got hurt and that this plan worked flawlessly.


    A foolish goal, but one she decided had to happen to justify endangering everyone. After all, they wouldn¡¯t be in any real danger if she just made sure no one got hurt.


    She jumped up, and a wave of fire sent her spinning over the stairway. They were all separated. Not just the heroes but the villains as well. They would have known that this place was going to have several heroes in hiding, and so the villains had decided to split up their forces and go in from all sides.


    The pop she had heard came near the spot where the mayor had been. She came to a sliding stop when she saw who was up ahead. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot!¡± Mr. Brenner called out. ¡°He¡¯s got the mayor!¡±


    All the officers had their guns out and were trained on two figures. ¡°Oh wow! What are the chances? I must be the luckiest villain in the world to have run into you! How are you doing, rival?¡± He wore a red ape-like mask with a metal helmet placed over it. He was toying with the knob, causing an energy bubble to form on and off around him. His lab coat was as messy as ever, and in his other hand, he held a second helmet just in case she broke his first one.


    ¡°Red Ape? Seriously?¡± She cringed a little when she heard her voice. It came out distorted and twisted thanks to the helmet¡¯s mouthpiece she had turned on. It was actually perfect, as it ensured the officers wouldn¡¯t be able to tell who she was. By now, people were quickly evacuating several of the Hero Branch members who had been on standby, getting them out of the stadium, so no one would suspect that she came back dressed as a hero.


    ¡°New costume?¡± Red Ape questioned, looking her up and down. ¡°You should have told me! I would have totally gotten a new one, too! You can¡¯t just leave me out of things like this. Do you even consider me your rival-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Rejected so easily!¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother to look at Red Ape. Her eyes were focused on the other villain. He hadn¡¯t come alone. The mayor was held in place by a man in a blood-red suit. Like Red Ape, the man wore a cartoon monkey mask, one that had a large cigar poking out of its lips. He had an arm around the mayor''s neck, holding the lanky man in a chokehold, and in his other hand, he held a handgun, which he placed under the chin of the mayor. Unlike Red Ape, the man held himself high and didn¡¯t flinch as she glared at him.


    Red Monkey was an actual threat. His gun wasn¡¯t special; it wasn¡¯t Super tech or anything like that. It was just a standard-issue police pistol. Despite that, she doubted she could react in time before he fired it into the mayor¡¯s skull.


    ¡°A- Are you a hero?¡± Mr. Brenner looked her up and down as he and the rest of the officers stood in a standoff with Red Ape and Red Monkey.


    ¡°I am.¡± She stepped forward, and fire began to dance down her arms and coat over her fingers like claws. Red Monkey stared her down as Red Ape twitched nervously. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯m going to make sure no one gets hurt!¡±


    Tonight, Pantheon planned on wiping Zoo out.

 Chapter Seventy-Three: Battle Of The Bands

    ¡°Are you guys really going to be okay?¡± Jane Lauren asked.


    Whisper gave a casual shrug. She was dressed in her hero costume now and had led Hope¡¯s mother out of the stadium. Dozens of other people were also being escorted out, and many tents had been set up by the Hero Branch workers. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Staying out of trouble is sort of my entire thing. As for Cinder... Well, I¡¯ll have her back.¡±


    Jane nodded slowly. ¡°You¡¯ll make sure she¡¯ll be safe?¡±


    ¡°Well, duh. What sort of superior would I be if I let my junior get harmed in the line of duty?¡±


    Whisper got her gear ready and was about to head back into the stadium where the villains were showing up, but she stopped when she felt Jane¡¯s hand on her shoulder. ¡°You stay safe as well, okay? That goes for all members of that little team of yours. If you guys are all friends of my daughter, then I expect you all to hold to the same standard of rules I set for her and come back alive.


    The invisible hero let out a snort. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I know I¡¯m coming back alive.¡± She looked back at the stadium, watching the many twists and turns in the Paths. For a moment, she wondered how the others were doing.


    Battery came to a sliding stop as his golden lightning crackled out in all directions. He set a shaking Snowdawn down who clutched at the ground about to throw up.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± The red hero grunted. ¡°Didn¡¯t have time to slow down. Had to get us here fast.¡± They were at the stadium now, after he ran at roughly mach fifteen.


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Snowdawn groaned, clutching his gut. "Damn, you¡¯re fast.¡±


    ¡°Could be faster.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± Snowdawn shook his head and looked around. They were at the food concession stand of the stadium. A lot of people were running for the exit in panic, and many were trying to shove each other over. ¡°Stay in line,¡± Snowdawn called out. He was coated in his ice form and had created dozens of ramps of ice, allowing people to get down quicker. He had even made large cushions of snow to catch people when they fell. ¡°So, are you going to help or what?


    Battery wasn¡¯t paying attention and instead reached over the counter and grabbed a bag of chips, tearing it open. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything since Old Dog died.¡± He swallowed a fistful of the chips and wiped his hand on his suit.


    ¡°That long? How are you alive?¡±


    ¡°Superpowers.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I was worried no one would be able to get out thanks to that White Spider girl whenever Zoo started its attack,¡± Snowdawn stated. Everyone was seemingly able to leave the stadium grounds without any issue and were being escorted to a safe place by the Hero Branch members.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Battery shook his hand and stood up, finally full after eating a hotdog. ¡°Her power can¡¯t cover a massive place like this. She had a hard enough time covering a small hospital. Even if she could, it would probably hinder her own team since they need to come in and out as well. If Zoo attacked that boring ass museum we were at, then maybe that would have been an issue for us.¡±


    Then the two of them heard it. A familiar ¡®popping¡¯ sound.


    Snowdawn sent up a wave of ice in front of him and Battery just in time as a sea of jagged blades stabbed out. ¡°Looks like it isn¡¯t just Zoo.¡± Battery said, cracking his knuckles.


    ¡°Zoo Timers,¡± Snowdawn growled when he saw the two villains.


    ¡°I thought we agreed Bad Zoo sounds cooler.¡± Battery grumbled.


    Standing in front of them were two villains. One was a large, big-bellied man who wore a bloody apron. Where his face should have been was a circular saw, which spun and buzzed. Jagged shards of blades stabbed out of his flesh. Saw Head. Next to him was a ten-foot-tall blocky man. He was made out of solid stone and had a square-shaped body and head. Stone Face. Both were members of the Bad Timers who served under Polaron.


    ¡°I was kind of expecting Demonica to show up,¡± Snowdawn admitted. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Battery nodded. ¡°I guess you can say that. Looks like we got the two fodder members.¡±


    ¡°Fodder!¡± Stone Face growled, and his body tensed up. ¡°Funny. I was thinking the same thing. Neither of you are our target.¡±


    ¡°Why are you guys helping Green Wolf out?¡± Snowdawn asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the previous Lord of Life your boss and creator? I would have thought you guys wouldn¡¯t work for someone like Green Wolf and team up to kill Wish?¡±


    ¡°Ha! You really think Green Wolf is leading us? No! He isn¡¯t even leading his own team anymore.¡± Stone Face cracked his knuckles and took a step forward, shaking the platform they were on. ¡°I was hoping that if I didn¡¯t appear near the target, I¡¯d at least show up near Myth. I¡¯d like to pay him back for what he did to Demonica. Guess I¡¯ll just take my anger out on his two-¡±


    Battery heard enough. His fingertip blasted out a golden beam that slammed into Stone Face¡¯s chin and threw the man back. Saw Head tried to send his blades toward Battery, but they were blocked by a shield of ice, which Snowdawn forged and used to protect himself as he jumped in front of Battery.


    Battery jumped over Snowdawn and kicked off of the shield, launching himself at Stone Face and ramming a powerful gut punch into the villain. It was Battery that winced and gasped though, feeling the bones in his knuckles cry out as he failed to dent the monster''s flesh. ¡°You¡¯re not normal stone-¡±


    Stone Face gave a large grin, and his body began to change. He became lankier and stretched out as he went from a solid into a liquid. Like living mud, he swirled and twisted in strange ways, sliding past Battery and reforming himself to his solid form just in time to ram a massive fist into the back of the hero¡¯s head. ¡°Who¡¯s the fodder now?¡±


    Battery rolled over a few seats in the stands and caught himself. He flung himself higher up and latched onto the edge of the railing leading to the top floor. ¡°Meet me up there. We settle it, man to freaky monster.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d fall for such a pathetic attempt at-¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Demonica¡¯s arm?¡±


    Stone Face roared, and his body began to change again. This time it broke down into a gas. Gray and foul-smelling, it was like a cloud that flowed up into the air and began to slowly crawl its way toward Battery, who went up higher into the stadium until he reached the very top.


    Stone Face¡¯s body reformed into a solid as soon as he got above Battery, and he came crashing down, attempting to slam his elbow onto the smaller hero. Battery was fast, though, and casually dodged it with ease. Before the villain could even stand back up, his body was smashed into by Battery, who used his full weight to tackle Stone Face.


    Battery rammed his fist into the villain¡¯s stomach over and over again, golden lightning crackling off his arms as they moved like a blur, unleashing hundreds of powerful strikes in an instant. All of them bounced off of the monster''s stone-like skin, though, and the villain laughed and rammed his hand down. He missed the speedster who shot backward with inhuman speed. As soon as Stone Face¡¯s strike ended, Battery was back on him, attacking over again.


    That was how it seemed to go for several moments. Battery would ram his fists into Stone Face¡¯s stomach, hurting his own hands in the process, and then would dodge Stone Face¡¯s strikes at the last moment only to run back in and do it all over again.


    ¡°What are you, some sort of idiot?¡± Stone Face snorted. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me even if you wanted to!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been aiming for the same spot with every strike.¡± Battery smirked. ¡°Take a guess, big guy. What do you think will happen if enough of these blows land?¡±


    Stone Face growled, and slowly, his eyes went down to where a single tiny crack rested on his stomach. ¡°S- So what? Your hands will give out long before me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d think so.¡± Battery held his hands up, revealing the fact that they were undamaged. His golden light flowed out of them, fixing and mending them faster than he could break them. ¡°I think it¡¯s time I turn this up a notch.¡± He flexed his wrist, and instantly, a pair of knuckle dusters formed around his hands, coming out of his costume. He gripped them tightly and smashed a powerful punch into Stone Face¡¯s body so hard the villain actually gasped and slid back, the crack growing bigger. ¡°Oh yeah. I¡¯m going to like these!¡±


    Stone Face roared and tried to punch Battery, but the hero hit him first. The crack grew bigger and began to expand, and lightning coursed through the villain¡¯s body, making him scream and shake as he felt his nerves go haywire.


    In an effort to escape, Stone Face¡¯s body changed and broke away, forming into a wave of gas. Battery stumbled through it, unable to hit the villain, and Stone Face reformed behind Battery, slamming his fist into the hero¡¯s back. Battery took the punch and spun with the momentum, allowing him to turn around and kick out, but again, Stone Face escaped the blow with his mist form.


    ¡°Not so talkative now, are you!¡± The villain mocked smashing another strike into Battery¡¯s back.


    Battery formed a golden chain and swung around, slicing it through the air. Stone Face went back into his gas form, but Battery didn¡¯t let up. His chain bounced off the roof and floor, going back and forth and cutting through the air as he attempted to hit the gaseous villain. None of it worked, though, all passing through Stone Face. The monster was unable to turn back though, as he¡¯d no doubt be smashed by the chain the instant he got a normal body back.


    It seemed like they got into a strange stalemate, neither able to harm the other now. At least, that was the assumption Stone Face had.


    Battery smirked and began to twirl his chain in a circle. The effect became instant. The golden energy was swirling around so fast it began to pull the wind in towards it like a reverse fan. The fog cloud began to break and tear, and Stone Face screamed, forced to transform back to avoid being torn in two. As soon as his feet touched the solid ground, the chain smashed into the side of his face, taking a chunk of stone with it.


    Stone Face¡¯s body changed again, this time into his liquid-like state as he dropped to the floor like a gray slime-like monster. He rose up and bubbled the chain going through his body and not hurting him. He was also far too heavy for the wind to tear him in two this time. So, instead of trying anything fancy, Battery just swung his fist out and smashed it into the liquid monster''s stomach.


    The goo twitched and seemed to laugh at the hero when Battery¡¯s blow had no effect. Like quicksand, it latched onto the man and began to try and pull him into its body. Battery didn¡¯t seem phased though and simply opened the palm he had within the liquid. A golden orb began to appear in his hand, causing the liquid to come to a sudden halt.


    ¡°You really want me to blow you to bits? I¡¯d let go and turn back if I were you.¡±


    Rapidly, the villain¡¯s body pulled away and reformed into its solid form. ¡°You damn hero! If I were fighting anyone else on your team, I¡¯d be fine-¡±


    Battery¡¯s fist once again rammed into Stone Face¡¯s gut, causing the villain¡¯s eyes to bulge and his jaw to snap open. ¡°Maybe.¡± Battery admitted. He twisted his fist, breaking past more of the stone and smashing the monster into the wall of the stadium. ¡°I doubt it, though.¡± His energy began to expand, and in a flash, Stone Face was wrapped up in a golden ball.


    The villain might have been strong enough to break out of it if he had been at full power. Now though the monster just crashed face-first into the ground stuck in the orb.


    Down with Snowdawn, he raised his arm up his new icy armor, easily blocking the blades Saw Head fired at him. The villain formed a large, jagged greatsword out of thin air and swung the thing as hard as he could. The blow landed and threw Snowdawn back but didn¡¯t cause him any harm.


    ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m about as durable as Cinder now.¡± He noted, staring down at his hands. Saw Head brought his sword up and smashed it down onto the head of Snowdawn, but the blade shattered. He didn¡¯t stop though, claws forcing their way out of his fingertips, which he slashed out at the gut of Snowdawn with. ¡°Want to know why Battery went ahead and left?¡± His question actually managed to make Saw Head pause for a moment. He grinned and crouched down, placing his hand on the floor. ¡°It was the only way he could avoid being hit by this attack!¡±


    Everyone else had already evacuated their floor by now. That caused a single thought to go through the villain''s head. The hero he was fighting didn¡¯t have to hold back. Snowdawn could cut loose.


    Saw Head jumped away, blades stabbing out of his feet in an effort to raise himself up higher. It was too late, though. He kept his eyes on Snowdawn, ready for the attack-


    Snowdawn was gone. Faster than Saw Head could even realize it, the hero had simply vanished, leaving behind a frozen statue of himself in his place. It wasn¡¯t just super speed. He had seen Demonica enough to know what true speed was. It must have been some form of teleportation, then. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter, though. He knew he had already lost.


    Snowdawn¡¯s hand was on Saw Head¡¯s back. He had appeared behind the man the instant he vanished. So quick, the villain never stood a chance at dodging his attack. Ice flowed out of his palm, and the area around them began to snow and freeze.


    Saw Head twitched and shook, shaking his head. From the neck down, he was encased in solid ice that had attached itself to the floor, forming several layers. The cold bit into his flesh and did its best to eat away at him, but he tried to hold his ground and keep a cool head.


    Snowdawn walked in front of Saw Head and created a large hammer made out of his ice. ¡°Thanks for staying put. I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m going to need you to chill out for a bit, okay?¡± Saw Head let out the closest thing he had to a groan, and then Snowdawn slammed his hammer down, knocking the villain out. As soon as the villain was unconscious, he sighed as dozens of cracks began to appear in his armor, which started to break. ¡°Looks like I still haven¡¯t fully figured it out just yet. Got a full second there, though, so that is a lot better than last time.¡± He clicked a button on his radio, turning it on. ¡°Snowdawn here. Took down a villain quickly using my new combo. I¡¯ll need about a minute for my power to come back, and then I¡¯ll head down and help whoever needs it out.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Copy that.¡± The voice of Myth responded. ¡°I¡¯m almost on scene.¡± Up in the sky, a large flying boat appeared in the stadium, and from it, Myth dropped toward the ground below, landing near Pretty Face. ¡°I should be fine, maybe help Cinder out.¡±


    ¡°I could use the help!¡± Cinder said sheepishly over the radio. ¡°Got a bit of a situation over here.¡±


    ¡°Roger, roger.¡±


    In the field of the stadium, it had mostly cleared out. A few people remained who wanted to see the heroes and villains in action, but they were currently being dragged away by Hero Branch workers. The music had cut out, and Pretty Face leaned over the side of his stage and sighed. ¡°Man. The moment you showed up, everyone made a break for it.¡± He grumbled. All his ghostly forms were pulled back into his body, and he flipped his silver hair back. ¡°Ah, well. Can¡¯t say I wasn''t expecting it. Green Wolf is always pulling stunts like this.¡±


    Myth didn¡¯t respond and instead kept looking around the stadium. There was a ton of open land on this section. If he got someone like Green Wolf or Demonica, he¡¯d be at a bit of a disadvantage due to how much range they would have. He was ready to transform at a moment''s notice.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly shocked that you, of all people, came up with this plan.¡± Pretty Face called out. The man was putting his music equipment up and didn¡¯t seem bothered by the screams around him. ¡°I mean, it was pretty risky using all these people as bait, you know.¡±


    ¡°No matter what we did, you would have held a concert here.¡± Myth responded in a huff. ¡°You held one here two times already, and both times, you saw how Green Wolf responded to you. The money this thing makes is enough for the higher-ups in Oleander to look the other way and let it happen. Even if I didn¡¯t come, an attack would still happen. I can at least make sure the damage is kept to a minimum, thanks to my team, and ensure no one is harmed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure there is a part of you that cares about that for real. There¡¯s also a part of you that wants to do your job more than it does wanting to save people.¡±


    ¡°What do you think my job is? I¡¯m a hero. Saving people is my job.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. We know the real reason you¡¯re doing this is for a promotion. You want back in the good graces of the Hero Branch after you went and got cast out of our group.¡± Pretty Face taunted. ¡°If you really cared for the protection of the people, you would have brought the Sub Enforcers and would have also come as heroes, making it clear this place had a ton of protection. Instead, you deliberately made it look like this place was slacking.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think it would have changed anything? Green Wolf would have attacked no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. That could be how you really think it is.¡± Pretty Face clicked his tongue casually. ¡°Oh yeah, heads up.¡±


    Myth turned his head as two people began to walk toward him. They appeared out of thin air. One was a tall woman wearing a white suit. A cow mask blocked and covered her face. The second wore a black suit and had a black shark-like mask that covered his head. White Cow and Black Shark.


    Myth felt the muscles in his body expand, and his bones popped as he grew into his bull form and roared.


    Up above in the bleachers of the stand, Cinder stared down Red Monkey, who had his gun pressed into the mayor¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Save him!¡± Brenner yelled at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fast, but not that fast.¡± She grumbled.


    Red Ape was too close to the monkey. If she tried to strike him, the mayor would die. If she attacked Monkey himself, the mayor would die. If she did nothing, the mayor would die. She needed to think of something, and she needed to do it fast.


    ¡°Looks like we got lucky.¡± Red Ape smirked and twirled his second helmet on the tip of his finger. ¡°We got sent near the target. You¡¯re a hard man to find, Mr. Mayor. You went and stayed in your manner for a full week, keeping it guarded and protected with all your little monsters. We didn¡¯t think you¡¯d ever come out and give us a chance to get you. I bet you thought you¡¯d be safe here. Thought that Green Wolf would do what he always does and screw around. Luckily for us, though, someone else is in charge now. The mayor would have to make a showing at this place. Got to show the public it¡¯s safe, after all.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, then go ahead and get it over with.¡± The mayor said flatly. ¡°I¡¯m not really interested in hearing the ramblings of a madman.¡±


    ¡°No one is dying.¡± She argued, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to get you out of this.¡±


    ¡°You better!¡± Mr. Brenner barked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping!¡±


    Red Ape turned to look back at her. His grin faded when he saw the look in her eyes. He stepped behind Red Monkey, using the man as a makeshift shield. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t screw with Red Monkey if I were you. There are three members in our group you just don¡¯t mess with. Red Monkey, White Cow, and Black Shark. All three of them are the real deal. I don¡¯t know where Green Wolf got them from, but they¡¯re the strong, silent type. You¡¯ll have an easier time taking Green Wolf out instead.¡±


    Red Monkey cocked his head to the side and stared at her. She had to admit he was giving off a pretty intense aura. Call it bloodlust or something, but she could feel it coming off of the guy. A need to kill. Almost as strong as her need to save. Still, it was this bloodlust that made him fail to notice one thing.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s really that strong?¡± She asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say he¡¯s stronger than Green Wolf because he isn¡¯t. The power Red Monkey, Black Shark, and White Cow have isn¡¯t what makes them scary. It is their resolve. I¡¯ll tell you here and now, rival, you won¡¯t be making him stand down or anything. You lost the moment we got our hands on the mayor.¡± Red Ape taunted. He and Red Monkey were slowly backing away from everyone, keeping their hostage held in front of them. ¡°Go ahead and let us go, and we¡¯ll let the mayor live. We still need him for something, after all. Get in the way, though, and I guess we¡¯ll tell the others that Monkey¡¯s finger slipped, and he ¡®accidentally¡¯ killed our target.¡±


    The other cops all looked back at one another. She rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Wait. I have one more question.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Is Red Monkey taser proof?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Taser proof? Why are you asking if he is-¡±


    Red Monkey figured it out in an instant. He spun around and raised his gun up, firing blindly behind him. The shimmering form of Whisper appeared, and she casually dodged the bullets. For that moment, though, the gun wasn¡¯t aimed at the mayor''s head. Cinder struck fast. Fire blasted out of her feet and hands. A beam hit the gun in Red Monkey¡¯s hand, causing it to explode. A human would have had their hand blow off, but it just burned the villain a bit. The fire from her feet sent her forward, and she reached them, throwing a punch out. Red Monkey was forced to jump back to dodge it, letting go of the mayor. Red Ape let out a panicked yelp and turned his barrier on, but she ignored him.


    She wrapped her arms around the mayor and jumped away before either of the two Zoo members could strike back. She placed the mayor down and turned away from the cops who were grabbing him. ¡°Get him to safety. Whisper, and I will deal with these two.¡±


    Brenner nodded. ¡°You heard her! Underground parking, go!¡± He stopped for a moment and shot her a nod. ¡°Good work.¡±


    The mayor and his bodyguards made a break for it, the cops forming a shell around him. Red Monkey managed to fish out a second gun and fire on them, but she threw herself in front of the men and blocked the bullets with her shield. Red Ape lowered his bubble and was about to blast her with a beam, but he screamed out in pain when, out of nowhere, he was tased. Whisper stood next to him now, her electric tonfas buzzing as she rammed them into his side.


    He tried to take a swipe at the invisible girl, but she easily dodged it by tilting her hand to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll handle your rival, Cinder. You take the bigger one down.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t my rival!¡± She called out, but she was already charging toward Red Monkey. Her shield blocked his bullets, and as soon as she reached him, she swiped out with her arm, attempting to bash the man in the head with it, but he casually ducked under it. ¡°What the heck?¡± His movement wasn¡¯t fast. He didn¡¯t move like a Super. Instead, he moved like Whisper. Dodging it at the last second. She tried to hit him again, and just like Whisper, he leaned back just enough to dodge her strike. ¡°Hey Whisper, you have a brother or something I should know about?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± She called out, shrugging. ¡°My dad divorced my mom a little after the war with the Emperor. I was four then. I guess he could have had more kids, but I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Well, this guy is doing your shtick.¡± He moved like a normal human and dodged her strikes by a hair''s reach each time. She could have maybe cut loose and hit him with a massive explosion or something, but she didn¡¯t want to damage the area much if she could help it or get any of the civilians caught in the blast. There were still people running around the stadium, after all.


    Red Monkey struck out, twirling his gun and switching which hand held it. He seemed to have a form of super strength and durability, at least a minor amount, as he was able to smack her and shove her back. A normal person would have broken their hands doing that. Unlike Whisper, who only had the stats of a normal human, some of Red Monkey was Super. His attacks didn¡¯t hurt that much, though, and his bullets did even less damage to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think a gun is the best weapon for a Super-¡± Red Monkey fired the bullet, sending it into the metal armor that covered her mouth. His own way of telling her to shut up. She gagged and nearly choked on the metal before spitting it back out. ¡°Okay, rude!¡±


    Whisper swung her weapons out, but they bounced off of the bubble Red Ape had. She couldn¡¯t see his face due to the goofy ape mask he wore, but she knew he had a sly smirk on his lips. She swung again and again but it didn¡¯t matter. His barrier was just too tough for her.


    For a second, it came down as he switched the knob on his helmet. She didn¡¯t have time to capitalize on it though, as the Paths told her what was about to happen next. She jumped to the side just in time, dodging the beam. Her body vanished from sight as she used her power to turn invisible, and Red Ape simply turned his switch again, and his bubble came back.


    Whisper reappeared a few feet away and fired a stun gun, but that also bounced off. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re a bad match-up for me.¡± The girl noted. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking, Cinder?¡±


    ¡°Way ahead of you!¡± She yelled back.


    She jumped back and felt her back crash into Whisper¡¯s. She used her momentum to swing herself around, and Whisper did the same. She stared down Red Ape as she and Whisper switched enemies.


    Whisper grinned and eyed Red Monkey up. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this one goes.¡±


    Red Monkey took a swing at the invisible girl with his gun and fired it, but she already saw it coming. Whisper ducked under his swipe and twisted her body, causing the bullet to narrowly swing past her. She took a swing at him, but he stepped back just in time, causing her attack to brush the tip of his mask and nothing else. Her eyes narrowed, and both of them moved away, getting extra ground.


    Whisper dropped to the ground, avoiding another bullet he fired, and he raised his foot up, causing the taser fangs she shot to miss him. Red Monkey easily ripped one of the seats out and hurled it at her, but she was already using another chair to jump over it, allowing her to flip past it. She landed directly next to him and swung out as hard as she could, but he leaned his body all the way back, causing her swing to go long. He tried to kick out at her, but she jumped over his leg.


    Whisper watched the Paths around him constantly twist and alter. It reminded her of Myth in a way. Myth was someone who should have died two years ago in the Calamity attack with the beast. Instead, Myth lived, at the cost of his own father''s life. Myth was someone who, just by existing, seemed to change his own flow of fate. Red Monkey was very much the same. It wasn¡¯t so much as he was seeing the Paths like her. Instead, it was more like every time he was destined to lose his Path would change to a situation where he dodged.


    The Paths kept swirling and changing, both around her and Red Monkey, and yet his eyes never followed them. She could see them just past his mask, and they constantly stayed on her. That was what told her he wasn¡¯t actually seeing the Paths. She read them, and it was what allowed her to get in the right spot at the right time. He was doing something else, though. Something else that was changing time or fate.


    ¡°I think I sort of get how your power works.¡± Whisper grinned. ¡°I¡¯d like to try some more stuff out, though.¡±


    The hero¡¯s words caused Red Monkey to stiffen, and he charged at her with renewed vigor. She engaged in another flow of hand-to-hand, neither of them able to hit the other, but she wasn¡¯t aiming for any of his vitals. She had a different plan. She ducked under a punch, and her hand snaked its way around another handgun he had on his belt. In total, he had brought eight, switching out instead of reloading. She ripped it out of his belt and dodged another bullet.


    Red Monkey tried to stop her from getting distance, but she caught him off guard by throwing herself over the side of the railing, about to fall off the edge. She didn¡¯t fall far, though, as less than a second passed before a wave of ice exploded out of a section of the stadium below her and broke her fall.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Snowdawn yelled from down below. ¡°Are you insane!¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d catch me!¡± Whisper stood on the pillar of ice she now had. There wasn¡¯t any room, nowhere to dodge, and Red Monkey realized the same thing as her. They both pulled their guns up and fired. Her bullet slammed into his midair and deflected it right into his shoulder. Red Monkey let out a yell for the first time and stumbled back. ¡°I win.¡± Whisper took a step forward, and the ice pillar expanded and grew, allowing her to walk back up towards the section of the stands she had jumped off from. ¡°You see, I don¡¯t know how your power works fully, but...¡±


    Red Monkey jumped up and tried to dodge, but she casually fired without even looking. Her bullet once hit a wall and deflected back into his foot, downing him. He crashed to the floor below and took another shot at her, but she met his bullet head-on with her own, sending it back into the hand that held the gun, causing it to fall out of his grasp.


    ¡°Let me talk, big guy.¡± Whisper twirled the gun on her finger and stared down at him. She was still a few meters away, ready to blast him again if he tried anything. ¡°You don¡¯t see the future. Not exactly. Your Path keeps changing. This means you are doing something that changes it, right? Your dodges are sort of sloppy. They get you out of danger, but that¡¯s it. On top of that, they only let you avoid danger. If you could really see the future, you¡¯d never have let me take the gun and put you in this situation. I think it¡¯s something else. Time travel. Or something close. You¡¯re seeing everything that happens and experiencing it, but then sending your memories and consciousness back to a past self. Only issue is that you can¡¯t send it back very far, right? Maybe a second tops. I think it¡¯s this because I was able to hit by having two attacks happen across two seconds. My bullet fires. If you go back a second and block it, then it goes into your body. If you try to go back in time and dodge it, then it reflects off of something and goes into you. All I needed to do to take you down was have an attack that can go two different ways based on how you react. I figured it out because of how you got into this mess in the first place. When Cinder called out to me, you spun around and fired. If you hadn''t, I would have tasered you and downed you. Because you did that, though, Cinder was able to blow up your gun and hit you. When you hop back, you only get one chance, or maybe there¡¯s a cooldown? I don¡¯t really know how it works; it¡¯s all a guess, but either way looks like I beat you.¡±


    Over with Cinder, she raised her shield up, easily blocking the beam of energy Red Ape sent at her. She began to push her way through it, walking slowly toward him, and he let out a panicked yelp and raised his barrier. She swung out toward him with her shield and cracked his force field in one attack. The spare helmet he held in his hand changed and twisted, looking almost like a gun, and he raised it. For a second, a small hole appeared in Red Ape¡¯s barrier, and he fired his energy beam directly into her stomach.


    She stumbled back but quickly stood back up, mostly unharmed. ¡°Take that! I¡¯ve discovered a way to keep myself safe and attack at the same time! Pretty cool, right-¡±


    She charged at him with her shield once more, and he fired his energy through his mini-hole. She blocked it with her shield and rammed into his barrier as hard as she could. Fire blasted out of her feet, shoving her forward, and gradually she began to break through. His energy shield broke to pieces, and he let out a fearful cry, raising his handheld helmet gun up just in time to block her shield swing. Her attack shattered it to pieces, and then, with her free hand, she flicked the air as hard as she could, doing what she had learned in her fight with Wyvern and blasting out an air bullet that broke the helmet he wore.


    Red Ape dropped back, no longer having his gear. ¡°You give up yet?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I still have other tricks up my sleeve! Literally!¡± He raised his arm, and from the sleeve of his outfit, a burst of centipedes blasted out. They had been hiding in his costume and were nearly ten feet in length and thin enough that dozens of them had swarmed together. They wrapped around her and began to squeeze down. ¡°Did you forget what my power was? I evolve and control animals with science! I-¡±


    Her body ignited with fire for a brief moment, burning the bugs and killing them instantly.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know why you thought that would work. I literally have fire powers.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Fire beats most animals.¡±


    Red Ape growled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a bottle of what looked like spray-on cologne. He sprayed it on himself and proudly stood back up. ¡°Do you know what I just did?¡±


    ¡°Put on perfume?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± He folded his arms and stared her down. ¡°I am using the power of pheromones! Similar to how a queen bee, or queen ant, uses them to turn her workers docile and prevent them from attacking her, this spray is made to cause people attracted to the gender it is sprayed on to be unable to attack them. You can¡¯t hurt me, now-¡±


    She punched him in the face, causing him to crash to the floor and groan. Blood dripped down his mask, indicating he had a broken nose now.


    ¡°But how!¡±


    She pointed at the metal that covered her face. ¡°Dude, I¡¯m wearing a mask. I couldn¡¯t smell the pheromones even if they did work. Also, I think I¡¯m a lesbian, so I don¡¯t think they would have worked in the first place. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Aw, man-¡±


    She pulled her backpack off and bashed the scientist over the head, finally knocking him out.


    ¡°Man, backpacks are still super handy.¡± She hummed, clutching her bag. ¡°Who knew.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Four: The Real Target

    Kevin gasped, and his eyes shot open as he felt his organs restart. His skin burned, and he could feel it starting to regrow around his muscles and nerves as he started to live once more.


    Bright lighting caused him to squint his eyes, and he was unable to speak due to the massive tube that was shoved down his throat. He couldn¡¯t even move his arms or legs, as his entire nervous system hadn¡¯t come back yet. He just floated there, his brain putting itself back together one piece at a time.


    He was in a strange glass-like box. It was filled with an orangish liquid, the same substances in all the Wandering Coin¡¯s drugs. A buzzing began to fill his head as his ears came back together.


    ¡°-to the world of the living, Kevin!¡± He tried to speak, but the tube stopped him and instead caused bubbles to float up. ¡°Try to stay calm. We¡¯re rebuilding you strand by strand.¡± A voice responded, echoing in the strange box he was in.


    Past the glass, he saw him. Doc leaned forward on his cane and gave a grin. The man¡¯s lab coat was a mix of dozens of colors, and he had dyed his hair seven new shades. Kevin knew where they were as his eyes adjusted to the light of the bright room. The basement of the mayor''s manner. It was large and had been converted into a makeshift lab with stainless steel floors and walls. Dozens of tables were scattered about, and attached to the wall was the strange machine he had woken up in.


    ¡°How long will it take for his body to be put back together?¡± A new voice asked.


    Standing behind the Doc were two figures, both dressed in red cloaks. They wore masks that covered their faces and had coins sewn into the eye sockets. ¡°Calm down, Hannah. He¡¯ll be back soon enough.¡± The Doc smirked. ¡°He took quite the beating, you know. He split himself in two, and both halves died. One froze to death out in space, and the other popped like a balloon when it appeared at the bottom of the ocean.¡±


    The second cloaked figure walked forward and looked at another box that was next to the one Kevin resided within. He spoke in an older tone, being around before Kevin or Hannah. ¡°And what of Wish?¡±


    Kevin craned his head and felt his eyes go wide when he saw the girl. Her eyes were closed, and her arms and legs were folded in on themselves. She looked almost like a weird ball simply floating in her tank. She looked to be fully healed for the most part but wasn¡¯t awake like him.


    ¡°I¡¯m having some issues with Wish.¡± The Doc admitted. ¡°See, that bastard, Battery, brought out something I wasn¡¯t expecting. I knew he worked for the Emperor. Still, I never dreamed he would actually take up the Emperor¡¯s sword, nor that it would work for him. He used its power to force all of Wish¡¯s DNA back in her body, basically getting rid of her ability to come back anywhere she wanted to. Then, with the help of that Myth hero, they finished her off. Wish died, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°Yet here she still is,¡± Hannah spoke in a blunt tone, placing her hand on the glass. She stared up at Wish, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Now she won¡¯t wake up either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the main issue I¡¯m trying to get past.¡± The Doc admitted. He walked to the other side of the lab and smacked his cane on the side of a metal orb that glowed with a blue light. ¡°When a Lord dies, they either pass the power down to a next of kin, granting that person the new status of Lord or the power returns to the Pod. The Pod will vanish and then reappear somewhere else in the world, ready to make a new Lord. That only happens if a Lord dies, though. What does death truly mean? That is where the loophole comes in, I think. If I were to die but then my heart is restarted somehow, did I actually die or go to the afterlife? Long ago, the Emperor used his power to create his wife. The Princess of Life, the first one, perished in the attack of the Beast years ago. He made a copy of her and tried to convince himself it was the real thing. Then he had a child with her. The hero we know as Paragon. Thanks to her, Wish didn¡¯t truly die. Even without her body, Wish¡¯s consciousness was able to stay connected to this world, and thus she is still the Lord of Life. And thanks to the pod we have, I can use it to recreate a body for her as long as it views her as the master.¡±


    ¡°If all of her DNA was placed back in her body, shouldn¡¯t this machine not have any left to make her?¡± Hannah asked, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°Normally, you¡¯d be right, but this machine doesn¡¯t have Wish¡¯s DNA. Instead, it has the DNA that makes up her DNA. Her parents. These were the same cells I injected into your three to turn them into man-made Supers, proving once and for all that I have conquered the concept of the Lords! It is also thanks to this machine that no matter how many times you guys die, even total destruction won¡¯t be enough. I can always just recreate your bodies with this device, and eventually, your memories will start back up. So long as Wish is the Lord of Life, that is.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that means you conquered the Lords.¡± The man in the cloak said, turning away. ¡°After all, these pods were built by the four Lords. You weren¡¯t smart enough to actually create something like this like they were. You¡¯re simply using their tools in a sloppier way. Besides, clearly, there is a flaw in your little device. Wish still hasn¡¯t woken up.¡±


    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be so mean to him, Casey.¡± Hannah taunted, wrapping her arms around the man in the cloak.


    Kevin closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. If his body was still needing some last-second healing, then there was no point in being awake for it. He tried to rest, yet he simply couldn¡¯t, not because of how loud his two teammates were being. It was something else. A memory that kept gnawing at his mind.


    He had totally lost to Battery three times now.


    Even after giving everything he had left, a Super still beat him with ease. He was still just a weakling.


    A loud siren suddenly blared out through the lab, and it caused Kevin¡¯s eyes to snap back open. ¡°Oh dear.¡± Doc rubbed his chin and hummed. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hannah asked.


    ¡°The boss is in trouble,¡± Doc explained. ¡°And we¡¯re going to have to save him.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I told you we should have brought one of the Supers.¡± Mr. Brenner hissed out as he escorted the mayor down the flight of stairs.


    Mr. Grove shrugged off his bodyguard''s concerns with a wave of his hand. ¡°I knew there would be several Supers here, and I didn¡¯t want to risk being found out if that hero Paragon had shown up. She''s basically another Wish, and if she saw any of our Supers and realized how much their DNA had been altered, she¡¯d figure out who we were for sure. Besides, I doubt this little villainous attack would have happened if they had seen how protected I was. All we have to do is let the heroes do their job and wipe them out. The Wandering Coin is about to become the only true group left in Oleander.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think the heroes can beat all these villains?¡± Mr. Brenner asked, frowning.


    Grove shot a look down toward the field. He and his little group had almost made it to the bottom. Beneath the stadium was a large underground parking lot where their getaway ride would be. In the center of the field, he watched one of the heroes at work.


    Myth was fighting two villains at once.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Grove nodded his head. ¡°I think Pantheon can win. After all, I¡¯ve seen just how strong Myth can really be. He could have been a member of the Enforcers like his dad at one point. The moment Myth gets serious, I think even Wish would have a hard time with him.¡±


    In the field of the stadium, Myth charged forward in his bull form. He tried to ram into White Cow, but milk swirled around the woman, forming strange cow-looking armor around her. The milk had turned into a solid, harder than even steel, and caused his knuckles to ache as he rammed a fist into her gut. It managed to push White Cow back a bit, but he wasn¡¯t able to capitalize on it as Black Shark struck out.


    Shark¡¯s body sunk into the ground, and he swam through the grass as if it were water. His upper body grew larger, and his flesh turned gray, and when he resurfaced, he sported the upper body of a shark, with human legs and arms. His fangs sunk down into Myth¡¯s armor but were unable to force their way through the metal.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank Boy Genius for that.¡± The bull snorted and rammed his fist down into the eye of the shark monster.


    Black Shark hissed and let go, sinking into the ground, vanishing. Over on the concert stage, Pretty Face created a ghostly clone, and he used his copy to boost himself up onto a metal railing just in time as the ground he had been standing on distorted and his clone was torn in two by the shark. As it flew out of the ground, Pretty Face used his free hand to swing his electric guitar into the beast¡¯s nose, which dropped back down and sank beneath the ground.


    White Cow charged Myth, her milky cow armor growing harder. It was almost like solid bone now, and she shoulder-tackled Myth, engaging in a battle of strengths with the hero. Both the bull''s and cow''s arms locked together, and they shoved against one another, ripping up the ground.


    ¡°Hey Myth! Just to remind you, I¡¯m not a fighter!¡± Pretty Face yelled out. He was pulling himself further up the metal beams of his stage near the top, where his fog machines and lights were.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± Myth growled out, gradually shoving White Cow back as he won the battle of strength.


    ¡°I can help you out a small bit, but the moment my life is in danger, I¡¯m bailing. I gotta save myself above all others, you know?¡± Pretty Face tried to explain. Black Shark¡¯s head poked out of the ground, and his jaws tore into the stage slowly, causing the platform to shake and nearly fall over. ¡°Speaking of save, save me!¡±


    ¡°Why did I have to be the one stuck with him?¡± Myth sighed, finally throwing White Cow back with all his force. The woman tumbled across the ground and slammed back first into the edge of the stadium''s walls.


    ¡°Help me, you bull bastard!¡± The stage tipped over, and the rafters broke apart. Pretty Face dropped off of it and created a clone beneath him, which he used to jump off of higher into the air. He then created another clone and bounced off of that one, followed by a second, a third, and a fourth, allowing him to almost fly as he got higher and higher into the sky, avoiding the shark. ¡°Haha! You can¡¯t get me!¡±


    Black Shark jumped out of the ground and leaped out of it as high as he could, getting nearly thirty feet in the air, but Pretty Face was well out of his reach.


    ¡°Told you-¡±


    Before Black Shark hit the ground, White Cow blasted forward, boosted by a stream of milk she skated on. She landed on the back of the shark, and her milk armor expanded out and swirled around the shark monster, giving him hard armor and a pair of long dragon-like wings that flapped through the air, carrying him up higher. His mouth opened as his eyes stared back at Pretty Face.


    ¡°Myth!¡± Right before the shark reached him and tore him in half, Pretty Face was grabbed out of the sky as a massive, winged beast tore him out of the way of the flying shark. Pretty Face stared up at the creature that grabbed him. ¡°Oh yeah. I can work with this.¡± It looked almost like a horse but was far bigger and had massive eagle-looking wings, one of Myth''s forms. The mouth of the horse was latched around his jacket, and he swung himself over it and rested on the back of his steed. Pretty Face turned on the back of his ride and stuck his tongue out at the flying shark that was giving chase. ¡°Let¡¯s see you guys try to catch me now!¡± The pop star announced.


    White Cow¡¯s upper body formed out of the bony armor around the shark, and she pointed forward. The milk surged out and froze into a large spike the size of an arrow, which blasted through the air with incredible speed. It narrowly missed Myth, zooming past him and blowing through part of the stadium.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make the crazy villains chasing us mad.¡± Myth muttered, shaking his horse head. ¡°You¡¯re worse than Whisper.¡±


    ¡°My bad. So, any plan to take this thing out?¡± Pretty Face questioned. He wrapped his arms around Myth¡¯s neck as the winged horse dodged and weaved through the air, dodging more spikes that the flying shark threw at him.


    ¡°I got one. It¡¯s a little risky though.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Pretty Face asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I need you to jump off of me. I assume you can break your own fall?¡± Myth questioned, flying up higher into the air and getting well above the stadium now so no spikes would hit anyone.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°I mean, I guess I can, but the shark will turn and follow after me, I think.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to trust me.¡± Myth stated. ¡°Something about this entire situation just doesn¡¯t sit right with me, and I think I have an idea as to why that is, but I¡¯d like to confirm it.¡±


    Pretty Face gave a slow nod. ¡°Okay then. Good luck.¡± He let go of Myth and allowed himself to drop toward the ground at a high speed. He expected the shark to turn and chase after him, but instead, it went after the bigger threat, which was Myth. ¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡± He created more of his clones and used them to slow his fall down until he landed gently on the ground. ¡°Am I not who they were told to go after? Now that I think about it, all the villains have focused on the heroes. Almost like it wanted to slow them all down...¡± He reached for a radio he had been given before the concert. ¡°Watch Dogs, are you there?¡±


    ¡°Little busy.¡± Backup¡¯s voice came over the radio as a grunt. ¡°Duplicity and I are engaged in a fight with some guy in a horse mask. Bad Wolf and Roulette are on standby in case anyone needs help.¡±


    Pretty Face nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re fighting White Horse. Black Shark and White Cow are over here. When I was in the air, I saw Battery and Snowdawn fighting Stone Face and Saw Head. I also saw Cinder fighting Red Ape and Red Monkey.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Backup replied sheepishly.


    Up in the air, Myth dodged another spike that was blasted at him. He twisted his body back and attempted to do a barrel roll of sorts. He flew high and got above Black Shark¡¯s body. The flying beast tried to move out of the way, but it was too late. Myth transformed into his second-largest creature and dropped out of the sky, smashing his massive weight into the two villains.


    His body grew larger, becoming bigger than a bus, and instead of flesh, he now had grassy-like skin and wooden bones. Large wings grew out of his arms, and his head began to split apart and change into hundreds of massive snake-like heads. In the center of his body, a tree began to grow out of him, adding to his weight as he dropped out of the sky, dragging Black Shark and White Cow with him.


    This form was a grass dragon that guarded the tree that was said to hold divine apples. His many heads dug into the armor around Black Shark, breaking it to bits, and then, before the villains could break free, they smashed into the ground. Myth hit it hard enough to form a giant crater and shatter his plant body into hundreds of pieces. One of his heads twitched and reverted back into his human body.


    He dusted his costume off and stared down at the crater where the unconscious bodies of Black Shark and White Cow rested. Both villains were trapped under the roots of a large tree that had formed where he landed. They wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere any time soon.


    ¡°Myth.¡± Pretty Face stopped a few paces from him. ¡°They-¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t after you.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°We assumed that each of the three locations Pantheon split up at would be an attack point due to the event they were holding. Naturally, at this concert, my first thought was that the villains would come and try and kill you, but it seems you aren¡¯t the target. That means this isn¡¯t a mission Green Wolf is hosting. With members of Bad Timers and Zoo here, that makes me think that the reason they selected this place out of the other two must be something else then. Some related to the third villainous group in OIeander.¡±


    ¡°You think the Wandering Coin is here then?¡± Pretty Face questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s a good chance.¡± Myth nodded. ¡°We assumed this would be a good way to catch Green Wolf since he¡¯s always gone after you before, but in reality, the villains were planning for us to thin out. I¡¯d bet they know who the real target is, and the big dogs like Demonica and Green Wolf were planning to show up once we were all engaged in combat and distracted.¡±


    ¡°So, then, it is already too late?¡± Pretty Face frowned. ¡°Wait, why would the Wandering Coin leader come out here in the first place?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Myth hummed. ¡°Last time, Zoo Timers didn¡¯t know who exactly they were going after. It¡¯s possible the leader was banking on them, still not knowing who they really were. Since Bad Zoo is attacking, though, I¡¯d say they¡¯ve figured it out, or at least have a good guess. As for why the leader of the Wandering Coin would come here themselves, I still don¡¯t know-¡±


    ¡°Cinder to Myth. Whisper and I beat Red Ape and Red Monkey.¡± Cinder''s voice responded, buzzing in from over the radio.


    ¡°Copy that.¡± Myth replied into his own device. ¡°Did they happen to say anything?¡±


    ¡°They said something about being after the mayor?¡±


    ¡°Mayor Grove-¡± Myth felt his blood run cold for a moment. ¡°Is the mayor still there?¡±


    ¡°No? He was escaping with his bodyguards during the attack. I heard them talking about heading to the underground parking lot, though-¡±


    ¡°Find the mayor!¡± Myth barked out. He took off running, and Pretty Face was right behind him.


    ¡°You seriously think the mayor of Oleander is the leader of the Wandering Coin?¡± Pretty Face called out.


    ¡°I honestly hope not.¡± Myth winced. ¡°The mayor would have to come to an event like this for the sake of the public. On top of that, he was there at the mall the day it was attacked. He also worked with a lot of Supers and had a vast amount of land. At the very least, if what Cinder said is true, then someone is after him, so we should still get to him first, just in case.¡±


    The pieces were there. He just needed to see it for himself before he confirmed it. After all, the mayor was his...


    ¡°God, please don¡¯t let us be too late.¡±


    Down below the stadium, rubble dropped from the ceiling due to the combat that happened above. Many of the officers had formed an almost turtle-like formation around the mayor as they walked down the final steps.


    Brenner gripped his gun tightly, and his eyes shot from corner to corner. There were two parking lots for the stadium. The first was outside and above ground and easier to get to and escape from. The second was where they parked¡ªunderneath surrounded by concrete with only a single tunnel leading up and out of the stadium. There weren¡¯t many cars, only a few from the people who had set the entire thing up, as well as a couple of large stone pillars that held the place up.


    They had picked the location for a few reasons. The first was that any villain attacking would assume a sane person would take the shorter and easier path out. The second was just in case they were found out; they wouldn¡¯t have been instantly swarmed by Hero Branch officers or the heroes.


    Once they got to their ride, they would be set.


    At least that¡¯s what he thought until he heard the sound of metal on metal. Sitting on the roof of a black sports car, Green Wolf played with two knives, grinding the blades against one another. He wore a new suit. One that was a bright silver color and seemed to be made out of scales.


    Silver Dragon has made for a fine coat.


    ¡°Hey.¡± The villain cocked his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to meet you for a while now.¡± He flicked his hand, and Brenner was the only one fast enough to drop to the ground. He shuddered as he heard the sound of his men falling to bits. Mayor Grove was left unharmed and stared blankly at the villain. ¡°It¡¯s almost an honor to see you, oh mighty leader of the Wandering Coin. What do I call you?¡±


    Grove reached up and played with his tie. ¡°I think you know my name.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean, I know your name is Landon Grove. I mean your villain''s name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Green Wolf cocked his head to the side. He jumped off of the roof of the car and began to walk slowly towards the mayor. ¡°That¡¯s funny. You know I¡¯ve always been really good at smelling lies-¡± A bullet hit between his eyes and caused the villain to stop. Smirking, Green Wolf turned and looked down at Brenner, who had shot him. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    Brenner jumped to his feet and fired five more rounds into Green Wolf, and the villain didn¡¯t even budge. Brenner reloaded his gun and walked forward, ramming the barrel into the eye socket of the villain, and he fired until the gun was empty again. He tossed the firearm away and drew his knife, stabbing it into the man¡¯s throat, but the blade shattered and broke.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you that cop that said he was going to stop at nothing to bring Zoo to justice?¡± Green Wolf asked, letting out a hum. He reached up and rubbed his chin and tapped his foot. ¡°Yeah. You even said you were going to stop us all by yourself?¡± Brenner dropped to the ground and tried to sweep Green Wolf¡¯s leg with a kick but didn¡¯t even make the villain budge. ¡°Oh, I had a good idea! Since we¡¯re both in the same area, what do you say to a friendly duel or something?¡± Brenner was back on his feet and moved behind Green Wolf and got his arms around the leader of Zoo¡¯s throat, trying to get him in a chokehold. ¡°What do you say?¡± Green Wolf asked slyly, still not bothered. ¡°It could be fun.¡±


    ¡°Go! I¡¯ll hold him off-¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Green Wolf flexed, and his kinetic force blasted Officer Brenner off of him. The chief of the police rolled across the stone floor and smashed painfully into a car back first. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t play around since you¡¯re here, Mr. Grove. I wouldn¡¯t want you getting away, after all.¡±


    Mayor Grove had gone to take a step back but froze when he felt a hand pressed to the back of his head. Standing directly behind him, Demonica had her finger extended, sparks of purple flame ready to blast out and blow Grove¡¯s head off.


    ¡°Twice in one day.¡± The man hummed. ¡°It seems that for now, lady luck does not see fit to smile down upon me.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t play around anymore, Green Wolf.¡± Demonica hissed out. ¡°We need to find where Wish is and settle this fast before they get her up and running again. The boss said we¡¯d only have a short window of time, and Fairy Queen still isn¡¯t done fixing Golden God yet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Green Wolf shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Can¡¯t blame a guy for wanting to have some fun.¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    Green Wolf snorted and rolled his eyes. ¡°Right. Well, Grove, I assume you know why we¡¯re here, right?¡± Green Wolf asked, letting out a sly smirk. ¡°Tell us where the Lord of Life is. We know you have her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I still don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The man shrugged casually. ¡°I guess I will just have to die.¡±


    ¡°Is that seriously how you want to do this?¡± Green Wolf asked, cocking his head to the side. ¡°You know, at first, we all assumed that the Lord of Life was actually the leader of the Wandering Coin. The child of the Emperor, made to wipe this city out. It turns out, though, the real mastermind is just a normal guy. A plain old human. The boss saw Wish for himself firsthand. He knows the state she is in. She was utterly destroyed, but of course, if killing a Lord of Life was so simple, the Emperor would have never come about. She¡¯s still out there somewhere, right? Let me know where she is.¡±


    ¡°And you also care about this?¡± Grove asked, shooting a look behind him at Demonica.


    The woman let out a low growl followed by a high-pitched hiss as if she were some sort of mad animal. Even with one arm, she was still dangerous. ¡°Polaron wanted to kill this threat before it could grow more and get out of hand. He died chasing after this goal. As his second in command, I will follow it to my end even if I should also die.¡±


    ¡°Just remember, I get first dibs on the Lord.¡± Green Wolf called out. ¡°That''s why I didn¡¯t tell Fairy Queen we were leaving so soon. The boss keeps insisting only someone around the strength of a Lord can kill this threat, but I doubt it. After all, she was already beaten by Battery, and he isn¡¯t exactly the textbook definition of what I¡¯d call strong. I¡¯d like to go a few rounds with this Wish and see what she can do herself. If I die, then Golden God can swoop in and finish her off, I guess. Only after I got to play with her first.¡±


    The mayor snorted at Green Wolf¡¯s remarks. ¡°Trust me. Wish would destroy you. It was a fluke that she lost. Once she¡¯s seen a trick, it¡¯ll never work on her twice. She¡¯ll kill Battery the next time they come face to face.¡±


    ¡°So you do know what we¡¯re talking about?¡± Green Wolf asked slyly. ¡°Could you perhaps just let us know where she is? It¡¯d really speed things up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to kill me once I tell you, right?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, but here¡¯s the deal. You tell us, and I kill you. You don''t, and Demonica kills you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± The mayor retorted.


    Green Wolf twirled his knife and, in an instant, a small stream of blood flowed down the mayor''s cheek as it was sliced by an invisible force. ¡°I¡¯ll start at your head. Split you in half right down the middle. Make your insides meet fresh air. It¡¯ll be quick and it¡¯ll be painless. Demonica, on the other hand, will start at your feet and work her way up. Trust me, being cooked alive slowly isn¡¯t a good way to go out.¡±


    Demonica¡¯s fingers brushed Grove¡¯s neck, and for the first time since they began talking, the mayor actually reacted and shuddered a bit. ¡°I see. You do indeed have a strong argument.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll tell us where your little pet project is?¡±


    ¡°Now, why would I do that? After all, Lady Luck just smiled down at me.¡±


    Green Wolf sighed. ¡°Demonica, duck.¡±


    Demonica hit the deck just in time as a metal shield flew through the air and narrowly missed the tall woman. It soared over the mayor''s head and hit a stone pillar, bouncing back. Demonica tried to charge up a blast of her fire, but the flames left her fingers and swirled past her, heading to someone else. Her fire had been hijacked. She turned around just in time to see her purple flames around the fist of Cinder.


    Cinder rammed her punch directly into Demonica¡¯s gut and blasted the woman back. A second later, she raised her hand and caught her shield, attaching it back to her arm, and she raised it past her and the mayor just in time to block Green Wolf¡¯s slash.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t break?¡± Green Wolf noted, a little shocked.


    She lowered her shield and winced a little, seeing the nasty scar that coated the front of it. Demonica let out a groan from the corner she rested in and slowly pushed herself back up. Cinder¡¯s eyes drifted from the Bad Timer member over to the leader of Zoo. ¡°Looks like this is the second time I¡¯ve saved you, Mayor Grove.¡±


    ¡°It would seem that way.¡± The mayor replied, stepping behind her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get here in time for the others.¡± Cinder clenched her fist when she saw what was left of the mayor¡¯s bodyguards. She felt the fire begin to course through her veins, and she glared up at Green Wolf. She didn¡¯t need to beat him. Just hold him off until the others arrive. Her fire boosting had made her the second fastest, right after Battery, but since she was closest, she got here before him or anyone else. Any second, though, and the others would arrive. ¡°Give up, Green Wolf. You aren¡¯t beating us all.¡±


    Green Wolf twirled his knife into the air. ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting something, dear hero. I-¡±


    ¡°Can teleport. Yeah, hold that thought.¡± She glanced down at her watch. It was a little past nine p.m. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Green Wolf¡¯s eyes narrowed. He focused his power and tried to imagine the sword. He didn¡¯t have it on him. It was always with Avalon when not in use. He had a connection to it though, thanks to that. One that would alert Avalon, and then Avalon could use the power of the sword to then teleport him. It was how he got here along with the others. He focused on the image of the teleportation and tried to picture appearing behind Cinder. ¡°Too cocky-¡±


    Nothing happened.


    He stood there, having not teleported.


    Cinder stared back at him, and even with her mouth covered, he could tell she had a smug smirk on her lips. ¡°What did you do?¡± His voice had an edge to it now.


    ¡°Did your boss happen to tell you he lent your little blade out to Battery?¡± Cinder asked, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°What?¡± Green Wolf took a step back and shook his head. He focused on the connection once more, but nothing happened. He tried to force the sword to teleport to him, but nothing happened. Avalon was too busy or distracted and wasn¡¯t teleporting him anymore. He had been cut off. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± He brought his knives up just in time to block a golden bolt of energy that blasted over Cinder¡¯s head.


    Battery came to a stop just behind the female hero, his finger still smoking. ¡°I got tired of that little teleporting trick you¡¯re always doing.¡± Battery shrugged. ¡°So I tipped off Ocean Empress on where she could find the blade of the Emperor. Looks like Harrison is too busy to deal with your teleport commands.¡±


    ¡°You bastard.¡± Green Wolf snorted. He almost had to respect the trick.


    ¡°I said it already,¡± Cinder stated coldly. Fire began to flow down her hands, and from her helmet, a fiery red light shone out. ¡°You aren¡¯t beating all of Pantheon.¡±


    Standing behind Battery, Snowdawn¡¯s ice armor formed, Whisper became visible once more, and Myth transformed into his lion form.


    Green Wolf eyed all five heroes up. ¡°Huh. Well, Green. How are you getting out of this one?¡± He mused quietly. ¡°Oh, wait. I know.¡± He dropped his knives and raised his hands up, giving a cheerful cry. ¡°I give up.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Five: Whispers Daring Plan

    In current times, Chrysanthemum City is seen as a Calamity level threat. It had been locked away by the rest of the world, with massive walls and barriers placed around it to keep the full force of its infection in.


    A place swarming with monstrous beings, once humans, or Supers, they had long since given up their mortal flesh and became something new. The city now belonged to the Hive.


    It wasn¡¯t always like that, though. Chrysanthemum had been a normal city like any other. One that had its very own Enforcer member guarding over it. The hero known as Legend. Two years ago, it was hit by a Calamity-level threat. The Beast had arrived. Many heroes, and even villains, died to the Beast, doing their best to send it back into space, where it now resides, repairing itself and getting ready for its next big fight.


    It had been after the incident with the Beast that a Cleanup squad member would be infected by a strand of Lucifer¡¯s Dead Virus, mutating and involving into a brand-new form of sickness.


    It wasn¡¯t time for that story, though. This tale was set during the actual Beast attack¡ªthe once beautiful buildings of Chrysanthemum lay in ruins. The city had been known for its architectural designs¡ªtwisting roads, various theme parks, and buildings that went every direction but straight up.


    Now, though, magma flowed down the streets, hail rained from the sky hard enough to impale stone, twisters of wind tore anything not bolted down away, and lightning danced through the air, cutting out every source of power.


    The many buildings'' weird designs came in handy for once. At least, that was what Landon Grove thought. It allowed him and a few other dozen civilians that had gotten out of the streets in time to survive. They used the rooftops and hopped from tower to tower, all attempting to get away from the disaster that was destroying the city.


    ¡°Just a bit further!¡± Mr. Grove shouted. He had to scream it as loud as his lungs could manage just to get his voice to be slightly louder than the sounds of combat.


    What little part of the city wasn¡¯t filled with hot flames had dozens of Supers throwing everything they had at an unseen threat. He hadn¡¯t been able to get a good look at whatever the Beast truly was. It was far too fast and tore through anything that got in its way, even if that happened to be a building. There must have been nearly one hundred different Supers, all fighting a single target.


    ¡°We need to keep moving.¡± He yelled again. ¡°We¡¯re nearing the edge of this mess and will be able to be picked up by someone.¡±


    ¡°What we need to do is stay put!¡± Someone else screamed back. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to be jumping from roof to roof. If we stay here, a hero will eventually come and save us!¡±


    ¡°Like hell, they will.¡± He pointed down toward the ground. A large pile of burned Supers had been stacked together. Many of them had been blasted out of the sky when they attempted to fly, either from the Beast or a stray bolt of lightning that had caught them. ¡°We can¡¯t stay put! That thing could hit us any moment now-¡±


    It was like Lady Luck herself decided to play a prank on him. Before he could even finish his sentence, the building they were on made a horrible screaming sound. He felt his eyes go wide when he saw something massive crash through it from down below the street.


    Everything shook, and a few poor people slipped off and tumbled down, falling to their doom.


    ¡°Run for it! The place is coming down!¡±


    The roof was slick with ice, and steam constantly burned his eyes, making it hard to see how far the jump to the next building would be. He took a chance, as did many others, and he ran at full speed and jumped off of the roof.


    Dozens of people weren¡¯t as athletic as he was and didn¡¯t get close to the next roof, falling toward the pits of fire down below. He felt his body ram into the hard rock as he crashed into the edge of the roof, barely making it. He tried to grapple to the edge or dig his nails into any cracks, but the ice made it impossible to get a grip.


    He felt a panic kick in as he began to slide off. This building had been shaped almost like a leaning tower, making it function almost like a slide, so it was even harder to stay up than it should have been. Luckily, a few people managed to get to the top and got a solid foothold. One of them grabbed his arm before he stumbled all the way off and began to pull him up.


    ¡°T- Thanks.¡± He grunted, feeling the stone dig into his gut as he got half his body over the slope.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡± The man who had pulled him over hissed, shaking his head. ¡°We aren¡¯t out of this yet.¡±


    Rubble rained from above, and the heroes down below screamed something. Another building came crashing down as the Beast seemed to keep its straight line of rampage going. Pillars of magma blasted out of the sewers from down below, and even from up top, he could feel the massive heat waves.


    Their building began to shake once more, and he held on for dear life. They weren¡¯t near any other buildings, at least none close enough to hop to. Everything else had either already been reduced to molten rubble or was too far out of reach to jump to. The sound of stones ripping echoed through the battlefield, and he cursed out as their building began to tumble over.


    He kicked off of it as hard as he could. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to get anywhere close to any other building, but he figured it was better than being crushed to death by the tumbling tower. He dropped through the air at incredible speeds. The building hit the ground first and exploded into large shards of rubble. A jagged piece of stone slammed into his side from midair and spun him over.


    The building had been mostly torn down by the time he dropped, so the fall hadn¡¯t been enough to kill him. It hurt like hell, though, and he screamed out, feeling his ribs break along with an arm he landed on. Red gushed down from his side at the spot the rock had hit him.


    His eyes burned, and up ahead, the magma began to consume the torn-down building he had been on. He felt his flesh heat up, and his lungs burned like hell. He tried to roll over onto his side and crawl away with his arm, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough. The magma was catching up. It was like it was alive. It devoured the building and the crushed corpses, dancing over the bodies and reaching out for him.


    He was going to die.


    At least he would have. Today, though, Lady Luck was smiling down on him. She always smiled at him when he was in trouble.


    Shards of ice stabbed into the ground meters away from him and blocked off the ocean of lava. A wave of water rose out of the ground and twisted its way, avoiding him and crashing down onto the fire, putting it out and hardening the magma.


    He glanced up and saw them down the street. Two heroes. One of them was a young girl. She couldn¡¯t have been any older than fifteen and gripped a trident-like weapon to her body. She was shaking, and fear was ever present in her eyes. The other hero was an older teen, or maybe in his early twenties. He was a dark-skinned man who wore white robes.


    The man in the robes ran toward him, and Grove nearly let out a sob of relief as the hero grabbed him and began to drag him away from the battlefield. ¡°Good work.¡± The hero called out to the girl. ¡°You saved this man. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°P- Poseidon.¡± The girl said, still shivering. ¡°It¡¯s my first day.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to let a rookie come?¡± The male sighed. ¡°I¡¯m Myth. Stick close to me. We aren¡¯t going to be fighting that thing. Our job is to get anyone still alive out of here and leave it to the Enforcers to deal with the Beast. Sir, are you able to walk on your own?¡±


    ¡°I- I think my legs are broken.¡± Grove winced.


    Myth nodded his head. ¡°Understood. Grip onto me.¡± His body grew larger, and his flesh was replaced with thick fur as he morphed into a large bull-like monster. He gently placed Grove on his back. ¡°We¡¯re getting you out of here.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a flying form be better?¡± Poseidon asked.


    ¡°You know I can do that?¡± Myth asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I saw your dad.¡± The girl shrugged.


    ¡°I see. Well, normally, you¡¯d be right, but with the amount of static in the air, it¡¯s best not to risk it. Besides, the Beast has gone out of his way to blast down any Super it saw flying. Even the Victorian was shot down and is being healed by my father.¡±


    Poseidon nodded her head and reached out, taking the arm of Myth. ¡°We should go then-¡±


    A massive explosion shook the block they were on and kicked up a wave of dust. Grove risked a look back and instantly wished he hadn''t. The ice barrier Poseidon had made began to break apart as something simply walked through it. He felt his eyes sting, and it was almost like staring into the sun. Poseidon whimpered and held onto Myth tighter, and the older hero''s face dropped as he stared back at the Beast.


    He wasn¡¯t able to get a good look at it. The thing was practically causing lava to bubble out of the floor. With every step, it shook and glowed brighter than even the sun. They were already in its kill range. They lost.


    A harsh beam of lightning bubbled out of the light that made up the Beast''s form and blasted out. Myth threw the man he held into Poseidon¡¯s arms and moved in front of the girl, ready to take the blow. It never reached him though. The lightning vanished and faded as someone else moved in front of him and blocked it.


    Myth stared down at the man who had just saved his life. The man was in his late forties and had dark skin. Like Myth, he also wore white robes: Legend, a member of the Enforcers, and father of Myth.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± Legend stated.


    ¡°Where are the other Enforcers-¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Legend screamed it this time. ¡°Now.¡±


    More lightning blasted out of the hole in the ice wall, and Legend moved forward and blocked them with his palm. His body grew larger, and he got to nearly ten feet tall. His veins glowed, and lightning began to bubble inside of him, and his hair grew long and white. Legend didn¡¯t become a monster like his son. Instead, he became a God of Thunder!


    ¡°Leave! Now.¡± Legend yelled back.


    Myth stared at his father, then wrapped his arm around Poseidon, picking her and Grover up. He didn¡¯t look back as he ran.


    Grove did, though. Grove stared back as Legend marched toward the Beast, the last Enforcer left standing, ready to do his job.


    ***


    ¡°Lady luck does seem to have a way of smiling down on me. Is it destiny, fate, or maybe something else?¡± Mayor Grove mused.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Myth hissed out and slammed the man into the wall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rough with him.¡± Battery called out. ¡°He¡¯s just a normal human.¡±


    ¡°Is he, though?¡± Snowdawn frowned.


    They were still in the underground parking lot. It had turned into a weird stand-off of sorts. Green Wolf had claimed he had given up. He didn¡¯t hold a weapon but still stood up straight with his arms folded. It was clear the villain was having a silent laugh at everything that was going on. Next to him, Demonica stood, glaring at the heroes, but she was wise enough to not try anything for the time being.


    Battery and Snowdawn kept their eyes locked on the villains. Battery had even formed a golden bubble around Green Wolf and Demonica, which would buy them a single second should the villains try to attack. Whisper stood next to Myth, trying to calm him down. Myth currently had the mayor of Oleander pressed up to a wall, his fingers digging into the man¡¯s jacket.


    As for Cinder... She awkwardly stood in the back, watching all the groups. ¡°I had my enhanced senses on and heard him admit to it.¡± She said slowly. ¡°¡®Trust me. Wish would destroy you. It was a fluke that she lost. Once she¡¯s seen a trick, it¡¯ll never work on her twice. She¡¯ll kill Battery the next time they come face to face.¡¯ That¡¯s what I heard him say.¡±


    ¡°He knows Wish?¡± Snowdawn asked, shooting a look toward the mayor.


    ¡°Why do you think we were after him in the first place?¡± Green Wolf¡¯s voice came out muffled and distorted thanks to the bubble of energy he was in.


    ¡°They were after the mayor?¡±


    ¡°It caught me off guard as well.¡± Cinder nodded. ¡°How do you know Wish?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? He¡¯s the leader of the Wandering Coin.¡± Battery said flatly.


    That caught her off guard. Even Whisper seemed a little surprised. The girl stared at the mayor, her head cocked to the side, likely trying to read his Paths. Her mind raced as she thought about that. If the mayor was evil, did that mean Kyle¡¯s dad was evil also? Speaking of which, what happened to the-


    Green Wolf tapped at the barrier, cocking his head to the side. ¡°You know it¡¯d be smart to simply crush us to death while you can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d break out of here before the barrier harmed you.¡± Battery snorted.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Green Wolf shrugged. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t teleport now, so even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get very far. It makes me wonder why you¡¯re relaxing on the job.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t piss the heroes off,¡± Demonica growled out, banging on the barrier with her remaining limb. Her gaze had never left Myth, practically glaring at the monster that had left her crippled. Myth, on the other hand, didn¡¯t bother paying any attention to them. He was too busy still pinning the mayor to the wall. ¡°They could probably kill us and get away with it with a light slap on the wrist.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been the leader of the Wandering Coin?¡± Myth hissed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Mayor Grove said flatly.


    ¡°You can cut the act.¡± Green Wolf called out. He leaned in his bubble and used it to slide down into a sitting position, getting comfortable. ¡°We all know.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking.¡± Battery twitched his finger, and the bubble around Green Wolf grew smaller, causing the villain to have to shift. ¡°I don¡¯t want you talking.¡±


    ¡°Why? Scared that I¡¯ll say something I shouldn¡¯t?¡± The villain snorted. ¡°I¡¯m trapped, with no means of escape. What could I possibly do?¡±


    ¡°Keep talking, and I think I¡¯ll do what Demonica suggested.¡±


    Green Wolf shrugged and threw his arms behind his head as he got comfortable in a new sitting position. ¡°Like my new boots? I made them out of this hero-¡± The bubble grew smaller again and nearly caused Green Wolf to fold over as he was forced to crouch down. The walls began to close in on him slowly, ready to crush him, but he flicked his own finger out, and another bubble made of kinetic energy formed out of him, forcing Battery¡¯s bubble to expand back to its normal height. Battery grunted and held his hand out, trying to outpower Green Wolf¡¯s, and Snowdawn and Cinder both got ready for combat in case the villain broke out. ¡°I have to wonder how you did it.¡± Green Wolf hummed. ¡°I mean, how did you get rid of teleportation?¡±


    ¡°Ocean Empress.¡± Battery said through gritted teeth. His bubble began to crack around Green Wolf¡¯s as the villain''s own started to grow larger.


    ¡°I know that, but I more meant how-¡±


    ¡°Stop paying attention to him.¡± Myth growled out. ¡°He¡¯s just in it for the looks of shock on all of your faces. Turn away from him, and he¡¯ll get bored. Our focus is on this man.¡±


    ¡°I get that he¡¯s a villain, but you kind of look like you¡¯re about to blow a gasket, Myth.¡± Cinder stepped forward and placed a hand on her leader''s shoulder.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m mad! This man! Because of you, my father is¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly my fault.¡± Grove snorted. ¡°I happened to be caught up in the attack, the same as you.¡±


    Myth gritted his teeth and pulled his fist back, but it was stopped by Cinder, who held his arm in place. She shook her head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t question him here. We know he¡¯s the leader of the Wandering Coin. We should arrest him or something. He¡¯s the mayor, so this is bound to cause issues, and I¡¯m sure the Hero Branch will want to talk to him or something. We can question him then and find out what¡¯s going on. For now, though, we need to focus on capturing and arresting Green Wolf. He was why we did this, right? To find out where Fairy Queen is.¡±


    ¡°For once, Cinder is right.¡± Whisper nodded.


    ¡°For once?¡±


    Myth slowly lowered his arm and let go of the mayor. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry. I¡¯m just a little ticked off, is all. Whisper, keep him held in place. If his Paths seem like he¡¯ll try something, then stun him. Battery, you and I will attempt to detain Green Wolf. Cinder, since you¡¯re fireproof, I want you to detain, or at least keep, Demonica held back as long as you can. Snowdawn, you¡¯ll support all of us when we need it, but mainly focus on Cinder.¡±


    Demonica¡¯s body grew more rigid, and her eyes narrowed. The woman began to pace, sensing a fight about to break out. Green Wolf folded his arms and didn¡¯t look like he was about to put up a fight.


    Myth moved closer to Battery and stared at the two villains. ¡°We have the Watch Dogs upstairs. They¡¯ll be down here any second now to help us. On top of that, there are dozens of Hero Branch members and officers. I¡¯d suggest the two of you don¡¯t try anything funny. When I count to three, Battery is going to lower his bubble. Calmly get on your knees, lower your head, and put your hands behind your back. If you do that, then no one needs to get hurt. If you try to run, we¡¯ll use force if we have to, and you won¡¯t get very far.¡±


    ¡°So, you think we¡¯ll just give up?¡± Demonica hissed. Purple fire dripped out of the woman¡¯s fingers. ¡°We¡¯ll fight and win. Right Green Wolf?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡°This is no time for joking around.¡± Her glare shot toward her teammate, and he simply shrugged. ¡°Will you fight with me or not?¡± The villain questioned, her body gushing more of her purple fire.


    ¡°Nah. Don¡¯t feel like it.¡± Green Wolf said, throwing his arms behind his head. ¡°I got the feeling you¡¯d blast me with your flames the moment I was distracted and try to get away. If I¡¯m going down, I think it¡¯d be funnier to have you go down with me. I¡¯m the kind of guy that¡¯s fine with losing the game as long as I¡¯m not the only one.¡±


    ¡°You damn bastard!¡±


    ¡°One-armed bitch.¡±


    ¡°One.¡± Myth began to count. ¡°Two.¡± Demonica turned and glared at the heroes. Her skin ignited with purple flames and began to crack the bubble she was in. If she was going down, she was going down swinging. ¡°Three-¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird how no one seemed to notice that cop guy got away?¡±


    Green Wolf¡¯s words caused all of them to instantly freeze. Whisper was the first to react, her eyes going wide. She slammed her taser into the neck of the mayor, zapping the man and downing Grove, who screamed out as he dropped. ¡°Look out!¡± Whisper yelled.


    Cinder raised her shield up just in time. Blinding lights filled the underground parking lot, and gunfire rang out. This wasn¡¯t just the little stuff either. These rounds were huge and flowed out as if fired from a machine gun. They tore through the pillars as if they were made out of wet tissue paper, and even she winced as they hit her, leaving nasty red bruises across her flesh. Snowdawn crashed down to the floor, Myth changed into a form with scales, or fur, strong enough to tank the hits, and Battery created a bubble around himself.


    The attack caused the bubbles around Green Wolf and Demonica to drop, and Green Wolf instantly wrapped his arms around Demonica, picking her up and coating her in his kinetic-absorbing energy, causing the bullets to ping off both of them. Demonica slammed her hand out and ignited a massive purple fireball that exploded and kicked up a massive wave of dust and smoke, blinding them all even further.


    She lowered her shield and tried to blast a fire arrow at them, but the bullets caused her hand to flinch, and her attack missed, slamming into the roof above and nearly bringing it down on them.


    The gunfire grew even worse, and the sound of a car''s engine roared out as the mayor''s vehicle came crashing toward them at breakneck speed. The thing had clearly been souped up by a Mental-based Super. It had looked like a simple black limo earlier, but now the thing had shrunk down a bit, getting less long but far wider, covered in thick iron plates. Massive guns that looked like they¡¯d belong on very expensive jets were all over the car, firing wildly into the room. The windows were pitch black, not allowing her to see into the car, but if she had to guess, she¡¯d say Kyle¡¯s dad was the one driving it.


    The car rammed into Battery and Myth, throwing the two of them back. She went to fire at it with another attack, but the thing suddenly unfolded and expanded, changing shape. Metal twisted and snapped out of place, and what looked like large arms grew out of it, which scooped up the unconscious mayor. The roof opened up and dropped him inside, then quickly closed. Her fire arrow smashed into the thing and caused it to shake, but it didn¡¯t stop as its legs began to twist into place, allowing it to stand up.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Snowdawn screamed out.


    The limo had changed into a large, sixteen-foot-tall, black robot. The body of it was still the car, and it didn¡¯t have a head but did have legs and arms that poked out of it. The thing was crouched down and took a slap toward her. She raised her arms up and blocked the strike and sliced into it with her shield, tearing half of its hand off. The guns of the robot locked onto her and fired as it tried to stumble back.


    She ignored the gunfire, though she¡¯d likely pay for it later with a body covered in bruises. She held her shield up and forced a ring of fire around the edge of it. She had to admit she was a little ticked off, so she didn¡¯t hold back much and threw her arm out. The fire disk blasted out, spinning through the air, and sliced the legs of the robot off of its body. The upper half of the robot crashed back down, body first.


    The body of the robot rose up, literally floating off of the ground. It must have had tech similar to Boy Genius¡¯s gravity tech that was in Nightshade. It tried to fly for the exit, but she jumped at it and landed on top of it. Snowdawn followed after her, and he vanished, leaving behind an ice sculpture of himself. He reappeared on the hood of the floating car and smirked.


    ¡°Learned that one from a video game!¡± He raised his arm and was about to slam it down but suddenly screamed out when his back was split open by an unseen attack. Across the parking lot, Green Wolf stood twirling his knife. Snowdawn dropped off of the car and crashed to the floor below.


    ¡°Snowdawn!¡± She raised her shield up and managed to block the slice Green Wolf sent at her, but the force of it was still strong enough to shove her off and send her slamming down into the pavement next to Snowdawn.


    Battery and Myth jumped back up to their feet and were about to give chase, but the robot¡¯s arm twisted around, and a large rocket formed out of the hand. It fired into the roof of the underground parking lot they were in, and that proved to be the final straw, causing the entire place to come crashing down.


    Myth transformed into his wood dragon form, the tree working as a makeshift pillar, and Battery fired his golden barrier out, attempting to keep the place held up alongside Myth.


    She rolled over and checked on Snowdawn. His armor was beginning to break, and his back was cut cleanly open. She winced, applying pressure on it and causing him to howl. ¡°Just hang on. Battery will heal you when he can, or I¡¯ll call Paragon or something-¡±


    ¡°F- Forget about me,¡± Snowdawn growled. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away!¡±


    She turned and saw the robot had reached the exit. Green Wolf and Demonica both stood guard and were blasting at the machine, ripping chunks out of it and slicing the metal apart, but the machine didn¡¯t stop and literally plowed through them both, flying out at insane speeds and taking to the sky as soon as it could.


    Green Wolf cursed and turned back to her, slashing his knife out. She jumped in front of Snowdawn and held her shield up to protect them, but she didn¡¯t have to, as it turned out. Before the unseen slash could reach her, a bolt of thunder had appeared out of thin air and blocked it. The entire underground area began to fill with mist, and clouds formed above them, causing rain to fall.


    Pillars of ice began to freeze the roof in place, keeping it held up and allowing Myth and Battery to let go, both men dropping to their knees and panting a bit. At the staircase that led back into the stadium, four people stood.


    ¡°I brought backup.¡± Pretty Face announced. ¡°Both the hero and his team.¡±


    Duplicity, Backup, and Bad Wolf¡ªall three stood behind the popstar hero. Backup gave a sly grin as Bad Wolf used her power over the clouds to hold the ceiling up herself. ¡°Myth. You go on ahead. Wolfie, Dups, and I will deal with these two scrubs.¡± Backup announced, pointing at Green Wolf and Demonica.


    Myth helped Cinder pick up Snowdawn, and she used her other arm to grab Battery, and the four of them exited the underground tunnel, heading upstairs and back into the now-empty stadium. They were followed by Pretty Face. ¡°Can they win?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put my trust in them.¡± Myth shrugged.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Battery spat out. ¡°The mayor is long gone. We aren¡¯t catching up to that thing and have no idea where the hell it went.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do.¡± Myth smirked.


    Battery frowned for a moment before realization flickered in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good and all, but our mission is capturing Green Wolf. We were doing this to prove Pantheon is a strong group and as a favor to Boy Genius. If we do this, then it might mean we become an official team.¡± He placed his hand on Snowdawn¡¯s back and began to mend the boy''s wounds. ¡°Though I guess we don¡¯t have much of a choice thanks to ¡®her¡¯ actions.¡±


    ¡°Her actions?¡± She raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what he meant. That was when she noticed it. She looked around and counted. It was her, Battery, Myth, and Snowdawn. ¡°Where¡¯s Whisper...¡± She asked slowly.


    ¡°Where do you think?¡± Myth pulled his phone out, and when he opened, he had been sent a location ping from Whisper. ¡°They grabbed the mayor and were in such a hurry they didn¡¯t even bother checking to see if Whisper was around or not. Their arrogance caused them to just gain a stowaway.¡±


    Down below in the parking lot, Green Wolf turned around, about to flee out the exit, but it was filled with rows of ice and water, dozens of clouds twisting over it. ¡°Fucking Christ, my luck today is bad...¡±


    ¡°Think we can beat them?¡± Demonica growled.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m killing them, all right.¡± Green Wolf glared at the three holding his knife up. ¡°My plan went to shit, and I¡¯m not very happy. Afterward, I¡¯m having a long conversation with Avalon.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Six: Spoilers

    The city shook. Mr. Sini quietly removed his glasses and gently placed them on his desk. He was older, sporting a few wrinkles on his dark skin and several grays in his beard. He wore a black suit, one made for business instead of combat.


    All around him was destruction. His newly created lab in Rose City was in ruins. He had created Sini Corp shortly after Lucifer was truly defeated. While Full Monarch decided to follow Nier¡¯s final example and throw himself into hero work, he had settled on a different path.


    Before the Calamities, they say humans stood at the top, that they were far more advanced. It had taken nearly fifty years and the work of every Super he knew, but gradually, Sini had brought the world back to its true self. Now, though, it was all in ruins once more.


    His building was falling apart. Black flames ate away at the walls. Most of Rose City was already gone. ¡°If you wanted my attention, rest assured. You¡¯ve gotten it,¡± he called out.


    Outside his building was dirt. The road, the street, the buildings, the cars, the people, and even the city had been wiped clean off the map in a one-mile radius, leaving just a flat stretch of land directly outside his front door. At the very edge of this bizarre, strange new battlefield that had been created, Sini saw him¡ªhis once-long-time friend.


    The thing might have been Nier once, but he wasn¡¯t that hero any longer. A twisted, jagged throne created from living flesh had been forged directly at the edge of the arena. The Emperor¡¯s proper form was blacker than even darkness itself, melding in with the wisps of night. What he could see, though, was a pair of glowing blue eyes that stabbed out of the black void that rested on the throne. He couldn¡¯t make out arms or legs or anything like that, but he could feel the thing''s tremendous power. A power that was rivaled only by the other Calamity threats.


    Directly in front of the shadowy throne, the Emperor''s bodyguard stood. Hell Hound wore blood-red armor, something she had been gifted from her dark master. Sini traced her form as she walked forward slowly. In her hand, she gripped a jagged mace, one stained in blood¡ªher weapon, the very same that had shattered dozens of heroes'' skulls. Able to negate and cancel out weaker powers.


    Sini strolled forward, walking out of his building. He stopped fifteen meters away from Hell Hound as he and the villain glared at one another. ¡°You could have just knocked if you really wanted to speak with me. This destruction was uncalled for, Nier. I know that you¡¯re hurting, but this isn¡¯t the way. This isn¡¯t what she would have wanted-¡°


    Hell Hound¡¯s fingers grew tighter on her weapon, and he could see her eyes narrow. ¡°You have no right to speak as if you know who the master is or what he¡¯s gone through. He is not Nier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who raised him. I have every right.¡± Sini sighed. ¡°But you¡¯re right. He isn¡¯t Nier. Not anymore. He¡¯s become something worse than the very monsters he creates.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson.¡± The monster hissed, crouching low. ¡°One you should have been taught long ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how do you plan to do that?¡±


    ¡°I planned on hitting you so hard your head pops, and I¡¯d get to see the inside of your skull.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± A ring of water began to slowly twirl into existence around Mr. Sini. ¡°It¡¯s been fifty years since this old man bothered to fight. That said, I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯ve gone soft-¡±


    Hell Hound was on him in an instant. Moving faster than most pro heroes, she swung her mace down so hard that the world had trouble keeping up, space twisting and bending to her will. Sini¡¯s water barrier barely had time to rise up and block the strike, and even then, the force of the attack was enough to send him flying back. His water struck out like a whip, but Hell Hound twirled herself around and slammed her weapon down onto the wave, sending a powerful shock wave through it that was so hot and fast it caused the water to instantly boil and turn into steam.


    Sini held both his hands out and let out a loud battle cry. From the sky, the clouds were torn in two as a long trident slammed down into the ground, and he ripped it out with one hand. ¡°Do me a favor and help this old man get back in the swing of things, will you?¡±


    Hell Hound threw her mace at Sini as hard as she could, and he swung his trident out, smacking it out of the way. The villain dropped to all fours and darted forward like a wild beast, her armor¡¯s helmet ripping in two and allowing the wolf-shaped maws on it to lash out. Sini vanished and reappeared behind the woman, bringing a sword made of water down in an attempt to rip her head clean off.


    Blood splashed down onto the floor, and Sini¡¯s sword slipped from his grip as he stared down at his stomach. A beam of blue energy had stabbed through him. His glare turned toward the Emperor, who still rested on the throne. The man¡¯s finger was raised ever so slightly, poking out of the black he had covered himself in. ¡°Have you no shame! I was fighting her, and you-¡±


    Hell Hound¡¯s mace smashed into the side of Sini¡¯s head so hard his neck nearly snapped as he was sent flying with dozens of his teeth flying out his mouth. He rolled across the ground, spitting up blood, and groaned. Hell Hound stalked forward, raising her weapon, but stopped when she saw her master''s hand raised.


    ¡°Let me guess...¡± Sini slowly pulled himself back up and nearly collapsed to his knees. ¡°Now that I¡¯m like this, you want to fight me, huh?¡± Sini stalked forward, moving past Hell Hound and back to the sword he left stabbed into the ground. ¡°You really aren¡¯t Nier anymore. You¡¯re just as bad as Lucifer.¡± Sini screamed and ripped his weapons out of the ground. He gripped the sword tightly as ice armor began to form around his body. ¡°I won¡¯t give up, monster! This old man has some fight left in him!¡±


    And that was Sini¡¯s final battle.


    Unknown to him, a small drone recorded the entire battle from above. Avalon watched the man that saved him, the one that raised him and helped him, fight until his final breath.


    "Goodbye, Mr. Sini.¡± Avalon said quietly. ¡°Thank you for helping humanity out.¡±


    The Emperor lifted a white sword covered in runes up and, in a single flash, brought it down.


    ***


    ¡°Finish him!¡± The voice announced over his computer. Avalon clicked a few buttons and watched as his character in the video game performed a series of combos and wiped out his enemy with a gory over-the-top move.


    The man leaned back in his chair and stretched out. ¡°Next time, put up a real challenge.¡± Avalon snickered. He was back in his spotless room in his Oleander lab. Everything had grown so dull now, and he was forced to wait. Fairy Queen had locked off his basement and refused to let anyone down until she had fixed up Golden God. As for Green Wolf...


    Harrison let out a heavy sigh as he felt a wave of thoughts rush into his head. Images of the stadium appeared. Green Wolf was requesting a teleport into the arena that would become their battlefield. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡± Green Wolf¡¯s voice echoed around his head. ¡°Send us in, boss.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± Avalon snapped his finger, and for a second his body glowed blue. ¡°Send them randomly in groups into the stadium.¡± The glowing grew in strength, and he could feel Green Wolf and the others all vanish and reappear somewhere in the stadium. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    It was almost like a psychic connection. It was one of the many powers he had been granted long ago. He had used it to connect with many people. Battery, Green Wolf, even Mr. Sini, Full Monarch, and the Emperor had been connected to him at one point or another. It allowed him to use his teleportation ability from a distance. He had been blessed with many powers, most of which he got from the Emperor. His connection also allowed him to control his puppet hands.


    They were small gray metal hands that floated around his office, obeying his will. He had created them from the metal he got when he studied some of the Pods. He had used the same metal to make all of Red Ape¡¯s helmets and Poseidon¡¯s trident.


    His entire office was filled with various desks that had half-finished projects on them. White metallic hands constantly went about fixing everything up or finishing some of his smaller goals for the day; all the while, he got to sit back and play games.


    Those same hands had built Beta, a robot that kept its eye on the Enforcers and made sure they didn¡¯t stray from the path of humanity.


    He clicked a button on his computer and was about to start up another game but was unable to do so as his screen changed and one of the few other humans that were in the tower appeared on his monitor. He didn¡¯t know her name. She was some desk worker he had been forced to hire since the Hero Branch didn¡¯t want his tower to be run by just robots.


    ¡°Mr. Avalon.¡± The woman¡¯s voice cracked a bit. ¡°T- There¡¯s someone here to see you.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes a bit and hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any appointments.¡±


    ¡°She was very insistent.¡±


    ¡°Well, who is it-¡± His wall exploded and sent debris all throughout his office. A wave of ice and water expanded out of the hole, freezing dozens of his hands in place. ¡°Never mind. I think I know.¡± His eye twitched a bit when he saw the large blade of ice that had impaled his monitor, killing it. A few of his hands had swarmed him and created a glowing green barrier that kept him safe. He had based it on Green Wolf¡¯s own kinetic shield. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    From the hole in the wall, Ocean Empress gently floated in. She walked on a stream of water and flipped her hair casually. A chair made of solid ice grew out of the floor, and she took a seat, folding her legs. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I decided to drop by.¡±


    ¡°I mind a little.¡±


    ¡°Aw. Too bad.¡± The hero folded her arms and leaned forward, eyeing him up. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a nice long chat.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know. This and that.¡± Ocean Empress constantly changed the shape of her dress, wisps of water snaking through the air and gently splashing against the barrier Avalon kept around himself. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty important person in our little community. Avalon Industries has worked with the Hero Branch for years. Of course, recently, Boy Genius joined us, and we haven¡¯t needed your help in quite some time. I wonder if that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been doing all of this.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Doing what?¡± His eyes narrowed slowly.


    Ocean Empress gave a lazy shrug and shifted in her chair. It changed to accommodate her and started to look like a really fancy throne. ¡°I don¡¯t like the guy or anything, but he told Boy Genius some interesting things, who in turn told me. You were friends with my grandfather and my dad. You¡¯ve even helped my daughter out and created a weapon made just for her.¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather, Mr. Sini, was a good man. It¡¯s a shame what happened to him. It¡¯s even more of a shame that the title of Lord of the Sea and Depth skipped over you and went directly to your daughter. With that kind of power stacked onto your already impressive powers, you might have been one of the strongest Supers. Maybe even stronger than the Victorian.¡± Avalon drummed his fingers down on his desk, or at least he tried, but his desk was outside of his protective barrier. This was not a good situation to be in.


    His eye twitched, and he let out a sigh. He was about to say something but stopped when he felt a rush of thoughts slam into him. Green Wolf needed a teleport again, somewhere behind the hero known as Cinder.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Her lips were twisted into a sly grin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just skip the silly taunts and get to the good stuff, huh? Why¡¯d you come?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the sword?¡±


    ¡°What sword?¡± Green Wolf tried to reach him again, and he rubbed his neck awkwardly. There were conditions for his power. He needed to speak the command out loud to teleport them and also be able to think about the location requiring focus. The barrier he was in might be able to take one attack from her if he was lucky. But that would require him speaking faster than she could act and teleporting himself out before she broke past it and got him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not play dumb.¡± Ocean Empress sighed. She folded her arms and stared him down. ¡°Battery told us everything.¡±


    Harrison felt his heart sink for a moment. ¡°Ah. So my old partner betrayed me. Figures. I was planning on backstabbing him, but he beat me to it.¡±


    ¡°Your old partner?¡±


    Avalon snorted and shrugged. ¡°It was at a time I didn''t like. A time when I didn¡¯t work for the heroes. Fifteen years ago, I was approached by someone, and he used his powers on me.¡±


    ¡°You mean?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Fifteen years ago, I worked for the Emperor. Just like Battery. In fact, he and I were on the same team. You¡¯d be shocked at how many people the Hero Branch is willing to give a second chance to, so long as they can at least pretend to be useful.¡±


    ¡°I was told you hate the Emperor though?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°What made you hate him though?¡±


    ¡°He killed your grandfather.¡± That caused her eyes to go wide, and she stared at the man. His goofy look was gone, replaced with a serious one, and his tone was straight-laced. Avalon snapped his fingers, and the barrier around him went out suddenly.


    Ocean Empress stepped back and narrowed her eyes, but Avalon didn¡¯t seem like he was going to attack. Instead, he casually placed his hands in his pockets and leaned over a bit. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He gave a lazy shrug. ¡°I figure there is no use in hiding anything. Even if I do manage to get away, the Hero Branch will shut down all my buildings and take all my toys. Sure, I might be able to escape, but where would the fun in that be? Besides, you came all this way. I might as well show my hand, right?¡±


    Ocean Empress tightened her grip on her sword. She placed a finger on her communication device. ¡°I want you two as backup in case he pulls anything.¡±


    Avalon blinked as he watched more of his wall be torn to bits. Poseidon came up slowly, using her gravity control to pick herself up. In her arms, she carried Paragon, holding onto the girl tightly. Instantly, Avalon nearly buckled as he felt the gravity around him grow stronger. Paragon walked toward him and softly placed her hand to the back of his neck, ready to use her power if he tried anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash, okay?¡± The healer stated bluntly.


    ¡°I would never-¡° Her hand came closer to him, hovering just above the flesh of his neck. ¡°Do you want to know why I¡¯m working with Green Wolf?¡±


    ¡°So, you admit it? Just like that.¡± Ocean Empress asked with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Oh yes. That idiot allowed himself to be seen with the sword, and it was only a matter of time before Jack decided to rat me out. No sense in hiding anymore.¡± He threw his arms out as wide as he could. ¡°So, I¡¯ll go ahead and tell you now. I¡¯ve been doing all of this to kill the villain known as Wish!¡±


    Ocean Empress shot him a deadpan look. ¡°Yeah. I sort of figured that out. It¡¯s pretty obvious. Why are you doing it, though?¡±


    For a moment, Harrison¡¯s look grew serious. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t like the Emperor. There isn¡¯t a person on this planet who hates that man more than me, besides maybe the Victorian. Wish is the next Emperor. The next Lord of Life. She can grow just as bad as that man did if left unchecked. And as usual, that bastard Jack failed to put her down for good. I hate him almost as much as I hate the Emperor. He¡¯s a total nobody, though. Built by the Emperor to serve as his perfect warrior. He¡¯s just some monster that got lucky to have been saved by Full Monarch-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t like me badmouthing him? I thought you hated him as much as I did.¡± Avalon smirked. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t wait for his heart to finally give out and for him to die. It¡¯ll do the world a favor-¡±


    ¡°If you hate the Emperor so much, why haven¡¯t you worked with the heroes to help beat this Wish? She¡¯s the Lord of the Land and Life. If she exists, it means the Emperor can¡¯t be the current Lord. His power would''ve had to pass on. Why work with villains and not help us take this threat down?¡± Poseidon asked, cutting the man¡¯s rant off.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s my fault she exists.¡±


    Instantly, he felt the gravity hit him like a truck. It came down hard, and this time he was forced to his knees, causing him to gasp. ¡°Oh boy.¡± Paragon stepped back. ¡°You pissed my sister off.¡±


    Poseidon grabbed Avalon by a handful of his hair and lifted him up, glaring at him. ¡°What the hell do you mean it¡¯s your fault she exists? That bitch hurt my Kenny. Are you saying that is also your fault as well?¡±


    Despite the pain, Avalon couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°My bad. But yeah. That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Poseidon pulled her fist back, about to punch him as hard as she could, but her arm was grabbed by her mother at the last second. Ocean Empress shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. We need him alive. There¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t understand.¡± She hesitantly let go once she was sure Poseidon wasn¡¯t going to kill Avalon and turned back to the man. ¡°My daughter is right, though. What do you mean you are the reason she exists?¡±


    Avalon managed to get out of Poseidon¡¯s grasp and threw his arms out. His gravity was still enhanced, making it hard for him to move, but he had the biggest smile on his lips. ¡°I think it¡¯s easier if I show you! Follow me?¡±


    It had the smell of a trap all over it. Heroes were made to fall into traps though and then break out of them. They debated about it for a bit but finally allowed him to lead the way, but very slowly. He took them out of the room and down to his elevator. It must have been a strange sight having the beaten-up owner of the tower escorting three heroes. In the elevator, Ocean Empress waited for him to try and pull some stunt. Paragon was still ready to use her power and shut his nerves or something off if she had to. He didn''t try anything like that, though. Instead, he calmly put in a code, and the elevator opened up to a secret room.


    It was a large gray room filled with dozens of weird screens all along the wall and bright lights above. There was a stand that should have held something in the center, but it was empty.


    ¡°Welcome to my viewing deck!¡± Avalon announced throwing his arms out. ¡°I come here to relive old memories. You see, I record almost everything constantly. I was around when Lucifer first attacked. I was a young boy back then who had just discovered he had two powers, one of which is my Mental power that lets me make my vast tech.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it was meant to hold more though.¡± Paragon questioned, eyeing up the empty pedestal in the center of the room.


    ¡°Indeed. They took each other out.¡± Avalon hummed. ¡°The Emperor and Full Monarch both gave it their all, and in the end they both fell to this world consumed by their hatred for one another. On that day, two Pods appeared near each other in the ocean. I only managed to get one of them, however. The other was seemingly picked up by someone else. I took the pod and stored it in my tower for safekeeping until it was one day stolen by an old friend of mine. Doctor Blue. A famous scientist that worked with Doctor Alma. Blue broke into the place and stole the pod.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Ocean Empress frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Avalon held up two fingers and smirked. ¡°First. I had no idea which Pod I got. I didn¡¯t want to let the Lord of the Land and Life exist, so I made sure to keep it away from people so it couldn¡¯t get enough DNA to create a new Lord. The Pods only accept the DNA of humans, and as I said, I was on the Emperor¡¯s army, so like Battery, my DNA has been tampered with and altered, so the Pod wouldn¡¯t accept me, and I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about accidentally making a Lord if I touched it, on the off chance it was the Lord of the Land and Life¡¯s Pod. I knew that if the Branch learned that I alone had the Pod, they would want to create the new Lord themselves in hopes they could get another Full Monarch or a monster like the Emperor they could control. My second reason is that I feel like the Lords have only made this world much worse. In fact, I think they could even be the reason the Shadow came to our world in the first place. If you ask me, we¡¯re better off without them.¡± He chuckled. ¡°When Blue took the pod, I tried to stop him, but it was too late. He used DNA samples he had of the original Princess of Life before she was a monster, as well as his own, to create the new Lord. I sent a small force to stop him, but it failed, so now I¡¯m forced to work with the villains if I truly want to stop the Lord.¡± His eyes turned to look at Paragon, and he scowled. ¡°All because you exist.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Poseidon asked, frowning.


    Harrison looked her dead in the eye and slowly gave a grin. ¡°Battery and Myth worked together and managed to kill Wish while they were in the pocket realm. With the help of my power, Wish¡¯s DNA was forced back into her body. It should have ended there. She should have died, but she didn¡¯t because she isn¡¯t really all there. Part of her still exists outside of her DNA. A strand that has gone on to be its own person. Why did I work with the villains? That¡¯s simple. It was just easier. After all, when I told them that in order to kill Wish, we¡¯d also have to murder Paragon, they didn¡¯t even blink.¡±


    Ocean Empress swung her sword, and a hand tried to form a barrier around Avalon, but it exploded. He tried to jump back, but she was faster, ramming her blade into his gut and out his back. His eyes snapped wide open, and blood poured out of his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯d really kill me to keep her safe? Way to prove my point-¡± She twisted the sword, and he grunted, spitting up more blood. ¡°It¡¯s the only way. Kill one. Then, before they recover, kill the other. Wish¡¯s body has already come back. If they can kill her, then all we have to do is kill Paragon, and she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ocean Empress screamed. She rammed Avalon into the wall and hung him up with her sword. ¡°Like hell, I¡¯m letting something like that happen! I don¡¯t care if it means Wish lives. I¡¯ll find another way to kill that bitch! I won¡¯t let you or anyone harm Sky.¡±


    ¡°Mother of the year,¡± Harrison grunted as he slowly began to choke on his own blood. Poseidon stood in front of her sister, who had stayed silent. ¡°Tell them the truth.¡± He spat out. ¡°Tell them what happened when Wish died!¡±


    Paragon quietly stepped forward and placed a hand on her mom¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think he¡¯s telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Poseidon stared at her sister in shock. ¡°He can¡¯t be!¡±


    Paragon took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. ¡°The reason I couldn¡¯t heal Grampa¡­ The place I went¡­ I found myself in a world I can create. Normally I can control it, but this time someone else was there. Wish had total control over my dream world. She¡­ She¡¯s somehow connected to me.¡±


    Avalon coughed up more blood and slid against the wall, grabbing at his stomach wound. He chuckled softly. ¡°The Emperor¡­ Nier¡­ He truly died the day the Beast arrived. He used his powers to try and recreate that which he lost. It isn¡¯t wrong to say that you¡¯re a monster. One created by his love. A being that never used to exist. Forged with the power of the Lord of Life. His title should have gone to you, but it didn¡¯t. He was destroyed so badly by Full Monarch that his power had no choice but to recover in the Pod. That connection is still there, though, and through that connection, Wish¡¯s consciousness remains. As long as it does, Wish cannot be truly killed. The Pod will remain hers, and it will be able to bring her back hundreds of times. Your death is the only way to end her for good. Die Paragon-¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± Poseidon yelled. Her gravity smashed Avalon into the ground, and he grunted.


    Avalon smirked, fighting through the pain, and glared at all three women. ¡°Maybe I should show you. Let you see just what it is that the Lords can do. Why don¡¯t I show you the terror that Full Monarch and the Emperor uphold?¡±


    The room lit up as the monitors came to life. Then in an instant, all of them began to see things. Memories that weren¡¯t theirs. Memories of Avalon¡¯s.


    He was going to show them.


    Show them the dark past he had lived through.


    The path of the Lords.

 Chapter Seventy-Seven: A War In The Past

    It hit them like a truck. The monitors didn¡¯t just come to life; they literally beamed the information into their heads. They had been expecting something but not this. It was like they were dreaming. In the blink of an eye, Ocean Empress, Poseidon, and Paragon found themselves suddenly recalling thoughts they never had, seeing sights they never saw, and remembering a memory that didn¡¯t belong to them.


    In the blink of an eye, they watched the story of Avalon.


    Or at least the parts he decided to show them¡­


    ¡°Seriously, more kids? The guys up top know this is a war, right? We don¡¯t need this dead weight.¡± A soldier grunted. ¡°We can barely keep ourselves safe. How do they also expect us to keep a band of brats alive while we¡¯re in the thick of it?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the team that gathered them all up was wiped out.¡± Another soldier whispered to his buddy. ¡°Torn to bits by the Angel¡¯s Zombie army. Now we¡¯re stuck on protection duty escorting these kids to one of the nearby cities.¡±


    ¡°What could be so special about these brats?¡±


    Nearly one thousand years had passed since the Shadow had been defeated, and today, while the Super population might have remained small, their forces had been taken over by a dark threat. The second-ever Calamity to face the world since the Shadow, the Angel, also known as Lucifer. Supers and Humans were at each other''s throats. This was over sixty years ago in the past.


    Within a small village that had been practically wiped out, a group of soldiers that would one day go on to be the first members of the Hero Branch stared at the group of kids they were tasked with keeping safe. Their army was small; most of them had been wiped out a while ago in a fight with Lucifer¡¯s Monarch force. As for the kids, there were twelve of them in total. All varying in age, the youngest being six and the oldest being sixteen. The soldiers had set up dozens of tents as most of the buildings had been torn down. They had a few vehicles scattered about, but not enough for all of them. Not with the kids, at least.


    It was on guard duty that two soldiers found themselves grumbling about the situation that they were in. ¡°It won¡¯t be so bad, at least.¡± One of them sighed.


    ¡°It won¡¯t? Why do you reckon that?¡±


    ¡°I heard the guys up top got their hands on a powerful Super. Called him Sini. He¡¯ll be coming here personally to help escort these kids and ensure we make it to Dandelion in one piece.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± That caused the second soldier''s frown to grow. ¡°Now I¡¯m more concerned. Top brass could give a rat''s ass what happens to the fodder crew.¡± His eyes traced over the kids. ¡°What¡¯s so special about them?¡±


    All the children had formed a makeshift group of their own away from the soldiers. They all stood in the center of the village together. Most of them were boys, though there was a girl or two scattered amongst them. All of them had one thing in common, though. They shivered and shook, the rain pouring down hard. As the soldier¡¯s eyes traced over all the kids, only one really stood out to him.


    In most things, people tend to subconsciously create an order of hierarchy. Knowingly or not, the kids had seemingly done the same. It wasn¡¯t the biggest or the oldest that looked to be in charge, though. Dead in the center, surrounded by the other kids and constantly whispering back and forth amongst them, was a young boy. Nine years old at the most, he had messy brown hair that had been soaked in the constant downpour and wore a pair of thick round glasses. In his hands he held some weird metal device he had been tinkering with for the past few hours they had been standing out there.


    The soldier felt those eyes lock onto him, and he couldn¡¯t help but shiver a bit. He tried to convince himself it was just from the cold. ¡°Think we¡¯ll make it to Dandelion?¡± He asked his friend quietly.


    ¡°If God loves us...¡±


    ¡°Harry, I¡¯m scared.¡± One of the kids, a young girl, said, shaking from the cold. ¡°How much longer are they going to keep us out here in the cold?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± the brown-haired boy tried to smile. ¡°Any moment now, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be ready for us to head out. And if they don¡¯t, and worse comes to worse, I still have my box.¡± He patted the metal device he held. It was shaped almost like the top of a mailbox. Made out of a brass-looking metal, it was covered in wires and had an opening that could unfold at the front of it. It was no bigger than a breadbox, and he held it tucked under one arm.


    ¡°Are you sure, Harry?¡± An older boy questioned, folding his arms.


    ¡°Of course I am. We¡¯ll all be safe, I promise.¡± The brown-haired boy said, giving a sly smile. I¡¯ll make sure we¡¯ll all be kept safe. After all, I''m a genius.¡±


    A horn buzzed loudly through the village, and several of the cars roared to life. Some of the soldiers stood up, grabbing their gear, and got ready. ¡°Alright!¡± One of the men called out. ¡°That was our scouting unit. That horn means they¡¯ve spotted the Super that was sent up top to help us. We don¡¯t have seats for everyone, so all the kids will have to pile in first. We¡¯re going to take this slow and-¡±


    Jagged blades of metal impaled the man from behind as the car he stood in front of exploded! Screams filled the village, and gunfire rang out in a panic. A second car erupted in a mighty fireball, followed by a third, wiping out the last of their vehicles. From the darkness, moving faster than the human eye could follow, dozens of figures ran through the soldiers, ripping them to shreds.


    ¡°Monarch Supers!¡± One soldier screamed out. ¡°Grab the kids and run!¡±


    This particular Super was a nasty one. He came to a sliding stop in front of the group of kids. His name was Edge, and he didn¡¯t look human. His skin was made of metal, and jagged blades came out in all directions. He was exceptionally fast and so strong that just by running into someone, he could tear them to bits. Sword-like blades grew from his fingertips, and he raised his hand up high, ready to ram it through the group of kids, but before he could, one of the soldiers slammed his full weight into the Super and managed to actually knock Edge over.


    ¡°R- Run!¡± The man grunted out, the blades tearing into his flesh and spilling his blood.


    Some of the soldiers grabbed the kids, scooping them up in their arms; the rest screamed for the kids to follow as they made a break for the exit. Edge grunted and stood up, picking up the man that had tackled him. His blades dug into the man¡¯s neck, and he sneered.


    ¡°Did you really think you could stop me-¡±


    ¡°I really hope you¡¯re not one of the Supers that¡¯re grenade-proof,¡± the soldier grunted.


    ¡°What-¡±


    All the grenades that had been in the soldier''s pocket went off, creating a massive wave of fire that smashed Edge through a building and sent him out to the other side. Edge grunted and slowly picked himself up, sparks flying as his teeth began to grind together.


    ¡°I hate humans.¡±


    As the soldiers ran out of the village and toward a large hill in the distance, one of them froze when he saw a man standing at the top. His heartbeat began to settle down, though, when he noticed the jacket the man wore. It was a Full force member. The man in question was dark-skinned and didn¡¯t have the gear of a soldier. He was young as well, in his early or late twenties.


    ¡°Are you the one the guys up top sent?¡± The soldier screamed in the rain.


    ¡°Are those all of the kids?¡± The dark-skinned man asked.


    The soldier looked back and took note of all the kids they had with them. ¡°One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight¡ªshit, we just have eight. We¡¯re missing four!¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The dark-skinned man nodded and began to push his way past the soldiers and head toward the village at the bottom of the hill. He was stopped, however, when one of the men grabbed him by the shoulder and shook his head. ¡°A Monarch Super is down there. Those guys are on another level compared to normal Supers. They¡¯ve been enhanced by their master, the Angel Lucifer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Trust me. I¡¯m strong.¡± The man said, brushing the hand off. ¡°I can handle anything they try to-¡±


    An explosion smashed into the dark-skinned man, throwing him back and blowing the man next to him to bits. From high up in the air, the Super that had blown the cars to bits came crashing down, letting out a mad cackle. He was covered in dozens of blue feathers and wings connected from his back to his arm. They glowed and blasted off of him like bullets stabbing into the ground or a person, then exploded like a bomb. He wasn¡¯t alone either. In the air, dozens of other winged Supers slowly came down.


    ¡°We¡¯re all going to be rewarded so handsomely for wiping this group out!¡± The feathered man called out. He fired off his feathers at one of the kids, but the attack barely got two feet before the water in the air seemed to bend and twist, wrapping around the feathers and jamming them back into the Super¡¯s arm. ¡°Oh shit!¡±


    The feather bomb went off, blowing the Super¡¯s arm clean off and throwing him to the floor, causing him to howl in pain. Before any of his other teammates could react, they were smashed into the ground as chunks of ice began to form on their wings, dropping them from the sky. The dark-skinned man began to pull himself out of the crater he had been blasted into.


    ¡°It was a bad move to fight me out in the rain.¡± The man¡¯s eyes stared darkly at the Monarch Supers.


    ¡°W- Who the hell are you?¡± The now one-armed, feathered man screamed out, trying to get back to his feet.


    ¡°My name is Sini.¡±


    ¡°Sini? Wait! I¡¯ve heard of you. You¡¯re the-¡±


    ¡°You guys should have never fought a Lord of the Sea while it was raining.¡± The water twisted and morphed behind the man, forming into a massive kraken-like beast created from shards of ice and liquid. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll need to punish you for your arrogance.¡±


    Back in the rundown village, Harry poked his head over the edge of a window, peeking out. ¡°Harry, I¡¯m scared,¡± one of the kids whimpered and clung to him.


    He, as well as three others, hadn¡¯t made it out with the other soldiers. Something the monster, Edge, was very aware of. The metal man¡¯s nose flared, and his eyes darted around, looking at the many destroyed buildings. The beast could tell one of them held the last of the runts. The villain¡¯s senses had been fried from the grenade, however, causing the thing''s skull to ache.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Harry whispered back to the little girl. ¡°I¡¯ll keep us all safe. I¡¯ll use my box.¡±


    ¡°W- We need to get out of here.¡± An older boy hissed out. The kid tried to stand and stumbled back a bit, knocking a shelf in their hiding spot over.


    ¡°Down!¡± Harry yelled, but it was already too late. Instantly, the wall was torn to pieces as jagged blades fired into the house. Edge pointed his elbow towards the building, spikes jutting from his body and tearing the place apart and bringing it all crashing down. ¡°Shit!¡± Harry cursed, grabbing for his box and pulling the lid down.


    The entire house caved in, the walls falling over and the roof breaking to bits. It would have crushed everyone inside to bits, but something happened. At the last second, a bright blue flash expanded throughout the darkness, lighting everything up. Edge stepped back, grabbing at his eyes and hissing. When the light finally died down and he was able to see, he stared in shock. The house was gone. All the kids were fine. The plot of land was still there, but the wood, the stone, the rubble¡ªall of it that had built up the house¡ªwas gone, as if it had never been there in the first place. Standing in front of the kids was a lone child with brown hair and round glasses who held a metal box that had steam pouring out of it.


    ¡°A Super? And a strong one at that.¡± Edge growled. What are you doing on their side? Your kind belongs to us! How would you like to be a god? To be gifted a never-ending life! I can help you.¡± Edge held his hand out to the boy. ¡°Or¡­ I can kill you here and now. Your call.¡±


    Harry stepped forward slowly and raised his box up. ¡°I¡¯m not on anyone''s side. I¡¯m my own team.¡± He announced. ¡°And I¡¯m going to make you pay for the sins you committed!¡±


    Edge scowled, and from his elbows, long swords formed out as he stomped forward. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll just have to join us when the Master brings you back from the dead!¡± He roared and charged forward.


    Harry opened the box once more, allowing the blue light to spill out.


    Outside the village, Sini ran as fast as he could now that he had dealt with the other low-tier villains. A barrier of water formed around the soldiers and the rest of the kids, keeping them safe, and he surfed on the water, practically skating on it. He broke past what was left of the village''s walls and looked around.


    ¡°What the hell was that blue light? Damn it. I took too long toying around with those guys. I hope I¡¯m not too late-¡± He froze when he saw it in the center of the village. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned. So that¡¯s why they sent me, huh? It was to get you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    In the center of the village, a young nine-year-old boy stood. The child turned to look at him, staring at him with dull eyes. ¡°Are you an enemy also?¡± The boy asked, raising his box up.


    Sini held his hands up and chuckled. ¡°No. I¡¯m not here to hurt anyone. In fact, I came to save you, but it looks like you didn¡¯t need my help.¡± Edge¡¯s lower body was on its knees. Just his lower body. His upper body was nowhere to be found. The man had been torn in half by something. ¡°What did you do to the bad guy?¡±


    The boy cocked his head to the side and patted his box. ¡°He¡¯s in here.¡±


    Sini stared past the boy and at the other young kids the child had protected. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡± Sini asked, slowly approaching.


    The brown-haired boy turned to look back at him. ¡°Harrison. My name is Harrison Avalon. I¡¯m a Mental based super, and I want to save the world.¡±


    Sini reached out, gripping the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°Yeah, I want to save this world too.¡± He used his power and forced the water to stop falling on all the kids holding it at bay. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start by getting you kids to somewhere where it is warm first?¡±


    And so time would pass¡­


    ¡°How is the fight going, Avalon?¡± Within an office room, a now much older Mr. Sini stood at his desk. He wore a long black suit and stared down at a map of the battlefield that was to come. Years of stress had taken its toll on the man.


    Sitting across from him, his long-time friend and best student rested. Avalon had gotten older now. He was still young¡ªnot even an adult¡ªbut he had come far. The brown-haired teen lifted his hand, and a glowing blue screen appeared in front of him. ¡°I had a drone follow them. I¡¯ll check in on it now.¡±


    The screen that appeared in the air shimmered and twisted, showing off the footage of the drone. It revealed a battlefield that was still in the middle of a fight.


    Shards of stone rained down upon the land. ¡°Die, human bastards! This planet belongs to the Supers!¡± Buildings came crashing down, and in the center of the war zone, a lone enemy stood.


    His name was Gargoyle. Forged from tough stone skin with large wings, he was nearly ten feet tall and able to control the earth, thanks to his powers. Bullets deflected off of his hardened skin, unable to harm him as he casually marched through the battlefield.


    His goal was simple. Take over the city. Though ¡®city¡¯ was hardly the right word for where they were now. No civilians remained, just the warriors in red that belonged to the Full team. Buildings were torn down, or knocked over, and stones crashed together, forming massive boulders that crashed down onto the men below.


    Dozens of soldiers ran away as fast as they could and managed to get behind a building just in time as an avalanche of rock smashed down. ¡°This is a total slaughter.¡± One of the soldiers screamed. He poked his body behind a turned-over truck and fired at the villain. ¡°There are only a few of them, but we¡¯re totally outclassed!¡±


    Gargoyle was not alone. Dozens of other powerful Supers lurked behind him, each nearly as strong as he was. They stood with folded arms, watching their squad leader have a good time. He could handle a little team of squishy humans like this easily.


    The Full squad leader threw himself to the ground as more jagged rocks blocked out the sky and came crashing down. Despite the situation, he couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°It¡¯s okay, men. Looks like things are turning in our favor.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The boss pointed up towards the sky, and they turned and stared in shock. Above even the reaches of Gargoyle¡¯s stone, something broke past the clouds. Nearly as long as a bus and made out of solid oak wood, it was shaped in the image of a snake-like dragon. Gargoyle stared up at the wooden dragon, his eyes narrowing. It was coming down quickly, and he roared at it. With a flick of his arm, dozens of shattered buildings rose up and broke apart, reshaping to his will.


    A massive fist of stone nearly half a mile wide and thick fired towards the wooden dragon. Two figures rode on its back. Both cloaked in red Full jackets. One of the figures was at the head of the beast he rode on, his hands gripping the horns of the wooden dragon and steering it. The other figure stood up and brought his arm back.


    He balanced on the creature, not faltering even as the dragon swooped down, and the air roared as the fist soared toward them. The figure threw his arm out, and a massive blade of fire blasted from his palm. It soared out, and in an instant, it blew through the fist, shattering it and forming a cloud of debris that their dragon flew through perfectly.


    ¡°Yo, big bro! I¡¯m heading down.¡± The figure that stood up announced.


    The one who guided the dragon shook his head. ¡°Jackson, don¡¯t you dare-¡±


    ¡°Too late!¡± Jackson leaned over the side and plummeted towards the ground. ¡°Woohoo!¡± The boy hooped and hollered as he dropped straight towards Gargoyle. The villain threw out a large fist, but at the last moment, fire blasted out of the boy¡¯s hand, spinning him out of the way of the fist and moving him through the air. He landed on the ground a few feet away from Gargoyle. ¡°Hey, I¡¯d block if I were you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you-¡± Gargoyle was cut off when the ground beneath him suddenly exploded in a pillar of fire that scorched past his stone skin. The fire slowly died down, and his eyes rolled back before he finally crashed down into the stone floor face first, a few inches away from Jackson.


    The boy rubbed his neck sheepishly. ¡°I tried to warn you.¡± Now that he was on the ground, it was easy to see just what he looked like. He was young. Way too young to be in a war like this. He had messy, fiery red hair, and hot flickers of embers rose from his palm as he turned toward the other villains that all charged at him. ¡°So, who¡¯s next?¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Eight: A War In The Present

    So, time would pass...


    The village they called home wasn¡¯t anything special. It had been turned into a makeshift military base and had hundreds of large tents scattered all across the road. The people that still lived in the village had mostly gotten used to it and were glad to have the protection.


    Avalon held his finger out and allowed his drone to land on it softly. The thing was small and shaped to look like a fly. If one were to look at it closely, though, they¡¯d realize that it was a silver color. He used them to spy on the battlefield for Mr. Sini. He himself wasn¡¯t in the Full force and didn¡¯t wear a uniform. Instead, he had taken to wearing a lab coat he found. It made him look cooler. At least he thought so.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re that scientist person, right?¡± Avalon turned his head when he heard the voice. He found himself face to face with the talk of the town. A young boy with fiery red hair. The current Lord of the Sun and Cosmos Jackson. The boy had a large, goofy smile on his face. ¡°We made it back from our mission! We got a bunch of rations as well, so here you go!¡± Slung over his shoulder, he held a bag of bread, though it was quickly running out. Despite that, though, Jackson pulled out a slice and handed it to Avalon.


    Avalon didn¡¯t take it. Instead, he swiped his hand through the air. A screen appeared floating above them and showed off something his drones had caught. In the image, it showed Jackson handing bread out to every person in the village. ¡°You¡¯re running low on food, and you¡¯re one of the strongest Super¡¯s we have. It isn¡¯t smart for you to feed others. You should be building up your own strength.¡±


    Jackson gave a shrug. ¡°What¡¯s the point of me hogging all the food for myself? It won¡¯t matter how strong I am if you all starve to death.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a soldier, not a hero.¡±


    Jackson placed his hands on his hips and gave a large grin. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m not just any normal soldier. I am a future superhero!¡±


    Their country''s biggest hope, the current Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, the only one with the power to defeat Lucifer, turned out to be an idiot.


    Jackson tossed the bag of bread over to Avalon, who caught it on instinct. ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish handing that out to everyone else? If there¡¯s any left, save me a slice, okay?¡±


    ¡°What-¡° It was too late to say anything to the weird boy as he turned and began to walk away, giving a lazy wave of his hand. Avalon sighed and swiped his hand once more. His screen changed. This time it shifted to a live view showing him what was going on inside of Mr. Sini¡¯s office. ¡°These guys are all weird.¡±


    ¡°Good job on your mission, Nier. You and Jackson showed up just in time to save the day.¡± Mr. Sini took a sip of his coffee and sighed as he dropped a stack of paperwork onto his desk. His office was messy, filled with stacks of half-done documents or notes, as well as a few blueprints for things he had been working on for when this blasted war finally ended. ¡°How is Jackson, by the way?¡±


    Nier rubbed his messy blonde hair, his eye twitching a bit. ¡°Well, he¡¯s not that whining baby I found fifteen years ago. I can tell you that.¡±


    Thirty-three years... The war with Lucifer had been going on for over thirty-three years now. They were just fresh off their fight with Gargoyle, the villain Jackson had taken out. It had been fifteen years since Nier found the current Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. Since that time, the child had grown.


    In the old days, the passing of time was always something people would take note of. Here, though, fifteen years had come and gone in the blink of an eye. Nothing had changed, really. At least in terms of the war. He had gotten taller and was a full-on adult now, with a messy blonde beard. Mr. Sini was getting a few grays, years of stress catching up to the Lord of the Sea.


    Sini managed to give a small grin. ¡°You¡¯re dedicated to the growth of this child, aren¡¯t you? It seems to be working out. The two of you so far haven¡¯t failed a single task I¡¯ve sent you on.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take any of the credit.¡± Nier clasped his hands together and stared down at the ground, letting out a sigh. ¡°I always heard that the Sun had the most growth out of all the Lords. That it would become the strongest and the fastest. I never imagined it would be this fast, though. Every day, it feels like I blink, and I¡¯ve been left in the dust just a little bit.¡±


    Sini let out a low snort. Slowly, he stood up. ¡°You know, when I was younger, I used to think that same way when it came to you. Follow me for a second.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    They made their way out of the office and out into the base. They had dozens of tents scattered around, and men in red ran back and forth carrying ammo and weapons as they got ready for a new expedition. In the center of it all, the wooden dragon was curled up and snored softly. Jackson, as well as a few other kids that were forced to travel with them, played with the beast.


    ¡°Father!¡± A voice called out. A man in his early thirties moved toward them. He had mixed skin and silvery hair tied back. A belt filled with various knives hung over his coat. Adam Sini is the man who, in the future, would go by Old Dog and be the father to Ocean Empress.


    ¡°Adam.¡± Sini nodded towards his son. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Adam shook his head. ¡°No. I just wanted to let you know that we¡¯ve heard back from Wano. As of now, he hasn¡¯t found any sightings of Lucifer.¡±


    Sini nodded as thoughts of the current Lord of the Sky and Weather filled his head. ¡°I was afraid of that. We¡¯re all spooked, wondering where he could end up next. At every mission, he could appear, and we¡¯re forced to wait and see.¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t have gotten far,¡± Adam announced. ¡°No way that man has just vanished. He¡¯s too prideful and stuck up for that! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll turn up soon.¡± After receiving a fatal blow from Nier and being unable to use his power on the Pod, Lucifer had seemingly vanished and gone into hiding. Nier was confident that he¡¯d run into the man soon, though. It was only a matter of time.


    ¡°Maybe, but we don¡¯t have long.¡± Nier chuckled, folding his arms. ¡°We¡¯re running out of supplies.¡± His eyes traced the soldiers and the little amount of tents they had left. ¡°Every day, it feels like we show up too late. We don¡¯t have nearly enough Supers on our side to keep every squad safe. Meanwhile, it feels like Lucifer managed to get every other Super on his side, either through the use of the Dead Virus or simply by appealing to their chaotic nature.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up yet.¡± Sini shook his head. He had resorted to using his trident as a cane, and now his knuckle turned white from how hard he gripped it. ¡°Hope will come out on top. I¡¯m confident in that. It¡¯s our job to stack the deck and ensure that it does.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done.¡± Adam snorted.


    Mr. Sini nodded his head faintly. ¡°I have a job for you, Nier.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much of a choice. Monarch¡¯s forces are advancing dangerously close to Rose City. In the morning, I¡¯ll be taking the troops and heading there myself. We can¡¯t let that place fall. Besides the army, however, scouts have given word of something trailing behind the forces. Perhaps it¡¯s a means of late-game support, or maybe it is just carrying supplies; we¡¯re too weak to risk it. Your job will be to find this thing behind the main army forces and take it down before it reaches Rose while we battle the main forces. Wano is still overseas, so you¡¯re one of the only Supers we have I can trust with this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡± Nier waved off the concern and gave a sly grin. ¡°I¡¯ll head out immediately and take this thing down before you guys even start your battle.¡± He cupped his hands to his mouth and hollered. ¡°Oi! Jackson!¡± The wooden dragon''s mouth was locked around the head of the young boy, nearly devouring him. Despite the situation, Jackson managed to pry it open with ease and had a sly grin on his lips. ¡°Get your shit. We¡¯re heading out.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± The boy cheered. ¡°Finally!¡±


    Off to the side Harrison Avalon watched them both with dull eyes. He let out a sigh and turned his screen off and got to work, handing out the bread. Neither Jackson nor Nier noticed the small little bug drone that landed on their shoulder.


    So, time would pass...


    ¡°So what exactly are we looking for, bro?¡± Jackson yelled over the roaring wind as they blasted high into the air.


    The wooden dragon was a life created by the Lord of Land, Nier. Able to fly far faster than even the quickest jet, even strong Supers had a hard time staying on it, a wall of wind slamming into them. Part of the wooden beast was hollowed out a bit, allowing for Nier to sit at the base of the neck and grip the horns, as well as Jackson to stay crouched down behind him.


    Water soaked them down to the bone as they flew through black clouds and used the mist to stay hidden. The sun had set around the time they left. They weren¡¯t far from Rose City, which was where Mr. Sini was camped. They had to travel with the cover of night to avoid being seen.


    All along the airways, dozens of flying-based Monarch forces darted back and forth, and the further they got, the less ground they were able to see a massive army of raging Supers down below, ready to raid a city in only a few hours.


    ¡°Our target is an airship,¡± Nier called out. He pulled the dragon back and rose higher into the air. ¡°It¡¯s been trailing nearly three hours behind this force and hasn¡¯t come down since we¡¯ve taken note of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, how high up could it be for us to only notice it this late into the game?¡±


    ¡°Pretty high up!¡± Nier called back.


    The water that clung to them rapidly froze as they got higher and higher. Most planes stayed above the troposphere but a little below the stratosphere. That was typically the ¡®safe¡¯ part of where you could fly. The air dropped to nearly below freezing, and oxygen got thinner and thinner, nearly fading out. An average human would have blacked out in seconds. Even a strong Super would have their lungs on the verge of exploding from the rapid air change, but for the two Lords, they pushed on with ease and reached the Mesosphere.


    They were practically in outer space now.


    That was when they saw it. Their target was a massive airship. It was nearly a mile wide and a mile long, forged from a glowing silver metal. It didn¡¯t look like it had wings or even an engine. Instead, it was likely some Super¡¯s power allowed the entire thing to take flight. It was shaped almost like a massive cube. A literal flying box.


    Down below, the planet was covered in a thin veil of snow and mist as the thing floated¡ªclouds twisted around it, masking it so high up. Mountains were tiny specks beneath them.


    ¡°Look out!¡±


    Nier jerked and brought the horns of his wooden dragon up at the last second. He moved just in time as the floating silver box glowed with a hint of blue light, and then a massive shard of ice, taller than a skyscraper, blasted out towards them. It barely missed them and went flying out of planet Earth, reaching outer space, where it drifted away, never to be seen again.


    ¡°Guess they saw us,¡± Jackson yelled.


    ¡°Guess so! You ready, kid?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah, I am, bro!¡±


    Part of the metal cube unfolded, and dozens of Supers now stood on the surface of it. Some blasted out bolts of thunder or lightning; others sent blades of energy and some psychic forces. The dragon weaved in and out of the way of the assault and flew even higher, getting above the massive cube and nearly reaching space itself.


    They didn¡¯t have time to go through a mini-army. They were skipping right to the boss.


    Jackson¡¯s fire blasted out of his palm and swirled around the dragon, and they dropped towards the cube like a meteor. The enemy Supers barely had time to scream and duck. They rammed into the metal box and blew through it, crashing past its layer of armor. They were met with layers and layers of metal floors and ceilings, which they shattered past, going deeper and deeper until they finally stopped in what looked like the command room.


    It was the sort of room just asking to be a final boss arena. Large and spacious with almost nothing in it, save for a massive metal throne where ¡®he¡¯ rested. ¡°I thought you might have been here.¡± Their dragon broke apart and began to shatter due to the force it had to take. Nier could just make another one later, though. ¡°They said you¡¯ve been in hiding, not showing your face, yet the first time I went looking for you, I ran into you. What are the chances of that?¡±


    Lucifer gripped his book and silently stared down at them, not bothering with a single word.


    The final battle had arrived far quicker than any of them expected.


    Meanwhile...


    ¡°Think the walls will hold?¡± Avalon asked.


    "No, but it will put some of the people''s nerves at ease." Sini said, shaking his head.


    Galanthus village¡ªthe place where the final battle would take place. He watched as his soldiers finished the large stone wall that surrounded the run-down village. Past the village would be the ocean. Past that was Rose City. They wouldn¡¯t let this city fall. Rose City was special. It was the final battleground of the Shadow and the Four Lords. The place where the tower that would one day become the Enforcer¡¯s base stood.


    The four Lords had once again appeared: Lord of the Sea, Lord of the Sky, Lord of the Land, and Lord of the Sun. If they didn¡¯t stop Lucifer here, they¡¯d lose.


    A few mountains lined the distance. Already, he could hear the sounds of marching. The Monarch force was quickly approaching. They¡¯d have to hope Jackson and Nier could stop whatever trailed behind the ship.


    "When the fighting begins, I want you to stay inside the village, Harrison."


    "I can help though." Avalon argued. "I''m smart."


    "Exactly. That''s why you must live, young man. No matter what." Mr. Sini stated. He rested on the back of his horse, dressed in heavy metal armor and wielding a long silver trident, the very same weapon that would one day end up in the hands of the next Lord of the Sea. ¡°There weren¡¯t many Supers who stayed on the side of mankind. Someone with your talent is still needed. Far more than someone like me."


    ¡°Father!¡± A voice called out. Sini turned and saw his son Adam, also known as Young Dog, moving his way through the crowd of soldiers. It was almost half of their forces, all scattered about either in or out of the village. They had some planes and tanks set up as well, but for the most part, the soldiers knew they¡¯d be nothing more than cannon fodder. They were only humans, after all. ¡°Still no sign of Wano?¡± Adam questioned when he reached his dad''s side.


    ¡°No,¡± Sini said, sighing. ¡°Wano might have run into trouble. No one has been able to reach him.¡±


    Adam winced. ¡°So, then the only Supers we have are you, me, the Thaddeus clan member, Avalon, and the Princess of Life.¡±


    ¡°The odds certainly aren¡¯t good, are they?¡± A sly voice questioned. She appeared out of thin air. She was dressed in her robes, and her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She held a metal pipe, which she smoked something out of to deal with the stress. The Princess of Life. A daughter of a previous Lord of Life stood. ¡°There is a good chance we all fail and die today.¡± Her smile never faded.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out here!¡± Adam whined. ¡°You should stay in the village and heal anyone that needs it.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Nier, he isn¡¯t here.¡± Sini didn¡¯t bother looking down at her. He tightened the straps on his helmet and stared back at the mountain, listening to the marching. ¡°I sent the man and the boy on a mission.¡±


    ¡°Were you scared they¡¯d be wiped out?¡± The girl asked, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Afraid it would really be the end. The way things go, even if we lose those two, would they still live and maybe be able to pull a comeback? Is that how you thought this would all go? Well, sorry to say, but you¡¯re dead wrong.¡± She smirked.


    ¡°Avalon, please take her to the village,¡± Sini grunted out.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Avalon nodded and grabbed the Princess by her arm. ¡°Come along, lady. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Silence rained as Adam and his father stared out at the battlefield. ¡°Be honest,¡± the mixed boy asked, pulling a few of his knives off of his coat. ¡°Can we win?¡±


    ¡°We have to try.¡± Sini raised his weapon, and all his warriors stood tall. The water rose off the ground and began to swirl around everyone. It formed a thin, almost unseen barrier around every soldier, covering their weapons and armor¡ªsomething that would ensure they could take at least one hit from a Super. ¡°Last moment to get ready!¡± he called out.


    Tanks began to roar to life, cars started, and weapons were grabbed. There were nearly three hundred of them. Three hundred squishy weak humans and four Supers going up against an immortal undead army of Zombies. Despite the setting sun and soft fall of snow, everything was bathed in a warm glow as the mountainside lit up. There were nearly one thousand Monarch warriors in total. Some were ordinary humans, those who had decided to side with Lucifer in hopes of a better world; most were Supers, though. Some had blank, unseeing eyes, now turned into zombies; others smirked, knowing they were on the winning side. Some carried torches and others flashlights; some walked, some ran, some crawled, and some flew.


    Sini slammed his trident into the ground. It was the Full force that attacked first. Their tanks blasted into the air, raining down heavy gunfire, and with that, the battle began.


    The Monarch force had just reached the bottom when the first shells struck. The shells knocked some Supers over and might have even killed a few of the weak ones, but the majority pushed forward, shrugging through the explosive rounds. They were Supers, and there was nothing any mere human could do to stop them.


    Despite that, though, they made one mistake.


    They were fighting a Lord.


    Sini¡¯s horse moved faster than any car could hope to reach, wings jutting from its side as it took flight. He left his army behind and took the skies, heading straight for the enemy side all by himself. He wouldn¡¯t have to hold back if he was in the middle of the army.


    Attacks bounced off of a barrier of ice and water that formed around him, and he stood up on his horse. A few flying Supers crashed towards him, but they were all torn out of the sky by blades of ice. One in particular managed to dodge, however. A Super whose arms were large wings, the feathers blasting out and exploding. One of the very first Super¡¯s he had ever killed the day he met Avalon and saved the boy, brought back from death due to Lucifer¡¯s Dead Virus.


    ¡°I must admit, you¡¯re the last person I expected to see.¡± Sini hummed. He jumped off his flying horse and rammed his weapon into the body of the winged Super. Gravity grew heavier around him, and he came down like a tidal wave, a tsunami of water forming around him as he rammed right into the middle of the Super army. His tidal wave of water smashed down right behind him and instantly froze, catching hundreds of Supers in it and holding them all in place. ¡°Well! Come on, then! An army vs a Lord! Surely you can all do more than this, right?!¡±


    Sini tore his way through the Supers, each swing of his weapon causing stronger waves of gravity and water to smash down. Ice fired out in all directions, forming walls that blocked attacks. Near the bottom of the mountain, the rest of his soldiers were finally starting to arrive, bullets filling the air. His son, Adam, moved with inhuman speed and chucked knives so hard they caused sonic booms to go off and split through the enemy forces like it was nothing.


    Despite all of this, though, there was one big issue...


    No matter how many Supers they killed, the army didn¡¯t stop. The dead stood back up, their bodies healing and mending together. Those who stayed dead didn¡¯t remain that way for long, black energy coating them and raising them back up. Some of them began to smash their way into the frozen bodies of the trapped Supers, shattering them to bits and freeing them when the Supers'' bodies healed back up.


    Sini didn¡¯t let that stop him, though. He fought harder, breaking through more and doing his best to freeze every Super he could and trap them. He could hear his own forces being destroyed and torn apart as the sky was filled with dozens of powers.


    The flying Super he had taken out earlier slammed into him, and all its feathers exploded in a massive fireball, throwing him through waves of Supers that all clawed and slashed at him with mad actions¡ªmore like wild beasts than actual warriors. Full force planes took to the sky, dropping massive bombs onto the mountain and causing waves of avalanches, but that barely slowed the undead Supers.


    It was utter chaos.


    Sini tore through another Super, this one a massive ogre monster, as he kept pushing for the top of the mountain. There was indeed only one way to win battles like these. Either outlast the undead, who would eventually fade and cease to exist when Lucifer¡¯s energy ran low, or go for its source. Lucifer¡¯s undead, on their own, could go anywhere he told them to, but the more he summoned, the more effort he needed. He wasn¡¯t a bottomless well of energy, and if there were so many that respawned so much, that meant one thing.


    The villain was somewhere.


    Despite his power, he was quickly swarmed. A literal ocean of the dead that didn''t stop running. Their attacks barely hurt, but hundreds of them piled on, shoving him back. "Move Sini." He jumped out of the way on instinct when he heard the voice. From high above it came. Crashing down with massive force. A powerful bolt of lightning that burned hundreds of the dead warriors into ash.


    Sini fell back as steam rose up at the spot the lightning had hit, a smirk on his lips. ¡°Finally managed to make it, eh?¡± He called out.


    The clouds twisted and broke apart as something floated down softly. A man, one with his blonde hair tied back and golden lightning twirling off his fingers as the wind carried him down softly. ¡°Sorry,¡± Wano called out. The Lord of the Sky and Weather had arrived. "I would have come sooner, but I was busy dealing with something.¡±


    ¡°What could you have possibly been so busy with?¡± Sini snorted out as his old friend landed next to him.


    ¡°I met a girl,¡± Wano shrugged. The man¡¯s eyes traced the air, seeing something only he could see. Dozens of twisting and constantly altering Paths.


    "That''s what you were so busy with!"


    "Yeah."


    "Whatever. Now that you''re here, how about we take it seriously?"


    "Let''s show them the power of the Lords!"


    Despite holding the title, both Sini and Wano had been holding back. A Lord had the level of strength of a normal Super, and in order to access more of their Lord power, they needed to transform into a higher state. At that moment, both Sini and Wano did just that. Wano''s hair changed into a dark grayish black color, and clouds began to swirl around his body, forming a scarf that crackled with lightning. Sini''s hair changed into an aqua blue color, and jagged ice armor formed around him, and everything dropped in temperature. Both also had one thing in common. Their eyes were a fiery red.


    High above in the sky, Nier and Jackson stared at the man who rested on the throne.


    ¡°So that¡¯s him?¡± Jackson asked slowly, his eyes tracing the enemy. It was the first time he had actually seen the master of death.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the current worst Super in the world. This mission just jumped up in terms of difficulty. No matter what happens, don¡¯t let him hit you or touch you. Follow my lead, and don¡¯t hold back.¡± Nier grunted out. The metal beneath him began to twitch and bend and almost seemed to come to life and obey his command. Sparks of blue danced off his fingertips as the power of the Lord of Life surged through him. Jackson followed suit, fire twirling around his arms and legs.


    Lucifer sighed, quietly stood up, and dusted his clothes off. He hadn¡¯t changed how he looked in the fifteen years since he had last been seen. He had stopped aging a while ago. As soon as he was out of his throne, the cube they were in began to shake and spin, and both boys gasped and nearly slipped as it began to fall out of the sky.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have just died on that night, when we first fought?¡± The man bemoaned as black, gross energy began to swirl around his hand.


    ¡°Dodge, Jackson!¡±


    Nier bolted out of the way with godlike speed, and Jackson blasted away with fire just in time. The ground they stood on exploded into a hail of the Dead Virus, which began to eat away at the ship they were in, causing it to jerk and shake further.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, destroying your own place?¡± Jackson asked. ¡°Not cool! Aren¡¯t some of your people on this thing?!¡±


    ¡°All things come to an end, sooner or later.¡± The floor didn¡¯t just break away to nothingness. That would have been easy and simple. Instead, the virus caused it to shake and jerk, rising up as if it were a living liquid. Nier felt his blue life energy crackle out like lightning, and it allowed him to stick to the wall, avoiding the blast, as he caused the wall to form out handles for him to hold onto, but Jackson wasn¡¯t as lucky.


    The floor swept up like a wave and crashed down onto the boy, wrapping around and binding the Lord of the Sun and covering him from head to toe. Nier slashed out with his leg, and his flesh tore apart, causing a jagged blade of bone to stab out and split the metal open, allowing Jackson to break free. The boy did just that, a massive burst of flame blowing the rest of the floor apart and turning the floor into a hot white color that burned part of Lucifer¡¯s robes.


    The fire transformed into a giant bird made of embers and took to the air. Jackson stood on the bird and punched out with his fist as hard as he could. The fire that blasted off it roared like a beast and transformed into a lion. Lucifer raised his free hand, and a barrier of the Dead Virus formed around him, blowing the lion of fire to bits when it tried to devour him.


    As the smoke settled, Nier was already on Lucifer and struck out with a powerful kick, only for the man to dodge the fast attack as if it were nothing. He was even faster and stronger than he had been fifteen years ago.


    Lucifer¡¯s book opened, and a page spilled out, taking shape, as his virus gave birth to one of the Supers he had taken out. This one looked like a giant shark-like man with large arms and legs, and it roared and swung at Nier. The Lord of Life brought his arms up just in the nick of time and managed to block the swing, but the force of the attack sent him crashing back, and he slammed back first into a wall.


    While the dead monster charged at him, Lucifer went after what he thought was the weakest link. He was on Jackson in a single second and went to grab the boy. Jackson let out a yelp, and the flame bird vanished, causing both him and Lucifer to drop. They hit the hot floor, and Lucifer hissed, feeling his skin burn. Jackson broke his fall with a roll and was back on his feet, throwing a powerful right hook as hard as he could. His fire flowed out and began forming into an even bigger fist, which allowed him to send Lucifer crashing back.


    Lucifer flipped himself through the air and slammed his fingers into the floor, ripping it apart and causing his Dead Virus to fire out like blades. The energy broke everything it touched and crawled its way toward Jackson, but the boy quickly created another bird of fire, which grabbed onto his shoulders with its talons and lifted him up just in time.


    Over with Nier, his arms ached from the full force of the creature''s attacks. It struck out hard and fast, clawing at his face and trying to tear him in two. No matter how much he damaged it, the thing didn¡¯t seem like it wanted to stay down. Its wounds would close up soon after, and it would be fine. It had gray, tough skin that hurt his hands when he struck it. He was glad real sharks didn¡¯t have arms or legs, as this thing was quickly becoming a pain.


    The fist of the shark-like monster slammed into Nier¡¯s face and managed to knock out a few teeth, causing the man¡¯s head to jerk to the side. ¡°Okay, then.¡± He spat out a glob of blood. ¡°Since you can heal, let¡¯s see just how good you are, buddy.¡± His palm smashed into the gut of the monster, and he shoved it back. ¡°Begone.¡± It went to take a step, but instantly, its back was blown to bits as dozens of flowers and vines began to pull its way out of the monster''s flesh. ¡°I doubt you can recover from something like this,¡± Nier smirked. The monster¡¯s flesh changed and twisted as wood began to replace its skin, and it started to turn into a large oak tree. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll grow some good fruit one day,¡± Nier stated, patting it.


    Nier didn¡¯t have time to feel too cool, though, as seconds later, the room exploded and the floor broke to bits, causing all of them to fall to a further floor below¡ªan engine room, which whined and howled as the airship was still falling to the ground.


    ¡°What the hell happened?!¡± Nier yelled with wide eyes.


    ¡°My bad! Tried making a small sun!¡±


    ¡°Jackson?¡± Nier turned just in time to see Jackson crash into him, and they slammed down into one of the red-hot engines, breaking through it and causing it to explode. They both groaned and tried to stand up. ¡°You still alive, Jackson?¡±


    ¡°Somehow, bro!¡±


    ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s get back out there!¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡±


    Lucifer elegantly dropped onto one of the other engines. There were dozens of them in this room, each bigger than a bus, though dozens were blown to bits by now. The wielder of the Dead Virus stared them down, his golden eyes glaring into each of them.


    ¡°You Lords are nothing compared to the power I have.¡± He clutched the book closely to his chest. ¡°I saw it. Death itself. The bringer of the end. Total darkness. The Shadow. The thing that nearly wiped the human race out and took your four Lords to take down. That is the power I wield. The God I worship, and the blessings I give.¡± He dropped down to the ground, meeting them at eye level. Black energy crackled down his body, and a sword forged from the Dead Virus formed in his hand. ¡°Last time, I let you go due to foolish feelings I held for the past. I had watched you grow up, Nier. Raised you even. In a way, that would make me your father, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but scum.¡± Nier spat. ¡°Are you ready, Jackson? This is the final push.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jackson nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll beat him! No matter what!¡±


    Both of them screamed out, and their power rose and reached its peak. Nier¡¯s hair changed into a snow white, and a pair of horns stabbed out of his head. Jackson¡¯s hair shifted from a red to a golden set of locks, fire twirling through them, and his eyes became a fiery red much like Nier''s. A sword of fire formed into his hands, large and bulky, a claymore of embers.


    Lucifer blocked with his sword as a wave of fire was launched at him. He cut through it and dodged scythes of bones that stabbed from the floor. Fifteen years ago, this power had pushed him to the edge. Now, though, it was nothing but a weak trick.


    Jackson stomped on the ground, and from his foot, fire stabbed out of the floor and rose up in a wave, trying to impale Lucifer. Black feathery wings tore their way out of Lucifer¡¯s back, and he took off into the air. The villain twirled his body, flew through the wave of fire, and swung out with his sword, meeting Jackson¡¯s blade. Jackson¡¯s sword broke to pieces, and he had to duck beneath the blade at the last second.


    Lucifer¡¯s leg slammed into his gut and blasted him back, and the now blonde teen rolled across the floor and clasped his hands together. His fire blasted out into the shape of a dragon, but Lucifer easily split it in half. Nier tried to ram his fist into Lucifer, bones swirling around his arm, but the strike was easily blocked by one of the black wings that came out of the man¡¯s back.


    The other wing came out and stabbed into Nier, causing the man¡¯s eyes to widen as his gut was torn open. He fought through the pain and rammed his fist into Lucifer¡¯s gut and winced as his arm nearly snapped in two. Lucifer swung out with his bible and rammed it directly into Nier¡¯s face, downing the boy.


    ¡°Watch now, dear boy, as I cause your world to break apart.¡± From his book, the nun reformed. Her metal chains wrapped around Nier, pinning him down and trapping him.


    The man stalked toward the young boy. Jackson was getting back to his feet, his red eyes glaring into Lucifer. He charged and recreated his sword and met the monster head-on. They engaged in a series of clashes, but it slowly became clear that Jackson was outmatched. He was just a young boy, fifteen years of age. Every strike of his sword broke, and his flames only managed to leave Lucifer¡¯s body a little red.


    He screamed and ignited his body in full fire, but not even that affected Lucifer anymore. The man¡¯s sword slashed across Jackson, and the boy screamed as he was nearly split in two. Cracks began to seep across his flesh, and he gasped.


    Nier roared, and his power surged out like an ocean and shattered the chains. He moved faster than he ever had before and rammed his fist through the nun. He fired an air current so strong that it blew all the remaining engines to bits and shot Lucifer back. He came to a sliding stop in front of Jackson and placed his hand down on the boy''s gut. Golden light seeped from his wounds, and Jackson gasped as his gut eased back together, and he began to heal.


    The Lord of Life slowly broke down the Dead Virus and saved the boy. ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± Nier let out a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re-¡±


    Blood erupted from his chest as Lucifer¡¯s sword rammed into Nier¡¯s back. Nier screamed and gasped as he felt his body be invaded with the virus.


    ¡°No!¡± Jackson screamed.


    Nier kicked out with his leg and slammed it into Jackson¡¯s gut, throwing the boy back just in time. A wave of the Dead Virus twisted and crackled out from the sword Lucifer held. The man¡¯s head was cocked to the side casually as he stared at Nier. Nier managed to twist his head around a bit and glared into Lucifer¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°G- Go to hell.¡± He spat and coated a glob of his blood onto the man¡¯s face.


    Lucifer calmly twisted the sword. ¡°You first." Nier was torn in half, his legs falling one way while his upper body fell the other. Jackson¡¯s screams filled the air, but it was too late to act.


    Everything exploded, and a hail of flame danced into the air as the box they were in finally smashed into the planet below, breaking everything.


    Jagged metal rained, and Supers were flung out in all directions, many turning into red stains as they hit the floor. The box broke apart, and shards of iron impaled into most of Lucifer¡¯s forces. They had slammed into a mountain, and it came crashing down onto them, a wave of snow and ice raining and dragging everything into the village down below.


    For several moments, there was just silence¡ªmetal buried in the snow alongside the corpses of dozens of men and women. The ship was in pieces everywhere, and quietly, steam rose to the sky as Jackson pulled himself out of the snow. He was on the ground, and his red eyes were cast down.


    Lucifer pulled his own body out of the snow and dusted his cloak off. He still gripped his book, and his sword reformed. He prowled toward the boy. ¡°Despair. It eats away at all living things. To live means to die. To die means to despair. You¡¯re consumed by it now. When a human loses one they love, it breaks them. Your hope has been broken-¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Lucifer froze when he heard Jackson. The young boy slowly stood up. There was a look in his eyes. A look that wasn¡¯t of despair but was something more. The loss of his older brother didn¡¯t cause Jackson to give up. Instead, he steeled his nerves and coated his body hot in fire. The flames danced off his arms and down his back. Crackling like energy. ¡°I¡¯m going to beat you. No matter what. My hope isn¡¯t gone. It won¡¯t ever be gone. I¡¯m not giving up. If I couldn¡¯t stop you before, then I¡¯ll just force myself to get stronger. So strong, I¡¯ll beat you.¡±


    ¡°Fall into despair! Feel yourself devoured by it! Once the Virus kills Nier, I¡¯ll claim him and his power! With it, taking the other Lords will be child¡¯s play! I¡¯ll bring my God back then! You Lords should have never been born!¡±


    ¡°My power will never obey you,¡± Jackson stated. He stepped forward, and Lucifer found himself taking a step back. I don¡¯t care if you kill me. My ability is one for the people. As long as even one person is out there somewhere, my power won¡¯t stop existing for their sake. Just as Nier saved me all those years ago, I¡¯ll do everything I can to save another person¡ªeven you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Lucifer. I¡¯m going to save you!¡±


    The snow was gone. In an instant, steam was all Lucifer saw. A blue light ignited from Jackson, and he was coated in his fire. The air itself danced with flames, and Lucifer actually grunted and fell to the floor. As hot as the sun. No. Hotter. It wasn¡¯t ordinary fire. This was a blue flame. One that poured forth and covered Jackson from head to toe in a thin layer. Despite how hot it was, it didn¡¯t burn. It was almost gentle in nature. Flowers forced their way out of the snow, growing towards their new sun.


    Jackson looked down at his hand as the blue fire twisted over it. Lucifer screamed and blasted out with his Dead Virus, and Jackson walked forward. The virus burned to nothingness before it even reached him. ¡°How could you reach the level of the first Lords? That power should be mine!¡±


    Full Monarch had been born.

 Chapter Seventy-Nine: A War In The Future

    ¡°Did you really think I would let you die so easily?¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Nier tried to open his eyes but found that he couldn¡¯t. All around him, he saw nothing; he felt nothing. It was like being in the ocean suspended in water. He felt almost like he was floating. It was dark. No. It was pure darkness. A darkness that was looking back at him. A darkness that was holding onto him. A darkness that was going to save his life.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could die yet. Rise, my Ruler. My Shadow. My Void. Wake up, Nier.¡±


    And so time would pass...


    The heat was intense, like a roaring sun on the verge of exploding. Despite that, the fire didn¡¯t burn. It was something else¡ªa gentle yet firm show of force. Even as the steam rose like newborn clouds and Lucifer¡¯s flesh melted off his bones, everyone else was fine.


    Mr. Sini and Wano had stopped fighting. Their transformation was off, and they, along with all the other soldiers, both the Full Force and the Monarch Force, stared up at the mountain with wide eyes. Jackson was covered in so much fire it stopped anyone from seeing him. A bright blue it gushed out of his skin and formed a cloak around him. It wasn''t even a battle. He had wiped Lucifer out in only a single attack.


    Lucifer¡¯s robes were burned away, and he had been reduced to a blackened skeleton¡ªno muscle or organs left. The villain still somehow clung to life, though. His title of leader of the Immortals was very clear. He clutched his book, and despite not having muscles or anything else, he managed to stand up. If he had eyes, they¡¯d be glaring at the blue man before him.


    "I am the Ruler of Death and Rebirth! I was handpicked by the Shadow! You are not the god here! I am!" Despite having no tongue, Lucifer somehow managed to run his mouth and scream. His skin regrew as shadows danced across his flesh and restored him to life. Full Monarch¡¯s body didn¡¯t even twitch or seem bothered as waves of Dead Virus smashed down into him, burning away instantly. The man wasn''t even paying attention to Lucifer. He looked almost like he was in a trance, staring off into the distance. Full Monarch stared down at his hands, watching the trillions of mini explosions that went off, each as tiny as a molecule. "What the hell are you looking at?" Lucifer roared. His flesh was regrowing, and he stomped forward, glaring at the God before him.


    "I am the Brightest Star."


    "What?" Lucifer stopped dead in his tracks as his body fully put itself back together.


    "I see it all." Full Monarch whispered. "Every molecule. The way this universe forms together. How it began and how it ended. This body isn''t mine. It''s a vessel. One that holds ''it''s true form. The Brightest Star. I am the Brightest Star. The light in the darkness. The warmth in the cold. The energy in a still world. I think I have a way of beating you for good now.¡±


    The Dead Virus twisted and rose like hundreds of snakes. Inky and black, it was as if Lucifer¡¯s shadow had come to life. He let out a sound. It wasn''t some proud battle cry that a warrior would give. No. This was a screech, the last desperate cry of cattle. He flung himself at Full Monarch, bringing out everything he had. He never stood a chance. It was over before it even began.


    It started in the palm of Full Monarch¡¯s hand, twisting and growing. It wasn¡¯t fire, it wasn¡¯t lightning, and it wasn¡¯t anything found in this universe. Sparkling and bright, something brand new, smaller than a golf ball. It was a shard of golden metal.


    The hero simply flicked it forward, and in an instant, faster than he could even react, Lucifer felt it stab deep into his heart. Then he felt it. A burn unlike anything life should have been able to endure. His molecules were burning. Even smaller than that, a bright flash gushed out, and cracks expanded across his skin as the shard in his heart began to hum with divine energy. Then he was simply gone. Nothing left.


    Utter destruction.


    The total opposite of the Lord of Life. With but a single attack, untold energy had devoured him completely. For the first time in a long time, Lucifer had embodied death once again.


    Silence hung on the battlefield. The dead zombies began to break to dust and crumble away, and the Full force soldiers looked as if they were about to black out. An intense aura still wrapped its way around all of them.


    "What happened?"


    Sini jumped when he heard the voice. He, along with Wano, turned around and saw their companion. "Nier?" Nier was perfectly fine. The man was fully healed and walking toward them slowly. "You tell us! What the hell happened on that ship-"


    Nier stepped past his friends and stared at Full Monarch with wide horror field eyes. "Who are you?"


    Full Monarch didn''t look at Nier. Gradually, his eyes shifted over to the small drone that hovered in the air above. Without even raising a finger, the drone''s atoms came undone, and it broke away into nothingness. "I am the Brightest Star. I am-" The fire quietly faded out and revealed the young boy beneath, which collapsed into the arms of Nier, who ran forward, catching him at the last second.


    "Jackson!"


    And so time would pass...


    Ocean Empress could feel her mind slowly coming back to her. She wasn''t the only one. Paragon and Poseidon were starting to come to consciousness as well. The memories that weren''t their own had been forced into them by Avalon. Forced to bear witness to what he had gone through. The things that he had seen. There was one final thing he wanted to show them. After witnessing the birth of Full Monarch, it was only fitting. The day the Emperor was born.


    The memory and images shifted, and soon they found themselves in a city. She had seen something like this once before. Two years ago, ''it'' had come down to the planet. This was the first time it arrived. The first time the Beast from outer space stepped foot on Earth. The first time a new Calamity was born since the war with Lucifer came to an end.


    She didn''t know what city this was, but it lay in utter ruins. Lightning crackled and smashed down into the ground, ripping it apart. Giant blades of ice miles long reached out, cutting through buildings, and hundreds of tornadoes twisted to life. Lava gushed out of cracks in the ground, and a heavy fog of smoke and mist blocked the way for most people. Wano was on the ground clutching at his left side, which was gushing blood due to the loss of his arm. Hundreds were dead all around him. His eyes stared up in the air filled with dread and horror.


    "What the hell is this thing? It''s even stronger than Lucifer!"


    Sini stood next to his old friend. He was covered in burn marks, and his armor had been torn to bits. He had a stern look on his face as he watched the battle before him play out. "A mad Beast. This thing can''t be a person. It''s an animal. A monster. One that knows only how to kill."


    Up in the sky above the city, a grand battle was taking place. Beams of golden energy blasted out wildly, ripping through the air or buildings, and lightning constantly poured from the clouds like raindrops. The Beast was too high up to see, covered with too many clouds, but every attack it threw shook the country and met the blue flames that belonged to Full Monarch head on. The two were giving it everything they had.


    A scream broke through the battlefield. Not one of anger but instead of sorrow. He was on his knees, his arms wrapped around someone. Nier let out a single guttural cry as he clutched two badly burned bodies in his arms. The day everything was taken from him.


    Above him, the drone that watched everything jittered as a stray bolt of energy hit it, and the thing broke to bits.


    Shortly after this event, Nier would become the villain known as the Emperor and begin to create his monstrous army. Lucifer would somehow return and have most of his power reduced, dropping him from a Calamity Level Threat to a lesser threat. He would then create the group known as the Immortals. Full Monarch would become the world''s strongest hero for sending the Beast into outer space and would create the group known as the Enforcers. A year later, his daughter would be born...


    ***This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Well. What did you think-"


    Ocean Empress rammed her fist into the face of Harrison Avalon, breaking his nose. She breathed heavily as all the monitors shut off, and her daughters collapsed to their knees, regaining their ability to think. The memory was over. They had broken out of it. Or maybe Avalon didn''t have anything to show them anymore. "Why the hell would you do that?"


    Avalon still rested on the ground, clutching at his gut wound from where she had rammed her sword through him. He rubbed at his face, which now had a black eye, and he gave a sly grin. "What? You didn''t like my memories? Most people would have killed to get to see Full Monarch slaughter Lucifer. Would you rather me show you the time I met Battery and became his teammate for when we both worked for the Emperor? Or maybe you''d have liked to see the battle between Full Monarch and the Emperor?"


    "The Brightest Star..." Paragon finally spoke up and shook her head as the images faded. "What does that mean?"


    "Who cares." Poseidon hissed, standing back up. "That had nothing to do with Wish and just stalled time for him!"


    "I never said it would have anything to do with Wish." Avalon chuckled. "This place is just where I stored her Pod before it was stolen away by Doctor Blue. You saw it, though. The threat of the Lords."


    "You''re talking about the form Full Monarch turned into." Paragon questioned. Before she had gone blind, she had seen a picture of Full Monarch. Most people described him in two ways. Either he was a blonde-haired man with fiery red eyes, as he always stayed in his Lord mode, or he was cloaked in thick blue flames that didn''t burn anyone he didn''t want them to. "I never heard anyone call him the Brightest Star or anything like that. What was that?"


    Avalon chuckled and tried to sit up but quickly gave up and instead slumped back down. "Lord''s at the end of the day are still humans. They''re strong, very powerful, even among the best Super''s, but they can be killed just like any other person. That is, until they force their power to reach its peak. Battle Mode. A form of power that allows them to tap into a portion of the power that belonged to the first Four Lords. That''s just the thing, though. It''s just a portion."


    "So then..."


    "That state that he was in. I believe that was the full power of a Lord. In other words, an actual God. The Brightest Star. The full energy of the first Lord of the Sun and Cosmos." Avalon explained. "Tell me. Do any of you think you could beat Lucifer? No. I didn''t think so. Full Monarch was able to do it with a single attack. He burned Lucifer so badly the man never stood a chance. Even today Lucifer hasn''t recovered to full power and is still healing. I believe the Emperor reached a power close to this. As far as I know, only those two have ever been able to reach that state. It requires the right mindset. Now imagine. What would happen if Wish got that power?" That caused all of their faces to pale a bit. "See. You can tell it''d be bad, right? So what do you say, Paragon? Want to die for the greater good so that we can kill Wish for real this time and make sure she never gets the chance?"


    "I''m good."


    "That sucks."


    "Why did you show that to us?" Ocean Empress cut in. "Surely it wasn''t just for that. You knew we wouldn''t change our minds. What was the point of all of this? Why are you playing this game, Avalon?"


    Avalon eyed her up slowly and cocked his head to the side, a sly smile coming back onto his face. The kind that screamed ¡®I win¡¯ all over it. ¡°Simple. I needed to buy time for Fairy Queen to finish fixing up Golden God.¡±


    ¡°Oh crap-¡±


    The entire roof exploded in a hail of debris. Poseidon blocked it all with a ring of water, while Ocean Empress managed to create a shield of ice. As for Paragon, the girl jumped behind Avalon and wrapped her arms around him, using the man as a shield and placing her hand under his chin, ready to use her power and put him down or absorb him if it really came to it.


    Before anyone else could react, Ocean Empress felt something slam into her, breaking through her shield and sending her flying through the wall and out of the building. ¡°Mom!¡± Poseidon yelled with wide eyes. Standing in the room now was Fairy Queen. The woman¡¯s wings stretched out in all directions, and she was dressed in her old outfit, that being a few vines that barely covered her modesty. ¡°Seriously?¡± Poseidon hissed, twirling her weapon. ¡°I thought Myth¡¯s group was dealing with you!¡±


    The Organization was the name of the group the Emperor ran. Each villain was remarkably powerful, but four main threats stood at the top. Fairy Queen was said to be evenly matched with the members of the Immortals. In other words, even multiple Enforcers teaming up on her would have a hard time.


    The woman easily dodged the strike from Poseidon¡¯s trident. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later, Lord.¡± The monster smirked. ¡°Right now, I think I¡¯m in the mood for some fun. I¡¯ll skin your mother alive.¡± The villain blasted out of the hole, heading for Ocean Empress, who was still falling.


    Poseidon froze, glancing at the hole and then looking back at Paragon, who still held Avalon. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I got this guy. Go help, Mom!¡± Paragon yelled.


    Poseidon nodded. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t do anything dumb.¡± The girl had bitten her lip, and once more, black blood dripped down it. ¡°If it comes to it, just kill the bastard.¡± She jumped out of the hole, heading towards the battle below, ready to give aid to her mom.


    The roof above further tore apart, and Destiny looked up, allowing Paragon to see. Above the building, Golden God floated his massive head, staring down at them. She shivered a bit and gripped Avalon tighter. ¡°Try anything, and this guy dies. I don¡¯t know why, but you need him, right? Otherwise, you¡¯d have just nuked this building.¡± She¡¯d just have to let her power run out of control. Cause his cells to burst. It¡¯d be just like how Wish would use her power to melt people. A thought that made Paragon¡¯s stomach flop.


    Golden God¡¯s head cocked to the side, and one of his many arms came down, reaching for them. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that, big guy.¡± Avalon called out, causing the machine to stop. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s telling the truth. You try anything, and I¡¯ll be soup.¡±


    Paragon winced as she heard the fighting outside. The building shook more, and shards of ice and whips of water shot into the air. ¡°If you¡¯re smart, you and Fairy Queen will just leave. Showing up like this for even a second will cause the Victorian or Boy Genius to drop everything they¡¯re doing and come over here. Those two really hate you, servants of the Emperor. Can¡¯t say I blame them, though.¡±


    ¡°You speak so terribly of your father.¡± Avalon chuckled. ¡°Tell me. Did you know about Jack? Of course not. You didn¡¯t know about Wish, either. I¡¯m guessing you have no idea just how many kids the Emperor created to replace the one he lost to the Beast.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°What did you think of the story I showed you?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± She said louder. ¡°I will kill you!¡±


    Avalon''s smirk only grew larger. He was clearly enjoying this twisted game. "Do you know why Pantheon isn''t dealing with Fairy Queen or Golden God? It''s because they''re busy. They''re tied up dealing with the Wandering Coin." She remained silent, her lips thinning out into a line. Avalon took that as his cue to go on. "You''re a smart girl, Sky. Who do you think is going to be with the Wandering Coin? Do you think that Cinder will be as lucky a second time? That she''ll come out of that fight just fine? Especially when Battery doesn''t have his sword. That was the thing that let him beat her last time, you know."


    ¡°If you think I won¡¯t kill you, you¡¯re mistaken.¡± She hissed. "I''ll do it. I believe in Cinder. I''m not going to kill myself. That''s just stupid."


    "Sure, sure. Don''t kill yourself. You''re smart after all." Avalon chuckled. "But wouldn''t you like to be there to make sure?"


    "What?"


    "Let''s be real. Cinder is going to run into Wish. Wish is likely even stronger. She grows constantly. Adapts. On top of that, she''ll have three mini-hers running around since they can make man-made Supers. Could Cinder beat all of that? You saw the state they all ended up in after an encounter with Wish. Why play it safe? In fact, if you were there, then you might even be able to stop Wish for good without dying."


    "You''re lying. If that was an option, you would have tried it."


    "Maybe. Or maybe I just hate anything to do with the Emperor and was just looking for an excuse for you to die." He stared up at her with a dark look and gave a sinister smirk. "Either way. I think it''ll be more fun this way. Why don''t you pick? Oh, and you better do it fast."


    His body lit up with a blue light. She placed her hand on him and activated her power faster than he could react. She wanted to make his legs give out, turn the muscles off, or something. To her horror, though, it didn''t work. It failed. It wasn''t able to read him or give her a view of how his body worked at all. The only thing she could tell for sure was that he wasn''t a human. Not anymore. She had made a mistake. They all did. She thought her sister was special. Her sister was turned into a monster by her own hands yet was able to shift back into a human form. On top of that, there were people like Myth who could also transform into monsters. Avalon was the same. He had been in the Emperor''s army, meaning he would have had to have been changed at one point. That blue flickering light was him activating his transformation.


    It shimmered over him, and she jumped back, letting out a yell, but it was already too late. In an instant he changed into the form he had been given by the Emperor.


    Once upon a time, there was a young boy. One said to have been found by a great Devil. This Devil took the boy in and raised him as his own. But the Devil didn''t want a son. He wanted a weapon. One that would obey him always and help him slaughter his enemies. He wanted something that could devour the Sun.


    So he raised this boy up. He forged him powerful armor and gifted him a weapon that was alive so long as the child trusted it¡ªa partner for this young boy, and he drilled into him the image of what true power should be. Slowly this child grew and eventually surpassed that of his mortal shell as the Devil fed him more and more. Bigger and bigger, this child became until soon only one word could truly describe him.


    Giant. The Devil had created a Giant that was so strong it could devour the Sun itself. At last, it had its perfect weapon.


    The two of them would declare war on the Sun. The Devil and the Giant would fight it together. The Sun, however, would see the humanity in the boy and reach out to it. Just like that, the Devil''s plans came undone, and he soon found himself being devoured by that Young Giant that he had created, and the Devil would be split in two by the very weapon he gave the Giant.


    Avalon''s form grew slimmer, and he dropped to the ground. His arms folded in on themselves and his legs twisted together as he changed into a pure white metal covered in various runes. Earlier, her mom had asked him where the sword that belonged to the Emperor was¡ªthe blade that Battery used. She just found it. Avalon was the sword.


    "Oh, what the actual fuck!"


    A roar shook the building, and she looked up, seeing the massive arm of Golden God come down toward her rapidly. She had no choice. She grabbed the blade right as his palm reached her, about to flatten her into a pancake.


    ¡°Take me to Cinder!¡± Paragon vanished in a quiet ¡®popping¡¯ sound.

 Chapter Eighty: The Wild Wastelands

    Mayor Grove let out a quiet groan as he felt his eyes slowly open. ¡°You okay?¡± Mr. Brenner asked.


    Grove shot a glare at his bodyguard and shook his head. ¡°No. I was tased and knocked out. Of course, I¡¯m not okay.¡± He hissed. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension that had started to build up in it. ¡°So, you were able to activate the robot and get us out of here.¡±


    It had started off as his limo. A car that Doc had built using various supplies from other Mental-based Supers. His car was his ultimate weapon, loaded with powerful guns and able to fly and even transform into a large robot. It also used technology that had been created by one of the Pallet Boys. Those two fodder heroes had a way of doing the impossible. This tech allowed them to cause the cockpit of the robot to be much bigger than it should have been.


    When the car transformed into its robot form, its interior nearly tripled in size, allowing for a wide-open space within the machine. It was a spacious room filled with dozens of chairs, a few beds, a bathroom, a fridge, and even a mini kitchen¡ªlike a small house that he could use in case he wasn¡¯t able to make it back to his base beneath the manor.


    ¡°Where are we heading?¡± He questioned his bodyguard. Mr. Brenner was seated in front of the wheel. Dozens of new buttons and levers had formed out of the car, which the man was using to steer his giant robot. ¡°I was going to take us to the base-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The mayor shook his head. He looked around the large cockpit and frowned. The monitor showed the outside of the robot, and at the moment, they were quickly flying away from the stadium. They weren¡¯t very stealthy, and soon it would be all over the news. ¡°I don¡¯t want them finding my base.¡±


    ¡°They already know who you are. I''m pretty sure they¡¯ll tear that place apart and find it sooner or later.¡± The man grumbled. ¡°Besides, the Supers are still there since you decided not to bring them along. We¡¯ll need them if we want to even stand a chance. I¡¯m taking a great risk doing this. I might never be able to see my son again. The reason I worked for you was because you promised you could keep him safe from that monster. Don¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but...¡± Grove trailed off. He had a strange gut feeling. Something was telling him to not relax. Lady Luck was always on his side, so he often went with his gut feeling. His eyes roamed over the cockpit once more. ¡°Something is off-¡±


    The back of the room glowed with a bright blue light, and in a flash, two large glass-like boxes suddenly appeared. It caused their ride to shake and wobble. It didn¡¯t stop there either, as seconds later, Doc appeared along with two other people cloaked in red robes. Both glass boxes also contained two people. One of them was Kevin, whose eyes roamed around. The other was Wish. The girl didn¡¯t move an inch, and it was hard to tell if she was even alive; both her eyes squeezed tightly shut.


    ¡°How did you guys get here?¡± Mr. Brenner asked with wide eyes. ¡°Also, you¡¯re late!¡±


    Doc brushed his coat off and walked forward, swinging his cane around. ¡°We used a gate.¡± The blind man explained. ¡°Below the manor, inside Grove¡¯s basement, we have our main base, where I was slowly restoring Kevin.¡± He trapped his cane on the glass box containing the boy. ¡°That realm has two gates. One is the basement, and the other is here. It¡¯s so if the mayor is ever attacked, he can hop through the gate inside this machine I built and escape, then he has a door directly back to his manner.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know about it?¡± Brenner asked, frowning.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t trust you with it.¡± Doc chuckled. ¡°Fear not, though you know now.¡± The officer just grumbled as he shook his head. ¡°So, Mr. Grove, or should I call you Sunshine? What do we do now?"


    "That''s a good question." The mayor stood up and walked over to the glass container that held the body of Wish. "The Pod is still at our base?"


    "Correct. I couldn''t bring it with us." The Doc nodded.


    The man sighed. "Very well. We got it from Avalon after we stole it away. It took me years to finally get the Lord of Life on my side. With her power, my goal is actually within reach. A goal that had been created by someone before me once. I think it''s time we meet someone." His fingers brushed the glass, and he felt his nails dig into it slightly.


    Doc let out a low hum. "Are we going to go meet him, finally?¡±


    ¡°Meet who?¡± Brenner questioned.


    Grove¡¯s eyes traced over the body of Wish. ¡°This machine. The thing that allowed us to break down people¡¯s bodies and turn them into monsters. They, in a way, mimic the Emperor¡¯s powers. We didn¡¯t just find them. I was gifted them by a man. That same man also happened to give me both Wish and Doc here. All for the sake of my plan. However, he made me promise one thing. Should the day come that I am found out, he requested that I bring him his gift back.¡± It was time he gave his weapon back.


    ¡°So instead of your base, we¡¯re going to go meet with this man, right?¡± The police officer nodded, putting it together. "I doubt this man is in Oleander, though. He¡¯d have to be someone important to have all this stuff. He''d likely be a member of the Emperor¡¯s army, meaning he¡¯d be an Organization member. That means he¡¯s in Rose City, right?¡±


    Brenner shook his head. ¡°No. The place we¡¯re going isn¡¯t in any city.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    Grove turned back and pointed at the monitor, watching as they passed over the ocean and began to head out of Oleander City. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the Wastelands! If Lady Luck is truly on my side, then we¡¯ll win this battle, and my dream will come true!¡±


    Unknown to all, however, someone else watched them closely. Unseen, Whisper folded her arms and watched the Paths change and twist. They formed shapes she had never seen before. She had debated zapping the driver and crashing the car the moment they were all in. After all, the entire reason she had stowed away was so she could find their base, but now they weren¡¯t even heading in the right direction. She didn¡¯t do this, though.


    It was all because of one simple reason.


    The Paths began to turn blank.


    For the first time since she could recall, the future was going to be a mystery to her. And that really excited her...


    ***


    A Few Moments Earlier...


    ¡°Did she actually let herself be taken?¡± Cinder sighed, folding her arms as she followed the others out of the stadium. Down below, Green Wolf and Demonica would be fighting the members of Watch Dogs.


    ¡°I doubt they know she is there.¡± Myth hummed as he stared down at his phone. He was getting a string of numbers and locations from the unseen hero, who was constantly sending her location to them.


    Kyle¡¯s father had gotten away and, in the commotion, picked the mayor up in that strange robot they had. Whisper had decided that she would take it upon herself to discover where the Wandering Coin¡¯s base was. Now, they were stuck going after her.


    ¡°Are we going to go after her?¡± Battery asked. They had made it outside, where the crowd of people were still being taken to safety by dozens of Hero Branch members. For a moment, she wondered if her mom was among them. Whisper had gotten the woman out when trouble had gone down. She¡¯d have to send a text or something later.


    ¡°Of course, we have to go after her.¡± Snowdawn snorted. His ice armor had reformed, and he clapped Battery on the back. ¡°She¡¯s part of our team, after all-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a dumbass.¡± Battery¡¯s words caused them all to fall silent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡± She said, wincing a bit.


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have just jumped onto their ride.¡± Battery spat out, shaking his head. ¡°If they find out she¡¯s there or decide to go through a gate to another world, then what happens? Sure, she might be able to handle herself if it¡¯s just those two, but what happens when they get to Wish?¡±


    ¡°Wish is dead.¡± Myth grunted. ¡°You and I killed her ourselves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool, or an idiot, if you think someone like Wish will actually stay dead.¡± Battery grunted. ¡°Besides, if she really wanted to help us capture the mayor, she could have knocked those two out by now. Instead, she is trying to get to their base.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so we could find the others. And if Wish is alive, we need to take her down-¡±


    ¡°Our job is to take down Fairy Queen right now. That¡¯s what we told Boy Genius. Instead of doing that, though, we¡¯re leaving Green Wolf behind, as well as the place Fairy Queen should come to, so we can chase down the mayor and hope they take us to their base. This plan is stupid.¡± The man said flatly.


    She awkwardly shifted on her feet as Battery and Myth stared each other down. It felt kind of like watching someone¡¯s parents fight. She had never seen her mom or dad yell at one another, but when she went to Armin¡¯s house as a kid, sometimes his parents would argue back when his mom was still... She always felt guilty about which side she should take or if she should say anything or not.


    She cleared her throat, getting the attention back on her. She stood her ground and folded her arms. ¡°I think Myth needs to do this. He seemed off when he saw the mayor. No offense, Myth. I get it, though. If Lucifer were here, I¡¯d want to do the same¡ªdrop everything and go after him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be on my side.¡± Battery grumbled.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying. I even agree with it. We shouldn¡¯t just drop the Fairy Queen job, and Whisper could have gone about this in a better way. I also think Myth has a right to have us go after Sunshine.¡± For a moment, her thoughts went back to Wish. ¡°If ¡®she¡¯ really is at their base, I¡¯d like to stop her for good this time. I¡¯m running out of time.¡± She needed someone else to have that vast power. Her father and Mr. Larison were both nearing the end of the road.


    Snowdawn rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°How are we going to get to where Whisper is, anyway? That thing was flying, and besides Myth, none of us can do that.¡±


    Myth turned and stared out at the parking lot where Whisper¡¯s van rested. ¡°Get in. I¡¯ll handle getting us there.¡±


    ¡°Uh oh...¡± Snowdawn made a face and sighed. ¡°This is going to be a rough flight, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Before they could get into the van, a quiet buzzing filled the air. Battery reached into his belt, pulled out his phone, and answered it. ¡°Hello-¡±


    ¡°When you told us Harrison had the sword, you failed to mention the fact that Fairy Queen would also be here!¡± The sound of intense battle came out of his speakers, along with the very pissed-off voice of Ocean Empress. ¡°I¡¯m not one of the Enforcers that can just casually fight a member of the Organization! Also, there are two of them! Golden God is here, too, and up where Paragon is-¡±


    Battery hung up and placed his phone back on his belt. ¡°Well. That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Myth hissed. ¡°I thought Fairy Queen would show up here. I never imagined she¡¯d stay behind and back up Avalon.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we know for sure he¡¯s in on it.¡± Snowdawn bit his lip. ¡°If she¡¯s saving Avalon, that means he¡¯s part of this group also.¡±


    ¡°We have to help them.¡± She said quickly. ¡°Poseidon and Paragon are both in trouble if they¡¯re both there!¡±


    ¡°That would mean leaving Whisper behind. I don¡¯t like what she did, but we still have to help her,¡± Battery said.


    She felt her nails dig into her palm as she gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself, then-¡±


    Battery reached out and flicked her on the helmet. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± The speedster turned to Myth. ¡°You think you can handle it without me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll manage somehow.¡± Myth nodded.


    Battery nodded. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll head out.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go back up Ocean Empress and deal with Fairy Queen, myself.¡± Battery explained. ¡°Besides, I¡¯d like to settle an old score with that winged bitch. As soon as I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll run over and help you guys out. Even if you appear on the other side of the planet or in a pocket realm, I can grab Avalon¡¯s and make my way over.¡±


    ¡°Should I come, too?¡± She asked.


    Battery shook his head as sparks of gold began to seep through the lines on his costume. ¡°It¡¯s faster if I go by myself. Also, Whisper needs you guys more.¡±


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Snowdawn said.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just asking too much. Don¡¯t worry though. I¡¯m stronger than Fairy Queen.¡± Battery smirked and then began to take off at a fast pace. He ran, getting quicker, and the gold got brighter until, in a flash, he zipped away at insane speeds.


    She watched him leave before slowly turning away. ¡°I don¡¯t like separating like this.¡± She sighed. Despite that, she got into the back of the van. Snowdawn took a seat up front. As for Myth, he walked in front of the vehicle, and his body began to change. ¡°One day I really want the ability to fly. It would make things like this way easier.¡±


    Myth¡¯s body grew in size, with claws forming out of his fingers and wings jutting out of his back. His body became that of a lion, while his head shifted into that of an eagle. He let out a loud cry, and his wings allowed him to take flight, and he landed on top of the roof of the van. Inside the car, Hope cringed as she heard the metal rip and tear as his claws stabbed into it. Snowdawn made a face and quickly buckled up as the vehicle was raised off the ground.


    She reached up and grabbed onto anything she could, feeling her stomach go back and forth from the rocking of the now-flying car. ¡°Somehow, this is much worse than Backup¡¯s boat.¡±


    ¡°Please learn how to fly. Quickly.¡± Snowdawn groaned.


    ¡°How would that help you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d carry me!¡±


    ¡°Like hell, I would.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no fair! Didn¡¯t you carry Paragon when you and she did that combo move?¡±


    ¡°That definitely wasn¡¯t flying, and I can promise you she didn¡¯t enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°How is it that you were able to pick up a girl before me?¡± Snowdawn pouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m just cuter.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Deal with it.¡±


    Myth¡¯s voice pierced the air as he let out a loud cry. Just like when he was in his bull or lion form, his voice was louder and rougher, causing the metal of the van to shake as he took flight. ¡°Not good. Whisper¡¯s texts have me worried.¡± His tail held onto his phone, wrapped around it, and his bird head had twisted all the way around like some sort of owl, allowing him to still follow the instructions Whisper was sending him.


    ¡°How can this day get any worse?¡± Snowdawn called out, poking his head out of the window.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t heading to the mayor¡¯s manner.¡± Myth explained. ¡°Part of me thought the base would be there. Or maybe the base is there, but that isn¡¯t the direction in which they are heading.¡±


    She rolled her own window down and stared down at the city below, feeling her unease grow. She really wished Battery had stayed. They could have used his help. Myth had taken them above the bridge¡ªthe one that connected them to Lillian, the city Ocean Empress took care of. He wasn¡¯t heading toward the city, though. He flew over the bridge and began to head out towards the sea that rested down below.


    She stared down at the water, her lips turning into a thin line. Her father had worked on boats. That was before she had been born. She never really liked the water, though.


    They weren¡¯t heading to any city, and they weren¡¯t heading to Nightshade. In the distance, the land past the ocean looked small.


    ¡°The Wastelands.¡± Myth¡¯s voice came out like a low growl. ¡°They¡¯re heading deep into the Wasteland.¡±


    Across the sea, the Wasteland stood. It was near Oleander and Lillian. So close that they often had to deal with the threats that crossed the sea and reached them. The Wasteland was given its name because it was basically a hostile land where only death awaited. It was pretty much agreed that it was cursed. The Emperor and Full Monarch had started their clash in a city that used to stand there. That city was blown to bits. Later, it was rebuilt, but then the Beast came down and ruined it again, leaving the land scarred. After that, a bunch of giant monsters moved in, Lucifer held a Murder Game there, and a bunch of other villains torched the place. Now the land was nothing more than a vast stretch of harsh sand that had no chance of recovering.


    ¡°Why would the mayor head this way?¡± She asked.


    It didn''t actually take them that long to reach the Wasteland. Oleander was a beach city, and the Wasteland was only a few miles away. Close enough, you could get there by boat.


    The Wasteland itself didn¡¯t actually look that bad. It was like an endless desert that went on in all directions, with a few buildings poking out that still stood tall from the old world. The air smelled foul, and water started to drip down Snowdawn¡¯s body as the sky above the Wasteland had dozens of dark patches, places where the ozone had taken its share of damage, cranking the nearby heat to unbearable levels. Even she was having a hard time catching her breath.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re a bad guy, this would be a good spot to place your base, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Snowdawn asked.


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t. All the giant monsters of the Emperor¡¯s army live out here, and there¡¯s got to be dozens of bandits or something if video games taught me anything. The base would have to be deep into the Wastelands, and they¡¯d have to constantly go back and forth. It would be hard to constantly sneak in and out of the city. Besides, they have those mini-pocket universes, don¡¯t they?¡± She frowned. ¡°They had a bunch of them all over the place, or at least that¡¯s the feeling I got. They know we have a way of getting into one, so maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯re doing this, but if that¡¯s the case, this can¡¯t be their main base. All their stations are in Oleander, and as far as we know, they never bothered messing with any other city. It doesn¡¯t make sense that they¡¯d just leave and head out to this danger zone.¡±


    The ground below constantly belched smoke, and small fires were always crawling along the ground as beams of sunlight burned from above. She prayed Myth could hold out, but he seemed fine, shrugging off the heat beams and keeping his form over the van as he kept flying.


    They were moving fast, and already up ahead, she saw the robot, or at least what was left of the machine. It was torn in two from her earlier attack, and the metal on it still had small plumes of fire that rose off of it. The thing was still far away, just a tiny, small dot in the distance, but they were moving faster than it and would soon catch up. Myth slowed down and went lower to the ground to avoid being seen. They had done this to find out where the Wandering Coin''s main base was, but now they were likely going to discover something else.


    ¡°What are they going after?¡± She folded her arms and moved up to the front seat, getting in the passenger seat next to Snowdawn, who sat behind the wheel. She felt her enhanced senses build up. Even with how good they were, there was no way she could hear what was being said in the machine, but her eyes did improve, allowing her to see further than she normally would be able to. She always loved using this power to stare up at the sky at night. Sometimes, it allowed her to see cracks in the moon, the spots where Full Monarch had fought the Emperor; other times, she would catch rare glimpses of the Victorian up in space. Right now, though, it allowed her to see past the tiny dot that was the machine and see further past the lands of the Wasteland. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Snowdawn asked, turning to look at her.


    The Wasteland stretched every way she looked. Just an endless wave of sand that was slowly twisting into shards of hot glass from the sun beams. Every now and then, she would watch the ground break and twist as something beneath it moved or twitched, likely one of the giant monsters created by the Emperor. She even spotted a few large, armored trucks made out of junk metal that drove through the desert. Basically, sand bandits. It was something past the robot that was up ahead, though, that had her nervous.


    A large metal structure was stabbing out of the ground. It was circular and came out like a large tower. Half of it was buried in the sand, and it was covered in thick rust. A large vault door hung in the center of it, though it had been torn away. It looked like the place where a Super would keep a bunch of their tech and was clearly unnatural. It was nearly three miles away from the flying robot, and they were almost two miles behind the robot.


    If she were to make a bet, she¡¯d say that¡¯s where they were headed. That tower was most likely something used by heroes or villains in the war with the Emperor. Either that or it was made before the Emperor and was something to stop the Beast. ¡°Big ass tower ahead of us. Might be a vault filled with Super tech.¡±


    ¡°Bandits would take all of it, though, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Snowdawn asked, cocking his head to the side. ¡°Also, if they really had such amazing tech, wouldn¡¯t they just bring that into Oleander and beat us? What could they have that would be so big of a trump card they¡¯d run out here like this and leave Oleander behind?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a gate to another pocket realm that they have.¡± Myth grunted out from above. ¡°If they controlled it, no bandits would be able to mess with it since the gate wouldn¡¯t let them in, and if it¡¯s on the building itself or massive, they wouldn¡¯t be able to move it, so they¡¯d have to come out this way.¡±


    ¡°That still wouldn¡¯t explain how no one ever saw them coming out before,¡± she said, shaking her head. Their base has to be somewhere in Oleander. Whatever this thing is that they¡¯re heading to, it has to be something else. I don¡¯t know what, but it must be something they felt they either didn¡¯t need until this point or was so dangerous they didn¡¯t want to risk it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, this makes my head hurt!¡± Snowdawn groaned. ¡°I wish things would just be simple! Why don¡¯t we just speed up and take them out? From this distance, you could snipe them down. If they aren¡¯t heading to a secret base, we have no reason to follow them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She nodded. ¡°We could just knock that box out of the sky and then come back to this place later and check it out-¡± Her enhanced senses allowed her to hear it. A familiar ¡®popping¡¯ sound. The same Green Wolf always made. Someone was using the sword and teleporting towards them. There was no way Battery would have gotten his hands on it this quickly. ¡°Guys! I think we have trouble! Someone is about to-¡±


    In a flash, she saw red hair, and her head turned just in time as a sword almost stabbed into her, going through the seat she was in. ¡°Crap! Sorry, Cinder!¡± A familiar voice spoke, followed closely by a bird cry.


    She didn¡¯t have time to speak as she felt someone simply appear in her lap, and she suddenly became aware of how cramped it was to have three people sitting up front.


    The girl in her lap wore a white lab coat and a familiar goofy mask. On her shoulder, Destiny rested.


    ¡°Paragon! What are you doing here?¡± She asked, baffled.


    The blind girl winced a bit, trying to move away from the flame-based hero, only to quickly find out she had picked the worst spot to teleport in: she was enclosed in a cramped car. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story...¡±

 Chapter Eighty-One: Dunes

    ¡°Paragon?" A very confused Cinder asked.


    "Hey, isn''t that the sword Battery needed to teleport to us?" Snowdawn questioned. "I feel like her having it isn''t a good sign."


    "Where the hell did I end up?" Paragon managed to get off of Cinder and crawl into the back seat of the van, falling onto her back. Destiny rested on the blind girl''s stomach, looking around wildly and working as her eyes.


    "What are you doing here?" Cinder panicked.


    "This sword is alive." The girl explained, pointing at Battery''s sword, which was stabbed into the seat.


    "What?"


    Cinder stared at the sword that had impaled itself into her seat. She pulled it out with ease and gripped it tightly. "Is everything alright, Paragon? You aren¡¯t making a lot of sense right now. I''m guessing things didn''t go well if you''re here."


    The van rumbled and shook as Myth spoke. "What did you mean that the sword is alive?" He questioned. "We''re going to need an actual explanation, Paragon."


    Paragon nodded and tried to wrap her head around it. She stared at the sword Cinder was holding through Destiny''s eyes. "That blade is Harrison Avalon. I think...''


    "You think?" Snowdawn asked, frowning.


    Cinder shot the blade a look and tightened her grip around it. In a movie or comic, the sword would speak to them. Try to talk them into working with it, like most curse blades did. Not this one, though. It didn''t glow or change at all as she tightened her grip on it, digging her nails into the handle. The blade held strong, and even as she began to heat it up with a light wave of fire, it didn''t react. "Should I break it?" She finally asked sheepishly.


    "No!" Snowdawn said with wide eyes. "Have you seen what Battery can do with that sword? Are we sure it''s actually Avalon? What if he just swapped places with it?"


    "Avalon, as far as I know, doesn''t have the ability to change into a sword." Myth stated shaking the van once more.


    "I saw it happen. Or at least Destiny did." Paragon said, shaking her head. "He glowed and then morphed into it. He said he was in the Emperor''s army and the partner of Battery. I think he was turned into a monster, but instead of turning into a beast, the Emperor changed him into a weapon? I guess that¡¯s something the Emperor can do? The sword didn''t say anything, but it did take me here."


    "Why?"


    "He said Wish was here."


    Cinder winced and rubbed the back of her neck, getting some of the tension out. "Well, Battery did say she likely isn''t dead, and we are following after the Wandering Coin."


    Sky''s face paled a bit, and she balled her hand into a fist. "So, Avalon was telling the truth. You are planning on fighting Wish again."


    She just shrugged. Snowdawn sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is even happening anymore? Can we just call the others and ask what''s going on at their end?"


    "No signal." Myth said, shaking his head. Whisper had stopped responding to him around the time she hit the Wasteland. He also hadn''t been able to get a hold of anyone on either his phone or the radio since they were now too far away from the city, so they had no way of contacting Watch Dogs. They''d need to get back into the city if they wanted to let anyone know what was happening. "We also can''t just leave Whisper to fend for herself. If there is a gate in that place they''re heading to, it will let them know she''s there, and they''ll find her sooner or later. Besides, Whisper is as strong as a normal human, so I don''t think she''d be able to walk all the way through the Wasteland and get back to a city. We need to get her and then get back to the city as soon as possible.¡±


    She nodded and cracked her knuckles. "Get me closer to that ship. I''ll shoot it down, and we can scoop Whisper up and fly away-"


    "Better idea!" Snowdawn announced, pointing at the sword she was still holding. "Guys, we have a teleporting sword with us! Let''s just use it to teleport Whisper to us, or us to Whisper, or whatever we have to do, and then run!"


    "Paragon just said the sword was Avalon, who I''m pretty sure is evil." She said flatly.


    Snowdawn snapped his fingers. "Right. Let''s say that it really is Avalon. Hello, Mr. Avalon. You''re now stuck here with us, and I''m guessing you can''t do anything. Battery mentioned that the way he teleports is by giving a verbal command. I''m guessing that''s how your power works. Teleporting powers always have a weird gimmick like that. You''re a sword right now, though, so you can''t speak. I''m guessing that means you can''t teleport. I actually came to this conclusion because otherwise you''d be way too op. I mean, you''d be able to just tp yourself into people and kill them or something, right? But you can''t. You''ve been relying on your teammates this entire time. You have a bunch of rules you have to follow, just as Battery said. Verbal is just one; you also have to know a person to teleport to them or a location to go there. So now you''re trapped here with us. You could maybe turn back and then use your power to teleport since you''d be able to speak, but we''d likely jump you. So, in other words, you have no choice but to help us!"


    "That''s actually a good idea." She muttered.


    "I have my moments."


    She gripped the sword tightly with both her hands and awkwardly raised it up. She had seen Battery use it a bit and heard them discuss how the blade worked. She cleared her throat. "B- Bring Whisper here!" Silence hung in the van as nothing happened. She used her senses, but there was no pop or anything. It hadn''t worked. "Okay. Maybe then, take me to Whisper? Put me on the ship? Bring Battery here? Take me to Battery? Put me in Oleander?" Each time she spoke, the blade remained still and didn''t respond.


    "Well, that isn''t good." Snowdawn winced.


    "The sword isn''t yours," Myth sighed. ¡°Now that I think about it, I remember Battery saying something about this. The same thing goes for Green Wolf. Those two are allowed to borrow the blade if they have permission from the owner. I guess if you don''t get permission, then it''s just a cool-looking blade."


    "Can I try?" Paragon asked. "The sword worked for me, after all." The healer suddenly had an awful feeling in her gut.


    "Sure." Cinder quietly handed the sword over, a little salty that she wasn''t able to teleport with it. "Give it a go."


    Paragon took the sword and gulped. "Bring Whisper here." Just like with Cinder, nothing happened. "Take me to Whisper? Still nothing, huh? It worked when I asked it to take me to you. Hmm. Put me back in Cinder''s lap?" Still nothing. That growing pit of worry got larger in her gut. "Damn it."


    "Why''d it work before?" Cinder questioned.


    "No clue." That was sort of a lie. She had a pretty good idea. The blade belonged to Avalon. It had been created by the Emperor and passed down to Jack. He could let others borrow it, but that was it. In other words, she wasn''t the owner of the sword. He had let her borrow it to escape. As for why, she had no idea, but it painted a single picture in her mind. He had gotten away. Maybe the sword really wasn''t him. All of this was still according to Avalon''s plan.


    Snowdawn huffed and folded his arms. "Seriously? And here I thought I had some great ideas. Still, as long as we have the sword, the bad guys can''t use it, so it''s not like it is bad for us to have it, right?"


    "That''s true." Cinder smiled, already returning to her bubbly self. She punched her palm, and soft flickers of flame made small blasts all along her arms. "We''ll just do my old plan. Myth! Get me close to that ship! I''m going to blast it down, grab Whisper, and then all of us will run for the city!"


    The ship in question wasn''t too far from them now. They were less than two miles away from the metal structure that came out of the ground, and the mayor''s robot had kept to a straight path, heading directly for the thing. The Wandering Coin members had definitely noticed them, as a few seconds later, the remaining arm of the robot turned to face toward them and began to fire a wave of bullets at them. Myth''s wings folded, and he allowed himself to drop, easily dodging the gunfire.


    They had been noticed down below as well, dozens of large metal trucks and other machines built from scrap trailing behind them, clearly interested in looting whoever fell out of the sky first.


    She took a calm breath and rolled down her window. She allowed half her body to hang out. Her shield had been turned off, leaving it as just a bracelet, so she was able to hold both her arms out in front of her. Fire began to swirl out of her palms, forming a large bow, which she drew back. "I''m counting on you to grab onto something, Whisper." The girl could see the Paths of the world, so she was confident Whisper would be able to avoid dying in the crash. She still held back quite a bit, though. "Here goes nothing!"


    The arrow expanded and blasted out with incredible speed! The robot was too slow to dodge, and her attack easily blew off its last arm. It began to spin rapidly and fall toward the ground below. Right before she could cheer, though, the back of the machine blasted away as a wave of red fired out toward them. Something was blasting out of the robot. Thin and so fast, she couldn''t even react to it. Whatever it was, it easily sliced through one of Myth''s wings, causing the hero to let out a loud cry.


    "Grab onto something!" Snowdawn yelled out. "We''re going down!"


    Myth lost control of his flight, and the heroes began to fall, just like the robot. More of the metal on the machine broke away as a pair of large red wings made of liquid formed and began to slow its fall. The robot made a relatively soft crash landing in comparison to the heroes behind it.


    Whisper''s van smashed into the ground at high speeds, shards of metal and glass blasting out. She was reminded of that damned day once more. The day she first met Lucifer. The day her father crashed the car and got the Dead Virus. She wasn''t that little girl anymore, though. She was something else. Something far stronger.


    The glass easily broke when it hit her, and she grabbed Snowdawn and dragged him to the back, throwing him next to Paragon, using her body to shield them. She held onto both of them as tightly as she could as they flipped across the ground. Up above, Myth was sent flying off of them, and he also crashed across the sand of the Wasteland. Snowdawn and Paragon both gripped onto her like a lifeline as the ride finally came to a rough stop.


    "I- Is everyone okay?" She asked breathlessly.


    "I think this is the last time I go on a mission with you guys," Paragon grumbled, still clutching onto her. Destiny rested in her hair, its claws wrapped tightly around Paragon¡¯s scalp.


    "Check on Myth." Snowdawn groaned.


    She nodded and quickly tore the metal from what was left of the car''s wall away, allowing them to step out. Sand and glass stretched out in all directions. All around them, bright beams of harsh sunlight stabbed down, burning the ground and causing sparks of flame to rise. They could hear yelling and screaming around them in all directions, as well as loud roars. The Wandering Coin machine had crashed only half a mile away from the tower, so they were on a severe time limit and still didn''t have Whisper.


    The Wasteland wasn''t the kind of place you''d want to stay in for long, if at all. Besides the intense heat and literal death rays that rained from the sky, it was also filled to the brim with giant monsters, the same kind that would rampage in cities or towns and require the Victorian to stop. It also had dozens of villains who had escaped from it, roaming the wastelands to avoid the cities. People like Intake had belonged here and thrived out in this land, though Polaron''s group had picked up Intake and forced the man to join the Bad Timers. It was common for most villains to roam these lands looking for lost treasures from the old days, such as Mental-based tech or strong Supers they could add to their army.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    All across the land were perfect circle-shaped cutouts that were filled with molten glass from the many holes that were in the sky above. Each hole was about ten feet wide and flat on his stomach. Myth rested in one, seemingly unconscious, his feathers slowly burning away.


    "That¡¯s not good!¡± She ran toward him, and instantly, her foot sank into the ground as soon as she passed over the circle. It was a pool of molten glass that rose up and tried to eat away at her. She could feel the harsh sunlight on her skin, and for a moment, she even swore she could see the flickers of radiation that bore down. Even as tough as she was, it burned, but she ignored it and grabbed Myth, forcing him out of the circle. She dragged him toward Snowdawn and Paragon. "P- Paragon!"


    "I''m on it." The blind girl touched Myth, pressing her palm into his burned body. He howled a bit, but gradually, his skin and fur began to regrow, and the sparks of fire on him faded away. He quickly shrank back down to his human form as his eyes snapped open. Next, Paragon grabbed her hand, also healing the damage she took. "There. No more burns, and I fixed the damage caused by the radiation. A few more moments, and you''d have a really bad case of skin cancer."


    ¡°You can cure radiation?¡± She said a little surprised.


    ¡°Sort of. Radiation damage harms your DNA and cells, so I just used my power of cell control and cell creation to pop all the damaged cells and replace them quickly with undamaged copies.¡± The healer said, casually moving a strand of hair behind their ear. ¡°I could likely even make a copied body of you if I spent enough time, though the body wouldn¡¯t have a soul since I can¡¯t create those.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a lot better with your powers!¡± She was also noticing Paragon seemed more eager to use them as opposed to before.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing.¡± The girl shrugged. ¡°Everyday I watch my sister get a little stronger, and I don¡¯t want to be left behind.¡±


    Snowdawn cleared his throat, getting their attention. ¡°As good as it is that the two of you are bonding, I don¡¯t think now is the time.¡± The snow-covered boy said flatly. "Is it safe for us to be so close to these holes?" He questioned. His ice armor was practically gone, melting faster than he could create it. "Also, are you going to be okay, Paragon? You have the stats of a normal human. I''m shocked you''re even standing through this."


    "I''m fine. I''ve had worse." Paragon shrugged. Now that the healer thought about it, she wasn''t really that hot. The others were practically sweating, and even Cinder looked like she was burning up, but she felt perfectly fine. Paragon couldn¡¯t help but get a bit uneasy at that. Why wasn¡¯t she being affected like the others were? Ever since she had run into Wish in her dream world, things had been going a little differently than she was used to. Had her powers started to change? If so, was that a good or bad thing?


    Was she still Paragon?


    Myth stood up, and his body morphed into his bull form, which allowed him to take the heat far better. The leader of Pantheon sighed when he saw the state of Whisper''s ride. "She''s going to be so mad."


    "I think she''ll get over it if we save her," Cinder said, shaking her head. "Speaking of which, we need to hurry. If you''re all better, Myth, we should get back to flying- Get down!" She threw herself into Paragon as Snowdawn and Myth jumped to the floor.


    More red blurs blasted over their heads, moving so fast that it burned her eyes to look at them. They were rapid-fire, and whatever they were, they weren''t made of energy. During her fight with White Lamb, she had discovered she could enhance her eyes and see things most people couldn¡¯t. When looking at energy-based attacks like with Battery or Green Wolf, she was able to see the particles that made it up. Whatever this beam was, it was a solid, not made of those particles, and it was something her eyes couldn¡¯t see through. The beams twisted and tore through the floor and the rest of the van, ripping it apart with ease.


    "Just like my sister." Paragon hissed out, still under her.


    "What?"


    "Those attacks," the blind girl explained. Her bird was staring up at them, and thanks to the bit of power Paragon had, the girl was able to make out what was within each strand. "Whoever is shooting at us is doing something my sister does sometimes. She''ll compress a mass amount of water, thin it out into a spike, and shoot it at stupid levels of speed."


    The red beams kept coming, not allowing them a moment to rest. Each shot cracked through the sound barrier, but it was way faster than a bullet. In fact, it might have been even faster than Battery could run. The only thing she could think of that would be faster would be Battery¡¯s lasers, which were made of actual light and traveled just as fast since he could pretty much control his imaginary energy however he wanted.


    ¡°Great, so your sister can do something like this?¡± She said a little jealous. ¡°So that guy''s firing water-based attacks at us on the level of a Lord.¡±


    "Last I checked, water isn''t red," Snowdawn yelled.


    "That''s because it isn''t water. It''s blood."


    ¡°Gross.¡± She muttered.


    Myth frowned at Paragon''s blood statement. "Snowdawn, you said when you fought Kevin, he morphed his body?"


    Snowdawn looked confused. "Yeah, Kevin''s muscles and flesh would do all this weird stuff, and he''d grow. It reminded me of Mars King. He even started to look like him at the end. Why?"


    Myth nodded. "Wish is the Lord of Land and Life. Kevin controlled his muscles and flesh. This guy is firing blood at us. When I spoke to the Watch Dogs, they said they also fought a member of the Wandering Coin who could control bones. All of the Wandering Coin Supers are basically just watered-down versions of Wish."


    "Does that help us?"


    "You bet it does. If they¡¯re watered down versions, that means they won¡¯t be as strong." Myth gave a smirk and jumped to his feet. One of the beams blasted forward and hit him square in the chest, but simply bounced off of him as his form changed into that of a lion. He ran on all fours, more beams bouncing off of him. As he passed, Snowdawn reached out and grabbed Myth''s tail, allowing himself to be dragged. He held his hand on the floor, which caused a wave of ice to flow out, boosting Myth even further along. "Can you do your teleport?" Myth asked.


    "It isn''t teleporting, and I''d need to be at least five meters close to them to make it work," Snowdawn said. "Also, I''ll be out of the fight for a bit once I do it, as it breaks all my ice and shuts my power off for a few minutes!"


    "That''s fine! We just need to get close enough, and we''re golden!" The lion roared, still pushing through the hundreds of red blood beams that smashed into him. A sonic scream blasted out of Myth¡¯s mouth as he used his sound wave to form a quick wall. This attack had been able to outpower Polaron¡¯s rail gun, so it easily shoved its way through all the rapid beams, giving them a moment to catch their breath.


    Back over at the crash, Cinder climbed off of Paragon and helped the girl out. "Sorry about this in advance."


    "About what-" Paragon was forced off her feet as Cinder picked her up and jumped high into the air, blasting fire out of her feet and shooting her toward the sky. Paragon held onto her and let out a loud yell. "No more flying! This keeps going wrong for me!"


    "That''s why I said sorry!" She laughed. She turned her body in midair, and the fire around her legs grew even stronger as she blasted herself forward, heading to the villain''s crash site. "Whisper! We''re coming to save you-"


    The ground exploded, sending a hail of ice and sand flying in every direction. Something massive rose from it, letting out a gigantic roar so strong that it nearly blew everyone''s eardrums out. Covered in thick brown scales, it almost looked like an enormous worm, though it had rows of large teeth in a circular maw that began to fall towards them, opening wide to swallow Cinder and Paragon whole!


    "Oh crap!" Both girls yelled.


    A few minutes earlier...


    Whisper pressed her back against the wall, watching the villains talk amongst themselves quietly. Thanks to her power, she remained out of sight and felt the oddest feeling in her gut. She couldn''t help but stare at the large metal tower that hung in the distance¡ªthe thing that they were flying to. She had seen people who had Paths that would constantly change or people who had broken their Paths and stood outside of its realm. People like Battery or Myth.


    This was the first time she had seen a location that had something similar, though. It wasn''t the same, however. It didn''t have a set of ever-changing Paths, instead, it had no Paths. No matter how closely she looked, she couldn''t even begin to guess how things would go. Even the Paths around everyone else seemed to cut out and vanish the closer they got. Paths to her always looked like trillions of strings going in all directions, forming one big spider-like web. Each string was like a series of roads and trails going forward and backward. Not here, though.


    Something had blown a massive hole in the web.


    "So, what is this place exactly?" One of the figures in red, a girl judging by her voice, asked.


    "This tower was built by a man known as Sini several years ago." The mayor explained. "He, along with the man known as Avalon, created it to be a launch pad, I guess you could say. It was built to try and send humans off of this world and escape in case the entity known as the Beast, or Shadow, ever returned. The Emperor ended up taking it over and using it to get himself onto the moon. After the war and the death of Sini, it was all but forgotten."


    "This guy we had to meet." The other figure in red spoke quietly. This one was a guy. "He couldn''t have come to us?"


    "No. He could not."


    Whisper watched all the villains closely. From what she could tell, Mr. Brenner and the mayor were just regular humans. If the mayor did have a superpower, then it wasn''t something that boosted his stats, as she had knocked him out once already before they escaped. The real threats were Kevin and the two in red cloaks. There were three supers in total¡ªfive if you count Wish, though the white-haired girl still hadn''t opened her eyes yet¡ªand Doc, who she was sure was just a Mental-based villain.


    "When we''re done here, I''ll need to tell my son goodbye," Mr. Brenner said quietly. "I went too far and got caught. I won''t be able to come back from this one."


    "Do you regret it?" Doc asked.


    The officer shook his head. "No. It''s for his own good. This is the only way. Only Wish can kill that damn monster known as Lucifer. I trusted the heroes, once. I even got one of them to watch over my son, but he still got hurt. The heroes failed me, and they still haven''t been able to stop Lucifer. I don''t care if it is on the side of evil; I don''t care if I''ll be going to hell and never see my wife again; I don''t care if he ends up hating me. At the end of the day, if this saves his life, then I''ll gladly accept my eternal damnation."


    Whisper narrowed her eyes and slowly processed that. She never really got to see this ''Kyle'' person. She knew of him because of Cinder and Metal Ronin, but maybe there was more to him than she first thought. His Paths would paint an interesting story-


    "Incoming," the red-cloaked man said, letting out a sigh. ¡°The heroes are on our trail."


    She snapped her head up and stared at the monitor. Her van was being flown through the air by Myth, and she felt a little shocked to see it. Whatever this place was, it was having a serious effect on her ability to see the Paths because she hadn''t seen them coming. She knew they''d give chase, but not like this.


    The robot they were in began to fire toward her friends, and she reached for her taser just in case-


    The entire robot shook as a massive wave of fire slammed into it. Metal blew to bits, and they began to fall. She slipped, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a wave of pain as her head cracked against the side of the glass box Kevin floated in. The boy''s eyes instantly darted down to where she crashed, but she remained out of sight. She stayed low and rubbed at her head, feeling a small trickle of blood from beneath her helmet.


    As they began to fall, the man in the cloak lifted his hand and pointed his fingers toward the back wall. The blood in his hands began to swirl around and gushed out of the tips of his nails. It fired, looking like thin red versions of Battery''s beams. The blood bullets casually tore through the metal as he took a blind shot in the direction of the heroes. He didn''t stop there, though, as he held his hands out in opposite directions, and this time, the blood that flowed stabbed through the walls of the robot, twisting into the shape of massive dragon-like wings.


    The crash was still rough, and she felt her head jerk back, and once more, she slammed into the glass Kevin was in. The glass boxes crashed over and shattered, sending their fluids everywhere. Wish fell into the arms of the girl in red, who held onto her tightly while Kevin landed on his feet and slowly stood back up, fully healed for the most part.


    The mayor and Brenner both held onto something as the crash finally settled down, causing both men to let out sighs of relief. Doc, meanwhile, accepted the fall and simply folded his legs, sitting casually as everything flew around him. "It looks like we''re going to be taking the rest of the trip on foot." The mayor said, running his hands through his hair. "It also seems we''ve gotten lucky once more."


    "How was that luck?" Kevin grumbled, finally speaking for the first time since his body was remade. "We lost some of the pods. We only have a few of those left, you know."


    "One more left." Doc whistled, twirling his cane. "Back at the base, so if any of you die, it may take a bit for me to bring you back!"


    The man in red flicked his hand and sliced the ship they were in apart, allowing them to get out. He also threw a spare cloak to Kevin and Wish. "Get dressed."


    The girl wrapped Wish up in it and held onto her as they stepped out onto the sand. "What now?"


    The mayor looked up toward the massive tower in the distance. The entrance to it, the vault, was high up, so they''d need a Super to enter. On top of that, they were still being chased by the heroes. "Casey, Hannah, the two of you stay here. Kevin, you take Wish. You''re with me. Doc, you and Brenner are coming, too."


    "Can I kill the heroes?" The man, apparently named Casey, asked as his blood began to expand out of his hands. He fired in the good guy''s direction once more.


    "You can do whatever you want."


    "Yay!" The girl named Hannah cheered. Large bone spikes began to grow out of her flesh, forming sharp armor and claws. "Take good care of Wish, Kev." She said, handing the unconscious girl over to Kevin.


    Kevin nodded and then turned and handed Wish to Brenner. "Actually, I think it''s better if you hold her. There''s someone else I need to grab."


    "What?"


    Kevin''s ears expanded, growing larger and nearly doubling in size. Whisper let out a curse and tried to jump back, but it was too late. Kevin''s entire body twisted around, and his arm grew to a massive size, easily wrapping around her waist and lifting her up. She let out a yell of pain as it squeezed down, broke some of her ribs, and caused her invisibility to fade away.


    Casey and Hannah both cocked their heads as they stared up at her. They didn''t have long to react, though, as seconds later, the roaring of a lion filled the air and ice blasted across the ground.


    It was followed closely by a loud scream. "Whisper! We''re coming to save you!"


    "You guys are so screwed," Whisper announced. "My team is going to seriously kick your ass!"


    Her smug look then faded, and once more, she was caught off guard when the ground exploded, and a giant worm came roaring out of it.


    A monster had taken note of them.

 Chapter Eighty-Two: She Awakens

    "Oh crap!" Cinder yelled out with wide eyes.


    "Holy crap, that thing is huge!" A stunned Paragon stated. Destiny clung to the girl, and it was thanks to the bird''s eyesight that the healer could tell just how big this monster was.


    The Emperor had gone around using his title as Lord of Life to turn many humans and Supers into monsters. This was done to greatly power up his army. Monsters like Polaron or Mars King kept their sanity for the most part and had a vaguely humanoid shape. A majority weren''t so lucky, though.


    This thing looked like a worm. It was massive, bigger than a skyscraper, and the ground kept breaking away as it got taller and taller, rising out. Its head had hundreds of sharp teeth, and it was falling toward them at insane speeds. Earthquakes seemed to go off for miles all around it, causing Myth to stop and cling to the ground.


    Even the Wandering Coin froze as they stared at the monster in shock. They had never really seen one still alive. Most were wiped out by the Victorian the moment they came near a city. Out here in the Wasteland, where there was so much disaster and crime, she didn''t bother, so these beasts had grown as big as they needed to, and there would be no golden savior that would come in and save them.


    Cinder gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on Paragon. "Hold on tight. It''s about to get rough!" Already, the worm was falling over, content to crush or eat them. Her fire roared out of her feet and blasted her away from the beast, but its body kept getting longer and longer, the shadow of it staying over them as it got lower and lower. It was at least forty meters wide and five miles long, maybe even bigger. "I don''t think we''re going to get away from it in time." She hissed.


    "Any chance you could blast a hole through it?!" Paragon shouted.


    "Good idea!" She curved her body, pointed her feet at the thing, stopped focusing on escape, and instead poured all her effort into blasting out a massive beam of fire from her legs. It sent her crashing to the ground, and she broke the fall with her back, slamming into their van and breaking it into further pieces. She kept Paragon shielded, and her foot beams twisted together and smashed into the massive worm.


    The thing barely slowed down, and while its flesh began to burn and twist into a nasty black, it was still coming down faster than she could destroy it. It was insanely dense, able to survive in the core of the planet, so her fire was barely a warm bath to this thing. They were about to be crushed together. Her and Paragon were about to die.


    Myth and Snowdawn were thankfully out of the way, as were the Wandering Coin. The creature seemed focused on just the two of them.


    "It''s not working." She called out, her beam beginning to die out as the worm was less than fifty feet away and coming down fast.


    "Throw me into its mouth." Paragon announced.


    "What! Won''t you die from that?"


    "Maybe, but even if I do die, if I can touch it, then maybe I can do something!"


    "I''m not going to throw you at it! I''m a hero!"


    "If you don''t do something, then we''ll both die!" The girl argued. ¡°I can maybe mess with its cells or something, I don¡¯t know!¡±


    She dropped Paragon and stood, holding her arms up. "I''ll use all my super strength and stop it! When I do, run like hell!"


    "You can''t pick up something that big! You''re doing the same thing I am! You''re throwing your life away!"


    "I''m going to save us!"


    The worm came down only a few feet away. The ground broke and cracked, and she was shoved to her knees from the force. Paragon was knocked over fully, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, ready to at least try and hold it back-


    "Got you!" Snowdawn crashed into her just in time, wrapping an arm around her and Paragon. "Fuck you, worm!"


    She felt a wave of intense cold. More than anything she had ever felt before at the spot Snowdawn was touching. Everything seemed to stop, and the next second, suddenly, she and Paragon weren''t beneath the worm. They stood next to Myth now, dozens of meters away from the giant monster, and still likely in the blast zone. Where they had been standing, a large ice statue of Snowdawn stood, flipping the worm off.


    The worm crashed into the statue, shattered it into millions of pieces, and blew through the ground as it sank back into the sand. "We''re still alive?" The spot Snowdawn held was covered in a thick block of ice, and she couldn''t help but shiver. Paragon also groaned and shook, feeling the ice around her wrist. She generated some of her fire, quickly melting the ice around both of them, while Destiny healed any major damage they might have gotten.


    Snowdawn was on his knees next to them, breathing heavily. All his ice and snow were gone, and he was panting badly. That weird fast-teleporting move he could pull off now was clearly taking its toll on him. He looked like he was about to vomit. "I- I need to rest for a few moments." He groaned. "I won''t have any powers for a bit. I never pushed my new move that far before-¡±


    A red beam of blood slammed into the ground next to them, causing them all to scramble and duck back down as the beams started back up again.


    "We don''t have a few moments." Myth stated calmly. The ground was shaking and breaking once again as the massive worm began to rise back up behind them as well. "Cinder. Take Snowdawn and Paragon and get out here. If you can try and grab Whisper and run. Don''t bother fighting the Wandering Coin if you can avoid it."


    "Right." She hooked one arm around Snowdawn''s waist and threw him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her second hand went around Paragon, and she held the hero under her arm.


    "Do you seriously have to hold me like this?" Paragon snapped.


    "Yes." She looked back at Myth, who stared at the giant worm. "What are you going to do, sir?"


    "I''m going to kick that monster''s ass."


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea..."


    "He can do it," Paragon spoke up, nodding her head. "This is the legendary hero Myth. Son of Legend, brother of Fable, former leader of the Sub Enforcers, former recruit for the Enforcers, and the man that not only saved my sister during the Beast attack but fought the Beast itself."


    "Seriously? I know Myth is badass and all, but still..." She trailed off. Myth never really got into a lot of serious fights now that she thought about it. The closest battle he had been in was his fight against Polaron.


    "Go, Cinder. I''ll be right behind you once I deal with this pest." Myth stepped forward, and she nodded and began to run as fast as she could. Myth stared up at the worm as it rose higher and higher. He began to loosen his armor and robes, dropping them and cracking his neck. "It''s a good thing we aren''t in Oleander. I wouldn''t want to destroy my home, after all. How long has it been since I''ve gotten a chance to use this form? I wonder. I guess the last time I used it was against the Beast." He smirked, and his skin began to bubble and grow as he got bigger. "Get ready. For the first time in two years, I''m about to go all out! Sorry in advance. I can''t control this form, so do me a favor and keep ''it'' entertained so it leaves my team members alone!"


    Massive red scales stabbed out of his flesh. His legs twisted and came undone, becoming hundreds of snakes. Wings wider than the worm grew out of his shoulder blades. His muscles got larger, and he began to get bigger, his shadow twisting and stabbing out. The wind became his to command, and magma dripped down his mouth as his jaw jutted out and jagged teeth formed. Where his eyes should have been now stood the entrance to a small volcano, lava pouring down his face like tears, and each of his fingers grew the head of a dragon as he stared down at the worm.


    The worm roared, and Myth screamed right back at it as the two prepared for battle!


    Over with the Wandering Coin, Mayor Grove let out a whistle as he watched the two giant monsters begin to fight. "Gonna stay away from that one." The wind twisted and the ground shook as both monsters slammed into the ground and began to sink into it. They were miles away, and yet they could still feel it. "Let''s get a move on-"


    "Not so fast!" A loud voice announced. The sounds of engines filled the air, and the roaring of cars surrounded them. "It ain''t often we get ya city folk that are bright enough to wander on out here, especially not with that damn fancy Super tech like what ya folks got!"


    Four cars went in circles around the crash site of the Wandering Coin. Each one was made out of large shards of junk and looked to be glued together. The people that rode on them were barely any better. They wore suits of armor, mostly made of scrap, and carried weapons that would make even Metal Ronin shake his head, due to how much trash had been used to create them.


    Wasteland bandits. Many died off in these harsh lands, but some managed to thrive. The majority of bandits were people from Oleander who ran from the city and thought they could live in these lawless parts. Others were Supers who had committed a crime so bad they''d be sent to Nightshade and, out of fear, fled to the Wasteland. After all, Uriel wasn''t in the Wasteland.


    For many Supers, surviving out here was better than getting unlucky and sharing a cell block with Uriel.


    "Hand over ya stuff." One of the bandits yelled out. "Now, before me and my possy up and-"


    "Casey."


    "On it, boss." Red beams of blood blasted out of Casey''s fingers and sliced through the bandits and their cars as if they were made out of butter. Or at least it should have. "Huh?" All the cars were cut to bits, but not a single bandit corpse could be found. "Wow. You''re fast."


    Cinder touched down a few meters away from the Wandering Coin members. Her arms were filled not only with Paragon and Snowdawn but also with at least eight men. They were screaming, as she had taken a page out of Battery''s book and created chains made of fire to wrap around them and get them to safety. They weren''t fireproof. She put the fire out, placed Paragon and Snowdawn down, and practically dropped all the men.


    "Whisper. We''ve come to get you. It was kind of dumb running off like that."


    Kevin''s grip grew tighter around Whisper''s waist. "Move an inch, and I pop her-"


    His arm was blown off, along with half his body, as Cinder punched the air faster than he could react and used what Wyvern had taught her. The air current easily tore through Kevin and caused Whisper to drop to the ground. The girl turned invisible and quickly got out of sight.


    Hannah struck out and fired a wave of bones, but Cinder punched through them easily and twisted her body around just in time to dodge one of Casey''s blood beams. Her hair was golden, and her eyes roared with a red fire. "You guys seriously don''t stand a chance. I''m already pretty pissed, so try not to make it worse-"


    Cinder froze when she saw Wish. The girl rested in the arms of Mr. Brenner. Slowly, Wish''s eyes opened, and she stared past Cinder, directly at Paragon.


    ***


    Backup charged forward and raised both his arms. Two large tower shields expanded out of the bands he had around the sleeves of his martial arts uniform. They blocked the barrage of fireballs that Demonica threw at him and allowed him to ram his way into the villain.


    Demonica slid back, hissing like a wild animal. She had already transformed, sporting three arms and bat-like wings. Purple fire crackled off her claws, which she stabbed through the air, but the hero blocked them once more and smashed both his shields together. They came undone and folded together, spiraling around one another and forming into a large great axe, which he swung out as hard as he could.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Demonica barely had time to raise two of her arms and block the strike, but the force of it lifted the woman off her feet and slammed her into the wall of the underground parking lot that they were fighting in.


    Over with Green Wolf, he twirled his knives and brought them down, but his attack was blocked by a ghostly clone created by Pretty Face.


    "You know, there are easier ways to get my autograph than this." Pretty Face taunted. He created another clone and swung it around like a hammer, smashing it into Green Wolf, but the man''s kinetic barrier easily blocked it.


    "Go to hell. I''d never be caught dead at one of your shows." The villain chuckled. He sent more of his invisible attacks toward Pretty Face, but the hero would constantly block the attacks with waves of clones that formed a wall in front of him, each one a different color.


    "Says the guy who comes to my concert every time I host it here." Pretty Face weaved in between the slashes and gave a wink. ¡°Honestly, if you wanted to get my attention, all you had to do was ask, hot stuff." He managed to grab the villain''s wrist, and while he couldn''t harm the man, he was able to twist the limb and cause Green Wolf to drop his knife.


    Green Wolf swung out his other hand, but eight ghostly hands appeared around Pretty Face and stopped the leader of Zoo''s arm from moving. More arms began to appear in the air, all pulling the villain into a chokehold and binding him in place.


    "Why are you trying to kill me anyway?" Pretty Face asked, stepping away. "I do something to piss you off? I know I''ve made a bad habit of making people hate me. Don''t tell me you''re some ex-lover pissed that I didn''t stay with some no-named loser."


    "Nah. We''ve never met." Green Wolf''s body ignited and exploded with a wave of kinetic energy, destroying all the limbs that were around him and shoving Pretty Face back. He reached into his coat and pulled out another knife, which he twirled around. This one was a large meat cleaver. ¡°I just love killing.¡±


    Pretty Face slid back, creating three of his ghosts, which broke his fall and caught him. One of his clones ran at Green Wolf, but it was sliced to ribbons before it even got close.


    Green Wolf cocked his head to the side and gave a casual chuckle. He took a step forward, and the entire underground area began to shake violently as he unleashed a wave of powerful kinetic force. "Man, I¡¯m pretty ticked off. You guys all suck. This game is getting boring, and I¡¯m not even getting any good loot or EXP. Why can¡¯t we all have a little more fun?¡±


    "Seriously? You''ve killed countless people and harmed hundreds, and then have the balls to say this is just a bad game that you¡¯re not having any fun with." Pretty Face gave a large scowl and sneered at the villain. "I take it back. You aren''t so good-looking anymore."


    "Now we know that''s bullshit." Green Wolf tugged at his collar, and moon walked backwards. "I''m fly as fuck." He ran his fingers over his white coat. "This is the finest leather money can buy. One of a kind. As in, I created it myself after cutting up some dude that turned into a dragon. I got a good collection going on, you know." He opened his coat, revealing rows of knives. Some were made out of metal, and others, disturbingly enough, were forged from bone. "Any guesses if I made the coat after or before I killed the hero? Come to think of it, you used to be on Boy Genius¡¯s crew, right? This must be a blast from the past seeing your old party member on me like this.¡±


    Pretty Face growled a bit and created dozens of his ghostly hands and arms around himself. "You''re dying today. That''s a promise. That''s the punishment that scum like you deserves."


    "If I die, then it means I had fun with the game and met a better player." The energy around Green Wolf grew stronger, and he slashed his knife down. "Will you be able to be that person? Because I, for one, highly doubt it!"


    Near the only entrance left standing, Duplicity stood in front of Bad Wolf with her arms folded. "They sure do talk a lot," the young-looking girl said, humming.


    Bad Wolf grunted, not moving an inch. Waves of cloud seeped out of her fur and formed large pillars of snow, ice, and water, the only thing keeping this entire area from collapsing and crushing them all. "Y- You''d think that they''d all be smart enough to take the fight outside of this death trap, but I guess that''s too good for them." The hero spat out. "You should back them up, Duplicity."


    "No can do." The hero said, shaking her head. "If a stray attack comes this way, I''ll be the only thing to keep you safe."


    "Too bad you did such a bad job!" An arrogant voice announced. Duplicity felt her eyes go wide, and she tried to turn around, but it was too late. Something wrapped tightly around her body, binding her in place. She stared down at the hundreds of large centipede-like bugs that had turned themselves into makeshift ropes. Bad Wolf was about to strike behind her with her clouds, but she froze when she felt the barrel of a gun press against the back of her head. "Way to go, Monkey!"


    Standing behind Bad Wolf with his gun trained on the girl, Red Monkey cocked his head to the side lazily. One of his arms was wrapped around Red Ape, who supported the man. Rows of bugs came out of the villain''s sleeve, creating the binds that had now formed around Duplicity.


    The fighting in the underground parking lot stopped as Backup noticed his two teammates were in trouble. "Red Ape?" Even Green Wolf seemed stunned, staring at the man. "You, of all people, got down here to back me up?"


    "How the hell did you get out of Hero Branch custody?" Duplicity asked, cocking her head to the side. "Pantheon knocked you guys out and tied you all up with chains made by Battery. Also, we saw the Hero Branch personally throwing you guys into some vans. You shouldn''t have been able to get out of here so soon."


    "Oh, that''s simple." Moving out from behind, Red Ape White Spider didn''t wear her mask. She wanted them all to see her smug look. White Lamb stood next to her. "You guys forgot all about me, didn''t you? While all of you were busy fighting, I was on the sidelines, watching the entire thing and getting my webs set up!"


    White Spider was a relatively weak teleporter. She couldn''t go anywhere she wanted, instead having to spread hundreds of tiny spiders that would all connect with each other and form a web. Once her web was in place, it made it so that anyone inside the location could no longer get out, teleporting them back in if they tried to escape. It had a bit of an issue, though. White Spider had to place herself into the web and also couldn''t escape without tearing the entire thing down.


    Because everyone was able to come and go as pleased, they had all assumed the villain wasn''t in the area or wasn''t on standby.


    White Spider held her hand up, and five tiny spiders began to slowly drip off of it, connected by her threads. "I can use my babies to see and hear things through them. I didn''t bother setting a web up. Instead, I placed them into all the members of Zoo''s clothing, and once they were captured, White Lamb and I snuck in and busted them out." Her other arm was a crazy tech gun Avalon had likely built. "It was all too easy to bust them out. You guys didn''t even have guards or a hero standing over them."


    From behind her, Black Shark and White Cow stepped out, both fully healed after their battle with Myth. Demonica''s eyes narrowed. "What of Stone Face and Saw Head?"


    "What of them?" White Spider cocked her head to the side. "Those gross monsters aren''t on my team. I left them to rot. To hell with those freaks."


    Demonica growled and was about to throw a fireball forward, but stopped at the last second when Green Wolf appeared behind her and pressed his knife to the back of her head. "This wasn''t part of the deal."


    "I lost my part of the deal the moment Avalon stopped teleporting me." Green Wolf shrugged. "As far as I am concerned, the game is broken and in need of some new rules. We''re going to pull a triple-A studio and patch this thing into being at least semi-fair." Backup went to take a step, but Green Wolf shook his head. "Nope. You heroes stand still. The first sign of danger, and Monkey blows that puppy''s head off." His remark caused Bad Wolf to growl.


    Duplicity cocked her head to the side as the bugs around her began to squeeze, getting tighter. She grunted a bit but smirked. "Wow. It''s pretty brave of you to call her a puppy, Green Wolf. The only runt of the litter I see is you."


    "Most hostages are smart enough to know you shouldn''t talk back to the game master." Green Wolf stared the girl down and held Demonica out in front of him as if she were a human shield.


    Duplicity giggled a bit. "That''s true. But most hostages are in danger. None of us are."


    White Spider laughed and raised her gun up. It unfolded, and the barrel of an energy-based weapon popped out. "Honestly, I don''t think we should play around with them any longer, Green Wolf. The heroes got a head start. We should kill these fuckers and go after them-"


    "Didn''t you find it weird?" Duplicity asked casually, leaning her head back to stare at White Spider. "Why did we leave the hostages unguarded? Well, the answer is simple. We didn''t. Roulette was watching them."


    The sound of a gunshot filled the parking lot, and blood splashed out of White Spider''s mouth as her eyes stared down in shock at the massive hole in her gut. Red Monkey pulled the trigger on his gun, but the bullet inside of it flew out the back and exploded, blowing off the man''s hand. The sound of a cane tapping on the floor echoed out as Roulette walked forward slowly. He held a rifle, using it as a walking stick, and millions of bullets suddenly blasted out of his coat, flying forward and twisting in ways they shouldn''t.


    White Cow formed her milk armor and jumped in front of Red Ape and Black Shark in an effort to keep them safe, but the bullets literally twisted and curved around her. Black Shark was downed as one of his legs was nearly blown off. Red Ape yelped and threw his hands into the air.


    "I don''t want to die! Don''t kill me, please, I surrender!" The bullets curved around him and formed together into a strong metal rope that tied him down. "Oh, thank God!"


    "I would also like to give up." White Lamb said, dropping to the floor. Seconds later, White Cow crashed to the floor, blood pouring out of her armor as the bullets found small chinks in it. "I guess we lucked out on the fact that Zoo never fought Watch Dogs before this. Looks like we would have never stood a chance. Then again, Roulette was an ex-member of the-"


    Green Wolf lazily shoved Demonica out in front of him, and the hail of bullets smashed into the villain''s gut, nearly ripping her in half and downing her. The rest of the bullets bounced off of him, unable to harm him. "Well, fuck. There goes my team. God damn it, how is Red Ape still alive? Kill him, too, at least! Hell, I''ll do it; keep him still-"


    "None of your people are dead." Roulette grunted, stepping forward. He smashed the barrel of his gun down into Red Ape''s crotch. "I can control my bullets any way I wish. I''ve plugged up their wounds and am stopping the bleeding. It won''t last for long, though. They have ten minutes at most. Duplicity can heal them or at least stabilize them. If you give up, she''ll do it. Now if you have even the smallest hint of sympathy, then-"


    "Let them bleed out." Silence filled the room. Green Wolf cocked his head to the side. "If White Spider fucked up this bad and didn''t see you coming, then I don''t need them. I want it to be slow. You don''t mind if I watch, do you? I''d like to see them slowly bleed out all over the place."


    "If you were counting on him being human, then I''m afraid your plan was doomed to fail from the start." White Lamb sighed as she rubbed the now-broken screen of her TV. "Though he might not be a monster created by the Emperor, the concept of humanity does not exist in someone like him."


    White Spider spat out a glob of blood, clutching at her gut wound. "I- I don''t want to d- die- Don''t let them kill us, you a- asshole."


    "Oh, yeah, ¡®cause name-calling is going to make me want to save you." Green Wolf snorted.


    Duplicity sighed, and the bugs around her caught fire as she began to glow with a white light. She broke out of Red Ape''s trap, and dozens of clones of her appeared. They weren''t like Pretty Face''s, though. They were solid and looked exactly like the young-looking hero. Usually, she had a large goofy grin on her face, but now her looks were twisted into a stare of disgust as she glared at Green Wolf.


    Each of the downed Zoo members had a clone placed next to them. The clones touched the injured members, and their wounds began to seal shut and heal. It wasn''t like Paragon''s healing, though. It was more like Battery''s or Victorian''s¡ªrough and slow. Limbs were regrown but slightly off. They were smaller or weaker than before, and the bullets were left inside of them. They''d live, though never the same as they used to be. Each of the clones that healed someone broke down and shattered into dust.


    Demonica didn''t get one. Her own body was healing due to her natural abilities, and her legs were slowly healing up. "What a coward you are." Green Wolf said, placing his boot on the monster¡¯s head and shoving it down. Despite his actions, though, he appeared to be talking to the heroes. "You went and healed them anyway. Heroes are so boring and easy to read."


    "I wouldn''t be cocky if I were you." Pretty Face called out. "We have you surrounded, now."


    "Barrier." Green Wolf lazily threw his knife in the air. "No one can touch me. None of you guys are energy-based users."


    "I wasn''t the child of a Lord or anything like that." Duplicity hummed. "Despite that, though, somewhere in my blood flows the energy of a Lord. Maybe it was a great grandma, maybe a great grampa, or maybe even a great, great, great one. I honestly don''t know. What I do know is that I got lucky and got powers from both my mom and dad. My dad had the ability to fuse with things, while my mom had the power to create energy-based clones'' kind of like Pretty Face."


    "Neat story. So what?" Green Wolf asked.


    Duplicity took a step forward, and the villain swung out his weapon. The girl''s body was nearly torn in two, but one of her clones quickly grabbed onto her, and they shattered into dust as she was connected back together. "There''s a limit to how many clones I can make." The girl shrugged. "I don''t know what it is. Maybe it''s a million, maybe a billion, or even a trillion. I just know I have a limit. When a clone dies, it never comes back. Thanks to my mom, I can make them. It''s also thanks to my dad that I can use them to sort of heal people. See, they can fuse with things. If a person is injured, I can use the clone to patch them up, though it destroys the clone."


    "So, if I kill you enough times, you''re saying that you''ll stay dead?" Green Wolf chuckled. "Seems like a smart idea to tell me this."


    "Guys like you are always a pain. The kind that constantly blocks physical attacks." Duplicity gave a sly grin. "Thankfully, I''m the perfect counter to assholes like you." Nearly twenty clones appeared behind the girl, and they all linked arms.


    Green Wolf found himself taking a step back as a massive, brilliant light filled the rooms. All the clones seemed to be pulled into one another, and the glow got brighter. Then, in a bright, blinding flash, it died down. He found himself raising an eyebrow at what he saw.


    Duplicity had turned pure white. She was glowing¡ªher skin, hair, eyes, everything. It was like a solid white light had taken shape. She was bigger as well. She was no longer a little girl; instead, she had taken on her true form, now looking like an adult woman. "Talk about a growth spurt-" Blood dripped down Green Wolf''s mouth as he gasped. In an instant, Duplicity was in front of him, ramming her fist into his stomach.


    "You talk way too much." She hummed.


    Green Wolf was hit so hard that he smashed through the roof above and the layers of dirt, slamming down into the stadium floor from up above. Duplicity floated up, phasing through the dirt and folding her arms over her chest as she hovered above the villain, no longer restricted by the world.


    She had become pure energy given life, merged and fused with dozens of other copies of herself. In other words, the perfect thing to bypass Green Wolf''s shield. Despite his injury, Green Wolf''s laughter filled the air as he stood up and threw off his white coat. On his back, a long sword was hidden, and he drew it, the blade extending and glowing. More tech created by Avalon.


    "Alright! Now this is what I call a boss fight! Let''s make this into my best game yet!"

 Chapter Eighty-Three: The Man That Goes By Battery

    "Did he just hang up on me!" Ocean Empress barely had time to put her phone away and form a shield made out of water. "Oh, I am so telling that asshole a piece of my mind next time I see him!"


    Her barrier was blown to bits as a shock wave rammed into her. She felt her muscles and bones shake, and she was sent crashing back, rolling across the street, and ramming back-first into a car.


    They weren''t in Avalon''s office anymore. She had been sent flying out of the building by a single punch from Fairy Queen. Now the battle had moved to the streets of Oleander City. It was night, but despite that fact, there was still quite a bit of traffic. Most people had done the smart thing and made a break for it the moment Golden God appeared. The villain floated above Avalon''s tower, nearly as big as the building, and his many arms tore into it, ripping it apart and sending rubble down below.


    Not everyone was smart, however. Some people, for whatever reason, thought this was the best time to pull out their phones and start recording. Ocean Empress groaned and managed to pull herself back up into a sitting position. She held her hand up and formed bubbles of water over the people, saving them from the falling rubble. Once she made sure they were safe, she stared back up at Fairy Queen, who floated down to the street softly.


    The woman hadn''t changed a day. Turned into a monster by the Emperor, Fairy Queen had fought in many battles fifteen years ago. Ranked just under Hell Hound, Fairy Queen was someone even the best Enforcer member would have trouble with. And Ocean Empress was far from the best.


    The villain waved her hand, and an invisible force surged forward, heading toward a crowd of people. Ocean Empress threw her fist out, and water surged forward like a wave, crashing down in front of the people and forming into a wall of ice, which exploded into a hail of debris as an unseen shockwave smashed into it. Before she could recover and attack, Fairy Queen fired forward and rammed her fist into Ocean Empress''s gut, hard enough to make the hero nearly throw up as she was sent even further down the street.


    Fairy Queen licked her lips and smirked as she watched the hero kneel and clutch at her gut. She aimed at the civilians once more, but before she could attack them, a wave of gravity smashed into her from above. It was strong enough to shatter the street they were on, and Fairy Queen glanced up right as Poseidon came crashing down with her trident. Poseidon¡¯s hair was already different, and the girl¡¯s eyes glowed with a fiery red light.


    Poseidon stabbed her weapon into the face of Fairy Queen, but despite using all of her strength and power, it didn''t even puncture the woman''s flesh. Fairy Queen wasn''t even thrown back and simply batted the weapon out of her face. She held her palm out, and Poseidon was hit by an invisible explosion, which smashed the girl into the entrance of Avalon''s building.


    Ice suddenly rose out of the ground and formed around the Organization member¡¯s legs, binding her in place. Ocean Empress had gotten back up and held her hand out, panting slightly. The ice grew larger and began to swirl with water as they froze the villain in a solid block of ice. Poseidon came rocketing out of the building and focused more of her gravity wave, causing the block to sink into the ground and break through it, burying it underneath the stone.


    "What the hell did she hit me with?" Poseidon groaned, clutching at the spot where the explosion had rammed into her. "It freaking hurt."


    Ocean Empress wiped at her mouth, clearing it of the blood. She had tanked three attacks so far, and her body was already reaching its limits. The Emperor''s four warriors really were something else. "She is one of the best inverting power users ever recorded. Her main power involves around illusions and dreams and messing with people''s heads, though she tends to not like using it since she''d rather inflict physical harm than mental. She can get in your head and become the image of someone you know, pretending to be them. In a fight, though, she inverts her power. That''s where the real issues start."


    "What would the inversion of an illusion be?" Poseidon wondered.


    "Reality." Ocean Empress finished. "She is able to twist reality to a small extent. Those blasts that keep hitting us are her collapsing a tiny hole of reality and causing it to implode. She''s like a reverse black hole. She can also twist and shape things in different ways, so be careful by-"


    The hole Fairy Queen was in began to expand and grow larger. It was sort of like watching an old-timey cartoon. Fairy Queen''s hands came out and literally widened the gap as she pulled herself out, completely free of the ice. She didn''t look hurt in the least. Poseidon didn''t give her any time to react; the Lord of the Sea charged forward, twirling her trident around and increasing its weight as much as she could. Blades of water gushed out of it, and she sent a sharp slash out, but her attack never landed.


    Golden God''s massive hand slammed down between them and blocked the strike with his palm. Her attack dented the metal a bit, but he held firm. He was huge, and his many limbs stretched out well past his body. As he floated down toward them, weaving his way past the buildings, his mouth opened wide, and a grayish light blasted out.


    "Don''t let that light touch you!" Ocean Empress screamed. She created a floor of ice beneath her and skated backwards to get out of the blast zone. Poseidon reduced her gravity as much as she could and caused a glob of water beneath her to explode, shooting her into the sky and above the beam that came down.


    The gray light washed over the street and dozens of buildings, turning everything it hit into dust. The buildings rusted, and their stone broke away, and it was as if they suddenly became hundreds of times older, the supports that held them up giving out and collapsing.


    Poseidon twirled herself around and sent out a sharp, piercing wave of water, condensing it into a thin beam and smashing her gravity along it. The attack rammed into Golden God''s body and was enough to send him a bit into the air, but he was otherwise left unharmed.


    "I think I''m going to have to transform!" Poseidon yelled down to her mom. All Lords had a state beyond their power; the battle mode, but as Full Monarch had shown in his fight with Lucifer, there was a state beyond this as well. A higher form of power where you fully tap into the power of a Lord. Something she also had-


    "No!" Ocean Empress called back. "You were told you''re only allowed to use ''that'' during Calamity level threats. These guys are tough, but they aren''t anywhere near as dangerous as the Beast or the Emperor! We just need to hold out for a bit, and I''m sure the Victorian will notice us! She''ll take both of these guys out in one attack!"


    "Aw. Do you really think so little of us?" Fairy Queen pouted and cocked her head to the side. ¡°I actually wouldn¡¯t mind seeing Ruby Admiral again. It¡¯d be like the old days when she was a naive girl. I¡¯m shocked to know she¡¯s now the number one hero of today. After all, fifteen years ago, she was always hiding behind her father.¡±


    "Paragon got away." Golden God''s voice caused the street to rumble. "She used the blade and escaped. We''ll need to catch up to her if we want to destroy her and Wish, for the sake of our master." His words caused Ocean Empress to freeze in shock.


    "Paragon isn''t here? Where the hell did she go?!"


    "Pretty sure I got a good idea..." Poseidon muttered. "And as much as I hate to admit it, she''s likely safer with Cinder than she is here, with two members of the Organization."


    "Don''t get too distracted!" Fairy Queen appeared in front of Ocean Empress and grabbed the woman by the face. She smashed the hero''s head down into the ground and sent a massive shock wave directly into the woman''s face. Ocean Empress screamed, feeling her skull nearly pop and dozens of her teeth crack.


    "Mom!" Poseidon tried to charge forward, but two of Golden God''s hands surrounded her and smashed together into a powerful clap, nearly crushing her. She yelled out as she was trapped between them both, and they began to press down.


    Fairy Queen raised her hand and smirked. The air around it twisted and changed as reality folded in on itself, and a large dagger appeared in her grasp. "Well. Good night, sweet princess-"


    "Who''s Jack Larison?" Fairy Queen''s stab stopped inches away from Ocean Empress''s eye. The hero was beaten and battered, her face bloodied, but she had managed to say the right thing to cause Fairy Queen to pause. Her water blasted out, and she tried to impale the woman through the gut, but all it did was throw the winged villain off of her. Ocean Empress quickly jumped to her feet and spat out a glob of blood, shaking her head.


    Fairy Queen''s long wings expanded, and she took flight, hovering just above the ground. She had a nasty look on her face, and the dagger she held dissolved and faded. "You just had to mention that name, didn''t you?" The woman huffed and folded her arms. ¡°Way to spoil the mood."


    Ocean Empress took a deep breath and tried to focus. Her thoughts were all over the place, and her ears rang. She had a concussion. Maybe something even worse. She just needed to buy time, though. This was never a battle she had to win. The villain''s reaction confirmed something to her. What Laps had said had to be partially true, at least. After all, Fairy Queen recognized the name. "Who is he?" She demanded.


    "You''re not in a position to order me around." Fairy Queen floated up and landed on one of the fingers of Golden God. Her arms folded, and she glared down at the woman. "He was a streetrat. One that the Emperor took great interest in. I guess you could say he was like a son. Adopted by the master. Though in the end, that traitorous bastard backstabbed the hand that taught him all he knew."


    "He can''t be that bad if he turned on his former master." Ocean Empress shrugged. "Besides, everyone''s heard of Hell Hound, of Golden God, of Fairy Queen, and of the Princess of Life. You four were the Emperor''s generals. He had other warriors, of course¡ªpeople like Polaron, Mars King, or Alien. I''ve never heard of anyone with Battery¡¯s powers, though. Whoever he was in the past, he couldn''t have committed so many sins as to remain nameless, not in a war like that."


    "Oh, is that what you think? Naive little girl, you don''t even know how wrong you are." Fairy Queen giggled as if she knew some inside joke. "Rest assured, the whole world knows the sins he committed; everyone stared at him on ''that'' day and bore witness to his evil, one that rivaled the Emperor''s own. How fortunate he must be for not a single heroic soul to figure out who he was during that war. As if all memories of his deeds are gone. He was created to be a weapon, one that allowed the Emperor to slay Full Monarch, one that, I promise you, everyone hates. In his final battle with the Lord of the Sun, a scar was left upon his heart, one that would ensure he would never recover again, with the simple command to kill him. Yet he escaped, ran with his tail tucked between his legs, and lived like a coward, hiding away. That was the fate of the Emperor''s weapon. He was a wild animal, one that turned against its master, even after the Emperor fed him and allowed him to grow. Even after the Emperor blessed him with the power found only in stories and allowed him to turn into the thing he desired most. Even after he became a Giant. None of it was enough. The sins he carried will never be washed away. He is hated by all sides equally. That I can promise you.¡±


    "I just don''t buy it." Ocean Empress said, shaking her head. No matter how hard she thought about it, no villain in the great war came to her mind. The Emperor had created hundreds of monsters and forced nearly every villain gang in the world to side with him. He gifted his power of cursed life to many warriors, and most of the ''big'' villains were created in that war. For such a prominent person like this, it should have been known. "Something just isn''t adding up. Oh well. I don''t really care. I was just buying time."


    As if on cue, Poseidon managed to force the hands that held her down open, blasting them apart and blowing one of them to bits as a chaotic storm gushed out of her and gravity crushed everything around her. Black blood poured down her nose, and she looked pissed.


    Neither Golden God nor Fairy Queen paid her any mind, though. Instead, their eyes were focused on the mass of crackling golden light firing toward them. The Victorian had arrived-


    Battery''s fist rammed into Golden God''s stomach as he hit the villain with everything his body could muster. The force of the attack threw Golden God back and sent the machine smashing through what was left of Avalon''s tower. Fairy Queen floated off of the finger and glared down at the red hero as he came to a sliding stop. The Victorian hadn''t arrived, but her power did.


    "You''re not the Victorian." Ocean Empress frowned.


    "A thank you would have been nice..." Battery grumbled. He held both his hands out, and a golden light seeped out and washed over Poseidon and her mother, healing their wounds. "Where''s Paragon?"


    "Used the sword to teleport away. Pretty sure she''s with Cinder." Poseidon shrugged.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me! Who the hell gave her permission to¡ªAw, fuck you, Avalon!" Battery cursed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "For the love of all that is holy, I pray they don''t go into a pocket world."


    Up with Fairy Queen, black blood dripped down the woman''s face. Her teeth had bitten through her lower lip, and her nails impaled her palm as she glared down at Battery. "You!"


    "Me."


    The building''s rubble broke away as Golden God rose out of it. "We should leave them be for now, Fairy Queen."


    "Huh!" Fairy Queen turned back to stare at her teammate. "Is your circuit having an issue or something? You know what that is, right?"If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Wish has spotted Paragon. If we don''t hurry, then we won''t have a chance. If she absorbs the girl, nothing will hold her back.¡±


    Fairy Queen''s teeth dug into her lips even more, spurting out a heavy stream of her blood. She glared back down at Battery before finally slowly landing in Golden God''s palm. "Fine. We''ll kill him after the two girls are dead. It''ll be fitting if they all die together."


    Golden God''s body began to glow and hum. Battery fired a beam of light toward the villain, Poseidon, following quickly behind with her water bullet, but in a flash, the villain was gone, and both attacks passed through him. Just as he had used in his fight with Victorian and Max Lightning, Golden God had escaped.


    "He can teleport?" Poseidon asked, stunned.


    "No." Battery shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette. He placed it between his lips and snapped, shooting a spark into it and igniting it. "It''d be much simpler if he teleported, but he''s way more busted than that. You two go get help or something. I''m going on ahead."


    "But-" Ocean Empress didn''t get to finish her sentence. A second later, Battery took off running and quickly faded into a golden blur as he picked up speed. "I seriously hate him."


    "Sure, you do."


    ***


    Cinder jumped back, putting herself in front of Snowdawn and Paragon. Snowdawn''s power hadn''t fully recovered yet, but he had enough to at least cover half his body in some ice. She raised her arms, expecting Wish to strike at any moment, but the attack never came.


    When she glanced back down at the girl, Wish''s eyes were closed once more. The white-haired girl rested peacefully in Mr. Brenner''s arms and didn''t move an inch.


    "Put her down, sir." She ordered. "And step back when you do. I''m going to reduce her to ash."


    "Sorry. Not going to happen." Mr. Brenner said, shaking his head. He stepped back, and Kevin put himself in front of the officer, ready to defend Wish. He wasn''t the only one. The other two in red also got prepared for combat. Both of them lowered their hoods and removed their masks as their power began to seep out.


    The boy, Casey, was an older teen¡ªlikely nineteen or in his early twenties. His eyes turned bloodshot and began to leak with blood; the veins inside of him seemed to expand and start to break through part of his skin. He was completely bald, and the blood that poured out of him formed a light red armor that reminded her of Ocean Empress''s dress. This armor looked more like a suit, though.


    As for the girl, she had long, flowing brown hair and dark skin. White plates of bone formed rough armor, the same kind Wish had created. Razor-sharp claws grew from the girl''s fingertips, and even a tail resembling a second spine grew out. Snowdawn was the first to take note of something else about her, though.


    "Hannah?" He asked, shocked.


    She felt herself recoil back as she looked at her friend and then back to the girl. She had heard that name before. Hannah was a popular girl at the school. Ranked right next to Paige and Ashley. Her mind went back to the bathroom incident. It felt like it was so long ago, but Hannah was one of the girls who poured soda on her. "You know who I am?" The bone girl asked, cocking her head to the side.


    "Yeah. You''re my lab partner?"


    "Armin Moore?"


    "Shit! Why did I say that?"


    "And I thought I was dumb." Cinder narrowed her eyes, feeling the fire around her build up. She was already transformed into her enhanced state. Her hair had changed into the color of sunshine, and her eyes were now a fiery red that glared at the villains. Fire flickered down her elbows and seeped into her fingers as she balled them into a fist and entered a battle stance. "I''ll say it one more time. Put down Wish."


    It would take Snowdawn a few more seconds to fully recover, and Paragon wasn''t a fighter, so she would have to fight all three villains by herself. Myth had said to get in and get out with Whisper, but the sight of Wish stopped her. This could have been her only chance to wipe the monster. out.


    "You can''t kill her." Paragon''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    "What? I mean, I know she recovers, but I can burn her to ash-"


    "If you do, I''ll die."


    "What?¡±


    Paragon''s bird rested on the girl''s head and stared down at Wish''s body. "I guess you can say I''m sort of like her twin. As it turns out, as long as I live, she will live as well. If you kill her, she''ll drag me to my dream world and could try to take me over. It already happened once before. I think she could use me to recreate a body. Avalon mentioned something about that at least." She muttered, brushing her hand against the handle of the sword. She felt so stupid. She had basically played Avalon''s game perfectly.


    Cinder stood there, rooted to the spot, as she tried to process Paragon''s words. She couldn''t help but think back to her conversation with the girl when they went out to eat. Paragon had claimed she saw Wish. Was it then?


    "Okay..." She shook her head, already devising a new plan. "In that case, put Wish down, and I''ll... I don''t know. I''ll do something and stop her."


    "It seems you aren''t in a position to negotiate," Doc announced, pointing his cane at the fire-based hero. "Counting myself and Wish, there are five Supers here. Three of which are all made up of pieces of a Lord of Life! On top of that, we have two humans, and there''s even more!" He twirled his cane and pointed it at the bandits. The ones Cinder had saved. Many of them had been badly burned, and some had run off, but most had gotten back up and were watching the display silently. "You guys! I''m sure you can see how these heroes are outclassed. Side with me and-"


    Cinder smashed a ball of fire into the ground, which sent out a shock wave. Paragon barely had time to wrap her arms around Cinder and held on tightly as everyone was blown back. All the Supers managed to force themselves to stay standing with some trouble, but the humans, namely the bandits and Grove, were flung back. Brenner was sent high into the air by the shock wave, and he clutched onto Wish tightly. Kevin regrew his arm and expanded his limb, wrapping it around Doc and keeping the man from flying off. His other limb smashed up and grabbed onto Grove, stopping the man''s fall.


    Brenner crashed into the ground, landing on his back, and managed to roll and break the fall with his knees. He grunted, feeling pain course through him, but he was fine for the most part. That was until, from out of nowhere, Whisper appeared next to him and smashed her taser into his neck. She shocked the man and downed him, giving him a kick to the head to make sure.


    "Snowdawn! Get Wish!" Whisper cried out, jumping away.


    Snowdawn managed to nod his head and slam his fist into the ground. He sent out a wave of ice that washed over both Wish and Brenner, freezing them to the ground and ensuring they weren''t going anywhere. Whisper turned invisible once more, fading from sight, and Snowdawn collapsed face-first into the hot sand. "I''m out. That was everything I had left. I need to seriously rest."


    "Can you heal him? Destiny healed my stamina in the fight with Intake!" Cinder shouted out as she launched a wave of fire in the direction of the villains.


    Paragon shook her head. "No. This isn''t a stamina issue or a physical one. I guess you could say it''s like a mage running out of mana."


    "Casey! Hannah! Cover me!" Kevin yelled. Muscles expanded out of his arms, and he charged forward in the direction of where Wish was. The girl had crashed several meters away and was encased in hard ice. "I''m breaking her out!"


    "Oh no, you don''t!" Cinder ran forward with inhuman speed. She was only able to take a few steps forward before Casey and Hannah attacked her. Casey held his hand out and fired another blood beam in her direction. Fire blasted out of her hand, and she used it to jump over the beam and avoid it. As she was in the air, Hannah smashed her arm up, a large bone spear blasting out, but she easily caught it and crushed it with her hand. Her other hand formed her fire into the shape of a chain, which she sent out and got around Kevin''s leg, tripping the man before he could reach Wish. She dragged him towards her as she landed on the ground and smashed her fist directly into his face. "I''m not letting you guys free her!"


    Kevin took the punch and hissed as her fire ate away at part of his face. His muscles expanded and got larger, coating his skin, and she nearly gasped when she watched him take on a familiar form. Horns jutted from his skull, and he looked almost identical to Mars King. As she was processing that, Casey smashed his elbow into the side of her helmet and managed to throw her off of Kevin. Hannah''s bones jutted out of the ground and formed a large cage around the fire-based hero, which started to shrink and close rapidly, attempting to crush her.


    She flexed her body, and her flames ignited around her momentarily, sending out a massive wave of force that exploded the cage and left her unharmed.


    "Forget about Wish," Casey growled. "We kill her first. Otherwise, she''ll get in our way. If all three of us team up, we can wipe her out with no problem."


    She gave a sly smirk and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh. Is that what you think?" She cocked her head to the side, and for the first time in her life, she really felt like the Victorian at that moment. "Well. Who''s first?" Her shield unfolded, and she raised it, blocking a fist from Kevin. "I don''t know why people as young as you decided to be evil, but I''m going to do everything in my power to stop you!"


    "Evil?" Casey formed a large sword forged from his blood and charged forward with it, attempting to slice the girl in two, but his strikes were deflected by her shield. "That''s rich, coming from you. You have no idea what it''s like to be a normal person, existing in a terrible world like this as just a normal human! Being sick, addicted to something, or life just not going your way! We weren''t Supers like you, and we aren''t some evil or good, black and white group like you Supers keep playing with!"


    "You''re literally in a drug gang that has dealt to kids, and one of your members loves to use her powers to melt people." She smashed her shield into the man''s body, throwing him back. "Besides. I didn''t always have powers. I still picked the side of good, though. Just as I can''t really understand why you guys will stay on the side of evil, I doubt you could understand why I made my choices."


    Hannah was next to attack, large claws jutting from the girl''s fingers as she attempted to impale Cinder. "Don''t act like you''ve had a hard day in your life!"


    "That''s pretty funny coming from you, Ms. Popular!" She took the attack, her flesh easily shattering the bones as if they were nothing, and she smashed her fist into Hannah''s stomach, throwing her back. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She asked, glaring at Kevin.


    Kevin just shrugged. "I wanted to be stronger." His fist grew massive, and he swung out, attempting to ram it into the side of her head. It never made it to her, though, as a second later, ice erupted out of the ground and froze his arm in place. Snowdawn stood back up, wobbling a bit but forcefully bringing his ice armor back.


    "I''m glad you said something. Hearing your voice pissed me off so much that I decided to stop resting. I''m taking you out myself!" He announced proudly before charging Kevin and ramming his fist into the monster''s gut. Kevin gasped as blades of ice stabbed into him, and he was shoved back. Snowdawn didn''t stop there, though, as he twisted his body and created a giant hammer of ice, which he hit Kevin with so hard it exploded.


    Cinder gave a small smile as she turned back to Casey and Hannah. "It looks like you guys lost a teammate. Do you still think you can beat me?"


    Over with Grove, he watched his people begin to lose badly and made up his mind. He made a mad dash for the tower. It was less than a mile away by now. If he entered it, then he would win. This nightmare would be over once he got ahold of ''him.''


    He took a step forward, only to narrow his eyes and jump out of the way at the last second. Whisper appeared out of thin air, her kick missing him. "How''d you know?" the girl asked, jumping back a bit.


    Grove gave a smirk. "Just got lucky, I guess."


    "Ah. Don''t tell me. You have some bullshit luck-based power, don''t you?" Whisper sighed. "First Red Monkey, and now you. I would get stuck fighting the complex powers, wouldn''t I?"


    "No, no, nothing like that. I¡¯m just a normal human, not a Super." Grove gave a sly grin and reached into his coat, pulling out a knife, which he twirled around the same way he had seen Green Wolf doing. "I just happen to be the main character you see. This world around us, destiny, fate¡ªit¡¯s all just one big story. A story that won¡¯t end until I do what I have to. That¡¯s why I know I won¡¯t die. I¡¯ve lived through the Beast fight, so I know I must be special. Whatever story we find ourselves in, I must be the main character destined for greatness. Lady Luck will save me.¡°


    ¡°Your totally insane.¡± Whisper snorted. ¡°I believe in things like fate and destiny, but I don¡¯t think anyone stands out amongst it as a main character. We¡¯re all destiny¡¯s plaything in the end, and yet people still stand that break the shackles of fate and surpass their path. In other words, even if you are destined to not lose, I¡¯ve seen first hand how things can be forced to change and alter. I¡¯ll beat you here and now.¡±


    Grove gave a calm shrug. "Maybe you will. I doubt it though.¡± His fingers grew tighter around his knife. ¡°Would you care for a dance?"


    Whisper clicked her button and caused her tonfas to unfold, electricity buzzing out of them. "I guess I''ll take you up on that offer."


    Off to the side, Paragon watched Cinder fight in silence. Her bird clung to her tightly and worked as her eyes, Destiny letting her see just how strong the Pantheon members had become. "Is she seriously the same girl I first met?" In the hospital against multiple Supers, Cinder had been totally outclassed, but ever since the girl figured out how to go into her battle mode, she had greatly improved. "I feel so useless. Maybe... I can help out somehow, too."


    Her hand brushed the sword she had. After the crash, she had almost forgotten about it, but she had held onto it the entire time. She had never thrown a single punch in her life, much less swung a sword. The closest she ever got to fighting was being in her dream world, but that hardly counted. That was Sky, a confident, pretty, and strong hero. In the real world, she was just Paragon, the pure support-focused hero.


    She gripped Nier''s sword and raised it slightly, taking a deep breath. She watched silently for a moment as Cinder dodged between dozens of blood bullets and bone spikes. "Hey! Cinder, I''ll back you up and make it a two-on-two!"


    "Alright! I always wanted to properly team up with you, Paragon!"


    She had almost been expecting Cinder to argue or come in with caution, but the girl was as bubbly as ever, not bothered by this life-and-death situation. She had grown a lot. Paragon nodded and, beneath her mask, gave the faintest of smiles. Maybe if she was lucky, she could get even half as strong as Cinder was. She stepped forward, awkwardly holding the sword out and using Destiny as her eyes.


    Her debut as a front-line fighter was about to begin. If she was in danger, she was confident Cinder would be there to keep her safe. The girl did have a shield, after all.


    Then it happened...


    Something caused them all to freeze and stop what they were doing. The sound of ice breaking.


    Wish''s fist burst out of the block of ice. White armor covered the girl''s flesh as she ripped her way out with ease. Forged from solid bone, it covered her from the neck down, and Wish''s head craned around, the muscles in her body popping. "Looks like I missed something interesting."


    Cinder turned and blasted out a wave of fire, but the ground beneath Wish literally rose up and swallowed the flames in a single moment. Wish''s eyes locked with Cinder''s, and the mad girl grinned.


    "I had a really long nap and couldn''t stop thinking about you. You gave me so many good ideas, Cindy!"


    "I''m going to stop you!" Cinder declared, charging forward with her fire. She threw a punch out towards Wish, but it never landed.


    Massive bat-like wings exploded out of Wish''s back, and the girl fired into the air even faster than she had been previously. "I haven''t scattered my cells about, yet. Last time, they were all wiped, thanks to those two heroes. I learned why the Emperor never did something like that. It takes a lot of energy and power to keep regrowing. It¡¯s better if I just stay in one body, and it means I have all my energy, so I¡¯m way stronger than when we first fought." The girl smirked before her gaze came down to Paragon. "I''ll deal with you in a bit, Cindy. We can play once I''ve gotten the full power of a Lord of Life. I''ll prove to you just how much better it is than the Sun!"


    "No!" Cinder tried to blast the monster out of the air, but Wish twirled through the fire, her armor keeping her safe. The girl flew down, and before Paragon could react, Wish''s arms wrapped around her, lifting her up. Wish let out a loud laugh and began to fly in the direction of the tower, heading for the entrance. "Get back here-" Bone-like spikes jutted out of the ground, binding Cinder in place, followed quickly by Casey''s blood chains. "Stay out of my way!" Her fire exploded out, and she tried to take a step forward, but both villains literally threw themselves into her, not caring if they got burned or punched.


    "Sorry." Hannah laughed. "But if you want to save your little girlfriend, you''ll have to get through us both-"


    Cinder''s fist rammed through the girl''s stomach, nearly splitting her in two. Cinder''s other hand flew out, but Casey barely managed to block it. Before he could counter-attack, however, she opened her mouth and fired out a massive beam of fire directly into both of them, using everything she had. Both of them dropped to the ground, unmoving.


    By the time she looked back up, she saw Wish fly directly into the tower''s hole and enter it.

 Chapter Eighty-Four: All Roads Meet

    Green Wolf let out a loud laugh and swung his sword as hard as he could. The kinetic energy he had been building up since the battle began unleashed itself, rampaging out of the edge of his sword and ripping even the wind apart as he sent a thin slash in the direction of Duplicity.


    The hero blocked his attack by floating into the ground. Duplicity literally phased through the floor as if she was some sort of ghost and then reappeared out of the ground a moment later, throwing a punch in the direction of Green Wolf¡¯s stomach.


    The villain was ready for it though, and dodged the attack by jumping into the air. He created a platform of kinetic energy, which he used to bounce off of, and he sent another slash down toward the ground, blowing most of the stadium floor up in one attack.


    Duplicity flew out and hovered in the air, frowning. ¡°Why are you doing all of this?¡± She asked the age-old question, glaring at the villain. ¡°Most villains at least have some reason or goal for why they walk their path, but you? You just seem like you¡¯re totally insane?¡±


    Green Wolf snickered before it slowly turned into full-blown laughter as he let out another swing of his blade. "What do I get out of being a villain? Name me one hero who can laugh as loudly as I can!" He cheered as his blade tore the stadium apart, ripping it in two. "This isn''t just fun for me. This is the only thing that brings me joy. I love this game! I know you''re not the final boss either, though, so go ahead and die, you trash mob. I¡¯ll take the EXP you drop and go hunt down the real final boss.¡±


    Duplicity''s body had grown in size. She looked like a full-grown woman now and was woven together from strands of pure energy. She phased through matter, dodging past the falling blocks of debris that rained from above as the entire stadium began to come down on them. "You''re totally insane, aren''t you?" The woman called out. "I''m sure the whole world would love it if you just went ahead and died."


    "I don''t know about that. I''m sure I have some fans out there." The villain chuckled and twirled his sword, each loop ripping the ground to bits and sending his attacks out in a wild wave of directions.


    Energy-based heroes and villains weren''t common, but they weren''t rare. They were always tricky to deal with. One thing that made them all stand out was the energy they controlled. For everyone, it was different. The Victorian could control and create solar energy, allowing her to fly and create weapons and attacks nearing light speed. Max Lightning was able to harness electrical energy to perform lightning blasts and stun people. Even Cinder and Demonica both used a form of energy control, both using thermal energy, the same thing Snowdawn and Poseidon used. Green Wolf''s was kinetic energy. It was what allowed him to tank so many strong hits and grow in power. Kinetic was movement itself. Just by standing on Earth, the rotation of the planet powered him. All other forms of energy had movement to them when they traveled, and thus would be made up of a bit of kinetic energy, allowing him to mostly absorb other attacks. He had one flaw, though. He couldn''t absorb energy that wasn''t kinetic.


    Someone like Battery was his natural enemy. Battery''s energy was also solar in nature. However, this was due to a ''gift'' he had received from the Victorian. In actuality, his own power allowed him to absorb and then transmute the properties of energy, turning what was once solar into electricity, kinetic energy, or any other form of existing energy.


    Duplicity knew she was at a disadvantage in her fight with Green Wolf. The energy she had become made of was not kinetic energy and thus could not be absorbed, but the act of sending out large bursts of attacks would generate bursts of kinetic force that could then be absorbed. Due to this, she was forced to fight only up close.


    Or at least that''s what she wanted Green Wolf to think.


    "What kind of energy are you made of, anyway?" Green Wolf called out, dodging one of her punches. She sank into the ground, and he jumped into the air as she blew the area around him up. "Nuclear or something?" The man asked. ¡°You going to blow up the entire city?¡±


    "Nothing quite that dangerous. I''m not the Beast after all." The woman said, cocking her head to the side and giving a sly grin. "It is a form of energy that I''m sure you''ve become quite accustomed to, though."


    "What do you mean by that?" A heavy truck, one of the ones that belonged to the Hero Branch, surged forward at breakneck speeds and rammed into Green Wolf from behind. The car folded around him and was quickly followed by dozens of others. The attack itself didn''t hurt him, but he suddenly found himself encased in metal. The same trick Polaron had tried to do to him, only this time he couldn''t teleport out. "This is-"


    "Go ahead and die." Duplicity commanded. She balled her hand into a fist, and the cars began to pile on more and more. They shattered and formed walls that grew tight together, barriers of iron twisting. "Be gone from this world."


    Radiant energy, also known as electromagnetism. When Polaron had still been around, she had been forced to keep this form secret lest he absorb or tear her apart. With him gone now, she had become one of the greatest masters of metal on Earth. She''d really need to thank Cinder for that someday.


    Green Wolf groaned as the ball of iron grew tighter around him. Only his head poked out now. The rest of his body was covered in so much metal that he couldn''t even move a finger. None of it could actually touch him, his barrier stopping it dead in its tracks and instantly absorbing the energy that caused it to move, but there was simply so much piled on that he had become totally stuck.


    "I can get out of this, you know."


    "I''m sure you can." Duplicity shrugged, and she didn''t even bother moving. Her body sparkled and glowed, and the metal obeyed her every command. It rose above Green Wolf''s head, about to fully encase him in the iron ball.


    "I''m serious. I have a secret transformation up my sleeve. A power I had been saving next time I fought Polaron, if it came to it. After he joined our side, though, I decided to save this form for the final boss. My plan was for either Wish or the Emperor to be the final boss."


    "Why are you so interested in dying at The Lord of Life¡¯s hands?" The hero hummed, though she didn''t care.


    "Good, evil, I don''t care what side you''re on. The Emperor was the top dog, fifteen years ago. If Full Monarch is dead, then I will settle for the next best thing. If the Emperor is dead, then I will go even lower. Whoever dares to stand at the top is the final boss¡ªthe ultimate fight where the main character of the game takes them out. That is the only meaning my life needs to have. I''m on your side in a way. Let me go. I want to kill Wish, the same as you heroes."


    Duplicity cocked her head to the side and smiled. "I''m going to send you into outer space and make sure that this ball remains as your tomb."


    "Wait-"


    She didn''t wait, though. The metal folded over Green Wolf, blocking him out of sight. She could hear his muffled yelling, but she ignored it. The iron smoothed out, and she flattened it all down until a sizable twenty-foot-tall orb had been created, somewhere in the middle of it containing the villain known as Green Wolf. She floated under it and placed her pointer finger directly on it.


    "Steady." She aimed up for the moon above and smirked. "Fire-"


    "Did you beat him!" She stopped right before she could send the metal ball into space and looked down. The stadium was in ruins. The ground had been torn apart so badly that it practically collapsed onto the parking lot below. All the seats had been torn apart, and the top half of the stadium had slid off, hundreds of cuts all lining it. From down below, the rest of the Watch Dog members were leaving the safety of the underground. It was Backup who shouted. He was followed closely by Roulette, who had a wave of bullets carrying the villains. "You beat him right, Dups!" Backup yelled out.


    "Yeah! What does it look like?" She tapped on the metal ball. "He said something about a transformation, though, so I''m not taking any chances. I''m throwing him into space!"


    "Should we have a countdown?"


    "Nope! Doing it now before something goes wrong-" A gray light smashed into the top of her metal orb, and flickers of dust rained down. "Oh, god damn it!"


    Duplicity dropped down just in time as the entire orb rusted and broke apart. It was as if it had suddenly aged by hundreds of years. The light died down right before it hit Green Wolf, who quickly pulled his way out of the flimsy and broken-down metal. The orb began to fall to the ground below, but the villain took a step off of it and spun through the air, landing on the golden hand that suddenly appeared beneath him.


    A massive shadow rained down on the stadium, and all the heroes stared up at the flying figure of Golden God. Fairy Queen stood on the tip of his finger with her arms crossed. "Thanks for the save," Green Wolf called out, sheathing his sword onto his back.


    "I can''t help but notice your team isn''t in the best condition," the woman said, clicking her tongue.


    "Yeah. I''m fine, though." Green Wolf shrugged. "We can just leave them if you want."


    Backup took a step back as he stared up at the villains. "Not good. I think they might be able to jump us."


    Duplicity landed down on the ground next to him, frowning. She didn''t have much longer left in her form. Soon, it would run out, and just like with Snowdawn, she''d need to recover, going into a sort of burnout-like stage. "What''s the big deal? We planned to fight Fairy Queen and Golden God in the first place, right?"


    That was the entire reason they had come in the first place. Pantheon had asked them to help out. The plan had been to use Pretty Face, or one of the other two locations, as bait to jump Green Wolf and force him to take them to Golden God and Fairy Queen. They knew Golden God would be down for a bit and wanted to take Fairy Queen out before he fully recovered, but even with him up and about, they had made a plan to take him out.


    "The plan went wrong when the Wandering Coin showed up." Backup said, shaking his head. "The first plan had been for Ocean Empress, Poseidon, Battery, and yourself to jump Fairy Queen and overpower them once Ocean Empress brought the sword to Battery. The rest would be on support, throwing in attacks when they could. If Golden God was up, then Roulette, Myth, and Bad Wolf would deal with him until you guys finished, or the rest of us would support them and try to drive him back. Pantheon isn''t here, and I''m guessing things didn''t go well with Ocean Empress. Besides, you don''t have a lot of time left in that mode. Roulette is strong, but even he''d struggle with a general of the Emperor, much less two of them."


    "You''re in luck, then," Fairy Queen called out. ¡°We''re not really interested in small fries like you," the woman said, waving them off. ¡°You''re really fine with me leaving your men behind, right, Green?"


    "Yeah, screw them."


    "Cool. But... Just in case, we really should take one or two of them," the woman hummed.


    The monster was gone in the blink of an eye. Faster than any of them could even comprehend, Fairy Queen appeared between them. Roulette was the first to act, sending his bullets flying, but the villain simply waved her hand, and all his ammunition was twisted and changed, reality-bending to her will as she turned them into pretty flowers. She hooked her arms around a few of the villains, and her wings expanded as she took flight.


    Fairy Queen was back in Golden God''s hands faster than any of them could counterattack, setting three villains down. "Alrighty. Let''s go."


    "Seriously." Green Wolf huffed. "Out of all the villains down there, these are the ones you picked?"


    "Well, I had to get Demonica." Fairy Queen said, cocking her head to the side. At her feet, Demonica slowly pushed herself to a standing position and glared at Green Wolf, who ignored her. "She was a friend of my son Polaron, after all. It would just feel wrong if I left her to her fate." The woman said, patting Demonica on the shoulder.


    "Okay... And what about these two losers?" Green Wolf pointed down at the other two villains. White Lamb and Red Ape.


    Red Ape stood up, dusting himself off, and helped White Lamb back to her feet. "Ha! Freedom! Watch out, Cinder! I''m not done yet! Your rival has one more trick up his sleeve!"


    Fairy Queen just shrugged. "I can go get more if you want-"


    "We do not have time." Golden God spoke up. The entire time they had been arguing, his many hands had been keeping them safe, easily deflecting bullets and energy thrown by the Watch Dogs. "I am leaving now." He floated up high, and his body began to glow.


    Green Wolf sighed and nodded. "Fine. After this is over, though, I''m killing Red Ape myself."


    ¡°Huh?¡± Red Ape began, but then, in a flash, they vanished, leaving the heroes down below with the remaining villains.


    "Oh crap!" Backup let out a loud hiss. "That''s not good. I''m guessing they''re about to appear on top of Myth and the others."


    "What do we do now?" Bad Wolf growled, folding her arms. Her tail whipped back and forth as she glared down at the rest of the villains, who were still knocked out from the damage they took. "We still need to put these guys somewhere, and this time, make sure they don''t escape. But we can''t just leave Pantheon to die. Someone needs to get a hold of the Victorian or something. We greatly underestimated-"


    The heroic monster stopped when a quiet ringing echoed out. Backup reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. "Oh, hey. It''s Ocean Empress. I guess she''s fine."


    "How does she have your number?"


    "I was her father''s best student!" Backup answered the phone and let out a low whistle. "Talk to me."


    "Are you guys free?" Ocean Empress asked over the line.


    "Yeah. We were just about to get ahold of the Victorian-"


    "It won''t work." Ocean Empress said over the line. "Her and Boy Genius noticed something out in space and left to check it out a while ago. No one can get a hold of them now. They were afraid it would be the Beast or something new, and are too far away from Earth by now."


    "Seriously! You''ve got to be kidding me! Screw the guy who set these events in motion! He just didn''t want us to have the Victorian on our side since it''d be too easy!"


    "It''s fine, though." Ocean Empress cut in. "I have a new plan. By any chance... Could I borrow your boat?"


    ***


    Paragon hit the ground with a grunt as she rolled across it. The sword she held slid out of her grasp and spun across the ground before it stopped directly under Wish''s heel. The villain stomped on the blade and sent it twirling in the air. Wish caught it and looked down at it, smirking.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "This is a pretty cool sword. It almost killed me earlier. Teleport the moon onto the surface of planet Earth!" Paragon flinched, but nothing happened. "Damn. Guess it doesn''t want to work for me." Wish shrugged and threw the sword as hard as she could directly into the metal floor next to Paragon, causing the blind hero to jump. "Pick it up and get on your feet."


    "Huh?"


    "Did I stutter?"


    Paragon grasped the sword and slowly stood up. Destiny still rested in her hair and looked around, quietly taking in the sight around them. They had made it to that weird tower, and Wish had flown them directly inside of it. It was large, nearly as tall as a skyscraper, and it was wide enough to fit a small stadium inside of it.


    Time had eaten away at it, however, as had the many sand bandits. All the walls had been torn away, and wires hung out. If there were lights, they wouldn''t work anymore. They were all the way at the bottom, which had actually been sunk into the ground. The only entrance and exit was a large hole in the side of the tower, the one Wish had flown in through, which was nearly thirty feet off of the ground. There were some stairs that looped around the place, like a lighthouse, and led all the way to the very top, where another floor rested, but that was about it. Everything else was either gone or so broken down that she couldn''t tell what it was.


    Rows of damaged monitors hung on the walls, many of which had been destroyed ages ago, and a few chairs were scattered about in all directions. It looked as if someone had tried to turn this part of the tower into a home of sorts. There were a couple more floors up above that she could try to reach by taking the stairs. It would also allow her to get to the hole above since the stairs circled around, but there was a big issue. Wish stood on them with her arms folded.


    She didn''t know if anyone else was in the tower. Maybe some villains or a Super, but if they were, they''d have to be up on the floor above. Wish didn''t seem to care, though, as the villain hadn''t even bothered to look around.


    "Where are we?"


    "No clue." Wish shrugged. "I heard the boss talking about this place. It''s some sort of teleporter. It works like a gate to another world; instead of taking you to some pocket dimension, the gate just teleports you to the moon. I''d bet the entrance is up top. Or at least it should be up top, but this place is so rundown that I doubt it works anymore. Now, it''s just a piece of junk like the Enforcer''s Tower. Funny, right?"


    "Why''d you take me here then?"


    "Seemed like it would be a cool spot for us to have our battle."


    "That''s seriously it?"


    Wish shrugged. "I don''t need much more."


    Paragon nodded and gripped her sword tighter. "Okay, but why did you take me? You have beef with Cinder, not me."


    Wish''s smile faded for a second, and the girl''s eye twitched. "Well, to be honest, I don''t really like you. It''s more than that, though." It had been only moments ago for her. The fight with Cinder. She had been humiliated. That flame-based hero had shut her down every chance she could, and in the end, the only reason she would have won was due to Cinder running out of steam. "I found out how I can get stronger. See, I saw her do something like this." Wish explained, messing with the horns that now stabbed out of the top of her head. "Turns out, we can transform. Cool, right? I''m already way stronger. But I want more. The man who created us. He put pieces of himself in you. A piece of me. A piece of the Lord of Life. If I can get that piece back, I''ll grow even stronger and have the power of the Emperor! This time, though, Life will devour the Sun."


    Paragon nodded. "Okay. If that was the case, why didn''t you just take the piece in me when you had the chance?"


    "Doing so would kill you." Wish shrugged. "Of course, I plan on killing you, no matter what, but I thought it would be best to get that flame chick worked up and waste her energy first. After all, I''ve seen just how far her power can go. I''d rather avoid that before I have a chance to absorb you."


    "You''re lying."


    "Huh?"


    "If you really felt that way, you''d have killed me the moment we were out of sight and wouldn''t be talking to me like this. You''re scared, right? Scared of what will happen if you absorb the piece. Or maybe you''re afraid I''ll take your piece and absorb you instead when you try to absorb me."


    Wish stared at Paragon and cocked her head to the side. "Or. Maybe I just wanted to beat you nice and slowly, breaking every bone in your cute little body until you pop."


    Paragon raised the sword, pointing it at the villain. "I''m not scared of you! I''ll fight you and-"


    Wish''s arm expanded and exploded out, allowing her to ram a fist into Paragon''s head so hard that the girl''s mask exploded, and Paragon was sent flying, crashing back first into the metal wall of the tower they were in. The entire place shook, and Paragon slumped down onto her back, seeing stars.


    She had the body of a normal human¡ªno super strength or speed. Despite that fact, somehow she survived. In fact, the attack hadn¡¯t even really hurt that much. She felt some aches in her body, but just like how she was fine being out in the wasteland, she felt mostly fine after taking a punch from Wish.


    Paragon tried to stand back up, and her hand began to press down onto the metal behind her, denting it, causing her to jump. Destiny looked down at her hand, watching as her fingers easily snapped the metal.


    ¡°What? D- Did I do that?¡±


    Wish sneered and narrowed her eyes. ¡°What gives? Your body shouldn¡¯t be this- Oh, I get it. I bet this is that hero in red¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Battery?¡± That was the only hero in red Paragon could think of.


    ¡°Your DNA is¡­ I never really looked at you before, but it¡¯s almost like you were created from four different people.¡± Wish hummed. ¡°I see. You¡¯ve been trying to get stronger, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Paragon ignored the girl balling her hand into a fist. She had been working on her powers for a bit now. Doing what she had told Cinder. Using her ability to control cells on plants to try and improve it. Powers were like a muscle, so the more you used them, the stronger they would get. She hadn¡¯t bothered doing any physical training, but somehow another power was starting to appear within. Her body was becoming that of an enhanced human. Nowhere near as strong as it was in her realm, but enough where she was confident she could take more than one attack from Wish.


    "I can do this... God, I hope I can do this." Paragon wrapped her hand around the handle of her sword, pointing it at the Lord of Life. ¡°I¡¯m the hero, Paragon. I save people!¡±


    Outside of the tower where the other heroes and villains were, Cinder tried to run forward, but she barely got three feet before strings of blood and shards of bone grew around her legs.


    "Did you forget we got our powers from Wish?" Casey taunted. His flesh quickly grew back, and he stood up along with Hannah.


    "You''re too soft." Hannah taunted. "You''d need to-"


    She rammed her palm into the girl''s stomach and unleashed a blast strong enough to turn Hannah''s upper half to ash. Already, though, the girl''s lower half was regrowing her body. "Not good enough!" Casey yelled, ramming a finger into her stomach and unleashing a red beam of compressed blood.


    She felt her nerves scream out in pain as a small hole was blasted through her body. She fought through the pain and rammed her fist through Casey''s face and out of the back of his head. His body kept going, though, even as his brain was set on fire, blood knives stabbing out of his elbow and cutting into her shield, which she raised.


    From behind her, Hannah''s body put itself back together entirely and swung out with a robust bone hammer, smashing it directly into her helmet. She ignored the blow and ignited her entire body in fire for a second, blowing both of the villains back. She jumped into the air and was about to blast away with her fire, but before she could, suddenly, from above, Kevin came crashing down toward her with wide red wings, allowing him to fly. He smashed a fist into her face, knocking her back to the ground.


    "Snowdawn! I thought you had Kevin!" She shouted in an annoyed tone. Kevin, Casey, and Hannah still stood in her way, none allowing her to step forward.


    "I do!" Snowdawn called back. ¡°I¡¯m fighting him right now!¡±


    "Huh?" She turned to where her friend was, and her face paled when she saw him being thrown around by three different Kevin''s. "Damn it! I forgot he could split!" He had shown it off in the fight with Wish the first time. Each of his clones were weaker, but that didn''t really matter when they all had his crazy healing and growth. Kevin had gone from a random school bully to an actual Super-level threat.


    That wasn''t all she had to worry about, either. Doc ran over to Brenner, who had finally broken out of his ice. "Here you go. Use this to deal with that invisible brat." The blind man said, handing over a jar of black liquid. "It''s not stable. I made it with Wish before she died the first time, and it could kill you, or it could give you just the right amount of boost that you need."


    Brenner shook his head and took the glass, but he didn''t drink it. "I''m not going to turn myself into some monster." He stood up and pulled out his knife. "I will help the mayor out, though. You stay here."


    Whisper dodged a strike from the mayor and raised her weapon just in time to deflect the knife swing Mr. Brenner unleashed once he reached the mayor''s side. Whisper wasn''t able to block it entirely, though, and felt the blade dig into her shoulder, ripping it up and making her wince.


    "This is a lot harder when I don''t have the ability to see the future." It wasn''t just the two of them the hero had to deal with either, as from up above, a Kevin clone came crashing down. Whisper rolled out from under it just in time but felt dozens of sharp rocks dig into her legs and arms, downing her.


    Things weren''t looking too good for them. The invisible girl had Brenner, Grove, and Kevin on her. Cinder had Casey, Hannah, and Kevin on her. As for Snowdawn...


    The poor hero had six different Kevins beating on him now. Snowdawn raised his arms up, blocking a strike from one Kevin, but a second one would come up behind him, cause their hand to grow as big as a car, and smash it into his back. Each Kevin hit weaker than the last, all getting slower and less intense the more they split, but no matter how much he froze them or downed them, they just kept coming.


    It reminded him of the history stories he had read about Mr. Sini''s time-fighting Lucifer''s zombie army¡ªthis wave of unending beasts that put themselves back together faster than you could tear them apart.


    "This is such a cheap power!" Snowdawn yelled, punching through a Kevin, only to have three more fists smash into his face and break part of his ice off. He rolled with the punch, wrapped his fingers tightly around another Kevin, picked the clone up, and tossed him toward one of the spots where the sky had a hole. "Chill out in there!"


    The Kevin hit the molten sand hole and began to sink into it. It tried to claw its way out, but Snowdawn blasted it with snow and ice, pushing it deeper into the molten pit of fire as the radiation began to rip its body apart. It didn''t get back up and sank into the ground, no longer moving.


    "Holy crap! Guys, I think I figured it out! Sun cancer! We just give them mega radiation damage and melt them with the sky holes!"


    "Already ahead of you!" Cinder announced. She whipped her hand out, shooting her chains of fire in every direction. She didn''t grab Doc, Brenner, or Grove. They were just normal humans, and she''d have felt bad. On the other hand, Casey, Hannah, and all the Kevin clones were fair game. "Take this!"


    Her flaming chains wrapped around each of them before they could dodge. She was already powered up and above what most of them could handle. Maybe in the future, she could create flames hot enough to kill them instantly or filled with radiation like the sun, but as she was now, that was beyond her. So instead, she followed Snowdawn''s lead and swung them all as high as she could, then down directly onto one of the molten glass holes.


    All the villains screamed out, and she felt her heart twitch. They were all kids like her. Hell, Kevin and Hannah went to the same school. They were sinking into the molten glass, and their flesh burned as the sun stabbed down into them.


    "If you promise to behave, I''ll pull you out!" She yelled.


    "No." Snowdawn shook his head. "Look. I don''t like this more than you do, but they''re way too dangerous. We still need to deal with Wish, and from what Battery said, the girl can respawn through them. I don''t want to, but they need to die."


    "But..."


    "Snowdawn''s right," Whisper called out, dodging in and out of Brenner, and Grove''s knife swung. "Fuck those kids. They don''t want to die like this? Guess they shouldn''t have picked the side of evil."


    She shook her head. It was wrong. But... She stared at them, watching as the flames ate away at them and they sank deeper. She was reminded of Polaron for a moment. In that situation, she had just needed to move her arm a bit, and he''d die. In this situation, she didn''t need to do anything. She just had to watch them melt. This wasn''t like a comic. Heroes killed. Myth had tried to kill Red Ape on her very first mission. She just wished it didn''t have to be villains that were her age.


    Her hand gripped the chain, and her arm shook. She had tried to kill Wish, and she even planned on doing it again, but looking at the three kids, she felt way more guilty about it. They were still screaming and thrashing around, sinking into the glass as the fire ate away at them. It made her feel sick to her stomach.


    ¡°I- I can¡¯t just sit by and watch this.¡± She winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Cinder!¡± Snowdawn yelled at her as she got ready to pull the trio out of the hole. She never got the chance to, though.


    All at once, it went wrong. Reality twisted and changed, and Kevin, Casey, and Hannah were no longer sinking into molten glass. Instead, they were replaced with a bright red liquid that began to heal and repair their damaged bodies. The sunlight was also blocked out as a massive black shadow cloaked over them. Golden God was so big, he easily blocked out all of the holes, keeping everyone safe.


    "Why are we helping these guys out?" Golden God hummed.


    "I thought one of them was Mars King," Demonica explained. She had been the one who asked them to save the three kids.


    Cinder cursed as she stared up at Golden God. "You''ve got to be kidding me!" Kevin, Casey, and Hannah pulled themselves out of the hole, all fully healed, and instantly the clones began to swarm around Snowdawn once more. Golden God lowered his hand to the ground, allowing Green Wolf, Red Ape, White Lamb, and Demonica to all step off. "Why is today just the worst-"


    She froze when she felt a hand touching her face. She hadn''t even realized it, but someone had removed her helmet. Fairy Queen stood directly behind her, gripping her metal helmet in one hand. The woman¡¯s other hand poked at her body and rubbed her face. "My. You''re far cuter than Full Monarch-"


    She whipped around and threw a punch at Fairy Queen, but the villain''s finger blocked the blow. "Oh, you''ve got to be kidding me!" She cursed. One finger? She was in her Lord form as well, so this was the height of her power.


    Fairy Queen flicked the air, and she gasped as she felt an unseen force ram into her, and she was sent flying back. Casey and Hannah both appeared behind her and struck out with bone and blood, smashing her into the ground.


    Snowdawn didn''t do much better, literally being held down by eight Kevins, who began to pound into him with massive fists.


    Whisper slid back, looking at all the villains that surrounded them now. "Myth! If you can hear me, we seriously need some help!"


    Fairy Queen floated up and folded her arms. "Golden God. Go and deal with Wish. That''s why I fixed you, after all. Her powers won''t work on you. She should be in that tower over there. I''ll stay here and have some real fun."


    "What fun?" Green Wolf called out, folding his arms. "This isn¡¯t a fun game. All these kids are fighting amongst themselves."


    "I''m not even going to get a chance with my rival at this rate!" Red Ape sighed.


    White Lamb shrugged. "I mean, we''re not on these guys'' side. We can fight them too, right? That one over there looks like Mars King."


    Demonica stared at Kevin in silence. "I don''t like it." The villain finally said. ¡°I think we should kill that one at least.¡±


    "Nah." Green Wolf shook his head. "I''m just going to wait for Battery. He''ll be showing up soon."


    "You think so?" Fairy Queen called out, landing on the ground.


    "Yeah. I saw him earlier."


    "You did-" As soon as Fairy Queen was on the ground, the woman blinked and instantly saw a flash of gold. Fairy Queen didn''t even have time to think about dodging as Battery''s fist rammed into her face so hard that the villain was sent flying back for miles as Battery unleashed a punch well beyond the speed of lightning.


    "Yep. Looks like you saw him, too!" Green Wolf called out, drawing his sword.


    Battery spun, and his body ignited in a bright blue light for a moment as beams of blue energy fired out. They slammed into Casey, Hannah, Red Ape, White Lamb, and all the Kevin clones, stunning them all and downing them for a few seconds. Green Wolf managed to block the beam with his sword, while Golden God just ignored the damage and calmly flew toward the tower in the distance.


    "Way to show up just in time!" Cinder called out, standing back up and throwing the villains off of her.


    "No talking!" Battery called out. His energy was golden once more, and he was already clutching at his heart. "I''ll handle Fairy Queen! Stop Wish from getting Paragon!"


    "Right-" She barely had time to raise her shield up as Green Wolf swung his sword out as hard as he could. She felt the floor beneath her break as she was flung back, and the villain placed his sword over his shoulder.


    "Not so fast! I''m the one that''s in charge right now, got that! Now! I want my boss fight!"


    Battery turned to face him, but before the golden man could even take a step, Fairy Queen appeared behind him and rammed his head into the ground as hard as she could. The villain¡¯s eyes were filled with rage, and she dug her claws into the back of Battery''s head and began to drag him across the ground as she blasted off with godlike speed.


    "Battery!" She tried to run toward him, but the stunned villains were quickly getting back up. She weaved past them but was forced to stop and defend as Green Wolf swung his sword once more.


    Kevin was the first to recover and jumped at her while her back was to him. He rammed his fist forward, but his attack didn''t get far as Snowdawn appeared before him out of thin air; a statue of the boy was left where he had been standing, and he blocked the punch with a wall of ice.


    It didn''t matter much, though, as Casey, Hannah, and the other seven Kevin clones had managed to get back up by now. They were back in the exact same position, but now Green Wolf was here.


    She blocked another strike but froze when she felt a pair of fingers press against the back of her head. Demonica stood behind her. "Not so fast."


    "Hey, no fair! She''s mine!" Green Wolf called out.


    She sighed and stared down at her discarded helmet, which Fairy Queen had knocked over. She didn''t feel like a hero at that moment. They were losing badly¡ªmore than they ever had. Paragon was in trouble, and they hadn''t even made a dent in the bad guys. "You guys aren''t going to win this, you know." She finally said. "You bad guys never beat the heroes. Why would that start today?"


    "I don''t know if you''ve noticed or not, but you''re outnumbered." Demonica spat out. A purple fire glowed from her fingertip. "Not like it matters. After all, you''re dead-"


    Water appeared at the tip of Demonica¡¯s finger, putting the fire out and shocking the woman. Instantaneously, Demonica was forced to kneel as a wave of gravity hit her. This time, it was the bad guys who stared up as the sun was blocked out by a large shadow. A boat, one that flew, had appeared above them.


    "I guess it''s a good thing she isn''t actually outnumbered," Poseidon said, stepping off the ship and dropping to the battlefield below. ¡°I brought some serious backup."


    Golden God, Fairy Queen, Green Wolf, Red Ape, Demonica, Mr. Brenner, Mayor Grove, Kevin and his clones, Casey, Hannah, and Wish. Counting all eight Kevins, there were a total of eighteen villains.


    Poseidon landed on the ground and was followed closely by her mother as well as the Watch Dogs. That wasn''t all, though. Money Tree dropped down slowly, and a sly smirk was on his lips. "Guess I''m coming to the battlefield a little early. Quite cruel to bring a sick man into the fight." He was followed closely by the rest of the Sub Enforcers. BB, Oxide, and Metal Ronin. Only Wasp Nest was missing.


    The numbers had almost evened out. At the very least, the villains no longer held such a massive gap.


    Cinder tightened the shield on her arm and smiled. "Alright. Let''s try this again."

 Chapter Eighty-Five: Sea And Life

    Utter chaos...


    That was really the only way she could describe what was happening. It had already been pretty crazy when Wish stole Paragon away, and they all had to fight Casey, Kevin, and Hannah. She was still trying to process the fact that not only was Kevin a very dangerous Super, but Hannah had also changed into one. All of the Kevin clones pulled themselves back together, and so the number of villains lowered, but with Green Wolf and the others here, it still wasn''t looking good.


    She hadn''t even gotten to speak to Battery before he was suddenly dragged off by Fairy Queen.


    Then Ocean Empress suddenly pulled up in the boat that belonged to the Watch Dogs, with the Sub Enforcers right behind her.


    There were twelve villains and sixteen heroes, but they''d only keep the numerical advantage until Kevin split himself.


    She had been expecting it to turn into a weird standoff. In the movies, this would be the part where all the good guys and bad guys stop to stare down and go into a debate. This wasn''t a movie, though. Golden God was making a beeline for the tower where Paragon and Wish were. Fairy Queen was a dot on the horizon, dragging Battery off, and Green Wolf wasted no time slashing his sword out and firing a wave of kinetic force, not caring who he was aiming at. Demonica did the same, smashing her arm into the ground and erupting the floor with a massive purple explosion.


    She countered the blast by hopping back and raising her foot, using all of her power to send it crashing down into the ground. She hit it hard enough to kick up a massive wave of dust, and most of the Supers around her were blown back. No one was able to see, and attacks flung out wildly. Green Wolf and Demonica were seemingly trying to catch each other in the crossfire, and the Wandering Coin kids didn''t need to worry about damaging each other since they all healed, so they didn''t hold back and unleashed the most destructive attacks they could muster.


    As the battle broke out, beams of blood and water, shards of ice, and waves of energy were unleashed through the thick dust. She jumped away and felt herself go back-to-back with someone.


    "Nice shield." Metal Ronin called out. He was in his larger suit¡ªthe one he had built after his battle with Wish.


    "Thanks. Battery gave it to me." She raised her shield just in time, blocking a stray blast of bone spears.


    "Ocean Empress came straight to Money Tree and got him," Metal Ronin stated. His shoulder opened up and locked onto a powerful heat source, likely Demonica, firing dozens of rockets into the air. ¡±Wasp Nest is still down and hasn''t woken up yet. We wanted to wait for him to fully recover, but it turns out you guys really needed our help."


    "Yeah, things didn''t exactly go according to plan. I''m confident we''ll make it work some way, though!" She announced.


    Metal Ronin nodded his head. "From what I was told, that Pretty Face guy stayed behind and, with the help of the Hero Branch members, is going to put several members of Zoo behind bars. You guys did pretty well. All that''s left now is to take out the boss!"


    She pushed off of Metal Ronin and weaved through the dust cloud, dodging stray attacks from all directions. Her super senses were cranked up to the max, and it allowed her to find the person she needed. She wrapped her arm around Poseidon and practically dragged the girl out of the cloud.


    "Where''s Paragon?" Poseidon shouted out.


    "Working on that. Can you make us lighter with your gravity?" She yelled back.


    Poseidon looked down at her, and she could tell the girl was debating several things. She knew Poseidon didn''t like her much, not after that first incident with Paragon. The girl cared more about her sister than her hatred, though, and eventually, Poseidon sighed and nodded. "Okay."


    She gasped a bit as she felt her feet rise off the ground. It wasn''t flying¡ªnot really¡ªmore like swimming through the air. She and Poseidon were slowly rising off the ground. She held onto the girl''s arm tightly and used her other hand to send off a powerful stream of fire. She felt like an actual rocket this time as she shot them into the air and began to steer with her fire, sending them after Golden God.


    "She''s in that tower! The one Golden God is heading to! We need to stop him-"


    From down below, Green Wolf seemed to spot them and sent up a wave of his energy, but it didn''t get very far before it was blocked by a block of ice created by Ocean Empress. The woman stood on one of her boards and surfed in the air, flying next to them. "You leave Golden God to me. I''ll keep him stuck and make sure he doesn''t get to the tower." The woman announced.


    "Can you beat him, mom?" Poseidon questioned.


    "I''m going to try!" Ocean Empress raised her arm, and water began to form in the air, swirling around and freezing into a giant spear of ice that rammed forward. Golden God''s body stopped in the air, and his head completely spun around. He was bigger than the tower, and his many arms easily allowed him to block the ice spear. "This might be harder than I thought..."


    Golden God''s hands pointed out, and a grayish light began to blast out of them. "Don''t let those touch us, or we''re instantly dead!" Poseidon yelled. ¡°It distorts and ages things it hits!¡±


    "I wasn''t planning on it!" She shot fire out of her feet and held onto Poseidon tighter as their gravity twisted and changed, and they literally began to fly through the air. She had to admit that she was a little annoyed that Poseidon didn''t like her anymore because this was one of the coolest things she had ever done. "It''s like a real-life bullet hell!"


    "Why do you sound excited?!"


    "Sorry! I can''t help it! It¡¯s the way I cope with things!¡±


    She steered them up, under, and past any of the orbs of gray energy that Golden God blasted at him. Ocean Empress also easily dodged them all, and a wall of metal bullets blasted back into the orbs as Roulette joined them. The old man stood on an ocean of bullets, surfing on it just like Ocean Empress.


    "I''ll back you up," the old man grunted. ¡°Give the kids an opening to get past him."


    His bullets turned to dust anytime they hit the light, but just like Money Tree, who could create cash, and Ocean Empress, who birthed new water into existence, Roulette simply willed new ammunition to appear and launched it. "We''ll need some way to ground him," Ocean Empress yelled.


    "I don''t think you guys will have to worry about that," She shouted over all the combat.


    "What?"


    "My enhanced senses heard him digging."


    The entire tower began to shake, and part of it started to lean over and almost fall. Luckily, it stayed put. Something was pulling itself out of the ground. The sand broke away, and lava gushed out as the body of the giant monster worm was thrown out. Its corpse smashed into Golden God, and the massive robot actually shook a bit. Myth''s form was still enormous. A mass of dragon heads, each one spewing a river of lava, wrapped around Golden God''s legs, which stayed cross-legged the entire time. The robot was pulled down into the giant crater in the ground that had formed, half his body being dunked in lava.


    "That''s Myth''s strongest form!" Ocean Empress said in shock when she saw it. "The last time he went into that was during the Beast attack, two years ago."


    "I thought he was told he wasn''t allowed to do that!" Poseidon shouted.


    "He was..."


    Despite his massive form, Myth was still just a mere Super, whereas Golden God was a perfected Super, one turned into a grand monster of destruction by the Emperor fifteen years ago. His hundreds of arms wrapped around Myth''s waist, and despite Myth being bigger than him, Golden God easily lifted Typhon out of the ground and threw him away from the tower.


    As Myth flew through the air, his body shrank and twisted back into his human form. He crashed into the arms of Ocean Empress, who caught him. "Why''d you change back?"


    "Hard to control that form." He grunted. "Didn''t want to risk hurting anyone now that I was back on the surface."


    "Well, we kind of needed that giant monster form to deal with Golden God!" She yelled out.


    "Don''t worry." Myth gave a sly smirk. "I made some friends."


    The lava around Golden God bubbled and exploded before the machine could lift itself up. Another one of the giant worm monsters pulled itself out, letting out an air-rippling roar. It was followed by a second, a third, and even a fourth. All of them began to slam themselves down onto Golden God, biting into his golden metal flesh, denting it, and dragging him further into the lava pool.


    Ocean Empress, Myth, and Roulette all landed on the ground and stared down into the massive crater Myth had created. Both Ocean Empress and Roulette wasted no time and began to open fire onto Golden God''s back as the robot''s many arms wrestled with the worm-like monsters.


    "Cinder!" Myth shouted. "Things didn''t seem to go the way we wanted. Go get Paragon and get out of there!"


    "Right!" She nodded and flew over the pit, heading for the hole in the tower. "Are you ready?" She asked Poseidon.


    The girl just nodded. "Let''s save my sister."


    Back in the dust cloud, it was beginning to break apart and come undone. Demonica created a ring of purple fire around her body, using it as a makeshift shield. The woman used the ring to quickly block a blade of cash that was swung at her. Money Tree was already decked out in his diamond armor and wielding his sword.


    He let out a low whistle when he saw Demonica. "Looks like I''m not the only one missing a limb, huh?" His arm, which was taken by Wish, was still gone. Learning to use only one limb had been a bit of a struggle, but he was finally back up and moving after all this time.


    Demonica hissed at him and blasted out a wave of purple fire, but the attack was consumed and turned into a large diamond from his dust. "You''re one of the heroes that were at the mall." The villain growled.


    "That''s right." He leaned his head forward and allowed his hat to tip down a bit. "You went toe-to-toe with Myth, right? I guess that explains your missing limb. He''s pretty good at what he does when he stops holding back. Just like the Lord of the Sun, if he really tries, he can even leave a wound not even you monsters can heal from. Maybe it¡¯s due to the blood of previous Lords that flow through his veins.¡±


    "When I''m done with you, I''m taking him out next, and then I''ll kill Battery!" The woman howled. ¡°All of you heroes will pay!¡±


    "You don''t have a good track record when it comes to men, do you?" Money Tree dodged her fire with ease and swung out, cutting into her body with his blade. "That''s fine, though. I don''t mind sloppy seconds, or maybe you''re more like third or fourth."


    He wasn''t the only member of the Sub Enforcers who decided to get up close and personal with a villain. On the other side of the makeshift arena they had created, Metal Ronin swung out with his sword and tried to cut into the red armor around Casey. The armor flowed and twisted like the surface of a pond, deflecting the laser sword off of him.


    Metal Ronin''s armor hummed and let out a mechanical roar as its large side was blasted back with a wave of powerful thrusters, allowing him to dodge Casey''s counterattack.


    Casey reminded him a little of Red Panda. Red Panda had been a member of Zoo and also had blood-based powers. People who could control the elements, like Ocean Empress, were typically able to generate their element out of thin air. People who could control their own biology to an extent, like Red Panda or Casey, could only use their own bodies and resources. Because of this, something like blood-based powers usually wouldn''t be that big of a threat. The user would likely die of blood loss before they got off a bunch of significant attacks.


    Not Casey, though. The man-made Super fired off massive beams of compressed blood out of the tips of his fingers as if he had an infinite amount of the resource. In a way, he did. All his damage was being healed faster than Metal Ronin could cause it, and the young man''s body was creating more blood than it knew what to do with. With the endless amount of liquid he was able to create, he was almost like a lesser version of Ocean Empress.


    Unlike her, though, he wasn''t nearly as skilled, nor did he have control over her power''s inverting effect. Casey rammed his arm up into the air, and a thick blood blade fired out, ripping the ground apart. Metal Ronin''s armor glowed with bright blue energy as a powerful barrier twirled around him, blocking most of the damage. His armor was strong enough to hold him in place as he shrugged off the attack.


    Duplicity stood behind him, her arms folded over her chest. She looked like a young girl again, and she was no longer glowing. "Sorry, but I burned up all my energy earlier. It''ll take me a bit to recover, so just hold him until then, okay? I''ll merge with more of my clones and take them out for good this time."


    "Easier said than done." Metal Ronin grunted, blocking another series of attacks with his force field. "Damn it! If only Wasp Nest was here. This would be so much easier!"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "He''s not, though, so you''ll just have to manage." Duplicity shrugged. "Sorry."


    "Just because you look like a kid doesn''t mean you have to act like one, you hag!"


    The girl ignored his remark and stared out across the battlefield at her other two teammates. Bad Wolf and Backup had decided to have a rematch with Hannah. The last time they fought the bone-user, Old Dog had still been with them.


    Backup was dodging past blades of bone that stabbed out of the floor, and he used his great shield to block hammer swings from Hannah. On the other hand, Bad Wolf was sending wisps of clouds that fired small bolts of lightning, or shards of ice, into Hannah, denting the girl''s armor. Although she was able to heal, the two heroes were overwhelming her.


    The only other big fight she could see happening was smack dab in the middle. Things didn''t seem to be going too well for Snowdawn.


    The ice-based hero jumped back, barely dodging a punch from Kevin, but Kevin''s arm grew in size, getting longer. Snowdawn tried to throw up a makeshift barrier quickly, but between the heat and the number of times he had spammed his unique ability without rest, his ice was having a hard time keeping up, and the wall he had created was broken through with ease.


    The hero was shoved back and grunted, with several of his ribs likely breaking from the punch. "This is the second time we''ve fought, isn''t it?" Kevin hummed, cracking his muscles and bones as his body shifted. He looked more and more like Mars King with every passing second. "Things haven''t seemed to really change for you, haven¡¯t they?"


    "I''m a lot stronger than I was then." Snowdawn slowly pushed himself to a standing position and reformed his ice armor. "Not only did I figure out how to use ice, but I''ve also unlocked a new power."


    "That lame-ass teleporting, right? Boring. So many people seem to be appearing with that-"


    "It isn''t teleporting." Snowdawn formed large knuckle dusters over his fists and raised his arms weakly. "I really don''t like you. I think it''s because you remind me a bit of myself. Or maybe it''s the other way around, and you''re more like me than I am like you."


    "Huh? What the hell does that even mean?" Kevin grunted out.


    Snowdawn tried to give a cheeky smile but was too tired to even twitch his lips. "You were left behind. The people on the football team were getting better and better drugs, and soon you weren''t at the top. Though you were never actually at the top to begin with, were you? You never could, not in this world. You were just a normal human. I think that''s why you did it, huh."


    "I sold my soul to become a Super," Kevin growled. "There isn''t anything else to it. I was in a position where I could have either died or gained power."


    "I get it. Honestly, I do." Snowdawn said sadly. "I think I''d do the same if I never had my powers. Even with my powers, I feel like I''ve fallen behind. Not just ''her'' but everyone on Team Pantheon. They''re all simply amazing. More than I''ll ever be. It makes me so mad sometimes. Like I''m totally useless. So that''s why I worked to better myself. I spent a whole lot of time getting beat into the dirt by Poseidon!" Snowdawn announced, punching his palm. "I trained my butt off, and even if I am still left in the dirt, I''m still happy to see how much progress I made and how much further I can go! That''s what makes us different, isn''t it? You''re still unhappy. You know that deep down, even after becoming a Super, you''re still nowhere near the top. Nothing''s changed; you''ve just found yourself in an even bigger pond!"


    Kevin threw out a punch, but Snowdawn dodged the strike and kicked out with his leg, sending out sharp blades of ice that impaled into the villain''s throat. Kevin quickly broke past them, and his body was already fully healed. He had reabsorbed his clones earlier, so he was back in top shape. The villain managed to take a single step forward and suddenly became blind as something covered his face.


    "You were wrong about another thing also," Snowdawn stated in a relaxed tone. "This fight isn''t anything like last time. Last time, I was alone. This time, I have help. I''m not the only one here who is angry about your choice. The first thing my dad ever taught me was that you never piss a girl off lest you face her wrath."


    A whip forged from solid metal wrapped around Kevin''s head, squeezing down hard enough to crack the boy''s skull. He grunted and grabbed at it, trying to rip it off, but the metal rubbed together and glowed red hot, burning his fingers off. "I know this metal." He grunted and began to walk forward. The metal tore into his head, but he ignored it and shoved his way forward, literally tearing the top half of his head clean off. Now free from the metal, he turned his body and spoke without a brain. "So, you''ve come here as well."


    The top half of his head was already growing back. His eyes formed and blinked as sight came back to him. The look of utter disappointment on Oxide''s face actually made him flinch back.


    "Ashley-"


    "Oxide." She cut him off. "When I''m out in costume, I don''t want my cover blown by a villain."


    "Ah. So that''s how it is."


    "I didn''t want to believe them when they said you turned into a villain." Oxide said, shaking her head. Her dress had grown larger and formed more into actual armor. Half her face was covered, but the look in her eyes was as clear as day. "I never wanted anything like this to happen."


    "Yet you did nothing."


    "Yeah." Her shoulders slumped slightly. "You''re right. That''s why I''m going to do something now. Snowdawn..." Metal began twirling around her arms, forming a pair of large blades. "If you wouldn''t mind, I know that we''re on different teams, but could you please help me defeat this bad guy?!"


    "Things seem to be going well, I think." Whisper hummed. She was practically in her own little world off to the side, fighting the only two ordinary people here. Even without the ability to see the Paths, Ocean Empress trained her at a young age. This allowed her to easily block or dodge the knife swings that Mr. Brenner and the mayor launched at her.


    "I- I wouldn''t get so cocky if I were you." The mayor grunted. He was breathing heavily, and his arms shook as he gripped his knife. It was clear that he either had no training or very little training.


    Brenner was the real issue. The man stood in front of the mayor and had the perfect guard stance. His eyes never left Whisper, and even when she tried to go invisible, he was able to use the dirt, or dust, to find her. He was likely ex-military or a cop who took his training very seriously. Maybe even a former member of the Hero Branch.


    Her tonfas buzzed with lightning as she backed away from both of them. There wasn''t really anything she could do to help with the others. Every other Super here was either able to recover from her shocks or would kill her the instant she got close to them. So, she was fine, keeping herself content with these two.


    "So, since I''m winning, do you mind telling me who was up in that tower or what it is exactly?" She called out.


    "Don''t get cocky," Brenner grunted. He twirled his knife a bit. "This could go any way."


    "Nah. You guys lose."


    "What makes you say that?"


    Whisper held her finger out and cocked her head to the side. "I have this little cutie with me."


    From up above, a tiny flying person no bigger than a small wasp landed on the tip of Whisper''s finger. BB''s wings folded in, and the little hero folded her arms and smirked. "You guys are screwed!" Though she was so small, no one actually heard her.


    Brenner didn''t even have time to figure out what was going on. The wind around him surged and twisted, and he was sent flying into the air. He didn''t go too high up, but his fall was another thing that made him gasp as he hit the ground, back first.


    Mayor Grove looked down at Brenner and then made up his mind. He tossed his knife at Whisper, but the blade was suddenly deflected by a wind barrier created by BB. "Did you really think that would¡ªwait, what''s he doing?" Both girls stood there blinking as they watched Grove make a mad dash, running for his life in the direction of the tower. "He knows I can just blast him with air, right?" BB asked, floating up and landing on Whisper''s shoulder so the girl could hear her.


    "L- Luck has a way of helping him out." Both girls looked down when they heard Brenner''s voice. The older man was struggling to push himself up to a standing position and held something up in his other arm¡ªa jar of black liquid. "I didn''t want to do this, but-"


    Blood splashed down his body, and the officer screamed as his hand was sliced off. The jar dropped to the floor, and Whisper felt a chill go up her spine. She didn''t need the Paths to tell her who did that. Green Wolf stalked forward and picked up the jar, his barrier quickly blocking any stray attack sent his way.


    For a second, his gaze made it over to the two girls, who were frozen in shock. He shrugged lazily and walked past them, not bothering to attack.


    Whisper was the first to recover and ran towards Mr. Brenner. "Not good. BB, my backpack has some supplies in it. We need to stop the bleeding."


    "Right!" BB jumped off the girl and grew back to full size. "I can grow a bit and try to get us out of here. I can get to about twenty feet tall, so I should be able to carry you and him out of the Wasteland."


    Whisper shook her head. "No." Her eyes flickered back up to the tower. "I want to... Never mind. It''s best to stay. Cinder will get Paragon, and she can heal this guy. We can at least stop the bleeding for now and make sure he doesn''t bleed out."


    "Alright. If you''re sure."


    She really wasn''t. The right thing, the heroic thing, would be to leave with him. But BB could be needed on the battlefield, and she really wanted to know just what was up with that tower.


    Over with Doc, the man had remained face down in the sand since the fighting had started. Somewhere along the line, his cane had fallen out of his hands, and he had been praying a stray attack wouldn''t hit him. He hated these wastelands. After the attack with the Emperor, he fled to them to escape the Hero Branch.


    Slowly, Doc lifted himself up and managed to take a few steps, but suddenly yelped in pain as rope wrapped tightly around him. Then the rope began to twitch and buzz, and he realized it wasn''t actually rope.


    "I know who you are." Red Ape stood behind Doc, his centipedes tightly around the man. You''re Doctor Blue. You and Professor Nicholas were healers back in the day. I''ve read up on you. You''re like me¡ªa Super with Mental-based powers that don''t involve technology but instead biology."


    "Well, I''m afraid I don''t know who you are."


    "Oh. I''m Red Ape!"


    "Red Ape? Oh. You''re that dumbass that is always messing with animals, right?"


    Red Ape''s eye twitched a bit, and he huffed. "I''m a genius! I''ll have you know that I''ve figured out how to make animals useful in combat!"


    "Ah. So, the same skill level as a military dog handler?" Doc mocked. "What even is this thing, anyway?" He twitched a bit, feeling the bugs around him.


    "Centipedes!"


    "That''s gross."


    Red Ape growled a bit. "I modified my own body. My sweat attracts them. They latch onto my arm and feed off of it. After a while, it causes the chemicals in their body to go haywire, and they rapidly grow and twist together, creating this rope. I''m pretty good at making animals bigger than normal. I''m also getting better at controlling them, even without Avalon''s tech. Most of it is thanks to your drug. I''m guessing you made them with the DNA of that Lord of Life, right? It causes a spontaneous evolution to go off in the body, giving it the same body as a Super. I haven''t been able to fully recreate it, but I got close."


    "Why are we chatting exactly?" Doc asked, letting out a sigh. "I hate fanboys."


    "We wanted to make you an offer," a new voice announced. White Lamb sat cross-legged in front of the man, her legs folded over one another. She held onto her TV and had taken her mask off, resting her head lazily against it.


    Doc hummed. "What do you mean by that? You two want to make me an offer, or your ''boss'' wants to make me an offer."


    White Lamb just smiled. She didn''t say anything else, turning off her sound-canceling field right as Green Wolf walked up. The man tossed a jar of black liquid over to Red Ape, who barely caught it with his free hand. "What''s with this?" Red Ape asked.


    Green Wolf shrugged and dropped to a sitting position. He rested on his side and lazily watched the battle in the distance, his eyes roaming over all the heroes and villains. "I thought it would be funny."


    "Giving me this drug or watching the battles?"


    "Still, no big boss." Green Wolf rolled onto his back and placed his arms behind his head, staring up at the blue sky above. "Battery got taken off by that fairy bitch, so I can''t fight him. All the Lords are fighting each other and will likely take each other out, so no good fight there. Golden God is busy with the last remaining strong people, and that glowing girl turned back into a kid. I haven''t even gotten to see the Lord of Life; worse yet, my teleportation is still gone. Figured I''ll just wait until the Victorian or something shows up and fight them."


    "You guys are strange." Doc hummed, also slowly falling into a sitting position.


    Green Wolf seemed to take note of the man and cocked his head to the side. "Why are we keeping him?"


    "I figured I could use him!" Red Ape said excitedly. The man was already staring at the new drug with stars in his eyes. "Just think about what I could create with his help. I might even make a monster able to slay you and give me the title of Green."


    "That''ll never happen." Green Wolf snorted. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of fighting. "I was having fun earlier. Maybe I should have busted my full power out against that Duplicity girl, or maybe when Battery glowed all blue. I kind of wish Polaron was still here. I could go a few rounds with him. Things were more interesting when he was around. Oh! Good idea. Let''s wait to see who is the winner in this big clash and take them all out!"


    "You really think the three of us can?" White Lamb sighed and slipped her mask back on. "I mean, you''re the only fighter here."


    "I''m here, though?" Red Ape frowned.


    "Just you, Green Wolf. You''re the only member of Zoo left that can still fight."


    Green Wolf sat up and stared out in the distance across the makeshift battlefield. Fairy Queen had practically left the area, dragging Battery with her. Even from where he was, he could still make out the waves of golden light and twists in the air as the two battled. And despite how intense it should have been, it was still nothing compared to the feeling he got in his gut as he turned to look at the tower.


    "I wonder. Just what''s happening in there?"


    Paragon barely had time to hit the floor and roll. Her bird shrieked the entire time, and she almost cut herself open with her sword. Bone-like bullets blasted out of Wish''s fingertips and tore the metal wall where Paragon had been, the rusted metal falling to bits.


    "Keep dancing!" The girl cheered.


    "Screw you!" Paragon barely had time to raise her sword and block one of the bullets. The force of it caused the blade to go flying out of her hand and slam into the roof above. Destiny screamed once again, and it was thanks to his enhanced sight that she was able to duck down and avoid the massive fist Wish threw at her. The villain''s limbs would grow in size just like Kevin''s. "Crap-"


    The sheer strength of the attack lifted Paragon off her feet and sent her painfully over the floor. She groaned, and Destiny hissed, looking up. Wish stalked forward and lazily raised her arm. It reached ten feet in the air, and a large blade made out of her blood appeared in her palm. The villain smashed her hand down, ready to split Paragon in two.


    "Paragon! Catch!" A familiar voice yelled.


    On instinct, Paragon raised her hand and caught something. She lifted the thing in front of her, and the blade was deflected off of it. She held a shield¡ªCinder''s shield.


    Wish grunted when she saw the thing and turned to look at the entrance. Poseidon and Cinder floated through the large hole in the wall and came down slowly towards them, landing on the ground. "Is that her?" Poseidon asked, staring at Wish.


    "Yeah." Cinder nodded.


    Wish''s lips twisted into a large grin. "Oh. You''re the Lord of the Sea, aren''t you-" The gravity around her grew stronger, but she fought through it. The muscles beneath her flesh twisted and came to life, following her commands and molding over her, ripping their way out of her body and forming armor as she stood up and folded her arms over her chest. "Trying to crush me the moment you see me."


    "Can you blame me?" Poseidon asked, cocking her head to the side and walking steadily towards Wish. "You''ve really pissed me off."


    Wish giggled and also walked forward, both girls only an arm''s distance from each other. "Oh." Wish placed both her hands on her face and stared up at Poseidon. "Can you bring yourself to harm me? After all, I look just like your little sister-"


    Poseidon''s trident rammed through Wish''s face, and the girl casually lifted the Lord of Life, impaling her with the weapon. "Don''t flatter yourself." Poseidon twisted her weapon and used her gravity to drag Wish''s face further onto her weapon. "My sister is way better looking than you, you ugly bitch."


    Wish ripped her way off of the weapon and giggled. ¡°Aw. I guess the rumors are true, you do have a sister fetish.¡± Wish¡¯s body began to grow, largely bubbling up and twisting in odd shapes. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you last. First I¡¯ll kill your baby sister, then I¡¯ll take out that Cindy girl, then I¡¯ll kill your mom and that stupid bug boy. I¡¯ll take my time, hunting them all down slowly, then finally I¡¯ll rip you to bits!¡±


    Poseidon took a deep breath, quietly calming her nerves as her Lord form flickered back on. ¡°You really need to shut up, you forty-ton sack of worthless meat. I would kill you and bury you, but part of me would feel bad for the bugs that have to eat your disgusting corpse. I¡¯m not shocked you made yourself look like my sister; if your personality is anything to go by, then you likely had the face not even a dead mother could love. It¡¯s an actual nightmare that the rest of us have to exist in the same era as you. I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if the mere sight of you is what killed Full Monarch. You¡¯re a disgrace even among the evil Lords, because at least the Emperor could only be described as a disappointment at his worst.¡±


    Silence rang out in the tower as everyone processed Poseidon¡¯s rant. ¡°God damn.¡± Cinder said softly. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t like Wish.¡±


    Wish opened her mouth after she finished processing what she just heard but never got to say anything as Poseidon rammed her weapon through the girl¡¯s face.


    The Lord of the Sea was about to fight the Lord of the Land.

 Chapter Eighty-Six: The Ball Went Back And Forth

    One week earlier...


    The ball went back and forth.


    "How is the house suiting you? I know I tried to make it match how it used to look." Jack asked, pulling his arm back and tossing the ball as hard as he could.


    Hope raised her hand and caught the baseball. Mr. Larison hadn''t held back in the throw, and she had to press her heels into the floor to stop herself from being flung back. They had only just started, and already the ball was covered in scratches, and part of it was peeling off from how intensely they threw it.


    "It''s fine, I guess." She shrugged. He had been referring to the incident with Polaron. The villain had shown up and destroyed most of her home, and it had been Mr. Larison who fixed it. She looked down at the ball, and her fingers dug tightly into it. She pulled her hand back and threw it right back at him as hard as she could. "I don''t want to talk about that, though! Why are we doing this exactly?"


    They were on the roof of Pantheon''s base. The others were away when Mr. Larison got the idea. He practically dragged her up with him after buying a new baseball. Because they were out of sight, he didn''t bother hiding his powers. He held his hand up, and his golden light shimmered out and formed a web that caught the ball. The force of it still managed to push him back a few inches, though.


    "What do you want to talk about, then?" Jack asked. His golden threading wrapped itself around the ball and began to move on its own, spinning it so fast that part of it caught fire. Then, all at once, the webbing vanished, and the baseball was launched like a rocket directly at her.


    "I don''t know what I want to talk about!" She said, frustrated. She slammed her hand out and used the thing she had learned from Wyvern to absorb the fire on the ball, putting it out and slowing it down, allowing her to easily catch it. Her ''training session,'' the one that ended with the Victorian appearing, had happened just two days ago. "I don''t know what I want to talk about or what I want to do. I- I just really don''t get it." She looked back down at the ball in her hand and thought about crushing it, but instead, she lazily tossed it to Mr. Larison, not bothering to use any powers. "I just don''t know what to do."


    Jack didn''t even need to use any powers to catch it this time. He held the ball and ran his fingers over the damage. "Do you remember what I first told you the day you decided to be a hero?"


    "I know what you said. I- I just never thought someone like Wish would ever appear. She was like the Emperor, wasn''t she... A Lord of Life who used their power for evil. Despite being as old as I am, she somehow beat me, crippled Money Tree for life, and might have killed Wasp Nest. It wasn''t supposed to go like this. I was supposed to find the Lord of Life and save my dad! Why didn''t anyone tell me the Lord of Life would be evil? Why didn''t you tell me any of this? What am I supposed to think, Mr. Larison? I want to trust you, but this is... I just don''t know what is happening anymore."


    Jack listened to her rambling before he nodded his head. "There was a game that involved a baseball I saw once. A lot of kids would play it with their parents where I grew up. When a child had a question and the adult had the answer, they would use a ball to keep track of who was allowed to speak. When the adult tossed the ball to the child, the child was allowed to ask a question. When the child tossed the ball to the adult, the adult was allowed to answer the question or ask a question of their own. The child could then answer the question or ask their own as well. It was due to this ruling that some questions would be deemed inappropriate, not ready to be answered, and skipped. I always thought the concept was nice. The world would be a lot better if we all took turns answering each other''s questions or asking someone a question of our own, don''t you think?"


    "Huh-" She barely had time to catch the ball that he threw. "Whoa! Were you aiming for my face!" She tossed it back at him just as hard.


    Jack waited for the ball to reach him before he caught it. "Yes."


    He tossed it back at her, and her eye twitched. "Do you think this is funny or something?"


    "Yes." He answered back once he had the ball again.


    She caught it once more, making it her turn again. She sighed and looked down at it, feeling her nerves calm down a bit. It was strangely soothing in a way. She never tossed a ball back and forth with her father, but she knew some kids would. Her dad was always the kind of guy who would take her to the library instead. A lot had happened recently. She had time traveled, found out she was a Lord, discovered she had a connection with the man she hated most in life, discovered that the Lord of Life was the girl she hated most in life, trained under Wyvern and Boy Genius for a single night, met the Victorian, and got rejected by the Victorian. It was almost calming in a way to not be dealing with any of it and just stand up on the roof, throwing the ball back and forth.


    "Did you do this with your dad?" She finally asked, tossing the ball back toward him.


    Jack didn''t answer right away this time. When he caught the ball, he stared down at it in silence for several seconds. "No... My dad and I didn''t really get along. I ended up running away from home around the time I turned twelve, after my mom died. My folks were just regular humans. Had no powers. They weren''t really good people, either. I guess it was around that time that I was adopted by my second dad. If I''m being honest, he wasn''t any better and was always too busy to do something like this." He chucked the ball back at her with an underhand throw.


    "I didn''t know you were adopted!" she said, catching the ball. ¡°What else don''t I know about you, Mr. Larison?"


    "I dunno?" He shrugged as he caught the ball. "I used to be married." He shrugged.


    ¡°You said you used to be married at one point, right? What was that like?¡± She had a hard time believing he could tolerate a person long enough to get engaged. Sometimes she wondered how he put up with that Nick guy, his roommate.


    Jack lazily shrugged as he tossed the ball up and down to himself for a bit. "I was a fresh adult once with no idea how the world truly worked. She randomly asked me out of the blue if I wanted to get married one day, and I figured I had nothing to lose. That would have been about fifteen years ago during the Emperor''s reign, so I guess I thought living life in the fast lane was cool. We never even went on a single date. Just got married on the spot and got a random pastor to make us official. Don''t even got a ring or anything like that."


    "Why did you never mention this person?"


    For a moment, he thought back to what Avalon had forced him to see: that calming beach with its waves, a child that never existed, a timeline that never was, the place where ''she'' rested waiting for him, the place he would someday end up at. "I don''t like talking about it."


    Hope closed her mouth as she stared at Mr. Larison. It was pretty clear what that meant¡ªthe state of this woman she had never heard of. Mr. Larison ''had'' been married.


    The red-haired man shook his head and tossed the ball back into the air. His leg came up, and he kicked it toward her. She decided to try and style it as well and clapped both her hands around the ball, using only her middle finger to catch it between her hands and stop it. "If you don''t mind me asking, back when you saved me from Wish, you told me what your name was. Do you remember?" The man nodded. "You said that your name was Alpha. That''s kind of a weird name, isn''t it? What''s up with that?" She took a deep breath and blew as hard as she could, shooting a small current of air into the ball and firing it out between her fingers like a makeshift railgun.


    Jack snorted as he processed her question and casually caught the ball. He gripped it and hummed. "That''s kind of a loaded question. I guess I''ll need to really break it down into who Alpha is and who I am, won''t I? Alpha wasn''t precisely my name. It was more of a code name, I guess. Like how Wish is called Wish or Sky is called Paragon. A Super name. It was given to me by the Emperor."


    "Whoa! Seriously? I knew you had a connection to him, but it was like that!"


    "Yeah." Jack nodded, looking down at the ball he held. "It was him. I don''t really remember the name my parents gave me. The Emperor started his army. Turned people into monsters. Most people lose themselves and forget who they used to be. I guess I''m no exception. A lot of my previous life was blurry at best. All the monsters needed new names and would turn to the Princess of Life. She was a child of a previous Lord of Life and the wife of the Emperor.¡±


    "The one that died and was brought back as something else, right..."


    "Yeah. That one. I was never given a name by her, though. The Emperor gave me a name. I was sort of one of the first people put onto the project, in a way. Alpha testing is what you do before beta testing. So, I was Alpha, the first of his experiments." He glanced back down at the ball and sighed. "I met Nier before I met the Emperor."


    "You make it sound like they''re different people."


    "To those who met the man, you''d think so as well. It wasn''t until the Beast appeared on Earth for the first time and wiped out everything Nier had that the man collapsed and turned to darkness. Maybe he could have still been saved, but no one ever reached for him. I guess the abyss swallowed him whole. I can still remember the day I first met him. It''s blurry, but I remember it as clear as day."


    He didn''t know how long it had been by now¡ªtwenty years, or maybe even thirty. It had been a city that was no longer on the map, turned to dust during the great attack. The weather was terrible¡ªmaybe hail or rain. It was all so blurry. What he did recall, though, was the name.


    Heavy bags rested under Nier''s eyes. The man''s shoulders were slumped, and his clothes were soaked down to the bone. The Lord stared past the glass of a store selling various different TVs. They were all on and played the same thing.


    "-the newest sidekick of the number one Hero has made her appearance! The one and only Ruby Admiral!" The image on the TV showed Full Monarch saving a city that was burning to the ground. Joining him in the air was a young child who flew alongside him and helped save the day with a smile on her face. Dressed in her red costume. The girl that would one day take up the mantle of the Victorian.


    Nier''s eyes were hollow and sunken as he stared at the screen in complete silence. "So instead of trying to permanently stop the Beast, this is what you''ve decided to do, Jackson. I see where your priorities lie."


    From a nearby alleyway, Nier heard the sound of a can being kicked. He turned his head and raised an eyebrow when he saw someone standing in front of him. The boy was dressed in baggy clothes and had shaggy red hair. He was shivering from the cold, but there was a look in his eyes. The same look Nier had seen in dozens of soldiers during the war with Lucifer so many years ago. People died so someone like this kid could live.


    One of the child''s arms was wrapped under the body of a small puppy. The animal was barking and growling as it glared at Nier. In the child''s other hand, he clutched an old, rusted switchblade. "E¡ªEverything in your pockets," the child announced, and his stomach growled loudly. "Your wallet and everything. Now!"


    A large snort escaped Nier before the man totally lost it. He threw his head back and laughed, causing the child to step away.


    "I- I''m serious-"


    Nier crouched down and allowed the blade to stab into his chest. He ignored the gasps of the child or the puppy, which began to bite at his hand as he got too close. He grabbed the boy by his chin and stared into his eyes. "That''s a good look in your eyes. What''s your name?"


    "I¡ªI don''t know." The boy grunted out and tried to thrash around, but Nier''s strength easily overpowered the child.


    "Well, Mr. No name. I''m really delighted I ran into you. Maybe this is fate. Nah. Nothing so cheap. Still..." Nier smiled as he stared at his reflection in the child''s eyes. He really did look so tired. "How would you like to help me save the world?"


    Jack shook his head as the blurry memory faded away. He quietly tossed the ball back and forth with Hope and rubbed his chin. "And the rest was history, I guess. I was adopted by Nier and soon after became the son of the Emperor once he finally snapped and went insane. After it all ended, I was given the name Jack by the number one hero. It''s kind of funny, in a way. I can''t honestly remember the name my mother gave me, yet the names given by the number one villain and number one hero seem to have stuck with me. Some nights, I wonder if maybe I could have stopped him myself. It keeps me up sometimes."


    "You were just a kid." Hope shook her head as she caught the ball he threw at her. "What did he mean by save the world, though?"


    Jack caught the ball and sighed once again. "Again. You need to remember that Nier wasn''t born evil. In a way, it was this world that changed him. He didn''t instantly snap when the Beast first came. There was a point where he made an effort to keep a hold of his sanity. He had a goal in mind. The Beast. It always targets areas that hold the most humans. It tends to ignore Supers unless they get in the way of its rampage. Nier''s goal was simple. Create a world of only Supers. Perfect Supers that could either evolve to the point of taking the Beast out or simply by existing would cause the Beast to avoid them. It wasn''t until he discovered his process of manufacturing Supers tends to drive them insane and mess with their heads that he truly became a villain. I guess that was the straw that finally broke him. Even I have some moments where I think I lost my mind."


    ''You tell her.'' The voice of Full Monarch just behind his ear caused Jack to let out yet another sigh.


    Hope frowned and caught the ball that Jack tossed at her. "I think I''m starting to get it. You were turned back into a human by Full Monarch during the final battle, right? At least that''s the story that you told the others."


    Jack caught the fastball special she threw at him with ease and toyed around with it in his hands. "The Emperor turned most people into monsters without a care in the world. He would place some of his cells into their bodies and let them go wild. If they were a human, then they would be turned into a Super. Most either exploded or turned into mindless beasts. A few, though, ended up like that Kevin kid. Keeping most of their sanity and becoming a brand-new Super. Most of the Supers he tried to change into monsters went insane. Only Fairy Queen and Golden God were able to keep most of their minds. The others became the giant monsters that roam around the Wasteland today. A lot of the monsters called themselves his sons or daughters. However, the Emperor only ever considered a few of his best creations worthy of that title. Hell Hound was one. She had been the corpse of his first daughter, who died. Sky was another. Grown from nothing; they weren''t like me or the others. They never had a life of their own before they were invented. One was meant to be a backup. A way for the Emperor''s legacy to live on if something ever happened to him or the Princess of Life. Then you have me."


    "I''m guessing you were one of those people given the title of his child?"


    "That''s what they called it. What I really was, though, was a weapon. The Emperor knew that his biggest obstacle was the child he raised all those years ago. If he wanted to win the war, he would need to get rid of Full Monarch¡ªthe only Super who could defeat the Beast all by himself. That''s where I came in. A random street urchin became the solution."


    "Full Monarch died fifteen years ago... Mr. Larison, were you..."


    "After the battle, I watched the life fade from his eyes. The number-one hero was dead. I almost couldn''t believe it. Of course, by then, the Emperor was also long gone. Maybe he died, or maybe he escaped. Not even I know. I was attacked from behind. A shard of metal rammed right through me. I would have been a dead man if not for Nick. Of course, the shard still won in the end. Poisoned my heart¡ªa sliver of light with the express order to bring death on me. Anytime I try to use the energy my body naturally creates, it grows worse. It also stops the damage to my heart from being healed, and if pushed too far, I could blow up. I guess there is some silver lining, though. I absorb different forms of energy, and this light is no exception."


    "You''re a changed person now," Hope said, shaking her head. "We could tell the Victorian or something, and maybe she can take back the order and fix your heart?"


    Mr. Larison just shook his head. "Hatred that deep isn''t something that can be fixed with a few good actions and words. I''m alive and have fought through it, so it doesn''t really matter too much in the grand scheme of things." He tossed the ball back to her, giving her a sly smirk. "I think the only reason I''m actually alive is due to her cocky nature. She''s the kind of woman who would refuse to even entertain the possibility of me being alive. She''ll do everything to convince herself that it isn''t her power. That would mean admitting how badly she failed. In a way, she''s like myself. I''d also hate to lose."


    Hope frowned as she clutched the ball he threw at her. "Is there any way we could fix it?"


    "Maybe the Lord of Life could."


    Her heart sank at that. It all came back to her failure. Her fingers dug into the surface of the ball, leaving dents on it. She''d just need to get stronger. A lot stronger.


    "You okay?"


    "Huh?" She looked up when she heard Mr. Larison speak. She nodded her head. "Yeah. I''m fine." She tossed the ball back at him. It went back and forth a few more times as the two of them silently played.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    It was nice.


    ***


    Present Day...


    He wasn''t really sure why that memory went through his mind at that moment. Maybe because, at that moment, he felt like the ball.


    Battery hit the ground so hard that he bounced into the air, where he would then slam back down into the sand, only to bounce back up. He kept getting further and further away from the others, struggling to stop. Everything about the situation was wrong. Reality had changed and twisted to paint its own story.


    With a simple wave of her hand, Fairy Queen changed his friction and the properties of the ground, causing it to bend like a trampoline.


    Beams of golden light fired out of Battery''s fingertips, forming into large hooks that stabbed into the ground. He came to a sliding stop and nearly broke both his arms as the threading pulled to its max. He breathed heavily as he felt reality settle around him, and everything went back to normal.


    ''Think you can beat her?'' The voice asked him.


    "You shut up. I''m not in the mood to look crazy in front of her."


    Fairy Queen stood before him, walking slowly. Her skin was pale, and she always insisted on wearing very little clothing¡ªjust a few simple branches and plants covering her modest areas. She might have looked pretty if not for the look on her face¡ªone of rage and disgust.


    "I honestly had been praying you died all those years ago." The woman hummed. "Then again, cockroaches are always good at escaping death."


    "That''s a little harsh..."


    Fairy Queen looked him up and down. "I always knew you were a traitor. You turned on your own master and bit the hand that fed you. Instead of doing your job like a good pet, you helped Full Monarch defeat the Emperor. Still, I never thought you would fall so low as to join the society that broke the world. Heroes are the reason the Beast still exists. They are the reason this planet is dying. They are the reason he lost his family. The reason we had to be made! You''re not just some traitorous runt; you''re an enemy who''s spitting in the face of everything he believed in!"


    "And what did he believe in?" Battery wiped the blood from his nose and mouth and ignored the pain in his chest. Golden energy crackled off of him, and he slammed his hand out. His entire palm was used, not just a finger, as he unleashed a massive golden beam of energy that burned so hot it transformed the sand around them into molten glass. "As far as I''m concerned, he was just as bad as the Beast!"


    Fairy Queen slapped the air, and reality twisted around her, the beam breaking like a river stream going around her form. She stalked forward, walking through the energy, and flicked her finger out. All at once, the energy died out as a small golf ball-sized hole was blasted through Battery''s stomach.


    Blood poured down the front of his chest, and he gasped but was forced to ignore the pain. He raised his arms up just in time to block a punch from the villain. His bones snapped and twisted as his limbs were turned the other way and shattered. She wasn''t holding back. Every blow, every attack¡ªall of it was at her maximum force. One of the few people in the world who was ever able to go a few rounds with Full Monarch.


    Battery was shoved back from the force of the attack, with more blasts of reality smashing into him from all sides. His golden light grew stronger, reaching its peak, and his arms snapped back in place as he forcefully healed them. The energy began to charge up once more, and he skated forward across the ground, moving at his top speed. He was on Fairy Queen faster than she could react, and he rammed a fist directly into her face. His energy fired into her body, and he did his best to either fry her brain or at least damage her nervous system.


    Neither worked. The woman took the punch directly to her face like it was nothing and rammed her fingers into Battery''s stomach, impaling him on her hand. Blood poured down Battery''s chin, and she forcefully raised him up and threw her arm out, tossing him away and sending out another blast of reality. It slammed into Battery, and his limbs began to twist and distort, his neck nearly snapping as he was almost folded in two.


    His body struggled to heal and repair itself, snapping limbs back into place and plugging up holes, but it was quickly becoming a losing battle. As soon as his feet touched the ground once again, he held two of his fingers out and fired out his beams. The beams launched forward and separated into other beams, which then further separated. They wrapped Fairy Queen''s body tightly, and he formed a lasso around her. He spun his body, dragging her with him, and threw her directly into one of the many rays of sunlight that stabbed down.


    She was buried up to her waist in molten glass, and from above, fire poured down onto her as radiation bombed her cells. The golden lasso changed and formed a net of sorts over her, stopping her from flying out. She twitched her finger, and reality changed once again. Instead of molten glass, she now stood in cold water. A mirror appeared in the air above her and angled itself just right to bounce the harsh ray off of her and toward Battery.


    Battery dodged out of the way just in time, and Fairy Queen used that as her chance to escape. Her wings fully unfolded, and she shattered the energy around her. Then she flew up and out of the death ray. "Do you really think you can beat me in the sorry state you''re in? Besides Full Monarch''s daughter, there isn''t a Super alive who can match up to me now!"


    Her main power was illusion. However, through the concept of inversion, it allowed her to twist and alter her abilities. She was second only to the Victorian when it came to this. Her power to alter reality was one of the strongest powers, not falling under those of the Lords. She could attack you by twisting space itself to collapse in on you or even change matter temporarily into another form and alter its natural rules. She couldn''t affect people with her power, though. That was the trade-off. Whereas her illusions would target a person''s mind, her inverted power could only target the world. That wasn''t that bad, though. That just stopped her from transmuting someone into something else. She could still alter the space a person stood in and cause it to collapse in on itself, crushing her target.


    "I really have lost most of my power." Battery hummed. "In this state, I''m only around the level of Myth or Green Wolf. Guys like you and Golden God are simply far beyond the level of your normal baddies. Even most members of the Enforcers would struggle or lose. I used to be a freak of nature, like Boy Genius or the Victorian. Guess time has been cruel to me, though."


    "Aw. Is the poor little baby getting emotional?"


    "Do you know why you''re alive?" Battery asked.


    "Huh?"


    "After the battle with the Emperor, the Victorian went on a killing spree. She murdered almost every member of his army she could get her hands on. Only left a few of the kids alive, like your son, Polaron. Guys like Alien and the like, though, Demonica''s and Mars King''s parents, were fair game; she went out of her way to slaughter them. She even killed the Princess of Life."


    "You''re not one to speak. After all, your actions got Hell Hound killed!" Fairy Queen hissed out. "You brought death to us all and even killed your own lover."


    Battery ignored her remark and kept talking. "It was always odd, though, how she left you alive, right?" He folded his arms, looking her up and down. "Golden God is alive because he got away. As soon as it looked like the Organization lost, he ran with his tail tucked in between his legs and fled to space. "But you... You were thrown into Nightshade. It makes me wonder. You''ve always been tough. Most Supers can''t even get past your skin. Your durability was second only to Hell Hound or the Lords. The Victorian should be strong enough, though. Of course, like me, you can also heal. Repair your damaged body with wisps of reality. That was when it hit me." Battery looked down at his fist and clenched it slightly. "Nightshade exists to keep villains that are hard to keep dead locked up, or just as a means of throwing villains away without killing them. Most people don''t truly understand how disturbing a place it really is. The Branch doesn''t want it to come out that it''s basically a death pit where villains either rot or die instantly. You''re one of the ones that are hard to kill. So, it makes sense that you''d be thrown into the pit. Even so, what doesn''t make sense is the fact that the Victorian would seemingly be fine with that. Unless she wasn''t. When I hit you earlier, I didn''t actually touch you, did I?"


    "What are you trying to say?" Fairy Queen growled out.


    "You''ve gone out of your way to stop yourself from taking any damage. Even minor attacks that wouldn''t actually hurt you, you''ve blocked by forming a thin barrier of solid reality around your body, sort of like my own barrier. You''re doing everything to avoid taking damage. On top of that, though, you''re not over with Golden God. I found it odd how you didn''t just go kill Wish yourself. Also, you didn''t kill Ocean Empress or Poseidon. You tried, but the old you would have gotten the job done. The old you would have killed me in one attack. You guys went out of your way to heal Golden God and get him in working order, though. It''s pretty obvious when you think about it-"


    "Shut up!"


    Battery ignored her and pointed directly at her heart. "The Victorian didn''t just throw you in jail. Like me, you have a little present left behind. One that is blocking most of your power. You can''t heal your body as well as you can, or else the shard will dig deeper. She couldn''t kill you herself, so she left it behind. Your healing is better than mine, and you can heal most of the damage, but the pain is something you can''t stop, right? Blinding agony that courses through you. Even if it won''t kill you, it''s enough to stop you from going all out for fear of it hitting you again. You''re a wolf that''s been leashed and tamed, the same as me-"


    "I said shut up!"


    "That''s why you haven''t done anything about your son, right? Polaron''s death. You haven''t even thought about it because you know you''ll be filled with blinding rage and want to use your full power, but that pain has you shaking in your boots. I guess you were locked away, so you don''t actually know who killed Polaron, do you?" Battery threw his arms out. "I killed Mars King and Polaron." He lied. "I''m going to finish what the Victorian started!"


    "You''re dead, you fucking traitor!"


    Fairy Queen screamed out as loud as she could and threw her hands out. Reality broke and twisted, unleashing waves of destruction. Battery dodged past them with ease. They were massive in size but fired blindly out of rage. Even so, that still wasn''t the woman''s full power. She really was scared of feeling the biting pain of the shard in her heart and was forced to hold back. That was his win condition, though.


    Battery was on her in a single moment as he weaved through broken reality. Space twisted and changed, and color distorted as he reached her. Her barrier was strong. It was too strong for him to break through. He didn''t need to, though. He rammed his hand into her and focused all of his energy. It was the same as when Paragon was nearby. The shard wouldn''t let its host heal the damaged heart.


    Battery unleashed his energy as a wave of healing aura focused directly on the shard in her heart. Fairy Queen screamed out in pain as the healing took effect, and her chest began to glow. Battery rammed his hand forward and upped the power of his healing aura. Golden light seeped out of Fairy Queen''s chest, bright enough to rival the sun, and her flesh began to burn and break as the shard began to eat away at her. It was the same thing inside of him. The same curse he had. She was just like him.


    She tried to thrash out of his grasp, but he held onto her, golden chains wrapping around them both. He ignored the pain that coursed through him, and his scream matched hers as he pushed forward, ramming his hand through her and grabbing her heart. He used everything and, in a single instance, switched from healing to destruction. The shard in her chest was already breaking her to bits, and he just copied what it was doing, attacking the very atoms that made her up with his golden light.


    Fairy Queen''s screams died out, and her body broke away as Battery shoved his way through her. She began to change into golden dust. As he stepped past her, he breathed heavily and stared down at the small metal shard he held in his hand now. It hummed and burned¡ªthe same thing that was in his own heart. Fairy Queen was dead. Her body was reduced to less than ash.


    He did it. He saved the day.


    "Mr. Larison!" A voice cried out. He turned and saw Cinder quickly running toward him. She wasn''t alone. She was dragging Paragon over with her, and behind the two girls were the other members of Pantheon. "Are you okay?" She asked.


    "Yeah. I''m fine- Wait, what about you? What happened with Wish?" Battery asked.


    "We dealt with it." Myth called out. He walked forward and looked down at the shard that Battery held. "Is that it?"


    "Yeah." Battery nodded. "Fairy Queen''s dead."


    Myth nodded. "We beat Golden God. Cinder was also able to stop Wish for good. It looks like you were worried for nothing." Myth held his hand out to Battery. "You did good."


    Battery stared at the hand before silently taking it and shaking it. "Thanks..."


    "What''s with that pitiful thanks!" Whisper appeared next to him, suddenly leaning on his shoulder. "We couldn''t have done it without you, Battery!"


    "I wasn''t even there at the battle, though?"


    "Doesn''t matter!" Snowdawn called out, pointing at Battery. "I just thought, what would Battery do? And in that moment, I figured out how to beat my bad guy! They never stood a chance."


    "Just take the compliment," Paragon called out. Her arms were folded, and she stood next to Cinder, letting out a huff. "If it''s anything like my sister, they won''t stop until you take it," she said.


    Battery stared at her quietly for a moment. "And Wish is... really gone?"


    "Yeah." Paragon nodded. I don''t sense her. I think she''s gone for good." Paragon quietly looked down at the shard in his hands and took it suddenly. "This is the thing in your heart?" she asked, looking at it.


    "Yeah- Wait, aren''t you blind?"


    "Now that I''m looking at it closer, it really isn''t that strong. Maybe after beating Wish, I became stronger. My power feels different anyway. I think I could be the new Lord of Life even-"


    "Really? If that were the case, you should be able to maybe heal my heart then." Battery shrugged. ¡°I''d rather not try it without being certain. Luckily, there is a way we can try it."


    "There is?" Snowdawn asked.


    "My dad!" Cinder said with wide eyes. "If Paragon can heal him, then that means when we killed Wish, she became the next Lord of Life!"


    "That''s right, kid." Battery couldn''t help the small smile that came onto his lips.


    "And if she can heal him, she can heal you?" Cinder let out a relieved sigh. "So, then it''s over, right? We actually won."


    "Yeah, I think so. It''s a little strange, but yeah, it''s a happy ending." Battery stared at the girl in silence. She had a large smile on her face. For a moment, she almost reminded him of... The image of the sandy beach came back to him. His wife and a child that never existed. A timeline that could never be. "Oh, shit, this a-"


    Blood splattered onto the ground as a hand rammed its way through his back and out of his gut. He practically vomited up blood and felt his eyes go wide. Pain coursed through, and everyone was gone. Team Pantheon wasn''t here anymore, and the sounds of fighting in the distance picked back up. They hadn''t actually finished their battles yet. Wish wasn''t dead yet. There was no happy ending. It had all been an illusion.


    Fairy Queen stood behind him, panting. Her eyes were filled with utter rage as she glared at him and twisted the hand she had rammed through him. Part of her body was burned, and some of her flesh had dropped off her body. The golden glow in her chest was slowly dying down.


    "You really almost got me there for a moment." She hissed through gritted teeth. "I was forced to actually drop my powers over reality and catch you in my illusion. Fuck you! You know I hate that worthless power, you scumbag!"


    Battery barely pulled himself off the hand and nearly collapsed. He clutched at his stomach, struggling to keep his guts inside his body. His healing power wasn''t good enough to fully restore organs. He whipped his body around and fired out a wave of his healing aura, but it bounced off of the girl.


    Fairy Queen rammed her fist into his face and slammed him headfirst back onto the sandy floor. She ground her knuckles into him and began to dig his head deeper into the earth. "That won''t ever work on me again, you little bastard. I''ve already figured out how to twist the reality of that power. It''ll never reach me again." Battery grunted as her fingers wrapped around his face, and she lifted him up. "Die."


    She smashed his head into the ground, then raised him up again. She smashed his head back down. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth-


    That ball came back to him for a moment. His head smashed into the ground, and suddenly he was back on the rooftops with Hope, tossing the ball back and forth. The sun was already setting. They had been there for a while now.


    Hope caught the ball and looked down at it. "Do... Do you think I can actually save my dad?" She asked quietly. "Be honest. Am I doing all of this for nothing?"


    Jack caught the ball that she threw back at him. He tried to think of an answer for a few moments. "Do you trust me?"


    She caught the ball and shrugged. "Should I not?"


    "Aren''t you mad at the secrets I''ve kept?"


    "I mean, to an extent, I guess I was a little annoyed." She shrugged. But you''ve told me now. I still kind of wish you mentioned the fact that I was a Lord from the very start. I get why you did it, though. Fifteen years is a long time to be by yourself." She looked back down at the ball in her hands after he tossed it to her. It was badly damaged by now and barely hanging on. "All that time with so many secrets. It''d be hard to ever talk to anyone the same way again."


    Jack caught the ball once more. "I think... I think that if you didn''t try to save your father, succeed or fail, you''d hate yourself for the rest of your life. That said, I''m here to do everything I can. I made a promise that I would help the Lord of the Sun out any way I could."


    "That''s why you''re doing all of this, right?" Hope sighed.


    "No."


    "Huh?"


    Jack tossed the ball back to her, and she caught it. "Even before I truly knew you were a Lord of the Sun, I think that you..." That beach was back. That timeline. Something that could have been. "You reminded me of someone."


    "You mean Full Monarch."


    "No. Someone that I wish could have been." He rubbed his neck awkwardly. It would have been nice, in another timeline where Super''s didn''t exist, to just go to the beach and relax. A future that could never exist in this world, a wife gone, and a child never born. "Never mind. I''m just rambling."


    Hope smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Larison."


    "What for?"


    "I was freaking out a bit earlier. I felt like the whole world was going to cave in on me. I guess... I don''t know, but this has been a lot of fun." She threw the ball one more time, but it finally gave out. It broke to bits and crumbled right as Jack caught it. He stared down at it in his hands in silence, watching it fall apart. "Aw! It''s over already!" Hope whined.


    "I can always get a new one." Jack shrugged.


    "So, we can do this again sometime?"


    "Sure, kid. As many times as you want." That was a lie, though. He honestly didn''t know if he''d be able to do this ever again. "Kid..."


    "Yeah?"


    "Nah. Never mind."


    "What is it? No more secrets!"


    Jack snorted. "I just wanted to say. I had fun."


    She smiled and looked at him. ¡°I trust.¡± She said quietly. ¡°I think¡­ You¡¯re a good person.¡±


    Battery''s eyes snapped open as his head slammed into the floor. Sand was feeling his lungs, and his vision was turning red. Fairy Queen''s fingers were clawing into his face, and her reality was forcing its way past his face, trying to blow his skull to bits.


    ¡®Jack.¡¯ Full Monarch¡¯s voice came from above him. He couldn¡¯t see the man, but he could feel the eyes.


    "Die. Die. Die. Die!" Her grip grew tighter, and blood covered his eyes, or maybe his eyes blew up. He honestly wasn''t sure anymore. "I''m going to kill you! Then I''m going to kill every member of that stupid team of yours! I won''t let a Lord of the Sun ever reach its full power ever again!" Her other hand grabbed at Battery''s throat and began to crush it as her reality twisted and bore down on him. "Die. Be gone, you traitor."


    "I- I won''t let you hurt them." Battery''s golden light began to flicker, and he gasped as he felt his body giving out. His heart was pounding like it was about to blow. He tried to grab at her, but he was quickly losing strength.


    ¡®Get up Jack.¡¯


    Fairy Queen''s hand was about to fully crush Battery''s head. Her lips twisted into a dark smirk, and she practically howled with joy. "This is it! This is where you-"


    ¡®Stand up and fight, Jack!¡¯


    Battery''s hand finally came up and managed to wrap itself around her face. She put up her barrier to keep herself safe from his golden light. It wasn''t the golden light that came out, though. Battery''s eyes lit up with a blue glow, and the lines along his costume shifted and changed. She felt reality itself cracking and burning as his fingers dug into her face, and, in a burst of bright blue, Battery blasted her off of him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t ever give up. Don¡¯t ever stop fighting. Don¡¯t let your story reach an end like that. Not with the life that I gave you. Fight. Save them all, Jack Larison.¡¯


    Fairy Queen hit the floor and rolled across it. Her eyes stared up at Battery as he stood up, all his damage instantly repaired. Blue energy crackled all across his form. "Sorry, Nick. I''ll be burning through the last of my energy." His power. Not the Victorian''s light, but his own. This wasn''t solar energy that crackled around him. It was something else. A power that could distort and break through anything. The strength of a Giant swelled out. It went by many names. It was Creation and Destruction itself. He preferred to just call it Imaginary Energy. The ability to imprint his will upon the world in the desired shape he wanted.


    "A- Alpha." Fairy Queen scooted back as she stared up at Battery. The blue light was crackling and growing stronger. This wasn''t the hero Battery that she was looking at. It was the monster created by the Emperor. The Emperor''s son, the Emperor''s Giant, the tool of the Emperor, created to wipe out the Lord of the Sun. The enemy of Man.


    Alpha was back.


    And yet...


    Battery felt it in his heart¡ªa pain unlike anything else. The golden light was seeping out¡ªthe power of the Victorian. It was melting a hole into his heart, turning itself into a mini-star, one able to destroy the entire universe that was his body. Death was crawling toward him before. Now, though, it was sprinting.


    "I''ve made my choice." Battery''s energy grew around his fingertips and expanded. The air above him took shape as energy was birthed into existence and formed into the fist of a Giant. Fairy Queen tried to block it, but it simply destroyed the reality she had twisted and broke through toward her. "I''ll die. But I''m taking you to hell with me."


    The Ruler of Giants had returned.

 Chapter Eighty-Seven: A Nightmare That Approaches Closer

    It approached...


    The ground began to turn a nasty gray color and break away. Plant life shriveled up and died. A horrible shriek filled the air. Inky shadows seeped out, crawling forward, getting faster and faster. No matter how fast he ran, it always seemed to be just behind him.


    Buildings tumbled down and broke away as the Virus ate them, and dust rained down from the sky in thick waves. The air was ashy and dark, and each breath was harder to take than the last. Laughter echoed down the streets and twisted, all forming a cruel song.


    Kyle felt himself crash into something, and his legs gave out as he tumbled down the ruined street, smashing face-first into the ground. He yelled in pain and tried to scramble back to his feet, but was unable to get up. The ground had cracked and broken, and, in his haste to escape the Virus, he had twisted and snapped his ankle.


    It approached... The Dead Virus slowed down to match him as he tried to crawl away. It didn''t need to hurry anymore. Kyle screamed and flung his arms out, trying to inch away. It was almost like a spider quietly waiting for its prey to tucker out.


    It was only for a single second, but Kyle risked a look back behind him. He saw it as clear as day within the darkness. Golden lights seeped within the Dead Virus. A tendril stretched out, and Kyle was unable to stop it. His pants leg hissed out and broke away into dust, and the tendril wrapped around his broken ankle. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Like jagged needles, it tore its way into his flesh, rotting it from the inside out and killing every cell one by one.


    Hope''s father put up with this every day. The cells popped and died, crumbling to dust and gradually spreading throughout his body. Mr. Lauren had only been given the smallest of doses. This was a fate Kyle would not receive.


    He wasn''t even able to scream as he was lifted off his feet, and the tendrils stabbed their way into his flesh. His eyes exploded, and his jaw was nearly torn off as they squirmed their way into him. All the while, he was literally turning into dust. It might have been a quick death for others. It was only a few seconds before his body had broken down, but for him, it was slow, starting at the bottom, and time itself seemed to come to a crawl.


    The approach of death couldn''t have been slower.


    He screamed and shook as it all came to an end. His blanket was thrown off of him, and he got himself into a tangled mess on his bed. The door to his room exploded open, and he heard shouting but couldn''t make it out. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and he slowly stopped shaking as his heart settled down.


    "It was just a nightmare! You''re okay, Kyle. I''m here for you."


    "D- Dad?" Kyle let out a shaking gasp as the world finally fit itself back into place. He was alive. The Dead Virus hadn''t gotten him. That had just been a nightmare. One that he seemed to always find his way back to every night he closed his eyes. "Did I wake you?"


    He didn''t always get to be close to his dad. Even now, he never really got to see too much of the man. His dad was always working. "No." Mr. Brenner shook his head. He was already dressed in his uniform. "I was actually called away. The mayor needs me for extra security. He''s heading to some concert. Would you like to come? I hear it''s one that''s popular with the kids."


    "No, thanks..." Kyle rested his head on his arms as he curled into a ball. "I don''t feel that good." Hope had asked him to go to the same concert earlier that day, but he couldn''t bring himself to get out of bed today.


    He heard his father grumble something. "You''re sixteen now, soon to be seventeen. This should be the time of your life. Look at your room."


    "What''s wrong with my room?" It was fairly bland. They lived in a big house. Some would even call it a manor. It was the kind of place his father would hire people to come and clean and tidy up. His room was large, but he didn''t have anything in it other than his bed and a desk for schoolwork. Besides his closet, which held his clothing, you''d think it was a guest bedroom. "It''s not messy or anything."


    "That''s the issue," his dad snorted. ¡°When I was your age, I had clothes scattered everywhere, half a dozen video games, and posters of Full Monarch everywhere."


    "When you were my age, you still had your whole life ahead of you."


    Mr. Brenner froze as his son stared down at his bed with hollowed eyes. "You don''t need to be scared of him. I''ll keep you safe."


    "Just like how you kept mom safe?"


    The officer turned away from his son. "I''ve called Metal Ronin. He''ll be staying while I''m gone. I''ll be back as soon as I''ve finished up with the mayor."


    "Okay."


    Kyle watched his father walk toward the door, but the man stopped. "Kyle."


    "Yeah?"


    "I love you." The man closed the door on his son and sighed. Slowly, Mr. Brenner made his way downstairs. "Thanks again for coming over on such short notice."


    "Don''t mention it." Rowan shrugged when he saw the older man. He was seated at the table and played around with a briefcase. "It''s literally my job. Super smart hero by day. Bodyguard by night. I pulled the short stick. I still think Wasp Nest would have been better for this position." The hero muttered.


    Mr. Brenner nodded his head. "Where''s your suit?"


    "Oh! In this briefcase." The boy excitedly held it up. "I came up with a cool way of putting it on quick! By using folding-"


    "I don''t care. Just make sure you keep it close in case you need to suit up," the officer said, cutting the hero off. "I''ll be gone for a few hours. I''m going to be working as a bodyguard for the mayor. Kyle''s up in his room. He just woke up."


    "Yeah, I heard." Rowan winced and tapped his fingers on the table. "It isn''t the first time I''ve seen something like that. Money Tree would often wake up screaming after he went to fight the Beast with Myth two years ago. Even now, he has nightmares. The Beast is almost like a wild animal. It doesn''t do anything out of hate. It just does what it was programmed to. Lucifer, on the other hand... I can''t imagine what your son must have gone through."


    Brenner folded his arms and leaned against the cabinet, letting out a heavy sigh. "It was one year ago. I took my family on a vacation. We flew out to Gladiolus City. It''s usually one of the safest places on Earth. Max Lightning guards it and stops crimes before they can even truly begin. They had gone up ahead. I still needed to clear some things up at the border. I was outside of the city when it began... How much do you know about the Murder Games?"


    Rowan stopped playing with his briefcase and balled his hand into a fist. "Back in the day, Lucifer was considered a Calamity level threat. After Full Monarch and Nier stopped him, he lost that title and most of his power. The Emperor, the Beast, and Chrysanthemum are the only true Calamity level threats now. This is because they threaten the entire planet. Lucifer is dangerous but, at the end of the day, is mostly isolated in one place when he appears. He runs a team called the Immortals. They are a bunch of crazy bastards who all worship the Shadow and think that they got their powers from it. Every year or two, they appear just after the Beast and host the murder games in a random city."


    "That''s right." Brenner nodded and unfolded his arms as he bowed his head. "They turn an entire city into the game zone. Stop people from getting in and out, and then select their players. Kyle was caught in the middle of this game last year. Unlike when the Beast comes to a city, the Murder Games don''t completely erase it off the map. Still. A lot of people die in the crossfire." His fingers traced the wedding ring he still wore. "When they''re over, the survivors aren''t even given a chance to catch a break."


    "Ten players are chosen." Rowan cut in. "Five members of the Immortals, and then five citizens. The goal of the Immortals is to kill all five citizens before the heroes stop them. Along the way, they also kill every other person who''s in the city. A total slaughter. Because they''re immortal and so powerful, the Enforcers tend to give up on trying to save the five citizens and instead focus on saving every other person. When the game is over and all five citizens are killed, the Immortals simply vanish. They''ll eventually return to do it all over again in a new city. There''s a catch, though. It isn''t random. We discovered that the five citizens they select are always people who were caught in the crossfire of a previous murder game. Since Kyle was in the city at the time of a Murder Game happening, he, along with a few other hundred people, all have a chance of being picked as players the next time the games start. The chances of Kyle actually being picked are slim. The Enforcers saved over ninety percent of the Gladiolus people last year. Kyle''s odds are about one in a million. Not really, but you get the point. Despite that, though, Boy Genius still prefers to move potential players around and assign them a bodyguard, just in case."


    "It''s about the only good thing you heroes have done for my son." The officer grumbled.


    "Do you not like heroes?"


    "I don''t like Supers in general." The officer stood up and made his way over to the door, about to leave. "I''ll work with them, though. Good or evil, it doesn''t matter. Supers killed my wife, and I''d rather they all die. But. If it means saving my son''s life, improving his chances, and keeping him alive, then I''ll work with a hero, or I''ll work with a villain. Anything to ensure Kyle sees one more year."


    "That''s kind of a dangerous way of thinking."


    "I''m a father. Doing dangerous things for my kid is part of my job."


    ¡°I guess. But that¡¯s a sad way of thinking, isn¡¯t it?" Rowan hummed. ¡°I mean, what happens when you find yourself straying too far and you¡¯re alone?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll think to myself. I did enough. Because me going too far means that I¡¯ve stacked the deck as much as I can for my son. When I reach the end of my path, good or bad, I¡¯ll look back and find that I don¡¯t regret a single choice that I made. Because I love my son.¡±


    ***


    Mr. Brenner stared up at the sky with dull eyes. Even if Oleander was in the middle of the night, out here in the Wastelands, the rules didn''t bother making sense. The sun bore down harshly, but it was nothing compared to the burning sensation in his hand.


    He had gone too far now. Yet he didn¡¯t regret a single instance of it.


    "What''s up with that tower?" He turned his gaze and found himself looking at Whisper. The girl was working on making sure he didn''t bleed out while BB stood on guard, ready to keep them both safe with a wind barrier.


    "You were in the machine," Brenner said in a hollow tone. "You heard as much as I was told."


    "Why did you work with Sunshine?" Whisper asked. "You''re a police officer. You work with the Hero Branch and, by proxy, with heroes. Why would you ever think it was a good idea to side with someone who was one of the biggest evils in Oleander?"


    "He simply had the best-sounding idea."


    "What? Best for what?"


    "For taking down Lucifer."


    "Seriously?" Whisper snorted a bit. "You think that he''ll actually be able to beat Lucifer? The Emperor couldn''t kill Lucifer, Full Monarch couldn''t kill Lucifer, and now in our time, no hero has been able to kill and stop him for good. What makes you think some random villain can do it? Sure, Wish might be under the mayor''s control and a Lord of Life, but that can''t be the sole trump card you have, right?"


    "If you''re trying to get me to talk more, it won''t work." The man kept staring up at the sky. He was glad he had seen his son and told him he loved him earlier that night, but he doubted he would ever get the chance again.


    Whisper sighed as she worked on his arm. She was tying it down and making sure the bleeding would at least be slowed. It wasn''t much; they''d need to get him to Paragon soon. "Why do bad guys always have a do-or-die kind of mindset?"


    "Because if they didn''t, it would be too easy for us heroes," BB stated.


    Mr. Brenner ignored the two girls and looked back at the tower that hung in the distance. Wish was within it, and Mr. Grove had made a break for it. "You all lost the moment you let that man get away."


    "Maybe." Whisper hummed. She followed his gaze, but instead of staring at the tower, she stared at the battle going on in front of it. "He''ll need to get past that first," she said.


    A massive river of lava held the body of the Golden God. The villain''s many arms easily tore into the flesh of the giant worm-like monsters that tried to drag him further down. He was slowly rising out of the ground, and a gray beam of energy zapped out of his fingers, aging the worms and breaking them down to dust. As he lifted out of the sinkhole Myth created, the side of his head was beginning to dent and crack as massive shards of ice and a sea of bullets rammed into him.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I don''t mean to alarm you, but it looks like we''re not hurting him," Myth said.


    "Yeah. I noticed." Ocean Empress snapped her fingers, and a trail of water began to form into the shape of a sea dragon. The beast roared and bit down on one of Golden God''s fingers, then froze solid, shattering and breaking the finger away. "We don''t need to beat him. We just need to stop him from getting closer to the tower."


    "Tell that to him."


    Golden God batted away their attempts and began to fly toward the tower once more. A few of his arms pointed back at them, and he blasted out more orbs of gray light.


    "Scatter." Roulette grunted out.


    Myth flew into the air, and his body shifted into his winged lion-eagle form. He got above Golden God and then rammed himself down toward the face of the robot. Seconds before he reached it, he changed his form again and went back into his bull mode. His fist rammed into the eye of Golden God, breaking past part of it and ripping out some wires. Golden God barely seemed to care, and one of his arms lazily swatted Myth, blasting the bull off of him and sending the man roughly into the ground dozens of meters away.


    Ocean Empress rode her ice board on a wave, moving herself in front of Golden God. She ran her finger through the air, thinning and compressing her water and firing it out as a wave of blades. Golden God went to block it with his hands, but millions of bullets formed together into chains and began to tie their way around his form, binding him in place and stopping him. Roulette lifted his rifle with one arm and aimed.


    "Daughter of Old Dog. Duck." Ocean Empress dropped from the sky just in time. Roulette fired his rifle. The air exploded in a loud crack, and the entire gun crumbled to dust. The bullet rotated so fast through the air that it caught the wind itself on fire and blew through Golden God''s stomach, ripping its way out of the machine and crashing through the man. One of Golden God''s hands grabbed at the car-sized hole, and oil began to spill out. "I only brought one, but it looks like it actually did some damage." The elder man grunted.


    "Damn!" Ocean Empress said with wide eyes. "How is it that I''m the Enforcer in this situation? You have some serious fire power! Get it? Fire power? Because of the-¡±


    ¡°Please stop acting like Snowdawn.¡± Myth grunted, standing back up. Despite the damage, Golden God was barely slowed. Grey light blasted out of his golden flesh and caused the chains around him to crumble to dust. He was about to fly forward but was stopped again when Myth came crashing down. "I got a form I think you''ll love!" Myth yelled.


    The leader of Pantheon¡¯s form grew in size, getting larger. It wasn''t as big as the Lava Monster form, which was his strongest and most destructive form. That form was too hard to control. The form he was turning into was a close second in terms of power. His flesh became a nasty gray, and he became so big that his entire foot pushed down into Golden God''s face, nearly half the size of the machine. His elbow exploded and began to form into many arms.


    A one-hundred-armed monster rose from the earth!


    Myth roared and pulled all one hundred of his arms back. Golden God shook off the damage he took and also pulled his arms back. Monster and machine struck out at the same time, going blow for blow. Their fists connected, each one causing mini explosions to go off and shatter the area around them. They weren''t the only ones giving it their all during this clash, though.


    Metal Ronin and Casey fought, and both men engaged in a battle of swords. Casey had formed a blade out of solid blood and had a sneer on his lips as he and the hero went back and forth, blood meeting plasma.


    "Are you about done yet?" Metal Ronin yelled back to his teammate.


    "Almost!" Duplicity checked her watch and hummed. "Hold him back for like one more minute or so!"


    "I don''t know if I even have that time!" The tech-based hero created a shield on his arm and raised it just in time, blocking a barrage of blood beams. "Damn it! I should have just stayed home and babysat Kyle! Why the hell did I even agree to come? This sucks!"


    "It''s not so fun when you''re fighting someone evenly matched with you, huh?" Casey smirked and jumped away. "It''s what you Supers get."


    "You''re a Super also, you know."


    "I wasn''t always." Casey''s teeth practically dug into his lip. "I wasn''t born lucky like you. Neither were Hannah or Kevin. We didn''t win the genetic lottery."


    "Yet you still became a Super. Sounds pretty lucky to me-"


    "You know nothing! It was this or die!" Casey hissed. The young man ran his hand over his bald head and scowled. "Life wasn''t fair. I was supposed to go to college and get a degree in history. Instead, I find out I have cancer. I was practically a walking corpse before Wish discovered me and offered me a second chance. Where were you heroes, huh? Where was Paragon when I needed her to heal me? You don''t get to be pissed that you''re fighting me. I''m this way because a villain came to me first!" The boy¡¯s back split open, and tendrils of blood poured out. They took shape, turning into the heads of large hounds. The blood beasts howled, and a fountain of red-hot blood launched its way out. "Justified or not, I''m living my life!"


    Cracks appeared all along Metal Ronin''s shield as he struggled to block the attack. His armor started to scream at him, and he let out a grunt as the metal broke away. The blood never reached him, though. A harsh white light stepped in. Duplicity was bigger now. She looked like an adult, and her skin glowed white hot. Metal Ronin dropped to the ground and let out a sigh of relief when he saw her.


    "Thank God! Thought I was a dead man for a second there!"


    "I''ll take it from here." The woman nodded. Her hand lazily swatted at another beam of blood that Casey launched at her. "Sorry."


    "Sorry?"


    "Sorry that no hero came for you when you needed them." She vanished, and faster than he could react, he felt a massive pain as her fist suddenly found its way into his stomach. "And I''m sorry that you became a villain. I¡¯m here now though. I¡¯ll save you the only way I can. I¡¯m going to stop you from hurting anyone else."


    Metal Ronin let out a grunt as he felt part of his suit break away. It wasn''t as good as he had hoped it to be. Speaking of which... He trailed his eyes toward the tower in the distance. "You better not be screwing things up, Hope."


    Inside the tower, Paragon shook her head as Destiny stared at her sister and Cinder. Poseidon had her weapon rammed through the face of Wish, and Cinder made her way over. "Are you okay?" Cinder asked.


    "Yeah." Paragon took the girl''s hand and gave the shield back. "Thanks for throwing this to me. A second later, and I''d be dead."


    "I''m a hero. It''s what I do." Paragon nodded and picked Avalon¡¯s sword back up. "So, I guess this is the part you tell me to run while you and my sister fight Wish, right?"


    "Nope."


    "Huh?"


    Cinder turned to look back at Poseidon. "She told me everything on the way over here. I think I get it for the most part. You and Wish are like a reverse fusion. Wish is trying to kill you to get the last bit of the Lord''s power for herself, right? And if we kill her, she''ll try to take you over."


    "Yeah.¡± Paragon let out a soft sigh. ¡°I guess I have some of the power, which is drawn out of me when I¡¯m in my realm. It¡¯s likely why I¡¯m so strong there and able to control life as well as the Lords can. When Wish died due to Battery¡¯s attack, her soul didn¡¯t pass on. It¡¯s because that piece inside of me is keeping her here. If she dies again, she¡¯ll appear inside of my dream world and drag me in like she did last time. Previously, she just talked to me. This time though, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll take it. She¡¯ll rip out the part of herself that¡¯s in me and absorb me into her becoming whole. Her dying will basically kill me.¡±


    Cinder nodded. "Yeah, that''s the thing. I think I figured out how to save you, maybe. It''s a long shot, though, so do you trust me?"


    "Do I have a reason not to?"


    Wish''s body twitched, and bone-like spikes suddenly fired out of the girl''s flesh. Poseidon was faster, though, and threw her arm out, tossing Wish''s body off her weapon. Wish smacked into the back of the wall and slumped down a bit. The girl¡¯s head began putting itself back together, and she giggled a bit as her armor grew sharper, forcing muscle and bones to fuse together.


    "No hesitation? I always heard that the Lord of the Sea was typically a monster, but still. Most people would at least think twice before striking someone who held the same face as someone they love."


    "There are only three people within this world that I love," Poseidon announced. "My mother, my sister, and, of course, the one who has claimed my heart, Kenny! You''ve harmed two of those three people. I''m going to punish you for your arrogance. That''s all there is to it."


    "I forgot how scary your sister was," Cinder muttered, shivering.


    "Cinder," Poseidon called out.


    "Yeah?"


    "Are you sure that your plan will work?"


    "Like ninety percent?"


    "Just so you know, if it fails and my sister dies, then you will also be executed." The hero announced this in a very unheroic-like way.


    Cinder gulped but nodded her head. "Just what the hell is this plan that you came up with?" Paragon asked, grabbing onto Cinder''s arm. "There''s no reason to do it if it''ll get both of us killed, you know!"


    "It''ll be fine," Cinder said, shaking her head. "If I''m wrong and it gets you killed, then I''ll deserve to die. As simple as that."


    "Why are you and my sister like this!"


    Poseidon twirled her trident around, and water began to bend and twist around her. "Ready yourself, Lord of Life. I''m about to slay you."


    "Oh? Do you really think you can?" Wish smirked. The girl tapped the side of her head. "I have all my cells within me. I haven''t unleashed them all yet. If you can hit my weak spot, then you may be able to kill me for good. Of course, I won''t really stay dead for too long. In fact, I already have my eye on my next body."


    Poseidon didn''t bother with a response. The gravity around Wish grew stronger, and the Lord of Life suddenly found herself brought to her knees. Wish¡¯s legs expanded and grew in size as the girl forced her muscles to grow stronger, and twisted bone armor grew from her wrist, allowing her to block the trident that came down on her. The edge of Wish¡¯s shoulder opened up and broke away a thin barrel made of bone growing out, which fired out a thin blood bullet directly at Poseidon¡¯s face.


    Poseidon lowered her own body''s gravity and leaned back as far as she could, the blood bullet flying past her. As it flew through the air, it grew in size and formed into what almost looked like a bug. It circled back toward Poseidon, but as soon as it entered her reach, it was crushed with a wave of intense gravity. The gravity grew so intense around Poseidon that the bug instantly shattered to dust.


    Wish used that as her chance to escape and jumped back, tossing her hand out in the direction of Paragon. A bone spike fired out but never reached the blind girl as Cinder threw herself in front of the healer and blocked the attack with her shield.


    "You should really focus all your efforts on the pissed-off sister," Cinder called out. ¡°Doing things like that is just going to make Poseidon more mad.¡±


    Wish tried to turn back to Poseidon, but her entire upper body was torn clean off as Poseidon swung her weapon and formed a hammer made out of water on the edge of her trident. She blew Wish''s torso to bits, but Wish''s severed head sprouted a pair of bat wings and flew up. Poseidon tried to fire at it, but Wish''s legs kicked out her lower half, still fighting. Poseidon was sent flying back as the pair of legs roughly kicked her in the side.


    Poseidon broke her fall by stabbing her weapon into the ground. She clutched at her side and took a shaking breath. "She''s tougher than I thought."


    "Need my help?" Cinder asked.


    "No. Keep taking care of my sister. I got this." The legs of Wish grew out, forming a massive wolf head out of muscles and bones. As for the severed head, it began to repair itself and grow its body back. "And you called me the monster-"


    The wolf''s head let out a loud roar and charged, breaking the metal floor apart. Its mouth opened wide, but Poseidon didn''t even blink. Compared to the Beast, this was nothing. Water formed over her trident, and the gravity grew more intense. She stepped forward and thrust out with her weapon. The entire tower began to shake, and the metal on her trident started to bend and dent.


    The bottom of the ocean was filled with so much crushing force that a person would pop from the pressure. As the Lord of the Sea and Depths, she had this power to command¡ªwater and weight, a sea of cosmic gravity.


    The entire body of the wolf monster was blown to bits as Poseidon rammed her way through it as if it weren''t even there. Chunks of it rained down, but they never even had a chance to hit the floor. All around the Lord of the Sea, everything began to twist and break as so much gravity swirled around, smaller than the size of a flea yet strong enough to consume and ruin everything that fell into her range, turning it and twisting it into something less than dust. In other words, she had surrounded herself with microscopic black holes.


    "You were a fool for telling me where your weakness was," Poseidon called out, casually lifting her weapon up. ¡°I¡¯m going to put an end to this nightmare here and now.¡±


    Wish''s head had finished forming its body. The girl had grown larger. Every inch of her flesh was covered in thick bone plating, and her muscles expanded to the max, making her nearly ten feet tall. Living armor strong enough to resist even the crushing depths of the ocean coated the girl¡¯s body, and she flexed. "Did I make a mistake? We''ll see! You''ll still need to get my head after all, you arrogant bitch!"


    Wish used the roof and bounced off of it, exploding down with massive force. She was still growing in size, with muscle and bones jutting out wildly as she hit down at Poseidon with everything she had. Poseidon met her and rammed her trident up toward Wish''s head with everything she had, water and gravity blasting off of her.


    At the last second, Wish''s head literally twisted on its body and moved out of the way of the trident. Poseidon''s strike completely missed, and before the girl could recover, Wish''s large arm tore into Poseidon, hitting the Lord hard enough to cave part of her chest in and send her trident flying high into the air. Poseidon was sent flying back, and she smashed back first into a wall, black blood gushing out of her mouth.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Paragon screamed in horror.


    "It was too obvious you''d go for my head!" Wish giggled.


    Poseidon gasped and clutched at her chest. Despite the serious wound she took, the girl smirked, "And... And it was too obvious you''d try and stop me."


    "Huh-"


    The gravity around her still-falling weapon tore it down so fast that Wish didn''t even have time to react. The trident was outstretched, and it came down on top of Wish with so much weight that it ripped right through the girl''s skull and split her in two straight down the middle. Poseidon had used Wish¡¯s own attack to set up her killing blow.


    "Another thing..." Poseidon collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. "Do you think I''m an idiot? I stabbed you clean through the head before we even began to battle. You think lying about you having a weak spot will make me let my guard down?" Wish''s torn body screamed out in anger as it tried to put itself back together and swing at Poseidon. "That''s why I told her to stay on the sidelines. Directly in your blind spot." Poseidon sighed.


    The fist came out in slow motion, ready to rip right through the hero. Wish wasn¡¯t fast enough, though. Cinder came rocketing forward, holding the body of Paragon; both girls let out a loud yell. Cinder rammed her hand out, her hair glowing brightly as she unleashed the same beam she had shown Wyvern. The fire flashed out, washing over the hunk of mass that was Wish and burning it to less than ash, faster than the girl could heal from. The beam tore through part of the tower and kept going, flying past the clouds and leaving the planet. Then, in a flash, the beam suddenly vanished. Along with Wish, Paragon, and Cinder. Poseidon stood in the tower, now alone, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Good luck, Cinder. I¡¯m leaving the rest to you, so don¡¯t screw this up.¡±


    Wish screamed as she felt herself be destroyed. All at once, she saw nothing. Just a black, inky void. She was dead. Every cell burned to ash before she could send them out by Cinder. Slowly, though, she felt herself crawling toward the one person left who had a connection with her. The Emperor created Sky with his power as a means of bringing the daughter he lost to the Beast back. She was meant to be his heir and held some of his power. As the Lord of Land and Life, that connection was now hers. Color hit her as a world built itself before her.


    A field of flowers and a strangely colored sky¡ªthe dream world. The battle for the body was about to begin. She could feel it¡ªthe core¡ªthe piece of a soul that rightfully belonged to her¡ªa missing piece to the puzzle. She held her hand out, and everything began to die and wither away to nothingness.


    "You can come out now." Wish taunted. "I know you can sense me. Let''s get this over with, dear Sky. I control more of the shard within us, so you have no power in here."


    "That''s why she brought me."


    Wish felt her eyes widen, and she whipped around, finding Sky and an uninvited guest. "How!"


    Cinder folded her arms and gave a sly grin. "I have a power you don''t seem to have," Sky explained. She was back in her dress and also had a smile on her lips. "I can bring a guest with me to my dream world¡ªa means of absorbing them if I want. While here, I guess you do have control of this place, but at the end of the day, it is still my world, and I get a say on who comes and goes. When you died, you ended up here and dragged me in forcefully. I simply used my power to invite the person I was holding onto to come along with me. Normally three people couldn¡¯t exist in this world like this, but you aren¡¯t supposed to be here. Cinder, could you be a dear and get rid of this uninvited guest?¡±


    Cinder stepped forward and punched her palm. Fire twirled around her, and she stared the Lord of Life down. "Get ready. I have no need to hold back here. I''m stopping you for good, Wish!"

 Chapter Eighty-Eight: Oxide’s Promise

    Several Months Earlier¡­


    "I got invited to join the Sub Enforcers."


    "Neat." The campfire burned harshly as Kevin tossed some firewood into it.


    "Neat?" Ashley frowned and shot a look at her boyfriend. "That''s all you have to say? I have freaking superpowers; I am one of the only people at our school to have them. I was the only one in my family born with them, and I was just invited to join the Sub Enforcers, one of the greatest teams in Oleander! This practically gives me a guaranteed spot on any other hero team once I turn eighteen. Just neat? That''s seriously it?"


    "Okay." Kevin shrugged. "It''s really neat. Is that better?"


    "No!" Ashley sighed and folded her arms. Metal twisted and formed over her shoulder, taking the shape of a small cat. "Why did I even agree to come out here? I should be training right now."


    "Yeah. Why did you come?" Kevin stared down at the fire, his lips forming a thin line. There weren''t many spots left in Oleander that had a forest feel to them. It was a big city, one built on top of the ruins of fallen lands. Parts of it were abandoned due to a villain attack that the Cleanup crew couldn''t fix. They were in one such part of the city. Trees had grown back, and grass was taking over the buildings as nature ate away the ruined part of the street. "I didn''t ask for you to come. You invited yourself."


    "Because we haven''t gotten to spend any time with each other!"


    "Yeah. You''ve been too busy dealing with your new powers."


    "Oh, don''t act like you''ve been any better! You''ve been busy dealing with tryouts!" Ashley hissed back.


    Kevin stared down at the fire softly. "Well, we have time now, don''t we?"


    Ashley was about to say something but stopped when they heard a noise echo down one of the alleyways. Footsteps came toward them, and the branch of a tree was moved away as a group of men seemed to step out of the alleyways. Ashley felt herself grow rigid, and Kevin stood up but froze suddenly when he saw the handgun that one of the men had strapped to his waist.


    All of them had the letters ''BT'' woven into their suits. Bad Timer grunts had appeared. "Well, well, well." One of the men said, letting out a soft whistle as he saw them. "What do we got here? This is our turf, yet a couple of kids think they can come in and throw a party."


    "Some party. There''s just the two of us." Ashley snorted. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t very smart, are you?¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± One of the grunts growled out.


    ¡°I called you stupid. Are you deaf also?¡± The girl asked, frowning.


    "Don''t-" Kevin grabbed her arm, but she slapped his hand away and stepped forward with a confident look in her eye.


    The men looked down at the teen girl and frowned. There were eight of them in total. They likely noticed the smoke from the fire. Kevin almost cursed himself for putting Ashley in danger. "Why don''t you guys buzz off?" Ashley said, casually rolling her eyes.


    The man smiled, then drew his knife, flicking it at her, but she didn''t back down. "Do you really want to do this-"


    The man was cut off as a glob of metal suddenly blasted out of thin air, forming from nothing. It wrapped around his head and solidified, causing him to scream and crash to the floor below. The others all stepped back in shock and stared at Ashley as a dress made out of liquid metal flowed over her.


    "Yeah. I think I want to do this."


    That had been several months ago¡­


    It was hard to think that time could change so fast, yet here they were in the present. Only a month or two later, he had to be saved from the Bad Timer crew again, this time though it was Hope coming to his rescue. That had been the day the girl got her powers. He vowed he wouldn¡¯t have to be saved ever again. Sadly, his promise didn¡¯t mean squat in the current world, as it took less than a month before he had to be saved yet again from both the Bad Timers and the Wandering Coin by Cinder and her team.


    He had tried to fight Demonica but didn''t even make the woman budge. A single attack had taken him out, and he had been stuck on his back all alone, forced to sit there while his girlfriend showed up in her costume and judged him for buying drugs.


    Though she wasn''t his girlfriend at the time, she had made that clear. Constantly flirting with that Kyle kid as a way to taunt him. Going behind his back constantly. Not spending time with him. Though all that was topped by her current actions.


    Now here he was. Not only was his ex-girlfriend trying to practically kill him, but he was also fighting that nerd, Moore. He was all alone. His consequences had caught up to him quickly.


    Kevin grunted as ice sprung up from the ground and wrapped around one of his arms, keeping it held in place. Snowdawn was on his knees and panting, basically out of juice. The boy was just working as support. Kevin tore his limb off, freeing himself of the ice, and swung his other arm down in the direction of Snowdawn, the limb expanding and growing out. Oxide jumped in front of the boy and swung a sword she created up, slicing Kevin¡¯s limb off.


    "Just stop it, Kevin! I don''t want to hurt you!" The girl yelled. Her face was covered by her glass mask, hiding the scars she had gotten as well as the pain that was in her eyes. ¡°Please. I still care about you, you idiot.¡±


    "Yeah? Well, you have a pretty funny way of showing that!" Kevin''s limbs grew back, and he created a tail that flicked back and forth. He was covered in thick, muscle-looking armor that made him look a lot like Mars King. "Do you think that I want to be doing this? That this is the side that I wanted to pick! That I wanted my life to end up like this! I wish that I had never even met you! Supers keep getting in the way of my life! Supers shouldn¡¯t exist on this planet!¡±


    "Dude! You''re a Super now!" Snowdawn called out.


    "I don''t want to be!" Kevin''s arms expanded out, becoming the size of cars, and he rammed them down into the ground hard enough to break it and fire out shards of sandy ice in all directions. Oxide blocked it with her metal by forming a barrier, and she threw herself in front of Snowdawn, keeping him safe. "I''ve become a freak!" Kevin screamed. ¡°Just look at me! I¡¯m as bad as that Bad Timer monster! I even look like him!¡±


    Oxide fought through the sand, her metal forming a large shield on one of her arms as well as a sword in her other hand. She stabbed the blade forward and rammed it into the man''s stomach, and her metal began to grow over him. Kevin''s body started to freeze in place as she trapped him, but he grew a second arm out of his back and ripped his own head off, throwing it into the air.


    His body crumbled to dust as her metal washed over it, and his severed head grew a pair of muscle wings and flew up, regrowing its body slowly. Snowdawn tried to blast it down from the sky, but he was moving sluggishly and having a hard time doing anything. "I- I kind of hit my limits a while ago." The boy chuckled. "I got one more trick in the chamber, though. If we can get him on the ground, I think I can set up a way for us to win this."


    Oxide nodded. Large metal wings grew out of her costume, and she took to the air. "In that case, you can leave it to me! I''ll ground him for you, Snowdawn!" She formed a lance made of metal and stabbed it up at Kevin as his body fully regrew.


    "See!" Kevin screamed out, catching his ex-girlfriend¡¯s attack. "You are trying to kill me!"


    "I''m trying to stop you so we can find a way to fix you!" Oxide screamed back.


    "There is no fixing me!" Kevin screamed. ¡°Not anymore! Look at me!¡± He rammed his other fist directly into Oxide¡¯s face and sent her crashing to the ground. She broke her fall with her wings and steadied herself, flying back up toward him and forming a massive battle axe, which she swung out with a yell. Kevin counted by causing his hand to become as big as his body and used it as a shield, blocking the axe strike. "I''m a monster now. That''s it."


    "Why did you become this!¡± Oxide demanded. She forced all her strength forward, digging the blade into Kevin¡¯s arm. ¡°Why did you choose this path!¡±


    ¡°Choose? You think this is what I wanted?¡± The boy spat out. "I had no choice! It was this or die! I picked death, and they still turned me into this! Talk about a fixed choice! I looked Wish in her eyes and told her to kill me, and she just laughed and turned me into a blob! Over and over, again and again, I was torn apart and twisted, my cells forced to shape as they pumped me full of whatever they could! I screamed, and I begged, I pleaded for you or some hero to come and save me! To get me out of this hell, but no one showed up! Now I¡¯m this monster! I¡¯m a Super!¡±


    Oxide weaved through the air and dodged his rapid strikes. Kevin attacked like a mad animal, throwing attack after attack as they danced in the air. Oxide flew away and hovered a bit in the air away from him, breathing heavily. "Then why are you on their side? Why are you listening to them?" She asked. ¡°If you hate it so much, why are you doing this?¡±


    Kevin closed his eyes and sighed. "I don''t have a choice."


    "Yes, you do-"


    "I don''t! I don''t! I don''t!" He glared at her, and his flesh expanded and broke away. "Wish turned me into her monster. I''ve seen what she can do. She''s in me. Her form exists inside of all of us. Casey and Hannah have already given up just as I had. There were others. People who somehow got powers from her. They tried to rebel. They got fates worse than death. Haven''t you wondered why there''ve been more giant monsters recently? Those are the lucky ones. She can make life hell on Earth. She''s done it to me before. Made my skin inside out, put my nerves over my flesh, and caused my organs to shrink or expand. She does stuff like that for fun. She doesn''t even need to touch me or the others. At any moment, she could do whatever she wanted to me. She''s always listening and sees it all! I don''t even get to die! They bring me back! Over and over, again and again! I''d rather be their pet than experience that hell ever again! As long as she exists, the moment we rebel, we¡¯re punished.¡±


    Oxide stared at her former boyfriend as he ranted. His eyes were mad and wide, and he couldn''t stop shaking. "Does she really have that much control over you? Or do you just want to say that she does?"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Do you think I''m lying!¡± Kevin roared.


    "I think you want to believe that you have no choice." Her metal surged forward, forming a hammer. "If she truly was always listening and if she could change you at a moment''s notice, I''d think she''d have done it. Right now, she''s in the middle of fighting Cinder and the others. Money Tree told me how you helped him out in his fight. I don''t think she can pay attention to you guys while she''s in a fight."


    "So what! As soon as she wins, she''ll see us again! And even if she loses, that won''t matter! You can kill her a hundred times! She''ll use us to respawn, or she''ll wait for them to build her a new body! There is no escape for me." Kevin blocked Oxide¡¯s strike, but the hammer began to push him down through the air.


    "You''re wrong." Oxide took a deep breath. "I''ve seen Poseidon fight. I believe that she and Cinder can put an end to Wish for good. They''re what a hero should be." She surged forward as fast as she could, catching Kevin off guard. He tried to block her strike, but she caused her hammer to expand as much as she could and rammed it down onto his head. "I have faith in them! I believe that they can stop her! So have faith in the heroes! Have faith in me! You''ve been saved by them before, Kevin! You should know more than anyone that a hero will stop at nothing to help a person in need! I¡¯m going to save you!¡±


    Kevin felt himself slam down into the ground. He rolled across it and tried to stand up, but stopped when he saw Snowdawn.


    "It''s over.¡± The boy spoke. Kevin howled and launched at him, but Snowdawn lifted his arm and activated his power. ¡°You lost Kevin.¡± His ice expanded, and he got colder. It was so cold that everything stopped. All the fighting stopped. Everything became frozen. Time no longer moved. ¡°I win.¡±


    His power. His ultimate trump card. The ability he had unlocked through his training with Poseidon. It was this ability. This was his Inversion. Cold beyond cold. Absolute zero. Frozen time.


    ***


    A few days ago¡­


    Poseidon snapped her fingers as her eyes lit up. ¡°I got it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She raised her fist up, and suddenly, it began to glow, and the space around it started to bend and twist. ¡°As the Lord of the Sea and Depths, I have control over water and the crushing depths. Using Inverse on my depths, I can cause gravity to fall under my control.¡± She pulled her fist back, and the gravity grew more tense. ¡°All I have to do is put your life in deep danger! Get it? Deep? Cause the ocean? Making puns is fun.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, I don¡¯t think I like this plan,¡± Armin said, stumbling back. He shot a look towards Oxide and Rowan, who both just gave him awkward shrugs.


    ¡°Too bad! Punching you really hard now!¡± Poseidon yelled, throwing out a mean right hook as hard as she could, aiming directly for Snowdawn¡¯s face.


    In a panic, he threw his arms up, trying to block the punch. Then it all stopped. For just a single heartbeat, everything froze¡­


    Snowdawn stood there a little stunned as he stared ahead of him. He had been in the middle of training with Poseidon, directly after his loss at the hands of Wish. Poseidon wasn¡¯t the only one who was frozen. Metal Ronin, Kyle, and Oxide all stood on the sidelines, not moving. The world seemed to have lost all color to it, everything being a weird black and white. He felt a chill go through his body, and he looked down at his shaking hands, finding ice was coating them.


    ¡°W- What the heck?¡± He moved, or at least tried to. His legs and arms felt like they were struggling to go through jelly, and as he stepped out of the way of Poseidon¡¯s fist, the place he had been standing at froze over, and in his place an ice statue remained. It was in the exact same pose and spot he had been in when he activated this new power. ¡°Where am I! Did I do this?¡± He looked around with wide, shock-filled eyes. ¡°No way right!¡±


    Time-based powers weren¡¯t a new thing. Villains like Golden God could cause things to age in rapid motion, and the hero Lady Time was said to have an ability that could freeze and distort time. Still, something like this wasn¡¯t common.


    No way he actually froze time.


    Right?


    Instantly he heard a loud crack, and suddenly color came back to the world. He felt his body rapidly heat up, and he almost began to burn as the ice on him instantly started to melt due to the rapid change in temperature.


    Poseidon rammed herself forward, and the girl¡¯s fist easily shattered the ice statue to bits, obliterating it in one attack. ¡°Oh my God!¡± She yelled with wide eyes.


    ¡°You killed Snowdawn!¡± Metal Ronin screamed in a panic. All the heroes and Kyle stared at the destroyed ice statue in horror.


    ¡°Cinder is going to freak.¡± Kyle gulped.


    ¡°Um guys¡­¡± Everyone jumped, and they turned, finding Armin standing a few feet away from them. The boy had a sour look on his face and also looked rather tired, breathing heavily. His clothes were soaked as loads of ice around him melted.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Poseidon cheered out and grabbed him in a tight hug. ¡°Wait? How did you get over here so quickly?¡± Poseidon asked, cocking her head to the side. ¡°And what was with that ice statue?¡±


    Armin grunted and pulled himself out of the girl¡¯s arms. ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Armin frowned. ¡°I was just standing there, and you came at me, and then... Well, everything sort of froze in place?¡±


    Rowan frowned and moved to stand next to him. The boy lifted some strange-looking device and pointed it at him. It read out a series of numbers and beeped. ¡°The energy Supers give off seems to have spiked around you but then dropped down.¡± The boy said, letting out a hum.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Oxide asked, folding her arms.


    ¡°It means he used something really draining.¡± Metal Ronin grunted.


    ¡°Oh, I think I get it.¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°You¡¯re saying Armin used a lot of mana up. Like in video games when a wizard or something casts a powerful spell. Whatever he did was really draining.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a way to put it.¡± Armin sighed and tried to push himself up to a standing position. ¡°I feel like I just ran a hundred miles without a break. I¡¯m not like Hope, I don¡¯t have inhuman stamina or anything like that.¡± The boy grunted.


    ¡°Hope?¡± Oxide frowned for a moment. ¡°Like Hope Lauren- Oh my God, is she a Super also!¡±


    Armin winced. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    Poseidon let out a snort and folded her arms. ¡°Okay, so you said everything stopped, right? And now you¡¯re really tired. In that case, you should try to do it again. Once you¡¯ve inverted once, it should be easier the second time. The more you use a big draining move, the less it¡¯ll drain as your body gets used to it. Maybe one day you¡¯ll even be able to spam it.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Armin nodded. ¡°When Hope first started out, she struggled to fire out her blasts more than once a day, and now it seems like she spams them constantly.¡±


    ¡°Fire? Hope¡¯s Cinder!¡± Ashley said in shock.


    Armin pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°I really need to stop saying things around you.¡± He went to say something else but stopped when he felt a wave of pain. In a flash, Poseidon¡¯s fist had rammed into his face. Armin let out a loud yelp and rolled across the ground, smashing back first into a wall of trash. The entire junkyard shook, and the boy looked up as Poseidon cracked her knuckles. ¡°What was that for!¡±


    Poseidon held a small smile on her face. ¡°We¡¯re not done training. Pull off that move again.¡± The girl¡¯s blue hair flashed as the Lord began to draw out more of her power, using the energy she got from the title she held. ¡°Good luck!¡±


    Armin barely scrambled to his feet as the pile of junk he had been near exploded and rained down from the strike Poseidon unleashed. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. Slowly, snow began to crawl up his body, but it barely formed before Poseidon¡¯s fist rammed into his gut again, shattering his weak fluffy armor and sending him crashing back.


    ¡°Armor that weak won¡¯t work on me! Give it everything you got! Stand up and pull out your full power, Snowdawn!¡± Poseidon ordered.


    The girl was charging him again, and Armin barely struggled to a standing position. He focused his power and began to form his snow armor again. It wouldn¡¯t be enough, though. He knew that. Poseidon¡¯s strikes were too strong for him to block. So instead, he began to draw on the icy feeling he had felt. The world had been so cold, so much so that ice had no choice but to form. As his snow armor finished forming, he grabbed the pure essence of cold.


    Poseidon¡¯s fist struck out just in time, but it smashed directly into the ice armor that formed over his snow. He felt his own body rapidly growing in strength, and he dug his heels into the ground withstanding the blow. He had formed his first ever true ice construct. A pure suit of ice armor.


    Poseidon gave a large grin. ¡°That¡¯s the way! More Snowdawn! Bring your full power out!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give it everything I got!¡± He announced. All around him, the ground began to freeze and crack. Snow and ice sprung out as he forced everything to lower. He could feel it. His power. It began to bubble up and crawl its way out of him. He was trading places with it. Giving it control. It surged out and roared.


    Then for the second time that day, everything stopped and became black and white.


    He had frozen time once more.


    ***


    Present Day¡­


    ¡°Thank you for helping me to reach this point, Poseidon. I couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡± Snowdawn sighed as his memory of that night faded and he found himself back on the battlefield facing a frozen-in-place Kevin.


    Snowdawn shook, feeling a strong chill, and he took a step forward. He broke his way out of his ice armor, leaving behind a statue of himself where he had been standing and walked slowly toward Kevin. All color was gone, and only he moved. He had discovered this ability when Poseidon trained him. The ability to freeze everything, even time.


    He could only do it for a second at most, and each time it ruined his ice armor. In here, nothing could move aside from himself. It was true absolute zero. The absence of all movement. He placed his palm on Kevin''s stomach, and time began to move once more.


    In an instant, Kevin saw the statue Snowdawn left behind. He tried to move, but his body didn''t obey him. Ice covered him from head to toe, and he was frozen in place. It was over in a single instant. Faster than the bully could even process what was happening, he had lost.


    Snowdawn collapsed onto his back, the last of his ice armors breaking away. "No more! I''m not doing that anymore! It pushes my power too far and totally fries it!" Even after practicing with Poseidon and working his butt off, the time-stop ability was way too draining for his own good. He¡¯d need to work a lot more if he wanted to use it properly. ¡°Still. I¡¯ve totally caught up to Cinder with this power! Do you hear me, Cinder! I can stand as your equal! You¡¯re not leaving me behind ever again!¡±


    Oxide landed on the ground and placed her hand on the ice that covered Kevin. His eyes stared directly into hers, and her metal began to grow around him, trapping him in a layer of solid iron. "We''ll save you. I swear." The girl said softly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up on you. I won¡¯t ever leave you, Kevin. No matter what.¡±


    Oxide jumped a bit as Ocean Empress landed next to her. "You guys beat him on your own?"


    "Yep!" Snowdawn announced. "What about everyone else?"


    "Demonica got away." Money Tree also came down from the sky and landed. He rode on a large disk made up of small coins. "She saw all the bad guys losing and made a break for it at her top speed. She''s hella fast! Only Battery or Cinder could catch up with her now. I think Red Ape and the others got away as well. At least I haven''t been able to see them. As for the other two man-made Supers. We''ve dealt with them."


    "Dealt with them..." Oxide turned and saw Casey and Hannah. A twisted knot found itself in the young hero¡¯s gut as she stared at the two man-made Supers. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Both of them were on their backs, trapped in a sea of cash and coins, or ice, made by Ocean Empress. Casey sat there, unable to move, and sighed as he stared up at Metal Ronin, who looked down at him. "You weren''t too bad with a sword." Metal Ronin hummed.


    "I used to practice before I got cancer." The man hummed. ¡°Everyday I would go to this local dojo and swing it.¡±


    "Oh..."


    Casey snorted as the rest of his body began to gradually be covered up with the cash and coins. They blocked his eyes, and soon he''d be fully bound. He couldn''t help but remember the day he met Wish. He had been in a hospital bed. He had been there for so long. In so much pain. All he had wanted was to die.


    Her deal had been simple. Serve her, and he gets to live. His mother always told him to not make a deal with the devil, and he picked death.


    Yet here he was, still.


    "Don''t fuck it up." Casey grunted out. The ice covered his mouth fully, and he fell into a deep sleep.


    Hannah was in a similar position. "Geez! Even without that old guy, you two were still as strong as I remember."


    Backup and Bad Wolf stared down at her as her form was quietly getting covered up. "Did you know your boss killed Old Dog?" Backup asked slowly.


    "Yeah." Hannah shrugged. "I never really had a choice, though. Guess I won''t be able to go to school anymore. That sucks. I won''t be able to hang out with Ashley anymore."


    "You were still going to school?¡±


    "Yeah. I didn''t really like being a nameless grunt." The ice covered her fully, and for a moment, she remembered how she had gotten into this position. She had been jumped on her way home and taken by Bad Timer grunts. They had taken her to a base, but thankfully they were stopped when a girl with white hair showed up and slaughtered them all. She had jumped at the chance to join Wish and gain powers. It was fun as long as you followed orders. "I guess it wasn''t so bad."


    Snowdawn dropped down to his knees and sighed. The only fight left was between Myth and Golden God, who were still exchanging a series of blows back and forth, neither able to make the other one budge. Myth was gradually losing, though it really didn''t matter too much. Golden God was about to find himself being jumped by every other hero. Not even he''d be able to make it out of that in one piece.


    "Are we really almost at the end?" He questioned.


    "Almost." Ocean Empress floated up into the air on her board and stared out in the direction Fairy Queen had dragged Battery away. Blue lights shimmered in the air. "Almost..."

 Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Return Of A Giant

    Fairy Queen screamed out as the giant hand smashed its way toward her. She tried to twist and expand reality to create distance or cut it off, but the power didn''t care. It tore right through it. The strength of a monster found only in legends. Giants were said to rival the power of the gods themselves in the story mankind spoke of before the Shadow appeared. This was the same power that was compressed into the fist forged from Battery''s energy.


    Fairy Queen never stood a chance.


    The enormous fist slammed down, shattering the barriers she tried to form. The energy burned with the force of the molten core of the planet, burning her on the spot and destroying her. In an instant, she was flattened and reduced to less than atoms, all from one punch. The fist gradually faded and broke apart as the energy dispersed, and Battery let out a small sigh as the blue energy around him sizzled.


    "Earlier, you told me trying to heal you wouldn''t work twice. I suppose it''s the same for your tricks as well. Did you really think another illusion would trick me?" Battery lazily slapped at the air, and the blue energy zapped off of him like shards of lightning. Everything twisted and broke, and he found himself back in the real world, staring down Fairy Queen, who was dozens of feet away from him.


    The woman scowled, and black blood gushed down her lip as her teeth tore into it. "How did you know?" She demanded.


    "Like you''d die that easily." Battery snorted. "You and me. We''re both cockroaches. The only difference, though, is that I specialize in making sure roaches don''t come back." He had changed ever since the blue light appeared. He still looked the same as before, for the most part. Instead of golden light, it was blue, and his iris had changed to match the color. The change was more in the way he spoke and acted. Like a predator that knew it had already won. "Sit still. I''ll make sure you don''t feel anything. It''s the least I can do. We used to be on the same side after all."


    "I''ll admit you''re stronger than me now." Fairy Queen grunted out. She cocked her head to the side and gave a sly grin. "I don''t need to beat you, though. Just by looking at you, I can tell you''re not doing well. Your body is practically falling apart."


    It shimmered in the ocean of blue. Igniting his eyes and going through his veins, his body was slowly filling with cracks¡ªones that all hummed with a faint golden glow. It all started where his heart should have been and worked its way down. Small bits of him were already breaking off. Like a sandcastle that had been caught in a strong gust of wind, he would crumble before too long if he didn''t shut the form off.


    Fairy Queen''s wings expanded out, and she let out a loud scream as everything began to break around. "Is this an illusion, or am I breaking reality? Try to figure it out-"


    "Don''t care." The cracks all across his body closed, and the ground beneath Fairy Queen broke apart as an energy hand large enough to hold her jutted out and wrapped its fingers around the woman before she could move. Her power shut off, and the breaks in the air sealed shut. She screamed out as the fingers of the hand began to tighten around her, ready to crush her. "I''m sure that this is the real you." Battery held his palm out, facing it toward her, and began to squeeze it shut. The hand of the Giant obeyed him and started to bore all its might into Fairy Queen. "It''s okay. Just close your eyes. Your body will pop, and that''ll be the end of it." Battery made a ''pop'' sound with his mouth and smirked.


    "Oh, screw you!" Fairy Queen screamed out. She tried to break out of the hand''s grasp and expand her wings, but it was simply too strong. She formed barriers of reality, but the blue energy easily overpowered them all and shattered them before they could even truly form. "Let me go! You damn traitor! That''s all you are! A mad animal who slaughtered his own family! You''re no hero! Just putting on a mask does nothing! They''ll all kill you when they find out who you really are! The crimes you''ve committed will ensure a special spot in hell for you!"


    "Are you done yet?"


    Fairy Queen panted, and her eyes glared at him, filled with madness. She breathed heavily before letting out one last snarl. "I hope that when you die, you see Full Monarch one last time and see the look of disappointment on his face."


    "Goodbye, Fairy Queen."


    The villain squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the intense pain. It never came, though. Instead, she felt a wave of force slam past her. Her eyes snapped open, and she stared in shock as Battery was blasted back. A whistle echoed out around them, and Battery just let out a sigh when he heard it. "Had to put nearly everything I had into that attack just to shove you a bit. You''ve really changed now that you''re all blue." Green Wolf rested his elbow on Fairy Queen''s head and pointed his sword at Battery. "So. Care for a rematch, hero?"


    "Why are you here?" Battery asked slowly.


    "Well, I was just sitting on the sidelines, bored out of my mind." The man hummed. He adjusted his wolf mask and raised it up slightly, showing off his lower mouth, which twisted into a grin. "Figured this was a one-time chance to see you in this mode. You pulled this out on me once, didn''t you? Your speed and power shoot through the roof, but I''m guessing your body can''t handle it. If we were to fight right out of the gate, I''d lose. Sadly for you, though, I''ve been absorbing energy all day. I''m pumped full of so much kinetic energy that I can cut through even whatever you''ve become."


    "I don''t have time to deal with you." Battery lazily pointed out with a finger and sent out a massive wave of his blue light. It wasn''t like the normal thin beams he fired; this one was nearly as big as he was, and it deleted the ground as it flew at Green Wolf and Fairy Queen.


    Fairy Queen was still bound up but managed to force part of her arm forward, twisting reality and causing it to bend and fold, making a ramp in the space around them. Green Wolf forced out a kinetic barrier around the ramp, and the energy hit it and flew over their heads and high into the air.


    "Damn! He''s not holding back at all. That guy is seriously trying to kill me." Green Wolf snickered and pulled his mask back down all the way. "Hell yeah, baby. Boss time."


    "Imaginary energy." Fairy Queen grunted out. "That is Alpha''s power. He controls power that shouldn''t have existed. That blue light can twist and convert itself into any other kind of energy he needs it to, and he can shift his body into it as well. Not all of him changed, though. He can still be hurt by normal means, and at the moment he''s unstable and falling apart."


    "Thanks for the info!"


    "Cut me out of this hand! Your kinetic energy can cut through it! We can team up on him, and-"


    Green Wolf stabbed his sword through the fingers of the energy hand and into the stomach of Fairy Queen. He let go of the blade and left it in her as he walked away, giving her a casual wave. "Oh yeah. Our truce is gone. I had a talk with the rest of my team, and we don''t really need you guys anymore since you''ve only screwed things up ever since we joined you." Blood gushed down Fairy Queen''s chin as she stared at the sword impaling her gut in shock. Normally, attacks would bounce off of her, but Green Wolf was someone who could get past durability. "I''m going to play this game single-player!"


    "Game?" Battery growled out when he heard Green Wolf. His energy wave had kicked up a wave of dust, but lightning danced off of him and burned it away, revealing Green Wolf, who walked directly toward him. "You still think this is all some sort of game?¡±


    "Of course it is." Green Wolf announced. He had tossed his jacket earlier, which kept most of his knives, so he was down to his last pair. He pulled them out of his pocket and swung them through the air. "This is the boss fight! At your current level, you¡¯re near her, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re like the Victorian! Or could it be you¡¯re even stronger! Either way, it doesn¡¯t matter, because you¡¯re the one I¡¯ve been waiting for!¡±


    Battery held his palm out, and a giant torso forged from his energy suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the attack. It cracked as waves of unseen slashes smashed into it. Green Wolf was pulling in more power, constantly feeding off of all movement. Every second he fought, he grew stronger. That said, he was no match for a true monster. Battery held the power found only in stories of ancient history. Tales of creatures that fought the very gods themselves.


    Battery''s barrier broke to bits as the slashes tore it down, but the hero was already gone. Green Wolf filled his body to the very limit with kinetic energy and jumped back dozens of feet, but no matter how strong or fast he got, he would never be able to match Battery''s speed. The blue blur was on him faster than the villain could even react. Battery rammed his hand forward and tore it through Green Wolf''s stomach. It went all the way through and came out of the man''s back, causing the villain to vomit up a wave of blood.


    "I''d like to say I''ll make your death quick, but I could care less about you." Battery whispered into the man''s ear. He tore his hand out and batted Green Wolf''s knife slash away. "You can''t keep up with me while I''m like this." Green Wolf stumbled back, dropping one of his knives, and clutched at his stomach. The man swung his other arm out, sending another attack in Battery''s direction, but the man sidestepped it. Battery flicked the air and sent a bullet of energy through Green Wolf''s wrist, nearly blowing it off and causing the hand to drop the knife. "It''s over, Green Wolf. I¡¯ve used my Imaginary energy to give myself the power of Giants. They¡¯re imaginary beings that never existed, yet in this moment I embody them. I am them. All that power from their fiction courses through my veins. I hold the power that can rival even a Lord right now.¡±


    Green Wolf collapsed to his knees and bowed his head as blood poured out of him. "Yeah, you beat phase one." Out of instinct, Battery jumped away just in time. So much kinetic energy erupted from Green Wolf that the man formed a green aura around himself. The spot Battery had been standing at broke away as blades of kinetic energy stabbed out of the ground. "A boss fight is something that should be hard but fair. Something that the player can beat if they give it their all and use all their skills. Smart players always keep a trump card. They save up on potions and one-time-use items, then blow them all during the final fight. That woman, Fairy Queen, she called you Alpha, right? Whatever your real name is, it really doesn''t matter. Just know that from this point on, you better be one hell of a boss fight to force me to bust my trump card out."


    The energy cloaked around Green Wolf. It took on the shape of a large wolf pelt that dropped over his body. More of the energy twisted and forged itself into a sword made perfectly for him. He gripped it with his good hand and howling filled the air as, on either side of him, wolves began to rise up, created from his kinetic energy. The pack had found their prey.


    Battery sighed and held his hand out. It hummed, and the lightning around it cracked through the air. Cracks began to appear around his palm, and steam rose up. The sleeve of his costume broke away, and his flesh began to turn a nasty black color and melt off his arm. A small hole was punctured into the universe. With sheer force, Battery created a basketball-sized portal to another realm. His arm took the damage for daring to use so much power, but he ignored the pain and reached through the portal, grabbing something.


    "Just so you know, I''m going to take this seriously, Green Wolf. This will likely be the last time you and I get to talk. I''m not really sad about it, though. You''re annoying." Battery pulled something out of the portal, gripping it with his damaged hand and raising it in the direction of Green Wolf. It was a black, jagged mace. One stained in blood. "This belonged to Hell Hound. I think it''s fitting. I''ll kill you with it since you''re also a dog-themed bad guy."


    "Dog-themed? Is that how you see me?" Green Wolf chuckled and swung his sword through the air as hard as he could. He unleashed enough kinetic force to slice the ground apart. They weren''t like his normal attacks, either. They were packed with so much energy that they weren''t unseen anymore. The air was filled with jagged, compressed lines layered on top of one another, cutting everything apart as they soared forward. "Well, this dog has some new tricks!"


    Battery''s destroyed hand gripped tightly around the mace, and his eyes traced the slashes through the air as they came at him. To him, the entire world seemed to almost move in slow motion. This was the first thing in a long while that was nearing his speed. Obviously, though, he was faster. Battery swung the mace out, and the top of it broke through the slash, breaking the energy up and dispersing it back into the world.


    With his good hand, Battery held out his finger and fired a thin beam of energy that separated into hundreds of smaller beams coming from all directions and electrifying the air. Green Wolf kicked at one of his packmates, sending the kinetic beast into the air, and used it as a shield. Its body exploded and formed a massive barrier of energy around the villain and the other wolf. The beams rammed into it and easily tore past it, ripping holes through Green Wolf''s body.


    The villain gasped out as more of his red blood flowed down his body, and his vision began to blur. The beams died down, but he was already filled with holes that went all the way through his body. On his arms, his stomach, and through his chest. His blood constantly poured out, staining what was left of his shirt a nasty crimson color.


    Battery stared at the villain, who barely clung to life. "Had enough-"


    Green Wolf''s laughter broke through the air, and the man''s cloak grew larger and swirled around him, plugging up his wounds. "Get ready, Battery. Here''s my everything!" Green Wolf raised his sword up as high as he could, and his wolf growled and crouched down, about to charge. The air next to it shimmered as his broken barrier came back together and reformed into the second wolf, also about to charge forward. All of his energy was compressed down to the edge of his blade. "Die!" He yelled, bringing his sword down.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    This wasn''t a normal slash. It stretched out so high that it reached the clouds, splitting them apart and going deep into the ground for nearly a mile. It was so wide that it''d be impossible for any person to move out of the way of it, stretching out in all directions by half a mile. It was faster, too¡ªmuch faster than his old attacks. If a person did somehow survive that, though, it''d be the least of their issues.


    Directly behind the attack, his wolves chased after it. Every step they took unleashed so much explosive force that it was like hundreds of bombs going off, kicking up a wave of dust nearly a mile high. They glowed, and when they reached their target, they exploded with enough force that they''d likely kill the other heroes there miles away. And the best part was that it was all from a single attack.


    Already, his arm was about to swing again, and a second pair of wolves were appearing on either side of him. This was his maximum power. Everything he had. The ability to destroy an entire city hundreds of times over.


    The world itself was on his side. It moved, and that power was his to absorb. He''d never be strong enough to halt the planet''s rotation, but that didn''t matter. Every drop of energy he had ever absorbed was unleashed in this form. It had taken him years of nonstop absorption to reach this point, and he''d have to spend another several years to recharge it. A perfect, undodgeable, unblockable attack-


    Battery lazily swung the mace out, blasting his energy out of it and forming an arching barrier. Green Wolf''s slash and wolves smashed into it, and instantly they burned away into nothingness, unable to get past them. Green Wolf felt himself step back as shock settled in. "How!"


    "Hell Hound''s weapon is made to handle arrogant fools like you. It''s the perfect shield. A barrier able to block any attack from a Super. You never stood a chance." Battery slowly raised his other hand, his blue eyes boring into Green Wolf. "You''re already dead." Behind him, it flickered into existence. "Rise my Giant. Kill."


    The energy around Battery grew sharper and gushed out of the man, covering him up. It was hard to even say if he was human. Just like Duplicity, his entire body almost seemed to be made out of energy. He was jagged and rougher, like a lightning bolt that had been given human form. All color around the battlefield vanished, leaving everything in a nasty black and white shade. Only he kept his color, radiating his blue. With every step he took, more of his energy twisted and snapped off him, erasing matter and burning the air, constantly pulling everything in. He was living Imaginary energy.


    His form began to grow, getting bigger as the energy swirled to its maximum, and in a single moment, he towered over Green Wolf, standing at nearly one hundred meters tall. Green Wolf stared up at the being before him. It was one he had seen before. Polaron had created a giant made of iron that had been so big it shook the island. The story Polaron once told him went through Green Wolf¡¯s mind, and in an instant Green Wolf knew that this was the person Polaron had based his giant off of. This was Alpha, the Emperor¡¯s Giant.


    Alpha stood as tall as a mountain, covered in crackling blue energy that formed powerful armor. Dragonic-like wings, bigger than a house, stabbed out of the back of the Giant, and at its side was a sword, which the thing began to draw. Just drawing the blade was enough to destroy everything around the battlefield, splitting the land in two. Alpha stared down at the tiny dot, the pathetic mortal that dared to stand before him.


    Green Wolf felt the smallest hint of fear for the first time in his life. "What the hell is this! Are you a Lord or something? This power can''t be real!" He howled.


    "I''m no Lord." Everything shook, and Alpha raised his arm. The sword stabbed up so high it went past the clouds. "I''m something worse. You''re dealing with a Ruler. This is the power of a story. A story about beings that needed to be the biggest and strongest thing alive, for that was the only way they could even hope to harm the gods. This is the power of a child''s imagination. A boy who wanted to follow after those old stories."


    For a moment, he remembered it. When he had been a young boy living in the basement of his family¡¯s home. Exploring that city, which no longer existed, he had found remnants of the old world, before even the Lords existed. That was when he discovered the book speaking of the Giants and how they threatened great beings.


    That was where his imagination and dream had first started. His desire to become like them. To grow so big and strong, not even the modern-day gods like Full Monarch could hurt him.


    That was when he became a Giant.


    Green Wolf threw everything he had at the true monster before him, but none of it mattered. It couldn''t even begin to harm Alpha¡¯s large form. "Goodbye, Green Wolf." Alpha brought his sword down.


    Everything was destroyed.


    It was over in a single instant.


    Wind tore through the endless field of sand around them, ripping everything apart, and a bright blue flash danced across the battlefield. Green Wolf barely had time to throw up a barrier in some sort of effort to stay alive. The sword rammed down, shattering the ground and blowing the entire field up, turning it into a volcanic wasteland as a massive crater was forced into the ground.


    It was over. Green Wolf was...


    Battery''s giant form shattered, and the man fell to the ground, landing on his feet. His legs shattered due to the hundred-meter fall he took. Blood poured down his mouth, and he clutched at his chest, his eyes going wide as he gasped and his head shook. In front of him was a smoldering crater that held what was left of Green Wolf''s body. Most of the upper half had been badly burned and crushed. Lava coated the area around them, slowly swallowing up what was left of Green Wolf. At last, the battle had ended-


    "Still so cocky, Alpha?"


    Battery turned around just in time as Fairy Queen came rocketing forward. She had managed to pull the sword out of her stomach that Green Wolf gave her and used what was left of the man''s kinetic energy to break the hand that had tried to crush her. She swung out with her sword and rammed it directly into Battery''s neck.


    A skin-tight layer of blue energy compressed around Battery''s body and caused the sword to shatter. Fairy Queen tried to jump away, but Battery was too fast. His hand grabbed her by the face. All the flesh and most of the muscle had been burned off of his left hand when it forced it through space. The bones of his fingers were visible, and he dug them into her face.


    He still looked like a living lightning bolt, and the energy swelled off of him and danced through Fairy Queen''s body, causing her to scream out. It glowed so brightly that, for a moment, her skeleton became visible.


    "You have to die." Battery''s other hand came up, and he wrapped it around the other side of Fairy Queen''s face, lifting her off the ground. His voice was broken, and blood was starting to flow out of his eyes and nose. The energy form was breaking apart, revealing the human beneath. His flesh was filled with dozens of cracks, rapidly expanding as the shard in his heart burned with a golden flame. As his hands grew tighter over Fairy Queen''s face, so too were the hands of death wrapping around him. "You must die. I have- It''s the only way. Don''t fight it. If it means saving ''her'' then gladly give up your life, Jack Larison. That''s the promise you made!"


    Fairy Queen gasped and groaned, smoke rising off of her and her flesh turning a nasty shade of black as she twitched in his hands. She couldn''t even raise her arms or try to fight back; her nerves were wild and destroying themselves. She tried to place the man under an illusion, but that only made it worse.


    He was back on that roof. The ball came at him, but he didn''t raise his hands to catch it. He kept them around Fairy Queen''s throat.


    The next thing he knew, he was knee-deep in water. The beach was as pretty as it had been before the Beast destroyed it. He could hear her calling out to him. The voice of his wife. He didn''t bother listening to the actual words, though, and impaled his fingers further into Fairy Queen''s body, making sure he couldn''t let go.


    The pain was getting worse now, building up in his heart. Like it was about to blow. Fairy Queen gurgled and shook, and he did the same, his throat filled with blood. He couldn''t see anymore. His bloodshot eyes stared into Fairy Queen¡¯s, but the light gradually faded to a pinprick, his vision fading.


    ''Are you really going to let yourself die like this?'' The voice was back. He never got to see the owner of it, and now that his eyesight was gone, it sounded like it was right in front of him. He ignored it. That was until it changed into a different voice. ''Mr. Larison? Are you really going to kill yourself like this-''


    "You''re not the kid." He grunted out. "Stay out of my head-"


    ''I thought you said you''d be there to talk anytime I needed it.''


    It was the smallest twitch. But it was enough. For less than a second, Battery came to a total halt, and his energy died down. Fairy Queen''s power surged forward, and she blasted her way out of Battery''s hands! The man stumbled back and tried to take a step forward but gasped as suddenly, from behind, a massive sword impaled its way through his back and out the front of his chest.


    Blood poured down Green Wolf''s ruined face. His skull was nearly caved in, and it was hard to tell if his eyes were even still inside his head. Either way, the man had managed to create one last sword and rammed through Battery''s stomach. The blade didn''t last, though, and Green Wolf¡¯s melting body collapsed back onto the ground, vomiting up blood.


    Battery dropped to his knees and threw out a blast of energy in the direction of Fairy Queen, blowing a hole through her chest and destroying one of her wings. She hit the ground rolling across the field of lava they were fighting in, still twitching and rapidly bleeding, as her body finally gave out.


    Green Wolf and Fairy Queen were both down but not dead.


    The blue light around Battery died out, replaced with a golden glow. It meekly began to heal his body, but it didn''t matter. He had two large holes in him. One through the stomach that destroyed most of his organs and one through the chest that barely missed his heart. His left hand was in ruins, and all along his body, cracks grew. The golden light flickered, fading quickly, only managing to ease the pain. His ankles sank into the lava. It wasn¡¯t deep, but it was more than enough.


    He crashed onto his back and stared up at the sun above. Its harsh rays burned his eyes as he wiped the blood out of them, able to see once more. Time was out. He failed to kill Fairy Queen.


    The cracks in his chest began to expand and grow. His flesh was turning a nasty red, and smoke started to rise off of him. His heart was on fire. He was burning up as the golden flames pumped their way into his body. Victorian''s ultimate weapon was about to kill him.


    He heard footsteps, and his eyes barely made out the form of Red Ape. The villain approached slowly and picked up Green Wolf''s mask, slipping it into his pocket. He kicked at Green Wolf for a bit, then quietly managed to get a hand under the man and raise him. The lava had somehow turned into solid rock, likely Fairy Queen¡¯s doing, the woman trying to stop herself from drowning in it. "Guess you''re still alive, boss." Red Ape hummed, holding the torn-in-half, badly burned body of Green Wolf. "Looks like we''re pretty much done here." Red Ape''s eyes met Battery''s, and he nodded slyly. "You were there the day that Cinder attacked my base." Red Ape reached into his coat and placed a jar of black liquid in front of Battery. "I spoke to Doctor Blue, and he told me that this drug was made to replicate a bit of Wish''s regeneration. Not sure if it''ll save you, but be my guest. You can have it. I don''t need it now that I have the doctor."


    "Why?" Battery groaned.


    "I don''t know." Red Ape shrugged and began to walk away, carrying Green Wolf''s body. "I guess the game would be boring without you."


    Battery stared at the jar in silence and reached for it grimly. His fingers wrapped around it, and he felt the burning feeling getting worse in his chest. He let out a low snort. "What a shitty life I had." He took his hand away and rested them at his side.


    Everything began to go dark. It all started to fade to black. He didn''t fight it. He didn''t want to fight it. The image of the beach was still strong in his mind. All he wanted was to end up at that place. To feel the wind on his skin. To not feel like death. To not be alone anymore.


    He just wanted to see his wife again.


    A flicker of light caught his attention. A small fire. It started in the darkness and expanded. He felt lighter and was suddenly on his feet. He walked forward and found himself in front of a campfire.


    "You came a bit early." His head whipped around when he heard the voice. The man''s back was to him, but he still looked exactly like he did the day they fought. "Are you sure you want to be here?" Full Monarch asked softly.


    Battery stepped forward, reaching out with a shaking hand. He still didn''t see the man''s face. Just the back of his head and his cape. "Full Monarch?"


    "I really think you shouldn''t be here yet." He watched the man throw something into the campfire. "After all, you still haven''t finished your promise to me."


    "But I''m-" Jack stopped and sighed, bowing his head. "I''m so tired."


    "Then take a break." Full Monarch''s voice was as bright and bubbly as the kids. Even without seeing his face, he could tell the man was smiling. "There''s no shame in realizing your limits. Someone said that to me once."


    "Well. I think I hit my limit a while ago." Jack rubbed his chest. It didn''t really hurt that much. He took another step forward. "Can I sit down?"


    "When it''s your time, sure."


    "It is my time. I''m not coming back from this."


    "Yeah. You decided not to. Though you forgot about the people who care about you. There are others who made the choice for you."


    "What-"


    The fire began to go out. He felt himself stirring. He was waking up. He felt something on his lips. Something was going down his throat, pushing past all the blood that had built up. The sun above began to burn his eyes as the black void faded. Water flowed over his skin, and he felt the sand beneath him. For a moment, he wondered if he was on the beach. Maybe he really did die. He wasn''t hot anymore. In fact, he felt cold all of a sudden. A chill he had never felt before started in his chest and worked its way through his body.


    "Are you alive?"


    "I kind of wish I wasn''t." He groaned. He was still in a lot of pain. He stared up at Ocean Empress, who pulled away from him. "What did you do?"


    Ocean Empress wiped at her mouth, clearing it of some of his blood. "Reverse CPR."


    "Come again?"


    "Your insides were literally on fire. I forced water into your body, froze the flames, put them out, and got your blood pumping again. I had to manually pump your heart for you, but it finally seems like it''s starting back up. Your own body''s natural healing factor kicked in, ensuring it all works again. If you weren''t a Super, something like this wouldn''t be possible. Even if you were a Super, it would normally still be impossible. I guess it¡¯s because you have the body of a monster that you can run even in a dead state like this.¡±


    He sat up, clutching at his heart. "My body is more like a machine. Part of me breaks down into energy as I use my power, and as long as I have energy, I keep working. It''s one of the reasons I don''t fully bleed when I''m stabbed. A machine can keep working even if it''s damaged as long as the core parts stay together."


    "It''s not a fix." The woman pulled away from him and finally stood up. "I can tell just by looking at you. You''re practically dead already. You''ve damaged yourself more than you can heal. I barely got you up and running again."


    "That''s a cold way of putting it..." Speaking of cold, he looked down at his body. His costume was mostly in one piece. The mask was a little torn on one side, and he had two large holes directly through it. The holes in his body were gone, though. Plugged up with actual ice. She must have tried to piece him back together. His own body was regrowing the parts over the ice and gradually replacing them. He couldn''t regrow organs or heal damage this extensive, but his skin was piecing itself back together, making it look like he was whole. The cracks all along him would be covered up and unseen by all. Only he would even know just how much of his body was basically gone.


    "Why are you even a hero if your body is this screwed up?"


    "How are the others doing?" He bent down and picked up the jar of black liquid that Red Ape had given him. He placed it in his belt, out of sight from Ocean Empress.


    "Don''t dodge the question." Ocean Empress sighed and folded her arms. "It''s all pretty much over. Myth and the others are still dealing with Golden God, but it''s reached a stalemate. Everyone else has pretty much taken down the villain they were fighting. I came to help you take out Fairy Queen, but it looks like that isn''t needed." She kicked out at the body of the unconscious Fairy Queen.


    The villain looked worse than Battery. She wouldn''t be getting back up to fight anytime soon. Not for a few days, at least.


    "So. All that''s left is Wish, then."


    "Yeah." Ocean Empress tied Fairy Queen up with rows of water disks, then froze the girl''s body just for good measure. "All that''s left is Wish."


    Battery sighed and felt the golden energy slowly crackling away at his flesh as he turned his power on. Even using the golden light burned and ached now. Worse than it had ever done before. He had one, maybe two more fights left in him if he was lucky.


    "Alright. We''re putting an end to this tonight. No matter what."

 Chapter Ninety: The Hero Paragon

    "Hey, you guys, think I could somehow create a clone of Cinder?" Red Ape asked, holding up the metal helmet Fairy Queen had taken off of Cinder. During all the fighting, he had swiped it. ¡°Bad guys do stuff like that, right? Like it''s the trope for the super smart villain to make a genetic clone of their rival and then sick it on them?"


    "That implies you''re smart." White Lamb stated bluntly. She rested on Green Wolf''s stomach and poked at what was left of the man''s face. He hadn''t budged or said anything after his ''fight'' with Battery. She had no idea if he was even alive. If he was his life as the leader was over. A good portion of his face was caved in, and his eyes had fallen out. Not to mention, most of the front part of his brain was crushed, and his legs had basically melted off. "What would you even call her clone?"


    "I dunno? Ember?"


    "That¡¯s actually a pretty good name."


    "So, am I the leader of Zoo now, since I''m the last adult left standing?" Red Ape questioned. He slid Cinder''s helmet over his mask and pressed down on the button, causing the face mask to slide over his mouth and give him a distorted voice. "Because I think I can pull off the evil voice wearing this."


    Doc let out a heavy sigh. "First, I was kidnapped by the Hero Branch when I was a young boy. Then, I was kidnapped by Grove and forced to work for the Wandering Coin. Now, here I am being taken away by Zoo. Feels like I downgraded... Why are you taking me, anyway?"


    "Because we''re science bros!" Red Ape said, holding his fist out for a bump, only to awkwardly remember that Doctor Blue was blind and couldn''t see.


    "We should leave before Demonica gets any ideas." White Lamb hummed.


    "Way ahead of you!" Red Ape announced. "I call this one Buber. Like Uber but with bugs."


    Doc pinched the bridge of his nose. He was glad that he couldn''t see the ''ride'' Red Ape had been creating.


    In front of him, hundreds of bugs were twisting and fusing together into a large platform, which Red Ape forced him to step onto. White Lamb kicked Green Wolf''s body onto it and stepped on his back as the bugs began to skitter away and carry them in the direction of the city.


    Red Ape looked back at the large tower in the distance. "So, is this a win for us, or did we lose?"


    "Our boss will never be able to eat solid food ever again, you tell me."


    "Good point!" Red Ape hummed as he watched the tower. "Well, until we meet again, rival."


    Inside the tower, Poseidon stood guard. She couldn¡¯t help but look around at the strange room they were in. It was just her now. Cinder, Paragon, and Wish vanished when they went into Paragon¡¯s fake world. Whatever this place was, it gave her the creeps.


    The metal floor creaked, and she jumped back, turning around and forming a barrier around herself. Standing at the entrance of the tower, covered in scratches and sweat, Mayor Grove stumbled in. He would have had to climb all the way up¡ªa task most people would have given up on.


    Not him, though.


    He was lucky.


    "A¡ªAh, Poseidon." He cleared his throat and wobbled back up to his feet, grabbing at his tie. "How fitting that you''re here. I assume Wish is currently engaged in a battle with Paragon to gain control of the full title of Lord of the Land and Life.¡±


    Poseidon narrowed her eyes and stood up slowly. "You shouldn''t have come in here." She fired a wave of water bullets at the man, but all of them missed. Not because he dodged. He simply walked forward, heading for the stairs, and happened to end up in the perfect place to avoid all of them. "What the- Are you like Whisper?"


    "Sadly, no," the mayor hummed. He reached the bottom of the spiraling staircase that went all the way to the top. "I couldn''t be further away from her. After all, I''m only a mere mortal."


    "What? Are you claiming that you''re not even a Super?"


    "That''s correct." The man chuckled. "I have no power. I''m just a human. As average as they come."


    "Bullshit!"


    "It''s true. I''ve just gotten lucky. No. Actually, that''s a lie." His smile faded for a second. "I don''t think I''ve ever had a lucky day in my life. It hasn''t been luck. Let''s call it Destiny. That works far better. I guess you can say Destiny wants me to win. In order for the story to happen, I must go on."


    "What kind of plot armor BS is that!"


    Her water swirled again and launched a powerful blade of ice. By pure chance, though, a bird flew into the hole, and the shard of ice impaled it, causing the attack to narrowly miss the mayor.


    "Why can''t I hit you? Whisper was able to! You''re cheating!"


    "The issue is that you''re trying to stop me. Whisper wasn''t. She saw the Paths. If she admits it or not, it doesn''t matter, but it''s all been set in stone from the start. The ending to this tale." He began to walk up the stairs and reached into his coat pocket. He felt her trying to mess with his gravity, but he had a way to stop that. He pulled out a disk and chucked it at her. "Better block that if you don''t want to die."


    Poseidon saw the object fly toward her in slow motion. It began to beep rapidly. She had a choice to make. She''d likely tank the explosion and be fine. She could increase his gravity, stop him in his tracks, or block the attack. She¡¯d be able to take the blast, but could the tower? If it tumbled and came down, what would happen to her sister when they appeared back in the real world? With a sigh, she created a bubble of water around the disk and froze it in order to stop the blast. It worked, containing the explosion, but it had done its job. She lost sight of the mayor as the blast went off.


    The tower rumbled, but her barrier held firm. As soon as the blast ended, she pushed forward, ignoring the massive amount of pain she was in. She heard the mayor running as he made a beeline for the top of the stairs. She ran to the bottom but quickly created another barrier as he chucked another explosive disk at her.


    She blocked it again, but the tower shook even more. It wouldn''t be able to hold out. Even worse, the mayor seemed to figure the same thing out and chucked another one at a support beam. "Take one step forward, and I will bring this entire place crashing down!"


    "Oh, screw you," Poseidon grunted.


    She tried to take another step forward, but black blood poured down her mouth as she nearly vomited and collapsed to her knees. She had taken a strong blow from Wish, one that she hadn¡¯t recovered from. Her organs were a mess. She really didn¡¯t have the strength to fight like this. Especially not when the bastard was crazy enough to blow this entire place to bits just to get her.


    She turned to look back at the spot where Cinder and Paragon had been. By now, the two were no doubt in the middle of fighting Wish. ¡°For better or for worse. Good luck, Cinder. You seriously better not lose.¡±


    ***


    The plan had been simple: Weaken Wish enough so that Paragon could absorb her in the dream world. She had come up with the plan after Poseidon told her. Paragon mentioned that when Wish was first defeated by Mr. Larison and Myth, she ended up in the dream world.


    During that point, Paragon had actually vanished, and no one was able to find her. As if she actually stepped foot in another world.


    Honestly, she had been gambling on whether this would work or not, but she was relieved when she saw the pissed-off look on Wish''s face. Cinder put on her best Victorian smile and ignited the fire around her. Her hair was already golden, and her eyes burned with a red flame. "Ready for a rematch, Wish?"


    Wish''s angry look quickly faded, and the girl sneered. "You already lost to me once? And that was before I got an upgrade." The girl reached up and stroked a pair of horns that poked out of her head. "I don''t know if you noticed or not, but I''m a hundred times stronger now."


    "Still lost in the real world."


    "Dumbass. I didn''t take that fight seriously. I knew that if I died, I''d get a shot at taking my full power back." Wish glared past Cinder and directly into Paragon''s eyes. The girl wasn''t blind in here. "You''ve only doomed your little girlfriend here. Once I absorb you, Sky, I''ll just turn around and absorb Cindy here and become the Lord of Life and the Lord of the Sun."


    "You know the Emperor tried something like that as well." Paragon hummed. "He tried absorbing Max Lightning and becoming the Lord of the Sky. It didn''t go well for him, though. I hear he was sliced apart by his own creation."


    "Too bad I''m not the Emperor." Wish stepped forward, and her head spun as well as her body, snapping and breaking as it came all the way around. It began to stretch out almost like a snake, and her back tore apart as wings unfolded. "I''m much worse." The bones formed large plating around her flesh, and claws jutted out. A tail started to expand out of her rear, and she got nearly ten times bigger. The bones formed into jagged black scales that hummed with an evil heat.


    "Did she just turn into a dragon!" She asked in shock. ¡°That¡¯s so cool, and also so not good for us!¡±


    Paragon blinked, a little taken aback. "We might have a harder time than we thought."


    She didn¡¯t back down and stared up at the Wish dragon. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lose.¡±


    Paragon had brought her to this dream world before. It had been so beautiful, filled with a long sea of flowers and a sun that wouldn''t stop shining. Paragon had been like a goddess during that time. Able to do nearly anything. Not anymore, though. Wish was in charge. Everything was dead, and the sky was blocking out the sun, leaving them in endless darkness. The shadowy dead field twisted and obeyed the girl''s command as Wish roared out, now transformed into a massive black dragon.


    Wish''s jaws opened, and a wave of green liquid blasted out of her mouth. She grabbed Paragon and picked the girl up, jumping out of the way just in time. The place they had been standing broke away and dissolved as the acid ate away at the world.


    "Geez. She really did just become a black dragon, huh?" She blasted fire from the bottom of her feet and sent herself flying in the direction of the woods. She dropped down and placed the healer on the ground at the entrance to the forest. "Run and hide," she said.


    "What?" Paragon shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not going to seriously try and fight Wish by yourself, are you?¡±


    "If she kills you, then it''s all over," She explained. She reached out and gripped Paragon¡¯s shoulders. "You don''t have as much control as you do normally, and she''d take you out in one shot. I can''t fight her and protect you at the same time."


    "Do you really think you can beat her?"


    She turned away and gave a slight shrug. "I''m going to try. Besides." She turned back to look at Paragon and gave him a grin. "Remember what you told me when you first took me to this place? I don''t have to worry about anyone in here. I can cut loose." She cracked her knuckles and dropped down to a crouch. "Do you remember the plan we discussed?"


    Paragon nodded her head. "Of course I do. But do you even have a plan of your own?"


    "Yeah. I''m just going to win!" She blasted high into the air, going up as much as she could. Fire streamed out of her hands and feet. She still couldn''t fly, but this was a close second. Wish was already in the air, having tried to find them. "Hey, ugly! Up here!"


    Wish''s head turned to look at her, and the girl''s wings flapped as she flew in the direction of where she was. Wish¡¯s eyes narrowed when it locked onto her enemy. The flame-based hero was getting higher and higher and soon broke past the clouds, truly testing just how expansive this dream realm was. "So, you''re the one I''ll absorb first?" Wish asked, her voice rumbling in the air around them. "No matter. At the end of this day, I assure you, I will be a Lord of something!"This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    All at once, she shut off her fire and began to fall back toward the ground. She spun through the air and rammed her hand forward as soon as she reached Wish. The dragon roared and tore its tail through the air. She pressed a button on her wrist, bringing up her shield just in time. Wish''s tail slammed into her, and she blocked most of the blow. It was still strong enough to shove her back and send her flying through the sky.


    As she dropped, she stopped her fall by firing a chain made out of fire out of her hand. It wrapped around Wish''s body, and she launched fire out of her feet, swinging herself over the beast and tying the chain around Wish''s wings, stopping her from being able to fly. She stood on the dragon''s back, and they both began to fall to the land below. Wish''s head twisted all the way around, the neck getting even longer, allowing the dragon to bite at her.


    She blocked the strike with her shield and still held onto the chain as they approached the ground. Wish hissed, and her maws opened, firing out another wave of thick acid. She wisely decided not to test her shield''s durability and instead let go of the chain and jumped off of the dragon¡¯s back as the acid fired through the air. Flames blasted out of her feet, shooting her back into the air. Wish''s wings unfolded just in time to allow the villain to glide over the ground and take to the skies once more. As she fell, she created a bow of fire and launched her arrows out in an effort to down the dragon, though it barely slowed Wish down.


    "Remember when we first fought, and you decided to randomly kiss me?"


    "Are you wanting another one? Sorry, but I''m not really into crazy girls-"


    "Aw! That''s too bad." Wish flew over her and rammed one of her clawed hands directly into her back. She came down hard and slammed into the ground, groaning. She rolled over onto her back but didn''t have enough time to stand up. Wish landed on the ground and placed one of her feet over her body, pressing her down into the ground. "I wasn''t asking. Pucker up hot stuff." Wish went to open her mouth to spew out her wave of acid, but she managed to raise her hand first.


    The golden fire seeped out and took shape, forming into a giant backpack that opened up above her. The acid began to spew, and the bag rose up, wrapped itself around the dragon''s snout, and sealed shut, blocking it off. She raised her other arm up and used the shield as a makeshift blade, ramming it down onto the hand that was pinning her. The metal heated up from her fire, allowing her to slice through it, and her flames ate away at the rest of it, blowing the limb to bits and causing the dragon to shift slightly. Wish forced her mouth open, destroying the flaming hand that was grabbing her, and sprayed out acid once again, but she was already moving away.


    "Sit still!" Wish growled, already regrowing her missing limb. ¡°I want to drown you in my fluids!¡±


    ¡°Pause! You can¡¯t just say stuff like that girl!¡± She called out. She ran across the ground at inhuman speeds. They were in the field of dead flowers, so she had plenty of room and places to go. "I will say, though, I wasn''t expecting the whole dragon form. It''s pretty cool. Honestly, though, acid is never the way to go for a real dragon." She turned around once she had some distance and watched as Wish ran toward her. Every step the beast took practically shook the dream world that they were in. "Everyone knows fire is what a dragon really uses. I don¡¯t have a dragon, but I do have something pretty cool that I can show you.¡±


    Her golden fire came back. It ignited around her body for a second, lighting it up before it expanded and grew off of her. Just like when she created the backpack out of fire, she commanded the flames to take shape. They twisted and molded together directly behind her. Mr. Larison had his weird astral avatar form, where he would create Giant limbs, and she had copied that once before. She created her own astral avatar forged from fire. Something Wish had seen already.


    The golden flames took shape into a massive, forty-foot-tall backpack. The backpack had large arms and legs that came out of it, and it flexed, showing off its guns. She stood all the way on top of her creation and folded her arms. ¡°Get ready. I¡¯m about to pull off a move from my favorite fighting game!¡± Her backpack placed its hands together at its side, causing a large ball of golden fire to appear between its palms. It stepped forward, shaking the ground, and launched its arms out, sending out a massive golden beam of energy.


    The black dragon''s eyes narrowed, and Wish opened her mouth, shooting an equally impressive beam of compressed acid. Both attacks met in the middle and blew the ground around them to bits as they clashed. Slowly, though, the fire began to overpower the acid, eating away at it and pushing forward. Wish howled in pain as the attack washed over her and the fire blasted through her mouth. Part of the villain¡¯s head caught fire, and it whipped around wildly. The backpack took a step forward and put more power behind its attack, causing the massive energy beam to grow in size.


    Dozens of meters away, Paragon made a face as she watched the goofy bag begin to burn Wish into ash. ¡°I still don¡¯t get why she has a weird obsession with backpacks." In the fight with Lucifer, Full Monarch had created a bunch of animals made out of fire, so it was possible, though it was still a pretty goofy idea all things considered.


    Despite the pain and burning sensation, Wish forced herself through the golden fire. The dragon slammed forward and clawed out, cutting into the backpack. The energy beam died out, and the backpack dropped to its knees, clutching at its stomach, which gushed out random school supplies that were also made of fire. Wish glared only to realize at the last second that Cinder no longer stood on the backpack.


    Up in the air, Cinder began to fall to the ground, having jumped off of her giant bag a while ago. The girl brought her hand up and saluted. ¡°Your sacrifice won¡¯t be in vain, Baggy. I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡±


    Wish¡¯s eyes narrowed as the bag began to swell up with a golden energy. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me-¡± The backpack exploded with a mighty force, unleashing all of its energy and scorching the ground. Cinder brought her shield up, using it to block most of the force of the blast, which sent her flying back for over a mile. She slammed across a pond made of blood, skipping across it like a rock, and reached the other side, smashing through the ground and forming a mini-crater.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again.¡± She groaned. Even though Baggy¡¯s explosion had been her plan, she hadn¡¯t expected to be flung so far back. She wasn¡¯t holding any of her power back in here. In the real world she constantly only used about thirty or forty percent of her power to not hurt her teammates, but in here, against Wish, she truly got to go all out. Speaking of Wish¡­


    ¡°I will turn your mug into my cup!¡± The dragon roared and came stomping out of the mushroom cloud that had been formed by the blast.


    She rolled over, got back onto her feet, and lifted her shield. The fire started to slowly swirl around it and burn hotter. It formed into a massive disk, and she swung her arm forward, firing it out. The same attack she used on Mars King''s body when Paragon first took her here.


    The disk of fire expanded, growing bigger and hotter, and Wish stood up just in time for it to hit her. The dragon was still in the middle of recovering and wasn''t able to move out of the way fast enough. It cut straight through Wish, severing her legs, and most of her body was ripped in two. The villain crashed back down and screamed once more. Cinder yelled too and fired herself into the air, then blasted her flames out of her hand and slammed herself directly into the head of Wish, breaking through most of the skull.


    Half of her body sank into what she assumed was the creature''s brain. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as the fire began to flow over her skin. Every part of her became cloaked in fire, as if the sun had taken on a human form. She had done this once before in her first fight with Wish. They say that Full Monarch was always cloaked in a bright blue fire that covered his flesh entirely. Her fire was golden, and she couldn''t keep it up for long; in fact, it only flickered on for a second, but it was more than enough.


    Her fire reached the same temperature as the sun and expanded out in a massive orb, burning every drop of Wish away and ripping apart most of the ground beneath them. It was so hot that it even managed to catch the air itself on fire and send out an ocean of heat waves in all directions. She had been leading Wish away from the forest for this very reason. The orb tore Wish''s atoms to bits and turned her less than dust, brightening up the black sky, and then, in an instant, it was all gone.


    Cinder breathed heavily as her fire went out. Her hair faded from blonde to black, but she shook her head and steeled herself, forcing her form back on. "H¡ªHow do you like that? I call it going supernova. I literally became a mini-sun. Can¡¯t do stuff like that in the real world since it would kill everyone around me for a few miles. Not you, though. You can come on out. I''ve dealt with you enough times to know that''s not how it ends."


    The darkness came back as the fire around them faded. Slowly, a large hand rose out of it as the black dragon reformed out of the planet''s ground. It let out a loud chuckle and cocked its head to the side, glaring down at her. "I didn''t scatter any of my cells. How did you know I could revive myself in this place?"


    She snorted and stared up at the beast as it glared down at her. Her arms ignited with fire, and she gripped down on her shield even harder. "Paragon told me how this place works. When she''s in charge of it, her real body is somewhere else, dreaming up this realm. I figured it''d be the same with you since you''re now the one in charge." Also, there was no way the universe would throw her a bone and make the fight end that easily.


    "If you know that, then you know that it''s impossible for you to win." The dragon chuckled. "I can revive an infinite number of times no matter what you do to me."


    She was acting tough, but the truth was, she was low on power. Using the supernova and Baggy were extremely draining. Using both back to back and keeping her Lord form up was asking for trouble. Her blonde hair was flickering, changing from black back to blonde, but she refused to let the power fade. Her eyes kept burning with the fiery red glow of her Lord form.


    Wish stared down at her with a cocked head. The dragon almost seemed to sneer at her. ¡°You¡¯re out of options and tricks, Cindy. I¡¯ve seen through you. This won¡¯t be like the last fight where you keep pressing me.¡±


    "I''m not out of this fight just yet-¡±


    "I think you are."


    She gasped as the ground around her suddenly rose up and blades of thin bone stabbed into her arms and legs. They tore through her and spilled her blood, causing her to drop. The ground surged up like chains and pulled her down, and the dragon lazily placed its foot on her head.


    "Did you really think that you stood a chance in here? Within this place, I truly am God!" The claws of the monster stabbed down into her back and pressed down, nearly snapping her spine and causing her to scream. "I was playing around before. The moment we took the battle to this place was the moment you lost. I control all that you see. I could attack you from any direction at any time, and there''s not a damn thing you can do. I can come back any number of times that I fall; I am unbeatable!" Wish''s claw fully stabbed into her back, and she was lifted up. Wish flicked her wrist lazily, but that was more than enough to send her flying off of the claw.


    She hit the ground and rolled across it, going far. Every time she bounced off of the ground, the rocks cut away at more of her flesh, biting and gnawing at her as if they were alive. She finally came to a stop, but Wish was already on her. The dragon came down from the air and smashed its paw back down onto her. Bits of acid dripped down the beast''s maw and splashed down onto her flesh, burning tiny holes into her body.


    She was reminded of her battle with Intake. How helpless she had truly been in that fight. Despite the bad memory though, she laughed.


    Wish stopped and glared down at her. ¡°Did you go insane? Huh? Your brain get fried or something? Stop laughing, you dumb bitch!¡±


    Her laughter only grew stronger as she was shoved further into the ground.


    Wish growled and applied more force, shoving her body deeper into the ground. "Say it. Say that I''m stronger! That I''ve beaten you! That I''ve done what the Emperor never could and won in a battle with the Lord of the Sun! Quit laughing and say that I beat you!" Her head was thrown back, and she was laughing her ass off as if the most hilarious thing just happened. "You''re about to die! What could be so funny! Stop laughing!¡±


    She reached up, still chuckling, and wiped away some tears in her eyes. "Sorry. It''s just that I find it so funny that literally every villain I''ve fought has made the same mistake." She stared up into the dragon''s eyes, her fiery red ones causing the beast to step back. "You always forget to pay attention to the person on the sidelines."


    Pain. White-hot and blinding. It all came from out of nowhere. That was the only way Wish could describe what she just felt.


    "Seriously. What''s with you, bad guys, thinking that we heroes will play fair? Did you really think Paragon wouldn''t try and get revenge on you after what you did with her sister?" She slowly stood up, grabbing her damaged gut. "I hope you suffer. I hope it hurts."


    Wish felt a wave of agony smash into her from all sides. The dragon felt its eyes go wide, and it gasped as the scales around it began to drip down its form and it started to melt. It was breaking apart, and Wish stared down. Her vision twisted and changed. A sword was stabbed directly into her throat.


    Looks like Wish really wasn''t that godlike.


    A few moments earlier...


    "If it''s anything like mine, then it should be over here..." Paragon walked through the dead forest. All around her, she could hear the sounds of Cinder''s fight. The girl really wasn''t holding back and was using everything she had to put Wish down. It wouldn''t keep the false Lord dead for long, though¡ªnot as long as her core was intact. "There you are."


    In her world, she kept it here. Deep within the woods was where she allowed her actual body to reside. Or at least the mental avatar that was her body. She would sleep, take control of this world, and make copies of herself that were stronger than even her sister. If Wish truly was like her, then it''d be the same.


    Though the world was dead and gray, everything was how she left it. The forest opened up, and twisting branches formed a wooden slab directly in the middle. She had based it on an old fairy tale. Wish''s body was on the slab. The girl''s snow-white hair was braided back, and her arms were folded over her chest. Her eyes were closed, and it was hard to tell if she was dead or alive. She wore a long black dress, one woven from dead plants.


    The dead ground was particularly strong around Wish, dried-out husks of plants rising up like phantom hands as if to stop anyone who got too close to the sleeping girl.


    Paragon crouched down and placed her palm on the ground. Even from where she was, she could feel the intense heat wave that Cinder had created. She wasn''t as strong as Cinder. She knew that. She might not ever be. She just wanted a portion, though. A sliver of the girl''s true power. "Just give me enough strength to put an end to this nightmare."


    She didn''t have as much control over the realm as she normally had. In fact, she barely had any¡ªjust enough to cause the plants to break away from the part of the ground her hand touched. She felt something brush against her palm, and she raised up the blade of Nier as it came out of the ground, which allowed her to summon it. Avalon''s words still rang through her mind.


    "Give me the power to be a superhero!" She ran forward and swung the sword out, cutting through the vines, and she jumped up onto the table where Wish''s sleeping form was. She twisted the sword around and brought it down, stabbing it directly into Wish''s neck.


    Wish''s eyes snapped wide open, staring at the sword in her throat. She gurgled a bit, and a look of pure rage came onto the Lord of Life¡¯s face. Her power swelled up, and Wish tried to scream, but it was more of a gurgle as blood gushed down her mouth and neck.


    Paragon''s yell mixed with Wish''s as she drove the blade forward. Bones formed into blades and stabbed at her, but she fought through the urge to jump away and twisted the blade! "This is where you die!"


    Wish''s head flew into the air, severed from her body¡­

 Chapter Ninety-One: The Lord Of Land And Life

    Wish''s head hit the forest floor and rolled forward. Of course, it wasn''t that easy. Her headless body kicked out, and Paragon grunted as the leg smashed into her side and threw her back.


    The flowers rippled and bubbled, seeping across the ground as the body stood up and grabbed its head, placing it back on. "Did you really think that would work?"


    "No." Paragon shook her head. "I figured you''d shrug it off. It woke you up, though."


    "So, what!"


    "So, you''re not dreaming anymore. This is the real you. Once it''s dead, you''re gone for good." Paragon stood back up and pointed her sword forward. "It''s kind of fitting you were a dragon earlier. Looks like I''m the knight that''s going to slay you!"


    Wish let out a snort, and her face twitched into a sneer. "You''re more like the damsel in distress." Her shoulder opened up, and slowly, the handle of a sword pulled its way out of her body. Wish gripped it and pulled out a blade made out of bone. It snapped off of her body, and the villain pointed it at Paragon. "En garde."


    Wish moved her legs fast, boosting herself forward and stretching. She swung the bone sword out, and it met Paragon''s sword head-on. Paragon was just a normal human for the most part. Especially in a realm she didn''t have any control of. On top of that, it was clear she had never fought before. Her swings were too large and sloppy, completely whiffing every time she struck out at Wish. She''d have to seriously ask Battery or Metal Ronin for tips on how to properly use a sword if she made it out of this situation alive.


    Wish easily blocked and weaved out of the way of the strikes, a smirk on her lips. She ran her bone sword up and made a small cut across Paragon''s face. "What''s wrong? Do you have nothing to say?" The false Lord taunted.


    "Is it too much to ask for a normal fight where we just silently glare at each other and try to kill one another?"


    "Of course it is!" Wish''s torso expanded and her upper body stretched out. It spun around at a fast speed, causing her sword to rip through the air. Paragon jumped back and raised her sword up, narrowly blocking the spinning blade that was now coming at her. Her arms shook and ached, each hit bouncing her sword up and forcing her to quickly bring it back down. As Wish spun, her other hand folded up, and from the elbow, another bone blade stabbed out. The blunt edge of it slammed directly into Paragon''s skull and nearly broke her neck.


    Paragon was sent flying back and crashed head-first into a tree. She slumped down and groaned as blood trickled down her face. She couldn''t heal herself or mess with her body the way Wish could. The girl really was just a better version of herself. That didn''t mean she was willing to give up, though.


    Paragon rolled out of the way just in time as Wish''s arm expanded and stretched out, slapping at the spot where the healer had been. The tree exploded and crashed down as the giant limb easily smashed through it. Paragon cut out with her sword and severed the arm, breaking it off.


    "Did someone forget I can heal?" Wish snickered.


    "Nope. But I think you forgot that I''m also able to mess with life." Paragon slammed her palm down onto the giant severed limb. It twitched, and her nose began to bleed badly as she forced her power into it. The entire arm seemed to suddenly come to life, the fingers stabbing into the ground and dragging itself forward. Then, it turned around and crawled after Wish.


    "Seriously?" Wish dodged out of the way of her rogue arm, which attempted to swipe at her. "This is your big plan?" Her limb finished regrowing, and she raised it up, causing it to become even bigger than the one that was attacking her. She smashed it down and crushed the arm. "Easy peasy-"


    Wish froze when she saw Paragon duck down. The arm she struck suddenly bloated and exploded, unleashing hundreds of fragmented bone spikes. Wish grunted as they stabbed all along her body and shoved her back a bit. Her skin twitched and shimmered across her body, and the bone shards slowly dropped out of her, and her wounds began to heal.


    Paragon charged her suddenly, and Wish took a swipe with her bone sword, her arm expanding in length; however, Paragon dropped to her knees and slid under it. The healer stabbed her sword up and impaled it directly through Wish''s mouth. It came out of the back of her head, and Wish just rolled her eyes and pulled it out. Paragon kicked off of Wish and rolled away, now unarmed.


    Wish''s face finished healing, and she dropped her bone sword, now pointing at Paragon with the blade of the Emperor. "Let''s be real for a second. You''re not beating me."


    "If you really want to talk, we can discuss the fact that you still fail at learning the most basic of lessons."


    "What?"


    ¡°You forgot about the hero on the sidelines.¡±


    ¡°Huh-¡±


    Cinder''s hand grabbed Wish''s arm as the flame hero crashed down. She pulled the limb back and forced Wish to decapitate herself with the sword, then easily ripped the limb off and shoved Wish away with her other hand. Fire blasted out of her palm and washed over Wish''s form, burning it as the girl scrambled to heal.


    Paragon ran forward and placed her hands on Cinder''s back, using her power to close the girl''s wounds and fix her up the best she could, though she still had an issue with properly fixing up the wounds Wish inflicted. "That won''t keep her down for too long," Paragon said quickly. "She''s going to transform into her Lord form again. I can''t fully heal you, so you''ll be damaged. That''s okay, though. I just need about a minute, maybe two, and I think I can end this issue for good."


    Cinder nodded and handed the sword back to Paragon. "I''ll give you more than enough time. My life is in your hands."


    Wish''s form wasn''t burning anymore. Even as the fire ran over. The girl''s arm and head came back, and horns grew out of the side of her head. Plants rose up and twisted around her, coating her entire skin in skintight black roots. Large, jagged claws grew out of the tips of her fingers, and she batted the air so hard it twisted the fire around her as she slowly walked forward.


    "So, you went from a Dragon to a plant Demon?" Cinder asked, raising an eyebrow. Wish was covered head to toe in inky black lines that kept twisting along her body. Large demonic horns stabbed out of the girl¡¯s head, and a new tail formed, which flicked back and forth lazily.


    "I prefer Devil!" Wish blasted forward with godlike speed and brought her clawed hand down on her. Her shield unfolded, and she raised it just in time. The claws dug into the metal, chipping it a bit, but the shield held strong. She put all her force into her arm and shoved Wish back.


    "Go, Paragon! I got this!" Fire blasted from her feet, and she rammed herself into Wish''s body. She wrapped her arms around the girl and sent them crashing through dozens of trees, getting as far away from Paragon as she could. Wish grunted and raised her hand up and brought it down on her back, reopening her wounds. She screamed, and her fire went out.


    Wish broke out of her grip as they crashed through the woods, and the villain slammed her other hand forward, trying to impale her on the claws. She managed to suck in her stomach and turn to the side, the attack only grazing her. She swung her shield out and slammed it upside Wish''s head and caused the demon to stumble back. With her other hand, she created a sword made of fire and swung it out, slashing into the side of Wish.


    Or at least that had been her plan. The roots literally caught the fire and tore it apart, the plants devouring it. So much for fire types beating grass types...


    Wish''s mouth opened wide, and the villain spewed out another wave of acid. She rammed her shield into the girl''s face and used it to block most of the stream, but some of it still splashed down onto her foot, causing her to hiss. She replaced her sword of fire with a spear and rammed it forward directly into Wish''s gut. She wasn''t able to impale the girl, but she did manage to throw her away.


    As Wish stumbled back, the girl''s body twisted and turned in unnatural ways, her joints snapping and reaching further than they should. The girl racked her claws through the air so fast she sent out thin blades of air. She had seen Cinder do something like this by punching the air hard enough to send out a wall of pure force. This was almost like Green Wolf''s power, in a way.


    Cinder blocked one of the strikes, but the other one clipped her shoulder, splitting it open. She threw her spear at Wish, but the girl batted it out of the air with her clawed hand, destroying it with ease. "Let''s see how your plants feel about this!" She took a deep breath and then screamed out as loud as she could. She put all the effort her enhanced lungs could muster into the scream. The wave of sound exploded from her and destroyed the nearby trees and forest floor. It rammed into Wish, and the girl actually screamed out as the sound wave vibrated through their armor.


    Wish clutched at her ears, but it wasn¡¯t able to block the attack out. The sound was forcing its way into the girl¡¯s body, blowing up her organs and ears. Wish¡¯s body struggled to heal, and that was when Cinder struck out. All at once she stopped her yelling, her throat bleeding now. She skated forward with inhuman speed, copying the way Battery would run, and appeared next to Wish.


    Wish''s hands stabbed toward her, but the girl¡¯s brain had been fried from the screaming, so the swing totally missed. The energy swirled around her shield, and she brought it up so fast it split the demon in two. Wish''s body was forced into the air, and she turned her shield off. Her hands appeared at her side, mimicking the same move her giant Baggy had done. An orb of fire began to flicker into existence. Her hands wrapped around the orb, and it began to expand in size, crackling wildly. Right as Wish began to fall out of the sky, she rammed her hands out and unleashed the attack, blasting out a massive orange laser.


    Wish was in the middle of putting herself back together when it hit her. The orange light burned through the girl¡¯s plants and fried her insides, blasting her through the forest and sending her miles back.


    The gold in Cinder''s hair faded out, and her eyes lost their fire. She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t get herself to change back. She had hit her limit a while ago. "Damn. If only Armin was here. He¡¯d have loved to see that..."


    The snapping of a branch caused her to look up, meeting Wish''s gaze. The devil walked forward, brushing itself off, and cocked its head to the side. "Well. I''d like to say it''s been fun, but that''d be a lie." The villain rammed her hand down, but it never reached her, a pale hand snapping out to stop it in its tracks. Paragon''s grip grew tighter around Wish''s wrist and snapped it. "What the hell?¡±


    The red-haired girl smirked and rammed her fist into Wish''s stomach. The monster nearly vomited, not expecting the strength of the strike. Wish growled and slashed up with her claws, tearing them into Paragon. Paragon was torn open from stomach to face. Or at least she should have been. The branches in the shape of Paragon dropped to the ground as Paragon appeared behind Wish and slammed the Emperor¡¯s sword into the girl''s back.


    Wish stumbled away and swung out, ripping Paragon''s head off, but again, wood dropped to the floor as Paragon was suddenly standing a few feet away. "I think we should give ourselves a change of scenery." Paragon snapped, and the entire world seemed to rumble and twist.


    The dead vanished.


    That was the only way Cinder could describe it. A field of flowers expanded out and grew in all directions. The trees put themselves back together and rose higher, as if standing at attention. The gray sky above broke and crumbled as rays of sunlight came crashing down, painting everything in gold. In the center of it all, Paragon stood tall, gripping her sword. The light seemed to almost bend and twist around her, like a goddess coming to life.


    "You have control again; I take it?" She asked.


    "Yeah.¡± Paragon gave a soft smile. ¡°I needed to fall asleep, which took me a bit. Ended up hitting myself in the head super hard until I blacked out. I''ll pay for it later, but it''ll help."


    "It''ll be fine, though, because these are just dream avatar bodies, right?"


    Paragon shook her head. "Nope. Sorry. Any damage we take in here is reflected on our real bodies."


    Cinder winced a little and rubbed her stomach, which was filled with tiny holes. She really didn''t feel that good. "Man, I seriously hope you can fix this when we''re out of here then. Now that you''re in charge, can you just erase her from existence?"


    Wish''s eyes locked onto Paragon''s, and both girls began to circle each other slowly. Paragon shook her head. "It doesn''t work like that. I can absorb a target only after truly defeating them in here. It''s what stopped her from just blinking us away when she was in charge. She was also way stronger than I was and could do a lot more than I could. Even as I am now, I doubt I could actually put her down for good."


    "So, what do we do then?"


    "I''ll let you know when I figure it out!"


    Wish got tired of their talking and charged forward, swinging her claws out. Paragon was way faster now and blocked them with her sword. Both girls went back and forth, cutting and tearing one another apart. Wish would simply recover, and a new Paragon would pop out of thin air and keep the fight going. It could have gone on forever; neither really had a way of losing energy. As they fought, though, they tore their way through the forest.


    Cinder watched them on her knees. Her body ached. Standing was tiring at the moment. Despite that, though, she kept track of them, watching them head in a familiar direction. "Paragon! She''s trying to get to your body and wake you up!"


    "I noticed!"


    They were less than a mile away from where Paragon''s form slumbered on the wooden slab. Wish gave a twisted smile and allowed Paragon''s sword to cut through her. She batted the girl away so hard she blew off Paragon''s arms and dropped to all fours, making a break for the sleeping girl.


    Paragon appeared in front of her and held her sword out, but Wish didn''t back down, gladly impaling herself on the weapon and ripping her way through Paragon. Her claws tore the girl in half, and she stumbled out on the other side, half a mile away. Again and again, Paragon''s appeared doing their best to stop her, but Wish would either kill them in a single shot or throw them away from her with ease. No matter how many of her own limbs got torn off or cut up, she''d simply regrow and heal them.


    Paragon simply didn''t have the destructive force to wipe out someone who healed this fast. Even binding her didn''t work. Roots and branches stabbed out of the ground and wrapped around Wish, tying the girl up, but Wish''s jaw simply unhinged, and she vomited up a second Wish that crashed to the ground and took off running again. The first Wish broke down and faded away as the second one got closer to her goal.


    The forest seemed to bend and twist to Paragon''s will. Wooden logs formed around the body of the unconscious Paragon, forming a barrier around her. The trees started to crack, and something began to rise out of the world. Massive and forged from plants and trees, it was a goliath¡ªbigger than a mountain. It was a girl¡ªa giant¡ªmade out of the planet itself. Somewhere deep within, Paragon slumbered, creating the same weapon she had used to kill Mars King. It was over one hundred meters tall and in the shape of Paragon, forged out of the land itself.


    Wish didn''t even seem phased. Large black wings formed out of the devil''s back, and she took flight. Her body spun through the air as the giant raised its arm up and brought it down. The wind twisted and formed around her as her claws hummed, and she rammed herself up into the hand that came down. Like a drill, Wish cracked it and began to break into it. Vines and other plants tried to attack her, wooden spikes attempting to impale her, but she walked through them or cut them down with her claws. Acid spewed out of her mouth, tearing her way further into the plant woman''s giant body.


    "I know that you''re in here somewhere, Sky!" Wish yelled out in a sing-song voice. "It''s only a matter of time until I find you!"


    The giant form rumbled and rose out of the ground more. Down below, Cinder stared up at it with wide eyes. "God damn! She had this in her back pocket? How is her sister the one that''s becoming an Enforcer this year?" Paragon was way stronger than she thought. Or at least in here, she was.


    She stared up at the giant form as it looked down at her and began to reach out in her direction. Its fingers stabbed into the ground, and it easily tore everything apart, ripping a chunk of the planet out of the ground. She stood on her plot of land with shaking legs as it raised her up.


    "Do you have a way for me to help, Sky?" She called out.


    "Maybe." Sky''s voice shook the planet, and she had to clutch her ears as the sound wave alone nearly blasted her back. "It''s risky, though-"


    "Yeah, okay!" she yelled back. ¡°I''ll do it; just no talking!" The form nodded and then raised its arm behind its head. Its foot raised off the ground, and it craned its back, looking up at the sky. It almost looked like it was about to... "Uh, Sky... You''re not about to throw me out of orbit, are you?"If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    That was indeed what Sky had planned.


    Cinder screamed as the giant threw the land; she was on with a fastball special. The entire land instantly exploded and crumbled; it was not made to be thrown at such speeds. As for her, she was sent rocketing forward faster than she had ever moved. Her skin burned, and it almost felt like it was going to rip off of her body. She had no control over her direction. She spun out of control, getting higher and higher, and the burning got worse and mixed with a chill so bad she swore Snowdawn was attacking her.


    She broke past the clouds in a second, and all at once, faster than her mind could even process, gravity ceased to hold onto her. It was the same feeling as when Poseidon had used her power to allow them to fly. She was in outer fucking space.


    Ice rapidly formed over her flesh, and she could feel her lungs popping and expanding as the vacuum of space was literally ripping the oxygen out of her. If not for the fact that she was a Super, she''d be dead instantly. She became aware of two things as she still kept going up.


    The first was that Paragon''s world was small¡ªway smaller than Earth. It might have been about as big as Oleander City at most. Second, there was nothing else out in space other than a single sun, which was way smaller, way closer, and still somehow just as hot as she pictured the real sun being. Also, she was very quickly approaching said sun at breakneck speeds.


    Her flesh caught on fire. Not the good kind, though. This one began to eat away at her suit and rip her flesh apart. She wasn''t even able to scream since she was in space. She tried to turn her power on, but it failed. She was in too much pain to think straight. Her eyes felt like they were about to explode, and for some reason, she found herself thinking back to that time on the roof with Mr. Larison.


    She''d have liked to do more of that. Not just with him but the others as well.


    Then...


    She hit the sun.


    Wish tore through more of the wood, clawing away at it all and spitting up an ocean of acid. Her dead plants came to life, forming hands and scythes that tore everything down. She destroyed everything faster than Paragon could put it back together. More Paragons appeared and rained down on her, but Wish batted her hand, and the wind ripped them all apart.


    Even not being in control, the world seemed to awaken her senses. It guided her, and she smirked as her claws tore away at another part of the wall, breaking it away. She stumbled into a sizable bedchamber-looking room. Paragon rested on a bed, sleeping peacefully. In front of her, another Paragon stood, gripping her weapon.


    "End of the road."


    "It isn''t over yet!" Paragon yelled. She charged forward and swung her sword out.


    Wish lazily blocked it and tore her hand forward, ripping the Paragon in two. "Yeah. It is." She jumped up and landed on the bed, bringing her claws down. Paragon''s eyes snapped open, the dream ending. The girl rolled out of the way just in time and swung her sword out, but it bounced off of Wish''s enhanced flesh.


    Just like when Wish woke up, the world remained the way it had been left at. It was still filled with life and sunshine; however, now that she was awake, nothing was keeping the giant held together, and the thing began to break apart and crumble, shattering to dust. She felt herself start to fall, and it was a long way down. Wings grew out of Wish''s back, and the devil used them to stop her fall, but that was something Paragon was unable to do.


    She felt herself smash into wooden walls that broke apart. She''d hit a floor only for it to break apart, and her fall would keep going. Her giant came crumbling down, and she smashed through trees before finally slamming back first onto the ground. She groaned, feeling several of her bones snap and break. Everything hurt. Wish slowly landed down in front of the girl.


    "Welp." Wish gave a sly smirk, pulling back the vines around her face to reveal the grin she held. "I don''t want to jinx it, but I think it''s really over now."


    Paragon just sighed. "Just get it over with, you bitch."


    "With pleasure." Wish''s fingers wrapped around Sky''s hair, and she lifted the girl.


    "Hope''s going to kick your ass."


    "Whatever helps you accept this with dignity." Wish rammed her hand through Sky''s stomach and brought it out the other side. Sky gasped and vomited up a fountain of blood. Her eyes went wide, and tears streamed down her face. The black flesh that made up Wish¡¯s body twisted and seeped out, quietly wrapping around the girl. Wish placed her other arm behind Sky and almost pulled the girl in for a strange hug. "You know, part of me views this as a tragic event. In a way, I just became an only sibling. I''m kind of sad about that, I think." Sky gurgled something as the flesh washed over her and began to melt her body away. It was not quick nor was it painless. "Shh... Just let it happen. Rest now, dear Sky. You''ve earned it."


    In an instant, Sky was gone. Pulled into Wish''s body fully, the darkness absorbed the girl. Wish closed her eyes and cracked her neck. Her long white hair fell down her back, and part of it was filled with red streaks. She could feel it. Her power grew. Doubled, tripled¡ªno, it was even more extraordinary.


    She saw it all: all cells, the Paths that made up this world, and the way life needed to evolve and change.


    She held her hand out, and instantly, everything began to swirl and obey her coming to life. The wind folded in on itself and changed. Like cancerous cells, they bubbled out, expanding into arms and legs, and then feathers sprouted out as she created a bird out of nothing. She didn''t stop there, though. Her fingers expanded and wrapped around it, forcing the cells within the bird to change and twist. It grew larger and sharper, turning into solid metal.


    The iron bird took to the air and flew away, its wings sharp enough to slice through trees. Not only had she created new life that never existed before, but she also created a Super, now without the help of Doctor Blue. The same power the Emperor once held was in her now.


    She didn''t even need to touch it. Not anymore. She snapped her fingers, and the entire creature exploded. Its organs burst out of it, sending iron bones every direction. She laughed and snapped again, forcing the thing back together. Its broken pieces connected and regrew as it came back. Instead of iron, she forced it to turn into something else. Its wings broke away, and its feathers were replaced with scales. It expanded in size, twisting into a shark, and no longer was it made out of iron. Instead, it had plastic see-through skin showing off the organs within, which struggled to keep up with the changes.


    She shrunk it down in size, forcing it to get so small that she could pick it up between two fingers. It was easily crushable, and she flicked it away, forcing its corpse to put itself back together again and turning it into a rabbit. The plant life surged up, obeying her, and twisted into a giant mouth that tore the animal apart. As she laughed, all the trees around her also grew a mouth and joined her.


    "God has been born!" She announced, sweeping her hands out.


    "God!" All the trees echoed.


    She stared down at her hands, watching her cells alter and twist to her whims. She could become anything or anyone, create anything she wanted, be it man, beast, or person. "How did the Emperor ever lose with a power like this? What a fool he was. The Sun was easily beaten. Speaking of which, I still need to absorb her. Where the hell is she-"


    A solar flare is an occurrence in which the sun releases a burst of radiation and messes with the electromagnetic field caused by a disturbance on the surface of the sun. This wasn''t a solar flare.


    The sky was on fire.


    Hell had come to Earth.


    A massive pillar of flame smashed down into the ground, shaking and shifting the entire planet. Trees exploded, and the ground around them became molten ash. Just as when she had sparred with Wyvern and learned to harness the fire of an explosion and compress it all down, Cinder had done that on a much bigger scale...


    Cinder stepped out of the pillar of flame. The sun above was gone, but it was still daytime. A new sun was on the planet. She was cloaked in so much fire that it hugged her like a skin-tight barrier, almost like what Wish did with vines or what she would do when she used her power at its max and went nova. Every part of her was golden¡ªall but her eyes, which burned with a red-hot flame that glared directly at Wish.


    So much heat expanded and twisted out in all directions. Wish forced her flesh to evolve to withstand it and cloaked herself in an aura of intense life force. Her body grew larger, and her lips curled into a grin. "Greedy little bitch. You ate the star."


    "Where''s Sky?"


    "Do you even have to ask!" Wish giggled and patted her stomach. "I ate her."


    Cinder rose off the ground, levitating. She was finally flying. She looked around, almost in a daze. She could see things¡ªso many weird things. Twisting shapes and lines. "Oh. You ate her. Guess I''ll pull her out of you."


    "I''d like to see you try-"


    Matter twisted and erupted in Cinder''s hand. It wasn''t fire. It was all manner of colors bending and jutting out, and she flicked it at Wish. Wish tried to block it, but it instantly blew her to pieces. She screamed out as her body was torn apart and scattered, and the pieces in the air stopped listening to her. Matter collapsed in on itself and rebuilt into a shape. Sky dropped to her knees, nearly vomiting and shaking as her body was rebuilt.


    Sky felt her eyes go wide when she saw Cinder. It was like looking into the sun as if it had gained a human form. Despite how much heat flew off of the floating girl, though, Sky felt fine. It twisted and went around her without burning.


    Chunks of Wish reformed into the air as the girl roared out in pure rage. "What did you do!"


    "Wyvern¡ªShe told me about the time she helped train you." Paragon sounded shocked and floored. ¡°I heard about you absorbing and controlling a massive amount of fire that didn''t belong to you. We were up against the ropes, and I figured you''d be able to pull it off, but I didn''t think you''d do something like this. Hope... What have you become?"


    ¡°Hope?¡± The girl made of fire looked down at her hands. ¡°Is that who I am? No¡­ I am the Brightest Star.¡±


    Wish screamed in anger, and claws stabbed out of her fingertips. She ran forward, shrieking, and swung out with her arm, aiming at Cinder.


    Time seemed to slow to a crawl.


    Once, there was a great threat¡ªa being known as the Shadow¡ªsomething that would nearly end all life on Earth. It was stopped, though, when four heroes appeared¡ªthe first Supers, the Lords. They gave their lives slaying that monster, and upon their death, the Lord of Life simply made a wish. She wanted the fun to never end.


    The cycle of the Lords was born. The Lord of the Sky and Weather, able to see space and time for the false restraints they are; the Lord of the Sea and Ocean, doomed to always end up the monster; the Lord of the Land and Life, a perfect reflection of humanities joy, sorrow, anger, and determination; and the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, a being of near unlimited power able to forever change the universe.


    The Lords, at the end of the day, are still just Supers. That is, until they transform. When they take their humanity to the next stage, their power goes beyond the point a standard Super can reach. There is another, though. A level of power beyond their Lord state. A power that rivaled the Shadow, a power that created the Beast, a power that Lucifer and the Emperor both sought, and a power that Full Monarch reached. When a Lord gives up all semblance of humanity and turns themselves into the perfect machine for their ability. When a Lord Inverts their power and gives it permission to take the pilot seat.


    Cinder stared at the frozen form of Wish with dull eyes. Slowly, she pulled her arm back.


    It was over in one attack.


    The Brightest Star won.


    ***


    Poseidon jumped as a burst of gold filled the tower. It made her scream and fall back. Sky dropped to her knees, breathing heavily, and everything shook and twisted as she came back to the real world. Cinder was golden¡ªalmost like the Victorian¡ªactually, maybe even brighter!


    "What the hell?¡±


    Then, in an instant, it died out. The fire simply vanished. Cinder''s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she crashed down into the arms of Paragon, who caught her. That wasn¡¯t all that happened, though. Something had clearly gone wrong as Wish¡¯s body smashed into the wall and the Lord of Life slumped down, shaking, her eyes filled with terror. "Hope!" Paragon held onto the girl and shook slightly. She was blind again, her brain quickly connecting with Destiny, who rested on her head. She placed her hand on the girl, ready to heal her, but stopped. "What... What the hell is this?


    "What is it? Wait- Did you guys do it- Why was she glowing- Is she still glowing-"


    "Shut up." Poseidon instantly went silent and stood up straighter. Destiny''s sight came back to Paragon, and the bird cocked its head as it stared down at Cinder. The girl was perfectly fine. Way too fine. Her injuries were gone. Not just them; her costume was fully healed; hell, she even had her helmet back. Her hair was still golden, and besides being exhausted, it was like she had never even fought Wish.


    It wasn''t just her, though. Paragon could feel it in her own body. She was fully healed as well. Then her attention was turned over to the white-haired girl. Wish was rocking back and forth and grabbing at her hair. ¡°I- It shouldn¡¯t- How did- But it was- I- Not again- Not ever again! I won¡¯t do it ever again, I promise!¡± Wish was mentally gone.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Poseidon asked, staring at Wish in shock. What the hell could have happened to break that monster into this? Wish was constantly shivering and stared at the ground, not looking up. She felt no aura of killing intent coming from the girl, and Wish didn¡¯t even react when she stabbed her with her trident. The white-haired girl didn¡¯t even bother to heal up the wound, letting her blood spray out.


    Paragon squeezed down on Hope¡¯s hand. Destiny looked at the sword Avalon had become, which rested on the ground. ¡°I think¡­ I think Cinder turned into what Full Monarch became. She called herself the Brightest Star.¡± In other words, Avalon was right once more. They were still in his weird game.


    Cinder let out a low groan. Her eyes slowly opened, and she glanced around before going wide. "Oh crap! How did I¡ªI was just in space? Paragon, did you beat Wish?"


    "Do you not remember what happened?¡± Paragon asked. When Cinder had been in that weird form, it almost seemed like someone else was in charge. They had even reacted to being called Hope with confusion. ¡°We didn¡¯t exactly beat Wish.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± That was when Hope noticed Wish standing in the corner. Fire gushed out of her hand, and she raised her palm, ready to blast the girl away once more, but she stopped when she saw Wish not react at all. The girl was just curled up on herself. Like a beaten dog, she was lost to the world around her. "Last thing I recall is flying at the sun. Thanks for that, by the way! A little warning, next time!"


    "It saved our lives! Wait, do you really not remember it?"


    "Remember what?"


    Poseidon sighed. "This happened to me the first time I transformed, though my body didn''t get all glowy like you. I forgot a bunch of stuff for a bit during the moment, and it took weeks for it to all come back."


    "That wasn''t a normal Lord transformation," Paragon said, shaking her head. "It was almost like what Full Monarch does when he takes a fight seriously..."


    "What the hell did I do?" Cinder asked.


    Paragon shook her head. "We can talk about it later. For now, you can power down."


    "Power down?"


    "Yeah. Your eyes are... You know."


    Her eyes were a fiery red, and her hair was the color of sunlight. She hadn''t even realized she was in her transformed state. She closed her eyes and focused, feeling the power fade. "So, should we blast Wish, or do we still have to worry about her trying to absorb Paragon in the dream world-" Her hair changed, and her eyes shifted to red once more. "Whoops." She turned it off. "As I was saying-" It came back on. "Stop that!" She turned it off, and it was back on. "I don''t want to be blonde, right now!"


    "Welp, Cinder broke her powers." Poseidon snorted. The girl shook her head and picked up her trident. "Doesn''t matter. Look at her.¡± She pointed down at Wish. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you guys did, but she¡¯s in no condition. This is our chance. We can throw her into space or Nightshade or something where she can¡¯t hurt anyone-¡°


    "Oh, I''m afraid you''re already far too late for that." They all jumped back when they heard the voice. Twisting around, they found Mr. Grove standing at a section of the stairs where they could see him. His arms were folded, and he nodded. "I''m unarmed and also a normal human. You attack me, and I die instantly. Go for it if you don''t care."


    Paragon shrugged and raised her hand, but Cinder slapped it away and shook her head. "What the hell is this place? And what were you doing? I''m really ticked off and confused and want to hit something, so talk carefully before I set Paragon on you!"


    "While the two of you were in Wonderland, this entire tower shook and glowed," Poseidon explained. ¡°I was having an issue with blood loss, and the other heroes were stuck dealing with Golden God or weren''t able to fly up high enough to enter."


    As if on cue, the tower began to rumble once more, and a blue light seemed to seep out in all directions, covering the walls and sending out a low hum in the air. Cinder felt her bones vibrate a bit, and she narrowed her eyes at Grove. "So, what the hell was that? Is this place a bomb? Please tell me it isn''t."


    "It''s not a bomb." Grove snorted. "Look, just give me Wish back. I don''t want to hurt any of you."


    "I really doubt that." Paragon spat out. "We dealt with Wish. She was what you needed to make your drugs. You''re screwed." As if on cue, Wish let out another series of sobs and folded in on herself even more.


    "Yes." Grove''s eyes closed, and he sighed. "The Wandering Coin is dead. That is why I am calling the one who told me to build it. He said this would happen one day. He pretty much figured out every detail."


    "What are you saying?" Poseidon inched forward and gradually began to increase Grove''s gravity. The tower couldn''t take much more of a beating. She didn''t trust that he was really unarmed. Chances were he had a bomb on him. She made sure the increase in gravity was small and not easily noticed. Slowly, she''d raise the bar, getting him used to it until she could pin him down all at once and stop him from reaching for anything.


    The man folded his arms and looked around at the tower they were in. "Russian roulette. Know what that is? It''s a game that used to be played by the humans that were around before the age of the Shadow. A person puts a bullet in a revolver and spins it. They then take turns pulling the trigger until someone''s time comes. Don''t you think that''s a lot like the Beast? It first showed up twenty years after the defeat of Lucifer. We don''t know where it came from or where it truly goes when it leaves. Just that it completely vanishes, but then it always shows up in a single city somewhere on this planet and wipes it off the face of the Earth. A lot of times, new Calamities seem to be born from it. The Emperor and Chrysanthemum were both created after it visited their home cities. When it''s done, it just leaves and then will always return a year or two later. For nearly thirty years, this cycle has existed. It was so good at causing mass panic that people like Lucifer began to copy it and create his sick murder game. In a way, it''s sort of like we''re all players in a bad game of Russian roulette. The heroes never beat it. They always lose. The Beast always wipes a city out. That''s its fate. Any day now, Oleander could be its target, or Lillian, or Daisy, or whatever land is left. The only thing that could truly stop it was the Emperor''s plan. He wanted to create a world of only Supers. He believed that by doing that, the Beast would leave the planet alone. It always goes after normal humans and only attacks Supers that get in its way. Sadly, the whole world was against him. Destiny wasn''t on his side, and he was fated to lose."


    "There is no such thing as destiny or fate," Paragon said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Maybe to a normal human the concept of a guiding force exists, but Supers have long since destroyed that being. Whisper can see the future and changes it all the time," Poseidon snorted. ¡°I''m pretty sure that it isn''t stuck in stone."


    "Whisper once told me something," Cinder said, chiming in. "She told me that she had once looked at Myth''s Path, and they were doomed to fall to the Beast. Despite that, though, he''s still standing here even to this day. Bottom line is I don''t think fate is super picky."


    Grove''s arms folded, and the man''s lips seemed to almost break into a frown. "Are you truly sure? Maybe you haven''t found the line that truly connects it all to the Paths. Myth is fated to die to the Beast. Whisper never said it would be the first one he fought. Maybe when it shows up again, he''ll die to it. Also, who''s to say she really is changing destiny? Maybe she was always meant to see the way the future would twist for her?"


    "I feel like you''re trying to cope with the fact that fate and destiny have been broken many times before-"


    "This is a teleporter," Grove announced. "I was told it would be my fate to turn it on and bring ''him'' here! I made it here just as he said I would!"


    "Bring who here!" She yelled out. She didn''t dare use her fire power. Due to how wonky her powers were, she had no idea how different or intense it would be. She''d just have to trust that Poseidon would attack at the right time.


    "This place was first built by Mr. Sini and Avalon." Grove placed his hand on the walls, feeling it hum. "It was a new way to space travel without the use of rockets. Created with the help of the Lord of the Sky, they found a way to hop across space. It works like a beacon and can send any person to any other spot that has one of these machines in our solar system. Nearly every planet has one. He fled after his loss. Came back for a bit. That was when I met him. When he told me what I had to do. Wish was a gift. One that I could use to further my goals, but he told me the day would come when he would need her back. She held what belonged to him now."


    It started in her stomach. She wasn''t the only one. Poseidon and Wish also shifted. Poseidon stepped back, while Wish whimpered. Paragon was the only one who didn¡¯t seem to notice. The air seemed different. Something was wrong¡ªsomething was really wrong.


    She felt her arms and legs shaking. "Who-"


    It echoed in the tower: footsteps. At the top of the stairs, someone was walking down toward them. The shaking got worse¡ªso much worse. Fear. That was the only way to put it¡ªutter fear.


    "Who is it?!¡± She demanded.


    Grove looked her dead in the eyes. "Who do you think?"


    A hand grabbed the railing, one that wore a black glove. She had seen him once¡ªonly once¡ªin an old history book. They never made statues or drawings of the man. Still, he existed in the back of everyone''s mind¡ªthe modern-day Satan, the man who had nearly brought humanity to utter destruction, the thing that went toe to toe with Full Monarch, forced nearly every villain to submit to him, ruined Mr. Larison''s life.


    The thing every person feared deep down.


    Black twisted iron in the shape of a man. Jagged devil-like horns. A long cape that mocked the heroes. Glowing red eyes deeper than even the Lord of the Suns.


    The Emperor reached the bottom of the stairs and slowly cocked his head.


    The Lord of Land and Life had arrived.


    The real one.

 Chapter Ninety-Two: The Start Of Her Story

    Fourteen years ago...


    At a young age, he had been blessed with powers. Or maybe it was more of a curse. They had come to him in his teens. The cursed knowledge of the world. Seemingly by fate, Edward Blue found himself as a Super, one with a Mental based ability that allowed him to understand humanity on a level only second to that of the Lord of Land and Life. By the age of seventeen, he had created his first Super based product. A cream that was able to duplicate a person''s cells and eventually regrow flesh. There was just one issue, though. The limb wouldn''t belong to them...


    He had discovered this power when he tried to recreate his father''s arm. His dad had lost it in the war with Lucifer, having been a mere mortal that was forced to live through it. The newly grown arm had choked his father and killed the man.


    That was the day Edward Blue finally realized what powers were.


    He had been scooped up by the Hero Branch shortly after that. They agreed to look the other way and let him stay so long as he promised to help them out. So, he became Doctor Blue and was forced to work alongside a man named Alma. Forced to heal those who had also been cursed. Where did powers come from? This was something the world was still unsure of. Many agreed they were a blessing handed out by the Four Lords after they defeated and killed the Shadow. Others like him viewed them as a curse. The proof that the Shadow truly was the one who won at the end of his battle.


    That was why he was here now. That was why he did what he wanted. The reason he faked his death after the Emperor declared war on Earth two years ago. All of it was for this one moment. His goal, his plan, his hopes, and his dreams. All so he could finally answer that single question.


    The truth about Supers.


    "Are you sure that this ''thing'' is actually here?" Daemon hissed.


    "I''m sure." Doctor Blue nodded his head and stared out the window. "Trust me. If you follow my lead, we''ll get your master back. One year ago, the Emperor died at the hands of Full Monarch, but that doesn''t mean his story has to end."


    "If you''re wrong about this, I will kill you." Daemon growled. He was the father of Demonica and had served in the Emperor''s army, though he wasn''t one of the big four members. After the death of his dark lord, like many other monsters, he was stuck with no place to go, his sanity and body constantly breaking and glitching. Back in the day, he had been a powerful villain. Now though he was on the verge of breaking. If he didn''t get a new Lord of Life to fix them, then he as well as many other monsters would snap.


    Doctor Blue looked up at the tower that was in front of them. One of Avalon''s many labs. This particular one was in Oleander City. "Trust me. Avalon took control of Sini Corp after Mr. Sini died at the hands of the Emperor. He used the resources to look for something. Then suddenly he stopped looking. He found whatever it was he was looking for, and I have a pretty good idea that I know what it is." He had been a high-ranking member in the Hero Branch, after all. He knew of the Pods. The secret that housed the Lords. "We''ll save not just monster kind, but dozens of others as well."


    The two of them were parked on the side of the street in a simple-looking van. This would be the day that they would change the world. The day that a new Lord of Life would be born. Or at least that was the plan Doctor Blue had. Slowly, they opened the doors of the van and stepped out onto the busy street of Oleander. Instantly, they were given several odd looks. Or more specifically, Daemon was. Doctor Blue was dressed nice. He wore a simple button-up shirt and blue jeans, not standing out. His hair was wild and a bit messy, as well as filled with various dyes, but other than that, he was normal-looking. He had been trying to lay low since he faked his death and hadn''t mastered the art of coloring hair yet, it seemed. Daemon, however, was the opposite of normal looking. The monster stood at nearly ten feet tall and was lanky with long arms that reached all the way down. None of his form could be seen due to a thick, dirty brown cloth he wore that hid the fact he was no longer human, but that seemed to only draw more attention to himself.


    "We should get this over with." Daemon called out. "I don''t like their stares. It is only a matter of time until one of them calls for an Enforcer member."


    Doctor Blue nodded and led the way. They crossed the street and entered Avalon Tower. He doubted Harrison Avalon himself would be there. The man had hundreds of towers all scattered around the world in various cities. This one in particular focused mainly on creating recording software devices and was open to the public at certain hours, offering tours. As for why Avalon had decided to store ''that'' thing at this tower, that was simple. He had allowed his emotions to get the better of him. Sini was killed by the Emperor within Oleander city. It was only fitting that Avalon would store the future Lord here as well in Sini''s old tower. Perhaps as a way to get back at the monster that stole the man he looked up to.


    The inside of the tower was large. They found themselves down in a waiting room. There were several people, many of whom were either clocking into work or hoping to go on a tour. A few guards instantly took note of them as they entered and made their way to the reception desk.


    "Are we doing this stealthily?" Daemon asked.


    "I don''t care."


    "Good. I hate stealth missions." The monster gave a sinister chuckle and ripped his cloak off, instantly causing widespread panic to erupt on the first floor. Just like his daughter, he looked like a demon. Covered in jagged red flesh that looked almost like the shell of a crab, twisting horns stabbed out of the top of his skull. Purple fire gushed out of his eyes, and he waved his hand, sending out a tidal wave of the flames that washed over anyone that got in his way. Screams filled the building instantly as the villain killed dozens of people.


    A loud piercing alarm broke through the air, and in no time at all, a hero would soon be arriving. Daemon let out a loud laugh and began to blast more of his hellish fire out in all directions. He would be staying behind and holding off whoever showed up. Doctor Blue made for a set of large stairs that led further up to the floor. A few security officers tried to stand in his way, but he reached into his pants pocket and threw out a vial of orange liquid that caused the men to combust and explode. He made his way up to the floor above, stuffing his hands in his pockets.


    More fire swept through the building, twisting and bending around him, making sure not to harm him. Everyone else wasn''t as lucky, however, and were devoured by the fire. Daemon was far stronger than his daughter. So strong that in his prime, should one of the Emperor''s four warriors fall, it would have been his job to take their place. Now though, his mind and body were crumbling away and shattering, and soon he would be nothing more than a mad animal, much like the giant monsters that wandered the Wasteland.


    As Doctor Blue finished his climb to the floor he had been looking for, he stopped outside of a particular door that led to Avalon''s secret viewing room. A place the man would go to relive some of his best and worst memories. Already he could hear police sirens, and the sounds of fighting had grown worse. No doubt Daemon would be engaging a Super now. The doctor pulled another jar of liquid out and threw it onto the metal door in front of him. Green liquid splashed against it, and the metal steamed and hissed, slowly crumbling and breaking to bits as a new form of acid he made ate it away. The door fell off of its hinges and crashed to the floor below with a loud thud, allowing him to enter the hidden room.


    Monitors covered the walls in every direction, all showing off various scenes across the world. One even showed himself entering the room. He frowned when he saw it and looked up, spotting the robotic fly that hovered above and recorded him. "Spying on me, Avalon? Sadly, you''re not as smart as I am." Doctor Blue announced. He smirked and strolled forward, eyeing the thing that stood in the center of the room. "If you were truly smart, if you truly wanted this thing to never come back, you would have gotten rid of it and ensured that a new Lord could never be found. Instead, you hid it away in such a way that it could be found. All because you wanted to hold it as a trophy. All for Mr. Sini. That''s what makes me and you different. That''s why the Branch was more interested in me than they were in you-"


    The floor outside of the room he was in exploded in a hail of purple fire as Daemon was thrown through the roof and crashed into the hallway. "We got trouble." The villain grunted out. "Old Dog got here sooner than we thought."


    From the hole in the floor, Old Dog came swinging in, being carried by a grappling hook. The man easily dodged a wave of Daemon''s purple fire and slammed his pointer finger into Daemon''s shoulder, hitting a pressure point and causing the villain''s arm to drop to his side. Old Dog''s eyes turned to look into the room, but Blue had already reacted to the hero arriving and threw a jar onto the ground where the door should have been. It exploded, and instantly a massive foam wall began to grow and block off the entryway. He heard Daemon screaming outside as Old Dog grabbed the fire-based villain and used him to smash through the foam, trying to break past it. It would only buy Blue some time.


    "Sorry, Daemon. I didn''t want to leave you hanging, but I guess I''ll have to sacrifice you if I want to make a getaway." Doctor Blue turned to look back at the thing that was in the center of the room. It was a round Pod. One made out of a metal from out of this world that hummed and vibrated with a faint blue light. The man reached into his pocket once more and pulled out his last jar. One that was filled with a red liquid. "I got this blood sample off of a piece of metal Full Monarch had thrown at the Emperor in their final battle. As fate would have it, I managed to get a small bit of his DNA." Quietly, he tilted the jar over and allowed the contents within to pour out onto the metal Pod. "I need this to work. I need you to accept it. I need you to help me. This DNA is connected to both the Emperor and the Princess of Life.¡±


    The Pod seemed to let out a low humming sound, and slowly it clicked. The metal began to bend and twist and unfold slightly, opening up. The glowing grew in size for a moment, and when it died down, the cries of a baby filled the room.


    "Welcome to the world of the living, my creation. My Lord. My Wish..."


    Fire blasted into the room, scorching the room, and Doctor Blue turned just in time to see Old Dog be thrown into the room. The old man rolled across the floor and smashed back first into a wall. A second later, Daemon strolled into the room, glaring at Doctor Blue. "You tried to leave me!" He screamed out.


    "Now, Daemon-"


    "You bastard!" Daemon pointed at Doctor Blue, and the fire blasted out, heading in the direction of the man''s eyes. That was the last thing the Doctor saw before his sight would be stolen away from him by the crazed villain.


    Doctor Blue screamed as the purple fire washed over the top part of his face and burned his eyes to a crisp instantly. He dropped to the ground, grabbing at his eyes, and he howled. Daemon ignored him and strolled forward, glaring down at the child that rested in the pod, which began to cry.


    "What is this! This isn''t what you promised! This is a fake! This child can''t be my new master!" He roared and brought his fist up, slamming it down toward the child and the Pod.


    The Pod let out a low beep, and instantly it closed, keeping the child safe. Daemon''s arm bounced off of the metal, and part of the metal rose up like a liquid and struck out, slicing the villain''s arm clean off and causing him to join Doctor Blue on the floor as he also screamed. Black blood poured out of his wound, and the Pod slowly rose up off of the floor, floating into the air. He tried to blast at it with his free hand, but it was far faster. In a single heartbeat, it rammed itself into the wall, breaking through it and flying off away from Oleander City looking for a new place where it could raise the newest Lord of Life that was just born.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    By the time Old Dog finally came to, he found himself in a heavily destroyed room, both Blue and Daemon, completely unconscious. "What the hell?"


    ***


    Two years from present day...


    The bell tolled through the hallway, and students ran around in an effort to get seated.


    ¡°Everyone better be in a seat.¡± A loud voice said as an older man entered the classroom dressed in the typical bland gray suit all teachers had and drinking from a cup of coffee in an effort to stay awake. Thankfully, the day was almost over, as this was the last period of the day. This man was Mr. Neptune. Someone who had gone into his career due to his hatred for kids. He taught ages thirteen and fourteen, the age group he viewed as the worst.


    He stood in front of his desk, letting out a tired sigh as he set the coffee down and pinched his nose, getting himself ready for the final lesson of the day. Next to the man, a young thirteen-year-old girl stood waiting on what to do as the teacher let out another sigh, trying to gather his scattered thoughts.


    Finally, the teacher removed his hands and set his cup down. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make this quick since I¡¯m tired. This here is Mary Roads.¡± He sighed, shaking his head for a moment. "She was the top of her class at her old school, and so they thought it would be best to move her over to our wondrous academy." The teacher said sarcastically. "It is my hope that she''ll cause you slackers to pick up the pace and work harder."


    As he spoke, many of the kids looked away awkwardly as his eyes roamed the classroom.


    "Of course, out of all of you, there is one in particular I''m thinking of." He moved through the classroom before finally stopping in front of a desk. "I''m of course talking about Ms. Laison!" He slammed his hand down onto the desk as hard as he could, causing the girl who was sleeping to fall back and crash to the floor in a painful heap. "How many times have I told you not to sleep in my class!"


    Amy Laison groaned and rubbed at the back of her head as she glared up at the teacher. A while ago, people might have once called her pretty. She was young, only about fourteen, and held a charm about her. That charm, however, had faded as years of stress piled on. She had short red hair and heavy bags that were under her eyes, and she smelled heavily of smoke. "What was that for?!"


    The man didn''t bother to reply and turned away, folding his arms behind his back.


    ¡°Now that sleeping beauty is awake, let¡¯s go ahead and start class.¡± The teacher said, moving back to the front of the room. He gestured to the girl, who was still standing awkwardly near the entrance of the room. ¡°Ms. Roads, you can go ahead and take a seat near Laison near the back. Let me know if she disturbs you in any way."


    "R- Right." Mary looked away, not able to meet the eyes of any of the students. She realized just how underdressed she truly was. This was the kind of school made for the rich. The kind of kids who were supposed to get good grades. All the boys wore suits, and the girls wore dresses. She was dressed rather plainly, wearing a simple long-sleeved shirt and a skirt. Her brown hair was a bit of a tangled mess, and she kept having to push her glasses up further on her face as they tried to slip off of her nose. The only one who stood out more than her was Ms. Laison, who wore very baggy clothing and kept her head down on the desk. It was clear most of the other students didn''t like the delinquent. "H- Hi." She said sheepishly as she took a seat.


    Amy''s eyes poked up for a moment, and she looked at Mary. "You''re talking to me?"


    "I- I guess?"


    "Why?"


    "What?"


    "Why." Amy''s eyes narrowed as she eyed the new girl up.


    "W- We''ll we''re sitting next to each other so-"


    The teacher cleared his throat and folded his arms. "Laison. Stop bothering the new girl."


    Mary flinched a bit when she saw the look in Amy''s eyes. The girl glared at her before turning away and putting her head back down in her arms, tuning the class out like she normally did. "S- Sorry." Mary muttered. She had no idea why, but the teacher seemed to have it out for the young red-haired girl.


    "It''s going to be a long day." Amy groaned.


    Once more, the day soon ended just like any other as the bell rang. Amy felt exhausted as she slowly walked down the stone steps and out onto the sidewalk. The street was filled with dozens of fancy cars as all the rich families came to pick their kids up from school. She didn''t have a ride, of course. That was just fine with her, though.


    Amy reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it up and blowing out a small cloud of smoke. A few parents and kids shot her some dirty looks, but she either ignored them or flipped them off. Their city usually held two types of people. The rich, and the ones that wished they were rich. Somehow, she had gotten stuck in the cloud of other rich students and was forced to see just how much she didn''t fit in every day she went to school. She was just about to leave when she heard the voice.


    ¡°Hey, wait up.¡± A voice called out, causing her to nearly trip mid-step down the stairs. She turned to find Mary pushing her way through the crowd of students and making her way over. She narrowed her eyes and turned away, about to leave, but the girl was shockingly fast. "Wait!" Mary managed to catch up with Amy as they stepped off of school property. "I- I wanted to say sorry." Mary said, breathing heavily. "I didn''t mean to get you in trouble during class."


    Amy snorted and dropped her cigarette to the floor. She stomped on it and rolled her eyes. "Trust me, you didn''t. That bastard has it out for me."


    "Why?"


    "Because I''m not the perfect little girl he was expecting." She chuckled darkly. "He wanted a daughter that would obey him like a slave."


    "You''re his daughter!" Mary asked with wide eyes. "But your last names are different?"


    "Stepdaughter." Amy sighed, shrugging. "My dad died. I think my mom cut the brakes on his car, and he flew off into a river and drowned. Poor bastard. About a year ago, she remarried that prick we call a teacher since he comes from a filthy rich family."


    "That''s..."


    Amy scoffed when she saw the look on Mary''s face. She punched the girl lightly on the shoulder. "What about you? I can tell you''re not one of the rich brats. Why are you here?"


    Mary rubbed the back of her neck and gave a small shrug. "He sort of explained it already. I''m a transfer. I live on Widow Street. My grades were really high, so I guess they decided to take me out of Widow Academy and put me up here in this school with all these fancy kids. It''s a little overwhelming, to be honest." She chuckled.


    Amy''s eyes flashed with surprise for a moment as she stared at the girl. "Widow? That''s like the shitty part of town, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah..."


    Amy gave a sly grin and clapped the girl on the back. "So, I''m guessing your parents aren''t coming to pick you up then, are they?"


    "No. I was just kinda planning on walking back, I guess."


    "Well, if you don''t have to head home instantly, want to have some fun?"


    "Fun, how?" Mary asked nervously.


    Amy hooked her arm around Mary and practically started to drag the girl down the street. "I know where a good arcade is. I also know how to cheat at the games and get a massive cashout on coins!"


    "Seriously? An arcade? Isn''t that something boys do?" Mary asked, fixing her glasses.


    "Live a little." Amy shrugged. "The best game there is this one with the Victorian, and you get to beat up a lot of bad guys that were around back in the day."


    Mary nodded her head as they walked. "Do you like heroes?"


    "I guess. Doesn''t everyone?"


    "I doubt villains do." Mary hummed.


    "I don''t know. The way some of them focus all their effort on a rival and chase after them. I think that''s a form of love in a way." Amy stated. "I think villains love heroes more than anyone else. Without the heroes, they wouldn''t exist after all. They''d just be monsters."


    She frowned a bit at Amy''s explanation. Something about it ticked her off. "So have you always gone to that school?" She asked, changing the subject.


    "Nah. Just recently, like you. Only for about a year, in fact. I''m trying to tough it out until I''m able to join the army."


    "You''re not very girly, are you, Amy?"


    Amy just giggled and shrugged. "I''m too busy trying to survive to focus on things like that. What about you? This is the first expensive school you''ve gone to?"


    Mary shook her head. "I never knew who my parents were. I was on an adoption list and have sort of moved across the country a few times. I never seem to stay in one city or school for very long. Usually, I get sent back to foster care and am loaned off to some new family that wants to try practicing having a daughter before they realize I''m smart and they try putting me in a fancy school, only to then see how expensive it is and how little it benefits them, so they then send me back to foster care." Still, she was doing better than a lot of other kids. She was at least getting an education and had a consistent roof over her head and a source of food.


    Her and Amy kept talking about various topics as they walked through the streets of the busy city. They were so focused on their conversation that Mary didn''t even question the fact that they stepped down an alleyway, nor of the dangers it could have held until it was too late.


    "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Both girls jumped when they heard the voice, and Amy felt her blood run cold when she looked up. At the end of the alleyway, a man stood. One dressed in gang clothes with the symbol of a skull. He held a switchblade, which he flicked back and forth as he walked forward slowly. "Looks like we got quite the nice-looking catch today, boys." From behind them, blocking the other side of the alleyway, two more men stepped forward. Both also held knives. The leader, the one in front of them, walked closer, and Amy couldn''t help but eye the handgun he had strapped to him.


    The Skull Boys. A low-level gang of non-Supers who still caused a lot of trouble in their city. Mary shrunk back, hiding behind Amy, who eyed the men up, trying to figure out what she should do.


    "What do you guys want?" Amy asked quietly.


    The leader of the little squad rubbed his chin and stared at the two shivering kids. He stood in front of them while the other two men stood behind them. They were caught completely between both sides. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal.¡± The man said after some time. He eyed them both up, taking them in. ¡°I''m a nice guy. Why don''t you just-"


    Amy struck first while he was distracted. She rammed her knee directly into his crotch and drove him to the ground. Her elbow came out, and she managed to strike at the man behind her, but the third one smashed his fist into her, sending her tumbling back. "Amy!" Mary screamed.


    The two men she had knocked over were already back up on their feet. Amy swung her backpack and smashed it into the leader''s head as hard as she could, and he let out a loud hiss, throwing his hand forward. Unfortunately for her, it was the hand that held his knife. This robbery was about to become a murder. The leader saw his mistake too late and tried to pull his hand back, but it was in vain. Amy watched as everything seemed to slow down, and the switchblade grew closer to her eye. Her life flashed before her eyes. A short one that barely did anything. She was about to die-


    A pair of hands shoved her to the ground at the last second as Mary threw herself in front of the knife. The blade stabbed the young girl directly into the neck, and her eyes went wide and field with fear. Red streamed down, and her mouth filled with blood. The world became blurry as her glasses slipped off her face and crashed to the floor, and her body shook, falling back and causing the blade to further slice her neck open and slide out of her, allowing more of her blood to flow. Mary hit the floor and gurgled, and Amy let out a scream. She tried to cover the girl''s neck, but it was no use. Mary had already lost too much blood.


    "Shit!" The leader hissed out. "T- That was an accident. I didn''t mean to..." He shot a look at his friends, but they dropped to the ground, shaking. "We- We''re not even in a gang! We just dressed up like this and tried to get money- I can''t go to jail for this." He turned and made a break for the exit. He only managed to get a few steps forward before he crashed to the ground as something hit his leg. He felt a weird sensation go through his body, and he tried to stand, but his body didn''t move right. He looked down and let out a guttural scream when he saw that his right foot was gone.


    The other two men dropped their weapons and fell back in horror, and Amy''s body shook as her eyes stared down at Mary in shock. The blood that had flowed out of the girl had almost seemed to come to life. It floated off the ground connected like a whip and sliced out, ripping the fleeing man''s leg clean off. The blood gradually pulled its way back into Mary''s body, her neck wound healing. Her neck cracked a bit, and she managed to stand back up.


    Amy stared up at the girl, fear in her eyes. "M- Mary-"


    Mary rocketed forward and rammed her fist into the face of one of the men. Red splattered onto the ground as she caved his face in. Her other hand rose up and fired out a bone spike into the throat of the other one, downing him and causing him to choke on his own blood. That left just the leader left. He screamed and tried to crawl away, but she slowly walked after him.


    "W- What are you?"


    Mary looked down at her hands. They were caked in blood, and she watched as the cells within them twitched and moved to her will. "I guess I''m a Super." Her hand went over his face, and he screamed as his body began to melt. It was a slow and painful death, and his body would stain the streets for days to come. Mary turned back to Amy, her face caked in blood, and she smiled. "Are you okay?" She tried to take a step forward, but Amy threw her bag at the girl.


    "S- Stay back! Y- You''re a murderer!"


    "They would have killed me, though?"


    Amy''s body shook, and the girl turned away. "P- Please. Never talk to me again."


    Mary stood there alone as the girl ran for the exit. Mary looked down at her hands, watching the cells shift and change once more. Unknown to her, far away beneath the seas of their city, a metal Pod began to hum with a blue light¡­

 Chapter Ninety-Three: The End Of Her Story

    Mary arrived back home when the sun began to set. It was a small, cramped space on the edge of Widow Street. Mostly rundown and foul-smelling. Already she could hear her latest parents yelling. She always seemed to get stuck with couples that were on the verge of breaking to bits and thought getting a kid would be a good way to stay together.


    She pushed the door open and didn''t bother saying anything to them. Her eyes were fixed solely on her hand as she walked up stairs and headed to her room. Her parents didn''t even bother to take note of her or ask why she was still covered in blood. She''d likely have to move again or something, as Amy would blab about her having powers.


    "I always knew I was different, but I didn''t think it was this much."


    She had known for a while that she wasn''t a normal human. Ever since she was a little girl, she knew she had powers. It was one of the reasons people would send her back to foster care. She kept them secret from all her parents, but they always seemed to pick up on the fact that something wasn''t right. Today, though, was the first time she had used her powers in such a way. Her cells had obeyed her command. Now she could see them. Every bit of them twisted and listened to her. Waiting for her orders. She could see her skin shift and change, feel her bones and muscles snap, and her blood flow.


    Slowly she lifted her shirt and stared at her stomach. It was littered with scars and burn marks. Wounds she had received from previous parents. Her skin almost seemed to bubble and shift as the marks faded away. Not just them though. The ones on her back, her arms, her legs, all of them hidden away by her clothing, faded from her body as she casually erased the proof of the hatred those people had dug into her. Even her eyes changed, and she no longer needed her glasses. The world came into full focus, and it looked so much cleaner than it ever had.


    Everything was pretty. She was pretty.


    She forced her tangled hair to grow out longer and fix itself. Got rid of any moles or marks, made herself a bit taller, whatever she wanted in that moment she could do it. She giggled, and with a flick of her fingers, long, jagged claws formed out. "So, I really am a Super." Her claws pulled themselves back into her body. It made her wonder who her real mom or dad were. They''d have to be a Super as well, right? "I guess I should decide what I do with my powers, right?"


    She made her way over to the window and stared out at the city, looking at the many buildings that hung in the distance. This city did have an Enforcer, the hero known as Legend, but the man was almost never around, not bothering to protect this land, and instead focused on his son, a hero known as Fable, who was stationed in Oleander at the moment. It was small and didn''t have too many Supers. What little villains it did have were all pretty much just low-tier villains who had fun getting away with all of their crime. Of course, if anything too big were to happen, then a big-shot hero would show up. Gladiolus City was right next door, which housed the mighty hero known as Max Lightning, the newest member of the Enforcers.


    She rubbed her chin and hummed. "Which side should I be on? Good. Or evil. For humanity or against them." She couldn''t really decide how she felt about humans or even other Supers. They existed and could harm others just as they harmed her, but in the end that was simply the way the world worked. Right? Finally, though, she made up her mind watching as thin bone plates grew over her flesh. "I just want to have some fun."


    She slipped on a black jacket and zipped it up, as well as pulling her hoodie over her head. She made her way downstairs and moved past her current parents, who had taken to throwing the food they cooked at each other as their screaming match got worse. She closed the door and stepped back out into the city. The sun had already set a while ago, casting everything in moonlight. In the distance, she heard the sounds of hundreds of sirens, as by now the corpses of the three men were found. She covered her mouth with her hand and formed a large bone plate that went directly over it like a medical mask. The back of her jacket tore open as a pair of large wings unfolded, and she took to the air. She flew up, getting higher and higher, watching the city become smaller and smaller. The temperature dropped around her, but she used her power to increase her body''s heat, allowing her to be fine.


    Soon she found herself high in the air, overlooking her entire city. Black smog clouds constantly rose up from every direction, and even in the dead of night, the place was busy. Her city wasn''t as big as others. It only had two sections. The nice part and the bad part. It was almost like two halves of a city had been built and jammed together. One half of the city had large towers that rose up, and the streets were filled with men in expensive-looking suits that were just getting off of work and heading home, or fancy sports cars that broke the speed limit ten times over. The bad part of the city was black and constantly swarmed with masses of fog clouds and acidic rain falling down onto the lands. Crime was everywhere. There were hundreds of Skull Boys, or people that pretended to be the Skull Boys that mugged or murdered people; dozens of cars were hijacked; and low-level Super''s tore through old vaults, fishing up whatever loot hadn''t been taken already.


    This was what it was like in a place that didn''t have the Enforcers. So long as the rich were left alone, the villains would be too. If one even thought about stepping foot in a nice street, though, Max Lightning or Legend would be on them in an instant.


    She wondered if her latest parents finally noticed she still wasn''t home. She doubted it. She didn''t even care, to be honest. Her eyes were trained on something else. She had been using her powers to enhance her sight. She wasn''t here to stop any of the crime or save the day. Something else was on her mind. She dropped from the sky at fast speeds, her wings folding up as she came in for a crash landing and smashed into the roof of a car, caving it in. It thankfully didn''t have anyone inside. In front of her, an old stone building crumbled and broke away as someone smashed their way through the wall holding bags of money.


    "The hell?" It was a large, bald-headed man. A Super that had just discovered a drug den and decided to raid it and claim it for himself. He was baldheaded and muscular, standing at nearly eight feet tall, and thick stone covered his flesh. "Who the hell are you?"


    Mary cocked her head to the side and gave a grin. "It really isn''t important. You''re pretty strong. I watched you rip your way through that building."


    "So?" The man''s eyes narrowed.


    Mary stepped off of the car, and her sleeves tore as bones jutted out of her flesh and formed into large gauntlets. She held her arms up and grinned, though it was unseen due to the mask she wore over her mouth. "So, I just figured out how my powers work, and I''d like to know just how strong I am."


    The villain snorted and placed his bags down. He reached out with his hand and placed it on a nearby car. Slowly the stone in his skin was replaced with jagged iron. "The name''s Intake. I''m not some small fry of a villain!" He grew taller and buffer, flexing his body, and took a step forward, shaking the ground. He let out a loud battle roar and rammed his fist forward as hard as he could down at her. His hand slammed directly into her neck and hit her so hard that her neck spun and snapped. Mary dropped to the floor dead instantly. "Oh shit? Damn, I didn''t think she was that weak. Cocky little bitch. Maybe in the next life, she''ll¡ª" He heard a horrible snapping sound, and he jumped away, staring in horror as Mary snapped her head back on right. "What?"


    "I guess I can regenerate." The girl hummed, flexing her fingers. "Come to think of it, I did that when I was stabbed earlier. I wonder if there is a limit." She could feel her bones grow and expand out of her skin, and her blood twisted out like tendrils coming out of her fingertips. They swirled around her hand, forming a large drill that began to spin. "Sweet!" She moved forward so hard she destroyed part of the street and slammed her hand forward. Intake roared out as the drill broke a massive hole in his body and went all the way through him and out his back. Mary ripped her arm out, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping. Her other hand slapped him against the side of his face and sent him flying down the street, and he smacked headfirst into a building and didn''t get up.


    Intake was flat on his back, his eyes dull, and not twitching. Completely dead-


    "I know you''re faking." Mary giggled. "I can see your cells putting you back together. You can heal as well, can''t you? Though it looks like yours isn''t near as good as mine. I never knew how different powers could be! This is kind of cool. Thanks for showing some stuff off. I guess I should kill you quick or something? I''m not really sure how it works. Sorry, I''m new."


    Intake growled once more and slowly stood up. The hole in his stomach sealed shut, and he gritted his teeth. "Screw you. Screw this city. This is the last time I do a job here. I''m moving to Oleander, or Lillian, or something. Maybe I''ll even take over the Bad Timers!" He charged forward and swung out with his fist. He slammed Mary into the ground and began to pound into her body, hitting her over and over again, twisting and snapping her limbs, and ripping up her clothes, but her body just put itself back together.


    Jagged claws grew out of her fingers, and she swung out with them, ripping into his chest and tearing it away. He gasped and groaned as she forced him down to his knees once more. A jagged bone blade stabbed out of her elbow, and she placed it at his throat, about to decapitate him and end the villain known as Intake. She had never really cared for heroes or villains. As far as she was concerned, most people were villains, and heroes never bothered to come save her. She didn''t really know the limit on powers or the man that was in front of her. One thing she knew for sure though was that she was strong. Really strong. The blade dug into Intake''s neck, and he gasped and groaned, trying to throw her off of him, but blood tendrils grew out of her back and held him down. Far, far, away, beneath the waves, her Pod glowed and shimmered with a blue light.


    Blood began to trickle down Intake''s neck, and he stared up at her with pleading eyes.


    No one ever bothered to help her out when she gave the same look, though, so she really didn''t care too much.


    "Wait." A voice caused her to jump. It didn''t come from Intake. Slowly she pulled her arm away and turned around, finding someone had wandered onto the street. Intake took that as his chance and took off running, but that was okay. She didn''t bother with him anymore. Someone else had caught her eye. "Hello." The man smiled as he looked at her. He had a pencil-thin mustache and combed hair. Like the rich people, he wore a suit and held an aura of importance about him. "My name is Landon Grove. It''s been a while, Wish."


    ***


    Mary stared out the window as the car drove down the street. It was a plain-looking black one, and Mr. Grove was as boring as they came, refusing to break the speed limit. She was seated in the passenger seat while he drove and, in the back, a cloaked figure rested so tall they had to stay slouched so they didn''t touch the roof of the car. "So, are you going to tell me who Wish is? Or actually better question, who are you?" She huffed out.


    Most kids knew better when it came to strangers, but she decided that if he pulled any stunts, she''d just kill him. Grove gave a small smile as he turned the car down a new street heading for the rich part of the city. "Your city really isn''t what I was expecting, you know. I live in Oleander. I never imagined that your Pod would take you to this place. Blue really screwed up."


    "Huh?"


    "Oh. I guess I should give an explanation, shouldn''t I?" The man hummed.


    "I would like that, yes." She sighed. She was definitely going to kill him for sure.


    "Let''s cut to the chase. I''m the reason you''re alive."


    "What?" She frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Nice try, buddy. I can see DNA. We don''t match. Not at all."


    "Oh, that''s because I''m not your parent." He changed lanes once more, and she realized he was driving in a circle, taking them down the same block over and over again. "I said I''m the reason you''re alive, not that I was your father. I guess if you wanted to call anyone father, it would be Blue."


    "Okay? So, then who the hell is this Blue guy?" Mary asked. "Is it the guy in the back?" The cloaked man hadn''t spoken once and simply stared out the window in constant silence.


    "No. That is my bodyguard. He''s here to help keep me safe."


    "So, then who is my dad, then?"Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Dozens of years ago, before you were born, there was something that came from space and threatened mankind. We call it the Beast. This creature has made it his life mission to destroy us. I don''t know why, and I don''t care. I made it my mission to stop it. I''ve never seen it myself, thank God, but I''ve seen what it can do. Only one man ever came close to truly stopping it, though. His name was the Emperor. He had discovered something. He figured out that the Beast targeted normal humans above all else. So, he made it his mission to get rid of all humans. He had discovered he had the ability to control life. With this power, he wanted to change all of mankind into Supers. Create a world the Beast wouldn''t want to destroy. The humans betrayed him, however. They turned their backs on their former hero and even killed him. I saw the truth in what he said, though. I saw what he could do. I used my vast wealth and hunted down the one Super I thought could help me. The only Super who worked for the Hero Branch but turned traitor. He was Doctor Blue. A Super blessed with Mental powers that seemed made to work alongside those of the Emperor. With his help, I wanted to recreate the Emperor. Sadly, that isn''t possible. So instead, we did the next best thing. We took the Emperor''s DNA, as well as the DNA of one of his soldiers, and mixed them together with the help of a device created by the Lords. The Emperor himself had tried to do something similar in the past. I had been afraid that most of his power would go to his creation, but as luck would have it, his title didn''t pass down on his death. That title now rests on you."


    She blinked a bit as he rambled off his life story. She watched the road in silence. There were still a lot of cars. "That''s a lot to dump on me. Let''s say I believe you. How''d you even find me?"


    The man raised his hand up and held out a finger. A small fly that had been buzzing around the car landed on it. "This is a drone that was created by Avalon. With the help of dozens of Super''s, I managed to hack into it. I''ve had several people looking for you for years now, but I finally seemed to have lucked out. Luck seems to have a way of staying on my side. It is my destiny, after all."


    "You''re crazy."


    "Maybe I am. You were built for me, though. Created to fulfill my wish."


    The girl snorted and brushed some of her brown hair back behind her head. "I hate to tell you this, but I don''t really have any plans of working for anyone."


    "Is that so?" Grove hummed and unclicked his seat belt. "Maybe the next you will think differently."


    "What-"


    Much to her shock, he popped the door open and threw himself out of the car. By pure chance, it just so happened a mattress had been thrown out of an old home the day before, and he landed back first onto the mattress, breaking his fall. Mary stared with wide eyes as the car went out of control and smashed into the side of a building. Metal and glass exploded around her, but she was left mostly fine. Or at least she would have been, but a second later the car filled with intense smoke as the guy in the back seat lit up. Purple fire exploded out of him, burning through his cloak and blowing the car up. Mary felt the flames wash over her, and for the first time since she discovered she was a Super, she screamed out in pain as she was blasted through the metal and stone wall of the building they had crashed into.


    Screams filled the air, and she realized she had crashed into a bank. The fire still ate away at her body, and her power struggled to heal as she tried to push herself up. She groaned and watched as the hole in the wall expanded and someone stepped toward her. Daemon had changed a lot. His red flesh was a nasty gray color and filled with cracks. He was missing an arm and had become skin and bones. Most shockingly of all, though, was what covered his face. Grove hadn''t just stolen the drones from Avalon. A metal hand had its fingers jammed into Daemon''s flesh, the once proud warrior of the Emperor reduced to a puppet under Grove''s control. A similar fate that would await her, Mary guessed, if she didn''t put an end to this threat now.


    Daemon lifted his hand, and the purple fire blasted out as an intense wave. She threw her arm out, and the limb stretched, getting longer and wrapped around the back of someone''s shirt. She threw them in front of her just in time. They screamed as the fire blasted them to bits and gave Mary enough time to roll out of the way. The parts of her that were still on fire tore away, and she began to slowly heal, breathing heavily. Daemon charged forward and swung out with his remaining arm. He was tall and lanky, yet his body packed a serious force of strength behind it, even in this destroyed state. She tried to block his strike, but it destroyed both of her arms, snapping the bones and making her howl in pain. His leg kicked up, smashing into her stomach, and she slammed back, smashing through a person and blowing them to bits.


    Her body tried to heal itself, but Daemon didn''t give her any time. He grabbed a desk and ripped it out of the ground, swinging it at her. She managed to form wings out of her back and tried to fly up, but he smashed the desk over her body and slammed her back down into the ground. With another wave of his hand, purple fire sprayed out, mowing down more of the people and causing the building to shake as the fire spread throughout it. Sirens wailed in the distance, but they weren''t police sirens. Instead, they were something else. Something far worse. It caused Daemon to pause for a second, but the hand that was over his face dug its fingers deeper into him, and he shook his head, walking forward once more and raising his foot up. He brought it down onto her face, and she screamed as she felt her skull start to crack and break. He used all of his might and forced it down as hard as he could, shattering the floor, and Mary felt her face cave in and give out as his foot broke past it and he stepped on her brain.


    Everything went dark.


    Death.


    That''s what this was.


    No...


    Not death.


    Because she wasn''t alone. There was more of her.


    A light.


    It began to eat away at the darkness, and for a moment she saw her life. It flashed before her eyes. Every scumbag parent. All the words they''d call her, all the harm they''d leave on her. All those failed friends she made just like Amy. All of it swirled through her head. It wasn''t alone either. There was another. A set of memories that weren''t her. Someone that looked like her but was just off. A young girl. One with reddish brown hair and bright blue eyes. She watched this girl. No. She was this girl. For a moment, the memories went through her¡ªevery moment of this girl''s life. It went alongside her own. The good and the bad. She watched this girl, this thing, the one known as Sky.


    But whereas hers was mostly bad, this one was mostly good.


    She watched Mary get sent back into foster care.


    She watched Sky officially become a part of a family and be adopted by a woman named River.


    She watched Mary be forced to move to a different school in a different city, leaving the few friends she had behind.


    She watched Sky gain an older sister, one that would protect her always.


    She watched Mary have her skull caved in by a monster, and no hero showed up to help her.


    She watched Sky be nearly kidnapped by a villain, and every Enforcer member came to her rescue.


    She saw her life.


    She saw the life she wanted.


    Under the waves of an ocean, a small metal Pod hummed with a blue light. ¡®Authorization accepted.¡¯


    The darkness broke away. Daemon stepped back and grunted as a wave of power crackled out in all directions. Mary''s head reformed, putting itself back together, and her hair grew out, changing into a pure white. She felt her power grow. Double, triple, quadruple, but it wasn''t enough. She wanted more! She didn''t know how long she had been out for, but the sun was rising up above and the bank building was destroyed. Something was going on in her city. Smoke rose into the air, and screams were around every corner. She didn''t care though. This surge of power was so strong that the metal around Daemon''s face lit up and shattered, the hand falling off. His eyes gained their light back once more, and he stared at the girl as if he were gazing upon a goddess.


    "By the light of the Emperor, it''s true." He muttered. "You really are the next one. My leader-"


    Mary''s fist went through his face, blowing his head to bits and killing him in one shot. Daemon was finally put to rest. She swiped her hand, shooting off the blood, and stepped off of the wreckage of the building. She stared out at her city, calmly taking it in. She felt powerful. Godlike even. Yet no one was around to see it. Bodies littered the streets, and in the distance, she watched as buildings fell. Clouds swarmed the sky above, raining down constant bolts of lightning, and the siren''s warning never stopped¡ªa constant ringing that was being drowned out by the screams of the damned. By now, that Grove guy had likely gotten away. He might have even been the cause for all of this, though she had no real way of knowing.


    She walked forward slowly, watching as buildings came crashing down around her and the screams grew louder. Everywhere she looked were melted bodies. An intense heat came from up ahead, and then she heard it. "M- Mary." She turned and stared down an alleyway. Amy stood shivering despite the heat, her eyes bloodshot and wide. The girl ran at her and grabbed her. "You have to save me! You''re a Super, right? You need to get me out of here, please! I don''t want to die." The girl sobbed. "It came out of nowhere. It destroyed my house! My mom is already-"


    "What''s going on?" She cut the girl off and looked around.


    "It''s horrible!" Amy sobbed out. "It''s-"


    She felt an intense heat smash into her, and it tore her off of her feet and threw her down the alleyway. Amy was gone. Reduced to less than ash in a single instance. It was a beam of golden energy, and thanks to her eyes, she could see the massive amount of intense radiation that was being funneled into her body. It was breaking her cells down bit by bit. She gasped and tried to fight against it, but it was no use. She was going to die again. Be forced to relive that life of the other her. She was melting. Crumbling to dust, her regeneration unable to keep up. She saw it though. The thing that was killing her. It was large and powerful, and she finally put it together. What was happening?


    Chrysanthemum, the city she lived in, had just been visited by the Beast.


    In a blinding flash, Mary''s body truly broke away into nothingness as she once again died. But it wasn''t the end for her... Not at the moment. Not while the link still existed.


    Memories flashed, and for a moment she was that girl. Or at least watching the events play out through the girl''s eyes.


    Far, far away in Lillian, Sky rested on a swing set, going back and forth slowly. Her head was bowed, and she sighed. This was before she was Paragon. Before she had her powers, and before she had been blinded by her sister Lily. "Is something wrong?" A voice asked.


    Sky turned a bit and realized that she wasn''t alone. Someone else was on the other set of swings. A grown man. One who wore a simple suit. He had messy blonde hair and a bit of a beard, and heavy bags under his eyes. "Who are you?" The fourteen-year-old girl asked, narrowing her eyes.


    The blonde man chuckled and held his hands up. "You can relax. I''m a friend of your grandfathers."


    "Grampa Adam?"


    "That''s right. I used to be on his team." The man nodded. "I was told it''s your birthday today. You just turned fourteen? I saw you weren''t very happy though, so I thought I''d pay you a visit."


    Sky frowned and shrugged. "I''m just a little bummed, is all. Mom and my sister had to leave." The Beast from space had arrived. Ocean Empress hadn''t wanted to go, but apparently Lily was eager to try out her powers now that she had unlocked her Lord transformation and ran out, despite the danger. Mom went to get her back. After all, the Beast was something most people don''t come back from. "I know it''s important. The reason they aren''t here. But it still kind of ticks me off." Sky sighed. She swung back and forth on the swing for a moment, feeling the wind in her red hair.


    The blonde man nodded his head. He reached down to something that had rested on the ground next to him. "Well, since it''s your birthday and I''m in the area, I thought I''d give you something special. After all, I''ve missed a lot of your previous birthdays due to being a bit busy with something." He handed something over to her, and she stopped and stared at it. It was covered by cloth, but already she had a good idea of what it was. It was shaped like a bird cage. "Go on."


    She gripped the cloth and slowly pulled it down. It was in fact a bird cage. Inside was a type of bird she had never seen before. It caused her to gasp as she stared at it. It was young. Not a newborn, but not an adult either. It looked almost like a hawk or an eagle, but covered in crimson red fur. Its feathers looked sharp and jagged, and there was an intelligent light hidden behind its eyes. It stared up at her and cocked its head to the side.


    The blonde man chuckled when he saw the star-struck look in her eyes. "His name is Destiny." The man''s smile faded for a moment, and he grew serious. "He''s the last of his kind. There isn''t another of his species out there. His parents died a few years ago, and sadly, I can''t take care of him. You can, though, Sky. I''d like for you to raise him."


    "Really? Wait... Where did you even get something like this? Who are you? And why would you give me something as important as this? We''ve never met?"


    The blonde man reached out and placed his hand on top of her head. "You''re right. We haven''t met. But I would move the world for you. That''s what a father should do."


    Sky felt her eyes go wide, but suddenly her mind stopped working. Her thoughts ceased, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. The blonde man''s hand glowed with a faint black energy, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious. Sky wouldn''t remember this conversation, nor would she know just where she got this bird from. She would have a strange urge to keep it though and decided to name it Destiny.


    The blonde man would vanish from her memories. This wasn''t the first time he had come to her after all, not that she could recall.


    Nier, the man that should be dead, the monster that became the Emperor, turned away once he was sure Sky was fine. He placed his hands in his pockets and stared out at the world around him. He could feel it. The Beast. It had arrived on Earth. Just two years. Two years from now, he will be able to start his plan. He would stop the Beast for good. Until then, though, the world would think he was truly gone. The shadows rose up, swirling around him, and then he was gone.


    And so, time would pass...


    Mary slowly opened her eyes. She found herself suspended in a strange box. One that held a liquid that she floated in. "Her consciousness survived." A voice caught her attention, and she felt herself shake when her eyes finally came into focus. "Normally, when a Lord dies, the power passes on. However, in her case, while her body might have been reduced to ash, her soul stayed within this world thanks to the connection she held. As such, she''s still alive." They were in a strange metal room. Out in the Wastelands, a tower that was long forgotten. Grove stood directly in front of her, and behind him a blind man with a cane explained everything. Doctor Blue cleared his throat. "Though I would suggest we not let her die too much. The connection she has with the entity known as Sky could cause some... Issues."


    "Of course." Grove placed his hand on the glass and stared into the Lord of Life''s eyes, a smirk on his lips. "Welcome back to the world of the living, my Wish. You''ve been dead for nearly one year now. But I''ve brought you back." Behind him a metal Pod rested, one that glowed with a blue light. "I won''t let my Wish die so easily. You saw it right. I was there. I witnessed it finally firsthand. Destiny led me on this path. How lucky I was that you glimpsed it. You see why I did what I did now, right? The power it holds."


    She did. The Beast. A monster. More than any creature the Emperor had created. It was a true threat. It killed her so easily. Even with her enhanced power.


    "I can help you become stronger." Grove announced. "And if you help me, then once and for all, we can slay the Beast."


    That day Mary died.


    That day, Wish was born.

 Chapter Ninety-Four: A Choice

    Once upon a time, there was a young boy. One said to have been found by a great Devil. This Devil took the boy in and raised him as his own. But the Devil didn''t want a son. He wanted a weapon. One that would obey him always and help him slaughter his enemies. He wanted something that could devour the Sun.


    So he raised this boy up. He forged him powerful armor and gifted him a weapon that was alive so long as the child trusted it¡ªa partner for this young boy, and he drilled into him the image of what true power should be. Slowly, this child grew and eventually surpassed that of his mortal shell as the Devil fed him more and more. Bigger and bigger, this child became until soon only one word could truly describe him.


    Of course¡­ This is just a story.


    Right?


    ¡°I will defeat you!¡± Ash rained upon the Earth, pillars of black fire rose, and the planet itself shook! The Emperor¡¯s form had changed. His body was larger and covered in black scales. A tail flowed out, smacking the ground, splitting it in two, and with every flap of his wings, the wind tore apart the land. He had become a dragon. A mighty beast able to fight even a star. The Dragon roared loud enough to kill any human that heard it, their heads exploding. Hellish black fire gushed out of his form. ¡°Full Monarch! Come out!¡±


    P tried to stand his ground, but there was no use. Their forces had been slaughtered, as had the humans. This mad beast was destroying everything that got near him without a care. P yelled as he felt himself be thrown high into the air by the force of the wind that bent and twisted wildly through the air.


    ¡°The only one that is going to lose is you, Emperor!¡± A loud voice cried through the darkness. Blue chains of energy blasted out and began to wrap around the monster. Jack gripped them as tightly as he could, his red hair flowing in the wind and his eyes shining with the blue light of hope.


    ¡°You!¡± The Emperor screamed when he saw his creation. ¡°You bastard! I¡¯ll kill you-¡±


    Black feathers rained, and the Emperor found his entire body being shoved down as a palm smashed into his snout. Lucifer¡¯s hair was swept up wildly as the man¡¯s palm began to glow with a hideous black energy, and he forced every drop of the Dead Virus into his former rival¡¯s veins.


    ¡°Go ahead and die, you damn mutt.¡± The immortal hissed.


    Black fire gushed from the Dragon¡¯s eyes, and his tail slashed into Lucifer, nearly tearing the man in two. ¡°You betray me as well, Lucifer! Fine then! I¡¯ll devour this planet and bring it all crashing down!¡± His scales began to turn a nasty gray, and his body seemed to almost start to melt as he struggled to his feet and tried to rip his way out of the blue chains that bound him. His fiery eyes glared into Jack¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll start with you! You, who I promised the world to. You, whom I promised to turn into a God. You, who I called a son once! I will devour you-¡±


    Jack jumped at the man and raised a sword into the air. It wasn¡¯t made from his powers; instead, it was a physical object lacking color. It was pure white and seemed to bend and twist in his grasp, the blade was covered in hundreds of lines that made it up. He brought the sword down and impaled it into the monster¡¯s stomach! The Emperor roared, and Jack screamed back, tearing the sword down and splitting the beast open.


    The land was coated in blue light as the man pulled his fist back and rammed it into the stomach of the Emperor. The villain¡¯s body was growing in size, glitching out and spasming as his very cells rejected his life. With gritted teeth, Jack grabbed onto something and, with all his might, ripped an unconscious young man out of the monster¡¯s gut.


    The blacked-out Max Lightning, current Lord of the Sky, crashed into the dirt face first, not moving. The Emperor grabbed at his torn stomach, dozens of blades impaling Jack through his arms and legs. The red-haired man was raised off the ground, but his eyes burned with pure hope. Jack raised his blade high and then brought it down into the skull of the monster.


    ¡°Now, Full Monarch!¡± Jack screamed as loud as he could. ¡°Let¡¯s end this nightmare!¡±


    Blue fire burst out of the ground as Full Monarch literally flew through the planet. The flames whipped off his skin as the number one hero rammed his fist into the Emperor¡¯s gut, tearing a hole through him. The two took off for space, getting higher and higher, soon vanishing beyond the point of the world. The white sword fell from the skies and stabbed into the ground, meters away from Jack.


    Jack felt his chains fade, and he nearly collapsed, breathing heavily as blood poured down his body. ¡°I have to go help him.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The voice of Lucifer made Jack pause. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough, little Giant.¡± Jack turned around and felt a sharp stabbing pain. Blood gushed down his chin as he stared at the hand that stabbed into his chest. Lucifer¡¯s eyes stared into his, coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll be giving you this.¡± A golden glow was seeping out of the hole. ¡°It¡¯s from Full Monarch¡¯s daughter. A shard of her blade. My Dead Virus would kill you too quickly. I want you to suffer. I want you to live in agony, begging for death but unable to die. I want you to beg the Shadow to behead you when the time comes, false Ruler.¡±


    Jack gasped and struggled to speak as Lucifer ripped his hand away. He could feel it. The golden shard inside of his chest. Burning and eating away at him already. Lucifer stared down at the young man and cocked his head to the side. He watched as Jack¡¯s eyes went from a glowing blue to a lazy brown, and the boy¡¯s holy blue light began to leave him replaced with something else. Jack dropped to his back, gasping.


    He shot a hand out for Lucifer, but the immortal dodged past his grip. ¡°Sleep well, little Giant. Oh, and don¡¯t worry about Sky. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± Lucifer chuckled as he left the Emperor¡¯s failed creation on the battlefield.


    ¡°No...¡± Jack could feel tears in his eyes as everything began to quickly go dark. He felt his skin start to turn cold, and his lungs felt like they were about to explode. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. Not yet. I still haven¡¯t paid for my sins. Avalon, save me.¡± He gasped, reaching for the sword that was buried in the ground next to him.


    The sky slowly parted, and Jack felt a pair of arms wrap around him. His eyes struggled to remain open, but he stared up at Full Monarch. The man¡¯s fire had gone out, revealing the human beneath. His costume was stained, torn, and covered in his own blood. His messy red hair fell awkwardly, and the hero looked like one of his eyes had gone totally blind. Despite all of that, he still managed the giant smile that was on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry... It will all be okay...¡± The man spoke softly and reached up to his chest. ¡°I... I don¡¯t have much time left. I can feel it... So thank you for letting me save you.¡± And with that, the number one hero drove his fingers into Jack¡¯s chest.


    Once upon a time, there was a young boy. One said to have been found by a great Devil. This Devil took the boy in and raised him as his own. But the Devil didn''t want a son. He wanted a weapon. One that would obey him always and help him slaughter his enemies. He wanted something that could devour the Sun.


    But in the end, they all died.


    At least that¡¯s how the story should have gone¡­


    ***


    After Lucifer''s fall, Mr. Sini, the Lord of the Sea and Depth, stepped up as the leader of mankind. And with this new responsibility, his power somehow evolved. He had become a Mental-based user.


    His mind was expanded, and he was able to break the laws of the universe through a form of creation he specialized in, like all Mental users. His concept of creation was the ability to ensure humankind''s continued survival. Long ago, before the Shadow, humanity had been said to be close to reaching the stars. With his newfound power and the fame he gained during the war with Lucifer, he created Sini Corp. Their goal had been simple. Escape Earth.


    And he succeeded.


    Through sheer will, alongside the help of many of the planet''s greatest Mental Supers, they created a series of towers based on the Enforcer Tower. The first of these towers was built on Earth. The second one was built on the Moon. They formed a connection with one another and created a bridge of sorts. Something that could connect to others and allow mankind to escape to another planet. With the power of the Lord of the Sky and Weather on his side, Sini created a tower on every planet in the solar system, building a series of bridges. Each tower would allow someone to move to another one instantly in the solar system¡ªa means of instant teleportation.


    The end goal would have been to use the Lord of Life''s power to make each planet a place where humanity could thrive. It was when they reached Mars, though, that disaster struck. They woke something up¡ªsomething that might have existed since the dawn of time, something left behind by the Shadow, or maybe even something else that had been recently created. It was unknown truly what it was.


    It was given the name the Beast from Space.


    Even the combined power of the Lords was barely able to slow it down. It came down to Earth and fought until the city it landed in was utterly destroyed. Then it simply left. It went back to Mars and seemingly faded away. They lost much that day, but the most brutal blow was the loss of Nier. With the loss of all that he loved, he collapsed in on himself. This would only worsen when the Beast returned a year later to destroy another city, then simply left for the stars once more.


    That was the day the Emperor was born.


    The hope to terraform planets had been erased with the Lord of Life no longer on their side. The towers became forgotten relics, made worse by the fact that the Emperor stole them for his own and moved his people to the moon. With the loss of Sini during the war and the threat of the Beast from space, the towers were left behind, and humanity moved on, looking for a new solution to survive¡ªone that Avalon brought them in the form of pocket realms.


    This tower on Earth, though, wasn''t entirely forgotten. It had been used one more time after the fall of Full Monarch. Once a hero, turned into the next version of the devil, the Emperor had fled to the stars just like Golden God. That was until he seemingly returned.


    Cinder felt her legs give out. She collapsed to her knees and instantly felt all of her power leave her. She wasn''t the only one. Poseidon''s back was pressed to the wall, and the hero''s body shook. This was so much worse than Wish, worse than Green Wolf, Fairy Queen, or any other bad guy they had seen.


    He wore pitch-black armor that almost seemed to breathe as if it were alive. It was rough and full of cracks and dents from his battles. Jagged demonic horns stabbed out of the side of it, and a pair of slits in his helmet oozed a fiery red glow that lit up the darkness of the tower. His cape flowed up, and he took a single step forward, echoing throughout the building.


    Her mind raced as she stared at the demon before her. He should have been dead. The title of Lord passes down when one dies. That power had been split between Paragon and Wish. For that to happen, the Emperor had to die. He couldn''t live; it was simply impossible. He died in his fight with Full Monarch. The battle had ended with both of them taking each other out. At least, that''s what the Hero Branch told everyone.


    Yet, despite the fact that his body should have been reduced to less than ash, he stood before them. This broke all the rules she knew about the Lord. Wish was the Lord of Life. If the Emperor was here, then what did that mean?


    Mayor Grove didn''t look at the villain. His eyes were cast downward. "I''m sorry it came to this." He said softly. "You heroes kept getting in my way. I had no choice but to bring him here. I''m trying to create a new and perfect world. One where we won''t deal with the Beast. He gave me Wish. He told me how my fate would end, and I still tried to go around it. We don''t get to control how our story goes. We don''t get to defy them all. Fate is set in stone from the start." The man''s arms trembled. "I really am sorry."


    The Emperor didn''t say anything. He stood there silently. His eyes slowly roamed around the tower as if taking everything in. He didn''t even bother looking at them. She debated attacking, but her body refused to move. She couldn''t stand up or even muster any fire. Paragon was the same. The blind girl''s arms were wrapped around herself, and her bird shivered on her head. Wish was still in a corner and couldn¡¯t look this thing in the eyes either.


    Cinder knew what she needed to do: run. Grab Paragon and Poseidon and make a break for it. Escape. Run. Flee. But no matter how much her mind screamed at her, she couldn''t. She just couldn''t.


    It was almost like a powerful weight was pressed down on them. She wanted to cry, to scream, to run; she wanted to do everything but fight this thing. This was a real Devil. A dragon. An apex predator that stood above all others. This was the might of the Emperor.


    Poseidon was the first to recover. The girl was breathing heavily and on the verge of having a panic attack, but she still managed to raise her trident. The Emperor still didn''t even bother to look at them. His hand was placed on the wall, wiping some of the dust away. "C- Cinder." Poseidon spat out. "Grab Sky and run-"


    The red eyes finally turned to look at her, and Poseidon''s weapon dropped from her hand. Cinder mustered up everything she had left in her and managed to stand up, but it was too late. They didn''t even see him move. The cape flew past them, and his hand was already wrapped around Paragon''s throat. She tried to turn, but he was already outside of the tower and gone, taking the blind girl with him. Not just Paragon, but Wish as well.


    "Sky!" She screamed.


    Outside of the tower, a few miles away, Battery stared down at Fairy Queen''s frozen body. "Should I just kill her?"


    "Can you?" Ocean Empress asked, cocking her head to the side. She had trapped the unconscious villain in as much ice and water as she could. "Fairy Queen seemed to always pop back up no matter what we did to her. It was why we eventually gave up on trying to kill her and threw her into the Nightshade. Even the Victorian wasn''t able to keep her dead for long."


    Battery hummed and shrugged his shoulders. "As far as I know, she doesn''t have a healing factor, but she''s always been able to escape death. It''s like the universe is on her side. The moment I attack, the ice could break, and she might wake up. I''d have to go for the head and take her out faster than her brain wakes up. If you''re willing to risk it, I can try."


    "Can you do it, though? No offense, you''re in a bad state."Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "You can say that again," Battery snorted. He rubbed at his chest. "The next fight I get into is going to be my last."


    "I can get my daughter to heal you-"


    "I''m going to die. I don''t want to look for any more solutions." He sighed and grumbled a bit. "I''m tired. Really tired. I just want this day to end."


    "So, you''re just giving up?"


    "Yeah."


    Ocean Empress frowned and balled her hand into a fist. "Whatever. Next time, I won''t be there to get you back up anyway. I couldn''t care less. You can go die if you-"


    It landed directly behind them. Battery felt his entire spine shiver, and he saw a glimpse of black and red. He didn''t even have time to turn around. The Emperor''s fist smashed through the ice and wrapped around Fairy Queen. He was gone again in a single heartbeat, faster than Battery, Demonica, and any other person on this planet could ever hope to react to.


    Ocean Empress was still in the middle of turning by the time he took off running. He ran at full speed, his golden aura crackling around him as he headed for the others.


    Near the base of the tower, the others stopped what they were doing and watched Myth. The hero dropped back down to the ground and reverted back to his human form. Golden God quietly floated over, covered in thick dents and cracks all along his form. "Looks like we got the guy on the ropes," Myth called out. ¡°Between all of us, we should be able to win!"


    "Don''t jinx it!" Snowdawn yelled out.


    "Please!" BB let out a snort and folded her arms. "What else could possibly happen-"


    In an instant, one of Golden God''s hands buckled and shook as something landed on it insanely fast. Everyone froze when they saw the black cape that flowed in the wind. Instantly, all hope vanished. The Emperor placed Fairy Queen down and slowly stood up, his other hand holding Paragon by the throat. Wish was at his side, still on her knees and sobbing.


    Even Golden God was in shock. The once emotionless voice shook as the robot stared down with wide eyes. "M- Master."


    Not a single soul moved. Everyone was frozen in place, just staring at the scene before them. Then, suddenly, laughter filled the battlefield. Backup clutched at his stomach and nearly fell over from laughter. "Oh, man. Damn, she really got us. I was actually having a freakout moment." He cleared his throat and pointed at the figure in black. "Guys. It''s an illusion."


    "A- An illusion." Myth''s tone broke for a moment, and he didn''t look very sure.


    "It''s got to be! Come on, guys! There is no way the Emperor is actually alive! Obviously, Fairy Queen put us all under an illusion to freak us out-"


    Despite his confidence, no one budged, not even Golden God. It was Paragon who broke the silence once more. She was clutching at the hand around her throat, gasping and shaking. "I¡ªIt''s not an illusion! R¡ªRun."


    A golden flash broke past all the heroes, and in an instant, Battery appeared in front of the Emperor. He swung the mace he had used on Green Wolf down as hard as he could, smashing it directly into the Emperor''s helmet. "He''s real!" Battery screamed out. Golden lightning danced over him, gushing out of his weapon. "This is the real deal! The Emperor is alive!" His swing didn''t even cause the Emperor to budge, and in a flash, Battery was sent smashing past everyone as an unseen force rammed into his stomach.


    "Battery!" Whisper used her power to see where he was going to crash and jumped out, opening her arms and catching the hero as he rammed into her.


    That kicked everyone off. Attacks flew out in the direction of the threat, but Golden God raised his other hands up and shielded his master. Myth grabbed Backup, shaking the man. "Your flying boat. Get it down here now. Put all the kids on it and run."


    "But-"


    "No buts! Run! Get as far as you can into the city with the kids and call for the Enforcers and every other hero team. All of them! The rest of us will buy you as much time as we can-" Golden God struck out his hand, ramming through the ship and blowing it to bits. "You have got to be fucking kidding me!"


    In the palm of Golden God, the Emperor held Paragon and looked at her, cocking his head to the side. She gasped and shook, and her bird hissed, but the creature ignored them. Then he set her down. She stared up at him in confusion, but he ignored her and instead grabbed Wish by the throat.


    The white-haired girl thrashed around and screamed, throwing her fist into the helmet of the Emperor, but that only managed to break her own bones. They were encased in the hands of Golden God, which twisted and formed a protective barrier around them. She thought about fighting but instantly knew it wouldn''t work. She was just so weak.


    "I''ll kill you." Wish grunted and screamed, still trying to get out of the hands that gripped around her throat. "I''ll turn you into slime-"


    The Emperor twisted his hand and snapped her neck. His eyes never even bothered to look down at Paragon. Slowly, Wish''s corpse began to change and twist. It swirled around and broke away, turning to dust. When it was all said and done, only a single thing remained in his palm. She could tell somehow that it was Wish''s power¡ªthe girls'' title of Lord of Life. It was a lump of energy the size of a small golf ball. Glowing and crackling with power.


    She shivered as those red eyes turned to look down at her. His hand came down, and she shrank back. There was no use in running, though. They were trapped within a shell forged by Golden God''s hands. She could hear the others screaming and throwing everything they had, but Golden God refused to budge. She accepted her fate. Destiny did as well. His hand grabbed her by the head, and he lifted her up. His other hand, the one that held the lump of power, pulled back, and he rammed it into her.


    She gasped. It didn¡¯t hurt. It didn¡¯t actually stab into her. Instead, it phased into her body. When he pulled his hand out, her body suddenly began to shiver and shake as she felt the power forcefully mold its way into her body. Something was happening. He just gave her the power of a Lord? Instantly, she felt it. Something was changing her. The effects of the power seeped into her, and she gasped and shook. All the injuries she had gained from him and Wish faded away. She was healed. Not just healed, she was-


    A beam of golden energy blasted through Golden God''s hands, breaking past them. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her as Battery flew in. He held onto her tightly and blasted into the air, whipping around and swinging with massive golden chains that flew out of his back.


    "Cinder!" He swung himself around, and Paragon let out a yelp as he threw her.


    Poseidon and Cinder jumped out from the tower''s entrance, and Paragon felt herself crash into Cinder''s arms. They dropped to the ground beneath Golden God, and Paragon stared up at Cinder. "Are you alright?" Cinder asked.


    "Yeah." She nodded. "I-"


    "Are you sure?!" Poseidon asked.


    "I''m fine!" She cut both girls off and looked around. "I''m better than fine, in fact." She looked down at her hand and balled it into a fist. "I can see."


    "What?"


    "He fixed my eyes?" She wasn''t looking through Destiny''s eyes anymore. She wasn''t blind anymore. It wasn''t just that. Her entire body felt way stronger. The Emperor had done something.


    Battery landed down on the ground next to them. "Kid! Are you okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine; what about you-"


    Battery nodded his head and shoved the mace he held into Paragon''s arms. "I want to make a trade." He grabbed the sword she was still clutching and yanked it out of her hands, then jumped back into the air, leaving the mace with her. He landed in the palm of Golden God and pointed his sword at the Emperor. "How the hell are you alive? Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter! Here and now, I''ll kill you!"


    The Emperor didn''t look at Battery. Golden God''s hands had moved away, allowing the devil to stare down at the other heroes. His red eyes roamed over them.


    "Look at me." Battery ordered. The Emperor stepped off of the hand and dropped to the ground. He landed on it softly and turned to look back at Cinder, Paragon, and Poseidon. "I said, look at me!" Battery jumped off of the hand as well and landed in front of the Emperor. All the heroes remained still, all staring at the Calamity level threat. He hadn''t attacked anyone yet, nor had he spoken. "I''m in front of you! Look at me!" The Emperor''s eyes skipped past Battery and instead turned to judge Myth and Roulette. Both heroes were ready to act at a moment''s notice. "I''m right here! You made me! Look at me!" Next, he stared at Money Tree, Snowdawn, BB, Whisper, and Oxide. All the kids shivered and stood behind the adults. "Fucking look at me!" Last were Backup, Bad Wolf, Metal Ronin, and Duplicity. "You did this to me! You created me! I won''t let you pretend like I don''t exist!" Battery roared and blasted forward, swinging his sword.


    The Emperor was gone. Far faster than Battery was, the villain appeared in front of Money Tree. Money Tree didn''t even have time to create a barrier or act. The Emperor flicked the hero on top of his head, and Money Tree''s neck nearly snapped, and he was blasted back.


    "Money Tree!" BB screamed. She blasted her wind forward, causing all hell to break loose as the battle really started. The wind smashed into the Emperor, and he didn''t even budge as he walked through it.


    Golden God snorted and floated higher up, getting out of the blast zone. "Seems he wants to play a bit. I guess after fifteen years, he''s grown soft. After all, he allowed Money Tree to live instead of blowing his head off."


    The Emperor appeared behind BB and elbowed the girl in the gut. She vomited out a wave of blood, and he grabbed her by the hair, holding her out in front of him and using the girl to block a wave of Roulette''s bullets. At the last second, Roulette held his power back and stopped his attack from hitting BB, and the Emperor swung the girl by her hair and threw her, sending her ramming into Roulette hard enough to shatter the man''s ribs.


    Oxide tried to jump away, but he was on her, reaching for her face, jagged claws seeming to form out of his gauntlet. Everything became black and white, and time itself froze as Snowdawn used the last of his energy to freeze time once more.


    "You''ve got to be fucking shitting me! The Emperor! As in the actual Emperor! What the fuck! I know I said I wanted to deal with a calamity-level threat, but this is so BS-" He went silent when he watched the Emperor''s head turn to look at him. "No fair! I stopped time-"


    The Emperor grabbed him by the throat, and time restarted. Snowdawn grunted as the Emperor swung him like a weapon and smashed his head-first into Oxide''s stomach. He smashed them both into the ground, breaking it and creating a large crater.


    A second later, the Emperor let go of them and raised his palm just in time to block Myth''s fist. Myth charged forward using everything he had in his bull form but couldn''t even get the thing to budge. "This isn''t my first Calamity level threat! Compared to the Beast, you''re nothing!" His form changed into his lion mode, and he roared.


    The Emperor held his fingers out and thrust them forward, impaling their way past the lion''s unbreakable fur and spilling Myth''s blood. His fist rammed forward into the face of Myth, and the hero was sent crashing back to where Money Tree had landed.


    Bad Wolf and Duplicity both charged forward. Duplicity flew forward as fast as she could, but the Emperor easily dodged past her and kicked up with his leg, splitting her in two. Her form flickered and changed back into its child form, all the damage healing, but she crashed to the ground, and before she could get back up, he placed his boot on her head and pressed down. She screamed as her skull nearly exploded, but before it popped, the Emperor jumped back, avoiding the claws of Bad Wolf.


    The Emperor''s head cocked to the side as he stared at her. She was a monster and had likely fought in his army. She hissed and swung out, but her claws shattered and broke on his armor. He grabbed her roughly by the ears and pulled back, lifting her up, and then rammed her down into the ground so hard he shattered her snout.


    "Come on, come on, hurry up!" a panicked Metal Ronin yelled out. He and Backup stood in the very back, trying to quickly combine their tech and make a quick upgrade to stall the Emperor. Backup was using the supplies of his destroyed ship and attaching wires and metal to the arm of Metal Ronin''s suit.


    "It''s done!"


    Metal Ronin flexed his hand, and the downed ship roared to life. The thrusters screamed and blasted out a wave of hellfire, but the Emperor walked through it unharmed and swung his palm out so hard the air twisted and snapped, ramming through what was left of the ship and blowing both of the metal-based users back.


    Slowly, the Emperor''s eyes turned to the last hero. Whisper raised her arms. "I give up."


    He turned away from her and lazily held his arm up, blocking Battery''s sword as the hero came crashing down. Golden lightning flowed off of Battery, and the man glared at the Emperor, but the villain didn''t even bother to look back at him. "I know what I have to do." His lightning glowed, getting brighter. "I''m going to build up as much energy as I can and turn myself into a human bomb!"


    "What!" Whisper jumped away in shock. "You''re going to self-destruct! Won''t that kill you?!"


    "Fate is set in stone." Battery spat out, glaring at the Emperor. "That''s what you told me once. You were a real shitty dad, you know that!" A golden barrier formed around him, and the Emperor''s glowing became brighter. "This might not kill you, but it''ll hurt-"


    Instantly ice coated Battery, and the man was frozen in place, his light cutting out and the barrier dropping as he was trapped in a block of ice. Ocean Empress breathed heavily as she flew down, finally catching up. "I''m not letting you blow yourself up." She formed a sword out of her ice and held it up. "Whisper. Get the others out of here." She stared at the monster in black armor. Instantly, she remembered the horrors of the war. The screaming, the pain, the ash, the death. The Emperor still didn¡¯t bother to look at Battery and instead stared directly into the eyes of Ocean Empress. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?" The hero said softly. ¡°I took your name after your death. Called myself the Empress. I still don¡¯t really know why I did it. What motivated me to take up that mantle, but I did. I won¡¯t let you take it back so easily, monster.¡±


    The Emperor appeared in front of Ocean Empress and threw a punch at her, but she managed to duck under it. She swung her sword, but he caught it between two of his fingers and broke the tip of the blade. He rammed the ice shard forward, broke past her costume, and impaled her on the blade. She stumbled back and reformed another sword, swinging it out, but he ducked under it and stepped forward, using the horns on his helmet to stab her. He easily lifted her up, impaling her on his horns, and her blood flowed down his body. He twisted his head to the side and sent her flying.


    In less than a few minutes, he had taken down the Sub Enforcers, the Watch Dogs, and Pantheon, all by himself, all with just his raw strength. Not even a single use of his Lord''s powers was required.


    Gravity compressed and slammed down on him, but he didn''t even budge. Poseidon rammed her trident forward, but it bounced off of his armor. She used her power to create a black hole and launched it at him, but his fist rammed through it and broke it, being too strong for the force of pure gravity to control. As Poseidon fell back, she twisted her water and shot a compressed beam of it into him, but he backhanded it and rammed himself forward with so much speed he shattered her helmet and most of her nose when he head-butted her.


    Golden fire slammed into him as Cinder came crashing forward with her shield. She didn''t hold back, hitting him with everything she had. He buckled a bit but forced his way past the fire and punched. She blocked it with her shield and grunted as part of the metal twisted and cracked. She shoved his fist off and raised her hand up, catching the mace that Paragon threw at her. She brought it down on top of his head and raised it again, but he grabbed her wrist and squeezed down, snapping it. Her hand dropped the mace, and he caught it, swinging it up, and smashed it into her chin so hard she was sent flying into the air.


    He watched her land and slowly stalked forward. Paragon ran to her mother and began to heal her. "Mom! You need to get up." She placed her hand on the woman''s face and channeled her power out, feeling her mother''s damaged body and mending it.


    Ocean Empress groaned and managed to open her eyes up and stare into her daughter''s face. "Y- Your eyes are-"


    "I''m not blind anymore."


    "Why would he do that..."


    "I don''t know, but you need to get up." Paragon waited until she was sure her mother was healed enough to stand. Then she ran over to her sister and began to heal the girl.


    Over with Cinder, she hit the ground and slowly tried to push herself up. She spat out a broken tooth and some blood and rubbed at her jaw. The straps to her helmet broke away, and it fell off of her head, allowing the rest of her golden hair to spill out. It was still short, and she still had that nasty scar across her forehead, even after being healed by beating Wish, those wounds hadn¡¯t faded. She looked up just in time to see the Emperor swinging the mace down directly onto her face.


    It stopped inches away from her and softly pulled back. His red eyes stared into her own, and quietly, he traced her face with his eyes, taking her in. "I''m going to stop you." She dug her fingers into the ground and pulled out a wave of sand, trying to blind him. She threw a punch, but he easily caught it. Her golden flames roared out, but it didn''t seem to bother him.


    "The Brightest Star." She froze when she heard him speak. His voice was old and rough, twisted and broken. It held almost no emotion¡ªnothing but a small flicker of recognition. His eyes bore into hers. "You¡¯ve awakened.¡±


    She felt something. Her mind ached, and she gasped. He was doing something. He was invading her mind. Memories flooded her. They twisted and swirled around as her life flashed before her eyes. He was forcing her to relive it all. Every embarrassing moment and thought¡ªthe good and the bad, her talks with her mom and dad, her looking up to Mr. Larison, being a hero, her feelings for her team, her thoughts of her friends¡ªall of it was pulled out of her. One memory stood out, though. The state her father was in. The Emperor was using his power to force her brain to tell him everything there was about her.


    "Hope?" He spoke her name, and she shivered. He knew everything there was about her now. Most of it, at least. All her dark secrets and private thoughts. She felt gross both with herself and him, and her mind still reeled as it finally stopped coming to the ground. He let go of her hand, and she dropped to her knees, gasping. "I came when I felt the power of the Brightest star. To think my daughter would be here. It was almost too perfect.¡±


    "You''re insane." She groaned.


    "Yes."


    "Why are you telling me all of this?"


    "You saved her life." The Emperor stared deep into her eyes and cocked his head to the side. "Pick."


    "What?"


    ¡°I am a Lord of Life no longer. I have changed. After my battle with Full Monarch, I lost my right to be the Lord of the Land and Life. Now I am a Ruler. With this power, I can save one. So, I''d like you to pick. The one you call Jack Larison, or the one you call Alexander Lauren. Which would you like me to save?"


    Her face paled as his words rang through her head. A choice. He was offering to save one.


    Her father or Mr. Larison...


    It was pretty obvious what her answer was.

 Chapter Ninety-Five: The Dance Of Heroes And Villains

    "My name is Nicholas Alma. I used to be a member of the Hero Branch, working alongside Doctor Blue. Now, though, I''m a total nobody who barely makes ends meet, living with a former monster." Nick rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh. "I was given a job by someone really important, but I''m having a tough time figuring out how I can make it work. My best friend seems content with getting himself killed, and I''m not sure what I should do. I''m not a Super. I''m just a human that was lucky enough to work alongside so many of them. I guess what I''m saying is, how do you explain to someone that they still have a reason to live after they''ve given up on everything?"


    The minimum wage worker behind the counter blinked a few times as Nick finished talking. "Uh... Sir. This is a Feast Shack."


    Nick shrugged. "Right. I''ll take a Feast mega-meal with a large cola."


    The moon had vanished behind the clouds. It was nearly four a.m. by now. He finished his shift at the bank and headed to the apartment he and Jack shared. Jack still hadn''t made it back, though. It was a little odd in a way. He had known the man for over fifteen years now. He had been there to pull Jack out of the destroyed city and helped restart the man''s heart, saving his life. In all that time, not once had the man shown a hint of drive. Jack had completely closed himself off and was content living out the rest of his days helping to fix the city that he had helped tear down once.


    After meeting with that girl, nothing had changed. Sure, he put on a costume and actually went out to do things, but Nick could tell. Jack was still sprinting for the finish line. Any day now, he was sure. Jack wouldn''t be returning.


    Nick stepped out of the burger joint with his food. The streets were empty, and there wasn''t a car in sight. It was like the entire city had fallen asleep. A low buzz came from his pocket, and he fished his phone out. "Hello?"


    "Doctor Alma." He was instantly on high alert when he heard his real name. Nicholas Alma was a long-forgotten name. Someone who worked alongside the famed Doctor Blue and specialized in healing Supers. Now, he was Nick Ale, a simple security guard.


    "Who is this?" He asked slowly.


    "Who do you think?"


    A small smile cracked its way onto his lips. "I was wondering if you''d ever call me back, Luna." Luna Laps, the current head of the Oleander Hero Branch and an old friend of his, "Jack told me that you got in contact with him."


    Ms. Laps didn''t sound very happy over his phone, but then again, she never did. She was always the quick-to-anger type. "I was forced to involve myself after you failed to keep the situation under control. Your job was simple. Per the request of Full Monarch, you and Mr. Larison were to remain in hiding and live out the rest of your days off the face of the map. Now, however, I find out that he''s been running around in costume."


    "Jack''s been running around in costume!"


    "You can cut the act. I know you are in on it."


    Nick let out a snort and took a seat on a bench. He took some of his food out and took a bite out of his burger as he stared up at the moon above. Most of it was covered by clouds, but he could still make out the giant cracks and edges that went all along it. "He seemed happy. I hadn''t seen him happy since I met him. I think he liked it."


    "That was still no reason to allow him to run around. If the Victorian figured out who he was, discovered what Alpha used to be, what he did in the war, and what was within him, then it would all be over for us. The moment that woman even thinks that the Hero Branch might not be on her side, we''re screwed."


    "The Victorian isn''t a bad person," Nick said, shaking his head. "She''d never hurt innocent people, even if they brought her harm."


    "She doesn''t have to turn against the Hero Branch. All she would have to do is simply not show up to a Calamity-level threat. As it stands, she is the only weapon we have left that can deal with them¡ªat least until you can figure out how to save Alpha''s life and recreate the weapon that slayed Full Monarch."


    Nick sighed, and his shoulders slumped a bit. "He isn''t a weapon. He''s a human."


    "Only because Full Monarch saw fit to pity him and change him back."


    "Why did you really call? It wasn''t to check in on me, I¡¯m guessing."


    Silence filled the air as he waited for the woman to respond. He could tell she was thinking of how best to use him. Laps had started at the bottom. Born into a world of gods as just a human, she did what people did best and survived, playing all sides and rising to the top. "I think it is best if Nicholas Alma reappears in the eyes of the public."


    He sat up straight and dropped his food as his eyes widened. "What do you mean? You''re the one that told me to go into hiding. To pretend that I died alongside Blue in the attack. If the Hero Branch discovered you were keeping me or Jack hidden, then¡ª"


    "I''ll handle it."


    "Why now? What the hell could have happened that would cause you to make this stupid plan?"


    "Harrison Avalon has turned on us."


    "A¡ªAvalon?" The man was trained by Mr. Sini and is one of the smartest people in the world. He inherited Sini Corp and created Avalon Industries. The only other person who hated the Emperor more than the Victorian and Jack. "What do you mean he''s turned on us?"


    "I don''t have all the information yet, but what I can tell you is that this opens a hell of a lot of issues. The reason we let him stay on the sidelines for so long was because he ran his company right. Avalon Industries has supplied heroes with their tech for years and worked to benefit the public. With him gone, there is a good chance that the Enforcers would like to request the transfer of its resources to the hero, Boy Genius. He already has his own group, which rivals, maybe even surpasses, Avalon Industries on his own. If he were to gain control of Avalon Industries, then the power dynamic between the Branch and the Enforcers would become thinner. That''s why I''ve decided to step in and stop this from happening. I think someone on the side of the Branch should be running the company."


    "In other words, you want me to be your puppet."


    "You were personally trained by Mr. Sini and worked alongside Avalon, Blue, and Old Dog. On top of that, you even saved the life of Full Monarch once. I wonder if some of your skills have grown rusty. Maybe you could find a cure easier with the backing of the Industries and actually save his life."


    "I''ll think about it..."


    "I''ll keep in touch, in that case."


    The line went dead, and he slowly pocketed his phone. The moon still hung high above. Soon, the sun would rise, and a new day would begin.


    "What do you suggest I do, Jack?"


    ***


    "It''s pretty obvious, isn''t it?" Fire swirled around Cinder''s fist, and she smashed it toward the Emperor''s helmet. "I''m picking both! I''ll find a way to save my dad and Mr. Larison without you!" She unleashed her fire out of her palm, but the Emperor dodged back.


    Her attack soared high into the air, splitting past the clouds and blasting into space.


    "You missed."


    "Or maybe I was just signaling for help!" She was back on her feet and threw out a punch with her good arm, but he raised the mace and blocked it. The recoil went back into her arm, and she felt the bones in her hand snap and break. She fought through the pain, though, and blasted fire out of her mouth.


    The Emperor kicked her away with his foot, sending her smashing back. She tried to stand back up, but he lazily threw the mace, smashing it directly into her face and knocking her over again. "Both your arms are broken. Just stop." Her teeth gripped down onto the mace, and she stood back, upholding it with her mouth. She said something, but it came out as muffled due to the mace she held. The Emperor''s eyes traced over her. "You remind me of Jackson."


    She charged forward but was stopped when gravity slammed down into her, pinning her to the ground. Poseidon dropped down in front of her, mostly healed, and had used her power to fly. "Cinder, you''re in no condition. Go get healed. I can handle this."


    The fear hadn''t faded. The gap in skill was massive. In terms of sheer power alone, the Emperor was just as strong as the Victorian. That said, something was wrong with the situation. Not once had he tried to kill them. It was almost like he was playing. That small fact was enough to give Poseidon some hope. They hadn''t entirely lost¡ªnot yet.


    Hope still remained!


    Poseidon lowered her gravity and bounced forward with as much speed as she could muster. It was still nothing compared to the sheer force of the Emperor. He didn''t even need to use any abilities. He caught her trident with one hand and lifted her up. She increased her body''s gravity, bringing herself down, and twisted a massive amount of water around her body, trying to drown him, but he easily slapped it away, sending her flying.


    Poseidon rolled across the ground, twisting back onto her feet and swinging her weapon through the air, sending massive shards of ice out, but they shattered on his helmet. He stepped forward and charged like a bull, using his horns and stabbing her just like he did her mother. She gasped but fought through the pain and rammed her weapon down. So much gravity swirled around them, and space began to twist, but even that wasn''t enough.


    The Emperor broke past the gravity and bucked his head, throwing her off of him. He grabbed her by the hair as she was sent flying and tugged her back down, ramming his fist directly into her face. Poseidon''s eyes rolled back, and she spat out a glob of black blood. It stained the devil''s hand and soaked into his dark armor.


    "A monster. Why don''t you show your true form?" He tossed her into the air and flicked his hand, causing the air around her to explode just like Fairy Queen would.


    She began to fall back down to the planet, gasping. She tried to move, but her body didn''t want to respond. She couldn''t even transform even if she wanted to. She was about to hit the ground head-first when she heard it. The faintest sound of a buzz.


    Hundreds of them appeared all around her. A cloud of wasps washed over and formed together into a body. Arms wrapped around Poseidon, stopping her fall just in time. She stared up in a daze at the face of Wasp Nest, who gave her a sly smile. "K-Kenny?"


    "It''s okay. I''m here now."


    "How-"


    "I don''t know." He placed her down softly on the ground and stood up, looking directly at the Emperor. "I woke up in my bed and was suddenly able to transform and heal back up." Every time he reformed, he was always fully healed. After being hit by Wish, though, the villain had caused him to fall into a coma, and he hadn''t been able to use his power. Now that Wish was gone, however, the hero known as Wasp Nest found himself on the worst possible first mission. "So. You''re the Emperor?"


    "D- Don''t fight him." Poseidon gasped out.


    "I won''t." Wasp Nest shook his head. He gave a sly smirk as he stared back at the man. "See, I always keep a spare wasp on my friends in case I need to go save them. As soon as I found out they were in Wasteland I rushed over. At least that''s what I''d like to say. I''m kind of a coward sometimes, so I made sure to call for help. It turns out I didn''t even have to, though. Earlier, a big blast of fire went off, and someone noticed and is on their way-"


    The clouds broke as it came down. Bigger than a skyscraper and gushing out a wave of golden light. The Emperor looked up just in time as the golden greatsword rammed into him hard enough to shatter the ground.


    Wasp Nest turned and grabbed Poseidon, throwing her over his shoulder. Then he took off running like his life depended on it. It did now. The ground began to crack and break as the massive sword was driven deep into it. "Go, go, go! We have to get the hell out of here! Those two are going to tear this entire place apart!"


    Poseidon stared up with wide eyes as the golden woman came down. It wasn''t just her, either. Cinder still held the mace between her lips, and instantly, all the fear and worry disappeared. The Victorian landed on the ground, her arms folded. The woman''s golden eyes met Cinder''s fiery red. She had a sly smile on her lips.


    "Nice work, kid. I saw your attack and came flying over as soon as I could. Why don''t you leave it to me? I''ll take it from here!" A smaller greatsword, only the size of a large car, appeared over the Victorian''s shoulder, and she turned to face the Emperor.


    Playtime was over. He wasn''t holding back anymore.


    The sword that buried him in the ground began to crack and break. Wisps of shadow crawled up, and slowly, he raised it off of him with one arm. The darkness had come to life. It was his to command. It flowed like hands grasping at the ground and digging into the golden metal above him.


    The dance of heroes and villains was about to begin once more.


    No words were exchanged. Just looks of disgust. The Victorian gripped her weapon, and she went to charge him, but he struck first. The Emperor raised his foot and stomped it onto the ground as hard as he could. Instantly the ground exploded, and cracks began to seep out in all directions. A roar broke through the air, and magma blasted up as dozens of massive worms started to rise. Each one was as big as the one that Myth fought.


    Waves of sand were blasted out in all directions, and the large tower began to scream and crash down, the metal cracking. Cinder watched in horror as many of the heroes were unconscious or too injured to move and began to fall into the massive cracks that formed in the ground.


    Tendrils of water blasted out, wrapping around everyone. Ocean Empress surfed up on a massive wave of water with everyone. One of the tendrils wrapped around Cinder''s waist, and she was yanked in the direction of the Enforcer member. Ocean Empress took the mace out of her mouth as they surfed away from the crater that was still forming and got out of the way of the Victorian.


    Once they were safely away, the water slowly went out, and everyone was placed on the ground. "Are you okay?" Ocean Empress asked.


    "My arms are broken." She shrugged. "Other than that, I''m fine."


    "That''s not good!" Paragon yelled.


    All of Team Pantheon, Sub Enforcers, and Watch Dogs were away from the danger zone for the most part. The tower had fully collapsed and a giant crater nearly one mile wide stretched out. The huge worms roared and thrashed around, ripping more of the ground to bits. The Victorian floated above them unbothered, as did the Emperor. It seemed he also had the ability to fly.


    "That mace you have," Cinder jumped a bit and turned to look at Ocean Empress, who was gripping the weapon and staring down at it. "Where did you get it?"


    "Mr. Larison gave it to me." Speaking of which, the man was still stuck in ice, his sword raised. He was knocked out, and she''d need to break him out of it later, preferably once the Emperor was gone. She didn''t want him trying to blow himself up or anything.


    Ocean Empress tossed the mace back over, and she tried to catch it, but her arms were still broken, so it instead just smacked her directly in the face. "Whoops. That mace belonged to Hell Hound." Ocean Empress explained. "She had the ability to shut down or weaken powers, and her weapon has the same ability. It can be used to block nearly any attack and cancel it out. You should keep it. It''s pretty good."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    She nodded and let out a sigh when she felt her arms fix up as Paragon healed her. She looked into the girl''s eyes, which traced over her. "So, you can really see again."


    Paragon smiled and nodded. "Yeah."


    "Good. Then you get to watch as the Victorian kicks the Emperor''s ass!"


    "Sorry, but we''re not staying." Myth stood up slowly, wobbling a bit.


    "What! Why-"


    A massive force exploded out as the two top-tier Supers clashed. They moved faster than any of them could see, and every exchange sent wind currents flying wildly in all directions. Sonic booms roared out, and tornadoes wildly started blowing through the area as the sky itself began to shake and shatter.


    "We got to get the hell out of here!" Wasp Nest yelled out.


    Ocean Empress grabbed Battery''s frozen body and formed tendrils of water around everyone else, lifting them up. "Sorry, Cinder. I know you want to see this, but trust me. She isn''t going to hold back. We need to get back to Oleander ASAP."


    She nodded her head slowly, still feeling a little bummed out. She turned to look back at the battle one last time. ¡°Beat him!¡± She shouted as loud as she could.


    The worms roared and forced themselves up toward the golden woman in an effort to eat her, but she wasn''t having any of it. The Victorian swung her sword out, and it expanded in size, more light twisting around it, and with a single swing, she split dozens of the worms in half and tore the ground to bits. As soon as the corpses hit the edge of the crater, the Emperor came blasting forward, flying through the air. The darkness flowed off of him, and a large, shadowy hand drifted out of his back and smashed directly into the face of the Victorian.


    The woman was hit hard and sent flying into the crater. She broke through several corpses of the worms and hit the ground, but she was still being shoved down by the force of the attack, breaking past it. The ground beneath her split apart, and she found herself crashing down into a hidden cavern buried beneath the Wasteland.


    The world had moved on long ago. Remnants of the old world still sometimes popped up, and that was the case here. Deep beneath the ground, she found herself crashing into an underground city long since abandoned and covered up by the rest of the world. Light beamed off of her body, lighting the place up. Buildings as big as towers rose to the top of the ceiling, holding most of the ground up. Most of the city was in ruins, and all around it, thousands more of those massive worm-like beasts twisted around and screamed. It was their nest.


    She ignored them and instead wiped at her lip, which had a small trail of blood. "Weird. I remember you hitting a lot harder. Did you grow soft? Also, what¡¯s with the new power? You¡¯re a Lord of Life, yet you¡¯re using shadows? You never had this ability before. This is more like what Lucifer does.¡±


    From the hole in the crater he created, the Emperor landed down in front of her. He cocked his head to the side, and the darkness around them came to life, taking shape. The worms all roared and felt their minds be taken over by a command. Following the order, they charged at the Victorian, but she swung her sword once more. The air filled with dozens of other greatswords and fired out like bullets, blowing through more of the monsters.


    The Emperor didn''t bother using his arms. The darkness formed into hands and blocked for him. One of them slapped down in the direction of the Victorian, but she dodged past it. The force of the attack blew forward and ripped hundreds of the buildings out of the destroyed ground, breaking the ruined city even more. The Victorian took a deep breath and breathed out as hard as she could. She blew so hard that everything around her froze, and a wave of ice sprung up around the Emperor. As soon as he was caught, she flew toward him and swung her sword into his side.


    The Emperor grunted a bit as the force of the attack sent him flying back, shattering the ice around him. He smashed through dozens of the towers and spun through the air. Blades of darkness fired out in all directions, turning into thin slashes that cut several of the towers down and sent them falling onto the woman. She ignored them, her body shattering them as they fell on her, and she rose up after the Emperor, swinging her sword once more¡ªmore of his shadows formed into arms and wrapped around his shoulder, catching the blade. The two of them struggled for several moments, trying to overpower each other.


    ¡°How are you alive! That white-haired girl was the Lord? I thought my father killed you!¡±


    ¡°He did.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am no longer the Lord of the Land and Life.¡± The Emperor announced. ¡°I died that day, and thus my title passed on. Something, however, saw fit to bring me back. A great evil. One that granted me a new title. I am now the Ruler of the Dark and the Void!¡± The shadows grew stronger, and he began to win the struggle of power, yanking the woman¡¯s sword out of her hand.


    The Victorian simply let go of her sword and dodged past his punch, ramming her own fist into his gut. His armor cracked and dented, and he was sent through the rest of the building. A golden chain wrapped around his waist and stopped his fall. The number one hero held the other end, and she raised her arm up so hard he was forcefully bounced back to her. His shadowy arms still held her golden sword, and she raised her foot as he came at her and rammed it into the handle of her sword, pushing it past the hands and his armor and ripping off his left arm.


    The Emperor used his other arm and rammed it into the side of her face, sending her crashing into the cave ceiling above. Red energy crackled out of his eyes, and he blasted out a stream of lasers, smashing them into the gut of the woman and sending her flying through the roof and back out of the crater. She was sent up for miles, reaching the clouds as he lazily tore into her gut. The Emperor¡¯s arm regrew, and the armor mended itself with the darkness as he flew back up after her still shooting his laser eyes out.


    The heroes down below sped up, Myth turning into his massive one-hundred-armed form as he scooped everyone up. The entire Wasteland shook, and the ground was ripping away even more. The last time he had seen the Victorian this worked up had been during the Beast attack two years ago. The entire planet felt like it was shaking. Across the world, other islands were being affected, and every person that lived in any of the ten great cities stopped and stared at the sky above, which twisted and changed.


    The Victorian was sent flying into the air. Her stomach was a bit burned, but she brushed it off and recreated her sword. She swung it out right as the Emperor reached her, and he blocked the strike with a blade forged from darkness. Their clash caused all the clouds around them to break apart, and the sky was split open. She turned off her flight and dropped down below him, her sword extending and ramming into his back as she shoved him out of the planet.


    The Emperor was sent flying into space, and he turned his body, blocking another strike as she came at him. He shattered her sword and cut her across the stomach, but she ignored it and wrapped her arms around him. The golden light around them grew stronger as she flew them up even higher. Then, all at once, they began to drop. He tried to escape out of her grip, but she held onto them as they caught fire from reentry into the planet. She rammed them down at max speeds, breaking past the crater, the underground ruined city, and even deeper, as lava gushed out and they crashed through it, nearing the core of the planet.


    Everything around them exploded, and fire ate away at the walls and ceiling as they were both submerged in molten lava. Pressure shoved them down further, and everything around them was collapsing. The Victorian rammed a fist through the Emperor''s stomach, and he sliced out with his claws, cutting her belly open. Her costume was beginning to melt away, and his armor was glowing white hot, fusing with the flesh hidden beneath. They fought in pure lava as the planet''s core tried to eat away at them.


    Massive golden hands shattered the area around them and dove into the lava, wrapping around them both. The Golden God lifted the two out and flew back up to the surface. He didn''t get too far, though, as seconds later, the two hands he used to cup them both exploded as shadows and light clashed. The two Supers hit the ground hard enough to shatter it and kick up a hundred-meter-wide dust cloud.


    The Emperor''s armor slowly dripped down his body, and his shadows struggled to repair it. The Victorian, meanwhile, had turned slightly red, and most of her costume had been burned away, leaving only a few parts of it that covered up her modesty. She recreated her sword and threw it at the man so hard it shattered the sound barrier. The Emperor dodged the attack, and that was when she struck. Faster than even her sword moved, the Victorian appeared before the Emperor and rammed her fist forward, putting everything she had into the strike. For a moment, her body shimmered, and black surrounded her as if a galaxy had come to life and formed over her very form.


    The power of the Cosmos placed itself directly into her fist, and in a single punch, she tore the Emperor''s head clean off of his body! The head exploded off of the body, and the Emperor collapsed to his knees, blood gushing out of the wound.


    "Master!" Golden God screamed in horror, showing more emotion than he ever had.


    The Victorian panted, smoke rising off of her fist. "If you aren''t the Lord of Life anymore, then I doubt you can survive without a head." Quietly, the Emperor''s corpse crashed forward in a heap. "You''re done. I win!" She declared.


    She had done it.


    She was able to once again prove why the title of number one hero belonged to her.


    It didn''t matter how the Emperor had seemingly come back; she didn''t need to care about something like that. She had finally done the thing not even her father could. The warrior known as Nier was truly dead-


    "You didn''t think it would be so easy, did you?"


    The Victorian sighed as she heard the voice. "Seriously? I was sure you died."


    "I did..." From the Emperor''s corpse, a wave of shadowy fire exploded out, blowing Golden God back. Victorian stood her ground and frowned as the fire began to cloak around the Emperor''s body. She had seen something like this before. There was another person who would come back from the dead in a similar manner. The villain that called himself Lucifer. "I''m. Not. Done."


    Then, from the shadows, something began to bubble and rise up¡ªa hand that clutched where the Emperor''s head should have been. The Emperor had been talking before, but a new voice seeped out. A low rumble that caused a shiver to go down the number one hero''s back.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could die yet. Rise, my Ruler. My Shadow. My Void. Wake up, Nier.¡±


    Then suddenly, it was gone. The hand vanished, and the fire extinguished. The Emperor stood there, his head back on his shoulder, perfectly okay. It was as if he hadn''t even been damaged yet.


    "Round two?"


    The Victorian gritted her teeth and created another sword. "Oh, what the hell is this bull shit! Why do bad guys always get the overpowered abilities!" She launched forward and swung her sword out as hard as she could.


    The Emperor ducked under it and placed his hands on the ground. "Your Emperor needs you for a mission. Come to me, Polaron!" The shadows took shape and rose up, forming black armor in the shape of a knight. He was ghostly and see-through, and he kneeled before his master, drawing his sword. Polaron, or at least the image of Polaron, was back.


    Instantly, the ground exploded, and all the metal from the city below crashed up. The Victorian scoffed and easily dodged past it. "Copying Lucifer, now?"


    Polaron charged her with his sword, not saying a word as he willed all the metal to turn into thin dust, allowing him to create whatever he wanted. All of the metal twisted into massive swords like the Victorian used and rammed forward, but it didn''t get past the thin barrier of light the woman had formed.


    The Emperor watched her as she easily broke past it and split Polaron in two. Instantly, he forced the shadows to fix Polaron''s body and created another one of his long-dead soldiers. Mars King rose out of the ground, pitch-black, and swung out hard enough to shatter the sound barrier, but his arm exploded as it hit the Victorian, unable to harm her. Next up, the image of Demonica was created, blasting out black fire, followed by Ears, who shot out acid, and Ghost, who was pure black and formed into hundreds of copies. The Bad Timers were his to command.


    None of them stood a chance, of course. The Victorian easily tore them to bits, even without her sword. Each graze she dealt exploded that part of their body. She formed one massive sword the size of a skyscraper and swung it out, ripping all the Bad Timer members in half. Then she began to rapidly spin her sword, forcing a massive tornado that was over a mile wide to appear, which tore the corpses up even more.


    The Emperor remained standing, ignoring the wave of wind that tried to tug him away. "Very well. Maybe I''ll bring out a stronger shadow and make you fight-"


    A bullet dinked off his helmet as a gunshot rang out. Slowly, he turned, and his gaze met the shaking form of Mr. Brenner. The father of Kyle and the police chief. He was missing a hand and could barely keep his gun steady. Somehow, he had seemingly made it out of everything, barely alive.


    "You were... You were the weapon Grove told me of?" Brenner gasped out and dropped to his knees. "Grove said... Said you were the one¡ªthe one who could beat Lucifer. Do what the Enforcers could never do. The one who could save my son!"


    "Save your son-" The Victorian flew out of the dust cloud, swinging another sword out. The Emperor held his hand out. "I''m calling a timeout."


    "What-"


    Darkness rose up, swallowing the Victorian. She blasted out of it instantly, but the Emperor was already gone. One arm around Brenner; he landed softly near where the heroes were. Myth came to a sliding stop panicking when he saw the monster, but the Emperor wasn¡¯t looking at him. Someone else had managed to get this far through sheer luck. Mr. Grove stood up ahead, beaten and bloodied but alive. ¡°Did you make a promise without asking me?¡± The Emperor¡¯s voice shook the land, and Myth and the other heroes fell back.


    Somehow Grove remained standing though. "I told him you could help defeat Lucifer. I needed his help to make the Wandering Coin run smoothly. We didn''t have a lot of Supers, so I was using normal people and needed him." The Emperor stared into Grove''s eyes, and the mayor gulped but didn''t back down. "We have the same goal. It was why you gave me Wish, right? The Beast comes after us because we have humans. You wanted to make a world of only Supers, the same as me. When I found the tower, you gifted me Wish and told me you would return for her one day. That it was my destiny and my fate! We are going to create your ideal world now that Full Monarch is dead, and you''re back at full power! A world of only Supers!"


    ¡°I never gave you Wish. I simply gave you the means to bring her back when you screwed up and got her killed.¡± The Emperor stepped forward, and the ground shook once more. ¡°The old me, the me that was a Lord of Life, wanted to make this world. I see now what a mistake it was. The real way to take down the Beast is something else. I am a Ruler of the Dark and the Void, and I see what I must do.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Grove stared at the man in shock. ¡°But what about our deal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it anymore. I just needed you to keep Wish safe until I could recover my power fully and transfer the title to its rightful owner.¡± The shadows danced across his hands. ¡°I have no more use for you, Grove!¡±


    ¡°Grove!¡± Despite everything that had happened, Myth found himself calling out to his old friend. It was too late though. The hand was inches away from Grove¡¯s face.


    In that moment, the mayor found himself thinking back to a time when it all began.


    Fourteen years ago, he had hired Doctor Blue, also known as Doc, to help him create a new Lord of the Land and Life after the Emperor died. He had done this because his family had perished at the hands of the Beast just as the Emperor¡¯s had. By pure luck, he had gotten sick and wasn¡¯t able to go on the vacation that claimed the rest of his family. He wasn¡¯t a Super. At least not one you could label, yet luck always seemed to be on his side.


    He got lucky and figured out how to hack Avalon¡¯s drone. He got lucky and figured out how to hack one of Avalon¡¯s floating hands. He got lucky and happened to discover which city the Lord was in. And he got lucky and happened to be saved by the hero Myth when that city was under attack from the Beast.


    It was shortly after the battle that his luck finally ran out, though¡­


    Chrysanthemum was in ruins. The entire city was basically gone. Scorched and flooded beyond belief. Grove walked behind Myth and Poseidon as the battle with the Beast finally ended.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Myth called out.


    ¡°S- Son.¡±


    Myth ran forward when he heard the voice. His eyes were wide and filled with shock. His dad had gone toe to toe with the Beast and lived-


    Myth stared in horror when he saw his dad. Black cracks were all along the man¡¯s skin. He was laid up on a pile of rubble, his guts hanging out, both his legs were gone, and his flesh was badly burned. His eyes were filled with utter pain, and there was so much blood.


    ¡°D- Dad.¡±


    Legend looked up at his son and reached out for him. ¡°K- Kill me.¡± He begged quietly. ¡°Please.¡±


    Myth¡¯s arms shook, and tears streamed down his face as he let out a hellish scream to the heavens. Poseidon stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to move. As for Grove, he found himself looking away. He had seen enough. He walked off, not able to bear the sight of a son putting his father out of their misery. It was when he was away from the heroes that he heard it. ¡°So many dead. It¡¯s the same as always. The Beast still hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    Grove stared up at the man with wide eyes. He stood on top of a piece of debris that was piled up like a tower. He had golden hair and wore a simple black suit. Sunlight rained down as the clouds parted, and for a moment Grove thought he was looking up at Full Monarch.


    ¡°Are you the one that found the Lord of Life?¡±


    Grove blinked as the man asked him a question. ¡°Y- Yeah- Wait! How do you know about that? Actually, I guess it really isn¡¯t that important now that I think about it.¡± His shoulders slumped, and he sighed. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°She is not.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The golden man jumped off of the tower of debris and landed in front of Grove. ¡°The Lord still lives. If you really want to bring her back and use her, you can. All you have to do is go to my tower.¡±


    ¡°Your tower? Wait, who the hell are you?¡±


    The man turned away, and the darkness rose, twisting around him. ¡°I¡¯m the one that will one day kill the Beast. If you ever find yourself defeated and out of options, I¡¯ll be there, but be warned. That day could be your last.¡±


    Back in the present, that memory played out before him. Grove couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched Myth rush toward him in an effort to save him. ¡°You idiot. I¡¯m still your enemy. You should be focused on saving yourself.¡± And with that, the Emperor¡¯s hand tore through Grove¡¯s face, killing the man instantly.


    ¡°No!¡± Both Myth and Brenner roared out. Myth charged forward but was blown back as the Victorian came crashing down, throwing everyone but the Emperor back.


    "I''m afraid we''ll need to have a raincheck on this fight," The Emperor called out. "I didn''t expect things to go this way and am underprepared for my invasion."


    "Your invasion?" The golden woman asked, frowning. "Explain."


    "No."


    "What about me?" Brenner asked, shooting a look at the Emperor. "You just murdered my boss. The man who promised me you would help me! I need to know! All that I did! All my sins! My evil! The path that will lead me into hell! Tell me it wasn''t all for nothing-"


    The Emperor grabbed him by his coat and threw him at the Victorian. She quickly grabbed Brenner and dodged out of the way just in time as the Emperor waved his hand and sent a massive black pillar of fire in her direction. She dodged past it, and the attack flew high into the air, breaking past the clouds and going into space.


    "You missed."


    "Or maybe I was signaling for help."


    The Victorian''s eyes narrowed, and she held onto Brenner with one arm and created a sword in her other. "What''s your game?!"


    "I don''t play games. I write stories." He vanished once more in a whirlwind of shadows appearing back at the hand of Golden God, which also held the body of Fairy Queen, as well as Casey, Hannah, and Kevin. It was a small start but it was something. The Emperor placed his arms behind his back and stared out at the world. The Victorian rose up, glaring at him. ¡°To me.¡± He spoke.


    Back over with Battery, the sword he held in his frozen state glowed. The heroes all jumped and watched as it vanished and appeared all the way over where the Emperor was. The blade¡¯s shimmering grew, and slowly it expanded and grew, forming back into Harrison Avalon. Avalon stared out at the Victorian, who was shocked to see him.


    ¡°Yo!¡± Avalon waved his hand. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Avalon?¡± The Victorian said in shock.


    ¡°Yeah, long story short, I¡¯m evil!¡± The man said casually. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    The devil turned, and his cape flowed in the wind. "Take me home, Golden God."


    "As you command, my master."


    The Victorian flew forward at her maximum speed and swung her sword out, but it was already too late. In a flicker of gray, Golden God was gone, along with one of the biggest threats to the planet.


    "Damn it!"


    The air around her shimmered, and something flew down. A large metal ship that looked like something you''d see in a sci-fi movie appeared. "Victorian!" Boy Genius''s voice filled the air. "I brought the Enforcers! We''ve come to help!"


    "You are so late!"


    Meanwhile, far, far away, outside of this world, a little red planet rested. In its center resided a large metal structure. One that twitched and shifted as a ball of black fire rammed into it.


    A moment passed as rubble settled.


    Then, the red dirt started to rumble...


    The ground of Mars began to crack and break as something woke up.


    The Beast was coming.

 Chapter Ninety-Six: Nier

    "Ruler..." Beta said quietly.


    "Did you say something?" Ocean Empress asked.


    "Negative. I was just doing the thing you humans like to do when something is on your mind," the machine explained.


    "You mean thinking?"


    "Yes. I was thinking."


    "Okay, then..."


    Armin Moore was having a field day. As kids, it had always been Hope who was the massive hero geek, but he''d be lying if he said he wasn''t currently hyped about being in the same room as some of the greatest legends of their generation.


    Boy Genius'' ship had landed, and they were all instructed to board. That ship was heading back to Oleander City to drop off all of the teams. Inside the main deck of the ship, nearly every Enforcer member was present. Ocean Empress, mistress of water and ice; Mister Man, greatest marksman in the world; Wyvern, daughter of Fairy Queen and the strongest non-Lord elemental user; Beta, a powerful machine created by the strongest mind; Fable, master of stories; Lady Time, able to rival even the Lord of the Sky; and of course the Victorian, the strongest human on Earth, who trained herself to be able to handle any threat, even that of the Lords. It wasn''t just them, though. The Watch Dogs were here too: Backup, Bad Wolf, Duplicity, and Roulette; the Sub Enforcers: Money Tree, BB, Metal Ronin, Wasp Nest, and Oxide; and lastly, Pantheon stood among them with himself, Myth, and Whisper.


    Max Lightning was the only Enforcer who didn''t show up. Battery, Paragon, Poseidon, and Boy Genius also weren''t in the meeting room, being somewhere else on the ship.


    The meeting room itself looked similar to Boy Genius''s office room at Nightshade, but it was far more significant, and it had a circular metal table that also served as a hologram-like device. It showed images of the battle the Victorian had with the Emperor, though it wasn''t able to catch the entire thing since both fighters had moved far faster than a mere camera could keep up with.


    The Victorian stood in front of the table, watching the recording, studying every flaw she made and her failure to stop the monster. Her costume was still badly torn, and her wounds had been bandaged up or healed with her golden light. Lady Time stood behind her and had taken her cape off, draping it over the shoulders of the world''s strongest woman to cover her up more.


    "Is it really him?" Wyvern was the first to speak. Her fingers hadn''t stopped tapping away at the metal of the chair she rested in, and by now, she had badly dented and cracked it. "We''re certain it isn''t some sort of illusion?"


    Myth shook his head. "You were a baby when the war happened with the Emperor, Wyvern. You, along with a bunch of other young monsters, were sent away with Ocean Empress when the battle with that freak began. I don''t expect you to know what he''s like, but when I was a kid, I left for the battlefield to chase after my dad. It was short; in fact, I only managed to stay conscious for a single attack, but while on that battlefield, I went to blows with the Emperor. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the same person as the one from back then."


    The Victorian''s frown only grew. "He didn''t hit as hard as I recall, though." She looked down at her hand and forced it to stop shaking. "In that fight, part of me thought I could stand a chance. We were about evenly matched, going blow for blow. If Fable, Boy Genius, or Lady Time were to have arrived on time, even with just one of you, I think I could have beaten him. Yet somehow, I know that can''t be correct. Something is wrong."


    "His power is different." Mister Man hadn''t bothered to watch the recording. His feet were kicked up on a table, and his cowboy hat was placed over his face. "Anyone else notice that?"


    "Different, how?" Wyvern asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Well, for one, he''s a freaking shadow monster." Lady Time snorted.


    "He said he lost the power." Whisper spoke up. "I was doing my best to stay out of sight and listen to everything he had to say in case it was important. He spoke to Cinder. She seemed to catch his eye for some reason. When she asked him how he didn''t die, he said that he did."


    "His title would have passed down when he died," Snowdawn said. "Even if he came back to life, he wouldn''t have the title, right? So maybe he isn''t the Lord of Life?"


    "I don''t think so." Wasp Nest rubbed the back of his neck and winced. "That Wish girl was a Lord of Life, and even if her entire body was destroyed, the title didn''t seem to pass down. When I first fought her, she used her power on me and caused my body to become unstable and wouldn''t let it transform. Normally, if I''m ever damaged or in a bad state, my powers go off on their own. When I change, all my damage vanishes and will stay gone when I come back together as a human. After Wish really died this time, my powers were forcefully activated and I was able to heal again. If the Emperor did die and came back, he''d still be the Lord. But instead, that Wish girl became it, and now that she''s dead, the power moved on."


    "What if the cause of death matters?" Oxide asked.


    Metal Ronin shook his head. "I don''t think it''s as simple as that. Wish died in a ton of different ways, and the Emperor only died at the hands of Full Monarch. I think it''s a lot simpler. I think we need to ask ourselves what death truly is. Wish negated death because even if her body was truly gone, her soul remained. What if that''s not the case with the Emperor?"


    "Are you saying that when he died, his soul also died?" Ocean Empress asked, confused.


    "Maybe? Like, maybe he did die and couldn''t come back. He passed on and everything, so the title had no choice but to move on."


    "So, then, how''s he back to life?" Wyvern questioned.


    Mister Man snorted and sat up slowly. "None of that matters. It isn''t the question we should be asking."


    "It''s not?"


    "Nope. The real question we all need to figure out is who''s in charge of that body." Mister Man twirled his gun a bit and pointed it suddenly at the head of Oxide, who froze. "Say I blow her brains out. Her soul passes on. Maybe it goes to the afterlife, if there is one, or maybe it blinks out of existence. Now, let''s say a year from now, somehow, she suddenly comes back to life by pure chance. Is it still her? Did something drag her soul back into her body, or did it recreate the soul? Or maybe..." He pocketed his gun and leaned forward, giving a dark grin. "Is another soul the one in the driver''s seat?"


    Everyone sat there in silence, pondering the question. It was Beta who spoke up first. "As a machine and something that does not exist on the same level as you humans, I''d like to offer my own theory. The Lord of the Land and Life can create living things. The proof is in the hero known as Paragon. After losing his wife, the Emperor decided to create a new Princess of Life after she died. Was this actually the Princess of Life, or was it merely a reflection of her? Then, what of the child they fostered?"


    "My daughter is real." Ocean Empress growled.


    "Of course. However, what if the Emperor were to have created another life? If he was able to create a being that looked like the deceased Princess of Life, who is to say he couldn''t have also created a brand new body for himself?" Beta questioned, cocking his head to the side.


    Lady Time pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "All this talk is hurting my head. In the end, it really doesn''t matter, though. Any of these ideas could be true, or even none. The only thing that truly matters is what we do going forward."


    "Lady Time is right." Myth nodded. "If word gets out that the Emperor is alive..."


    "Are you saying you''d like to keep that fact hidden?" Fable spoke up, narrowing his eyes. "The people have a right to know."


    "I didn''t say that we keep it a secret. But... I do think there is a right and a wrong way to tell them." Myth shrugged.


    "I agree with Myth." Money Tree chuckled, flipping a coin in the air. ¡°The public already has a meltdown over the fact we haven''t been able to stop Lucifer or the Beast for good. If word gets out that the world''s greatest hero, Full Monarch, failed to truly slay the Emperor, then what chance do the rest of us have?"


    Light shimmered in the room and swirled into the form of a large sword, which the Victorian held. She stabbed the blade deep into the metal floor of the metal ship, getting all eyes back on her. "We''re not giving up. Somehow, we will win. Even if I have to fight him by myself, even if I die trying, even if it seems hopeless, I won''t let all of it go to waste."


    "So, then, what is the plan?" Beta asked, focusing his glowing red camera eye on the woman.


    "No clue." That caused everyone to nearly fall out of their seats. The golden woman gave a sheepish chuckle and rubbed the back of her neck. "I''ll figure it out, though. I''m not ready to give up. I won''t let my father''s legacy go to waste."


    The conversation mostly died from there.


    The recording of the fight kept going. A few of the Enforcers kept watching it, trying to spot a weakness in the Emperor''s style; others were already heading out.


    The Sub Enforcers were the first to leave, heading below deck to get some rest, followed quickly by the members of the Watch Dogs and a few of the Enforcers.


    "What now?" Snowdawn asked, shooting a look at Myth. "Should we go check on Cinder and Battery?"


    Myth shook his head. "I believe it''s best to leave them be for now. Boy Genius is with them and seeing what he can do."


    Whisper threw her arms behind her head and gave a lazy shrug. "We should rest up then. It''ll be a little less than an hour before we reach Oleander since this ship is apparently so slow!"


    "Are you feeling okay?" Snowdawn asked.


    "Why wouldn''t I?"


    "Well, you did get attacked and manhandled by Kevin..."


    "Yeah? So did you and Cinder."


    "We''re used to it, though. You aren''t."


    Whisper giggled before her eyes caught something. "I''m fine, really. It''s just something that has my blood boiling a bit." Her eyes were trained on her mother, the world''s strongest woman. The Victorian hadn''t even walked over to speak with her or ask how she was. Instead, the golden woman finished speaking with Lady Time and was leaving the room. Their eyes never even got to meet.


    Myth placed his hand on her shoulder, turning her away. "Let''s go get something to eat. I, for one, am starving-"


    "Octavius." A voice caused Myth to freeze.


    Slowly, the three Pantheon members turned and found Fable standing in front of them. The man was undoubtedly a strange one. He was dark-skinned and stood nearly ten feet tall, with slim arms and legs. He was cloaked in the pelt of a lion and had a sizable great bow on his back. Heavy bags rested under his eyes, which were trained on Myth, studying the man. What made him so strange, though, was his name. Fable was a hero who went by many names and titles. Sometimes, he would be called Hercules. Other times, he would go by the name Hector, and sometimes still, it was Achilles. There was no telling what sort of name he would settle on, but he would always eventually return to using the name Fable.


    He was a feared hero, so strong it was said he once managed to battle the mighty Victorian to a standstill. If the Victorian was the strongest hero and Boy Genius was the second, then Fable was a close third. Rivaled only by the power of Legend, the spot he took when the former Enforcer member died two years ago.


    Fable walked forward and got so close that he loomed over Myth. Myth didn''t back down, staring up at the man with a serious look in his eyes. Whisper and Snowdawn both shrank back as an aura of power seemed to radiate between them.


    It was then instantly shattered when Fable''s arms wrapped around Myth, and he picked the man up off his feet. "How are you doing, big brother?" Fable asked.


    "It''s the same as always, little brother." Myth chuckled, clapping the tall man on the back. ¡°You should really visit the library next time you''re back in Oleander. I''ve taken care of the place."


    "I''m sorry, what?" Snowdawn asked with wide eyes.


    "He''s the little brother?" Whisper giggled. "Also, Octavius? Is your real name Octavius Thaddeus?"


    Myth broke away from Fable and turned to his two team members. "Whisper, Snowdawn, this is my baby brother, Osvaldo. He goes by the hero name Fable unless he wants to change it to some other name when he gets all weird."


    "I don''t get weird." Fable huffed, folding his arms.


    "Seriously, he''s the baby brother?" Snowdawn said, shocked. "He''s like double your size!"


    "I ate a lot of my vegetables growing up."


    "Those do make you get bigger, according to our parents, so I guess it checks out."


    Myth patted his brother on the back and grinned. "We were just about to head out and get something to eat. Would you like to join us?"


    Fable''s smile faded, and the man looked down at his older brother. "Actually, brother, I have something I''d like to talk to you about."


    "Oh?"


    "It''s about the Beast."


    Myth''s eyes instantly narrowed. Thoughts of that hellish day came back like a freight train. "Alright. Go on."


    ***


    "I''ve seen something like this happen before." Boy Genius stated, looking down at his chart.


    "You have?" Hope said, surprised.


    "Once before. In Full Monarch."


    "Of course, it comes back to him." She muttered.


    "Just be glad people talk about your previous title''s owner. When''s the last time anyone''s even bothered to mention my Grampa?" Lily sighed. "It''s always Full Monarch this or Emperor that. Sini was important too, you know!"


    They were in a medical room somewhere near the middle of the ship. It had a large hospital bed on which Hope rested, as well as several desks filled with various normal or Super equipment. Lily rested on a bench with her arms folded, while Sky stood in front of a full-body mirror, looking herself up and down. They were still mostly in costume but had taken their helmets and masks off while Boy Genius ran a few tests.


    She still wanted to learn why her hair wouldn''t go back to normal, and she couldn''t depower while Sky was trying to figure out what had changed with her body. Lily was just sort of vibing.


    "So, do you have a way I can turn the Lord''s power off?" She asked, twirling a strand of her blonde hair.


    Boy Genius pulled out a strange metal device that radiated a blue light going up and down her body. "Do you know what that form really is?"


    "Not really. I get all glowy and strong, though."


    Lily stepped forward and took a deep breath. Her hair began to shift color to a light blue, and her eyes became a deep red. "This is something all Lords can do." The power switched off, and she reverted back to normal, slumping a bit. "The first four Lords were said to be gods, far stronger than any Super. The only person to ever reach a level nearing them was Full Monarch. We call that transformation our Battle Mode. In our normal state, we just have a power that, while strong, isn''t anything special. In our Battle Mode, though, we begin to tap into the energy of a Lord. It can be pretty draining, though, and I''m not very good with mine. If I try to use mine for too long, something goes wrong."


    Boy Genius nodded as Poseidon finished explaining. "Currently, Ms. Lauren, your body has absorbed a ton of solar energy. In your fight with Wyvern, you showed the ability to control and channel flames that weren''t your own. My guess is that you tried to do something similar but on a much bigger scale. Your body pulled in as much energy as it could. Unfortunately, it proved to be too much. As such, your body is staying transformed to keep you safe."


    She shot Sky a dirty look, but the girl still wasn''t paying attention. "It must have been when I absorbed the sun in Sky''s realm after she threw me into orbit. Thanks for that, by the way... What do you mean my body is keeping me safe, though?"The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Boy Genius hummed and reached over to a table, grabbing a cup. "Let''s say your body is this cup." He then grabbed a water bottle and began to pour it into the cup. "This water is the energy you absorb. There''s a limit to how much you can handle, just as there is a limit to how much water this cup can hold." The cup began to overflow and started to spill. "You hit this limit, and normally, you''d likely blow up or something."


    "Seriously!"


    "Very likely, yes. However, because your body has the ability to transform, it did so on its own, and thus, it''d be like getting a bigger cup that can hold more water. While in this state, that power can be held. I mentioned that Full Monarch went through something similar. It happened after the battle with the Beast. He was transformed for nearly a full month. Afterward, though, his body burned off all the extra energy, and he was able to change back once the levels got low enough. Just wait it out, and it should fade from you in a month or two."


    "I can''t be like this for a full month!" She panicked. She tugged on her hair a bit and pointed at her eyes. "I have school! What are they going to say when they see my eyes gush out fire and my hair is glowing!"


    "Just skip school and get your GED or something?" Boy Genius shrugged.


    "My mom would kill me!"


    "You still go to school?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrow. "I knew Oxide went still, but most heroes don''t bother."


    "What about getting a job?"


    "The Hero Branch gives you a fake job, and you get paid for hero work and brand deals."


    Hope''s shoulder sagged a bit. "Well, I can''t do that. I promised my mom I''d finish high school."


    Boy Genius typed something out on a keyboard and nodded. "I could make something that could cover them up for you. I''ll ship it to your house before you next go to class."


    "Thanks! You''re a lifesaver!" Hope''s smile faded, and she looked down at her palm. "Still. Isn''t it kind of amazing?"


    "What is?" Lily asked.


    "I was unconscious, yet my powers turned on by themselves." She still didn''t remember how the fight with Wish ended. It was all just one big blank. "It''s almost like my powers were alive for a moment."


    "You''re not the only one who says stuff like that." Lily hummed. "Ken- Er, I mean, Wasp Nest is always saying his powers go off even if he doesn''t activate them himself."


    "Really?" She frowned and watched tiny wisps of fire dance across her fingertips. "So, it isn''t a Lord thing. I wonder where powers really come from."


    "They come from the four Lords, obviously."


    "But how? And who gave them their powers? What exactly are powers?"


    Boy Genius rubbed his chin. "Now that''s something no one knows," the dark-skinned kid chuckled before he turned to look at Sky. "What do you think, Ms. Sini?"


    Sky stared down at her hand, watching as the cells within her palm danced and twisted around. She looked back at the mirror and brushed some of her hair back. It was different¡ªnot by much, but there was something. A single strand of snow-white hair. The same as Wish. Destiny''s eyes met hers in the mirror. Her sight, long taken by her sister during a horrible accident, had fully returned.


    "Why did he do it?" The image of the shadowy devil came back to her. "Why did the Emperor do this to me?"


    "Did you say something?" Boy Genius asked.


    Sky slowly shook her head. "No." She turned away and folded her arms. "If we''re done here, I''d like to go lay down. I feel a bit sick to my stomach."


    "Of course." Boy Genius nodded.


    Sky turned and began to head out of the room. Her fist quietly clenched as her eyes roamed over Hope for a moment. One thing was certain: When she got back to Oleander, she had a mission¡ªsomething she wanted to try. This time, she wouldn''t fail.


    This time, she would save Hope''s father from the Dead Virus.


    After all...


    She was pretty sure she might have just become the next Lord of Life.


    "Should we go after her?" Hope asked as Sky left.


    "Nah. Let her cool down a bit." Lily snorted. "She hasn''t been able to see on her own for a while. I''m sure she wants some alone time to figure out everything."


    "Right. I guess that makes sense."


    "I''m heading out as well." Lily took a step forward but stopped. The girl turned back and stared at Hope. Finally, Lily sighed and stomped her foot down a bit. "Hey."


    "Yeah-" Hope froze when she saw Lily''s fist. It was outstretched in front of her.


    "You did pretty good," Lily said after some time. "I just... I just wanted to say I''m sorry for how I acted before. I''m not asking to be friends or anything like that. But you''re pretty cool, you know."


    Hope stared at the fist before slowly bumping it back. "Thanks?" Did she finally repair the damaged bridge she had created with Poseidon?


    Lily turned away, giving a peace sign. "Also, if you try to make any moves on my little sister, I''ll kill you."


    "Huh!"


    The door slammed shut as Lily left. Boy Genius hummed, looking down at more of his notes. "Adults are weird."


    "We aren''t even adults!" She stood up after some time and grabbed her helmet. She wasn''t really sure how it was back. It had been blown off her during the fight with Fairy Queen, and Red Ape had run off with it. Despite that, though, it somehow came back to her. Even the marks on her shield caused by Wish were gone. "Any idea where Mr. Larison is? I need to give his mace back to him." She said, grabbing the jagged weapon that had nearly caved her skull in.


    "He should be in the next room over. That mace is pretty powerful, so don''t lose it. It used to belong to Hell Hound and can negate most powers, working as a powerful shield. I''m not sure where Battery got his hands on such a strong item, but most heroes and villains would kill to have their hands on it."


    She clipped it onto her belt and turned away, putting her helmet back on. She knew the truth. Mr. Larison had told her that day they played ball on the roof¡ªor at least part of it. He was the adopted son of the Emperor, in a way that made him the brother of Sky. She''d be more shocked if he didn''t have other secret items up his sleeve, which he likely took from former members of his dark family.


    She stepped out of the office and was going to head to the one across from her, where Mr. Larison would be, but she was frozen when her enhanced senses went off on their own again. It seemed they always did that when something she needed to hear was happening. Just like with her other powers, they seemed to have a mind of their own. It was thanks to them that she heard the voice of the Victorian coming from the room.


    "How are you holding up?"


    "I could be better." The voice of Mr. Larison responded.


    Were Mr. Larison and the Victorian talking? Why? She couldn''t help but stand out of the room and listen in.


    Inside, Jack rested on his own hospital bed. His shoulders were slumped, and he had his mask off, rubbing at his aching heart. "You didn''t come all this way just to ask me that, though, did you?" He looked the world''s strongest woman dead in the eyes. Part of him wondered who would be stronger¡ªher or him at full power. "Why did you really come?"


    The Victorian snorted and rolled her eyes. "Most people wouldn''t be as bold as you."


    "I''m not most people."


    "You really aren''t. You were the first to discover the next Lord of the Sun; you have the same light as me; you''ve gained the eye of Ocean Empress; you were there the night Old Dog died; you defeated that Lord of Life once; you had a sword that shouldn''t have listened to you; you defeated Green Wolf and Fairy Queen; then you didn''t hesitate to throw yourself at the Emperor and fight him; you even left a blow on his body. Let''s cut to the chase. Who are you?"


    "I''m Battery."


    "Okay. And before that?"


    ¡°Jack Larison.¡±


    ¡°Before that?¡±


    "A member of the Cleanup Squad."


    "And before that."


    "A soldier."


    "And before that."


    "A street urchin."


    "And before that."


    "Nothing. I was nothing and didn''t exist."


    The woman sighed. "What side are you on?"


    "Whatever side opposes the Emperor."


    "So, if the Emperor joined forces with the good guys, would you be a villain?"


    "Would you?"


    The woman smirked. "Yeah. If it meant killing him."


    "Same answer as you then."


    "Great minds think alike?" The golden woman held a finger up and pointed it at Jack''s forehead. "Do you have a good reason why I shouldn''t rip your head off?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. "You''re pretty shady, and part of me thinks it could be better to just kill you. Better to be safe than sorry, right?"


    "I don''t need to give a reason. You wouldn''t."


    "You don''t think I''d try?"


    "No. I don''t think you¡¯d succeed." That caused her smirk to fade, and he stared her down. "I''d stop you if I really had to. Hell. I might even turn the tables and kill you myself."


    A golden glow began to seep out of the Victorian''s fingers. The entire room began to shake, and her eyes stared deep into Jack''s. Hope stood outside the door and felt her heart shake. Even from behind the door, the golden light was leaking out, and the shaking was growing worse.


    Inside the room, the Victorian''s eyes narrowed. She cocked her hand like a gun, the orb of light growing in size. Jack''s finger twitched, and he leaned forward slightly. A spark of blue almost shimmered in his eyes, and a flash of electricity seemed to crawl down his skin. Her light began to swirl around, bending and twisting the wind and causing cracks to appear in the air. Golden fire began to spill out, and her glow began to reach its peak. Then it faded. All at once, it stopped. A twitch appeared on her lips, and then she began to giggle. The giggle then broke out into laughter. It was a hard laugh, and she clutched at her side. Jack let out a snort and also began to chuckle. Slowly, the world''s strongest woman managed to pull herself together and stand up straight, wiping her eyes. Outside of the room, Hope let out a relieved sigh.


    They weren''t about to kill each other.


    Not yet, anyway.


    "I haven''t heard an answer like that in a long time. The only one to pull a stunt like that was Wyvern. You''re pretty cool." The woman grinned and flicked Jack on the head. "I came for another reason. I''m sure you guessed that, though."


    "What is it?"


    "I want you to join the Enforcers."


    Hope''s heart nearly stopped as the Victorian spoke. She felt her face pale, and her eyes went wide.


    Jack stared back at the room and cocked his head to the side. "You want me on the Enforcers?"


    "You''re strong. Most Enforcers couldn''t beat Fairy Queen. Ocean Empress sure couldn''t. Old Dog retired, and we were looking for a spot to replace. You''re in Oleander, so it''d be easy for you to take over. If you wanted a different city, though, that''d be fine as well. Name a city, and it''d be yours."


    Jack''s eyes narrowed slightly. "What of Poseidon?"


    "What about her?" The Victorian folded her arms and gave a lopsided grin. "Her mom wants her on the team. A few others do as well since she''s a Lord, but let''s face it. She''s useless. She can barely control herself, and besides, if I''m being honest, the Lords have been underwhelming this generation."


    "Your husband is a Lord. So was your father."


    "Ex-husband." She corrected. "He could never keep up with me, not like how Lady Time can. As for my father, he''s long dead. He isn''t coming back. Besides, the current Lord of the Sun made it pretty clear she won''t be living up to his potential. I believe in the Lords. Just not these ones. Since I''ve taken the title of number one hero, I always knew someone would come along and take that mantle from me. That person will be the one that creates the world my father truly wanted. That person isn''t any of the Lords of this generation. I''m sure of that fact. Until they earn my respect, I won''t treat them as anything better than what they truly are. Children."


    "Do you think I''m that person?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.


    The Victorian scoffed. "Nah. Someone as weak as you would never be able to challenge me. You might have beaten Fairy Queen, but you''re still barely strong compared to the true greats. That said, I think you would be helpful. Especially now."


    "Now that the Emperor is back?" He hummed.


    "Yeah." The woman nodded.


    "I''m dying."


    "Hmm?"


    Jack rubbed at his chest. "I don''t know how much time I have left. A month. Maybe even less. It could happen any day now. Making me an Enforcer makes no sense. I''m a walking corpse. You''re better off sticking with Poseidon. If you really don''t want to go with a Lord, then make Myth a member. That''d make him happy." Jack got off of the bed and turned to the door, about to leave.


    The Victorian sighed. "I can save you."


    Jack froze. Hope did as well from outside of the door. "What?" Jack raised his eyebrow.


    The golden woman bit her lip as if thinking. Her eyes slowly traced over to his chest, where his heart was. "I''m not stupid. I know it''s in there." Jack flinched back and grabbed at his chest. "After the battle with the Emperor, I snapped. I used to be a lot different, you know. My hair wasn''t even blonde. I went by the title of Ruby Admiral, wielding the red light of justice. I lost my sense of justice after those bastards stole my father away from me." She shook her head, and her hands clenched into a fist. "I wanted to make them suffer. To hurt them. So I created the shards¡ªa way to put them through hell and back and kill them over time. I went around and shoved that in the hearts of every monster I came across and forced it to fry them from the inside out. All so they could suffer the fate they deserved. I wanted them to beg for death. I wanted it to be a mercy when their hearts finally gave out, and they shattered to dust. That was my revenge."


    "If you knew I had this thing in my chest, then why haven''t you tried to kill me?"


    The Victorian smirked. "I told you. I placed it in the hearts of every monster I found. I hate them. All of them. Every single one of them is a freak."


    "What about Wyvern?"


    "I was outvoted. I didn''t want her on the team. Still don''t. Ocean Empress begged the others to let her in, though. She raised nearly every kid herself. Unlike me, she''s nice. I didn''t become the strongest by helping out the enemy." She looked into his eyes once more, and her smirk faded. "I don''t know who you are. I''m guessing you can use my power because of that shard in you, right? Some sort of energy absorption-based power? It doesn''t really matter though. Either way, I can tell you''re a human. The Emperor turned most of his people into monsters. He used his power to change normal humans and Supers alike, but he wasn''t able to do it to them all. Most of his forces were made up of criminal groups he conquered. He even forced Lucifer under his boot at one point. I''m guessing that''s the case for you. You were a villain at one time, right? If that were the case, there''s no way I would have placed that shard in you. I let the humans in his army go, or I killed them instantly. Only the monsters got this fate. That means someone else put that thing in you."


    "And knowing that you would still offer to save my life?" Jack questioned.


    "I don''t care who you used to be back in the day." The woman gave a casual shrug.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure." Jack rubbed at his chest. "Trust me, everyone knows who I was. I wasn''t one of the four generals, but I''m just as known as them. The things I did are things I should be killed for. You know who I used to be."


    "I do? Care to explain?"


    "No. If I did tell you, you''d likely take my head off here and now." Jack snorted. "I''ll keep my past a secret just a bit longer."


    The woman placed her hands on her hips. "There''s no way you''re as vile as the Emperor and his kind. I can save your life. I can turn the power of that thing off and remove it, and then Paragon, Lady Time, or even myself can help heal and reverse the damage. You''d live. If you play nice and join me, I''ll do it. And if you turn out to be some big villain from the past, I''ll simply cut your head off and be done with you. It''s a pretty good deal, wouldn''t you say so?"


    Jack rubbed his chin. "So, if I agree to become your weapon and join up with the Enforcers, you''ll save my life."


    "That''s correct. I need a sword¡ªone that could help me defeat the Emperor. Those shards hold back a person''s power by nearly eighty percent. If you were able to beat Fairy Queen with something like that inside of you, then you''d have to be as strong as Fable or Boy Genius. If you agree to become my tool, my blade, I''ll save your life, Battery. Help me create the world my father wanted." She held her hand out to him and smiled.


    Jack stared down at the hand in silence. His chest ached and burned. It hurt. It hurt so bad that he wanted to die. Finally, though, he turned away and began to head for the door. "I''ll think about it."


    He took a step forward, about to open the door. Hope bolted for it. Her teeth were clenched, and blood ran down her palm. She didn''t know how she should feel: jealous, angry, happy that he could be saved, mad at the Victorian, or relieved. She just ran as fast as she could and escaped, no longer able to hear them talking or the weak sounds of Mr. Larison''s heartbeat.


    Because of that, she didn''t hear the end of the conversation...


    Jack opened the door and took a step outside, but stopped. "Oh. And just so you know, you''re wrong."


    "About what?"


    "About this generation of Lords." He turned back and smirked. "I have a roommate. One who is always gambling. Let''s make a bet, Jill."


    "How do you know my real name?"


    "I bet that this generation of Lords will turn out to be the strongest."


    "Even after the Emperor is back to life?"


    "About that." Jack rubbed his chin. "I never expected someone like him to actually come back to life."


    "Oh? Now that I think about it, do you know how he did come back?" The golden woman asked. "You were on his team at one point?"


    "It''s the same way Lucifer came back." Jack sighed. "It really doesn''t matter though."


    "And why''s that?"


    "Because soon the Lords will be so strong they can kill him for good." Battery turned away from her. "That''s my bet, Jill. These Lords are going to be stronger than any other Super."


    He could feel it. His time was running out. That was okay though. It would be the final push. The thing that set his plan into motion. His death would do it. His death would cause the Lord of the Sun to truly awaken. Just as Nier''s death caused Jackson to become the legendary hero Full Monarch, he was going to use what was left of his missrable existence to ensure that this planet had a star that would shine as brightly as the one he destroyed.


    That was how he would rewrite his sins.


    "Cinder will be a great hero."


    ***


    A swirl of black twisted around. It opened up, almost forming a reverse black hole, and a second later, a flash of gold filled the sky as Golden God appeared. The machine cocked his head and looked around at the scene before him.


    "Master, where are we?"


    It was a field of dead grass. In front of them was a shimmering blue barrier that went around something, and behind them was also a glowing red barrier. Both barriers weren''t touching but also didn''t offer much room between them, and Golden God found himself having to awkwardly turn his body to be between both shields.


    The Emperor slowly took a seat on the frozen bodies of one of the three manmade Supers Grove had created. Cracks appeared all along his armor, and it slowly began to break away. And what did the devil the world fears so much look like?


    He looked like a man.


    His hair was messy and untamed. A few spots of gray were scattered amongst the blonde. His eyes lost their spark, and heavy bags were beneath them. He had a small bit of stubble, and his face was covered in stress lines. He wore regular clothes: dress pants, a white buttoned-up shirt, and a suit jacket. He looked both exhausted and ancient. His shoulders slumped. At this point he was well over a hundred years old, kept only alive due to the fact he was a Super.


    "Chrysanthemum. We''re between the barriers that block off Chrysanthemum."


    Chrysanthemum, in total, had eight layers of shielding that went over it. These shields formed domes that covered the sky and went into the ground, forming a perfect sphere. Each one was large and circled around one another, making it nearly impossible for anything in the cursed city to escape.


    "Is it safe for us to be here?" Golden God asked. "After all, this place was taken over by the Dead Virus."


    "That''s not true." The Emperor¡ªor perhaps it was Nier now¡ªshook his head. "They called it the Dead Virus since that''s what Lucifer called it, but the truth is, it''s different. Lucifer never even stepped foot in this place. The source of Chrysanthemum is the same source of power as the Dead Virus, though. They both come from w?????????????????????????????????????????????o???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????b????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????T???????????????????????????????????????????????????????."


    "The what?"


    "Oh. That''s right. I guess you wouldn''t be able to understand its real name." Nier sighed.


    Harrison Avalon placed his hands in his pockets and smirked. "There''s no real reason to be concerned, Goldie. We''re safe in between these layers. Besides, even if Legend was able to break through, we have this guy here," Avalon announced, patting Nier on the head. ¡°He can go and kill Myth''s biggest mistake easily!"


    "Get your damn hands off of the master-" Nier held his hand, causing Golden God to fall silent. Avalon poked his tongue out at the machine. "Master, why are we even keeping this damn traitor around! Why on Earth would you come with us, Avalon?"


    "Why am I here?" Avalon folded his arms, and it seemed like he was trying to come up with an answer. "Oh. That''s easy. So that when the Emperor lets his guard down, I can betray and kill him."


    "Master! Let me turn this scum into space dust!"


    "I still need him." Nier placed his hand over Fairy Queen and shoved it into the girl''s chest. It phased into her body, and slowly he pulled his hand out, holding a golden shard. Shadows twisted and howled around his hand, and he crushed the shard, breaking it.


    Golden God still glared at Avalon but bowed his head. "Very well. If I may be so bold, my Master, how is it that you made it out of your fight with Full Monarch, and how did you keep your title of Lord of the Land and Life?"


    "I didn''t survive." Nier watched the dust from the Victorian''s shard leave his hand and fly away. ¡°I''m not the Lord of Life anymore, either. I tried to take the power back, but it rejected me¡ªperhaps because I now hold the opposite of it."


    "The opposite?"


    Nier placed his hand on his chest and felt his heart begin to beat. "It was dark... So dark. And cold. I died. Nothing was around me. An endless void. My hell. The price of my sins. Then I heard a voice. The next thing I knew, I was awake again and had become something else. If I even am myself, that is... I''m not a Lord anymore." He stood up, and the shadows began to rise with him. They crawled up his body, forming back into his armor. His helmet covered his face, and his fist balled. "Lords are weak¡ªfalse kings. I''ve become something that stands at the top of the world. I am a Ruler¡ªthe Ruler of the Dark and Void. Soon, the Beast will come. I''ll give the heroes one chance. I''ll let them see what horrors it holds once more. Let them watch as their feeble Lords struggle and lose. Only then will I save this world that has turned its back on me. I will be the one to slay the Beast. The old me was a fool for thinking he could create a world it wouldn''t attack. It. Must. Die."


    "Where do we start?" Avalon asked, slyly smirking.


    The Emperor held his hand out, and a swirling mass of darkness escaped, ripping space itself apart. "Lucifer. We start with Lucifer. This world will know my salvation. Whether it wants it or not."

 Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Last Day Of Peace

    She pushed the door open quietly and stepped into her apartment. She had been expecting the lights to be off and for her mother to be asleep, but instead, she found the woman waiting for her.


    "Hope!"


    Despite having superhuman strength and speed, she was unable to react in time as her mother pulled her in for a bone-hurting hug. She gasped and patted the woman on the back, trying to break out of the grip. "S- Sorry I was a bit late."


    "A bit late?" Her mother pulled away, gripping her tightly by the shoulders. "What on Earth happened? I thought I could hear it on the news, but all of you guys vanished out of the city. No one knows what happened. Also, why are you glowing?"


    She pressed a button on her watch, and her costume flashed away, leaving her in just a T-shirt and pants. She brushed some of her blonde hair out of the way and shrugged. "I sort of can''t turn it off for some reason."


    "What!"


    "Oh, but don''t worry! Boy Genius said he''d give me something to cover it up before I have to go to school tomorrow!"


    Her mother sighed and stepped away, folding her arms. "School has been canceled."


    "It has?"


    "With everything that''s going on, they decided it would be best to close it down for the week. No one knows where the mayor is, and while damage was kept to a minimum, everyone can tell something happened." The woman looked her daughter in the eyes. "Hope. Please. Tell me what happened."


    She felt her throat go dry. She shuffled forward quietly and moved past her mother, taking a seat on the couch. She looked down at her hands, watching as they shook a bit. It was hard to believe that everything had happened in a day. Less even. In the span of a single night, they had defeated most of Zoo and Bad Timers, found out who the leader of the Wandering Coin was, engaged in combat with Fairy Queen, Golden God, and a bunch of monsters, and discovered that the Emperor was alive. Worse yet, the Enforcers were in a panic, which in turn meant the lesser heroes were in a panic, which then caused the villains to go on a rampage.


    It almost felt as if the world was at the point where it would begin to change...


    She jumped a bit when her mother placed their hands over hers. "Hope?"


    "I''m fine." She shook her head and gripped her mom''s hand. "A lot happened, is all." Slowly, she told her mother everything. About what the Wasteland was like, the fight with Wish, and the return of the Emperor, and how her powers had stopped working right. "The Victorian managed to drive him off. The Enforcers were looking all over for him, but he could be anywhere on Earth. Hell, he might not even be on Earth anymore, and worse yet, he has Avalon with him, who is apparently a magical teleporting sword!" She felt her voice break for a moment, and she gritted her teeth. "It was supposed to be different. I was supposed to be stronger."


    Her mom quietly took a seat on the couch next to her. Jane stared up at the ceiling as her daughter''s words rang through her mind. "You''re just like your father."


    "Huh?"


    "He would say the same thing every time he came home from his fishing trips. A little bit before you were born, he worked at the docks. Back then, they actually used them for stuff. He would go out to the sea sometimes for months on end, trying to get old wreckage or other such things: him and your Uncle Marcus. Marcus would always get more than him, though. Each time, your father would come back and vow he''d bring back more than Marcus next time and get a better paycheck. Marcus always seemed to be ahead of him, though." Her mother''s smile faded for a moment, and the woman sighed. "Your father never gave up. He worked hard. So hard that even now, he''s putting in an effort to stay alive. I think some of that strength went to you."


    She felt her heart clench a bit, and she bowed her head. "Dad is really amazing," she said.


    Her mom giggled and patted her on the head. "That''s why I married him. I don''t think you failed, Hope. I wasn''t there, but from the sound of it, you guys did more good than bad. If the Emperor really is alive, then it''s not your fault. You''re not the one that made him come back. No one can blame you for losing to him either."


    She nodded her head numbly. She felt a bit like a jerk at that moment. Her mother must have been scared. Terrified even. The thought of the Emperor even walking somewhere on this planet was enough to age a person with stress. Yet instead of letting her mother feel that fear, she was selfishly forcing the woman to put up a strong act and comfort her.


    She slapped at her face and managed to put on a fake smile. "I shouldn''t be moping around. I''ll just get stronger, and next time, stop the Emperor. I won''t do it alone. I have a lot of people that I think can help. This won''t be like the incident fifteen years ago. The moment he tries anything, we''ll stop him. We have the Victorian, and Battery, and other people also.¡±


    Her speech faded as a loud buzzing came from her phone. She reached into her pocket, pulled it out, and frowned. It had been destroyed sometime during her fighting, yet here it was. It wasn''t just the phone either. Her entire costume had been healed, as had her shield and helmet. Was it actually her phone or something else...


    "What is it?" Her mom asked.


    "Nothing." Her frown only grew when she read the text that was sent to her. It was a group chat that had gone out to every member of Pantheon from Myth.


    "That doesn''t look like nothing. Hope?"


    "I have the day off."


    "Huh?"


    "Myth sent it to everyone. He wants us all to rest and relax for a few days and is forbidding us from doing hero work."


    "That''s good, right?"


    "I guess." Her head fell back onto the couch, and she stared up at the roof above, groaning. "I got nothing to do now, though." Then a thought hit her. "Mom?"


    "Yeah?"


    "What did you and Dad do for fun?"


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°You know¡­ Like when you were younger? You really liked dad, so how did you approach him?¡±


    Her mom gave a sly smile and rubbed her chin. ¡°Does there happen to be a special someone at the moment that you¡¯d like my advice on how to wow them?¡±


    She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. ¡°I was just curious, is all. I was thinking about maybe hanging out with some friends.¡±


    She stopped when her phone went off again. She pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a text from Sky. She felt her heart twitch, and her mother peered over her shoulder, letting out a whistle. It was a message asking to hang out.


    "Well, say something!¡± Her mother urged.


    ¡°W- What do I say?¡±


    ¡°Just say something like ¡®yeah, I¡¯d love to hang out, xoxo love Hope.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the worst.¡± She said flatly.


    ***


    Mr. Moore, father of Armin Moore aka Snowdawn, and boss of Oleander''s Cleanup Squad, stared down at the piece of paper. His lip became a thin line as his eyes roamed over it. "You''re sure?"


    "Yes, sir." Jack placed his Cleanup Squad uniform on the desk in front of the man. ¡°I''d have liked to give two weeks'' notice, but it seems I can''t. I''m afraid I''ll have to resign immediately due to personal reasons."


    "I''ll give you a fifty percent raise."


    "What?"


    "Actually, seventy percent. I''ll even throw in two extra days of PTO." Mr. Moore placed the paper down, looking up at Jack. "Mr. Larison. You were here before me. You had every chance to rise up the ranks, yet you never did. You could have easily had my job, but let someone like me take it. You never complained and have come to work on time almost every time for the past seven years that I''ve been your boss. You''ve always come in early and stayed late. You''ve also always turned down my attempts to give you a pay raise."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Money isn''t an issue, sir," Jack said, shaking his head.


    "Then what is it? Name it."


    Jack held his hand out to the man. "It was an honor to work for you. These past seven years made this career choice work, and there isn''t a better man I''d rather work under. If your son is even half the man you are, then there is no doubt in my mind he''ll go on to do great things."


    Mr. Moore''s look broke, and the man lowered his head as his eyes began to sting. He took Jack''s hand, shaking it. "His mother died." His voice nearly cracked as he shrank down. "She had been overseas and was caught in one of Lucifer''s murder games. She didn''t have powers, not like my Armin. He always blamed himself. He had the chance to go with her and turned it down. There isn''t a day I''m grateful he did, or I''d have lost him too. I think that''s why he does it. He became a hero out of some sense of guilt. When you next see my son, please tell him he doesn''t have to hold that burden anymore."


    Jack turned away and flashed a thumbs-up.


    "Mr. Larison."


    "Yeah?" He turned back to look at his former boss.


    "You''re fired."


    Jack let out a snort before he finally closed the door to his boss''s office and stepped out into the morning sun. It had just started to rise. He was dressed in a simple white buttoned-up shirt and black dress pants. He didn''t stand out at all. No one even paid him a hint of attention as he walked down the street with his hands in his pockets.


    "Two." His mind drifted back to Nick''s words. The Enforcer airship had dropped everyone back off in Oleander, and he found himself back at his home. Nick''s device hummed with a faint blue light.


    "Two months left, huh." Jack hummed.


    "Weeks." Nick corrected. "Two weeks left." Slowly, the dark-skinned man wrapped his arms around the redhead.


    Jack stiffened up a bit. "Uh? What are you doing?"


    "Hugging my best friend for what might be the last time." Jack awkwardly patted Nick on the back. "Are you scared?"


    Instantly, he remembered the image of a beach, with a woman''s hand outstretched for him. "Nah. I''ve been waiting for this moment for fifteen years."


    The memory faded, and Jack looked up at the sky. The sunlight rained down on his skin, and he felt his ankles soaked with water from a wave. Oleander''s beach wasn''t anything like the one in his dream world¡ªit wasn''t even close. He was alone as well, but despite that, he had found himself drawn to it. The Victorian''s words echoed around in his mind. She offered him a way out¡ªa promise to save his life.


    Yet...


    "It was a really shitty life, looking back on it." He chuckled. A street rat and his dog picked up off the side of the road by an insane god who wanted the perfect world. He never got to make much of his own choices, but this was his. This life that should have ended fifteen years ago was finally going to finish its tale. "Just a little bit longer. In a few more days, I will be with her again. In a few more days, I can be happy again. In a few more days, the pain can finally stop. I can see my wife again. I can be happy again.¡±


    A ringing echoed in the silence around him. Slowly, he pulled out his phone and answered it. "Mr. Larison." It was the voice of Hope.


    "Kid?"


    "I have a favor to ask."


    "Okay?"


    "It''s kind of a big one."


    He sighed but smiled. The rising sun reflected off the sea, casting it in a golden glow. Even on a beach covered in trash and with cold waters, it somehow looked just as amazing as he dreamed it would. "I''ll be right over."


    That was how Jack Larison, also known as Battery, perhaps one of the strongest men on Earth, found himself gripping the grab handle of his car. The vehicle screeched as it went down the roadway past the speed limit and nearly hit three cars, which honked at them.


    "In the name of Full Monarch! Who the hell taught you how to drive!" The man yelled in a panic.


    "No one did! That''s kind of the issue." Hope giggled and did her best to do a drift in Jack''s car. His car in question was a large four-seater truck that was popular fifteen years ago and was being held together by tape and prayers.


    In the backseat of the truck, Armin covered his mouth with his palm as the ride buckled and jumped. "Oh God, I think I''m going to be sick."


    "You puke in my car, and I''ll skin you alive!" Jack yelled, bouncing off of the seat as Hope took the expressway down the road. The car literally flew through the air. "Okay, yeah, no, we''re not doing this anymore! Stop!"


    The truck slowly came to a wobbling stop as Hope somehow managed to park it. The girl in question giggled a bit and rubbed the back of her head. "How did I do-"


    "Backseat! Now!¡±


    "That''s fair." She climbed out of the driver''s seat and moved to the back, switching with Armin, who took the front. She had driven once before; that had been Lois''s van. Jack''s truck was a lot weirder, though. It was hard to figure out the speed because it required some weird stick that kept needing to be altered, and a light breeze would cause the car to shake. "You should really get a new car, Mr. Larison."


    "What I should have done was tell you to piss off and not bother me on my day off!" Jack took a deep, calming breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I saw what you guys did to Lois''s van. Why the hell am I even shocked? The way the two of you constantly break your own bodies, I shouldn''t be shocked you wouldn''t be delicate with such a precious baby as this." He rubbed the dashboard of his car as his radio glitched out and shot the music disk out. "Aw. There, there, let it out. Daddy''s here."


    Armin slowly adjusted his seatbelt and gripped the steering wheel. "I''ll do my best not to dent your baby, Jacky."


    "Call me that again, and you''re walking home on broken legs."


    "Y- Yes, sir." Armin pulled out of the crash spot Hope had left them in and began to head down the road. "Thanks for letting us borrow your truck, though, sir. Both our parents are busy with work, and it''d have been a long walk. Still, I never expected you to be the kind of person attached to their truck."


    "I''m really not a car nut." Jack rubbed the dashboard quietly. "It''s just..." Soon, he''d be gone. Soon, this car would belong to someone else. Nick? Nah. Nick would sell it off in under a week. Myth? Yeah. Soon, it would be Myth''s. "I just don''t see any sense in damaging it if it''ll be someone else''s soon."


    "Someone else''s? Are you selling it, sir?"


    "Something like that."


    Hope frowned as she listened to Mr. Larison''s words. He hadn''t mentioned anything about the talk he had with the Victorian. He''d do it, right? Accept the deal and live. Even if it meant he had to leave Pantheon and become an Enforcer, it had to be better than dying.


    "I think we''re here," Armin announced, slowly pulling in front of a familiar mall. In no time at all, the Cleanup Squad had managed to put the thing back together. It looked even better than it used to, standing much taller and having a way bigger parking lot that allowed for a ton of new cars. The Cleanup Squad had somehow doubled in speed. They were now owned by Boy Genius, who instantly got rid of all the out-of-date junk and replaced it with his own better tech as a ''fuck you'' to Avalon. The general public didn''t know what was happening with Avalon. Not yet, anyway. "Are you sure you''re going to be able to sit in the parking lot and chill by yourself? You''re free to join us if you want, sir."


    Jack shook his head. "I''ll manage on my own. Worst case scenario, I go home."


    "But then, won''t we lose our ride?"


    "Guess you''ll need to find your own way home then."


    Hope giggled and climbed out of the car. "Thanks for doing this, Mr. Larison. Myth said we all have some days off. Make sure you enjoy them as well."


    "I''ll try." Jack watched the kids leave, and slowly, his smile faded. He climbed out of his car and rested on the roof of his truck. The mall was crowded. There''d be a ton of people wanting to get in. He doubted there''d be an attack this time, though. Pretty much every group in Oleander was dead. His eyes roamed over dozens of cars before finally settling on a very expensive-looking blue sports car. He hopped off of his crappy truck and walked over. He wasn''t the only one who had decided to rest on the hood of the car and enjoy the sunshine. "You get suckered into coming, too?"


    Today, she wasn''t Ocean Empress. She was River Sini. She wore a suit and sunglasses, which she lowered as Jack blocked out the sun. "You''re here?" River said, raising an eyebrow.


    "Yep." Jack folded his arms and shrugged his shoulders. "The kids asked me to come drop them off at this mall."


    "Mine did, too. Oh, they must have planned this, didn''t they? They wanted to all hang out."


    "What do kids even do at malls?" Jack asked, frowning.


    "Shopping or going to some of the attractions in the place. This one has a ton of stuff, like a skating ring and a movie theater. Lily bought tickets to some movies, but I wasn''t really paying attention."


    Jack nodded slowly. "They''re going to be in there for hours, aren''t they?"


    "Most certainly."


    "Damn. Tricked again." He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "You said they got a movie theater in this place? Anything good on?"


    "I don''t know. I didn''t check." The woman shrugged. "I was planning on leaving soon and coming back to pick them up when they were done."


    "You doing hero work?"


    "No. My body hasn''t fully recovered yet," the woman said, shaking her head. ¡°Mister Man is covering my city while I''m away. I was planning to just hang around town, I guess, and pay respects to my father''s grave."


    Jack nodded his head and turned away, walking away. He stopped and looked back at her when he noticed she didn''t budge. "Are you coming or what?"


    "Huh?"


    "You said this place has movies, and you ain''t busy. There has to be something to watch, right? Let''s go."


    The woman blinked a few times before finally rolling her eyes. "Ah, what the hell." She scooted off of the roof of her car and followed after the man. "No action movie, though. Let''s watch a romance or horror."


    "Yeah, whatever."


    Meanwhile, near the mall''s entrance, Hope called out when she saw the people waiting for her. "Yo!"


    Lily, Ken, and Sky all turned to look at them as they approached. It was a little weird seeing Sky now. The girl wasn''t in baggy clothing and didn''t have her bird or cane with her. She still covered most of herself up, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, as well as gloves. And still present in her hair was that single streak of white. Lily, on the other hand, wore a yellow sundress and had her hair done up into a braid. Her arm was hooked around Ken, who had a plain T-shirt and a biker''s leather jacket. He was resting on a motorcycle and had one of his arms holding his helmet.


    "Finally!" Lily said, rolling her eyes. "You guys took forever!"


    "Hey! I wasn''t expecting you, man." Kenny said, looking Armin up and down. "You''re the snow-based guy, right?"


    "Yep. Call me Armin."


    "I''m Kenny or Ken. I''m the freaky wasp guy." Both of the boys fist-bumped and instantly created a deep friendship that would never break.


    Her and Armin had also gotten dressed up a bit. Armin had seemingly tried to copy Mr. Larison and wore a white buttoned-up dress shirt and a pair of long blue jeans. She, on the other hand, wore one of her Enforcer shirts, a light jacket, and shorts since the weather was nice. Unknown to most, she also wore a wig. Well, it wasn''t actually a wig; it was something that went over her hair and covered up the glowing, mimicking her old black hair, which was some weird Super tech that Boy Genius made. As for her eyes, she had replaced her glasses with sunglasses, which blocked out the red.


    Sky''s eyes slowly wandered over Armin''s, and a small frown formed on the girl''s lip. "Oh, you brought your friend..."


    "Yeah. We all agreed to hang out." Hope nodded, smiling.


    "Well, it''s just that when I told you I wanted to hang out and my sister and her boyfriend would be coming, I sort of thought you¡¯d get the hint that this was a double- Ah, never mind. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make it work somehow.¡± Sky did not sound happy.


    Hope rubbed the back of her neck and glanced at Armin, but he just shrugged. "Okay?"


    Lily snorted, seeing their reaction, and folded her arms. "Well, since there are now five of us instead of four, I guess we can ditch the double date idea and just make this a party. Might as well call up the others!" She pointed up to the sky, smiling. "Tonight, we party!"

 Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Last Afternoon Of Peace

    He ran his hand over the cover of the novel. It was an old, faded book about knights banding together to save a kingdom from a great evil. As a kid, he had never been into fairy tales. Instead, he and his father focused on myths.


    The old world was said to have hundreds of stories. People created tales about gods and their own heroes, crafting kingdoms and attempting to go beyond the stars. That had always fascinated him more than fake stories. Now that he was an adult, though, there was something oddly charming in a fictional story.


    He shook his head slowly and placed the novel up on the shelf where it belonged.


    "Is this seriously all you do?" Lois sighed.


    "For the most part, yes. My library doesn''t get very many visitors." Thaddeus chuckled. "Kids these days just aren''t interested in sitting down and reading a good book. If it isn''t animated, then chances are they aren''t going to bother with it."


    They were in the library that Thaddeus owned. Lois had somehow gotten dragged along and now rested up on one of the tables made for reading. She hadn''t really done anything to help out and just twiddled her thumbs while Thaddeus rearranged books and checked on his stock. "If this place isn''t that popular, why do you keep it around?"


    "For someone that can see the future, I''d have expected you to already know the answer to that question." Thaddeus snorted. "It was my father''s." He went quiet for a moment and stared at another book. This one was about a powerful mage turning into a dark beast of the night after making a deal with a demon. "I like to think it''s my job to keep it clean. It is the least I can do, after all."


    Lois jumped off of the table and looked around with a sigh. The library did look nice, but there was dust scattered about it, and it felt sort of lonely. It was the kind of place where it never got to see anyone. "When are you going to talk to the Hero Branch? They practically threw you under the bus for the incident that happened two years ago. No one, not even me nor my father, could have seen a new Calamity level threat be created instantly after the Beast left. It isn''t your fault Chrysanthemum became lost. The Branch used you as a scapegoat and ruined you. Why have you accepted it so easily?"


    Thaddeus picked up another book, one about a robber who accidentally discovered the people he was robbing were gods in disguise. "You weren''t there. You''d have been seventeen when it went down. I was, though. I was in the heart of it all. I watched as the Beast tore Chrysanthemum apart. Watched as the Enforcers struggled to beat him. Watched as we failed to save yet another city. All the while, the only thing I could do was help try to get as many people as I could out of there. In the end, I failed that too. Then I was there when it happened. I was forced to watch as a new Calamity level threat was created. One that claimed the souls of the damned. I watched it claw my father out of the pits of the underworld and force him to change. Watched as the fallen heroes stood back up. I wasn''t able to save Poseidon. Because of me, she nearly died. My actions not only left the city in ruins but nearly made the heroes lose a Lord that has been on their side for hundreds of years. Then I disobeyed orders and took her to Sky, who had just awakened her powers. I''m to blame for the state of mind Lily suffers from. As far as I am concerned, the Branch never threw me under a bus. I brought this all on myself."


    "So then just fix it, you dummy." Lois snorted.


    Thaddeus snapped his head over to her and frowned. "Fix it?"


    "Yeah. All you need to do is fix it. Have you even spoken to Poseidon about what happened? Has she blamed you, or did she thank you for saving your life?"


    "Well-"


    "On top of that, have you ever considered just who you are? You shouldn''t let the Hero Branch walk all over you. You''re Myth! Son of Legend, brother of Fable. You fought the Emperor when you were a little kid-"


    "Fought is a strong word..."


    "-survived an encounter with the Beast, was there when a new Calamity was born, and you built your own team, which in under a year has managed to defeat three of the biggest villain groups in Oleander. You''re best friends with the leader of the Sub Enforcers, and every member of the Sub Enforcers respects you, and you have a freaking Lord on your squad, as well as myself, Battery, and Snowdawn, and both of those two are almost as busted as Cinder." Lois pointed at the man, smirking. "As far as I''m concerned, you''ve done more than any of those Enforcers have. They just sit up on their thrones, acting like they''re something special. When''s the last time we even saw one of them do something?"


    Thaddeus snorted and folded his arms. "Okay. So even if everything you said is true, what about it? It doesn''t really change anything."


    Lois hummed and rubbed her chin. "Okay. First of all, screw this place."


    "What?"


    "You heard me. This place is dirty. If you''re going to actually take care of it, then do it right. You shouldn''t be forced to do something and change who you are just for your father''s sake." She walked over to a table and grabbed her leather jacket. She was dressed in ordinary clothes, wearing a simple pair of blue jeans and a tank top. "You told everyone they have the day off and no hero work. Well, no normal work either. Let''s go out and do something."


    "Like what?" Thaddeus asked, raising an eyebrow. He was also dressed in his civilian clothes¡ªthe standard librarian outfit: long brown pants buckled up, a long-sleeved, white buttoned-up shirt tucked in, and a brown jacket over that. He also wore glasses, though, like Hope, he didn''t actually need them. "What would we even do-"


    He had to hurry to keep up with Lois, who began to head for the exit. Stepping outside, her new ride awaited her. A slick black motorcycle. She had gotten it after she discovered the state her van was left in after they ¡®borrowed¡¯ it. She jumped on and patted the seat behind her.


    "That thing seems wildly dangerous."


    "We''re both Supers, and I can see the future. I''ll let you know if we''re going to crash."


    Thaddeus sighed and slowly climbed on, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Isn''t it the man that is supposed to drive?"


    "I saw the state you left my last ride in, never again!" The bike roared to life, and they started to head down the road as the nineteen year-old began to cheer. They didn''t even have helmets on, and he didn''t have a proper jacket.


    The wind smacked him in the face, and he had to use one hand to keep his glasses from flying off. "So where are we going exactly?"


    "Bowling," was all Lois said. Thaddeus couldn''t help the slight grin that came onto his face. Maybe a day off wasn''t so bad.


    ***


    "You know, I''m pretty sure this was going to be a date or something," Kenny said awkwardly.


    "Seriously?" Armin hissed out with wide eyes.


    The boy in the leather jacket just gave a lopsided grin. "Well, it started with Sky inviting Hope. Lily overheard it, then decided she was coming, and then Lily invited me, and I guess Hope invited you? So now it''s just a friendly get-together."


    Armin rubbed the back of his head. "Oh my God. Sky¡¯s going to think I¡¯m the worst. Why is Hope so dumb? I shouldn¡¯t have come!¡± He clutched his face in his hands.


    Ken just chuckled and shrugged. ¡°Nothing we can do about it now. Just try your best to not make Sky madder, or she might actually try and kill you. The others won¡¯t be able to keep you safe from her wrath. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll forgive you for running her date plans.¡±


    ¡°Hope¡¯s the one who ruined them, though! That clueless idiot!¡± Armin tugged at his hair. ¡°And now we¡¯re well past this being the point of a date!¡±


    Since there were five of them now instead of four, Lily had further changed plans and invited some of the others. They hadn''t gotten here yet, so they were still waiting for them to arrive. They had walked around the mall for a bit, and the girls, or more actually, just Lily, went shopping and already had three bags full of clothes.


    That had been nearly an hour ago. Now, they were in a skating rink built into the mall. Lily had basically taken charge of the group and decided where they would be going. The skating rink had a few people in it but was open enough to allow them to hang out mostly among themselves. It was a big circular ring in the middle, and colorful lights and music rained down from above.


    Both Armin and Kenny had skated for a bit but decided to take a break. They rested off to the side of the ring, watching the others while they quietly talked. Lily was naturally a pro at skating and had looped around the ring doing various tricks dozens of times. Hope wasn''t good at it, but she wasn''t bad, managing to stay upright. She was wisely not doing any tricks. Finally, that left just Sky.


    "You, okay?" Hope asked, looking down at the red-haired girl.


    "My dignity is gone." Four whole seconds. That was Sky''s longest time staying upright. She rested flat on her back and slowly slid down the ring, carried by her momentum.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Are you having fun? We can have Lily change the place if you want."


    "Oh no, I''m having a blast. I love slipping and humiliating myself in front of people, unable to stand up straight."


    "Really? I didn''t think you were into that kind of stuff-"


    "Sarcasm! Learn it!"


    Hope giggled and held her hand out to Sky. It took a bit of work, but she managed to pull the girl back up to her feet. "You were blind a few days ago, so there''s no need to pressure yourself to be good at this." She gripped Sky''s arm, making sure the girl didn''t fall down again, and they slowly slid forward. "If it makes you feel any better, I''m pretty bad at this also. I sort of envy Lily."


    As if on cue, the blonde girl flew past them at a fast speed and hopped into the air, spinning around a few times before landing back down on her feet and taking off once more. "I''m pretty sure she''s treating this like it''s figure skating," Sky said, rolling her eyes. Her sister was the kind of person who would go above and beyond, even in something as childish as this.


    "She''s really something alright, that''s for sure." She nodded.


    "Oh wow, Sky, way to hog the Lord all for yourself. Save some for the rest of us!" A new voice called out.


    Hope turned when she heard the voice and felt a pair of arms wrap around the limb Sky wasn''t clinging to. She blinked a few times and stared down at the new girl who clung to her. The girl was short and had her hair cut just past her shoulders. Her hair was black but had a few spots of red in it from where she dyed it. She wore a T-shirt with the image of Pretty Face on it and sweatpants. She recognized the girl immediately.


    "BB?"


    "I go by Sera when out of costume," the girl explained. The girl then shot her tongue out when she saw Sky''s eyes narrow.


    "Why am I suddenly so popular..." Hope muttered. It was a little awkward trying to keep your balance while two people clung to you. Sera was almost as bad at skating as Sky was, and both girls clung to one of her arms.


    "Hey, Sera, you made it!" Lily called out. The girl showed off by twirling in front of them and then began to skate backward, which allowed her to look at them as they talked. "Why are you clinging to Hope?" Lily cocked her head to the side. Either Sera was playing a joke or Hope had some secret rizz none of them knew about.


    Sera raised her thumb up and pointed out where the boys were. "When we got the call, we came right away. Rowan is over there. He brought Kyle with him. The kid is kind of going through a lot right now..."


    Lily winced a bit and nodded. She was about to say something else, but a new figure skated up next to them¡ªone who was about as good as Lily was and could skate backward. "So, you''re what Cinder looks like under the helmet¡ª" She recognized Oxide''s voice, but she felt her eyes go wide when she saw the girl.


    Ashley, like Lily, had gotten dressed up. The girl wore a pair of long pants and had a black dress over it. She had done up some of her makeup, primarily focusing on her face, where a faint scar had resided around her eye after she had been caught in a blast by Ghost.


    "Ashley!"


    "Hope!"


    "You''re Oxide!"


    "You''re Cinder! Wait, I knew that already?¡±


    ¡°You knew!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Snowdawn told me.¡±


    ¡°Armin!¡± Hope whined. She had a hard enough time hiding her identity, she didn¡¯t need to also worry about her best friend slipping up.


    The other girls all seemed a bit surprised at the fact Ashley and Hope already knew each other. Lily raised an eyebrow, looking between them both. "You two already know each other?" Judging by the looks Hope and Ashley were shooting at one another, it wasn''t anything friendly. "Don''t tell me this is a case of an Ex-meeting! Hope does have crazy rizz!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever use the word rizz again.¡± Sky said flatly.


    "Don''t go spouting nonsense." Ashley barked out. The girl''s arms folded, and she looked away from Hope. "We went to the same school. I knew Armin was Snowdawn, so I guess I should have put two and two together. I think I sort of knew, but it''s kind of weird seeing you now."


    "I can''t imagine the two of you getting along in school," Sky muttered. Hope and Ashley were very different-looking. Ashley was the kind of person who''d be at the top, while Hope was more of a bottom feeder.


    "You can say that again," Hope muttered. She still remembered what happened with Ashley. The girl had dunked soda on her. Ashley had been a bully at their school, a very mean bully.


    Ashley turned away and skated off. "Sorry for bothering you."


    They watched her leave in silence. "Is everything alright?" Sky asked, nudging her in the side. "My sister was wrong when she asked about the Ex-thing, right?"


    Hope sighed as she watched Ashley skate by herself. "I guess if she''s Oxide and we ever team up again, I should at least talk to her. Hey, Lily, hold these two girls for a sec."


    "What¡ª" Hope thrust her arms out, causing Sky and Sera to slide forward. Lily let out a panicked yelp and managed to catch them both, but she slipped back, and all three of them crashed to the floor. "That''s cheating, Hope!"


    Hope poked her tongue out and skated off in the direction of Oxide. She had a hard time keeping up with the girl, but Ashley wasn''t really paying attention and wasn¡¯t trying to get away, so she soon caught up to her. "Hey."


    Ashley jumped a bit and turned when she saw Hope. "Yeah?"


    "I think we should talk."


    Meanwhile, over with the boys, they all still rested outside of the ring. "How are you holding up, man?" Kenny asked, punching Kyle in the shoulder.


    "We''re here if you want to talk." Rowan nodded.


    Armin gave a smile and nodded. "It must be a lot. I can''t imagine."


    Kyle balled his hand into a fist and glared down at the ground. "I- I don''t know. I''m just..." He still hadn''t even gotten to see his dad. He didn''t know the whole story, not yet. Rowan had only been able to give him pieces, but he knew enough. His dad was a monster. Not a real one, but he might as well have been. The man had been working for one of the vilest groups in Oleander and trying to make a deal with a devil. After the battle, his dad had been sent to jail and would be awaiting trial. "I don''t get why he did it. Did he really hate me that much?"


    The three boys winced and shot each other awkward looks. Armin rubbed the back of his neck, trying to figure out what to say. "I don''t think he did it out of hate. I think it was out of love. Lois told me a bit about what he was saying. He kept calling out your name the entire time. I think you were important to him¡ªso much so that you''re what let him keep some of his morale."


    "So, it''s my fault he did this? Out of a sick, twisted sense of love." Kyle seemed to slump down further in his chair.


    Rowan shrugged. "Maybe. I don''t know what to tell you, man. We aren''t therapists. There isn''t any use wondering about the how or why. All that should be on your mind is the what. As in, what do you do from here?"


    Kyle''s shoulders didn¡¯t perk up, and the boy''s eyes remained downcast. "I don''t know. I''m not a hero. I don''t have powers. I''m a dead man walking. I know I am. When Lucifer shows himself, he''ll come for me and-"


    Rowan punched Kyle in the shoulder again, this time hard enough to make the boy wince. "That won''t happen. The chances of you being picked as a player in the next Murder Games are slim at best. And even if you are selected, you have nothing to worry about. The three of us all went toe to toe with the Emperor and survived. Compared to him, Lucifer is nothing. We''ll keep you safe, right boys?"


    "That''s right." Armin punched his fist into his open palm and smirked. "I''ll just freeze time on him and kick his ass before he even knows what hit him. From the very start, I planned on taking out a Calamity level threat. I''ll personally stop Lucifer myself!"


    Kyle chuckled and sighed. "Yeah. Maybe you will."


    Kenny turned away and gave a smirk. "I just got a good idea. I''ll be right back!" He took off into the ring, skating after Lily, who had just managed to stand up and was now trying to figure out what to do about Sky and Sera, as both girls clung to her, shaking and nearly falling over. "Lily! We''re having a bit of a change of plans!" He called out.


    Back over with Hope, she and Ashley skated in silence for several moments. "So why did you come over here?" Ashley asked, finally breaking the silence.


    "You were kind of a bitch." Ashley cringed when she heard Hope''s blunt response. "Like a mega bitch. Like a super mega bitch. Like a super mega ultra-¡±


    ¡°I get it!¡± Ashley sighed and stared at the ground. "I know."


    "It''s hard to think that you''re Oxide. Oxide is actually nice. It makes me wonder which one is the mask and which one is the real you."


    "Sometimes, not even I know."


    Hope rubbed the back of her head, careful not to knock her wig off. "That said. It must be hard, right?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "You know what I mean." Kevin was taken to prison. Her face was scarred, and now Kevin was a monster, the same as Hannah, one of her best friends. It was hard to imagine what Ashley was even thinking or going through. "I think that the hero is the real you, and the bully is the fake."


    "Huh?"


    "Despite everything that happened, you''ve gone out of your way to do good. You haven''t done anything at school for a while now and have been saving people as a hero. I think a bad person would have closed themselves off more and snapped at the world after everything they went through. I still think you can be a real bitch at times, but I think you''re also a hero. One who is doing her best to help the world. I can''t really hold a grudge anyway. That soda incident was so long ago, and compared to some of the stuff I''ve gone through from the real villains, it might as well not have happened."


    "So, you''re saying you forgive me?"


    "I didn''t say that." She shook her head. "But I accept you and what you did. I acknowledge you. I acknowledge that Oxide is a good hero, and I''d like to work with her more if I can."


    Ashley folded her arms and nodded slightly. "I''d like to work with Cinder more, too, I guess. I think we could make some good combos with our powers."


    "Oh, for sure!" She giggled and nudged Ashley with a shoulder tap.


    The world was big. Threats were around every corner, and monsters lurked in the dark. Mankind survived, going about every day and enjoying the peace just like this. There was just no reason to hold a grudge against something so small. Perhaps this is the moment when the idea of a combo between the two heroes would be made¡ªa combo that would go on to possibly save the world.


    Of course, that''s a story for much later...


    Ashley skated forward a bit and swirled around, facing Hope. The girl gave a small smirk. "So are you and Sky really..."


    "Friends? Yeah? Why do you ask?"


    "That''s not what I meant!" Ashley sighed and rolled her eyes. "I would have to spell it out to you, wouldn''t I? Are the two of you-"


    Ashley was cut off when they heard Lily raise her voice. "What do you mean you''re ditching us!" They had just reached where Lily and the others were and found the blonde girl talking to her boyfriend. She didn''t sound mad but was clearly wanting an explanation. Her head turned as the two of them pulled up. "You two. Catch."


    Sky and Sera were once again turned into makeshift weapons and sent forward by Lily. Sera managed to get her arms around Ashley, who somehow stayed upright and kept her balance. Sky, on the other hand, crashed directly into Hope, who only had time to catch the girl in her arms, both of them falling back.


    Now that Lily had her arms free, she folded them and turned to look at Kenny. "Want to explain?"


    Kenny just gave a sly grin and turned away. "Well, since Sera and Ashley are here and the date stuff is already ruined, I figured they could keep you company. Me and the boys are ditching you girls!"


    "What do you mean you¡¯re ditching us!"


    "You know exactly what I mean! The only reason a group of boys would ever ditch a bunch of girls and leave them alone! Only one thing in the universe is strong enough to make this happen!" Kenny made it to the edge of the skating arena and pointed to the sky. The lights above cast down, cloaking him in a golden glow. The music changed to some sort of heavenly song. "Guys, night!"


    "Huh?" All the girls stood there, slowly processing the word.


    "Guys, night?" Armin asked.


    "Guys, night." Rowan nodded.


    The two looked at each other, and then slowly, they began to chant. "Guys night, guys night, guys night!" Kenny joined in, and the three of them picked Kyle off of the ground, heading for the exit. "GUYS NIGHT, GUYS NIGHT, GUYS NIGHT!"


    And just like that, the girls had been ditched.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Hope asked, a little confused.


    ¡°Boys.¡± Ashley said flatly. ¡°Boys happened.¡±

 Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Last Evening Of Peace

    "I can''t believe they actually ditched us," Ashley said with a deadpan expression.


    Lily folded her arms and sighed. "Boys will be boys, I guess."


    "Who cares?" Sky rolled her eyes. "We don''t need them anyway."


    "So, then, what do we do now?" Sera asked.


    "No clue," Sky admitted. "Lily, what do you think?"


    "Good question. Hope, what do we do?"


    Hope stepped back, taken off guard as all the girls turned to look at her. They were out in the parking lot of the mall now, having watched Kenny and the other boys run off with Kyle. Their leaving had basically thrown Lily off her flow, and she no longer knew what to do for the day. "Why do I have to be the one to pick?" She sighed and rubbed her chin when the other girls just shrugged. "Well, they said they were going off to have a guy''s night. Why don''t we just do the reverse, then?"


    "Like a girl''s night?" Sky questioned.


    "Exactly!"


    Silence hung around them. "So, what''s a girl''s night?" Sera asked awkwardly.


    "Huh! What do you mean by ''what''s a girl''s night?'' Have you never had a sleepover?" Ashley said in shock.


    Lily chuckled and shook her head. "None of us really got to do normal stuff growing up. Sera is like me and Sky. The three of us all had hero parents. Ashley, you and Hope are the first people to get superpowers in your family, but for people like us, we mostly had to keep to ourselves since the parents didn''t want to worry about their kids in the hands of some other hero. I guess it would be like a doctor wishing to be there for their child if they got hurt instead of some other doctor."


    "I never got to do a sleepover either," Hope said sheepishly. "Well, I mean a girl''s sleepover. Armin and I hung out all the time when we were kids, but I never had any girls my age that I could be friends with."


    "Are you and Armin dating?" Sera asked, surprised.


    "Ew! No! Just ew!"


    Sky tapped her foot down in annoyance. "I guess that means you''re in charge, Ashley. What do we do?!"


    This time, it was Ashley''s turn to shrink back as everyone looked at her. She let out a nervous laugh, trying to come up with something. "Well, to start with, we need to decide whose house we''re staying at."


    Lily snapped her fingers and smirked. "That should be pretty obvious!"


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking you guys to my house.¡± Ashley said flatly.


    ¡°Damn. New plan then.¡± Lily announced.


    That was how the five of them found themselves crossing the bridge connecting Oleander and Lillian. Lillian was almost nothing like Oleander. The buildings were way smaller, and the city looked far richer. Every house was practically a manor, and it was wide and open. A steady stream of traffic was present at all times down below, and even as the sun was reaching its peak, turning into the evening soon, people seemed to be going to and from work.


    Thanks to the watches Boy Genius made, all of them were able to find a spot out of sight in Oleander and change into their costumes. They got into Lillian thanks to a mix of Oxide''s and Poseidon''s powers. Oxide created a large metal ramp with railings across it and seats they could hold onto. Poseidon wrapped it up in a bubble of water and used her power over gravity to cause the thing to rise up, and she carried it, almost seeming to fly.


    Hope had to admit she was a bit jealous. Part of her still really wanted to learn how to fly, something that still seemed to keep itself just out of her grasp. Sure, she could boost herself through the air thanks to her explosions, but it wasn''t the same. Of course, she was still learning new tricks to her power every day, so maybe one day soon she¡¯d be able to soar through the skies.


    As they flew through the air, they saw a few other heroes. Lillian didn''t have a Sub Enforcer team. Besides Rose, it was the only other city that did not have one. It did have its own hero team, though¡ªthe Reservoir. They saw a few members of this mighty team. Namely, Doctor Kraken, who stood on some big metal machine that phased through the ground, letting him swim through the dirt, and Hydro Cannon, who flew through the air being carried by two powerful jet streams of water that she used to fly. Hope didn''t get too good a look at either of them, but she knew enough of Ocean Empress''s team to know that both of them were no joke.


    Finally, though, Poseidon came down to the ground, where a large manor loomed over the street. Hope openly gawked at it and shot Sky a look. "You didn''t tell me you were rich!"


    "I''m rich," Sky said dryly. ¡°There, I told you.¡±


    The manor was one of the biggest ones she had seen so far. Even bigger than Kyle''s. It had a large, vast field of green that stretched out and a house so big that Hope was sure she could fit her entire extended family in one room and not even take up half the space. A massive garden was off to the side, wrapping around part of the house, and dozens of machines, the same kind that were in the Nightshade prison, worked on the field. In front of the manor, a large statue stood. It was one that was clearly taken care of often.


    It showed off a tall man¡ªone dressed in armor shaped like a knight and wielding a massive great sword on his back¡ªthe hero known as Shark Knight. Husband of Ocean Empress, he died two years ago during the Beast attack. He is said to have gone toe to toe with the legendary villain himself. He held the Beast off long enough, buying time for the entire city to evacuate and escape.


    "Not to be rude or anything," Ashley piped up. "But how is it that no one knows you guys are superheroes?" You have a literal statue of one in your front yard and actual robots working on your house as butlers."


    Lily pointed up to the sky above, and Ashley and Hope looked up. Above them, the air almost seemed to shimmer a bit, a weird dome of see-through energy going around the house.


    "Boy Genius created a massive field of illusions that he installs under most heroes'' homes," Sera explained casually. "Although illusion isn''t the right word exactly. It causes normal people to not be able to really pay attention to the spot, letting heroes leave their homes in full costume and return without being spotted by normies. It doesn''t really work on other Supers, though, and so the field also provides services to create fake images. If a Super were to fly over this spot, they''d just see a normal manor, no robots or anything like that. It isn''t until you pass through you can see everything."


    "I really need to get one of those things built at my house." Ashley whistled.


    ¡°That¡¯s sort of like something Mr. Larison also has.¡± Hope nodded. ¡°He can create a barrier that does the same thing.¡±


    Lily stepped off the metal platform and waved her arms out. ¡°Anyways, this is our home! So what do we do now?¡±


    Hope stepped forward and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°I know we came straight here, but would it be cool if we actually walked around the city a bit more?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°The same reason you and Sky explored Oleander. I haven¡¯t been to Lillian before.¡± She explained.


    ¡°Me neither!¡± Sera and Ashley both stated.


    Sky shrugged. ¡°Well, we¡¯re all in costume. It could be a good chance to walk around and patrol a bit.¡±


    ¡°Myth told me to not do any crime fighting, but I¡¯m sure he won''t mind!¡± She said sheepishly, throwing her arms behind her head.


    They were all already in their hero outfits, so Poseidon nodded her head and smirked. ¡°Okay then. I bet the boys are going to be doing something similar also. We should show off how cool we are and do something epic in the city!¡±


    And so they ended up leaving Lily and Sky¡¯s house. They walked down the streets of Lillian, and instantly several people were staring at them. Many people knew who Poseidon was; the girl was extremely famous; the same went for Paragon, but you almost never got to see the healer actually walk around and look at all the different sites. That was until today. Not to mention two Sub Enforcer heroes and a member of Pantheon, followed behind the famous sisters. They were all bound to get stares.


    She didn¡¯t really focus on that, though. Instead, her eyes were wide as she looked at the city. It didn¡¯t have as many skyscrapers as Oleander and instead seemed to be filled with way more open parks and restaurants. It was spacious and filled with a lot more people that roamed the streets. Dozens of different heroes flew through the air, and there were many billboards promoting various different products. She didn¡¯t really know what she should have been on the lookout for, so she just followed Poseidon and Paragon.


    Poseidon seemed to have a destination in mind. One that caused Paragon to groan a bit. Up ahead of them, a large corner of the street had seemingly been turned into a makeshift stage, and it was filled with dozens of drones that would fly back and forth.


    ¡°This is a spot in Lillian where any Super can come and be featured on live TV.¡± Poseidon explained. ¡°It always has a bunch of Hero Branch drones, which are running. It¡¯s mostly used by the hero Golden Weaver nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Golden Weaver?¡± Cinder cocked her head and looked up onto the stage where the spider-themed hero resided. She heard a lot about the man. He used to be an Enforcer member but, due to a leg injury, had to put those days behind him. He was her father''s favorite hero back in the day.


    Golden Weaver was up on the stage hanging upside down, clutching onto one of his golden threads. ¡°I¡¯m telling you true believers! He challenged me! Yellow Kobold will be here, and when he does show up, I¡¯ll personally stop him, just like I used to do! I might have gotten a lot older, but I¡¯m still a well-respected hero!¡±


    Several of the Hero Branch drones flew around the area, constantly filming what was going on as the ex-famous hero swung on his thread. Golden Weaver noticed them approaching the stage, and he swung off, awkwardly landing in front of them. She noticed one of his legs was a prosthetic. A plastic leg. The other was twisted in an odd way, but the hero managed. From what she remembered, both his legs had been totally destroyed by the Emperor fifteen years ago.


    ¡°Well, well, well! What brings you here, Poseidon?¡± Golden Weaver announced, high-fiving the water girl who gave a grin. All the drones eagerly turned to film them, wanting to catch the interaction between the two heroes.


    ¡°I¡¯m showing my friends around the city.¡± Poseidon waved for the drone, then pointed at the other girls. ¡°These are Oxide, BB, and Cinder! They¡¯re from Oleander! Anyone following my Hero Hub page will likely have seen them before and know that they¡¯re all crazy strong! Of course you also have my sister Paragon here! For more exciting news, follow me on Hero Hub! It¡¯s @therealPoseidon!¡±


    She awkwardly looked away as the drones flashed and took several pictures of them all. Some of them began to fire off questions at them.


    ¡°BB, is it true that you and the hero Money Tree are in a relationship?¡± One of the drones asked.


    ¡°No comment!¡± BB poked her tongue out and then shrunk down and flew into Cinder¡¯s suit, hiding away.


    ¡°Ms. Oxide, I heard you were badly injured by the villain Ghost and have been MIA! Are you finally making a return?¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± The metal girl said lazily, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m back to working for the Sub Enforcers, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Cinder, are you aware that you saved Madam Ros of the Ros company from the villain Cybercroc? I heard the woman made a huge donation to a local charity in your name!¡±


    ¡°She did! That¡¯s pretty cool!¡± She folded her arms and hummed. ¡°I had no idea about that.¡± It was likely that one rich lady that she and Snowdawn had protected. It was nice answering drone questions that weren¡¯t from Alice Ward. She didn¡¯t have to worry about the news lady butting in over at Lillian.


    ¡°Paragon, I heard you recently got your own action figure that has been placed alongside the Cinder model! How does this make you feel?¡±


    Paragon lazily shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve teamed up several times now. It makes sense.¡±


    ¡°The next toy that should be sold alongside the Cinder action figures should be Baggy!¡± She announced.


    ¡°Baggy?¡± Everyone turned and stared at her. She flicked her hand out, causing her fire to flow and take shape into a backpack with arms and legs. It began to flex and pose for the camera as all the drones stared down at it.


    ¡°H- How the hell can she do that?¡± BB muttered. ¡°That¡¯s just straight up creating life out of fire? It¡¯s just a flame golem or something?¡±


    Baggy jumped up onto Paragon¡¯s shoulder and hung off of the girl¡¯s body, still flexing for the camera. His fire didn¡¯t seem to burn the girl, who hesitantly reached out and patted the weird creature. Poseidon was also able to make living constructs; the girl had made sharks out of water a few times after all, but a flexing backpack was still pretty weird.


    Poseidon giggled a bit before turning back to Golden Weaver. ¡°So what brings you out here, Golden Weaver?¡±


    "Well, true believers, I¡¯m on a quest!¡± The hero announced.


    ¡°A quest?¡± BB finished whatever it was she was doing inside Cinder¡¯s costume and flew out of the girl¡¯s sleeve, lazily landing on Oxide¡¯s head. ¡°What sort of quest?¡±


    Golden Weaver turned and pointed back at the drones. ¡°I used to be a big shot hero back in the day and had a rival! His name was Yellow Kobold! I thought he died fifteen years ago, yet today I discovered that he was not only alive, but he also challenged me to a rematch to finish what we started fifteen years ago! He demanded I meet him here and engage him! I naturally said yes, since Ocean Empress isn¡¯t here to protect the city at the moment!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you told him my mom wasn¡¯t here!¡± Poseidon asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Golden Weaver! That means a villain knows that there isn¡¯t an Enforcer here! And he told you to meet him at this location!¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Cinder rubbed her neck. ¡°Pretty sure he¡¯s going to attack a different location and was just using you to distract everyone with your commotion.¡± As if on cue, her enhanced senses picked up a loud blast somewhere on the other side of the city. ¡°I hear a bank being robbed.¡±


    ¡°Away I go!¡± Golden Weaver flicked his arm out and launched a wave of golden thread out. He used it to swing on the buildings and quickly headed in the direction of where the blast was.


    ¡°We should probably help him.¡± Oxide said flatly.


    The metal-based girl created a large sled for them to stand on, and Poseidon used her anti-gravity to lift it up. Cinder stood in the back and held her hand out, firing a stream of fire out that caused the sled to go flying down the street like a jet. She was joined by Baggy, who stood under her, also shooting his own beam out.


    Despite how fast they were moving, Golden Weaver somehow stayed one step ahead of them. The spider-themed hero web-slinged from building to building, moving forward until they eventually arrived at a zoo. Not the evil group, an actual zoo. The kind that held animals. They had all been expecting a bank or something, but nope. That would have made sense.


    Fire spread out across the road, and people were running around in a panic. A villain hovered over the zoo, letting out a mad cackle. It was an older-looking man who wore some sort of plastic lizard mask and a skintight, scaly costume. They stood on a large floating board that hovered in the air and had a belt filled with several bombs on it.


    ¡°You¡¯re too late, Golden Weaver!¡± Yellow Kobold announced. ¡°I¡¯ve already freed all the animals!¡±


    ¡°Nooo!¡± Golden Weaver announced.


    She looked around awkwardly as their board stopped. Most of the animals were just chilling out, not doing much. Fire was still spreading, but she had been able to control Demonica¡¯s flame, so this was nothing for her. With a wave of her hand, all the fire suddenly went out and instead formed into more Baggy¡¯s that didn¡¯t burn anything and instead just kept flexing.


    Yellow Kobold narrowed his eyes when he saw what she did. ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Good work, Cinder!¡± Golden Weaver swung through the air and rammed into Yellow Kobold, knocking the guy off of the board. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ What is going on? Are we in some sort of goofy golden age comic or something?¡± She asked.


    The other girls just shrugged. They awkwardly stood on the sidelines and used their powers to make sure none of the civilians got hurt in the crossfire. Yellow Kobold kept throwing his bombs out at Golden Weaver as the two old men engaged in what could only be described as slap fighting.


    ¡®Pow!¡¯


    ¡®Bang!¡¯


    ¡®Wham!¡¯


    And other onomatopoeia sounds filled the air as the two Super¡¯s fought back and forth. Golden Weaver managed to duck under a strike Yellow Kobold threw at him, and he unleashed his strongest punch.


    ¡®Bam!¡¯


    Yellow Kobold flew back and crashed down into the snake exhibit, slowly trying to pick his old body up, which kept shaking. ¡°The rest of you also saw the sound effects, right?¡± BB asked. ¡°Like, I¡¯m not crazy; the words ¡®Bam!¡¯ actually appeared?¡±


    Yellow Kobold gasped and picked himself up. ¡°Still just as strong as ever, old chum! But don¡¯t think for a moment that these old bones are ready to give up. I¡¯ll keep pounding away at you until I¡¯ve finished!¡±


    ¡°The meaning of that word has seriously changed since you last used it¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come alone!¡± Yellow Kobold announced. Golden Weaver swung out of the way just in time, thanks to his Golden-Sense, as a large metal tendril blasted down from above. Unlike the fight with Yellow Kobold, this strike wasn¡¯t goofy and instead shattered the ground, kicking up a wave of debris that fired out. Cinder appeared in front of several people, using her shield to block the jagged rocks as a new villain appeared. ¡°I¡¯ve formed a group known as the Terrible Twosome!¡± Yellow Kobold called out. ¡°Behold the evil might of Squid M.D!¡±


    The new villain that arrived reminded her of Cybercroc in a way. They had long metal legs, and their head was beneath a massive squid helmet that stabbed up like a spear. Their body couldn¡¯t be seen due to eight massive metal tendrils that ripped out in the air. The tendrils expanded out, forming jagged blades and hummed with energy, each one firing out a wave of deadly lasers.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Paragon said with wide eyes. ¡°This guy looks like an actual bad guy!¡±


    Poseidon fired out a wave of gravity onto Squid M.D., but the villain grunted and blasted forward with inhuman speed. He appeared next to Cinder, and four of his metal limbs struck out, smashing into the girl and throwing her back.


    ¡°Cinder!¡± Paragon cried out.


    She flipped over, landing on her feet, and wiped at her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m fine! He didn¡¯t really hurt me all that much!¡± She was in her Lord form still, since she couldn¡¯t turn it off, so her body was way more durable than it normally was. That didn¡¯t mean she could be reckless, though, as Squid M.D.¡¯s tendrils expanded out and eight red beams of energy blasted out in all directions towards the civilians that were still in the area.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t! Let¡¯s stop this guy from hurting anyone, girls!¡± BB announced blasting forward with a wave of wind. The girl threw out a mini tornado that formed a wall of air, which blocked two of the lasers. Poseidon created a shark made out of water, which blasted forward, blocking another two. Oxide¡¯s metal flowed out and formed into walls, blocking two more as well. Finally, that left her. She jumped in front of one of the lasers and used her shield to block it, while the mini Baggy¡¯s all ran toward the one on Paragon¡¯s shoulder. All the Baggy¡¯s fused together into a large, eight-foot-tall backpack that jumped in front of the eighth laser, blocking it while still flexing. ¡°We¡¯re doing it!¡± BB announced. ¡°Let¡¯s beat this sucker!¡±


    While they did that, Paragon awkwardly stood off to the side, watching. The girl bit her lip. Even with an enhanced body and upgraded powers, she really didn¡¯t know what to do. She also was unsure who to cheer for more between her sister and Cinder.


    The lasers died out, and Squid M.D. jumped back, his tendrils slapping out at the ground. ¡°What¡¯s this!¡± A new voice announced. ¡°Poseidon, I see you¡¯re engaging a villain. Want some help?¡±


    ¡°Fisherman! You made it just in time!¡± Poseidon announced. ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought back up!¡±


    Making this weird situation even odder were three more heroes that arrived. Two of them they had already seen. Hydro Cannon wore metal armor just like Metal Ronin, and she had two large guns on her shoulder that allowed her to fly. It was the same tech Cybercroc had used. Doctor Kraken, on the other hand, was a tall buff man in a lab coat who had the head of an octopus and eight tiny tentacles that came off of his face. The final member, though, was the second-strongest member on Team Reservoir. Fisherman just looked like a normal man dressed in a fishing outfit. He even stood in a rowboat and held a fishing rod.


    The man had a sly smile on his lips and tilted his fishing hat down. ¡°Team Reservoir. Let¡¯s do this. You kids sit back and watch the pros at work.¡±


    Doctor Kraken reached into his coat, firing out a red beam of energy. Squid M.D.¡¯s tendrils curled together and blocked it, but seconds later he was forced to jump back as Hydro Cannon appeared in the air above him. The girl fired out a wave of compressed water that tore three of Squid MD¡¯s limbs clean off.


    Fisherman raised his fishing pole up and twirled it around, forming a circle with the line. It glowed and formed into a portal. Like Sky, some heroes were naturally born with an ability to open a realm. In Fisherman¡¯s case, he opened one connected to an endless sea. A massive shark blasted out and flew through the air, ramming into Squid M.D. and forcing the villain back against a wall. ¡°Now, Poseidon!¡±


    The tendrils of Squid M.D. tore into the shark, ripping it apart, but it was too late. As soon as the shark was gone, Poseidon appeared in front of the metal villain and rammed her fist directly into his face, knocking him out instantly. Squid M.D. crashed to the floor, totally knocked out.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why Team Reservoir is the best team around!¡± Poseidon announced.


    Off to the side BB sheepishly rubbed her chin. ¡°Seriously, what the hell is even going on-¡±


    ¡°Anyone moves and the girl gets it!¡± They all spun around and found Paragon holding her arms up lazily. Yellow Kobold stood behind the girl holding up a bomb, ready to pull the pin. ¡°I ain¡¯t losing to you guys! I came to beat Golden Weaver, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing¡ªwait, where is Golden Weaver!¡±


    ¡°Up here, true believers!¡± Golden Weaver dropped from the sky and hit the ground, causing another wave of onomatopoeia to appear out of thin air. The spider-themed hero wrapped his arms around one and rammed the series of letters directly into Yellow Kobold¡¯s face, knocking the villain out.


    ¡®Bam!¡¯


    ¡°Wait, those things were real!¡± BB asked in shock. ¡°Is that like his power? Seriously, what the hell is going on? Cinder, this is your fault!¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Cinder asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that wanted to patrol! Let¡¯s just head back or something! This has gotten too dumb!¡±


    More drones appeared quickly filming the battle that happened. They all agreed with BB though and decided it was best to sneak off. They hopped back onto the sled, and she saluted as Baggy blew himself up, creating a mini dust cloud for them to escape the sight of the drones. They flew away and soon arrived back at Lily and Sky¡¯s house.


    Poseidon stepped off of the sled and removed her costume, changing back into her civilian clothes with the press of a button. The rest of them followed suit, and the metal slowly sank into the ground, vanishing once they were all off. The girl turned to them all and placed her hands on her hips, giving a large smile. ¡°We¡¯re going to pretend like whatever that was didn¡¯t happen. Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡± They all said.


    "Alright, then." Lily announced loudly. "Who wants to watch a movie?"


    The inside of Sky and Lily''s house was just as impressive. It had a large entryway that led further into the manner, massive stairs that went up several floors, and it had a large dining hall and a kitchen instead of a combination of the two like her mother''s apartment had. There were a few pictures hanging up on the walls showing off more old heroes like Mr. Sini and the like. One was a group photo that held the Sini family all out of costume. It was just River and her daughters at that point, though. Sky was very young in the picture and had a large smile on her face.


    Hope glanced at the picture and then turned back to Sky. "Huh."


    "What?" Sky asked.


    "Nothing. It''s just that I''ve never seen you smile like that. It was adorable." Sky whacked her on the back of the head and turned away with a huff.


    They soon found themselves in the movie room. Yes, a movie room¡ªa thing totally normal people have. The back wall had a massive TV hung up on it, and just turning it on was enough to flood the place with blue light. The room had a large couch, which they all piled onto. They were all shoulder to shoulder, and Lily put on some sort of horror movie.


    The movie took place in some cabin out near a lake where a masked man ran around trying to kill everyone. Even if she had been a kid, she doubted it would have scared her all that much. After all, a hero would have shown up to stop whatever the monster was. Now that she was a Super, though, the movie was sort of boring. Even as the sun got close to setting and it became dark, none of them really took it seriously, making fun of the bad effects and design.


    It was fun, though. She couldn''t help but look at the others. Ashley seemed a little bored, while Lily and Sera kept joking about how they could see the strings. Sky paid attention, though. Now that the girl had her eyes back, she didn''t take her sight for granted. Even a bad movie like this kept her attention.


    "Do you think the others are having any fun?" Sky asked her.


    "You mean the boys?"


    "Yeah."


    She shrugged her shoulders and watched as the main female lead in the movie discovered all the dead bodies of her friends and ran around screaming as the killer slowly chased her. "I guess they''d be having fun. I wonder what they''re up to."


    "Guy stuff, probably."


    Over in the Pantheon base, Armin banged his arms down on the table. They had decided to hang out there when they started their guy''s night and were now doing one of the most important things ever.


    "Alright, Asmon, the unbreakable. This is it. Daimon has just finished his dark summoning magic! However, due to your abilities, you get a single attack of opportunity. It all comes to this. Roll!"


    Kyle gulped and picked up his dice. "Don''t let me down." He threw them out, and they rolled across the table. Slowly, they came to a stop.


    "NAT TWENTY!" Rowan and Kenny cheered out, kicking up the table and causing it to crash back down.


    "Asmon swings his sword, and in one swift motion, he beheads the dark wizard, finally taking revenge for his lost family!"


    "YEAH!"


    Hope snorted, resting back on the couch as she tried to imagine what the guys did when they hung out. "I bet they''re playing DnD or something like that."


    "DnD?"


    "Oh my God, do you guys not know what that is? Grab some dice!"


    ***


    Thaddeus threw the ball out as hard as he could. It rolled across the lane and smashed through the pins with ease, knocking them down.


    Lois sighed, and her eye twitched a bit. Even with the ability to see the future, she was losing. "Geez. How are you so good at this?"


    "Years of practice." Thaddeus readied another ball and tossed it out. They were back in the abandoned bowling arena. The one he had taken his team to when he needed to reward them with a day off. It was just him and Lois this time, though. "My dad used to take my brother and me here all the time when we were kids. After I joined the Sub Enforcers, we had a leader called Red Iron who also took us out to places like this every once in a while. Money Tree and I would always try to outdo each other. I never liked using my powers to get an edge, so I just practiced until I was so good I could get a strike first try every time." He looked down at the bowling ball he held and couldn''t help the faint smile that came onto his face. "What about you?"


    "I mean, I''ve bowled a couple of times." Lois shrugged, throwing her own ball down the lane and watching it take out half the pins. "I never really had any crazy hobbies. Now that I''ve bought that bike, though, I''ve been having a blast riding around on it."


    "You''ve only had it for less than a day?"


    "And I''ve never been happier."


    Thaddeus chuckled and rolled his ball, getting a perfect strike again. It was all but certain he was winning this match. "If you don''t mind me asking, did your dad ever take you out to do things like this?" Lois''s smile faded, and she nearly dropped the ball but managed to catch it thanks to her sight. "Sorry. I guess that''s a sore topic." He winced a bit and looked away.


    Lois sighed and shook her head. "No. It''s fine. To answer your question, hell no! My dad never bothered taking me out anywhere, and my mom was even worse. Ms. River would sometimes take me to the park, though, whenever she was in town, so that was fun."


    Thaddeus nodded his head. Ocean Empress was the definition of a good person if you were to ask him. She dropped out of the war to take care of dozens of kids who lost their parents to the Emperor. She not only raised her own kid by herself but also took care of the children who belonged to Supers. Even the villain''s kids. She had adopted Sky, the daughter of the Emperor, willingly and took care of Wyvern, who was forced to turn into a monster at a young age. It was thanks to her that people like Bad Wolf and a few other monsters were able to turn over a new leaf and join hero teams.


    By comparison, the Victorian was nearly the total opposite. She was almost like a machine. She saved those who best helped society and did so without emotion. Truly, she was the number one hero due to her overwhelming power and drive to save the world.


    "I can''t imagine what your life must have been like."


    "It really wasn''t that bad," Lois grumbled. "That''s what makes me really mad more than anything. Compared to someone like Armin, who lost his mother, you, who lost both your parents, or Hope, who is losing her father, my life wasn''t all that difficult."


    "Just because it could have been worse doesn''t mean you have to accept it."


    "Oh, I know." She threw her ball once more and, this time, knocked over only a single pin, causing her to grit her teeth a bit. "Dad was around sometimes. When he wasn''t in costume, he tried. He really did. He spent more time chasing after Mom than he spent with me, though. I don''t even know how the two of them ended up together. Part of me wonders if she ever even loved him or just wanted to have a child with a Lord. I think she expected me to be strong. To be as strong, or even stronger than her. She was around a lot in the beginning. It''s so hard to remember, but sometimes I can recall her smiling, always looking at me with a grin. But as the years passed and my powers didn''t make me stronger, she spent less time with me. Then, when it became clear that my powers simply reached their peak, she stopped showing up altogether. I think she forgot she even had a kid. She barely even pays attention to her ex-husband. Too busy shacking up with Lady Time or Mister Man. Sorry for ranting."


    "It''s fine." Thaddeus gripped down on his bowling ball, his fingers digging into it and nearly cracking it. Slowly, though, he managed to calm down. "Heroes... Heroes often make bad parents, I think. Ocean Empress might be the exception. She''s human. Something I think most Supers give up when they get their powers."


    "Your dad wasn''t bad, though, was he?"


    "No. I guess not. He was a good man."


    "Was he a good parent?"


    "He was a damn good man. Good men are allowed to be shit fathers. That''s what my brother always said. My dad was around. Sometimes. More than yours, that''s for sure. Hero work took most of his attention, though. That and his library." Dust sprinkled onto the floor as the bowling ball he threw nearly shattered. "I think that''s why I liked this place so much. Here he was able to unwind. Here, he was able to just be my dad."


    Lois quietly placed her ball down and walked over, setting a hand on his shoulder. Silence hung in the air for a moment. "Your brother. Do you remember what he said about the Beast?"


    He thought back and found himself back on the Enforcer''s ship, staring at his tall sibling. "It''s about the Beast," his brother said quietly.


    Myth''s eyes instantly narrowed. "Alright. Go on." Snowdawn and Whisper both stood shocked, their ears ringing. First the Emperor, and now this.


    Fable slowly moved his lion pelt to the side, showing off his chest. Despite being tall and skinny, he had some muscle on him, as well as very large abs. He also had one of the worst scars Snowdawn had ever seen: a nasty black mark on the side of a basketball placed directly above the man''s stomach and below his chest. It circled around Fable''s entire body and looked painful and fresh despite being old.


    "Two years ago, when I fought the Beast, my gut was punctured. I would have died that day if not for Paragon''s powers awakening. However, this mark was unable to be fully healed. It still clings to me and aches. Every now and then, though, it truly burns. Recently, it''s felt like it''s on fire. It''s nothing more than a gut feeling, but I believe that the Beast could be paying Earth a visit once more. As to what city, I do not know."


    Myth gritted his teeth and balled his hand into a fist. "Do the others know?"


    "I informed Boy Genius. If the Beast is truly on the way, it will take months. In the past, we usually had three to four months before we had to worry about it when it got moving. He is going to look into it when we get back and make sure we don''t need to get ready for war. The people will be stressed enough when they learn of the Emperor. This is another matter altogether."


    Myth nodded slowly. "I understand. I''ll do what I can-"


    "That''s why I wanted to speak to you." Fable cut his older brother off and stared down at the smaller man. "If it is true and my hunch of the Beast does turn out to be real, I''d like to ask you a favor."


    "What is it?"


    "Don''t show up."


    The memory ended, and he found himself back in the present, his bowling ball finally shattering and breaking to bits. "Are you going to listen to him?" Lois asked quietly. "Are you going to stay out of the fight with the Beast if it does turn out he''s heading our way?"


    "He''s my little brother." Thaddeus hummed. "It is the job of an older brother to ignore the requests from the younger sibling."

 Chapter One Hundred: The Last Night Of Peace

    ¡°-it seems Lillian had an odd mix of heroes, as Poseidon and Paragon of team Reservoir arrived on scene, along with Oxide and BB of team Sub Enforcers, and Cinder of team Pantheon. Seen here engaging the villain Squid M.D, I have to wonder if they plan to create their own team. It is speculated that the heroes Poseidon and Cinder could be in a relationship after all-¡±


    ¡°What was that!¡± Sky stared at the TV with wide eyes as it suddenly showed the clip where Poseidon had kissed Cinder on the cheek shortly after the battle with Red Raptor in the sewers.


    ¡°T- That was nothing.¡± Lily said awkwardly.


    Hope shrunk down a bit in her chair and hit the TV remote, shutting it off. Sky was staring at her with narrowed eyes now. ¡°L- Let¡¯s just get back to focusing on the game. You were running a bard, right, Sky?¡±


    "You just picked a bard so you could try and flirt with Hope, didn''t you?" Sera asked, letting out a snort.


    Sky just let out an innocent whistle and rolled her dice, trying to seduce the barmaid. "Is a nine good?"


    "No," Hope said, shaking her head.


    "Damn it!"


    "There''s a lot of math and talking in this game," Ashley muttered, looking down at her character sheet and trying to figure out what each number meant.


    "Oh, sweet!" Sera said, reading over her spells. "This says I can make stuff small or big. I basically get my powers in my made-up dude!"


    They were all seated around the dining room table now as Hope did her best to teach them the wonders of tabletop gaming. Sadly, it wasn''t going that well. The only one who even seemed to get a good idea of how things worked was Sera, who was very chaotic and actively burning everything down. She was still somehow better than the other girls, who were just sort of picking stuff and going with the flow. It didn''t help that she didn''t really know what she was doing herself. They had none of the books, and Armin was always the one who would come up with the plot and monsters when she and him played.


    The sound of the front door opening echoed down the manner, and Lily stood up, dropping her sheet. "Looks like mom is back. I''m going to go check on her. We sort of ditched her and forgot her at the mall. I''m sure she''s wondering what happened to us."


    "It isn''t like her not to text us." Sky checked her phone but still had no notification from her mom. ¡°Maybe she ran out of battery on her phone? Who knows? I''ll let Destiny play your character while you''re gone. He''s been staring down at us, wanting to play for a while now."


    As if on cue, the red bird landed down on the table and pecked at Lily''s dice, squawking. Hope shrugged. "Yeah, I don''t speak, bird; I have no idea what you''re trying to do."


    Sky shivered a bit. "Turns out Sera''s playing a saint compared to what Destiny wants to do to the people in this bar."


    That was the last thing Lily heard as she left the room and headed for the front of the house. "Mom!" She heard a loud crash up ahead and turned around the corner just in time to see her mother standing straight in front of the door with wide eyes. She looked almost like a deer caught in the headlights. "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah! I am fine! Just fine! Just me!" Her mother said, obviously lying.


    Lily shrugged her shoulders. "Right. Hey, I''m sorry we left without saying anything. A lot happened, and I got totally distracted. I hope you didn''t have to wait outside for too long before you realized we ditched you."


    "Ditched me?" Realization suddenly dawned in the woman''s eyes. "Oh, that''s right! I was supposed to pick you up, wasn''t I?"


    "You forgot?"


    "I got a bit distracted, myself." The woman admitted.


    Lily raised an eyebrow. Her mom was acting weird all of a sudden. "I invited some of my friends over. Is it okay if they stay the night?"


    "Sure? I didn''t know you had friends."


    "Mom!"


    "I''m kidding. Mostly. But yeah, I don''t mind. Just try not to be too loud and get to bed on time, okay?"


    "Yeah, I will." Lily turned away, waving her hand. "Thanks, Mom."


    River watched her daughter leave before she slowly stepped back out onto the front porch of the manor. "You can stop hiding, now."


    "No, I can''t." She looked down and found Jack''s legs were poking up out of a thorn bush. "You shoved me into this!"


    "I didn''t think anyone would be home! I panicked and had to stop her from seeing you!"


    "Is it really that bad to be seen with me?"


    "Yes."


    "Ouch! I can''t tell what hurts more! This bush or your words!"


    "Keep your voice down." She waved her hand, and a tendril of water picked the man up, dragging him out and setting him down. Jack dusted off a few drops of blood from his shirt. "So, I guess you''ll be heading home?" She asked.


    "Yeah, it looks like it." He turned away, giving a lazy wave. "I''m guessing the kid is in there. Make sure she doesn''t do anything stupid."


    "Will do." He stepped off the porch and was about to leave, but she called out to him, "Wait. Lari¡ªJack."


    He turned to look back at her. "Yeah?"


    "This day was fun. We should do it again sometime."


    ''Two weeks left to live.''


    Jack turned away, not meeting her eyes. "Yeah. We should."


    ***


    He allowed his power to activate, letting it take him over for a moment, thanks to his skill with Inverting. The scale changed, and his ability began to work once more.


    His power allowed him to see and hear things he shouldn''t have known. Things that he would never get to see¡ªall of them flashed through his mind, battles not yet fought, and tears that had yet to be shed.


    He couldn''t see it all. He saw enough, though¡ªenough to get a clear idea of what he should do and to know that the part he played in this story was soon going to come to an end. That wasn''t the end of the story¡ªjust his part. At last, his part would have an ending¡ªone that should have occurred fifteen years ago.


    "It would seem that fate has decided I go on ahead, Battery. Soon, the Tallest Wave, The Prettiest Flower, the Loudest Thunder, and the Brightest Star, will take the stage." Max Lightning brushed some of his long hair back and looked up at the night sky. Stars littered it, casting everything in an almost ethereal glow. He liked Oleander more than he did his own city. His city had failed to stop an attack from Lucifer and was still left broken and damaged. Oleander was nice. It had nasty scars, but ones that were clear. Even without using his powers, the city didn''t try to hide anything.


    With his powers, though, he saw more. He saw the Paths constantly twitch and form throughout the air, constantly changing as people lived their lives and told new stories. It was almost beautiful despite those ever-present ugly marks that clung to it.


    It had started off as a hobby at first. In his city, he was expected to keep himself clean. To stand tall and save everyone, no matter how hard that was. He had to shave constantly, do up his hair, and make sure he was spotless. Even if he no longer held the title of the husband of Victorian, his city expected him to fulfill the noble role he once held. Oleander didn''t ask the same thing of him.


    The city, in fact, never asked anything of him.


    In Oleander, he was allowed to be outside of his costume and wear what he wanted. He could go days, or even weeks, without bathing. He was free to eat any food he wanted, even if it was from a dumpster or rotten, and he never had to do his hair up or shave his beard. In Oleander, he was truly free.


    To the people of the city, he wasn''t Max Lightning. He was just another homeless man. Being homeless and having no expectations of him made him truly happy.


    Max Lightning stared out across the city, watching the colorful lights as cars passed under lamps and stores got ready to close down for the night. He stood atop a building, or rather, he sat right at the edge, allowing his feet to dangle off.


    He looked back up at the night sky, watching the stars for one last time. Slowly, he leaned over the edge and allowed himself to fall. It wasn''t a tall building. It was in the middle-class section of the city and had once been a place where people could go to bowl. Right before he hit the ground, the wind came to life and stopped his fall, halting him in place. It wrapped around him like a hand and placed him on the ground just in time as the door to the building opened.


    Thaddeus stepped out, chuckling at a joke Lois told him, but he stopped when he saw the man on the other side of the door standing in the parking lot waiting for them. The man had a bushy beard as well as long blonde hair that had become a tangled mess. He was covered in dirt and mud and wore a dirty green coat and baggy pants that hid his costume beneath.


    "Max Lightning," Thaddeus said slowly.


    "Dad!" Lois stepped out from behind her boss and looked at her dad with wide eyes. She hadn''t seen him since the mall incident. That felt like it was so long ago.


    Max Lightning stuffed his hands into his pockets. He had a serious look on his face¡ªthe kind that said he wasn''t here to be a father. "Lois, I''d like to speak to you about something."


    "What is it?"


    "I''d like to speak to just you." The man''s eyes shot a look over toward the dark-skinned man who stood next to his daughter.


    Thaddeus turned to Lois and raised an eyebrow. She seemed to debate it for several moments but finally shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head. "Alright."


    Thaddeus nodded and moved away, heading for the motorbike parked on the other side of the parking lot, getting out of earshot. Max Lightning watched him leave before he turned back to his daughter. He looked her up and down. She had grown.


    He hadn''t always been there for her. In fact, he wasn''t there for most of her life. It wasn''t very fair to say that he was her dad. He didn''t deserve that title. He had the chance to be a father but instead chased after a woman who likely never actually held any feelings for him¡ªa woman who held no feelings for her own child and had just wanted to recreate the little bit of happiness she held when she worked under her father. Part of him was glad to see that Lois had come so far.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Through efforts that were solely hers, she had reached a point most heroes couldn''t even dream of.


    "So, what do you want?" Lois asked, cutting her dad''s thoughts off. She folded her arms and stared at him. Her ability to read Paths never worked on people like him. Some Supers defied fate and destiny, and the Lords did this the most, not even showing up. It was how she figured out Hope was a Lord so easily. "Make it quick also. I want to get home and go to bed. We''re going to have a long day ahead of ourselves dealing with all the paperwork from the Hero Branch."


    Max Lightning took her face in. His eyes traced it, roaming over her hair and eyes. Finally, he spoke. "Is there anything you need my help with? Anything you''d like to do with me that we haven''t gotten to do yet as father and daughter?"


    "No? Why?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes. That was a super weird question to ask out of the blue. "What gives? What''s going on with you?"


    Max Lightning gave the smallest hint of a smile as he burned the image of his daughter into his mind. "Soon... Soon, I will be dead."


    ***


    Hope stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. "I really wish I had brought my own pajamas. These ones are a little..."


    Night had quickly approached, and they moved upstairs. Lily''s bathroom was freaking huge and had nearly every expensive shampoo or conditioner a person could ask for. Each one of them took turns getting cleaned off and was given spare pajamas Lily had grown out of. She was taller than Lily, and the pair of PJs they gave her had been too small for Lily, so for her they were uncomfortable.


    The color also wasn''t her style. It was a hot pink that hurt the eyes, and it had some old-school cartoon hero on the front. She drew the short straw though, so she was stuck with it.


    "Did you guys really not have anything better? I might as well just sleep in my regular clothes. At least then, I wouldn''t have to worry about twitching and ripping this shirt." Just moving her arms was enough to make her fear the shirt would tear.


    "Sorry?" Lily shrugged. I''ve been meaning to throw that one out for a while so you can keep it."


    "No, thanks."


    The other girls were also decked out in pajamas. Sky and Lily both had their own, wearing simple nightgowns, while Sera and Ashley also wore hand-me-downs. Ashley was about Sky''s size and wore one of the healer''s backup pajamas. As for Sera, she just shrunk or expanded her body in any way she needed to so she could fit in the outfit Lily gave her.


    Lily''s room was one that was shared with Sky. The room itself was kind of plain. It didn''t have a TV, nor did it have any posters. The girl had been homeschooled for her entire life, and the room sort of looked like the kind of place you''d see a kid have in a show where the child had strict parents. It had a bed, a desk, a drawer for clothes, and a shelf filled with books ranging from history to chemistry or math. There were two beds on either side of the room, and the only thing that truly stood out was a small Cinder action figure tucked behind a box of safety glass that was on Sky¡¯s side of the room.


    She was glad the girl kept her gift.


    They set up sleeping bags on the floor around Lily''s bed, one for each of them. Sera was already tucked away in hers, looking like a strange caterpillar. Ashley was playing on her phone while Sky rested in a chair, reading one of the books she had pulled off of it. She seemed to be enjoying having her sight back, even if the book was boring. That just left Lily, who dangled her legs off of the bed, looking out the window as the moon slowly rose up.


    "So, Ashley," Lily began. "We went skating, agreed on a place to stay, fought crime, watched a movie, played a game, and all got cleaned up. What now?"


    Ashley clicked her phone off and laid on the floor, covering herself with the sleeping bag. "Well, it''s nighttime, so this is either the part where we gossip or go to sleep," she said.


    "Gossip?"


    "She means talk about boys," Sera commented. The girl closed her eyes and shrunk down with her power, causing the sleeping bag to fold over her. "Have fun with that; I pick sleep."


    Ashley nodded her head. "We don''t really have too much to gossip about. I know who Sera is interested in, and you''re dating Wasp Nest. Everyone already has their someone."


    "What about me?" Hope asked.


    Ashley just gave her a deadpan look. "So, what is it like having your sight back, Sky?"


    Sky closed the book and tucked the strand of white in her hair behind her ear. "I forgot how much I missed it. I only lost my eyes two years ago, but it''s nice having it back. I could see through Destiny or in my dream world, but being in the here and now with them is nice."


    Hope walked over to a drawer where her wig rested and picked it up. Steam rose up off of her golden hair, all the water evaporating. She placed the wig on, and it almost seemed to come to life, twisting and bending like a liquid as it molded over her hair before settling down. She didn''t bother with the sunglasses since she was indoors, with everyone who knew she was a Super.


    "Why do you think he gave you your sight back?" She asked, finally sitting down.


    The room went silent as her question was asked. Sky turned away, and Destiny flew in, landing on her shoulder. The girl scratched the bird on his chin, causing him to chirp several times. "I don''t know why the Emperor did it," Sky said after some time. "Whatever his reason is, I''m sure he didn''t do it out of the kindness of his heart."


    "Maybe we should just go to sleep," Lily suggested.


    It didn''t take them long to turn the lights out and pile into their sleeping bags while Lily claimed the bed for herself. Silence descended upon the room, and with the curtains shut tightly, everything was cast in a pitch-black darkness.


    Despite that, though, Hope found herself staring up at the roof of the room, the darkness not hindering her sight at all. A lot had changed since she got her powers. One year ago, she wore glasses and had no friends besides Armin. Now, she was a walking disaster who could see farther than any human should have been able to. It was strange to discover the effects her powers had on her body and, even stranger, the effects they could have on her mind.


    How much had she changed? How many times had she done something the old version of her wouldn''t have or used a move she never even would have thought of? People like Wasp Nest seemed to use their power even when they weren''t conscious. Her own powers apparently took over at one point or another as well. Max Lightning explained the art of inverting as letting the powers take the driver''s seat and offer it more control.


    Just how sentient were powers and how much control they really had over a person?


    Did a Super actually have free will-


    She shook her head, squashing the dark thoughts as they surfaced. There was no reason for her to think about it. She wasn''t very smart; she''d even say she could be downright dumb at times. She listened to the others, hearing their heartbeats slowly settle down. A lot had happened in the past week, so she wasn''t surprised to find that they had all blacked out¡ªall but one.


    A quiet shuffling came through the room, and the door opened quietly. No one stirred as it closed. She thought about getting up and checking who it was, but her eyes felt heavy. It was probably just someone trying to use the bathroom or something. Slowly, Hope drifted off into a deep slumber. For some reason, she found herself dreaming of her dad.


    He always liked to talk about the place where he grew up, its large beach, and how he would always go fishing with his own father. That night, she dreamed, and she got to see it and play in the waters with the other kids. That night, she dreamed she was just a normal person.


    Sky stepped out of her sister''s room and began to walk through the halls of the manor. Her mother would have gone to bed a while ago, so she didn''t need to worry about anything. A few of Boy Genius''s robots roamed the halls, cleaning the place and dusting everything off. The young Mental user had lived at this place once long ago. He had been discovered by Old Dog and brought in, and like most young Supers, Ocean Empress took the child in until he was able to go out on his own.


    Boy Genius had only stayed for a short amount of time before he packed all his stuff up and left, going on to then become one of the youngest people to ever join the Enforcers, joining with Wyvern, another young hero her mother had taken in at one time.


    Sky headed out the door to the manor after grabbing a coat and stepped out onto the lawn. She threw it on over her gown. It was a simple lab coat. She kept a few scattered about in case she was quickly called away to go heal someone. Inside, she was able to pull out one of her spare masks and slip it on. She held her hand out, and from above, a loud bird cry echoed out as Destiny flew down and landed in her palm.


    She stared down at the bird in silence. She had no idea where she had gotten him from. She had just woken up one day, and he was there with her, constantly serving and doting on her. It had been thanks to him that she was able to see even after her sister had damaged her eyes. Now that she had her eyes back, she could see without him. Their connection was still strong, though. Maybe even stronger than it had been before.


    Her eyes hadn''t just come back. They were different. They saw more than they should have¡ªthings that made up a person''s body, every strand of DNA. Before, her powers were out of control. She could sort of heal with them, but it wouldn''t always work, and sometimes she could change a person''s body just like she had done to her sister, two years ago. It was a cursed gift from her father. Now, though, she truly felt like she could do anything.


    "This must be what my sister and Hope feel like." A constant stream of power that coursed through her body, yet it was a power she didn''t need to fear going out of control. It almost acted on its own, guiding itself and following the thoughts she held. "Let''s do this."


    Her power surged out, and for a moment, Destiny almost seemed to grow. He let out another call, this one much louder, as his body began to grow. He doubled in size, then quadrupled, and then he became as big as her, then even bigger. Soon, he towered over her, standing at nearly twelve feet tall. His wings expanded out, getting much bigger, and he easily scooped her up and tossed her onto his back.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he took off each flap of his wings, twisting and distorting the wind around them, destroying the garden down below. She''d have to apologize later, though. She had a job to do right now.


    ***


    His ankles rested in the water. He allowed himself to dangle off the side of the boat just a bit. The ocean was beautiful. More than beautiful, it was grand. The sun reflected off of the water, lighting it up and reflecting the bright blue sky above.


    It had been years since he had seen his hometown. His wife stood behind him, and the two of them watched as their daughter splashed around in the water with the other kids. There was nothing to worry about¡ªno big dangers or monsters¡ªit was just a calm and peaceful world.


    All at once, though, the dream came to an end. The sound of the machine''s ever-present beeping caused Alexander Lauren to wake up slowly. The pain flooded his body once more¡ªa deep stabbing pain that seemed to never end.


    His wife visited him every day, but he had requested his daughter stop coming. The state he was in was one she didn''t need to see¡ªnot anymore. It had been getting worse¡ªso much worse. He had made Jane promise him not to tell Hope. That had been when he could still talk.


    So many tubes were stuffed down his throat, and he had lost the ability to properly eat or digest food. All his hair was gone, and he was practically skin and bones. The doctors had sawed off the limb that had been touched by that damned villain; it had worked to slow down the worse of the infection, but it was already far too late for a treatment like that to save him. He had realized rather quickly there was no way he was going to be saved. The doctors knew it as well. Now, the testing had changed to see what worked, and how long they could keep a human infected with a strand of the Dead Virus alive.


    It had been only a portion¡ªjust one tiny portion¡ªless than one percent of the stuff Lucifer used on Super, but still enough to utterly destroy his body.


    His eyes ached, and each breath caused his lungs to feel as if they were about to explode. His skin almost felt like it was on fire, and his heart beat weakly in his chest, struggling to keep him alive. His ears had a constant ringing in them, and they stopped him from hearing most of the world around him.


    That''s also what stopped him from noticing the window to his room opened slowly. A light breeze washed over him and felt like knives grinding across his flesh. A hand placed itself on what was left of his missing arm, and he would have jumped, but he didn''t have the power to do so. A strong force smashed into his heart instead, and he began to go into shock.


    It was stopped in an instant, though. His eyes could barely focus, but the bright light around them began to fade. Slowly, they settled on something white. It was hard to make out, but he could feel something. A strange sensation began to enter his body. He groaned, and some of the tubes pulled their way out of his body. It hurt to breathe, but the pain was getting less intense. All across his body, it was fading. His heartbeat began to calm down, and he could feel his legs once more.


    The pain still hurt. The kind he''d never wish on another human, but for the first time in a long while, it felt like something he could manage.


    Then he saw red. That white void he looked up at began to rain down a heavy stream of red. His eyes finally focused, and he realized he was staring at a mask. One that covered someone''s face fully up. Someone was doing this to him. That white mask began to change to a nasty red, though, as blood poured out from beneath it. The hand moved away from his body, and instantly, the pain hit him head-on once more, causing him to gasp and buckle.


    Whoever the person was, they stumbled back as more blood poured down their mask. They jumped out the window, falling. In horror, he stepped up and reached out for them, but it was too late. They never hit the ground, though. Instead, his ears, which were now clear, heard the flapping of wings, and something massive flew past his window carrying the masked figure.


    The door to his hospital room burst open as a doctor ran in, and Alex became aware of the fact that the machines in his room were screaming out. "Mr. Lauren-" The doctor stood frozen when he saw the man.


    Alexander kept staring out the window where the figure had left. His arm was still outstretched. The very same limb that had been cut off. It was back. He turned to look at the doctor; his body no longer was skin and bones having a small amount of fat to it, and he was able to move, if even only a little, and his throat didn''t feel damaged. He cleared it as his mind struggled with the pain that still rose up beneath his flesh.


    "I think... I think I''d like to see my wife. I know it''s late, but can you please call her?"

 Chapter One Hundred And One: The Start Of An End

    "Are you seriously going to stay like that all day?"


    Boy Genius rested in his chair, staring at the screen. His lips were pulled into a thin line, and his eyes never looked away. "Yes," he said casually.


    Wyvern sighed and folded her arms. They were in Nightshade, resting in Boy Genius''s office. The world''s smartest Super had gone without sleep for two days straight, constantly replaying the fight between the Victorian and the Emperor. All of the Enforcers had studied it intensely, but Boy Genius was on another level.


    "The only people who ever got to study how the Emperor fought were Full Monarch and Harrison Avalon." Boy Genius explained. His clothes were dirty, and his hair was a tangled mess. Heavy bags were under his bloodshot eyes, and his fingers bled, still playing on a handheld console that had died a while ago. "Full Monarch is dead, and Avalon hogged all of his data to himself, then went and deleted all of it when I joined the Enforcers and tried to hack his system. I did manage to hijack his drone, however, and while the footage was lost, his bugs did allow me to record this fight." The child explained. He held up one of his bloody fingers, and a small, fly-sized robot landed on the tip of it.


    Wyvern raised her eyebrow as she studied it. "How did you get it to the battlefield so quickly, though?"


    "Oh, that''s easy. I''ve snuck these tiny bots into nearly every Super''s clothing and monitored them at all times. The Victorian had one in her outfit and brought it with her."


    "What! That''s a huge invasion of privacy and illegal!" Wyvern said, horrified. She began to pat down her uniform rapidly, making sure none of them were hidden somewhere on her.


    Boy Genius simply shrugged his shoulders. "It''s only illegal if I get caught doing it."


    "No! This is why the Hero Branch exists." Wyvern exclaimed. "To stop guys like you from doing whatever they want. You doing this sort of thing is why they went and gave Avalon''s company to someone else and refused to let you have it."


    "I didn''t really need the company anyway." Boy Genius shrugged. "What do you think he meant?"


    "What?"


    The child clicked a button on his chair, and the monitor on the wall began to play audio. It was hard to hear and make out, but the low rumble of the Emperor was ever-present. ¡°I am no longer the Lord of the Land and Life. I died that day, and thus, my title passed on. Something, however, saw fit to bring me back. A great evil. One that granted me a new title. I am now the Ruler of the Dark and the Void.¡±


    "Lucy says something similar, doesn''t he?" Boy Genius questioned. "He always calls himself a Ruler, too."


    "So?"


    "So, I just find it weird that two villains who have ties with death would say that." The child hummed and ran his fingers through his hair. "A Ruler is the title of someone who is in charge. Lord means the same thing. It even has the same naming scheme: Lord of the Sky and Weather, Ruler of the Dark and Void."


    "Like some sort of opposite Lord title or something?"


    "That. Or maybe some sort of inversion..." he trailed off as the video kept going. The Emperor fired an attack¡ªone that had no chance of hitting the Victorian. The man''s powers were different from how they used to be¡ªdarker and more bizarre. The attack flew high into the air.


    "You missed." The Victorian mocked.


    "Or maybe I was signaling for help."


    Wyvern tapped her foot down as the recording ended and began to loop back to the start once more. "''I was signaling for help,''" she repeated his words. ¡°Victorian arrived on the battlefield after she saw that attack from Cinder, right?"


    Boy Genius nodded his head. "Her and I were out in space dealing with some rocks and checking up on Mars to make sure the Beast didn''t wake up early when we saw the blast. Cinder had done the same thing she did when you first trained her in the tower. It was pretty clever, signaling the Victorian in that way. If I had been a bit faster, we might have even beaten the Emperor."


    "No use dealing with what-ifs." Wyvern shrugged. "That attack, though... You''ve kept your eye on the Beast, haven''t you?"


    "I have." Boy Genius nodded. He checked them weekly. The Beast was from Mars, and it took months to arrive on the planet. In the old days, the Beast would show up seemingly at random and destroy a city. The heroes would be too busy trying to evacuate it to stop the monster. Full Monarch had taken to flying into space to watch for the creature daily, something his daughter also did. When he joined the Enforcers, he used his vast Mental powers to build monitors in their solar system. His device would let him find out if the Beast was on the way and get an idea of which city it would attack next, giving them months to get ready. That was one of the reasons he was placed on the Enforcers so quickly. "I''ll check it again in a bit-"


    A small alarm went off in his office. The entire prison shook a bit, and his monitors changed and shifted, showing the outside of his fortress. Someone floated in front of the giant cube.


    Max Lightning folded his arms. "Boy Genius," the man called out. ¡°I need to talk to you."


    "What the hell is he doing here?" Wyvern asked, raising an eyebrow. The man was never around to speak to other Enforcers; he always stayed in his own city or hid out in Oleander.


    "No clue?" Boy Genius shrugged.


    "We don''t have much time." Max Lightning yelled out to the camera and robots that watched him. "Check it again. Now."


    "Check what?" Wyvern asked.


    Boy Genius frowned and turned in his chair, pressing another button on his chair. His monitor stopped showing him the outside of his prison and instead showed him a sea of red. The surface of Mars practically looked like a bloody sandstorm; despite that, though, he could see something. Buried deep beneath the ground, the faintest hint of metal began to slowly rise up, ripping part of the planet''s surface away. Massive in size, it towered over the series of satellites that floated in orbit of the red planet.


    "Oh," Boy Genius said quietly.


    "Oh?" Wyvern questioned, though she knew instantly what it was. Her stomach felt like it was starting to drop.


    "He''s awake."


    "You mean..."


    "Yeah," Boy Genius nodded. "Planet Earth is about to lose another city."


    ***


    "-and that was how the reinvention of the wheel was done." Mr. Pluto said in his typical bland teacher tone. His back was to his students, and he wasn''t actually paying them any attention, drawing on his chalkboard. "Any questions?"


    None of his students were listening, of course. They were all too busy playing on their phones or talking to their friends.


    Many considered Mr. Pluto one of the best teachers at their school. He could be harsh and mean when he knew his students needed more push, or he could be calm and keep to himself, letting them play around if he was confident they didn''t need his help. At the very least, he was Hope Lauren''s favorite teacher.


    "How are you holding up?" Hope asked quietly, her voice filled with concern. She was seated in the very back and held her textbook out in front of her, keeping herself slouched so that it covered her mouth. Next to her, Kyle, her best friend, did the same.


    "I guess I''m fine," Kyle said after a moment.


    "Really?" She raised her eyebrow at the boy.


    Kyle seemed to literally deflate. "No." He shook his head, and for a moment, his lip quivered. He was holding himself together somehow.


    "Should you even be at school with everything that''s happened?"


    "I need to be here." Kyle snapped at her, causing her to jump a small bit. "I- I just can''t stay in my house right now. Not by myself. Not knowing what to do. I- I''m scared that there is something in my house. Something that he hid that I don''t know about. Something horrible I should have seen and would have made it obvious what was going on. I''ve been staying at Rowan''s place for the past two days."


    It had been only a single day since they had all hung out. She didn''t know what the boys did to try to cheer Kyle up, but it was clear it hadn''t worked. Then again, she doubted anything could actually cheer the boy up. He found out his father was a villain and nearly doomed the city. How do you recover from something like that? Can you even recover from something like that?


    She hadn''t gotten to speak to Armin since he had different classes, and this was the first time she got to speak to Kyle all day. He had been absent at lunch. She''d have to remember to get in touch with Rowan so she could come and visit the boy.


    Kyle''s words broke her out of her thoughts as he began to speak once again. "I haven''t even gotten to see my dad." Kyle stared down at the desk, and his fingers gripped down on his book so hard that his knuckles began to turn white. His father was rotting in a cell somewhere in Oleander. He didn''t know what would happen to the house they owned or if he''d be forced to go into adoption.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I''m sorry," Hope said quietly. She lightly nudged him with her foot, but he didn''t nudge back.


    "Why?" Kyle asked in a sarcastic tone and rolled his eyes. "You''re not the one who caused this to happen. I am."


    "It''s not your fault-"


    "Yes, it is!" he hissed, and a few students jumped and looked back. He lowered himself to the desk and spoke in a quieter tone. "It is my fault. He did it all for me. Call it a dark twist of love or whatever you want, but at the end of the day, everything he did comes to rest on my shoulders. All because I was caught up in a villain''s sick and twisted game."


    "If it''s anyone''s fault, it''s Lucifer¡¯s," she stated. Her blood was already starting to boil, and she absentmindedly found herself playing with the wig that covered up her golden locks. She had managed to get some contacts that hid most of the glow from her, as well as tinted her glasses. She also made sure not to look anyone in the eyes. Luckily, she was so unpopular that no one seemed to notice.


    "That''s what the others said." Kyle sighed.


    "Because they''re right." She snorted. "Armin might not be the sharpest knife in the box, but Rowan is a pretty smart cookie. If he says it''s not your fault, then it isn''t your fault. You aren''t in charge of your father and don''t control the actions he makes, just as his actions don''t control you."


    Kyle gave a sad smile, the kind that showed he didn''t really believe what she said, but he still nodded his head. "I plan on going and trying to visit him if I can."


    She nodded her head and smiled. "If you ever want to talk, then I''m here also."


    "Yeah..."


    "I''m serious. You''re my friend."


    "I know." His lips rose slightly, giving the tiniest hint of an actual smile. "If I feel sad, I''ll come to my cool superhero friend and have her beat up what''s causing me distress."


    "You better." She nodded. So much had happened in so little time. The passing of time moved ever on, and with it, they had no choice but to follow. She was confident Kyle would eventually be able to go back to his old cheery self. He might not be a Super, but he was strong. Strong enough that he wouldn''t let someone like Lucifer ruin his life. This was just more fuel for her fire. One day, she would kill Lucifer. That was a promise. One she wouldn''t let herself break.


    She wanted to say more to Kyle but was stopped when a low buzz echoed throughout the room. It was the intercom. The voice of their principal came blasting out of it. "Hope Lauren, please report to the front office."


    She frowned a bit and grabbed her bag, standing up. It was the final period of the day, and she hadn''t done anything, so she doubted she was in trouble. She said goodbye to Kyle and was excused by Mr. Pluto. The halls of the classroom were mostly abandoned, with only a few students ditching their classes and hiding out. She made her way up to the front of the school and was surprised to see her mother.


    Jane Lauren stood in front of the desk, still dressed in her nurse uniform. She worked on these days, and instantly, Hope could tell something was off just by the way her mother looked at her.


    "Mom?" She asked.


    "Your mother is checking you out of school for the day." The woman behind the front desk said in a bored tone.


    "Is something wrong, Mom?"


    Jane''s eyes held a strange emotion¡ªone she hadn''t seen in a long time. When was the last time her mother looked this happy? "It''s about your father." She felt her throat close up as her mother spoke. ¡°Something happened."


    They rushed over to the hospital right away. She remained silent in the car, and her mother broke every speed sign as they made a beeline for her dad. She had a weird feeling in her gut¡ªone of worry but also something else. That look in her mom''s eye wasn''t one of dread. It was hope, she realized. She hadn''t seen her mother''s eyes filled with so much hope in a long time. They reached the hospital and were quickly taken up to her father''s room.


    The Dead Virus was tricky to deal with. Most Supers died to it in a matter of seconds. Her dad had only absorbed a fraction of that power, though. The Virus would always react and flare up when it was in the presence of life. Near the start, this wasn''t a big deal, but as his condition grew worse, it meant they had to limit the amount of time he could be with a person and by how many. Only one person was allowed in her father''s room at a time.


    That was why she instantly knew something was off when they reached his room, and a line of doctors were coming out of it. "Mrs. Lauren!" One of them called out when they saw her and her mother. It was the doctor who always treated her dad. He managed to get out of the group of doctors and hurry over. "I was waiting for you to come! I- It''s- Well, I''m- It''s- You just have to see it! I''m left speechless!"


    Her mother had to fight through the crowd to get into the room, but Hope simply shoved her way through the crowd, using a tiny bit of her strength to nudge them all out of the way. She felt herself freeze when she saw her dad. The small little man, who could barely move, was sitting up and openly talking to one of the head doctors.


    He was still bald and skinny, but he no longer looked like he was on the verge of starving to death. Some of the bags under his eyes were gone, and his pale skin had some of its color back. His arms were waving around as he spoke about the time he caught some massive fish, and most importantly, he had a smile on his face¡ªa smile that only grew larger when he saw his daughter and wife enter.


    The head doctor noticed them as well and instantly cleared her throat. "Everyone out." No one budged for a second, but the woman¡¯s look caused all the doctors to shrink down. ¡°Now," she demanded. ¡°Get back to work, all of you!" That caused the crowd to finally leave, and the door shut behind them. Besides the Lauren family, only the head doctor remained.


    Her mom stepped forward, her eyes wide and her voice trembling. "I missed the call last night, but when I heard the voicemail, I grabbed Hope and went right over! Is it true? Is my husband-"


    The doctor held her hand up, causing her mom to grow silent. Alexander managed to give a small smile as he laid back down. "We noticed the change in him last night," the doctor said, reading off of her list. "Your husband claims that someone visited him in the middle of the night. Based on the description, I would assume that it was the hero, Paragon; however, we''ve been unable to reach her."


    Hope felt almost as if she had been slapped in the face. That morning, when she woke up, Sky was still asleep. Lily mentioned Sky slept in a lot. The girl had actually seemingly ditched them all in the middle of the night and crashed on the couch and hadn¡¯t woken up all day. Not even when she and Lily moved the girl to her bed. She wanted to stay and speak to Sky, but she had to hitch a ride back to Oleander and get ready for school as it started back up earlier than expected. She had been way too busy and didn¡¯t have time to call and check in on Sky either.


    When had Sky managed to do this? How had Sky done this? Only the Lord of Life could fix the Dead Virus. And why hadn''t Sky said anything about it?


    "He isn''t cured." The doctor''s voice broke her out of her thoughts and nearly shattered her heart. Her mother''s legs shook, and the woman nearly collapsed, but she managed to catch her. The doctor held her hand up before they could say anything. "It isn''t a cure, but from what we can tell, he is doing a lot better. While he is still infected with the Dead Virus, the disease seems to have regressed."


    "W- What do you mean?" Her mother asked with a trembling voice. She helped the woman over to a chair, and her mother instantly sat down.


    "Most of the damage the Virus has caused to him has been reversed," the doctor explained. His body has been fully healed for the most part. ¡°That''s why I suspect Paragon is at play. That said, he is still infected with the Dead Virus. Think of it almost as a restart. It''s almost like he has just now been infected."


    "So, I''ll have to go through all that horrible treatment, still?" Alex asked, grimacing a bit. "I won''t be able to leave the hospital either, will I?"


    The doctor only nodded her head. "I''m sorry to say that, but yes. You''ll have to remain here and undergo treatments still. Your legs gave out after three days, and they''re already starting to break apart once more. There is some good news, though. We know what worked and what didn''t, so your stay should be a lot more comfortable. If it was indeed Paragon who saved you, then there is always the chance for her to be able to do this again. I''ll be honest with you, Mr. Lauren. For the first time in years, I no longer believe that your chances of survival are zero. You might live to see next year at this rate." The woman said with a small smile.


    "I wish I could be a little happier." The man joked.


    "I''ll give you all some time to talk."


    The doctor stepped out, leaving just their family in the room. She walked over to her father''s side and took a seat. "Are you really feeling any better?" Her throat felt dry. She had been expecting either the worst news or the best, not this weird middle of the road.


    Her dad reached out and rubbed her head. She had to quickly keep her wig from falling off. "I still hurt a bit, but I''m doing better, I think. I was cutting it pretty close, but I actually can get some sleep now, so that''s nice."


    "Your friend can help him again, right, Hope?" Her mother asked, causing her to jump a bit. Her mother was fanning herself off, still trying to recover from the news. "If Paragon healed him this much, then the next time she uses her power, could it heal him fully? Can you call her to see if she can finish the job? Or if she can keep healing him like this? I know it''s a lot to ask, but I''m willing to pay if I have to."


    Her dad blinked a few times, processing his wife''s words. "Why would Hope be able to call Paragon?"


    Both of them froze. His eyes went between them. It suddenly dawned on her that her dad still didn''t know she was a superhero. She had told her mother a while ago, but her dad had not learned of what she was doing. He still didn¡¯t even know that she had gotten her powers back and was under the assumption she thought she was a normal girl. "W- Well." She cleared her throat, trying to get her mind to come up with something. "After she tried to heal you the first time, I sort of blew up on her and yelled at her, then stormed out." She admitted. It wasn''t one of her fondest memories. "I guess you could say fate had other plans, though, because I actually ran into her a few more times after that, and I think we might be friends?"


    "You think?" Her father snorted.


    "Well, I can''t actually tell with her." She admitted. It was mostly the truth, though it left some of the bigger details out. She looked into her father''s eyes, and she could tell he was thinking about something.


    "Hope."


    "Yeah, Dad?"


    "Why are your eyes red?"


    Her contacts did not hide the full color. She felt herself recoil a bit, and her mind raced once more. "Tell him." Her mother''s voice caused her to stop, though. She turned to look back at the woman. "It''s okay, Hope." Her mother nodded. "You can tell him. It''ll be alright. He''ll understand."


    "Understand what?" Alex looked between his daughter and wife as they exchanged glances. He had a bad feeling in his gut. One that told him everything he needed to know already. Hope slowly took off her glasses, and the red tint in her eyes grew stronger. Next, she grabbed her hair and pulled it off. Blonde locks rained down, and he felt his eyes go wide. "A wig? Why do you- My God! She''s in her emo phase!¡±


    "No!" She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. "Dad. There''s something I want to tell you. I think you know already, but I''m a-"


    It started with a cup of water. On the stand next to her dad''s hospital bed, a glass of ice water shook and then suddenly spilled all over her lap. She yelled and stood up so fast she knocked her chair over. It didn''t stop there, though. The nightstand began to shake, as did the window. Then they heard it. A low whine started to grow in size, getting louder. Oleander, like all cities, had a siren. This one was special, though. It had only been used a few times during drills as a test. It wasn''t a test this time, though.


    Every attack Zoo or the Bad Timers caused never made the siren so much as let out a peep. When Intake had grown to a massive size and rampaged across the city, the siren had still remained silent. Any time a giant monster came to attack, that didn''t cause it to go off, either.


    Now, though, it screamed at its maximum volume, getting so loud it began to even crack the windows. She was glad her enhanced hearing had decided to stay off, as even with normal human senses, it was almost too much. Her phone roared to life, and she fished it out of her pocket, watching as hundreds of texts and warnings all flooded in. One had come from Myth, though.


    It was a simple and small message, yet it caused tears to streak down her face.


    Deep in space, more of Mars shattered and broke away as something large and made of metal prepared its trip for Earth.


    ''The Beast is coming.''

 Chapter One Hundred And Two: The Arrival Of A Calamity

    Calamity... An event outside of human control that causes vast damage or distress. Another word would be disaster.


    It came from beyond our stars.


    A great evil. One that humanity wasn''t ready for. It brought untold destruction. As of the current year, the entity known simply as the Beast has visited Earth four times. Just four times, and yet with each visit, a city would be reduced to rubble, and more worryingly, a new disaster would be born from the incident.


    The first time the Beast appeared on Earth, dozens of Supers and thousands of humans died. Among the casualties, the Lord of Life lost his wife and daughter in the attack. The Beast was defeated by Full Monarch. Shortly after this, the villain known as Lucifer would somehow discover a way to return from the state Full Monarch had left him in and would create the Murder Games.


    The second time the Beast appeared on Earth, it was defeated by Full Monarch. Shortly after this, the Lord of Life discovered a young boy whom he would adopt. Together with this boy, the Lord would take on the title of the Emperor and declare war on Planet Earth, using his powers to create hundreds of monsters.


    The third time the Beast appeared on Earth was during a grand battle between Full Monarch and the Emperor. Both forces drove the Beast back and defeated it. Shortly after, both Full Monarch and the Emperor met their end, and something brand new was born.


    The fourth time was the most recent, happening two years ago. The Beast was driven back by the Tallest Wave; however, Chrysanthemum was swallowed up by a great evil and became the home of the newest Calamity.


    Now, in the present, this would be the fifth moment in history that mankind would find itself fighting the Beast. What truly made this Calamity level threat worthy of its title wasn''t its power but instead the fact that humans have never once beaten it. The Beast was a walking disaster, one that would show up and always be driven back, but despite seemingly leaving, something would rise from the ashes it left, and a new age of villainy would be created. A disaster that caused new disasters to rise. A Calamity that was willing to wait.


    That''s what made the Beast so terrifying. The knowledge that while you might win the battle, it had already won the war.


    The siren screamed through the city, bouncing around in people''s heads. It was a simple hum, one that wouldn''t stop until every last human was safe. The streets were filled with hundreds of cars that boxed each other in, and the sidewalk was like a massive tidal wave of bodies. Some people ran, others gave up, and some still used this as a chance to do crime.


    All of it led to the edge of Oleander City, where a massive bridge connected itself to Lillian. The bridge was compacted the most, with rows of cars and trucks and people climbing over it, some even choosing to jump into the waters below and swim for it. Helicopters flew through the air, and heroes did their best to help.


    Some heroes picked up dozens of cars and flew them over to Lillian; others tried to create more bridges; and some still attempted to stop the petty crime and encourage the people who had already given up. Most of the heroes weren''t outside, though. The majority of their country''s heroes now all stood in a single room in Oleander''s Hero Branch tower.


    Hope looked around, biting her lip as she tapped her foot up and down. She had never seen so many heroes all gathered in one place. When the sirens had started, all of Team Pantheon had headed for the Hero Branch building. They were followed by heroes from all over the country. If the situation weren''t so grim, she''d have been fangirling like crazy.


    The room they were in was large, but with so many people in it, they were all shoulder to shoulder. Anything that had been in the room had been kicked out, save for a large screen that hung on the wall. Up front, Beta stood, and several Hero Branch workers, including Ms. Laps, were also present.


    Heavy hitters all awaited to be told what to do. The Victorian already had her sword in an iron grip. Next to her, every member of the Enforcers, besides Beta, who was up front, was ready to follow her into battle. All but Boy Genius. Outside of their tower, a massive suit rested. One of his robots, which he was likely in. Also in the room were the Sub Enforcers. Not just Oleanders but other ones as well. Dandelion''s Sub Enforcer was led by a large purple man who wore a black suit and had dozens of older teens all around him, while Daisy''s Sub Enforcers had some girl who looked to be really into vampires, dressed in a gothic style and holding a whip, in charge. The Watch Dogs were there too, as were other big hero teams like Lillian''s Reservoir, which had Doctor Kraken, who was in a lab coat and had a squid for a head, and Hydro Cannon, who was a woman around Ocean Empress'' age and wore a heavy metal backpack. There were other water-based heroes as well, and even more teams like Max Lightning''s team Cloud, Mister Man''s team Mercy, and Boy Genius''s team T-fin.


    There were easily over one hundred of them in total. Some were heroes she had never even seen or heard of before, like a weird, mutated monster that was in the back. He was covered in thick bat-looking fur and had jagged wings and large spider legs that came out of his back. Two Hero Branch officers had him chained up, and the creature snarled and hissed, venom dripping from the mouth.


    "Who is he?" She squeaked out. He was clearly a monster, but she could barely tell if he was a hero or not.


    "Bat-Spider, or maybe Spider-Bat?" Whisper quietly explained to her, causing her to jump a bit. "He''s a monster, one who has gone mad and has powers that are out of control. Unlike the others who grow into giant forms, he stayed the same and is pretty strong, so the Branch tends to sic him on suicide missions like this, yet he always comes back. Rumor has it the Branch has a bunch of secret monsters they use for things like this, like one called Skin Walker who can shapeshift. At least that''s what my mom once told me." The hero shrugged.


    She gulped a bit, staring at the creature. Things would have to be bad if they brought someone like him out. It wasn''t just him either. T-Fin, Sun Eaters, Mercy, Cloud, Reservoir, Fairy Tale, Time Keepers, and the Watch Dogs. All of those were teams led by the Enforcers and they were also here, everyone all packed together in one room. The tension was strong, and she had never seen so many worried faces plastered on so many strong people before.


    "You okay?" She jumped a bit when Snowdawn nudged her with his elbow and whispered.


    She nodded slowly before stopping and shaking her head. "Actually, no. I''m really not okay. You?"


    Even with the ice armor covering him, she could tell he was sweating bullets, and his face was pale. He wasn''t the only one. Nearly every hero was unable to stop shaking. "I just want to do something," Snowdawn finally said, "Even if it''s not a lot." He had once told her he wanted to make a difference in a Calamity level threat. Now was his chance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± She said softly. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the boy.¡± Snowdawn managed a sad smile. ¡°It¡¯s my job to keep you safe. You¡¯re basically my little sister, you know.¡±


    She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, finding Mr. Larison. He squeezed down, and she patted his hand. Most of the heroes were talking amongst each other. She saw familiar faces like Poseidon and Oxide but noticed Paragon wasn''t anywhere in the room. The closest thing they had to a healer was the Victorian and the purple man, who was a hero known as Thiefer who could steal people''s pain.


    "Are we going to be okay?" She asked.


    Whisper gave a nervous shrug. "I''m sure my dad is in the same position as me. Our ability to see the Paths has pretty much shut off completely. I''m as in the dark as all of you."


    Myth''s foot hadn''t stopped tapping, and he stared across the room in the direction of his brother, who didn''t look very happy. "I''ve fought the Beast only once before. I can tell you I''d rather fight the Emperor a hundred more times than that damned creature."


    "And the Emperor kicked our ass." Snowdawn sighed.


    "Don''t be too scared." They turned when they heard a new voice. It was one of the teens on the Vampire girls'' team¡ªa younger girl who wore a spotted yellow costume and had claws like some kind of cat. "We''re all heroes. If you get in trouble, I''ll just come and save you."


    "Thanks?" Snowdawn said, confused.


    One of the older heroes, the leader of another Sub Enforcers team, cleared his throat. He was a tall man dressed in bright, blood-red armor. "We should have had months to prepare for this attack. Why are we just learning of the threat now?"


    Several heroes all gave sounds of agreement, and Beta''s head slowly looked around the room, roaming over all the heroes and scanning them. In total, there were one hundred and twenty-two. Outside were another twenty or so. "Boy Genius and I both monitor the Beast daily. This allows us to catch it if it makes any moves. Several hours ago, Boy Genius, with the help of Max Lightning, discovered that the Beast had woken up. Under normal circumstances, we would give the alert and begin to prepare for it. However, these are not normal circumstances."


    "It''s coming toward our planet far faster than it has shown previously." The Victorian called out. "I flew into space earlier today, and its speed is far greater than even my top flight record. It¡¯s moving faster than even light.¡±


    The center of Beta''s head lit up, and the TV next to him flickered to life. The footage was hard to make out, but it showed something large and circular moving through a black void. "In the past, it would have taken months for the Beast to arrive on our planet. This is likely because it simply allowed itself to drift through space until it crashed into our planet. This is a new behavior. It isn''t simply floating; it''s flying. Before, if it was walking, I guess you could say it is now sprinting. It''ll arrive in less than one hour."


    That caused the mumbling to break out once more, and she felt her throat tighten. Many of the people in the hospital were being loaded onto helicopters and flown to Lillian, so there was nothing to worry about her parent''s situation. That''s what she kept wanting to tell herself, yet she couldn''t help the fear that settled in her.


    Her phone kept going off, but she put it on silent a while ago. She didn''t want to hear her mother at that moment. She knew the woman would beg for her to leave and flee, and she was scared that if she were given a way out, she''d take it.


    "We don''t have time to evacuate everyone." Beta stated. That caused the room to grow primarily silent. "Thanks to my data, I''ve calculated that the Beast will land somewhere near the center of this city. That is why I''ve come up with a plan." The TV screen changed, showing off an image of the city with several circles going through it. "You all right now must make a choice on if you want to help or not. No hero will be in trouble if they wish to walk. In fact, I''d encourage it unless you either have a death wish or don''t contribute anything useful to society-"


    Ms. Laps sighed and threw her arm out in front of Beta, silencing the robot. "I''ll be taking over. The plan is actually quite simple. We aren''t aiming to beat this creature. We''re on damage control. Once the Beast selects a city, it follows a set of rules. It won''t attack anyone outside the city. Any heavy-hitter over the age of eighteen will be requested to form a perimeter in the center of the city where the Beast lands. All Enforcers will be placed here as well. Anyone under the age of eighteen who is considered a minor is encouraged to leave. If you do not want to leave, you are forbidden from engaging the Beast. Instead, you will be placed on a team with any hero that is not considered a heavy hitter. Your job will be to help evacuate as many civilians as possible while the heroes in the center do their best to hold the Beast off. The Beast will attack until most of the humans in the city are dead. We need to prevent as many deaths as possible. Is that understood?" Several heroes nodded. "We in the Hero Branch will also be helping out. We''ll be stationed near the bridge to Lillian and will be the last to leave. As Beta said, if you don''t think you can handle this, then leave the city at once. You''ll just get in the way if you try to do something you can''t handle."


    The screen had changed once more. Now, it was a countdown, one that was rapidly approaching zero. Heroes talked amongst themselves, some convincing their friends to leave with them, while others put on a brave act and got ready to throw their lives away.


    "You should leave." She felt her blood run cold when she heard Mr. Larison''s blunt response.


    "What?¡±


    Battery let go of her shoulder and turned away. "Myth and I discussed it."


    She shot a look at Myth, who nodded his head. "Money Tree has decided he doesn''t want any of his Sub Enforcers competing. He''s going to be placing them on the bridge, where they will be outside of the danger. I think it''s best if you, Snowdawn, and Whisper do this as well."


    "But we can help!" Snowdawn argued.


    Whisper winced a little. "I kind of agree with Myth. They already said they aren''t letting kids near the Beast. There really isn''t a reason for us to hang out near the danger zone. The bridge is clogged up. With yours and Cinder''s powers, we could help move a lot of cars and get people to safety. We''d still be helping and wouldn''t have to put ourselves in danger."


    "But-"


    "Kid." Her throat closed up as Battery flicked her on the metal helmet. "Don''t argue. Please. Myth is your boss. A lot of heroes will be where you are. They''ll need your help, too."Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    She felt her fists clench a bit as she looked down at the ground. Snowdawn placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to die?" Battery stared down at her. "Answer me." She looked back up at him, her fiery red eyes meeting his bland ones. "I heard you talk with the Victorian. Ask her to take the thing in you out. She''ll do it. That''ll save you, right? You won''t have to die and-" She wrapped her arms around him. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die.¡±


    His hand rubbed the top of her helmet, and slowly he pulled his way out of her grip. "When this is all over, I think I''d like to play another game of ball with you." His back was to her now. "We can invite the others. Make it a baseball match if you want. Let everyone have a turn."


    "Please don''t die." She begged.


    Battery walked away, pushing through the crowd, leaving her alone. She knew it was over. The dynamic duo they had become. It seemed so long ago that their quest had started. Today was the day it ended.


    Snowdawn gripped her shoulder tighter as tears flowed down her face. "It''ll be okay. Battery is strong¡ªone of the strongest people I know. He''ll be alright."


    "You''re terrible at lying."


    "Yeah." Snowdawn smiled sadly. "I am."


    It didn''t take long for them to head out after that. Myth looked back at them as they exited the building. "No matter what happens," his eyes traced over Cinder, then Snowdawn, before finally settling on Whisper. "I am so proud of the fact I got to be on a team with each of you."


    Then, just like that, they parted ways. Myth and several of the other older heroes all headed for the center of the city, where the battle would begin. It wouldn''t stay in that area for long, though. They headed for the bridge and helped out where they could, picking up and moving cars and stopping stuck traffic.


    She knew that the bridge was bad, but she didn''t know it was ''this'' bad. Cars were bumper to bumper, and every square inch of it was covered. A massive mile-long line was on both sides, and people were literally climbing over the cars. Money Tree was there with them, as were his Sub Enforcers. Poseidon had tagged along as well, and the Sub Enforcers team with the weird cat girl was here as well. There were four of those guys in total. They were members of Daisy''s Sub Enforcers. Finally, Thiefer had come along as well.


    There were fourteen of them: herself, Snowdawn, Whisper, Money Tree and his team, Poseidon, Thiefer, and the Daisy Sub Enforcers. Thiefer got to work using his powers on the injured. His purple skin would glow and twitch as he touched damaged parts of the bridge, and they began to mend.


    The other Daisy Sub Enforcers followed after him. He wasn''t their leader; he was actually the leader of Dandelion''s Sub Enforcers, but Dandelion and Daisy were right next to each other on the map and were likely used to working together.


    Snowdawn and Poseidon worked together, using their powers, to create a massive and thick ice bridge with railings on both sides that connected all the way to Lillian. While they were building it, BB and Money Tree used their powers to pick up several cars and place them onto the new bridge, speeding up the traffic.


    Several members of the Hero Branch, including Ms. Laps, were decked out in heavy-looking riot gear, stopping people from getting into fights or shoving their way through. "Please remain calm and collected!" one of the Daisy Sub Enforcers shouted, holding up a megaphone. ¡°We''re going to get you all out of here. Please don''t harm anyone, and remain calm!"


    "It''s kind of funny, isn''t it?" She turned when she heard someone talking to her. It was the cat girl who had spoken to Armin earlier. The girl had a smile on her face as she watched her team members work. "Despite the situation we''re in, I can''t help but be a little glad that we all get to work together like this. Oh, I''m Purrfect, by the way," the girl said, holding her hand out.


    "Cinder." She shook the hero''s hand.


    "The guy over there is Boss," Purrfect explained, pointing her thumb at the young hero with the megaphone. His costume was white and covered him head to toe, almost like Ghost''s. It did show off his mouth and eyes, though, and he dual-wielded megaphones as if they were weapons. His voice had a compelling effect on the crowd, causing them to almost fall into a trance. "The other two are Techcoat and Dust Cloud."


    Techcoat flew through the air in an oversized suit. He was like Metal Ronin, being a Mental-based hero, though his suit looked more like some sort of comic book superhero, being various shades of red and yellow. Metal Ronin looked slightly jealous as he stared up at the superior suit-user.


    Dust Cloud was sort of like Wasp Nest. He didn''t really have a costume and would instead break down into tiny grains of sand that formed into a mini sandstorm that blew through the area. He and Wasp Nest flew into hard-to-reach places, checking for anyone who was trapped.


    "You said your name was Cinder, right? I''m guessing you have fire powers."


    "Yeah." She nodded. "And your name is a bad cat pun, so I''m guessing you have cat powers?"


    "Sort of." Purrfect gave a cheeky grin and held her hand up, which grew long metal claws from her nails. "I''m one of the people who got lucky and managed to get more than one power. I always land on my feet, have claws, and have a tiny healing factor, and seem to be really good at doing things, sometimes."


    "You can''t really do anything to the Beast like that, though, can you?" Purrfect jumped and hissed a bit as Whisper suddenly appeared next to her.


    Purrfect let out a nervous giggle and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess not. That doesn''t mean I won''t do my best to help, though."


    Cinder nodded slightly, and she looked back out at the city. There were other heroes. A bunch of other Sub Enforcer teams were out there helping get people out of the center of the city and take them to the bridge. She was a little angry at where she had been placed. She''d have rather been closer to the action. At least then, she would be able to help the people who really needed it.


    "Beta said it best. We shouldn''t be dead weight." She pushed herself past Whisper and Purrfect and made her way over to the edge of their city, where Poseidon and Snowdawn were gradually building a second bridge. "Poseidon!" She called out.


    "Yeah?" The girl messed with her gravity and flew over, landing on the ground. "What''s wrong?"


    "Is Paragon okay? I noticed she wasn''t here." Poseidon winced a bit. "Shit! What happened this time?¡±


    "Nothing." Poseidon held her hand up and shook her head. "She''s fine. Mostly."


    "Mostly?"


    "She overused her powers doing something. She has a bad headache and is having a hard time moving around. We left her behind in Lillian because of that. Though, to be honest, I doubt the Hero Branch would have let us bring her. I agree with them in a way. She should stay on the sidelines and heal up anyone who needs it once this is all over. She''s one of the best healers we have, and if we lose her, then the villains get a huge advantage."


    She nodded her head quietly. A helicopter flew over them, heading for Lillian, and she looked up at it, biting her lip. Her mom and dad had already evacuated, right? Surely, they had.


    Her phone buzzed once more, and she slowly fished it out of her pocket, moving away from the others who got back to work. "Mom-"


    "Hope, where are you!" Her mother''s voice came over the phone in a panic.


    "I- I''m safe. What about you?"


    "Some hospital in Lillian." She felt her heart settle a bit, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. "You''re in Lillian, right?!"


    The relief vanished instantly. "Well..."


    "Hope! Get out now! Please! I''m begging you! If you don''t, I''ll come and get you, myself-"


    "Don''t!" She shook her head. "I''m safe, I promise. I''m at the bridge helping people. I won''t be in any danger-"


    "I don''t care! Get out of the city!"


    "I can''t." She winced. "I need to stay and help-"


    "Screw helping them! You''ve stopped Zoo and the Bad Timers! You''ve done enough for Oleander!" Silence hung over the phone for a moment. "Please." She suddenly got how Mr. Larison must have felt.


    Her hands trembled a bit as she gripped her phone. "When this is all over, can I tell Dad that I''m a hero? I think I''d like for him to know."


    "Hope!"


    "I''m sorry. Please just stay where you are. I''ll come get you once I''m done here, I promise, Mom." She hung up and placed her phone back in her pocket. She looked up at the sky above. The sun was at the point where it would begin to set. Clouds had started to twirl and twist, and the siren''s call had been blocked out by a bizarre howling that was in the air.


    It was close now.


    She could feel it. The burning in her veins grew more potent, and her golden hair got brighter. The fire in her eyes was like a volcano, ready to go off.


    "Was that your mom you were talking to?" She turned and found Thiefer standing next to her. The man was bald-headed, and now that she got a better look at him, she could tell his skin was a deep shade of purple. It wasn''t a costume he was wearing. He was a monster¡ªone of the people created by the Emperor fifteen years ago¡ªone who didn''t let that stop him from doing good.


    She nodded her head slowly. "Yeah. That was my mom."


    Thiefer''s arms were crossed behind his back, and he stared up at the sky. "This is my third."


    "What?"


    "This is my third Calamity-level event," the purple man explained. ¡°I was there for the Emperor, and I was there during the Beast attack two years ago. You''re one of Myth''s people. He was there, too. I can''t believe he''s actually fighting in this event once more. He''s suffered more than enough to turn tail and run if he wanted to. Are you scared?"


    "Yeah. A bit," she admitted.


    "Good. You''re not stupid, then." The purple man chuckled. ¡°You''re mad, right? Angry that you aren''t able to do more, yet despite that, you''re not actually doing anything at all."


    "Huh?"


    He pointed at the other heroes. "What have you done since you got here? You''re angry you aren''t closer to the action to help other people, but why should you be if you can''t even help the people that are here? There''s no shame in feeling like your skills could be better used elsewhere, but there is shame to be had if a hero doesn''t bother to do their job."


    She felt some of the tension in her body leave. Her shoulders slumped a bit. "Yeah. You''re right. I''m sorry. I just-"


    A loud crack echoed across the bridge, followed by Snowdawn cursing loudly. The second ice bridge wasn''t ready yet; despite that, though, someone had gotten impatient and drove forward, shoving the car in front of them onto the bridge. Cracks appeared all across the bridge, and it began to rapidly fall apart and crumble.


    The car slumped off the edge and began to tumble down toward the waters below. Poseidon tried to catch it but wasn''t fast enough. "Shit!" The Lord of the Sea tried to use her power to raise a hand of water, but the car moved too fast.


    Cinder blasted forward and threw her hand out, launching out rows of chains. The flaming chains wrapped around the bottom of the car and stopped it right before it hit the water. She stepped back and used her strength slowly to pull the car up and set it back down on the side of the road.


    While she did that, Boss and Thiefer were dressing down the driver who had caused all of it. The door to the car she saved quickly opened, and someone tumbled out of it. Her eyes went wide when she saw who it was. "Mr. Ale?"


    Nick Ale, Jack Larison''s roommate, looked up at her. "Do I know- Oh wait, you''re that girl, right? Hey, where''s Jack?!" He jumped to his feet and grabbed her by the shoulder. "Please tell me he isn''t planning on fighting the Beast!"


    "Well..."


    He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Seriously! You''re kidding me." He pulled a bag out of his car and shoved it in her hands. "Take this!"


    "Huh?" She looked into the bag and raised an eyebrow at what she saw: a vial of blue liquid. "Isn''t this what you used to heal me?"


    "It is!" Nick nodded. "That''s my last one! If you see him, please give it to him! He won''t last to the end of this fight! His body is already at its limit. He''ll die without that!"


    She nodded grimly. "I think... He knows that."


    "What?"


    She shook her head and placed the vial on her belt next to the mace she had borrowed from Mr. Larison. "You need to get out of here, sir."


    "Boy, don''t I know it-"


    It started off as a low rumble. Her eyes went wide as she looked up. The swirling mass of clouds broke, and a shadow slowly crawled its way across the city as something hovered over them.


    Near the center of the city, Jack stared up at the thing. "Guess we know how it got here so quickly now."


    "We always suspected it was some sort of alien; this all but confirms it." Mister Man grumbled.


    Above them was an actual, honest-to-God UFO¡ªa mass of metal shaped like a disk. It stretched on for nearly one mile and took up several city blocks. It was coming down rapidly, and the wind began to twist and break. Buildings shattered, and they were forced to move back further. The Beast hadn''t floated through space this time. It had taken an actual spaceship.


    The thing crushed many of the towers around them as it dropped, and the entire city block hummed as it landed softly on the ground. They all stood there at attention, waiting. None of them dared to make a move.


    The Victorian, Ocean Empress, Wyvern, Boy Genius, Mister Man, Fable, Lady Time, Beta, Max Lightning, Golden Weaver, Battery, Myth, Bad Wolf, Backup, Duplicity, Roulette, Pretty Face, Doctor Kraken, Hydro Cannon, Fisherman, Sea Monkey, Drake, Brobot, Slinger, Lancelot, Vampirica, Bolt, and many other heroes all charged up. All of them were ready for this one moment.


    Myth''s body grew larger as he twisted into his lion form, and Battery''s skin crackled with a golden light. The Victorian raised her greatsword up, and golden armor forged from light formed around her. Ocean Empress created a sword of ice and hardened her water dress into solid ice. Wyvern grew her wings and flew up, landing on a giant silver robot that Boy Genius was in. Mister Man toyed with his gun, making sure it was loaded. Fable notched an arrow in his bow. Lady Time played with her hair. Beta began to record. Max Lightning took control of the wind. Bad Wolf growled. Backup readied his gear. Duplicity entered her golden form. Roulette created bullets. Pretty Face prayed. Doctor Kraken''s tendrils twitched. Hydro Cannon finished telling her parents she loved them and hung up her phone. Fisherman readied a fishing pole. Sea Monkey ate a banana. Drake let out a burst of fire. Brobot finished an oil change. Slinger gathered up rocks. Lancelot made sure his armor was secure. Vampirica cracked her whip. Bolt jogged in place. Golden Weaver finished cracking his knuckles. Spider-Bat paced back and forth. Guy With Gun got his guns ready. Halo created a pair of her wings. War God raised her spear. Shamrock blew on a pair of dice. Glamour polished a pair of spiral glasses. Draco patted a pair of bright red dragons. Earth Worm whispered to the ground. Red Robo tightened a bolt on his arm. The One Who Has No Name placed a vial of poison into a box and closed the lid. Thunder Shaker wiped sweat off his hands. Water Gal drank a glass of water. Light Iron and Heavy Iron rehearsed a combo move. Arrow filled his quiver.


    The sun began to set.


    Everything was bathed in an orange light.


    Despite the siren, they all heard a ''clicking'' sound as the ship began to unfold. A large ramp formed out of it, and darkness began to spill out. Behind them, more heroes got ready to battle, and even further back, even more heroes struggled to get people out of the danger zone.


    Footsteps rang out. Slowly, something began to crawl out of the ship. It stood up, and the orange glow reflected off of its skin. It looked almost human. Or at least it had the shape of one, despite the fact that its features and form were all wrong. It was like a strange mix between a male and a female. It had what looked almost like breasts on its chest, as well as what could only be described as a member between its legs, like some sort of perversion of the human form.


    Its skin was pitch black. However, it was hard to even call it skin. It was tight around the creature''s body and looked more like plastic. Orange lines ran all along its body. It stood at nearly twenty feet tall and had long, lanky legs and even longer arms that went all the way down to the ground and brushed the floor as it walked. It had no mouth, nor did it have a nose or ears. It did have a pair of eyes, however¡ªones that spilled out an ocean of lightning. Every step it took caused the ground to begin to bubble up and melt, turning into lava. Despite the heat, rings of water floated around it and twisted over its form. Plant life also grew from it, coming from its flesh and covering its chest and waist, blocking its private parts. Mini clouds wrapped around its arms and neck, and it did have hair, but it was made out of solid fire and hissed down its body.


    The Beast. Fire, lightning, wind, ice, plants, water, earth¡ªall of it. It was all at this thing''s command. A creature on par with the Lords. A creature that would change the balance of Earth forever.


    This is the creature that now stood before them.


    The Emperor had been clever. He calculated and studied his prey. The Beast didn''t even bother to look at the heroes before it. Not a mere glance was given their way. In a single instant, an orb of light twisted into existence ten feet above the Beast¡¯s head. The orb unleashed a thick beam that reached across the entire city and spun around doing a full spin, slicing every building in Oleander in two in one clean motion and causing all the skyscrapers to instantly tumble down, crushing thousands of people.


    In one move, Oleander City was already in utter ruins.


    And just like that, the battle began as the Victorian let out a powerful war cry. She charged forward and swung out with her greatsword! The other heroes were right behind her and screamed with everything they had.


    This was the fifth time humanity would face the Beast. It would not be their last.

 Chapter One Hundred And Three: The Battle Against The Beast

    Dread...


    It filled her as she watched. Images and sights that shouldn''t have been seen flood through her mind. Was this how Whisper or Max Lightning felt? Was this what drove Wish insane? Every detail, every strand, all of it massed together like some sort of cancer.


    Alive. It was alive.


    The Prettiest Flower was still alive. They needed a new body, just like their siblings.


    Colors rained from above, covering the planet in a mass of lights that swirled together. But when all the colors merged, all that was left was black. A deep void of nothingness spread out from the planet, reaching toward the sky, the sea, the land, and the sun and swallowing them all up. It was an endless rain of whispers and yells.


    Then it all ended.


    Sky''s eyes snapped open, and she suddenly found herself wide awake. Her eyes gradually adjusted, and her head felt like it was pounding as her thoughts settled back down and her connection with Destiny formed. Slowly, she set up groggily, rubbing her forehead.


    She had just experienced a fever dream¡ªthe kind that doesn''t make sense and is caused by your brain overheating. It was all over the place, and already she was having a hard time remembering anything from it. The pain hadn''t left her, though. Neither had the sense of dread.


    Her powers had been pushed to the limit, trying to reverse the Dead Virus. In the end, she failed. That didn''t mean she was ready to give up, though. She had gone further than anyone else, and for the first time in a long time, she actually thought that maybe she could save Hope''s dad. After all, this first attempt had helped him out a lot. A few more tries, and maybe she could cure him.


    She just needed to get stronger.


    Her thoughts were broken suddenly when Destiny landed on her shoulder. The bird lightly nuzzled her face, and she scratched under its chin. "Where are the others?" It only occurred to her how quiet it was in her manner. She had no idea how long she had been out for. A day? Two? Maybe a week?


    She was out of her costume and had been placed in her nightgown. Her sister or mother had likely changed her. She felt hungry, but not like she was starving, so it couldn''t have been for that long.


    Quietly, she stood up and pulled the curtains. Instantly, her face paled. The device Boy Genius had installed around the manner not only stopped people from seeing their home for what it truly was but also blocked off most sound from the outside world. As her curtains moved, she saw what Lillian had become.


    The streets were flooded with cars, and a Hero Branch soldier was at every corner. People were piled up on the sidewalk, and it looked like a riot was happening. Whatever was going on wasn''t good.


    She grabbed a lab coat and a spare mask and left her room. She got a few steps out of the hallway when she saw them. "Ah. Paragon. You''re finally awake. Please, take a seat." Her eyes locked onto the man who was now in her house, and Destiny hissed a bit and stood up straighter, glaring at the intruder. "No need to give me that look. I''m here to keep you safe."


    The Hero Branch would never leave her unguarded in a moment like this. Several of them were in the hallway, all dressed in heavy gear, and a man was seated in her living room. He was dressed in an expensive black suit, and he had dark skin and slicked-back hair tied into a ponytail. Dean Ward was the leader of Lillian''s Hero Branch. In other words, he was an equal to someone like Laps¡ªa human who was tasked with making sure the Supers didn''t get out of line.


    She looked at the armed soldiers. There were a few of them, and likely even more outside. The entire city seemed to be filled with them. She quickly made her way out of the hall and took a seat in the chair across from Mr. Ward. "Where''s my mom?"


    "Oleander." Was Ward''s cool response. He seemed to have made himself at home and was drinking from one of their mugs, which he had filled up with her mother''s favorite brand of coffee.


    "What''s going on in Oleander?" She asked. Her gut was telling her it obviously wasn''t good.


    Ward stirred his cup with a spoon, making sure it had enough sugar. He took a slow sip and let out a dramatic sigh, seemingly happy with the taste. He placed his cup down on the table and took his time getting comfortable in the chair. Her eye twitched as he began to mess with his coat. As she stood up to leave, he finally answered her. All he had to do was say one thing. A single word caused her to collapse back down. "Calamity."


    Her eyes widened, and her face paled. "Which one-"


    "The Beast."


    She managed to stand up again, though on shaking legs. "I have to go-"


    "No."


    "No? What do you mean, no?!"


    "I mean no." Ward took a sip from his coffee once more. "It''s too dangerous."


    "That''s why I have to go!"


    "And what happens if you die?"


    "The others are all risking their lives, though! My mom''s in trouble! My sister nearly died once before! I had to sit on the sidelines through this once, two years ago, when I didn''t have powers! I''m not doing that again!" Destiny landed on her head and folded his wings together as if crossing his arms. He stared down Mr. Ward.


    Ward didn''t seem phased in the slightest, even knowing what this girl was capable of. "Two years ago, our planet found itself visited by the Beast once again. This time, unlike any other, we no longer had the help of Full Monarch to keep us safe. Instead, we relied on the power of the Victorian. She lost. All of the Enforcers lost. The Beast was only driven back by a strange, powerful force. One that came out of nowhere and managed to defeat it. After this incident was when your sister was nearly killed, correct?" Her lips turned into a thin line as he spoke almost in a mocking tone. "It was the hero Legend that did it, was it not? Father of Myth and Fable. The man had been injured but could have possibly been saved. We often say the Beast isn''t the worst part about its visit. It''s the things it leaves behind. You should never, ever mess with anything in a city the Beast has visited. Myth couldn''t help himself, though. He wanted to find his dad. Make sure the man was alright. He had already fallen into the Beast''s trap. Legend had been reduced down to bone yet still clung to life. That life begged for death. Pleaded for it. Out of mercy, Myth killed his father and, in return, unleashed something far worse-"


    "Can you just stop talking-"


    "Chrysanthemum had to be completely closed off, and it was taken over by the newest Calamity-level threat, which used the hero Legend''s corpse as its starting point. During this incident, your sister nearly died. Yet by pure chance, your powers awakened, and you were able to heal her."


    "I didn''t heal her," Sky spat out, shaking her head. "If I had healed my sister, then none of this would be happening. She''d be strong¡ªstronger than anyone else. I ruined her, though. I changed her. You want me to be kept safe because you think I can save the heroes who will get out of the fight alive, right? You''re mistaken. I''m not a healer."


    "Either way, we need you," Ward explained. "We can''t afford for you to go to the battlefield right now. The Beast can kill most heroes simply by standing next to them. And as I just mentioned, whenever it leaves our planet, we''re always faced with a nasty new surprise. Your power is needed to deal with that. We''ll need to use you to fix the other heroes the best you can. I don''t care what you have to do or what state you leave them in. My job is to keep you here and keep you safe."


    "Keep me safe?"


    "Villains don''t play by the rules. Some may feel a strange sense of justice and try to fight the Beast. After all, they lose everything if their city is destroyed, just like the heroes do. Most, however, will use this as their chance to strike. The Beast is basically the world''s greatest distraction if you think about it. Nearly every hero is needed to stand against it and hold it off, and that allows for ample opportunity to do whatever you want while they''re busy. You''ve gotten quite a bit of enemies yourself, Paragon. I''d hate for anything to happen to you while the heroes were away. I saw you on the news the other day. You got into a fight with Yellow Kobold alongside the current Lord of the Sun. You nearly died during that fight when Kobold grabbed you. If some weak villain like that can put you in harm''s way, then you wouldn¡¯t make it on the real battlefield. I¡¯m saving your life by keeping you here. So be a good little girl and sit down and shut up.¡± He took another sip from his drink.


    She slowly sat back down and ran her fingers through Destiny''s hair. "I can''t just do nothing."


    "Then don''t do nothing."


    "What?"


    Ward stood up and held his hand out to her. "So many people are injured¡ªinnocent and scared civilians. The hospitals have already become flooded, and any hero who can no longer fight would need you. You can help us. Let''s be heroes, Paragon."


    She stared down at his hand, frowning. He was playing her. He wasn''t the kind of person who would actually care about people. Despite that, though, it was her job to help others¡ª"on one condition."


    "What?"


    "I''d like to find some people I think are in this city. If the Beast really is attacking Oleander, they''d likely be flown here."


    "Who?"


    "A family called the Lauren''s. More specifically, a man named Alexander Lauren. I''d like to find where they are."


    ***


    The entire city seemed to shake¡ªat least the block that all of them were on did. Dozens of weaker heroes were thrown high into the air, and so were many cars. Buildings began to tumble down, and some did their best to hold them up or blast them to pieces to stop people from being crushed. And all of this was from just a single attack from the Beast.


    It only got worse when the Victorian struck out. A massive wave of wind exploded out, shoving all the shattered buildings further back and splitting the sky above directly in two.


    One swing of her sword had caused this. The number one hero, the Victorian! She wasn''t holding anything back, using more power than she had in her fight with the Emperor. Her golden blade was the size of a car, and golden armor swirled around her, forming a much longer cape. And this mighty attack that was able to shake an entire city did something, right?


    Yeah.


    It caused a drop of blood to stream down the Beast''s arms.


    The Beast still didn''t bother to look at any of them. It stared out in a direction, looking through buildings and towards its true target. The reason it had come so far. Its massive and lanky arm had risen up and bent back on itself, the wrist being used as a shield that blocked the Victorian''s sword. Her blade dug into it slightly, and black liquid dripped from the shallow paper cut it received. The Victorian gritted her teeth and shoved down on her sword with all her strength, but the monster held on strong.


    The Beast flicked its hand out and sent the number one hero flying. She smashed through an already destroyed skyscraper and brought the entire thing crashing down, kicking up a mile-high dust cloud.


    That pretty much set the tone for this battle and caused several heroes to simply nope out of there. Battery jumped back a bit as the dust rained down on them, blinding them all. Beams of hot fire blasted through the clouds, ripping through even the strongest hero as if it were cardboard. His golden energy was already swirling around him as he began to build up his power.


    Nearby, a young man in a dark gray jumpsuit stood in front of an older man in a stage magician outfit, holding up a chunk of concrete as a shield against one of the beams of fire. Heavy Iron grunted as his powers activated, rapidly increasing the density and weight of the makeshift shield until it was as hard as diamonds. As the beam slammed into the chunk, Heavy Iron looked back at the older man behind him, Street Magician, and grimly smiled.


    ¡°Tell Light Iron that I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t do our combo.¡±


    Before Street Magician could answer, Heavy Iron slammed a foot into him, sending the older man out of the way as the beam of fire blasted through the concrete chunk, devouring Heavy Iron.


    "Are you going to enter your blue form?" Ocean Empress yelled out toward Battery. ¡°I can try and cool you off and make sure you don¡¯t fall apart!¡±


    "I''m working on it! I need to get to a certain energy level first! There''s a reason I''m called Battery! I need to charge!"


    A stream of lightning fired through the cloud, and Battery watched as it curved in his direction, causing him to curse. He was too focused on building up his power and didn''t have time to dodge anything like that. It never reached him, though, as Myth, already in his lion form, jumped in front of the attack and took it head-on. Myth''s feet dug into the stone, and he held on strong, flexing even as his fur began to burn and turn black. He let out a roar and, with his claws, tore the attack in two.


    "I''ll keep you covered, Battery! Charge! I''ll be your shield!"


    "You sure?"


    "As sure as I can be!"


    "Good enough for me!" Battery slammed his hands together, and golden lightning blasted out of his body, whipping around the battlefield as he gathered up all of his power.


    As the dust cloud fell, the Victorian exploded out of the tower that had buried her and threw her sword as hard as she could. It flew through the air and smashed into the finger of the Beast, causing it to turn slightly and miss the hero it was attempting to melt with a beam of fire. That beam instead washed over a different street, turning it to ash but luckily not killing anyone. A woman in a bright green coat covered in lucky talismans nodded to the heroes in the street behind her. Shamrock wiped a stream of blood from her nose and watched as all of the charms and totems of luck on her coat rusted and dropped to the ground, every drop of her power to twist luck and fate used up in one move.


    ¡°Out of luck, eh?¡± Shamrock muttered as the ground under her feet cracked and flames gushed out from broken gas lines.


    Every step the Beast took caused the road beneath it to break and melt, lava gushing out. Lightning rained from the sky in unnatural ways, and the plant life that covered its modesty grew more prominent as orbs of light kept firing out in seemingly random directions. It still never even bothered to so much as glance at any of them, focused on a single goal, which it marched towards slowly. Several heroes collapsed and began to vomit up blood as waves of radiation smashed into them on a microscopic level, undoing their DNA and killing them almost instantly.


    Other heroes that were durable enough to take that found themselves bursting into fire as their blood boiled or freezing in place as ice crawled up their bodies. Some were also just split in two as water wheels fired off of the Beast, cutting through the city for miles. Millions of Hero Branch drones from all around the world filled the sky, but they were all fried and exploded, stopping anyone in the outside world from seeing what was happening in Oleander City.


    One hero, a woman wearing simple leather armor and wielding a curved sword, ignored the blood that dripped from her nose and eyes as she watched one of the orbs of light fire towards her. Sword Swinger let out a cry and slashed, perfectly slicing the orb of light in half and sending the two halves flying over the small crowd of people behind her. She smiled faintly as she collapsed, watching the lava rapidly approach as her limbs refused to work. Despite it all, she felt a sense of accomplishment knowing that she, a normal human without powers, could reach this level. Before it reached her, the street shimmered, changing as the lava disappeared, replaced by soft waves on a beach, the sun shining down. Across the city, a man in a bodysuit covered with geometric shapes, Glamour, tapped his swirly glasses with a finger, placing illusions onto every dying hero, hiding their pain and fear. The man sighed, raising a hand to flip off the Beast, which had been under one of his illusions, seemingly with no effect.


    The entire world knew that the city was under attack, but now they would have no way of knowing who died and who survived until this battle truly came to an end. One thing was for sure though: there likely wouldn¡¯t be an Oleander city anymore.


    A magnitude five earthquake spread out as the Beast walked forward, and a category five hurricane formed around the entire city, pouring rain, ice, and lightning down across all of Oleander. Even the heroes that weren¡¯t in the center of the city, fighting the Beast, were struggling as everything around them came undone and fell apart. Earth Worm, a hero wearing a long trench coat, raised a fist and let out a strange, warbling yell. Three giant worms burst from the ground, smashing through crumbling buildings that had begun to fall towards people.


    Bad Wolf, of all people, was the first to reach the monster after the Victorian. Clouds danced off of her fur and formed into a solid platform, which allowed her to bounce up and stand on them, avoiding the lava. She got about twenty feet away from the Beast and slashed out with her claws, sending wind blades at the strange creature. They simply bounced off of its skin and didn''t do any damage to the villain.


    Before she could even try to come up with a new plan, a powerful bolt of lightning rained down from the sky above and smashed into her. Bad Wolf let out a loud howl and dropped from the sky, badly burned, and began to fall toward the lava down below. Victorian flew forward and caught the monster, but the leg of the Beast kicked up and smashed into the hero, throwing her high into the air and causing her to let go of Bad Wolf, sending the body of the hero flying in a random direction and smashing through more buildings.


    "Bad Wolf!" Backup threw his shield like some sort of disk, which smashed uselessly off the Beast''s head. He turned, running in the direction of where Bad Wolf had crash-landed, which was thankfully away from the approaching disaster and all the lava. ¡°I¡¯ll save you!¡±


    Roulette raised his palm toward the sky, causing millions of his bullets to swarm together and compress down. All of them began to smash into one another and merge, forming a single thin bullet that held the compressed firepower of an entire nation. Duplicity was already in her transformed state, and she used her magnetism to take control of the heavy bullet, launching it forward at breakneck speeds.


    It could never be that easy, though. The Beast lazily caught it, two of its fingers closing in on the bullet at the last second and halting it. Its arm twisted and jerked in a funny way as it threw it back toward them, and Roulette dropped the rifle he used as a walking cane and threw his hands out in front of him, using all of his power to take control of the bullet and halt it. The thing stopped inches away from Duplicity''s face and smashed down into the ground. It was so heavy that it broke the floor and fell toward the sewers, ripping more of the street up, which was starting to flood with lava.


    Roulette crashed to his knees, breathing heavily, and blood flowed down his chest as he began to vomit. Duplicity lifted off of the ground and wrapped her arms around him, picking him up and flying away. At least, that was the plan. An orb of golden light formed above the Beast and fired down, nearly splitting her in two and causing her to scream as she smashed into the street below.


    The Beast was tall and lanky and had a twenty-foot radius of pure molten lava that followed it. Despite its slow walks, each step it took covered a vast distance, and that lava was beginning to burn the downed heroes even if they weren''t near it. Some people even began to grow weak as the fumes flowed out. Thunder Shaker, a hero wearing a bright yellow outfit with lightning bolts, leapt forward while clapping his hands to send out a shockwave that pushed the lava and fumes back, though only by an inch. The hero kept clapping, keeping the lava at bay. When the hero stopped clapping, smoke and blood poured from his hands, lava burst from a nearby sewer grate, splashing up onto him. Thunder Shaker collapsed to the ground as the lava rushed forward, giving one last futile clap.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Before the lava could swallow up Duplicity and Roulette, a thin line of water wrapped around them both, and they were yanked to safety, being dragged fifty feet back to where Fisherman stood. He was a member of the Reservoir team¡ªthe second strongest member, in fact. He was dressed like a typical fisherman, complete with overalls and a cap. His rod had a string forged out of water, allowing him to control how it moved and how far it could go.


    "Don''t think you can just go and do whatever you want," the hero announced. He threw his reel out, and the water line spun through the air, going over the vast distance and wrapping around the throat of the Beast. The air shimmered around Fisherman, and suddenly, three twenty-foot-long great white sharks appeared out of nowhere! "You''re going to have to get through me first!"


    The sharks roared and swam through the air, opening their jaws as wide as they could!


    They then promptly died the moment they flew over the lava, which caused them to black out and collapse into it, being burned to death. The Beast stepped on the corpses, walking over them, and casually tugged on the water string, causing the Fisherman to have to let go of his pole, which was dragged away and burst into flames when it entered the lava.


    "Well, I''m useless now.¡±


    Sea Monkey, a blue monkey guy in a deep-sea divers'' outfit, handed Fisherman one of his soggy bananas out of pity. "It''s okay, man. You were useless before¡ªOh shit!"


    The Beast raised one of its long fingers, and the spinning masses of water that circled its body took off. They spun like a saw blade, hissing through the air and cutting anything in their way to bits. "Oh no, you don''t!" Ocean Empress channeled all of her power and attempted to take control of the water disk, changing its direction away from Sea Monkey and Fisherman and toward her instead. The Beast simply twitched its finger and instantly overpowered her in terms of control. It took everything she had to cause the disk to fly a little towards the left.


    The disk flew past her, missing most of her body but sliced through part of her right hand, taking off three of her fingers. As she collapsed back, the Beast caused their blades to smash down, ready to rip Ocean Empress in two. The Victorian flew forward at top speeds and threw herself in the way, using her body as a shield and blocking the water disks, which broke to bits on her flesh, only managing to rip a bit of her costume up. The shrapnel of the water still stabbed into Ocean Empress, downing her though.


    Boy Genius crashed down onto the street in front of the Beast and swung his sword out. He finally got to play with one of his favorite toys. A thirty-foot-tall giant robot. It was made out of white metal and covered in red and black streaks, and it wielded a giant sword and shield. His blade shattered on the head of the Beast, and the monster walked through him.


    Literally.


    The metal of his robot twisted and broke, shattering to bits as the Beast stepped forward. Shoving its way through the machine as it refused to walk around it, the lava swamped its way over the robot, melting it and causing it to blow to bits. In fact, since the battle began, the Beast had only been walking in a straight line, heading for its target. If something got in the way of it, the thing simply walked through it, and that thing ceased to be.


    "Boy Genius!" Wyvern screamed out in horror. Wings had formed out of her back, and she was up in the air watching as her teammate perished. What was left of the robot exploded and sank into the lava, vanishing. ¡°No!¡±


    "I''m okay!" A twenty-foot-tall blue robot with jet wings flew down from the sky and floated next to her.


    "What? Were you not in the robot?" She asked with wide eyes. She landed on the head of the machine as it raised its arm, which folded out into a large beam rifle that blasted the Beast with a purple energy wave. It ignored the energy walking through it, even as some of its flesh burned off.


    "Nope. I''m not even on the battlefield." Boy Genius explained.


    "What?"


    "I''m back at Nightshade, watching this entire thing play out." The child threw his hands behind his head and propped his feet up on the table as he stared at the monitor, watching his robot battle the Beast. "What kind of idiot would put themselves in the giant robot when I can just remotely pilot it from my base? I¡¯m not some dumbass like Avalon. I¡¯m way too important to risk dying.¡±


    Wyvern sighed and jumped off the robot''s head just in time as the Beast caught the purple beam, somehow took control of it, and blasted it back in the direction of Boy Genius''s drone, blowing its head off. Already, a new robot, this one a fifteen-foot one that was bright green, was falling from the sky.


    Wyvern allowed her wings to fully expand out and flew past the Beast, growing a tail that attempted to stab into the eye of the monster. Its eye was too strong, though, and her tail bounced off of it. She spun through the air and opened her mouth wide, blasting out a powerful stream of fire at the back of the Beast''s head. The Beast didn''t even need to do anything. Without even looking, it took control of the fire and caused it to explode. Wyvern''s head jerked back, her neck nearly snapping as she dropped out of the sky and crashed head-first into a building.


    She landed in the lava, which hissed and began to drag her down. From above, Drake flew down. He was a member of Wyvern''s personal team and had powers very similar to hers. He landed in the lava and, thanks to his fire resistance, didn''t instantly die. This allowed him to wrap his arms around his team leader, pull her out, and take her back off into the air, getting above the Beast and wincing as he glared down at it.


    "Is there actually anything any of us can do, sissy?" He asked. He was young. He shouldn¡¯t have come to the battlefield since he was only seventeen, but he ignored that rule since he was almost as strong as Wyvern, his older sister.


    "We never expected to win," Wyvern winced. "We just need to slow it down, even if it''s a tiny bit."


    A fifteen-foot-tall hot-pink robot Boy Genius had built when he was going through a phase landed behind the Beast. It ignored the lava, which began to melt it badly, and pulled its fist back. The Victorian flew forward and appeared in front of the Beast, also pulling her fist back. Both Boy Genius and the Victorian launched their attacks at the same time and actually managed to make the alien twitch and pause for a moment. For a single second, its eyes glanced down at the arrogant woman before it.


    Those same eyes then erupted with a wave of intense lightning that smashed into her and drilled her through the lava and into the ground, sending her deep beneath the city. Rows of jagged wooden spikes then blasted out of its back, ripping Boy Genius''s drone to bits, then pulled themselves back into its body. It stopped its laser vision and turned to look back at its destination, blasting a few of the pesky buildings that had gotten in its way down.


    Ocean Empress managed to push herself up slightly and used her remaining good hand to craft a long stick of ice. Doctor Kraken''s tentacles wrapped around it, yanking it out of her hand, and he tossed it into the air, where Hydro Cannon caught it. She wore metal armor and had a backpack with large cannons on it that fired out water so intense it allowed her to fly. Using it, she landed down next to Fisherman, handing him the ice stick, which now looked more like a fishing rod.


    "Yeah, I''m still not going to be able to do much in this fight..." Fisherman said dryly.


    A beam of fire blasted towards them as the Beast tried to snipe them both. Sea Monkey rammed his hand into the ground and caused the street around them to change into a beach-like area, the sand rising up and forming a mini barrier. The sand exploded into a hail of glass as the fire rammed into it and blew all three of the heroes back. Above the Beast, another orb of intense fire began to form, about to launch another beam, but a gunshot rang out, and the orb shattered.


    Standing just outside of the twenty-foot ocean of lava that followed the Beast, Mister Man dodged with superhuman speed, avoiding streams of lightning and water that were launched at him. He held two revolvers, which he twirled around and fired. His bullets weren''t regular ammunition, though. They shimmered and phased into the Beast before rematerializing and actually causing damage to the monster, black blood dripping down its body from the tiny holes that formed into it. With his phasing power, he could negate durability and deal damage, even if it was just a little. On top of that, his guns had been built by Avalon and were able to fire their bullets near the speed of light. It basically meant he had durability negating, fast-moving bullets that could harm anything. And thanks to his sidekick, he didn''t need to worry about being hit.


    A building-sized beam of light rained down, nearly swallowing Mister Man whole, but his body glowed and vanished, reappearing two hundred feet back next to his teammate, Slinger. Slinger wore a long green cloak and went for a riding-hood vibe. He wielded a bow and was able to teleport people with his arrows, but only people who had an arrow, and only to places his arrows landed. His quiver was nearly empty as he had been using a lot of arrows to move dozens of heroes, but mostly Mister Man, out of danger; all the while, the Enforcer used his phasing power to deal tiny, near-insignificant damage to the Beast.


    "Aim for its head or something!" Lady Time yelled out at him. She wielded two blades shaped like the hands of a clock. One was small, and the other was long. Each slash of her blade sent out a wave of gray energy that didn''t actually cause any harm. The little one would cause things to slow down and move at half speed, which she used on all of the Beast''s attacks when she could, while the big one caused things to double in speed, which she used on her fellow heroes, giving them all a speed boost and allowing them to dodge more of the Beast''s attacks.


    "I have!" Mister Man called out. "I''ve aimed for this thing''s brain, heart, and lung and tore holes all the way through it. It''s like this thing doesn''t have organs or something! I''ve even aimed for its joints in an effort to slow it down, and nothing! It doesn¡¯t seem to matter how much its body is damaged, it just keeps moving forward!¡±


    "This thing is such a cheater!" Lady Time yelled out. She had hit the Beast at the start of the battle with her little hand, and it had been moving at half speed this entire time, still taking great steps and moving forward unbothered.


    The Victorian burst out of the ground, going through the lava, and rammed her fist up into the jaw of the Beast. Lady Time swung her sword and gave the woman a double speed boost, allowing the number one hero to unleash a barrage of punches, which actually managed to stagger the Beast and cause fist-sized dents to appear all along its body. She forged a sword of gold and went to swing, but fire swirled into existence around her and exploded, launching the Victorian four hundred feet away into another torn-down building. She came back, but this time the Beast twisted a beam of lightning around and smashed it into the woman¡¯s gut. The beam blasted the number one hero up, and she kept going up higher and higher until she was literally thrown out of the planet, and she smashed into the moon, shaking it.


    All of Oleander shook, and the entire city actually sank down a bit, falling further into the ocean and causing mass flooding. The Beast turned its head about to fire out a stream of lightning once again, but a massive arrow rammed into its head, causing it to jerk from the force of the impact and its laser to be launched into the air, going all the way up to the moon and tearing a chunk of it off, barely missing the Victorian and the body of Full Monarch.


    Fable stood tall, ankle deep in the lava, seemingly not bothered by it. He was nearly half the size of the Beast and had a look of pure hate on his face. His lion cloak almost seemed to come to life and roar, and he drew another arrow. His arrows were the size of a small child, and his bow was as big as he was. His father had the ability to take on the form of gods from legends, his brother could twist into the monsters of myths, and he channeled the power of heroes from fables long forgotten! Whether true or not, it did not matter, for in that moment, he wielded the power of Hercules! A hero said to have once shot at the sun!


    His arrow screamed out through the air, being launched with so much force it shattered every window that hadn''t yet cracked and tore more of the street apart. It didn''t have to travel far, and it rammed directly into the eye of the Beast. The creature didn''t make a single sound; not an ounce of pain seemed visible. It did, however, take a single step back. The arrow had moved faster than light and stabbed through the Beast¡¯s eye. Lightning danced across its fingers, and it fired back at Fable.


    Electricity caused the lava around them to rubble and explode, but a second later, the lava began to cool rapidly and turn into rock. No... Not rock. Stone. The lightning itself changed and hardened in the air, falling to the ground now transmuted as stone as well, and Fable launched forward. He now wore the armor of an ancient military''s warrior and held a spear nearly fifteen feet tall. On his other arm was a shield with the head of a snake imprinted upon it; everything that touched the metal was turned to stone instantly, and in no time at all, the lava around the Beast had vanished, and the monster found itself trapped up to its ankle in hard rock.


    Still, it did not yield. It took a mighty step forward, breaking most of the stone around it and cracking more of the ground. Fable jumped into the air and kicked off of the stone as he dropped, launching himself forward and ramming his spear into the stomach of the Beast. As he did that, though, the Beast struck back and lazily slapped him, sending the man flying. He managed to block part of it with his shield, though it only changed a sliver of the monster''s finger into rock. Fable kept flying back and soon crashed out of Oleander City, being launched somewhere into Lillian, where he crashed through a building and stopped falling.


    Several people were running around, and many stared at him in shock, but he didn¡¯t bother explaining or saying anything. Instead Fable whistled, and from the skies a massive winged horse appeared dropping down in front of him. He got onto the horse, and it flew him back to Oleander City.


    Back in the center of the rock the Beast was trapped in began to give away, and lava bubbled out once again. Before the sea of magma could restart, though, two heroes ran forward at inhuman speeds. Lancelot wore thick black armor shaped like a knight, and he swung out with a pitch-black blade that was so thin and sharp that it could cut even the Victorian herself. His weapon cleaved into part of the Beast''s ankle as he passed. He wasn''t the only one trying to take the foot out, though. Vampirica wore gothic black clothes and a robe, and her mouth opened inhumanly wide, allowing her to rip a small part of the Beast''s other ankle out as she flew by, her face coated in black blood.


    They kept running after they dealt their tiny amount of damage and got away just in time as the twenty-foot radius of lava managed to restart. A ball of lightning flowed out from behind the Beast''s head and fired in their direction. Before it could hit the two sidekicks, though, Max Lightning crashed into the ground and caught the orb. His hair shimmered and changed, turning into a grayish black color, and clouds twisted around his body as he took on the form of the Lord of the Sky and Weather. His eyes ignited with a fiery red glow, and he became the second strongest Super on the battlefield, the first still being the Victorain.


    He couldn''t see the Paths. Not just his own but anyone else¡¯s, too. All of them could die at any moment, and there would be nothing he could do to see it coming. That didn''t mean he was going to give up, though. This creature was strong, but humanity had to live on! Max Lightning used his power and did what the others couldn''t. With the title of Lord and now powered up to his limit, he beat the Beast in terms of control and stole its lightning. He then rammed his hand into the back of his sidekick, Bolt, unleashing all of its power into the young man.


    Bolt was a younger hero who wore a skin-tight blue suit with the symbol of lightning across it. His hair stood up wildly, and he smirked and let out a yell as he felt all of the Beast''s lightning enter him. "Alright! This is what I''m talking about!" He screamed. "I feel like I can do anything, now!"


    The two heroes went on the offensive, combining their control over lightning and blasting into the Beast with everything they had. The monster''s back cracked a bit as the barrage of attacks rammed into it, but still, it kept walking.


    Max Lightning appeared in front of the Beast, and he held his hands out. Lightning formed together and swirled in his palm, then sparkled, forming into a mass of sparkling colors. A baby universe seemed to form between his palms, and it shattered and collapsed as he unleashed a wave of spatial-time-lightning. It blew across the city, washing over everyone, and caused all who were hit by it to be healed and aged by a full hour, while it collapsed matter and space around the Beast, crushing part of its body.


    It didn¡¯t last long though, as the Beast still walked through the attack, some of its flesh being torn off, and it rammed its finger into Max Lightning, blasting the hero back for hundreds of miles and sending him flying out of Oleander. Max Lightning felt himself crash down somewhere on the other side of the planet, and he groaned before slowly floating back up and flying back to the battlefield.


    Shimmering clones of Pretty Face charged forward and most instantly burned up and exploded into shimmering light as they reached the lava. There was a clone for every color of the rainbow, all dogpiling forward and using their bodies as a makeshift bridge, and managed to actually reach the Beast, if even for a moment. Pretty Face yelled out and charged forward, running over the back of his clones and letting out a single punch to the Beast''s damaged eye before he then created more clones and bounced off of them, getting away from the creature. It didn''t even bother to attack him, as he dealt literally no damage to it and didn''t so much as slow it down.


    "I got one attack off!" Pretty Face called out. "I''m done! That''s all I came to do! Good luck." Some of the heroes then stared dumbfounded as the pop star took off running in the opposite direction. This was the same stunt he had done during the last Beast fight as well.


    Off to the side, Beta kept his arms folded. He stood on top of a mostly destroyed building that wasn''t in the way of the Beast and recorded the fight that was taking place. Next to him, Brobot stood. Brobot, like Beta, was a robot, though he wore a black leather biker jacket and blue jeans. Both of them seemed content to just watch the fight and watched how the hero Golden Weaver had formed hundreds of webs in an effort to trip the Beast, only for the alien to plow through them.


    "How are they doing?" Brobot questioned.


    "I estimate that they''ve managed to slow the Beast down by nearly ten minutes so far. It would have taken him half an hour to reach the bridge, but it will now take him forty minutes to reach it."


    "The bridge?" Brobot hummed. "That''s where the Beast is heading for?" The Beast had landed down in the center of the city and was plowing its way through towers and streets, marching in a single direction. "That is where most of the humans are. Logically, it makes sense that the creature would head that way first."


    "I don''t believe it is after the humans." Beta''s eye glowed as his computer processed the idea that was forming in his circuit board.


    Brobot cocked his head to the side. "Does not compute. Please explain, fellow machine."


    "Do you still have the memory of when we were first created in your databanks?" Beta asked. "Humans cannot remember their creator. They are not like us. We, as machines, can remember and recall the first words ever spoken to us. The first thing all life hears when it is first born is the name of our creator."


    "The Prettiest Flower."


    "Enemy of the Rulers." Beta recorded more of the fight, watching as many heroes were snuffed out by beams of destruction launched by the Beast. Most weren''t strong enough to take more than a few blows from the alien. "I think I may know what this thing is. I''d like to watch for a little longer and confirm my theory."


    "Sure," Brobot nodded. "We don''t have to worry about anything. After all, only stupid humans are being killed."


    "Yes... Only humans."


    The Beast took another step forward and swung out with its arm, ripping a building in two and sending debris raining down. It was beginning to near a layer of the city that hadn''t been fully evacuated yet. Soon, hundreds of people stuck in traffic would find themselves meeting an end. The number one hero was determined to stop that from happening, though!


    The Victorian flew through the air as light swirled around in her fist. It had taken her a few moments to fly from the moon back to Earth, but she was back and ready to keep fighting. With the speed boost she got from Lady Time, she sent herself flying forward and rammed her fist directly into the spear that was hanging in the Beast''s gut. She used everything she had, putting her back into it, and hit the weapon so hard it tore its way through the Beast''s gut and out its back. This time, the Beast actually fell back, and a large stream of black blood rained down it, hissing and burning up in the lava.


    The Victorian didn''t stop there, though. A massive greatsword formed in her hands, and she swung it up as hard as she could, cutting into the monster''s gut wound and splitting it open more. Wires and plants spilled out of its stomach, and its hand came up, cupping its inside and stuffing them back in. It dropped to its knees, and for the first time since all the fighting began, it could no longer take a step forward.


    Cheers rang out from below as dozens of the heroes fought on with renewed vigor. Beta raised his arm, which twisted into a loudspeaker that rang out across the battlefield. "Dodge."


    No one moved in time. The entire city block suddenly went from being an intense wave of heat to a deadly chill. The lava froze, and the Beast plugged up its gut wound with ice, and from beneath every hero, water appeared and froze into a large spike that impaled them. Mister Man was teleported out of the way just in time, but Slinger was impaled through the gut and lifted off of the ground.


    Wyvern and Drake were both in the air and stared down at many of their teammates, who either outright died or screamed in agony. Lady Time was raised up by her leg as a spike clipped up and impaled her by the foot; Sea Monkey got one through the lung and began to choke on his blood, while Fisherman had one of his arms torn off. The spikes rose up ten feet off of the ground and carried the heroes up, freezing and breaking parts of their bodies.


    The Victorian roared, but then suddenly the intense heat flooded back, causing the ice to melt, and pools of lava appeared underneath the heroes, which dropped them into it. At the last second, the Victorian used her powers to create waves of golden chains that yanked people out of the way, but as she did that, the Beast''s fist rammed into her, and for the first time since the battle began, it didn''t just swat her out of the way but actually hit her, unleashing a world-shaking punch and ramming her into the lava that appeared around it once more.


    She smashed down into it, and it brought its foot up, trying to stomp her out. Max Lightning rocketed forward and landed under it, raising his hands up, trying to block the foot. He was no match for it though and stomped down into the ground on top of the Victorian, the two of them sinking deep into the lava.


    It was no longer a twenty-foot radius. Now, it had grown to nearly forty feet, and with Lady Time no longer focusing, the debuff that slowed the Beast vanished. Its speed doubled, and from above, lightning poured from the sky like rain, smashing into the back of any hero that was flying and bringing them down. A sharp blade-like vine then stabbed out of the Beast''s back, impaling anyone that wasn''t in the air before they could move. Everyone was dragged forward, and dozens of heroes were dunked into the lava, bursting into flames.


    Fable found himself also impaled on a branch and tossed his shield down just in time, turning the lava into stone once more as he and his winged horse were dropped. More lightning rained down, however, and rammed into them, downing many of them and killing several of them.


    Ocean Empress tried to block it with her water, but it tore right through and blasted a small hole into her stomach, causing her to cough up blood and crash down into the street.


    The Beast once again began to walk forward, leaving almost all the heroes either dead or too injured to fight behind it. It had learned a new lesson, though. It shouldn''t play with ants. And so, this time it''s good eye glanced down at the two heroes that were still standing. The two heroes had been avoiding getting into every fight and had stayed out of its radius the entire time. The two heroes were right at the edge of the center layer and crossing into the district where people were still being evacuated.


    Battery''s energy was beginning to shimmer with a faint blue light. It wasn''t done yet, though. Blood was pouring down his chin, and his heart was on the verge of exploding. He had pushed his body too far in the past, and now, just building up the energy required to enter his blue form was too much.


    Myth stood in front of him, crouched low, still in his lion form. His eyes burned with rage, and he stared up at the face of the monster that had ruined everything. The thing that had taken his position, his life, his father, his world.


    "It''s over." Battery winced. "I wasn''t fast enough." Hundreds of people stood behind him, staring in horror as the Beast approached.


    "It isn''t over!" Myth stepped forward and let out a powerful roar. "I''m still standing!"


    "You can''t fight that thing by yourself!"


    "I''m not here to fight it! I told you! I''m here to keep you safe!" Myth launched himself forward. This was it¡ªhis redemption.


    He would do it all on his own if he had to.


    All he had to do was single-handedly take down the Beast...

 Chapter One Hundred And Four: Myths Promise

    "You have real crappy luck. Anyone tell you that?" Lois asked as she parked her motorcycle next to Thaddeus''s apartment building. It was near the middle part of the city, a modest place with a large orange tree whose branches swayed close enough to Thaddeus¡¯s windows that the man could often reach out and grab a fresh orange whenever the tree bore fruit.


    Thaddeus climbed off the bike and shrugged. "Luck has always been on someone like Grove''s side, not mine."


    "I wouldn''t really say Mr. Grove was lucky either, considering what happened." Lois winced. He had been a bad guy¡ªa straight-up scumbag. In the end, though, he had done what he thought he needed to, and his reward was a violent death from the monster he had been working for. "I''ve been thinking about what your brother said, though."


    "You asked about that earlier." They had just finished up at the bowling arena. Max Lightning had finished telling Lois something. She had been strangely quiet and a little off, not saying anything once her dad left. Thaddeus didn''t know what had been exchanged since he stayed out of it, but whatever it was, it was having an effect on her.


    Lois rubbed her arm a bit. "He asked you to stay out of the Beast fight."


    "He''s just worried about me."


    Her father told her he would be dying soon. She was keeping it secret from Thaddeus. She hadn''t fully processed it yet. Between what he said and what Fable asked of his older brother, it made her wonder if the Beast could be coming sooner than any of them thought. Her powers had been a bit on the fritz ever since she saw the Emperor. "I think your brother has a good reason to be worried." She finally said.


    "What do you mean?" Thaddeus asked, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms.


    "You said you fought the Emperor once when you were a kid, right?"


    "Yeah?"


    "So then, how many did you have?"


    "How many of what?"


    "How many near-death experiences?" Lois asked in a blunt tone. "You fought the Emperor twice now, and you''ve survived an encounter with the Beast. Not to mention what happened with your father and that Calamity. You even once told me you lost your grandfather to Lucifer. You''ve practically run into every threat besides the Shadow. It''s almost like death follows you closely. I once saw that you would die to a Calamity level threat. Yet here you still are. How much longer do you think you can do it, Octavius Thaddeus? How much longer you¡¯ll get away with cheating death."


    This was the conversation that went through his mind as he stared up at the Beast.


    Myth gritted his teeth, and his muscles flexed. He was already in his lion form, his second most durable transformation. He had always hated his powers to an extent. His father and brother got it so much better. He was the only one cursed with the power to take on the form of a monster. His grampa had a similar power, but he never got to meet the man, though he had seen pictures. His grampa was the reason he chose to tame his bull-form first, to honor the man.


    He knew his lion form wouldn''t do squat against this thing. He had just watched it take down nearly every other hero. All of the heroes were slowly recovering. Lady Time was using her ability to heal who she could, but they lost a few people, like Sea Monkey or Vampirica.


    Thankfully, the Beast didn''t bother to finish the heroes off. It was almost like a machine attacking what it deemed a danger. Its eyes stared down at him.


    No...


    Not at him.


    The Beast stared at the only threat left on the battlefield. Battery. A bolt of lightning rained from the sky and twisted in the direction of the hero in red, but Myth was faster. He let out a savage roar, the sonic blast slamming into the lightning and dissipating the bolt. He had made a promise. He would shield Battery for as long as he could.


    "Am I not worthy of your attention, monster?" Myth spat out. "Fine. In that case, I''ll just force your gaze to meet me!"


    "Don''t do anything stupid-" Battery tried to say, but Myth had already taken off.


    This monster that had killed so many, this thing that had changed his father, stole his life away, took the happy ending he had created, and shattered it¡ªall of his power was for this moment! Myth charged into the lava, running on it. His fur lit up, and the fire crawled up his body, but he ignored it, jumping into the air and ripping his claws into the gut wound the Beast had received from the Victorian. That had been the plan, at least, but the Beast proved to be faster, and it smashed its hand down onto him.


    Myth felt his bones shake, and his teeth were pressed together so hard they snapped. He was smashed down into the lava and forced onto his knees. The hand didn''t stop there, though. It was long, bigger than the Beast''s entire body, and the alien used this strange limb to press down on the lion. Myth was shoved further down into the lava, and his arms shook as he attempted to hold the limb up.


    "I''d like to see which one of you is stronger." He wasn''t on the battlefield anymore. He blinked, and Myth suddenly found himself reliving an old memory, back as a young Octavius. "The two of you transform and fight." Legend announced.


    He wasn''t as fabulous as most people might have thought. Transformed Legend was tall and powerful, with strength that could rival the Victorian. In his human form, though, he was thin and small, barely standing at six feet. He wore a simple buttoned-up shirt and dress pants and stood in a large training room. On one side of the room was his twelve-year-old son, Octavius. Across from the boy, his ten-year-old son, Osvaldo. Even being so young, Osvaldo stood a little over six feet now.


    Octavius let out a huff and glared at his dad. "You''ve been gone for weeks, and the first thing you want to do is force us to fight?"


    "That''s right, Myth." Legend barked out.


    "It''s Octavius... I''m your son. You don''t have to give me that stupid hero name... I don''t even like it."


    "What would you like to be called, then?"


    "I was thinking Minotaur librarian or something."


    "No. That''s stupid. You''re Myth. Now shut up." Legend was a hero first and a father second. Most of the Enforcers learned very quickly why having kids was a bad idea. It was hard to balance such a life. Legend was one of the first to simply give up on that aspect. "My team is called the Fairy Tales." The Enforcer explained. "Recently, a hero known as Red Iron contacted me. He is a member of Oleander''s Sub Enforcers and will soon be the leader of it. He wanted a powerful shapechanger on the team and requested I lend him one of you two. Coincidentally, my team only needs one hero at the moment."


    "You''re treating us like weapons..." Osvaldo was young. Only ten years old, yet he knew what his father was implying. Whoever lost this sparring session wouldn''t earn the right to stand by his side. "We don''t need to spar. I''m the younger sibling; I''ll go to the Sub Enforcers while big brother works for-"


    "No." Octavius cut his younger sibling off and shook his head. He had heard rumors of how harsh working for Red Iron could be. That wasn''t a fate he wanted to fall on his younger sibling. "I agree with Father. Let''s see which of us is the strongest."


    "But bro, I thought you hate fighting?"


    Octavius, or maybe it was Myth now, ignored his younger sibling as he transformed. His body grew more prominent as he twisted into the shape of a powerful bull-like monster and charged.


    In the end, he lost that battle. Once his younger sibling changed into his heroic form, Fable took him down in just three attacks. Legend had taken Fable in as his pupil, and the hero Myth had been sent to Oleander to join the Sub Enforcers of that city being run by Red Iron. That was where he met so many of the people he would come to call friends, from BB to Money Tree.


    It really hadn''t been that bad.


    He supposed this was what people called a ''life flashing before your eyes'' kind of moment. He didn''t know why he found himself daydreaming of the past, but the sudden jerk of pain reminded him of where he was. He gritted his teeth as he snapped back to reality and found himself being shoved deeper into the lava. His father had been an asshole, a man who could barely be called a dad; he had been a great hero but a shit parent. In the end, though, that man had still been his father, and this monster took that from him!


    Myth let out a loud roar as he changed and twisted into a new form. He forced himself into his bull mode and shoved the hand that was trying to crush him off of him. The hand was pushed back, and the Beast balled it into a fist and struck out at him with a punch that could harm even the Victorian. He''d be killed in a single attack if it hit him. At the last second, before the first could reach him, a giant thread of water wrapped around his waist, and Myth felt himself be yanked wildly in a direction.


    Ocean Empress had managed to get back up. Most of her water dress was falling off of her body, and she was bleeding badly, one of her hands missing most of their fingers. She was still fighting, though, and had used her good arm to save him by creating a lasso of water. She wasn''t the only hero still fighting, either. Mister Man took a few shots at the Beast, aiming at its wrist and causing his bullets to phase through it, trying to rip the hand off.


    The Beast noticed them as well as the other injured heroes, and its back once again fired out waves of sharp spikes, ready to impale them all once more. Myth transformed his body, growing smaller and forming wings, allowing him to slip out of the water lasso as he became a small bird. Every flap of his wings began to mend his body and fix up his wounds, but he had only used the form to escape the water Ocean Empress had used on him. She saw what he was about to do and screamed out.


    "Myth! No!"


    It was far too late, though. He flew down and changed into a sizable bird-like form, growing lion-like fur and claws and the head of an eagle. He took on the shape of a lion-eagle hybrid and used his speed to throw himself in front of all of the heroes. Blood rained down as dozens of spikes ripped their way into his body, and his form flickered, changing back to that of a human. Myth dropped to his knees, his chest, stomach, and arm, all gushing crimson as the wooden spikes dug their way deeper into his body, and he was pushed back.


    "My name''s Money Tree. You''re the newest member to join our team, right?"


    Myth frowned as he stared at the fifteen-year-old boy. It had been just three years since his father forced him to duel his brother. He had lost badly, but then again, he suspected as much. The Emperor once tried to kill Fable when the boy was a baby, which had led to him fighting the man when he was a young kid. He knew Fable was strong, just not this much.


    "Uh? Are you even listening?" Money Tree asked.


    "Sorry, but no." Myth said, shaking his head. "I was distracted."


    He found himself in the Sub Enforcers'' base. It was kind of trashy looking, had no technology, and was very cold, with a series of large stone walls and a wooden floor. It sort of felt like being in an old medieval castle. In front of him was Money Tree. He was a young boy who wore a series of dollar bills as a coat. A young girl clung to the boy''s arm, dressed in a black and yellow outfit.


    "This is BB." Money Tree explained when he noticed Myth''s look. "She was someone I saved a month or two ago, and since then, it''s been hard to get rid of her. She doesn''t really speak, but she does have powers, so that''s cool."


    Myth nodded slightly. He recognized the girl''s face, which had caught his attention. She was the daughter of two powerful wind-based heroes. Both had died in action, though. If he remembered correctly, her name was Sera or something like that. "Are all of the members so young?" Myth asked as he looked around the rest of the room.


    Two boys stood in a corner bickering. One of them was working on some metal machine while the other seemed to be bugging him. "Well, besides me and now you, this team just has BB and those two. They''re Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin. They fight a lot."


    Myth bit his tongue, stopping himself from saying anything. He knew the Sub Enforcers would be made of young people; it always was, but he had expected a few teens his age besides Money Tree. All he got was a bunch of kids instead.


    "Myth." A loud voice barked out from another room. "I''d like to speak with you."


    "Looks like the boss wants to see you." Money Tree said, giving a grin. "Good luck."


    Compared to how his father could get at times, Myth really wasn''t that worried. He made his way over to a large oak door and opened it. He found himself stepping out onto a balcony and felt his breath catch in his throat. The sky above shimmered with dozens of sparkling stars that all seemed to take the shape of various warriors of old. Down below the balcony was a forest, one that had been untouched by man. It was a sight he hadn''t gotten to see in the big city.


    "It''s breathtaking, isn''t it?" Standing at the edge of the balcony was the man who took over the Sub Enforcers and had this pocket realm made. Red Iron wore heavy black pants and large metal gauntlets that covered his hands up to his elbow. He didn''t wear a shirt, showing a body that had been tamed to perfection, and a black cape was tied around his neck, blowing in the wind. He had wild red hair that came out like spikes and wore a half mask that covered up most of his upper face. "So. You''re Myth?"


    "Yes, sir." Myth nodded. He did his best to stand up straight and hold his head high.


    "Sir?" Red Iron snorted. ¡°I see your father taught you some manners. You know, though, most people tend to call people they view as their superiors, sir, and I can''t help but think you don''t think that highly of me." Myth didn''t say anything as Red Iron turned to look at him. The man had a smirk on his lips and held a hand out. "I''m Red Iron. Your father told me a lot about you."


    Myth took the hand and shook it. "Thank you for allowing me to join your team."


    "What did you think of them?"


    "They''re a bunch of kids!" His mouth worked before his mind, and he was unable to stop himself from blurting out his true feelings. "Seriously, this is your team? It sucks!" His brother was living the high life about now.


    Red Iron let out a deep laugh as he heard Myth''s blunt response. He was full-on grinning now. "So that''s how you really feel, huh? Do you want to know why I allowed them to join my team despite being so young?"


    "Why?"


    Red Iron slowly placed his arms over the balcony and stared down at the forest below. The stars above lit it up in a heavenly glow. "When the Emperor attacked, a lot of kids, especially those of heroes, were taken to shelters. What did you do when he came knocking, though?"


    "I fought him." Myth stated. That had been one of the reasons his father didn''t like him as much as his brother. He had been just a young boy, but he challenged the Emperor to a duel. If not for the Victorian and his father, he''d be dead.


    "Exactly." Red Iron nodded. "Kids will do stupid things, especially if they are told not to. Those kids in there all have powers. They''re young and inexperienced. Most teams wouldn''t want to take them in. That won''t stop them from trying to be heroes, though. Kids these days all seem convinced they will be the next big hero and won''t stop until they die. I''d like to make sure that doesn''t happen. That''s why the first thing I did when I became team leader was boot out all my former adult teammates! I sent the Pallet Boys packing and told them to go become solo heroes!"


    "Couldn''t you have kept them and allowed the kids to join?" Myth asked.


    "Oh? I didn''t think about that..."


    Myth sighed and turned away. "Just so you know, sir, I don''t plan on doing nothing." He balled his hand into a fist as the image of his father''s disappointed face flashed through his mind. "I''ve decided I''ll support my brother. The only way I can reach him is by becoming the leader of a team. Enjoy your spot for as long as you have it. I''ll be taking it over-"


    He turned back just in time to see Red Iron''s fist flying at his face. Every part of the hero''s body had changed into a bright crimson metal, and his gauntlets seemed to come to life, twirling and making a loud hum as the air twisted around them. Myth barely had time to transform into his bull form and brace himself for the punch.


    Myth felt himself crash through the stone wall, and he slammed into the room with the other kids. Money Tree sighed and shook his head. "I knew something like this would happen." Myth was slumped against the back wall and dropped to his knees, vomiting.


    "Y- You psycho! Why''d you hit me?!"


    Red Iron walked through the wreckage of the wall and laughed, placing his hands on his hips. "You can''t even take one punch from me. Until then, I don''t think you have any right to claim you''ll be a team leader." The man announced. "You better grit your teeth, Myth. I like you. That means I''ve decided to help you out. I''m going to break you. Shatter every weak bone in your body and force you to be molded into something great. You said you wanted to help your brother out, right? Screw that. Let''s show your father up instead. With my help, I''ll ensure you''re a hero respected by all."


    "What-"


    "But you have to be able to take at least one punch first!" Red Iron announced, launching forward and throwing out another strike.


    "I bet I could take a punch from you now." Myth spat out a glob of blood as he felt the wooden spikes dig into his body. He was back on the battlefield with the Beast. These flashes were really getting annoying.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Myth!" Ocean Empress cried out behind him.


    Myth gritted his teeth, and his body began to change once more. "I''m not done fighting!" He screamed. "I won''t let you get past me!" All the spikes in his body shattered and caught fire. The Beast still wasn''t facing him, but it did pause mid-step. Myth allowed his power to reach its peak. His head became that of a dog, and he had a rough hide that gushed out fire. His hands also twisted into the heads of dogs and howled as he took on the form that allowed him to defeat Demonica. He jumped into the air, gushing out a wave of intense red fire from all of his heads.


    This wasn''t a normal fire, though. It was flames that didn''t actually burn a target physically. Instead, they destroyed a target on a spiritual level, erasing parts of their body and giving them a wound that will never heal. This is what allowed him to permanently claim one of Demonica''s limbs. It was an imitation of the Lord of the Sun''s flames. Hope had once delivered a blow to Polaron that stopped the man from healing. This was basically a lesser copy of that flame.


    He attacked the hand Mister Man had been shooting. His teeth latched down into the bullet wounds, and he gushed his fire into them. The black blood that flowed down the Beast lit up, and he realized it wasn''t actually blood but was instead some sort of oil. Almost as if the Beast was-


    His thoughts were stopped when the Beast swung its arm out and slammed it into a nearby building, smashing through a large orange tree beside the building. He was still clinging to the hand and kept his fangs stabbed in deep, not letting go. Wires and vines began to come out of the Beast''s wrist, and more of that oil spilled out, catching fire and burning part of the monster''s arm. The sky above crackled, and a bolt of energy fired down and smashed directly into the head of the Beast. It was using its power to shock itself.


    The electricity flowed over its metal skin, and Myth felt his nerves ignite as the lightning bore its way into him. He felt a lung explode, and one of his eyeballs popped. This caused his jaws to snap open, and the Beast waved its hand, sending him flying down the street and into another building that shook and rumbled. Myth felt the walls begin to collapse on him as the entire building started to fall apart.


    A second later, a loud roar filled the air as the tower began to fall over. The Beast sliced up with its hand, splitting the building in half and causing Myth''s large form to fall onto it. He had become a giant with one hundred hands that rushed at the Beast, each hand grabbing a chunk of debris and smashing it down. He was bigger than the Beast and now used chunks of stone as a weapon, slamming them into the skull of the Beast.


    In the streets below, a crowd of civilians huddled in a dead-end street, trapped by destroyed buildings, approaching lava and the clashing forms of Myth and the Beast. As they cried out and cowered, a quiet whistle caused them all to raise their heads and look around. Standing in front of them, dressed in a suit that shimmered and changed colors with a pitch black mask that looked more like a gap in reality, The One Who Has No Name waved for them all to get closer.


    ¡°Please, get away from the wall,¡± they stated, a strange warble distorting their voice. ¡°And close your eyes.¡±


    As the scared civilians crowded around The One Who Has No Name, the hero raised a hand, the palm unleashing a flash of light that would have blinded anyone looking. Slowly, the crowd of people turned around, and several mouths dropped down in shock.


    Where the dead-end had been was a street that stretched on, almost as if it had never been a dead-end in the first place. The One Who Has No Name ushered them all to go and stepped away from the crowd. When the last person had rushed down the street, the hero stepped back into a doorway that had seemingly formed out of nothing, disappearing as the doorway closed and vanished.


    Still fighting, the gigantic Myth used one of his hands and shoved his middle finger into the destroyed eye of the Beast. He pulled up, attempting to tear the top half of its head off. His finger snapped and broke, and the Beast simply walked forward, causing more of his limbs to break. It formed a ball of fire and blasted a hole into his gut, causing him to fall. He lost his focus and was forced back into the form of a human.


    He would have landed in a puddle of lava, but Wyvern and Drake both managed to stand up and let out a powerful gust of wind from their mouths. They were far away, but the two of them were still strong enough to rapidly cool off the lava and turn it into a harsh stone that Myth landed on feet first, snapping one of his ankles. He crashed onto his back and stared up as the Beast raised its foot over him and brought it down.


    Before it could land, a gray blur swooped in and snatched Myth out from under the foot. Dressed in a light gray bodysuit and wearing a pair of goggles, Light Iron held onto Myth, activating his power to lighten the hero¡¯s weight. As Light Iron fired off a grappling hook, zipping from spot to spot, tears dripped from under the goggles.


    ¡°Dammit, bro. We didn¡¯t even get to do your combo!¡±


    As Light Iron fired his grappling hook again, the hero only had seconds to drop Myth as the Beast¡¯s palm slammed down onto the gray-suited hero.


    Myth dropped, crashing into a parked car. As the car¡¯s alarm rang out, barely audible over the cacophony of noises, he looked up to see the Beast¡¯s palm slamming down toward him.


    "That''s Lois," Fable explained casually. "She''s the daughter of the Victorian."


    "What''s her hero name?" Myth asked, folding his arms.


    "She doesn''t have one."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah. Apparently, she''s super weak." Fable shrugged. "Father has been making fun of the Victorian about that fact for weeks now."


    Myth felt a frown come onto his face as he heard his brother speak. It had been nearly a whole year since he joined the Sub Enforcers. His brother had likewise been working for his father as a member of Fairy Tales for an entire year now. His brother had changed since he last saw him. The tall boy had gotten taller, standing just under nine feet now. He was decked out in heavy metal armor and walking around with a massive mace.


    They were in the Enforcer tower. Fable got to visit it anytime his dad went, but Myth hadn''t been so lucky. It was his first time visiting the place, and he only got to come because Red Iron had been requested to come by and give a status report. Currently, all the heroes are upstairs at a round table discussing important things while he and his brother are down below in a waiting room. Across from them, sitting down on a chair and reading a book, was a young girl.


    "Is she also waiting on a hero to come down?"


    "No." Fable shook his head. "I told you she doesn''t have a hero name. She''s not in a team."


    "Then why is she here?"


    "She lives here."


    "Seriously? In this dump?" This tower was ancient-looking. Sure, parts of it had been decked out with modern stuff thanks to Mr. Avalon and the late Mr. Sini, but it still wasn''t a good place to be for very long. Quietly, Myth got out of his chair and walked over to the blonde girl. She wore regular civilian clothes, and while she stared at the book, her eyes were dull, and she didn''t actually seem to be reading anything. "Hey. Are you okay?"


    The girl''s eyes slowly looked up at him. "Huh?"


    "I asked if you were okay. You seem kind of out of it."


    "Why do you care?"


    "Because I''m a hero. It''s my job."


    The girl rolled her eyes. "Sure. Heroes haven''t been about saving people since Full Monarch died. Why did you really come over here?"


    "What''s your power?" Myth asked.


    "How did you know I have one?"


    "I just figured. You''re the daughter of some big shots. You must have something, even if it isn''t that good."


    Lois gave a snort and stared at him. He felt her eyes wander over him, and she seemed to stare at something. She smirked. "You''ll die."


    "Well, duh. Everyone dies at some point."


    "I mean, you''ll die in a specific way. You''re going to die to a Calamity."


    "Some kind of future vision, huh?" Myth asked, turning away. "That''s a pretty useful power. You must be strong."


    "Why don''t you seem to care what I told you?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes.


    Myth just shrugged. "I mean, I don''t want to die, but if that''s how it is, then that''s how it is. In order to go up against a Calamity, then it must mean I''ve earned the title of leader. Lots of people die to them. I never thought that I would be special or anything like that. People like you and my brother are the really special ones. That said, even if that''s my fate, that doesn''t mean I have to take it lying down. I''ll just give it my all. At the end of the day, that''s all I can do."


    Lois frowned and stood up. "You''re an idiot."


    "Maybe." Myth looked back at her and gave a sly smirk. "One day, I plan on being the leader of a team, though. If you can really see the future, then use your power to see that day. That''s the day I''ll ask you to join my team."


    "Making friends, Myth?" He turned and found Money Tree and Red Iron had finished up their meeting and were coming down the stairs. He was a little jealous that Money Tree had gotten to go in while he hadn''t. Money Tree was second in command, just under Red Iron.


    "We''re leaving." Red Iron said, waving. "Let''s go."


    "Yes, Sir." He nodded to his brother and hurried after Money Tree and his boss as they began to head downstairs. "So, what did the Enforcers want?" he questioned.


    Money Tree gave a smirk and folded his arms. "Sorry, but my lips are sealed. If you really want to know, you''ll need to become second in command!"


    "Fine. I''ll just wait until tonight. I know you always tell BB what goes on in these meetings, anyway."


    "I- I do not!"


    Red Iron gave a large smirk and clapped his two sidekicks on the back. "You should be more careful, Money Tree. With how hard Myth works, it''s only a matter of time before he catches up to you.¡± The man announced, ruffling Myth''s hair.


    "That''s only because you give him special training! Favoritism!"


    Red Iron just chuckled. "Why don''t we get the others and head out to enjoy some bowling? It''s been a bit since we last got to go, and this will be Myth''s chance to take his place as leader! Of the bowling team."


    "You sure?" Myth asked, raising an eyebrow with a cocky grin.


    "Sure." The hero grinned. "It''s a fun thing to do after big events. I¡¯ve heard so, at least."


    A month after that, Myth would surpass Money Tree and become the second in command...


    Lady Time swung her small sword just in time, cutting the Beast''s speed in half as her blade fired a gray light from it. Myth was able to react and transformed his body into something that didn''t need legs. All of his forms shared the damage they took, but if the form lacked a damaged body part, then it wouldn''t have that damage. His body became that of a large tree, and hundreds of snakes slithered around it as he pulled himself away.


    He was shockingly fast, the roots of the tree working like tendrils and dragging him down the street, away from the heroes and the Beast. The Beast tried to swipe at him, but Beta and Brobot fired out a wave of rockets, finally deciding to do something. The rockets rained down and hit the Beast''s arm, causing it to miss Myth. In retaliation, the Beast fired a beam of energy in their direction. Beta grabbed Brobot and threw the robot in front of him, using the lesser machine as a shield and allowing it to be destroyed.


    Myth finished crawling away, gained some distance, and transformed once more. He grew taller, becoming his biggest form yet. Massive red scales stabbed out of his flesh. His legs twisted and came undone, becoming hundreds of snakes. Wings wider than the Beast grew out of his shoulder blades. His muscles got larger, and he began to get bigger, his shadow twisting and stabbing out. The wind became his to command, and magma dripped down his mouth as his jaw jutted out and jagged teeth formed. Where his eyes should have been now stood the entrance to a small volcano, lava pouring down his face like tears, and each of his fingers grew the head of a dragon as he stared down at the alien.


    This wasn''t the first time he used this mode against the Beast. Two years ago, he had busted this transformation out. That was why he knew without a shadow of a doubt he stood no chance at winning. Even this form was nothing compared to the monster before him.


    Myth roared and swung out, ripping buildings out of the ground. His snake limbs twisted around them, and he swung entire skyscrapers at the Beast. To the Beast, though, all it saw before it was a larger target. Water danced above its palm, forming a massive swirling blade that it sent flying. It sliced through the buildings and ripped Myth''s right arm clean off, the limb crashing down onto a warehouse, a place that, in a strangely serene part of Myth¡¯s mind, he recognized as Pantheon¡¯s base. A shattered couch and sparking TV lying in the rubble were all that was left of it. Myth howled, and lava gushed out of his face, compressing into a thin beam.


    Ice covered the streets and buildings, and the lava was frozen and cooled in an instant as the Beast stared at him. It froze his eyes over and cracked his skin, causing him to drop to his knees before the Beast. The Beast walked forward and lazily pressed its hand to his stomach. It tore right through it as if he was made out of wet tissue paper.


    More visions went through his head as the Beast pulled its hand out, tearing out most of his guts and crushing them. He began to shrink as his mind whirled.


    He saw him training with Money Tree, Metal Ronin, and Wasp Nest. He saw himself hearing BB''s first words as the girl finally began to speak once again. He saw himself cheering with the others as they threw a party, saving the city from Green Tiger, the former leader of Zoo, teaming up with Red Iron to beat Polaron, training with Red Iron, Red Iron taking him out for bowling, fishing, and to eat, Red Iron helping him keep the library neat and clean, and Money Tree arguing with him over some nonsense.


    The other heroes fired at the back of the Beast, but it wasn''t budging. Myth landed, shrunk back down to his human form, and was on his knees. Ice crawled up part of his body. He was soaked in red and black, missing an arm, and his guts hung out of his stomach. His vision began to blur a bit, and more memories went through his mind.


    He saw the Hero Branch revoking his title and position. He saw himself meeting Lois once again. Her declaring herself as Whisper. Then he saw himself meeting Snowdawn. A young boy with snow powers who had just stopped a car from flying off of a bridge. He offered the boy a place on his new team he was forming. Then he saw himself meeting Jack and Hope. He saw team Pantheon be formed; he saw them battle the Bad Timers, Zoo, and the Wandering Coin, beating them all. He saw Pantheon working as a team, helping to save those people in the bank, clearing Ward Tower of water, and the bewildering sight of Battery with a cloud of fish in bubbles behind him. Tracking villains to a club, finding Red Raptor, bandaging Cinder and Snowdawn after their fight with Cybercroc. Taking on Green Wolf, Sunshine, and Polaron. He saw the time he took them bowling, the time he learned Cinder was a Lord; he saw how proud he felt seeing how strong Snowdawn had become, watching Lois smile more, learning Jack''s secret, seeing how strong Hope could be, and how she''d put on a brave face despite what her family was going through. Most importantly, though, he saw all the times he didn''t say anything. The times he didn''t speak to Jack, Armin, or Hope, and the times he didn''t tell Lois how he felt. How he kept it all bottled up. How he had more time he could have spent with them but didn''t.


    The Beast''s hand came at him slowly. Lady Time had cut its speed down with her power, but it wasn''t enough. His legs didn''t respond. He couldn''t even feel them. His head was slumped as the hand got ready to surround him and crush him to death.


    He saw more. The death of his father, the glare his brother had sent at him, the way he ignored it all, the sad looks in Money Tree''s eyes, the way BB, Wasp Nest, and Metal Ronin would beg him to come back. He saw the way the Enforcers stopped treating him like the son of Legend, the way they blamed him for what had become of Poseidon and Paragon, and the way Ocean Empress secretly resented him for damaging both of her daughters. Then he saw Legend. His father. He saw what the Beast had turned him into. The Calamity the former Enforcer had become. Thaddeus wondered if that would be his fate, too. Becoming a monster that would torment the nightmares of his friends and stalk their dreams until they woke up screaming like he had for so long. He hoped not, for their sakes.


    "Myth!" Ocean Empress tried to run towards him, but her body was still recovering, and she slipped on the ice, cracking her head. She threw her hand out, shooting a pillar of water toward him, but the Beast batted it away.


    The hand began to close around him, and Myth grimly looked up at the Beast. He had seen it once before. Two years ago. That memory slowly came back to him. One he had tried to forget.


    "You shouldn''t be on the battlefield." Red Iron growled out. They were in what was left of Chrysanthemum. The Beast rampaged and tore down buildings, blowing heroes and civilians to bits.


    "I''m the second in command of the Sub Enforcers!" Myth yelled. "I''m going to back you up, no matter what-"


    "Here it comes!" Someone screamed out.


    Lava rained down the street, flowing like a river, and buildings dropped from the sky, stone raining like droplets of water. Bolts of lightning danced around, and the city shook as the Beast walked. "Back me up..." Myth heard Red Iron''s remark, and he turned just in time to see the large red fist of the man flying at him. Time almost stood still, and he saw the faint smile on the hero''s face. Memories of all the time spent together were compressed in that fist. "How can you help me if you can''t even take one of my punches?"


    The fist slammed into Myth''s face, and he was sent flying away from the Beast and the battlefield. Everything blurred, but he forced his eyes open as tears stung them, and he watched Red Iron. The hero that had taken care of him, the hero that trained him, took him in, and even raised him, smiled.


    "You''re going to do good, Myth. Become a great leader." A beam of light streaked forward, and in an instant, all the heroes, including Red Iron, were blown to bits. Only Myth survived, Red Iron''s last attack pushing him out of the danger.


    "I guess in a way, that''s what I''m doing here..." He was back in the present as the Beast''s fingers wrapped around him. He stared into its one eye and spat out a glob of his blood in its direction. "I knew I''d never win. Still, I thought I''d do a little better." He chuckled. "It''s okay though. I think... I think I bought enough time."


    The Beast tried to squeeze down and pop the hero, but its hand didn''t respond. It cocked its head to the side and watched as a large slice appeared on its wrist, and slowly, its massive hand dropped off of its body. It stared down at its stump, then felt a flash of pain, and it toppled over as its left foot was torn off of its body. The crackling of energy that didn''t belong to it filled the air. Its eyes roamed the streets, and its head turned to look back at the other heroes, where a figure gently placed Myth down, moving so fast it had grabbed the man out of the hand before anyone even knew what happened.


    Ocean Empress stared up at Battery as he gently set Myth down. She hadn''t actually seen it yet. The crackling blue aura that danced across him. He held a long sword forged from living lightning. The power of pure destruction at his fingertips.


    "T- That light." Mister Man stared at the Pantheon hero with shocked eyes. "I''ve seen it before. That''s the same power the Emperor once held. Who the hell are you?"


    Battery ignored the Enforcer member and made sure Myth was still breathing. "You did well, boss." He stood up, and a second blue sword made of energy formed into his hand. Slowly, he turned back to face the Beast. "I''ll take it from here."


    The Beast''s eye actually seemed to narrow, and wires and vines gushed from its stomp. Ice filled the air and took the shape of a new foot, allowing it to stand up. An orb of fire filled the air and blasted toward all the heroes, but Battery swung both of his swords, sending blue light arching out in all directions and splitting through the fire, leaving significant cuts across the Beast''s stomach.


    "He hurt the Beast," Wyvern said, stunned. "Only the Victorian and Full Monarch should be able to do that. Is he on their level?"


    From up on a destroyed building, Beta used what was left of Brobot to repair his damaged body as his camera focused on Battery. "Is he... Ah yes. A Ruler, maybe?"


    Golden light seeped out of Battery''s chest, and blood was already dripping down his face. This was it. His last fight. No matter what. He could feel it. His heart had already stopped. The only thing keeping him going was this cursed power he held. His ability. The one that the Emperor had used. The one that had been able to kill Full Monarch. The power of destruction.


    "This is my final battle." Battery announced. He twirled his swords around and crouched down. "After this, I''m dead. I couldn''t ask for a better end. I''m the one who will get to drag the Beast straight to hell! You better make sure this is a good fight, got that? Don''t disappoint me, you freak!" A loud shriek filled the air. A scream. No. A roar. It was coming from the Beast. Black blood sprayed down its body as it ripped its jaws open, creating a mouth in the tear that let out a powerful battle cry. "Did I hurt your feelings? Good!"


    Glass exploded, and stone cracked. The cry was so strong the heroes had to cover their ears. Battery laughed loudly and charged forward, zipping toward the thing at his top speeds. The speed that made Green Wolf look like he was frozen in time. He was in the air and spun, swinging out with his blades, ready to tear the Beast''s head off!


    "This is where you die!" Battery screamed as he put his all into this one swing-


    Everything stopped.


    The blood dripping from everyone''s wounds no longer flowed, and the buildings that were toppling over stood suspended in the air. All color faded, leaving nothing more than a black-and-white world. No sound was made, and Battery was stuck in midair, not moving an inch.


    Time itself had stopped.


    The Beast reached up and wrapped its remaining hand around Battery. Before the fight could even begin, it crushed the man''s body, squeezing down with everything it had. It felt a ''pop,'' and if there had been color, red would be gushing from its fingertips. Its ultimate move, the reason it knew it would win, the Beast had simply halted the flow of time.


    It kept squeezing down on the hero''s body, and fire blasted down toward the other heroes, who were all frozen in place. None of them even knew they were already dead.


    Slowly, the Beast began to walk forward. It headed back toward its true destination now. It stepped on any hero or car that got in its way, crushing down in an instant. Civilians were stuck in motion, making an effort to run away, and it took its time setting pools of lava around each and every one it saw. One hero, a young man wearing a dark purple sporty outfit, was stuck in the motion of firing four arrows in a single second. As the Beast passed, lava flowed over the time-frozen hero¡¯s feet. Finally, though, it arrived at its destination.


    A large bridge stood before it. It was filled with cars, and a few other ice bridges had been made. Dozens of Hero Branch soldiers stood frozen in place, as did the heroes who were all here. Lazily, the Beast tossed the body of Battery in a random direction, sending it crashing into a building that would then collapse once time restarted. It didn''t matter if the hero was somehow still alive; his body was utterly destroyed by now.


    The Beast''s eye landed on its target. The reason it had come so far. The Brightest Star stood motionless. Her eyes were in the direction of the city, and her fire was out. Her costume reminded it of the one thing that had stopped it. Full Monarch. That hero had been strong. He was so strong that even the freezing of time couldn''t halt him or his fire. This hero wasn''t on that level yet, though.


    The Beast slowly raised its foot up and brought it down, ready to stomp out the Lord of the Sun-


    "I won''t let you!"


    Ice smashed into the alien, and it didn''t even so much as slow the Beast down, but a hero grabbed the Brightest Star and lifted her, skating away on a field of ice. A hero made entirely of ice. One who could also stop time.


    Snowdawn gripped onto Cinder tightly, running for his life as the Beast glared in his direction.


    "WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO MOVE?!" He screamed as the Beast blasted at him.


    Snowdawn was the only fighter left standing. The only one who could seemingly defeat this threat in frozen time!

 Chapter One Hundred And Five: Snowdawns Last Stand

    ¡°Is this the place?¡± Snowdawn asked, peeking out of the window of Whisper¡¯s van.


    ¡°Yep!¡± The invisible girl announced. ¡°The Sub Enforcer member Wasp Nest mentioned that he spotted a few shady stuff going on at this base. It used to be a Wandering Coin base, but has since been taken over by some members of Zoo.¡±


    ¡°Not Red Raptor again, right?¡± Cinder snorted. She rested next to Snowdawn and looked out the building in front of them. They had beaten the Wet Bandit gang just a few days ago, but things really hadn¡¯t been going their way. Team Pantheon only had a couple of days left until the deal they made with Boy Genius would come to an end. That was why they found themselves in front of a large, shady-looking warehouse. ¡°When do we go in?¡± She asked.


    ¡°When Myth or Battery give the signal.¡± Whisper explained. It was just the three of them in the van. Myth and Battery were both scouting the building itself out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the signal-¡± Snowdawn never got to finish his sentence, as seconds later the wall to the warehouse exploded with a bright golden blast, and the roar of a lion shook the building.


    ¡°It¡¯s go time!¡± Whisper announced.


    They jumped out of the van and ran to the warehouse. Instantly, the three of them stopped once they were in and stared ahead with blank faces.


    Myth was on his back, getting dog piled on all sides by various animals. They were all far larger than normal beasts and different shades. Likely some of Red Ape¡¯s creations, though the hands weren¡¯t present on the faces of the mutant pets, so the mad scientist wasn¡¯t the one controlling them.


    ¡°A little help!¡± Myth called out with wide eyes.


    The warehouse was filled with rows of tables that all had the various drugs the Wandering Coin would sell on them. Instead of the random Wandering Coin grunts, though, it was any animal that had paws able to lift glasses that were boxing them. Dozens of bears or monkeys were taking the jars of drugs and sealing them away in crates to sell on the streets later.


    ¡°Zoo doesn¡¯t sell drugs? Did Red Ape start his own operation?¡± Cinder questioned.


    ¡°Nope!¡± The voice of Battery came from the back, and they all saw who was really in charge of this base. ¡°These animals have found a new leader.¡±


    It was a large kangaroo. One dressed in a business suit wearing boxing gloves and sunglasses. It also had a boxing glove on its tail. It was another mutated animal, one Cinder had seen before. The very first time she went to blows with Red Ape, that man had this creature with him. This was none other than Toni the Boxing Kangaroo.


    The animal spun around, moving way faster than it ever had, likely being on the Wandering Coin drugs, and it smashed its tail into Battery¡¯s gut, blasting the man back. Battery rammed through several pillars and slumped down.


    ¡°Please take Toni out¡­¡± He grunted.


    Snowdawn chuckled, and just like that, Team Pantheon fought back against the mutated animals. It took them less than a minute to beat them all. Whisper tased dozens of them, Cinder showed off some of her strength to make them flee, Myth yelled loud enough to scare dozens, and Battery zipped around the battlefield, firing taser lasers that stunned most.


    Snowdawn skated forward on his ice alongside his best friend. Him and Cinder both pulled their fists back, combining a wave of fire and ice as they launched a powerful punch into Toni¡¯s stomach, knocking the drugged-up mutated mafia leader out in one strike.


    ¡°We make a pretty good team, don¡¯t we?" Cinder smiled.


    ¡°Of course we do.¡± Snowdawn smirked and hit his friend lightly on her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends since we were kids, after all. I always know what stupid idea you¡¯re thinking of.¡±


    Cinder giggled and threw her hands back behind her head. ¡°My ideas aren¡¯t that dumb.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes they are. But don¡¯t worry.¡± He winked at her. ¡°Your good pal Snowdawn will always have your back! No matter what.¡±


    Snowdawn didn¡¯t know why he found himself thinking of that memory, but he did. Slowly though, the events of the warehouse began to fade away as he found himself back in the present, where shit had long since hit the fan.


    The Beast brought its foot up and slammed it down, ready to stomp out the threat. Snowdawn blasted forward on a slide of ice and managed to hook an arm around Cinder''s waist, picking her up at the last second. His legs shook, and the entire block rumbled a bit as the Beast''s stomp echoed. He gritted his teeth and took off in a direction, but he could tell the monster had set its eyes on him.


    "WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO MOVE?!" He screamed as the Beast blasted at him. An orb of fire narrowly missed him, and the force of it knocked him back. Vines and wooden spikes blasted out of the ground around him, and lava bore down, causing his ice armor to begin to crack and melt. "I don''t know what Hope did to piss you off, but like hell am I just going to sit by and do nothing!"


    It had all started out of nowhere. Before he found himself running away from the Beast carrying his best friend.


    Time was starting to become something Snowdawn was becoming too familiar with.


    It first happened when he trained with Poseidon. He was tired of being weak and had begged the Lord of the Sea to show him how to get stronger.


    That was where he learned how to invert his powers.


    Metal Ronin had explained the basics to him. As Supers, they controlled their power and brought it out. By inverting it, they allowed the power to take charge and, in return, would alter it just slightly. It was almost like using an ability in its purest form.


    Stillness...


    That was his true power¡ªnot ice or snow, but the power to cause time itself to become still. Snowdawn had become, at least in his mind, one step closer to catching up to Cinder. Yet, out of nowhere, it happened. Everyone around him suddenly froze.


    "What gives?" He waved his hand in front of Money Tree''s eyes, but the man didn''t react. No one was moving. Only he could move. All color had vanished as well. He knew right away what had happened. Time had frozen, only he hadn''t done it. He could only freeze time for a few seconds at best, and doing so heavily drained him. It must have been that power that gave him the ability to still act in someone else''s frozen time. "Damn it. Whoever is doing this must be crazy strong! Surely some of the Enforcers will be okay, though-"


    A loud stomp caused him to go quiet. It was followed shortly after by a second, then a third. The ground shook, and the air almost seemed to heat up. Sound worked differently in stopped time. Everyday things wouldn''t make a proper sound; instead, they would stretch and twist, just like a sound wave in the depths of the ocean.


    Whatever was coming wasn''t far away, and he had a pretty good idea what it was...


    The city had been sectioned off into three parts. The first area was right in the middle. This was where the Beast landed. All the heavy hitters had been placed there to help stall the monster for as long as possible while it marched forward. The second layer was just past the middle zone. Any adult hero who didn''t wish to fight the Beast was placed here and was tasked with helping get civilians to the final zone. That was the bridge. Besides the docks, which were now unused, the only other way out of Oleander was the bridge that connected to Lillian.


    It was right at the edge of the city, and most of the towers had cleared up, creating a straight shot of the road. It was open, though it would then narrow out if one were to make it to the bridge. Most importantly, though, it was crowded. There were hundreds of people outside of their cars, trying to run across the bridge. Poseidon and he had managed to create two more ice bridges, but it wasn''t enough.


    People weren''t escaping fast enough.


    Something that was about to bite them all in the ass.


    Snowdawn felt his legs begin to shake, and his face paled as the Beast slowly emerged at the very end of the block, where the buildings started to clear up. Lazily, it tossed the crushed-up body of a hero frozen in time into one of the few buildings around and marched forward.


    Snowdawn stood frozen in place as well, not daring to move an inch in case this thing decided to outright kill him in one shot. He was at the edge of one of his ice bridges, making sure it was sturdy, as a few cars were in the middle of crossing it. A large crowd had formed around him and the other bridges.


    By some miracle, the Beast didn''t seem to pay attention to any crowd. It left them all alone, ignoring the bridges. Its gaze was focused on someone else. Snowdawn felt his heart sink when he saw it walk towards Hope.


    Cinder had been off to the side, away from the crowd and the bridges, watching them all work. She had been in the middle of using her fire to send a signal into the sky. They were using her to communicate with the other heroes and let them know when they could bring in the next crowd of people. Her arm was pointed up slightly, her finger held out, and fire had compressed a bit around it, but all of it was frozen and held no color.


    Cinder didn''t even know how close to death she was.


    That was why he now found himself running away from the Beast, holding onto the frozen-in-time body of Cinder as it gave chase. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you hurt my friend!¡± Snowdawn announced. "Sorry, Cinder, but I¡¯m borrowing a move from you!¡±


    He had seen her do something similar many times and felt it once, too: her supernova-like explosion, during which she allowed all her heat to be let out. In that moment, he did his best to mimic it, lowering his ice to its coolest point, just like when he would stop time. It exploded out of him, and a mini-blizzard actually seemed to form around him, expanding out. It washed over the lava and vines, freezing them in place.


    The Beast stepped forward, it''s good eye narrowing. The blizzard was seeping out from the center of the hero and creating so much snow and ice that the alien was having difficulty seeing through it all. It didn''t need to, though. Lightning crackled around its hand, bringing it down in the direction where the two had been. It punched through the blizzard and hit the source of it, causing it to die out instantly.


    When it removed its fist, it stared down at the crater it had created, where two bodies rested. No... Not bodies. Ice statues in the perfect shape of the two heroes.


    It turned its head and saw Snowdawn running away in the opposite direction, still carrying Cinder under his arm. He had created a mini-diversion. As he ran, Snowdawn looked down at the face of Cinder. It was still frozen in place. Staring blankly ahead. It was sort of hard for him to actually focus. Things seemed weirdly out of order.


    They say when you die, your life flashes before your eyes, and that saying must have been true because, as the Beast began to fire on him once more, he found himself having another flashback.


    A young boy stared up at the sky above. His face was bruised and battered, and his six-year-old body was twisted awkwardly from where a bully''s punch had broken bone. He was used to it, though. Ever since he could remember, he had been bullied.


    He didn¡¯t know why it happened or why, but kids always seemed to pick on him. Maybe because he looked like a nerd. Kids can be cruel sometimes. Today, however, was memorable for this young boy. He didn''t know it yet, but he was about to meet someone.


    As he stared up at the sky, his dull eyes tracing over the clouds, he allowed the pain in his body to gradually ease. A shadow loomed over him, and it took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to what he was seeing. His glasses had been destroyed when the other kids had held him down and began to hit him, so his vision was blurry. He was still able to make out the hand that was stretched out toward him, though.


    "Are you okay?" It was a young girl, the same age as him.


    He felt his throat dry a bit, but she didn''t move away from him. Slowly, he took her hand with his good arm, and she helped to pull him up. "Yeah," he lied. "I''m just fine." Despite his words, his shoulders slagged, and it was hard to hold them up.


    The girl seemed to notice and caught him when he stumbled and nearly fell over. She took one of his arms and began to help carry him out of the school park. "I''m Hope," she said quietly.


    He stayed silent for a moment, the pain steadily increasing in his body, but finally, he answered her. "Armin... My name is Armin."


    That was nearly ten years ago. Ten years that he had grown alongside the goofball known as Hope Lauren. His best friend. His sister.


    Snowdawn gritted his teeth and skated forward as fast as he could. He had never been the biggest, strongest, or fastest member of Team Pantheon. He wasn''t even the most annoying¡ªthat title went to Whisper. That didn''t mean he was willing to just do nothing, though!


    He made sure not to go near any of the frozen bodies of the civilians or heroes. He had no clue why the Beast was so invested in Hope, but now that it was so close, it ignored everything else and only threw out attacks. Unfortunately, that meant he was now dodging all the Beast''s attacks while he only had one arm.


    Lightning rained from the sky, and Snowdawn lifted his arm just in time to create a thick ice barrier. It exploded as the lightning reached it, tearing it apart and throwing him back. Wooden spikes stabbed out of the ground, attempting to impale Hope, and he managed to wrap his arms around her body and twist around so the spikes instead hit his back. His ice armor groaned and began to crack as the spikes bore into it, and right before they broke through, he used his powers to create a large pole, which he pulled himself up with, moving quickly to the left and dodging the spikes. A spinning disk of water blasted out from one of the Beast''s fingers, and Snowdawn managed to freeze it just in time. The chunk of ice was still moving at fast speeds, however, and rammed into his chest, causing him to gasp as he felt several of his ribs break.


    Snowdawn crashed to the ground, his arm letting go of Cinder and causing her body to tumble down. She was face-first on the ground, still unaware of what was happening. Snowdawn tried to stand up, but the wooden spikes rammed into him once more, throwing him back and getting him too far away from Hope to help.


    The Beast created an orb of fire above its head and launched it down toward the hero, ready to kill her with her own element. Snowdawn let out a loud roar and mustered up more of his strength, freezing the spikes and shattering them in an instant. He charged forward, trying to run to Hope so he could block the attack, but he wasn''t fast enough. He had been shoved too far back.


    "No!"


    He was still so weak. It had always been her saving him. Even before they got powers, he fell so far behind...


    The ball of fire suddenly slowed to a crawl, moving at half its speed, and Snowdawn felt his own body speed up as he doubled forward and managed to reach Cinder at the last second. He threw up a massive wall of ice, blocked most of the fire, and used his body to shield the girl from the rest. As his armor began to break and melt, he reforged it in the fire, and it came back twice as fast as it usually would, somehow beating out the flames.


    Snowdawn stared down at his hands as his crazy-fast ice devoured the fire. "What the hell? Did I get some shonen power of friendship boost?"


    "Sorry, I''m late." A new voice announced, causing the boy to jump. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, finding an Enforcer member standing by his side. "You did pretty well, kid. What''s your name?" Lady Time asked.


    "S-Snowdawn- Wait, are the Enforcers back up?"


    "Not quite." Lady Time stepped forward and held her hands out, creating two blades. The ice wall in front of her began to fall, allowing her to see the Beast, who didn''t even bother to look at her. "The others are all frozen in time. Like you, I have powers that fall into this domain, so it would seem I''m immune. I would have gotten here sooner, but I needed to get all the other heroes to safety. This bastard blasted at them while they were helpless."


    Snowdawn nodded slowly. Lady Time was strong; there was no doubt about that. She was an Enforcer, after all, but she wasn''t one of the high-ranking members. Also, she didn''t look to be in good condition. She was covered in bruises and walking on a limp. Part of her costume was torn, and her skin had bad burn marks across it. He was used to seeing her in magazines as the ''hottest female hero'', but now she looked like a warrior on its last leg.


    "It''s after Cinder," Snowdawn explained, nudging the frozen girl with his foot. "I don''t know why, but he''s solely focused on her. Is there anything we can do?"


    Lady Time studied the Beast. It wasn''t attacking them right away. Thanks to her power, its body had its speed cut in half, while she used her own ability to double Snowdawn''s speed. The Beast was seemingly feeling out its body and getting used to the new movement speed. It was hard to believe that this was the same mindless machine that ignored them and marched forward. Whatever was up with that girl must be too important.


    "There are two ways to avoid busted powers such as these." Lady Time explained. "See, the pinnacles of strength are the big three. Gravity, Space, and Time. A hero who can control one of these three can be considered one of the best of the best. They''re like cheat codes. Despite that, all three of them have a weakness of sorts. If a user has a power that is similar, they will have an inherited resistance. For example, a person able to bend Space would be someone like Fairy Queen. Her power has a hard time working on people who can teleport, even if her power is stronger. In this case, because we have powers that can fall under Time, we have immunity to the ability to stop Time. The second way to resist one of the big three is to be so overwhelmingly strong that you defy it. This is usually what the four Lords do, but all the current Lords are kids, with the exception of Max Lightning."


    "So, it''s just us?" Snowdawn asked.


    "For the most part, yes." Lady Time nodded. "That said, there is another weakness that powers like these have. They take a tremendous amount of energy to uphold. I can freeze time for about twenty seconds."


    "My record is six..."


    "Exactly. It tires you out, right? The Beast might be a powerful entity, but at the end of the day, the ability it wields is just like that of a Super. It is so far beyond us, but it must follow the same rules if we are immune to his time stop. That means every second that time is frozen, it¡¯s ticking away at that thing''s energy reserve."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "So, you''re saying we just need to wait him out? With how strong it is, though, it could take days before it runs low!"


    "That''s why we do the second plan. You have to focus on stopping time, right? Well, I''m sure it would be the same for him. We need to hit him really, really, hard! So hard that he can no longer keep his time stop up!"


    "Can we even do that-"


    A wave of fire blasted toward them as the Beast decided it was ready. Snowdawn and Lady Time both dodged back, with Snowdawn still carrying Cinder. They were moving at double speed, and the Beast and all of its attacks were at half speed, so they zipped away before the fire had a chance to reach them. That just meant the Beast had to get clever, though. The fire orb split at the last second and bounced off one another, firing at both heroes.


    Lady Time sliced both of her blades through the air and spun them around in a circle-like motion. The instant the fireball reached her, a clock-looking symbol appeared behind her, and the orb froze suspended in the air. Even in frozen time, she was strong enough to freeze objects in more frozen time. It didn''t last long, though, and the fireball began to blast forward once more after a second, but by then, Lady Time had already moved out of the way.


    Snowdawn created a giant hammer of ice and brought his weapon down onto his ball of fire, smashing it into the ground and freezing it in place with his double-speed ice. He placed Cinder on his back and wrapped her arms around him, wearing her like a backpack. He froze part of her body to his armor so she wouldn''t fall off. "Sit tight, Cinder. I''ll make sure you''re still in one piece! Your best buddy, Armin, is going to keep you safe!" He created a shield made out of ice and grabbed something that was hanging off of Cinder''s belt. The mace that she had gotten from Battery was the one that belonged to Hell Hound. He was sure it would do the trick.


    "Are you ready?" Lady Time called out.


    "Ready as I''ll ever be! I think I know how to hit him hard! I just need to get close!"


    "In that case, just follow my lead!" The Enforcer announced. "I''m an adult, after all. I wouldn''t be able to look my fellow Enforcer members in the eye if I let anything happen to a junior hero!"


    Lady Time charged forward with blinding speed, and Snowdawn attempted to follow after her. Even with his speed boost, he was unable to keep up with the Enforcer. That might have been for the best, though. She took all of the Beast''s attention onto herself and was swinging both of her swords out, almost seeming to be in some sort of dance. Just witnessing Battery had inspired her fighting style.


    The Beast was on the other side of the block and had decided to make up for its cut speed by overwhelming them with attacks. The distance they needed to cover was seemingly massive, and a wall of literal attacks faced them down. The Beast fired everything it had. Hundreds of orbs of fire appeared above it; lightning rained down, the ground erupted with vast spikes, disks of water spun fast enough to twist the air, and shards of ice followed after it all. It was a literal ocean of powers, all coming from a single creature.


    An entity that stood at the top of the food chain.


    A God.


    Lady Time met it all with everything that humanity could muster. She moved with elegance despite her injured leg. Her swords cut down fireballs, blocked bolts of lightning, froze spikes in their place before they could rise, deflected disks of water, and split shards of ice. She made sure not a single attack slipped past her. Snowdawn didn''t even need to raise his shield or protect Cinder. The Enforcer stopped it all, fighting through the literal storm of powers.


    Despite that, though, she was just a human. A human that wasn''t made for combat this intense. Every attack by the Beast did not leave her unscathed. Every orb of fire she cut down exploded, burning her costume and flesh; every bolt of lightning destroyed her cells; every disk managed to slice into a bit of her flesh; and parts of her body began to be frozen in tiny shards of ice.


    Snowdawn did his best to follow after her and used his own ice to freeze the spikes before their time could restart, stopping the ground from attacking them. As they neared closer, the Beast increased its onslaught, and lava began to bubble out of it. Snowdawn dropped his shield and began firing out orbs of ice, blocking some of the bolts and fire for Lady Time, and he also began to freeze the lava rapidly. They were now less than forty feet away from the Beast and drawing closer.


    Lady Time cut down another fireball and felt an intense pain in her fighting arm as a shard of ice ripped the limb clean off. She instantly recreated her missing sword, catching it in between her teeth, and kept pushing forward. Snowdawn tried to freeze the wound and stop the blood loss the best he could, but Lady Time didn''t even give him the moment. Her other arm still moved at blinding speeds, cutting down more of the attacks. She reached the lava and managed to twist her head a bit using the sword that was in between her teeth. It glowed, and she froze the lava in time.


    "I''ll take it from here!" Snowdawn¡¯s words caused the older woman to stop. She was about to run forward but was stopped when Snowdawn tossed Cinder''s body at her. "I could never call myself a hero if I allowed an Enforcer member to die for me!" He ran on the frozen lava, coating more of it with his ice, and swung out with the mace. It was only thanks to the amp he got from Lady Time, but it was enough. The mace was able to block every attack and cancel them out! The greatest shield, Battery truly hadn¡¯t been joking when he claimed this was a powerful weapon. "I hope you can feel fear, Beast! I''m going to make sure you''re scared of humans by the time I''m done with you!"


    He remembered what Ocean Empress had said to Cinder about this weapon. It belonged to Hell Hound and held a unique power. It could cancel out other powers when they touched the mace.


    Orbs of fire vanished, no longer existing, and bolts of lightning bounced off into the sky. He used his own power to freeze the disks of water and shatter them, and he wrestled for control over the ice shards the Beast launched. Due to the fact that it was focusing so heavily on its time stop, he was able to cause the shards to stop mid-air. The shards began to obey his will and lined themselves up for him, forming a staircase.


    He ran up it, gritting his teeth, and used a wave of ice to send himself flying into the air, putting him above the Beast. He raised the mace up above his head and screamed as he began to fall. The Beast stared up at him with its good eye, and a golden beam of pure light erupted from its iris. Snowdawn slammed the mace down, using it to block and cancel out the beam, but the Beast kept on firing. His ice began to crack and melt, and even while the mace blocked all of it, the attack was still shoving him back. Lightning appeared in the air above him and crackled down, ramming into his back while his attention was focused.


    Armin felt his nerves ignite, and his muscles twitched, but he froze his own body, forcing his arms to stay outstretched and allowing him to block the beam. Lady Time stood on the ground, her one arm wrapped around Cinder as she stared at the hero above. She decided who her next sidekick would be if they made it out of this alive. She placed Cinder on the ground and reformed her weapons, gripping one in between her teeth once more as she got ready to act. She could tell what this boy was planning¡ªhis trump card.


    Snowdawn felt his entire body shake as the lightning pressed down on him from above and the laser raised him up from below. "T-Talk about being between a rock and a hard place," he joked. He wasn''t ready to give up yet. He knew what he needed to do. He had seen Lady Time do the same thing. Even if the Beast resisted it, even if it only lasted for a second, this was the one thing that made him strong. The one thing that he held that allowed him to follow after Cinder. "Watch out, Hope! I''m about to become a hero that surpasses even you!" And with that, he brought his power up to its max, and he froze time!


    Lady Time had still been able to use her power, even to a small extent. That meant that while time was frozen, it could still somehow be frozen again. A double-time freeze. In other words, it could be a time freeze that would halt even those who were immune to time freeze.


    Snowdawn''s power spilled out as he poured his all into it. He felt himself inverting as he gave his power everything it needed. He gave it all up. An ice statue of himself appeared in his place, and the lightning and lasers instantly halted. For a moment, everything halted. The Beast was still moving, even in double-time freeze, but that had never been his true goal. Just like Lady Time, he had instead frozen its powers in place.


    He began to fall forward, going through the beam, the mace ripping it to bits. Already, he could feel his mind breaking from the effort, and his armor was starting to crack as he neared burnout. He fought through it all, though. He had always been behind Hope''s back, watching her push forward. She always seemed to be one step ahead of them. When they were kids, she would be the one to fight off the bullies, and even with what her family went through, she didn''t let it bring her down. It was his turn to be that strong. She was his little sister. It was his job to keep her safe. It was also his job to be cooler than her.


    Time was restarting, and he still wasn''t near the Beast as he dropped. The creature took a swipe at him, and he felt it collide with his sides. The second layer of time stop came undone, and the Beast''s attacks restarted. Snowdawn''s armor shattered, and the hand batted him away so hard that the boy was sent smashing into the ground. Snowdawn hit the road hard, his eyes rolling back as he felt his consciousness fade.


    He had done enough, though.


    "You were pretty cool, kid." From up above, dropping from a pillar of ice Snowdawn had made earlier in the fight, Lady Time fell. ¡°Get it? Cool! It was an ice pun!¡± She grabbed the mace out of midair, which Snowdawn had let go of when he had been hit. He hadn''t been setting himself up to get the win. The entire time, it was all for this one moment.


    "F- Finish it." Snowdawn managed to cry out with the strength he had left. ¡°Put him on ice!¡±


    The Beast''s arm was outstretched still and was unable to pull back in time, thanks to its sluggish movement. It tried to smack Lady Time out of the sky with its other hand, only for it to remember that Battery had sliced it clean off. Lady Time landed on the head of the Beast and smashed the mace down, slamming it into the monster''s missing eye. She tried to push down with everything she had, but the Beast''s other eye glowed and fired a golden beam of light directly into her gut.


    Lady Time was launched off of it, and her body was nearly torn in half from the laser. She dropped from the sky and crashed down head-first next to Snowdawn, unmoving. Armin groaned and tried to keep himself awake. The slap he had taken broke most of his bones, and thanks to burnout, he was having a hard time using his powers. The Beast stared down at them, black blood dripping from its face. Time was still stopped. The mace was buried in its destroyed eye but hadn''t gone in deep enough.


    Lightning twisted above and began to drop toward Cinder. The Beast''s speed was no longer cut in half, and Snowdawn no longer had the boost he needed. Lady Time was either dead or unconscious. He watched as everything seemed to move in slow motion.


    "Hope!" He threw himself over her.


    At the last second, the bolt of lightning twisted and changed course, bouncing back up! There was one more hero who could move in frozen time, one who also had great power¡ªthe power of a Lord!


    The lightning rammed into the handle of the mace so hard that the weapon was shoved forward. Max Lightning floated down from the sky, clouds wrapping around him and lightning blasting off of him. He brought his hands together and slammed them out, shooting a solid gust of wind through the eye, and the Beast actually let out a loud cry, one that caused Armin''s ears to pop and begin to bleed.


    Black blood poured out of the Beast''s eye, and it jerked back. The back of its head cracked, and then the mace came flying out as Max Lightning shoved the weapon all the way through, blowing a hole through the Beast''s head. The monster slowly dropped to its knees and grabbed at its face with its remaining hand as the black liquid poured out.


    Max Lightning landed on the ground and used his powers to cause ice to appear around Lady Time''s injuries. "I would have gotten here sooner, but the Victorian and I had to dig our way out of the planet. That bastard shoved us down to the core."


    "Victorian can still move?" Snowdawn asked.


    "Of course she can." Max Lightning nodded. "The two of us needed to charge up our power and bring it to the max, though. I got done before her, which is why I came first."


    "We need to break that thing¡¯s focus!"


    The Beast stood back up and pointed out its hand, launching a beam of fire. Even after all that it had endured, time remained frozen. A hole through its head was seemingly not enough. Max Lightning blocked the attack with a twirling wave of wind, causing the fire to fly off in the distance. He raised his hands, and more wind came to life, forming thick barriers around all the people. "Grit your teeth." Max Lightning command. "She''s coming."


    The Beast went to step toward them but stopped suddenly. Everything had been turned into a black and white color when it froze time, but all of a sudden, something from up above caught its attention. A red light. One that existed even in a world without color.


    Then, all the Beast saw was a fist.


    The Victorian, faster than anything in the world, even more so than Battery, appeared in front of the Beast, and she struck with everything she had. A punch that would destroy frozen time itself would have caused untold disaster if time hadn''t been standing still. The Beast was smashed back, and in a single instance, time restarted as color came flooding back into the world.


    Sound came crashing out, and Snowdawn felt his body burn as Cinder launched her fire into the air, only to accidentally send it smashing into Snowdawn''s ankle, causing the boy to yell.


    "What the hell?" Hope asked, blinking back to life. She had suddenly moved spots¡ªscreams echoed out, and her head jerked up. She was shocked to see Max Lightning standing next to her, holding the body of a bloodied hero. A nearby building exploded in the distance, suddenly collapsing, and Money Tree managed to stop it from falling on anyone.


    "What the hell happened!" The Sub Enforcer leader yelled out.


    Max Lightning didn''t say anything, and his eyes locked forward. Hope slowly followed his gaze and felt her eyes go wide. "See that, Lord of the Sun." Max Lightning spoke softly. "That''s the power of the Cosmos."


    Every part of her body was covered in a thick layer of black. It wasn''t like shadows, though. Not like the Emperor. This was like looking up at the night sky. All across her form, hundreds of tiny red lights sparkled off the inky black void that made up her body. The Victorian wasn''t holding back anymore. Even if it meant she could unleash an attack that would wipe the city out.


    The Victorian hadn''t inherited the power of the Sun. Thanks to her talent with inversion, she could use her golden light. The light had been her inverted power. Her true power was this: the power of the Cosmos, the second half of her father''s title of Lord, the reason she was the number one hero.


    "Get ready." The Victorian''s voice came out distorted, and all the other heroes suddenly noticed what was going on. To them, they had been standing there talking, and in less than a second, a battle had been brought to them. "The Beast is finally going to stop holding back."


    The ocean began to bubble and boil. Her punch had sent the Beast flying to the depths, but it was already coming back up! Fire blasted out of the water''s surface, and the boiling liquid rained toward the people below...


    ***


    Paragon straightened out her lab coat and adjusted her mask. "You''re acting like you''re about to meet your lover''s parents," Ward teased.


    "This will be the first time I saw the two of them since I failed to save him," Paragon huffed. Destiny wasn''t with her. That was okay, though, since she could see now. She had let the bird fly off and go hunting. She also needed him for later. At the moment, she stood in a hospital with Ward outside of a specific room. "You''re sure this is where they are staying?"


    The Hero Brancher member rolled his eyes and grabbed the handle of the door, yanking it open. She flinched a bit but slowly peeked inside. The hallway was filled with Hero Branch members and other injured patients. She planned on healing them all if she could, but she wanted to confirm something first.


    The hospital room was plain-looking. It had been given to the family only because of the situation that the father was going through. Alexander Lauren, the father of Hope Lauren, jumped a bit when the door opened. He was in his bed and looked tired, staring at the wall. Her healing hadn''t been enough. Not even close. Across the room, Jane Lauren stood. She didn''t look back at them and instead stared out the window in the direction of Oleander City. Blood was dripping down the woman''s face from where her teeth punctured her lips, and her nails dug into her palm. The poor woman looked like she had aged a good ten years, and Paragon was sure there were more grays in her raven hair.


    Ward stepped past her and cleared his throat, finally causing Jane to look back at them. "Mrs. Lauren." The Hero Branch member nodded. "I''m with the Hero Branch. You''ve been requested to speak to Paragon."


    "Paragon?" Jane''s eyes trailed from the man in the suit over to the hero in the lab coat.


    "You were in the hospital," Alexander said, sitting up slowly. "I saw you the other night. You tried to heal me."


    "I wasn''t able to succeed, though," Paragon sighed. Alexander gave a low chuckle and shook his head. "I''m sorry."


    "Don''t be. I never thought it would be that easy." The man shrugged.


    Ward folded his arms and leaned against the wall. His Hero Branch members were out in the hall, ready to act if he needed them. He kept his eyes on Paragon, making sure she wouldn''t try anything. They were high up on the hospital''s top floor, so he wasn''t too worried. She didn''t have a means of escape. That didn''t mean he was going to let his guard down, though. "Finish up with what you wanted to ask them." The man instructed. "There are plenty of people that need your help. The Beast attack has just started, and already we have hundreds that are injured and dozens more that are panicking. Only you can help put them at ease."


    Paragon nodded her head, feeling a little numb. She had always been a little jealous of her sister and Hope. Those two were so strong. Now, though, there was a good chance she was the strongest hero in Lillian, with every other hero fighting for their lives in Oleander.


    "Is my daughter okay?" Jane asked suddenly. "She hung up on me! You¡¯re one of her friends, so you should know what¡¯s going on, right? Please tell me she isn''t in any danger!"


    "I don''t know," Paragon said slowly. ¡°I figured that she wouldn''t be here, but I wanted to at least check.¡±


    Jane¡¯s head bowed down. ¡°I thought that if anyone could convince her not to go, it might be you." The woman whispered. ¡°She really is over there, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    "Not go?" Alexander frowned. ¡°Where is Hope? What''s going on?" Jane''s face was stained with tears, and she couldn¡¯t look her husband in the eyes. "Where''s my daughter?" Alexander yelled and tried to push himself up. "Is she still in Oleander?"


    "You shouldn''t be moving, sir. Your body is still-"


    "I don''t care." Alexander cut Paragon off and managed to stand. It didn''t last long, though. He fell forward but was caught by Ward, who moved swiftly, stopping the man. "I need to get out of here! If she''s in Oleander-"


    "Try and think for a second," Ward stated, slowly helping the man back onto the bed. Jane held onto her husband''s arm, gripping it tightly. "That place is a death trap even for normal heroes. You''d die just trying to cross the bridge."


    "I can''t just leave her! She''s in danger!"


    "She''s not," Ward said, shaking his head. "Your daughter is Cinder, right? She''d be placed near the exit point."


    "Cinder?"


    "Oh. Did you not know?" Ward shot a look toward Jane, who winced a bit. "You never told him your daughter was going out at night dressing up and playing hero?"


    "What the hell is going on!"


    "Hope has powers," Jane said quietly. ¡°She awakened them again.¡±


    Alexander''s eyes were wide, and he stared at his wife. "You knew?"


    Paragon stepped forward and lifted her hand up a bit, getting their attention. "If I may. I don''t know Hope all that well. We really haven''t spent a lot of time talking, what with everything going on. Despite that, though, I don''t think she is the kind of person to hide who she is from you without at least having a good reason. The way you''re acting now. This is likely how she figured it would go down. Even if you leave and somehow make it to Oleander, I don''t think you''ll be able to convince her to leave. The way you wanted to charge into the city despite your body is the same thing that drives her. She''s truly your kid. She is a hero. A strong one. Even if she wasn''t, though, I think she would still try to do something. Even if she didn''t have powers, that''s just the kind of person she is."


    "Are you saying that I should just give up and let my daughter face her fate? I don''t care if she''s a strong hero- I don''t care if she''s the strongest hero! She could be the Victorian, and I''d still stop her!"


    Hope had done a lot in such a short amount of time. Most people didn''t know who Cinder was. She wasn''t ever in the headlines or featured in stories. She knew, though. Cinder was the kind of hero who took on Green Wolf on her first day out. Cinder was the kind of hero who fought and defeated Polaron and didn''t get any credit. She was the kind of hero who did her best to save her family and would even fight a Lord. The type of hero who earned her sister''s and mother''s respect. The kind that somehow always seemed to find a way to squeak out a win. The kind that had survived an encounter with the Emperor. The kind that would help cats out of trees, people suffering heart problems, and freezing homeless men. She had taken down Zoo, Bad Timers, and the Wandering Coin.


    Oleander didn''t even know it yet, but they had such an amazing hero. It was about time someone helped her.


    "I''m not saying you should give up," Paragon said. She reached out and squeezed the man''s hand. She could feel her power bubbling up to the surface, like a flower nearing its blooming point. "Instead of chasing her yourself, though, please let me carry that burden. I know I don''t have the right to, but please put your trust in me, and let me be the one who saves her."


    "You''ll save Hope?" Jane asked.


    "Even if it kills me."


    Ward grabbed Paragon by the shoulder and shook his head. "Sorry, but no dice. I told you already. I''m not letting you anywhere near that battlefield."


    "Do you really think you can stop me?" She asked, stepping away from him and removing his hand.


    Ward snorted and folded his arms. "In case you forgot, I have a dozen men outside this hallway. Their weapons are set to stun. I don''t want to, but I will knock you out if I have to. You won''t make it very far. Especially not with the body that you have."


    "You''re taking it too far," Alexander growled. "She''s just a kid."


    "To hell with going too far," Ward sneered. I am the protector of Lillian. I have no use for morality. I''ll do what I must when I must. If this will keep my city safe, I''ll do it."


    "What about Oleander?" Jane questioned.


    "It isn''t my city. If Laps was even half as good at her job as I am, she''d never let it be put in such a position." Ward shrugged. "Humans stand at the top¡ªeven with you, Supers. I won''t let you do something stupid."


    "I always think everything she does is stupid." Paragon''s words took Ward aback. The healer reached up, pulling her mask off slowly. "She always has these stupid ideas that somehow work out in the end." She looked back at the two adults. ¡°Cinder really is an amazing hero. I wish I were half as good as her."


    Ward took a step toward her, but Paragon suddenly threw her mask. He caught it and jumped back, blocking the exit. He realized too late that she wasn''t going for the door. Glass shattered as Paragon jumped right out the window on the top story of the building.


    "What the hell! Is she trying to get herself killed!" Ward ran forward, as did Jane, and both of them stared in horror as Paragon began to fall.


    Paragon felt the wind hit her hair, and her lab coat blew wildly as she fell. Her stomach twisted, and she really regretted this idea. The ground was coming up fast, but she managed to spin around and hold her hand up. Destiny dropped from the sky and landed on her palm. Instantly, she felt her power roar to life, and that flower finally bloomed.


    Destiny let out a loud cry, and in a flash, his body grew large and his wings expanded. His claws wrapped around her, and he raised up just in time! Her feet almost grazed the ground as he took off, and he began to fly faster than a car. Paragon pulled herself up and managed to hook her arm around the bird. He turned a bit, and she fell forward, catching herself on his body and now riding him.


    Down below, dozens of people stared up at the large red bird that had flown through the city and headed for Oleander. Feathers began to rain from the sky as the bird flew, and someone picked one up. Instantly, they felt all the injuries in their bodies fade and ease up, fully healing them...


    It was as if a phoenix had been born.


    Ward stared out the window, his lips forming a thin line. The mask he held began to crack and dent as his fingers dug into it. "So, do you still think humans are above Supers?" Jane''s cheeky voice asked.


    "I hate kids."

 Chapter One Hundred And Six: Cinders Hope

    "-time distortion has been detected. I repeat, a time distortion has been detected. I repeat-"


    "Son of a bitch!" His gaming device shattered against the wall of his office room as he threw it as hard as he could. "That isn''t fair! It''s cheating! Since when can it stop time?"


    "The important thing is that time restarted." A mechanical voice hummed around the room. "Would you like me to inform you of the total damages, sir?"


    Boy Genius slumped down in his chair as his eyes stared at the screen. He lost another drone. A few more million dollars down the drain. It was so frustrating. He was supposed to be the second-strongest Super in the world, just after the Victorian. He always knew that the day would come when he would be surpassed. The Four Lords were set to return any day. Still, for it to be to this extent...


    "Why didn''t we know that the Beast could stop time?" Boy Genius asked after a moment. His office was a mess. He had knocked his desk over and thrown all his stuff out of anger. He thought it had been a clever idea to stay on the other side of the planet in his fortress away from the Beast, but now here he was, watching heroes die as they gave it their all. It made him feel gross.


    "The only two Supers who have engaged the Beast and pushed it so far were Full Monarch and the Emperor." The voice of Beta explained, humming through the office room. "Full Monarch could hardly be called a human and stopped speaking to his fellow man around the time the Beast arrived. As for the Emperor... Well, it is pretty clear why he wouldn''t let us in on this secret."


    "It doesn''t make any sense, though." Boy Genius wiped some of the blood away from his mouth. He had bitten through his lower lip a while ago. "If the Beast could stop time, why didn''t it do it in the last battle it appeared in? And why hasn''t anyone detected it?"


    "Time-based powers don''t work on those who have powers that surpass the limits of humanity that were placed on us by our creator." Beta explained. "Two years ago, you weren''t around. That means there wasn''t a Super smart enough or good enough to create something that could catch onto time-based distortions. The Victorian also likely wasn''t strong enough to negate such a power yet. After all, she didn''t truly become the world''s strongest woman until she defeated Poseidon during the Lord of the Sea''s first rampage after the incident with Legend."


    "No, that''s wrong. Lady Time and Max Lightning should have been able to inform us of something like this. No records ever show the Beast using such a power." Boy Genius folded his arms and stared at his monitor, watching as his fellow heroes slowly began to get back up. "That means two things. Either we''re pushing the Beast so far that it is using more power than it ever used on the likes of Full Monarch or the Emperor, which I doubt. Or¡­"


    "The Beast must be desperate to achieve a goal," Beta finished. "Who knows, though?" The robot gave a sigh that echoed throughout the room he was speaking through. "The Beast has always been bizarre. Every year, it is always a little different than the last. It makes me wonder if it''s even the same one each time. That body isn''t even its own. It''s just another robotic suit, similar to you."


    Boy Genius snorted. "Yeah. Some suit. That thing might as well be the greatest mental-based user in the entire universe. Its suit took down all my good drones like it was nothing and killed half our team. Speaking of which..." He trailed off faintly. "What are the total casualties so far?"


    "No Enforcers dead yet. So far, though, the heroes known as Bad Wolf, Hydro Cannon, Sea Monkey, Brobot, Slinger, Vampirica, and Bolt have perished. My own body has also been destroyed, though luckily, I managed to download all my data into your ship. The hero, Battery, is presumed dead. The heroes, Ocean Empress, Myth, and Lady Time, are too injured to battle. There are others among this list, but my data indicates they are fodder and expendable, thus not worth mentioning. Currently, the Beast is engaged with the Victorian near the bridge connecting to Lillian. It wandered over there while time was stopped."


    "I see. If this continues, I may need to send your real body out onto the battlefield, Beta."


    "Is that really wise? After all, Oleander would be wiped off the map if I were to actually deploy. Also, it is just us. You don''t need to call me Beta. You can use my real name."


    Boy Genius stood up and walked to one of the walls in his office. There was something he kept here in Nightshade. Something none of the other Enforcers knew about... The wall unfolded smoothly and opened up, allowing him to step into a secret room. All scientists, especially those with Mental powers, had a secret lab, and he was no different. The room was large and cold enough that his breathing became visible. There were many wires scattered about, and in the very back, a large glass container resided. One filled with a dark black liquid that had what might as well have been a corpse floating inside of it.


    "Whoa, hang on, sir! You''re not actually really thinking of sending me out? No way. The Beast would still destroy me, and if that thing dies, I''m gone for good."


    "If we don''t send it out against the Beast, then when should I use it?" Boy Genius placed his hand on the container, staring at the human body that floated inside¡ªa human body with dark skin that balled itself up.


    "I was created for the Immortals. Not this. Next time Lucifer pops his head up, you can send me out. If you throw me out now, though, I''ll be too unstable and fall apart. I can build another drone body and use that instead. We should focus on the others. They''re still in danger."


    "Maybe you''re right." Boy Genius turned away from the container. "Sleep tight in that case. Your day will come."


    A loud buzzing sound suddenly rang out from the next room, and the child felt his eyes go wide. He turned and ran, letting out a loud curse.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The voice of Beta questioned.


    Boy Genius stopped and stared down at one of his monitors, smashing his fist down. ¡°Shit! That fucker would pick now to make a move!¡±


    ¡°Who? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°An escape attempt.¡± Boy Genius spat out. ¡°Someone is breaking out of my prison!¡±


    ***


    Myth felt himself collapse forward as his legs gave out. Before he hit the ground, an arm managed to wrap around his waist. "Are you okay, Myth?" He felt a coldness spread out across him, and he managed to open his eyes a bit. "Stay with me! We''ll get you to a Super that can heal! Someone has to be around, still!"


    Ocean Empress supported him and used her command over ice to freeze his wounds and slow the bleeding the best she could. It wasn''t much, though. His guts were literally hanging out. He suffered from an intense stomach wound, a missing limb, one of his legs was broken, a chunk of his face had been cut into, and his eye was hanging out.


    "Octavius." Another arm grabbed him and helped support him. Fable stared down at his older brother, tears streaming out of the giant''s face. "I told you not to come! Why would you do something so reckless?!"


    "Sorry, Osvaldo. I thought I was stronger-" Blood sprayed out of Myth''s mouth as he began to vomit.


    "Don''t talk." Ocean Empress wrapped him up in more of her water, trying to support him and keep his blood flowing. "I''ll get you to my daughter or something."


    "I''ll take you both." Fable straightened his lion coat and picked the two heroes up with a single arm, wrapping it around both of them. "She''s in Lillian, right?"


    "Yeah."


    "Then I''ll head that way."


    "Wait-" A voice tried to stop Fable, but it was too late. The man''s cloak changed and shifted, and a pair of long feathered wings and wax grew out of his back, allowing the hero to take off into the air and fly. "Damn it." Mister Man cursed as he watched the three heroes leave.


    "Why are you stopping them? They need to get that Myth guy to a hero, stat." Drake asked. He supported his older sister, Wyvern, who was walking with a limp.


    "Think for a second, dumbass." Mister Man looked around for where his cowboy hat was, but he couldn''t find it. The damn thing had likely been burned to ash in all the fighting. "We''re not where we were a moment ago."


    "I assume that is thanks to Lady Time." Wyvern tried to give a shrug but winced a bit and leaned on her brother more. Her eyes scanned the crowd of heroes. Max Lightning, Victorian, and Lady Time were no longer here. All that remained were herself, her brother Drake, Mister Man, Duplicity, Fisherman, Roulette, Doctor Kraken, and Lancelot. Boy Genius hadn''t sent another drone yet, and Beta would take a while to build a new body. All of them weren''t in the middle of the road, which was now coated in a thick layer of lava that ate away at the dead heroes, burning them down to ash. Instead, they now all stood on the tops of knocked-over buildings. "I''m betting Lady Time used her power and moved us all out of the lava the Beast created, saving us."


    "That''s the issue." Mister Man growled. "Where the hell is the Beast?"


    "Now that you mention it, I noticed it got pretty silent." Fisherman shrugged, or at least did his best to shrug with one arm. He wasn''t too worried, though. He had a mild healing factor, and the limb would come back eventually.


    Lancelot stabbed his sword into the building that he was on and frowned. "I''m a member of Fable''s team. I''m one of the only members besides Fable that can fight the Beast on his personal squad. If the Beast isn''t here, then it likely went after the place with the largest crowd. I fear other members of my team will be there, and they won''t be able to hold out for long."


    "It''s likely the direction Fable just flew off toward." Mister Man cursed. "Drake, you''re a flier. Go after them and try to warn them."


    "What about my sister-"


    "Just leave me," Wyvern said, shaking her head.


    "No way! We already lost big bro! I can''t lose you either." Drake argued.


    "Your brother was Silver Dragon, right?" Mister Man asked. "I heard he died to Green Wolf. If a nobody like that can kill your brother, then he would have been worthless in this fight-" A scaled tail blasted out of Drake''s back and whipped around toward Mister Man''s head. It phased right through as if the hero wasn''t even there. Mister Man brought his gun up and placed it to Drake''s forehead, ready to pull the trigger. ¡°You want to try attacking me again, you little bastard? You shouldn¡¯t even be here. You¡¯re not even old enough to drink, get your sorry ass out of here before I blow those useless brains of yours out!¡±


    "Stop it!" Wyvern yelled. "What the hell are you two doing? We can''t fight during a time like this! Are you both stupid? Drake, go after Fable. I''ll be fine. I''m stronger than you, anyway."


    Drake gritted his teeth but grimly nodded his head. "Fine. Stay safe." He placed his sister on the roof, and a pair of giant wings stabbed out of his back. He crouched down and then took off into the air, flying at his top speed in the direction of Fable and the others.


    The other heroes all shuffled nervously as Mister Man twirled his gun and placed it back into his holster. "Why''d you antagonize him?" Wyvern shot a look toward her team member and glared at the cowboy.


    "I don''t like him, and I sure as hell don''t like you." Mister Man shrugged.


    "Why?"


    "Same reason as the Victorian." He stared down at her, meeting her eyes. "You''re a monster. Created by the Emperor. Now that he''s back, who knows what side your kind will pick once he starts his rampage again?"


    "The Emperor is back?" Doctor Kraken asked, his tendrils twitching.


    "Whoops. Guess I let the cat out of the bag." Mister Man shrugged uncaringly and turned away. "It doesn''t matter right now. We need to find a way down and hurry to the others. If you can still fight, I expect you to follow me. If not, then you might as well take a dip in the lava and save me from putting a bullet in you. I don''t need some worthless cowards with me."


    "You''re a jerk." Wyvern spat.


    "I''m still alive. Unlike the others."


    He looked like he was about to say more, but a loud noise cut him off. It was a rumble. One that came in the opposite direction of where the Beast had headed. It caused a shake to echo out across the city block, and the building they were on began to give way and started to cave. They had to struggle to keep their footing, and Fisherman nearly fell off but managed to get his hook into the edge of the wall and hang on with one arm as everything began to tip.


    At the edge of the block they were on, a loud hum echoed out. In the past, it would take the Beast months to show up. This was because the monster would launch itself from Mars and float in space, directing itself to Earth. Today was different, though. Today, the Beast hadn''t come alone. Another threat had come with it¡ªone straight out of this world.


    The UFO began to rise, knocking over more buildings and casting a massive shadow. Mechanical clicks emitted from it, and part of the thing began to unfold. What looked like a large barrel twisted out of it. At least that was Doctor Kraken''s final thought before a red beam of energy blew his head to bits, killing him instantly. Another beam pierced through a red and gold robot, Red Robo, sending them flying back into an abandoned food stand. As the robotic hero lay in the wreckage, their chest hissed and opened, Street Magician stumbling out, clutching a reddening patch in their magician outfit.


    "You''re fucking kidding me! The ship is fighting us, now!" Mister Man yelled out.


    "What, you thought we''d actually get a break?" Lancelot swung his blade, blocking one of the beams of energy as the ship began to fly toward them. "Heads up! Here it comes!"


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, things were going about as bad, all things considered. Water rained down, but the wind barriers around everyone kept most of them safe. That was until the water came together and turned into ice. Cinder threw herself in front of Snowdawn and sent a blast of fire out, but whatever this ice was, it didn''t care. The thing didn''t even begin to melt and came at her.


    Purrfect jumped up, large claws stabbing out of her hands. She sliced into the ice, breaking it to bits, before softly landing on her feet and giving a thumbs-up.


    "Damn," Cinder muttered. "I''m in my golden form and didn''t even put a dent in that ice. How sharp are those claws? I wish we had someone like her on the team." She shook her head and turned back to her friend. "How are you doing, Snow?"


    "I''m alive." Snowdawn gave a weak chuckle and managed to push himself up. His ice didn''t coat his body, and he was able to be seen by all the civilians, but he didn''t really care all that much. "The fight came straight to us. Get ready."


    Thiefer quickly made his way over to where Max Lightning was. "I''ll take some of the pain away."


    "Can you manage?"


    "No. I''ll likely die, but it''ll get her back on her feet." Thierfer shrugged. He had the ability to steal pain from others, taking it onto himself. He hadn''t been blessed with a strong healing power like Paragon. Still, he had somehow avoided death this entire time.


    "D- Don''t take all of it." Lady Time groaned. "I- I can live without the arm. J- Just restore my organs as best you can. Don''t overdo yourself, though."


    Thiefer gave a slight grin. "We need people like you. Heroes." He placed his hand on Lady Time, and a flash of purple light blinked around them. The man instantly fell back, screaming. Lady Time sat up, fully healed. Her arm was back, and all the damage she had taken vanished. Thiefer, on the other hand, squirmed and spasmed as blood flowed down his shoulder, which was missing an arm now, and several of his organs exploded as a hole formed into his gut.


    Cinder stepped back, her face paling, and Purrfect cast her eyes away from the dying man. "Sorry, Thiefer. You did better than most." The cat girl said. "Most can''t dream of making it through three Calamities. You were amazing."


    Cinder shook her head. "You can save him, right?" She shot a look at the Victorian. "There has to be something? You have healing powers! Use them."


    The Victorian didn''t bother to look back at her. The number-one hero kept her eyes focused on the ocean, seemingly waiting for her prey. The Beast hadn''t instantly come up and seemed to be feeling them out. "I can''t heal in this state." The woman finally said. "This mode is only fit for total annihilation of my foes. It has no healing properties within it."


    "Then change back!"


    "It''ll take too long to transform back into this mode. It isn''t something I can just do. It takes a great deal of effort. I''m not a Lord. I''m not blessed with some free power-up like you guys. Mine takes effort."


    "So then he just dies!"


    The Victorian finally looked back and glanced down at the shaking man. "Thiefer. Do you want me to save you or avenge you?"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Thiefer''s body shook, and he vomited up more blood. He wasn''t like Lady Time. He couldn''t survive as long as the damage was this severe. "K- Kill it. Kill that monster. P- Ple-" He drifted off and stopped twitching.


    "There you have it." The woman turned back around.


    Cinder felt blood trickle down her chin as she bit her lip. Quietly, she crouched down and closed the man''s eyes. She didn''t need to check for a pulse. "I''m sorry."


    "Are you mad?" Max Lightning asked her. "You are right. That''s good. Use that anger. Target it at the thing causing this. We don''t have time to keep you safe and the civilians this close to the danger zone. Make yourself useful and help the others. It''s about to start any second now. If you''re a hero, then put aside this single death and go save lives. You still have a family to see, after all."


    "Right..." She and Purrfect gently picked Snowdawn up and supported the teen, taking him to where the other heroes were.


    Surprisingly, widespread panic hadn''t broken out. This was thanks to Boss. He held his megaphone up and yelled through it, giving out calming words that had some sort of effect on the people. He had split the crowd up. Since the Beast was here, there was no use in trying to get everyone across the bridge. Instead, he tried to get the people on the bridge to move forward and get to Lillian, while those who hadn''t made it on yet used his powers to get them to head further into Oleander. There might have been puddles of lava everywhere, but it was somehow far safer than this place now that the Beast was here. A few Hero Branch soldiers were helping to guide the crowd as well.


    Metal Ronin and Techcoat seemed to be checking each other''s armor out, making last-second adjustments. Whisper stayed near the back, knowing she''d be pretty useless for this fight, and instead helped Boss with the crowd. Poseidon and Wasp Nest hugged each other for what could be the last time while Dust Cloud reformed on the building that had been destroyed and tried to move some of the rubble. Oxide moved over to help him.


    Lastly, that left just Money Tree and BB. "Should we get out of here?" BB asked, tugging on the hero''s sleeve.


    "And leave all these people to die?"


    "It controls wind and has fire, so both our powers are pretty much useless," BB said flatly. "What good can we actually do? I''m just trying to be logical."


    "I don''t know. You can go all big and help get these people across the bridge," Money Tree shrugged, half smiling.


    "I''m just... I don''t want to lose you." BB said quietly. "Myth might already be..."


    "Myth is fine." Money Tree placed his hand on the girl''s head and smiled. "Sera, you know he''s strong. Not as strong as me, though." He winked. "It''ll be okay. The Victorian is here. Let''s put our hope in her. She''ll save us all. She''ll save this planet."


    Over with Oxide and Dust Cloud, the hero came back together after he finished checking out the caved-in building. "Hey, a hero is trapped in here!" the hero yelled out. "He''s still alive but badly injured. One in red."


    Cinder turned with wide eyes. "One in red?" Her thoughts stopped as a loud splash came from the waters below.


    One of the Hero Branch members brushed some of her hair back and readied her gun. "Ms. Laps, you don''t need to be on the front lines-" Her soldier was silenced as the middle-aged woman raised her hand. She was dressed in full body armor just like the rest of them and held a large gun that looked more like a laser cannon from a video game that Techcoat had given her.


    "If kids are going to be on the battlefield, then so will I. My life isn''t any more important than any hero here."


    "You''re the head of Oleander''s Hero Branch, though! Ma''am, if anything happens to you, then-"


    "Save it. Here he comes." The woman called out.


    More water splashed down, but none of it froze or boiled. Instead, something else dropped from the sky. The Beast landed twenty feet away from them. It was missing a hand, a foot, had a hole all the way through its head, and its gut had been split open, allowing wires and vines to spill out along with some black liquid. It smelled like oil and was flammable to an extent, though the Beast''s own fire didn''t set it off. It was almost like it was some sort of machine or something. Large cracks ran along its body, and it began to get larger and twist a bit.


    Slowly, the Beast''s good hand reached up, and it grabbed its head. Metal on metal screamed out as it crushed its own skull and pulled, ripping its head clean off and spilling more of that black oil out. The Victorian gave the faintest hint of a smile. "Looks like you finally decided to stop using that suit and face us for real. You haven''t used your real body in years. My father was the last being that forced you out of that suit. Guess that means we''ve really pissed you off."


    "That was just a suit?" Snowdawn felt his heart drop, and he pulled himself off of Purrfect and Cinder. "You''re kidding me, right?"


    A hand grotesquely rose out of the neck of the Beast. Or, actually, it grew out of the shell the true Beast had been in. An intense heat filled the air, and light blasted out in all directions. Cinder did her best, but it was hard to even look at this thing as its real body pulled itself out. It stood on the neck of the machine it had controlled and looked down at its hands. She gasped as she fully took it in.


    The thing was still tall. Around the size of Fable now, or maybe a little taller, falling just shy of twelve feet. It was as if a star had come to life. It was an endless white, one from which no color escaped. Flames that burned so hot that they could take anything in this universe on. White-hot was the very definition of this thing. It was still in the vague shape of a human, though with how bright it was, she couldn''t tell if it had a face or even what gender it truly was, if it even had one.


    Whatever the case, she knew that this was it. This was the thing that pushed Full Monarch and the Emperor to the breaking point. The thing that made those two the best of the best. Humanity''s ultimate test. The thing they would have to overcome if they wished to keep on living.


    Then it was gone.


    The Victorian''s head whipped around her neck, nearly snapping as the creature appeared in front of her and hit her with the same punch she had delivered to it. The woman''s body flew back and smashed directly through the ice bridge and part of the metal bridge. Boss quit yelling as he fell back, and his power wore off, causing everyone who had been in his trance to snap out of it.


    Screams came out instantly, and dozens of people began to fall off the large hole that had been formed on the bridge. The Beast took note of them, and an orb of intense fire formed above it, blasting out. Max Lightning threw himself in front of the attack and screamed as the fire blasted through him and carried him to the bridge, exploding in a massive blast that outright killed several people and threw many of them back.


    Poseidon managed to transform into her Lord form, her hair turning blue, and she withstood the blast, being the hero closest to it along with Boss. Boss was reduced to ash instantly, and Poseidon felt herself being thrown back. BB transformed her body into her large form and threw herself around Money Tree, tanking most of the blast. As for the rest of them, the shock wave still hit them and knocked them off their feet.


    Cinder wrapped herself around Snowdawn and Purrfect, keeping them safe, and she withstood the shock wave. But her ears rang out, and she felt her heart sink. They hadn''t pushed it this far because they were strong. The Victorian had assumed they stood a chance because they were able to at least keep up with the suit it had been in. The woman had figured that by it coming out, it meant that it acknowledged their strength. That was wrong, though. Cinder only realized it too late.


    They just pissed it off.


    "B- Boss!" Dust Cloud screamed out.


    "You bastard!" Techcoat blasted forward at top speed, raising a sword that formed out of his arms.


    "No!" Purrfect tried, but it was too late.


    Lady Time tried to save the kid and swung her swords out, but the Beast was too fast. It had been relatively slow before, like an iron tank that wouldn''t stay down. Now, though, none of them could even see the abomination move. In a single second, Techcoat was split in half, and Lady Time had her face grabbed, the white-hot flames eating away at her as the monster rammed her down onto the floor next to Thiefer¡¯s corpse.


    Hope managed to shakily stand back up along with Snowdawn and Purrfect. Her arms hung at her sides, and she just stared numbly at the creature. Gunfire rang out as the Hero Branch opened fire. Ms. Laps even lifted her big gun up and fired, but it didn''t even stagger the Beast. It waved its hand lazily, and a giant blast of white energy whipped out, slicing into the men. It would have cleaved Laps in two, but she was tackled by Metal Ronin. He wasn''t so lucky, though, and the whip tore his arm clean off, causing him to scream.


    A pair of bright red dragons swooped forward, flanked by a deep crimson dragon the size of a bus. The hero, Draco in his dragon form, reared his head back, a bright light forming in his jaws as the two red dragons breathed jets of flame at the Beast. Before Draco could unleash his attack, the Beast swung upward, splattering the dragons instantly and sending Draco flying into the sky so fast that a sonic boom rang out.


    Wasp Nest and Dust Cloud reformed further down the block, both boys shaking, and Dust Cloud threw up as the stress got to him. A single attack could wipe them both out, even with their ability to escape death, and now half his team was dead. Oxide hadn''t been caught in the blast and was using her power to keep the supports of the bridge from snapping, but it was pointless. One more attack from the Beast would end it all.


    Whisper collapsed to her knees, looking down at the water where her mother and dad had been blasted. "Victorian. Max Lightning. Mom! Dad! Please! Save us!"


    It hadn''t even been ten seconds yet...


    Less than ten seconds, and they already lost.


    The Beast struck out this time, aiming at its true target. Hope saw the finger point at her, and she tried to get her body to budge, but it didn''t want to move. A beam of white-hot energy was launched in her direction, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Purrfect grabbed her and tried to shove her out of the way, but it was too late. The attack was inches away.


    Then...


    Everything stopped.


    "You know. I think I figured it would end this way." All color faded. The Beast cocked its head to the side as time stopped. It hadn''t been the one to do this. Its attack was frozen in the air right before it could hit the Lord of the Sun. Snowdawn sighed and gave a saddened smile. "Please, Hope. Just... Man. This is so dumb." He pushed her out of the way. "I don''t even have any final last words that sound well planned. I suck." And then time restarted.


    All Armin saw was pitch white as the blast overtook him, and Cinder and Purrfect were shoved out of the way at the last second.


    Cinder felt herself hit the ground as the beam flew past her, burning so hot that it caused her to wince and Purrfect to scream. She felt Purrfect''s arms around her as well as another that gripped her. "Thanks for the save, Armin." She waited for the boy to respond or even give a joke in a situation like this, but it never came. "Armin." She looked down, only to find a severed arm that gripped onto her wrist, slowly burning away as the white flame ate it. "A... Armin?"


    "Cinder, look out!" Purrfect screamed.


    She turned back just in time. The Beast swung, and she brought her shield up. Its fist rammed into it, cracked, and dented the object, caving most of it in and sending her flying back. Purrfect jumped up and stabbed out with her claws, but they didn''t even touch the Beast. The monster was behind her and kicked out, blowing her to bits. Or at least it thought it did, but seconds later, Purrfect appeared behind it once more.


    "Sorry. You''ll have to try harder than that to kill me. Didn''t anyone tell you cats got nine lives!"


    Cinder rolled across the ground, feeling several of her bones snap and break. This wasn''t like being hit by the Emperor. That had hurt. It hurt so bad that she knew she had been taken out of the fight just by a single attack. This was so much worse, though. She thought she was dead. When the fall finally stopped and her senses came back, she felt herself being shaken.


    "You have to get up!" Whisper screamed. "Please, Cinder, stand up! You need to get into the water and find mom or-"


    "A- Armin? Is Armin okay?"


    "Cinder, you have to stand! Get up, Hope!"


    Her head hurt. The gray sky above began to rain mournfully down onto the battlefield. Screams were all around them as people ran. This was a Calamity. A nightmare come to life. They stood no chance of winning.


    ''Would you like me to help you?''


    "What did you say?" Her eyes slowly focused back on Whisper as the throbbing in her head died down a bit.


    "I said get up!" She felt herself being picked up by the girl and she wobbled slightly. One hit had done that. The severed arm that gripped onto her softly dropped to the floor as the fire finished eating it away, and Armin¡¯s ash was carried off. "We have to get into the water and find Mom or Dad!" Whisper said. "They can beat it if they team up or something! They can-"


    "We''re going to die." Hope felt part of her shield break away, and she stared down at the ground. The shield Mr. Larison made her had snapped in two. "It''s going to kill us."


    Whisper slapped her, but she didn¡¯t feel it. "Don''t talk like that! What happened to the bubbly, bright girl!"


    She wasn''t the only one in such a hopeless situation. Many of the Hero Branch members were dead. Oxide was using her powers to hold the bridge up, but she was struggling and shaking. Money Tree was numbly shaking a fourteen-foot-tall BB who was severely burned, trying to get her to wake up. Wasp Nest and Dust Cloud had taken to escorting the crowd the best they could, leading them across the ice bridge, but many people fell to the waters below. Ms. Laps was also working. She was in that destroyed building, clearing the rubble and looking for something beneath it. Or maybe someone...


    Purrfect managed to get the Beast''s attention fully on her by some pure chance of luck. The girl danced around it as fast as she could and struck out with her claws, but she didn''t even manage to hit the creature a single time. Meanwhile, it killed her once, twice, three times, and counting. Hope was guessing the girl only had so many extra lives to waste. The girl was doing her best to get the Beast as far away as she could with her remaining life and disappeared behind a series of buildings.


    Whisper shook Hope, but the girl barely responded. "Fine, then! Screw you. I''ll save her myself!" Whisper let go and took off, jumping down into the waters below to look for her parents.


    Hope tried to reach out to her, but her hand missed. She stared down at the fire, watching it flicker on and off around her palm. "Did you seriously give up so easily?" A voice asked. She turned and found Poseidon standing next to her now.


    "What-"


    Poseidon walked forward and headbutted Hope as hard as she could, knocking Hope to the ground. "Get up!" Poseidon grabbed the hero by the front of her suit and dragged her over to the bridge, where people were fleeing. "You''re a Lord, for God''s sake. So what if we''re going to lose? So what if we''re going to die? So what if that thing beats us? That doesn''t matter. Do you know why? Because we''re superheroes! Superheroes have heroes in the name, you know!"


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "Isn''t that obvious? We do our job! This isn''t the first time you''ve been in a do-or-die situation. How many times have you tried to sacrifice yourself to save people? You''ve done reckless things for other people since the start! Oh, but just because this time you''re up against a wall that you can''t stop means you give up and don''t even try? No! This shouldn''t be any different! You were willing to die for my sister in the battle with Wish! You should be just fine with dying for these people as well, then, right? Or is the fact you want to screw my sister the only reason you were willing to give your life up?!"


    Hope followed where Poseidon was pointing and saw all the civilians that were still stuck on the bridge. All of them had ditched their cars due to how many holes were in the bridge and were climbing across one another, running for Lillian, where it was safe. There were so many people across the bridge who looked like tiny dots in the distance. Men, women, and children. All fighting to live. All doing everything they could to survive.


    She was going to die. She was sure of that fact. She didn''t know why, but the Beast wanted her. Maybe it had something to do with her being a Lord, though it seemed to mostly ignore the others. Either way, it didn''t matter. Poseidon was right. If she was going to die either way, then what was the point in just standing there and doing nothing?


    At least by fighting, she could offer two or three more people a couple more seconds to escape to Lillian.


    "Sorry, Poseidon." She wiped some of the blood away from her face and felt her muscles and bones ease back into place. "I can be dumb, sometimes."


    "Yeah, I sort of knew that already."


    She managed to focus her breathing slowly. She could still feel the spot where Armin had gripped her wrist. He''d be yelling at her to run about now. To flee. Yet he was the kind of guy who would stay behind himself. He was basically her older brother. She knew exactly the kind of thing he¡¯d be doing right now. She didn''t know if Myth or Battery were still alive. All she knew was that this was her choice. She was going to be Cinder in this moment. She was going to be a hero.


    "I''m sorry, Mom. I''m so sorry." She wiped her tears away.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I wouldn¡¯t have minded it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She looked back at Poseidon.


    ¡°You and my sister.¡± Poseidon sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have really minded if you and her¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you giving me your blessing to date your sister in a time like this?¡± Cinder snorted.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s kind of dumb. If we make it out of this alive, though, I expect you to actually do the right thing and give Sky the greatest date ever.¡± Poseidon pointed her trident out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to have sex with her, though! You¡¯re both too young for that!¡±


    ¡°Can we just focus on the Beast¡­¡±


    A roaring inferno raged across Oleander, tearing down everything in its path, be it building or person.


    The sound of battle cries, cursing, and screams almost seemed louder than the rumble of collapsing buildings or the roar of the invading Beast, which went out of its way to attack anything that moved.


    Children wailed in their parents¡¯ arms as they were carried across the last bridge that stood, the only way left out of the city.


    Cinder did her best not to groan. The Beast had hit her only a single time, and yet she was sure this was the worst pain she had ever felt in her short life. She quietly fastened the straps to the silver shield that hung on her arm.


    ¡°You, okay?¡± Poseidon''s voice almost caused her to jump.


    Cinder nodded her head. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± As far as she knew, it was just her and Poseidon that were left standing. The others were in no condition to fight this thing.


    ¡°Good. Because here he comes.¡± The water twisted and formed, rising out of the river beneath the bridge they guarded. It developed into a large trident, which Poseidon gripped tight enough to turn her knuckles white.


    Cinder felt part of her life leave her when she finally saw the Beast again. That meant that Purrfect was likely... It approached with slow, steady strides, taking its time. That godlike speed it had shown earlier wasn''t present.


    ¡°We have to win,¡± Poseidon stated, pointing her trident forward.


    Cinder nodded and gripped her shield tighter. Smoke rose from her skin, and her costume ignited as she became a blazing inferno, much like the Beast. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll win.¡±


    And with that, their battle began!


    Then, it was over in an instant.


    Poseidon tried to increase the gravity of the Beast, forcing her full force onto the thing, only to have it flip and return back at her, causing her eyes to go wide. She was rammed into the ground by a powerful, unseen force, causing her to spit up black blood and kneel. Cinder blasted herself forward as fast as she could, the fire twisting around her arm.


    White wings forged of fire formed out of the Beast''s back in the shape of a butterfly, and it flew up, dodging her strike. She tried to turn but wasn''t fast enough, and the creature flew past her, holding its hand out. It landed behind her, and she felt her fire go out instantly. She felt her throat fill with blood, and silently, she looked down. An entire chunk of her side was gone now. Several of her organs had been destroyed or burned away. A wound like this wasn''t survivable. She was basically a dead girl walking already.


    "Hope!" Poseidon tried to stand, but the gravity around her grew more assertive, cracking the ground and shoving her into it.


    Cinder shakily dropped to her knees, grabbing at her gut wound. She couldn''t even attempt to stop the blood loss. It all came pouring out. The only reason she didn''t black out or die instantly was the fact that she was a Super. She slowly looked up at the Beast as it stared down at her. Her eyes burned just looking at the thing, but she didn''t stop. It cocked its head to the side and reached out toward her.


    She opened her mouth and fired out a beam of fire with everything she had. The attack slammed into the Beast''s stomach, pushing it back and causing it to drop to its knees. The enhanced gravity around Poseidon vanished, and the girl fired forward with everything she had, swinging out with her weapon. The wings on the Beast grew more prominent, and it used them to fly up in the air once more, just like a butterfly. Poseidon threw her trident at it, but the thing batted it away and fired out a thin beam of white light that shot a hole through the girl''s stomach and downed her instantly.


    Serenely, the Beast came back down, landing softly on the street. "Well, we gave it our best shot." Hope chuckled weakly. "Do you have any other ideas?"


    "I think it snapped my spine." Poseidon struggled to push herself up. "Can you move?"


    "I''m in too much pain."


    "Who cares? Get up."


    "I''m trying, but it''s hard when half your stomach is torn out." Cinder tried to move her hands away, but that just caused more of her blood to spray out. She tried to muster up some more fire, but it was no use.


    The Beast swung toward her, but at the last second, it stopped and turned, holding its hand out and catching a massive arrow that flew toward it. Fable glared at the monster standing on the other side of the street. "That''s right, dipshit. Keep staring at me!" His bow formed into a shield, and he rose up just in time to block the laser beam it fired at him. As the Beast did that, a wave of water slammed down from above, and Ocean Empress came crashing down.


    The Enforcer managed to grab Cinder and Poseidon and, thanks to Fable''s covering fire, got out of the danger zone just in time as the Beast took a swipe at them. "I''ll show you your arrogance for taking me on in the rain," the woman announced, raising her good hand up and swirling all the rain around in the shape of a massive water snake.


    The Beast went to dodge the strike, only for Myth to ram into it from behind, transforming into his lion mode. He wrapped his one arm around the beast, ignoring the heat. He wasn''t alone, either. Money Tree also grabbed the monster, Earth Worm crawled out of the ground and wrapped around the Beast¡¯s leg. A splatter of water on the ground rippled and bulged, a woman in a blue swimsuit forming. Water-Gal rushed forward as her power activated, her skin shimmering and turning translucent, absorbing nearby water and moisture. The woman turned into water, wrapping around the other heroes in an attempt to help them resist the Beast¡¯s immense heat.


    All of them held it in place as the water snake reached them.


    Of course, they knew this wouldn''t kill it.


    Still, they had to try something.


    After all... They were heroes.

 Chapter One Hundred And Seven: Her Name Was River Sini

    "This movie sucks."


    River let out an offended huff and slapped Jack''s arm. "A lot of people worked really hard on this movie."


    "That just makes it worse." Jack snorted. "The plot barely makes any sense, and all it does is yap on and on. That actor doesn''t even look like you."


    Jack Larison and River Sini wouldn''t exactly say that they viewed one another as friends. Their relationship was the kind in which neither of them could stand the other for very long. It was the kind of kinship that had been formed only due to how much time they had been forced to spend around one another. Constantly coming to each other''s rescue was part of the job, after all.


    Today had been a calm day. Zoo, Bad Timers, and the Wandering Coin seemed to be gone for good. All the other small fry villains in Oleander seemingly sensed it as well and went underground to lay low. Hope and the others had come to the mall to have fun. He had been expected to stay in the parking lot waiting for hours when he spotted River, who had come to drop her own kids off.


    That was why the two of them found themselves inside a movie theater in the newly built mall, watching some cheesy action movie following the origin story of Ocean Empress. The CGI was pretty bland, and the actors weren''t even remotely close to looking like the real heroes. A lot of liberties had been taken as well, making up a brand-new backstory for the hero, which was bland and typical. If it had been another movie about the Victorian or Pretty Face, the budget would have been huge. For someone like Ocean Empress, all her legacy gave her was some bland B-tier project.


    "I didn''t have any say on the movie." River finally said. The movie room they were in was mostly empty. They had a front-row seat. "I knew they were making the movie, obviously, and they ran some stuff by me, but I never really gave it much thought after that."


    "You don''t watch the movies based on you?"


    "I don''t really have a need to fuel my ego." The Enforcer snorted. "I know I''m not the strongest or the smartest member of the Enforcers."


    Jack stared up at the screen, watching as the actor playing Ocean Empress fought some weird giant robot for the climax of the movie, saving Lillian City. "You''re kind of like Snowdawn in that regard." He said after some time.


    "Is that supposed to be an insult?"


    "It''s a compliment." Jack shrugged. He clasped his hands together and leaned forward, watching the woman in the movie throw herself in front of a crowd of people the robot fired at. "Snowdawn is a good hero. He''s a lot stronger than anyone thinks. In fact, I bet he could become a member of the Enforcers if he tried a little harder. Next time you''re free, you might consider giving him a few tips. His powers are similar to yours. He''s a good kid. He just needs to live long enough to see it."


    "That''s the same story for every hero." The robot in the movie finally collapsed, falling apart, but the damage was too much for Ocean Empress. Her eyes slowly glazed over, and she died in the arms of the crowd. "Guess I won''t be getting a sequel movie..."


    Jack watched the credits roll. The movie ended by killing its main character. It''s something you never really see with movies based on big heroes, but Ocean Empress had never been a popular Enforcer member. "Nothing wrong with going out in a blaze of glory, right?" He questioned, standing up as he and River began to head for the exit. They didn¡¯t even bother waiting for the post-credit scene.


    "You should know. You''re the one racing for an early death." The hero sighed. Jack just shrugged as they made their way out of the mall and stepped out into the parking lot. The others would likely still be hanging out and partying. Everything seemed calm and peaceful for the moment, and the sun was still high in the sky. "The Victorian told me of the offer she gave you."


    River''s words caused Jack to flinch for a moment. He raised an eyebrow at her and gave a smirk. "She can''t keep her mouth shut, huh?"


    "She''s my best friend. We were team members fifteen years ago, you know. Trading secrets is what women do." River folded her arms and looked the red-haired man in the eye. "Are you going to take her up on her offer?"


    "Dunno-"


    "What''s there to think about?!" The woman hissed. "You said it yourself. You''re on death''s door. You have one more fight left in you at best. Are you seriously fine with wasting it? That shard is killing you. She gave you a way out."


    Jack rubbed at his chest absentmindedly as he whistled a tune. He didn''t speak for several moments and just stood there. "For humans by humans." He finally said, speaking the same phrase the Victorian had said to him. "It makes me wonder where Supers fall into that category. Are we considered humans? What of the Monsters created by the Emperor or even the Lords? There''s still so much we don''t know about. We still don''t even know who the first four Lords were or where they came from, nor do we know what the threat they fought against truly was."


    "Isn''t that why you should live longer? Aren''t you curious about that answer?"


    "I thought I was a dead man in my fight with Fairy Queen," Jack admitted. "I thought it was finally my time. All of us have a time to go, and I''ll be no different. Let''s be real for a second. Even if the shard was removed from me, do you think I''d live?" He grabbed his chest and felt his fingers dig into it. "It holds my power back and damages me constantly. I''ve had my heart melted and many of my organs torn to bits. I don''t have the power to heal. It is only thanks to that golden light. Once that shard is out of me, that''s it. My power is only meant for destruction. I''d still die."


    "You could live longer, though. Maybe an extra year or two. Maybe even three. My daughter might even be able to heal you a bit and extend your life."


    "Your daughter hates me."


    "She''d still do it, though. Because you''re important to Hope, that would be enough for her."


    "That''s manipulation-"


    "Why are you so insistent on dying!"


    "Because maybe I want to!" Jack yelled finally. "Maybe I''m tired. Maybe I did my best, and I can finally quit. I never wanted to do this. Someone like me should have never been a hero. I only did this for Full Monarch. My job is done. The kid doesn''t need me. She hasn''t for a while. What would a few more years really do for someone like me? I''m just..." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I''m tired."


    River stared at him for a moment before she turned away and looked up at the bright blue sky above. She had always liked the daytime. The blue reminded her of the ocean, which her father had always loved. "Do you think something big is coming?" she finally asked.


    "What do you mean?" Jack breathed out, quietly calming down.


    "In my experience, a calming silence like this is because the world is getting ready to throw something big at us." The woman explained. "I think that this is no different. The Emperor is back. It''s only a matter of time before humanity is faced with a Calamity level threat once more."


    "The heroes will be ready for it."


    "Will they?" She looked back at him and gave a small grin. "No heroic sacrifices, okay."


    "What?"


    "I''m serious¡ªthe next big battle. I don''t care if it''ll be your last. Just don''t go dying, giving up your life in some sort of big sacrifice-like moment. If you''re in trouble, I''ll come and save you. Got that?" She reached out and punched him on the shoulder. "The same goes for me. I''ll be counting on you. I can be reckless sometimes. If it looks like I could die, then feel free to jump in and save me."


    "What brought all of this on?"


    "Nothing." The woman turned away and shrugged. "Just make it a promise, okay?"


    "Yeah, sure, whatever."


    River turned away, hiding the small smile on her lips. This was the memory that went through Ocean Empress''s head as she stood on the battlefield. She breathed heavily as all the rain in the area smashed down, ramming into the Beast.


    "Are Myth and Money Tree okay?" Poseidon asked, trying to push herself up. "Mom?"


    Ocean Empress ignored her daughter and kept her eyes forward. A large steam cloud had formed and was quickly rising. She couldn''t see the Beast, but she knew it wouldn''t have been that easy. She was damaged¡ªnot as badly as Cinder or Myth, but her wounds weren''t good either. Her right hand had nearly been torn off, and she had a hole through the stomach.


    "Do you know where Battery is?" She asked slowly.


    "He isn''t with you?" Cinder groaned.


    Ocean Empress kneeled down next to the girl and used her power to heal the gut wound as best she could. It was a massive gash. One that would have killed a human in seconds. Even a Lord wouldn''t be able to live long with such a wound. She filled it with ice and helped Cinder up. "Can you stand, Lily?"


    "No." Poseidon shook her head and winced. "My spine was-"


    "Use your power."


    "R- Right." Poseidon was clearly in pain, but she managed to shakily lift herself up with water. It wrapped around her, and she lowered her body''s gravity, allowing her to awkwardly float up a bit while her legs dangled down below her uselessly. "What do we do now-"


    White light exploded out of the steam cloud as a beam of energy was blasted in Cinder''s direction. Ocean Empress dropped the girl and threw her arm out, creating a barrier of ice to shield herself. The energy broke past most of it and clipped her shoulder, tearing a chunk out of it and causing the woman to drop to her knees and gasp as her good arm dangled at her side uselessly.


    The Beast came flying out of the dust cloud and swung out with his fist but was stopped by Fable, who came crashing down onto the monster with another massive spear. The weapon shattered on the energy-like skin that coated the monster, but it did manage to get its attention. It swung around and smashed a fist directly into the man''s face, nearly snapping his neck and sending him flying back.


    As Fable flew back, his weapon changed and twisted, becoming a long golden ribbon that wrapped around the arm of the Beast and dragged it after the flying Fable. Following close by was a woman in what looked like ancient armor, brandishing a spear, War God. The woman jabbed at the Beast, jumping back as an arm slapped at where she was. As Fable dragged the Beast, War God leapt in again, this time with a sword and shield, leaving shallow cuts. As Fable¡¯s momentum slowed, War God sped up, rapidly switching weapons with her ability, taking on the abilities and aspects of different ancient gods of war.


    Ocean Empress took a moment to catch her breath and looked back at the bridges that were starting to thin out with people. "Poseidon, you need to get across the bridge. Cinder, you''ll stay here with me." She groaned. "We failed at stalling this thing and screwed up. It''s over now. All we can do is fight it until it gives up and keep it here."


    "Why are you asking Cinder to stay here? And why won''t you and the others come as well? It won''t leave the city, right?" Poseidon asked.


    "Normally, no, but..."


    "It''s after something, right?" Cinder spoke up. "It''s after me." Ocean Empress didn''t look down at the girl.


    "I''m sorry, Cinder. The Beast has been acting differently ever since it got here. Boy Genius informed me it''s been making a beeline for you. If you go across the bridge, there is a chance the Beast could break its rule and cross over and endanger more people."


    "You''re asking me to stay here and die?"


    "...Yes."


    "You can''t be serious, mom!" Poseidon yelled.


    "I''m not saying we give up." Ocean Empress shook her head. "It isn''t over yet. If we can damage it a bit more and hurt it, the thing might finally leave. In the past, it always left once it took too much damage and couldn''t maintain its form. Two years ago, we managed to defeat it, and we can do it again."


    "Two years ago, we had Grampa and Legend," Poseidon argued.


    "Just go across the bridge-"


    "Not without you. If Hope is staying, then so am I. We already lost the Victorian-"


    "The Victorian isn''t dead." Ocean Empress spat out. "I used my powers on the water and felt four people crash into it. They''re all still alive but badly injured."


    "Four?" Cinder asked. "Max Lightning and Victorian are down there. Whisper jumped in, too. Who''s the fourth?"


    "Snowdawn."


    "He''s alive!"


    "For now, yeah-"


    Fable flew past them, ramming head-first into one of the nearby buildings. "Brother!" Myth called out. He was back in his human form and only managed to stand thanks to Money Tree, who kept him supported. At the end of the street, the Beast was already back, throwing a limp War God into a building, and began to charge toward them once more. Fable was down and barely breathing, and both Myth and Money Tree were in no condition to fight either.


    Ocean Empress tried to move her left arm, but the muscles in it had been damaged far too much. She froze what was left of her right hand, forcing a sword of ice to appear in it and creating frozen fingers that could hold it. "You''ll die if you fight it, Mom!" Poseidon cried out, but Ocean Empress ignored her daughter and blasted forward on a stream of water. She swung her sword out, meeting the Beast''s fist head-on.


    Her blade shattered instantly, and the fist flew toward her face, ready to rip her head clean off. A hand appeared in front of her face, blocking the attack and holding the Beast back. She fell back and stared up with wide eyes as the Victorian shoved the alien back with all her power.


    The woman was still covered in her strange black shadowy mode, with hundreds of golden stars all across her, like a galaxy that had taken on the shape of a human. The attack she had taken from the Beast had been a full-power blow. It had hit her with everything it had from the start, and it clearly had done damage. Cracks ran along her form, seeping out with a golden light. The world''s strongest woman spat out a broken tooth and rammed her fist forward, smashing it into the gut of the Beast.


    Ocean Empress and Money Tree barely had time to form a series of barriers, but neither was enough. The punch from the Victorian was one of her strongest yet, one that caused a literal explosion and blew out a massive gust of wind so strong it shattered most of the ice bridge and damaged the metal bridge. The only thing that stopped the entire bridge from falling apart was the metal Oxide had coated it in, though as to where the girl in metal had gone, no one knew as she had seemingly vanished once all the fighting began.


    A large crater was formed into the ground, and Ocean Empress felt herself be blasted back as her barrier shattered. The Beast stood its ground, but the force of the punch forced it to stagger for a second. Any building left standing around them came crashing down, shooting up a large wave of dust as debris rained from the sky. Once more, all of Oleander sank down a bit, getting deeper into the ocean.


    And all of that had just been from one punch.


    A few moments earlier...


    Whisper felt herself sink down into the water and shivered as the cold hit her. Her gear was heavy, and it was hard to move in. The water wasn''t as deep as she had expected. It went down far but had been blocked from going any deeper by the shore of the city that had been placed down. The waters also weren''t that dark. This was because the black void was filled with a golden light.


    The heroes rested at the bottom of the river. The Victorian and Max Lightning. She swam down deeper and felt the pressure change as she suddenly dropped the water around her fading. She dropped and landed on sand, which caused her to groan a bit.


    Max Lightning had created a pocket of air, forming a large open space at the bottom, holding the water back. He kneeled down next to his ex-wife and put his hands over her chest, trying to wake her up. Lightning seeped out, shocking the woman.


    "Dad?" She quickly sat up, staring at her father as he tried his best to get the number one hero back on her feet.


    "That bastard cheated." Max Lightning grunted. "It might have only looked like one punch to everyone else, but it was so much more. That thing is like all four Lords rolled up together. It used the sheer overwhelming power a Lord of Sun has and compressed it all down into its fist, then it used the sheer speed of a Lord of the Sky to move at blinding speeds, then used the control over gravity the Lord of Sea has to increase its striking power and hit her with everything it had. Did you see it?"


    "N- No?"


    "It damaged its body. The other reason the other heroes aren''t dead is because it took one hell of a beating doing that to itself." Max Lightning spat out. "If we can get her back up, maybe we can win!"


    "You need to stop, Dad." He whipped his head around toward her and stared. She bit her lip and did her best to hold back a sob. He hadn''t even realized it yet. "You''re dying." His costume was gone. His flesh had turned into a nasty black and white fire danced across his flesh, slowly breaking part of him away. He was disintegrating from the attack he took. "Your body is barely holding back the damage. If you don''t stop, you''ll die."


    The man stared at her for a moment, then snorted. More flakes of his skin gradually crumbled away, and by now, his left leg was gone. "Who cares-"


    "I do!"


    "You''re my kid. You have to." He stared down at the woman in front of him. Even half dead, she was beautiful. "I never wanted to be a hero."


    "Yeah, I can tell! You spend all your days pretending to be homeless!"


    "I was born with this cursed title. The role of a Lord never suited me. I never wanted it. Yet I gained it. Fate can be tricky, can''t it? Sometimes I think it''s a real person. Someone is watching us from beyond the veil of this damn story we''ve found ourselves in, and they do their best to punish us. Why did you become a hero?" He asked. Lightning twisted around his hands, and he placed them on the Victorian''s chest, shocking her once more.


    "I just... I don''t know! You seriously had to decide to be a dad now?"This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I think being a hero suits you." Max Lightning stated. "I think it suits her as well. It always did. I know she never cared for me. I was never on her mind. I was just a means to an end¡ªa way to create the next Victorian. When you were born, I had decided no matter what, I wasn''t going to have another kid. You would be my only one. You were perfect."


    "You say that, but not once did you spend any time with me!" She yelled out. "Her, I get! She''s barely human! But you! Why did you leave me!"


    "I was scared at how easy it would be."


    "What would be?"


    "To give it all up to you."


    "What do you mean-"


    "I''m weak. I''m pathetic. I can hardly be called a hero or a father." Max Lightning rammed his hands down once more. "I always knew this day would come. I knew that something like this would happen. Yet, not once did I try to change that story. I let it all play out. I thought that it would be better this way. Or maybe I did give up. Maybe I lost a long time ago. Even with the power to see the future, I seem to find myself regretting my choices constantly."


    His lightning seeped over the Victorian''s chest, and she gasped, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment, the world''s strongest woman stared up at her husband, and then slowly, her eyes drifted over to Whisper.


    "Win, Jill. Please win-"


    The Victorian was gone. Before Max Lightning could even speak, she took off, flying out of the air barrier and leaving the waters, lifting up. The crack in the barrier caused all the water to flood in, and Max Lightning closed his eyes.


    Whisper gasped, feeling her lungs fill with water. She managed to hook an arm under her father and tried to swim up, but it was too much. He was too heavy. She could barely lift herself up, much less him. She was just about to give up when the weight suddenly lessened. Another arm hooked around Max Lightning''s waist and began to lift him up. She swam up along with the other person, and they broke above the surface of the water. She took several gasps of air, and they floated over to a square pillar that poked out of the water that connected to the bride above.


    It was wide enough for them to climb onto it and out of the ocean. They climbed up and gently rested her father on the ground. She finally saw who had helped her.


    "Oxide?"


    The metal girl was breathing heavily, catching her breath. She had taken off most of her metal costume and only wore enough to cover her modesty, allowing her to swim¡ªsort of like a metal bikini. "I saw Snowdawn was sent flying into the water." The girl explained. "I jumped in to find him, but I think the current swept him away. We need to look for him-"


    Max Lightning threw up a glob of blood and screamed out in pain as more of his body began to break away. The fire wasn''t on him anymore, but it had seemingly been similar to an attack from a Lord of Life, and his cells were literally unbinding and turning to dust.


    "Dad!" Whisper took his hand and squeezed down, but he didn''t meet her eyes. "Please don''t die! I don''t want to lose you-"


    "Finally." The man managed to give the faintest hint of a smile as he stared up at the sky above. "My story is finally over." He crumbled, falling apart and becoming something similar to dust. "It''s your turn now, Lois."


    "Dad!"


    Oxide looked away as the wind carried what was left of Max Lightning away. "I¡ªI''m sorry for your loss." She waited for Whisper to respond, but the girl never did. "Whisper?" She looked up and found Whisper''s eyes transfixed on the sky above, staring at something.


    "What is that?"


    "What is it? I don''t see anything?" Oxide stared up, but nothing was up there.


    Whisper gasped and began to shake. Colors flooded her mind, and she felt like her head was about to explode. The paths came flooding back to her, but there were millions of them now. Then she saw it¡ªa large black cloud, twisting and being formed of billions of paths.


    ''I guess you''re my new vessel now.'' Somewhere deep within the Enforcer tower, a metal Pod began to glow with a faint blue light. ¡®You can call me the Loudest Thunder. It¡¯s good to meet you, Lois.¡¯


    The Loudest Thunder had a new body. A new Lord of the Sky had just been born.


    Whisper blacked out...


    Back up top, more of the bridge began to shatter and fall apart as the Beast swung out at the Victorian. Water surged out of its wrist, appearing out of thin air. They were like thin razor lines slicing out. The woman took to the sky, causing the attack to fly past her and split the clouds in the distance in two.


    "Victorian!" The voice of Boy Genius exploded out of her earpiece.


    "A bit busy!" The woman cried out. Part of her side was sliced into by the Beast, and she kicked out, ripping part of the ground up and shooting it high into the air. She rammed her fist into its stomach and blasted it into the street as hard as she could, collapsing the block and sending it down into the sewers below.


    "We have a bit of an issue!" Boy Genius called out.


    "Yeah! I¡¯m fucking fighting it right now!"


    "Not that!"


    "Then what the hell could it be!" White lines exploded from the ground and wrapped around her. The Beast dragged her down, bringing her closer to it and smashing her through more of the road as she crashed into the sewers where it was.


    "Uriel is escaping!"


    The Beast fired out a wave of white energy, setting the entire sewer on fire and burning the ground beneath the city. The Victorian threw her hands out in front of her, trying to block the attack. The energy flew over the blackness that covered her skin and began to burn it, blasting her back into the air and sending her out of the sewer and back onto the surface above.


    "What do you want me to do about it?"


    "If he''s coming out, then that means Lucifer called him! If Lucifer is calling for him, then the Immortals are meeting back up! If the Immortals are meeting back up, then that means the Murder Games are starting early!"


    "Are you saying we''re about to have two Calamity level threats-"


    The Beast was on her in an instant, grabbing her by the face and ramming its fist into her. Another shock wave was sent out, and a blast of fire crackled in all directions. She felt her eyes roll back, and she gasped, but it didn''t stop, hitting her again just as hard. From behind it, Ocean Empress came down, swinging her ice sword out and clipping the Beast on the back. It did no damage but did manage to piss it off.


    "Ocean Empress!"


    The Beast twisted around and swung out with its hand. White fire blasted out of its elbow, boosting it forward like a jet engine. The Enforcer tried to block it with a shard of ice, but it wasn''t enough. The hand broke through it, and the fingers dug across her stomach, splitting it open and nearly tearing the woman in two. The Victorian let out a cry, but the Beast didn''t stop there and kept spinning, ramming its hand into her hand and shooting out a beam of energy that blasted her back.


    Both Ocean Empress and the Victorian were sent flying in opposite directions. The Calamity was about to fire again, but a beam of hot flames smashed into the back of its head. It turned and glared down the street where its target stood. The clash from the battle had torn up that entire portion of the city.


    Hope watched as the place she grew up in crumbled around her. It wasn''t just this block but everywhere. The bridge connecting to Lillian had finally snapped, and the people who were trapped on it plummeted down into the waters below. Oxide did her best to save as many as she could, catching them with metal bowl-looking things. There were more, though¡ªpeople who had been trapped further into the city. Pools of lava bubbled out of cracks in the ground, and most of the buildings had fallen over.


    Oleander was becoming a dirt lot.


    Heroes were either dead or busy trying to save themselves. Hero Branch members were dying, falling into holes in the ground, or being crushed by the collapsing buildings around them. All of it had been caused by this monster. It had been less than an hour, and yet how many thousands were dead now?


    And all of it was because she called this place home.


    "You want me." She could barely stand. The ice that Ocean Empress had used to block off the hole in her side was coming undone, and red soaked down her outfit. "I''m right here."


    The entire ground had become uneven, as if hundreds of earthquakes had gone off at the same time. White butterfly-looking wings grew out of the creature''s back as it took to the air once more. It floated off of the floor and slowly glided towards her. It got twenty meters away and held its hand out. The energy began to bubble out. The white flames that danced across its body grew larger. It was like a star getting ready to implode.


    She closed her eyes right as the beam fired out. She prayed it would leave after this.


    An avalanche of diamonds slammed into the monster''s wrist, causing it to jerk a bit and twist. The attack barely went off course, but it was just enough. The attack flew past her and went high into the air, flying its way out of this planet and blowing a hole through another planet in the solar system.


    Money Tree stood on top of the roof of a nearby building, his hand outstretched. The Beast went to blast him but stopped as something flew past him. Myth wrapped his arm around Hope''s waist, picked her up, and took off running. He had changed into his lion form and staggered, barely able to walk on two legs. His other limb was still missing, and his good arm picked her up as he ran as fast as he could. His guts were hanging out, and even she could tell he was going to die if he attempted this.


    "What are you doing?!" She yelled out, horrified.


    "Stopping you from killing yourself." Myth grunted out.


    The Beast ignored Money Tree and went to fire on the two of them as they fled, but the Sub Enforcer leader caused another wave of riches to smash into the alien. It didn''t so much as budge it, but it did cause the Beast to fire at him out of frustration. Right before the attack could hit him, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, and he was lifted up by BB, who was still in her giant form. She was burned and barely clinging to consciousness, but she managed to get them out of the way just in time.


    Hope rested on Myth''s back as she watched the Beast be rammed into by the Victorian, who flew back at top speeds, smashing it through more debris. "Everyone''s still fighting?"


    "Of course they are! Did you seriously think we''d just give up and let you die?" Myth growled out.


    "I doubt the Victorian is doing this to protect me. She''s just mad."


    "Maybe. But I''m not giving up. We can beat this thing!"


    "How?"


    "I don''t know! Still, don''t just die. Even if this thing does kill you, there''s no telling that''ll cause it to just give up and flee. You''re the Lord of the Sun, aren''t you? That means you can beat him! Full Monarch did."


    "I''m not Full Monarch-"


    "That''s right. You''re better! You''re a member of Team Pantheon, and we don''t lose!"


    "You need to stop, Myth." She dug her fingers into his fur. "You''re pushing yourself too far."


    "I''m fine-"


    "Your guts are hanging out."


    "A lot of monsters can survive from something like this. As long as I stay transformed, I can take a beating like this. You''re the one who had an entire section of their stomach destroyed. Just rest."


    "But-"


    "Please. I don''t want anyone else to die."


    ''Would you like for me to help?''


    "What did you say?" She asked.


    "I said I don''t want you to die!"


    "No. After that?"


    "I didn''t say anything after that."


    "Oh?"


    The Victorian flew into the air, being chased by the Beast. She had tried leading it away, but the thing was stubborn and wouldn''t get too far from the city. Thankfully, it hadn''t tried to use any of its time-based powers or anything like that. It mainly stuck to using that white light, but that wasn''t all it could do. Lightning would still rain down, blades of water would flow out, and its body would twist and change as needed, forming wings and patching itself back up.


    Fire, water, wind, and even control over its life and the ground it walked on as if the four Lords had made some sick perversion of a Super. She had no idea how Full Monarch was able to stop this thing so many times.


    "If the Emperor can beat you, then so can I." The Victorian hissed, firing out a massive beam of golden sunlight that flew past the Beast and into space, cutting into part of the moon above and ripping it off. "Up here, I don''t have to hold back either!"


    Now that they were above the city, she was free to hit this thing as hard as she could and let the shock waves go out however they needed to. Their clash had already reduced most of Oleander to ruins. Drones that Boy Genius had sent were constantly falling from the sky, attempting to save whoever was left, but thankfully, over half the city had managed to escape through the bridge before it collapsed.


    Down below, Ms. Laps watched the battle in the sky as she moved more of the debris out of the way. "And they wonder why we try to keep her on a leash."


    "I found him, Ms. Laps!" Buzzing filled the air as both Wasp Nest and Dust Cloud reformed together from beneath a series of rubble. They had come back to help but had been put to work by the Hero Branch leader. The ground broke a bit as Wasp Nest pulled himself out of the ground, carrying someone on his back. "He''s in pretty bad shape."


    "Why did you have us saving some half-dead hero?" Dust Cloud asked. "We could have been better spent helping others."


    "That half-dead hero might be the secret weapon we need to beat that thing." Laps spat out, taking the body of Battery off of Wasp Nest''s back.


    "Seriously? Battery is that strong?" Wasp Nest asked, raising an eyebrow. He stared down at the hero. "Sorry, but I''m not seeing it."


    He was kind of shocked at the fact that Battery was still alive. The man''s body had been crushed and badly burned when the Beast had stopped time. His limbs and legs were all twisted, and he was gushing up blood. The damage he took was more than enough to down even a Lord, yet somehow, the man was not only alive but awake.


    Battery''s breathing came out as a series of gasps, and his eyes were wide as he shook, spitting up more blood. The damage to his arms and legs was too much for him to walk or fight, and the golden glow in his chest had grown so much that dozens of cracks were seeping out as golden fire seemed to hungrily eat away at him. That didn''t stop Laps from putting her full trust in him, though.


    The woman kneeled down and was drenched in the man''s blood, which gushed out of him like an ocean. "I was there! I saw it all happen!" She growled out. "I know you''re stronger than this! You''re the strongest! You were a billion times stronger than this back when you fought Full Monarch! What happened to that power? Where is it? The strength that killed the previous number-one hero! Where is the weapon that the Emperor hand-picked for his sick goal? Get up!"


    Battery gurgled on more of his blood, and it was hard to tell if he even knew what was going on. In his mind, he wasn''t on the battlefield. It was all coming to an end. He could feel it. His heart wasn''t beating anymore. No one could blame him. He was dead already. He didn''t need to try anything. He did enough. He could just close his eyes and drift off. It was time¡ªno need to fight it.


    He was back on that beach. They had only gotten to go there once, yet this was always the place he found himself going back to. It hadn''t even been a real place. She was in the distance. Light smothered her, but he saw it. Knee deep in the ocean. He just needed to sleep. Hell Hound was right there. Her hand held toward him.


    All he had to do was die.


    "Get up!" Laps¡¯ voice was barely registering to him. "You want to die so badly? Fine! Then do it, taking that monster down."


    "I can''t beat it." He spat up more of his blood as the memory and reality danced together. "I wouldn''t be enough."


    "I don''t care! At least try! You promised Full Monarch, didn''t you?!"


    "I''m a villain. Is it so shocking that I''d lie?"


    "Please." The woman said, gripping his shoulders. "Please, for just a little longer. Please be a hero. Save me." Those words registered in his mind for some reason. Someone else had asked him to save them also, right? He stared at his wife, but the form seemed to flicker and change. Ocean Empress stared back at him.


    ¡°Save me.¡±


    The image of the beach slowly faded. Just a little bit longer. He just needed to do his job for a few more minutes... "My belt." He gasped out.


    Wasp Nest dropped to his knees and reached out, going through Battery''s belt. He felt something attached to one of the notches and pulled out a jar of black liquid. It was cracked, and over half the jar was missing, but he knew what it was instantly. A drug manufactured by the Wandering Coin. He didn''t know what it was or what it did, but that didn''t matter. The lid had been shattered, and more of it gushed out.


    He pried Battery''s mouth open, placed the jar to the man''s lips, and dunked it down. Dust Cloud paced around, biting his lip. "My entire team is dead, aren''t they?" He stated. He turned away and stared up at the Beast. "This better work."


    Battery felt the liquid drip down his throat along with shards of glass, and he sighed. A snapping around went through his body, and he felt the hands of death rapidly being pushed away as his bones snapped back in place.


    Just a little bit longer.


    ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€


    ¨€¨€¨€¨€


    ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€


    Down below, Poseidon managed to crawl her way over to her mom. "Mom! Are you okay?" Ocean Empress was on her back, struggling to breathe. Her stomach had been torn open just like Myth''s, and she was badly burned. Unlike the Pantheon leader, though, she didn''t have a monster form that could inherit the damage. "Oh God!" She wrapped her arms around the woman, holding her up.


    Ocean Empress stared up at her daughter, who was coughing up some blood. The woman tried to reach out, but both her arms no longer worked, and she couldn''t feel either of her legs anymore.


    "Stay with me, Mom! I''ll get you out of here and to a healer!"


    ''This is your fault.''


    "What?" Poseidon stared down at her mother and realized that the woman hadn''t spoken. In fact, Ocean Empress couldn''t speak. The Enforcer''s throat had been almost completely crushed. "Who... Who said that-"


    ''You could have stopped this.''


    "Who are you!" Poseidon whipped her head around, but she was alone.


    ''You could have saved them. Saved them all. But you didn''t. You didn''t let me have control. Just let go. I beat this thing once already. Two years ago. Let the Tallest Wave back in-''


    "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Poseidon stared down at her hands, watching as black blood dripped out of her nails. Her vision darkened as the blood began to drip down her face, and the pounding in her chest grew worse. She could feel her legs again, but something was off. It was like they merged and twisted. She felt tendrils wrapping around her, and her stomach began to ache. "Stop it, stop-"


    ''This is my body! I made you! You are mine! Give it back!''


    "Somebody help!" Poseidon cried out, clutching onto her mother. "Sky... Please-"


    A loud roar broke her out of her stupor. From up above, the Victorian was blasted down into the sea, slamming through the bridge. White energy flowed out of the Beast''s hand, which it held out, launching the attack down. Poseidon felt a chill go up her spine as she realized the attack was falling right toward her and her mother. Poseidon squeezed her eyes shut and threw herself over her mother.


    The attack never reached her.


    A blue light streamed out as the beam was sliced in half, flying into the ocean and exploding, sending out a large hail of water that rained down. Poseidon looked up, her eyes settling on the back of a red costume. Battery breathed heavily, gripping onto a glowing blue sword made of energy.


    His arms and legs had been snapped back into place, and the blue energy crackled down his arm. From up above, the Beast glared down in the direction of Battery, who stared back up at it. "It''s still not enough." Battery gasped out, and his sword dropped to the ground. The energy swirled around his hand, and he rammed it into his own chest.


    ¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€


    Poseidon flinched back, her eyes going wide. Battery spat up some blood but ignored the pain and tugged. He literally ripped his heart out of his chest, the blood flowing down his body. "What are you doing?" She said in horror. He crushed the organ, and something fell to the ground. A small golden shard of metal... Poseidon stared down at it in horror.


    ¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€


    More energy erupted out of Battery, but it was different. It was wrong. Darker in nature. The blue quickly faded away, and it started from his fingertips and worked its way out. Pitch black. Shadowy lightning that zapped out wildly in all directions. Dark energy. A damned power that brought an end to Full Monarch.


    ¡°That shard was holding my power back.¡±


    ¡°Y- Your heart, though?¡± Poseidon gulped.


    The Beast slowly came to land back on the ground dozens of meters away from Battery and eyed the creature up, reevaluating its plan of attack.


    He had until his body gave out. With no heart, it was only a matter of time. He had become a dead man walking. In return, though, his power was back. His full power. That shard had held back so much of what he truly was. Cursed in nature, black lightning danced over his suit as Battery finally let out a sigh.


    "Battery! You can save my mom, right?!" Poseidon was still behind the man and stared up at him with pleading eyes. "You have the Victorian''s golden light, you can-"


    A black tendril of energy whipped out from Battery¡¯s back, smacking Poseidon across the face and sending her flying back and tumbling down in the waters below. It happened just in time. She was out of danger right as the Beast charged. Its speed rapidly increased as gravity twisted and dropped around it and its wings expanded. It appeared in front of Battery and swung out with everything it had, but its attack never landed. For the first time since it unleashed its full power, one of its physical strikes missed. The arm rammed into the ground, destroying the spot Battery and Ocean Empress had been at.


    The Beast growled and turned about to strike but was suddenly rammed into from behind by the Victorian. The two went flying off engaged in a series of strength plays.


    Battery appeared on the other end of the street clutching Ocean Empress in his arms. She stared up at him weakly, with more blood dripping down her body. "You managed to save me." She spoke in a weak tone barely above a whisper.


    "Save you... Yeah, right..."


    "I''m going to die, aren''t I?" The woman asked quietly.


    Most of Battery''s face was covered by a mask. It blocked off his eyes, and his lower mouth stayed numbed as he stared at the Beast, not showing any emotion.


    ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€


    Finally, he spoke. "I can''t use the golden light. It finally burned out. This form, this power I have now, isn''t one for saving people. All it is good for is total destruction. My gift. The weapon molded in the image of the Emperor to slay Full Monarch. I can''t do anything for you other than this." The black lightning seeped out and coated the hero he held with his power of destruction, destroying her nerves and ending any of the pain she might have been in. "This is all I can do."


    Ocean Empress let out a weak sigh. Her body was light. It had lost a lot of blood. The pain was gone, though. She was numb. Numb and cold. She stared back up at the man who held her. Jack Larison. "You ripped your heart out."


    "Yeah."


    "What happened to no more sacrifices?"


    "I could ask you the same thing."


    Ocean Empress let out a weak laugh. "I guess we''re both liars, aren''t we?"


    "Yeah... I guess we are." He cracked a smile.


    Her eyes began to flutter and close. "Battery?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Jack..."


    "Yeah..."


    "Do you... Nah... Never mind... No use asking such a silly question now."


    "It''s okay. I already know the question. The answer is yes. If I could have done it all over again. If we could have maybe spent a little more time talking. Yes. I would have liked a life like that."


    She slowly smiled as her eyes closed. "That''s a good answer for a change."


    "I''m sorry. There isn''t anything I can do."


    "What are you talking about... You did enough. Could you... Could you make sure Lily and Sky are..."


    "Of course not, dumbass. I''m about to die too."


    "Oh right..." She let out one last breath. "Guess I forgot."


    Jack. Do you think that maybe if we talked more, if we spent more time together, maybe something could have happened? Could we have gotten a good ending?


    All of this, of course, went unsaid.


    Battery, Alpha, or maybe it was just Jack Larison, finally looked down. River Sini''s eyes no longer held life, and the color had left her face. It hadn''t been some big sacrificial moment. Such a thing wasn''t possible in a situation like this. It was just a tragic and slow end. He hadn''t been able to save her. He hadn''t been fast enough. He failed once more. The hero that did her best, the mortal among Gods. Ocean Empress was dead. A scream broke through the air, drowning out the popping sounds of Battery''s energy. It took him a moment to realize it was the daughter. Poseidon was screaming. Loud and wailing like a siren. Her entire body was shaking and twitching, and the gravity around her began to bend and twist, changing. She had somehow crawled out of the water and made it back up onto the street, staring at him.


    He could feel it. Her power was starting to go out of control. She snapped. Pretty soon she wouldn''t be the one in the driver''s seat.


    Battery softly placed Ocean Empress down on the ground, then in an instant he appeared in front of Poseidon, ramming a fist into her face. Once more, she was launched into the waters down below. "Just go and get out of here. I¡¯m not going to let you join your mother. Live, Poseidon." Battery pulled the energy back in and shook his head. "You shouldn''t use a power like that anyway-"


    Everything around him exploded, and a field of white seeped out as the Victorian rammed into the ground a few meters away from him. She was followed shortly by the Beast, who slammed down into her, pushing her further into the street. Jack looked up and met the eyes of the Calamity. He felt the Beast come at him. In his distracted mind, he had almost forgotten about it.


    He looked up just in time to see its fist flying toward his face.


    It was up to him now. He wasn''t the hero that would kill the Beast. Instead, he decided he would be the monster that dragged it to hell.


    "I''ll see you soon, Ocean Empress, and Hell Hound."

 Chapter One Hundred And Eight: His Name Was Jack Larison

    Alice Ward tapped her finger on the button that controlled her car door''s lock, turning it on and off over again.


    "Could you not do that?" Her husband asked, letting out a soft huff.


    "Sorry." She didn''t stop, giving a cheeky smirk that only seemed to irritate her husband more, his eye twitching with frustration.


    Matthew Ward was a heavier fellow. He had given up on trying to stand out and instead became happy with his high-ranking position at the office where he worked. He was a higher-up in the Cleanup Squad, sending them out on various missions. He was even higher up than Mr. Moore, who most people agreed had the best Squad in any city. His hair was neatly combed, and he was clean-shaven, dressed in his finest suit.


    By contrast, his wife was different. Alice was the kind of woman who wasn''t satisfied with the position she held in the news industry. Nobody liked giving bad news. In a world like theirs, bad things happen all the time. Most people wanted to talk about the newest heroic event someone like the Victorian did. She had been the one to pull the short straw and get stuck with telling the world about every event that occurred. Good and bad.


    She didn''t have to worry about that tonight, though. There was nothing to report on at the moment. She could just be herself. She had ensured her skin was flawless, and her black hair had been up to fall down her back just the right way. Lastly, she wore her most expensive dress suit. All of this was done in some vague attempt to prove she and her husband were happy for Matthew''s brother.


    "Was Dean even at the event?" Alice sighed, brushing a strand of her hair back behind her ear.


    Matthew''s knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, and his teeth began to grind together. "You didn''t see him either, huh? How dare he not even show himself to his own family? I''m his older brother, for God''s sake!"


    "Calm down." She reached out, placing a hand on her husband''s shoulder. "I''m sure he''s just under a lot of stress. He did just become the head of Lillian''s Hero Branch, after all." That''s what the event they had gotten dressed up for had been. A party celebrating Lillian''s new leader. One in which the person it was created for didn''t bother to show up.


    Dean Ward... He was Matthew''s younger brother and the reason Matthew had pretty much given up. Dean was the kind of person who seemed destined for a stressed lifestyle. He had finished schooling five years earlier than he should have and started at the bottom of the Hero Branch, working all the way to a head position. The man wasn''t satisfied, though. He wouldn''t stop until he was at the very top of the food chain. A position that stood even above the Enforcers, one that could order even the mighty Victorian around and use her as some sort of puppet.


    A world for humans created by humans.


    "He just really pisses me off," Matthew growled. "He thinks he is better than everyone he meets. He''s just a-"


    "Matthew, look out!"


    Her husband hadn''t been paying attention. His face had been getting redder and redder, and he didn''t even notice that he had run a stop light. Some heavy truck rammed into their side, and glass exploded throughout the car. Their vehicle spun out of control, and she let out a scream as they rammed into a tree, part of the front of the vehicle bending and molding around it. She felt herself be rammed forward, and her seatbelt managed to catch her, but her head still hit the dashboard.


    The truck had hit them but didn''t stop and kept going, doing its best to ignore the accident that had just been caused and not wanting to get involved.


    "M- Matthew." She groaned as the car finally stopped moving. She heard gasps and croaks, and she slowly pushed herself up and felt her eyes widen. "Matthew!"


    Her husband''s face had gone a dark red, and his body was shaking in the car as he grabbed at his chest. He was having a heart attack.


    She managed to fish out her phone and pressed a button on the side of it, causing an alert to be sent out for help. An ambulance would be on its way, but she didn''t know if they''d show up on time. Worse yet, she was smelling smoke as the front of their car began to hiss. Her husband''s foot was still on the gas, causing the car to twist and grind against the tree.


    She tried to open her door, but it had been indented from where the car hit them, and she couldn''t get the thing to budge! "Help!" She screamed out, kicking at the door with her foot. "Please! Help!"


    The smell of smoke was getting stronger, and her husband''s already strained breathing was going out. Part of the car had twisted and kept him pinned down, pressing into him, and between that and the heart attack, he wasn''t looking too good. She tried to smash her shoulder against the car door, doing her best to force it open. The thing didn''t want to budge, though.


    She began to cough as the smoke hit her in the face. Her eyes stung, and she could feel shards of glass digging into her skin. She didn''t stop, though, pressing further into the weight of the door. Then it happened...


    The sound of metal tearing drowned out the roaring of the engine, and Alice felt herself fall forward as the door was torn and cleaned off. A pair of arms wrapped around her and tore the seatbelt off, dragging her out. "Call an ambulance." A young voice yelled over the sound of the car.


    Alice felt herself be placed down gently on the ground, and she stared up in shock at the child who had saved her life. A new Super had come to Oleander. It was a young girl. Fifteen or sixteen at the most. The girl wasn''t dressed like a hero; she was wearing a basic tracksuit she had put on along with a hoodie. A red piece of cloth covered the girl''s upper face, but her stunning blue eyes still stood out.


    Alice shook her head, coming back to her senses. "Right." She pulled her phone out but didn''t call for help. She had already done that, after all. Instead, she took a picture of the girl whose back was turned to her.


    She watched the young Super silently as the girl quickly tore the door to her husband''s side off. The Super was about to pull the man out but seemed to hesitate when she noticed all the jagged metal that was pressed into him. Instead, the girl walked to the front of the car and rammed her hand through it, tearing the engine to bits and killing the car instantly.


    "What happened?" Alice jumped when the Super addressed her.


    "He has issues with his heart." She winced, wiping at her eyes. "We were heading back home when he had a bad one, and well... You can tell the rest. Can you get him out of the car?"


    "I just got my powers. I don''t know how good they are yet, and I don''t want to start ripping at any of the metal near him in case I cause more harm. The ambulance should be able to get him. His heart has settled down, which is lucky."


    "How do you know?"


    "What?"


    "How do you know his heart settled?" She questioned, studying the young girl.


    "Oh well, I can hear it slowing." The girl suddenly stopped talking and glanced down at her hands.


    Alice looked her up and down. "You''re new, aren''t you?"


    "Duh. I mean, look at how bad my costume is-" The sound of sirens caused the Super to stop. "And that is my cue to leave, ma''am!" She crouched down and leaped up, landing on the roof of an apartment.


    The Super didn''t even notice as Alice took one last picture.


    Alice stared down at the screen of her phone, studying the Super''s face, which had stretched fabric covering her upper face with eye holes ripped into it. "What a silly disguise. I guess it''ll only be a matter of time before I announce her dead as well."


    And so, time would pass...


    "-the villain known as Intake, after causing a massive scene, seemingly vanished after he was defeated in battle by an, as of now, unknown Super."


    Alice sighed as she stood off to the side, watching the newswoman speak. She stood in the studio''s office as the news of this week was read out. It was a large open room with several cameras near the back that maintenance was working on. Near the front of the room, they had a single desk, which they all rotated in and out of, using it to give either good news or bad news when it was their turn.


    They weren''t a very big studio, but they were very popular. They didn''t have many reporters, however, as Zoo would often target them. Only fools or those with a death wish worked at her job. Currently, a pretty girl, who she thought was maybe named Emma, was giving the good news. How the villain Intake had been stopped from rampaging further. When Emma was done, it would be her turn to go up and talk after the commercial break. She had pulled the short straw today, and so she got to be the one to tell the city how a police officer was brutally murdered by Zoo.


    "This isn''t even good news." She muttered under her breath as she watched Emma give a fake smile to the camera and go on about how Intake lost. "We didn''t even capture Intake. He got away. Likely with the help of the Bad Timers." Intake had been recently recruited by them and seemed to use that as an excuse to rampage more. The Bad Timers were hard to keep captured because they could teleport away with the help of one of their members, Ears.


    "Let the people have their fun." She jumped a bit when she heard the voice. "God knows this city needs any good news it can get."


    "Hey, June, it isn''t good news; it''s just lying." She huffed, rolling her eyes.


    Standing behind her was one of her childhood friends. June, like her, was old and past his prime. He was in his fifties now. They had used to joke that they''d marry each other, but then she went and got in with Matthew. June''s hair was filled with grays, and he wore a simple black business suit. He was part of the Hero Branch. Not a high-ranking member. Unlike Dean, June had hit a position and stayed there no matter how hard he tried to rise up.


    Soon, he would no longer be allowed in the Branch due to how old he was getting.


    "So." She folded her arms and leaned on the wall next to June. "What really happened?"


    "You guys are the news, right? Shouldn''t you already know?" June teased.


    "God, I wish it worked that way." Alice murmured. "This place is a dump. I can hardly be called a newswoman. That''s why I use my blog instead." About one year ago, she had taken to spreading actual news online in secret. Her blog had gotten really popular and was now one of the few ways a person could actually learn what was going on in Oleander. She mainly used Hero Branch drones she got from June to run it. "So, what really happened with Intake? You were one of the Branch officers tasked with keeping people out, right?"


    June gave a lazy shrug. "Honestly, for once, you guys are pretty spot on. Some new Super showed up and fought him, taking him away from the battlefield. The next thing we all know, he''s gone. Likely got teleported out once he lost."


    "A new Super?"


    "Well, first, the Pallet Boys tried to fight Intake; bless their hearts. Then, some girl showed up in a hoodie. You could hardly call her a hero due to the lack of her costume."


    "Hoodie!" Alice pulled out her phone and flashed the picture she had taken to June. "This girl?"


    "Yeah! Have you met her already?"


    "I did." She nodded. "I swore she''d be dead by now, but from the sounds of it, she managed to beat Intake? Guess she''s stronger than I first thought."


    "What could it mean going forward?"


    Alice slowly placed her phone back in her bag and looked up, staring out of a nearby window. She could see part of the city, watching the buildings that brushed the clouds above. "I think Oleander might have a new superhero."


    June put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it up. "I wouldn''t be so sure," he said, letting out a puff of smoke. "You were sure Myth would be a big-shot hero as well, and now nobody knows what happened to him. Likely dead in some ditch."


    Alice rolled her eyes. "I''m going to hold out hope that things will be different this time. We can''t give up. Not when the people need heroes now more than ever. I believe it''s only a matter of time before a savior appears. This is similar to what happened several years ago when the hero known as Full Monarch appeared. As long as humans can keep up their hope, then despair will never win."


    "I guess we''ll see..."


    And so, time would pass...


    "Have you been seeing June behind my back?"


    "You know we''re just friends." Alice stated, pushing her husband up the ramp. He was in a wheelchair now. He had lost the use of his legs after the crash. They had been told the Branch would try to get ahold of the newest hero, Paragon, and see if she could fix it, and finally, after weeks of waiting, the time had come.


    She had tried getting ahold of Dean and telling him what happened, but he never bothered responding. Dean would have likely been able to get the issues solved in an instant. Paragon was a hero in Lillian, after all.


    Her husband glared at all of the hospital staff as they were escorted through the halls of the hospital. "You bunch are lucky I don''t sue! I nearly lost my job because of all of you! If she hadn''t happened to be here and any more time went on, I''d be screwed!"


    "They did the best they could to save your legs, dear. I''m sure Paragon is very busy as well."


    "Like it bothers you! You haven''t even been at the house with me! You''ve been sneaking behind my back with June, haven''t you? Admit it!"


    She didn''t answer the man. Part of her hoped his paranoia was just a cause of the medication he had been placed on. Soon, they arrived at a room, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. It wasn''t every day that you got to see the mighty Ocean Empress up close. The woman was as stunning as ever, dressed in a flowing uniform of liquid that twisted and changed according to her will. She wasn''t alone either. Standing next to the woman was the newest hero that had caught everyone''s attention.


    Alice could tell right away that Paragon wasn''t going to be a front-line fighter. The girl looked meek and kept her head down. She wasn''t dressed in armor and just wore an average lab coat and a mask. Ocean Empress placed a hand on the girl''s shoulder and nodded down at her.


    "Hurry up and fix my damn legs!" Matthew barked out. Paragon took her glove off and placed a finger to his forehead. Instantly, Matthew''s eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious in his wheelchair. "His spine has been badly damaged, and several of the muscles in his legs didn''t heal properly," Paragon spoke in a very quiet tone. A red bird that rested on her shoulder flew off and landed on Matthew''s head. "It''ll take me a bit of time to fix. I''ll have to go slow and rebuild his nerves."


    One of the nurses assured Alice, "We''ll call you when he''s up and moving."


    Alice nodded her head and watched as they wheeled her husband into a room, the two heroes following. She sighed and stuffed her hands in her pocket, leaving. She made her way out of the hospital and stepped out into the parking lot, raising her hand just in time to catch the soda can that was thrown at her.


    "So, is he going to be okay?" June asked. He rested on the hood of his car and had already opened his can of soda.


    "He has one of the greatest healers the world has ever seen treating him." She took a seat in the car next to him and listened to the traffic of Oleander slowly go through the city. It was calm days like this that she enjoyed most of all. "Has anything happened since we last spoke?"


    "You were right."


    "Those are words I like to hear." She smirked. ¡°About what though?¡±


    June reached into his pocket and pulled out a small phone chip, flicking it over to her. "Play it."


    She shrugged and slid it into her phone, and the screen changed, showing off a warehouse somewhere on what she thought might have been Spider Street. "What am I looking at-"


    The roof of the warehouse exploded, and a massive pillar of what might have been fire came flying out. The footage was black and white, so it was hard to tell. A few moments later, she saw the hero Ocean Empress, along with her daughters Poseidon and Paragon, come flying down on a stream of water and enter the building.


    "Green Wolf got into a fight," June explained. "I did some digging and found out a camera had recorded the outside of the warehouse." He explained. "Some hero with fire-based powers fought him off and then called for Ocean Empress and the others as backup."


    "Fire-based powers?" Alice frowned a bit. There were plenty of villains with fire-based powers but not a lot of heroes, and not one that would be in Oleander.


    "This is the second time something like this happened." June sighed. "A few days ago, I was called to the scene when they found Red Ape. The hero had been defeated by Myth and been badly burned. I know some of Myth''s forms have fire, but this was something else, I think. I did more digging, and look who entered that building. I sent one of my drones and used our voice box to pretend to be you and got some questions out.¡±


    The screen changed, and Alice felt a smirk on her lips. A young girl was outside of the warehouse dressed in a makeshift hero costume and was being handed something by some hooded guy. "It''s the girl." Dozens of other drones had swarmed the area, asking the girl and the Enforcer member dozens of questions.


    "Yeah. Either she has fire powers, or that guy has them. Either way, that new hero you saw is apparently connected to it somehow."


    She was certain it was the girl. She didn''t know how. She didn''t know why. It was more instinctual. This girl. This Super. This hero... They had taken on Intake, Red Ape, and Green Wolf, all in such a short time. Just where else would they go? "Next time you hear any news on this hero, let me know."


    "Sure thing. If I''m being honest, I think I''ve become a fan of hers." June admitted. "I''d like to see where this story goes."


    "Me too."


    She watched the footage as her own voice came out of the drone that was now in front of the girl. Both she and June shared the persona of ¡®Alice Ward¡¯. It was her name, and each of the drones was equipped with a voice device made by some Mental-based hero that caused whoever spoke through it to sound like her. It was how she was able to get around and ask so many questions, despite being busy constantly. June was also Alice Ward, so to speak.


    In the footage she watched, her question seemed to set off the fire-based girl and the man in red. ¡°What did you ask?¡± She snickered when the man began to flip the camera off and spew out a wave of words that couldn¡¯t be aired.


    ¡°I asked if she was the one that burned that one hotel down.¡± June shrugged.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    And so time would pass...


    Days had turned to weeks, and during that time, her husband had finally started to walk once again. They didn''t really get to spend a lot of time together, though, as he was busy catching up on all the work he had missed. At least that''s what he told her. Part of her thought he might have just not wanted to spend any more time with her.


    June had kept to his words and sent her more than a few files and notes. He was a field agent, always being sent to the aftermath of a battle between heroes and villains. As it turned out, this new hero she had become interested in seemed to develop a habit of appearing wherever danger might be. It was only a short amount of time since that girl had saved her, yet since then that, Super had participated in a mission alongside the Sub Enforcers where the hero Poseidon kissed her and a raid on a Wandering Coin base where she fought and seemingly defeated the villain Polaron, sending him running away, and she had stopped several high-ranking gang members as well as joined a brand-new hero team.


    One of the heads for Ferros-4-U, a man named Justin Time, had apparently started a project to create the first ever Cinder toy. That same man was the one who created the Paragon action figure, and for whatever reason decided to sell the two female heroes alongside one another.


    The hero Cinder, as well as the new team she was part of, was really starting to take Oleander by storm.


    "Some of you may recognize me." Myth spoke in a soft yet powerful voice. He stood up on a large stage, his team behind him, with the Sub Enforcers off to the side. The mayor, Mr. Grove, stood next to him as well. "I''m the hero known as Myth for those who don''t know me."


    "He''s the guy that was kicked out of the Sub Enforcers, isn''t he?" Matthew Ward spat out. "Why the hell is he here?"


    "Hush." She silenced her husband. They were at a fundraiser event, one held every year in a mall built by the late Mr. Sini. Myth and his team had seemingly been invited by the mayor. Soon, the heroes would be allowed to wander around, sign things, and take pictures for fans, but before that, the mayor had insisted on allowing Myth to speak since several of his team members were being seen by the public for the first time.


    "I''m the leader of team Pantheon." The former Sub Enforcer member stated in a blunt tone. "It is a new team that I have created. Currently, we lack sponsors. I''m actually hoping that maybe some of you might be interested in that..." An awkward silence filled the mall, and the man cleared his throat. "I''d like to take a moment to say some things. Two years ago, I was at the top. I was a member of the Sub Enforcers and a shoe-in for being the leader. Due to... Circumstances, I''ve since moved on from that position. I know that most of you are looking at my team members and wondering who they are. You''re wondering how strong they are. How heroic they are. I can''t promise that Pantheon will be able to save this city. I don''t like lying, particularly. That''s also why I wouldn''t try and tell you that we''ll be there to save you when something goes wrong. The fact is, we might not. We live in such a strange and dangerous world where disaster is moments away. I will promise you one thing, though. When something does endanger this city or its people, Pantheon will be there to take it on. We might not win. We''ll try, though. We''ll try harder than any other team in this city because we care. I know that every one of my teammates would give it their all when faced with danger. So... I can''t promise we''ll save you, but we''ll damn sure try our best to."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    He took a moment for his words to register over the crowd, and flashes of cameras lit the area up as reporters spouted off questions. Myth ignored them and quietly handed the microphone over to the hero in red, who stood next to him. "I''m Battery. Don''t bother me." The man then handed it over to a hero covered in snow.


    The hero gave a pose and blasted out a wave of snowflakes that began to rain down. "I''m Snowdawn! I''m the cool one! Get it? Cool? Cause I''m-"


    A girl in black yanked the microphone out of his hand. "I''m Whisper. Don''t expect to see me a lot." Her face was hidden, but it was clear she had a sly smirk on it. She twirled the microphone and held it to the last hero.


    Alice stared up at the stage, her eyes taking in the young girl and her costume. The girl''s hands shook a bit, but slowly, she took the microphone and brought it up. "I- I''m Cinder! I- I''ll do my best!"


    Alice quietly folded her arms and couldn''t help but crack a smile. "Cinder, huh?" She hummed. She glanced down at her phone, staring at the wallpaper she had on it. It was a picture she had taken nearly fifteen years ago.


    It was a picture of Full Monarch. A rare one in which the man wasn''t cloaked in hot blue fire. He wore a gold and white costume with the symbol of a butterfly on it. His hair was the color of sunshine, and his eyes glowed with a fiery red tone to them. He was covered in a bit of dirt and scratches as he had been in the middle of an intense battle. Despite that, though, he had still gone out of his way to stop a bus from rolling off the cliff and had waved.


    It had been in the middle of waving as he started to take off into the air that she had snapped the picture. Since then, no matter what phone she was on, she always made sure that it was her wallpaper. He had saved her life that day, then went on to die at the hands of the Emperor hours later.


    It was maybe the last picture of Full Monarch smiling...


    "What are you grinning about?" Her husband barked and whacked her over the head.


    "Nothing. I think it''s just good that I finally got to meet her."


    And so, even more time would pass. Weeks would turn to months, and the hero known as Cinder hadn''t slowed down. Pantheon would go on to battle both Zoo and the Bad Timers when the villains attacked the mall. Cinder herself would defeat Intake with the help of Paragon. Afterward, Polaron would vanish, never to be seen again. Later, it would then be revealed by Cinder herself through a drone June controlled that the young girl had been the one to kill Polaron.


    Forums and chat boxes rained across the internet, all wanting to figure out who this new hero was that had apparently killed the leader of the Bad Timers. They all only have one place they could turn to. The only place that any of this information was available. Alice Ward¡¯s blog. Oleander was learning who Cinder was.


    It didn''t stop there, though.


    Pantheon would go on to team up with Oleander''s Sub Enforcers and reclaim a realm that had been stolen by the Wandering Coin. They would also learn secrets of the Wandering Coin and band together with stronger heroes such as the famed Boy Genius getting new costumes. Live on camera Alice Ward would issue a challenge to them to take out a villain group called the Wet Bandits.


    Her drones were set up all throughout her base and recorded the entire thing, posting the full fight Cinder got into, alongside her teammate Snowdawn. Oleander City watched those two kids take down the villain Cybercroc, feared to be on the same level as Polaron or Green Wolf.


    Pantheon even managed to defeat Zoo seemingly for good when they fought them during a concert that was held in the city. Sadly, that was the last she was able to hear. The stories all dried up after that. June wasn''t a high enough ranking member to learn the secrets the Branch wanted to keep hidden. Pantheon hadn''t appeared in the light since then. Not at least in Oleander City. Lillian did get a small taste though when the hero Cinder appeared alongside Poseidon and Paragon and fought off Yellow Kobold.


    And so time would yet again pass, and the present would soon arrive.


    When the sirens started, her husband was at work. She had raced over to his office, and they had wanted to escape through the bridges, but they got too clogged up. Instead, they had gone the opposite way and had to leave their car behind when the streets got too full. Near the edge of Oleander city, somewhere in Spider Street, was a large, fortified bunker that the former mayor, Mayor Grove, had built in case of a situation like this. Only a few of the elite knew it existed.


    The knowledge of this bunker was the last nice thing Dean had done for them before he blocked them entirely out of his life. Now Dean Ward was in Lillian, where it was nice and safe, while they came to the horrific conclusion that they had been too late.


    Now, they were stuck outside the bunker, the doors sealed shut. It was almost like a massive metal vault built underground with a large set of stairs leading to it. An enormous crowd stood outside of it, some people uselessly banging on the metal and screaming to be let in.


    It was far too late for any of them to try and make it to the bridge now. Besides, that was the direction the Beast had last been seen. Some accepted their fates, others cried, and some made a run for it. Alice simply pulled her phone out and watched the footage from the various drones or cameras that were left standing. Some people had managed to go live, and all around the world, planet Earth would be watching it. She watched as the heroes tried to fight the Beast. As the hero Cinder had her stomach ripped clean out.


    "Surely there is something you can do!" Matthew screamed. His face was red, and he hadn''t stopped shaking since all of this had started. It was only a matter of time before his heart gave out. "There are children and the injured here!"


    "The vault is sealed." June sighed. "I can''t get it open. A few Hero Branch members entered it, along with some of Oleander''s rich. I saw Pretty Face among them, too. He was the last to enter, and then they sealed the damn thing shut. I doubt they plan on opening it until the Victorian herself personally comes to tell them the Beast is gone."


    "If you were here before it closed, why didn''t you go in?" Alice asked, looking up from her phone.


    June gave a lazy shrug. "I''m old. I''m going to be sixty in less than five years. I figured I should stay out and let someone else take my spot. Besides, you weren''t here. I''d never leave a friend behind."


    "Well, now we''re all going to die!" Matthew growled. "Nice going. At least if you had gone inside, you could have opened the doors up!"


    "Sorry."


    ¡°You should be, you useless ass!¡±


    Their crowd was made up of a few Hero Branch soldiers who hadn''t been able to escape into the vault in time, along with some cops and medical workers. They also had a few dozen kids as well as several men and women who were barely clinging to life. The Beast might not have been here, but that didn''t mean this part of the city was safe.


    Buildings still rumbled and rained down debris, and pools of lava were randomly scattered about every which way. Large chunks of the ground had been torn away, causing some people to fall to the sewers below and either die from the fall or drown.


    Up above them, a battle raged on as well. A literal UFO flew through the skies, and the heroes fought it. They were winning, but it was causing more towers to come crashing down, and a never-ending stream of earthquakes flooded their city.


    Flying after the UFO was a screeching, roaring, twisted bat and spider hybrid creature, Bat-Spider, the mad dog of the Hero Branch. It landed on the UFO, crawling across the metal, clawing and biting at anything it could. As it was trying to bite into the barrel of the UFO¡¯s beam cannon, a single shot blew apart Bat-Spider¡¯s head, and the poor, insane abomination fell to the ground.


    Wyvern was injured but still managed to fly through the air. Her arms were wrapped around Mister Man, and she was carrying him over the massive metal spaceship. His power allowed him to phase his bullets, negating their durability, and with the help of Roulette, he had a never-ending stream of shots.


    Roulette flew on a wave of bullets following after them and used his ability to spawn rounds into Mister Man''s revolvers. Mister Man, in turn, didn''t stop pulling the trigger, his gun going off over and over again. The bullets dug into the metal of the ship and phased into it, ripping it apart. As he did that down below, Duplicity managed to merge into her adult form and used her power to control metal. Whatever this ship was made out of, it ignored her control, but the metal bullets Mister Man phased into it didn''t, and she caused them to twist and bend, digging them in deeper. And even if they missed, a shot would ring out, and another bullet would intercept Mister Man¡¯s, ricocheting the Super¡¯s bullet into the UFO. On the ground, a man in a hunting jacket, Guy With Gun, held an old-fashioned rifle with a scope, the world¡¯s greatest non-Super marksman.


    They weren''t the only ones, either. Drake had flown back when he noticed the situation and bombarded the ship with fire, while down below, Lancelot swung his sword out, sending sharp blades of wind that cut into the underside.


    Also, Fisherman was there, and he kept sending sharks into it, but they just sort of splattered and died instantly, so he wasn''t really helping...


    He tried, though.


    The ship kept firing at Wyvern and Drake, but the two-winged siblings were too fast, easily dodging out of the way. Slowly but surely, the ship was coming down, the damage proving to be too much. While they all did that, other heroes put out the lava pits and destroyed the raining debris before it could hurt more people. When they were finally done with the ship, they''d be able to go and help the others out with the Beast. Flying around was a woman in long robes with wings sprouting from her back. Wherever Halo flew, she let out an aura of healing, helping the injured and the people suffering from radiation sickness. A stray beam from the UFO clipped one of the woman¡¯s wings, and she slammed to the ground, but she struggled back to her feet and continued to walk around and heal, despite several red spots that bloomed across her robe.


    "When are they going to take that damn thing down!" Matthew demanded.


    "They''re trying their best," June argued.


    "Well, their best isn''t good enough!" The Ward family member yelled. "This is what we''re paying for? We send our money to a bunch of idiots that have already failed to save this city! Look around! Look at the state of Oleander! It''s gone!"


    "The Cleanup Squad can-"


    "Can they? How many cities have been left behind after a Beast attack? Why would this one be any different?" Matthew hissed.


    In a way, he had a point. His words caused the crowd to stir more, and people continued to beat on the metal of the vault door, begging for it to open. Oleander wasn''t in a good shape. It was doubtful if it could be fixed. Chances were they lost everything.


    Alice numbly stared down at her phone, watching a livestream one of the drones that had managed to not blow up, was filming. The chat box was filled with millions of texts going by too fast to read as over four million people watched the hero Ocean Empress die in the arms of a hero in red. The world had just lost an Enforcer member live on camera.


    She felt her stomach twist. She looked up though when she heard June speak up once more. ¡°You should take a seat, Matthew.¡± June said, placing a hand on Matthew¡¯s shoulder.


    "I''m fine!" His face had somehow turned redder, and he wouldn''t stop clutching at his chest. "I''m... I''m-" He fell back, and June rushed forward, catching the man.


    "Matthew!" She screamed out. "Someone help! He''s having a heart attack!"


    One of the doctors that were in the crowd hurried over and crouched down. He looked Matthew over and winced. "We- We don''t have any proper equipment... I was in an ambulance, but it got swallowed by a pitfall."


    "There''s got to be something you can do!"


    From up above, the UFO fired out another beam of energy in the direction of Drake, who dodged out of the way. Unfortunately, directly behind the young hero was a giant skyscraper, which was blown to bits, the stone raining down. An entire section of it snapped off and began to fall directly toward the crowd standing out of the vault. It was too big for any of the other heroes to get rid of, and those who could have were too distracted with the UFO or not fast enough.


    "Alice!" June threw himself in front of her as if that would somehow help.


    It was pointless, though. It was a massive chunk of stone that was raining down their way. She closed her eyes and held her husband''s hand. Her eyes then instantly snapped open when a harsh golden light flew out. Bright orange fire rammed into the falling building, and with an incredible amount of force, the thing was shattered to bits. Most of the rubble raining down below was reduced to harmless, tiny chunks that didn''t hurt that much.


    The roar of a lion echoed out around them, and they found themselves staring in shock as a three-legged beast came hobbling over, carrying a young hero on its back. Alice felt her eyes go wide when she saw the hero in question.


    "Are you guys okay?" Cinder asked. She didn''t wait for a response from the crowd and instead quickly climbed off of Myth''s back. She wobbled a bit, and many of the citizens gasped when they saw the chunk that was missing from her side. By now, all of Ocean Empress''s ice had melted, and the bleeding had restarted. She was growing lightheaded, but that didn''t matter. "Stand back, everyone."


    Cinder pulled both of her arms back, and instantly, an intense heat gushed out of her palms. Myth grew into a massive snake-like form and wrapped himself around the crowd, doing his best to shield them from the heat. She wasn''t holding anything back. By far, her most potent and most tiring attack was one over which she had no control. Full Monarch had been able to coat himself in so much fire that he had been as hot as the sun, giving him the ultimate defense and offense at the same time. Her control was nowhere near as good as his, and she couldn''t even begin to reach that level, but she did have something close.


    She called it her supernova. It was only a single moment, and it always drained her, but for a brief second, she could cloak herself in so much fire she would reach those temperatures. Full Monarch had been able to cause his fire to not burn anyone he didn''t want to hurt, but she couldn''t do that. When going supernova, everything around her would be hit by the force of the sun''s heat for a single moment. She was tapping into that tremendous destructive force but channeled all of it into her hands.


    "Drake!" Wyvern seemed to notice what she was about to do as heat rose up. "The giant snake! Freeze it!"


    "You got it!"


    Both Drake and Wyvern shimmered, and their red scales suddenly changed into a pale white. When they opened their mouths, they fired out a wave of thick snow and ice that poured out and covered Myth''s giant snake form and the crowd, shielding them.


    The ship seemed to also notice what was happening. Its massive barrel pointed down toward Cinder and fired out a beam of harsh energy. Cinder stepped forward and thrust her arms out as hard as she could, forcing the power of her supernova to fire out in the form of a massive beam of energy. The full heat of the sun blasted out, melting the street around her, and it slammed into the beam of the ship. For a second, both beams seemed to clash, the air around them screaming out and ripping apart.


    She grunted and felt her arms and legs shake a bit. "T- This is one of the coolest things I''ve ever done!" She let it all out. She didn''t care about reserving strength or the damaged state her body was in. She had long since accepted her death as a possibility. At that moment, the only thing she focused on was letting every drop of her power out.


    The ship''s beam began to grow weaker as her fire overtook it and blasted right through the energy and the gun. It didn''t stop there, though. It kept going, and the ship''s metal began to drip down it as it started to melt, and the fire beam split it in two. It exploded in the air, lighting the sky up for miles. Her attack finished cleaving through it and kept going well into space.


    If the Beast hadn''t been pissed at her before, then it''d likely be mad now that she basically destroyed his car.


    The sleeves of her costume had been burned and cleaned off, and the flesh around her arms was a nasty red. That didn''t matter, though, as she felt her legs give out and an ocean of blood poured out of her gut wound. "Cinder!" Myth screamed out.


    She felt herself fall forward, but a pair of arms caught her at the last second. Her eyes were heavy, and she struggled to keep them open. She was dying. She could feel it. Despite that, though, she made out the face of the woman that held onto her.


    "You did really well," Alice spoke softly, gently setting Cinder onto the ground. "You can rest now. You''ve done enough."


    "I- I can''t." Cinder tried to push herself up. "My job isn''t done."


    "Yes, it is. You''re about to die."


    "No, I''m not."


    "What?"


    "She would never let me die. She''s more stubborn than I am."


    "What are you talking about-" Alice saw something drift past her¡ªa large feather from a red bird.


    Cinder hesitantly reached up and caught it, and the effect was instant. The color came back to her face, and the redness in her arms faded. Steam gushed out of her side wound, and when it cleared up, the flesh was back. Cinder breathed heavily, clutching the feather as most of her serious wounds faded. "Took her long enough." The girl huffed out.


    Alice stared up with wide eyes as more feathers rained down. She held her hand and caught one and felt all the bruises and cuts she had taken vanish. One landed on her husband, and he gasped as his chest pain faded. Hundreds of them rained down, and people grabbed them, rapidly being healed.


    "My arm¡¯s back!" Fisherman said in joy as he caught one. He waved his new arm up in the air.


    "It was already growing back!" Lancelot yelled.


    Myth let out a sigh and slowly changed back into his human form. One landed on him, and his guts pulled their way back into his body, and a new arm formed out as mist poured out of his wounds. "Don''t get cocky, everyone." He called out. He flexed his shoulders, feeling them ease up. "It isn''t a full heal. It got rid of the worst pains, but we''re still battered up."


    Things like severe bruises or even a few broken bones hadn''t recovered. "We stand a better chance than we did a moment ago, though," Lancelot called out.


    From up above, Mister Man stayed in Wyvern''s arms as they quickly flew toward the ground. His eyes never left Cinder''s. "What was her name, again?"


    "Cinder? Why? You interested in her now?"


    "I guess I''m realizing that I might have misjudged her, is all..."


    "How did you know this was going to happen?" Alice stared up at Cinder as the hero shakily stood back up. Cinder rubbed at her side a bit but gave a grin.


    "She told me she''d save me if I was ever in trouble. I figured I couldn''t get any closer than my death. Besides, she isn''t the kind to stay out of something like this. I knew it was only a matter of time before she showed up. There¡¯s a reason the Cinder action figure is sold alongside the Paragon action figure, you know!"


    ¡°I knew it!¡± In the back Justin Time fist bumped the air. ¡°I freaking knew it! I was a genius for making both those toys! I need to make a new model now that she has her new costume! One for that hero in red also who is about to fight the Beast all by himself! I think his name was Battery or something?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think now is the time.¡± June said flatly.


    Cinder turned away and gave a half-wave, still smiling. "You guys stay safe. If Paragon is here, then our chances just shot up! We can beat the Beast for sure, now! She and I make a perfect team!"


    Instantly, Alice found herself facing an old memory¡ªone in which Full Monarch said something similar as he smiled and waved. Her phone lit up as she took a picture of the hero. "Wait..."


    "Huh?" Cinder turned back to look at her.


    "Just... Try to come back still alive. Okay, hero?"


    "Well, that was sort of my plan?"


    Cinder cringed a bit when Myth clapped her on the back, as most of her organs were still a mess. She looked up as the man shifted back into his lion form. "Let''s go. The others need us."


    "Right."


    And with that, Cinder got back on his back, and they charged back into the fray...


    Meanwhile, a few moments earlier, near the bridge to Lillian, something else was happening...


    Battery dodged out of the way of a swipe from the Beast just in time. A black claymore of energy formed into existence in his hands, and he swung it out, but the Beast dodged the strike, flying into the air. As soon as it was gone, Battery jumped back and held his other hand out.


    The black lightning that was around him hummed out, and invisible signals were sent flying out in all directions like a radar. It crossed the entire city in an instant and painted a clear picture in his head of where everyone was. So far, they had lost Max Lightning and Ocean Empress. Lady Time was still alive, but barely. The other heroes were severely injured. He himself didn''t have much time left either now that his heart was gone.


    He was basically a walking corpse. One who would die for real once his power stopped fueling his body.


    Several people, as well as the other heroes, all stared at him and the Beast. Some were recording this. The whole world was watching. Normally he¡¯d care about what he said, but he really didn¡¯t.


    "Can you speak the language of man?" Battery questioned. The Beast landed a few meters away from him and simply stared at him in silence. "I guess not. I wanted to tell you a story if you could understand me. It would have turned out better if you were asking questions. See, a long time ago, there was this monster, right? And this monster decided to adopt a child and teach it how to use the strength of a Giant-"


    The Beast was on him in an instant, swinging down with enough force to shatter through skyscrapers. Gravity twisted and altered around it, obeying its whim and weighing Battery down. At least it should have, but the black lightning around Battery zapped out in all directions, allowing him to move at insane speeds and block the strike with his blade.


    "-bottom line to the story! I prefer fighting in all-out brawls like this!" Battery twisted around the Beast and sliced out with his blade, trying to cut the creature in two, but his weapon only bounced off of it. "See, you actually made me really mad. You took something I cared about-"


    The Beast rammed a fist into Battery''s face so hard it snapped the man''s head all the way around and blew the street they were on up. Battery stumbled back, and his free hand grabbed his head and forcefully snapped it back in place. Black energy formed around everyone around him, shielding them all from the blast as well.


    ¡°Y- You can do it!¡± Some people were cheering. Some were begging. Some hoped that he would be the one. He was the first person they had seen who had simply shrugged off an attack after all. For Battery, though, he just kept focusing on the battle and his speech.


    "-you''re just some mindless machine that doesn''t even know what it''s doing, right-" One of his arms was torn clean off by a swipe from the Beast, and the black lightning around him spilled out, wrapping around the limb and pulling it back in place. A second sword appeared in his hand, and he swung out with it in an ''X'' shape, but they still couldn''t cut the Beast''s fiery form. "-who made you? Why do you exist? Why are you always in the way of human progression?¡±


    So far, during this entire battle, the Beast hadn''t been hurt since it shed its armor. All the blows from the Victorian hadn''t so much as left a dent, and now Battery was realizing that his blades just weren''t doing the trick. An unstoppable force of pure power. As if all four Lords had been rolled into one. A true monster.


    But he was the man who killed Full Monarch, right? He was Battery. The weapon honed by the Emperor. If Full Monarch could beat the Beast and he could beat Full Monarch, then he should be able to beat this thing, right?


    No.


    That is incorrect.


    The Beast slammed another hand out, the force of an exploding bomb following it and sending Battery crashing through several buildings and rubble. He spun around and swung his black blade up just in time, splitting the attack the Beast launched at him in two, along with using his energy to shield all the civilians as he crashed onto a different city block miles away.


    That golden light was no longer within him. The power of the Victorian was gone fully when he ripped his heart out. Instead, he had his true power. His blue energy. It was known as Imaginary Energy. A blue light that could take any form he needed it to. So then... What was this black lightning that twisted around him...


    ''You''re losing this battle.''


    "Do you just get a kick out of tormenting me?" He growled out as the voice of Full Monarch appeared in his head. He could feel the eyes of the man were on him, but as usual, he wouldn''t be able to turn around and see him.


    ''Yes.''


    The Beast shattered through another building and came out swinging a chunk of a skyscraper so hard it kicked up a tornado. Battery willed himself to not be dragged away by the wind and swung his sword out, sending a wave of black energy in the direction of the Beast that tore the tower it held apart. The Beast flew at him faster, and more of the black energy swirled around his fist.


    ''Ah. You''re using the power of the Giants, right? I would have thought you''d refuse to use that gift. After all, that is the proof that you belong to the Emperor as his monster, is it not?''


    "Seriously, shut up! I don''t need a backseat commentator!" He punched out with his arm, and above him, his energy took shape, forming into a twenty-foot-long arm forged from the black lightning. The lightning balled itself up into a fist and rammed itself directly into the stomach of the Beast, slamming it into the ground and shattering the road, causing them to fall down below into a series of underground railways. "I liked you better when you were using your real voice."


    ''When I was using my real voice, you couldn''t understand me. I bet you imagined it as a series of black boxes or something. Now though you hear me loud and clear. We''re becoming one. Soon I''ll be in control.''


    As Battery landed in the subway station, he threw his hand out, and once again his energy rippled out. It formed into a massive black arm that wrapped itself around a train that had been abandoned. He surged forward with godlike speed, dragging the train with him so fast it caught fire. As he reached the Beast, his arm struck out and rammed the massive train into the monster, exploding with a great force and blowing them further through the ground as the walls around them came tumbling down. This time they found themselves crashing down in the sewer system.


    Battery landed in the water below, feeling it rise to his ankles. Seconds later, the water expanded as the Beast called forth a tidal wave, summoning more of the liquid. The sewers were flooded, and Battery felt himself be swept away by the current. Lightning danced off of the Beast as it shocked all the water it created. Despite also having what looked like black lightning, it did nothing to the water and, in fact, shielded Battery from the onslaught of energy.


    More of his power swirled around his foot, and he tapped into the power that had been drilled into him once more. A forty-foot-tall leg suddenly appeared in the space around him created by the black energy, which kicked out, shattering the sewers apart even further and blowing a hole in the roof. A massive hand then appeared under him, which slowly lifted him up out of the water, allowing him to gasp for breath.


    ''Your body won''t last much longer. Especially with how much you''re using that ability.''


    "I never needed to win. I just needed to buy time."


    ''For what?''


    "Like I''d tell you."


    The entire city had seemingly gone silent. Not just it but the whole world. They were watching. Staring. All pleading for the hero surrounded by black energy to create a miracle. They watched as he stood on a massive hand formed out of his energy and stared into the enormous crater in the middle of Oleander that had been formed.


    The name Battery had just become the number one searched hero name for that week.


    The floor beneath him shattered as the Beast came flying out. It fired another orb of fire at him, but another giant hand appeared in front of him, clutching a sword the size of a tower, which it swung out, flattening the attack and ripping through half the city. No one was in danger though, as more barriers of black energy shielded them.


    This energy that he wielded... This cursed power. The one that the Emperor had spent years crafting up for him. This was the ability that allowed him to fight Full Monarch. In the end, he actually lost that battle. So, just how did Full Monarch die...


    Well, that''s a story for another time.


    Inverse is something a few Supers have mastered. It allows them to switch the dial on their ability. All Super''s are primarily in control of their powers and keep it in check with their powerful egos, but for some they discovered a way to draw out more of their latent abilities, changing how they work and altering them. This, however, brings with it a significant risk. It can allow the power to overpower the ego held within and take over the Super''s body.


    At this moment, Battery had inverted his power. His energy was Imaginary Energy. Energy that did not actually exist and could be shaped how he willed it. A child''s imagination come to life. This is what allowed him to imagine himself as having the power and the body of a Giant. It allowed him to grow his limbs or expand his form just as he had done in his battle with Green Wolf. So, then what happens when that is Inverted? This black energy was the Inversion. It was no longer pure imagination brought on by some childish mind.


    No...


    This was real. This was existence. This was Unimaginable Force.


    "To me, my soldier."


    Battery took a deep breath as the Beast broke past the giant sword that had rammed down on it. His entire body hummed with his lightning, and something began to appear behind him. It stood at nearly one hundred meters tall, forged from pitch-black energy. It was in the shape of an armored man and wielded a long sword able to cleave mountains in half. Battery jumped up and twisted through the air, spinning around, and softly landed on the head of the giant... He no longer took on the shape of some imaginary monster. Instead, he had created that which now existed. An actual Giant of legend.


    Before the Shadow, before Supers, Giants were said to exist in stories and fairy tales, told by humans of old times. In almost every myth about them, it was agreed that the Giants were against mankind. They always stood as enemies to Gods, Kings, and even Lords.


    In other words, this power was an enemy of the four Lords. The power of the Giants. Rulers in their own right. Said to be masters of creation and destruction, they could build and they could tear down. All that power, all his power¡ªit all came spilling out.


    Battery pointed his sword down at the Beast, and the giant he stood on followed his movement, shattering more of the buildings around them as it did so. "I felt it when I sent my pulse out. We''re close." Battery explained, his eyes never leaving the Beast''s.


    ''Felt what? What are we close to?''


    "Close to the end of this story." He held his hand out as a red feather rained from the sky. He didn''t catch it, though. Instead, his black lightning burned it to ash. He didn''t want to be healed...


    The Beast growled and charged the Giant before it, ready to take it and its ruler down.


    At that exact moment, near the bridge, Destiny finally landed.


    Paragon arrived on the battlefield.


    The entire planet was frozen, watching what could very well be the final battle.

 Chapter One Hundred And Nine: The Giant, The Daughter, The Beast

    "You don''t have to do this."


    "Yes, I do." River looked past the window she stood in front of, her eyes focused on the young child in the other room. "If I don''t, then he wins."


    "The Emperor doesn''t win just because you don''t take care of his experiment." Jill scoffed.


    "His kid." River corrected.


    "His experiment." Jill doubled down.


    River just sighed and shook her head. "You just don''t get it."


    "You''re right. And God, do I hope I never do. That man was a monster. It would only be fitting if his spawn vanished off the face of the earth, never to be seen again."


    They were in a hospital. It had been less than five years since the Emperor was finally defeated. After raiding some of the final bases he had left behind, the Victorian had uncovered a dark truth about the former Lord of the Land and Life. He had a daughter. The monster that had nearly ended all life on earth and successfully killed Full Monarch had a child with someone¡ªor at least he had made it look like he had a child.


    In reality, the girl''s DNA was a total mess and filled with dozens of errors. She was basically just a monster that was grown from nothing with bits of the Emperor''s cells, as well as the cells of three other people in that bastard''s army.


    They brought her to a hospital which had been conducting a few tests on the young girl to make sure her cells wouldn''t simply give out and combust. Now that they found out she actually had a shot at life and would most certainly go on to awaken her powers, the argument about what to do with her had begun.


    "So, your solution when faced with a child is to just kill her?" River asked, clenching her fists a bit and allowing water to swirl around them.


    "I never said that." Jill rose off of the ground by a few inches and began to glow with a faint golden aura. "Don''t go putting words in my mouth, Ocean Empress."


    "Then what''s your solution?"


    "She''s just a kid. Not even I''m cruel enough to suggest we just get rid of her." Jill explained. "I think it would be best if she was kept by the Hero Branch."


    "So, they can poke and experiment on her?"


    "So, she can be used to help people when she awakens her powers," Jill stated in a blunt tone. "We lost Doctor Blue and Doctor Alma, two of the best healers the Branch had. Her father was a Lord of Life. There''s a good chance she''ll have similar powers eventually. My father once told me Nier used to use his powers for good before he snapped. If there''s a chance that she can be used the same way, then-"


    "Then you''re forcing a life onto a child and not allowing them to decide," River responded flatly. "If she does awaken healing-based powers and decides to use them to help the heroes and the Branch, then I think that''s fine, but what if that isn''t what she wants? You can''t just force a destiny onto someone."


    "So, allow her to decide for herself and just pray that another Emperor isn''t born when she inherits her father''s wrath?"


    River turned and looked her friend in the eye. "My father, Old Dog, sometimes talks about his time during the war. Back in the day, things were much worse than they are now. A constant battle with Lucifer. Supers back then didn''t get to decide what they wanted to do with their lives. My father, my grampa, your father, and even the mighty Emperor were all forced into a life of battles where every day they fought and had to use their powers. This lifestyle is what created not only the world''s greatest villain in the form of the Emperor but also the world''s greatest hero by giving us Full Monarch. I don''t think people start off inherently evil just because of their parents and the choices that were made. Otherwise, we''d all be screwed."


    "That doesn''t answer my question, though. What do you do if that child does turn out to be evil? What if something bad happens to the people she cares for and it causes her to snap just like how her father snapped?"


    "Did you become evil when your father died?"


    "No? At least, I don''t think so."


    "Then isn''t it obvious?" River turned away from the woman and made her way over to the door that led into the hospital room. "Love."


    "What?"


    "I think that you just show them so much love that even if they do lose something, even if a parent or a loved one does die, they were given enough love to keep on going."


    River entered the room and looked around. It wasn''t very big, but it wasn''t exactly small either. It had a bed, a drawer, a desk, and a few other things scattered about. There was a one-way mirror that reflected the room, and down on her knees, drawing on a piece of paper, was a young girl with messy red hair. River quietly crouched down in front of the girl and studied her.


    The child was only about a year younger than her own daughter. Slowly, the young girl looked up at her.


    "Hi," River said with a small smile. ¡°What''s your name?" The child studied her face, then looked back at her piece of paper and began to draw once more. River peered at it and saw that it was just blue, covering every inch of the white. "What are you drawing?" She asked softly.


    The child still did not answer her and seemed keen on ignoring her. The doctors told them that the girl never bothered them and would mostly ignore them when they checked her over. They still didn''t have a name for the girl either. River''s eyes quickly glanced in the direction of the one-way mirror. She knew Jill was on the other side, judging her.


    River took a deep breath. "Do you know who your father is?" The girl stopped drawing for a moment but still didn''t speak. "My name is River Sini. I''m a superhero. That''s pretty cool, right? You have heard of heroes, haven''t you? I''m the one called Ocean Empress!" She held her finger up and allowed a stream of water to pour out and take the shape of a small bird. "I was told I could take you out of here." She held her hand out calmly. "I don''t think you''ll be very happy if you stay here for much longer. Would you like to leave? I can take you to see anything you want. I''m sure there is a lot you haven''t gotten to see."


    The girl''s eyes glanced up and stared at her hand in silence. Her hand looked like it was about to reach out, but it flinched and stayed at her side.


    "Please." River said softly. ¡°Let me save you."


    Finally, the girl''s hand gently wrapped around one of her fingers. "Can- Can I really see anything I want?"


    "Of course. Just name it."


    "Then- I- I- I want to see the sky."


    River blinked before letting out a snort. "That''s it? Okay then. Let''s go outside and see it. It looks very pretty at this time of night."


    And that was how River gained another child.


    ***


    Present Day...


    Lady Time felt an arm wrap around what was left of her body. She groaned, feeling part of her flesh mend as a golden light washed over her.


    "You still alive?"


    "Somehow." The hero nodded.


    "Then get back up. We''re not done yet." The Victorian easily picked up Lady Time and let the woman put an arm around her to keep her standing. "I''m mending your body the best I can."


    "I thought you couldn''t-" Lady Time''s eyes gradually focused, and she realized that the woman was no longer transformed. Her golden energy was back, and she had reverted to her typical mode, allowing her to use the golden healing light once more. "Why are you like this? You turned your transformation off?"


    "It was that or let you bleed out." The world''s strongest woman said, shrugging.


    "What about the Beast?"


    "It''s distracted, for the time being."


    ¡°Who would be strong enough to distract that thing for this long?¡±


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°You have friends?¡± Lady Time raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean.¡±


    The Victorian dragged the woman across the destroyed block that they were on and over to where a body rested. Lady Time''s eyes went wide when she saw it. Ocean Empress had been placed gently onto the ground. Her water cloak still stood but had stopped flowing, almost as if its time had been paused. Her eyes were closed, and she almost looked like she was sleeping.


    "Can you-"


    "No." The Victorian placed Lady Time down and shook her head. "Her soul has already passed on. We''ve lost another Enforcer member. Ocean Empress is gone."


    "Damn it!" Lady Time smashed her fist into the ground, feeling the stone break as her teeth ground together. "I thought we would be able to handle it this time! What have we even done! That bastard made us look like total jokes! How can we save the world from the Emperor if the Beast can beat us so easily?!"


    The leader of the Enforcers didn''t answer her friend. Instead, she folded her arms and took a few moments to rest and gather some of her strength back. It was frustrating fighting in a place so fragile. She couldn''t truly go all out like this. She needed something else¡ªsome way where she could actually give it her all and not have to worry.


    Slowly, her eyes roamed over the destroyed area, looking at the torn-down buildings and mountains of rubble around them. The bridge to Lillian had been torn down fully by now, and several heroes stood on the sidelines. Near the edge leading down to the water, metal rose up as Oxide carried herself up, the body of Whisper thrown over her back.


    Victorian found her eyes locking onto Lois. Whisper was unconscious but didn''t appear to be damaged. She last saw Max Lightning with the girl, but in the state he was in, she knew that he had likely died. "That''s your daughter, right?" Lady Time asked.


    "I guess so."


    "Go check on her."


    The Victorian floated off the ground and made her way over to the edge, where Oxide was to help her up. She never got the chance, though, as someone else beat her to it.


    Wasp Nest''s body reformed as millions of bugs all compressed together. He grabbed Oxide and pulled her up and out of the air, taking Whisper off of her back. "Lily- I mean, Poseidon was blasted down in the water. Did you see her?" He questioned.


    "No," Oxide said, shaking her head. ¡°I''m sorry, but I couldn''t find her or Snowdawn." Oxide''s dress quickly reformed, and she collapsed to her knees. "How is everyone else?"


    "Not good." Wasp Nest winced. He turned, and for a moment, his eyes landed on the Victorian before moving past her and to the center of the street. "I think BB is dead..."


    In the very center of the road, still in her large form, BB was on her back. Money Tree had managed to crawl onto her stomach and was attempting to use his one arm to press down into her chest in an attempt to restart her heart. "Someone help!" He shouted.


    Victorian raised her hand, and for a moment, some of her golden light flowed out. It twisted around BB''s body before fading. Her arm fell back to her side, and she turned away. "Sorry. She''s already dead-"


    "I don''t want to hear a word out of you!" Money Tree screamed, glaring at the world''s strongest woman. "You got all of our hopes up! You made us think we actually stood a chance this time! That, for some reason, the battle with the Beast would go differently! Look around you, though! Nothing''s changed!"


    "That''s enough, Money Tree." Laps let out a heavy sigh. She had an arm around Dust Cloud, who was supporting her. "No use yapping about it right now. We should be more focused on what we do next." Several civilians all stood off to the side, still shaking. All of them had been protected by Battery¡¯s energy. ¡°There are still people in danger. We need a plan.¡±


    "You mean we should be more focused on what we do when that Battery guy fails, right?" Dust Cloud asked slowly. "I heard what you said. What did you mean when you said that he-"


    "Dust Cloud." A familiar voice caused the young hero to freeze. He turned and felt his eyes go wide. Standing in the alleyway was Purrfect.


    "Purrfect!" He practically dropped Laps, who was barely caught by Oxide, and ran over to his team member. "You''re alive?"


    "I''m hard to kill." Purrfect joked. "You should know that by now." Despite her words, she didn''t look too good. She was covered in various cuts and bruises, and one of her legs had been burned so badly it was down to the bone. Purrfect collapsed into the arms of Dust Cloud, who caught her. "Hey... So, what happened to that Cinder girl? Is she dead?"


    "I don''t think so. Why?" Dust Cloud asked, gently helping the girl down into a sitting position.


    "She was a total cutie. I think if we both make it out of this alive, I''ll try asking her out. Totally my type."


    "Pretty sure we''re all going to die at the rate everything is going." Dust Cloud said flatly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Purrfect muttered. ¡°That hero in red was¡­ He¡¯s still fighting.¡±


    The Victorian watched all the younger heroes as they began to mingle once again. Wasp Nest and Oxide made their way over to Money Tree and tried to comfort the man as he wrapped his arm around one of BB''s fingers. Lady Time stayed seated next to the body of Ocean Empress, and Laps had collapsed onto the ground, clutching at a gut wound she got from a shard of debris. Several civilians stood by also unsure of what to do, and many had their phones out trying to get ahold of help or were watching the live stream of Battery¡¯s fight with the Beast. It had easily become the most-viewed video and was being shared around thanks to Boy Genius¡¯s drones, which were recording the whole thing.


    Slowly, the Victorian''s eyes landed on a piece of large rubble that buried something. She flicked a finger out, sending a wave of air that shattered it, revealing the body of Metal Ronin. "Metal Ronin!" Wasp Nest felt his face pale when he saw his friend.


    The Victorian''s golden light spilled out, washing over the downed hero. "He''s still alive, but he''ll need medical help soon," the woman said. She walked over and grabbed the unconscious hero by the arm. Then, suddenly, without warning, she turned and sent him flying into the air.


    "Why did you do that?!" Oxide panicked.


    Metal Ronin''s body flew into the air, spinning, and from out of nowhere, a shadow fell down onto them as a massive flying monster grabbed the hero from out of the air. Red feathers began to rain onto their part of the battlefield as the creature came to a soft landing, allowing them all to see that it was a massive version of Destiny.


    "Am I late?" Paragon quickly climbed off of Destiny''s back, flipping some of her hair. She didn''t have her mask, but she did have her lab coat. She didn''t wait for any of them to respond and made Destiny place Metal Ronin onto the ground, the teen''s arm almost entirely regrown. With that done, Destiny took to the skies once more, leaving her behind as more of his feathers rained down below onto the battlefield. "So, who needs some healing?"


    She had a sly smirk on her face and was feeling pretty cool at the moment. It was kind of a badass entrance. The kind Hope would pull off. Despite that, though, none of the other heroes said anything to her. They just stared at her with mixed looks.


    "Heal me." The Victorian was the first to speak. The woman turned and folded her arms. "Hurry it up."


    "R- Right." Paragon walked toward the woman and placed her hand on the world''s strongest woman''s shoulder. "Is my mom somewhere else in the city?" The Victorian felt her body mend and took off into the air, not bothering to respond to Paragon. "What a bitch."


    "Paragon." She turned and found Wasp Nest staring at her. There were so many emotions going through the man''s eyes. He took a step toward her and placed his hands on her shoulder. "Listen to me. Your sister was thrown down into the water, and I haven''t seen her. Could you help me look for her?"


    "Of course, but what about BB-"


    "She''s dead."


    Paragon felt her throat close up. Her eyes went wide. She had noticed BB in the middle of the road and had hoped that the girl was just unconscious. She reached out with a shaking hand and placed it down onto BB''s arm. She didn''t feel anything. A body didn''t instantly die just because a person was dead. Some cells would still be alive even hours after a human died. She didn''t feel anything in BB, though. It wasn''t that she couldn''t fix the girl''s body; after all, she could regrow limbs or organs if given enough time. It was more spiritual in nature. The girl''s soul, or at least what you could maybe call a soul, had moved on. BB was dead.


    Then she really noticed who was all around her.


    "Paragon!"


    She ignored Wasp Nest''s voice as her eyes roamed the area. Money Tree rested next to BB, and Oxide was next to him. Whisper was unconscious on the ground, and Purrfect and Dust Cloud had separated from the group. Laps had managed to crawl over to where Lady Time was, and next to the Enforcer was the body of-


    Wasp Nest held his arm out, blocking her sight. She met his eyes, and they were wide and bloodshot, but they were also filled with a pleading look. "Please." The Sub Enforcer member begged her. "Please don''t look. Heal Metal Ronin and help me find your sister."


    She felt her heartbeat begin to grow faster, and her body shook. "Whose body is it?"


    "Paragon-"


    "Whose body is it? Who died?!"


    "Sky, please!" Wasp Nest wrapped his arms around her and sounded as if he was seconds away from breaking out into a sob. "Don''t look. You shouldn''t look. Not right now. You shouldn¡¯t see it."


    She ignored him. Her eyes had seen it. She was able to peek right past his shoulder and stare down at the corpse of the Enforcer member that was next to Lady Time. Lady Time''s eyes cast downward, unable to look Paragon in the face. Ocean Empress looked so peaceful. So different from the ruins that were around them. It looked almost as if she was in a deep slumber. Despite that, Sky knew without a doubt she was staring at the corpse of her mother.


    River Sini, the woman who raised her, the woman who took her in, the woman who treated her not like a monster but as a fellow human, was dead.


    Her head began to ache, and the world almost seemed to start spinning. Memories went through her mind. She saw herself the first time she met her mom. The way the woman smiled at her and held a hand toward her. Then she saw herself meeting Lily for the first time. The way her mom nudged her forward, and she found out she now had an older sister. She remembered the way her mom would go out of her way to cook food instead of having the robots do it and the way the woman would always make too much and send what was left over to her friend Jill, insisting the woman eat. She recalled the first time she got Destiny and the way her mom asked her thousands of questions, wanting to know where she got the bird from, and she couldn''t answer any of them. She remembered the joy she felt when the woman caved and allowed her to keep the bird, and she remembered the first time her powers awakened, and she saved her sister''s life.


    Her mom¡ªno. Ocean Empress had given her a choice that day. She could keep them hidden or use them. She just wanted to give a little bit back to the woman who took care of her, so she decided to come out as the hero Paragon.


    More thoughts raced through her mind. Now, they were thoughts of what she wouldn''t be able to do anymore. She wouldn''t be able to tell her mom about her first kiss when she eventually got it; she wouldn''t be able to tell her about any of her crushes; she wouldn''t be able to tell her how much she was struggling to keep up with the other heroes or how some days she just wanted to give up, she wouldn''t be able to tell her how she felt like a failure and how sometimes she was in so much pain. Her mom wouldn''t be there for her when she got married; her mom wouldn''t be there for her when she became an adult and got her first drink or gave her advice on if the person she loved was the right one.


    Worse yet, though, she wouldn''t be able to tell the woman ''Thank you''. She would never be able to tell River how much it meant to her to be called her daughter. She would never get to say how happy she was having her as her mother.


    It settled in all at once.


    Her mom was gone.


    She was alone once again.


    "Sky!" Wasp Nest shook her, but she didn''t respond. The world was spinning around her, and she couldn''t breathe properly.


    "She''s having a panic attack!" Purrfect shouted.


    "What do I do?"


    "Help her lay down; she''s going to black out-"


    Water erupted out of the ocean. It rained down below, and all of them besides Paragon snapped to attention. Lady Time struggled to stand up and form one of her blades, but in her damaged form, she was way too slow to react. Wasp Nest didn''t even know when it happened, but one moment he was holding Sky, and the next, something wrapped around the girl¡¯s waist.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    He felt his eyes go wide with horror as he stared down at the long gray tendril that had squirmed its way around Sky''s waist. It looked almost like something you would see on a squid.


    "Lily?" He asked quietly.


    The tendril pulled, and Sky was ripped off of her feet and dragged into the waters below.


    "Sky!" Wasp Nest screamed.


    Meanwhile, near what used to be the affluent section of Oleander City, Battery felt his black lightning erupt around him and twist. He lowered himself down and blasted forward at incredible speeds, moving faster than he ever had before. He swung his black blade out, but the Beast was just too fast and easily jumped over his swing. As soon as it was in the middle of the air, his aura crackled, and the giant he created swung its own sword, clipping the Beast in the shoulder and blasting it back.


    The Beast came at him again, but he barely dodged its strike, blasting himself into the air. He jumped up, going over one hundred meters, and landed on the head of his created soldier, which smashed its foot down and literally stomped the Beast into the ground.


    His Giant stood almost as tall as a skyscraper, and it was forged from energy that almost looked like living darkness. Its blade didn''t cut the Beast; the alien was far too formidable for that, but it did ram the monster straight through a building, shattering the entire thing and causing it all to come crashing down.


    Battery stood on the head of his creation and wiped some of the blood that was pouring down his face. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The red hero lazily turned when he heard the voice. A drone floated in front of his face. The sky was filled with dozens of them. They weren¡¯t the Hero Branch ones, though. These ones were decked out with weapons and able to survive the field around the Beast that destroyed the other drones. They were all built by Boy Genius, and the boy had decided to go turn the recording live once he noticed how well Battery was doing.


    ¡°The whole world has its eyes on you right now. You¡¯re doing great! Say something to motivate them!¡±


    ¡°Who are you, my PR manager?¡± Battery tried to lazily swat the drone away, but it dodged his strike. ¡°Get the hell out of here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re beating it though-¡±


    ¡°Like hell I am! Look at it! That thing isn¡¯t even injured-¡± As if on cue, Battery was suddenly rammed into when the Beast came flying out of the cloud of debris it had been smashed into and rammed its fist directly into the man¡¯s face so hard he was sent blasting across the city once more landing somewhere on the other side.


    The Beast followed after him, or at least tried to, but the Giant rammed its massive sword down onto the back of the Beast. It curved its strike and sent the alien ramming into another building. Then it took a few thundering steps over to where Battery was.


    Battery''s Giant rammed its fist into the ground, tearing most of it apart, and scrooped the hero in red. It raised its arm up and then, with all the power it could muster, chucked its master at the skyscraper the Beast had been smashed into. The building was falling apart and coming undone with every passing second, but that didn''t stop the two monsters who called it their battleground.


    Battery formed a second sword in his other hand as he landed in what looked like a torn-to-bits office. Everything was flying through the air and turning sideways as the building began to fall. White flames erupted out of the roof above him, and he twisted himself out of the way just in time. The Beast came crashing down from the floor above and made a slashing motion with its hand, shooting out a thin wave of energy.


    Battery brought both his swords up and blocked most of it, but a majority of the fire clipped him, cutting across his chest and badly burning him. He fought through the pain, forcing himself forward through the attack, and stabbed both of his blades out, but the energy that covered the Beast''s flesh was just too much for him still, and his attacks bounced off. The Beast went to sucker punch him once again, but the room around them suddenly exploded as a giant sword cleaved the building they were in straight in two.


    The Beast smashed its foot into the ground just in time, falling to a floor lower as the massive black blade tore the upper half of the falling building off. Battery meanwhile jumped and came down, landing on the sweeping blade, which kept going and carried him all the way outside of the building. Blood poured out of his face, but he ignored it and casually wiped away some of the blood dripping from his eyes.


    ¡°Still think I¡¯m winning?¡± He called out to the drone. ¡°Quit watching me and go save the rest of the people in the city, jackass!¡±


    ''Your body is put under a massive amount of stress, keeping that giant out. You have to constantly create it and send your energy out, which means you are constantly bearing its full weight upon your body. The old you could handle it, but you''re literally falling apart.'' He felt the eyes of Full Monarch behind him once more.


    "It doesn''t matter." Battery stood on the tip of his giant''s blade and swung both of his swords out, shooting out a wave of arcing black energy into the lower half of the building that the Beast had escaped to. "I''m close to where I need to be. Just a little bit longer! I just need to stay alive for a bit more time, and then my story can finally be done!"


    White fire erupted from beneath his giant, and the entire thing began to shake as the Beast attacked him from beneath the city. Everything exploded around him, and he called his energy off, causing the giant to fade. Battery dropped as a twenty-meter hole opened up in the ground, going well past the sewers. The Beast flew up toward him with incredible speed, but he managed to think fast and created a giant hand, which he used to bounce off of and get out of the way of the monster''s attack.


    As the Beast flew by, he swung both of his swords up once more and sent his energy blasted out, slicing into the back of the Beast. Or at least he hit its back, but it didn''t appear to get past the energy it had. The Beast''s butterfly wings allowed it to change midair, and it began to fly at him once more as he fell. He brought his sword up, and the air above the Beast shimmered as the arm of the giant spawned in, wielding its sword, which it smashed down into the back of the Beast and sent it crashing to the ground below.


    His massive sword worked on pinning it down as he finally landed as well, both of them having moved out of the way of the hole and to a different past of the city. As his sword pinned the monster down, another giant hand spawned and tore half of a skyscraper out of the ground, which it chucked as hard as it could in the direction of the Beast.


    The creature managed to shove the blade off of it and didn''t even flinch as the building slammed into it at full force. It walked through the debris and pointed out, firing a massive beam of white energy in Battery''s direction. The hero barely had time to create the upper torso of his giant, which spawned in front of him, tanking the attack.


    The blast radius of the attack was still so strong it sent him crashing back, and he rolled over the street, stabbing his sword into the ground and breaking his fall. He breathed heavily as the giant torso faded and more blood gushed down his face, blocking part of his vision.


    ''Go, Battery, go! You can do it, you''re the best, you got this-''


    "Shut the fuck up!" Battery smacked his head a couple of times, growling. "The only good thing about this situation is that soon, you will be dead as well!"


    ¡°Go, Battery, go! You can do it, you¡¯re the best!¡± Boy Genius¡¯s drone floated next to him, also cheering him on. ¡°Why do you keep talking to yourself, by the way?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no better than he is!¡± Battery yelled.


    ¡°Around seventy percent of the city has been evacuated.¡± Boy Genius¡¯s voice suddenly grew serious. ¡°My drones are doing what they can. Just hold on for a little more. Everyone believes in you!¡± All across the world, people were yelling and cheering at their TV or their phones as they stared at the back of Battery.


    Battery¡¯s face remained blank as he processed the words. ¡®It feels good to be a good guy, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ He could almost feel the hand of Full Monarch on his shoulder. ¡®You got this. Stay calm and focused. Pace yourself. You¡¯re doing great.¡¯


    The Beast stepped out of the massive dust cloud that had formed up from all the raining debris around them and still didn''t seem to have a single scratch on it. It crouched down and blasted toward him, and he got ready to counterattack once more but stopped suddenly. A golden glow shimmered, and suddenly, the Victorian came rocketing forward, ramming her feet into the face of the Beast, throwing it back. It hit the ground and rolled across it, landing on its feet, but a large black hand spawned on top of it, crashing down and shoving it deep into the ground.


    ¡°Victorian!¡± The shocked voice of Boy Genius came from the drone.


    "How durable is that giant that you keep summoning?" The Victorian yelled at him.


    "It can take hits from the Beast?" Battery shrugged. "It''s my strongest weapon. I''ve Inverted my power, so now, instead of giving myself the power of a Giant, I make reality spawn an actual Giant that is my-"


    "Yeah, I don''t care." The Victorian said, cutting him off. "I have a plan."


    "Oh yeah? This should be good."


    "Oh, it will be. I need to charge up my power and change into my galaxy form, though. Buy me time."


    "Say, please."


    "Fuck off."


    The drone looked between the two heroes as they stared at each other with very unhappy frowns. ¡°Do you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± They both said flatly.


    Battery X Victorian became the second most searched thing of that week.


    ¡°You just need a few moments, right?" Battery stepped forward and gripped his two swords. ¡°I¡¯ll give you enough time. You better hit him hard, Ruby.¡±


    Once upon a time, there was a young boy. One said to have been found by a great Devil. This Devil took the boy in and raised him as his own. But the Devil didn''t want a son. He wanted a weapon. One that would obey him always and help him slaughter his enemies. He wanted something that could devour the Sun.


    So, he raised this boy up. He forged him powerful armor and gifted him a weapon that was alive so long as the child trusted it¡ªa partner for this young boy, and he drilled into him the image of what true power should be. Slowly this child grew and eventually surpassed that of his mortal shell as the Devil fed him more and more. Bigger and bigger, this child became until soon only one word could truly describe him.


    Giant. The Devil had created a Giant that was so strong it could devour the Sun itself. At last, it had its perfect weapon.


    The two of them would declare war on the Sun. The Devil and the Giant would fight it together. The Sun, however, would see the humanity in the boy and reach out to it. Just like that, the Devil''s plans came undone, and he soon found himself being devoured by that Young Giant that he had created...


    Battery didn''t know why he found himself thinking of old events in a moment like this, but he just couldn''t shake the feeling off. Just as the Devil had returned when the Emperor stepped foot on their world, maybe that Giant which had been made to eat the Sun could return?


    The hand he used to pin the Beast was shoved off of the ground, and Battery charged forward. He glided across the ground as if he were skating and reached the monster, ducking under one of its punches. The sheer force of the attack tore through part of the city, and he twirled past it, attempting to grind his blades into it. The Beast blocked it with one of its wings and kicked out so hard it shattered Battery''s spine.


    Battery was thrown back, and his torso twisted back into place as the inside of his body forcefully slammed his snapped spine back together and forced it to work. He landed on the balls of his feet and spun fast enough to twirl the wind around him. His blades screamed out and cut through the air, but they were instantly stopped when the Beast caught both of them with one hand. Battery dropped the sword and ducked down just in time to dodge its other hand, which took a punch at him.


    He recreated his swords, making them longer, and jagged and smashed them down into the Beast''s wrist. It smashed its arm up at him, but he managed to wrap his legs around it and refused to let go. He worked his swords as if they were some sort of saw and screamed out loudly. His energy crackled and fired out of them, and he cut into the hand of the Beast. The creature shot off toward a building while he rode it and slammed him through the walls of one, but he still didn''t let go.


    His energy wrapped around the wrist, getting sharper, and made cutting motions; all the while, the Beast thrashed its arm out in random directions, attempting to throw him off of it. He was rammed into the ground, through walls, and bombarded with intense white fire that ate away at part of his costume and flesh, but he still didn''t give up. He roared with everything he had, using all the strength he could muster.


    All of his love, all of his hate, the beginning and the end. All of it was placed into his blade. The pride he held as a swordsman, the ability to cut anything. He forced it all into the edge and swung out. Across the world, Boy Genius as well as millions of other people watched the screen in shock as Battery struck out with one final slash.


    The Beast stumbled back as Battery let go. After a moment, the Beast''s right hand slid off of its body, and it stared down at its stump, cocking its head to the side. And what exactly came out of its body?


    Nothing.


    Battery raised his eyebrow and caught his breath as he stared at the monster in front of him. It didn''t bleed. Now that the hand had come off, he stared in mild horror when he saw that the creature was hollow. No bones, no muscle, no nothing. It was just pure, solid energy in the shape of a creature. Despite that, though, it told him something vital about the Beast.


    "You can''t heal, can you?" Battery spat out a broken tooth and a glob of blood and managed to stand back up. "You have the power of the four Lords, but only part of it. You don''t have everything they can do. I''m betting you don''t have the enhanced senses that the Lord of the Sun comes with or the ability to see the future like the Lord of the Sky. You can change your body with the power of the Lord of Life, but you can''t mend or heal. You don''t have DNA. You''re just pure life force, aren''t you? You''re just some imposter-"


    The Beast took an angry punch at him with everything it had, its eyes glaring in his direction.


    "Guess you can understand me after all. In that case, you should know you screwed up." Battery didn''t bother blocking or dodging. He didn''t need to. "At the end of the day, all villains make this mistake. You''re no different."


    The hand of the Beast was stopped as the Victorian threw herself in front of Battery and blocked the strike, catching it with one of her hands. Once more, her body was covered in a galaxy-like pattern, and golden stars shimmered all across her. The power of the Cosmos. Her Galaxy Dress!


    She shoved the Beast back with her enhanced strength, ripping the ground up. "Do your thing!" She demanded, flying forward.


    "I still didn''t hear a please!" Battery called out.


    "Please!"


    The Beast recovered easily enough and swung its stump out, blasting a wave of white fire, which the Victorian slapped away with her hand. A massive shadow suddenly formed over them, and the Beast looked up, finding Battery had recreated his massive, armored giant. The giant kneeled down, and the helmet it wore snapped open as the thing formed an enormous mouth that opened wide. Then it started to drop.


    The Beast tried to jump out of the way, but the drone of Boy Genius rammed into it as hard as it could, the drone''s thrusters pushing out and managing to cause the injured creature to barely stumble. The Beast was forced near the Victorian right as the giant finished falling, its mouth crashing over both of them. Its jaws snapped shut, and it swallowed, and the drone Boy Genius had exploded.


    Battery collapsed to a sitting position as another drone flew over to him. ¡°Is this it?¡± Boy Genius asked.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± The man grunted. He fell onto his back, staring up at the sky. ¡°Kick his ass Ruby.¡±


    The Beast and the Victorian felt themselves being dragged down, and they found themselves spinning as they dropped through the giant''s throat. It was pitch black, and the only light that existed was coming from the two of them, white and gold mixed together.


    The truth was the Beast had taken some damage before Battery cut its hand off. However, this damage was all caused by itself.


    The Galaxy Dress was strong. It gave the Victorian the full power of the Cosmos that her father once used as well¡ªa power that could rival even Lords. This is what allowed her to become the number one hero and beat people such as Fable. With it, she could take hits from the Beast and shrug off its energy, as well as deal powerful attacks that, while not having an outward effect, she was building something up.


    The issue was that the Beast was so durable that only her most decisive strike could hope to do any damage. A strike that would surely destroy the city. While in her Galaxy Dress, her body was able to naturally absorb forms of energy, including kinetic energy. She couldn''t negate them, however. Any damage she would be hit with, she would take, but in turn, she would also absorb. It was almost the perfected version of Green Wolf''s barrier. Long ago, she used to go by the name of Ruby Admiral, and it was thanks to this power she could keep up with Full Monarch.


    They landed down in the belly of the giant, and the Beast flew up and attempted to claw its way out of the stomach, but it finally saw the horrors of a creature that was made up of so much dense energy, even its attacks wouldn¡¯t bother it. The Beast was experiencing the same thing so many others had. It didn''t even leave a dent. It was trapped in the giant. The Beast growled and turned back to the Victorian and charged at her.


    It had taken her out in one punch earlier. This was because it had used everything it had held within its body. This attack had damaged its form and made it a bit more unstable. It was going to hit her with the exact same thing.


    In an instant, it appeared in front of her, and a powerful blow was thrown out. The gravity around it rapidly increased, and fire blasted out of its elbow, launching its fist forward like a jet. Lightning gushed out of its palm, and it used its control over its own body to compress all of its mass and power into the center of its hand¡ªa punch with the full force of four Lords.


    The attack rammed into the head of the Victorian, cracking the Galaxy Dress that coated her body and caused her eyes to roll back. It would have been strong enough to shatter the area they were in, but with the power of her dress, she forced all the impact onto herself, just like what she did when it first delivered the strike. This is what stopped the entire city from being blown to bits when it first hit her.


    The Beast''s elbow slumped down, and dozens of cracks appeared in its body as it hissed. Despite that, though, it knew it won. Its most potent attack was-


    The Victorian forced herself to stand back up and gritted her teeth. The world spun around her, and she could feel herself blacking out, but she refused to fall unconscious until she hit this thing with everything she had. All across her form, billions of tiny golden stars suddenly erupted and went supernova. They swam across her entire flesh and changed into a bright ruby red color as the full force of a dwarf star found its way into her fist.


    A red star.


    The inside of the giant lit up with a harsh red light as she tensed her fist, pouring in every drop of energy she had, including the two massive strikes the Beast had hit her with. All of it was fused together, and she rammed it all right into its ugly face!


    Outside, Battery felt himself get shoved back as red beams of energy tore his giant apart from the inside out, and a sweeping burst of air tore everything to bits. The entire city shook, and everything was leveled. All of Boy Genius¡¯s drones exploded across the city as red energy whipped out wildly, splitting through the sky and tearing more of the city to bits. The only reason the entire city was even remotely left standing was thanks to the fact Battery¡¯s giant took the worst of the blow.


    The giant cried out as it shattered to bits, and it suddenly vanished. Red light blinded Battery as the energy overpowered the sun, then suddenly died out, vanishing as the Victorian collapsed to her knees. The Beast was sent flying, swinging through the air, and was rammed through layers of torn-down buildings, crashing at the edge of the city block.


    Battery rushed forward and caught the Victorian before she could crash face-first into the ground. Her Galaxy Dress completely faded off of her, leaving her back in her normal form, and most of her hero costume was torn up. "Did I get him?" She coughed out.


    "I think you got him and most of the city¡­ I lived here, you know¡­¡±


    Battery looked up as he watched the Beast struggle to move and stand back up. Part of its head hung awkwardly off of its body, barely attached, and its entire face had been caved in with hundreds of cracks dancing all across it. The thing managed to stand up on wobbly legs, and its torn-up shoulder rose up, allowing it to point at them. A beam of white energy blasted out, but at the last second, a wave of hot golden fire slammed into the beam, blasting it out of the way. Battery let out a small sigh before smirking.


    "Looks like I made it to her."


    "Mr. Larison!" He felt himself get tackled off of the ground as Hope rammed into him at high speeds.


    "Ow..." He crashed to the ground and awkwardly patted Hope as she landed on him.


    "You''re alive, Mr. Larison!"


    "For now."


    "What?"


    "Nothing." He stood up as she pulled herself off of him. "Are you hurt?"


    "No! Paragon healed me! Is she with you?"


    "No? I thought she was with you."


    "Jill!" Mister Man landed next to them and held a handout to the Victorian, helping the woman up. Hope seemed to finally notice the world''s strongest woman and felt her eyes go wide. She ducked behind Battery and peeked out. "You okay?" Mister Man asked.


    "I''ll manage." The woman shrugged. Her eyes roamed over the others that also showed up. Wyvern landed on the ground next to them, along with her brother Drake. Fisherman, along with Myth and Lancelot, came running as well. "Is this all we have left?"


    "The others were slowing us down, so I left them behind and had them keep this crowd of people safe." Mister Man explained.


    "Got it."


    All of them turned when they heard the sound of the Beast. The monster began to steadily walk toward them once more and snapped its head back into place. Battery let out a breath he was holding and placed his hand on Hope''s shoulder. He looked down at the girl and watched as her eyes glared at the Beast. "Maybe I won''t need my plan after all."


    "Huh?" She looked back up at him.


    "Nothing. I think we can win." He recreated his black sword. "It''s weaker now. This is our chance."


    The Victorian rubbed some blood off of her chin. "It''ll take me a bit to get my Galaxy Dress back."


    "You won''t need it." Battery said, shaking his head.


    "Can you beat it?" Myth asked his teammate.


    "Of course I can. I''m badass." Battery snorted. "Though actually, with this guy here, we''ve basically already won." He pointed his blade at Mister Man. "What do you think?"


    "You want me to finish it off?" The man asked.


    "We''ll distract it and give you a moment to shoot it. Phase a bullet into its neck and take what''s left of it off. I don''t think it''ll be able to fight if we remove its head."


    Cinder gave a small grin and punched her fist into her palm, the golden fire twirling out. "So, what are we waiting for? Let''s end this!"


    The Beast crouched down and launched itself forward as fast as it could, its wings expanding out. Wyvern and Drake both huffed out, shooting a wave of hot fire in its direction. The Beast flew through the fire, ignoring it, and used the arm that was missing a hand to block Lancelot''s sword. Fisherman managed to get his line around the Beast''s waist, and Myth grabbed onto it, tugging on it as hard as he could in his bull form and causing the Beast to slip a bit. Battery and the Victorian both formed their swords and rammed them on either side of the Beast''s neck, attempting to saw off its head. Mister Man twirled his gun and took aim.


    The Beast fired out a powerful wave of energy out of its eyes in the direction of Mister Man, but the beams never reached him. Cinder jumped in front of him and held both of her hands out, using her palm to block the energy. Mister Man fired two shots. His bullets flew out and phased right through Cinder''s head, going completely through her and not harming her. They went directly up the stream of the lasers and hit the eyes of the Beast before growing solid once more and causing the alien''s eyes to explode in its skull and turn off its energy.


    The Beast let out a high-pitched scream that was so strong it blew them all back. Battery felt himself crash into the arms of Cinder as she caught him. He threw his arm out, and his energy crackled, forming into a giant fist that rammed directly into the top of the Beast and forced it to kneel.


    "Whoa! Since when can you do that, Mr. Larison!" Hope asked with wide eyes. "Also, since when do you have black lightning?"


    "Not important!" The giant fist began to grow bigger and crack the street as it shoved the Beast further down. "Now, Kid!"


    "Right!" Cinder let go of Battery and twisted her way past him. As she did that, Battery grabbed one of the destroyed drones and ran his energy through it, causing it to turn back on by force.


    ¡°I never wanted the glory. Since the start, my plan was for her to be the one to do it. I thought I¡¯d have to die. That I¡¯d need to kill myself in front of her in my fight with the Beast to finish it and force her power to awaken. Looks like it didn¡¯t come to that.¡± The drone booted back up fully, and all across the world, the entire planet stared at the back of a fire-based hero. ¡°Cinder is going to beat the Beast.¡± Battery announced.


    Fire compressed around her fist, and she ran forward as fast as she could. The Beast shattered the hand that was above it and formed its wings, taking to the air right before she could reach him. "Oh no, you don''t!" Fire blasted out of her feet, and she jumped after it. The Beast flew higher, attempting to escape from her grasp, and she felt herself begin to fall. Its butterfly wings flapped, kicking up a massive windstorm, and she felt herself begin to drop. The gravity around her started to grow stronger as the Beast forced it upon her. She was starting to be shoved down and began to fall back to the ground. The Beast was trying to escape.


    She gritted her teeth, feeling her fire reach its peak. The gold energy began to swirl around her, and just like when she would use the supernova, she channeled it all and forced it directly into her back. "Gravity! You don''t boss me around!" It exploded out of her back, erupting and taking shape. Her fire formed into a pair of large butterfly-like wings.


    She flew.


    Battery held the drone up, capturing the entire thing.


    The gravity around her vanished, and she blasted up faster than she had ever been able to move, her wings expanding out. The Beast tried to block with its remaining hand, but she was like a rocket, putting everything she had in her fist. The Beast screamed out, and she yelled right back at it as her fist shattered through its injured body, the cracks around it growing more prominent. "I''m ending this here!" And with that, her fist slammed directly into its stomach and broke through.


    Everything exploded...


    ***


    Jane stared out the window at the hospital room her husband had been given. The streets of Lillian were still filled with traffic and injured people, with the Hero Branch and doctors working overtime on them. She didn''t pay much attention to that, though. Her eyes stared in the direction of where Oleander was.


    "How long have you known?"


    She didn''t turn to look back at her husband. She bit her lip and flinched a little but remained at her spot, staring out the window. Mr. Ward and the other Hero Branch agents had left once Paragon escaped. The Laurens weren''t of any concern to them. She supposed that was a good thing.


    "Jane." Her husband asked quietly. "Please. How long have you known?"


    She sighed softly. "Not long. I only found out recently. We were planning on telling you, but..."


    Alexander also sighed and stared up at the roof. "I guess I always knew something like this would happen." He grabbed his blanket and pulled it over his legs. "Is she going to be okay? I shouldn''t be staying here at a time like this-"


    "She''ll be fine."


    "How do you know?"


    "Because that Paragon girl left to go save her."


    "No offense, but I don''t really trust that hero." Alexander snorted.


    "Hope likes her."


    "Oh?"


    "''Likes ¡®likes'' her."


    "Oh!" Alexander nodded. "I trust her now."


    "Men are too easy."


    The door to their hospital room opened slowly, and she heard someone walk in. "Excuse me, but are you guys the Laurens?" A voice asked. They had been getting visited by doctors all day to double-check on her husband and make sure he stayed stabilized.


    "Yeah, we are. Are you a doctor?" Her husband asked.


    "Sort of. I prefer the term healer, though," the voice said casually. She finally turned around and raised her eyebrow when she saw who it was. It was an older man, maybe in his late sixties. He had messy blonde hair filled with a few grays and a bit of facial hair, as well as very tired eyes. Despite that, though, he had a kind and gentle smile on his face, and he wore a black suit.


    "Healer? Are you a Super?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. If he was a Super, then he¡¯d be a lot older than he looked. He could have been pushing well into the hundreds. Something that deeply concerned her, since that would have meant he¡¯d have to have survived through the war with Lucifer. That meant he was strong. Yet he wasn¡¯t in Oleander¡­


    "That''s right." The man nodded. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and his eyes glanced up and down at Alexander. "I heard the hero Paragon wasn''t able to fully cure you of the Dead Virus?" The man questioned.


    Alex nodded. "Yeah. She apparently regressed it but wasn''t able to fully get it out of my system." He glanced down at his hands and squeezed them slowly. "I''ve never felt better, though. She did a really good job."


    The man reached out and rubbed the back of his neck slowly. "Is Paragon here?"


    "No?" Jane shook her head. "She left and headed to Oleander. Um, excuse me, who are you exactly?"


    "I see." The man replied. "I guess she did that in some attempt to save her false family."


    "False family?"


    "Or maybe she did it for that girl." The man hummed. "That is why she tried to heal you, right? After all, the two of you are the parents of Cinder."


    "Who are you-" Jane went to step forward but she wasn''t fast enough.


    In an instant, the man''s hand landed on Alexander''s face. His smile didn''t look so kind anymore. "Who am I?" The shadows around him began to slowly rise up. "Well, my name is Nier. Though I guess you guys would know me as the Emperor."

 Chapter One Hundred And Ten: The Tallest Wave

    "Alice!" June tried to reach for her, but she was surprisingly fast despite her old age. "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" He demanded.


    Alice ignored her friend and shuffled forward on the building. It had been torn down and turned over from the fighting, working almost as some sort of ramp she could climb and get above all the wreckage. With each step, she thought that the glass under her might give out and shatter, but that didn''t stop her from walking forward. She had left her husband, Matthew, behind with the crowd, so it was just her and June now.


    "Alice, we shouldn''t be here! It''s dangerous!" The Hero Branch agent finally reached her and grabbed the older woman by the wrist, stopping her.


    Alice turned around and shushed him, holding a finger up. They were on a different block of the city from where they had started. She had noticed the sounds of fighting and the intense pressure and, instead of backing down, had marched right into it. Now, she was at the very top of that knocked-over building she had decided to use as a ramp. "Look," she said quietly. She pointed out, and June''s eyes followed. His eyes went wide when he saw what she had noticed. ¡°It¡¯s nearing the climax.¡±


    The air above them crackled with fire, a mix of gold and white, which split open and shattered. Two fast-moving objects came crashing down to the city below. Spider Street was in ruins, and all the heroes stood on what used to be the road. He saw several members of the Enforcers as well as team Pantheon, the group that belonged to Myth¡ªthe final stand against the thing that had torn down Oleander.


    Alice pulled her phone out and clicked it on, pressing a button. The connection was surprisingly good, all things considered. Likely due to Boy Genius, who was also recording everything and keeping Oleander''s internet running. She went live and held the phone out to June, who took it. He held it steady, seeming to get what she wanted, focusing the camera on her and the heroes down below. Her livestream didn''t take long to get noticed by people, and it began to get flooded with views. Many people were recording and staying live with their phones, but only she was this close to the real heart of it all.


    "My name is Alice Ward." She stated, once June flashed her a thumbs up. "I''m here at the scene where the heroes are about to beat the Beast."


    "You still think they''re going to win?" June asked.


    "I do." She nodded her head and looked back down at the battlefield. "I still have hope."


    Down below with all the heroes, Battery blasted forward at his top speed and threw his arms out just in time to catch Cinder, who dropped from the sky after her clash with the Beast. The drone he had been holding tumbled to the ground and burned out now. She didn''t look all that hurt and actually had a large grin on her face. "Mr. Larison!" She stared up at him with stars in her eyes. "Did you see me? I flew! I really did it!"


    "Good job, kid." Battery grunted and dropped Cinder flat on her butt. "Think you can do it again?"


    "Um..." Cinder reached for her back, slapping at it, and shrugged. "I''m really not too sure how I did it!" She responded sheepishly. Her wings were gone now. "I sort of just copied what I saw the Beast doing. That thing made butterfly wings, and it looked like it might be made of fire, so I figured I could try something just like that. I''d rather be able to fly on my own like Victorian or Full Monarch, but beggars can''t be choosers!"


    "We''ll work on your flying after this, then. I have some pointers I can give."


    "Next time?" Battery turned when he heard the voice of Myth. The hero made his way over to them and folded his arms. "So, you''re saying there will be a next time after this?" He questioned, his eyes scanning Battery''s chest and focusing in on the hole that was through it.


    Battery turned away, not answering. "The feathers, Mr. Larison!" Cinder said suddenly. She reached out and grabbed one. Around the time Paragon showed up, a steady stream of feathers rained down onto the city. High above the clouds, Destiny flew back and forth, offering his healing to all. "They can save you, right?"


    Battery reached out for one, but it didn''t even get close to his fingers before a spark of black lightning zapped out of his fingertips and burned the feather to ash. "Guess that''s out of the question." Myth sighed. "Paragon could save you, maybe. Now that the shard isn¡¯t in you, could she overpower that black energy and fix you?"


    Battery just gave a lazy shrug. "I guess it could be possible."


    "What''s up with that black energy in the first place, Mr. Larison!" Cinder demanded. "First gold, then blue, and now black. Are you trying to work your way through every color or something?"


    "This is my last color change, trust me." The hero snorted. "That golden energy was something I stole from the Victorian. The blue energy is actually my power. I guess I never explained it to you. I can basically use my imagination to alter the properties of my energy. I use this to give myself a massive boost in speed and strength, giving me the stats of what I imagine something like a Giant from legends would be like. My black energy is that power Inverted. Instead of imagination, my energy gains real-world properties and creates actual things. In this case, actual Giants. My faithful soldiers."


    "And you''ve just always had this in your back pocket? No wonder the Victorian is interested in you." Myth murmured.


    "Should we actually be talking this casually?" Cinder suddenly asked. "I mean, the Beast is right over there."


    None of the other heroes had dared to take a step forward. The Victorian was tired and beaten up from all the damage she took, and the others knew they wouldn''t stand a chance against the monster. At least they wouldn''t have been able to if the Beast had been at the peak of its power. It wasn''t, though. Not anymore. Battery turned and cocked his head to the side as he eyed the alien up. He gave a slow smirk. It looked so pathetic.


    It was covered in hundreds of cracks, which were slowly expanding and opening, showing the inside of its energy form, which was still empty. Its arms were gone, and its head had been nearly torn clean off. Cinder''s punch had also put a huge dent in its stomach, and its legs were twisted in odd ways now, causing it to struggle to even stand. Cinder was strong, but she still wasn''t on the level of one of his Giants or the power the Victorian held. The fact that her punch had managed to harm the Beast at all meant that its power was rapidly fading.


    It had taken a lot of damage, delivering its massive blow to the Victorian twice, and the number one hero had turned all that pain and suffering into a single punch that had ruined the creature''s body even further beyond. It was reaching its limit. Not even the Beast was unbeatable.


    "Don''t get cocky." Myth called out. "Just because it looks messed up doesn''t mean it isn''t still strong!"


    As if he could sense something was about to happen, Myth proved to be correct, as seconds later, the Beast crouched down, and its form shimmered with a bright white light. Its body twisted, and it almost looked like it had balled itself up. All of them jumped back, ready for an attack, but it never came. The Beast just floated there, now morphed into some strange white orb that floated a few meters off of the ground. It was around the size of a large truck but began to quickly grow smaller and slimmer with every passing second.


    "What''s it doing?" Wyvern asked.


    "Nothing good, I bet." Mister Man spat out.


    Battery frowned before it suddenly clicked in his mind. "It''s patching itself up."


    "I thought it couldn''t heal." Cinder whined.


    "It isn''t healing."


    "What?"


    Myth nodded and folded his arms, coming to the same conclusion. "It can alter the form of its body. It''s using that to patch itself up. That''s why it''s getting smaller."


    "Yeah, I still don''t get it..." Hope admitted.


    "Imagine it like a skin graft. When a person''s skin is damaged and needs to be replaced, the skin that is grafted onto them doesn''t have to be from the same spot where it was damaged. So, if an arm was damaged, that skin could be covered up with the skin from someone''s back." Myth explained. "It''s doing something like that, right, Battery? Because it is an empty body, it''s like one big layer of skin. All it needs to do is shuffle up its mass and replace its arms and head. Doing so is causing it to shrink, though. It isn''t healing; more like it''s fixing itself up by taking apart its height and body mass that it deems useless. It would have been clever if not for one small flaw. He''s turned himself into one big target while he does this!"


    Wyvern and Drake both fired at the white orb, shooting beams of fire out of their mouths that swirled together. The attack, however, was unable to leave a mark on the orb as the cracks were being sealed shut, and it focused on its durability. It would have worked if not for the fact that they had someone who could negate such things.


    ¡°Looks like it all falls to me. I¡¯m the one that is going to save the day.¡± Mister Man stepped forward and took his time reloading his gun. ¡°I¡¯m the one that is going to put this thing down for good.¡± Rapidly, he raised it and fired. His bullet hit the orb and phased halfway into it, then became solid, putting a hole in it. Then he fired another shot, and another, and another, and- Each shot caused the orb to explode with holes as the bullets phased. "How many people have you killed?" He strolled forward, smoothly reloading his gun, and began to shoot at the orb again. "We lost team members today because of you. Some of which I even tolerated and considered to be decent coworkers." Dozens of holes filled the orb, each getting bigger, and they could hear the Beast groaning from the inside as more of its mass was reduced to nothingness from Mister Man''s bullets. "This all could have gone so much simpler if you just died. But you can''t, can you? You''re more stubborn than the leader of the Immortals!" He threw his guns to the side once his bullets had run out, and he whipped out a knife, which he twirled, stabbing up and phasing it into the shell. More groans came from it, and a fast-moving tendril formed out, smashing through Mister Man with enough force to rip him in two. At least it would have if it hit, but instead, the tendril went right past him. "I''m going to do what Full Monarch never could!" He announced, stabbing and cutting away at more of the orb. "I''m finally going to kill you-"


    That was when they heard it...


    None of them had stepped forward, all content with letting Mister Man finish it off. It was doubtful that any of them could crack the orb; besides, maybe Battery anyways. As they stood on the sidelines watching, Cinder was the first to hear it. All at once, her senses grew and rapidly increased. She gasped, hearing all the heartbeats of the heroes around her, and nearly tripped over her own feet, being caught by Wyvern at the last second.


    "Are you okay?" Wyvern asked, keeping the Lord steady.


    Cinder gasped and shook her head, her eyes going wide. She knew enough about her powers by now to know her hearing didn''t just randomly come on like this. She wouldn''t go so far as to claim that her powers were alive, but there was something that directed them other than her. Something that was trying to warn her. "Something''s wrong." She struggled to lower her hearing and did it just in time for all of them to hear the same thing. "Poseidon is coming."


    A low hum filled the air. All of them could hear it now, even without enhanced senses. It came from all directions as if the air itself was trying to speak. It was clearly Poseidon''s voice, and at first, it started slow. Then it began to pick up speed. It was a melody¡ªone without lyrics that twisted through them all. Like a wave that was rising, it gradually began to get louder and pick up pace, and soon, it was a scream. Harsh like nails on a chalkboard, the air around them almost seemed to shake, and all of them stood frozen. Water-Gal appeared from a puddle, her face pale. Even the whine of the Beast had stilled, and Mister Man''s stabbings had stopped.


    Mister Man felt a small drop of water hit his wrist. He looked up as the sky above turned black and a shadow fell upon them all. It was a wave¡ªmassive in size, taller than even a skyscraper. A tsunami had appeared from out of nowhere. Water-Gal collapsed, her powers turning her into a puddle of water. As everyone watched, the puddle began to move, dragged forcibly towards the giant tsunami, getting absorbed by the giant wave.


    "Look out!" Battery screamed right as the tidal wave came roaring down. Battery barely had time to flare his energy out, the black lightning taking shape into a massive pair of hands that folded around himself, Cinder, and Myth. He didn''t have time to grab any of the other heroes, and thanks to how dark his energy was, he couldn''t see past his hand. He felt it, though.


    "What''s happening?" Myth asked in shock.


    Everything shook and turned around them, small droplets of water hitting them, and the hand struggled to hold everything back. An intense weight seemed to force itself down onto them, and Battery struggled to maintain his power, forcing more of one of his Giants out, arms finding their way onto the hands as a one hundred-meter-tall soldier was formed, which held onto them and began to swim up. They broke past the surface of the water, and the giant unfolded its hands, allowing them to see just what had happened.


    "Oh my God." Hope trailed off in horror, her eyes scanning around them.


    They were in the middle of a large lake. The entire city block they had been on had been flooded. The water wasn''t stopping either. It had formed a strange dome-like shape over the area they were in. She could see the rest of the city, the part that had all the rest of the people, which was thankfully fine. The water had literally stopped right at the end of the city block and didn''t flow out any further. All of Spider Street had been drowned, including their base, something that made a sting of sadness go through her heart. The Giant that Battery had summoned stood over one hundred meters tall, and yet its feet didn''t touch the bottom anymore. The level of the water was so high they were basically above the entire city.


    Shards of debris floated to the surface or were pulled further into the new lake that had been created on top of Spider Street. The force of the tsunami had shattered every other building left standing, meaning their base was utterly gone as well now. They didn''t spot any other heroes, and the water was a strange inky black color, looking more like oil, not allowing any of them to see if any of them were below the surface.


    "Poseidon did this?" Myth asked in shock. "How? Why? Since when is she this strong?"


    Battery shook his head. "No. Not Poseidon. Something far worse."


    The surface of the black lake rippled a bit, and something began to rise out of it. It was a pale white color and almost looked like a squid tentacle. It wrapped around the finger of the Giant''s hand that they stood on and began to pull itself out of the water and onto the surface. There was plenty of room on the large palms, and the three of them all backed away quietly, staring at the thing that had used to be Poseidon.


    Two years ago, the Beast attacked Chrysanthemum. This incident led to the creation of a new Calamity level threat as well as the death of the hero Legend. Despite bearing witness to all, Myth, still to this day, had no idea what had truly stopped the Beast. The high-ranking heroes had wanted to keep it secret. Despite that, though, a single name stood out. One that they were unable to keep hidden...


    "Poseidon?" Cinder asked nervously.


    "That isn''t my name." It was the voice of Poseidon, but the tone was just off. Slowly, a giggle echoed around them, dancing in the air once more. "My name is the Tallest Wave. Hello, Brightest Star. It''s good to see you once again."


    Poseidon had changed. As the thing calling itself the Tallest Wave stood up, Hope got a good look at just what this thing was. Full Monarch, at the peak of his power, had been described as an actual star. He was constantly cloaked in harsh blue fire that could slaughter his enemies and protect his allies. Sky had told her that in the fight with Wish, she turned into something similar. She had been expecting Poseidon to follow suit and be made of water or at least coated in it, but she was wrong.


    It was so much worse.


    Poseidon had grown taller, reaching nearly twenty feet in length. Where her legs once were, they had instead fused together and became a long fishtail. Almost like some sort of mermaid or shark. Her flesh had lost all color and was a nasty milky white. Normally, Poseidon''s hair was blonde, and in her Lord form, her hair was blue. Ocean Empress had used her own powers to also change her hair blue when she was in her hero costume as a way to mimic this. Now, though, Poseidon''s hair was just as white as her flesh. Her eyes were bigger and pitch-black, and it was a wonder if the girl could even actually see. A shark-looking fin jutted out of Poseidon¡¯s back, and her left arm changed into one large squid tendril. Her right arm was almost human-looking but had become lanky, clutching her trident, which had tripled in length. Large cuts ran across her body, and they constantly spilled out more of that black liquid, which flowed out of her like a fountain. Most disturbingly, though, was the twisted smile that was on her face. It was longer than it should have been and filled with rows of jagged teeth.


    This was a real monster.


    Cinder suddenly understood why Max Lightning had described her as one. The true terror of the Beast wasn''t the attack itself. It was always, and always will be, the aftermath. Every time the Beast arrives, planet Earth finds itself facing a brand-new Calamity.


    Despite the fear that bubbled up within her, Hope took a cautious step forward. "Poseidon. Please. You need to calm down. Try to get a hold of yourself. You hate this power, remember?"


    Poseidon let out another giggle. "Oh, silly. I am calm. Also, I''m not Poseidon. I told you I''m the Tallest Wave. This might have been a different body than we last saw each other in, but it''s still me, your older brother!"


    "B- Brother?" Cinder cleared her throat and ignored how Poseidon''s ''assets'' had also grown with the girl''s larger body. It seemed whatever was in control of her hadn''t started off as a girl. "Poseidon, please! You need to snap out of this."


    "It''s no use, kid." Battery spoke, stepping forward. "Poseidon''s ego lost." Inverting was a dangerous art. It allowed Supers to alter how their powers worked, but doing so meant you lost more control. It was always a battle of egos. The control of the body came down to who was stronger. The more one Inverted, the more they risked a much bigger ego taking them over... The power itself. A living consciousness. One that was housed within them all. The essences of superpowers. "The Tallest Wave is the name of the first Lord of the Sea and Depth. This thing is that. Brought back thousands of years later because the will of the user, which lived on through the passing of his power, defeated Poseidon''s ego."


    She felt her face pale at Mr. Larison''s words. She suddenly recalled everything Sky had told her about their fight with Wish. She had also blacked out and started to call herself something else. The Brightest Star. The same name that this thing before her just called her. Was that the name of the first Lord of the Sun and Cosmos? Had the very first hero that saved Earth from the Shadow really taken over her body? If Battery was right and the thing controlling Poseidon was the first Lord, then shouldn''t it be on their side? After all, the Lords were the good guys.


    Right?


    The Tallest Wave let out another giggle, and its eyes flickered over to stare at Battery. "That''s very good, mortal. There''s just one small issue!"


    "Oh yeah?" Battery asked.


    "Yeah! I didn''t say you could talk!" The Tallest Wave said cheerfully.


    Red splashed down onto the palm of the Giant as Battery''s right shoulder and arm were blown to bits from a swipe of the Tallest Wave''s tendril faster than he could even think of responding. She found herself suddenly screaming Mr. Larison''s name as it sank in what just happened. Battery jumped back, grabbing at his side, and Myth roared, about to transform but was stopped when Battery used his remaining arm to halt him.


    "Don''t. She''ll kill you before you even take a step forward." Battery hissed. More of his blood flowed down his body, and his legs buckled, causing him to nearly collapse, but Myth caught him at the last second. "She''s too-"


    A yell of rage broke through the air, and Cinder jumped forward, smashing a fist in the Tallest Wave''s face. Fire exploded out of her hand, and she smashed the fish monster down into the palm they stood on, landing on her gut and turning her shield on, which she used to ram into the Tallest Wave''s face over and over again. She threw everything she had into every strike, fire blasting down her body as she rammed all her force into the monster''s face. Finally, she collapsed, breathing heavily, and stared down at the Tallest Wave, which stared up at her blankly, not even hurt in the slightest.


    "Careful, dear sibling. You don''t want to hurt yourself-"


    "Shut up!" She smashed her fist down into the monster''s eye, trying to poke it out, but her hand simply bounced off of it. "Change back, Poseidon!"


    "Ah. I see your vessel is the one still in control, right?" The Tallest Wave hummed. "You haven''t fully taken this human over. I located our other siblings. The Loudest Thunder has recently found himself in a new body, so it''ll be a while before he is reborn fully. Our sister has also finally found a host she likes. She''s always picky. Her last one, that Wish girl, never sat well with her. She''s much happier in her current body, though. I think she''ll take it over soon."


    Hope glared down at the Lord. "You''re talking about Sky? Lily, that''s your sister! Snap out of it! What did you do with her?"


    The Tallest Wave''s body squirmed, and it began to rise up slowly. She dropped off of it and landed on the palm, staring up as the Lord of the Sea and Depth towered over her, still smiling. "You want to know what I did with our sister? Oh, that''s so wonderful! You''re always concerned about the Prettiest Flower the most! I''m glad to see you''re having an influence on your host-"


    "You''re wrong." She cut the Lord off and punched out with her hand, spraying her fire out. "I care about Sky because she''s my friend! My name is Hope Lauren, and I''m not your sister! The real Poseidon only has one sibling, and it''s the world''s greatest healer!"


    Myth stood off to the side, gritting his teeth as he tried to apply pressure to Battery''s wound. Most Supers always had strange bodies, especially the Lords. Despite that, though, Battery''s was the strangest among the strange. Even after having limbs blown off or his head twisted around, he would always find a way to at least shove things back into the proper spot. Not this time, though.


    His entire right side, from the start of his shoulder down to his gut, was just gone. It had been hit so fast, and with so much force, it had popped and exploded. He could see part of the man''s skeleton hanging out, and even with a body that could survive that which would kill even the best Super, Battery had reached his limit. His breathing came out in pained gasps, and he kept his left arm, his remaining arm, around Myth, using the man to stand. He had already been a walking corpse. Now, he was just a corpse that was nearing the end of its time.


    ''I can''t believe she went and lost the battle to her ego. I guess that just goes to show you how dangerous the power of a Lord is. Aren''t you happy you''re not a Lord, Alpha? Me and you are buddies, so you have no need to worry about me trying to take you over!''


    "Shut the hell up." Battery vomited up some more of his blood and rubbed his head. His power''s ego was something he had begun to hear regularly when he saw the images of Full Monarch. It had taken up that man''s voice. The more he used its power, the more it had started to speak to him, and now that he was also in a state of Inversion, the thing wouldn''t shut up.


    ''Tallest Wave. What a dope ass name. No other ability gets a cool name. Hey, Alpha, give me a name! I want to be the Lord of Badasses and Bitches! The Baddest Bitch!''


    "I will seriously kill myself if it means shutting you up!"


    "Who are you talking to?" Myth asked, staring at his team member in horror. Jack had finally seemingly snapped.


    "No one you need to worry about. Just get ready to follow my signal."


    ''Signal?''


    "Signal?"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "What the hell did you do to Sky? Tell me already!" Hope yelled up at the monster in front of her.


    The Tallest Wave let out a small hum. Slowly, the thing stabbed its trident down into the palm of the Giant and reached up, placing her hand on her stomach and giving an even larger grin. "I ate her."


    Sky''s eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at the black void she found herself in. Her entire body felt numb, and she didn''t see any light around her. She was floating¡ªor actually, she was sinking. She realized that she was underwater, but she didn''t struggle to breathe. She couldn''t see anything around her, though she didn''t really try all that hard.


    What was the point anyway?


    River Sini was dead.


    Her mom was dead.


    She had made such a bold promise to the Laurens that she would save their daughter, and yet she couldn''t even save her own mom. The world''s greatest healer, blessed with powers most would kill for. She was the daughter of the Emperor and the Princess of Life. A cursed creation that had now become the newest Lord of the Land and Life. She was no better than Wish. Maybe she was even worse.


    ''That''s right...'' She could hear it now. A voice that had been in the back of her head, steadily growing stronger. It was a soothing, calm voice. She realized that it was her mother''s voice. ''Just give in. It''ll be as easy as closing your eyes. You''ve done so well, Paragon. Just sleep now. No need to fight. The world''s such a scary place. Let mommy handle it all for you.''


    "You''re not my mom." Her eyes felt heavy, and she tried to move her arms for a second before giving up. "Mom''s dead."


    ''I am your mom, sweetie. It was me who made you¡ªmy power. A former host of mine tapped into my strength, and I used him to create you. You''re my baby girl. My child. I made you. So, you need to be a good child and pay your mom back. She wants a body. You don''t need yours, right? You''ve given up. Just close your eyes. It''ll be like you''re dreaming. Poseidon already gave in. Follow your big sister''s lead!''


    That snapped her awake. Sky felt water feel her lungs as she finally twisted her body and stopped herself from sinking lower into the black void she is in. She gasped as her heart raced and her mind began to start up once again. She felt like such an asshole in that moment. She had been so torn up about her mother''s death, and not once did she ever consider how Lily must have felt. Her sister must be just as torn up about it as she was. Her sister, whom she loved. Her sister, who was still alive. Her sister, who this thing was trying to hurt!


    "I don''t know who you are, but leave me the hell alone! What happened to Lily!" Sky demanded.


    The voice in her head almost seemed to scoff at her. ''So, you still have some fight in you? Who cares? It won''t matter. Big brother has already devoured your body. You''re stuck in his realm until he decides to let you out. The Tallest Wave has only ever lost a single fight once, when he challenged our sibling, the Brightest Star.''


    Sky let out a small snort and folded her arms. "Is that the case? Then I guess you fucked up! I have no doubt in my mind that Hope will beat this Tallest Wave-"


    "Sky!" Sky turned just in time to see Hope ram into her as the girl suddenly appeared in the water. "Your sister ate me!"


    "Damn it, Hope! I was trying to make you sound cool! Why did you have to get dragged in here, too!"


    Hope unwrapped her arms around Sky and gave a sheepish shrug. "Well, actually, I came in here on purpose."


    A few moments earlier...


    "You ate her!" Cinder created a hammer made out of her fire and began to bash it into the Tallest Wave''s gut. "Spit her out! Out, out, out!"


    The Tallest Wave giggled a bit. "Sibling, stop. That tickles!" Its tendril slapped her lightly, though the force instantly knocked the wind out of her and shattered most of her ribs, causing her to drop to her knees and vomit up some blood. "Oh. Whoopsie. Sorry about that! I forget how frail mortals are! That''s why you should go ahead and take over your vessel''s body! You won''t need to worry about that, then! You were the strongest thing in the Universe, after all. Not even the-"


    "Give Sky back! Give Lily back!" Cinder slowly stood up, wiping her mouth. She glared up at the Lord before her. Its power was unlike anything she had ever seen. This wasn''t just some human using the full power of their ability. This was an actual godlike being. The entity that had been one of the four first Supers, the thing that helped defeat the Shadow. It had been called a hero in all the tales, but this was no hero. It was just another villain. "Give me back my friend!" Her fire flared out and formed behind her, taking on the shape of a massive backpack. Baggy flexed his arms and then throughout a punch, but in an instant he was torn to bits by the tendril. ¡°No! Baggy!¡±


    The Tallest Wave cocked her head to the side and stared down at Cinder. "Sorry, but I can''t let the one you call Sky out. Our sister, the Prettiest Flower, just got introduced into her perfect body. She''s spent so long looking for one, and this Sky girl is almost perfect. I''ve taken her to my realm and will keep her there until she gives in and allows our sister to be reborn through her."


    Cinder glared up at the thing, her mind racing. "Can this thing that''s happened be undone? Like if you wanted, could you become Lily once again?"


    "If I wanted to give control up, then sure. Why would I, though? The more one changes and uses the true power of a Lord, the closer they become to the perfect vessel, giving us more control over them. This body has changed and been altered so much. It''s basically become the perfect vessel for me."


    Cinder nodded her head. "Okay. And you said that Sky''s in your stomach?"


    "The vessel that contains our sibling indeed rests there!"


    "Got it. Eat me!"


    "Kid!" Battery called out with wide eyes.


    She turned back and gave him a smile and a thumbs up. "Trust me. Please."


    The Tallest Wave hummed. "Oh, are you finally wanting to give in and allow yourself to become who you are meant to be? I''m so happy for you, sibling! Very well, I''ll send you there!" The jaws of the monster snapped wide open, and its head came down fast. In an instant, she suddenly felt like how a potato chip must feel as she was swallowed whole. Slowly, the Tallest Wave swallowed and then looked up at Myth and Battery. "Now. I think I should punish both of you for daring to look at me and my sibling."


    "Run?" Myth asked in a cracked voice.


    "Run." Battery nodded.


    Inside the stomach of the Tallest Wave, Hope found herself appearing in front of Sky as she finished explaining what happened.


    ''You''re an idiot.''


    "You''re an idiot."


    Both Sky and the Prettiest Flower said in deadpan tones.


    "Hey! I had a plan!" Hope huffed out, folding her arms. "That Tallest Wave person isn''t very smart. Or actually, I guess it''s more like they''re way too cocky. They didn''t view me as a person and didn''t even bother to consider I could be lying. They just assumed I''d willingly give up control because they''re so great and mighty. I hate things with God complexes!"


    ''WE ARE GODS!''


    "Can you hear her, Hope?" Sky asked.


    "No? Are you hearing a voice in your head? That''s the Prettiest Flower, I think. From what I was told, she''s the first ever Lord of the Land and Life."


    "Well, she''s a bitch."


    ''How dare you! Give me your body!''


    "No." Sky said flatly. "Are you hearing a voice of your own? Maybe one calling itself the Brightest Star or something?"


    Hope shook her head. "No. I think I heard something once or twice, but it''s gone silent. I guess I know why my hair turned blonde though. From what the Tallest Wave guy said, the more we use our powers, the closer we turn into perfect vessels. Man, I really hope the Brightest Star is a girl and not some creepy old guy. I don''t want something like that controlling me."


    "So, you''d be fine with it if it was a pretty girl?"


    "I''d be more tempted!"


    "You''re the worst."


    Slowly she looked around the black void they found themselves trapped in. She couldn''t tell how big it truly was, but it was clearly much bigger than the Tallest Wave''s stomach. They were submerged in black water, though they could still talk and breathe just fine. It was almost like they had been sent to a different realm. As if the Tallest Wave''s gut was just some gate to a pocket world. It sort of reminded her of Sky''s own realm. Some powers, especially the strong ones, seemed to be able to create things like this. She began to swim out in a direction, and she could hear Sky following behind her.


    She used her power and created a spark of fire that didn''t seem like it was affected by the water, though it didn''t even make a dent in the black liquid that was around her. She made sure to keep hold of Sky''s hand so that they didn''t get lost. Eventually, after swimming for about twenty minutes, she felt herself hit the edge of something. A wall. One that was pitch-black and impossibly thick. Just from placing her hand on it, she could tell she wouldn''t be able to get through.


    "What now?" Sky questioned.


    "Now we check for a roof and floor."


    Back in the real world, time flowed differently. While twenty minutes had passed for both Hope and Sky, it had been only twenty seconds for Battery and Myth. During that short amount of time, both of them had already lost to the Tallest Wave.


    Battery created another one of his massive Giants in front of him, attempting to use it as some sort of shield. Myth had changed and twisted his body into that of a flying creature wanting to stay as far away as possible from underwater combat from the Lord of the Sea and Depth. Battery stood on his back, holding his remaining arm out as he threw his strongest warrior yet at the monster.


    This Giant was nearly two hundred meters tall and actually stood on the surface of the lake the Tallest Wave had created walking on water. It wielded a massive spear, which it pulled back and thrust out as hard as it could, using so much power, it shattered space itself and formed large rifts in the air. The Tallest Wave blasted up on a mile-high wave, and with a single swing of her trident, she split the Giant in two, shooting out a powerful shock wave that rammed into Battery and Myth, blowing them out of the sky and sending them both crashing down to the waters below.


    ''Damn it! That bitch is cheating! No fair, no fair, no fair! If you were back at full power and in your prime, like when you fought Full Monarch, the two of us could beat her for sure! After all, I''m a-''


    The voice in Battery''s head never got to finish as they hit the black water, which rose up and wrapped around him and Myth, pulling them down into it. Unlike the water in the monster''s stomach, this liquid quickly filled their lungs and began to drown them, forcing its way into their body. The Tallest Wave splashed down in the water and began to swim around them, her song filling the depths of the water as she hummed. Battery''s aura shimmered and shifted back into his blue color as his power changed. The area around his right arm swirled as he felt the buildup of his power start once more.


    He had chosen the name Battery because he absorbed and built up the energy the Victorian''s shard held within it. Even with his own energy, he did the same though. His blue Imaginary energy allowed him to bring about things that shouldn''t exist, and by building up the energy within his body, he could give himself the power of one of his Giants rather than just summon one of them! A massive blue arm the size of a building appeared where his shoulder was and grabbed out at the Tallest Wave. His fingers wrapped around her, but a second later she destroyed the hand and shattered his Giant aura.


    "Did you really think that would work?" The Lord''s voice bounced around the water they were in.


    "Nope! Just buying us sometime!" That¡¯s what Battery wanted to say, at least, but it came out as a series of bubbles since he was underwater.


    Myth came down into his biggest form that he had his lava snakes spewing out magma that instantly turned to stone as he boiled the water around them and boosted himself forward, ramming a foot into the Tallest Wave. It didn''t hurt her, but it did shove her down further into the depths of the black void they floated in.


    "Oh, little mortals I find it so cute how you struggle." The voice boomed around them. ¡°Keep dancing.¡±


    Battery gripped his sword. ¡°Come on, Kid. Hurry up and save me.¡±


    Back in the stomach, Hope placed her foot down on the bottom of the void that they found themselves in. "So, it has a roof, four walls, and a floor." She hummed, rubbing her chin.


    "We''re in one big box." Sky sighed. "What now? I doubt there''s a crack in here."


    "It''s fine. This is about what I expected."


    "It is?"


    "Yep!" She crossed her legs and sat down, folding her arms. "I had a feeling we''d find out it was something like this. These things call themselves gods. We gave them the title of Lords because of how powerful they were, being able to slay the Shadow. That said, there has to be a limit to their power. If they were truly godlike beings, they wouldn''t need us to snap or give them control. They''d be able to take us over themselves. They also wouldn''t have all died. If the stories are to be believed, then the Shadow stalemated them all on its own, killing them as they killed it. That means there is something out there that was able to match their power. Superpowers usually come in many forms, but they all have a limit. The more they can do, the bigger their limits are. For example, before you became a Lord, your power to heal was strong, and your ability to create your own realm was also strong. That''s because that was the only two things you had. This thing, though, can do a bunch of stuff, so I figured one of its areas has to be a little crappy, and this realm we''re in is it."


    "Are you saying we can overpower a Lord and bust out of this thing?" Sky asked, frowning.


    "No." Hope shook her head. "Even if it sucks at making realms compared to you, it''s still a Lord, and its realm is too tough for us to bust up." She rammed her fist down into the floor, not even denting it in the slightest. "That did make me think, though. We''re inside of it."


    "Yeah?"


    "So, these walls are the Lord then, right?"


    ¡°I guess?¡± Sky shrugged.


    "So then if you touch this wall, you''re touching the Lord."


    "What are you trying to say?" Sky asked, shooting the hero a look.


    Cinder gave a cheeky grin. "Pull the Tallest Wave into your realm."


    Back in the real world, the Tallest Wave blasted up toward them at her top speed, appearing in front of Battery before he could even blink. His throat was still filling with the black water, and she pulled her trident back, thrusting it forward, ready to tear him in two. Then all of a sudden, her arm stopped mid-thrust and her eyes went wide.


    Inside of her, Sky placed her hand on the wall and focused her power. She grasped hold of her soul as well as the soul of whatever this thing was and pulled.


    In the real world, the Tallest Wave dropped her trident, and her hand went to her stomach as her eyes twitched.


    Sky didn''t really know much about how her realm power worked. She didn''t even know where she got it from. After all, neither the Emperor nor the Princess of Life, or any previous Lord of Life, could create such a place. What she did understand about it though was that it was a land created from her thoughts, and she could only ever bring in one person at a time. That was the first of many issues in doing something like this. A series of issues that all piled together in the Tallest Wave''s stomach.


    The Tallest Wave also had a realm, one which she had created in her gut that housed the two girls, yet it was still connected to her, as she served as the gate, able to pull them in or out at any time she wanted. This meant that touching the walls was in a way touching her. One of the requirements for Sky''s power was to touch someone so she could pull them into her realm. Yet the thing she was pulling was the entirety of Tallest Wave''s stomach. That was followed by a second issue. Hope Lauren. In the fight with Wish, Wish was able to bring herself to Sky''s realm thanks to her connection. Sky could still only bring one person, and since she hadn''t brought Wish, she was allowed to bring Hope. In this case, though, she was trying to bring the Tallest Wave, and thus could not bring Hope. But Hope was within the Tallest Wave. If the Tallest Wave were to be moved to a pocket realm, it would mean that Hope would also need to be moved. But Sky could only bring one person. But Hope was¡ªand so it created a cycle. The third issue was that they weren''t on Earth anymore. Her power always transported herself and her target from Earth into the pocket realm. But while the Tallest Wave might have been on Earth, Sky was in the pocket realm the Tallest Wave had created. The last issue was one of size. She had never once attempted to force something so big into her realm.


    And thus, reality broke.


    Sky''s realm was unable to move her, or the Tallest Wave; thus, instead, her power decided to change and come to a new conclusion. Her power, the power to create realms, was not an ability she had from the Prettiest Flower, and thus its own Ego, its wants, its hopes, and its desires were all its own.


    It Inverted.


    Sky''s realm forced itself into reality, coming to her.


    The Tallest Wave''s ability to create a realm made a large box that was roughly five miles by five miles. It was large for sure, but Sky''s realm was a planet, a small one, but still a planet, and one that had a void of space and its own star. In an instant, that massive realm filled the Tallest Wave''s stomach.


    In the real world, Battery raised his blue energy to its very max. His power came out crackling like a thunderstorm, and he formed a massive, long sword, which he thrust out with. The blue energy swirled around his arm, forming a massive hand carrying its own sword, which stabbed down into the gut of the Tallest Wave. It was unable to leave a dent though. That was before Myth dropped down on top of it, weighing himself down with as much stone as he could, causing him to thrust the blade just a tiny bit further and leave the smallest stab wound on the Tallest Wave. In an instant, Battery Inverted his power, once more shifting it into his black aura, and he spawned his two hundred-meter Giant directly in the stab wound of the Tallest Wave''s stomach.


    Everything exploded in a bright burst of colorful lights that seeped out in all directions. Battery felt himself get flung back, and he crashed into the arms of Myth, who caught him. Myth shrunk back down into his human form and felt himself begin to fall as all of a sudden all of the water that they had been in simply vanished from existence. He landed on his feet, feeling his legs snap, downing him, but he made sure his body took the brunt of it, keeping Battery safe.


    The Tallest Wave landed on her back, her eyes wide. Cinder and Paragon, both appearing next to her as the light shimmered down. Slowly, the Tallest Wave shook her head and glanced down at her stomach, which had...


    A paper cut.


    All of that had left the smallest hint of an attack on her body. She giggled a bit and winced. "You made my tummy rumble for a moment there. I guess I''m still not quite at full power yet. Maybe this vessel isn''t ready for-"


    The Tallest Wave went silent as Sky''s hand pressed down into her face. Sky''s eyes glared up at the entity in front of her, and her power flared to life. "Give me back my sister, you bitch."


    And with that, Sky forced her power out using not the gift of the Lord of the Land and Life but her original power, the one she had honed herself.


    Her realm power and her power to heal were all her own and came from the same source, so by learning to Invert her realm, her healing also Inverted itself. She felt Hope''s hand on her shoulder, and she pushed forward, using everything she had. Everything around her broke and changed, twisting around. In an instant, Sky found herself alone, no longer at the side of her friend. Now she was in the mind of the Tallest Wave. She was in the mind of her sister. The Emperor had used his power to forcefully drag memories out of Hope''s head, and she did the reverse of that, forcing herself into the entity.


    She found herself submerged in water once again, but this time it was clear. Down below, she saw her city. Lillian. Submerged yet the people went about their lives as if nothing was wrong. A memory. She felt something pull her as an unseen force dragged her. Then she saw it. One of Lily''s memories. The one that Poseidon thought back to the most.


    Chrysanthemum was in ruins. The entire city was basically gone. Scorched and flooded beyond belief. Grove walked behind Myth and Poseidon as the battle with the Beast finally ended.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Myth called out.


    ¡°S- Son.¡±


    Myth ran forward when he heard the voice. His eyes were wide and filled with shock. His dad had gone toe to toe with the Beast and lived-


    Myth stared in horror when he saw his dad. Black cracks were all along the man¡¯s skin. He was laid up on a pile of rubble, his guts hanging out, both his legs were gone, and his flesh was badly burned. His eyes were filled with utter pain, and there was much blood.


    ¡°D- Dad.¡±


    Legend looked up at his son and reached out for him. ¡°K- Kill me.¡± He begged quietly. ¡°Please.¡±


    Myth¡¯s arms shook, and tears streamed down his face as he let out a hellish scream to the heavens. Poseidon stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to move. As for Grove, he found himself looking away. He had seen enough. He walked off, not able to bear the sight of a son putting his father out of their misery.


    Sky stood off to the side, silently watching the scene. Her sister never talked about it. Never liked mentioning it. This was her biggest mistake after all. Legend was in so much pain, yet he wasn''t dying. No matter how badly he was hurt, his body seemed to cling to life. The battle with the Beast still hadn''t ended. The Victorian was fighting it on the other side of the city, and it constantly shook the memory world.


    "Please, s- Son... It hurts." Legend gasped out.


    Slowly Myth wiped at his eyes. "Poseidon."


    "Y- Yeah." The girl gulped.


    "Can I see your trident?"


    "Mister Myth... W- We were told not to do anything." The true horror of the Beast wasn''t the monster itself. It was always the ''gifts'' it left behind for the world. Gifts that mankind brought on themselves when they tried to deny destiny.


    "Please. Just give me your trident and look away." Myth held his hand out.


    Shaking, Poseidon gave the weapon to him. She turned around. Sky followed. She didn''t want to see what happened next. She heard it, though. The way the weapon impaled into the throat of the man and Myth beheaded his father, killing him instantly. "Damn it." Sky cursed. She knew what happened next.


    A new Calamity.


    One that was brought forth the moment Legend truly died.


    It happened in an instant. The rubble around his corpse began to shake, and Myth suddenly stumbled back, staring in shock. Sky watched in mild horror as something began to pull its way out of Legend''s corpse. A tendril of what looked almost like a person''s shadow... Legend''s body was dead, but his power wasn''t. The ego that kept it in check was gone. It came surging out, grabbing the severed head and pulling it back on. A wave of darkness crashed out of the corpse, black energy spilling forth and blowing Myth and Poseidon back. Skintight, like living darkness, it hugged Legend''s body as he slowly stood back up. Then a voice came booming out.


    ¡°Did you really think I would let you die so easily?¡± It twisted in the air and shook the city.


    Sky felt her stomach flop, and she could hear the voice of the Prettiest Flower screaming and hissing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could die yet. Rise, my Ruler. My Ash. My Ruin. Wake up, Osmondo.¡± The voice hissed using Legend¡¯s real name. And just like that, shadowy eyes opened across Legend¡¯s face.


    The newest Calamity to face the world had been born.


    A Ruler.


    The Ruler of Ash and Ruin. The God.


    "D- Dad-"


    Myth was cut off when the black, shadowy figure suddenly appeared in front of him, striking out with its fist. At the last second though, Poseidon shoved him out of the way, taking the attack. The punch tore through her, and in an instant, she was torn in two.


    Blood spilled out of Poseidon''s mouth and waist, and her eyes went wide as her upper half dropped further away from her lower half. "Lily!" Even in the memory, she found herself shouting out to her sister as she stared at her injured form. Then she heard it.


    ''Aw. Did you get hurt?'' It had the same taunting tone as the Tallest Wave. It bounced around the air, though only Lily could hear it. Well, Lily and Sky, who viewed this memory. ''Looks like you''re going to die.''


    "I- I don''t want to die- I don''t want to- I don''t-"


    ''Would you like me to save you?''


    "I- I want to live." Blood and tears flowed out of Lily as her body became cold. "Please... Save me..."


    ''Yay.''


    That was how the Tallest Wave was able to first take over Lily''s body. It was what also allowed the Tallest Wave to fight back against the newly born Calamity and defeat the Beast, saving Chrysanthemum. Despite that, though, her body had been too damaged for the Lord to keep control of it for too long. It had been forced to give the body up. It had planned to let the body die and find a new host, but fate had other plans.


    ''Ah... What''s this?''


    Sky watched as everything changed, and she suddenly found herself within a hospital room. "Lily, please don''t die!" It was her voice. A younger version of her. One who had just awakened her powers. As soon as the Lord had given the body up, Lily had gone back to being torn in two. Currently she was on the hospital bed bleeding out. There was nothing any of them could do. At least that''s what they thought. But on that day, Sky had just awakened her powers. "Lily, you have to live! Please!" The young Sky sobbed.


    Sky winced, stepping away as she watched the scene play out. "I don''t want to see this."


    Lily was unconscious and, in her bed, hooked up to dozens of machines that struggled to keep her alive. The young Sky gripped onto her hand and sobbed, and sobbed, and-


    "Can you be more useless!" Sky hissed out at her younger self.


    Maybe it would have been better in a way if Lily died that night. Maybe things could have gone differently. Sometimes, this thought would go through her mind. She always hated it. Watching this scene reminded her of how horrible of a person she was sometimes. It was a disgusting thought to have. One that was gross and foul, yet it constantly remained with her.


    "Would you like me to save her?" A new voice asked. Sky felt her blood boil when she heard it. She could never quite remember this part. In her mind it was always a blurry figure, one who spoke in riddles, yet here and now she saw it for what was really happening. The hospital room had been filled with dozens of doctors and nurses, yet now it was empty. All of them had been removed by the man. "I can save her if you want."


    Young Sky looked up as a man loomed over her. One in a black suit with messy blonde hair. Nier gave a grin, placing his hand on the head of Lily. "Y- You can save her?"


    "Of course I can." The man''s grin grew. "It''s my job to save her, after all."


    "Your job?"


    "Yeah. This is what a father does."


    "Father-"


    Nier snapped, and the past version of Sky blacked out, not remembering what happened. When she woke up, though, Lily was healed...


    "S- Sky."


    "Lily!" The younger Sky perked her head up as the trance that had been cast on her faded suddenly. "Lily, you''re alive!"


    She didn''t know how much time had passed. How long had that Nier guy taken? Not even the present Sky knew as everything had skipped forward. What she did know was this was the moment. Lily was fully healed. Her arms and legs were back. There was just one issue. "W- What did you do to me-" Black blood spilled out of Lily''s mouth. The girl could tell something was wrong. Her body was wrong. She wasn''t human anymore. She didn''t know how, but she did.


    "Lily!" Sky yelled.


    ''Well, well. It seems the Prettiest Flower''s old vessel was good for something after all. Even after being returned to the world of the living, he was smart enough to create a body perfect for me.''


    "W- Who said that?!" Lily thrashed around shaking her head and vomited up more of that black blood.


    "Lily, calm down!" The young version of Sky tried to hold her sister back, but she was thrown back as Lily screamed.


    ''I''ll enjoy taking you over now. You can handle it, I bet!''


    "S- Stay away from me!"


    Lily''s arm slapped out, and it changed and twisted, becoming a long white tendril. Her power acted up without her consent. An ability to control water. ''I don''t recall giving you permission to look at me!'' In an instant, Sky''s eyes popped as the water within them attacked her.


    The present version of Sky that watched all of this gritted her teeth and looked away. "Why are you showing me all of this!" She called out.


    ¡®Why not?¡¯ The voice of the Tallest Wave echoed around her. ¡®It serves you right for invading my mind. You should have never let your vessel get this far out of your control, sister.¡¯


    "I''m not talking to you." Sky folded her arms and flexed her power, shattering everything around them. "Lily. Why are you doing this? Why aren''t you fighting back? Why have you given up?"


    Silence hung in the air. Then she heard her sister''s voice. It was barely above a whisper, but it was there. "Because I failed."


    The scene changed again, and she saw it.


    Her mother.


    Dead.


    River''s corpse rested on the ground where Battery had placed it gently down. Sky stared down at it and felt her heartbeat grow faster. She could feel tears in her eyes once more, but she wiped at them. "Lily-"


    "Don''t talk to me." The space rumbled. "You did this to me. You let that man work on me. You let him turn me into a monster. I''m not human anymore. I''m fair game for that creature that lives within me to take me over. One day I won''t be able to fight back against it. Why wait for that day to happen? If I''m going to die anyways, I might as well do it when I want, right?"


    "Is that why you aren''t trying to take control back?" Sky asked sadly. "Lily, mom wouldn''t want this-"


    "Don''t call her mom! She''s my mom! Not yours! Don''t forget who your real family is-"


    "You''re my real family, you idiot!" Sky shouted, and this time it was her who shook the realm. "You''re my sister! I love you! You can''t give up like this! I still need you! I didn''t get to tell mom how I feel! I didn''t get to tell her all the things I should have said! We still have that time! We still have a chance for all of those moments!" She held her hand out, and this time she selected the memory.


    River held the hand of a young, red-haired girl. "Lily." The woman stared ahead, where another young girl stood at the entrance to their manor. "This is Sky."


    The young blonde girl cocked her head to the side. "Sky?"


    "That''s right." River nodded her head, giving a small smile. "She''s your new sister. Go on." River gently nudged the red-haired girl. "It''s okay, Sky."


    The young girl took a nervous step forward, looking around. Slowly though, she extended her hand to the blonde girl. "M- My name is-"


    The blonde girl gave a large smile and eagerly took the hand, shaking it. "Hi! My name''s Lily! Your name¡¯s Sky? That''s so cool! Oh wait! I need to show you your room if you''re staying here, Sky! Come on!"


    "H- Huh?" And just like that, the red-haired girl was dragged into the manor.


    "Why do you care about me so much?" The memory shook as Lily''s voice came out once again. "You have others, Sky. You have Hope. You don''t need me anymore-"


    "And you still have me, and you have Ken, and Myth, and Wyvern, and Hope, and Battery, and so many others who cared about mom and care about you!" Sky took a deep breath.


    "I- I''ll turn into the Tallest Wave, eventually. I know it. It''ll take me over again sooner or later. I can''t fight it. I''ll hurt you. I could even kill you!"


    "Then I''ll just pull you back every time."


    ¡®WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU''RE DOING?'' The voice of the Tallest Wave rumbled around them. ¡®DO YOU REALLY THINK I''LL LET YOU ESCAPE SO EASILY!¡¯


    Sky took a deep breath, her hand still outstretched. "I''m a superhero. Please. Let me save you."


    She felt it. A hand grasped hers. Lily stood in front of her. "Sky."


    "It''s okay."


    "Mom-"


    "I know." She wrapped her arms around her sister, and the world around them faded and broke away. She stood back in the real world, her arms around Lily as her sister hugged her and began to sob. "I know."


    Cinder stepped away, giving them a moment. Hope took a second to glance around the ruined block they were at. All the damage the Tallest Wave had caused was still there, but all the water had magically vanished, leaving everything dry. Lily was back. Myth sighed, folding his arms before giving a smile. She couldn''t help but smile as well and turned to look at Mr. Larison.


    He also cracked a smile. "You did good, Kid-"


    Red spilled down onto the streets as a hand impaled itself through his chest, coming from behind him. He gasped and stared as the Beast stood behind him.


    "Mr. Larison!"


    The Beast had finished compressing itself down...


    Faster than any of them could move, it brought its other hand up and sliced out, cutting Battery''s head clean off.

 Chapter One Hundred And Eleven: Goodbye Says Mr. Larison, Hello Says Brightest Star

    "Ow, ow, ow!"


    "How did you manage to cut your finger? You have super durability!" Jack sighed, and his eye twitched as Hope gripped her finger.


    "I don''t know!" She whined. "I was just cutting and then hit it! Why is the kitchen knife sharp enough to cut me!"


    "You''re terrible at cooking." Lois snorted.


    "Says the girl who hasn''t done anything," Armin replied snidely.


    "Hey! I''m doing my job. I''m a cute waiter." Lois flipped her blonde hair back and fanned herself off with one of the paper plates she had. "Besides, it''s way too hot back here for me to actually do anything. I''d have a heat stroke for sure!"


    "We got another order!" Mr. Thaddeus announced.


    "I''m on it!" Armin ran to the back, turning the knob of an oven on full blast.


    It was not in the middle of some dangerous mission that Team Pantheon found itself bonding; instead, it was actually deep within a little restaurant that they had opened for the day. On her first patrol, Hope had seen a group of people most heroes ignore: the homeless. At the time, Snowdawn had made an offhand remark about opening a soup shelter. Little did he know that his suggestion would have a significant impact.


    Thaddeus liked the idea so much when Hope suggested it, and the moment all of their off-time schedules aligned, he had set up this little kitchen. Spider Street was filled to the brim with warehouses and storage lockers, most of which had been abandoned or unused. Thaddeus found them one, Jack had called up a few of his buddies in the Cleanup Squad, and they had turned the storage locker into a makeshift mini restaurant. It wasn''t huge, but they set up a few tables outside with umbrellas over them, allowing people to stay in the shade while they ate. It was sort of like they had a food truck or, rather, a food shack.


    The inside of the storage unit had several large grills that were hooked up near the back, as well as some stoves scattered about. They had some wooden tables filled with fruits and vegetables and pots and pans scattered about. It wasn''t a particularly good restaurant, but it was getting the job done, and people seemed to be enjoying it. A large crowd had formed outside of their unit, and they were making an effort to make sure everyone got some food.


    Thaddeus and Lois served as the waiters, making sure people had plenty of water to drink and would bring them plates of food. Armin and Hope were in charge of cutting up things like vegetables, fruit, or meat. Lastly, that left Jack, who served as the cook and made various types of soups, chilis, and burgers. All the food was free and served with a bottle of water. They had gotten a lot of their resources from Money Tree, who had donated a small fortune that allowed them to buy everything they needed. It was undoubtedly an unorthodox soup kitchen, but one that was making sure everyone on Spider Street would be well fed.


    When they were out on patrol, the Sub Enforcers would come in and manage this mini kitchen. Their plan was to go until they fully ran out of food, and with how much they had, it was going to last them for a couple of days.


    "Hey, Sir! How much do I stir this?" Armin asked, standing in front of a large pot of chili. Since Jack was busy tending to Hope, Armin had taken over cooking for the moment.


    "I don''t know. I''m not a professional cook." Jack shrugged.


    "You could have just said chef instead of professional cook."


    Jack ignored the ginger boy and took Hope''s hand, looking down at it. She had somehow managed to cut herself with a regular knife. It wasn''t a large wound, but it was a tiny mark on her fingertip. He placed his other hand over it and made sure their hands weren''t visible to the public as a faint golden light seeped out, and he sealed the wound closed, healing it.


    "Thanks." Hope sighed, taking her hand back. "How''d I even manage to cut it?!"


    "By being dumb," Lois suggested.


    "You''re no help."


    All of them weren''t in their hero uniforms. They wore their civilian clothes, along with some aprons and stuff that protected them from stains. Jack grabbed a ladle and fished out a large scoop of chili, which he poured into a bowl. "Go make yourself useful and put this at a table needing it," he said, sliding the bowl over to Lois.


    "You better listen to him, Lois. He''s doing his dad voice!" Hope mocked. Lois just rolled her eyes and took the bowl, strolling away. They watched Lois walk away before Hope awkwardly rubbed at the back of her neck. "Um... Mr. Larison. I had something I wanted to ask you," she said softly.


    "What is it?" He questioned, raising his eyebrow.


    "Well, there''s this school project I have to do for my science class. Mrs. Mars wants us to make something for the science fair," the girl explained slowly. She looked down, not meeting the man''s eyes as her thumbs twiddled. "I was just... I... I was wondering if you''d help me out with it."


    "Can''t you get Moore to do it with you?"


    "My dad''s helping me out," Armin called out sheepishly. "Mrs. Mars knows kids typically cheat and get their parents to do the project, so she asked to just skip the cheating part and get our parents to help!"


    "My mom is busy with work." Hope explained. "With everything that''s been going on, the hospital she works at is filled to the brim with new patients, and they aren''t letting their nurses go home, so she keeps getting stuck with shifts. And my dad is..." She shook her head, clearing the thoughts. "I already told Mrs. Mars, and she said it would be okay to get someone else''s help if I needed it, like a close family friend. The thing is, though, the only family friend we have is my Uncle Marcus, and he doesn''t live in Oleander anymore... S- So I... I... You know what? It was a stupid thing to ask. I''ll go see if Lois or someone wants to help; I''m sure you''re busy-"


    "I can do it."


    "W- What?"


    Jack gave a lazy shrug. "I''ll help out. I can''t promise I''ll be any good, though. I never went to school when I was a kid. Most of my life lessons were drilled into me by the Princess of Life. She was the closest thing I had to a teacher, I guess. Still, I bet if we put our heads together, we could maybe create a model volcano or something like that. How hard can it be?"


    Hope stared up at the man before she let out a soft giggle. That giggle then broke out into laughter, getting her several odd looks. "What''s so funny?" Lois asked, making her way back over and pinching Hope''s cheeks. She was followed after Thaddeus, who folded his arms.


    Hope took a moment to calm down before her eyes slowly trailed over from Mr. Larison to Lois to Thaddeus before finally settling on her friend Armin. "It''s just... I don''t know. I''m weirdly happy, I suppose. It''d be nice if days like this could last forever."


    "Aw, you''re going to make me cry!" Armin ran forward and pulled her in for a tight hug.


    Lois chuckled and ruffled her hair while Thaddeus just patted her on the shoulder. Jack turned away, giving the tiniest hint of a smile. "It''d be nice, wouldn''t it, Kid? Days like this are important. Days like this should happen more often."


    She smiled up at the man and nodded. "Yeah."


    In the end, she came fourth in the science fair.


    ***


    "Hope..." The good times didn''t last. A burned hand came out of the ocean, grasping at the sand. Snowdawn''s ice was entirely shattered and broken. He was on the other side of the city, now resurfacing up on the beach. "Please, Hope..." His flesh was burned and blackened, and he struggled to move. "Please, don''t die... Get up, Armin... Damn it, move! Save your friend, you worthless hero!"


    The Beast was after her. He had lost his mother to a Calamity level threat. He had claimed he would make a difference. That he would be the one to cause a change in the tide. Did pushing Hope out of the way do that? Or was she still in danger? Did the Beast already kill her? Was she in trouble? And what of Thaddeus, Lois, or Mr. Larison?


    All of these thoughts raced through Snowdawn¡¯s mind, blocking out most of the pain he was truly in as he forced his remaining arm to crawl himself forward and out of the stinging ocean. His flesh dripped off of him, and he vomited up blood, but he refused to stop moving. Not until his story was at an end.


    His vision blurred, but gradually, his eyes focused, and he saw something¡ªa pair of boots. Then he felt a hand land on top of his head. It took all his strength, but Snowdawn looked up and stared into the man''s golden eyes.


    "Oh," Armin said quietly. Lucifer cocked his head to the side and pressed down. "So that''s how it ends, huh? Not¡­ A¡­ Cool¡­ Way¡­ To¡­ Go." In an instant, Snowdawn''s body shattered and broke away as the Dead Virus devoured him, leaving a single piece of paper that floated softly to the ground.


    Lucifer bent down and picked up the paper. He opened his tome and placed it gently inside. He now had a new zombie to call upon. "Lucifer!" A voice cried out. "Uriel''s being mean again!"


    Behind Lucifer, two figures argued. The first was a man in golden robes who held a powerful beauty about him. Uriel balled up some sand and chuckled as he threw it at the girl in front of him. "Quit complaining, Gabriel! You''re the reason I was thrown into Nightshade, after all! This is the least you can take."


    "Ow! That one had a rock in it!" The young girl whined. She looked to only be in her teens, and she had black hair with stripes of white all along it. She didn''t wear much clothing; instead, she was wrapped up in dozens of wires that formed a cloak around her. "Lucifer, tell him to stop!" Gabriel complained, stomping her foot down. "Why didn''t big brother Michael or big sister Metatron get to come?"


    The Immortals, at least a few members of them, had arrived in Oleander. The city shook as the fight with the Beast kept going on. Lucifer finished his checkup on his novel and slowly turned to where another figure stood on the beach. "I''m shocked you came here. Why did you ask to meet me in a place where the Beast is active?" The leader of the Immortals asked in an emotionless tone.


    A man in black armor with a long cloak turned to look at Lucifer. The Emperor stared at his long time enemy. "You know why I asked to meet with you." The Emperor''s voice rumbled through his helmet.


    Lucifer clutched his book, and both Uriel and Gabriel ducked behind him, peeking out from either side of his shoulder to glare at the Emperor. "I, of course, know why you asked to meet with me, but why is it that we had to meet here of all places? Are you planning on engaging the Beast in a fight?" Lucifer, the Ruler of Death and Rebirth, the Angel, stared the Emperor down.


    "No. The Beast will soon be dead once more. It doesn''t matter what happens to it. If we truly want to stop it, that will have to come later." The Emperor, the Ruler of the Dark and the Void, the Devil, stared back at who used to be his enemy. "I hold the same title as you. Therefore, we are teammates now."


    "Don''t make me puke. As soon as I can, I''ll kill you." Lucifer said flatly. "You stand before the Immortals."


    "And you stand before the Devil. Watch your mouth." The Emperor slowly turned and stared back at the ruins of Oleander city.


    "Is it because you still have emotions you asked to meet here?" Lucifer asked in an almost taunting tone. "That''s it, isn''t it, dear Nier? After all, this is where your children are-"


    "My child." The Emperor corrected. "I only have one child."


    "Oh, how you wound Alpha."


    "I want you to start your Murder Games," the Emperor said, cutting the Immortal leader off. He turned to stare back at Lucifer. "And this time, I¡¯d like to participate in them."


    ¡°We should kill him.¡± Gabriel hissed.


    ¡°I agree with Gabby.¡± Uriel hummed. ¡°Give the word master.¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s red eyes narrowed, and the man became cloaked in darkness, one that matched Lucifer¡¯s own. The two Rulers stared each other down, neither giving an inch. Finally though Lucifer sighed.


    ¡°Just what are you planning, little Nier?¡±


    ¡°A change.¡± The Emperor spat out. ¡°One that will bring salvation to this destroyed world.¡±


    ***


    Battery didn''t have time to react. His mind raced faster than it ever had, and his energy tried to come crackling out. All at once, though, everything stopped, and he realized it too late.


    The Beast had stopped time once more.


    That was how it suddenly appeared behind him. The damaged state that it was left in, though, didn''t allow for it to keep its time stop up for long. He felt blood flow out of him as the Beast''s arm rammed through his back and came out of his chest. His lungs and heart had already been destroyed, so there was only one spot left the Beast needed to strike. Battery tried to turn, but it was too late.


    The Beast''s other hand came up and sliced out. The fingers tore through Battery''s neck, and in an instant, his head was torn clean off. The severed head hit the floor with a thud and rolled. White flames exploded out of the Beast''s arm, blowing the torso of Battery''s body to bits and scattering it to the wind. All that was left was a pair of legs, which fell forward uselessly.


    Silence hung over the battlefield...


    The Beast was smaller now. It stood at just under six feet in height. The cracks along its body were gone, and its arms were back. It had gotten rid of its wings and most of its height, using its power to control its body and rebuild its damaged parts with the mass it no longer needed. It might as well have fully healed.


    Cinder felt her legs give out, and she collapsed onto her knees, staring numbly down at the head of Battery. "Mr. Larison-"


    A roar pierced the air as Myth transformed. Sharp claws jutted out of his fingers as he took on the form of his lion. It didn''t stop there, though. He grew bigger, and his muscles expanded, nearly doubling his size. He didn''t care about keeping his sanity or keeping his power in check. He forced it all out, every drop of his raw strength. His roar shattered the floor around him, and he jumped at the Beast, clawing out with so much force the wind twisted to his will.


    His attack never reached.


    The Beast launched forward even faster than it had been and rammed a fist directly into Myth''s face. Its mass might have dropped, but thanks to its blinding speed and control over gravity, its attack was barely reduced. The punch was so strong it shattered the snout of the lion, breaking all of Myth''s teeth and nearly snapping his neck. Myth was sent flying back, crashing through the battlefield and ramming through hundreds of piles of debris.


    Poseidon tried to stand up, but her legs gave out, and she vomited up a wave of black blood. ''No, no, no. You stay down.'' A voice hissed into her ear. The voice of the Tallest Wave. ''This is what you get. Watch what your actions cause. This is your fault, stupid girl!''


    The Beast turned and pointed toward Cinder. The hero was still on her knees, her eyes staring down at Mr. Larison''s head. White energy crackled out of the alien''s fingertip, firing a wave of energy. "Hope!" Hope looked up just in time to see Sky throw herself in front of her. Sky held her arms out, ready to use her body as a shield. She hadn''t arrived in time to save her mom, but she could at least save her friend!


    The explosive force of the attack rammed forward and shook the ground, cracking it and sending shards of debris into the air. Poseidon screamed out for her sister, but her body didn''t want to obey her anymore. The force of the blast picked her up and sent her flying high into the air away from the area. Slowly, the blinding white light died down, and Hope stared up in shock at Sky, who was perfectly fine.


    Sky''s eyes were filled with horror, and tears streamed down her face. "Why! Why did you do that? I didn''t tell you to save me!" Destiny let out a weak cry, his massive body badly burnt as white fire ate away at him. At the last second, before the attack could hit Sky, he dove in front of it, using himself as her shield. "You idiot! You could have lived! You didn''t need me! Why did you save me, Destiny!" She cried out. She placed her hands on him and tried to use her power, but they weren''t wanting to respond.


    They didn''t see a point.


    There was no coming back from this. The attack had already reduced half of Destiny''s body to ash. The bird gave a weak cry and managed to wrap one of its wings around her, setting its head on her shoulder. Its breathing was shallow, and more of the white flame began to crawl up it, breaking parts of it away. Like Max Lightning, its very atoms were coming undone. Soon, it would be nothing more than space dust. Paragon wrapped her arms around Destiny and let out a harsher cry.


    First, she had failed to save her mother. Next, she put Lily in more danger by forgetting about the Beast. And now she was helpless, forced to watch as Destiny died. There was nothing she could do. She was useless. Always useless.


    ''That''s right... You''ve never been suited for things like this. You''re worthless at stuff like this, aren''t you? But I''m not... Give in... Be a good girl. Obey your mother. Let my body belong to me once more...''


    She always failed.


    The Beast took a step forward and began to charge up another attack. It pulled its fist back, light crackling across it and zapping the air as it got ready to unleash a hellish punch. She closed her eyes and hugged Destiny tighter but then stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she looked up and saw that Cinder had stood back up. "Hope?"


    Hope stepped out from behind Destiny, and her eyes met the Beast''s, which narrowed. The Beast stepped forward and struck out with everything it had, ripping the air around it to bits. "Just kill him." Time almost seemed to stand still as Hope spoke quietly. "I don''t care what else happens. Just make sure he dies a painful death!" She screamed.


    The fist of the Beast nailed her dead on, and an explosive force blasted out. Sky felt herself be nearly flung back, but she managed to keep her arms around Destiny, who in turn had dug one of his talons into the floor, keeping a hold on the ground and stopping them from being sent back. As the dust settled, she stared up in shock as Hope stood in front of the fist, perfectly fine. Then she felt it. An intense and harsh heat began to seep out. One that didn''t burn her but still allowed her to feel its power. The Beast, on the other hand, found itself taking a step back, and part of its white body ignited with harsh golden fire, causing steam to bubble out of it.


    The spot on Hope''s stomach that had been hit was coated in several layers of golden fire. Her eyes closed slowly, and that fire began to crawl up her body, covering her up. It went over her entire form, covering her from head to toe. No... It wasn''t just that. She was becoming fire. She was becoming a Sun that had taken on the shape of a human form. A star that shined brighter than any other.


    The Brightest Star opened its eyes and stared at the Beast in front of it. The Lord of the Sun and the Cosmos, the one who conquered, the one who stood above all its other siblings, the one who had landed the final blow on the entity known as the Shadow that resulted in its kingdom coming to an end. The first ever Lord to truly bond with a human vessel spoke only a single word. "Kneel."


    The Beast crashed down as a wave of power rammed into it from all directions. It was shoved down to its knees, its face planted directly into the ground so hard that it cracked the floor.


    The Brightest Star was back.


    Meanwhile...


    "Is everyone still alive?" The Victorian asked.


    "Define still alive..." Mister Man grumbled.


    Wyvern just lightly nudged him with her tail. "We''re fine. Thanks for saving us."


    "It isn''t me you should be thanking." The Victorian said, shaking her head. "It''s Paragon." She gripped down on one of the large red feathers that Destiny had been dropping. They weren''t full heals, but they had managed to patch her up. She grabbed one just in time and used her power to create a golden bubble around herself and the other heroes that were in the area, shielding them from the massive black tidal wave that had come crashing down. They had been stuck at the very bottom of it until suddenly, the water faded away, leaving them free.


    "Are you two alright?" Wyvern asked, directing her attention to the two civilians the Victorian had also managed to save.


    Alice and June were flat on their backs, both shaking. June had managed to stay alive, though, and caught the entire thing on Alice''s phone, much to the audience''s delight. Their blog was currently the most viewed in the world, with nearly one billion people watching the stream. "I- I guess we''re fine," Alice said, shakily climbing up to her feet. June followed suit. "Thanks for getting us out of there-"


    "Shh." The Victorian suddenly shushed them, holding up a finger. Like her father and like the current host of the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, she too was blessed with enhanced senses. These senses were normally used to allow her to fly around the entire planet and come to the rescue whenever something was in danger. Now though her senses were telling her something else. "It''s my dad..."


    "What?" Wyvern and Mister Man both said in shock.


    The number one hero ignored them and walked forward steadily. They were at the base of a knocked-over building that worked like a makeshift ramp. She climbed up it, the others following behind, and she peered down at what was left of the battlefield below. The others all stood rooted in place, their eyes filled with shock at what they saw. Alice yanked the camera out of June''s hand and held it up, zooming in as much as she could.


    The Beast lay face down on the ground, struggling to stand. In front of it stood a figure just as mighty as Full Monarch once was. Cloaked in golden fire, it was in a shape she knew well. "That''s Cinder!" Alice said in shock. ¡°That''s her, isn''t it?"


    Mister Man stared down at the golden girl. "Full Monarch was always cloaked in blue fire. Despite that, though, it''s clear that she''s doing the same thing he did, isn''t she? That''s it, isn''t it, Victorian?"


    Jill slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her body shook slightly, but finally, she nodded. "Yeah. That''s it. That''s my father''s power. Cinder has become a true Lord of the Sun."


    "So, I guess your title as number one hero will need to be revoked then, won''t it..."


    The Victorian gave a faint smile. "Yeah... It was fun while it lasted, I guess."


    Alice''s arms shook as she heard what the Enforcers were saying. Her mind raced, and her chat was filled with thousands of comments as her view base increased. They were nearly at a billion¡ªtwo billion¡ªthree billion and climbing. Over half the world now had their eyes on the hero known as Cinder, and all of them had one question they kept asking in the chat.


    ''Who is Cinder?''


    Golden hair streaked down Cinder''s back. The fire outlined her body, and she almost looked like the Beast, though made out of golden fire instead of white. Her fiery red eyes were dull, and her head cocked to the side as she stared down at the Beast in front of her. "Hope?" The vessel for the Prettiest Flower spoke up behind her, but she ignored it and raised her arm just in time to block a strike from the Beast.


    Energy beams gushed out of the Beast, firing out wildly in all directions, and it forced itself to stand back up, throwing out a powerful strike that the Lord casually blocked and deflected with her finger. The Beast¡¯s body hummed, and then it began to glow. It flashed over and over again like a flashlight turning off and on. It jumped back, gravity swirling around it, and its body began to change and alter. It got buffer and heavier as it transformed itself and ditched its speed, putting on as much muscle mass as it could. That blinking light that made up its skin didn''t stop; instead, it got faster, turning everything into a strange black-and-white-looking color scheme.


    "Oh? Is that your plan?" Cinder floated off the ground serenely. Her eyes remained dull, and her face didn''t twitch, not showing a single hint of emotion. Despite that, she held her hand out and motioned with her finger, almost daring it to come at her.


    The Beast roared, and its back split apart, growing out a pair of massive butterfly wings. It took to the sky and sliced out with its claws, but the attacks never hit the Lord. Cinder was nimble and didn''t need wings to fly anymore. Just like the Victorian, she twirled through the air almost lazily. She dodged every strike the Beast threw out at her boredly and smashed her fist out, ramming it into the gut of the Beast and sending it crashing back into the ground. It rolled across the street and came to a stop, glaring up only to find that Cinder was no longer in the air. It felt a tap on its shoulder, and it twirled around only to feel an immense amount of pain as Cinder uppercut it.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The Beast''s head was torn off of its body and rolled away. Cinder stood there and cocked her head to the side. "Get back up. I''m not done playing yet." A tendril of white energy snaked out of the Beast, and it grabbed onto the head, forcing it back on. Its muscles grew even more prominent, and its strikes sent shock waves through the air, the force of each attack blowing down the destroyed buildings around them and ripping the ground up. "You couldn''t hit me when your body was slim and fast; why do you think this form would work?" She dodged every one of the strikes with ease, then came to a sudden stop and held her finger out, blocking the fist that came at her with it. "Besides. You''re not nearly strong enough. Are you the only one that remains? I could have sworn we killed your kind off. Is that why you''re doing this? Are you mad that we destroyed your people and decided to call Earth our home? Is that why you pick on my subjects? You''re just some child throwing a tantrum. You''re not even doing it right. The least you could do was try and blow the planet up. Of course, I''d never let you harm my kingdom."


    The Beast''s jaws snapped wide open, and a wave of white energy began to spill out as it glared at the Lord of the Sun. The attack fired, but Cinder simply grabbed him by the throat and tilted his head back, forcing the attack to get sent high into space.


    Cinder let go and pulled her fist back, about to unleash a powerful strike, but stopped suddenly. A trickle of something came out of her nose, which burned and began to steam up due to the amount of fire that coated her. It was a stream of blood. The vessel was¡­ She wobbled and grabbed at her head, gasping. The Beast took that as its chance and rocketed out with a fist, throwing everything it had into the attack and ramming it directly into Cinder''s face, blasting her back and sending her crashing through the ground and the sewers.


    Cinder laid flat on her back, and her emotionless face finally showed a tiny bit of annoyance. "Damn that Full Monarch. What did he do to me? This body isn''t as compatible as his was, and he''s torn most of me away. What was he thinking-"


    The Beast came crashing down onto her and wrapped a hand around Cinder''s face. It twisted and threw the girl through the walls of the sewers, blasting out with another wave of hellish fire that washed over her. Cinder dropped out of the attack, and a loud crack echoed out. A tiny bit of her golden form now had a few slashes across it.


    Above, Paragon stayed on the ground, her arms still wrapped around Destiny. The bird had finally stopped moving, and its eyes closed. She hugged it tighter, running her fingers through his fur as he passed away and died in her arms. She was so useless. Here, she was not able to do anything, and Cinder turned into the same thing her sister had become. What a joke she was. She hoped the Laurens would resent her, that they''d curse her and wish death upon her. She really was no better than Wish at the end of the day.


    ''It''s okay. Mom''s here, sweetie.'' She heard the voice of her mother. She could almost feel her arms wrapped around her. ''Hush now with that negativity. You tried your best. No one can be mad at you. Just... Let go... Close your eyes. Mom will take care of you now-''


    "Don''t do it, Sky." Sky felt her eyes snap open as she heard the voice. "Don''t give up. Not yet. Hope needs your help. You have to save her."


    Sky felt her face pale. She slowly pulled away from Destiny and stared out in shock at the person who spoke. "H¡ªHow are you... How are you alive?"


    Battery''s severed head rested on a nearby rock, staring up at her. A black tendril of energy came from his neck and had dragged its way over to her. One of the eyes was swollen shut, and blood poured down his nose and ears. His good eye was dull, barely holding any emotion. "I don''t have a lot of time." The hero explained in a pain-filled tone. "I''m using my power of Inverting imagination to force my brain to keep going and create vocal sounds, allowing myself to speak. I barely have any power left, though, and soon it''ll run out. I''ll be dead when that happens."


    "I- I''m sorry..." Sky felt tears flow down her face, and she winced. "I couldn''t save you either, could I? You''re important to Hope, and yet I let you die-"


    "Why do you insist on being weak?" His words silenced her. "Sky. Pick me up. Take my mask off."


    "Huh?"


    "Do it."


    She felt a little sick in her stomach, but she wrapped her hands around him and lifted him off of the ground. She got her fingers around what was left of his mask and pulled it off. His eyes hummed with a shadowy black energy, and his reddish-brown hair was as messy as ever. His eyes looked tired. Like he was about to fall asleep, she had seen him without his mask before, but something about it this time was different. Something about the way he looked at her was almost familiar. Those eyes that stared at her... She had seen them before.


    "Do you notice anything?"


    "Who are you?" She asked, suppressing a gulp.


    "Why do you insist on being weak, Sky?" Jack questioned her. He stared into her eyes, feeling his life force reaching its end. "Why do you keep running away from your power?"


    "It isn''t my power... It''s the power of the Lord of Life-"


    "Not that power. Your power. The one you were born with. The one that called you its host. Your power. Our power."


    "O- Our power?"


    "Are you scared?" Jack asked. "Are you afraid that you''ll turn out like them? Like our dad."


    Sky breathed slowly and bowed her head. "You were adopted by the Emperor, right... Well, not me. I''m his actual kid. I found out he made me with the help of the Princess of Life, and now I also found out the Prettiest Flower helped create me as well. She had used her vessel, which was the Emperor at the time, to give him the power to make me. I''m just meant to be a perfect vessel for that bitch. The Princess of Life, Wish, the Emperor, and even the first Lord of Life. Why are they all evil? Why are they all so twisted and dark? I''m surrounded by so much evil. How could I not be scared that I''ll turn out like that?"


    Jack listened to her silently. "When I was a kid, my father used to beat me."


    "The Emperor?"


    "No. My real father." Jack stated. "I grew up locked away in a basement for most of my life. He had kidnapped my mother. He wanted her. He never wanted me, though. Every night, I wondered why I was born. If I would end up like him. Then, I had the chance to escape, and I took it. That was where I ran into Nier. He took me in. He raised me. I might not like him, I might even hate him, but at the end of the day, he was a father to me when no one else would be. He molded me into his tool. His perfect weapon. The sword that would kill Full Monarch. He also used me to create you."


    "What!" Her eyes stared down at the severed head in shock.


    Jack looked up at her with a rare hint of emotion. "Your hair is the same color as mine. Haven''t you ever found that odd? How could we be so similar if I was adopted by Nier? Nier used his power as the Lord of Life to create a body that looked like his late wife. The real Princess of Life died the first time the Beast attacked, along with her daughter. The one he created could never feel that hole in his heart, but it didn''t need to. He just needed her body to house his child. That was you. He knew that if he used his power, though, that child would turn out just like the Princess of Life. A fake copy. A clone. One without emotion or soul. The proof of this was in Hell Hound. She was the corpse of his daughter given new life. Yet she wasn¡¯t the person he knew. If he wanted his daughter back truly, he would have to start from nothing. So, he needed actual DNA from someone. I was one of the donors. In a way, that really does make you my sister, Sky. We share blood, and we share a father."


    "So, I''m actually related to you... What does that have to do with anything?"


    "Would you say I''m a good person? That I was a good hero?"


    "I guess?" She said slowly. "You''ve saved me, my mom, and countless others. You''ve fought to the end for what we call the side of good, and you''ve gone out of your way to help Hope. I''d say even if you did bad, you''re good now."


    "So then, why are you scared?" Jack asked. "I did evil. I was a bad guy. I fought Full Monarch, and my actions resulted in his death. I''m as evil as the Emperor could make me. Yet... You would still say I''m good because of my most recent actions. Full Monarch saved me. He was the one that started me on that first step. Hope kept me on my path, though. She was there every step of the way. So were Armin, Lois, and Thaddeus. All of them carried me to this side together. All of them got me to this point. Sky... You and I are both the children of the Emperor. You share my blood. If I can change after doing so much evil, then so can you. Our parents do not define us. Ocean Empress raised you. She is your mother. That doesn''t mean you''ll turn out good, though, just as being the daughter of the Emperor doesn''t mean you''ll turn out evil. We are our own people. It is your choice. Your decision. You must pick who you are. You are strong. You are a good person. Your friend needs help. So why are you running?"


    Sky stared down at the severed head, and her lip quivered for a moment. "What if I''m not strong enough?"


    "You are."


    "How do you know?"


    "I just do. You were born with my power. My ability of creation. That realm you hold. In a way, it''s similar to my strongest ability¡ªthe one I used to fight against Full Monarch. You''re strong, Sky. You know you''re strong. And you have the power of a Lord. You''re stronger than the Prettiest Flower. All of you are. They died. This isn''t their world. Not anymore."


    "I don''t think my ability to control Life will work on that thing."


    "Then don''t use it. Use my power, the power of Creation, and use your new title. You aren''t just the Lord of Life, Sky. You''re the Lord of the Land as well. Create your world. Create your Land. Use your power. Your full power. Surpass me. Surpass us all. This is something only you can do. You''re not the child of the Emperor, you aren''t the host for the Prettiest Flower, you aren''t my sister, and you aren''t the daughter of Ocean Empress. You are the hero, Paragon. You do not need to run anymore."


    Sky gently placed the head back on the ground. "Thank you... I''ll save Hope. I promise."


    "There''s one more request I have for you, Sky." Jack asked weakly.


    "Of course."


    "In my pocket. Where my belt was, my corpse should have it. Take it and give it to Hope."


    Sky nodded and stepped away. "I''ll do my best. It''s okay. You can rest now. You did well. You did amazing. You were a good hero, Battery."


    Jack gave a faint smile and stared up as the sun began to rise. He didn''t know if it was really daytime or if it was just the sheer power of the Lord of the Sun, but it didn''t matter. It was pretty. It was amazing. The sunlight touched his skin, and for a moment, he swore he had his body back. He swore that his legs were in the water and that he was seated at a beach. He was happy.


    Sky left.


    Footsteps walked forward, and the Victorian stared down at the head of Battery. The man had a smile on his lips, and his eyes stared glossily out at the sun above. Respectfully, she reached out and closed the eyes. "Thank you for being a hero-"


    Battery bit her hand!


    "OW! WHAT THE FUCK!" She pulled her hand back and glared down at the severed head. "You asshole! I have half a mind to stomp you out, now!" Jack just gave a grin and chuckled. Slowly, the Victorian huffed and sat down next to the head. She stared up at the rising sun with him as it cast its golden glow down onto the planet. "It''s a good view, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah..." Battery''s grin grew into a somber one. "You know... It''s kind of funny."


    "What is?"


    "Suddenly... Part of me doesn''t want to die."


    Jill reached out hesitantly. "My dad would be proud of you. Goodbye, Jack Larison." This time, he didn''t bite her hand as she gently closed his eyes.


    He had seen a lot; he had done a lot. There was some good, but there was more bad. He had done some good, but he had done a lot of bad. He knew where he would end up. He knew that his chances of getting to see his wife were slim, but none of that mattered in this moment. The nameless boy, Alpha, Jack Larison, the hero known as Battery, adopted son of the Emperor, sidekick to Cinder, and the last person Full Monarch saved, finally died.


    ¡°It wasn''t so bad, I guess¡­¡±


    Hope stared numbly at the screen that was in front of her. She watched in silence as her body moved on its own, fighting the Beast. They had blown the sewers to bits and destroyed the roof above, taking to the skies once more. She watched as her body flew as if it were always able to, dodging strikes the Beast unleashed and slapping it around.


    "Do you regret your choice?" A voice asked from behind her.


    "A bit." She admitted. "I said it in the heat of the moment. I don''t suppose you''ll be willing to give me my body back, will you?"


    Everything was on fire. That was where she found herself. The floor, the roof, the walls¡ªall of it was a harsh crackling flame that formed the room she was in. Directly in front of her stood a large glass-looking screen that allowed her to see what her body was seeing in real-time. It was strange. It was almost as if she had become some sort of weird robot and was in the cockpit of her mind, staring out a window. Directly behind her, the one that was currently in the driver''s seat resided.


    They were also made out of fire, but instead of the harsh orange, this ''thing'' that was in control of her was a bright golden color. The same color her body currently was in the real world. They rested on a massive throne made of solid flame, and they wore a jagged crown that fused into their fiery form. They were also missing half of their body. It had been the first thing she noticed when her eyes first landed on the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The entity, as there was no way this thing was human, was missing half its body. It was as if the entity had been sliced cleanly in two right down the middle, with only the right half sitting on the throne. This meant it only had one arm, one leg, one eye, and half a head. The way its body was on fire reminded her of the Beast, though this thing was nearly twenty feet tall, and unlike the Beast, she could see it had insides. Its organs hung out of its body, and black blood constantly spilled forth. The same black blood inside of Poseidon or other monsters the Emperor had created.


    She knew who this was. This thing. It was the first Lord, the Brightest Star.


    She tried her best to ignore the thing and stared out the glass, watching as her body began to act up once more, allowing the Beast to unleash a devastating blow directly to her gut. "You talked a lot of smack, but now you''re getting my body all beaten up." She taunted.


    "Do not dare mock me." The Brightest Star''s voice held no emotion behind it. It reminded her of the way Lucifer would speak in a way. Its voice was also laced with various effects over it, constantly changing pitch and volume, making it impossible to honestly tell what the thing''s gender was, if it even had one. "My weakened state is all thanks to the efforts of Full Monarch."


    "Full Monarch this, Full Monarch that, it always comes back to that guy." She sighed. "Why can''t there ever be any drama with the Lord of the Sky?"


    "You should be thanking me, human. Because of my intervention, you will survive the blast."


    "The blast? What the hell do you mean by that?" She suddenly got a very bad feeling in her gut as she watched her body and the Beast engage in a battle of strength. The Beast''s form still flashed on and off, getting faster. "Oh God! It''s going to blow itself up, isn''t it!" She''d read her fair share of comics to know where something like this was going.


    "It''s the final trump card." The Brightest Star still spoke in a flat voice, seemingly not bothered by what it was revealing. "Their kind always held resentment toward those that were above them. As soon as it figured out it wouldn''t be able to win this battle, the thing rigged its body to blow."


    "How do we stop it?"


    "You don''t. It can''t be stopped. Soon, all of Oleander will be reduced to ash."


    "You can''t be serious! You have to do something! Mr. Thaddeus and the others are still in the city!" She glared up at the Lord, but it didn''t even bother looking down at her. "Y- Your siblings are here! Poseidon and Paragon will die! You''ll let your sister die! The Tallest Wave said you cared about the Prettiest Flower-"


    "They are of no concern to me."


    "How can you say that!" She demanded.


    "They will be reborn, just as we always have." The Lord''s eyes slowly trailed down to her, and she felt her nerves light up as the flames around her crawled up her legs, forming tight chains that made her gasp. "My brother and sister will complain for a few hundred years that their perfect vessels were destroyed, but they will get over it in due time. We always do. You are not an ideal vessel for me. Compared to Full Monarch, you''re worthless." The chains began to tug on her, causing her to gasp. "And thanks to my missing half, I cannot bring forth my full strength. I have half a mind to kill you and wait until a new vessel comes along. Do. Not. Yell. At. Me. Again. Understood?"


    The chains came undone, dropping her to the ground, and she gasped, her body shaking. "W- What the hell are you?"


    "I am an Earthling."


    "Y- You can''t be human-"


    "I never said I was human. I am an Earthling. Someone who lives on Earth. This is my kingdom. My siblings and I call this place our home. It is just unfortunate we have to share it with your kind."


    "My kind?" She glared up at the Lord. "You guys are supposed to be heroes! The tales say the four Lords slayed the Shadow and died for us! They protected humans down to their last breath, and upon their death, they gifted humanity with superpowers! You guys loved us so much that you were willing to let your powers be passed down for thousands of years! How could we be so wrong? You''re not a hero. You''re a monster. As bad as the Beast." She spat.


    The Brightest Star was silent for several seconds. She was afraid that it might attack her once more, but instead, it shifted in its throne and looked back at the glass, watching as the body it controlled rammed a fist through the Beast''s stomach. "Maybe... Maybe at one time, we were how your stories described us."


    "Maybe?"


    "I do not fully recall the past." The Lord reached up to where the missing half of its head was grasping at nothing. "Fifteen years ago, I gave my power to Full Monarch. I did not take him over; instead, I willingly handed it all to him. He repaid me by splitting me in two. He fractured my ego and tore me in half. I lost my title of Lord of the Cosmos and only hold the power of the Sun now. I went from the very top all the way to the bottom because of that man. In his actions, half my memories went with the other half. The half that goes by Lord of the Cosmos. I do not know where it is or what it knows. Full Monarch''s actions are why my siblings are so hostile to your kind now."


    "Because you were betrayed by Full Monarch? That doesn''t make sense. He''s a good guy? The number one hero? There has to be a reason he did that. You guys are bad guys or something! I''m sure of it!"


    "Your arrogance astounds me." The Lord of the Sun raised its palm up, and fire twirled and twisted, forming into various shapes. After a moment, it settled on the image of planet Earth. "Do you even know what superpowers are?"


    "No? Do you?"


    "We were the first entities you call Supers. We stood at the top of the food chain. We were gods. Living, breathing divine beings. We ruled this planet and allowed you humans to live among it in exchange for worshiping us and obeying us." His fingers compressed around the ball, shattering it. "That was until ''it'' came."


    "The Shadow."


    "Yes. A great darkness. One from beyond even this universe. Something that shouldn''t exist. A cursed evil. It threatened this planet. Our kingdom. Our home. It killed millions of our subjects. We declared war upon the Shadow. My siblings and I fought it with everything we had. As we died, something new came about on this planet. Our energy seeped across it, and thanks to the efforts of my siblings, we were reborn. Our ego passed down. And so a new set of four Lords was born. Yet we did not know it, our slumber numbing us to the world."


    "You didn''t know it?" She frowned and rubbed her chin. "Now that I think about it, it doesn''t really make any sense, does it? Everyone knows that the four Lords have their battle mode, where our hair changes. That''s us tapping into a bit of your strength, but the only other person to ever go beyond that was Full Monarch. We never heard of a Tallest Wave or Brightest Star before him. There was never an instant in a Lord being taken over by their power before that event."


    "When we died, the thing you call ''superpowers'' was created. At the same time, our power was also passed down. A power has what we dubbed an Ego. What you see before you is my Ego. Another word you could use is soul. All Supers have two Egos: the human and the superpower. A Super is the human''s Ego in charge that directs the Ego of the power. By Inverting, however, you open that door. While it allows a Super to get a massive amplification not unsimilar to the ''battle mode'' the current Lord Vessels use, it can cause the power¡¯s Ego to take over. The Ego of a Super is different from the Ego of a Lord, however. You see, my siblings and I are special. Our soul is what was passed down along with our power. Our Ego resides inside of you and the other Vessels. We are alive and can think and feel. All other Supers, however, have a mindless Ego. One that does not feel nor think. It simply exists. As such, when it takes them over, it turns them into the base instincts of what their powers are, driving them mad."


    "I guess that explains why no other Super ever heard voices before." She muttered. They simply couldn''t. It seemed only the Four Lords had powers that could talk back to them if what the Brightest Star was saying was true. "If you guys have always existed inside of previous hosts, though, why is it only now that you''re all taking us over?"


    "My siblings all have their own reasons, I''m sure. At the end of the day, though, we don''t get to decide who our vessel is. In the case of you, we sometimes end up in a body we don''t like."


    "Ouch..."


    "As for why we''re now taking your bodies over... When we first died, we slumbered. We dreamed. Our power passed down through the ages, creating new Lords, though they never were able to reach the true level of power I or my siblings hold. This was because we weren''t there to gift them our full power. They could only tap into the smallest portion of it. Then, all of a sudden, one day, I found myself awake. The dream I had been in came to an end, and I found myself in a body."


    "Full Monarch?"


    "That is correct. This was the first time a human ever gained the true power of a Lord. When I turned that man into a god, he went and betrayed me. Tore me to bits and ensured the next vessel would not have my full power. Damaged beyond repair, my siblings and I decided we would no longer help your kind out. Now, you will help us. You will give us your bodies. We will not give our power to you; we will take yours. We will make sure we are reborn so that we can stop what woke us up."


    "What... What woke you up?" She asked nervously.


    "We are passed down through death. When a vessel dies, we await until a new host comes. Our Ego then appears within that person. In some cases, they were a Super before they became a Lord, in which case they can have a power other than what they get from the Lords. This ability to pass down and think for ourselves is what made my siblings and I truly special. And then... Another power woke up. Planet Earth became the host of Supers once my siblings and I died in our fight with the Shadow. Upon its death, the Shadow split itself apart, and it scattered its own Ego. Fragments of the great evil. These fragments are awakened through death. When the human Ego fades away, it leaves a door for them. They call themselves the Rulers."


    The Ruler of Death and Rebirth. Lucifer had said something along those lines. The Emperor had as well. It was almost as if they were a dark version of the Lords. A cheap knockoff. She turned to look back at the Beast. Her mind was racing. She still had so many other questions she wanted to ask. Like, what was the Beast? Where did it fit into all of this? If they were the first Supers, where did their powers come from, and what was up with the monsters the Emperor created? How did they fit into all of this? Unfortunately, she didn''t have the time to ask any of that. Time was the one thing she didn''t have a lot of. The Beast was about to blow.


    "I want my body back."


    "You would die." The Brightest Star said lazily. They shifted on their throne, and they kept staring at the mirror that let them see her body. "You aren''t strong enough. Even if you were, the explosion would kill you-"


    "Then give me your power."


    "What?"


    She turned to look at the Lord and held her hand out. "You heard me. I''d be strong enough with your power, right? Give it to me. I''ll beat the Beast and save everyone in the city before it blows up. I have a plan. You said your kind existed to give us power and that you allowed Full Monarch to have his body and the power. Do the same for me."


    "Why would I ever do such a foolish thing!" The chains wrapped around her again, grabbing her by her wrists and ankles and pulling on them. "I should kill you now-"


    "Then do it." Her words silenced the Lord. She stared them down. "You were with me from the start, right? Were you awake during that time? Did you watch me? You saw my story¡ªall of it. If you think I''m the kind of person that would hurt you, then kill me right here and now! If I''ve gotten to this point and I haven''t been able to convince you that I''m a hero, then I don''t deserve to live!"


    "You''re bluffing-"


    "You should know me better than anyone, right?" She announced. The chains cracked and snapped as she forced her way out of them. She took a step toward the Lord and stared up at them. "If you really were there from the start, you know who I am¡ªmy hopes, my dreams, all my flaws, my screw-ups¡ªall of them should have been something you saw. I can''t say I agree with you or your siblings, but if for even a single second you were ever actually a hero, then give me a chance. I''m sorry Full Monarch hurt you. I don''t know why he did it, and I never will. I don''t want to hurt you, though. I want to save my friends and family, and I''d even like to try to save you." She held her hand up toward the Lord, who peered down at her silently. "Let''s save ''our'' city, Brightest Star."


    In the real world, the Beast''s fist slammed directly into Cinder''s face as the hero was caught off guard in her mind. She went flying back and spun through the air before gently landing on the ground.


    Then she heard a voice.


    "Hope!" At the end of the block, Sky rounded the corner and pulled her arm back. "Catch!" Sky threw something at the Lord as fast as she could.


    On instinct, the Brightest Star commanded the vessel they controlled to catch the object that was thrown at Cinder. It stared down in silence at the baseball it clutched. The thing Mr. Larison had been hiding away in his pocket. Memories flooded through them both. All of it surfaced up. The full story, where she met Mr. Larison right up to the end. Slowly, though, it focused on a nice calm memory. One with them on a roof throwing a ball back and forth.


    Within the mind, the Brightest Star stared down at their hand as if they were actually clutching the ball. So many thoughts and moments came to its mind. Hope had seen a lot, met a ton of people, and had lived a good life. "I really hate humans." Their own memories came out now. Memories of an older time. They remembered looking at the castle the humans had built, learning all the kinds of food humans made, and even helping tend to the garden that a human had created. "I never could bring myself to get rid of your kind, though. They always seem to do the impossible."


    In the real world, Cinder''s body flashed and suddenly changed. She was still cloaked in fire, but it was no longer golden. Instead, it was a plain orange flame. It cloaked and hugged her, and slowly, her eyes opened, filled with emotion as she grinned. "Get ready, Beast. You''re about to get an extra special beatdown. I''ll show you everything Hope Lauren can do!" Hope announced, now back in control.


    The Beast howled and charged, and she moved faster than she ever had before, literally zipping through the air. She rammed a fist directly into its face and sent it flying back, crashing near where the bridge to Lillian was.


    ''I gave you half.'' The voice of the Brightest Star stated. ''You only get half of the half that Full Monarch left you. I expect it back after this.''


    "Don''t worry." She landed on the ground, balling her hand into a fist. "This sort of power is more than enough." She never felt stronger. She wasn''t alone either.


    The Beast jumped at her, striking out, and she got ready to block, but before she could, a flash of white appeared before her. Sky jumped in front of her, the girl¡¯s lab coat flowing in the wind. The girl''s hair color changed, shifting to a pure white, and her eyes ignited, causing her to look a lot like Wish. It wasn''t Wish, though. It was Sky¡ªthe girl who stopped running. Sky''s power flexed out as she tapped into her ability to create her realm. It Inverted and twisted, and she summoned a portion of it to her! It appeared directly under her. The street they stood on suddenly became a field of flowers, and roots rose up as a twenty-foot circle around her shifted into a piece of her land. The roots took shape, forming into a wooden sword, which she gripped and swung out.


    The Beast''s arm met the wooden sword, and Sky''s teeth gritted. She felt her power surging around her and going wild. Her power was off the charts, getting a boost both from being in her Lord''s battle mode as well as the power boost she got from summoning her land. That was what allowed her to cut out and slice right through the Beast''s arm, cutting it clean off!


    The Beast stumbled back and howled, opening its mouth and charging up an intense beam of energy it was about to launch out, but Sky twirled out of the way, allowing Hope to ram her hand forward. She used all her explosive power and the force of her supernova, shoving it all into her fist and ramming it directly into the head of the Beast, snapping it in two, and causing the energy to go blasting out wildly in all directions. She then ducked down just in time for Sky to slash out and split the Beast''s stomach open.


    The Beast wasn''t dead, though, and it struck out with its fist. Hope jumped in front of Sky, blocking the strike and taking the brunt of the attack, which sent them both flying back. As they crashed across the road, Cinder flipped herself over, landing on her feet. "There''s a reason I took us to this place!" The Beast jumped at her, and she threw her hand out, causing a chain of fire to blast out and wrap around something behind her. Sky stabbed caused her land to grow, increasing it to thirty feet, and copied what she had seen Battery do, as a giant wooden hand grew out of the ground just in time, wrapping around the Beast. The Beast shattered out of the grip, but it was already too late. "Take this!" Hope screamed.


    She pulled back on her chain, causing the mace of Hell Hound to land in her hand. She swung it out with everything she had, putting her all into it for one final attack! Fire blasted out of her arm, launching it forward, and the Beast realized it lost once more to the Lord of the Sun.


    The mace blew its head clean off, hitting it so hard that the weapon shattered to bits and broke. The power-canceling ability it held caused the Beast''s entire form to crack, and it stumbled back before letting out one final hiss. Then, its body faded away. Something was in it after all, though. A metal ball the size of a small golf ball dropped to the ground. It shattered the floor, weighing more than even a skyscraper, and it began to rapidly blink and hiss. Hope stumbled a bit as the fire around her vanished and faded, and she felt the Brightest Star take the energy back.


    "Is it over?" Sky asked nervously, walking over to stand next to her friend.


    "No." Hope shook her head. "That thing is going to explode."


    "What!" Sky stared down at the metal orb in shock. It began to rapidly blink and glow. "Can you pick it up and throw it?"


    "I could, but it wouldn''t work." Hope explained. "The Brightest Star told me how big the blast is. Even if I chucked it, the thing would still reach the city." The blast would not just wipe Oleander off the map, but Lillian as well. The Beast¡¯s final attack and means of total annihilation.


    "What do we do then!" Sky felt panic settle in. After everything they had gone through, the thing was just going to blow up. Despite that, though, Hope looked strangely calm.


    "Do you like me, Sky?" Hope asked, cocking her head.


    "What kind of question is that?" Sky asked, blushing. "What''s with you? We need to figure something out-"


    Hope closed her eyes and leaned forward, kissing the girl. Sky froze and stared in shock as Hope pulled away, giggling. "Sorry," Hope said sheepishly. "I wanted to at least have my first kiss before I died. I don''t count Wish. You''re going to be a great hero, Sky. I know it."


    "H- Hope-" Sky felt a sharp pain in her stomach as Hope''s fist slammed into her. Sky dropped to her knees, gasping out as her eyes went wide. She clutched her stomach, nearly blacking out.


    "Goodbye, Sky. I really liked you." Hope''s back glowed as a pair of large wings made of fire forced their way out of her. She reached behind her and ripped her backpack off and scooped up the orb inside of it, holding it close to her. She turned back to look at Sky one last time, getting a final look in. "Tell my parents I''m sorry."


    Sky stared at the girl as Cinder smiled happily. "Hope!" It was too late though.


    The ground broke as Hope forced herself to fly. The tiny orb was heavy, but she wasn''t going to give up. Her wings flapped and grew larger, taking on the shape of a butterfly as she got above the city and kept on going nearing the clouds. She chanced a look down at the bag that held the orb. Even through the fabric, she could see the glowing. ''Are you sure about this?'' The Brightest Star asked in her ear.


    Hope didn''t say anything as she surpassed the clouds. She felt a chill hit her, and her body shook, but she kept on flying. Her lungs ached, her vision blurred, and ice began to dance across her fist. "Cinder," she said quietly. She got right to the edge of Earth. "I got to be Cinder¡ªI was a real hero, right?" It was funny. It had started with a backpack. She had thrown it at Mars King in the bank. That was the first time she had truly felt like she had done something. Like she had made a difference. She could still remember the face of that little girl she had saved.


    ''Yeah... You were a hero.''


    She threw the backpack out as hard as she could with everything she had. Just like how she had thrown it at Mars King.


    "I was a real superhero!"


    It barely left her grip and then exploded.


    In an instant, Hope Lauren''s atoms came undone, and she was blown to bits...


    Somewhere within a familiar stone tower, a new statue would be found. The statue of a previous Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The statue of a hero who called herself Cinder appeared.

 Chapter One Hundred And Twelve: The Second Page Turns

    Boy Genius stared down at his monitor, slumped in his chair. "What''s the damage?" he asked quietly. His screen showed the state of Oleander. It was a mess. It would take God knows how long to fix it. Every building across the entire city had been torn down, and the roads had been pulled apart. ¡°Can this even be fixed¡­¡±


    A low voice hummed around his office as his drone flew over the city. "Radiation levels are not being detected. Neither are toxin levels. The hero known as Battery has seemingly absorbed all dangerous energies into his constructs during his battle, shielding everyone from harm''s way. The Beast hasn''t made rebuilding impossible this time, unlike previous visits. The explosion it tried to use was also negated when the hero Cinder took it into space." Beta explained.


    "What''s her status?"


    "Over ninety-eight percent of her body was reduced to atoms. I am unable to detect brain function or a heartbeat. She has died." The image on his monitor shifted, showing what was left of the hero Cinder. It was half an arm. ¡°The rest of her body was forced undone and blasted throughout the universe, so unlike with Full Monarch, we do not need to worry about hiding her corpse, as she was scattered so far and so far that not even the Emperor would be able to find her.¡±


    "So, we''ll have to look for a new Lord now." Boy Genius sighed and slumped further down, nearly falling out of his chair. He stared up at the roof above him. "A pity. I liked her. She was so much like Full Monarch. No¡­ That¡¯s not true, actually. She was different. She was still a hero though¡­ What are the casualties? For the others."


    "Oleander was able to evacuate over seventy percent of its residents thanks to Battery holding off the Beast when he did. Furthermore, another ten percent were able to escape into a vault built by the late Mayor Grove. Heroes were also able to keep another five percent safe."


    "So, Oleander only lost fifteen percent of its residents- What am I saying?" Boy Genius grabbed at his head, wincing. "I make it sound like it''s a good thing. Thousands are dead. I''m the worst..." He pulled some of his hair out in frustration. "What are the casualties for heroes?"


    "Would you like to list them all?"


    "Yes. Someone needs to remember them all. I''ll take it all in and figure out where to go from there."


    "Max Lightning of the Enforcers, Ocean Empress of the Enforcers, Sword Swinger no team, Bad Wolf of Team Watch Dogs, Backup of team Watch Dogs, The Street Magician of Team Fairy Tales, Doctor Kraken of Team Reservoir, Hydro Cannon of Team Reservoir, Water-Gal of Team Reservoir, Fisherman of Team Reservoir, Sea Monkey of Team Reservoir, Slinger of Team Mercy, Shamrock of Team Mercy, Glamor of Team Time Keepers, Draco of Team Sun Eater, Earth Worm of Team Sun Eater, Red Robo of team T-Fin, Brobot of team T-Fin, The One Who Has No Name of Team Time Keepers Vampirica of team Sub Enforcers, Bolt of team Cloud, Thunder Shaker of team Cloud, Light Iron of team Sub Enforcers, Heavy Iron of team Sub Enforcers, Boss of team Sub Enforcers, Techcoat of team Sub Enforcers, Thiefer of team Sub Enforcers, BB of team Sub Enforcers, Arrow no team, Bat-Spider no team, Guy With Gun no team, Snowdawn of team Pantheon, Battery of team Pantheon, and the final one is Cinder of team Pantheon."


    "Is that it?"


    "There are many more, but I have only listed the casualties whose deaths will have a noticeable impact on the civilian population, according to my calculations. I have saved a copy of the full casualty report to the mainframe."


    Boy Genius just closed his eyes. "Thank you. Please send a blank check to Lillian''s Cleanup Squad, as well as whoever is now in charge of Oleander¡¯s."


    "I believe it is Mister Arthur Moore."


    "Moore?"


    "Father of Snowdawn." Beta clarified.


    "You''re kidding me." Boy Genius gritted his teeth. "Do we at least have his son¡¯s body?"


    "No, sir. I was unable to locate his body. His time of death is also strange. I monitored all life signs of the heroes, and when he died, it was when he was nowhere near the Beast."


    "That doesn''t sound good. Do a full sweep of-" A loud buzzing suddenly went through his base. "Beta, what just happened?"


    "I''ll need to change that list of names I gave you, sir."


    "What? Why?"


    "One of their life signatures just came back."


    ¡°Which one!¡± Boy Genius stood up so fast his chair tumbled over. All of his drones were gone, so the only live footage he was able to view was the one Alice Ward had going. The woman still had over a billion people on her blog watching the stream as the entire planet took in the state of Oleander.


    ¡°The hero that has become the talk of so many people.¡± Beta explained. ¡°He has seemingly become popular after the whole world watched him protect his city to the very end. He¡¯s back. He¡¯s still alive. I guess his story isn¡¯t over just yet.¡±


    ***


    ''Well, partner... Looks like this is the end. That''s what I''d like to say, at least. You know it would never be that easy to escape from me, though, right?''


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Jack muttered quietly. ¡°W- Why do I still hear you speaking¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you really think I would let you die so easily?¡±


    Jack tried to open his eyes but found that he couldn¡¯t. All around him, he saw nothing, and he felt nothing. It was like being in the ocean, suspended in water. He felt almost like he was floating. It was dark. No. It was pure darkness¡ªa darkness that was looking back at him, holding onto him, and had been gripping him since long before this moment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could die yet." He felt the darkness grow tighter, and it began to pull something out of him. He was falling deeper into the ocean of black. It was dragging him, forcing him down, and taking something from him.


    "No... It''s over. My story has..."


    "Rise." His emotions cracked and began to shatter. He could feel it. The core. The thing that made him, him.


    "No-"


    "Rise." He was breaking. It wasn''t him. Something else was forcing its way in.


    "No!"


    "Rise, my Ruler. My creation. My destruction. My little Alpha. Wake up. My Giant."


    And so Alpha woke up.


    The sky above was blue. He stared up at it in silence as his eyes opened. Then he heard someone speaking.


    "Boy Genius is still checking out the last of the damage." Wyvern sighed. "Looks like we made it out alive, though."


    "I''m glad." Her brother Drake let out a sigh and bowed his head. "Sissy... Did... Did we really win?"


    Wyvern didn''t answer her brother. Most of the heroes had run off as soon as they got word the Beast was gone. Many of them had gotten right to work, checking out rubble for signs of civilians, while a few just went back to their home city to make sure it was okay. Besides her, the only Enforcer member left in Oleander was the Victorian. The woman floated in the air, staring into space, not blinking. There was an uneasiness amongst all of them. The Beast was never the issue. They always beat it in the end after much loss. Then, every time, something else would come. Something much worse. A new Calamity.


    And they had just lost the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos.


    "Do you know where Poseidon is?" Wyvern questioned her brother.


    Her brother nodded his head slowly. "I heard she went toward the bridge. Myth was taking her over there. That''s where Whisper and Paragon were both spotted last, so it makes sense those two want to see them again."


    "Poor Myth... Most of his team is gone." Wyvern bit her lip and looked around the destroyed street she was on. "Think he''d like to join our team-" She jumped back suddenly, dragging her brother with her as her eyes went wide. Her hair stood up, and her heart felt like it was going to explode.


    "Sissy? What''s wrong?!" Drake asked, staring up at his sister''s face. Her eyes were bloodshot and wide and filled with more fear than he had ever seen. Not even the Beast had brought on this much of a reaction.


    "H¡ªH¡ªHe''s back."


    "Who?"


    "T¡ªThe Emperor."


    "What? Of course he is. We were told-"


    "No! You don''t understand. This is him. He''s here! He''s back! He''s really-"


    Then they both heard it. A tiny crack echoed out across the field. The ground in front of them dented and snapped, and Drake readied himself for combat. Then, a hand slowly broke its way out of the dirt¡ªone dressed in a red costume. Dust rained down as someone began to pull themselves out of the ground. Drake felt his eyes go wide as he took the figure in. Their costume was in ruins, and the right side was missing, with several large holes through the stomach and chest area. They also didn''t have a mask on. Despite that, he knew who this hero was right away.


    "Battery?" The hero quietly turned to look at him. The man''s reddish-brown hair was a mess and filled with dirt, and his eyes kept changing from a piercing blue to a deep black. Over and over, they flickered back and forth, not settling. Energy danced between his fingertips, first blue, then black, then blue, then black, then- "You are Battery, right? A member of Pantheon? I... I thought that you... Who are you?" Drake''s tail stabbed out, and claws jutted out of his fingertips. Battery turned away from him and stood up on wobbling legs. The man muttered something. "What the hell did you just say?" Drake demanded.


    His sister was barely holding herself together and had collapsed back, staring up at the man in front of her in terror. He had heard something like this happened two years ago. Legend, a member of the Enforcers, had come back from the dead. Only, Legend had changed. Legend hadn''t been human anymore. It seemed history was repeating itself. Yet something was off. Battery looked almost normal, save for the flickering eyes. His body had healed. All the damage done to it vanished, as if some magical force had thought to give him a second chance.


    Battery kept muttering to himself, barely above a whisper. Drake frowned and leaned forward just a bit. Then he heard it.


    ¡°Which one am I?¡±


    "What the hell does that mean?"


    "Am I Battery?" Battery''s eyes suddenly jerked over to him.


    "Huh?"


    ¡°Am I Battery?¡± The man said again. "Am I me?" He looked down at his hand, watching as the blue and black energy flickered across back and forth over and over again. ¡°Or did something else take me over?¡± His eyes roamed over the city. "Where is Hope?"


    "Hope?"


    ¡°The Lord of the Sun and Cosmos.¡± Battery moved away but stopped when Drake''s tail suddenly appeared at his throat.


    Drake let out a low growl and gritted his teeth. "Sorry, but I won''t be letting you walk off so easily. I don''t know what''s going on, but I saw Battery die, myself. How the hell are you alive? Are you even Battery? If you are, then I don''t want to hurt you, but if you''re not, then I won''t hesitate to blow your head clean off your body imposter!"


    "My head..." The lightning finally settled on a blue color, and Battery grabbed at his head, wincing. "That''s right... My head was..." He reached toward his chest and felt his heart. His heart. One that held no shard. One that could withstand his power. His full power. The same level of energy that helped slay Full Monarch. "Oh. I know who I am. I''m the bad one, aren''t I?"You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Drake felt a wave of pain course through him as blue energy zapped off of Battery, and the boy was brought to his knees. Battery turned away and slapped at the air with his hand. When he first fought Green Wolf, he did something similar. His energy spilled out, forming cracks in the very space he walked in. Cracks that began to expand and twist, forming a perfect circle. A portal, a gateway¡ªthe same sort of travel the Emperor had used. The same sort of power Rulers commanded. Drake tried to struggle to his feet, but it was too late. Battery stepped through the portal, and it sealed shut behind him.


    Off to the side, Alice Ward stood, her phone having just caught the entire thing. Live on camera, the entire world saw it. The one they had been cheering on, the one they had their eyes on, Battery was back. The hero that took the Beast on had stood back up. Not only that, he was seemingly a lot stronger.


    The hero Battery was quickly becoming the most famous hero of the modern era.


    Meanwhile¡­


    On the other side of the beach, Paragon stared up at the sky above, feeling numb. She had picked the name Sky because it was something she hadn''t gotten to see before. She had always heard about it, but as a kid, she had grown up in one of the Emperor''s labs before being transferred into a Hero Branch. It wasn''t until River adopted her that she finally got to see it for the first time. She used to think they were pretty, but now she had a nasty feeling in her gut. She kept waiting for it to happen. The moment Hope would fly back down, she would have that goofy smile on her face and announce that she had saved the day like she always had.


    It wasn''t happening, though.


    A crack echoed in the space around her, and she turned away as a blue portal snapped its way into existence, shattering the air around it. A foot slowly stepped out, and she felt her heart nearly stop when Battery stepped out. "Ba- Jack?" She felt a faint flicker of hope appear in her. If he was back, then that must mean Hope was as well. Hope had saved her when Wish devoured her. With the power of the Sun, Hope had put her back together. That hope then shattered when the man spoke.


    "Where''s the kid?" Battery asked. Sky felt her throat close up, and her body shook. Her eyes watered, and she looked away from him. "Oh. So that''s how it is?"


    "I''m sorry." She croaked out.


    "So, you failed again." She felt as if she just got punched in the gut. She turned to look back at him, meeting cold blue eyes that barely glanced her way. "Why am I not surprised? That''s all you ever do, right? You failed to save Ocean Empress, and you failed to save the Lord of the Sun." The man reached up, and before she could move, he grabbed her by the hair, glaring down at her.


    "S- Stop! What are you doing- You''re hurting me-"


    "This whole family has always been worthless now that I think about it. Our dad could never do anything right, either. I don''t know why I ever expected anything out of his sloppy second. You can''t even control your power or my power, right? That Lord''s ability would better serve me. I have half a mind to take it. You know how the powers are passed down, right-" Her hair shifted back to its white color, and she tried to strike out, but Battery was faster, striking her across the face and shoving her to the ground. She felt tears in her eyes, and her face stung as she glared up at the man. Battery wasn''t looking at her though. He had grabbed at his head once more, his nails digging into it. "What was I thinking? Why was I so stupid? Oh, that''s right. Full Monarch." He let out a laugh, one that caused a shiver to go down her spine. "He tried to ''save'' me, didn''t he? I remember now. That worthless heart he gave me." He could feel his heart beating faster. Now that the shard wasn''t in him, he felt like he did the day of the war. Even better, actually. "Looks like I don''t need it to survive anymore. I''m back. Alpha has returned. I almost forgot how strong I was. It''s a shame the Beast isn''t here. It''d be easy to fight a mindless creature like that now. Hey, here''s an idea. How about you let the Prettiest Flower take over?"


    She scooted back as his eyes glanced back at her. They flickered again, going from blue to black, and the energy kept switching across him. Inverting should never be used this way, but it was like he didn''t care. Like he wasn''t afraid of letting a second Ego take over. And why would he be?


    Alpha had nothing to fear.


    "Who are you?" She glared up at the man, her red eyes staring into his rapidly flickering ones as he grinned. "You''re not Battery! Jack would never suggest something like that! What have you done to him? You''re not even reacting to the fact that Hope is dead!" She screamed.


    That caused his smile to fade, and for a moment, she saw the flicker of recognition appear in his eyes. The color finally stopped swapping, and his light went out fully, leaving his eyes as a dull brown. The color they settled on when his power wasn''t on. He grabbed at his head once more, wincing. "Damn it. What the hell?" The blue came back, then black, then blue- "Whatever. I don''t have time to deal with this." He turned away from her, waving his hand out. "See you later, little Lord."


    "Where are you going!" She yelled back in anger.


    "I have things to take care of." He looked back up at the sky. "Guess I''ll need a new weapon if the Sun is dead. Whatever. I can wait." He snickered. "Stay on your toes. If you aren''t careful, I might use you to kill the Emperor instead of the newest Lord of the Sun-"


    "Mr. Larison!" A familiar voice called out. One that caused both Jack and Sky to freeze. The blue in Jack''s eyes went out, replaced with his brown, and he quickly turned a smile appearing on his face. A smile that then instantly faded when he saw Jane Lauren and not Hope Lauren. The woman had ended up in Oleander. She wasn''t alone either. Standing next to her was a man he had seen once. The kid''s father. Alexander Lauren. "Oh, wait, do I call you Battery?" The woman winced as she saw the hero''s dead-eyed stare, his blue eyes roaming over her.


    "What are you doing here?" Battery asked coldly. His eyes started to flicker between his colors once more. "You should be in Lillian."


    "You''re telling me. Oleander''s a mess." Alexander said, looking around at the destruction.


    "And why are you here? You should still be in bed."


    Jane nodded her head slightly. "We came looking for Paragon, actually. Some heroes said we could find her here. See, something happened."


    Paragon stood up and moved her way in between the Laurens and Battery, blocking the hero from them. She glared back at him for a moment before looking back at her friend''s parents. "What happened?"


    Jane took a deep breath and began to explain. "We were in our room when someone came to see us. He had blonde hair and called himself Nier, I think? It''s all a little fuzzy, but he said he was here to help. He placed his hand on Alexander''s head, and there was this weird light show. Then suddenly, he said he cured my husband of the Dead Virus and that he was paying back the Lord of the Sun for beating the Beast at Oleander. He asked if we wanted to see our daughter, and when we said yes, the next thing both of us knew, we were here in the middle of the city."


    Sky stared at the two in shock. She reached out, placing a hand on Alexander''s wrist. She had planned to try and destroy the Dead Virus inside of him once again now that she unlocked her Lord''s Battle Mode, but it seemed the Emperor had beaten her to it. It was gone. Utterly. "You''re cured!" She said in shock. "Besides some mild malnutrition, your body is healthy."


    "I feel good!" Alexander announced, giving a large smirk and flexing his muscles. "Every part of me feels like I can give a hundred and ten percent! I guess that Nier guy really did cure me!" He was still bald, and his body lacked color and muscle, but he was no longer on death''s door. The fact he could walk around at all proved that.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, where is Hope?" Jane asked, causing Sky''s look to change. "Or do I call her Cinder now? Is she somewhere else in the city? I saw you two here, so I figured she''d be nearby. Have you seen her Paragon, or is she still being healed-"


    "She''s dead."


    It was so cold. No emotion was behind his voice as Battery spoke. He stepped past both of the parents and walked on as if he hadn''t just given the worst news in the world. Sky''s look was all either Jane or Alexander needed to confirm it. The girl was unable to hold herself back as tears began to fall, and she couldn''t look either of them in the eyes. "I''m sorry." Her voice quivered. "I- I tried. Your daughter- Hope saved Oleander. She- She-¡±


    Battery walked away, not bothering to pay them any mind as a hellish scream broke out of Jane, and Alexander barely had time to catch his wife. He left Sky there to deal with it. It was her problem anyway. It annoyed him a bit. The way the woman broke out into a loud sob. Her husband didn''t even have time to cry himself, as he had to do everything he could to keep his wife sane after the news hit them. "Would it be better if all of them just died?" He felt that pain in his head again, and he grabbed at his skull, wincing. "No... It''s my body. I''m Battery." He got to the end of the block and managed to get out of the worst of the noise. He stood there, still flickering between his colors as the pounding in his head ached. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me to stop? To tell me I¡¯m doing things wrong or that I can be so much better? You kept nagging me constantly! Say something.¡±


    Silence.


    He kept waiting for it, but it never came. It had constantly been there with him. He constantly felt the eyes of Full Monarch on him. He would hear the man¡¯s voice almost always. Constantly urging him on.


    Now though it was total silence. He didn¡¯t feel the eyes, nor did he see the man out of the corner of his vision. He was alone. Truly.


    Battery stood there a moment and grunted. He suddenly felt like he was being watched, but it wasn¡¯t the one he wanted. Someone else had taken notice of him. "You can come out now. I know you''re up there, watching."


    There was a golden glow from above as the Victorian softly came to land in front of him. Her golden eyes glared into his blue, then black, eyes, and he gave the largest smirk he could.


    "You''re wondering if you have to battle with me, right? You can tell my body has fully healed. I''m stronger than I ever was. You''re still damaged, though." Blue and black energy crackled around him, forming an aura. "Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but you won''t be able to beat me. Even if you brought your A game."


    "Are you going to be a problem?" The Victorian asked, letting out a hiss.


    Battery snickered, and his aura gradually faded away. "Nah. I think I''m done for the day. Oh. But I do have an answer for you."


    "An answer?"


    He walked past her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sure. I''ll join the Enforcers. You guys need new members, right? You asked me to join earlier."


    The Victorian''s eyes narrowed. "What about Pantheon?"


    "What about it? It''s a trash team. Besides, it only has garbage Supers now that the Lord''s dead. If I''m going to reach my goal, I''ll need real power. Your power."


    "And what exactly is your goal?"


    "The same one as you little Ruby. We''re going to kill the Emperor. We''re going to kill Lucifer. We''re going to kill Legend. We''re going to kill the Beast. Then, I''ll kill the Shadow once and for all and finally allow myself the much-needed sleep that I deserve. We''ll create a world for humans, by humans. That¡¯s what you wanted, right? There¡¯s only one difference. You wanted to use me, right? That¡¯s why you offered me the position. You wanted me as a weapon? Well, that won¡¯t be happening. I¡¯m not going to be a weapon anymore. I¡¯m going to be the one he wields the weapon. If the Lord of the Sun is dead, I¡¯ll just settle for you. You¡¯ll be my new sword. I¡¯ll aim you, sharpen you, and use you to end this stupid story.¡±


    The Victorian closed her eyes. "My father. You knew him well, did you not? He fought to save people like you. He saw something in you. I don''t know what happened to you. I don''t know if this is some big trick or an act you''re putting on because you''re hurting inside. What I do know is that if you keep going down this path, you won''t be able to stop-"


    "Oleander city."


    "Huh?"


    "All Enforcers get a city that they own and look after." Battery stepped away, finally letting go of her shoulder. "I''ll be protecting this city. That means you''ll have to do everything you can to build it back up for its people."


    "That answer is... That''s one I''d expect from you..." Her eyes turned to study his back as he walked away. "You... You are Jack Larison, right?"


    For a moment, Battery stopped. "Yeah. Of course, I am." He looked back up at the sky above. The Ruler of Creation and Destruction, the Giant, had returned. So why exactly did he feel even more broken than he had when he had been pretending to be a hero?


    Oleander City had just faced its biggest threat. Would it ever be able to claw its way back from something like this? Well, that remained to be seen. The Beast wasn''t the only thing the city had to worry about, though. There were other threats, new and old. Where there were heroes, there were villains. In a situation like this, villains thrive and grow.


    "You''re sure this is the place?" Drill Man hissed out.


    "Yeah." Chainsaw Hand nodded. "This is where Green Wolf used to keep all his stuff."


    While the heroes were busy saving people or finally slowing down after the heavy battle with the Beast, two young and up-and-coming villains decided this was the best time to grow their power. They stood in front of a destroyed warehouse. One that had been owned by Zoo. Drill Man wore yellow metal-looking armor with large drills coming out of his head and hands. Chainsaw Hand was just sort of a guy with a chainsaw on his hand. Groovy...


    "Hurry up and use your drills to destroy some of this rubble." Chainsaw Hand hissed.


    "Yeah, yeah." Drill Man raised his arms, and the drills on him began to spin, getting faster and faster.


    These two villains, though they may seem goofy, could actually turn out to be a grave threat. For you see, they held potential unlike any other. One that, if given the time to grow, would cause them both to become threats on the same level as the Emperor-


    Blood spilled out as Drill Man''s head was sliced clean off his body. Chainsaw Hand let out a scream and turned, but an unseen slash cut him down as well, severing his upper body from his lower one. Sadly, for both villains, they would never live long enough to reach the same potential as the Emperor. Chainsaw Hand landed on his back, vomiting up blood as his eyes stared in shock at the figure walking down the street.


    "I know times like these are always the best moment to go loot stealing, but you never go after a top dog, silly." A young girl stalked forward. She was no older than sixteen and had long black hair and stunning blue eyes that glanced down at him. She wore a typical business suit, though she clutched a katana between her hands. One that had sliced down the two men in front of her despite the fact she had been meters away. Slowly, the girl sat down on Drill Man''s corpse and cocked her head as she stared down at the dying Chainsaw Man. Her eyes caught her reflection in his as he stared at her in horror. "Oh. So, this is how Cinder looked without her mask?" The girl said, looking down at her body. "I''ll have to remember to praise Red Ape later. He finally did something useful, creating this new body for me. Who would have thought his plan to create a Cinder clone would actually work?"


    "W¡ªWho are you?" Chainsaw Man asked, spitting up more blood as his vision began to blur.


    "Who am I?" That was when he noticed something else the girl was holding in her other hand. She jauntily stood up and placed a cartoon wolf mask over her head. One that clutched a cigar in between its lips. "I''m Green Wolf." Faster than he could even blink, she drew her sword, and in an instant, he was split in two once more, cutting his head in two. "The new and improved build that will take Battery down for good." The girl curiously looked up at the sky as the sun was setting once more. "I wonder when that ''thing'' will be back."


    All across the solar system, on a little red planet, the ground shook as white swirled around a small orb. The Beast began to rebuild its body, for just as in the days of Full Monarch, humanity had still failed to put it down for good. They had lost so many, and for the Beast, it would simply try again once its body was rebuilt in the coming years¡ªa never-ending process.


    The Beast always won.


    New and old threats alike, Oleander still had many stories left to tell...


    But the most important story wasn''t playing out in Oleander. Halfway across the world, in an underground lab, someone very, very important was waking up after her battle with the Beast.


    Slowly, Hope''s eyes opened.


    The Lord of the Sun, the Hero who called herself Cinder, still had so much story left to tell.


    It truly was a Spectacular World¡­

 Spectacular World Part One Data Book

    Dear Reader: The following chapter is a collection of explanations covering all of Part One of Spectacular World, collected into a data book. Feel free to skip this chapter if you don''t want to read this.


    In this data book, you can find a collection of info on characters and a timeline of the story so far. Feel free to check it out if you want.


    ***


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Hello?"


    "..."


    ¡°Ah greetings.¡± Cifer leaned forward on his desk as the door to his tavern opened. ¡°You must be the strong quiet type. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and rest up? After all I''m sure you''re tired from your long journey. It must have taken you a lot of time to arrive here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Who am I?¡± Cifer let out an amused snort at the question. ¡°I¡¯m nobody important. Just someone running a tavern for tired people like yourself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The tavern is filled with dozens of shelves and novels, all holding tomes around the secrets of the world.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve noticed my books, have you? Are you a reader? I guess you¡¯d have to be to make it this far, wouldn¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you take a look? It¡¯s all for free. Who knows. You might learn something new.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Of course, travel. Read as much as you like. Though don¡¯t be shocked if you aren¡¯t given all the answers.¡± Cifer said, letting out a low chuckle. ¡°After all, the entire story is still being told.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can start there. That¡¯s a wonderful idea. We¡¯ll start with the basics.¡±


    ***


    Humans, Supers, Monsters, Lords, and Rulers


    ***


    In the beginning, there was only humanity. They lived and they died on a planet known as Earth. This planet resided within the Milky Way galaxy. Humans developed many great things, but eventually all things do come to an end.


    The Four Lords were said to have arrived, and with it they brought an era of change. They would do battle with the entity known as the Shadow, and in a flash, planet Earth would be forever changed. It found itself suddenly being filled with creatures known as Supers. And as they say, the rest is history.


    But what are Supers? What are the Four Lords? And where do the other lifeforms fit into this? Well, allow me to explain.


    Humans: Humans still rule planet Earth even thousands of years later. Despite being wiped out time and time again and forced to live in a world with gods, humanity has somehow managed to remain standing at the top. They have no power, they have no skill, but boy do they seem to have an issue with giving up.


    Supers: There were two who first started. Two Supers that went by the names Cifer and Mana. They were brother and sister. Born after the death of the Shadow and the first four Lords. Supers look like humans, but they are far from normal. All Supers have their own unique superpower, a supernatural ability that defies logic. Supers can be as weak as a normal human or even rival the gods themselves. All Supers possess two souls. A human soul and a powered soul. It is through the use of this powered soul that they can use their power, and their bodies can keep growing well past their limits. Supers age at a slower rate than humans, and some can live for many years past their prime.


    Inverting: Inverting is an art some Supers can use. It allows them to switch which soul is in the driver''s seat, or in some cases, draw out the energy of their other soul half. This can change and alter their power in different ways, but if it¡¯s not done right, it could kill or harm the Super.


    Monsters: A monster is created when a corrupted soul is injected into a human or Super. All newly created souls come out corrupted and glitched, and upon being placed in a body, they devour and destroy the human soul within the body and then fuse with the remaining Super soul, if there is one. All humans given a new soul become insane mad beasts unable to control their power and go feral, attacking all. Most Supers also tend to fall into this category; however, a very small percentage of people are able to keep their sanity for the most part and keep control of their mind and body despite the fact that they lost their human soul. All four leaders of the Emperor¡¯s army were monsters that could still function.


    Giant Monsters: When a monster''s body goes fully out of control and the new soul within them changes and transforms, that monster will grow and change, becoming larger and larger in a never-ending cycle of expansion and power. They will keep getting stronger until they eventually become so big that the Victorian has no choice but to kill them. Many of these creatures still live beneath the planet or in the waters, waiting for the day to strike as their mind grows mad and their flesh gets larger.


    The Four Lords: The first ever Supers, though they aren¡¯t actually Supers. They are something else. Something more. They were before the Supers and well beyond them. The four Lords wield godlike power, and unlike other Supers, the Ego, or soul half within them, is actually alive and able to think and feel. They are meant to work together, but they can also take over the host. A Lord can live for hundreds of times longer than a Super; most tend to be killed off due to the situation of their era, but it is thought Lords could actually be immortal.


    Battle Mode: All Lords possess a Battle Mode, something that greatly boosts their power and allows them to go beyond the form of most Supers. It is around a ten-times boost of power and can give them new powers. Their hair and eyes change color, and the voice within them, the one that belongs to the Lord, grows and speaks to them more often.


    True Lord Mode: When a Lord Inverts and allows the other soul within to take over, they become the true form. One of the first ever four Lords. This greatly enhances them well beyond anything else on this planet, granting them power that even surpasses the Beast. They are walking gods, able to tear reality apart and shake the entire universe.


    The Tallest Wave: The first Lord of the Sea and Depth. They are a monster that lurks beneath the water.


    The Prettiest Flower: The first Lord of the Land and Life. Despite her beauty, she is covered in thorns filled with venom.


    The Loudest Thunder: The First Lord of the Sky and Weather. Someone who can see everything everywhere all at once constantly.


    The Brightest Star: The First Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The hope of the universe and the strongest entity across all realities, they were able to defeat and slay even the Shadow.


    Rulers: When the Shadow came to planet Earth, it did battle with the Four Lords. In the end, both sides defeated one another and reached a state of death. As the shadow died, its power splintered and broke. The Rulers are reflections of the Lords. Powerful warriors fueled by the darkness that is the Shadow. They can negate death and bring themselves back to life no matter how many times they are killed and slain.


    The Ruler of the Void and Dark¡ªthe Devil.


    The Ruler of Death and Rebirth¡ªThe Angel.


    The Ruler of Creation and Destruction¡ªThe Giant.


    The Ruler of Ash and Ruin¡ªThe God.


    ***


    The History of the World...


    ***


    So, you want to know the history of the world? That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave it all here. Feel free to take a look. It¡¯s everything that you should know up to this point. You can thank me later, dear traveler.


    In the beginning, there was just planet Earth. A little blue planet inhabited by a race known as humans. The humans lived on this planet, went to war with each other, and developed on the natural course of history. They formed countries, kingdoms, states, and cities. Places like New York or such. Vast lands filled with culture and story. Of course, most people don¡¯t know about that. And that¡¯s because ¡®they¡¯ appeared.


    Who knows where they truly came from. One thing was for sure, though. They were born on this planet.


    Life had been given to the ocean, and it took shape into a great monster. Life had been given to the land, and it took shape into a beautiful woman. Life had been given to the sky above, and it became a wise old man. And life had been given to the very star that heated Earth up, creating a grand warrior. These four beings called themselves Earthlings. They were born on the planet and would go on to call it their home.


    Humanity tried to fight them, of course, but naturally they stood no chance. It was really of no surprise. Even with nukes, these four magical entities simply destroyed every military force that dared to challenge them. In only five days, all of Planet Earth would be brought to its knees by these four creations. That was when they would take up their names.


    And thus the Four Lords were born. The Tallest Wave, the Prettiest Flower, the Loudest Thunder, and the Brightest Star. Four grand beings of great power that would rule over the world and force humanity to submit. They held the very power of the gods themselves. Nothing could stand in their way.


    And for over a hundred years, nothing did. The Four Lords lived on the world, building castles and nations, watching as humans died and fought for their amusement. It all came to a stop though when a new entity found its way to the planet. One from well beyond their stars. A powerful creature as big as the universe itself. It took on the name of the shadow. One that would devour everything. In fact, it had already long since devoured everything, leaving just one planet left in the universe that had life.


    The little planet known as Earth...


    And so the four Lords would do battle with the Shadow. A grand fight that would go on for days, all of them gave it everything they had. They ruled over the planet, and the humans were theirs to do with as they wished; this creature had no right to decide their fate. So they fought it. And somehow, they managed to beat it. By giving all of their strength to the final Lord left standing, the Lord of the Sun and the Cosmos unleashed a punch so powerful it would shake the very universe itself and tilt it.


    This strike would not just wipe out the Shadow but the four Lords as well, taking the Brightest Star out along with their siblings. As the Lords lay there dying, it would be the Lord of the Land and Life who would give one final wish. She simply wanted to keep playing.


    And on that night, as the corpse of the Shadow and the four Lords faded away, something brand new would be born. Four metal Pods that would carry the story of the four Lords forward through time.


    But what of the planet?


    The battle had been grand and too much. Earth was nearly destroyed. It was only thanks to the power of the four Lords that it hadn¡¯t shattered, but all of its cities and most of its people were gone. Reduced down to less than ash. In one night, Planet Earth was back in the stone ages.


    As the four Pods would take off seeking life to awaken them anew, something else would happen. The energy of this fight would be so great that two people would find themselves slowly waking up after the end of the world had come.


    Cifer and Mana were siblings. They also just so happened to be the first ever Supers born into the new world. The bodies they held were of a pair of siblings who died during the battle with the Shadow, but they were back and better than ever now. They had gone beyond the mortal coral of the world and become something more. They weren¡¯t the only ones either. All across the planet, humanity was being reborn, many seemingly waking up despite being dead. That was how great and grand the energy of the four Lords had been.


    Many humans now sported strange new powers and would go on to become Supers. There was just one issue, though.


    No one knew what was going on or what to do.


    Nearly every city had been destroyed and totally wiped off the map. Less than one percent of the human race had survived the total clash, and the humans that were back now held no memories of their past lives. Billions of humans had all been brought back from the dead, some even having new powers, but none of them knew what to do or where to go.


    That was where Cifer and Mana came in. They had been the first, and somehow Cifer had seen something. A vision. One of four Pods. He would speak tales and form stories of what was to come and announce to anyone that would listen to the story of the four great Lords. He didn¡¯t know how he knew, but he did. Both he and his sister had been blessed with a power. One that gave him a life that would never end so long as they had one another.


    And so, the two would go across the planet looking for these Pods and telling tales of the four great Lords.


    And of course, time would pass.


    Slowly but surely, the world was reaching the stone ages once more and surpassing them. Humanity had been forced to reset, but they were pushing forward even despite that. After one hundred years, anyone who had been alive during the four Great Lords or the Shadow was dead, and so soon the race forgot the state their planet had once been in. It was as if everything had truly restarted.


    During this time, a Super would rise above all others and declare himself king of the planet. He would use his power to turn people into rocks and build an army of golems that he would use to destroy the other villages that were struggling along. Just when it looked like humanity would be forced to submit to this new threat, that was when they appeared.


    Four might warriors unlike any other Supers. Four warriors who called themselves Lords.


    In a flash they appeared, and they defeated the villain, and then just like that they were gone again, leaving the world. Some claimed they died; others claimed they walked off the face of the Earth. No one truly knew the truth. Again, though they would appear another hundred years later when a new Super would rise up and threaten humanity.


    Again and again, over and over, years would pass, and the tale of the four Lords would grow and grow as they appeared at every point. And during all of this time, Cifer and Mana traveled the land still singing the Lords'' praise to all that would hear. Even three hundred years later, they were still young and youthful. It would be on the eighth attempt that the two siblings'' story would finally end.


    Both agreed the world didn¡¯t need them to speak of the Lords anymore. By now it was engraved into the history that was their current era that the Lords would appear when the world needed them most. Everyone knew the stories now, and many Supers feared the people that came from the metal eggs. Cifer and Mana would separate. Cifer would go to live in a village far away, content to live out the rest of his days, while Mana would form a group known as the Full Force, something dedicated to discovering the next incarnations of the Lords when the time came for them to be born.


    And so the world would change and twist. Humanity would grow and keep evolving, trying to reach higher and higher. Villages and towns would be formed, and old weapons from the past would be discovered. Over one thousand years would come and go when the next threat finally appeared.


    One that was well beyond anything the world had ever faced. A group known as the Monarch Force had formed. One that seemed to want to only pillage and destroy all that got in their way. It was led by a lone warrior. One who used the power of cursed energy. One who would go by the name of Lucifer.


    Lucifer would do battle with the entire world using a dark gift he had discovered. A power that came from the Shadow itself. It was unknown how this monster got this power or why he did what he did. Maybe there was a noble cause, or maybe they just found it fun. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. The Full Force would do battle using the power of three Lords that they had discovered. The Lord of the Sea and Depths Sini, the Lord of the Sky and Weather Wano, and the Lord of the Land and Life Nier. The three of them would do battle with Lucifer, and years would go by as they fought the never-ending zombie army that the bad guy held.


    Sini was the oldest of this group and would go on to have a son he would name Adam. Adam would be a fine warrior and fight alongside Nier in many battles. Nier himself would go on to become a rival of sorts to Lucifer, and the two would do battle constantly. Around this time, Sini would also discover a young boy named Harrison Avalon and take him in. It is also around this time that Nier would discover the fourth and final member of the Full team.


    During a battle with Lucifer, he would discover the final missing Pod, and thus the next Lord of the Sun and Cosmos Jackson Nier would be born. Jackson would be the greatest weapon they had, and the Full Force would do their best to train the boy.


    Sini would grow older and take over the Full Force when Mana stepped down to help Nier raise Jackson. Sini would keep trying to beat the Monarch force but would have no luck due to the army being seemingly Immortal and Lucifer staying out of harm''s way.


    One faithful winter, however, everything would truly change when the final battle would begin. The Full Force would find themselves protecting Rose City against the entire force of the Monarch army. During this battle, Nier and Jackson would be sent on a mission behind enemy lines, where the two would engage with and do battle with Lucifer when they accidentally stumbled upon him. Nier would be gravely injured in this fight and even die, yet something would bring him back and force him to come to. When he did, the war was over.


    Jackson had awakened his full power as a Lord and, with ease, had taken Lucifer out, scattering the Immortal to less than space dust. And thus, an age of peace would begin.


    At least it should have.


    Many people were worried Lucifer would somehow return, and so they didn¡¯t stop preparing. Supers, especially Lords, aged slower, so they allowed themselves to waste their youth and lives away getting ready for a battle that may or may not happen. It would take ten years before it was finally accepted that the Monarch force was truly gone. During this time, Sini would grow and evolve, somehow gaining a new power despite being a Lord. He would become both a Lord and a Super, gaining a Mental Power.


    With the help of Avalon, the two would gather dozens of other Mental-users together, and they would begin work on fixing humanity. Thus, Sini Corp was built, and with the help of so many Supers, they were able to push humanity faster than it had ever been pushed. In just a few years, they managed to create grand cities able to hold the entire population of the world. They were able to get funding through this, thanks to what was left of the Full Force and many of the people who had worked with the Monarch Force.


    A family named the Ward¡¯s agreed to offer full support and loans in the construction of these cities in exchange for getting to stand at the top with those that did the work.


    Even after the ten great cities were built, many members of the Full Force still refused to live in them and remained on the lookout for Lucifer. It wouldn¡¯t be until a clan known as the Thaddeus clan offered to watch the planet that people like Wano and Nier would finally take a break. With the Thaddeus clan now on the lookout for Lucifer, the Lords would live in the newly built cities, and slowly the world would settle into an era of peace.


    During this time, Jackson would constantly stay on the move, never stopping, and always engage in combat when any villain that threatened the peace appeared. He had easily grown and become the strongest entity on Earth, possibly even the universe.


    It was also around this point that Nier and Wano would find themselves meeting the women of their dreams and having kids. Wano would have a son named Max; however, his wife would tragically die during childbirth, leaving the Lord all alone. Nier would marry Mana, who was finally ready to grow old and lay down her life. Together, the two would have a daughter that they would name Sky.


    Peace would finally arrive.


    And in an instant, it would all be torn away. Forty years after the death of Lucifer, a new threat would finally appear. One that they dubbed the Beast. Its power was so great it would easily destroy the city it attacked, killing millions. Among them was the wife and child of Nier. This loss would destroy the man and cause him to snap and have a breakdown. Jackson would defeat the Beast, but by then it was too late. The damage had been done.


    After seeing something like the Beast appear, Jackson would gather with Sini, and together the two would create a group known as the Hero Branch. The world didn¡¯t just need heroes at this point. They needed a symbol. Someone they could turn to. They needed superheroes. That¡¯s exactly what the Hero Branch hoped to create.


    All across their cities, they got Supers to sign up and join them and put them all to work trying to better the world. Leading it all was Jackson, who now took up the name Full Monarch. In only one year, with the help of the other heroes, they had managed to clean up the entire city and fix more of the world, putting it back together. The world seemed like it would finally be back to an era of peace.


    Unknown to all of them, though Nier had snapped. With no one to guide him out of the darkness, the Lord of the Land had become lost and threw himself into his experiments, trying to create a way to bring his daughter back. His experiments would all end in failure, only managing to create twisted monsters that could no longer be called humans, and all had a voice in the back of their heads that demanded they kill humanity.


    Nier would soon be found out and captured and held on trial, but it wouldn¡¯t get far as the unthinkable would happen. The Beast would return. Despite having been killed three years ago by Full Monarch, it would reappear and do battle with the number one hero once more.


    Full Monarch would beat it using everything he had, and this time he stopped it from destroying the city. During the commotion, though, Nier got away and escaped, never being seen again. That same day the Emperor was born...


    Seven years would pass, and Full Monarch and the other Hero Branch members would create the group known as the Enforcers made to stop all Calamity-level threats. Full Monarch¡¯s daughter would also take the center stage as a nineteen-year-old Super, calling herself Ruby Admiral. Everyone was shocked when they learned she existed, especially Full Monarch.


    During this time, humanity would find itself facing off with a new threat that would appear. The Emperor would rise up clad in black armor. He would hold an army of monsters all forged from his dark gift, and much like Lucifer, it seemed the man was only after total destruction. During this time, Lucifer would also be brought back by the Emperor somehow.


    With two Calamity-level threats now on Earth, a war would begin. It would last for over four years straight and would see the death of Wano, who would pass his title down to his son Max, and Sini would pass his title down to his great granddaughter Lily. During this point in history, Lois, daughter of Max and Jill, would also be born, making her the granddaughter of Full Monarch.


    Full Monarch would do battle with the Emperor, and the two would engage in a battle that would shake the entire planet, lasting several days and nights. When it finally ended, both of them would be dead and their titles would pass. That same day, two new Pods would appear in the world, one being collected by Harrison Avalon and the other being picked up by a fisherman named Alexander Lauren.


    And just like that, fifteen years would come and go, and the girl known as Hope Lauren would become the hero Cinder.


    That¡¯s pretty much it. An interesting story, I suppose, though one filled with holes.


    ***


    The Many Ages Of Spectacular World


    ***


    The Before Age: Not much is known about this time. It was before the first four Lords landed on planet Earth and before the world was forced to reset. Humanity lived on Earth and built many nations and cities before eventually being forced to work for the four Lords. Later, the Lords would battle the Shadow, and the human race would be sent back to the Stone Age from the conflict.


    Age 0000: After the battle with the Shadow, humanity was forced to restart from seemingly nothing. Many people were blessed with powers due to the deaths of the four Lords and the Shadow, and the world was introduced to Supers.


    Age 0001: The siblings Cifer and Mana begin their journey. They were some of the first Supers ever created and were blessed with bodies that could seemingly not die. They began to walk around the world singing praise of the Lords.


    Age 0005: Humanity, alongside the new race of Supers, began to explore once more, finding mostly ruins of old cities from the before age. Some began to build new villages or use old tools that were still around, allowing them to advance far quicker. Thanks to mental-based powers and some humans speaking of the before times, they progressed quickly, though they were still far from their former glory.


    Age 0025: The last human from the before times passes away, leaving the planet filled with only the next generation of humans and Supers. During this time, Cifer sees visions of four pods, and he and his sister begin to explore the world, seeking these pods out.


    Age 0045: Small villages begin to appear across the world as civilization slowly but surely comes back. Humanity enters a pseudo-medieval period fighting amongst each other. Due to the low population of Supers, humanity is still the dominant threat, even with just swords and bows.


    Age 0070: Due to one Super with an ability to form new currency, the economy begins to start up slowly from scratch, and with the help of a Super with Mental based power, what would later go on to be banks start to reform thanks to the little knowledge they had of the old world.


    Age 0100: Small kingdoms and towns begin to get set up across the world, and new factions begin to form. The biggest of which is a clan known as the Thaddeus clan. The siblings Cifer and Mana are still alive due to their blessing of immortality and still seek the four Pods.


    Age 0125: While exploring a series of caves, the siblings Cifer and Mana discover four mystical Pods, each holding a Super that wielded epic powers. They begin to train these four Supers.


    Age 0147: A Super by the name of Golark appears, one of the strongest Supers the world had ever seen. He goes from kingdom to kingdom, conquering them all. Many Supers try to fight him, but all fail.


    Age 0149: The Thaddeus clan still stands before Golark as the last line of defense, doing their best to stop the first ever villain, who later sets the bar for future Calamity level threats.


    Age 0150: Just when all hope seems lost and it appears Golark may take over everything, the siblings Cifer and Mana return now with four new warriors who easily defeat Golark with elemental powers far above anything any human or Super ever saw. They call themselves the four Lords and begin to use their power to further push the world forward, allowing for far faster progress.


    Age 0160: The four Lords eventually vanish, rumor being it has something to do with the Thaddeus clan. Cifer once again gets a vision of the four Pods and begins to look for them.


    Age 0175: The current head of the Thaddeus clan tries to take over all the kingdoms just like Golark. Once again, four powerful warriors appear and put a stop to this. The four Lords had once again been reborn and banished the Thaddeus clan to the other side of the world.


    Age 0176: The four Lords once again vanish, no longer being needed, and tales of them spread far and wide.


    Age 0177: Cifer finally decides to retire and moves to a little mountain village and tries to raise a family, starting up an inn. Mana stays with humanity and creates the Full Force, a group created to stop all threats and find the four Lords whenever possible to keep mankind safe. Years would pass with this being the way the world worked, and it wouldn''t be for nearly one thousand years later that the balance of the world would finally break.


    Age 1076: The Full Force discovers the Pod belonging to the Lord of the Sea and Depths, and Sini is born. He is raised by Mana and trains every day.


    Age 1084: At the age of eight, Sini witnesses a new threat known as Lucifer appear out of nowhere. Lucifer wields terrible dark powers able to bring forth the dead of all those killed by his hand and raises an army. He is also funded by dozens of humans that follow his cause of total destruction, being promised power and riches. Lucifer creates the Monarch Force yet doesn''t officially start his war with the world until later. Instead, he serves as a threat, remaining on the sidelines.


    Age 1088: The Full Force discovers the Lord of the Sky''s Pod, and Wano is born.


    Age 1089: The Full Force discovers the next Lord of Life''s pod, and Nier is born. This is also when the war with Lucifer truly begins. It is unknown what sets Lucifer off, but the war begins when he kills a member of the Thaddeus Clan.


    Age 1094: At the age of five, Nier begins to train with Mana, who raises him and teaches him how to control his power.


    Age 1095: At the age of nineteen, Sini, fearing that any day could be his last, decides to have a child in case he needs to pass his title down. Adam Sini, also known as Young Dog, is born.


    Age 1099: At the age of ten, Nier experiences his first real battle during the war and creates Lucky, his loyal wooden dragon.


    Age 1105: Harrison Avalon is born to human parents.


    Age 1107: Nier, now at the age of eighteen, battles Lucifer in a small village and finds the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos''s Pod. He names the child within Jackson and begins to raise him.


    Age 1114: Harrison Avalon is taken to a camp after his family dies and is eventually found by Sini. He joins the Full Force and serves directly under Sini alongside Adam.


    Age 1122: At the age of fifteen, Jackson and a thirty-three-year-old Nier are sent out on a mission from Sini. They come across Lucifer and do battle with him, resulting in Nier dying yet somehow coming back to life, and in the process causing Jackson to awaken a power that hadn''t been seen in over one thousand years. Jackson becomes the Brightest Star and vaporizes Lucifer.


    Age 1132: Ten years would pass since the defeat of Lucifer, yet many of the Full Force would refuse to believe he is gone and would waste most of their youth staying on guard duty.


    Age 1135: Sini would somehow evolve his power and gain a Mental power based around advancing all of mankind forward. With the help of Avalon, they would go on to gather dozens of other Mental based power users and form Sinicorp and begin to create the first ever modern city, based on designs from the cities of the past. They would get funding from five main families in particular. The Wards, The Laps, The Almas, The Ros Family, and the Milas.


    Age 1140: The first ever city would officially be created. The village of Rose would expand massively, becoming Rose City. During this time the Thaddeus clan would return to the world and offer to keep watch over Lucifer''s grave to ensure he wouldn''t return, finally allowing those in the Full Force to have peace. It would still be nearly ten years, however, before any of them decided to have kids.


    Age 1145: Sinicorp begins to create more cities and towns and reverse engineer many of the old inventions from the before age, restoring humanity.


    Age 1151 #1: At the age of sixty-three, Wano marries and has a kid. He names his son Max. Due to being a Super, Wano, along with all his fellow Full Force members, retained most of their youth, so even in his early sixties, he still looked very young and handsome.


    Age 1151 #2: During the same year as Wano, Adam Sini''s wife would give birth to River Sini, Adam''s daughter.


    Age 1151 #3: Near the end of the year another child would be born, one who lacked a name and was born from the union between Full Monarch and an unnamed woman. Who could this be?


    Age 1151 #4: Nier would marry Mana and have a daughter named Sky.


    Age 1152: Osmon Thaddeus takes over as the head of the Thaddeus clan, neglects his duties, and stops watching over Lucifer''s grave.


    Age 1153: Two years later, a girl named Jill is born due to strange circumstances. She is placed in foster care and given the last name Laision, the name given to most orphans.


    Age 1155: Sinicorp, along with the help of Avalon, and the five families begin to look into creating towers that can teleport them out of Earth and to other planets in case something like the Shadow or Golark ever returns.


    Age 1160: Sinicorp successfully creates their first ever warp tower and appears on the moon.


    Age 1161: One year later they arrive on Mars and awaken something they shouldn''t have...


    Age 1162: An entity of space arrives on Earth for the first time. This creature would be known as the Beast and do battle with Jackson and the other Lords. Only Jackson, with his Brightest Star form, was able to keep up with it and defeat it. By then it would be too late, and Nier would lose his wife and daughter.


    Age 1163: After the battle with the Beast, Jackson would decide the world needed to change and would work with Sinicorp to create a brand-new group. One known as the Hero Branch. He would take up the mantle of Full Monarch and create the first ever group of Enforcers. This group would be funded by the five noble families, the same people who had funded Sinicorp, who had all become rich from their investments.


    Age 1164: Nier begins to hear the voice of the Prettiest Flower... It drives him mad. He joins the Hero Branch as a way to start his experiments.


    Age 1165 #1: Full Monarch discovers a series of missing people and investigates the matter. There he discovers Nier performing twisted experiments in an effort to bring his dead family back to life.


    Age 1165 #2: On the same day he arrests Nier, the Beast from space once again returns, and Full Monarch is forced to battle it once more. This makes many people lose hope and fear it could come back a third time. During this battle, Nier escaped and fled, vanishing off the face of the planet.


    Age 1165 #3: A girl calling herself Ruby Admiral appears, and it is discovered that she is the daughter of Full Monarch. He adopts her and tries to raise her. A few months later, Nier discovers a young, fifteen-year-old boy that he decides to adopt. He names this boy Alpha.


    Age 1170: Full Monarch with the help of Sinicorp and the Hero Branch begins to fight the Beast out in space any time it wakes up and makes its way to Earth. This allows him to stop any city from being destroyed by the Beast. Later that same night, Octavius Thaddeus is born.


    Age 1172 #1: The Emperor appears, Lucifer somehow comes back, and a new Calamity is created. Full Monarch''s epic battle with the Emperor begins.


    Age 1172 #2: Jill and Max have a child. Lois is born.


    Age 1173: The Emperor creates his castle on the moon and uses his power to create his army of monsters.


    Age 1174: River gives birth to a daughter whom she names Lily.


    Age 1175 #1: The Emperor''s next heir, the second coming of Sky, is born, created from the DNA from Alpha and Hell Hound, created with the Emperor''s power, and placed into the womb of the Princess of Life.


    Age 1175 #2: Armin Moore is born.


    Age 1176 #1: The Emperor and Full Monarch do battle. They both die. During this time, Lily becomes the next Lord of the Sea and Depth.


    Age 1176 #2: A fisherman by the name of Alexander discovers a strange metal Pod floating in the ocean. He names the child inside of it Hope.


    Age 1177 #1: The Victorian appears and takes over as the next number one hero.


    Age 1177 #2: Jack joins the Cleanup Squad and moves in with Nick Ale.


    Age 1179: The first ever Sub Enforcers is created by the Victorian as a way to make sure child Supers won''t fight alone and will have a place for them other than in the filled of battle.


    Age 1180: Slowly the horrors of the world fade, and it moves on now under the banner of the new Enforcers team.


    Age 1183: Lucifer begins to recruit a new team he calls the Immortals and creates the first ever Murder Games.


    Age 1189: The Beast returns to the world and results in the destruction of Chrysanthemum. The hero Legend dies and comes back as a powerful monster. The city is forced to be locked down.


    Age 1191: Hope Lauren and her best friend Armin Moore visit a bank that is attacked by a low-level supervillain gang. I think you know the rest.


    ***


    The cities¡­


    ***


    Back in my day, we didn¡¯t have cities. We just had towns and villages. The world changed a lot when Sini took over. Sini Corp. managed to build every great city that is still used years later by the public¡ªgiant super cities that hold massive populations nearly ten times that of the greatest cities of the past. That man practically built the entire planet in a way.


    But what are the names of the different cities exactly? Well, I¡¯m glad you asked...


    Chrysanthemum: One of the ten great cities that used to exist. In the past, it was protected by the hero Legend and the team Fairy Tale, but it has since been destroyed after the Beast came down and left it in ruins. Chrysanthemum is now a forgotten relic of the past, holding a great threat within it.


    Daffodil: A strange city made up of hundreds of layers all stacked up on one another; it goes high up, reaching past the clouds, and even extending deep underground. It is one of the biggest cities in the world, created by Boy Genius and Mr. Sini. Wyvern does her best to guard it, though she has trouble. There are rumors that she was placed in this hard-to-manage city on purpose since she is a monster. The people of Daffodil have grown used to seeing monsters due to the members of Sun Eater that help Wyvern guard it.


    Daisy: Lady Time keeps Daisy safe with her team, the Time Keepers. Daisy is a city straight out of this world looking more mystical than any other with giant glass castles and streets and vast wealth as far as the eye could see. It didn¡¯t used to be like this and has been slowly converted into this magical paradise by the Enforcer member that guards it.


    Dandelion: Dandelion is a dark, gloomy place that always has storm clouds. It was cursed to be forever night, and it seems like the rain never ends. Banks line every street, and every person who lives here is armed and dangerous. Mister Man, along with his team Mercy, guard this place, and they take out villains on a daily basis.


    Gladiolus: It was once a grand city; it has since been left mostly in ruins after a Murder Game was held here by the Immortals. It has mostly been rebuilt, though it still has its scars with damaged buildings and ruined roads. Max Lightning used to keep this place safe, though he has seemingly abandoned it and stopped bothering. Team Cloud tries to keep up with the crime, but it''s a losing battle.


    Lillian: Connected to Oleander, Lillian is a seaside city that has a close connection to the ocean. It is protected by the hero Ocean Empress and team Reservoir. They did such a good job in fact that their city doesn¡¯t have a Sub Enforcers currently. The city is filled with many water parks and is a good tourist attraction.


    Nightshade: A prison run by Boy Genius, it is made to hold the worst of the worst. When you want information or are simply dealing with a bastard that can¡¯t die, you send them here.


    Oleander: Connected to Lillian, Oleander used to also be a thriving beach city, but the docks have since closed. It has a long history of bad luck being used for many dark deeds and has been filled to the brim with bad gangs. Somehow it has remained standing through all of that, though. It is your standard city with skyscrapers and vast streets. Watch Dogs, led by Old Dog, were assigned to protect it, but groups like the Pallet Boys or Team Pantheon have somehow kept it all together.


    Rose: The biggest and grandest of the ten great cities. This is where the Enforcer Tower resides. It is protected currently by the Victorian and all members of the Enforcers. It is a grand and spotless city with large towers, hundreds of castles, vast land, copious food, and almost no issues. The air is created through powers, and a bubble shield ensures the city will be fine even should planet Earth fall. You have to be rich or lucky to live here.


    Violet: Ran by Fable, Violet is a land straight out of an old novel. It has large castles across its border, and the people sometimes still use carts to travel. It is ancient yet proper, and the ones who guard it, Fairy Tale, keep it safe almost as well as the Victorian guards Rose.


    ***


    The Many Different Groups Of The World¡­


    ***


    The art of teaming up. Something that has always happened since the dawn of man. There are so many groups out there, all formed together for different reasons. Why don¡¯t we take a look at them, shall we?


    Bad Timers: A group in Oleander made up of monsters, members who used to serve under the Emperor. They wish to create a world in which Polaron is king.


    Cloud-Ran by Max Lightning, they protect Gladiolus and use various energy-based powers to beat their enemies.


    Fairy Tale: A crew ran by Legend but has since been passed down to Fable. They operate in Violet City and are made up of warriors who base themselves off of stories from the old world.


    Full Force: An old army created to battle the Monarch force. They were made up of riffraf Supers, the Four Lords, and any human that could hold a gun.


    Pantheon: The newest group to appear in Oleander City, they are led by the hero Myth and made up of several brand new heroes. Maybe if they work hard, they can do great things.


    Pallet Boys: A duo group made of two tech-based heroes who are brothers. They try their best to keep the streets clean.


    Monarch Force: A group ran by Lucifer and dozens of zombies that tried to destroy the world fifty years ago. They battled the Full Force and were eventually pushed back and destroyed by the Full Force.


    Mercy: A group made by Mister Man that operates in Dandelion City. They use guns and bows and will throw every cheap trick in the book at you to win.


    Sub Enforcers: A group led by one adult with a bunch of young heroes. In order to avoid kids getting hurt or rushing off into danger, this group was created to train them and prepare them for battle. There is a Sub Enforcers group in almost every city.


    Sun Eater: A group ran by Wyvern. They protect Daffodil and are made up mainly of monsters that used to serve the Emperor.


    Skull Boys: A low-level group that traveled from city to city. They now live out in the Wastelands and are desert bandits.


    T-Fin/The Future Is Now: They are a group run by the hero Boy Genius and made up mostly of robots. They don¡¯t have a city they run and instead mainly guard Nightshade or help out other cities when needed.


    Terrible Twosome: A group made up of Yellow Kobold and Squid M.D. They exists to try and beat the hero known as Golden Weaver.


    Time Keepers: Lady Time runs this group. They protect Daisy and wield powers that seem borderline magical.


    The Enforcers: The World¡¯s strongest hero team. It was founded by the legendary hero Full Monarch and has a wide assortment of heroes all across it. Currently it is led by the Victorian.


    The Hero Branch: The group that watches over all teams and heroes. They are inside every great city and control the heroes and write the law. They are mostly owned by the Ward family.


    The Immortals: A group run by the Ruler Lucifer. They were created after he was brought back and have existed for less than twenty years yet have claimed almost as many lives as the Organization. They play something known as a Murder Game and destroy entire cities.


    The Organization: The villainous group led by the Emperor. It was made up of hundreds of smaller gangs as well as an army of monsters that the villain created himself. They declared war on all of planet Earth.


    The Wandering Coin: A group created by Sunshine, they trade in drugs and people and have taken over the streets of Oleander.


    Team Reservoir: A group led by Ocean Empress, they are stationed in Lillian and are made up of only water-based users with the exception of Paragon.


    Watch Dogs: A group in Oleander, they are tasked with protecting the entire city. They used to be led by Old Dog but have since rebranded.


    Wet Bandits: A team that used to stay in Lillian but has since moved to Oleander. They are run by Cybercroc and exist to attack the rich and flood their homes.


    Zoo: A group in Oleander filled with psychopaths that only want to kill and murder. They all wear animal masks and have various powers ranging in scale and usefulness.


    ***


    The characters


    ***


    A story is only as good as its characters. Did you know that? Either way, it seems we have a lot of options to look through. I¡¯ve seen a lot, you know. I¡¯ve collected it all right here in this book. Go ahead, traveller. What do you think of my information?


    Aarush Brenner


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Eighteen


    Powers: None


    Group: The Wandering Coin


    Bio: Mr. Brenner is a father who will do anything for his son. He made it his goal to keep Kyle safe and will work with heroes or villains, doing what he has to no matter what. He just wants what''s best for his kid and doesn¡¯t care how dirty his hands have to get. Since the day Lucifer marked his son, he barely sleeps at home, often napping in his office at Oleander PD headquarters.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: None


    Alexander Lauren


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One


    Powers: None


    Group: Wright Fishing Company


    Bio: Alexander Lauren moved to Oleander after retiring from a war. He loved the sea all his life and decided to set sail. One day while out at sea, he found something that would change his life forever, adopting a young child that would one day go on to become the world¡¯s greatest hero. He loves sweet things and his daughter as well as his wife.


    Age: Forty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Golden Weaver


    Alice Ward


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Six


    Powers: None


    Group: Oleander News Crew


    Bio: Alice Ward is part of the Ward family. The Wards are an elite group that rules most cities and owns stocks of land everywhere. Many of them served Lucifer back in the day and now run the Hero Branch, making the world turn. She married into the family, taking up a lesser position, and mainly runs the news media, being responsible for which heroes do and don¡¯t become famous in Oleander. She is considered to be the second strongest person in the city due to the fame she holds.


    Age: Sixty


    Favorite Hero: Cinder


    Alice Ward/George June


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventeen


    Powers: None


    Group: The Hero Branch


    Bio: George June is best friends with Alice Ward and often uses her name. They have teamed up and created their own news drone, which he often uses. The drone sounds like Alice allowing him to pretend to be her while he asks questions. He also uses his connection through the Hero Branch to get more stories for her. He secretly likes Alice, but they¡¯re well past their prime and she is married.


    Age: Sixty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Alien/A


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-One


    Powers: Monster (Body Manipulation) - Alien was able to use Body Manipulation to enhance himself and others, strengthening muscles and hardening bones.


    Group: The Organization


    Bio: Alien was the father of Mars King. He was a powerful warrior that served in the Emperor¡¯s army and could have even held the title of four Generals should one of them fall in combat. He personally trained many of the children in the army, using his powers to force their bodies to further improve. He eventually lost his mind, and his body went out of control after the death of the Princess of Life. He now slumbers at the bottom of the ocean, his powers going overdrive even in his sleep. Before his insanity, Alien often cooked for Mars King, though both agreed that no human would have survived eating his food.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: Feast


    Amy Laison


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ninety-Two


    Powers: None


    Group: None


    Bio: Amy could have been friends with Wish. She could have been the one that stopped the horrors that would follow the world. She didn''t, though. Instead, she was the one that caused it all to begin.


    Age: Fourteen


    Favorite Hero: Legend


    Arrow/Steven Danson


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Enhanced Shot) - Arrow''s ability, Enhanced Shot, enabled him to fire projectiles with extreme force and pinpoint accuracy, piercing the toughest armor.


    Group: No Group


    Bio: Arrow was a powerful solo hero able to shoot out lightning-fast shots. While his ability could be used with any projectile weapon, he preferred bows, simply for the aesthetic.


    Age: Twenty


    Favorite Hero: Mister Man


    Avey Ros


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventy-One


    Powers: None


    Group: No Group


    Bio: The Ros Family, just like the Wards, formerly sided with Lucifer during the great War. After Lucifer was defeated, they joined the Hero Branch and began funding it. Unlike the Alma Family, which began developing in the Science Division, or the Ward Family, who began the Aesthetic Division, the Ros Family specialized in resource management. Avey Ros is good friends with Matthew Ward and is a very powerful woman living in Oleander City. She isn''t part of the main Ros Family, which resides in Rose City. Despite being so far from the family''s headquarters, Avey often accepted visits from her family, taking them for tours of Oleander City.


    Age: Forty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Cinder


    Bad Wolf/BW


    First Chapter Appearance: Fifty-Three


    Powers: Monster (Weather Hound) - Bad Wolf''s ability creates a roaming storm that is usually confined within her cloak. When released, she can control this storm, both its lightning and wind, as well as the clouds of the storm, often forming solid platforms.


    Group: The Watch Dogs (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Bad Wolf was forced to work for the Emperor and had been turned into a monster. Her mind struggles between good and evil, and she constantly fights off insanity. She trained with Old Dog to hone her strength and power and did her best to stay good. She could control weather, though not nearly as much as a Lord. Despite choosing to live in what was effectively a cage, she was content, taking care of the mini-ecosystem that she had slowly cultivated in her cage.


    Age: Twenty-Four


    Favorite Hero: Old Dog


    Backup/Brad Harvil


    First Chapter Appearance: Fifty-Three


    Powers: Super (Expanding Tech) - Backup has the ability to condense any tech he makes, giving it the ability to expand into its normal, usable size.


    Group: The Watch Dogs


    Bio: Backup was the student of Old Dog and partner of Bad Wolf. He was skilled in nearly every form of combat and could create hundreds of different gadgets. He greatly considered Old Dog to be like a father to him and trains every day. He also gets catfished by the hero Fisherman constantly.


    Age:Twenty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: Old Dog


    Baggy


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifty-Eight


    Powers: Construct (Lord Of The Sun Fragment Of Hope) - Possibly sentient, Baggy can explode on command and can also grow in size, taking on a giant form that packs the explosive power of a missile.


    Group: Whatever group Hope is in.


    Bio: Not much is known about Baggy. He might be alive? He was created by Hope and is solid fire given shape into the form of a backpack. He often flexes and usually blows himself up. Despite that, he always comes back.


    Age: Three Months Old


    Favorite Hero: Cinder


    Barnabus Sini


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Seven


    Powers: The Lord of the Sea and Depths/Super (Mental Improvement) - Mr. Sini can control most forms of water and pressure, this control is vastly enhanced when in his Lord form. He also has the Mental ability to examine technology and instantly understand how to upgrade it. Barnabus also has access to a Battle Mode, where his hair turns blue and his eyes turn red. In this mode, his power and strength jump by a factor of 10.


    Group: The Hero Branch


    Bio: Mr. Sini is the creator of Sini Corp. After the death of Lucifer, he created the company, which was able to gather hundreds of other Mental-based Supers, allowing them to rapidly expand the growth of the world and create many cities. They greatly pushed humanity along the evolutionary path and even breached the layer of the stars before the Beast attacks started and halted their progress. Barnabus often liked to go fishing with his son, Adam, refusing to use his powers to cheat.


    Age: Ninety-Six


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Battery/Jack Larison/Alpha


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seven


    Powers: Ruler of Creation and Destruction - Battery''s first ability is Imaginary Energy. This energy allows him to create constructs, enhance himself, create portals, and summon energy constructs that he has dubbed his ''Giants''. These can range in size and power, from a few feet tall to over a hundred meters tall, able to slice apart large islands. As a Ruler, Battery can also self-revive from death, regenerating missing body parts.


    Group: Pantheon (formerly the Organization)


    Bio: Jack has gone by many names and has a lot of secrets to tell. He holds imaginary energy, something he can mold and shape freely in any way that he wants. He tends to use it to give himself the strength of Giants, warriors of legends that he read about when he was a kid. He uses this strength to surpass all, making him the strongest Super of the current era. He can shatter islands with a single punch and even went toe to toe with both the Beast and Full Monarch. He¡¯s been married once, tried dating, and is just doing his best.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress (Formerly The Victorian)


    BB/Sera Wendy


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventeen


    Powers: Super (Shrinking/Aerokinesis) - BB is one of the rare few Supers that naturally discovered they had two abilities. Shrinking allows her to change her size, typically shrinking (although, with Inversion, she can also grow in size). Aerokinesis allows her to control wind, often boosting herself while flying with custom-made wings.


    Group: Oleander Sub Enforcer


    Bio: Sera was in the Oleander Sub Enforcers ever since she was a kid. She comes from a long line of heroes, though most of her family were solo heroes or even villains. She was the first person in her family to join the Sub Enforcers. She can grow to the size of a building or become as small as a flee. Rumor has it she has a crush on Money Tree.


    Age: Sixteen


    Favorite Hero: Money Tree


    Beta


    First Chapter Appearance: Fifty-One


    Powers: ???


    Group: The Enforcers/T-Fin


    Bio: A creation of Boy Genius, Beta has a level of intellect close to his creator''s and has reflexes fast enough to anticipate energy beams. Older heroes often warn rookies to never fully trust the robot, claiming he has a grim secret.


    Age: Fifteen


    Favorite Hero: Boy Genius


    Black Crow/Blake Crowford


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twelve


    Powers: Super (Coal Manipulation) - Black Crow can control coal dust, using it to form wings and a sword, although it can also be used to coat and ''infect'' other things or people.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: Black Crow could have taken over as the leader of Zoo if Green Wolf never joined it. He¡¯s a sadist who likes killing people with his jagged black blades he creates from his coal and is said to be the second strongest member on his team. He also likes going out as an undercover street artist that uses coal for all their paintings.


    Age: Twenty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Drake


    Black Shark/Bruce Jaws


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-One


    Powers: Super (Swimmer) - Swimmer allows Black Shark to phase through solid matter, ''swimming'' through it with enhanced speed.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: Black Shark used to fight in dozens of wars. He was a well-trained navy soldier and was blessed with a powerful swimming-based ability. His power, however, made him have a strong bloodlust, and he accidentally devoured his crew when he went into a feeding frenzy. In order to cover this up, the Lillian Navy sold him off, and he was eventually bought by Green Wolf being turned into a powerful weapon. He also hates Red Ape.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Black Skunk/Demitira Mackle


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twenty-Five


    Powers: Super (Smoke Bomb Tech) - Black Skunk''s ability allows her to mentally simulate highly toxic chemicals and their effects, letting her perfectly replicate the chemicals whenever she has access to a lab and the right chemicals. These chemicals could be so toxic that entire city blocks are sectioned off to contain the effects until they dissipate.


    Group: Wet Bandits (Formerly Zoo)


    Bio: Black Skunk joined Zoo after both her friends did. White Hummingbird and Red Scorpion claim they joined Zoo because of her. None of them are really sure why they¡¯re in Zoo. She is good at making explosives, sometimes just making fireworks to disrupt quiet neighborhoods with White Hummingbird and Red Scorpion.


    Age: Twenty-Four


    Favorite Hero: Metal Ronin


    Block/Stone Face


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-One


    Powers: Monster (Stone Body Control) - Block can control his stone body, even changing it from a solid to a liquid and even to a gas.


    Group: Bad Timers (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Block used to be a powerful superhero who was sent out to fight the villain known as the Emperor. He lost instantly and was transformed into Stone Face. The Emperor used him to build his castle, turning the man into a pillar that held the building up.


    Age: Forty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Bolt/Wally Allen


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Speedster) - Bolt can absorb vast amounts of energy, usually in the form of electricity, which he can use to enhance his speed to almost light speed. The limit of how much energy he can hold has not been discovered yet.


    Group: Team Cloud


    Bio: Bolt was the current fastest man alive. At least that¡¯s what he told himself. He was a member of Max Lightning¡¯s team and was the Lord''s right hand man. In Team Cloud''s base, Bolt slept with a live electrical current running through his bed, claiming that he always woke up refreshed afterward.


    Age: Twenty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: Max Lightning


    Boss/Quibert Quin


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Speech Manipulation) - Speech Manipulation allows Boss to influence anyone who hears his voice (although this can be less effective against Supers). His power can transmit through devices varying from megaphones to PA systems.


    Group: Daisy Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Boss can control you by speaking. He uses a megaphone to make sure everyone can hear his voice. Before joining the Daisy Sub Enforcers, Boss worked as an announcer at Daisy Central Train Station.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.Age: Sixteen


    Favorite Hero: Vampirica


    Boy Genius/???


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirty-Six


    Powers: Super (Mental Prowess) - The most known Mental based Super, Boy Genius has immense understanding of mechanics, science, quantum technology, and robotics. He has a vast array of different mech suits, some just simple suits for indoors, some as large as skyscrapers, often fueled by mobile nuclear fission reactors.


    Group: The Enforcers/T-Fin


    Bio: Boy Genius is the youngest member of the Enforcers and is the second strongest member, right behind the Victorian. With his tech and robotics expertise, he is the warden of Night Shade prison, often sending out remote-controlled mechs and droids while staying safe in his office. One of his many creations was Beta. So far, Boy Genius has set 344 world records on video games.


    Age: ???


    Favorite Hero: Beta


    Brobot


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Machine - Brobot, as a robotic lifeform, has the ability to be upgraded with any tech that can integrate with his systems.


    Group: T-Fin


    Bio: Brobot is a robot built by Beta. Beta wanted to see if he could create new life, and so he did. He viewed Brobot as a failure and decides to get rid of him.


    Age: One


    Favorite Hero: Beta


    Casey Andrews


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Five


    Powers: Monster (Blood Control/Awakened Demonica) - Casey has complete control over his blood, able to fire it out in pressurized beams. With his Wish-tweaked body, he can regenerate all of his blood in a matter of milliseconds.


    Group: The Wandering Coin


    Bio: Casey was a young boy who got sick. Despite being in a world of godlike beings, no one came to his aid to heal him. At least no heroes. On his deathbed, Wish appeared and offered him a second chance. He only wanted to live. He was granted control over his blood and turned into a bullet that would kill whatever Wish pointed him at. The first thing he did after gaining his powers was go to a carnival.


    Age: Nineteen


    Favorite Hero: Paragon


    Chainsaw Hand/Ash Denki


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Chainsaw Hand) - Chainsaw Hand''s ability is the chainsaw in place of his hand. The blades of this chainsaw steadily repair themselves.


    Group: The Skull Boys


    Bio: His hand was a chainsaw. What more needs to be said?


    Age: Thirty


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Cinder/Hope Lauren


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One


    Powers: Lord of the Sun And... - As a Lord, Cinder has almost total control over fire, able to fire out beams and blasts, creating possibly sentient fire constructs and form fire that can even burn souls. She can produce fire as hot as the sun, scream loud enough to shatter mountains, bend space with her punches, and take any attack the universe can dish out with her shield. At a pinch, she can also absorb entire stars. She also has enhanced senses, including hearing capable of hearing heartbeats, sense of smell of a bloodhound, and eyesight capable of letting her see cracks on the moon. She can also unleash a Battle Mode, where her hair turns bright gold and her eyes turn bright red. In this mode, her powers and strength greatly increase tenfold.


    Group: Pantheon


    Bio: Hope Lauren takes up the name Cinder due to her hot personality. She has a knack for getting in trouble and blaming it on her bad luck. She likes collecting action figures of superheroes, having an action figure of nearly every hero, and she likes backpacks a lot.


    Age: Fifteen (At the Start) Sixteen (Shortly before the Beast)


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Cybercroc/CC


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventy-One


    Powers: Monster/Cyborg (Croc form) - Cybercroc has the ability to reconfigure other Supers'' tech, stealing it for himself.


    Group: Wet Bandits (Formerly the Organization)


    Bio: CC was a random crocodile who lived out his days in the sewer. During a harsh winter, he accidentally stumbled into the Emperor¡¯s mutation field and had his DNA altered, turning him into a monster. Half his body was blown off when he tried to attack The Victorian, and he only survived thanks to his new powers that allowed him to steal some of Sini¡¯s tech and rebuild his body, giving him a horrible accent. Most of what he used to build himself used to belong to a dead hero known as Omega.


    Age: Twenty


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Daemon/DD


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ninety-Two


    Powers: Monster (Hatred That Devours All) - Daemon has the ability to turn his hatred and rage into literal flames. These flames, if not extinguished, could theoretically burn forever.


    Group: The Organization


    Bio: Daemon is the father of Demonica and is said to be over a hundred times stronger than her. His fire burns hotter than the core of the planet, and he is strong enough to be considered one of the Emperor¡¯s four Generals should one of the actual Generals fall. Daemon had a close friendship with Bad Wolf when she was part of the Emperor''s army.


    Age: Forty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Tamer


    Dean Ward


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Three


    Powers: None


    Group: Hero Branch Director


    Bio: Dean Ward was born into the Ward family with a silver spoon in his mouth. Since the start, he was meant for great things. He grew to hate Supers due to something that happened to him when he was a kid, and he wishes to bring an end to the era of heroes and villains. He is very powerful and rich and runs the Hero Branch in Lillian. He''s not sure why, but most of his employees dislike him.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: None


    Demonica/D


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Monster (Hatred That Fuels Fire) - Demonica has the ability to turn her rage into purple flames, which she often uses alongside her abilities as a Speedster to reach blinding speeds.


    Group: The Bad Timers (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Like all Monster children, D was given no choice when she was created. She was made to be a perfect weapon, being granted a hyper-speed body fueled by rage. She truly loved P and would do anything for him. She can run almost as fast at light at her top speed and boil the ocean with her heat. She always used her powers to win footraces back when she was a kid.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Destiny


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventeen


    Powers: Super (Creation of All Things (Through a connection with Sky)) - Destiny can channel Sky''s powers through his body, linked to her from an early age, though they are slightly less potent than when Sky uses them. Destiny can also be transformed in his Phoenix Mode, where he grows to a massive size and can rain down healing feathers.


    Group: Whatever group Sky is in.


    Bio: Destiny is the last of his kind and was given to Sky through Nier¡¯s power. It is unknown how Nier came across the bird, but it had been a loyal companion to the girl. Destiny loves Sky and will do anything for her, even if it means he must die. He can channel her powers through himself and has been honed for combat from watching Poseidon fight. He also ships Cinder X Paragon.


    Age: Three


    Favorite Hero: Paragon


    Doctor Kraken/DK


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ninety-Nine


    Powers: Monster (Kraken Head) - With a squid for a head, Doctor Kraken can utilize the creature''s tentacles, stretching out to wrap around objects and people. It also lets him breathe underwater.


    Group: Team Reservoir (formerly the Organization)


    Bio: Doctor Kraken used to be a man. During the war with the Emperor, his head was blown off, and the Emperor decided to replace it with a random squid he found in a nearby ocean. The hero hates his new form and wants his head back.


    Age: Forty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Draco/DWD


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Monster (Dragon Body) - Draco has the ability to create miniature dragons that form from his scales. If allowed to fully mature, these mini dragons can grow to full-sized dragons.


    Group: Sun Eaters (formerly the Organization)


    Bio: Draco used to be in the Organization but was turned to the side of good by his sister Wyvern. He can turn into a powerful elemental dragon, something all his siblings can do. Despite receiving dozens of offers, he always refused to sell any of his miniature dragons.


    Age: Thirty


    Favorite Hero: Wyvern


    Drake/WD


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Monster (Dragon Body) - Drake has the ability to manipulate fire and can use a strengthened tail to batter enemies. His wings allow him to fly at supersonic speeds.


    Group: Team Sun Eater (formerly the Organization)


    Bio: Drake is the younger sibling of Wyvern. He was too young to remember the days of the Emperor and was raised by Ocean Empress and his sister. He is very powerful and could even one day surpass his sister if given enough time. He likes to fight and will disobey orders, fighting even Calamities if he has to. He has a good heart and a strong sense of justice. He dislikes spicy food, claiming it gives him heartburn.


    Age: Sixteen


    Favorite Hero: Wyvern


    Drill Man/Teddy Heartson


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Drill Body) - Drill Man has several drills that emerge from his hands, feet, and head. The more time he spends drilling an object, the more his drills steadily grow in piercing power.


    Group: The Skull Boys


    Bio: Drill Man was a villain that could have one day become something great if he was given time to grow.


    Age: Twenty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Duplicity/Cate Dupan


    First Chapter Appearance: Fifty-Three


    Powers: Super (Clone Creation/Magnetic Energy Form) - Duplicity can split herself into several clones and create more, which can heal others. If she gathers all her clones, Duplicity can turn into her Magnetic Energy Form, controlling magnetic fields around her.


    Group: The Watch Dogs


    Bio: Despite looking young, Cate is quite old. In fact, one of the oldest members on the team. She is very powerful, able to make a near limitless amount of clones, and she can manipulate energy. She was tasked with running Watch Dogs if anything ever happened to Old Dog or Bad Wolf, though she is a little too childish.


    Age: Ninety-Three


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Dust Cloud/Dillion Knight


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Dust Body) - Dust Cloud''s ability lets him split into individual dust particles and can even regenerate any pieces of himself that are destroyed.


    Group: Daisy Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Dust Cloud is very much a ripoff of Wasp Nest. He can turn himself into a cloud of dust and fly. He is banned from entering restaurants and diners while transformed, considered to be a contamination risk.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: Wasp Nest


    Ears/E


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Monster (Teleportation Through Hearing/Acid Ear Wax) - Ears has a highly enhanced sense of hearing, able to hear across entire cities. He can combine this with his ability to teleport others, though he has to use specific phrases spoken by people waiting for him to pinpoint locations. He can also fire out highly acidic wax from his many ears.


    Group: Wet Bandits (Formerly The Bad Timers, Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: E was the last monster to be created during the war. He was blessed with insane hearing that often harmed him. He can teleport across long distances based off of sound waves and fire corrosive acid. He wasn¡¯t as loyal as some of the other members and mainly just wanted the easy life. He likes listening to lo-fi music in his free time.


    Age: Twenty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Old Dog


    Earth Worm/Eathan Newgate


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Giant Worm) - Earth Worm could summon powerful earthworms the size of small buildings that could easily tear down buildings.


    Group: Team Sun Eaters


    Bio: Earth Worm was one of the few humans that hung around on Sun Eater¡¯s team. Often liked to take the rest of Team Sun Eaters to watch films at cinemas.


    Age: Thirty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Wyvern


    Edge


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventy-Seven


    Powers: Zombie (Edge Body) - Edge can form and fire out razor-sharp blades and spikes from his metallic body. These blades can cut through entire buildings.


    Group: Monarch Force


    Bio: Edge was a long dead warrior brought back by Lucifer¡¯s Dead Virus and forced to fight in the war fifty years ago. Some records claim that Edge was one of the Supers that died in the fight against the second Calamity, Golark.


    Age: Unknown


    Favorite Hero: None


    Edward Blue/Doctor Blue


    First Chapter Appearance: Fifty-Seven


    Powers: Super (Biological Improvement) - Doctor Blue has the ability to see the biological makeup of anything he touches and can even tweak it in small ways.


    Group: Zoo (Formerly The Wandering Coin, The Hero Branch, and a Solo Villain)


    Bio: Edward Blue was blessed with powers that allowed him to improve on life. It¡¯s a shame he never wanted to do that. At a young age, he accidentally killed his father and was forced to join the Hero Branch because of it. He was mad with power and wanted to perfect what he called perfect cloning and seeked to make the greatest Super. One that could beat even Full Monarch. He thought he might have finally found that in the form of Wish, though he is unsure. Despite being blind, he sees himself as the one that walks the path of greatness.


    Age: Forty-One


    Favorite Hero: Paragon


    Fable/Osvaldo Thaddeus


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifty-One


    Powers: Super (Form of Greek Heroes) - Fable can shapeshift into various heroes from stories and ancient tales from before the Shadow.


    Group: The Enforcers/Fairy Tale


    Bio: Fable is the younger brother of Myth, and he is the son of Legend. He was born with a powerful body being enhanced with forbidden science by his father when he was first born, causing him to grow rapidly. He has the power of heroes coursing through his veins and can tap into an energy known as the Hero Force. This has allowed him to become the third strongest hero and reach the level of even Lords. Rumor has it he even has a power further beyond. He also loves his big brother and will do anything to protect him.


    Age: Nineteen


    Favorite Hero: Myth


    Fairy Queen/Lady Illusion


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Five


    Powers: Monster (Reality Warp) - Fairy Queen can use her ability to place illusions on others, almost perfect in detail and usually impossible to leave. But her preferred use for her powers is through Inversion. While Inverted, her powers twist reality, collapsing pockets of air to blast her enemies, twisted space to crush, and transmuting objects into other materials.


    Group: The Organization


    Bio: Fairy Queen used to be a superhero known as Lady Illusion. She was sent on a secret mission to stop a new up and coming threat known as the Emperor by Ward, the man who ran the Hero Branch at the time. She was captured, however, and had her mind and body altered, transforming her into Fairy Queen. As Fairy Queen, she is very loyal to her new Master and loves to use her power to force men to fall in love with her. She¡¯s had hundreds of different kids, using her ability to give birth at rapid rates.


    Age: Forty-One


    Favorite Hero: Gorgeous


    Feather Freak


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventy-Seven


    Powers: Zombe (Explosive Feathers) - Feather Freak can control the explosive feathers that he grows. These feathers can even be delayed, exploding years after being placed in hidden places.


    Group: Monarch Force


    Bio: Feather Freak was an ancient warrior brought back to life through Lucifer¡¯s Dead Virus who served in the war. The few records that mention him claim that he was a member of the earliest recorded villain groups, though this group''s name has been lost to time.


    Age: Unknown


    Favorite Hero: None


    Fisherman/Grant O¡¯Bryle


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ninety-Nine


    Powers: Super (Shark Summoning) - Aside from having a mild healing factor, Fisherman can summon flying sharks.


    Group: Team Reservoir


    Bio: Fisherman is the second strongest member of his team, even with someone like Poseidon on it. He is very powerful and has a bad reputation due to a bad urge he has. He can¡¯t stop himself from catfishing heroes. To date, he¡¯s cat-fished Ocean Empress, Red Iron, Mister Man, Backup, Bad Wolf, Myth, Red Ape, Green Wolf, and even Lucifer one time.


    Age: Thirty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Pretty Face (The one who gets away¡­)


    Full Monarch/Jackson Laision (Formerly Jackson Nier)


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirty-Five


    Powers: The Lord of the Sun and the Cosmos - In full control of his abilities as a Lord, Full Monarch can control all flames and can fire out flames that will not harm those that he doesn''t want to hurt. Full Monarch can also unleash a Battle Mode, gaining a ten times boost to his strength and power. When completely necessary, he can also combine his strength with that of the Brightest Star''s. In this mode, he gains control over the very atoms of the universe, and his powers and strength grow by a factor of one hundred, putting him above the Beast in terms of strength.


    Group: The Enforcers (formerly The Hero Branch)


    Bio: Full Monarch is considered to be the greatest hero that has ever lived or will live. He can fly faster than light, destroy entire planets, bend the universe to his will, and control fire hotter than anything in the universe, and he¡¯s considered to be the peak of his world. He changed his last name to Laision after he found his daughter Jill and does his best to keep her and the world safe.


    Age: Sixty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: Omega


    Gabriel


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Eleven


    Powers: ???


    Group: The Immortals


    Bio: A member of Lucifer¡¯s Immortals, little is known about Gabriel. One of the few things known about Gabriel is their involvement in the Murder Games, both in creation and participation.


    Age: ???


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Gargoyle


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventy-Seven


    Powers: Zombie (Gargoyle Body) - Gargoyle can use his ability to control the nearby earth, raising massive pillars of stone and sending tidal waves of dirt to flatten entire city blocks.


    Group: Monarch Force


    Bio: Gargoyle is an ancient undead warrior brought back through Lucifer¡¯s Dead Virus and was able to go toe to toe with tanks and jets. While no known records mention Gargoyle, some people theorize that he was the inspiration for several folk tales that were popular in Chrysanthemum City.


    Age: Unknown


    Favorite Hero: None


    Ghost/G


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Monster (Clone Creation) - Ghost can form clones of himself that split out of him through rapid mitosis. These clones are technically sentient but are under complete control of the ''prime'' Ghost.


    Group: The Bad Timers (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Little is known about Ghost. Some theorize that he could have been the strongest member on the team if he kept growing. He can create clones of himself, and maybe more. He likes to stay silent and often sneaks into places he shouldn¡¯t.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Glamour/Ben Dover


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Illusion) - Glamour can place illusions on enemies from a distance, even across a city. These illusions were so close to perfect, most would refuse to believe they weren''t real.


    Group: Time Keepers


    Bio: A powerful illusion-based hero, Glamour was a fan of magic tricks and of Street Magician, who he used to watch on TV when he was a child.


    Age: Twenty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Lady Time


    Golark


    First Chapter Appearance:


    Powers: Calamity (Golem Creation) - The ability to create golems from any available material, even liquids. Some claimed he could even use Supers for his golems... With self-replicating golems, Golark was able to create massive armies in hours, flooding cities with pure numbers. These golems ranged in power from barely superhuman to mountain-sized behemoths with punches that could shift tectonic plates. Golark was also able to body hop between the golems, taking control of whichever one he wished and escaping lethal blows with ease.


    Bio: The second Calamity to appear, Golark was the first great threat to a recovering world. Not much is known about him, simply that he attempted to conquer the world with his ability but was stopped by his defeat at the hands of the first reincarnations of the Four Lords.


    Age: ???


    Favorite Hero: None


    Golden God/Wire


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Three


    Powers: Monster (Transformed Body/Time Manipulation) - With his transformed body, Golden God can teleport, fly, use his multitude of robotic arms, and can even fire out a beam that rapidly ages anything it touches.


    Group: The Organization


    Bio: Golden God used to be a famous astronaut who was tasked with exploring the moon. There he ran into the Emperor and was forcefully turned into a spaceship. He now serves the Emperor and can fly around the cosmos almost as fast as Full Monarch, and even has a warp hyper jump. His arch nemesis is Lady Time, someone he fought fifteen years ago during the war.


    Age: Sixty


    Favorite Hero: Lady Time


    Golden Weaver/Beter Barker


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-Nine


    Powers: Super (Spider Powers) - Golden Weaver can fire out Golden threads, can avoid danger and blows with his Golden Sense, and can stick to walls. He can even create and use onomatopoeia to physically attack.


    Group: Solo Hero (Formerly The Enforcers)


    Bio: Golden Weaver was bitten by two radioactive spiders, giving him twice the strength of two spiders. He joined the old Enforcers group and fought alongside Full Monarch. He can do anything two spiders can do. He now runs a show called The True Believers and tries to myth-bust hero facts and rumors.


    Age: Fifty-Six


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Green Wolf/Christopher Lyn


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twelve


    Powers: Super (Kinetic Manipulation) - Green Wolf uses his Kinetic Manipulation to absorb all the Kinetic energy from attacks, rendering him practically untouchable to most enemies. He can use this gathered Kinetic energy to send out invisible slashes, cutting through most things with ease. Green Wolf can also use his ability to create energy wolves that he can control. He can also absorb a small amount of the energy from the rotation of the planet, which he can use in his ultimate move, an energy cloak that unleashes all of his stored energy, summoning a pack of his energy wolves and unleashing slashes that can stretch for miles. His latest form has given him a power boost, doubling his strength.


    Group: Zoo (formerly Land Eight, A FOF Group)


    Bio: Christopher spent most of his life playing the game FOF (Freedom of Federation). He became one of the best and joined a pro gaming group called Land Eight. He was sadly caught cheating though, and that was the same day his power kicked in, which he used to murder everyone in the room, slicing them apart. He eventually joined Zoo and murdered Green Tiger, taking the group over and turning it into a murderous crime gang. He just likes having fun and sure does love killing. He uses knives because he finds swords kill people too quickly. After the Beast fight, Green Wolf was seen in a different body, identical to Cinder.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: Battery


    Greg Gregerson


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifty-Two


    Powers: None


    Group: The Wandering Coin


    Bio: Greg was a simple soldier, following orders. He just wanted to get paid and didn¡¯t care how many drugs he had to sell or how many people he had to shoot.


    Age: Thirty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: Backup


    Guy With Gun/Chase Quinten


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: None


    Group: No Team


    Bio: Chase was a normal guy with no powers. He just sort of showed up with a gun and tried to fight the Beast.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: Battery


    Halo/Heather Drilling


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Angelic Powers) - Halo can use her abilities to heal allies on the battlefield. Her beams of light can even temporarily blind most enemies.


    Group: Time Keepers


    Bio: Halo is a young woman who was said to have been blessed by an angel. She awakened her powers after the death of Full Monarch and can heal as well as shoot out rays of light. Not much is known about her, but she helps out when she can and does a lot of charity work.


    Age: Thirty


    Favorite Hero: Lady Time


    Hannah Ford


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Nine


    Powers: Monster (Bone Manipulation/Awakened Polaron) - Hannah can use her ability to manipulate her bones, forming them into spikes and projectiles. She can even form entire buildings out of bone.


    Group: The Wandering Coin


    Bio: Hannah loved Ashley a lot and would often follow the girl around. She¡¯d do anything for Ashley and even went into a Bad Timers base as a dare where she was captured. She was saved by Wish, however, and Hannah found herself also falling in love with Wish. She is swayed easily by strong, attractive women.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: Oxide


    Hell Hound/Sky Nier


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Five


    Powers: Monster (Enhanced Body) - Hell Hound has a highly enhanced body with extreme strength and speed. She often uses a mace that can cancel out powers, making her the perfect counter to most enemies.


    Group: The Organization


    Bio: Hell Hound was formerly the Emperor''s daughter. She used to be known as Sky Nier but died in the battle with the Beast. Her father tried to bring her back to life, but the soul that inhabited the body was no longer Sky. She became known as Hell Hound and serves her master Alpha. The two of them planned to run away together and get married. She also likes dog treats¡­


    Age: Twenty-Five (Forty if she survived)


    Favorite Hero: Battery (If she knew)


    Heavy Iron/Coal Berkmeyer


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Heavy Touch) - Heavy Iron can make any object he touches increasingly heavy the longer he holds them, even entire buildings if he needs to. He could delay this effect, throwing pebbles that rapidly increase in density until they weighed as much as a skyscraper.


    Group: Dandelion Sub Enforcers


    Bio: He¡¯s the older brother of Light Iron, the two occasionally team up to perform a combo move. Despite Light Iron''s objections, Heavy Iron always called out the move''s name.


    Age: Thirty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Red Iron


    Hydro Cannon/Summer Ponds


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ninety-Nine


    Powers: Super (Water Tech) - Hydro Cannon has an affinity for water-based tech, able to perfectly build tech that utilizes water, even generators fueled by water.


    Group: Team Reservoir


    Bio: Hydro Cannon used her power to join team Reservoir and fight crime alongside Ocean Empress. She had several contracts with water filtration facilities, providing advice whenever a problem arose.


    Age: Twenty-One


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Intake/I


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seven


    Powers: Monster (Absorption of Non-Living Matter) - Intake can absorb materials, converting his body. If given enough time, he could absorb an entire building.


    Group: The Bad Timers (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Intake used to serve in the Emperor¡¯s army when he was a young boy. He loved killing and mastered combat. He went all around the world, going from city to city, until he was eventually forced to join the Bad Timers by Polaron. He hated it. He¡¯s considered the second strongest on the team and boasts the highest Super body count of any Oleander villain. His favorite thing to absorb is plastic, which he uses to make himself slightly taller, or bigger in places.


    Age: Thirty-Two


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Jane Lauren


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One


    Powers: None


    Group: Oleander Hospitals


    Bio: Jane Lauren is a very protective mother and quite the looker. She¡¯ll fight tooth and nail to keep her daughter safe, and rumor has it she can swing her frying pan hard enough to shatter Super skulls, and she¡¯s even been able to ground the legendary hero known as Cinder.


    Age: Forty-One


    Favorite Hero: Lady Time


    Justin Time


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twenty-Three


    Powers: None


    Group: Ferros-4-U toy company


    Bio: Justin Time is the lead developer of dozens of toys in the company Ferros-4-U. He is the one that decides the next action figures that will and will not be made. Recently he hit a bit of a depression phase and was unable to come up with anything new after his last invention: The Golden Weaver web swinger for ages ten and up.


    Age: Twenty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: Cinder


    Kevin Buckle


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Monster (Flesh Manipulation/Awakened Mars King) - With his ability and Wish-tweaked body, Kevin has perfect control over his flesh, able to form it into clones of himself, change his form, and create weaponry. He can even imitate other physical Supers, such as Mars King, using his powers to mimic theirs.


    Group: The Wandering Coin


    Bio: Kevin used to be a simple kid who had his whole life ahead of him. He loved baseball and, in another reality, would have gone on to become one of the best players. In our world, though, he became a twisted monster, becoming the second coming of Mars King. He hates Supers and just wants to be strong. He can control his body to such an extent he can shatter even streets with a flick of his hand. He once got congratulated by the principal for punching a student from Widow Academy.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: Old Dog


    Kinetic Wolf


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-Six


    Powers: (Energy Construct) - These energy wolves created by Green Wolf are a formation of his kinetic energy, gaining a small amount of sentience. These wolves are also formed when Green Wolf unleashes his power fully. Normally, they can punch through the reinforced core cells of Nightshade Prison, can ignore gravity, and are immune to extreme temperatures. While Green Wolf''s power is unleashed, they gain tremendous power, able to reform into energy barriers and the potential to detonate in explosions large enough to flatten any of the Old World''s cities.


    Group: Bad Timers


    Bio: While Green Wolf and Cinder have both shown the ability to summon sentient energy constructs, the biggest difference between the two is how Green Wolf treats his wolves, perfectly happy to kick them in front of himself to act as a shield. These wolves were actually based off a Bad Wolf skin for Green Wolf''s favorite character in F.O.F.


    Age: N/A


    Favorite Hero: Bad Wolf


    Kyle Brenner


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Three


    Powers: None


    Group: The Cinder Fan Club


    Bio: Kyle has had a tragic life with a lot of ups and downs. Mainly downs. He isn¡¯t as smart as he¡¯d like to be nor as strong, yet he has somehow found himself surrounded by heroes from all sides. He wants to do better and make a difference and knows that one day Lucifer will come for him. He claims he can drink an entire can of soda without belching.


    Age: Sixteen


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Lady Time/Casandra Horrus


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifty-One


    Powers: Super (Time Manipulation) - Lady Time utilizes her powers to speed up or slow down time to buff and debuff on the battlefield. She can even slow down injuries, raising survival chances for the injured.


    Group: The Enforcers/Time Keepers


    Bio: Cassandra grew up in a small little forest village alongside Max Lightning, where she honed her powers. She was kicked out for being a Super that couldn¡¯t be controlled and soon moved to the ten great cities, where she did her best to grow stronger. She eventually became an Enforcer and works as a famous model and hero, and is considered to be a bisexual icon in her world.


    Age: Thirty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Lancelot/Lucas Dulac


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Magic Sword) - Lancelot can create a magical blade with no known limit to its cutting capabilities, able to cut even the fabric of space itself. His armor generates an aura that intimidates his enemies, causing them to hesitate.


    Group: Team Fairy Tale


    Bio: Lancelot is a member of Team Fairy Tale and fights alongside Fable constantly. He is very powerful and the second best swordsman in the world, with several swordsmanship trophies from various tournaments.


    Age: Forty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Fable


    Legend/Osmon Thaddeus


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventy-Five


    Powers: Ruler of Ash and Ruin - Legend is able to shapshift, taking the form of ancient gods from ancient tales passed down from before the Shadow. As a Ruler, he can also revive from the dead, although this has consequences that are quite dire...


    Group: (Formerly The Enforcers/Fairy Tale)


    Bio: Legend was a powerful hero who seemed to always be one step behind Full Monarch. Even after Full Monarch died, Legend found his spot taken when the Victorian appeared. He turned to his kids and abused them, performing dark experiments on them to try and force them to grow. One of his sons passed the test and has the essence of greatness in them. The issue is, Legend isn¡¯t sure which one holds it.


    Age: Fifty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Legend


    Light Iron/Danny Berkymer


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Light Body) - Light Iron can lighten the weight of anything he touches. The longer he touches something, the longer it remains lightened.


    Group: Dandelion Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Light Iron was able to make anything he touched as light as a feather. He would wear massive bulky armor yet still sprint at full speed.


    Age: Twenty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Red Iron


    Lucifer


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Five


    Powers: Ruler of Death and Rebirth - Lucifer often uses the Dead Virus to kill his foes, absorbing them into his tome, which he can use to summon the fallen enemy as a zombie thrall, almost immortal and regenerating from any wound. As a Ruler, he can also revive from the dead, even from total cellular destruction, although such damage requires help to recover from.


    Group: The Immortals (formerly The Monarch Force)


    Bio: Lucifer lived a life that¡­ He¡­ His power allows him to kill and bring back those he infected with his power, which he calls the Dead Virus. He once ruled part of the world, leading the Monarch Force, and he worships the Shadow after¡­ In the present day, he leads the Immortals and runs something called the murder game. His plan is to¡­


    Age: Unknown


    Favorite Hero: Fable


    Lucky


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Seven


    Powers: Monster (Wooden Dragon) - Lucky is a giant wooden dragon with extreme strength, flight, and a durable body.


    Group: None


    Bio: Nier¡¯s faithful dragon. It was said it used to be a young soldier that would follow him around the battlefield who tragically lost their life. At their death, Nier planted a tree over their corpse that sprouted into a powerful dragon.


    Age: Eighty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: None


    Luna Laps


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirty-Six


    Powers: None


    Group: The Hero Branch


    Bio: Ms. Laps controls the Hero Branch for Oleander and is considered to be the strongest woman in the city. With a snap of her finger, she can have any hero labeled as a villain and have the Victorian chuck them into space. She¡¯s also gone on three different dinners with the hero Fisherman after he catfished her.


    Age: Forty-Two


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Mabel Mars


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirteen


    Powers: None


    Group: Oleander Bay Teaching Community


    Bio: Mrs. Mars is the science teacher at Oleander Bay. She has a hard time wrapping her head around how powers work and often freaks out.


    Age: Sixty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Old Dog


    Marcus Flint


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One


    Powers: None


    Group: Wright Fishing Company


    Bio: Marcus Flint goes way back with Alexander Lauren. The two of them served in the military together and were brothers in arms during a small-scale war fought between people. It had been his idea to move to Oleander City, and he dragged Alexander along with him, joining Wright Fishing Company, where the two of them worked together, bringing in the sea''s bounty. Since the company has shut down, he now works out in the wasteland, still exploring the great sea.


    Age: Forty-Six


    Favorite Hero: Ferros


    Marisa Toni


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twelve


    Powers: None


    Group: Oleander Police Force


    Bio: Officer Toni was a cop who never took bribes and tried to do her best. Despite that, she was just a normal human living in a world filled with godlike beings. She did well up till the end.


    Age: Twenty-Six


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Mars King/K


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Monster (Body Control) - Mars King can alter and change his body, forming spikes, weapons, wings, or anything he wants to create. He can easily tear through skyscrapers with his bare hands and distort and twist his body in nearly any way he wants.


    Group: The Bad Timers (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: K was a massive powerhouse who has long since lost his mind. He¡¯s extremely cruel and loves chaos. His favorite meal is fried human.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Matthew Ward


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Six


    Powers: None


    Group: The Ward Family (Lesser Branch)


    Bio: Matthew is in charge of Ward Tower, a famous hotel that exists in the rich part of town. Despite being part of the Ward family, he doesn¡¯t hold a lot of power or sway, and most of the choices are done through his wife instead of him. He wants power and would do anything for it.


    Age: Seventy


    Favorite Hero: None (He hates them all)


    Max Lightning/Max Wano


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Lord of the Sky and Weather - Max Lightning uses his powers as a Lord to see the Paths, has utter control over lightning, and can even create his own realms. He can enter a Battle Mode, channeling the Lord of the Sky and Weather to boost his powers and strength by a factor of ten.


    Group: The Enforcers/Team Cloud


    Bio: Max Wano is a man who tried his best but failed, losing all hope and ambition. He loves pretending to be homeless, viewing that as true freedom. Despite that, he is very powerful, able to control time and space with his lightning, and form entire mini-universes at a whim. He used to like thriller movies before he became a Lord, now he just likes sleeping near a cozy burn bin.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Metal Ronin/Rowan Mikoshi


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Three


    Powers: Super (Trash Tech Creator) - Metal Ronin''s ability allows him to turn any junk tech he finds into functional devices, often using them to improve his gear.


    Group: The Oleander Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Rowan always wanted to be a superhero and had a strange power that allowed him to turn junk into powerful combat suits. He styled them after Boy Genius¡¯s giant robots and trained hard every day, wanting to improve. He likes Kung-Fu.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: Boy Genius


    Money Tree/Augustus Pennyworth


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixteen


    Powers: Super (Currency Control) - Money Tree uses his ability to control and manipulate anything that can be classified as ''currency'' or tradeable. Even without cash, he can utilize diamond dust, precious stones, and even (theoretically) buildings.


    Group: Oleander Sub Enforcer


    Bio: Money Tree served under Red Iron before the fourth Beast attack, where he became skilled with the way of the blade. He is very powerful and has only grown stronger since losing his hand. He might have even surpassed Myth and Red Iron. He collects Katanas.


    Age: Twenty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Red Iron


    Mister Man/Casey Rain


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifty-One


    Powers: Super (Phasing) - Mister Man''s ability lets the Super phase through matter and enemy attacks. His specialized gun and bullets carry this phasing ability, able to phase into enemies, bypassing defenses.


    Group: The Enforcers/Team Mercy


    Bio: Casey used to be an orphan who grew up on the streets all alone. He was one day saved by a lady known as Ruby Admiral and decided he wanted to become a superhero. He joined the Enforcers after that and trained himself in the art of gunfu.


    Age: Thirty-Five


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Myth/Octavius Thaddeus


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirteen


    Powers: Super (Greek Monster Shape Shifting) - Myth uses his ability to shapeshift, taking on the forms of monsters from ancient tales passed down from an age before the Shadow. His forms vary, from a bull-person to a winged lion and even to larger monsters like a giant dragon tree and a giant with a hundred hands. Myth is also one of the rare few people that have been able to ''break their fate'', avoiding what should have been a destiny that was set in stone.


    Group: Pantheon (Formerly Oleander Sub Enforcers)


    Bio: The oldest child of the hero, Legend, Octavius was trained from an early age and often forced to spar with his younger brother, Osvaldo. He left the Sub Enforcers after being passed over for the position of leader. He can change into many different monsters, all able to easily threaten the balance of an entire city. One of his favorite memories is his mother singing.


    Age: Twenty-One


    Favorite Hero: Red Iron


    Nicholas Alma/Nick Ale


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Eight


    Powers: None


    Group: Alma Foundation


    Bio: Nick used to be a big-shot scientist who worked for the Hero Branch. He¡¯s since run off from that job and now mainly gambles his life away, betting everything he has. Despite that, he is very clever and smart and has recently gained Avalon Industry. He might bet it away though...


    Age: Thirty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: Battery


    Ocean Empress/River Sini


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Eleven


    Powers: Super (Hydrokinesis) - Ocean Empress can use her powers to control nearby water, forming it into whips and barriers, and can freely boil or freeze the liquid.


    Group: The Enforcers/Team Reservoir


    Bio: River Sini is the daughter of Adam Sini and spent most of her life being a mother. She went out of her way to protect kids and keep them safe. She can control and create water freely and freeze or boil it however she wants. Some think she could have surpassed even the Victorian if she had been given the title of Lord of the Sea. Her favorite pastime is cooking and thinking of Jack Larison.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: Battery


    Old Dog/Young Dog/Adam Sini


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventeen


    Powers: Super (Power Negation) - Old Dog''s abilities used to be a low-level power negation field, able to disrupt weak powers that got too close. After this ability faded, he was still left with a peak-human body and decades of training.


    Group: The Enforcer/The Watch Dogs (Formerly The Full Force)


    Bio: Adam Sini is the son of a Lord of the Sea, yet he inherited no powers from his father. Instead, he was blessed with a body barely above human level and a low-level power negation field that stopped working when he reached his older years. Despite being extremely old, he remained youthful thanks to modern science and training, though he couldn¡¯t outrun death. His favorite snack was also dog biscuits.


    Age: Ninety-Six


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Oppenheimer Mikoshi


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Three


    Powers: None


    Group: Oleander Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Oppenheimer is a very good dog who gets lots of belly rubs and is being taken care of by the hero Metal Ronin. He¡¯s very young and ready for action. He also poops in Wasp Nest¡¯s shoes.


    Age: Two


    Favorite Hero: Bad Wolf


    Oxide/Ashley Numen


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Super (Liquid Metal Manipulation) - Oxide can control and manipulate metal, though she prefers to use liquid metals.


    Group: Oleander Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Ashley Numen got her powers from her mother, the hero Ferros. Her mother died during the war, however, and so she was sent off to live in an orphanage somewhere in Oleander. Growing up, she was taught to be prim and proper. She can control metal almost as well as Polaron. She has a VIP pass to Oleander¡¯s museum of heroes, as she¡¯s a secret fan.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Paige Pluto


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Nine


    Powers: None


    Group: Oxide Fan Club


    Bio: Paige is the daughter of Peter Pluto, though she doesn¡¯t really like her dad. She likes being a typical mean girl and loves to bully Hope Lauren. She might even have a crush on Hope.


    Age: Sixteen


    Favorite Hero: Oxide


    Pallet Boy Blue/Mikey Rider


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seven


    Powers: Super (Sci-Fi Knight Tech Model Blue) - The Pallet Boys both have the ability to mentally simulate the entire schematic of their trademark tech suits and gadgets.


    Group: Pallet Boys (Formerly The Oleander Sub Enforcers)


    Bio: The Pallet Boys used to be part of the Sub Enforcers for Oleander but were kicked out by Red Iron. They had bad luck and barely got any wins, but people seemed to like them.


    Age: Twenty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Pallet Boy Red


    Pallet Boy Red/Leo Rider


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seven


    Powers: Super (Sci-Fi Knight Tech Model Red) - The Pallet Boys both have the ability to mentally simulate the entire schematic of their trademark tech suits and gadgets.


    Group: Pallet Boys (Formerly The Oleander Sub Enforcers)


    Bio: The Pallet Boys used to be part of the Sub Enforcers for Oleander but were kicked out by Red Iron. They had bad luck and barely got any wins, but people seemed to like them. Pallet Boy Red is the one people tend to like more.


    Age: Twenty-Six


    Favorite Hero: Pallet Boy Blue


    Paragon/Sky Sini


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirteen


    Powers: Lord of the Land and Life/Creation of All Things - Paragon has the ability to examine and tweak the DNA of beings. She can also create her own realm, a planet that she can control to create small constructs, and she can even use the planet itself as a colossal version of herself. As a Lord of the Land and Life, she can enter a Battle Mode, where her hair turns bright white and her eyes turn fiery red. In this mode, her power and strength are multiplied by ten. With both her realm summoned and her Battle Mode, her power is boosted by a factor of 20.


    Group: Currently A Solo Hero (Formerly Team Reservoir/Honorary member of Team Pantheon)


    Bio: Paragon is the daughter of Nier. She was born through a series of experiments when her father tried to create a human soul. Sky was his only success, and she was blessed with not only his healing but some of Battery¡¯s Creation of All Things, which she uses to create her realm. She¡¯s also now the current Lord of the Land and Life, making her one of the strongest heroes of the modern era. Her greatest collections are various seashells her sister gave her, as well as a Cinder action figure.


    Age: Sixteen


    Favorite Hero: Cinder


    Peter Pluto


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Three


    Powers: None


    Group: Oleander Bay Teaching Community


    Bio: Mr. Pluto is a strict but kind man. He is smart and loves talking about history, such as the lost city of New York, which he assumes to be a magical place. He hates coffee but still drinks it every day to punish himself.


    Age: Forty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: Roulette


    Polaron/P


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Monster (Magnetism) - Polaron''s ability lets him control magnetic fields, manipulating metals around him, and can even be used to create a makeshift railgun. His control of magnetism is so great, he can forcefully rip his enemies apart with the iron in their blood.


    Group: The Bad Timers (formerly The Organization)


    Bio: P formed the Bad Timers after the death of the Emperor. He gathered all of his friends who had long gone insane due to the corrupted egos within them, and he trained until he was the strongest. He wished to be the king and create a world for monsters. He was strong enough to make a giant out of metal, and he could fire a railgun blast able to level cities. His strongest attack allowed him to tear people apart from the inside. He liked to count stars back when he lived in the Emperor¡¯s castle.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Poseidon/Lily Sini


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirteen


    Powers: Lord of the Sea and Depths


    Group: Team Reservoir (Sometimes Team Oleander Sub Enforcers) - As a Lord, Poseidon has control over water and gravity, is able to turn liquid into ice or gas at will, and can use gravity to crush enemies or fly by lightening her own gravity. With her gravity, she can even create miniature black holes. She can even enter a Battle Mode, channeling the Lord of the Sea and Depths. In this mode, her hair turns blue and her eyes turn red. While in Battle Mode, her power and strength are multiplied by a factor of ten. In the most dire situation, she can also transform into the Tallest Wave, a monstrous aquatic form that boosts her capabilities, skyrocketing them above the Beast''s.


    Bio: Poseidon is the current Lord of the Sea and a total powerhouse. She¡¯s not only smart but also strong and able to control water and gravity freely. She can shake entire cities and drown dozens of blocks easily. She can even turn it up a notch by transforming into her Lord form and has a form beyond even that, though she can¡¯t control it. She took down a low-level villain even without powers, showing bravery. She¡¯s dating Wasp Nest and might be a sistercon.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: Paragon


    Pretty Face/Aventurine Topaz


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventy-Two


    Powers: Super (Clone Creation/Super Good Looking) - Pretty Face can create spectral clones of himself, often using them as platforms or ladders. They can usually be seen at his concerts, acting as dancers, background singers, and on the instruments.


    Group: Daisy Sub Enforcers (formerly on team T-Fin)


    Bio: Pretty Face was the son of a previous Enforcer member and seemed to be destined for great things. He is very handsome and pretty and has a lovely voice. He let fame get to his head and is chasing after the high. He barely fights and often wants to sing and party all day. He is also arrogant, rude, and selfish. At least he¡¯s hot, though.


    Age: Twenty


    Favorite Hero: Pretty Face


    Princess of Life/Mana Nier


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Five


    Powers: Monster (Enhanced Body) - Princess of Life has an enhanced body, able to take any blow.


    Group: The Organization


    Bio: Mana was the sister of¡­ She raised¡­ Alongside her brother¡­ Together she¡­ Eventually she married Nier and had a daughter named Sky; however, due to the death of¡­ She no longer had her¡­ and she also died. Nier tried to bring her body back to life, but the soul that now inhabits the body isn¡¯t her.


    Age: ???


    Favorite Hero: Paragon


    Purrfect/Paimon Jones


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Cat Powers/Nine Lives) - Purrfect has, aside from razor-sharp claws, nine lives. Even if she is smashed to pieces, she will revive instantly nearby, using up one of her nine lives, which are restored one per day. This ability lets her survive any single attack that would kill any other Super, even Full Monarch.


    Group: Daisy Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Purrfect is a young normal girl with nothing special at all about her, so don¡¯t look too closely.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: Battery


    Red Ape/Christopher Greer


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fourteen


    Powers: Super (Animal Soul Improvement) - Red Ape uses his ability to forcefully enhance animals, twisting them into monstrous forms. Some of his creations include Toni the Kangaroo and the many giant dogs in the care of the Watch Dogs.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: Red Ape legally changed his first name to Christopher to try and impress Green Wolf. He accidentally got married to a guy in the Greer family, also changing his last name. He¡¯s been hit on the head so many times he doesn¡¯t remember his real name. He gets scammed every day and is constantly getting into dating scandals when he is cat-fished by the hero Fisherman. He¡¯s also the rival of Cinder. (Self proclaimed)


    Age: Twenty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: Cinder


    Red Iron/Ron Steele


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Four


    Powers: Super (Red Iron) - Red Iron''s ability turns his skin into a bright red metal, giving him mighty punches that could topple buildings and a durable body that could take nearly any blow. Nearly.


    Group: The Oleander Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Red Iron was the previous leader of the Oleander Sub Enforcers. He trained both Myth and Money Tree and was like the father they never had. He was extremely strong, even stronger than both Myth and Money Tree combined, and could have even been a member of the Enforcers. He never once won a match of bowling against Myth.


    Age: Forty-Four


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Red Monkey/Ted Greer


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-One


    Powers: Super (Time Jump) - Red Monkey''s ability to send his memories a second into the past allows him to avoid sneak attacks and redo missed attacks.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: Brother-in-law of Red Ape, Red Monkey is the strong silent type. Actually, he can¡¯t speak as Green Wolf sliced his tongue out. He has a very powerful ability, allowing him to send his memories one second back in time to his past self. He hates his brother-in-law, Red Ape, and actively tries to get the man killed.


    Age: Twenty-Eight


    Favorite Hero: Whisper


    Red Panda/Danny Ryoko


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirty-Eight


    Powers: Super (Blood Control) - Blood Control allows Red Panda to use blood to enhance his attacks, often forming blood knuckledusters.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: Red Panda was a quiet man who just wanted to kill some kids. He loved drinking the blood of orphans and ripping children to bits. Child murder was the best to him.


    Age: Thirty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Boy Genius


    Red Raptor/Ryan Remalds


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twenty-Five


    Powers: Super (Raptor Form/Acid Spit) - His raptor form gives Red Raptor an enhanced body and strength, as well as acidic spit that can melt through solid gold.


    Group: Wet Bandits (Formerly Zoo)


    Bio: Red Raptor was considered the second-best member of Zoo. He has a monstrous form that makes him more psychotic than he already was. He lives only to cause pain to others, and for that was considered the best weapon Green Wolf had. Before becoming a member of Zoo, he worked for a Feast Shack where he would poison the food. Since then he has opened a series of nightclubs and is very well off.


    Age: Twenty-Seven


    Favorite Hero: Feast


    Red Robo


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Machine - Red Robo has enough memory space to contain 3D scans of every person in the world.


    Group: T-Fin


    Bio: Beta tried creating a second robot. Like Brobot, he viewed Red Robo as a failure.


    Age: One Month Old


    Favorite Hero: Beta


    Red Scorpion/Ava Belick


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twenty-Five


    Powers: Super (Scorpion tail) - Red Scorpion has a tail that contains a powerful venom and has enough grip strength to crush lead pipes.


    Group: Wet Bandits (Formerly Zoo)


    Bio: Red Scorpion joined Zoo with her two friends, Black Skunk and White Hummingbird, choosing to stick close to them, even on missions. She also has a crush on Wasp Nest.


    Age: Twenty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Wasp Nest


    Reggie Wano


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Seven


    Powers: The Lord of the Sky and Weather - As a Lord, Reggie had complete control over lightning, weather and could see the Paths. Reggie could also enter a Battle Mode, channeling the full power of the Lord of the Sky and Weather. In this mode, his hair and eyes change, and his capabilities jump by a factor of ten.


    Group: The Hero Branch (formerly The Hero Branch)


    Bio: Reggie Wano served in the Full Force alongside Nier, Jackson, and Sini. He was blessed with great power due to being a Lord and could watch the Paths of time. He fought off Lucifer, and after he was sure the villain would never return, he allowed himself to have a kid, whom he named Max. He wanted to live a quiet life and moved out of the cities and into a simple village, hiding the fact he was a Super. He often liked to cook simple stews and roasts.


    Age: Eighty-Four


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Roulette/Marvin Eden


    First Chapter Appearance: Fifty-Three


    Powers: Super (Bullet Creation): Roulette can create and control bullets, often firing them from his custom pistol. At a pinch, he can condense all of his bullets into a single, super-heavy bullet capable of cracking mountains.


    Group: The Watch Dogs


    Bio: Marvin used to be a member of a very dangerous and elite force that fought in the war with Lucifer. Around that time, he and his brother Michael found themselves exploring an ancient set of ruins where they later separated. Marvin soon found himself joining the Watch Dogs and served as Old Dog¡¯s assassin.


    Age: Eighty


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Saw Head/H


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirty-Three


    Powers: Monster (Blade Body) - Saw Head''s body consists mainly of bladed tentacles that can slash and tear things nearby. He can also turn his fingers into razor-sharp blades.


    Group: The Bad Timers (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: H was a member of the Organization who wasn¡¯t able to speak due to having a saw for a face. That made him sad, so he channeled that rage into violence and killed hundreds of people, obeying Polaron as a weapon.


    Age: Twenty-Four


    Favorite Hero: Roulette


    Sea Monkey/SM


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Monster (Sea Creation) - Sea Monkey uses his ability to summon a beach, forcefully creating it wherever he is. He can use the summoned beach however he wants, such as using the sand as a barrier.


    Group: Team Reservoir (former member of the Organization)


    Bio: Sea Monkey used to be a member of the Organization and had been a normal monkey forced into the shape of a man. His power allowed him to forcefully create a beach anywhere in the world as a realm-like power, and he was used by Hell Hound to make a place for her and Alpha.


    Age: Thirty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Shamrock/Kylie Harris


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Good Luck) - Shamrock''s ability allows her to distort luck for her allies at the expense of her own luck, and vice versa.


    Group: Team Mercy


    Bio: Before joining Team Mercy, Shamrock was a petty thief, using her power to make security guards trip while she randomly guessed security codes in a single try. When Mister Man caught her, she agreed to join Team Mercy, earning a new place on the team as a valued member.


    Age: Twenty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Mister Man


    Silver Dragon


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-Six


    Powers: Monster (Silver Dragon) - Silver Dragon''s ability gives his body the enhanced durability of a dragon''s hide and powerful blows that can break through most armor.


    Group: T-Fin


    Bio: Silver Dragon joined The Future is Now, a group run by Boy Genius. He is the brother of Wyvern and the oldest of the dragon trio siblings, yet he was also the weakest. Unlike his siblings, he doesn¡¯t possess the blessing of Lucky. He liked to check in on his siblings, sending them care packages and regularly calling to talk.


    Age: Twenty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Wyvern


    Slinger/Slade Bilson


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Arrow Teleportation) - With his ability, Slinger can use his ability to distort the fabric of reality, swapping the places of his arrows, which he fires with lightning speed. Usually, he uses this to teleport allies around the battlefield.


    Group: Team Mercy


    Bio: Slinger is a member of Mercy and is a trusted teammate of Mister Man, who discovered the young hero after Slade won several national archery competitions.


    Age: Thirty


    Favorite Hero: Mister Man


    Snowdawn/Armin Moore


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Super (Freeze Manipulation) - Snowdawn''s ability initially appeared to be the power to emanate freezing cold temperatures, cold enough to form snow. Later, it developed to the point where he could create ice into armor and weapons and even freeze time itself. When he does freeze time, he leaves behind a frozen statue of himself, his icy armor being left behind as he moves.


    Group: Pantheon


    Bio: Armin Moore took up the name Snowdawn when he thought of a funny pun. (Snowdawn sounds like Snowed On) He is able to freeze the entire universe so thoroughly that time itself is halted and stops. He can create powerful constructs out of his ice and knows how to box. He loves video games, and his hobby is keeping Hope out of danger.


    Age: Fifteen (At the Start) Sixteen (Shortly before the Beast)


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Spider-Bat/Bat-Spider


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Monster (Spider/Bat Hybrid) - Spider-Bat has an enhanced body, is able to fly, climb walls, and secretes a deadly poison.


    Group: No Team (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Bat-Spider, or Spider-Bat, used to be a bat that merged with a spider after it flew too close to the Emperor. It became a powerful monster that went mad, but the Hero Branch somehow found a way to use him for combat and would send him out to face random threats. The Hero Branch would keep Spider-Bat in an old, abandoned mansion.


    Age: Twenty


    Favorite Hero: Spider-Bat


    Squid M.D/Oddity Overhaul


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ninety-Nine


    Powers: Monster/Cyborg (Squid Monster) - Squid M.D has several metal tentacles that are strong enough to punch through bank vaults in a single strike.


    Group: Terrible Twosome (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Squid M.D, used to work for the Emperor but ditched the group when he saw Full Monarch return to planet Earth. He was the one who rebuilt Cybercroc and Yellow Kobold after they both almost died and, for a time, spent his life working on his tendrils. He hates Golden Weaver due to the hero being well past his prime but still doing hero work.


    Age: Forty-One


    Favorite Hero: Golden Weaver


    Story Maker/Harrison Avalon


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifteen


    Powers: Monster/Super (Sword Form/Teleportation/Tech Creation) - Aside from his almost futuristic tech, Avalon also has the ability to turn into Story Maker, the sword of the Emperor. He can also teleport himself and others to anywhere he has been. This teleportation can even teleport objects ranging from metal Giants to individual cells.


    Group: The Organization (formerly The Hero Branch)


    Bio: Avalon has played all sides and has made it his life''s goal to be a trick bastard to pin down. He¡¯s clever, smart, and while not strong, he doesn¡¯t have to be since he¡¯s the sword that cuts down foes. He has the strongest teleportation power across the universe and can even crack through realms. He¡¯s avoided all of his taxes as well. He doesn¡¯t age in his sword form as well, allowing him to negate old age.


    Age: Eighty-Six


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Sunshine/Landon Grove


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Eighteen


    Powers: None


    Group: The Wandering Coin


    Bio: Mayor Grove runs Oleander City and used this power to take over much of its land for his drug smuggling rings. He is a mere human who managed to climb to the top despite being in a world blessed with powers, and this is thanks to him having the favor of Lady Luck. Something that isn¡¯t actually real but he believes in it. He really considered Myth a friend.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: Myth


    Street Magician/Stephen Bizarre


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Fake Magic) - Street Magician''s ability gave him slightly more dextrous fingers, letting him perform sleights of hand with ease.


    Group: Fairy Tale


    Bio: Street Magician was an older man who could do a few card tricks and perform illusions. Once, he was a famous magician, known for card tricks. He might not have been strong, but he had a lot of heart.


    Age: Forty


    Favorite Hero: Fable


    Sword Swinger/Suzzy Karner


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: None


    Group: No Team


    Bio: Sword Swinger had no power yet she was born with a strong body that was peak human. Her skill with a blade was unmatched by all. Has a friendly rivalry with Lancelot; the two often duel to find out who was better with the blade.


    Age: Twenty


    Favorite Hero: Lady Time


    Techcoat/Tony Baker


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Great Tech Coat) - Techcoat''s ability allows him to constantly update and reconfigure his suit. This suit can reach speeds of up to Mach 3.


    Group: Daisy Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Techcoat was a Mental user who could have rivaled Boy Genius if given enough time. He can make great weapons almost out of nothing, even a box of scraps.


    Age: Sixteen


    Favorite Hero: Boy Genius


    The Beast


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifty


    Powers: Unknown (Universal Mimicry) - During the fight, the Beast showed a mastery of all elements, only surpassed by Lords channeling their full powers. This includes lightning, a magma aura, a rapid-freezing aura, energy beams, and earth and water manipulation. The Beast is also extremely fast and strong, able to move at light speed and walk through solid steel like tissue paper. It constructed an extremely durable exosuit, able to take hits equal to nuclear explosions. It can move even during frozen time and is able to freeze time itself. And if its exosuit is destroyed, its Energy Form is revealed. A completely energy-based lifeform, the Beast''s body contains no vitals, can reconfigure itself to recover from damage, emits dangerous levels of radiation, can create wings to allow flight, and drastically increases both speed and strength while out of the suit. If it is defeated, a small explosive is left behind. This explosive can, when detonated after a short time, destroy entire Super Cities like Oleander. After being defeated, the Beast reappears on Mars and slowly begins to rebuild itself.


    Group: ???


    Bio: The Beast from Space, the fourth Calamity to appear, appears every few years, drifting through space towards Earth. On arrival, it typically lands in a major city, like Oleander, and rampages, primarily targeting humans and any Supers that attempt to attack it. Afterwards, the city is usually inhospitable, incredibly irradiated, and often harbors a future Calamity. It has been seen on Mars, leading to the theory that the red planet is its home, though this theory is unlikely, as a trail of destroyed planets was discovered in nearby star systems, leading to this solar system, meaning that Mars is more likely an outpost. It has also shown its own technology, arriving in a UFO to attack Oleander and using a biomechanical exosuit. During the height of Full Monarch¡¯s reign as number one hero, the Beast was regularly fought by the hero, often defeated and repelled. During the Oleander attack, several people noticed its focus on Cinder, the new Lord of the Sun, the title once held by Full Monarch. Theories rose up that Full Monarch had such an effect on the Beast that it gained a hatred for the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos.


    Age: ???


    Favorite Hero: None


    The Emperor/Richard Nier


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Forty-Seven


    Powers: Ruler Of The Dark And Void (Formerly Lord of the Land and Life) - As a Lord, the Emperor had control of land and life, letting him create and weaponize rapid-growing plants and, when Inverting, giving him nearly unparalleled strength. He can also twist living beings, forcing them to become monsters under his command. Nier could also enter a Battle Mode, channeling the full strength of the Lord of the Land and Life. In this mode, his hair is a bright white and his eyes are a fiery red. While in Battle Mode, his powers and strength are increased by a factor of ten. He can also bring the dead back to life, but not quite the same... As a Ruler, he can self-revive.


    Group: The Organization (Formerly The Full Force)


    Bio: Nier was raised in a church most of his life and trained under a man named Cifer, and was soon brought into the war by Sini. He joined the Full Force, a side made to battle the side of the Monarch force. As a Lord, he can control all forms of life and was blessed with Godlike strength. He eventually snapped after the death of his daughter and adopted a boy he named Alpha. As the Emperor, his power grew even stronger, being matched only by the Beast and Full Monarch. He plans on creating the perfect world for his daughter, whom he views as the perfect life form.


    Age: One Hundred And Two


    Favorite Hero: Paragon


    The One Who Has No Name


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Unknown


    Group: Time Keepers


    Bio: Not much is known about them. Even Lady Time isn''t sure when they joined Team Time Keepers.


    Age: Unknown


    Favorite Hero: Lady Time


    The Shadow


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One


    Powers: ???


    Group: ???


    Bio: Is it real?


    Age: ???


    Favorite Hero: None


    The Victorian/Jill Laision


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Two


    Powers: Lord of the Cosmos - As a Lord, the Victorian has immense strength, speed, and durability, being able to shatter mountains with a single blow and fly at light speed. She also has control over light, with the ability to create colossal greatswords of light that can cleave through entire cities. She can also summon a Galaxy Dress, absorbing damage and unleashing it in destructive punches that can rip apart cities just from the shock waves and recoil alone. With the dress summoned, her power is boosted by a factor of five, and she gains the ability to absorb all forms of energy.


    Group: The Enforcers


    Bio: Jill Laision is the daughter of Full Monarch. She likes staying on the moon watching the planet, as well as ignoring her daughter Lois. Rumor has it she likes spicy food, but no food has a good enough kick on Earth.


    Age: Thirty-Eight


    Favorite Hero: Full Monarch


    Thiefer/TT


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Monster (Pain Absorption) - Pain Absorption allows Thiefer to heal the injury of his allies in exchange for taking that injury on himself. This ability could theoretically heal anything, even total disintegration.


    Group: Dandelion¡¯s Sub Enforcer (Formerly The Organization)


    Bio: Being a monster meant Thiefer''s body could take a lot more damage, but it still had its limits, and if he wasn¡¯t careful, he could push himself too far, but he still chose to heal whenever he could. In one interview, he stated that he had "stolen too much from people who deserved more" and would spend his life giving back.


    Age: Thirty-Five


    Favorite Hero: Vampirica


    Thomas Moore


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ten


    Powers: Super (Freeze Manipulation) - Thomas Moore''s ability allows him to slightly cool his drinks, though he could theoretically be able to freeze an entire can of soda in minutes.


    Group: The Oleander Clean Up Squad


    Bio: Thomas Moore comes from a long line of users blessed with ice-based powers. Unlike his son Armin, Thomas prefers to not engage in combat and hasn¡¯t bothered honing his powers, so he¡¯s very sloppy with them. He runs the Cleanup Squad, is very well off, and has been struggling to take care of his son after the death of his wife.


    Age: Thirty-Nine


    Favorite Hero: Snowdawn


    Thunder Shaker/Barry West


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Thunder Clap) - Thunder Shaker''s ability allows him to send out supersonic shock waves with his claps. The claps can be strong enough to shatter windows across the city.


    Group: Team Cloud


    Bio: Thunder Shaker was a powerful member of Team Cloud. Despite many objections, he could never help but clap whenever a teammate received an award.


    Age: Thirty


    Favorite Hero: Max Lightning


    Toni the Kangaroo


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fourteen


    Powers: Mutation (Enhanced Body) - Toni, aside from having a mutated body, also has enhanced punches able to strike through solid concrete.


    Group: The Animal Crew (Formerly Zoo)


    Bio: Toni was a kangaroo who was mutated and transformed into an enhanced creature by Red Ape. She is very powerful and loves watching boxing movies and practicing martial arts. She has a mean right hook and now has a child who she is training.


    Age: Ten


    Favorite Hero: Bad Wolf


    Uriel


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-Six


    Powers: ???


    Group: The Immortals


    Bio: Not much is known about him. Villains fear him, and he has taken over Nightshade and turned it into paradise.


    Age: ???


    Favorite Hero: The Victorian


    Vampirica/Sally Queen


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Vampire Powers) - She can freeze the area around her, bite through anything, grow claws, suck blood, and know if you¡¯re lying.


    Group: Daisy Sub Enforcer Leader


    Bio: Vampirica is good friends with Theifer. She has various vampire-like powers. She also looks a lot younger than you¡¯d first think.


    Age: Fifty-Three


    Favorite Hero: Thiefer


    War God/Ares Limpiya


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Two


    Powers: Super (Divine Aura) - War God channels the might of ancient gods of war, giving her very powerful, inhuman stats. She has an arsenal of weapons that each carry a different god''s powers, but she prefers her spear and shield. She also has an aura that repels low-level attacks.


    Group: Fairy Tale


    Bio: War God is a powerful warrior who has trained under Fable. After every battle, she would ensure that every member of Fairy Tale spent time in the team''s personal sauna to help their recovery.


    Age: Thirty


    Favorite Hero: Fable


    Wasp Nest/Kenny Levin


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Seventeen


    Powers: Super (Bug Creation) - Wasp Nest can create and turn into a swarm of wasps, which can separate as individuals and return to a single, whole consciousness. He can heal from almost any injury by turning into his wasp swarm to regenerate the missing pieces.


    Group: Oleander Sub Enforcers


    Bio: Kenny took up the mantle Wasp Nest after he gained his powers from a bad wasp sting. Though he isn¡¯t strong, he more than makes up for that with his clever mind and skills. He is currently dating Poseidon. He¡¯s good friends with Metal Ronin and likely going to take the mantle of Sub Enforcers leadership in due time. He¡¯s also personally removed all wasp spray across the city block he lives on.


    Age: Seventeen


    Favorite Hero: Poseidon


    Water-Gal/Sophia Lunares


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter One Hundred And Twelve


    Powers: Super (Water Body) - Water Gal can turn herself into a liquid capable of separating into individual droplets. While in this form, she can slowly absorb and assimilate any liquid she comes into contact with.


    Group: Team Reservoir


    Bio: A powerful member of Team Reservoir, Water-Gal was often watched closely by the Hero Branch, considered to be a potential threat. She had her own personal water system at home, completely disconnected from any public or private water systems.


    Age: Nineteen


    Favorite Hero: Sea Monkey


    Whisper/Lois Laision


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twenty


    Powers: Lord of the Sky and Weather (Formerly A Super) - Whisper''s power allows her to see the Paths, letting her anticipate and avoid events. She can also turn completely invisible.


    Group: Pantheon


    Bio: Lois was born out of wedlock between Max Lightning and the Victorain. Despite who her parents were, she wasn¡¯t blessed with insane strength and, in fact, quickly fell off and became ignored. She can go invisible and likes to use her powers to pull pranks, often trying to get attention from her mom and dad, though she eventually gave up. She is now happy being friends with Myth and picks on him a lot.


    Age: Nineteen


    Favorite Hero: Myth


    White Cow/Whitney Mill


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Sixty-One


    Powers: Super (Milk Control) - White Cow can create and manipulate milk, forming it into weapons, armor, and even wings.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: Whitney doesn¡¯t have a lot to say. She¡¯s mostly in pain due to her being allergic to anything that is the color white, yet Green Wolf still forces her to wear a white suit. She also hates Red Ape.


    Age: Thirty-Two


    Favorite Hero: Mister Man


    White Hummingbird/Lura Song


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twenty-Five


    Powers: Super (Drumming Heartbeat) - White Hummingbird ability uses her own heartbeat, boosting the stats of herself and allies while slowing the heart rate of enemies, causing them to become drowsy.


    Group: Wet Bandits (Formerly Zoo)


    Bio: White Hummingbird was blessed with a powerful ability, one that was perfect for supporting her teammates. She can fly and doesn¡¯t consider herself much of a fighter. Red Scorpion and Black Skunk are her sisters in arms.


    Age: Twenty-One


    Favorite Hero: BB


    White Lamb/Maria Rhodes


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Eighteen


    Powers: Super (Sound Control) - White Lamb can nullify and fire out sound waves strong enough to give even the Victorian tinnitus.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: White Lamb is a young girl who joined a life of crime after she got a rush from killing. She¡¯s been placed in many foster homes but eventually found herself studying under Green Wolf after he saw her blow someone''s head up with her sound wave attacks. She¡¯s also asexual and proud of that fact.


    Age: Fourteen


    Favorite Hero: Oxide


    White Spider/Artemis Cord


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Twenty-Nine


    Powers: Super (Spider Creation/Teleportation) - White Spider can create her own species of spider that is linked to her, and after creating its ''web'', can create a zone that she can freely teleport humans around and can trap Supers inside.


    Group: Zoo


    Bio: Artemis is a batshit crazy woman who wants to watch the world burn. She will do anything to chase after her goals and even left her family. She could have been a great hero being the daughter of Golden Weaver, but she instead joined the side of evil.


    Age: Nineteen


    Favorite Hero: Golden Weaver


    Wish/Mary Roads


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Thirty-Five


    Powers: The Lord Of The Land And Life - Wish, as a Lord, has control over life. With a touch, she can completely rearrange organs, body parts, even cells. She can create new Supers by implanting them with her cells and can even revive using these cells. She can transform into a monstrous dragon, doubling. her strength and power. If that is not enough, she can change into a Demon Form, quintupling her strength. If she had thought to, she could have turned herself into a cancer that could spread across entire cities.


    Group: The Wandering Coin


    Bio: Wish was born through a cursed life. From the very start, she was made to be a weapon and lived only to suffer. She was bounced around the world through foster care and saw the horrors of man firsthand. Slowly though, she began to have fun when her powers awakened. If she ever reached full power, no one¡ªnot even Full Monarch¡ªwould have been able to stop her. She also hates Cinder a lot.


    Age: Fourteen


    Favorite Hero: Cinder


    Wyvern/W


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Fifty-One


    Powers: Monster (Dragon Body) - Wyvern, aside from having a monster body, has control over fire, allowing her to absorb and manipulate flames. She can fly and has a tail with a slap strong enough to cause a shock wave.


    Group: The Enforcers/Team Sun Eater


    Bio: Wyvern is the daughter of Fairy Queen. She is one of many monsters that were created. She was born to a series of siblings all possessing dragon powers after Fairy Queen was stuck in a scaly phase. She has the ability to turn into a powerful dragon that makes her one of the strongest members of the Enforcers and can channel the power of Lucky, the Emperor¡¯s first dragon. She was raised by Ocean Empress, and despite being a monster, she still joined the Enforcers and made it her mission to create a better world for her brother. She likes BBQ.


    Age: Twenty


    Favorite Hero: Ocean Empress


    Yellow Kobold/Orman Nosborn


    First Chapter Appearance: Chapter Ninety-Nine


    Powers: Super (Golden Age Comedy) - Yellow Kobold''s powers gave him peak physical prowess, though after years of bodily injuries, it has effectively been downgraded to that of a normal, slightly below-average human. He also has his iconic Kobold Glider and butternut squash bombs. He can even create and use onomatopoeia to physically attack.


    Group: Terrible Twosome


    Bio: Yellow Kobold is the rival of Golden Weaver. He is an older villain who has been terribly injured after the Emperor broke every bone in his body for fun. He lost his prime and now seeks to recreate the good old days, having goofy fights with his rival.


    Age: Seventy


    Favorite Hero: Golden Weaver


    ***


    Cifer leaned back and gave a sly smirk. ¡°So what did you think?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it could be better?¡± The man frowned and rolled his eyes. ¡°So hard to please you, traveler. Just go to bed already.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, the room''s on the house. I don¡¯t charge at my inn.¡± Cifer gave a sly grin and tapped his finger on the table. ¡°Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll see you again, sometime? After all, there are so many stories left to tell and collect. You only saw a bit of my collection.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Then I look forward to it, traveler. Until then, though, it is getting late. I think it¡¯s about time we call it here, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A good closing statement. Remember. My name is Cifer. I¡¯m nobody important. Goodnight.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirteen: The Day The World Changed

    The Victorian stared down at Battery. The world¡¯s strongest woman was totally silent. His words still echoed through her mind, but she didn¡¯t have time to consider them. She floated off of the ground slowly and instead turned her attention to the city around her.


    The battle with the Beast was still fresh in her mind, having just come to an end, and the city around them had suffered the most. She didn¡¯t know the state Oleander would be left in or if it would even be considered a city after this. Not a single building was left standing. All roads were cracked or burned, and mass flooding filled the streets.


    The number one hero¡¯s enhanced senses caused her to hear everything around her.


    She heard the crumbling of buildings, the screaming of children, and the way the Lauren¡¯s cried and clutched onto Paragon. What she didn¡¯t hear was Cinder''s voice. That young hero, the one who possessed her father''s power, felt strangely absent from the city now. ¡°Anything?¡± She asked numbly.


    She stared up at the sky where Cinder had flown. ¡°I haven¡¯t found any traces of her.¡± The voice of Boy Genius came over the shared radio they had.


    ¡°I understand.¡± She floated over the city using her golden light to cast healing rays on the people below as she went by. It wasn¡¯t as good as Paragon¡¯s, but the young Lord didn¡¯t seem to be in any condition to heal at the moment. ¡°And what of the Immortals you were telling me about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it later.¡± The child sighed. She didn¡¯t need to see his face to know it would be forming several new stress lines soon. ¡°For now, can you grab Battery and bring him back here? Not even I know how he came back, and I¡¯d seriously like to make sure he¡¯s not a Calamity hidden in disguise.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll get him to meet us at Nightshade-¡°


    ¡°Lois!¡±


    Her enhanced senses allowed her to hear the yell. At the mention of her daughter''s name, she stopped. She had been so focused on the Beast that she had forgotten to check on her child. She zipped over as fast as she could, finding herself back near the bridge. It had long since been torn down, no longer connecting it to Oleander. That wasn¡¯t what she focused on, though. Her gaze was instead drawn to the people that stood in front of the destroyed bridge.


    The hero Myth stood down below, limping forward. His body was beaten and battered, but he was alive. One of his legs was twisted at an odd angle, and it looked like it hurt him to take a step, but he fought through the pain and marched forward, staring at the girl in front of him.


    Lois, also known as Whisper, stood down below. Actually, she didn¡¯t stand. She floated. It wasn¡¯t much, but the girl¡¯s feet didn¡¯t touch the ground. Her mask was gone, and her long hair flowed out, shifting from blonde to a stormy gray color, looking almost like a stormcloud. Lightning danced and sparked at her fingertips, and some even crackled out of her eyes, which had turned a brilliant red. Her gaze was fixed straight up, and her body shook as the energy coursed through it.


    ¡°Lois-¡° Myth went to touch her but suddenly found his hand in a death grip as the Victorian landed next to him. The number one hero gripped his wrist tightly and gently shook her head. Myth gritted his teeth but didn¡¯t argue, pulling his hand away. ¡°It¡¯s about time you came to check on your daughter.¡± The young man spat out.


    ¡°She¡¯s inherited her father¡¯s power.¡± The Victorian stared down at Lois and felt several emotions bubbling up inside of her. The one that stood out the most, though, was pride. ¡°I always knew deep down something like this would happen. That one day, Max would pass on the title of Lord to you.¡± The smallest hint of a smile came onto her face. When Lois was born, she was almost ashamed of the girl. Her daughter, the daughter of a Lord and the number one hero, granddaughter of Full Monarch, had dared to be born with very little power. Yet now here, her child stood with the ability that rightfully belonged to her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lois. Mom¡¯s here.¡±


    The mother was finally willing to look at her daughter.


    Lois shook, and more lightning spilled out of her. Her shifting hair changed faster and flowed wildly, the wind seemingly coming to life. A strong gust blasted out, and Myth had to transform to stop himself from being blown back. He took on the form of a lion and blocked the gust, gritting his teeth.


    The Victorian simply took the strikes to the chest, not batting an eye as they bounced off of her. The number one hero slowly placed her hand down on Lois¡¯s shoulder and ignored the surge of lightning that spilled out and stabbed at her hand.


    ¡°Calm down, Lois. Get your power under control.¡±


    ¡°I- I can¡¯t.¡± Lois finally spoke up, and for a moment her eyes seemed to focus on the face of her mom.


    ¡°You can-¡°


    ¡°No! It¡¯s too much.¡± The floor beneath the two of them began to break and crack as more lightning stabbed out, forming into what looked like a large hand. It came directly out of Lois¡¯s back and was made out of crackling purple lightning that hissed in the air. Lois¡¯s eyes burned, and she couldn¡¯t stop her powers from coming out. The girl saw all the Paths her father had once seen. Trillions of possible ways the story of the world could go. In an instant, she watched Oleander fall apart, never to recover. The time shifted, and she watched it be rebuilt and become the greatest city in the world. Then another, where the city was fixed only to be wiped off the map and be the place of the final battle between Earth¡¯s last two Supers. All at once, every possible way the story of Oleander could end, Lois watched it, all mixing together in her mind.


    Tears streamed down the new Lord¡¯s face, the liquid instantly bubbling due to the insane heat of the plasma that dripped down her body. Then Lois heard a whisper. One that followed each of the visions she was being forced to watch. Silent and taunting, another voice was in her head, mocking her for letting go¡ªthe voice of the Lord, the voice people like Cinder and Paragon had to deal with.


    ¡®Do you not like what I¡¯m showing you?¡¯ The Loudest Thunder, the fourth and final member of the first four Lords, as well as the youngest Lord, mocked its newest host. ¡®Is something like this too much for you? I drove your daddy mad. It was one of the reasons he refused to do anything. He had trouble figuring out what was real and what was a vision. I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for you to go insane. Of course, your father stayed himself even to the very end. I wonder if you¡¯ll manage that. How about I show you what caused him to snap? Let me show you all the ways you¡¯ll die.¡¯


    ¡°N- No.¡± Lois whispered out and grabbed at her head.


    ¡®Shh.¡¯ The voice shushed her. ¡®Just give me control and it¡¯ll all be okay.¡¯


    ¡°S- Shut up!¡±


    ¡®Bad girl.¡¯


    Lois shook and cried out as it hit her head on. Hundreds of visions. Millions of different ways she could die. She watched herself make a mistake and be impaled by Intake, she watched herself engage the Emperor and the villain casually tear her in half, she watched herself try and stop Battery, who snapped, and the older man simply sliced right through her, and she watched a version of Myth that lost everyone and became the same monster his father was, that version simply ripping her head off. Again and again, she watched herself be cut down, burned alive, freeze in space, drown, and so much more.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lois.¡± The Victorian reached out and cupped her daughter''s face, looking into the girl''s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Lois was shaking and sobbing as more of that power came out. ¡°Just look at me-¡±


    The purple hand of lightning struck out and rammed into the Victorian, throwing the number one hero back. The golden woman landed next to the Laurens and Sky, who barely registered her. Lois looked like she was about to fly off and try to escape, but the girl stopped when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.


    ¡°Whisper. Lois. Please.¡± Myth stared at his teammate, his face breaking. ¡°Battery, Cinder, Snowdawn¡­ All of them are¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose anyone else. Please.¡±


    The hand rose up about to strike out once more, but it gradually stopped and fizzled out. Slowly, the power died down, and Lois¡¯s hair and eyes reverted back as the girl collapsed into the arms of Myth. Myth held onto her gently as her eyes stared up at him.


    ¡°I- I see it.¡± Her voice croaked out. ¡°I see way too much.¡±


    The Paths flowed and twisted wildly, forming barriers and oceans of lines as if the world itself was nothing more than one big story. It all began to settle as her powers moved on their own, showing her something. It wasn¡¯t a sight of the future.


    No¡­


    Instead, the Paths all came together, much like her father had once done for Hope, and formed and twisted, taking the shape of the past.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Myth whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s showing it to me.¡± Lois said back quietly. ¡°The sins of the past.¡±


    It was time to see it.


    The story before this story.


    The story of Full Monarch and the Emperor.


    One that did not start with either the greatest hero or the greatest villain.


    This story started with a young boy simply named Max.


    ***


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, are you all ready to rumble!¡± The loud voice of the announcer boomed through the underground stadium.


    Cheers screamed out across the arena. Humanity, since the dawn of all things, seemed to have some strange fascination with watching two people beat the living snot out of each other. This was no different. Beneath one of the ten great cities, while the people up top worshiped the heroes or lived in fear of the villains, the people down below paid good money to watch two Supers battle.


    A large stone arena had been crafted in the center of what might have once been a sewer system. Bleachers and chairs had been scattered around the arena, filled with tons of eager-eyed people. Down in the arena itself, two people stood.


    The announcer''s voice came back, shaking the ground as he spoke. ¡°In the right corner, we have four-time champion, the one and only Stab Face!¡± The crowd went wild, and the cheering grew louder. ¡°And in the left corner, new time player, taking on his last match for the night, Quick Feet!¡±


    ¡°I wanted the nickname Storm Foot.¡± Max sighed and brushed some of his blonde hair behind his ear. His eyes sparked a bit as he stared across the arena he was in at his opponent, Stab Face. ¡°Talk about getting hit with the ugly stick, though. I sure as hell don¡¯t feel bad for my lame powers after looking at him.¡±


    Stab Face was a large, buff man who stood taller than most bodybuilders. He looked almost fully human, save for his mouth. Instead of teeth, he had actual knives that jutted out of his gums. Another pair of knives also came out of the top of his head, forming what looked almost like horns. The man glared ahead at his enemy, and Max gave a wink, which caused Stab Face¡¯s rage to boil and grow.


    Max just finished wrapping his hands upright as the announcer gave the go-ahead. Stab Face came at him fast and hard, moving across the arena and throwing out a powerful right hook. The blonde boy barely dodged the strike as it flew over his head. Thinking fast, Max brought his own arm up and rammed it directly into Stab Face¡¯s gut.


    One of the rules of the underground fighting arena was different power matchups. Humans had weight classes when they did things like this. Supers, though, operated off of how many enhancements a power gave you. Neither he nor Stab Face had superhuman speed, strength, or durability. They were basically normal humans with a few gimmicks. In his case, though, his gimmick was simply better than Stab Face¡¯s.


    Stab Face growled and hissed, throwing out larger strikes at Max. Each blow was heavy and fast, able to knock a full-grown man out in only one blow, but hitting Max seemed almost impossible. The blonde-haired man¡¯s eyes glowed, and he danced around the stone arena, quick on his feet, just as his name suggested.


    Every strike that came his way was avoided flawlessly. All thanks to his power. Max watched them. The Paths. Tiny lines that only he and his father could see. They told him the story of every strike Stab Face would make before it landed. He followed his predictions and dodged in and out of the strikes, unleashing his own blows when he could.


    He didn¡¯t have super speed or anything like that, but with his ability to follow the Paths, he might as well have been untouchable.


    Stab Face collapsed down on his knees, clutching at his gut, which was starting to turn a nasty red from all the punches he had taken. Blood flowed down the man¡¯s chin as he bit his lip with his knife teeth and glared up at Max. ¡°You¡¯re cheating!¡±


    ¡°Aw, you¡¯re just salty ''cause your power sucks,¡± Max smirked and jumped up, avoiding a surprise kick Stab Face threw his way. While in the air, he brought his arm down as hard as he could, slamming it directly into the Super¡¯s nose.


    Stab Face¡¯s nose shattered, and his eyes slowly rolled into the back of his head before he finally crashed back onto the stone floor, falling unconscious.


    And the crowd went wild.


    Max stepped off of the arena, clutching at his wrist. It ached from punching so much. He had gone through several fights in a row that night, and while not taking a single bit of damage, he was still starting to get tired. The pain of being so successful, he supposed.


    Several workers came and began to load Stab Face onto a stretcher. People were swarming the blonde man, but Max ignored them and used the Paths to push his way through the crowd. He came to a stop though when the Paths around him suddenly began to crack and break. He knew what this meant¡­ A powerful Super was nearby, one so strong that the very road of fate and destiny simply couldn¡¯t hold them.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Not bad. You did better than I expected for a Super born with the body of a normal human.¡± An amused voice chuckled.


    ¡°Who are you? One of my fans?¡± Max questioned as he stepped off of the arena. Two people stood in front of him, seemingly waiting for him. He tensed up, but neither looked like they were here for a fight. The first was a young man, a little older than him. The man had messy reddish-brown hair and ghostly blue eyes that almost seemed to hum with power. They actually creeped Max out a bit, the way they just stared ahead. The man was dressed in a winter suit, wearing a large fur coat over his button-up clothes. Next to him was a woman. She had pale skin and long brown hair, and Max could tell right away she was a Super due to the fact her eyes looked very dog-like in nature and the tips of her ears were covered in fur. She wore a long black trench coat, and he could tell she was holding some sort of weapon beneath it as she stood in front of the red-haired man. Some sort of bodyguard, if he guessed. ¡°Seriously. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Just someone who watched your match.¡± The red-haired man spoke in a flat tone, not holding much emotion. His eyes were dull and gave nothing away, and even reading him with the Paths was hard. They kept breaking and twisting away. The man clutched a large suitcase and stared at Max with a bored expression. Whoever he was, he was strong. Max knew that for sure. Stronger than any of the Supers he had fought earlier today.


    ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re here to make me an offer or something?¡± Max asked hesitantly. ¡°You¡¯re with the Hero Branch, or maybe some other Super-related group, and you saw a newcomer like myself win a bunch of matches in a row and decided you¡¯d like me on your side, right? And that case is filled with a crap load of cash or something?¡±


    ¡°Or something.¡±


    Max went to reach out to pat the man on the shoulder, but the woman next to him growled as if she were some sort of wild beast and glared at him. ¡°Okay then¡­ Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I¡¯m not really interested in the money. I came here just to see how well I could fight other Supers. It was a one-time thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± The man said flatly. ¡°You definitely aren¡¯t the type to get into battles.¡±


    Max moved past him and the strange woman, heading for the exit. Most people were also leaving now that his final match had come to an end. ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me if you don¡¯t want to, but I won¡¯t be hearing you out either way.¡±


    ¡°Hero or villain.¡± The man asked calmly.


    That caused Max to pause for a moment and look back at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Hero or villain.¡± The man asked again. ¡°If you had to pick a side.¡±


    Max just snorted and turned away. ¡°Neither. I¡¯m not interested in being a weapon for either side. What did you say your name was again?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give my name.¡±


    ¡°Okay? Then what the hell is your name?¡± The blonde boy¡¯s eyes narrowed as he glanced back at the stranger.


    This time, the man turned away from him. ¡°I don¡¯t have a name, but if you want to call me anything, then call me Alpha.¡± The strange name rang through his ears as the man and the woman walked forward and disappeared into the crowd. The Paths slowly returned to normal as they left, the road of destiny and fate once again rebuilding.


    Max shook his head, forcing the strange interaction out of his mind. It was likely some gang boss or something wanting him in their group. Sadly for them, though, he didn¡¯t live in this city, so they wouldn¡¯t even be able to get revenge on him or anything like that. He was sure that he could forget about this interaction. It wouldn¡¯t come back to bite him later. Of that, he was certain.


    He moved through the sewers and resurfaced onto the city above. It was the dead of night, yet all the towers around him were filled with billboards featuring the faces of all the current heroes. The greats like Legend, Young Dog, and, of course, the one and only Full Monarch.


    He brought his fingers up to his lips and let out a low whistle. The air around him crackled and shifted as a golden blur suddenly appeared before him before it died down into the shape of a young woman. One dressed head to toe in a golden gown covered in various clocks.


    ¡°You look stupid.¡± He said flatly.


    ¡°I do not!¡± Madam Time huffed out and stomped her foot down. ¡°I¡¯m a real superhero! Unlike you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± He rolled his eyes and rubbed at the back of his neck. ¡°I finished what I needed to, so mind giving me a ride back home?¡±


    ¡°I promised I would take you to the city; I never said anything about getting you back.¡± The woman said smugly. Her hands went to her hips, and she leaned forward, smirking. ¡°You know it¡¯s actually illegal for non-city residences to be in one of the ten great cities. Village people like you who reject the Hero Branch could get in a lot of trouble.¡±


    His eye twitched a bit. ¡°Come on. Just help me out. You grew up in the same village as me! Can¡¯t you just do me this solid?¡±


    Madam Time rubbed her chin and hummed. ¡°I guess. Only because we¡¯re childhood friends though.¡± She stepped forward and showed off the level of strength she had by casually picking him up and throwing him over her shoulder as if he were a sack of potatoes. He hated not having flashy powers like her. It made moving around this massive planet tricky at times. ¡°Are you ready?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    He really wasn¡¯t.


    She used her power to cause a clock hand to appear over them. It cast a light down onto them, and everything around them seemed to move in slow motion. In reality, her power allowed her to increase her speed. In the coming years, she would be known as Lady Time and take up the mantle as a member of the Enforcers. At the moment during this time, though, she was nothing more than another cog in the machine that was the Hero Branch.


    They blitzed through the city at super speeds, moving past the cars and across the bridge. They hit the road, and everything around them blurred as she ran at speeds second only to Full Monarch.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you have someone like me, you know!¡± She spoke up as they ran. ¡°It¡¯s only thanks to me you were able to break into the city and get out! What would you do without me?¡±


    ¡°Have a more peaceful life.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like being a hero?¡± Max asked casually.


    ¡°Why? Interested in joining?¡± She teased.


    ¡°Hell no!¡± The thought of that red-haired man came back to him for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s just, after my match, some guy asked me something about it.¡± He shrugged. He gripped onto Madam Time as they ran through the world, getting closer to his village, which was practically on the other side of the planet.


    ¡°Well, to be honest, it sucks.¡± She sighed. ¡°We keep having to go after Supers like you, people who aren¡¯t on the side of the Hero Branch, and they make new recruits like me work with Legend. He¡¯s a member of the Enforcers and so crazy strong it¡¯s unfair, but he has terrible luck! An actual meteor almost crushed me because I was standing next to him! I have no idea how he hasn¡¯t died yet! What about you? Have you told your dad what you¡¯ve been doing in your spare time?¡±


    ¡°How can I.¡± Max winced. ¡°Ever since mom died, he¡­ Well, we moved to this village to get away from the Super life, you know. I haven¡¯t even told him I have powers.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You need to tell him.¡±


    ¡°I will! Maybe when he¡¯s on his deathbed¡­¡±


    ¡°Max!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t Max me! He¡¯s a Lord! He¡¯ll likely outlive me! All those guys are crazy old at this point, yet they look young! I mean, guys like Mr. Sini or my father are pushing seventy something, yet were still able to have kids just fine and don¡¯t look a day over forty. It¡¯s seriously like they aren¡¯t even human!¡±


    ¡°Most Supers tend to age slower.¡± Madam Time said, shrugging lazily as she kept running forward. ¡°I mean, despite being named Young Dog, Sini¡¯s son is actually pretty old and even has a daughter of his own now. A lot of them waited so many years to move on with their lives and have kids, I think because they were scared something like Lucifer would return.¡±


    "Well, they were right." Max muttered quietly.


    Fifty years. That was how long it had been since the group known as Full Force defeated Lucifer. The four Lords had all come together and slayed the fallen angel. All thanks to the power of the Lord of the Sun. Despite how good that should have been, there was a lingering sense of fear that remained in the world. Ten years ago, something from space had come down. Something they decided to call the Beast¡­


    He had been twelve when it first appeared. He thought he had been born into an era of peace. After all, with the death of Lucifer, guys like Sini went and rebuilt mankind, bringing them forward. His father was old and had waited until the world was back in working order before he married and had a kid. That was how he had been born. Of course, despite how old his father was, like the other three Lords, the man was still in his prime.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll come back?" Madam Time asked quietly.


    ¡°The Beast?¡± Max questioned.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be the third time he returns to this planet¡­ Full Monarch has been up in space constantly making sure the Beast doesn¡¯t return, but¡­ I mean, it¡¯s only a matter of time until he slips up and lets the Beast get past him, right¡­ What happens then?¡±


    ¡°Who cares.¡± Max shrugged. ¡°It won¡¯t ever affect me. I¡¯m never, ever going to fight the Beast. You and the other city folk could be in danger, though. You¡¯d likely die in a battle with the Beast, so just go ahead and come live with me and my dad again like old times if the creature ever shows back up to Earth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± The girl said flatly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡±


    They didn¡¯t get to talk much more as they soon arrived at his hometown. The ten great cities were all placed snugly together and connected in some way. They were ruled by the Hero Branch and protected by the heroes. His hometown was not like that. It was a place separated outside of the control of the Hero Branch and had no protection. In turn, though, it was free in a way¡ªfree to make its own choices and suffer the consequences of those choices.


    His village was small, especially when compared to the city he had just come from. It was stuck in the dark ages, with no technological advances to be found. A massive wooden wall hung around it, keeping it safe from the wildlife, and it was placed smack squarely in a large forest.


    Madam Time slowly came to a walking pace as her speed turned off. She had also grown up in this place but hadn¡¯t stayed for long. Unlike him, she wasn¡¯t able to hide her powers, and she had been kicked out. Unlike the cities where being a Super was an accepted fact and used by the Branch, many people in the villages feared the destructive power Supers wielded and would get rid of them the moment they found one.


    He and his father had managed to hide that fact from the village, though, as thankfully, his powers weren¡¯t as flashy as Madam Time¡¯s had been.


    She placed him down and gripped his shoulder tightly. ¡°Hey. Stay safe.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same to you, hero.¡± He smirked and hit her lightly on the shoulder. ¡°Be on the lookout for some creep named Alpha, okay?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Just some asshole I ran into. He gave me the jitters. So do me a favor and kick his ass if you ever run into him.¡±


    The girl gave a faint smile and patted his shoulder. ¡°Will do. You should get inside soon though. We wouldn¡¯t want me to be seen with you after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It was nice seeing you again.¡±


    He watched her speed off once more, leaving the village behind. It was still in the dead of night, and nothing ever happened around this part of the woods, so there was no one to witness him coming and going. He still used his power to read the Paths and followed them, which allowed him to sneak past the gate of his village and enter silently.


    He couldn¡¯t see very far into the future. A few moments at most, but in a fight that made up a lot of time he could use for himself. He had practically begged Madam Time to come take him to her city when he heard about the underground fight club. He never got to do anything fun in this place or flex his powers, so it was nice to get to do that from time to time.


    A secret he, of course, kept from his father. At least he thought he did¡­


    ¡°Back so soon.¡± He jumped when he reached the door to his house and opened it. His father, Wano, stood on the other side with crossed arms.


    ¡°Dad! I can explain-¡°


    ¡°Save it.¡± His father spoke in a stern voice. ¡°I can see the Paths to you know. Where the hell do you think you got that gift from?¡±


    ¡°Dad-¡°


    His father grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him into the house they shared. ¡°Did any of the villagers see you?¡±


    ¡°No! And let go of me! I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m twenty-one now. I¡¯m an adult like you, and I can do what I want-¡°


    ¡°If you were spotted hanging around a hero, that would cause trouble for us.¡± His father hissed back. ¡°I spent years building a life here. I have friends who live next door. If they found out who I used to be and that I was not just a Super but one of the strongest in the world, I¡¯d lose everything. These people don¡¯t like Supers.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you move to this place!¡±


    ¡°Because it was the only way to keep you safe!¡± Wano gripped his son tightly on the shoulder, glaring down at him. ¡°Look at you, Max. You¡¯re weak. You basically have no powers. Do you know how easy it would be for a half-decent Super to take you out- ¡°


    ¡°This isn¡¯t like the war days, Dad.¡± Max cut his father off. ¡°Lucifer is gone. There hasn¡¯t been a villain like him since, and there won¡¯t be. We have guys like Full Monarch that protect the city.¡±


    ¡°Should I be here for this argument, Wano?¡± A new voice asked. ¡°It seems a bit personal if you ask me.¡±


    They normally never had guests over at their house. His father was always paranoid, likely suffering from some sort of PTSD from his time in the war with Lucifer. Despite that, though, a man sat at the kitchen table holding a cup of coffee his father had made. He had messy blonde hair and a pair of ruby eyes that glowed with faint energy. A bit of stubble danced across his chin, and he wore a long suit similar to the man with red hair he had seen earlier.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± He asked his dad plainly.


    Wano cleared his throat and gestured to the blonde man. ¡°Max, this is a friend of mine. Nier, this is my son, Max.¡±


    ¡°Nier? As in the war hero Nier?¡± Max questioned. His eyes were wide as he stared at the blonde man that was seated in their house. Most of the world knew about the legendary deeds the great Full Monarch and Nier did in the war with Lucifer several years ago. His own father had fought in that same war alongside Sini, the four men forming the Four Lords division. Of course, his father was never as popular or as famous as Full Monarch had been, which is what allowed the man to go into hiding in the first place. No one knew what happened to Nier after the war. The man had seemingly vanished from the public light, and rumor had it, he had done something that angered the Hero Branch, causing them to turn their back on him. Yet that mysterious man now stood before him, in his house. ¡°Are you really ¡®the¡¯ Nier?¡±


    ¡°The one and only.¡± Nier gave a sly smile and rubbed his chin. His eyes sparkled a bit mischievously as he looked Max up and down. ¡°Has your father told stories about our time in the war?¡±


    ¡°Of course he hasn¡¯t.¡± Max snorted and elbowed his dad slightly. ¡°He never does anything cool like that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like talking about that time,¡± Wano muttered. The Lord folded his arms and glanced back at his brother-in-arms. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you take your leave, Nier.¡±


    The blonde man¡¯s smile faded slightly. The man nodded his head and stood up, grabbing his things. ¡°Of course. I just came by to speak to your father on some important matters.¡± Nier explained, shooting a look at Max. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to impose on you all.¡± He made for the door but stopped and looked back at Wano. ¡°Will you consider what I asked you to do?¡±


    Wano¡¯s lips thinned into a line. ¡°I¡¯m not going to join any sides.¡± The Lord of the Sky said sternly.


    ¡°Sides?¡± Max questioned.


    ¡°Villains are nothing new,¡± Nier said quietly. ¡°Ever since Jackson started up his little caped squad more and more, Supers have been appearing all over the planet, taking up the wrong side. Normally, I¡¯d let the heroes deal with it, but recently, a new threat has seemingly appeared. It¡¯s small right now, only doing a few hit-and-run missions, but it¡¯s given me a bad feeling. I actually came by to see if your father would want to help us deal with it. No one stopped Lucifer until it was too late, and his power grew too far to control. No one wants a repeat of that.¡±


    ¡°My answer won¡¯t change.¡± Wano barked out. ¡°After the Beast¡­ You were affected just as I was during that incident. I don¡¯t want to play sides anymore. I¡¯m done with these war games.¡± He spoke softly. ¡°I¡¯m done with you as well, Nier. I was there. I saw what you did¡­ Jackson let you go. Sini let you go. I let you go. All because we knew the grief you went through. That said¡­ I still haven¡¯t forgiven you. Not once.¡±


    ¡°I was doing it for the greater good-¡±


    "Well, your greater good got several people killed!¡± Wano spat out.


    Nier gritted his teeth and looked angry for a moment. Max stared between the two men. ¡°W- What are you guys talking about.¡±


    ¡°Nothing you should be concerned with.¡± Nier turned away and began to open the door. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave, Wano. I do hope you¡¯ll reconsider what I said, though. After all. We wouldn¡¯t want you or your son to get hurt.¡±


    Wano let out a low growl and stepped forward. ¡°Is that a threat-¡±


    Max felt his powers suddenly go off as the Paths screamed at him. His eyes went wide, and he jumped toward his dad, screaming out. ¡°Look out!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t fast enough, though.


    The entire house shook, and he smelt a hint of smoke before the walls caved in as an explosion hit them head-on. The entire village seemed to rumble, and wood came crashing down. He heard his father and Nier let out yells as their house began to fall apart, and a thick fire danced across the roof above them.


    He felt the force of the blast hit him, and he was lifted off of his feet and went crashing back. His head smacked against the wall, and he felt himself break through a window and crash out into the grass below.


    Everything turned red, and a high-pitched whining noise filled his eardrums. Blood trickled down his face, and he struggled to push himself up on his elbow, staring up in shock at the ruins of his home. The house he had grown up in alongside his father had been totally destroyed and caved in. Fire danced along it, burning the building down.


    ¡°M- Max.¡± He heard the voice of his dad croaking out.


    He felt his eyes water up as he stared directly ahead. Amongst the ruins, his father knelt, having taken the worst of the explosion. His body was burned and bruised, and he seemed to have just lost a fight. In front of the man stood someone Max would never forget.


    Tall and imposing, they wore pitch-black armor that almost looked as if the shadows themselves had been given a life. Spiked horns jutted out of the helmet they wore, and a flowing cape danced in the wind behind them. The only part of their body that wasn¡¯t covered was their eyes, where a pair of slits gushed blue fire. He knew instantly that what he was looking at wasn¡¯t just any normal villain.


    Without a doubt, he was staring at the next Lucifer.


    ¡°Max.¡± He met his father''s eyes as the Lord smiled, still kneeling before the armored villain. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    That was the last thing his father managed to say before the armored warrior brought down a white sword he had been holding, and Max¡¯s world forever changed.

 Chapter One Hundred And Fourteen: A Step Into The Story Of The Number One Hero

    It all began with a great war.


    The being that went by the name of Lucifer threatened to bring mankind to total annihilation. He wielded an army made up of the undead and used it to tear down anything that got in his way.


    This being rivaled the power of the Lords and claimed the title of Ruler for himself. An evil unlike anything the world had seen, it indeed would have all come to an end if not for the actions of a lone Super.


    A Super who stood above all others. A Super who used everything he had to defeat Lucifer and bring the world itself into a new age. An age of heroes.


    This was the age of Full Monarch. The first number one hero, the first Lord to awaken their power fully, the first man to gain the respect of the Brightest Star, and the one who would go on to not just defeat the Beast alongside Lucifer but even the newest threat to the planet, the one and only modern-day Satan, the Emperor.


    This was his story.


    At least¡­


    It should have been.


    A blur flew through the sky. Faster than any other Super, it danced forward so fast no other being had a chance of catching up to it. If they were lucky, they would maybe see a flicker of gold or a flash of fire, but that was it.


    It went across planet Earth, soaring at incredible speeds, and anytime there was a threat, it stopped.


    A town was about to be swallowed up by lava! Well, the golden blur appeared, and faster than anyone could blink, it literally tore the ground apart and picked the entire town up, carrying it to safety!


    A tidal wave came down on a large city below! The golden blur breathed out as hard as he could, freezing the water in its place instantly. Then, with a wave of its hand, it caused it all to come undone. As if time rewinded, the water flowed backwards and away from the city, and the sky cleared up.


    A bank was being robbed by a group of thugs? Suddenly, they were chained up.


    A city on the other side of the planet was experiencing earthquakes? The blur moved through, throwing all the falling objects away and stopping them from hitting anyone.


    A cat stuck in a tree, a kid late for school, a man about to jump, or a child who needed someone to talk to.


    All of these things were visited by the blur.


    The blur came to a sliding stop in front of a large cheering crowd. He stood at the center of the stage dressed in his costume and placed his hands on his hips. The sunlight bounced down from above, lighting up the gold all around him, and the butterfly symbol that stood proudly on his chest caught the eyes of millions as he gave a bright smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my part.¡± Full Monarch announced, pointing forward. ¡°You too can be a hero-¡°


    Her phone screen shut off.


    Just like that, the story of the blur was over as Ruby let out a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s as lame as ever.¡± She muttered, leaning her head back, feeling the plane chair shake as the child behind her kicked. It caused her eye to twitch a bit, and she thought about reaching back and smacking the child upside the head but decided against it.


    Hitting him wouldn¡¯t change the fact that she was stuck on this plane. She had tried going onto her phone. That was where she had watched the story about the blur around the world, also known as the hero Full Monarch. It had gotten way too boring, though.


    The internet only ever seemed to talk about how great and powerful he was. How he was always working, constantly flying around and helping the moment he saw anything go down, no matter what it was. Sini had created phones and the internet after the war with Lucifer, with the help of a bunch of other Mental-based powers, yet they were all being wasted on news articles saying the same thing the world already knew. ¡®Full Monarch was the greatest.¡¯


    It was kind of hard to believe that there was still crime in their world when someone like him existed. Though she supposed not even, he could be a perfect Godlike machine. No matter how much the media wanted him to be. He was still a man after all. One who would make mistakes like any other.


    "-didyouhearwhatthey''recallingthenewestteamofvillains-personallyIthinkweneedmorerepresentationintheheroworld-thefourprincescausedanotherattacktohappen-whenwillFullMonarch-ifyouaskmetheworldwouldbebetteroffwithoutthefourLords-andIhearthatthegreatSiniisgoingtoallowthepublictotouroneofhisnewestcraftedlabsandlike-doesthisdressmakemelookfat-"


    Ruby let out a sigh as she listened to the mix of chatter that ran through the plane. Her head rested on her hand as she slumped in her chair and lazily stared out the window, looking down at the city below. "Why did I have to get stuck inside a plane... Was it too much for him to drop me off first before he flew off on his own? No fair! He knows I can''t fly yet! Being in here just makes my enhanced senses ache." She whined. Luck was not going her way. Then again, it never did.


    Ruby was not like your average person. She was someone special. She was a Super. One of the races blessed with supernatural abilities and powers said to have been passed down from the legendary heroes known as the four Lords. However, if you were to look at her, you likely wouldn''t be able to tell she was special at all. Ruby looked human, even if that was nothing more than a false desire she held. She had long black hair she had tied back and tired-looking blue eyes, just like everyone else had, on the plane she had been told to board. Even her clothes were plain, being that of what a schoolgirl would wear. To the rest of the world, she looked like your average nineteen-year-old girl.


    Despite that, though, she was far from ordinary. Indeed, she was truly special if such a word could be used. The kind of person that would be destined for great things. Her ears burned as her enhanced senses forced her to hear every whisper and every rumor her fellow passengers were spreading.


    "God, can something just happen already? I would seriously kill for a giant monster attack or something." Ruby bemoaned, throwing her head back. ¡°Is it too much to ask for?¡±


    "Are you flight sick?" A voice asked. Ruby turned in her chair slightly, finding the person she was sitting next to staring at her oddly. It was an older woman who had been doing her best to ignore the teenager next to her by reading one of her favorite books.


    "No. I''m used to flying on way faster things than this." Ruby said, shaking her head. "Although I guess I shouldn''t call my dad a thing, huh? That''s kind of rude? He usually flies at light speed, so something like this is nothing to me."


    "What?"


    Ruby never had time to answer. The plane suddenly shook as a rumble went through the metal frame around them. A second later, static filled the air as the pilot''s voice came over the intercom. "Everyone, please remain calm and stay seated. Make sure your belts are in place; we seemed to have hit a- Oh God, what is that-"


    People began to stand up and stare out the window, doing the opposite of what they were told. Ruby felt herself get shoved to the side as the woman next to her pushed her out of the way in order to stare out the window. She barely managed to duck her head down and see what had everyone''s attention.


    Down below was the city of Iris. It was more of a town, though. The kind of place that had no skyscrapers and was made up of mostly farmlands. The plane was supposed to fly over it and keep heading north, where it would eventually land in Rose City; however, the plane had to suddenly jerk and twist itself in midair to avoid something that was now in the town below.


    The static grew worse, and the plane jerked this time as they barely dodged past the large tower that was in the middle of Iris. The small little farming village had suddenly found itself sporting one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. It was a massive tower, reaching so high it went past the clouds. It had hundreds of glass windows all along and was wider than most of the houses in Iris. Hundreds of Iris''s people all stared up at the strange object that had suddenly appeared in their village as if by magic. One second it wasn¡¯t there, and then the next it had appeared out of thin air.


    On the plane, several people did what they did best: They took out their phones and recorded the whole thing. The plane gently flew past the tower after managing to avoid smacking into it. Then... The tower stood up and took a step forward.


    Everyone stared in shock and horror as massive metal legs sprouted out of the tower, and it stood up. Dozens of the windows twisted and swirled around, forming an ugly face. Small stubby arms stabbed out as the giant''s step caused the entire village down below to shake, sending many of the crowds of people around it flying back.


    "What the hell is happening!" The woman next to Ruby yelled as she stared at the bizarre event unfolding in pure horror.


    A booming voice exploded out of the giant skyscraper as it punched out with its hand and sent up a massive wave of air that shook the plane and caused many of the buildings down below to be torn away from the ground. "Here me, and listen well, Iris!" The tower announced. "I am the mighty villain known as The Tower! I come to you on behalf of the great villain, Earth Prince! The one true king of this planet! Pay tribute to my mighty Prince, or else I''ll reduce this town to rubble with my godlike strength!"


    Ruby''s lips slowly curled up into a smirk, and she unclipped her seat belt. "Finally. I was waiting for someone like him to show up. He''s kind of big, though. Oh well. I''ll just punch him extra hard, I guess."


    No one even paid her any mind as she stood up and stepped into the aisle of the plane. Everyone was far too focused on the massive villain down below; just by moving, it kicked up powerful currents of wind that rocked their plane and destroyed most of the town around it. The people did notice, though, when she reached the door of the plane, and with nothing but brute force, she forced it open. Screams filled the plane as the wind tore through the cabin. It didn''t last long, though, as she stepped out of the plane and smashed the door shut behind her, forcing it closed.


    Even with the door closed, the pilot would have no choice but to make an immediate landing due to the sudden change of pressure that would have been caused. None of this was a concern to Ruby, though. She didn¡¯t care about things like that. She dropped from the sky and crash-landed in the town below, smashing through the roof of a house and shattering everything that got in her way.


    She quickly stood up, shook some of the debris from her hair, and knocked out loose shards of glass and wood as she made her way to the door and stepped out. Iris City was in pure panic. The Tower had already knocked over several buildings just by accidentally stepping on them, although it didn''t look like anyone had died so far. People were getting hurt, though. His strength was so great that it swept people up and caused them to crash down, breaking their bones. Yelling filled the streets, and dozens of people were tossing rocks or whatever else they could get their hands on at the Tower, though they weren''t able to crack his glass. A few cops had their pistols trained on the thing firing on the villain while they screamed for help on the radio but that also didn¡¯t slow the Tower down.


    It did manage to piss the villain off, however, and he growled, screaming out in a booming voice that threw up a massive cloud of dust. "How dare you all! I serve the mighty Earth Prince! I exist high above you all! You pathetic lowly lifeforms deserve no mercy!"


    A family of four stared up in terror as the villain took a step forward, shattering the ground below him. "Hey, do you mind holding this?" The father''s head snapped to the side, and he found Ruby suddenly standing next to him. The girl had taken off her school jacket and shoes, leaving her in just a white buttoned-up shirt and skirt.


    The father blinked but, on instinct, took the offered item. Ruby stepped forward and pulled out the holder that kept her hair tamed, allowing it to flow down her back as she walked toward the Tower. "What do you think you''re doing? We have to run!" The father said, grabbing at her shoulder, though Ruby just lazily slapped his hand away.


    The Tower''s glassy eyes glared down at the many fleeing people below as he walked through houses. His eyes then settled on a young girl who stared up at him. With a snarl, he raised his foot up and brought it down. Ruby gave a sly smirk and lifted her hand just in time as the foot reached her.


    Her eyes ignited with a fiery red glow, and the locks of her hair shifted, becoming bright, and began glowing with a crimson light. She wasn''t like her father or her friend, River. She hadn''t been blessed like so many others had with a wondrous power. Instead, she was given a single ability, one that was not passed down through her by being the daughter of a Lord. This power was simple¡ªso simple, almost every Super had it. A power that she had been forced to train and hone all on her own.


    Her power was simply pure raw strength.


    The Tower''s foot halted, and his eyes went wide. He found himself stepping on something that didn''t simply break for the first time in his life. Ruby stared up at the massive bad guy with a lazy look as she effortlessly began to push up with her arm, which caused his leg to lift further off of the ground.


    "W- What the hell is this?" The Tower hissed. He gritted his glass teeth and tried to shove more of his weight down, causing the ground to crack and break, but it was no use. He was faced with a strength he had only seen once before¡ªa strength found in his leader, the Earth Prince. Ruby shoved up with her hand, shattering the Tower''s foot and causing him to stumble back and crash flat on his metal butt. Black blood poured out of his leg as he howled. "N- No fair! That scary, red-eyed man promised me I¡¯d be unbeatable after he used his powers to transform me! He promised me nothing could hurt me! He lied! W- Who the hell are you!¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "I''m the girl that''s going to beat you." Ruby crouched down and then jumped into the air, shattering everything around her. Utter godlike strength. Power not even rivaled by her future self. She was the world''s strongest teenager! The Tower tried to throw a punch of his own, meeting Ruby''s fist, which caused her to smirk. "A test of strength, huh? Sorry, but I''m the strongest."


    It was over in one punch...


    Her fist rammed right through his, exploding his arm. The force of her attack kept going, and in an instant, the head of the Tower was blown to bits, raining down a sea of glass and stone. Hundreds of Iris''s people all stared in shock at the young girl who had saved them. She didn''t wear a costume nor a mask, but there was no doubt in their minds that they had just witnessed a grand hero in action. The girl dropped to the ground, spinning as she landed on her feet and gave a bow. Black blood rained down behind her seconds late.


    "We''re saved!" Someone cheered.


    "She beat that guy in one attack!"


    "Who is she?"


    "Why isn''t she wearing a mask?"


    "How can we ever thank you, Ms. Hero-"


    "Give me all your money!" Ruby announced instantly, causing the cheers to stop. She punched her fist into her other palm and gave an evil grin. "This is a stickup! The only villain that can rob this place is me! Now give me all your stuff!"


    "V- Villain!?"


    "That''s right." Ruby snapped and pointed up toward the sky as the golden rays of the sun cast their light down upon her. "Ladies and gentlemen, you just witnessed the work of history''s greatest bad guy! I stand before you as the one and only Ruby Admiral! Number one villain! I''m as evil as they come! I sleep past my curfew and only brush my teeth if I eat sweets! Got that! I''m evil! Now let me rob you! Please!"


    Everyone stared at the young girl in stunned silence, slowly processing the words they had heard.


    A hero hadn''t come to their rescue...


    At least she said please, though.


    Before anyone could fully process what they were hearing, a horrible groan echoed through the village as the sound of metal support beams snapping came from the Tower''s corpse. The giant villain''s body began to tumble over in the direction of a large field¡ªa field that a plane just so happened to land in, putting them directly in the way of the falling villain.


    The corpse''s shadow loomed over the plane, which had just pulled to a stop after being forced to make an emergency landing. It would have no way of moving out of the way as the tower''s broken form came crashing down. People screamed as they stared at the scene unfolding in horror, realizing what was about to happen.


    Ruby Admiral went to run forward, but she knew she wouldn''t be able to make it in time. She wasn''t fast enough.


    With one last groan, the entire tower dropped, nearing the plane! Then suddenly, it stopped. The tower''s fall was suddenly halted as something, or rather someone, appeared just in time to catch it. Slowly, the tower began to get lifted off of the ground, and everyone now stared in awe as a single hero picked up the giant, dead Super and gently placed it on the ground away from the plane crash. A hero that they all instantly recognized. A hero that caused Ruby to look away and wince.


    "I''m so grounded..." She muttered.


    He had long golden hair the color of the sun that dropped all the way down to his waist, though, at the moment, it flowed in the wind. He was tall and muscular, with a body most men could only dream of. His eyes, like Ruby''s, held a powerful red light behind them. His costumes were always changing since he worked so hard they usually tore. Today, his costume was a golden one that held a long cape that he had tied around him. The symbol of a butterfly was proudly displayed on his chest, and his skin seemed to have a layer of golden light that danced across it constantly.


    "Everyone, please remain calm! I have the situation fully under control!" The current Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, the world''s greatest hero, the one and only Full Monarch, landed gently on the ground. Instantly, a crowd formed around him as the people cheered. He held a kind and gentle smile on his face and had his hands on his hips. His voice was loud and booming but held no hostility behind it. With a flick of his hand, golden energy blasted out, washing over the crowd and mending any wounds that had been caused. "Is everyone okay?" He asked, scanning through the crowd with his eyes. Eventually his gaze settled on Ruby, and for a moment his kind smile faded as he stared at the girl.


    It came back instantly though as the people cheered, and with another wave of his hand, the buildings and destruction around them began to become undone. He was not just the Lord of the Sun but one of Cosmos as well, and as such, the world was his to command. With his power, all the buildings began to form back together, bricks flying into place and mending. Matter itself obeyed him. That caused the cheering to grow louder and the crowd to become denser. He nodded his head and shook the hands of the people as he tried to make his way through the crowd.


    Finally, he stopped in front of the young girl with red hair who slowly looked up, meeting his eyes. The self-proclaimed number one villain stared up at the number one hero. "Jill." His voice was still kind, loud, and booming, though now it held a bit of a strict tone to it. "You know you were supposed to head straight home and stay in your room. I already got on to you today when I caught you trying to free all the animals in Lillian''s zoo." Despite his words, he still smiled down at his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.


    "Am I in trouble?" Ruby asked sheepishly.


    "You''re grounded." Full Monarch teased, flicking her on the forehead gently.


    "Damn..."


    This was his story.


    At least¡­


    It should have been. Yet it found itself being taken over by another story.


    This was the start of a new tale. This was the story of how a self-proclaimed villain would go on to become a hero to whom nearly all of planet Earth would look up to. The one who would defeat the Emperor, the one who would keep her planet safe when her father was gone, the mother of a Lord, and the strongest Super of her era.


    This was the story of the Victorian¡ªdaughter of Full Monarch. This was how she met, fell in love with, and fought alongside Max Lightning.


    ***


    "Damn it! Where did you go, Red Tiger!" Green Mole screamed out, slashing out with his claws and ripping the street around him apart. "How dare you betray me! I''ll skin you alive when I find you!"


    The street around him was filled with fleeing people as innocent civilians ducked out of the way of the rampaging villain, who only just now realized that his underlings had left him behind and escaped with all the bags of money that had been stolen from the nearby bank.


    Green Mole was the leader of a little team of villains that called themselves Zoo. They dressed in animal masks, and all wore matching suits. His mask was obviously based on a mole, and his power allowed him to create large metal drills around his hands so he could dig through the ground. Sadly, Green Mole''s position was about to be taken when the villain known as Red Tiger would step up and take over. Of course, eventually, Red Tiger, or rather Green Tiger, would be murdered at the hands of a young man who would take on the title of Green Wolf, but that was a story for another day. This was the story, or actually ending, was a better way of putting it, of Green Mole.


    The villain howled, and his hands turned into drills as he jumped in the direction of the largest crowd he could see. "Look at what you''re making me do, Tiger! All of this is on you now!" His drills spun out, moving so fast they twisted the air around them. They would be able to easily tear through humans, but for the first time in his life, Green Mole found himself ramming into something he couldn''t shatter.


    Faster than he could react, a golden costumed hero appeared in front of the crowd. The drills shattered on the hero''s chest, and Green Mole found himself face to face with the number one hero, Full Monarch!


    Green Mole let out a strangled squeal of pure terror and jumped back, staring at the golden hero in horror. "Turn your power off and drop to your knees." Full Monarch said calmly. His smile wasn''t present as he stared Green Mole dead in the eye.


    "I- I know you." Green Mole''s eyes traced over the face of the man in front of him. "Y- You''re one of the great warriors who fought in the war-"


    "I''m a hero, not a warrior." Full Monarch looked around at the destruction that was on the city block around him. He had been distracted dealing with another issue in a nearby town and hadn''t shown up in time. He didn''t see any dead, but who knows what would have happened if he didn''t show up when he did? He turned back to the crowd, who now all stared at him. "It''s okay. You''re all safe. I promise. He won''t hurt any of you." Slowly his gaze settled back on Green Mole, who took a step back in fear.


    Faster than Green Mole could react, he suddenly found himself on the ground, tied up with thick metal bars the hero had grabbed from the destroyed buildings. Green Mole let out a strange squeakish sound as he found himself now staring up at the number one hero who floated casually above him. Full Monarch was fast. Faster than anyone else in the universe.


    "Why did you do this?" Full Monarch questioned, his voice once again booming around the city.


    "They say you''re the strongest Super." Green Mole spat out. "That you''re some big shot!" The villain flexed his arms and felt the metal around him breaking and twisting as he easily shattered it and broke out.


    Full Monarch looked back at the man, his fiery eyes staring at his fellow Super. "You scared them. Look at them all. They''re afraid of people like us. Scared of Supers. Our kind can cause such needless destruction. With how much power we wield, it makes me wonder if our kind can even be called human. It''s for that reason that I must make sure that all of us, be it human or Super, walk down the same path and suffer the same consequences when the law is broken." He felt some of his power flare up, and it caused Green Mole to flinch. "I won''t say this again. Stop fighting and surrender. Please..."


    Green Mole gritted his teeth and slowly began to drop to his knees. Then, his arrogance got the best of him...


    "I am the leader of Zoo!" He rammed his hand forward, and his drills fixed themselves back up and fired off like a bullet toward Full Monarch, who didn''t even flinch as the drills bounced off of his chest and crashed harmlessly to the ground.


    "You can''t hurt me. No one can hurt me." The hero announced. "Hit me as much as you like, it won''t work. I can survive anything this universe throws at me.¡±


    "I don¡¯t need to hurt you stupid! All you heroes have one weakness in common!" Green Mole screamed out, pointing in the direction of fleeing people.


    "Don''t do it!"


    Green Mole gave a smirk as his hand began to reform and change again the damaged drill, fixing itself for a third time as it got ready to fire off like a bullet. He never needed to beat the hero, he just needed to distract the man, and then he could use his mole powers to dig away. "This is what you get-" Full Monarch''s eyes glowed and fired a thin beam of energy before Green Mole could command his drills to fire, easily slicing through the man''s arms. "Ah!" The leader of Zoo crashed to his knees, clutching at his right side as smoke began to rapidly rise off of it. "I''ll kill you!" Drills stabbed out of his body in all sorts of ways as he howled.


    Full Monarch sighed and held his palm up. Something began to swirl and form, taking shape. A golden metal in the shape of a blade. It flew forward at the charging villain and stabbed deep into the man¡¯s chest. "Turn your power off." Full Monarch said, giving one last warning. That was the same ability he had used to stop Lucifer.


    The villain didn''t listen and gasped and twitched. His chest began to burn with golden flames, and cracks grew along his flesh as his powers caused the shard within to break him apart. "I... I am... What just happened-" Green Mole suddenly found his vision began to blur, and he felt himself fall apart as his atoms came undone. ¡°W- What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Turn your power off if you want to live.¡± Full Monarch urged. ¡°That thing inside of you reacts to your powers. It¡¯ll tear you to bits the more you use your ability-¡±


    ¡°S- Screw you!¡± More drills ripped their way out of Green Mole, but they broke away as the golden fire spewed throughout the man¡¯s body and he began to shatter and break apart.


    In an instant, it was over. He was dead.


    Full Monarch heard the crowd of people who began to cheer, but he ignored them and watched as ash filled the air in the spot Green Mole had been standing. He felt his face sag a bit, but he did his best to push it back into place and used his other hand to tap into the power of the Lord of Cosmos. All the destruction around them began to fade away as buildings forced themselves back in place and cracks in the road mended. In only a second, the street was fully repaired. Finally, he turned back to the crowd and placed his pointer fingers on either side of his mouth, forcing it to lift up into a smile.


    "Don''t worry, everyone. The situation is under control. You''re all saved-"


    "Not quite!" His smile faded when he heard the voice of his daughter. She jumped down from a nearby building and crash-landed in front of the crowd, smashing through a car. Her red hair flowed out, and she pointed at the man who looked like he might have been the richest. "Give me all your stuff!"


    "W- What?"


    "I''m robbing you!"


    A second later, Ruby Admiral suddenly found herself forced to bow as her father grabbed her by the back of her head and outpowered her with his monstrous strength. Full Monarch bowed alongside his daughter. "Please call my name if I missed any repairs or get in contact with the Hero Branch, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Oh, and please also don''t mind my daughters'' joke."


    "Hey, let me go! I''m not joking! I''m evil!" Ruby whined, thrashing her arms out as her father simply threw her over his shoulder and began to lift her back up into the air. "Dad! Let me go! I didn''t even get to steal anything!"


    Full Monarch took off at his top speed, leaving the city behind and shattering the clouds above. He didn''t let go of his daughter until he was well past any city she''d be able to escape to. They flew over the ocean when he loosened his grip as she climbed over him and stood on his back, sighing and huffing the entire time for ruining her fun. He hovered low to the water and slowed his flight as he stared at his reflection. He briefly wondered when the last time he got some sleep was or when he brushed his teeth.


    "You can power down now, you know." He called back.


    "Yeah, yeah." Ruby rolled her eyes and allowed her power to shut off. Her red hair faded, going back to its raven color, and she dropped down to a cross-legged position, sitting on her father''s back as if he were some sort of chair as they flew faster than a fighter jet. "Are you really taking me back to Rose? Wouldn''t it be better for you to-"


    "Well, I tried letting you out of my sight, and you decided to nearly crash a plane and rob a city." Her father sighed. "Honestly, Jill-"


    "It''s Ruby Admiral!"


    "-how are people supposed to trust us if you pretend to be a bad guy?"


    "I''m not pretending! I''m the real deal!" Ruby Admiral announced, pointing to the sky above. She was still just in her buttoned-up shirt and skirt, as she didn''t have a uniform, as her dad had taken her out of that town before she could get her jacket and shoes back. "Ruby Admiral is your rival! I''m the greatest bad guy around! Besides, I don''t think you need to worry about the people trusting you. They cheered you on and were adoring you. They always cheer for you." She muttered that last part quietly, but the man¡¯s enhanced hearing still allowed him to hear what she said.


    Full Monarch frowned softly. "That''s only because I''ve spent years doing everything I could to earn their trust. Trust is something that can be stolen away in seconds. It only takes one bad action to undo it all." For a moment, the image of a man with blonde hair came to the number one hero¡¯s mind. ¡°It took him only one action to ruin my trust after all¡­¡±


    Ruby didn''t bother looking down at her dad. He was always quiet and never liked speaking all that much. She watched the clouds go by in a blur as they flew and just took a moment to think. The world had changed a lot since she had been a little girl. Now, cities were constantly growing larger with the help of Sini Corp, and the newly created Hero Branch was finding a use for Supers in society. A use that she didn''t exactly agree with. Her father was the one leading it all. Full Monarch placed everything on his shoulders, never stopping to take a break.


    He always looked so tired.


    "When we get back home, do you have any plans?" She asked.


    "I''ll be heading back out. There are some issues on the border of Lillian I need to deal with, and I''d like to double-check Daisy since I was in a bit of a rush when I was putting out the fires around it." Full Monarch stated.


    "Can''t you leave it in the hands of the other heroes?"


    "They''re very busy. I wouldn''t want to get them caught up in my own issues."


    Ruby let out a sigh and folded her arms. "Dad, you really need to¡ªwatch out!" Her enhanced senses flared up a bit too late, and her father never had to be concerned with his own safety, so he hadn''t bothered to use his senses on himself to detect the attack that came their way.


    It came crashing down from overhead, a tremendous force that didn''t bother her father but did manage to affect her, knocking her off of his back. She hit the water hard and felt herself flail around. She didn''t actually know how to swim. On top of that, this wasn''t normal water. It was almost like it had come to life. It swirled and swatted at her, pulling her deep beneath the waves and causing her to gasp as she felt it enter her lungs.


    Her father tried to grab at her, but the water was literally shoving her further into its depths and away from him, separating them further as if the ocean itself were out to get her.


    Everything began to grow darker, and Ruby Admiral felt herself slowly drift into unconsciousness.

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifteen: The Super Who Walked The Path Of Pure Evil

    "Is that her?" Someone asked.


    "Yeah. That''s the one that destroyed the school."


    "What''s going to happen to her now?"


    "The same thing that happens to all Supers."


    Ruby ignored the hushed voices around her. It had happened earlier that day. Her ability to hear had shot through the roof. Everywhere she went, a loud rumbling echoed from the people. Their heartbeats had nearly driven her mad. So much so that she hadn''t been able to control herself when she punched a wall out of frustration. Now, here she was, marching through the rubble of the school.


    All the students and teachers stared at her, keeping their distance. Despite being less than twelve years old, she had torn through an entire floor and nearly collapsed the building. It was a miracle no one had been hurt. Dozens of men in suits all stood near the entrance of the school, along with a large black armored truck. She walked toward them casually with her bag slung over her shoulder.


    One of the men in the suits nodded at her. "Jill Laision-"


    "I go by Ruby." She explained, flipping her hair. It had changed red around the time the crazy strength kicked in but now reverted back to its black color.


    "Right..." The man opened the door and motioned for her to enter. "If you want to say goodbye, now''s your chance."


    "Say goodbye?" She hummed and glanced back at the crowd of students and teachers. She didn''t really know any of them, but she did listen as they talked about her.


    "Who knew we had an actual Super in our class?" One of the teachers said, gritting his teeth. "I always knew there was something weird about her."


    "Looks like we won''t ever have to worry about seeing her again." Another one chuckled. "The Hero Branch is going to take her back to one of their buildings and figure out what to do with her. All Supers are either required to join up with it or be put to work in other ways, and there''s no way someone like her will be selected for their Hero Program. My guess is she''ll be thrown in a prison or something."


    "Good riddance."


    "Ms. Laision?" One of the suits questioned her.


    Slowly, she turned around to look at all of the students and teachers. They instantly went silent when they saw the look in her eyes. Her hair and iris had changed once again, lighting up with a bright red glow. "Hey!" She announced loudly. "I have something I want to say!" She closed her eyes, feeling her emotions gradually calm down. Everyone stared at her, all with wide eyes, as they waited for her to do something. "...Fuck all of you!" She stomped her foot down, shaking the ground a bit and causing a mini-earthquake that knocked all the men around her down. "Seriously! Screw you all! This place sucked! God, I''m so glad I''m a Super! You guys are so boring!" She pointed up to the sky and struck a pose. "Get a good look at me! One day, I''ll go down in history as the greatest villain on Earth!"


    "V- Villain?"


    "I knew she was evil..."


    "I hope they throw her in the darkest prison!"


    She turned away from the crowd and smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Having fun down there?" Ruby snapped her head up when she heard the voice. Someone rested on the roof of the car, looking down at her. An older girl in her early teens who wore a swimsuit. Just like her, the strange girl also had colored hair, though the girl¡¯s was a bright blue. Water flowed in the air around her, twisting around. "So, you say you''re a villain?" Before Ruby could even think about moving, she suddenly felt the cold wave of water hit her as tendrils of liquid wrapped around her, dropping her to the floor. "That means I''ll have to capture you." The girl announced, sliding off of the car.


    "Another Super?"


    "That isn''t just any Super. That''s Mermaid. She''s the granddaughter of the great Sini."


    "The war hero?"


    Mermaid looked down at Ruby with a sly grin on her face as she glared down at the red-haired child. "Crime doesn''t pay, kid."


    "Let me out so I can beat you up!" Ruby demanded, thrashing around.


    Mermaid let out a snicker and turned away the water flowing over her and formed a fish tail which slapped Ruby''s face. "Fat chance. You need to behave. We came to pick you up because you leveled this building. Be a good girl and go along with the Branch. My father and the great Full Monarch created them to help keep humans safe and arrogant Supers like you in check."


    "The great Full Monarch?" Ruby spat out. "Yeah, right."


    Slowly, Mermaid lifted her up and forced her into the back of the armored vehicle. That was the first time Jill Laision met River Sini.


    Super is a term that refers to a being with powers. Many no longer consider them to be humans, and for years, they were feared thanks to the great threat known as Lucifer, a monster that nearly brought all of mankind to utter destruction. Despite that, humanity was forced to rely on Supers in order to survive. The war hero known as Full Monarch, with the help of Mr. Sini, created the fledgling organization known as the Hero Branch.


    He believed the world didn''t just need heroes. They needed superheroes.


    All Supers are now currently required to sign up with the Hero Branch, which is run by the humans that hold the most influential power. Here a Super will be given three choices. First, if they are strong enough and willing to obey the Branch, they will be assigned as an official superhero! If they aren''t as useful or don''t wish to become a Super, the Branch will instead allow the Super to work for the Branch, using their supernatural powers for the betterment of mankind. This can include working as a Hero Branch doctor or researcher or being used to monitor their prisons. Lastly, though, if a Super refuses to become a hero or serve the Branch, they are given a different label. They are called villains.


    This system and structure would later be abolished and destroyed by the Victorian and Old Dog after the battle with the Emperor; however, that has yet to happen in this era.


    During this time period, the future of what would be heroes and villains was just starting to begin.


    "Wake up!"


    Ruby felt a powerful slap ripple across her face. Besides her father, there weren''t many people who could hurt her, so it made her sober up instantly. Her memories of the past faded, and she suddenly remembered what she had just gone through.


    She had been on her father''s back when the ocean had come to life. No doubt the work of some villain or something that was out to get him. She had been pulled over, and since she never bothered to learn how to swim, she had almost drowned. Talk about a seriously lame way to go out! It was likely due to almost dying of water that she found herself thinking back to the first time she met her friend River Sini.


    "Are you awake or what?" A voice growled out.


    Slowly, she looked up, finding a young man standing in front of her. He was around her age¡ªnineteen or twenty, somewhere in that range. He was dressed in a wetsuit that didn''t let her see much of his form, but he had his helmet and mask off, showing a rather handsome face. His blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he had stunning blue eyes that looked her up and down.


    That was when she noticed the state she was in. "Pervert." She said flatly, causing him to flinch back and avert his gaze. She was dripping wet and regretted not taking her jacket back from that one guy. She was tied up with some rope and placed in the corner of a metal room. The way everything moved back and forth, rocking, told her that she was on some sort of boat. The room she was in had several pipes, and steam gushed out. She wasn''t really a boat kind of girl; she liked trains more, but she guessed the ship was big, suitable for the sea. "Can you untie me?" She asked casually.


    "You''re rather calm for someone that''s been kidnapped." The man said, narrowing his eyes.


    "Oh, that''s because I''m not normal?"


    "You a Super?"


    Her black hair shimmered and lit up with a red glow, and she flexed a bit, snapping all the ropes off of her. The man jumped back, his eyes going wide as she shrugged. "Nah. I just work out a lot." She cracked her knuckles and patted down her shirt. "Now, how badly should I break your jaw for trying to drown me-"


    "Wasn''t me."


    "What?"


    "This isn''t my boat." The man sighed and shook his head. "Just my luck. Of course, a freaking Super would end up here. Listen, just find your way up to the top and jump ship. We aren''t far from a city dock, and if you''re a Super with above human stats, you should be able to swim to it just fine."


    "You''re just letting me go?"


    "I told you! I''m not the one who tied you up." The blonde hissed. "Now leave before you ruin my plan!"


    "Plan?"


    "Leave!"


    "You''re really rude." She threw her arms behind her head and rolled her eyes. "Besides, I can''t swim, so your plan won''t work."


    "Why do you sound proud of that fact?" She poked her tongue out at him, and he slowly reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I should have left you knocked out, but no, Max, you have to be a good person. I am going to punch my therapist next time I see him. Okay, change of plans. Follow me. There are some lifeboats up top. I''ll take you to one, and then you will leave this ship. Okay?"


    "Sure."


    He grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her toward a door. She didn''t really fight him all that much, but even without giving any effort, a normal human shouldn''t have been able to budge her. This guy was also a Super, although he didn''t seem to be in a costume. That either meant he wasn''t working for the Branch, or he was a villain like her. Lucky for her, though, he didn''t seem to realize the fact she wasn''t wearing a costume, which should have been concerning to most people.


    The halls of the boat were empty. She didn''t hear any crew or much sound at all. The ship was a big one, the kind that would carry large cargo, and she knew enough to know that it should have had a large crew on board. Part of her was expecting to see corpses or something. Whoever this man was, he clearly didn''t belong here and had forced his way onto the ship, yet there weren''t any bodies to be seen.


    Eventually, they reached a set of stairs that led up, and she felt the cold wind smack her in the face as they stepped up onto the deck of the ship. The sun had gone down, casting everything in a dark glow lit only by the moon. Large metal crates were scattered about all over the deck of the ship, all tied down. Once again, she expected to see dozens of guards, but there wasn''t a single person. This boat just moved on its own.


    "Okay, dumbass, listen up." The boy snapped his fingers in front of her face as he walked her over to where a lifeboat hung. He pointed out across the sea, and she followed his gaze, finding a large city sitting across from them. One by the name of Oleander. It was kind of a shithole filled with a lot of crime and gangs. The Hero Branch hadn''t been able to clear it all out yet. "Get in the boat, and I''ll lower you down. All you have to do is paddle out until you''re near the dock, got that?"


    "That''s Oleander city."


    "And?"


    She looked back at the crates. "Oleander''s docks are owned by the Prince Gang. Oleander is used mainly as a hub for the underground market and to sell illegal things back and forth." The boat they were on was currently heading to the city, so even if she did paddle, it''d beat her there. It''d be much faster to just stay on the big ship. Besides that, though, there was something else she wanted to know. "I wonder what this guy is smuggling."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Hey-" The boy grabbed at her, but she dodged past his grip and made her way over to the metal box. "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" He hissed out.


    She ignored the boy, stabbed her hand into the metal, and pulled back. It tore to bits like wet paper, and the blonde diver was forced to duck as she carelessly chucked the shards of metal behind her. She was expecting to see money, or jewels, or any other kind of goods. What she wasn''t expecting to see was the scared faces of dozens of kids who all looked back at her. Her smile instantly faded, and the boy behind her stared at them all with shocked eyes, just as taken aback as she was.


    All of the kids were shivering and looked extremely pale. Who knew how long they had been shoved into the boxes? They were all young as well. The oldest was maybe sixteen. They all wore dirty, stained clothes, and most looked sick. They were likely kids that had been kidnapped off of the street. Homeless children who didn''t have any family that would go looking for them. It wasn''t the only box either. There were at least twenty more, and as her enhanced hearing went off, she heard more whimpers and cries. There must have been a little over one hundred kids on the ship in total.


    "That''s what this bastard was hauling?" The blonde man asked, covering his mouth. "I''m glad I came to kill that son of a bitch now!"


    Slowly, she turned to look back at the blonde man. "Who are you? And whose ship is this?" She asked, doing her best to remain calm.


    The man winced and sighed. "Max. My name is Max. That''s all you''re getting. As for who this boat belongs to... Water Prince."


    Quietly, she nodded her head. "A- Are you going to save us?" One of the kids asked. "Please help us-"


    "Hell no!" Her voice silenced them all, even Max, who stared at her with wide eyes. She pointed a thumb back at herself and gave a grin. "I am the amazing and evil Ruby Admiral! I am the world''s greatest villain! The top of the top! If you look up the word evil, it''ll show a picture of me! Don''t get the wrong idea. I''m not some goodie little two-shoes wannabe hero! I''m not here to save you. Water, what''s his face? It is just in my way. He''s simply competition."


    "S- So you won''t save us?"


    "Not for free." She rubbed her chin and smirked. "Maybe if you were to bribe me, I could help."


    "You''re a monster." Max glared at her, but she ignored the blonde¡¯s look.


    One of the kids, the only sixteen-year-old present, walked toward her. He stumbled, barely able to keep himself upright, and his clothes were a torn mess. Slowly, though, he reached into his pocket, pulling something out, which he handed to her. "Please..." he croaked, stumbling into her arms as she caught him. ¡°That''s all I have. S¡ªSave them. Please."


    She looked down at the single quarter he had offered up. ¡°Not even a dollar.¡± She frowned.


    "Are you seriously a bad guy?" Max hissed at her as she gently placed the boy on the floor.


    "Yep."


    "I wouldn''t have saved you if I knew." He growled, and for a moment, his hair stood up, and his eyes seemed to glow. "You''re just as bad as Water Prince! I hate you all. All villains must die-"


    It was always a sound that would leave her ears ringing. The sound of something moving so fast it created a loud explosion as it moved past the sound barrier. Max had no time to react as a powerful force suddenly slammed into the side of his head. He was hit so hard and so fast he was sent flying, slamming right through the railing and falling down into the waters below. She tried to turn when she heard another crack, but all she saw was red as a thin beam of water smashed directly into her eye, shoving her back and slamming her into another box.


    It seems all their yelling had gotten the ire of the captain.


    The reason this boat was empty was simple. He didn''t need a crew. It didn''t just sail; it was carried on a thin wave of water that supported the ship, giving it a smooth ride. Water Prince walked forward slowly, running his fingers through his beard. If you were to look up the picture of a pirate, he''d likely be one of the first ones you saw. His hair was filled with grays, and he wore a long black cloak that struggled to stay connected over his large form. He had a massive beer belly and had a sword at his side. He wore an eyepatch, had a wooden peg for a foot, and a hook on one of his hands. Lastly, completing the look was a large red bird that clicked its beak and looked around.


    "I knew there was a rat crawling around." Water Prince grumbled and took a swig from the large jug of rum he had with him. He kicked out with his wooden peg, smashing it into the stomach of the teen. "Lil bastard, trying to escape your cell again?"


    "N- No, sir-"


    The teen screamed out as the captain stomped on his wrist, snapping it. "I have half a mind to pop that little head of yours. In fact..." A smile crept its way onto his face as rum dripped down his beard. He raised his wooden foot up, placing it over the boy''s head, and slammed it down as hard as he could.


    It never reached.


    Instead, it landed down on another foot that moved its way in front of his peg. His eyes now met the cold red eyes that stared back up at him as Ruby was back on her feet. She didn''t even look that hurt. His attack had only managed to leave her with a mild bruise around her right eye. He gritted his teeth and struggled to force his foot down, but a loud snap echoed out as she brought her foot up and shattered his wooden leg. He stumbled back on one foot, his eyes widening.


    "You little bitch! That was a gift from my husband!" Water swirled in the air around him, taking the form of bullets. "Do you know who I am?"


    "Don''t care." Ruby Admiral quickly stepped past the teen. "Sorry, but I claimed these kids. They''re part of the Ruby force and are now my loyal minions. I''m going to have to punish you for harming what belongs to me."


    The Prince Gang. A group made up of four powerful elemental users. Fire Prince, Earth Prince, Air Prince, and Water Prince. They had taken the name as a way to mock the Four Lords. They themselves weren''t too special but were considered high-class villains due to their skill. It was thought that only a true Lord could actually beat them. The bullets of water fired, and red splashed down onto the deck of the ship. Blood dripped down Water Prince''s beard, and his face contorted into pain as he collapsed to his knees, staring down at his gut.


    There was a small hole that went all the way through him and out his back, rupturing several of his organs. His own attack bounced off of Ruby''s skin, who walked toward him steadily. He flinched and whimpered, but she stepped past him and made her way over to the wall of the ship, ripping out the blood-soaked quarter she had flicked at him out of the wall.


    "Stand." That was her simple command. One that could not be disobeyed.


    Water Prince screamed at her, letting out one last blood-curdling howl as the water around the ship exploded and came to life. He was almost as skilled as Mermaid. Almost... She took aim and flicked her coin.


    Neither of the attacks reached each other. Before the coin could pierce him and before his water could bounce off of her, something appeared between them both. The golden blur¡­


    Once again, the sound barrier exploded as suddenly Full Monarch appeared on the deck of the ship faster than anyone could move. "Jill! Thank God! I''ve been at the bottom of the ocean, searching for you for hours now! I''m so glad you''re okay!¡± He caught the coin, and his other arm casually slapped the water beam away. That was when Full Monarch noticed who she was fighting. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°For someone that hears all and sees all, you sure are slow.¡± Ruby snorted. ¡°Out of my way, Dad! This is bad guy on bad guy action!¡±


    Full Monarch stared at Water Prince, whose eyes were filled with horror as he was forced to face the number one Super on planet Earth. Slowly, Full Monarch shook his head and brought a hand up. ¡°No. I¡¯ll handle it. This is my job, after all.¡± He stared at the villain quietly. ¡°Please just give up-¡°


    Water Prince screamed again, striking out with a whip of water. Full Monarch just let out a sigh and blasted through it, launching a golden light forward. It stabbed into the chest of Water Prince and wrapped around the man¡¯s heart.


    Just as he did with every villain he faced, Full Monarch gave them a choice: to turn their power off and to stop fighting. And just as they always did, the villain refused to yield, as if some part of their consciousness couldn¡¯t submit to the Lord before it.


    Water Prince stumbled forward, his body filling with dozens of cracks and breaking down, starting from the center of his chest. The gold ate away at him, ripping into him, and he crashed forward into the awaiting arms of Full Monarch, who held the villain as his body came undone, and he was reduced to less than ash.


    ¡°Why do they always pick death?" He asked quietly. ¡°Is there something in them that makes the choice for them? Do they hate and despise me so much they¡¯d rather die than allow me to save them? Is it the only way they can get back at me?¡±


    ¡°Dad?¡± He turned slightly when he heard the voice and found his daughter looking back at him.


    ¡°Right. Sorry. Are you okay?¡± He allowed the ash to slip out of his arms, letting it flow freely in the wind.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but you should call someone about them.¡± She said, pointing toward the teens who were staring at the two of them in utter shock.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me!¡± Full Monarch forced a smile on his face and pointed a thumb at himself. ¡°Have no fear! I¡¯ll save you all-¡° They weren''t given a moment to rest, though, as a second later, a loud, hellish bird scream filled the air.


    The red bird that had been on Water Prince¡¯s shoulder came down. It had flown off when she fired the coin at it, but now it was back, and it lifted itself into the air and began to grow rapidly, forcing itself to change and evolve!


    In the past, a previous Lord of Life, some claimed it was even the first Lord, created a species of bird. One that was able to bond with a Super and evolve alongside that person, gaining their power and claiming it as their own. This species had sadly mostly gone extinct, and no other Lord of Life had figured out how to recreate them. The red bird grew, its wings expanding out and its talons growing razor-sharp. It reached nearly twenty feet in terms of height and soared above the boat, glaring down at the ship. Its talons quickly came down to land in the ocean below as it stood on the water in front of the ship. The liquid bubbled and flowed, coming to life as the creature tapped into the power its master had owned.


    Ruby raised her arms up, ready for a fight to break out. But before the creature could even launch its first attack, it felt something touch its leg. Slowly, the bird looked down, meeting Max''s eyes, who glared at the beast from beneath the ocean''s waves. Lightning gushed out of his fingertips, and the clouds above roared as a bolt of energy fired down, smashing into the bird''s head.


    The water exploded into a cloud of steam, and Ruby watched on with wide eyes as the bird slumped down and was dragged into the water by Max. "Who the heck was that guy?" She shook her head and looked back at her dad, who was still staring at the water with an even more shocked look than her. ¡°Daddy?¡±


    He blinked a couple of times, silently taking the scene in. "I''ll call the Hero Branch..."


    Later that night, the ship found itself being swarmed by dozens of heroes and Hero Branch members. A young teen would wake up to find that he was in the care of some of the greatest healers in the world. He would also find a familiar quarter had been placed back in his pocket. One that was heavily dented and still a bit stained with the blood of Water Prince.


    But... Just why was Water Prince taking a bunch of street kids to Oleander?


    In the back alley of the city, Fire Prince looked around at the scene around him with narrowed eyes. Earth Prince and Wind Prince stood before him. Despite being a gang, they didn''t typically see one another and instead focused on their own mini-groups. They also all dressed in their own form of costume as a way to mock the heroes.


    Earth Prince was the largest amongst them, standing at twelve feet in height. He wore a large black fur coat and four long spider-looking limbs stabbed out of his back. Wind Prince, on the other hand, was actually a girl. She had long, flowing silver hair and didn''t bother with clothes, instead using her power to distort and twist the air into a thick layer of fog as a means to cover herself up. Finally, that left just Fire Prince. Unlike the others, his power was a transformational type. One that gave him rocky skin and a straight-up volcano for a head that could spew lava. In terms of fire-based powers, he was matched only by the Lord of the Sun.


    "Where in the ten hells is Water Prince?" Fire Prince grumbled.


    "He shows up last all the time," Wind Prince giggled and extended her body with her ability, stretching it out. ¡°Do you think he has more people than us?"


    They were in a large alleyway located somewhere behind a group of warehouses. Oleander City was often used as a place for trading and swapping goods. That said, it was the first time any of them had found themselves dealing in people. Beneath Wind Prince, she had formed a glass cage out of solid air that held ten rich-looking kids she had swiped from some Nobles in Rose City. She was able to do this since Full Monarch had strangely been busy this day and not able to show up in time. Earth Prince, on the other hand, had dozens of webs tied around several random kids he had grabbed and dashed off with when some villains had been engaging a hero in battle. Lastly, that left Fire Prince; he had forged a cage made out of coal, which held several homeless men. He was the only one that targeted adults.


    "I think a better question we should be asking is how long you''re going to make us all wait out here." Earth Prince always spoke in a low hiss. His head was hidden behind a spider-looking mask that twitched and squirmed as if it were alive. "We did what you asked us to do. Now, will you allow us to do our typical business once more?"


    In the very center, standing before the three Prince Gang members, a lone figure stood. One cloaked in pure black armor with a long flowing cape and a pair of jagged horns stabbing out of their helmet. The only color that came from their form was a powerful blue light that almost looked like living fire that gushed out of the spot where their eyes should have been.


    A single villain...


    It took one person to force the four Princes down to their knees.


    The figure in black stepped forward slowly, their blue eyes staring past the three cages. The eyes roamed over the kids before settling on the unconscious men that rested in Fire Prince''s cage. "Why did you kidnap adults?" A hollow voice rang out, echoing through the alleyway. One that held a great power behind it.


    Fire Prince glared down at the villain in black. "You came to us. You beat us all. You destroyed our soldiers. You ordered us to collect you people. You even gave them a point system. Adults were worth one while kids were worth ten. You were practically begging for us to kidnap a bunch of kids. Sadly, for you, I have my morals." He spat out a glob of hot magma. "If you have something against that, you''ll have to kill me."


    "I see." The figure turned away, not bothering to look at the three power Supers. Then he gave a simple order as if he were directing a dog. "Hell Hound, kill."


    Faster than anyone could move, Wind Prince''s head was torn off her body as a mace ripped through her. Standing behind her corpse, a large figure in jagged red armor made to look like a wolf stalked forward. Hell Hound twirled her mace and lazily blocked the spider legs that stabbed her way from Earth Prince. As soon as her weapon touched him, his extra limbs shattered and broke away, causing him to gasp in shock. He tried to turn his power back on but didn''t have time. Hell Hound smashed her mace down, slamming it directly into his head and caving his skull in.


    The cage and web around the kids faded away, causing their unconscious bodies to fall to the ground below, all mostly unharmed. Fire Prince raised his own arms up, ready to fight, but Hell Hound simply turned away from him and instead stalked to her master''s side. The cage he stood on shook, and he was forced to jump off as a large blue hand forged out of energy appeared beneath the cage, lifting it up. It wrapped its fingers around the coal, shattering it, and gently took the unconscious man into the center of its palm.


    "We''ll stay in touch." The man in the black armor threw his cloak back, revealing a white sword that he held. He grasped it with one hand and pointed it up to the sky. "I expect you to come when I call upon you."


    Fire Prince narrowed his eyes once more. "Who are you? You''ve shown up from out of nowhere. Just what the hell''s your name?"


    "The Emperor." The blade hummed and glowed. "Take me home, Avalon."


    And with that, the Emperor vanished with a quiet pop.

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixteen: A Boy Named Max

    "Are you ready to give up your evil ways and be a superhero yet!" Mermaid demanded.


    "Never!" Ruby Admiral announced. "Also! Get off me! You''re heavy!"


    "Are you calling me fat!"


    "Yes! You¡¯re really fat!"


    ¡°R- Really?¡± Mermaid asked, sounding a bit hurt.


    Ruby quickly shook her head. ¡°No! I lied! You look good as always!¡± The raven-haired girl said quickly. ¡°You got the super sexy hero body going on for sure!¡± She said, rubbing Mermaid¡¯s stomach and letting her bisexual fantasies run wild.


    Mermaid simply smacked her over the head. ¡°See. You took back your insult. A bad guy wouldn¡¯t do that. Face it, sister, you were born to be a hero.¡±


    ¡°No fair! You cheated!¡±


    Ruby Admiral squirmed a bit on the ground. She was flat on her stomach, tied up with thick ropes of water. Mermaid sat on the villain''s back and reached down, pinching one of Ruby''s ears and tugging on it. "You''re an adult now, Jill. You shouldn''t be playing silly games like that. Come on and just say you''ll be a hero, already! We can get matching costumes, and I''ll let you even be my sidekick."


    Ruby¡¯s hair ignited with a red glow, along with her eyes, which clashed with Mermaid¡¯s glowing blue hair and eyes. "I would rather die." The red-haired girl said flatly. "Ow!" She let out a yelp when Mermaid reached down and grabbed her other ear and began to tug on it.


    They got several odd looks from the other people in the building. After the incident with Water, what''s his face, her father had called the Hero Branch, who had come to check the boat out. The workers had been busy trying to find out where they should place many of the kids. Most of the children had been taken from the streets of various cities and didn''t have a home, and many had to be sent to a specialized hospital to help them recover. Some had even turned out to be Supers, which made it all the more of a headache trying to help them. The boy who had given her the coin she had used as a makeshift projectile in her duel with the Prince guy turned out to be one of those humans that gain powers during a stressful event. The boy could phase through stuff now and would likely be shipped off to some Hero Branch lab and either be turned into a hero or be used in some other way.


    She didn''t get to make sure any of them were okay either because her father had flown off, carrying her over to Rose City to meet with the head of the Hero Branch to discuss something. That was where she was now, face down, as her friend River tried to ''convince'' her to become a hero. They were down in the lobby of the Hero Branch building, which was bustling around with dozens of agents going in and out of the many elevators.


    "She''s as lively as ever." Off to the side, Full Monarch had been watching his daughter and her friend wrestle, but he turned when he heard the voice addressed to him. "How have you been, Jackson?" Legend, a member of the Enforcers, held his hand out toward the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. He was a short, dark-skinned man who wore what looked almost like ancient robes over his frail form. Despite his appearance, he was considered to be one of the strongest non-Lord Supers on the newly built hero team known as the Enforcers.


    Full Monarch let out a strong, hardy laugh as he grabbed the hand of his teammate. "Ah Legend! It''s good to see you! Oh, but could you just call me Full Monarch? I''m in costume after all!"


    "Yeah, but everyone knows who you are." Legend snorted. "You''re the soldier that defeated Lucifer. Hard to believe that was nearly fifty years ago now. My grandfather also fought in that war, and I was born a few years after it ended, you know." His smile faded as he looked toward Ruby and Mermaid. "So, how is she?"


    "What do you mean?" Full Monarch raised an eyebrow, though he was bad at lying and obviously knew what Legend was asking him.


    "Don''t give me that. You know what I mean. How has it been raising her?" Legend questioned.


    "Oh." For a moment, the hero''s ever-present smile vanished. He had to reach up and use his fingers to put it back on his face, and he grinned once more. It was part of his brand deal. He was required by sponsors to always have a smile present on his face whenever he was in a city. "It has been interesting being a father! It is something new I didn''t think I would get to experience!" He announced with fake joy.


    "Have you actually been raising her? I hear you''ve been all over the world." Most heroes were placed in a single city that they guarded, determined by the Hero Branch. Not Full Monarch though. The entire planet was under his protection. That meant when something went wrong anywhere, it was ultimately his fault for not stopping it. At least that¡¯s what the Hero Branch would tell him when he didn¡¯t arrive on scene quick enough.


    "We don''t have enough heroes that can protect the smaller places like towns or villages." Full Monarch explained, giving a shrug. "Someone needs to be there for them. Still, I try to take time off every now and then for Jill. She likes reading, so I try to find new books to bring back when I can. I don''t think she likes any of the ones I get her though."


    Legend nodded his head, but the small frown that was on his lips didn''t leave. "How long has it been now? Seven years? That''s it, right? It was seven years ago that we got the call about her. I remember it because it was around the time you decided to fully go through with your little plan. You and Sini created the Hero Branch around that point. All Supers felt it. A strange nervous sensation in the back of their head. A new Super had been found. That girl over there. It was like a new species of predator had been discovered. They tried keeping her in all sorts of places, yet she kept breaking out. Then a year later, we all found out why. Turns out she was your kid."


    "I was shocked as well when I learned that fact." Full Monarch said quietly. Currently his daughter had managed to flip Mermaid over and was now stomping the water-themed hero into the ground, stepping on her. "I had been in the middle of trying to stop an island from sinking when Sini called me and informed me of the fact that there was a child that matched my genetic code in one of their labs."


    "None of us ever expected you to be the kind of person that would have a kid." Legend smirked. "You were always so focused on other stuff ever since you took down Lucifer. I was a young boy during that time. Now here I am with my second kid on the way. He won''t ever be as strong as your kid, though, will he? Not even my first son will amount to anything when compared to your kind." His smirking slowly faded, and the man turned away, lightly punching Full Monarch in the shoulder. "Even amongst Supers, you Lords are freaks..."


    Full Monarch stood there quietly as Legend walked toward the exit and left the building, likely going back to his own city. A low buzz came from his belt, and the Lord looked down to find that his pager had gone off. "Jill." He called out.


    "It''s Ruby Admiral!"


    "I''m going up stairs, please don''t do anything too crazy."


    "No promises." Ruby shrugged and finally stepped off of Mermaid. Her father shot her a look, so she gave him her best innocent smile. ¡°I¡¯ll behave, daddy!¡±


    Finally, after some time of studying her, Full Monarch stepped into the elevator and made sure his cape wasn''t caught in it as it began to go up. No one had stepped in after him, so he had it all to himself. Cheesy elevator music rang through his ears, and he stared at his reflection in the metal of the doors. He brought his fingers up to his mouth and did his best to tilt them up, trying to smile. It was important to try and practice smiling. Humans were just now starting to get used to the way things had been before the war with Lucifer. Thanks to Mr. Sini and Avalon, Sini Corp was able to recreate large cities that held the world''s population in them. It had taken a little over fifty years, but humans were back to being on top. Many still feared the Supers, though.


    He still had so much work to do.


    "You can''t be serious?" A voice yelled out as the doors opened. "I get that you two care for their kind, but this is starting to get to be too much! You''re bending over backwards for them!"


    Full Monarch stepped out of the elevator and looked around. Mr. Sini had lots of buildings that had been made just for him. Rose, though, took the cake. It was a stone tower, one that had been standing since before even the war with Lucifer. The first floor was layered with dozens of statues of previous Lords that had fallen in combat, but most people didn''t know about it as Sini had covered that floor up and lowered the Tower further into the ground, creating a new floor that had served as the lobby where he and his daughter had been moments ago. Sini had forced the tower to operate with his technology. Besides being a Lord of the Sea, Sini''s powers had further evolved, and he had become a Mental-based Super that was focused on travel basics such as elevators and the like.


    This ability is what allowed them to create so many cities so quickly for humanity. It helped that Avalon was also by their side and managed to gather up dozens of other Metal-based users.


    The top of the tower was where Sini''s office resided. The man was the head of the Hero Branch, and his office showed it. Dozens of desks were scattered all about, filled to the brim with paperwork. Maps of various cities lined the walls, and dozens of TVs all playing different news channels hung up. It was a mess. In the very back, still trying to get through some of his work, Sini rested. In front of his desk, Harrison Avalon stood, glaring down at the Lord, whom he had once called his mentor.


    Sini had aged a lot. His hair was filled with grays, and his beard was always messy. The man had been old enough to have a son during the time of the great war with Lucifer. Sini had always been the oldest of the current Lords, and an extra fifty years meant that the man was now in his early one hundreds. Supers tend to stay youthful for longer than normal humans, staying in their prime until they turn seventy or eighty. Lords went above that, not only living for longer but staying youthful. Because of this, even though Sini was so old now, he still held some of his power and muscles. He certainly didn¡¯t look like an old man who would croak over dead at any second.


    Avalon''s eyes turned to glare at Full Monarch, who stepped out of the elevator, when the scientist heard it open up. "Jackson-"


    "It''s Full Monarch."


    "Whatever!" Harrison hissed. He pointed at the number one hero, then at Sini. "Can you try to talk some sense into him? His plan is utterly stupid! He wants to step down as the head of the Hero Branch and put all the humans in charge of it with no Supers on it at all!" Avalon was also well into his seventies yet didn¡¯t look a day over thirty, with slick-backed brown hair neatly combed. Avalon was just a normal Super, yet had seemingly been blessed with slower aging. ¡°This entire plan is doomed to fail!¡±


    Full Monarch nodded. "I''m the one who suggested it."


    "Why!"


    "Humanity suffered enough." Sini sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Lucifer managed to wipe out nearly forty percent of the human population with his army of Supers. The world still hasn''t fully recovered from that point. Right when things were looking up, a new threat showed up and ruined it all."


    "There was no way any of us could have foreseen something like the Beast showing up." Avalon said through gritted teeth.


    "Expect it or not, the thing showed up. Even after beating him, he still managed to take an entire city out with him. Then a few years later he showed up once again." Sini shook his head and nearly snapped his pen. "Supers have caused enough issues for mankind. Over and over, it seems like Supers and humans always end up at each other''s throats, and over and over again, Supers nearly wipe the human race out. We need to show them that it''ll be different this time. I trust humanity. I trust that if they are in charge of the Hero Branch, it will finally allow them to stand on equal footing with the Supers. It''s their turn."


    "That''s bullshit." Avalon turned to stare down Full Monarch. "So long as someone like him is alive, there is no way humanity would ever come close to standing on equal footing. Every human and every Super in the world could team up, and I doubt we''d win. He could destroy the planet a hundred times over, and no one could stop him. You don''t want the humans to be equal to us. You just want them to think that they are, so they won''t realize just how dangerous this guy really is."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Avalon-"


    The scientist walked toward the elevator, ignoring his mentor. He shoulder bumped Full Monarch, who didn''t budge. "I saw Nier recently." The scientist said quietly.


    Full Monarch¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise. "You did?"


    "Yeah... He had some pretty neat things to say regarding Supers." Avalon stared down at Full Monarch¡¯s hand, which wrapped itself around the scientist''s arm in a death grip. ¡°You¡¯re starting to hurt me.¡± The man winced.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Full Monarch demanded. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t seen Nier in years. Not since he¡­¡± Both Sini and Full Monarch looked down for a moment as horrible memories resurfaced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you shit. It was just a personal talk he and I had.¡± The Super forced himself free from the Lord¡¯s hold and began to head for the elevator once more. Avalon turned back to look at Sini once he reached the elevator. "You''re so scared that if things don''t change, Supers could wipe out humans, but I think there is something you''re not considering. No matter how many times it happens, no matter what Super it is, somehow the humans keep on living. Calamity after Calamity, no matter how many of their numbers are wiped out. Ask yourself this. Who are really the freaks?"


    Sini never had a chance to answer, as a second later the elevator door closed shut. The Lord of the Sea just let out another sigh. "Sorry about that. He doesn''t agree with some of the plans we''ve set up. A few Supers don¡¯t like the idea of us handing the keys to our kingdom over to beings they view as lesser than us.¡±


    "I noticed." Full Monarch took a seat in front of the desk and folded his arms. "Avalon is right, though. In a way, some of this has hindered Supers. I don''t fully agree with everything you''ve done. Whenever a Super is found, their only option is to either join the Hero Branch and be used either as a superhero or a worker or be labeled a villain. There''s got to be a better way."


    "Don''t get cold feet on me this deep into these plans." Sini said sternly. "Since we''ve taken over, the only Calamity level threat that has appeared has been the Beast, and now we''ve figured out how to fight and beat it. There hasn''t been another Lucifer in years."


    "Yes, but Nier-"


    "Nier wasn''t cut out for this. He''s already lost too much and couldn''t stand to lose more." Sini cut his friend off. "I gave him and Wano the same out. Neither of them wanted to be superheroes or use their power for the betterment of mankind. I allowed them to go into hiding and lay low so long as they didn''t use their powers. Even after what Nier did¡­ I couldn¡¯t bring myself to take him in.¡±


    "About that..." Full Monarch looked down at the ground and shook his head. "I think... I think Wano might be dead."


    "What!" Sini stared at his friend in shock. "What do you mean he''s dead?"


    "Well, I''m pretty sure my daughter saw the next Lord of the Sky and Weather."


    Sini felt a chill go through his spine. He looked down at a picture that rested on his desk. One of the Full force. Jackson, Nier, himself, and Wano all stared at the camera with a happy smile on their faces. They all looked so young and innocent. Jackson was barely twelve when the picture had been taken.


    ¡°My God.¡± Sini felt his shoulders slump. ¡°It¡¯s moving too fast.¡±


    Meanwhile, back downstairs, Mermaid had managed to flip herself back over and had Ruby in a chokehold, forcing her arm into the Super¡¯s throat. "Say uncle!"


    "I- I choose death!" Ruby gasped with an increasingly blue face.


    "So be it."


    Before Mermaid could land the finishing blow, the elevator door opened. The man that stepped out instantly caught her eye, and she dropped Ruby to the floor. "Is that Harrison Avalon?"


    "Who?" Ruby asked, looking up. A man with messy brown hair wearing a dirty lab coat with a pissed-off scowl on his face was the only person she saw stepping out. "That lame ass? Is he important or something?"


    Mermaid kicked her friend in the side, shooting the girl a dirty look. "He''s one of the Supers that fought in the war alongside my grandfather and your dad. He isn''t a Lord, but he''s still a war hero. Instead of becoming a superhero like my dad, he followed in my grampa''s footsteps and works for Sini Corp helping bring humanity forward. In only a few short years, they were able to reach beyond our planet and would have turned Earth into a spacefaring colony if not for the Beast."


    "Cool." Ruby said flatly.


    "I hate you."


    "No, you don''t." Ruby jumped back up to her feet right as Avalon walked past them, heading for the exit. "Yo, Avalon dude! Sup." She said, waving her hand. Avalon stopped in his tracks and shot a look toward her and Mermaid. Mermaid was dressed up in her hero costume, which was made to look similar to a bathing suit. Like Ruby, her hair and eyes changed color when she was using her powers, so she never needed a mask. Avalon studied the young woman before looking Ruby over, noticing the lack of a costume.


    "You''re Full Monarch''s sidekick, aren''t you?" The man mumbled.


    "I''m not his sidekick!" Ruby huffed.


    "Yeah! She''s my sidekick!" Mermaid announced.


    Avalon shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "I saw your father earlier, but I wasn''t really thinking straight. I didn''t bother asking why he came here, but if you''re here, I''m sure it must be something important, right?"


    "I guess?" Ruby lazily shrugged her shoulders and threw her arms back behind her head. "I took down a big shot bad guy all by myself. Bastard stepped up on my turf and had to be taught a lesson."


    "Weren''t you on his boat..." Mermaid asked flatly.


    "There was this other boy also." Ruby hummed. "He was kind of a jerk but sort of cute. Had lightning powers or something-"


    "Lightning powers?" Avalon cut her off and suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Did he tell you his name?"


    Ruby blinked a couple of times, taken aback by the man''s suddenly urgent look. His eyes were wide, and he stared down at her. "Yeah, I think so. He said his name was Max or something. Why?"


    "Damn it." Avalon cursed and turned away, marching toward the exit. "Of course he''d turn up now."


    Mermaid shot a look toward Ruby. "What was that about?"


    "No clue... Wanna follow him?"


    "I''m down."


    ***


    Max groaned and spat up some water as he woke up slowly.


    "Take it easy, kid. Your lungs are recovering thanks to my power, but your body is still a little messed up. I guess a villain on the level of a Prince is still too much for you."


    "It- It wasn''t the villain-" He barfed up more salt water and sand, feeling sick. "I got sneak attacked and thrown into the water. I used my power to take out his bird in one shot, but I''m still not fully immune to lightning yet and nearly fried myself."


    "Your body hasn''t adjusted to the power of a Lord yet, I guess." The voice hummed. "I''m not too shocked. When I became a Lord, it took a bit of time for my own body to get ahold of all that power, and I ended up messing myself up a bunch as well. Things like this happen."


    Max sat up fully, looking around. He expected to be in some back alleyway near Oleander or on the beach, but instead he found himself in an even stranger location. It was an endless field of white. Not snow, just pure color. The sky and the floor were just pure white with no color. He didn''t see any walls, the strange field stretching on as far as the eye could see. The ground was soft and a little bouncy. Almost like when he would use his powers to make solid clouds that he could fly on. He still hadn''t fully figured out how to fly freely like his father, Wano, could.


    Next to him crouched down was an older man. One with messy blonde hair and a bit of a beard that was growing in. The man had tired-looking red eyes and wore a dirty suit that was filled with tears and cuts. On the tip of the man''s finger was what looked almost like a fly, but as Max looked at it closer, he realized that it was actually some small drone-like robot in the shape of a bug.


    Max rubbed his head, easing the unconscious feeling away. "Mr. Nier, where are we?" He finally asked.


    "I was hoping you could answer that." Nier, Lord of the Land and Life, said letting out a soft chuckle. "I felt your life force fading and rushed over to try and save you. There was so much energy spilling out of you, and then the next thing I knew we ended up here."


    Max looked around some more at the endless field of white, trying to find any sign of something, but all he saw was nothing. "How long have I been out for?" He demanded, standing up.


    Nier shrugged his shoulders. "A few hours. Assuming time works the same as in here as it does out in the real world."


    "Why wouldn''t it?"


    "Your father didn''t just have control over the weather, you know." Nier flicked the bug off of his finger. "Just as the Lord of the Sea contains a deep creature within, the weather is often a tricky and mysterious thing. Humans conquered it and can predict it, and so that somehow led to the creation of a future sight-based power, which your father discovered. As far as I know, he was the first Lord of the Sky to have such an ability. He never really figured out how to use it, though. It''s possible that yet again the power could have evolved and changed within you."


    "Seriously? That¡¯s something that can happen.¡±


    Nier nodded his head. "I think it''s best to view it this way. Being a Lord doesn''t mean you''re a Super. A Super is someone who is no longer human and has gained supernatural powers. A Lord is someone who is no longer Super and has gone even further beyond the limits of humanity and started to step into the realm of Gods. I''ve noticed each Lord has shown powers that the previous couldn''t. No other Lord of the Sun has come anywhere close to my little brother Jackson''s level of power. I believe that the Lords are something else but can also be a Super. Sini is the best example of this. He gained a Mental based power. In other words, I think the reason Lord powers evolve and change is because current Lords all awaken other powers previous Lords didn''t by also becoming a Super. Just as humans can become Supers, Lords can as well."


    "So, wherever the hell we''re at, it''s because I''ve gained some new ability by nearly dying, right?" Max placed his hand down on the ground, pushing it in deeper. "If my dad had a power based on time, maybe I gained something that goes along with that and can make a new space or something? I know some powers can create pocket realms. If that''s the case, I should be able to cancel this."


    "Give it a try." Nier encouraged.


    Max closed his eyes and felt the spark of energy that was his core of power. It came surging out, and he felt his skin grow warm as lightning danced across his flesh. His hair stood up, and he could feel clouds begin to swirl around him. A blank, endless landscape was all around them. One in which he had somehow created. He was the master of his own power, though. Most of the Lords constantly used their battle mode, but not him. He didn''t like it. He was the one in control.


    Just him. It was the only way for him to ignore the voice. The one in his head that was constantly barking orders at him.


    With a pull, he forced it all back in, drawing in the energy that had escaped him. The white field around them shook and crumbled. Cracks appeared along the floor and in the sky, and then the next thing he knew, he was dropping. He crashed down face first into the sandy floor of the beach as water splashed against him. Nier landed on his feet and let out a low whistle.


    "Good job, kid."


    "Thanks, teacher." Max winced and pushed himself up. "It''s not enough, though. I need to keep training and get stronger. Or else I won''t be able to catch up to ''his'' level." He growled.


    Nier held his hand out to the younger man and smiled. "Let''s go grab a bite to eat. You''ve earned it."


    Max slowly reached up and took the hand, letting himself be pulled up. He followed after his teacher as they headed for Oleander''s docks. The moon was up in the sky, but there was bound to be a restaurant or two that was still open. He was lucky to have someone like Nier. The man had been there for him when he lost his father. The Hero Branch had been so busy they didn''t even notice what had happened to his father. They wouldn''t have been able to do anything about it, though, even if they knew. There was only one person who would stop that monster...


    It was going to be him.


    "So, how did the mission go?" Nier asked slyly.


    "It was just as you said, teacher." Max nodded. "Water Prince was shipping something to this city. I wasn''t the one who beat him, though. Some other girl did it." He sighed.


    "There was another Super on the same level as you?"


    "If you can even say we''re on the same level." Max said bitterly. He glanced down at his hand, watching as the sparks of lightning danced across it. "I think she was stronger than me. A lot stronger than me. She had hair that lit up like a Lord, too."


    Nier nodded his head and let out a hum. "The Lords¡¯ hair changes when they enter their battle mode. They aren''t the only Supers who can change their form, though. The Thaddeus clan are all born with an ability that allows them to transform. Most children of Lords also seem to have the ability to change and evolve their power. The important thing is that you made it out alive and got stronger. People like us are able to endlessly grow and evolve. Now that you possess the power of Wano, it is only a matter of time before you reach his level as well."


    "Then I can kill that damn bastard that stole my father from me." Max hissed out, his lightning crackling around him wildly.


    Nier looked up at the moon above as they walked. "The Emperor."


    "Huh?"


    "That''s the name of the villain that stole the life of your father away." The man explained. He reached into his pocket and tossed something over to Max, who caught it. The boy looked down at it, finding it was a flip phone that had the picture of a familiar-looking villain on it. One with glowing, fiery blue eyes cloaked in black armor. The villain was looking up at three other villains. The other Princes. "I was able to get this picture thanks to one of Avalon''s drones." Nier stated, holding his finger up once again and allowing the little robotic bug to land on it. "That villain is calling himself the Emperor. He''s a powerful threat, but so far, the Hero Branch hasn''t realized he exists. He''d have to be strong to take on a Lord."


    "I already know that." Max gritted his teeth and glared down at the tiny picture of the man in black armor. "I was there the night this bastard killed my dad. To take down my father, this guy must be on the same level as the Beast or something."


    Nier took the phone back, flipping it closed, and placed it back in his pocket. "I no longer work with the Branch. Like your father, they threw me out when I didn''t want to play ball with them. For the past year and a half, I''ve been training you and sending you out to fight these villains in order for the Lord''s power within you to evolve. As it stands right now, you''re still not as strong as Wano was, and until you are, I''m afraid fighting this villain would only result in your death. Luckily for you, I already have your next target in mind."


    "Who is it?" Max asked, punching his fist into his open palm. "I''ll do whatever it takes to get stronger. No matter what, I have to reach that villain and beat him with my own two hands!"


    "The Emperor has seemingly killed off most of Oleander''s villains but left one alive. Fire Prince." Nier turned to look back at Max and gave a sly smile. "You lost to Water Prince, and Fire Prince is even stronger. Do you think you can handle it?"


    "I will!"


    "Then hunt him down. Beat him. Evolve. Grow. Become the Lord of the Sky." Nier announced. "Reach the same level as your father. Only then will I allow you to face the Emperor."


    Only then would Max truly be useful¡­ After all, now that Wano was dead, Nier found himself forced to wait.


    He¡¯d have to make sure this Lord grew properly. He¡¯d sharpen his weapon until it was ready.

 Chapter One Hundred And Seventeen: The Man Who Wore The Cape

    "You can be a hero!" Full Monarch announced, putting his hands on his hips as he posed for the camera.


    The costume he wore was one of the first-ever hero suits to be created. It was almost pure white, with a few golden butterflies scattered about it and a long, flowing white cape that trailed behind him as he walked through the ruins of a city that had been reduced to rubble. With a wave of his hand, buildings began to put themselves back together, and the street was mended slowly. He wasn''t alone either. Following him were men and women in suits, or brown jumpsuits, who made a show of fixing the destroyed street alongside the first superhero.


    The city had been reduced to rubble after a threat that humanity had dubbed the Beast came down from the skies. It was during this commercial that the first ever mention of the Hero Branch would happen...


    Full Monarch turned back to the camera as the Hero Branch workers around him kept shuffling through the rubble. "Human or Super, we''re all Earthlings, and right now, we''re facing our greatest crisis yet. We need all the help we can get. Those with powers, and those without." He placed one hand on his hip and raised his other arm, pointing it out at the camera slightly. "I want you for the Hero Branch."


    Text appeared under him, flickering onto the TV screen. ''Please find the nearest Hero Branch recruiting station to find a job listing for you. Now urgently hiring. Paid positions available (Now starting at Minimum wage pay).''


    That commercial was nearly ten years old by now. Ten years since humanity first faced off against the monster known as the Beast. Ten years since the Hero Branch had been created and superheroes began to appear. Along with heroes, though, there were, of course, villains. Ten years since the public was forced to accept the fact that their cities had become the places of war.


    The TV flickered for a second before it slowly faded to black, shutting off. Jackson stared up at it from the desk he rested at. "Do you like heroes, sir?" He turned slightly when he heard the question. In front of his desk, an older man sat quietly, staring down at the ground sadly. "I guess it''s only natural that the youth would find them so interesting."


    "Oh, I''m really not that young, sir," Jackson said sheepishly, shaking his head. The truth was, he was likely way older than the man before him. He had noticed it after his final battle with the Super known as Lucifer. He had seemingly stopped aging. That had been nearly fifty years ago, and his fellow Lords like Sini, Wano, and Nier were all reaching the point in their lives where their own kids should have started to have children, and in Sini''s case, his grandchild would soon have a child of her own. Not him, though. He still looked like he was in his early twenties. Yet he also had a child of his own, one who seemed to do her best to be a pain in his ass. She was actually starting to look older than him now that he thought about it¡­


    The man stared at the TV above, looking at his reflection. "When I was younger, I used to think I could be anything. Part of me even wanted to be a superhero."


    "Is that why you''re here?" Jackson asked, giving a faint smile.


    "No." The man shook his head and his shoulders slumped down. "My home, my job, even the city block¡ªall of it was destroyed by Supers."


    "Surely I- Full Monarch fixed it, though, right?" Jackson asked with wide eyes.


    "He did, but the amount we were charged caused my job to lay off most of its workers, and I was one of the ones who got sacked. After paying for the repair tax for my house as well, I had no choice but to come sign up for the Hero Branch. You guys are always hiring, right?" The man asked sadly.


    Every major city had a hero. This was because the Hero Branch would place them there. The Branch got to decide which heroes belonged to which cities and which teams could be formed. They did this by creating a hero tax. All cities that had a hero had to pay a tax to keep that hero, which was how the Supers would earn their money. Cities could decide not to pay, and if that happened, the Hero Branch would simply not place a hero within them. Due to the number of villains that ran around, this basically meant every city was forced to have a hero of their own in order for them not to be taken over by crime.


    Battles between Supers could be large-scale as well, and so cities were also forced to pay a repair tax. In most cases, Full Monarch would use his power to try and fix the city after he battled in it, but the Branch would still tax the city for this since it took up his precious time. After all, the five seconds it took for Full Monarch to put a street back together could have been used for him to save a few more million people. This was something the number one hero didn''t agree with but was overruled on.


    After all, how else would the Hero Branch pay for all the costumes and bases for their Supers? The humans that all ran the Branch agreed that it was the best way to maintain a profit while helping out their fellow man. At least, that''s what they claimed.


    "We''ll find a place for you, sir." Jackson reached over the table, placing a hand on the man''s shoulder. He did his best to give a kind smile, but he was finding it harder and harder every day to keep it up. "The Hero Branch is here to help."


    The man gave a small smile and nodded his head. "Thank you, sir. I''m glad good people like you still exist in the world. We fellow humans have to stick together."


    Jackson felt his smile falter for a moment. "Yeah... Human."


    He wasn''t Full Monarch. Not at the current moment, at least. The Hero Branch would force him to take time off so that the other heroes could get a moment to shine and also so that the cities that didn''t pay their hero tax wouldn''t have him there to save them as a way to ''encourage'' them. During this time, he still wanted to help people, so he worked at a desk job for the Hero Branch. The Hero Branch worked in many fields and was always looking to put people to work, having basically formed a monopoly on every job they could. His job for the Branch was finding people who didn''t have work, figuring out what they were good at, and putting them to good use.


    Almost the entire world knew the story of Full Monarch, the strongest Lord of the Sun to date, the one who slayed Lucifer, and the only hero able to battle the Beast. Most didn''t know the man who wore the cape, though.


    As Jackson, he wasn''t in his battle form. As such, his hair wasn''t golden, nor did his eyes glow. His hair was also shorter. As Full Monarch, it was long and reached past his back, but as Jackson, it was short and held a reddish-brown color to it. He wore a simple suit and a pair of glasses and kept his shoulders slumped down. Full Monarch didn''t wear a mask and was almost always busy, so no one ever thought that the worker in front of him was that godlike figure. Even though pictures of the hero Jackson were constantly surfacing, many people refused to accept that anyone with red hair was the legendary Full Monarch. It made it easy to hide, despite his fame, for that reason alone.


    Jackson shook the man''s hand one last time. "Someone will give you a call back eventually, sir. I''ll make sure of it."


    "Thank you." The man gave another smile. "You''ve saved my family."


    He felt an actual smile come back onto his face. "No, thank you, sir. Our world needs people like you. You, and so many others, are the ones that keep our planet spinning."


    As the man left the room, Jackson felt his smile crack and fade. He pushed up on his cheeks with two of his fingers, forcing it back into place. The Hero Branch main office was filled with bustling people in suits who went to different desks, grabbing paperwork or slaving away on a computer. Today, he was in Lillian. He looked around at his fellow agents quietly. None of them actually knew who he really was and just thought that he was an agent that was shipped to different locations depending on where he was needed.


    "Laision!" Someone barked out, causing Jackson to turn toward the voice. It was one of the higher-ups in the Hero Branch. The man folded his arms and studied the young-looking worker before him up and down. "Your eight hours are up. Hurry and clock out. We don''t want you getting any unearned overtime."


    Jackson sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Right away, sir. I just need to drop off these files, and I''ll head out. I should be back here in a few months when you guys need my help again!"


    He dropped off his paperwork at the desk of one of the workers, making sure they got the file on his latest client and ensuring they''d call the man back once they found a job for him. Everyone was too busy to pay him any mind, and nobody bothered to walk him out as he left the office. He stepped out of the building and looked around Lillian''s streets. It was a pretty city, one that had been taken care of by Mermaid, Sini''s granddaughter.


    It was strange in a way. Even with battles between Supers going on, everyday life somehow kept going. The rich got richer, and the poor became poorer.


    Stealthily, he made his way to an alleyway, ducking out of sight. With his enhanced senses, he was sure there was no one around. The only thing in the area was Avalon''s fly drones, which were practically everywhere. Slowly, he felt his power bubble out. His hair rapidly grew, getting longer and longer until it dropped below his back and went from red to gold. His eyes almost seemed to set on fire, and his skin glowed with a faint light. His suit burned away and changed, replaced by his golden hero costume, and in an instant, he was gone, moving so fast that no one even noticed him blasting out of the city.


    In no time at all, he found himself miles away. Most of humanity had taken to living in massive cities created by Sini Corp, though there were still people who were too stubborn with their traditions and remained out in the world building small settlements and villages. Sunflower Village was one such place. It barely had a population of over one hundred and was the sort of place where everyone who lived there knew each other.


    It was almost the total opposite of a modern city with no technology to be found. The people wore old-fashioned clothes and built their village around a forest from which they harvested resources. All the buildings were log cabins, and the people walked around with axes made for cutting down trees or bows that they used to hunt deer. Places like these didn''t have a hero since they refused to join any of the cities, and the folks here tended to not like Supers. He tried to fly over villages and towns from time to time to ensure that they weren''t under attack from villains. Luckily, no villain knew about this place or simply didn''t bother with it due to how small and lacking of resources it truly was.


    A crowd had formed near the back of the village where a large cabin had once stood. Rubble was all that was left of the destroyed house, and the people glared at the group that was going through the rubble. A helicopter made a forced landing in the crowd, and several Hero Branch agents went through the destroyed cabin, looking for something. The villagers booed them and demanded that they leave, but the agents paid them no mind. Sini stood off to the side, out of the office for the first time in years. He was dressed in an expensive-looking suit and had his arms crossed behind his back as he watched the men work.


    "Did you guys find anything yet?" Full Monarch asked, slowly floating out of the sky and landing next to his fellow Lord. Sini quietly reached into his pocket and handed something over to the hero. Full Monarch took it and looked it over. It was a picture, one that had been taken with a modern camera. It was framed and likely had been on a nightstand. It showed an old friend. Wano smiled into the camera, his hand on the shoulder of a young, eight-year-old blonde boy. "That''s the boy I saw the other night. Well, he was older when I saw him. I tried to find him in the water, but it was like he vanished into thin air."


    "This is Wano''s home." Sini nodded toward the destroyed building. He held a somber look. "No body has been found."


    Full Monarch quietly pocketed the photo in one of his belt holsters. "Did the locals say anything?"


    "We haven''t been able to get them to talk," Sini said, shaking his head. "They aren''t fans of us. I don''t think they knew Wano was a Super, either."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Full Monarch looked around at the people in the crowd that glared back at them. "What was Wano doing in a place like this?"


    "He wanted to live a simple life." Sini sighed. "After the war, he figured it would finally be over, and he wouldn''t need to worry about anything. Then the Beast came... Nier wasn''t the only one affected. Wano called it quits. Like Nier, he went off the grid and vanished. I guess he moved out here with his kid."


    "How long has this place been destroyed?" Full Monarch frowned and folded his arms. "If that boy truly was the Lord, then that means..."


    "Wano''s dead." Sini winced and nodded. "We can''t say for sure. Not until we find that mysterious boy you saw. What we do know is that someone seemingly attacked Wano, and he''s now missing along with his pod. Every now and then, I''d use the Hero Branch to keep tabs on him and Nier and make sure they''re doing okay. Nier is always moving, and I can never figure out where he is, but Wano has been here for years."


    "If we''ve been keeping tabs on him, then why are we just finding out about this now?" Full Monarch demanded.


    "Because I ordered for it to be kept a secret." Someone stepped out of the helicopter. He was flanked by two men in heavy riot gear. It was a dark-skinned man with tied-back hair. He wore a white buttoned-up shirt and stood up as straight as he could, walking forward with his arms behind his back. He had a smile on his face, though it was the kind that was obviously fake, and his eyes barely held back the look of disgust that was held within them as he eyed the village''s people up and down. His nose even wrinkled a bit. Finally, though, he reached the two Lords and held his hand out toward the number one hero. "I don''t believe we''ve actually officially met, Full Monarch." His fake smile only grew. "My name is Ace Ward, and starting soon, I''ll be taking over as the head of the Hero Branch once Mr. Sini steps down. I guess that means I''ll be your new boss."


    Full Monarch hesitantly took the hand and shook it. "You kept the disappearance of a Lord secret from me?"


    Ward pulled his hand away and wiped it on his shirt. "I was the first to notice Wano''s place of residence has been destroyed. It was my idea to keep tabs on Wano and Nier. After all, strong Supers like your kind running around can cause quite a scare if they end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, I''ve had Avalon make a few of his handy little drones and scatter them around in places your kind goes. It helps ease the minds of humans if we know where you are. Roughly three months ago, however, while I was checking up on the drones, I discovered that Wano''s home had been destroyed. Wano''s lived here for nearly twenty years now. Sadly, the drone that was in this area was also destroyed, so I don''t know the exact time or date that it happened or what went down."


    "You''ve known for over three months that one of my friends could be dead, and I''m only just now finding out?" Full Monarch gritted his teeth and looked toward Sini, who had the decency to look a little guilty and flinch. Ward''s grin only grew.


    "I figured you were busy, and the information wasn''t a concern to you."


    "Want to try again?"


    Ward just gave a sheepish shrug. "You want another reason? The people here didn''t know he was a Super. As such, they didn''t know he was a Lord. Unlike you and Sini here, Nier and Wano weren''t as well known and could go into hiding. With the loss of a Lord, the villains are bound to look for the next reincarnation as soon as they can. By keeping it under wraps, we don''t risk them knowing that there is an inexperienced Lord out there somewhere, and it gives us more time to figure out what happened to him and find the Lord for ourselves. Maybe that''s actually my excuse. Or maybe I just don''t like your kind and thought it was funny that someone as strong as him died, and yet the world didn''t even notice."


    Full Monarch growled, but Ward ignored him, spinning around and walking back toward the helicopter. "So, what was your end game then? Now, we don''t know if Wano is alive or not or where his son could be. We also have no clue who did this!"


    Ward stopped and let out a hum, rubbing his chin. "I''ve read all of your files. Don''t you find it odd? After all, the Lord of the Sky discovered he could glimpse into the future after the battle with Lucifer. I wonder how someone snuck up on him to claim his life." The man got back onto his helicopter, closing the door behind him.


    "So that''s the new leader of the Hero Branch..." Full Monarch said bitterly.


    "You''ll get used to him." Sini winced.


    "I doubt it."


    Sini placed a hand on his friend''s shoulder and shook his head. "For now, we need to find out if Wano is actually dead. He''s strong. Second only to you, he was one of the strongest Supers on this planet. If a battle took place that could actually kill him, then surely this entire village would be gone. The young man you saw might have just inherited powers similar to him, like my granddaughter, who has powers close to mine despite not being a Lord."


    "There''s one way we can know for sure." Full Monarch looked out across the village all the way across the world, where Rose City would be. "That room that you buried under the ground in the tower."


    Sini''s eyes lit up, and he nodded his head. "The one with the statues of previous Lords? I didn''t even think of that. If he is alive, then there won''t be a statue of him up. We can check that way."


    Full Monarch turned back to the crowd of villagers and approached them slowly. Their yelling and boos grew. "Could anyone please-"


    "Get out of here!" A rock flew forward and bounced off his face, not hurting him. It was followed by hundreds of others and more insults.


    "We don''t want your kind here! No Supers allowed!"


    "The Hero Branch isn''t needed! We''ll settle this on our own!"


    "Your people aren''t letting us through! They refuse to let us clean up that destroyed building or do our own investigation!"


    Full Monarch watched as more rocks slammed against him and bounced off. "Please, I''m not here to start any conflict. I just want to ask some questions, and then we''ll leave-"


    "Conflicts? Your kind only knows how to start conflicts!"


    "If you were a real hero, you would have never let something like this happen!"


    "Take your people and leave!"


    "Yeah!"


    "Your kind aren''t wanted-"


    Golden fire blared out, causing everyone to jump back. It quickly died down, revealing Full Monarch. He wasn''t glowing anymore. His hair had shrunk back down, and his eyes no longer held a fire in them. His battle mode was off. Respectfully, he dropped down to a knee and bowed his head. "He was a friend. I fought alongside him. I loved him like a brother. He called this place home. Wano tried to live amongst you all. I just want to know what happened to him. Please. That''s all I''m asking. I just want to know what happened to a dear friend. If any of you know something, if for even a second he was ever considered a part of this village, then please tell me."


    Mutters went through the crowd, and slowly, someone stepped forward. It was a little old man who leaned on his walking cane. "Mayor?" Some questioned.


    The mayor of Sunflower stared down at the kneeling hero in front of him. "Wano lived amongst us for over ten years now." The man reached up and ran his fingers through his beard. "Our kind never wanted to be part of your group. We were just fine living out here by ourselves, making do without any help. He and his son Max were a quiet duo. They helped out from time to time. Wano mainly served as our village doctor. We never got attacked by Supers and lived out a peaceful life. Then, in the dead of night, it happened... I was doing a patrol of my village when I spotted someone I didn''t know. Someone I hadn''t seen before. He had the same glow in his eyes that yours do and had golden hair. I''ve never seen him before, but Wano had. They went back to his place. Then, later that same night, a horrible noise pierced the air. It woke us all up. When we came to check, we discovered Wano''s home had been torn down. We never saw Wano or his son again, nor that strange man. After that, your people started poking their noses in this mess. That''s everything I know. Now, make your people leave. Please. We don¡¯t want you here. We¡¯d like to be left alone.¡±


    Full Monarch bowed his head further down before he stood back up. He looked toward Sini, whose face had gone pale. The words of Ward were ringing in his head once again. Wano had the ability to see the future. He could see when something bad was coming. There was one exception to this rule. Powerful Supers were able to bypass this future sight. Someone would have to be as strong as a Lord to get to Wano and attack him while his guard was down.


    Or...


    They''d have to be a Lord themselves.


    A man with golden hair had come by. There was only one person they knew of. One who Wano would let his guard down around. The one they had all refused to take in on ¡®that cursed¡¯ night. Their dear friend.


    "Tell the Hero Branch to leave." Full Monarch ordered. His hair glowed once more, and he began to lift off of the ground.


    "Where are you going?" Sini asked.


    "To find Nier."


    ***


    "-and so, like, I bought the car! Isn''t that great!"


    "That is so great!"


    "I managed to get the house I wanted!"


    "OMG, I am so jealous, girl!"


    "All thanks to Howard!"


    Howard lit up a cigar and blew out a powerful puff of smoke as he listened to the women next to him ramble amongst each other. "You girls know I''d do anything for you." He used his teeth to bite off the head of his flaming cigar and began to chew it up. "That''s the only reason any of you hang around me, ain''t it? Cause I buy you all pretty shit." He spat out the extinguished nub and laughed. "It sure as hell ain''t because of my good looks, right!"


    The girls around him all cringed a bit and scooted away. He threw his arm over one''s shoulder, pulling her closer. He put another cigar between his lips.


    "Be a doll and light me up." He ordered. The girl obeyed, lighting the cigar up, and he once again puffed on it a bit before chewing the head off. The music of the nightclub blared out, and his eyes roamed over the bright lights, staring at all the dancers that were around them. They were seated in a VIP section he owned, and on his couch around him were five different ladies. Each one decked out in the most expensive things he could get his hands on. He was friends with the owner of the club. It was a place most would kill to get into, with many of Oleander''s underground getting wasted on booze and partying like there was no tomorrow. "It pays to be one of Howard''s girls, ain''t that right!" He grunted.


    "That''s right, Howard!" One of the girls spoke up.


    "Yep! You treat us well."


    "Keep buying me stuff, and I''ll do whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re all yours, Howard!¡±


    Howard spat out the head of the cigar onto the table next to a large pile of other cigars that had been forming throughout the night. "I own Oleander. Especially now that the other Princes are dead. Still pisses me off that prick actually tried to order me around." He grumbled. "I''d have liked to kill Earth and Wind myself. I''ll get the rest of my crew together and jump that armored fucker later. He even had the balls to call himself the Emperor as if he were putting himself above me. It ain''t right, is it?"


    "No, sir!" One of his girls cheered out.


    "You''ll take that bad guy down for sure!" Another agreed.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best Prince there is! If anyone can beat him, it¡¯s you!¡±


    "I have to." Howard gritted his teeth. "Evil isn''t something this world needs. I ain''t a good guy; I know where I''ll be ending up when my time comes, but I believe we still all have a code we should follow. I¡¯m bad, but I ain¡¯t evil. Not like that bastard. He was pure in every sense. Utter malice rolled up into the shape of a person. Even suggesting going after kids as some sort of fucked-up test? Seriously pisses me off. I made up my mind. I''ll call him later tonight and burn him down to ash. I''ll make that stupid-looking armor he wears so hot it melts onto his flesh.¡±


    "Well, don''t you have a vivid imagination?" A voice called out. Howard looked up and frowned when he saw who stood at the entrance to his VIP section. "Room for one more?" It was a young man with blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and electric blue eyes.


    "This place ain''t for kids. Go home." Howard huffed.


    The boy frowned and folded his arm. "I''m not a kid. I''m twenty-one."


    "You got a boyish face." Howard placed another cigar between his lips, and one of his girls lit it up for him. "And you''re small. Dangerous place, this. Some sick bastards go here, ya know. You¡¯d be what they call a beta-male-femboy. Some guys here are into that. If you don¡¯t scram, you might find yourself wearing a maid costume before the end of the night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The blonde boy trailed off, shaking his head. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be having nightmares of that, but speaking of terrible people that go here, I heard Fire Prince hangs out around this place.¡± The boy said casually. ¡°Know where I can find him.¡± Howard''s eyes narrowed. The boy just gave a smile and shrugged. "My name''s Max."


    Max studied the man in front of him up and down. Howard was a tall, muscular man with tanned skin decked out in tattoos. Things like flaming skulls, dragons, volcanoes, or bonfires. He wore an expensive white suit and had a large beard that was burned and reeked of smoke. His hair was cut short, giving him a mohawk, and each of his fingers was covered in golden-looking rings. They had letters across them, the one on the left hand reading out ''flame'' while the one on the right reading out ''princ'' and wasn''t able to fit the ''e'' on it.


    ¡°I have no idea where he could be. Nice rings, by the way.¡±


    Howard sucked the entire cigar into his mouth and began to chew on it, then swallowed it. "I''m not in the best mood right now. I''ll give you one chance to turn around and walk out of here. If you''re smart, you''ll leave while you still have a body that can be buried."


    "Did you know Water Prince was killed?" Max questioned. The girls all grew nervous as the young man reached out toward the table. It was littered with bottles of beer and plates with half-finished food on them. He took one of the forks and studied it casually. Howard snapped his fingers, and the girls around him all stood up and moved toward the exit. The music in the entire club suddenly cut out, and all eyes were fixed on Howard and Max. "I''m the one that killed him." Max lied. ¡°That make you mad, big guy? He was one of your teammates, wasn''t he?¡±


    "Nah. It doesn¡¯t make me mad. I¡¯d have killed the bastard myself if given the chance. You want an award for a job well done?" Howard grunted. The man¡¯s hands gripped down on the table so hard it began to crack and shake.


    "What I want is for your head to join his on my wall-"


    Howard''s couch exploded as the man threw a powerful punch toward Max. The attack never reached though as Max jumped back, dodging the strike. The force of the attack flipped over the table and caused his hair to fly up wildly. Screams broke out inside of the club, and people began to run for the exit as two Supers got ready to duke it out indoors. Howard winced and stared down at his arm, finding a metal fork was stabbed into it. The same one Max had picked up earlier.


    "Ya little bastard." The man''s teeth ground together, and flakes of coal began to gush out of his mouth. "I bet you''re working for that metal-armored bastard, ain''t ya? He must have sent you to finish me off, huh? Guess I''ve gone and scared him!" Howard''s skin began to change, growing rougher and rock-like as his suit started to rip and catch fire. His head grew longer and split open, and hot magma began to gush out, dropping to the floor below and catching it on fire. It was as if a volcano had come to life. His rings began to melt and drip down his fingers, forming back together into red hot knuckle dusters. "I''ll pound your skull in. Don''t fuck with a villain."


    Max just gave a smirk and raised his arms. Lightning hummed around him, dancing across his skin. "I hope you¡¯re watching, teacher. I''ll show you just how much I''ve grown, Nier!¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Eighteen: Monster

    Those with powers are known as Supers. It is because they can have Godlike abilities that people wonder if they are truly human. Despite that, though, all Supers still look like they did before they got their powers. They still look human.


    Some Supers, however, gain the ability to enter a state where their power is active at its peak, transforming their body into a new form. All Lords have this, calling it their Battle Mode, where their hair changes, and the children of Lords also have a similar state of power, only able to use their abilities when they transform and let their powers take over. The most famous Supers with transformations were the Thaddeus clan, who all became one with their Egos, making it unclear who was truly in control of the body.


    Fire Prince was much the same. The Ego within his power came bubbling out, transforming his body into a higher state that could utilize his power at its maximum. He stepped forward, more of his suit burning away and being eaten by the flames as they flickered across his skin. Across from him, on the other side of the dance floor, Max stood. The boy''s arms were up in a guard stance. He had changed his outfit from the diving suit to a basic white dress shirt and pants that practically glowed as bits of electricity popped into the air around him.


    "Who are you?" Fire Prince spat out.


    "Someone who doesn''t like villains." Max sneered at the bad guy. "Your kind will pay for what you did to my father."


    "You''re not in a costume, which means you aren''t a hero, right?" Fire Prince snorted. "If that''s the case, then by society''s standards, you''re a villain as well."


    "If the Hero Branch wants to stop me, they can try." Max and Fire Prince began to slowly circle each other as they walked across the dance floor, neither taking their eyes off the other. "I''ll use the power my teacher has drilled into me to stop you all and enact my revenge."


    "Teacher? Makes sense, I guess. You seem pretty stupid. I''m not shocked there is someone else pulling the strings." Fire Prince rubbed his chin, digging his rock fingers into the stone surface and causing magma to gush down his face. "Why don''t you think for a moment what happens when I die? I''m running this city. I go down, and suddenly, that leaves a hole in the power balance. We already lost the other three Princes. I''ve noticed more and more villains have been going missing. I''m guessing it has something to do with that armored man. He''s using you to get rid of his competition and clear the path himself."


    "You''re wrong. My teacher is Nier! The Lord of the Land!" Max rocketed forward at his top speed, lightning crackling around him. He used a boost of air to shove himself forward and rammed his feet directly into the stomach of Fire Prince.


    The villain let out a grunt and made a face as he was blasted back. All of his people had already evacuated the building, so he didn''t have to worry about slamming into any of them as he rolled across the ground and smashed head first into the wall. The entire club shook, and he gritted his rocky teeth, ripping his way out. Because the building was empty, he didn''t have to hold back. He brought his arms up and then rammed them down as hard as he could, shattering the floor and sending shards of glass everywhere. Magma exploded out of the ground, rising out of a series of cracks that expanded, heading for Max.


    Max felt an intense wave of heat hit him as all the air became hot. It got harder for him to breathe and focus, but he managed to use his power to shoot down an air current that threw him up into the air, avoiding the lava that flowed out. He reached the roof, grabbed onto a hanging light, and stayed up in the air. The heat of the lava still burned, though, and if not for his superhuman durability, he was sure he would have already been cooked. After becoming a Lord, all of his stats had shot through the roof, so he was no longer on the same level he had been when he first fought Stab Face. Despite how much stronger he had become though, he was faced with his strongest enemy yet.


    Fire Prince smashed his hand into the destroyed wall behind him and set fire to the shards of rubble, which he then threw at Max as hard as he could. Max hung from the light with one arm and raised his other hand up, pointing a finger out. Lightning blasted from the finger, going wild in the air and blowing the rubble up before it could reach him. Then he used the light to swing himself from side to side and jumped, boosting himself further with his wind, which allowed him to crash onto a spot on the dance floor that hadn''t been covered in lava yet.


    Fire Prince ran at him at full speed, more of his lava gushing out. The villain charged through the pool of magma, throwing a punch in the direction of the Lord of the Sky, who proved to be too fast. Max casually dodged the strike and punched out with his fist, leaving a large crack on the Prince''s side. Just touching him burned his hand and caused more lava to flow out. His lungs were aching, and his skin was starting to blister from the heat, but he didn''t stop and unleashed another lightning-fast punch to the bad guy''s gut.


    Fire Prince nearly threw up from the force of the attack but managed to stand his ground, swiping out with his palm and blasting a wave of fire. Max casually caught the villain''s wrist and lifted it up, causing the attack to completely miss and smash into the roof above, catching it on fire and filling the room with intense black smoke. Max rammed his elbow into the face of the gang leader, shattering the man''s nose and causing the Prince to howl.


    With one last desperate gamble, Fire Prince tilted his head, pointing the opening of his volcano head in the direction of Max. It was like a bomb went off, blasting out a stream of lava so intense it might as well have been a beam of energy. Max had no chance of dodging it due to how fast the attack was, so he did the next best thing. An actual tornado formed around his body, the air swirling and hissing as it caught the stream of magma and began to rapidly circle around Max''s body. With a flick of his hand, the stream was thrown back, hitting Fire Prince and covering his body in the lava. The air rapidly grew colder, causing the magma to grow solid and rough as it became hard rock, leaving Fire Prince encased in stone with only his head poking out.


    Max brought his other arm down, and the electricity in the air formed together into a bolt that dropped directly onto Fire Prince''s head, causing the villain to howl. "I would have beaten Water Prince if he didn''t sneak attack me." Max looked down at his hands, wiggling his fingers. Nier had sent him after dozens of villains already. The Prince was just the next step he needed to take to unlock more of his father''s power.


    "Stupid boy." Fire Prince gasped and groaned, catching his breath. "You can''t even see how you''re being used, can you-"


    Max rammed a fist into the stomach of the fire-based villain, causing Fire Prince''s eyes to roll back. "Shut up." Max cracked his knuckles, which caused the wind to twist and bend around his arms, almost forming into a drill made of pure air. "You don''t know what you''re talking about. Nier was a good friend of my father. He''s personally training me to take out scum like you. My teacher is one of the greatest Supers in... In... The..." The wind suddenly died out, and Max felt himself wobble back and forth. His body was sweating intensely, and his vision began to blur. His heart was beating wildly, and his lungs almost felt like they were about to explode. "W- What the hell-" He dropped down to his knees, grabbing at his chest.


    Fire Prince gave a wide grin and flexed his body, shattering the stone around him. "Looks like it''s finally kicking in."


    "W- What?"


    "When a volcano erupts, it unleashes a wave of gas made up of different elements. These fumes have rapidly filled the air and work almost like poison. Being a Super, it seems it took a while for it to kick in on you. Most humans would have died long ago." He reached down, grabbed Max by his ponytail, and picked the young man up by it. "If you were smart, you''d have taken the battle outside and not in an enclosed space like this. Between my vapors and the thick smoke from the fire, all I had to do was wait." He twisted his hand and threw Max into the air. As the Super began to fall, Fire Prince pulled his fist back and threw out a powerful punch. "This was never a battle of raw strength. ''Course, I am still freaking strong!"


    Max felt his face nearly cave in as the punch shattered his nose. He was sent flying back, slamming into the wall so hard the entire building nearly came down. Smoke covered everything by now, and his eyes stung as he tried to figure out a plan. Fire Prince stalked toward him slowly, his smirk growing.


    "I never liked the other Princes.¡± The man spat out. ¡°I was forced to work with them due to the power balance that had been formed. Now though, that armored bastard went and ruined it all." He reached Max and lifted his foot up, ready to bring it down. "I tried hard to keep my city in a peaceful state. I make sure the drugs don''t get dealt to the kids, and the poor don''t gotta suffer. Do you know how hard it is to be a villain with a moral compass? Then dumbasses like y''all show up and ruin my entire plan!" He brought his foot down with as much force as he could, using all of his strength in an attempt to crush Max''s skull. "Die!"


    Max flinched but then stopped when he felt the force press down on the back of his head. It wasn''t all that strong. He blinked and looked up at Fire Prince, who had a look of shock on his face. The villain''s rocky skin broke away, and his head reverted back to normal. All the lava in the room rapidly hardened and shattered, and the fire began to go out. Fire Prince''s power simply shut off, and like all non-Lord powers that had a transformation that suddenly meant he no longer had any ability.


    "What the hell!" Fire Prince glared down at his human hands, trying to force his power back on, but it didn''t work. His ability was refusing to activate.


    "Halt, evildoer!" A loud voice announced, speaking in a proud tone. Both Supers were no longer alone. Standing at the very back of the room, another Super arrived on the scene. "I''m here to take you down once and for all, Fire Prince! Young Dog stands before you!"


    "Young Dog?" Max made a face as he stared at the man on the other side of the room.


    Young Dog wasn''t that young... Sure, the man didn¡¯t look old by any means, he looked to be in his late forties or early fifties, but it was well known Young Dog was actually well into his seventies and only remained youthful-looking thanks to his good genes. He had mixed-colored skin, and his head was covered up by a military helmet. His entire hero costume was actually a military uniform, the kind a normal soldier would wear, but the color was off. It was bright white. So white it hurt people¡¯s eyes when they looked at it, and it was covered in hundreds of sponsor stickers all over it. A long cape flowed behind Young Dog, also covered in dozens of stickers and brands, and a belt of knives went across the man¡¯s chest.


    The son of the great hero Sini, a child of a Lord who did not possess any inherited power from his parents. Besides his enhanced strength, his only other power was one that neither his mother nor his father had. Young Dog casually ripped a knife out of his belt and threw it in the direction of Fire Prince, who was forced to block the throw with his wrist. The villain hissed out as the blade stabbed into his flesh and caused his blood to spill.


    "Why can''t I use my power? What did you do to me!"


    Young Dog smirked and drew another knife. "You''re under the effect of my ability. It can hardly be called a power; it barely works on the strong, but anyone as strong or weaker than me will have their ability shut off just by me being near them." The man twirled his knife between his fingers. "The Hero Branch sent me to put an end to the crime here in Oleander, and I have no intention of letting my father down. Oh, you might want to grit your teeth, by the way; my power isn''t working on that young man."


    Fire Prince spun around, but it was too late for him to react. Max was already back on his feet and ramming a punch directly into the man''s stomach with everything he had. The villain''s powers were shut off, his enhanced durability gone, and the strike literally tore a hole into him. Max didn''t stop there, though, forcing a powerful burst of wind out, which blasted the bad guy across the room, sending him smashing through the wall and out of the building, where his body fell to an alleyway below.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Max breathed heavily, still feeling as if his lungs were about to burst. He used more of his power, forcefully circulating air around his lungs, clearing them of some of the gunk as best as he could. He spat up coal and smoke and rubbed at his throat. "Thanks for the save-" He barely reacted in time, blocking the knife that was thrown at him. "Hey! What gives! I thought we were teaming!"


    Young Dog didn''t answer the hero and instead reached behind his cape, drawing a sword. He jumped forward with his enhanced strength, but he wasn''t fast enough to beat a Lord. Max easily blocked the blade, swinging his arm out, causing the weapon to shatter on it. Young Dog dropped his blade and pulled something off of his belt, throwing it behind Max. It was a bomb that went off, staggering Max as the blast hit him in the back. Before the Lord could try and recover, Young Dog grappled him by his arm and threw him to the ground, using his weight and strength against him.


    Max gasped as he felt Young Dog''s knee press down into his throat. "Who are you?" Young Dog asked sternly. "Answer fast if you still want the ability to talk."


    Max pressed up with his strength, causing a layer of air to blast off of him, shoving the hero into the air. Young Dog spun and landed back on his feet, throwing another knife at Max''s head, which bounced off of the hero''s flesh. "Knock it off, man. I''m here to deal with the villain, not you."


    "You''re not a hero." Young Dog growled, drawing two more knives.


    "No. I''m not. You guys didn''t help my father when he needed it most and don''t deserve my help." Lightning crackled between Max''s fingers, and the wind caused his air to flow. "I don''t care about whatever silly little war you guys have. I''m more focused on my own goal, so stay out of my way!"


    The two got ready to charge at each other once again, but both stopped when the entire building began to rumble and shake. Then they felt a wave of intense heat coming from the hole that Fire Prince had been thrown into¡­


    ¡°We should deal with that first though.¡± Max said flatly.


    Young Dog¡¯s grip grew tighter on his knife. ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Outside, down in the alleyway, Fire Prince spat up a lake of blood. His body was broken and shattered, and his organs had been destroyed by that last punch. He could barely transform his body now that he was out of Young Dog''s range, which was the only thing stopping him from dying instantly. Despite it, though, his body was literally falling apart, and he had no way to stop it.


    "I- I can''t die." He dug his fingers into the ground, heat flowing off of him. "I worked so hard. I reached this point all on my own! I became a Prince. My city. My Oleander." Parts of him crumbled and broke away, and as he raised his head a bit, he found himself looking up at someone. "I- I don''t want to die."


    "Would you like for me to save you?" In front of Fire Prince, someone stood. A person who had been waiting for the villain to be left in such a state. Black, jagged armor covered his form with twisting horns and a cape that flowed behind him. Fiery red eyes stared down at the broken body of the villain. The Emperor reached down, placing his hand on the head of the villain. "Do you want to live? Then submit. Accept my gift. My power."


    Fire Prince felt something course through him. The Emperor''s hand almost seemed to glow with a faint reddish-pink light. Flowers began to bloom all over the man''s armor, wrapping their vines around Fire Prince and digging into his body. The villain gasped and felt his eyes roll back as he collapsed to the ground. The flowers dug their way into his body, attaching themselves to him. His damaged body began to repair itself, the flesh coming back together and his bones snapping back into place. Then he felt a strong stabbing pain right behind his eyes. His head began to pulse, and he felt something snapping away inside of his skull.


    Thoughts got harder to form. He was having a hard time recalling what was happening. Who he was, where he was¡ªall he could tell was he was in pain. It wasn''t just physical but something beyond that as well. The soul, the Ego, whatever you wanted to call it, the balance was being broken. The two Egos that made him up were fighting to the death. The power was devouring him and breaking him. Mutating and evolving, it destroyed the part of him that was still human.


    Then he stopped being human. He stopped being a Super. He changed. He grew. He twisted.


    From the hole in the wall, Max crashed out, carried by a wave of wind. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Fire Prince on his knees, kneeling before someone else. "You!" Max felt his lightning flare up as he stared into the red eyes of the villain who had ruined everything. "You''re the one that took my father from me!"


    The Emperor didn''t even bother to look at him. Instead, the man in the armor turned his back and whipped his cape out. Max went to take a step but stopped when he heard the hellish scream Fire Prince let out. The man was clawing at his face, his eyes wide. His body began to change like it did when he powered up, but something was very wrong. Instead of stone forming across his flesh, his skin instead began to crack and bleed as if part of him was becoming like stone. It wasn''t lava that flowed out, though. It was blood. Bubbling and red, it hissed and smoked. Boiling blood was flowing from all the cracks in his flesh. The top of his head also began to tear and split, and his skull jutted out, opening up like the head of a volcano, more blood gushing down. His eyes twisted and formed together, becoming a single orb in his head, and his teeth and nails grew longer, becoming fang-like.


    He had become a bleeding volcano...


    The villain hissed and bared his fangs, and the boiling blood that flowed from his body fired out like a bullet. Max tried to react in time, but before he could, Young Dog jumped in front of him, swinging out with a shield that blocked the stream of heated liquid. The hero had a heavy frown on his face as he stared at Fire Prince. "Something''s wrong."


    "You think?" Max retorted. He glared past Fire Prince and followed the movement of the Emperor. The villain had his back to them both, not even bothering to turn to look at them. "We have to stop that man-"


    "I can''t turn either of their powers off." Young Dog winced. "I''m pretty good at telling how strong someone is. That''s how I know if my power will work on a person or not. You and that armored guy are too strong for my field to shut your powers off. Fire Prince, though, whatever form he changed into, he didn''t actually get all that stronger. I should be able to use my power on him, but it''s not working."


    "What are you saying-"


    Fire Prince howled like a mad beast and dropped to all fours, clawing his way toward them. Steaming blood twisted its way out of his back, cracking through the air like whips, causing the hero and the Lord to jump back, barely dodging the strikes. "It means he doesn''t have a form to revert back to!" Young Dog yelled out. "Whatever that guy did to him, he changed him into something else! I can''t shut off his power because all he is now is his power! A Super without a mind, it''s like he inverted his power so far to the max that it destroyed his humanity!"


    The blood ignited and twisted, becoming a large spear, which the villain chucked out. Young Dog had a shield on his arm, which he had unfolded earlier, but he pressed a button and caused it to fire toward the spear, dissipating it in a burst of flame. He reached into his belt, pulling out a grappling gun, which he fired into the air, zipping up and allowing him to flip over the villain. Max, on the other hand, jumped in the direction of Fire Prince and compressed all the wind to a thin, sharp point, slashing out with his hand and cutting into the villain''s torso, splitting him in two.


    As Fire Prince''s body fell into pieces, the blood flowed out and wrapped around his lower half, forcing the two halves back into place. The villain let out another hiss, and his skin changed once more. It began to gain black fur all along it, and a pair of large bat-like wings stabbed out, allowing the villain to take to the sky, where he flew after Young Dog.


    "Did he just become a freakin¡¯ vampire!" Max yelled in shock. ¡°What the hell is going on!¡± The man didn¡¯t just change. It was as if a brand new power or Ego had been forced into Fire Prince¡¯s body. Normally Supers had two Egos. The human half and the Super half, but now with Fire Prince, a new Ego had been forced into the equation, which devoured the human half, leaving just two powered Egos to run the body. There was no humanity left. ¡°Look out, hero! He¡¯s coming for you!¡±


    Young Dog felt his line snap as the villain flew past him and sliced up with a pair of long claws. The hero began to fall to the ground and twisted his body, causing him to fall back first into a trash can. Fire Prince slammed down, folding his wings up, and clawed at the hero, but before his attacks could land, Max fired a bolt of lightning in the direction of the monster. Fire Prince was still growing and evolving though, and the villain¡¯s eye narrowed, allowing the monster to step to the side just in time to dodge most of the bolt. Some of him was still hit, though, and his teeth clenched down as his nerves went haywire, causing his body to shake.


    Young Dog drew his knife and sliced up with it, ramming it directly into the eye of the villain, blinding him. The monster screamed out and punched out, hitting the older man head-on and nearly snapping the man¡¯s neck. Young Dog was thrown back, rolling across the street, and would have crashed headfirst into the wall of the alleyway, but Max managed to slow his momentum with a wave of wind. This left him open, though, and before he could recover, the bat-like creature pointed in his direction as its eye mended. A thin beam of superheated blood launched out, blasting directly through Max''s chest and causing the teen''s eyes to go wide as he spat up a glob of blood.


    Max crashed to his knees, clutching at his chest. One of his lungs had been hit, and he still hadn''t fully recovered from his earlier fight. Young Dog was out for the count from the punch as well. It didn''t look too good, and he could hardly focus on his powers now.


    Fire Prince howled and charged toward the downed man. "Do not kill him." Fire Prince stopped and glared back to the end of the alleyway where the Emperor stood. The villain stared down his newly created monster. The monster narrowed its eyes and growled. "I made you, and I will unmake you. Do. Not. Kill. Him."


    Fire Prince bared his fangs but slowly backed down. The thing almost acted like a dog, letting out a low whine as it pulled back. It eyed up the unconscious Young Dog and shot a look back toward its new master, who had nothing more to say. Sensing that the hero wasn''t off limits, it began to charge toward the downed Super, ready to rip out Young Dog''s throat and feast on his flesh.


    "No!" Max spat up more blood and tried to stand, but his knees didn''t obey him. "Don''t!"


    Fire Prince reached the downed hero and clawed out with his fingers, the blood twisting around them. He never got the chance to land the attack, though. A glob of water appeared in the air next to him and ripped off one of his hands, causing him to howl in pain. His wings expanded out, allowing him to take to the sky, and he glared up at the roof where two new figures stood.


    Mermaid glared at the monster that had almost taken her father''s life and caused sharp blades of water to stab down. They tore through Fire Prince¡¯s wings, causing the bad guy to collapse from the sky and crash face-first into the alleyway.


    "Looks like we made it just in time." Standing next to the hero, Ruby Admiral stepped off of the roof they were on and landed down next to Max down in the alleyway. She was followed shortly by her friend Mermaid. "Hey, you''re the boy I saw." She reached out, tilting his head as she looked him over. "Guess I''m saving you again."


    "Again? I saved you first!" Max hissed out.


    "Max!" A third voice joined them, and the blonde boy turned, finding a familiar face had run into the alleyway. Harrison Avalon breathed heavily and walked toward the boy. "Thank the Lords, you''re okay."


    "Okay isn''t the word I''d use." He winced, clutching at his chest.


    Avalon dropped to a knee and began to look the boy over. "It''s bad. None of us have a healing power. We''ll need to get you help, ASAP!"


    "It''s fine." Max shook his head. "I''ll just get Mr. Nier to help me after this is all over."


    "Nier?" Ruby threw her arms behind her head and hummed. Her eyes wandered the alleyway, staring at the weird bat monster that was putting itself back together and the man who stood behind the monster, coated in his black armor. "Who are these guys anyway? Some bad guys on my turf?"


    "You don''t even live in Oleander!" Mermaid yelled. She was crouched next to her father, checking the man over. "Dad? Are you okay?"


    Young Dog groaned, opening his eyes slowly. "R- River?"


    "It''s okay, Dad. I''m here."


    Ruby''s red eyes locked onto the Emperor''s, and for a moment, the two stared at one another, almost sizing each other up. The bat monster hissed and finally stood back up, fully healed. "River, take the others and get them out of here." Ruby ordered, walking forward.


    "What? It''s a two-on-two; we can take them out together-"


    "I''m not playing." Ruby didn''t look back at her friend, keeping her eyes locked onto the man in the black armor. "That one''s dangerous. This isn''t a game anymore. I''m going to hit him as hard as I can. I don''t know who he is, but I have a bad feeling that if I don''t stop him here, then I''ll have made a seriously big mistake."


    Fire Prince jumped toward the girl with glowing red hair, expanding his body. He grew in size, and his blood stabbed out wildly, going nuts. In an instant, though, it was over. The entire alleyway exploded, and the buildings were knocked over as Ruby Admiral punched out with everything she had. Avalon and Mermaid barely had time to jump in front of Max and Young Dog, shielding them as debris blasted in all directions. Fire Prince was reduced to less than mist, vaporized as a gigantic thunderous boom echoed out for miles.


    Steam and smoke rose from Ruby''s fist, and the sleeve of her shirt was completely gone. A massive crater was in the ground beneath her from where her punch had landed. The Emperor stared down at her, completely unfazed. "So, Full Monarch decided to get good work out of you, I see." The Emperor''s voice came out twisted and echoed in his helm.


    Ruby smirked and ripped her fist out of the ground, pointing at him. She placed her other hand on her hip and tilted her head back. "I like your drip. I''m taking it. Give me your armor! I claim it as my own now!"


    ¡°No.¡± The Emperor said flatly.


    The newest threat to face Earth that called himself the Emperor was about to take on the self-proclaimed number one villain who called herself Ruby Admiral.


    A battle of pure evil and self-realized justice was about to take place.


    Meanwhile, beneath the Rose City Hero Branch Tower, Full Monarch silently stared at the statue of Wano¡­

 Chapter One Hundred And Nineteen: The Daughter

    "She was living in an orphanage for twelve years of her life. The people who ran the place claimed they had just woken up one day and that she was on their doorstep. Until recently, they didn''t know she had powers or who her parents were." Sini muttered quietly. "I didn''t think you had it in you, Jackson."


    Full Monarch didn''t say anything. He simply stared past the glass window that was in front of him. He stood in a hallway, more specifically in a Hero Branch lab that was made for holding rowdy Supers. In a holding cell, a young twelve-year-old girl slept on a bed. Dozens of tubes ran along her form, all pumping in medication that forced her into a slumber. The room was filled with cracks and small craters, and the bed shook every now and then as her body rapidly fought off the substances in her system.


    Even unconscious, her hair almost looked like it was made of scarlet fire.


    "Jill Laision," Sini spoke up. "That''s her name. Some of our agents found her after she blew up part of her school in one punch. She hasn''t been very cooperative and has made dozens of attempts to escape. Normally, we''d throw her in one of our prisons, but I doubt they''d actually be able to hold her. She has strength that surpasses almost every Super on this planet. Only the Lords seem to be able to stand above her. I got suspicious, so I ran a few tests. Guess what I found?"


    "She''s my kid, right? That''s what you want to tell me." Full Monarch asked casually.


    "So, you already had an idea of this?"


    "One time. There was a single time that I ever found myself craving the need of another person. I can''t really recall her name. It had been at a bar. I was a little down after failing to stop an island from sinking and had gone in my human form. I never thought I''d see or hear back from that woman, but yet here we are now." The world¡¯s strongest hero admitted, almost sounding a little ashamed.


    Sini sighed and shook his head. "Do you have any idea what this could cause? Supers already resent the Lords and how far above us you''ve become. My own son never showed an ounce of power close to this. Nier''s child, when she had been born, didn''t show signs of power on this level either. It''s possible she could have reached that level maybe one day, but... Anyways, it seems you''ve once again outdone us all, Jackson. You''ve had a child with a non-Super who is far beyond what any Super will likely ever be able to do. Seriously, are we even the same species?"


    Full Monarch placed his hand on the glass, staring at the young girl. "I never meant for something like this to happen."


    "Most parents are never ready."


    "It isn''t that." Full Monarch shook his head. "I never wanted to have a kid. She''s already so strong. What happens if she decides not to be good?"


    "Well, we have you to stop her."


    "And what if I''m gone?" Full Monarch questioned. "Or worse. What if I lose her? I saw what happened to Nier and how it broke him. What if something like that happens to me? What if I''m not strong enough to protect her and the world? It would have all been so easy if all I had to protect was nameless faces I''d never see again. Now... Now I have a weakness."


    "You shouldn''t think like that." Sini reached out and punched his friend in the shoulder. "She''ll be up soon. I think it''s best if you talk to her. You''re one of the only people who can get close to her safely."


    Full Monarch nodded and bowed his head as his friend began to walk away. "There''s just one thing that''s bugging me." He said quietly.


    "What''s that?" Sini asked.


    ¡°Nevermind¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    He didn''t say anything else and instead walked forward. The wall twisted and unfolded, forming a door for him, allowing him to step into the room where the sleeping girl rested. He arrived just in time, as her body had finally built up an immunity, and her eyes began to open slowly.


    Then she began to thrash around. Wires were ripped out of her, and the bed cracked and shook as she shot up. Her hair glowed brighter, and she glared up at the person who was in her room. Her mind hadn''t fully woken up yet, and she didn''t even process the fact he was wearing a hero costume. "Who the hell are you!" She demanded. ¡°Where am I!¡±


    Full Monarch folded his arms up and did his best to put on one of his trademark smiles he was becoming well known for. "Turns out I''m your father."


    "Huh!" Instantly, all that anger and fear vanished from Ruby as the girl collapsed back in shock. It was replaced with confusion, and she finally noticed the symbol of a butterfly that was placed on the man''s chest. This man was Full Monarch. "T- That''s not a funny joke!"


    The man looked her up and down. "Something has been bugging me though."


    "Bugging you! I''m the one freaking out here! What do you mean you¡¯re my dad!¡±


    He rubbed his chin as his eyes roamed over her face. "Why are you twelve?"


    "Because that''s how old I am?"


    "I guess that makes sense." He hummed and shrugged. "That just confuses me, is all."


    "Why?"


    "Because... The only woman I''ve ever slept with, the only possible night it could be, that happened fifteen years ago."


    After that, the media went wild. It was all over the news for days. The newest sidekick to the number one hero, Ruby Admiral. They even made a costume for her, which she never ended up wearing, and a fake commercial of her flying through the sky with her father when she couldn''t actually fly... Less than a year later, all mentions of a Ruby Admiral vanished when she was never seen alongside the number one hero. There were rumors, however, that a new villain had suddenly appeared who was using the name, though most agreed she was harmless.


    Now, nearly eight years later, that young girl stood before a threat that might one day rival her father. The Emperor''s red eyes roamed over Ruby''s face, studying her. She had a sly smirk on her face and a hand on her hip, pointing up at him with the other.


    Behind her, on the other side of the alleyway, Mermaid, Young Dog, Max, and Avalon were all frozen in place. The strength that rolled off of Ruby Admiral and the Emperor had left them all stunned, unable to get their bodies to move for fear of what would happen. It was like being between two massive storms that, for some reason, wanted to box each other.


    "Are you not going to say anything?" Ruby called out. She began to walk up the crater toward the warrior in black armor. "That''s okay. You don''t have to talk. I like the sound of my voice too much to give you any lines, so this works out. I''m just going to hit you as hard as I can and see if I can shatter that stupid helmet you''re wearing. Maybe once I have cool spiky armor like you, people will take me being the number one villain seriously."


    "What a failure you turned out to be." The Emperor''s voice managed to freeze the young girl in her tracks as it echoed around the alleyway and stabbed into her.


    Her smirk faded, and she gritted her teeth, balling her hand into a fist. She stepped forward, appearing in front of the villain with blinding speed, and she twisted her body, putting all of her weight and force into the strike. The punch ripped through the air and came out hard and fast. The Emperor didn''t bother to block or attempt to dodge it. He didn''t need to. He had his faithful hound with him, after all.


    The force of Ruby''s strike suddenly stopped, and her eyes went wide as it collided with something that appeared in front of the Emperor''s head. It was a metal mace, twisted and jagged. Someone stood next to the Emperor now. They knelt next to the man and had raised their weapon up just in time to use it as a shield. They wore blood-red armor that took the shape of some type of wolf and, with ease, had stopped Ruby''s best attack.


    Ruby made a face and pulled her hand back, clutching at it. "Ow, ow, ow!" She whined. That mace had nearly broken her hand, and in the process of punching it, the spikes had dug into her knuckles. "What is that thing made of! That actually hurt-"


    Hell Hound spun the mace around and slammed the butt of it directly into the stomach of Ruby Admiral. It didn''t hit hard, not nearly as hard as some of the things Ruby had gone through, but somehow it hurt more than anything else she had been hit by. The force of it was enough to drop her down to her knees, clutching at her gut and gasping. She looked up just in time to see the Emperor''s hand glowing and crackling with energy as it went to grab her face and use his power.


    Before he could make contact with her, though, she flicked the ground, exploding it with all of her strength and causing a crater to form that dropped her down. She rolled back and got back up just in time to raise her arms up and use them as a shield. Hell Hound''s mace crashed out of the dust cloud as the villain in red armor swung it with everything she had. Hell Hound was strong, though not nearly on the same level as Ruby. It simply didn''t matter, though. Even with strength far weaker than her opponents, her mace once again dug into Ruby''s flesh, the spikes biting into it and ripping chunks out of it, nearly breaking one of the girl''s arms.


    Ruby gritted her teeth and fought through the pain, kicking out with her leg and ramming it into Hell Hound''s side. This time, the villain wasn''t able to negate the force and was sent crashing into the wall of the alleyway, shaking the entire building and smashing through it. Ruby jumped further back, gaining some distance from the two evildoers and landing back near her own team. She winced and rubbed her arm, trying to stop the bleeding.


    "Are you okay?" Mermaid asked in a panic.


    "Not really."


    Mermaid used her powers to wrap the limb up with water, doing her best to ease the pain for her friend. Young Dog managed to stand up and support Max with the help of Avalon. The older hero had a look on his face as he stared at the armored man who still hadn''t bothered to step after them. "That girl in red. She was like the villain you killed earlier. Her body was changed. I can''t shut her powers off."


    "Worse yet, I think she has an ability similar to yours," Ruby complained. ¡°It¡¯s negating my durability and strength when she hits me.¡±


    From the destroyed wall, Hell Hound ripped her way out, walking in front of her master and glaring at Ruby. At least she thought the villain was glaring at her. The woman was covered head to toe in armor, covering even her eyes. "Alpha started on the task you sent him on. With the help of Golden God, they should be reaching Mars by now." Hell Hound''s voice came out as a low growl and hissed through the air. "Do you have any other orders for us, Master?"


    Ruby picked up a rock and flicked it toward the woman, who easily blocked it with her mace. The force of the rock had been the same that she used in her battle with Water Prince, yet just like when she punched the mace, it all vanished and faded, the tiny pebble shattering to dust when it hit the metal. "You also have some pretty cool armor, you know." She called out. "You guys are clearly on a time limit, and since you just mentioned someone called Alpha, I''m guessing that there''s more of you bastards, right? So, what are you guys called?"


    "The Organization." Ruby jumped a bit when she heard Avalon speak up behind her. The scientist had a strange look on his face as he stared back at the Emperor. "Nier told me a bit about them. Sini and I had been looking into the group before Sini went and gave all our information to that Ward bastard, and he shut us down. What we were able to find out, though, was that they''re a new up-and-coming group. For the last year and a half, Supers have been disappearing. These guys have been responsible. His power does something to a person. It changes and alters them, I think. Those he can control, he''s taken, and those he can''t, he''s gotten rid of. Recently, it seems he''s even gained enough power to go after a Lord."


    "He killed a Lord?" Mermaid asked in shock.


    Young Dog felt his body shake a bit. "The only one I can think of is Wano." He glanced at the blonde kid next to him. "So, then you''re..."


    "I''m Wano''s son." Max hissed out. He glared at the armored man with pure hate. "That man killed my father! He knew he would never have the power to control a Lord, so he came to get rid of him. He might be a new villain, but if he isn''t stopped, he''ll become a threat to everyone."


    Ruby placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward toward the two bad guys. "So, you guys think you can just take my spot as the number one evil baddie? Sorry, but if anyone is going to take this planet over and put all the villains under their rule, it''ll be me." Her eyes locked onto Hell Hound. "I''ve already figured out how you work. You''re a little strong, I guess, but your real power comes from that mace. It can negate my enhanced durability and works as a shield, blocking my strikes. All I have to do, though, is hit around it and land a blow on you, and you''re toast. Think you''re ready for my blinding speed?"


    She was about to take off at top speed toward the two but stopped when the Emperor finally spoke once more. "Why are you claiming to be a villain? Why do you want to be a villain? Weren''t you raised by Jackson?"


    Ruby made a face and shook her head. "Are you kidding me? Why the hell would I ever want to be a superhero? Name one superhero that is happy?"Stolen story; please report.


    "I''m pretty happy..." Mermaid flinched when Ruby shot her an unconvinced look.


    "Heroes had their chance to make it look cool, and they didn''t excite me." Ruby stepped forward, cracking her knuckles as the Emperor stared her down. "It''s only natural that I''d pick a different side, right? Don''t go thinking that means we can team up or whatever, though. Villains can work alone, they don''t have to worry about failing and can do whatever they want. I''m claiming this city in the name of Ruby Admiral! So that means you need to leave and never come back!"


    "Very well."


    "Yeah, I knew you wouldn''t want to leave, so- Come again?" She froze and stared at the man as he turned his back on her. "Wait! I was kidding! You''re really just going to leave! You can''t do that! We need to have a badass fight!"


    The man began to walk down the alleyway, getting further away from them. She went to move after him, but Hell Hound blocked her way. The Emperor kept his arms folded behind his back and over his cape, as he felt his mind connect to someone else. "We''re done here, Alpha. Open it up."


    A loud crack echoed through the city around them. A swirling mass of blue suddenly spilled out. It was as if the air had come to life, charged with living lightning. It circled around itself, forming into a portal that shattered the space in front of the Emperor. A wormhole. Similar to means of teleportation but much worse.


    Max let out a loud scream of rage and threw himself forward, firing out a blast of wind toward the Emperor, which Hell Hound easily blocked. "Don''t let him get away!" He yelled. Ruby ran after him, moving past him and side-stepping a swing from Hell Hound. Mermaid struck out, creating a whip of water, which she launched while her father tossed one of his knives. Hell Hound blocked the water with her mace, and the knife simply bounced off of her armor. She went to chase after Ruby but was forced to block another strike from Max, who rammed his leg into her side. "Get the hell out of my way!" He screamed, hitting her with enough force to send her into the wall of the alleyway once again.


    Ruby reached the Emperor, who still had his back to her. She jumped into the air and came down hard, ramming her fist toward the back of his head. Her attack never reached, though. The space around him twisted and grew, expanding as the alleyway stretched out, becoming longer. Her attack completely missed, and she stumbled to the ground as someone else walked out of the portal. "Nice try." The figure mocked. "You won''t be touching our Master, though. Not while I¡¯m around." It was a woman¡ªone with green-looking skin and vines all over her body, which formed into her clothing. A pair of large bug wings stabbed out of her back, and her face was twisted into a sly smirk. The one and only Fairy Queen had arrived.


    "Have fun, you two." The Emperor stepped into the portal as Fairy Queen''s smile grew larger.


    "I know her." Avalon said in shock. He had stayed near the back with Mermaid and Young Dog since he couldn''t do much in the current situation. "She''s one of the Supers that went missing! She was a superhero named Lady Illusion! She used to not be so green, though."


    "Looks like her powers have changed just like the others." Young Dog spat out. ¡°Whoever that armored guy is, he¡¯s not just changing their bodies, he¡¯s giving them new powers and abilities as well.¡±


    Ruby got back to her feet and threw out another punch, but once again, the space seemed to grow in size, getting longer as the distance was forced between her and Fairy Queen. The monster smirked as the strike was unable to reach her, and in an instant, the space shrunk back down and grew smaller, forcing Ruby''s face directly onto Fairy Queen''s outstretched fist. "You won''t be able to hurt me no matter how hard you try." The woman mocked. Her hand wrapped around Ruby''s face, and she smashed the girl down. "I can stretch or shrink space however I wish, creating as much distance as I want. Your silly attacks will never reach me. Unless, of course, you can somehow attack me from an infinite distance away, I¡¯ll just forever expand and alter the fabric of space to make your attack out of reach from me."


    Lightning smashed down on the villain, but even that was unable to travel an infinite amount of distance as she expanded the space above her, still smirking. Max went to attack again but suddenly felt a mace smash into the back of his head as Hell Hound appeared behind him.


    Fairy Queen let go of Ruby''s face and stood back up, dusting herself off as Hell Hound walked over to them calmly. Mermaid and Young Dog stood frozen as the two women looked back at them. Fairy Queen gave a sickening grin and pointed at them about to attack, but her attack was deflected when Hell Hound grabbed her wrist and moved it up. "The Master doesn''t wish for them to be killed." Hell Hound stated in a blunt tone, staring her teammate down.


    "He just doesn''t want the Lord killed. The others are free game." Fairy Queen grunted.


    "I wasn''t talking about him."


    "Alpha?" Fairy Queen made a face and glared back at Hell Hound. "He ordered you not to kill them?"


    "He is the only Master I listen to. I''m ''his'' hound, after all. He gave me explicit orders to not let any of them die if it could be avoided. He wishes to face them in battle himself. If you wish to go against his orders, be my guest. But will your Master truly care enough to stop what mine does to you?"


    Fairy Queen bit down on her lip, spilling a stream of black blood. She finally turned away and marched over to the glowing blue portal that was still open. Hell Hound followed and lazily blocked one last strike Mermaid sent after her. Then, the two women simply stepped into the blue portal and vanished as it closed.


    Ruby angrily pushed herself up and made a face as silence echoed throughout the alleyway. "Did I seriously just lose a fight?"


    ***


    Max felt his eyes burn a bit as lights rained down on his face. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself staring up at a white roof. Normally, after a battle, he''d wake up to Nier patching him up. This was one of the first times he ever woke up in what he assumed was a hospital.


    The battle was still fresh in his mind, as were his wounds. The back of his head ached from where that villain''s mace had knocked him out. He had worked so hard for months of non-stop training to control his power just for an attempt to fight the man in the black armor, yet it didn''t matter. He hadn''t even been able to land a single hit on that monster. "I guess I lost again." He sighed.


    "Oh! You''re finally awake."


    Max sat up in the hospital bed he was in when he heard the voice. He looked around, finding himself in an almost pure white room. He was in a gown, and his blonde hair spilled down his back. In the bed next to him was a man in a suit, resting in a chair. The man had shaggy, reddish-brown hair and wore a pair of round glasses over his tired-looking eyes. He held a book that he had been reading. Some story about a King''s final stand against a Giant. The man instantly reminded him of the guy he had first met after his battle with Stab Face. Despite how long ago that had been, that particular person was still fresh in his mind. This guy looked shockingly similar to that man, though a little younger looking, and didn¡¯t have the same creepy blue eyes.


    "Who are you?" Max winced and grabbed the back of his head, feeling a pounding sensation go through him. He really missed Nier''s healing in moments like these.


    "Try not to move around too much. You took quite the beating. We don''t have amazing healers. The bad guys always seem to get all the cool stuff like regeneration and teleportation, don''t they?" The man snickered. "Our side just has to make do with what we got, I suppose."


    "Side? Wait, you''re-"


    The man gave a small smile and placed his book down. He reached up, taking off his glasses, and suddenly, a golden light filled the room. Max was forced to shield his eyes, but even with them closed, it was still like looking directly into the sun. When it died down and he could see again, he found a man in a golden costume standing before him. One with long hair the color of the sun and burning red eyes that he swore stared directly into his soul. "My name is Jackson. Most people know me as Full Monarch, though." The man placed his hands on his hips and did his best to pose and smile. "Like you, I am also a Lord!"


    "So, I''ve been captured by the Hero Branch." Max responded flatly, instantly bringing the other man¡¯s mood down.


    "Capture is a strong word..." Full Monarch said sheepishly. His body flickered for a moment as he cleared his throat. "I came to-" It flickered again. "-talk to you about-" Another flicker. "-something very important-"


    "What''s with the weird pauses? And why do you keep looking all blurry for a moment?" Max demanded. His dad had talked about Full Monarch a bit. Wano always said Full Monarch was a nice man, one who would do everything he could to save the planet. Nier, on the other hand, almost never talked about his former teammates.


    "Sorry." Full Monarch scratched the back of his head. "I keep hearing things, so I''m running off to check on them. Just stopped a car crash, a robbery, and a villain. Just ignore my pauses-" He flickered again before settling back down. "-it''s just me using my speed to leave and come back."


    "If you''re this strong, how are there any villains?"


    "The smart ones hide or stay silent. I still can''t be everywhere at once, even with speed like this."


    Max shook his head, ignoring more of the flickers that went through the man. "Where am I?" He demanded.


    "In a Hero Branch Super Station. We have one of the greatest Branch doctors, Alma, working on getting you better. With Doctor Blue, those two can solve any issue." The flicker man explained.


    Max nodded slowly. He looked around the room a bit more. Besides the bed, desk, and chair, there really wasn''t anything else. A door was on the other side, but the strongest and apparently fastest man on Earth stood between him and it. Even if he did somehow get past Full Monarch, he doubted he''d get far. The room he was in had no windows either. He could try to use the power he and Nier had discovered, the pocket realm one, but he wasn''t really sure how he could use that ability. He also knew he couldn''t take down Full Monarch if it came to a battle. If the Emperor was in another league of power, then Full Monarch was practically in another dimension of strength.


    His shoulders slumped a bit, and he sighed. "So, what do you want with me?" He had no means of escape, so he figured it would be for the best if he just played along with everything for the time being.


    Full Monarch folded his arms and let out a hum. "I think I told you already. I just had a few questions I wanted to ask you."


    "Go ahead."


    "You''re the son of Wano, aren''t you?"


    "Yeah." Max gritted his teeth and felt his fingers dig into the blanket as he glared down at the floor. "I''m guessing you know what happened to my dad since I''m a Lord."


    "That''s what I''m trying to find out-"


    "There''s nothing to find out!" Max yelled. "That bastard killed my father! He just showed up one day out of the blue! He challenged my father to a fight, and then my dad... He..." Max slammed his hand into the wall, cracking it as his eyes stung. "Don''t even think about trying to stop him. The Emperor is mine to kill, you got that!"


    Full Monarch''s look never changed. The golden man remained calm and collected as he studied Max. "Where does Nier play into all of this?"


    "He''s the guy that saved me. I would have been dead if not for him. He''s a Lord as well, but I guess you knew that, didn''t you? He was on your team, after all. He heals me after my fights and has been helping me get a hang on my power. Because of him, I¡¯ve grown so strong so quickly."


    "When did this all start?"


    "The same day the Emperor took my father from me." Max spat out. ¡°It happened about three months ago.¡±


    "Did Nier tell you anything important?"


    "We don''t really talk a lot. He usually sends me on a mission, patches me, and tells me how I can improve. I''ve been on my own for the past few weeks, if I''m being honest." The boy grunted.


    "Do you know where he is?"


    ¡°Why do you care so much about Nier-¡±


    The door to the hospital room exploded open, and Full Monarch lazily raised his arm up, blocking a kick as Ruby Admiral came crashing in. "Sorry, papa, but I called dibs first!" She announced. She was covered in a few bandages and also just wore a hospital gown since she had gotten banged up in her fight as well. Despite that, though, she held a smirk on her face as she jumped onto Max''s bed, pinning him down and standing on his gut, causing him to let out a yelp of pain. "He''s my minion now!"


    "Get off me, you psycho!" Max yelled, throwing the mad red-haired girl off of him. "I took a shot to the lung! You''ll open my wounds doing stuff like that!"


    "A price that I''ll gladly let you pay, minion!" She stepped between her dad and Max, throwing her arms out to block her dad''s view. "Now leave, Dad!"


    "You know I can see your entire backside, right?" Max said flatly. ¡°These gowns cover nothing. Wait, did you just say Full Monarch is your dad?"


    Full Monarch let out a tired sigh. "Sweetie, I''m not in the mood to play."


    "This isn''t play time! I am the great Ruby Admiral! Your ultimate rival! Your nemesis!"


    "Did Mermaid leave already? Go get her to play your game." Her father picked her up and easily moved her out of the way. He looked back down at Max as Ruby swung off of his arm. "Please forgive her. As I was saying. Do you know where Nier is?"


    "Wasn''t Nier one of your teammates?" Ruby asked slyly. "You called him your brother, right? So, he''s like my adopted uncle or something?"


    "Why do you want to know where Nier is?" Max questioned. "Shouldn''t you be more concerned with the Emperor? That''s what you wanted to ask me about, right? Come to think of it, why do you keep asking me about only Nier?"


    Full Monarch''s face still didn''t change. The man would have been an amazing poker player. "Isn''t it odd?" The hero asked quietly. "Nier showing up on the same day. The Emperor is a new villain who has just appeared. From what the Branch has been able to find, he''s been quickly rising to power by taking in weaker villain gangs over. The stronger gangs, though, are destroyed before he even gets to them. All by a lone figure with lightning powers. It''s convenient, isn''t it? All of your targets that Nier sends you after just so happen to benefit the Emperor-"


    "You''re wrong!" Max stood up and went to take a swipe at the man, but he was suddenly flipped over and slammed down as Ruby pinned him down. She pressed her knee to his back, and thanks to her enhanced strength, he wasn''t able to budge her off of him. Even his lightning didn''t seem to do much to her, the aura of energy bouncing off of her skin. He glared up at Full Monarch, who had taken a single step back and finally had a small frown on his face. "Don''t ever suggest something like that again! Nier has been helping me grow! He''s healed me and helped me take down villain scum that you heroes have missed! There''s no way he''s the Emperor! You''re wrong!"


    "Max..." Full Monarch made a motion to his daughter, and she slowly got off of the young man. "Wano was strong. He wouldn''t lose to just anyone. I just want to talk to Nier. I need to get to the bottom of this-"


    "He isn''t the Emperor!"


    "Do you know for sure?"


    "Yes!"


    "You do?" Shock finally filled Full Monarch''s face.


    Max gritted his teeth, and his shoulders slumped. "I know he can''t be the Emperor because... Because he was there. The night my father died, Nier had come to visit. The two of them fought him off together. I saw the whole thing. He''s the reason I''m alive in the first place. He saved me. Nier isn''t the Emperor because he was right there in the middle of the fight when that bastard showed up!"


    Full Monarch¡¯s eyes were wide as he stared down at the boy. ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re positive?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Max said through clenched teeth. ¡°I saw both of them at the same time! There¡¯s no way Nier was the one in the armor! I¡¯m telling you, the Emperor is someone else!¡±


    Ruby frowned and folded her arms, letting out a soft hum. ¡°So, if Nier really isn¡¯t the Emperor, then who the hell is strong enough to beat a Lord in combat?¡±


    A look of unease appeared across Full Monarch¡¯s face. ¡°This has gotten a whole lot more confusing.¡±


    ***


    Ace Ward slowly closed his computer and leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. He rubbed his eyes and fought off a yawn. He was in his office back home, finishing up the last of his paperwork before he got ready for bed. It was a large space with a heavy oak desk and the world''s most expensive computer. Several bookshelves scattered his office, all filled with ancient tomes, some of which were older than the Lords¡¯ arrival.


    Most of his money came from siding with the right people at the right time. His grandfather had been on the side of the Monarch force led by the terrible Lucifer. Lucifer had some humans he allowed to keep thriving. A world of pure Supers wasn''t truly what that madman had desired after all. It was those same humans that now stood at the top of the food chain. The wealth and power that had belonged to them had allowed them to fund the new winning side, Full Monarch''s side, and create the Hero Branch.


    Humans were always able to keep on going no matter what the Supers threw at them, and now was no different. The Wards would be in charge for generations to come, he was sure of it. Even the mighty Full Monarch obeyed the Hero Branch after all.


    Humans still stood above the Supers, at the top of the food chain.


    "D- Daddy." The sound of his young son calling for him caused him to stand up. Dean Ward was only four years old, yet that boy would go on to do great things. He was sure of it. Like father, like son, after all. "I- I need your help."


    That caused a frown to come onto his face. He left his office and stepped out into the hallway of his large manor. "What is it, Dean-"


    His smile vanished instantly when he saw the deep, fiery blue eyes that glared into his. Dean was shaking and shivering, and standing next to him was a large figure in black twisted armor with a pair of devil-like horns stabbing out. The Emperor''s helmet gushed with his blue flame, his hand placed gently on Dean''s head.


    "Hello. I believe I have a task that you''d be perfect for, Mr. Ward."

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty: The One She Would Save

    "Mind if I sit here?"


    Max frowned and stared up at Ruby, who had her arms thrown behind her head. "It''s a public space, do whatever you want." He sighed and scooted over on the bench, allowing her to take a seat next to him.


    "Thanks." She crashed down next to him and looked up toward the sky, watching the clouds. Max shot a look at her, studying her up and down. Her hair was black, and her enhanced strength had faded away. The sense of godly might was nowhere to be found, yet he knew better than anyone that it was still there. That was twice now; she had defeated one of his targets that Nier had sent him after. "So, what are you doing out here, exactly?" Her voice nearly startled him as she began to speak once again.


    He just awkwardly shrugged. "I just needed to clear my head a bit."


    He had no idea which city they were in. After the battle with Fire Prince, he had blacked out from the strike Hell Hound had hit him with. Full Monarch hadn''t talked to him much after the incident in the lab. Most people had been seemingly avoiding him. All but Ruby, that was.


    They were still at the Hero Branch base. It was a large, massive metal tower that went up higher than even the clouds. He didn''t get to leave the building; his body still hadn''t recovered, but he got tired of staying in his room and busted out. They had insisted he stay and would bring him food, but he just wasn''t able to take it anymore. While he wandered the building trying to find a way out, he discovered a floor that looked almost like a garden. The roof had been painted to look like the sky, and a series of fake clouds floated across it. There was freshly cut grass and various mazes of plants and bushes. He didn''t know how big the room really was; he had gotten lost in the middle of the maze while exploring it, where he had found a simple wooden bench waiting for him.


    The bench had been placed somewhere in the center and was surrounded by all sorts of plants and trees that grew in the tower. Fake sunlight poured from above, keeping him warm. He had switched out of his gown and wore simple gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt now. Despite being totally lost, Ruby had been able to find him. She was also dressed in normal clothes, wearing some long-sleeved shirt that had a popular idol on it, and a skirt.


    "So, you know Nier?" The silence between them was broken when she spoke up.


    "Yeah, I guess." He nodded. "My dad always talked about him, Sini, and Full Monarch. When Nier showed up, it was like I was meeting an uncle or something. He was there for me when the Emperor attacked and was the one who rescued me. I''d likely be dead without him."


    "That''s cool." Ruby didn''t sound like she was actually listening to him. He got the feeling she was one of those people who were in their own little world. She reached out, grabbing a rose that bloomed off of one of the bushes. "He created the room we¡¯re in."


    "Nier did?"


    "Yep." She plucked the rose and tucked it behind her ear. "I guess a long time ago. Before I was born and before the Hero Branch had even been fully created. He was one of the guys that found this tower and named the city Rose. That''s what Mermaid tells me, at least. You''d need to ask her more about it; she cares more about all this goofy history stuff than I do."


    "Goofy? It''s the history of the Lords? You''d say that''s goofy?"


    "Sure. What does being a Lord mean in the first place?" The girl said, rolling her eyes. "The same thing applies to those who call themselves heroes. Does it actually matter?"


    "They''re saving people-" He stopped and shook his head, sighing. "I don''t know why I''m even talking to you. I still remember what you did when we were on that boat. You even declared yourself a bad guy in front of the Emperor. I bet the only reason you''re not locked up is because your dad is Full Monarch."


    That caused Ruby''s smirk to fade, and her eye twitched. "I''ll have you know, they tried to lock me up! I kept breaking out! I''m so good at it. Sini is even trying to make some new prison called Nightshade. Though he hasn''t had much luck with it. Besides, why do you care if I''m a villain or not? You''re not a hero, right?"


    "Me being a hero has nothing to do with it. I just don''t like evil people. Hot take, I know."


    The girl just snorted and turned away from him. "Evil? Who said anything about me being evil? Just because I called myself a villain, you''d instantly assume I was evil?"


    "Isn''t that what a villain is?"


    "It''s just a title." She took the rose out of her hair and flicked it at him. He narrowly caught it by the stem, inches away from his eye. "Hero, villain, superhero, supervillain, human, and Super. All of them are just names, just silly titles that some people decided to assign. Some Supers don''t give a damn what it means to be a hero. They only signed up because of the black-and-white views the Hero Branch holds. They don''t bother saving people and are just there to be used as soldiers. Would you call them good? I wouldn''t. Likewise, there are plenty of Supers who have received the title of villain because they refused to join up with the Hero Branch and be used as a soldier. You are one of them, in fact. Are these people evil? Sure, some guys out there are pure evil or good and call themselves villains or heroes. The man that took your father, I''d say he was pretty evil. But I don''t think being in one group automatically means you''re a good guy. The Hero Branch is just a group. They shouldn''t get to decide so much."


    Max winced and looked away. "Maybe you''re right... But most villains are called that for a reason. Water Prince, Fire Prince, the Emperor. They''re all evil. Plain and simple. Just like how Full Monarch is good. I didn''t join the heroes, not because I didn''t want to work under them, but because I knew that working alone with Nier was my only good shot at reaching the Emperor. Now, though... Now, Nier won''t answer any of my calls or come to me. Your dad is still looking for him, right? He still thinks the Emperor is Nier."


    Ruby lazily shrugged and didn''t bother to look at him. "I don''t know. I haven''t spoken to my father since he asked you about the situation. I honestly don''t really care either."


    "You''re real helpful."


    "Thank you."


    "That was sarcasm, dumb- You know what, forget it. I don''t have time to argue with you. I need to find Nier."


    He shoved his way past her and used his wind to slice into the bushes around him, cutting through them and forcing them open. The exit to the room was on the other side, and he went to step toward it but stopped when he heard Ruby''s voice. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you."


    He turned back and glared at her. She still wasn''t bothering to look at him and was instead forcing some of the bushes back into place as if she could fix them. "Why''s that?" He asked snarkily.


    "I saw a few guys in suits, as well as Mermaid, looking for you. They were hiding outside of this room when I came in. Good chance they''re going to jump you." She gave him an innocent smile and winked. "I know from personal experience that when the Branch asks you to stay put, they don''t like it when you walk off. Besides, you''re a Lord. You''re way too important for them to just let go."


    Max let out a heavy sigh and looked down. "Let me guess. They''re going to demand that I join them and become a superhero when I get healed up and put me on some team, right?"


    "Pretty much." She slowly held her hand out to him. "But I''m here to offer you a different choice."


    "And what''s that?"


    "Screw the Hero Branch!"


    "C- Come again?"


    She stomped her foot down, shaking the room. "Take my hand, and I''ll make you my minion! This place freaking sucks! They get all mad when you screw anything up and always make my dad work so much! Plus, it feels like there is always something wrong going on! We can ditch them! I know this place like the back of my hand! My dad won''t do anything; he loves me too much to stop me, so we can totally ditch this place and run off! We can be villains together and eventually take down that Emperor bastard!" Her hand was outstretched in his direction, and she gave a genuine smile. "What do you say, minion?"


    He felt his hand twitch, and for a moment, he almost reached out and took it. He didn''t, though. He could feel it¡ªa pain behind his eyes. Flickers of images coursed through his mind. Millions of Paths lined up. Unknowingly, he used his power as a Lord to take a glimpse into the future and made the mistake of thinking it was his own idea.


    He saw her¡ªRuby. Older than she was now, with hair the color of the sun and golden eyes, she gripped a giant sword, which she had placed at the throat of a kneeling and defeated figure in black armor. The Victorian, years later, the one who would defeat the Emperor.


    Ultimately, this single thought stopped him.


    He turned his back on the girl. He couldn''t see it, but he knew her smile had faded. He began to walk toward the door, heading to where she told him the Hero Branch members would be. "But why?" Ruby sounded hurt as she watched him walk away.


    "Because... Because I know that if I stay with you, it won''t be me. It''ll be you. You''re stronger than me. Stronger than I''ll even be." He looked back at her for a moment but turned back around when he saw the hurt look on her face. "You''ll get in the way of my destiny. It''ll be me. My power. I''ll be the one to defeat the Emperor once and for all. That¡¯s the path that I want to follow."


    The burning behind his eyes was back as he marched forward. He saw one more glimpse of something that was to come. That is the reason he''d rather join the Hero Branch instead of Ruby. He knew he wouldn''t have to worry about Full Monarch being the one to defeat the Emperor because of the thing he saw...


    The golden man lay dying in the Emperor''s arms. The Emperor''s cold blue eyes stared into those of the number one hero¡¯s as Full Monarch gave his last breath and died.


    He reached the door and opened it as his visions came to an end. His eyes burned and stung, and it was hard to see in the present as dozens of lines formed everywhere he looked. Once more, just as Nier had said, his power was still evolving. Past the door, standing in the hallway, he saw dozens of Hero Branch soldiers, all with weapons trained on him, as well as the superhero Mermaid, who had a small circle of water going around her form, ready to strike out at him. In front of her, another member of the Hero Branch stood.


    Ace Ward folded his arms behind his back and stared down at Max, who looked back up at him. "I believe you were told to remain in your room," the man asked slowly. "Are you unable to follow simple orders already?"


    "Whatever... Let''s just go." Max sighed.


    Ward''s lips formed into a thin line as the man turned. "Very well. Mermaid, please escort this Super to my office. I''ve decided what I''ll do with him."


    Ruby remained in the garden and watched as the soldiers and Max began to leave. She quietly looked down at her hand and hummed. "If that''s the way he wants to be, then fine. I''ll just make it to the Emperor first and beat him with my own power. I''m the best, after all. The world''s greatest villain."


    Several soldiers, all carrying their rifles, stood guard on the upper floors of the Hero Branch tower. Max found it a little amusing. He had a pair of handcuffs placed around his wrist, and behind him, Mermaid stood ready to stop him if he tried anything. She was the only one that would actually be able to do anything, though.


    Ever since he became a Lord, his power to see the Paths had improved, getting better every day, and he had become bulletproof. It was a slow process, but soon he would be just as strong as his father had been.


    ¡°You¡¯re the granddaughter of a Lord, aren¡¯t you?¡± He asked, looking back at Mermaid.


    The girl just frowned and shrugged her shoulders a bit. Water flowed over her, forming rings across her bathing suit. ¡°I¡¯m part of the Sini bloodline. You have an issue with that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head and looked forward once more. ¡°I was just wondering. That Ruby girl is my age, and if Nier¡¯s child survived, she¡¯d also be our age. It¡¯s strange how Sini was the first to have a family before anyone else, is all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not strange.¡± Mermaid snorted. ¡°He awakened a power after the war with Lucifer. One that allowed him to become a Mental-based Super. He stepped off of the front lines and worked behind the scenes to improve the world with his mind. It¡¯s thanks to him that modern cities like these are around now. If not for him, we¡¯d all be living in villages like the place you grew up at.¡±


    He resisted the urge to say a rude remark back to her and instead marched forward. They soon arrived at Ward¡¯s office. The man had disappeared and had seemingly taken a shortcut to get there early. It was actually a plain-looking office with a few shelves here and there, but nothing really stood out.


    Ward was seated behind the desk, and on one side, Avalon stood, while on the other end, both Sini and Full Monarch stood.


    Ward didn¡¯t seem bothered about the fact he was in a room with two living legends. ¡°Thanks for bringing him, Mermaid. You may take your leave.¡±


    Mermaid frowned but nodded and stepped out of the room. The door slid shut behind her, and the walls were soundproof, blocking off all noise outside. Max folded his arms and looked at Sini, the number one hero. ¡°Do they normally sit in when you decide what to do with a Super?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°No,¡± Sini spoke up. ¡°Normally, things would be handled differently, but the fact that you¡¯re a Lord means we have to take specific steps to get the best outcome. Normally, I¡¯m in charge, but I¡¯ll be stepping down from the head of the Hero Branch, and in my place, Ward here will be the one that runs all other districts.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re letting a normal human run the Branch? Wouldn¡¯t it be smarter to let a Super with a Mental power run it?¡± Max questioned, causing Avalon to let out a snort.


    Ward¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he stared Max down. ¡°Supers came after humanity. This was our planet before it was yours. Don¡¯t forget that. For years, we¡¯ve faced threats such as the war with Lucifer or the Beast from space. Yet mankind has made it through all of that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Full Monarch.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thanks to the weapon that mankind controls,¡± Ward shot back. ¡°We¡¯ve built massive cities across our planet that hold most of our population. With the help of Supers who behave, we¡¯ve created the superheroes who keep this world safe. The Supers who don¡¯t behave, however, are either enemies or kicked out of our city to live out their lives in the rest of the world, where they can¡¯t bother our people. A Super can either join the Hero Branch and work as an agent using its power to bring humanity one step forward, or they can sign up and become a superhero, join a team, and if they¡¯re lucky, one day be on the Enforcers.¡±


    ¡°So if I wanted, I could say I don¡¯t want to join you guys and leave the city?¡± Max questioned.


    ¡°Supers that don¡¯t join the Branch aren¡¯t evil.¡± Full Monarch spoke up before Ward could. ¡°People can be scared of our kind, but I know one day it will be possible for us all to live together. Even if that day isn¡¯t yet here. Supers who refuse to join the Branch and don¡¯t wish to cause harm to the cities will be escorted out. You¡¯ll be forbidden from entering a city ever again but won¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by heroes in the outside world.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t as good of a deal as you¡¯re trying to make it sound.¡± Max sighed. ¡°You¡¯re still kicking out people that don¡¯t agree with you.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my ideal choice either.¡± Full Monarch winced.


    Max folded his arms and tried to think of what he should say next. He never wanted to be a superhero. That said, he couldn¡¯t leave the cities. The Emperor was planning something in the cities. He just knew it. He also couldn¡¯t just run off and try to be a bad guy either. No way he¡¯d ever escape from Full Monarch. Chances were they also wouldn¡¯t just allow him to leave the city so easily. They¡¯d keep an eye on him since he¡¯s a Lord and stop him from breaking back into the city.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be taken on a field mission in the next few days,¡± Ward spoke up. ¡°This isn¡¯t optional. You¡¯re a Lord, and your power will be used as I see fit. Your father and Nier were allowed to not join the Hero Branch since they helped out a great deal in the war with Lucifer. This is something you have not done, however. I¡¯ll be placing you under the watchful gaze of Legend and Mermaid.¡±


    Max made a slight face but didn¡¯t say anything. He turned away, rolling his eyes. ¡°Whatever. If that¡¯s all, then-¡°


    ¡°Wait.¡± Avalon held his hand up, giving a sly grin. ¡°There¡¯s a reason we¡¯re all here, you know. There are a few more questions we¡¯d like to ask you regarding the incident with your father.¡±


    Max felt himself flinch a bit, and he turned back, glaring at Avalon. ¡°What do you mean? I told you guys everything.¡±


    Avalon held the tip of his finger out, and slowly, a small fly landed on it. It was mechanical and had a small camera placed into it. Another of his fly drones. ¡°See, Sini here, despite letting the two Lords leave in peace, asked me to keep a close eye on them,¡± Avalon explained, causing Sini to shift slightly and look away. ¡°Tracking Nier was always impossible. He moves around too quickly. Instead, he tends to pop up when he wants to and will talk to me sometimes. Or at least he used to, but now that we¡¯re looking for him, he¡¯s gone missing.¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re looking for him? You still think he¡¯s the one who killed my father? I¡¯m telling you it isn¡¯t him.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Avalon questioned. ¡°My drones were around your father spying on him.¡± He snapped his fingers, and a nearby wall that held a monitor came to life. Max felt his breath leave him when he saw his father on the TV. It was that night. He saw himself standing next to his father, looking at Nier, who was walking to the front door. ¡°Nier was there the night of the attack.¡± Avalon explained. The image changed, and suddenly it showed the outside of his house. Right as Nier opened the door to step outside, the air above the house shimmered and glowed as a blue portal opened. The same portal that the Emperor had used to escape with earlier. A massive object seemed to fly out of the portal, hitting the roof of the house and causing it to explode. Then the screen went black. ¡°My drones all died in that blast,¡± Avalon explained. ¡°So, we didn¡¯t get to see what happened next. We also couldn¡¯t find your father¡¯s body. Because of this, the only one who knows what really happened after the blast is you.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I- I blacked out for a bit.¡± Max winced. ¡°I hit my head or something. I remember I was arguing with my dad because I left the village without his permission, and when I came home, Nier was there. He went to leave, and then it all happened¡­ I remember looking up after being thrown around and seeing that my house was destroyed. I saw the Emperor then.¡±


    Full Monarch floated forward and placed a hand on Max¡¯s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe that it¡¯s Nier either. He¡¯s like a brother to me. But besides myself, I don¡¯t know of anyone else who could defeat your father, even if they caught him off guard. If you blacked out and lost sight of Nier, then¡­ Can you try to walk us through what happened exactly?¡±


    Max took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He felt his power start to spark up, and slowly, it began to twirl out of him like a gust of wind, causing Ward to jump back. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if I show you, though.¡±


    He had figured out he could do something like this after his battle with Water Prince. Before he became a Lord, he had been able to see the Paths. Now, that control extended well beyond his reach. The wind caused it to snap out the Paths wrapping around himself and Full Monarch. His hair changed, becoming a grayish black, and his eyes ignited with a fiery red glow as he tapped into the power of the Lords.


    ¡®Aw¡­ Look who came crawling back to me.¡¯ A voice whispered in his ear, but Max squashed it down and forced his power of the Paths to invert and change. Then, instantly, they vanished from the office, leaving a stunned Ward, Sini, and Avalon behind. ¡®Very well. Let¡¯s show him what we saw, partner.¡¯


    Full Monarch looked around as they suddenly appeared outside of the cabin. Max breathed heavily and wiped some blood from his nose as the Paths lined up and formed into one of his realms, allowing him to see just what had happened that fateful day. In a way, it was like he traveled through time, though they weren¡¯t actually here. Something Full Monarch discovered when he tried to touch the house only for his hand to go through it.


    The portal above the house opened up, and once more, a bluish flash slammed into the roof of his home. The entire building exploded and came undone, and he couldn¡¯t help but wince as he saw his past self be flung out of the house and crash into the grass below.


    Full Monarch didn¡¯t say a word as he stared at the scene before him. In the wreckage of the house, Wano was on his knees, gasping and coughing up blood. At the last moment, he had thrown most of his body in front of Max, shielding his son from the explosion. He knelt on the ground, badly injured.


    Footsteps echoed through the wreckage as a man in black armor approached. Max gritted his teeth, glaring at the villain. ¡°Is that him?¡± Full Monarch questioned, taking in the sight of the Emperor for the first time.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°He has blue eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Max nodded. Blue fire almost seemed to seep out of the Emperor¡¯s helm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see Nier anywhere.¡± Full Monarch scanned the village, but Nier was nowhere to be seen. The other houses were starting to turn their lights on, and people were jumping out of bed when they heard the explosion.


    The Emperor stood in front of Wano, looking down at the man. ¡°You were asked to join our side, and you refused.¡± The Emperor spoke in a booming voice. Slowly, the man in the armor raised his sword up. ¡°That¡¯s okay though. Soon, your power will be put to good use, Wano.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Wano spat out, glaring at the villain.


    ¡°I am the Emperor, Leader of Planet Earth, the Savior of mankind, Satan, the Devil, God. Call me whatever you want.¡± The Emperor''s blade was pure white, and strange runic symbols danced across it, reflecting the moonlight in all directions. Across it, the words ¡®Story Maker¡¯ were carved in. ¡°Do not worry. You won¡¯t die. I won¡¯t kill you, dear Lord. I will be taking your power and getting you out of my way for the time being. You will sleep in an endless dream. Maybe a few hundred years from now, when my job is done, I¡¯ll let you go and allow you to return to the perfect world I seek to create.¡±


    Wano¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment as the Paths came to him. He saw something. It was only for a second, but it caused him to smile. He looked back at his son, who was flat on the ground, frantically trying to stand. ¡°Max.¡± For a moment, Max felt his eyes meet his father''s. His dad wasn¡¯t looking at the Max of the past this time, he was looking at him, the Max of the present time. The one who took Full Monarch to the past. He met his father''s eyes as the Lord smiled, still kneeling before the armored villain. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    The Emperor brought his sword down, and his power flared, coming out as a surge of energy. The ground beneath Wano opened up as white and blue lights swirled together, coming out of the sword. The blade stabbed into Wano, but it didn¡¯t cut the man. Instead, it seemed to phase into them. Reality was beginning to break and shatter as the sword tried to move a Lord across the universe.


    That sword, whatever it was, it was allowing the Emperor to take Wano and shift him around. ¡°Bring it here, Story Maker.¡± Behind Wano, it appeared out of thin air. A metal Pod that was beeping and whirling around wildly, letting out dozens of flashing colors.


    ¡®Error, error, error, unknown entity attempting to tamper with vessel! Error, error, error, unknown entity attempting to tamper with vessel-¡¯ The Pod was screaming and crying out, metal tendrils attempting to slice into the Emperor, but the man¡¯s barrier easily stopped them, glowing blue arms appearing out of thin air that blocked the strikes.


    The Emperor pushed his blade deeper into Wano¡¯s stomach, the weapon phasing into the man. ¡°Put him back into it. Put his DNA back into the Pod!¡±


    He was going to do it. The Emperor was going to reset the Lord¡¯s Pod and unmake them through the power of perfect teleportation.


    At least he would have, but Wano stopped him. Wano used the last of his strength, even as more of his body was being pulled and shifted by the sword. Quickly, the man placed his hand on his chest. All it took was one zap, and in an instant, Wano blew his heart up, killing himself instantly. Right before he could be teleported, right before his power could be claimed, the Lord''s power was freed from his body, and luckily, it had a brand new host right nearby¡­


    The Max of the past gasped and howled as suddenly lightning rained from the sky and began to wrap around him, forcing its way into his body. The corpse of Wano crashed to the ground and began to burn to ash, and the Pod seemed to calm down for a moment as its lights flickered.


    ¡®New Lord registered. Authorization accepted. Permission to use full power from the start is granted. Please stop what threatens the balance.¡¯


    ¡°He transferred his title to his son to stop me from getting it?¡± The Emperor¡¯s grip grew tighter on his sword, and he kicked the Pod in anger, sending it flying back and ramming into a building. ¡°No matter!¡± He marched to Max, raising his sword up. ¡°I¡¯ll simply do it again! It¡¯ll be you I absorb instead!¡±


    The Emperor brought his sword down once more in an attempt to stab Max, but it never reached the boy. Something blocked the villain¡¯s way at the last second. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Nier stood in front of the downed boy, wielding a wooden sword created by his power, which he used to block the white blade of the Emperor. ¡°I will not allow you to harm the boy!¡±


    ¡°Nier?¡± Off to the side, Full Monarch stared at the scene in shock. Nier stood before the Emperor, glaring at the villain.


    ¡°I told you he was here,¡± Max said, resisting the urge to smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s two of them? No¡­ Now that I look at the Emperor¡¯s power closely, its¡­¡± Full Monarch frowned. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Nier used all his strength and forced the Emperor back with a swing of his sword. The Lord pointed his wooden blade at the Emperor, glaring at him. ¡°Now leave.¡± Nier¡¯s hair had changed to a snow white, and his eyes ignited with a fiery red glow. ¡°Or else.¡± The man was channeling the full power of his Lord battle mode and looked like he was ready for anything the Emperor could throw at him.


    The Emperor¡¯s knuckles quickly tensed as he gripped the white sword he held, but slowly, he turned, and once more, a blue portal ripped itself apart in the fabric of space, allowing him to step away. It sealed shut, his blue eyes never once leaving the body of the downed Max¡­


    As soon as the Emperor was gone, Nier dropped his sword and grabbed Max, picking the boy up. The ground beneath him shattered and broke away as a massive wooden dragon began to form and grow. ¡°Lucky!¡± Nier yelled out. ¡°Get us out of here now!¡±


    The dragon howled and began to fly into the air, carrying the two Lords¡­


    Down below the present day, Max and Full Monarch stared up, watching the dragon become a small dot on the horizon. The space around them cracked and started to break apart as the Paths came undone, and they stood in an empty white void.


    ¡°You were right.¡± Full Monarch said quietly. ¡°Nier isn¡¯t the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡± Max folded his arms. ¡°Nier saved me. Whoever the Emperor is, he¡¯s strong. That sword he has is also dangerous. It was able to move the Pod freely through space. My father told me a bit about the Pods. That one is mine now, yet I haven¡¯t been able to find it. I think the Emperor stole it, along with what was left of my father''s corpse.¡±


    Full Monarch rubbed his chin and looked around the white void he was in. ¡°It¡¯s quite the handy power you have here. So you can use this place to see visions of the past?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right- Wait, what are you doing!¡± Max stared in shock as Full Monarch raised his hand and casually used his power to bend and twist reality and fate, forcing the paths of the blank realm they were in to bend and twist. ¡°You¡¯re controlling my realm?¡±


    ¡°The Lord of Cosmos can control the world and the fabric of reality. I normally try not to use this power since it can be so dangerous.¡± The number one hero twisted his hand, and the world around them began to change. ¡°That said, in here, this is a blank space that has nothing in it, other than the Paths that make up reality. Normally I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this, but in here I can use this power to shape them just as you do. I¡¯d like to show you something.¡±


    ¡°Show me what?¡± Nier asked, gulping.


    ¡°Show you the truth of who Nier is, as well as who I think the Emperor could be.¡±


    ¡°Y- You know who the Emperor might be!¡±


    The world shifted and changed as everything fell into place. The next thing Max knew, he found himself standing in hell. At least that was the only way he could describe it. It was a city, one that was less than ash by now. Hundreds of Supers were dying in the streets, and both his father and Sini stood staring up at the sky in shock.


    He found himself following where they were staring, and he saw the war hero Jackson, engaging in a fight with the Beast! Jackson was coated in waves of blue fire and fought the monster, who looked to be forged from solid ice this time instead of the pure white energy it would later have in the future. The two flew through the air above the city, striking at each other with everything they had, causing the planet to shake and rumble.


    Full Monarch didn¡¯t watch the fight though. Instead, his eyes stared ahead, where Nier was. Nier clutched two bodies in his arms, both badly burned and beyond dead. The first one was of the war hero, the Princess of Life. The second one though was the man¡¯s daughter. Sky had only been twelve when she died.


    ¡°This was ten years ago.¡± Full Monarch said softly. ¡°The Beast came out of nowhere and attacked the city. It took everything I had to fight the monster off, but by then it was too late. Nier had already¡­¡±


    Max stared down at the dead girl that rested in Nier¡¯s arms. She was the same age he was. He had been twelve when this happened and hadn¡¯t yet moved out to the village. It was this event that had caused his father to snap and leave the ten great cities Sini had been building.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill the Beast?¡± Max demanded. ¡°It took so much from Nier and the others. Why didn¡¯t you stop that monster for good?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Up in the sky, Jackson let out one last roar and exploded forward, the image of a giant blue dragon forming around him as he rammed his way through the Beast and blew its upper half up. Then it happened¡­ A small orb dropped to the ground. It was the size of a golf ball, and it rapidly glowed and then exploded with a massive force!


    It took everything Sini and Wano had to shield themselves and Nier from the blast, but when the radius cleared, all that remained was a barren wasteland. Even the nearby cities around them were gone. A huge portion of the planet had just gone up in smoke¡­


    ¡°I beat the Beast and killed it, yet unknown to any of us at the time, the thing was set to blow once it was defeated.¡± Full Monarch explained sadly. ¡°During this battle, Nier¡¯s wife and daughter lost their lives. I created the Hero Branch alongside Sini and your dad to try and restore the world. Nier, however, despite also helping us create this new group, grew distant. Two years later, I learned why.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The world around them crumbled and shifted as reality spun around. This time Max found himself looking around a large stone-looking lab. Instantly, he felt sick to his stomach as the smell of blood and rotting flesh hit his senses. Cages lined the walls filled with starved people and twisted creations. They couldn¡¯t be humans. Not anymore. Their limbs were longer or their flesh had changed. They all had powers, and instantly he could tell this was the same thing the Emperor had been doing.


    ¡°People had been going missing around this time.¡± Full Monarch explained. ¡°Mostly bad guys. Villains that didn¡¯t work alongside the Hero Branch, or random Supers. Nier had been on the case helping us. It wasn¡¯t healthy for him to work as much as he did, but I figured he needed the distraction to escape the horrors of the Beast. Little did I know, we were actually feeding him. He was using the data he got off of this case to find more victims.¡±


    ¡°V- Victims?¡± Max felt sick at his stomach as he stared at all the transformed people. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It was research into creating a soul.¡± Full Monarch explained. ¡°We Lords share our bodies with the Egos of the first four Lords. All Supers, in a way, have two souls. The human soul and the Super soul. Lords also have their soul and the Lord soul and can even be blessed with three souls, as some Lords can also awaken a power as a Super, which would be its own soul. Because of this fact, it¡¯s clear that the body can handle having more than one soul in it and, in some cases, have three. Powers that can heal could in a way bring the dead back to life. You could fully restore a corpse and give it full function back, yet the body wouldn¡¯t move or react. This is because the soul has long since passed on. That was why he did what he did. He wanted to learn how he could create a soul to put into a restored body.¡±


    The roof above the stone lab exploded and came undone as a golden figure dropped down. It was the past version of Full Monarch. A Full Monarch who had only been a hero for two years now, in the newly created Hero Branch. ¡°Halt, evil one!¡± Full Monarch announced. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest- Nier?¡±


    Max felt himself gasp as, from the darkness, a blonde figure steadily walked forward. Nier was dressed in a white suit, one stained with blood, and he had a blank and cold look in his eyes. His hair had already shifted and changed into his Lord state, and his power seeped out constantly, transforming those around him into further monsters.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure it out.¡± Nier said quietly.


    ¡°W- What is this?¡± The number one hero seemed to slowly realize what he was looking at. The man stared at all the twisting bodies in horror as the monsters screamed and howled, their powers taking them over. ¡°N- Nier?¡±


    ¡°I discovered I could create a soul.¡± Nier spat the words out, glaring down at his hands. ¡°I can use my title to make brand new life and, through that, force a soul into a new being. Yet each time it corrupts the body! I don¡¯t understand! Bodies can have more than one soul! We¡¯ve seen it done! Yet anytime my newly created souls go into the bodies, they break down and change!¡±


    Full Monarch stepped forward and grabbed his friend by the shoulder. ¡°What have you done to these people!¡±


    ¡°They were criminals.¡± Nier spat out. ¡°Who cares! I was trying to do research. I needed to learn why the souls I create change them! They aren¡¯t Supers! They¡¯re something else! Their very biology changed and shifted! I changed them into these things!¡±


    ¡°Change them back!¡± Full Monarch demanded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Nier hissed. ¡°If I could, I would have fixed her!¡±


    ¡°Her?¡±


    Suddenly, Full Monarch found his enhanced hearing going off. ¡°D- Daddy, it hurts.¡± The man stared at the back of the room, where someone was chained to a wall. A young, twelve-year-old girl who had messy and tangled brown hair. Jagged claws came from the girl''s nails, and her ears were long and covered in fur. Black blood was gushing down her nose and eyes, and her face was stained in red after she tore a chunk out of her father¡¯s leg¡ªsomething Full Monarch just took note of when he saw the state Nier¡¯s left leg was in. He knew who this girl was. He had seen her before, watched her slowly grow up, and he had been there the day she died.


    ¡°S- Sky¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my daughter.¡± Nier spat the words out. ¡°She¡¯s just a freak. A hellish beast. I- I could fix the corpse, you know. I used my power. That was easy. Regrowing the skin and flesh. It was the soul though¡ªit had already left me long ago. I tried making my own, I knew I could do it, but- It¡¯s the same result as her mother.¡±


    ¡°Y- You did this to your wife as well.¡± Full Monarch stepped away in horror, staring at his longtime friend, who had a mad look on his eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I- I thought I could get it to work. Thought I could actually bring them back, but whatever soul is in there isn¡¯t my wife, nor is that thing my daughter.¡± He glared at the monster that looked like Sky. ¡°They keep attacking me, trying to rip my throat out. Something in them just wants us all to die. That¡¯s why I had to practice!¡± Nier waved his hand at the other people in the cages. ¡°These are all just bad guys, you see! No one cares what happens to them! I¡¯ve been ripping them apart over and over again, trying to twist and alter them in order to perfect it! I- I know it¡¯s possible and that I can truly make them perfect! I¡¯ll get it down soon! Just a bit more! Maybe a few thousand or even a million more lives, but I¡¯ll crack the code and be able to create a perfect soul to bring all of our families back! I¡¯m going to try and do it to a younger body that doesn¡¯t have a soul yet! Maybe like a newborn baby-¡±


    Nier was knocked out cold in one strike when Full Monarch rammed his fist forward and knocked his old friend out instantly.


    The present day version of Full Monarch stared at the scene in disgust alongside Max, who was shocked. ¡°N- Nier did all of this? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there for him.¡± Full Monarch said sadly. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any family at the time. I had no way of knowing what a horrible loss like this could do to a person. I thought he¡¯d be fine. That he¡¯d get over it on his own, but I was wrong. Nier tried to bring his wife and child back, but as you saw, he failed. The bodies might be alive once more, but whatever was in the driver''s seat wasn¡¯t the same Sky I once knew. Nier was arrested and put on trial.¡±


    Max felt a sick swelling in his gut as he recalled the way his father had glared at Nier. ¡°The Emperor¡­ Whoever he is... He must be recreating these experiments, right? These guys are just like what Fire Prince was turned into.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Full Monarch nodded. ¡°All of these monsters were taken in. Many of them had to be put down or died due to how unstable their bodies were. As for the bodies of Sky and Nier¡¯s wife, both of them somehow managed to escape and haven¡¯t been seen since. I believe they could be behind this new Emperor. As for Nier, what he did was wrong, but no innocent people had been harmed. I wanted to get him help or at least put him someplace where he couldn¡¯t do this again, but shortly after this incident, ¡®it¡¯ came back.¡±


    ¡°It?¡±


    ¡°The Beast. For the second time, it appeared on planet Earth.¡± The image once again changed, and this time Max saw the aftermath of the second Beast fight. Full Monarch had been ready this time and took the Beast up into space before it could self-destruct, but the city was still in ruins. Now the number one hero stared down at his past self, who in turn stood in front of a red-haired teen. ¡°Once I beat the Beast for the second time, we learned that it would keep appearing. This was three years after the thing had arrived, and during the chaos, Nier managed to slip away from us and go on the run. I was too distracted in my battle with the Beast, so I wasn¡¯t able to look for him. Now that I know it blows up, I tend to stop it before it gets to Earth and will battle it up in space. That¡¯s why we haven¡¯t had another Beast attack in over seven years.¡±


    Max nodded his head and stared down at the two people in the past. The past Full Monarch was staring at the red-haired teen, trying to get the young boy to smile. ¡°Who¡¯s that boy?¡± He asked quietly. Something about the kid seemed strangely familiar to him. The boy had messy reddish brown hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to almost glow in a creepy manner. The teen was fifteen years old and was going through all the rubble seemingly looking for something.


    ¡°I never actually got his name.¡± Full Monarch admitted. ¡°He was a survivor of this city. Most people managed to live through this Beast attack thanks to my quick thinking, but this city was torn down. That boy lived, and I was helping him look for something.¡±


    ¡°Why is this important?¡± Max questioned.


    ¡°Just watch.¡± Full Monarch urged. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Do you need my help?¡± The past Full Monarch asked.


    ¡°Pass.¡± The boy spoke in an emotionless tone and kept digging through all the rubble.


    ¡°What are you looking for exactly?¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    ¡°Pass? So you don¡¯t want to answer any of my questions?¡± The past version of Full Monarch folded his arms and waved his hand, causing all the debris to begin lifting up and putting itself back into place. ¡°I know things seem bleak now, but the people of your city are all still alive, and with my powers this entire place will be put back together. You have no reason to frown! In fact, you should be smiling! There is nothing to fear, young man! Not while I¡¯m around.¡±


    ¡°And what happens when you aren¡¯t around?¡± The young boy asked flatly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What happens when I¡¯m in trouble again?¡± The boy stated in a blunt tone. The rubble finished clearing, and a loud bark echoed out as a dog freed itself from its hiding spot. It was a small little brown puppy that would likely one day grow up to be a big golden retriever. The boy scooped the dog up, holding it close to his chest. ¡°You can¡¯t be everywhere at once. While you¡¯re here, people are suffering all across the world, you know. What are you going to do when the day comes that something happens and you can¡¯t save that person? Would you still tell me to smile then?¡±


    The hero''s smile slowly vanished as the boy stepped away and began to walk off with his dog. ¡°Young man.¡± The fifteen-year-old stopped and looked back at Full Monarch with his dull blue eyes. ¡°If the day ever comes that you are in danger, I will save you. Call out my name. Scream it to the heavens. I¡¯ll be there. I swear.¡±


    The boy turned away, still not convinced. ¡°And what if there comes a day where we stand on opposite sides?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to be a villain?¡± Full Monarch asked, frowning. ¡°Because you are, then fear not. I¡¯ll pull you out of whatever darkness you find yourself in. Simply ask for it, and I¡¯ll save you. Not just you but everyone. I¡¯ll do my best to the very end and save this world! One person at a time. And currently you¡¯re that person.¡±


    The boy snorted. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°What did you say your name was again?¡±


    ¡°I never gave it.¡± The boy swiped his hand through the air, and a crackling blue portal appeared. ¡°I don¡¯t have a name.¡± And with that, the child vanished faster than Full Monarch could move; the boy stepped into the portal still holding his dog as it sealed shut behind him.


    The present day Full Monarch and Max watched the scene play out as the world around them began to crumble. ¡°That portal power.¡± Max bit his lip, drawing some blood. ¡°That was the same one that attacked my house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Full Monarch nodded softly. ¡°I believe that boy was picked up by the same group that is copying Nier¡¯s old experiments. Whoever this Emperor is, he''s very dangerous.¡± Full Monarch placed his hand down on Max¡¯s shoulder and looked down at the boy. ¡°Please. Help me. I want to put an end to it just as you do. More than that, though, I want to help them. All of them. That boy, Sky, and everyone affected by Nier and the Emperor. Help me, please.¡±


    Reality crumbled, and in a flash they appeared back in the office of Ward. Sini, Ward, and Avalon all jumped when the two of them appeared. Max¡¯s lips were formed into a line, but slowly the boy nodded.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll help you save the others. But¡­ I¡¯m still going to kill the Emperor. He won¡¯t get any salvation. Not from me, and not from you.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-One: Max’s First Mission

    Ward watched the door to his office close, leaving just him, Avalon, and Full Monarch. He waited until he was sure Sini and Max were far enough away that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything, even if they had enhanced hearing that allowed them to pierce the soundproof walls.


    ¡°Are you sure of what you saw?¡± Ward questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Full Monarch nodded and floated off of the ground. His body kept flickering in and out, no doubt using his speed to get rid of some of the stress he was feeling by flying around the city saving people.


    Avalon held the smallest hint of a smirk on his face as he leaned against the wall and shrugged his shoulders a bit. ¡°I had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t be so simple.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± Ward questioned and frowned. ¡°What exactly do we know about this Emperor figure in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Tall, dark, strong, scary red eyes.¡± Avalon sighed and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Honestly, we don¡¯t know what their powers even are other than that they can affect life in some way, so it has to at least be related to Nier, right? And they seem to be doing the same dark experiments Nier did seven years ago, though I doubt they¡¯re going to stick to just bad guys.¡±


    ¡°Wait? Back up. Red eyes?¡± Full Monarch questioned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You know the glowing that came out of his helmet.¡± Avalon said, pointing up at himself. ¡°They¡¯re all red and stuff. Like red fire.¡±


    ¡°I thought they were blue." Ward piped up.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I saw as well.¡± Full Monarch noted. ¡°He had blue eyes, not red. Although, now that I think about it, when did you see Emperor Ward?¡±


    Ward was saved from answering the question by Avalon, who spoke up. ¡°So let me clear this up. Some of us have seen him with glowing red eyes, and some of us have seen him with glowing blue eyes. None of us know what his power actually is either. Do we even know if it¡¯s a guy or not?¡±


    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±


    ¡°Supers still have bodies that look like normal humans,¡± Avalon explained. ¡°Some of them have powers that can change their bodies, but that is always temporary, such as the Thaddeus clan. The Emperor, however, was able to alter a person''s form and change them into something no longer human or Super¡ªa Monster, is the term Nier came up with when he tried to bring his daughter back. This would have to fall under a power that the Lord of Life uses. It¡¯s possible for Nier to change his form at will if he wanted, but unless he found a way to clone himself, I don¡¯t know if there would be two of him. That said, there is another power that changes a person¡¯s eye color and even glows.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re suggesting it¡¯s my daughter, then you¡¯re wrong.¡± Full Monarch sighed. ¡°Jill was there in the alleyway.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t her. I was there also.¡± Avalon chuckled. ¡°I do think you were onto something earlier, though. The children of Lords seem to come out weird. In some cases, you get someone like the hero Young Dog. Despite being the son of Sini, he failed to inherit any of his father''s power. Max also failed to inherit the strength of a Lord, and it wasn¡¯t until the title was passed down to him that he truly gained strength. On the other hand, people like your daughter and River not only have amazing power but even have their own power up similar to the battle mode Lords use. It makes me wonder what would happen if two Lords had a child.¡±


    ¡°Something like that won¡¯t ever happen.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not directly.¡± Avalon hummed and looked at Full Monarch. ¡°Indirectly though¡­ I mean, just look at your daughter-¡°


    Full Monarch grabbed Avalon¡¯s shoulder, looking down at the scientist. ¡°Careful.¡± Was all he said.


    Avalon¡¯s smirk didn¡¯t fade as he stared up at the number one hero. ¡°If the two of you are going to fight, then you can take it outside.¡± Ward sighed and lowered his face into his palms. ¡°This desk is expensive, you know. Whatever the case is, we have no way of knowing who the Emperor is at the moment or why they have changing eye colors and powers. We¡¯ll put a pin into it for now and focus on gathering more information. I want to make sure none of our field agents of heroes are taken. We also can¡¯t let word of this get out. We hid what Nier did to stop panic. Now it¡¯s coming back to bite us.¡±


    ¡°I believe there was another reason you asked Full Monarch to drop by?¡± Avalon questioned, shooting a look toward the Hero Branch leader.


    Ward tapped his finger on his desk, and one of the drawers unfolded. It glowed and formed into a holographic device showing various planets in their solar systems. ¡°A few days ago, one of our satellites caught something flying by Mars.¡± The device zoomed in, allowing a massive golden blur to be seen flying over the red planet.


    ¡°Another Super can survive out in space?¡± Full Monarch questioned. ¡°As far as I knew, that was a gift only I held thanks to my title of Lord of the Cosmos.¡±


    ¡°It could be a ship.¡± Ward placed his hands together, staring at the golden object. ¡°Sini has a Mental-based power that helped us almost reach space travel. That said, whatever this object is, it was spotted flying through our solar system at incredible speeds. It reached Mars in only five days and has gone further than we can see at this moment. I don¡¯t think I need to tell you what could happen from something like this visiting Mars, do I?¡±


    ¡°The Beast.¡± Full Monarch closed his eyes and took a calming breath. ¡°It¡¯s about the time again anyways. I fought him three years ago for the third time, though I managed to keep him off of Earth, so I doubt the people even know about that fact.¡±


    The first time humanity had dared to travel outside of the planet, it had been born after they stepped foot on its planet. The first Beast attack had wiped out an entire city. He had managed to defeat it in the end, but the thing blew up, taking the city with it. That was the same day Nier left them. A few years after that, the Beast once again came back for a second time. That was what caused Wano to truly give up. The thing was just going to keep going back, and he was the only one that could truly stop it. Now his plan was to just battle it up in space before it could get to Earth. He¡¯d take the burden all on his own and fight it alone until he killed it.


    Ward managed to keep a calm expression somehow despite the grim subject they were discussing. ¡°I¡¯d like for you to check on Mars, and if it does seem like the Beast will rise up, it will be your job to defeat it before it can reach Earth.¡±


    ¡°On my own?¡± Full Monarch questioned.


    ¡°Can you not?¡±


    ¡°I can. I¡¯ll beat it if I have to.¡± The hero shrugged. His last fight had also been mostly alone, though he had some drones from Sini and Avalon with him. ¡°That said, it¡¯s what happens after. I¡¯ve never fought it on Mars before. My last fight had been in deep space. What we do know is that each time it loses, it blows itself up and then somehow reappears on Mars, fully restored. I don¡¯t know if fighting it there will work or not. Not to mention each time something has always gone wrong after it''s been defeated.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much of a choice.¡± Ward stood up from his chair and walked in front of the window, looking down at the city below. ¡°I don¡¯t like placing my fate in the hands of Supers. I truly believe that this world would be better without all of your kind. That said, only you can stop this thing.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Full Monarch nodded. ¡°The other heroes will be able to handle everything while I¡¯m gone?¡±


    ¡°They have to. This world can¡¯t survive if it relies just on you. You¡¯re simply not enough.¡± Ward rubbed his chin. ¡°For the sake of my planet, I¡¯ll work alongside anyone that will bring mankind forward. A world for humans created by humans. Even if I must use you Supers to get it.¡±


    Full Monarch floated forward, his body vibrating at such a high speed he simply phased through the wall and appeared on the other side of the glass. ¡°I¡¯ll return with good news, I hope. Until then, I¡¯ll leave my planet in your hands.¡±


    And with that, he was gone.


    The golden blur, the number one hero, took off into the sky at his top speed, breaking past the clouds and the blue of the sky, leaving the planet in an instant.


    Avalon waited until he was sure Full Monarch was in space before he spoke up. Even with enhanced hearing as good as the number one hero¡¯s, space held no sound. ¡°Now that he¡¯s gone, I think we should get down to real business.¡± Avalon took a seat on the desk and gave a smirk to Ward. ¡°Who¡¯s side are you on?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You know exactly what I mean.¡± Avalon hummed. ¡°Are you going to stay on this side, or are you going to join the winners? After all, you and I both know the Emperor offered you a job. Unless you¡¯re already doing what he told you to?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re with the Emperor?¡± Ward spun around, staring at the scientist in horror.


    ¡°I¡¯m with the winners.¡± Avalon hummed. ¡°If Full Monarch is winning, I¡¯ll side with him. But I¡¯m going to take a guess and say you¡¯re doing exactly what that villain told you to do, aren¡¯t you?¡± Avalon slid off of the desk and began to walk toward the door. ¡°After all, with Full Monarch on planet Earth, it¡¯d be almost impossible to pull any loud stunts. That¡¯s why he needed you to get him off of the planet.¡±


    Ward felt his fist clench as he stared at the man¡¯s back. The Emperor had practically threatened him with his son¡¯s life if he didn¡¯t obey. What choice did he have? That¡¯s what he kept telling himself, at least.


    ¡°How long have you been planning all of this!¡±


    Avalon opened the sliding door. ¡°Oh. We haven¡¯t even begun the plan yet.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    And with those words, the door slowly sealed shut, leaving Ward alone in his soundproof office¡­


    ***


    ¡°I seriously have to wear something like this?¡± Max questioned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get a better outfit once you become a bigger known hero, Yellow Spark.¡± Mermaid cheerfully explained and clapped him on the back.


    ¡°Also, what kind of name is Yellow Spark?" Max¡¯s eye twitched a bit. He seriously regretted agreeing to join the heroes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get a better name later also!¡± Mermaid announced.


    They were up on a building in Daisy City. He had been gifted a bright yellow skin-tight bodysuit. It covered him from the neck down and looked really dumb, if he was being honest. It hadn¡¯t been built by anyone important, as far as he could tell, and the only symbol on it was a white lightning bolt that clashed heavily with the rest of it. The thing hurt his eyes just looking at it, and the sunlight bounced off of it awkwardly, making it hard to take a photo of him while he was in it.


    It didn¡¯t help that Daisy was a very small city, at least compared to the other ten great cities. It didn¡¯t have any towers or skyscrapers and was more like a massive suburban town. That meant they were just standing on the roof of some house and weren¡¯t very hidden. Down below, a large crowd was taking pictures of him and the other two heroes that were with him.


    He didn¡¯t have a mask either, so the cameras caught how red his face was. Heroes seemed more like a mix of celebrities and cops in a way. Posters of them were scattered about all over, and many decided not to hide their identity, wanting a piece of the fame that had been created by Full Monarch.


    On the roof with him, Mermaid stood, striking a pose for all the people down below. She was one of the newest members of the current Enforcer team, so she was pretty popular. Down below in the streets was the hero he had been assigned to as a sidekick.


    Legend was said to be second to only Full Monarch. Despite how good that might sound, it was a large difference¡­ Legend was a thin, frail, dark-skinned man who wore what looked like traditional robes. His face was always frowning, and he quietly talked to a group of police officers, seemingly ignoring his two teammates and the crowd.


    ¡°I have one last question,¡± Max said, shooting a look at Mermaid.


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell is she here with us!¡± He yelled, pointing to the final member of their squad who had randomly shown up out of the blue. ¡°She¡¯s not even a hero!¡±


    Ruby Admiral had her hands on her hips, and her head was thrown back as she laughed and posed for all the cameras. Her hair and eyes were ignited in red, and she gave off a powerful aura of strength. She had finally changed out of her schoolgirl uniform as well, now sporting what looked almost like a black military combat uniform. It was the same sort of uniform the soldiers that fought in the war with Lucifer wore fifty years ago. Many had been placed into a museum for how famous they now were, and yet here she was casually walking around in one. It was a priceless artifact.


    ¡°I invited her.¡± Mermaid shrugged casually.


    ¡°Why!¡±


    ¡°Felt like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, why¡¯s she dressed like that!¡±


    ¡°It was my dad¡¯s.¡± Ruby turned to him, giving a smirk. ¡°He never came back home last night, so I totally broke into his safe and stole it.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, you¡¯re actually wearing a war relic that belonged to the guy that defeated Lucifer! Take it off before you tear it or something!¡± Max panicked. ¡°That thing must cost millions!¡±


    ¡°Why do you want me to get naked so badly?¡± Ruby slapped at his hand and folded her arms. ¡°Who cares what happens to this outfit? It''s just clothing.¡±


    ¡°Your dad never returned home?¡± Mermaid asked.


    ¡°Nah. I bet he¡¯s on some super-secret mission.¡±


    Mermaid frowned and rubbed her chin. ¡°Can we handle him being gone? What could be so important he¡¯d leave at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s up in space.¡± Legend¡¯s voice suddenly came up from behind them, causing all of them to jump and spin around. Despite how weak he might have looked, he somehow snuck up on all of them without any of them noticing, even with enhanced hearing. It was actually kind of spooky. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s important we take this patrol as seriously as we can. We don¡¯t have him to fall back on if something happens.¡±


    ¡°If you want us to take this seriously, then why the hell did you allow her to come along?" Max asked bitterly as he shot a look toward Ruby, who just poked her tongue out at him and began to dance for the cameras.


    ¡°She¡¯s strong.¡± Legend said bluntly. ¡°Stronger than you, and maybe even me.¡±


    ¡°Only because I haven¡¯t awakened my Lord power yet,¡± Max muttered. ¡°A bit more, and I¡¯ll surpass her. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯d win,¡± Ruby said casually, placing her arms on his head and using him to lean. ¡°I¡¯m going to be so strong I can beat even my father one day, you know.¡±


    ¡°Like that¡¯ll ever happen.¡± Max snorted.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the mission boss?¡± Mermaid asked, giving Legend a salute.


    The hero pointed his thumb down in the direction of the cops. ¡°For years, the only villain group that has successfully managed to come together has been the Prince gang. They¡¯re all gone now. That means there¡¯s a serious power vacuum going on. More and more villain groups have been going missing, but it isn¡¯t just them we have to worry about. Kidnappings have been happening more recently as well.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that Water Prince had been taking a lot of kids and was heading to Oleander for something.¡± Max hummed. ¡°The villains Nier had me hunt, I would usually study up on, and kidnapping has never been something they normally do. Could that have anything to do with the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Not everything has to do with that new villain.¡± Legend barked out. ¡°There are other bad guys, you know. Plenty of fish in the sea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure though.¡± Max said, shaking his head. He couldn¡¯t get rid of the memories Full Monarch had shown him. He was sure this was all connected.


    ¡°So, I take it you want us to look into these disappearances?¡± Mermaid asked, folding her arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Legend nodded. ¡°I spoke to the police, and they told me the street the disappearances have been most frequently happening on. This city used to be run by Earth Prince and his people. Soon, people will start to notice that the blur hasn¡¯t made his usual rounds. The villains will be quick to figure out that Full Monarch isn¡¯t here anymore. If we¡¯re lucky, that¡¯ll cause them to get a little cocky and act up.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll know we¡¯re here, though?¡± Max said, looking down at all the people with phones and cameras aimed at them. They¡¯d be all over the news if they weren¡¯t already. ¡°Will they really come out? We¡¯re not exactly hiding after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only good thing about having Full Monarch in my experience.¡± Legend¡¯s face actually managed to crack into a half-smirk. ¡°So many of these guys know that they can¡¯t beat him in a fight, so they stay hidden. For years, they¡¯ll move slowly and carefully, praying he doesn¡¯t turn his gaze their way. When they¡¯re sure he won¡¯t look at them, though, they get too big for their britches. They forget that other heroes exist and still have roles to play. They forget it isn¡¯t just Full Monarch they should fear.¡±


    The next thing Max knew, they found themselves walking down what he could only describe as a shady street. During his time at Oleander, he had crossed through Spider Street, and yet this place was somehow worse.


    The road was narrow, and several large red brick buildings were scattered on either side. Each building looked old and abandoned, and he didn¡¯t see anyone around them. A lot of the cities were built by different Mental-based Supers and Hero Branch workers, and this one seemed like it had the least amount of effort placed into it and had been lazily done.


    He tried to use his Paths to look for danger, but with how many strong people were near him, the Paths kept breaking and crumbling. Ruby also didn¡¯t offer much help. The girl casually walked behind him, keeping her arms thrown back behind her head, and wasn¡¯t listening to a word he was saying.


    ¡°Bingo.¡± Legend once again caused him to jump. They had been walking in a straight line down the street, and the hero hadn¡¯t stopped. They stood out pretty severely since they were still dressed in their brightly colored costumes. They were just asking to be jumped by an arrogant villain. ¡°Directly behind us.¡± Legend said, not turning around. ¡°Don¡¯t look at him. He¡¯s trailing us. Bugger thinks he¡¯s sneaky by staying in the shadows.¡±


    ¡°Do you got eyes in the back of your head or something?¡± Max questioned. He resisted the urge to turn around as he followed after the hero, who stuck close to Ruby and Mermaid.


    ¡°The darkness told me.¡± Was Legend¡¯s blunt response.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of creepy.¡±


    ¡°Is he really following after us?¡± Ruby tried to turn around, but Mermaid gripped the girl''s chin, stopping her. Ruby puckered her lips up for a kiss, so Mermaid let go and just smacked the girl upside the head. ¡°Ow¡­¡±


    ¡°He likely thinks we¡¯re easy pickings.¡± Legend said flatly. ¡°Yellow Spark-¡°


    ¡°Just Max is fine¡­¡±


    ¡°- and Ruby Admiral don¡¯t have any reputation yet, no matter how strong they actually are. Mermaid is new to the Enforcers and a girl, so he likely assumes she¡¯s weaker than him automatically-¡°


    ¡°Pretty sexist, not going to lie.¡±


    ¡°-Lastly, that leaves me. Most people don¡¯t see me in this form. I look pretty weak, I guess.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the game plan, boss?¡± Mermaid questioned.


    ¡°We wait for him and his friends to strike.¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention it?¡± Legend allowed a sly smirk to come onto his face once more. ¡°It isn¡¯t just one. In fact, we¡¯re surrounded on all sides. I¡¯d say about twenty or so.¡±


    On the nearby roofs, staring down at the four Supers, dozens of hooded men stayed low to the ground, trying to blend in with the shadows. Even with it being the middle of the day, light seemed almost to bend and twist to their will, allowing them to stay hidden due to the fact that one of them had a widespread invisibility power. They all waited for their captain¡¯s order.


    He was down on the road, silently stalking after the four heroes. He wore a simple black jacket and kept his head down, moving through the twisting alleyways and staying in the shade. Every step he took made no noise, thanks to his power that allowed him to control sound freely.


    They had waited a few hours for Full Monarch to do anything, but the number one hero was nowhere to be found¡­ They even did a couple of throwaway jobs to test the waters, and still, he didn¡¯t show.


    They weren¡¯t a particularly big group by any means. They were all that was left after Earth Prince went and got himself killed. They¡¯d be more than enough, though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see here.¡± He licked his lips, still trailing after his prey. ¡°One, two, three, four. Four little arrogant heroes that think they can step into my turf and escape unpunished.¡± He reached into his jacket, pulling out a switchblade.


    None of the heroes seemed to notice him as he stepped out of his alleyway and silently made his way over to them. All of his men stood up top, using their various powers to stay out of sight, but he could tell they were tensing up and getting ready to strike. Thanks to his power, he kept himself silent along with his crew.


    It didn¡¯t matter how strong these Supers were. He had ten guys with powers and ten without that had spent years living on the harsh streets. He twirled his knife and allowed his eyes to roam over his victims. ¡°The boy in yellow has newb written all over him. Still, I¡¯d say he¡¯s the strongest one here. The girl in the swimsuit looks like she¡¯d be about as strong as him. The frail guy behind them should go down easily. The weakest one, though, without a doubt, is the girl leaving herself wide open.¡± He stabbed his knife up toward the red-haired girl and shut off his power, letting out a loud howl to catch them off guard. ¡°This girl is the first to die-¡°


    Ruby¡¯s fist lazily slammed into the man¡¯s face, shattering most of it and knocking him out instantly.


    He had been dead wrong. She was, in fact, the strongest one there.


    Meanwhile, outside of planet Earth, flying through space, a golden man slowly stared down at the red planet that rested below him.


    He wasn¡¯t alone¡­


    A being made of pure white energy stood staring up at him. The Beast was awake. That meant any day now, it was going to head for Earth.


    Full Monarch looked around as he landed on the surface of the harsh planet. He didn¡¯t see any sign of that golden ship Ward had shown him. ¡°Can we not fight this time?¡± He questioned.


    The Beast simply pointed a hand in his direction, sending out a wave of destructive energy. Full Monarch sighed and sidestepped the attack, allowing it to go flying past him and blow up a series of hills in the distance.


    ¡®Did you just try to talk to the Beast?¡¯ An annoyed voice asked the number one hero, speaking directly into his head.


    Full Monarch allowed a genuine smile to slip onto his face as he heard his old friend. ¡°I thought maybe it would be different this time. I had to try, right?¡±


    ¡®What you need to do is win.¡¯


    ¡°Right.¡± Full Monarch closed his eyes as the Beast crouched down and began to charge toward him. His golden light twirled around him and began to change. Blue fire gushed out of his fingertips, and his energy took form around him. In an instant, he was bathed in the purest flame, taking on the form of a man. ¡°Lend me your power, Brightest Star!¡±


    ¡®It is yours to do with as you wish. I only ask one thing. Defeat your foe.¡¯


    ¡°And so, I shall!¡±


    And for the fourth time in his life, Full Monarch clashed with the Beast. A battle that would cause an old evil to return to the world¡­

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Two: The Return Of Death

    The last of the grunts hit the ground as Mermaid¡¯s water whip slammed into them. ¡°This was kind of underwhelming.¡± The girl commented.


    ¡°I told you.¡± Legend hadn¡¯t even needed to lift a finger. Max and Mermaid had taken out all twenty grunts with ease. ¡°They allow themselves to get cocky, thinking only Full Monarch can beat them.¡±


    ¡°Villains like these guys are the worst.¡± Ruby rolled her eyes and adjusted herself. The captain was flat on his stomach, being used as a stool, still gushing blood from his nose as the red-haired girl sat on him. ¡°Maybe I should take them under my wing and teach them the real way to be evil!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a horrible idea!¡± Mermaid and Max both yelled at her.


    Legend hobbled over toward the downed captain, who was still whimpering beneath Ruby. ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Are you the one in charge of your entire gang?¡± He questioned.


    Ruby hopped off of the leader, allowing the man to glare up at the Enforcer member before him. ¡°So, what if I am?¡± The gang member growled.


    Legend let out a grunt, and steam began to lift off his flesh. His frail body started to grow as massive bulging muscles formed along his arms and legs. He rose to nearly eight feet in height, and long, flowing blonde hair poured down his back. Everyone stared at him in shock, and Ruby quickly took a photo of his abs. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be facing the wrath of the one and only Legend!¡± He announced, flexing so hard he shook the street.


    Then it all vanished as his muscles shrunk back down, and he seemed to age several years, becoming hunched and gripping a cane to keep his frail form upright.


    Despite that, though, the villain''s face had gone pale. ¡°Y- You¡¯re Legend! The Legend! Member of the Enforcers!¡±


    ¡°So am I,¡± Mermaid said flatly.


    ¡°I was invited to join but turned them down since they¡¯re so weak.¡± Ruby announced smugly.


    The captain began to realize just how badly he screwed up truly¡­


    Legend jammed his cane down on the man¡¯s gut, digging it in. ¡°I know you aren¡¯t the real leader. Someone as weak as you is just an errand boy, right? You guys are behind the kidnappings, aren¡¯t you? If you talk, I might consider putting in a good word for you. If you don¡¯t talk, well¡­ Ruby here isn¡¯t a member of the Hero Branch and is too strong for me to stop. I¡¯d hate for her to get any ideas on how to get the information out of you.¡±


    The captain shot a look at Ruby, who picked his switchblade open and then bit into it, snapping the metal and swallowing it. She did it all while maintaining eye contact to assert her dominance. ¡°Butt stuff.¡± Was all she had to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk!¡± The man grunted. ¡°Just keep that freak away from me.¡±


    ¡°Good answer.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone else pulling the strings! Several people, actually. They call themselves the Building Bros.¡± The man explained.


    ¡°Building Bros?¡± Ruby snorted and spat out the blade she had been chewing on. ¡°What a dumb name.¡±


    ¡°This coming from a girl named Ruby Admiral.¡± Max said flatly.


    ¡°Shut up Yellow Spark.¡± Ruby said snidely.


    Legend ignored his two teammates and jammed his cane down into the grunts gut. ¡°Tell me about these Building Bros. Now.¡±


    ¡°Y- Yeah, I¡¯ll talk okay. They were a member of Earth Prince¡¯s elite group, but after the Prince got wiped out along with his right-hand man, they turned to some other leader. I don¡¯t know who they¡¯re getting their orders from, but he¡¯s asked that they start taking people off of the streets. That¡¯s where we come in. Our job is to find folks and bring them to the Building Bros. Recently, though, they asked that we start bringing them Supers. Specifically heroes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you decided to target us.¡± Legend nodded, slowly putting the pieces together. ¡°You thought we were weak heroes you could capture easily? What happens to the people you bring to these guys?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I swear I ain¡¯t lying either! All I know is it has something to do with some portal!¡±


    ¡°Portal!¡± Max stepped forward, glaring down at the man. ¡°A blue portal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Why-¡°


    ¡°I knew it!¡± He glanced back at Legend. ¡°See, I was right! This is the Emperor! Now that the Prince gang is gone, he¡¯s taking up what¡¯s left of their groups for his own. He was the one wanting all the people. I don¡¯t know why, but he¡¯s been going around kidnapping dozens of men and women!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that for sure.¡± Legend didn¡¯t sound too convinced himself. He glanced up at the sky silently. If Full Monarch discovered that the Beast was moving about, then the hero would be busy for a few days at least. That meant if this threat was indeed on the level of Lucifer and he was the one to take it out instead of the number one hero, he¡¯d get quite the pretty praise¡­ He didn¡¯t need someone like the number one hero. He would be the one to save the planet this time. Not some Lord. ¡°Mermaid.¡± Legend suddenly barked out.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The water-based hero asked, jumping slightly when she heard his tone.


    ¡°Round all these bastards up and get them for the Hero Branch. I want you to remain here until they arrive.¡± He put his cane down on the captain''s leg and pushed it in, staring the man dead in the eye. ¡°As for you, you¡¯ll be taking me to meet with these ¡®Building Bros,¡¯ got that?¡±


    The man sneered but nodded his head. ¡°Whatever! They¡¯ll totally kick your ass.¡±


    ¡°Ruby, Max, the two of you are with me.¡± Legend said, forcing the grunt back to his feet.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± Mermaid shot them a nod as she used her water powers to tie all the men around her up.


    ¡°We won¡¯t need it.¡± Ruby snorted. ¡°I¡¯m the strongest after all.¡±


    Legend smacked the goon in the butt with his cane, forcing him to walk. They began to head down the empty street at a brisk pace. The grunt''s arms were bound by a tight rope that Max had found, and the electric-themed hero stayed close to him in case the man tried to make a break for it.


    Max kept his guard up and looked from building to building, expecting more goons or gunfire to rain down, but it never did. Legend stayed behind them, walking at a slow pace, each step taking forever. The man looked as if he could barely support himself with his cane, something that he didn¡¯t seem to have an issue with earlier. In fact, he didn¡¯t even remember the man having the cane until this moment. It was strange. He had no idea what the hero¡¯s power could be.


    Ruby stayed on the other side of the goon. The girl was still in her own little world. He wondered how strong she truly had to be to not seem bothered by anything. She was humming some famous pop idol tune and weaving another metal knife into the shape of a flower.


    She noticed his stare and wiggled her eyebrows a bit, causing him to look away. She pouted a bit, and he did his best to ignore her.


    Finally, though, the street opened up to a road that at one time might have held several homes. The road went forward in a straight way and then completely looped back around, forming a circle that led to the street they were on. All along the circled road, a few buildings stood, but none of them were the kind that people would live in. They were large and forged out of thick red bricks. There were no windows on them, and they were perfectly square. They didn¡¯t even seem to have doors. It was more like giant cubes had formed around the road. There were five of them in total, each the size of a large warehouse.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Legend questioned with narrowed eyes. ¡°Is this some sort of trick?¡±


    The goon stopped walking and spun around to face them. He had a wide smirk on his face, which instantly put them all on guard. He backed up a bit, his smug look only growing. ¡°What was it you said to me? That I got cocky? We thought we could win because we¡¯re so used to dealing with Full Monarch. I think the same can be said for you heroes as well! None of you ever have to fight anyone strong, and so when faced with a real threat, you have no choice but to rely on your golden savior! He isn¡¯t here, though, is he? Well, here¡¯s a real threat!¡±


    They were ready for an attack to come from all around them¡ªall except for one place. Faster than any of them could move, a massive arm made from red bricks jutted out of one of the cubes. The palm came down fast, directly onto the head of Legend. It slammed into the street, and red splattered everywhere as the hero¡¯s body was crushed instantly.


    Max collapsed back in shock; his eyes wide open. He felt sick to his stomach as the brick hand slowly lifted itself off the ground, revealing the puddle that was now Legend. The hand came back down and aimed at him this time, but Ruby grabbed him and jumped out of the way, avoiding the attack.


    ¡°Snap out of it!¡± She yelled at him. ¡°You think you can act this way when the Emperor arrives?¡±


    ¡°R- Right.¡± He did his best to look away from Legend¡¯s corpse and focused on the villain in front of them.


    Another arm formed out of the other side of the cube, followed by a pair of legs and a head. All of it was made out of bricks, and the villain stood up, flexing slightly. He unleashed a loud battle cry and began to pound on his chest, sending small shards of rock down in every direction. ¡°I am the Building!¡± He cheered out. ¡°Younger sibling to the Tower!¡±


    ¡°Oh hey, that¡¯s one of the villains I killed.¡± Ruby piped up.


    The Building glared down at her, his face twisting into pure rage. ¡°What! It was you who murdered older brother!¡± He took a thundering step forward, shaking the street. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Ruby smirked and stepped forward, but she was suddenly stopped by Max, who held his arm out. His eyes ignited with blue lightning, and he gently shook his head. ¡°Let me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I want to get strong.¡± He announced. ¡°Strong enough to defeat the one who killed my father! Please allow me to be the one to fight him!¡±


    Ruby rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. ¡°Well¡­ I guess I can. Only because I¡¯m so nice¡ªwait, I¡¯m supposed to be evil!¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Thanks Jill.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Ruby! Ruby Admiral! Gah, you tricked me!¡±


    Max felt the energy course through his body as he stared up at the Building. The Building glared right back down at him, its face forming into a sneer formed out of the white side of the red bricks. The grunt from earlier smirked and pointed at them. ¡°That¡¯s right, bro! Kill them-¡° He was cut off when the Building stepped on him, crushing him to death.


    ¡°Whoops.¡± Was all the Building said, scraping his foot across the road. ¡°My bad.¡±


    Max charged forward at his top speed. Lightning flowed out of his body, and the wind twisted, causing his hair to flow. He blasted out a powerful gust of wind, shooting him into the air just in time to dodge the Building¡¯s giant fist. The hand of the Building rammed into the ground, tearing it up and sending debris scattering in all directions. Ruby remained on the sidelines, keeping her arms folded and ignoring the sharp rocks that smacked her in the face.


    The Building brought another fist down, but again Max weaved out of the way at the last moment. He moved with the wind, shooting out powerful gusts to blow himself forward or backwards at a moment''s notice. No matter how many times the Building swung, it couldn¡¯t land any of its attacks. All it was managing to do was destroy more of the street they were on.


    ¡°Way too slow, big guy!¡± Max called back. He had gotten some distance now, and the wind and lightning twirled around his hands, growing sharper as he got ready to attack.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I hit you!¡± The Building screamed.


    ¡°Like I¡¯d tell you that!¡± Max taunted.


    The Building howled and curled back up into a cube shape. Then, despite being square, he rolled across the ground, ripping more of it apart in an effort to squish Max. The blonde man avoided this by simply blowing up the air beneath him with a spark of lightning, sending him flying into the sky. Mist formed out of his feet, forming into a thick cloud, which he stood on now, hovering above the Building, which had stopped rolling.


    The Building unfolded and attempted to reach up for him, but he simply floated up a bit higher, causing the villain to whine and stomp his feet down in anger.


    It was all thanks to the Paths he was able to dodge the Building¡¯s swings so easily. He simply followed the direction his powers told him, and he was always just out of reach of the blockhead. It was also thanks to the Paths that he knew exactly what the villain was going to do next.


    ¡°Fine!¡± The Building yelled up at him. ¡°If you won¡¯t fight me, then I¡¯ll have fun stomping her!¡± He turned to face Ruby and began to stomp toward her, cracking more of the road.


    Max stayed up there, keeping a careful eye until the villain took a step into the center of the circled road. ¡°Just what I was waiting for.¡± He flicked his finger out, launching a powerful swirling mass of wind and lightning that stabbed into the ground beneath the villain. All the cracks the Building had created in the street began to expand, and the floor cried out as it collapsed in on itself. ¡°The bigger they are, the harder they fall!¡±


    The Building cried out as the ground beneath him opened up, and he dropped into the sewer system. His stone body grinded against the street, shooting up sparks, and he was unable to crawl his way out. ¡°Hey! No fair! You¡¯re cheating!¡±


    ¡°Yes, fair! You¡¯re a freaking building!¡± Max dropped out of the sky and landed next to Ruby, who was directly in front of the Building. The villain tried to bite them, but they were just barely out of reach, and his blocky head couldn¡¯t lean forward enough. He trashed around and hissed, glaring at them. ¡°Looks like we caught him.¡±


    ¡°I hope the people in the city won¡¯t mind you destroying their sewer system,¡± Ruby said, looking around. ¡°If only there was some clean-up crew or something? Ah well, we can always just get my dad to fix it when he¡¯s back from space.¡±


    Max punched out with his fist, denting part of the Building¡¯s face and causing the villain to cry out. Black blood poured down the Building¡¯s face, who whimpered and shrank back. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me everything I want to know. You''re going to tell me who is ordering you guys to kidnap humans and Supers, and where you put all the people.¡±


    The Building gritted his teeth before giving what might have been a smile. ¡°I used to be small.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°A lot smaller. So small, big brother Tower picked on me. I was called the Shack because I used to be made of wood.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you got one hell of a makeover then,¡± Ruby noted. ¡°Now you¡¯re all big and stoney. Good for you.¡±


    ¡°It was thanks to him.¡± The ground shook a bit as the villain tried to flex himself out of the hole, but he was still stuck. ¡°He gave me this new body. He used his power over life to twist my form. He gave me my new job. He also gave me a new power to go along with my new stone body! A power that allows me to make copies of myself!¡±


    ¡°Oh no-¡°


    ¡°Oh yes!¡±


    All around them, the other stone cubes began to shake and twitch, and arms and legs formed out of them. Four more Buildings stood up, flexing and cheering. Ruby had the biggest smile on her face while Max face-palmed. ¡°I like him.¡± Ruby said, grinning. ¡°He¡¯s cute.¡±


    It didn¡¯t stop there, though. All the Buildings began to shake, and the bricks that formed their bodies started to pull their way out of them. Even the one that was trapped. The bricks flew out and circled each other in the air as all the Buildings vanished, and the bricks started to stack back up, now forming themselves into a single massive cube the size of a small skyscraper.


    Arms and legs formed out of it, and a giant shadow fell upon them as the gigantic building posed. ¡°Behold! I am the Tower once more!¡±


    ¡°This is a fun gimmick,¡± Ruby said happily. She stepped forward and readied her arm. ¡°I¡¯m sad I¡¯m about to wipe this guy off the face of the Earth out in one punch; he¡¯s kind of funny.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to handle it.¡± A familiar voice announced, catching them off guard. Legend rubbed his chin, standing back up. He was no longer a crushed puddle, nor was he an old man. His body began to change and transform, taking shape. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this and show him the power of the number two hero!¡±


    His dark skin began to change into a dark blue color. Black lines formed along his veins, and his hair grew out and almost seemed to become liquid magma. His robes tore a bit, struggling to hold back his muscular form, and he crouched down low.


    Legend destroyed the ground as he jumped into the air at insane speeds. The Building pulled his fist back and struck out, but it was over before their attacks even landed. Legend¡¯s fist flew forward and didn¡¯t just unleash all his body''s strength, but it also created something out of it. A rare gift that hadn¡¯t yet been fully understood when compared to other powers. The ability to create his own realm!


    It formed in the air around him and the Building, taking shape. They were no longer in the city. It was only for a second, but that was all he needed. In that second, the Building found himself transported to what he could only describe as pure hell. Fire and brimstone stretched out in all directions, and the screeching howls of monsters danced in the air.


    ¡°Bear witness to the power of the underworld!¡± Legend roared as the full force of his realm slammed into the Building.


    The realm shattered and broke away, and Legend dropped from the sky. The damage had been done, though. The top half of the Building cracked and shattered to bits, falling apart. The villain made a gurgling sound as the equivalent of the top half of his head was blown clean off. Then, slowly, he slumped forward and crashed onto the ground in front of the group.


    Max stepped away and stared at Legend in shock. He knew that Ruby and Full Monarch were in another dimension of power compared to himself, but he figured he¡¯d at least be as strong as normal Supers. What was the point of being given the title of Lord if he was fodder?


    Legend folded his arms behind his back as his skin changed back to normal, and he shrank back down. He looked to be an older man now, around thirty or forty, and no longer was hunched over. He was still thin, but he wasn¡¯t frail anymore. ¡°I knew he had a transformation-based power, but I didn¡¯t know it let him heal." Ruby hummed, scanning the hero up and down. All his wounds were totally gone.


    The hero smacked his head a bit, clearing it of some of the thoughts that were screaming in his skull. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. You two can go ahead and enter. I¡¯ll be right behind you. It takes a lot out of me coming back from the dead like that. Need to figure out what memories I lost.¡±


    ¡°What you lost?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. Just an old man mumbling to himself.¡±


    They moved past the old man and entered into the hole that was in the dead Building. There were no lights inside, but Max held his finger up, creating a spark of lightning that allowed them both to see. He wished he hadn¡¯t the moment he set his eyes on what was inside of the villain.


    ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    ¡°No God here.¡± Ruby¡¯s voice was low, and her fist clenched tightly. ¡°Just the Emperor¡¯s leftovers. I¡¯m going to seriously kill that sick bastard.¡±


    Chained up to the walls or in cages were twisted creatures. Some looked like a mix of different animals; others looked like an object that had been given arms and legs. None of them looked human. Not anymore. Twisted beyond their form, they were Monsters. That was all that was left of them.


    They howled, hissed, spat, and used their powers. The Egos within them had burned out, and all that was left was the madness that was the Emperor¡¯s gift. These were the people who failed to take control of their abilities, unlike Fairy Queen or Hell Hound, who kept most of their humanity. Their bodies hadn¡¯t stopped growing, and even now, they were changing and twisting, getting more enormous and more monstrous with every second that passed.


    ¡°Looks like we found them.¡± Legend stood behind them, now staring into the stone room at all the different monsters. There were nearly forty of them in total. ¡°The missing people have already been lost.¡±


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Max slammed his fist into the wall. ¡°This can¡¯t keep happening! He has to die! Why are they still doing these experiments!¡±


    Ruby stared at the room in silence. ¡°Love can be a strong thing. It can also be a cruel thing. I think there is an act of love here. Only that could drive a person to do things like this.¡±


    Up above, far away from Earth, Full Monarch winced and rubbed at his chin as the blue fire flickered across his flesh. How many days had he been fighting now? He wasn¡¯t sure. What he did know was he won.


    The Beast¡¯s corpse glowed and exploded in his face, but he blocked the blast with his arms, only being pushed back a bit. He had once again managed to beat the Beast for the fourth time. He doubted it would be the last time that it came back, though. After all, it was already putting itself back together once more. The entire planet was piecing it back slowly¡ªbit by bit.


    He forced his injured body to rise up and leave the planet. It wouldn¡¯t be for another two or even four years before the creature was reborn, and he¡¯d have to do it all over again, at least until he could figure out a way to beat it for good or convince it to stop.


    ¡®Are you okay, Jackson?¡¯ The voice of the Brightest Star questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Full Monarch felt the chill of space hit him, and the blue fire around him died out, leaving him in his golden glow once more. ¡°I need to get back to Earth though-¡°


    ¡®You need to rest. Even you have limits, and this is it. We just slayed the Beast. No one would blame you for taking a moment to rest.¡¯


    Full Monarch gave a weak chuckle and floated through the void. He couldn¡¯t fly as fast as he normally did. His costume was a bit torn, and he had several bruises that scattered across his flesh from his battle. Most of Mars was left in ruins. It was a miracle the planet even held together. Neither of them had held back.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t slept in over ten years, and I don¡¯t plan to start now. Not while the world still needs me.¡±


    ¡®One of these days you¡¯ll die from overwork.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe. But that won¡¯t be today.¡± He sped up a bit. It¡¯d still take him four or five hours to reach the planet, but his injured body couldn¡¯t move any faster than that. ¡°I have to get back in time. Each time the Beast is beaten, something always happens.¡±


    ¡®Yes. A new Calamity might be born. Or¡­ It could be the return of an old one.¡¯


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡®I just have a bad feeling, that''s all.¡¯ The Brightest Star hummed. ¡®I awakened inside of you when a darkness was born. You are the light that will fight that darkness. Now though, I feel it. Something is crawling its way out of the abyss. Or maybe, it¡¯s someone.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Avalon asked.


    The Emperor didn¡¯t say anything as he marched forward. His fiery red eyes stared at the object in front of him. It was smashed into the side of a stone mountain. It looked almost like a giant cube. It was also the place he had experienced his first ever death.


    He reached out and placed his palm on it, rubbing the metal gently. This was where the final battle with Lucifer happened, where Full Monarch was born. Where Nier had first died. The start of it all.


    ¡°You said you were doing all of this to create a world that would never have to worry about a Calamity ever again,¡± Avalon spoke up. ¡°Is it really a wise idea to bring ¡®him¡¯ back?¡±


    ¡°He is the only one that comes close to the power I now wield.¡± The Emperor felt his power surge out. ¡°I feel him. Even after all this time, even after his matter was undone, he still lives.¡± It struck the air wild. A black energy he channeled with his control over life. It began to grab at things so small the eye couldn¡¯t see them. ¡°The energy the Beast creates is something not even the Lords can stop. A power that has existed since the dawn of time. It controls fate itself. That power is what allows it to create new threats. That power can also be directed.¡±


    ¡°You swore you would destroy the Beast and any other threat that would bring harm to our kind.¡± Avalon gripped his hand into a tight fist. ¡°You gave me the power I needed to help you. Changed me and got rid of the rest of my humanity, yet now you¡¯re using the energy of the Beast?¡±


    ¡°If it will bring me one step closer to my goal, then yes!¡± A shape began to form into the air above the Emperor. ¡°I will create a world of only Supers! A world that can surpass fate and change the story itself! I will be the savior of planet Earth, and I¡¯ll use him as my weapon!¡±


    The shape formed into a humanoid body and dropped to the floor below. A man had been generated from thin air, one with pale skin and black hair the color of oil. Golden eyes slowly looked up, meeting the Emperor¡¯s.


    ¡°Welcome back, Lucifer.¡±


    ¡°Nier?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Three: The Start Of His Win

    Sirens cried out, and lights flickered from red to blue and back as Ruby sat on the corner of a rooftop, looking down at the horde of twisted creatures that were being loaded into cages. Hero Branch members stood by on the sidelines with tranquilizers in case the creatures sprung out. Mermaid and Legend were both loading the former humans into the back of a large Hero Branch truck. It was one of the kind that had a built-in lab onboard so more workers could study the monsters and see about finding a way to change them back, or if that was even possible.


    From what her father once told her, though that was impossible. Even if they could somehow revert the bodies back, the soul within had been destroyed and merged with the new power that was forced into its flesh.


    Many of the officers and several policemen had their weapons trained and stared at the sleeping creatures in horror, waiting for any of them to act up. She doubted the things would be waking up any time soon though. Not with what Legend had done to them.


    She remembered how he had transformed, this time into an olive-skinned man with wings sprouting from his back and forehead, holding a dripping tree branch. With just a wave of the branch, almost all of the creatures had fallen into a deep sleep that would last for days. He¡¯d left enough to fight, though, and Ruby took her time to clear out the gunk from under her fingernails.


    She didn¡¯t bother to look up as she felt a flutter of wind and ignored Max as he sat down next to her on the rooftop. He stared down at Legend and Mermaid, watching them enter the dead Building and come out with more of the knocked-out monsters to load onto the truck.


    There was a brief pause before the young man spoke up. ¡°You two are crazy,¡± He finally said, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that? You and that Legend guy. Even Mermaid. All of you are straight loony.¡±


    Ruby turned to the hero, raising an eyebrow, and gave a sly grin. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m completely sane.¡± She was covered in black blood and in serious need of a shower, but other than that, she felt fine both physically and mentally.


    Max chuckled. ¡°Seriously? Legend just decimated that Building guy with one of the apparently hundreds of abilities or something that his power has. And you? I¡¯m sorry, but ripping a monster apart with your teeth is not ¡®sane¡¯ behavior.¡±


    ¡°Hey, in my defense, both of my hands were full.¡±


    ¡°With two other monsters, which you were choking out! Then you proceed to rip the throat of another monster out with your teeth! What part of that sounds sane!¡±


    ¡°Being sane is for the weak.¡± She shrugged, turning away from Max to look back down at the cages and Hero Branch workers. ¡°Got to challenge yourself if you want to get stronger. I think anyone strong enough to take another life has a few screws loose at the very least.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Max sighed, ¡°I need to stop being so weak.¡±


    The blonde man turned as he heard Ruby snort. She shook her head, laughing. ¡°You got it all wrong, zapper."


    "Zapper?"


    "It isn''t about not being weak,¡± She proclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s about being strong!¡±


    Max raised an eyebrow and gave her an odd look. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°The difference? The difference is the method.¡± Ruby explained in her best teaching voice. ¡°Trying to not be weak is like trying to not be scared. Weak people are always scared, so they try to make up for being weak with tricks and contraptions. You go up against real strength, those tricks and gadgets are going to get blown apart. They¡¯re not worth acknowledging.¡±


    ¡°And being strong?¡± He asked, watching as Ruby stood up, one hand reaching up to the sun as if she wanted to grab it.


    ¡°Being strong¡­¡± Ruby stared into the sky. ¡°Being strong isn¡¯t just not being scared. Not just trying not to be. No, you¡¯ve got to have no fear in you at all. Not of dying or losing. If you¡¯re afraid, you¡¯re already weaker. You start thinking, ¡®Will this asshole hit me with this next hit?¡¯ and ¡®Will it hurt?¡¯. That¡¯s when you get hit, and it will hurt. You just have to assume no attack will ever hit you, and if it does, who cares? You can just plow right through it and kick the guy who hit you in the junk or something as payback.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯re practically invincible. Of course nothing¡¯s going to hurt you!¡± Max exclaimed. "I mean, even with the power up I got from being a Lord, your strength is like night and day compared to mine. It''s unfair. If I didn''t know any better, I''d think you had two Lords for your parents. You''re kind of a freak..."


    Ruby stomped her foot, a piece of the rooftop breaking away and tumbling to the street below, causing several of the workers to glare up at her. ¡°That¡¯s because I decided that I''m strong! Nothing freakish about that! I just told the world that nothing in it¡¯s going to hurt me. No villain, attack or weapon is going to make me scared. I¡¯m going to take my place as the greatest villain, and there¡¯s nothing that can stop me! Especially not that cool-looking armored guy! I¡¯m going to climb all the way to the top, and the whole world will look at me as the greatest threat on this planet! I¡¯m going to be number one!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you want to beat the Emperor?" Max asked, giving a heavy frown. "Because he¡¯s in your way to the top. You know that means you¡¯ll end up fighting Full Monarch, right? As in, your dad?¡±


    Ruby¡¯s hand dropped to her side, and her smug look faded. ¡°Yeah," She said quietly. "I know.¡±


    ¡°And you still want to be a villain, knowing you¡¯ll probably end up fighting him? If you really do become so powerful, the Branch will likely order him to stop you, or they¡¯ll send Legend or someone after you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much time I spend with him?¡± She asked, staring into Max¡¯s eyes, not pausing to let him answer. ¡°He¡¯s been away for days already. Even before then, I hadn¡¯t seen him in weeks. Always fighting some villain or taking care of some disaster. The last time he said he¡¯d be able to spend an hour with me, he got a call after ten minutes about some villain firing a nuke.¡±


    Max stood, dusting off his pants. ¡°And what, you want to fight him to spend more time with him?¡±


    The woman sighed. ¡°If I get to the top, I can tell everyone to calm the hell down. Get the heroes and villains to both deal with their own problems. Then, maybe, I can have one goddamn day with the man that calls himself my dad. When he''s focused on me. When he''s so worried that I might turn out evil, he has to spend time with me. And when he does that, he isn''t overworked. He finally gets a break. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve got to be strong. I have to reach him. He needs to rest. I¡¯m going to be the villain that defeats him and force the world to see that he isn¡¯t some perfect Godlike machine that can do it all. Maybe then he¡¯ll finally be able to quit and give it all up. Because the truth is, I¡¯ve never seen anyone fail more than my dad at being the perfect hero. Not with the amount of mistakes he¡¯s made.¡±


    There was a quiet pause as Max took the words he was hearing in. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by yells from the Hero Branch workers down below. He looked down to see shimmering energy appearing over the street. He knew what was coming instantly and felt his eyes narrow.


    A blue portal ripped its way open around the area. More twisted monsters began emerging from them and leaping at the Hero Branch workers around the cages. ¡°I guess someone wants their pets back,¡± Ruby stated, a grin lighting up her face. ¡°Good, this ¡®being strong¡¯ talk got my blood pumping.¡± The woman leaped off the rooftop, belly flopping onto a monster that exploded into a splash of goo.


    Max laughed to himself and stepped off the rooftop, too. He hovered in the air for a moment, wind swirling under him. ¡°Yeah, she''s definitely insane. Then again, I guess I¡¯ve always been a little weird myself.¡±


    A monster jumped at the boy, but with a wave of his hand, he split it in two, putting the creature out of the misery it had no doubt been forced through.


    ***


    In the Enforcers Tower, in a sparsely decorated room, seven heroes gathered around a large, circular table. The room was dark, with all the windows covered by a curtain, and a few Hero Branch officers stood at the ready, bringing supplies to the heroes of today.


    On the table, a puddle of black liquid shifted and contorted, forming a three-dimensional map of Lillian, with several blinking red dots across the map. At the head of the table, Young Dog sat with a bundle of papers in his hands. ¡°Thank you, Ferros.¡± He stated, nodding to the person next to him, a woman with startlingly pale skin and black stains around her eyes and mouth.


    Ferros nodded in response and held her hand out. The black liquid on the table gathered together, forming into an orb that hovered a foot off the surface of the table and into the shape of the planet they all lived on. "Happy to help." Ferros said quietly, speaking in a dreamy voice as her body wobbled back and forth.


    She jumped a bit as a fist slammed down onto the table. ¡°How have we not caught him yet?" Across from Young Dog, standing by the table, a man was fuming. Although most wouldn¡¯t be able to tell they were a man. They had sleek, androgynous features and piercing blue eyes peering out from under hair that shifted through colors and lengths. Their clothing also changed from fancy suits to expensive gowns and dresses. Their name was Gorgeous, and they spoke in a high, clear voice that was borderline cute and sounded very feminine. "This amount of activity should be leading us directly to this new villain. What did you say his name was again?¡± The femboy demanded.


    "The Emperor." Young Dog sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was hard keeping all the Enforcers in check. He didn''t know how Full Monarch and Legend managed it. "He''s been behind a series of vanishings, and that¡¯s the name that¡¯s been connected to it all."


    ¡°What? Some pipsqueaks going missing? Bah, that doesn¡¯t mean nothing.¡± A large man chuckled to the side. Huge, both in height and figure, his name was Feast, and he was dressed in what looked like braided leather armor that creaked and strained but never broke. From under a horned helm, dark brown hair cascaded down his back. In his hands, he held a tray covered in dozens of meals, from pancakes and waffles to sticky toffee pudding and fried plantains.


    Gorgeous shook his head, cringing as Feast crunched into a bone, eating it piece by piece like candy. ¡°Whatever he¡¯s doing, it involves the missing gangs. He must be building an army, right, Hands?¡±


    Dressed in a sharp, dark blue suit that matched his glowing eyes, Hands nodded his head. He looked almost normal, save for his right hand, which was made out of pure metal and had what looked almost like runes that swam across the surface. He tapped on the black orb Ferros created, rippling the surface with his powered hand. ¡°Without a doubt, my friend. If the Emperor was simply killing these gangs, we would have found their bodies by now.¡± Hands stated, looking at a map of glowing red dots on the orb.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Young Dog spoke up. ¡°Not if he¡¯s transforming them. Legend found something¡ªsome storage place with more of those things. Tamer, any progress on turning them back or at least healing their minds?¡±


    A woman shifted in her chair and sighed. Her long coat rattled with dozens of tiny cages, all filled with various critters and animals. In one, what appeared to be a miniature lion scratched at the cage. Tamer felt bad for it, but she knew that no one in the room would appreciate the big cat being loose and in its full size. It was bigger than most trucks after all. ¡°No progress, sir. They¡¯ve resisted my abilities completely. Whatever they have become, there¡¯s no trace of sentience left. Just pure instinct. There¡¯s no mind for me to tame, and all of the labs have reported that they cannot be transformed back.¡± Tamer explained, stroking the lion¡¯s cage as if asking it to wait a little longer. ¡°I¡¯ve put a few into these cages, but they¡¯re basically just animals at this point. You can¡¯t even tell they used to be humans.¡±


    ¡°What if we asked the public to watch out for him?¡± Ferros questioned dreamily, sculpting a statue of the Emperor from black ooze that dripped from her eyes.


    A silver hand rapped against the table, and a distorted voice, almost auto-tuned, spoke out. ¡°''Aint gonna work, bub. Public ¡®aint about givin¡¯ a mankey arse about ¡®im.¡± Everyone at the table turned to look at the speaker. Omega was a short, dark-skinned man, half of his head covered with what looked like computers and wiring. Under a baggy shirt, those wires and computers continued to cover most of his right side, even his right arm was completely robotic and metal. He shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t care about ¡®im, the public do. Ain¡¯t a concern for those folks.¡± He explained.


    ¡°Hey buddy, not to be rude, but I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to say." A voice called out, and everyone looked to the ceiling. Golden Weaver dangled from a thread, looking down at the orb. Dressed in a white and gold, skin-tight outfit, Golden Weaver released the thread he was hanging from, landing lightly on his feet next to Omega. ¡°Mind trying to speak clearly this time, man?¡± Golden Weaver asked.


    "Fawk ya self." Omega stated, leaning back in his chair. ¡°I speak how I wanna. E¡¯s not armin¡¯ em. Only goin¡¯ for them normie pricks, aye Dogo?¡± Omega answered, and everyone turned to Young Dog, who rubbed his forehead.


    ¡°He¡¯s only going for the gangs. He hasn¡¯t harmed the public yet.¡± Young Dog translated. ¡°At least, not in a big enough way to threaten the general public. We¡¯ve had some reports that he¡¯s been involved in trafficking, which is what Legend is investigating at the moment.¡±


    Tamer frowned. ¡°I still don¡¯t get it. The level of power in this transmutation ability. I thought only Nier had that kind of juice. After all, he did something like this seven years ago. That¡¯s why we kicked him out of the Enforcers. Isn¡¯t he the obvious one behind this?¡±


    ¡°Full Monarch claimed he saw Nier and the Emperor in the same place at the same time.¡± Young Dog explained. ¡°He was able to do this thanks to the new Lord of the Weather¡¯s power. Nier could still be behind some of this, and no doubt has a part to play since this matches the same thing he was doing seven years ago, but at the very least he wasn¡¯t the Emperor that attacked Wano.¡±


    ¡°So another guy suddenly appears on the same level of a Lord able to alter life and create new souls the same way Nier could?¡± Golden Weaver asked, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry, true believers, but I don¡¯t buy that.¡±


    ¡°We must have been wrong, then. It seems this new player is changing the rules.¡± Hands muttered, clasping his flesh hand with the runed hand. ¡°Gorgeous, you¡¯ve been getting some fans who offered to be your eyes and ears, right? Think you can get word to them? Tell them to watch out for the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°By the gods, don¡¯t call them my fans,¡± Gorgeous grimaced in disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re all treating me like some popstar. At this rate, they¡¯re going to start stalking me or my newborn son.¡±


    Young Dog shook his head. ¡°We need to at least tell the solo heroes to watch out. Ferros, give out orders to be on the lookout for a villain with this description: Black armor, some kind of transmutation ability, red eyes-¡±


    "I thought Sini said it was blue eyes?" Ferros asked.


    "Okay then, blue eyes! Get the word out!"


    "Yes, sir!" The dreamy girl squeaked out.


    A shrieking alarm interrupted the hero, and everyone stood at attention, looking at the orb above the table. Dozens of red dots appeared across the map, and Feast audibly gulped. "Don''t like the sound of that."


    Golden Weaver ran to a window overlooking the city and peered down. Even from so many floors up, he could see countless blue portals ripping open in the city below. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s coming to us,¡± He stated, opening the window and leaning out, turning to the rest of the Enforcers. ¡°Don¡¯t stick around, guys.¡± He gave a salute then jumped out, swinging away on a thread.


    Everyone leaped to action as well. Young Dog leaped out after Weaver, firing off a grappling hook while Omega''s legs ignited, and he took off like a rocket flying out. Feast, on the other hand, slammed himself through the wall and allowed himself to drop out of the sky from fifty stories up and smash down into the street below. The rest of the Enforcers didn''t have flight or durability that good and were instead forced to take the elevator...


    Legend, Mermaid, Young Dog, Ferros, Feast, Golden Weaver, Omega, Gorgeous, Hands, and Tamer. These ten were deemed the strongest heroes of this era and led by the mighty eleventh member, Full Monarch! They were the first Enforcers! And today would be a fight that would forever change history.


    Several floors down, Sini ran through the halls as he ordered people to grab weapons and supplies. He was making his way down to the front lobby in a bit of a hurry. "What''s the status?" He demanded.


    One of his agents walked next to him at a fast pace, looking down at their tablet. "Sir," She began. "We have at least a few dozen portals opening up all over Rose, Oleander, Lillian, Daisy-"


    "Everywhere?" He cut her off.


    "Pretty much, sir." She nodded.


    "Get as many heroes as you can to head toward where Max is."


    "Sir?"


    "From what the kid told us, the Emperor went after his father in an attempt to absorb the Lord. Director Ward sent Full Monarch into space without me knowing until it was too late. I had planned to make Max stay next to the hero at all times, but with him gone, the next best bet was to have him stay close to Ruby and Legend. I put him on a team with Legend and Mermaid, knowing she would bring Ruby along. I just hope it''s enough." Sini sighed and rubbed his forehead. ¡°It has to be enough.¡±


    "Each Enforcer member is heading back to the city they protect once Rose City is back under control. We''re also sending the news out to every hero we can reach. More of those monsters are flooding out of the portals." His assistant explained as they moved through the halls. ¡°All ten cities are under attack. This is going to be considered a Calamity level threat if it isn¡¯t handled soon.¡±


    Sini bit his lip as he reached the lobby floor, allowing him to see the streets of Rose. All above the sky more of those blue portals began to open up, causing a mass outbreak of monsters to come spilling out. The monsters came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, all having different powers, and they howled in pain as their very DNA was mutated and changed. "How long has he been gathering a force like this? It shouldn''t be possible. And how is he making so many portals at such a wide distance? Just who the hell is this guy?" Sini demanded. He hadn''t seen anything like this coming. There was no way the Emperor had gathered a force of this size this quickly. Something else was going on. Something that was worrying him. "What the hell happened after Full Monarch killed the Beast? What''s the new Calamity?"


    "I think I can answer that."


    Sini growled a bit when he heard the casual voice behind him. "Get back to work, you idiot! We don''t have time for-" He turned to give them an order but stopped as he came face to face with a red-haired man flickering with blue energy. This wasn''t one of his Hero Branch workers... "Who are you?" He asked, stepping protectively in front of his assistant.


    The man had messy red hair and a bit of stubble that covered his face. He wore a long black trench coat, and he lazily lifted two fingers up. Sini heard several of his men scream, and he spun around, finding more of those glowing portals had appeared, this time under all the workers in the building sucking them in. When they closed it left just him and the stranger. The Hero Branch tower was now empty besides the two of them.


    Sini¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he felt his power flare up. He might have been old, even by Super standards, but he was still a Lord. ¡°Move an inch and I¡¯ll kill you.¡± He spat out. ¡°Now. Who the hell are you? This is your only chance, bastard.¡±


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m just here to talk.¡± The man said lazily.


    ¡°You just want to talk?¡± Sini asked, growling.


    ¡°Yep," The man said in a cool tone, cocking his head to the side. "There¡¯s some stuff we need to talk about. The name¡¯s Alpha. It''s good to meet you, Lord of the Sea.¡±


    ***


    Max spun around as wind twisted off of him and cut into several of the monsters around him. He did his best to non-lethally take them out, but it was getting harder and harder to manage while also keeping several of the Hero Branch workers safe. He knew there was no way to actually save the monsters, and they were in a lot of pain, so killing them was almost a mercy, but some looked a little too human to him and would make sad whimpering sounds or grunts.


    More of those portals began to open up in the sky above them, raining down a horde of the creatures. He knew the Emperor had been kidnapping people, but he didn''t know how the villain had this many. There must have been hundreds, maybe even a few thousand of them. And that was just from the ones that were attacking the city they were in. From what he heard over the radio chatter this was happening everywhere.


    Some of the monsters looked like large lions covered in human flesh, others were like a strange mix of a bird and a car. Some looked so far away from human you''d never even be able to tell they once were the same species, and some looked very human-like, but still attacked as if they were in a mad trance, biting the throats of Hero Branch workers and tearing them out. One thing they all shared though was the brutal way they attacked. Each monster heard it in the back of their head. A voice, the voice of the new Ego that had been forced into their body. It demanded that they kill and slaughter no matter what. All humans must die!


    The creatures flung themselves forward, not seeming to care if they were hit or even if some of their own kind got in the way. They had all sorts of powers, shooting out beams of fire, ice, or wind, or causing the ground to become bouncy or explode.


    It was utter chaos.


    The Hero Branch agents and the police officers tried to fall back while maintaining a barrage of gunfire, but almost every monster had a form of enhanced durability or had strange bodies that could shrug off having holes in them. As Max rapidly fought through the ever-growing horde, he spotted Mermaid and Legend, who were back-to-back. Legend took a clawed hand to the gut and went down as a swarm of the creatures piled on him and began to tear into the man.


    He hoped that, like before, the hero would be able to come back to life and have a strong form that could take all these things out in one strike.


    "We need back up." He shouted, shooting out an arcing beam of lightning that spread out across the street, causing several of the creatures to howl and drop as they were tased.


    "I don''t think that''s going to happen!" Mermaid yelled toward him.


    "Why the hell not!"


    Mermaid created a massive wave of water, slamming some of the monsters back and giving them a moment to catch their breath before even more of those creatures poured out of the portals above. "This isn''t the only place that''s being attacked." She explained. "I just got word from my grampa that each of the ten great cities is under attack."


    "How?" Max yelled. "That shouldn''t be possible! I know people were going missing, but he shouldn''t already have an army this big. He''d have to have kidnapped over a million people and turned them into monsters! There''s no way we wouldn''t notice something like that."


    "I think I know what it is." He jumped a bit when he heard the voice of Ruby. The girl''s smile was gone, and she eyed one of the monsters up as it dropped from the portal. This one looked almost like a giant monkey. She launched herself forward, and the monkey roared at her and struck out. Her fist flew up and slammed into the Monster''s, blowing it apart in one strike. "Just as I thought." She said quietly as she stared at its corpse.


    "What is it?" Max questioned.


    Mermaid''s face went pale when she noticed it. "N- No! That''s not possible! H- He''s dead! He died in the war!"


    "What is it!" Max asked again. The sick feeling in his gut was back.


    Ruby pointed at the corpse of the monster, then at the other corpses. They were slowly piecing themselves back together... Shards of paper filled up their insides and began to grab at their broken pieces, reattaching them. Black demonic energy hissed from their wounds as their undead bodies fully restored. In no time at all, all the dead monsters that had come from the portal were back up and fully healed.


    "The Dead Virus." Mermaid said in horror. "These things are zombies."


    "Wait! That would mean-"


    "Yep." Ruby finished grimily. "Somehow, some way, the Emperor has gained the forces of Lucifer''s army. In other words, he gave up on kidnapping so many people and instead turned an entire army of undead immortal soldiers into his monsters."


    "That is so unfair! Zombie Monsters! Seriously!¡±


    A loud crackle of energy hissed out of the sky, and another portal began to rip its way into reality. This one was far bigger than any of the others, and what came out of it made a shadow fall over the entire city block. It was as bigger than Building and forged from solid gold with hundreds of arms that slapped the air. It was cross-legged and floated, staring down at them with a blank look.


    "Of course it''s unfair." Golden God, one of the four great leaders of the Emperor¡¯s army, announced in his robotic tone. "We''re evil after all."

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Four: The Emperor’s Army

    In the streets of Rose City, a man in a chicken mascot suit hunkered down behind a hot dog stand, praying that the rampaging monsters wouldn¡¯t notice him. His prayers went unanswered though, as the hot dog stand was lifted from the ground and thrown by what looked like a towering snake-thing with dozens of arms.


    A scream filled the mascot suit as he turned and tried to crawl away but was stopped by a twisted arm that grabbed onto the foot of his suit. As the snake-thing dragged the pleading suit toward its opened maw, ready to swallow the person whole, it suddenly froze in place. The person in the suit kicked at the arm, grabbing their leg, and ran without looking back. Behind them, the snake-thing fell apart in slices as an extremely thin blade collapsed into itself and reformed into a small sphere of black goo.


    Ferros stood on the street with dozens of tiny pieces of that black goo surrounding her. She moved minimally, barely lifting a hand as her orbs shot out, piercing through monsters, severing tails before they could slam into screaming civilians, gouging through throats before a fire beam could blast out, stretching out into inky nets that caught people falling out of buildings or off of rooftops. The hero wobbled on her feet as she spoke to her earpiece. ¡°Young Dog, Rook Street is under control. If you guys see someone in a chicken costume, could you ask them if they have a discount for heroes?¡± She asked in her typical dreamy tone.


    In the nearby street, Young Dog leaped from monster to monster, throwing out what seemed like an almost limitless supply of daggers, grenades and gadgets from pockets covered in sponsor stickers. He rested for a moment on top of a crushed taxi before he responded, stabbing a dagger into the head of another monster, the m-shaped handle sticking out of the creature.


    ¡°Can do. Hands, mind giving a¡­ Well, you know.¡±


    Hands sighed over the comms, walking into Young Dog¡¯s view. ¡°Really? Low hanging fruit, man. Gods, I¡¯ve got to rebrand.¡±


    People swarmed past the hero, pursued closely by a monster that resembled a fleshy lawnmower with whipping tentacles. Hands held up his metal, runed arm. It glowed, and the runes seemed to howl as the air shimmered and a pale ghostly hand formed into existence. It was the size of a large bus and easily tore into the monster, ripping chunks away until nothing was left. The civilian¡¯s cheering quickly died down and turned to screams when ash and paper gathered where the monster was, slowly reforming it back together.


    ¡°Golden Weaver, I can tear these things apart all day, but that¡¯s not going to accomplish much. You mind swinging by?¡± Hands grunted, a bone blade halting an inch away from his face, held in place by more of his ghostly hands.


    He didn¡¯t have to hold it for long before threads wrapped around the blade. The monster screeched as it was pulled into the distance. Golden Weaver landed nimbly by Hands, his gold and white suit smudged with ash and bits of paper. ¡°Seriously, these things are a pain. I¡¯m telling you now, I¡¯m not going to complain about fighting Yellow Kobold or Squid MD again.¡± Golden Weaver stated, blasting out thread to pin a monster against a brick wall adorned with a poster of Full Monarch.


    ¡°I fink yor baddies are a jook, sun. No teef. We shuld swap citteez. Yoo fight System fer me, ye? I cud taek yor Mudman guy on.¡± Omega called out over the comms, raining down blasts onto monsters that kept reforming and marching onward. He landed in a street and held his robotic hand forward, the palm opening out into a barrel. A massive purple beam of energy fired out, wide enough to cover the entire street, disintegrating any monster it hit. "Fawk ye, Iz da beef."


    Golden Weaver and Hands looked at each other with blank stares.


    ¡°I only understood, like, two of those words.¡± Weaver joked, leaping from the street to a nearby building, clinging onto the stone before leaping to another.


    "That''s more than I did..." Hands complained.


    On another street, Feast punched a twisted lion-beetle thing, its furry exoskeleton shattered before ash gathered around it and reformed. It roared and opened its mouth, a beam of fire shooting out and hitting Feast, generating a large cloud of smoke.


    When it dissipated, Feast stood, unharmed as the flames flickered around him, rapidly getting sucked into his skin. The hero grinned and beat his chest. ¡°What, that¡¯s it? I¡¯ve still got room for seconds.¡± He challenged, laughing at the monster.


    It roared back, almost like it accepted the challenge, and sprinted at Feast, who spread his arms wide. The lion-beetle crashed into him, its momentum carrying them both forward, the hero¡¯s feet scraping along the ground. As they stopped moving, the creature tried to pull back, but Feast grabbed onto the thing¡¯s fur.


    The hero¡¯s grin widened, and his grip tightened. ¡°Tell your buddies to make room in there, I¡¯m going to want dessert after this.¡± Slowly, the monster began to get pulled into Feast, actually sinking into his skin, past his armor. Its screeches and roars died down as it disappeared into the hero¡¯s flesh. Feast rubbed his stomach and belched, grimacing. ¡°Damn thing¡¯s giving me indigestion.¡±


    Nearby, Tamer shivered and stroked her lion. It towered over her, the size of a garbage truck, and was coated in bright pink fur. A shrieking creature leaped out at them, bones and spikes piercing through every part of it. The woman covered in cages barely looked up at the creature before it was snatched up in the massive jaws of what looked like a giant dragon with the face of an anglerfish and six arms dangling under its body.


    She smiled up at the creature and held up a hand to scratch its chin. ¡°Thank you, Amon. Now, go spit that out. It¡¯ll make your tummy hurt.¡± The dragon-thing gave a nod before it flew down the street, scooping any monster it could find into its arms and dropping them off far from the people as it flew. She had gotten a lot of her monsters from the Emperor himself. Every person he ever hurt and changed was now with her, and they wanted revenge for what they had become. A revenge she would gladly help them get


    Meanwhile, Gorgeous watched as people ran past him, descending into bunkers. He leapt forward as a monster ripped its way out of the ground. It was the size of a t-rex, green goo coating fists that it held out in front of it. As it touched things and passed by, the goo turned a deep red and exploded into blasts of fire.


    It stopped as Gorgeous stood in front of it, arms crossed over their chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this street is closed. If you take that left you passed-¡± The hero¡¯s quip was cut short as the monster swung its fist at the femboy, who dodged it easily with a quick leap back.


    Gorgeous ran forward, swinging with a punch at the monster¡¯s side. It landed but seemed to do minimal damage before the hero jumped back. The monster turned and started to punch again, but a spectral clone of Gorgeous appeared where the hero had stood earlier and repeated the punch. The clone copied Gorgeous''s actions like a recorded playback. As it did, another clone appeared, and another, and another, these copies in different places but all copying the movements. The stream of clones and the copied punches slowly lifted the monster off the ground and into the air, where Golden Weaver was swinging by to snatch it up with a thread.


    The swinging hero called out to Gorgeous. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that would make for a great show. I can see it now: Gorgeous, the One-Hero-Show!¡±


    Gorgeous opened their mouth to retort but was cut off by the appearance of a rippling blue portal appearing underneath them. "Oh crap-" They dropped down, and the portal closed around them.


    Golden Weaver panicked and dropped down, making for his comms. "Guys! Gorgeous just got swallowed by a-" Another portal opened below Golden Weaver, dragging him in and closing.


    "Not good." Young Dog hissed out as more portals began to open all around them, swallowing people up.


    All of the civilians and heroes looked down as they all fell into portals. Even Omega, who flew to avoid falling, ended up flying straight into a portal that opened above him. In no time at all, all of Rose City was empty, save for the creatures charging through empty streets as all the people disappeared...


    Meanwhile, in the Enforcers Tower, Sini found himself alone, now the last hero left in the city.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s some stuff we need to talk about. The name¡¯s Alpha. It''s good to meet you, Lord of the Sea.¡± Alpha said in a dry tone. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and his eyes looked dull as he took in the sight of the Lord before him.


    Sini stared at the man in front of him. Messy red hair, with thick stubble along his jaw and cheeks, and wearing a long, black trench coat, Alpha looked more like a hermit than a Super. The man was young, too. Early twenties at the most. Yet he could feel power flowing through him. This was the one who created portals. He shuddered to think how strong he''d have to be to make so many over such a wide distance. It was like he was looking at a behemoth of a creature crushed down and forced into a human form.


    Sini calmed his nerves, his mind slowly figuring out a game plan. He was the only one that was left, which meant it was all up to him. He¡¯d have to hold the fort down until Full Monarch or one of the other heroes arrived.


    ¡°What is it you want to talk about? Flooding the city with monsters isn¡¯t enough? You want to monologue?¡± Sini asked calmly. As he asked the question, he mentally scanned the tower, feeling for the traces of water. More specifically, sweat. Even the small amount on a person¡¯s skin was enough to give him a rough outline of the person. When he couldn¡¯t sense anyone in the building, his eyebrows furrowed. It was just him and Alpha. Everyone else truly was gone. All across the city, it was empty. This man had moved them all out of harm''s way?


    Alpha shrugged. ¡°Monologuing isn¡¯t really my style. I want to get this over with. The longer we talk, the more people die unnecessarily. I¡¯m here with an offer for you.¡±


    ¡°Then stop the attack. You¡¯re controlling the portals, right? Teleport your monsters away, stop attacking the cities, and we can discuss this deal,¡± Sini demanded.


    ¡°Not how it works,¡± the man sighed. ¡°You hear the deal first, then I''ll consider calling off my attack. I¡¯m the one in control, you know. I even came to you out of costume. Person to person, I want to talk.¡±


    Sini shook his head and walked down the hallway, knowing that Alpha would either follow or teleport to him. He entered one of the many meeting rooms in the tower, with a large rectangular table that had several papers and mugs of steaming coffee, a screen on the wall showing the planet with steadily increasing numbers on the display. He turned around as he heard the sound of a portal in the room behind him, watching as Alpha appeared in the meeting room, casually sliding into a cushy leather seat at the head of the table.


    ¡°What¡¯s this deal then?¡± Sini asked, choosing to take a seat at his desk.


    Alpha picked up a nearby mug, taking a sip and grimacing. He looked around the room and spotted a pot of sugar. A portal opened under the sugar, and it fell through, landing in his hand. Alpha took his time pouring a small amount of sugar into the coffee and stirring it with a pencil.


    ¡°Join us. Well, not join, exactly,¡± He stated, taking a sip. ¡°Same offer we gave to your pal, Wano.¡±


    ¡°You offered Wano a deal?¡± Sini asked, frowning.


    Alpha nodded. ¡°Yeah. He turned it down, though. A shame. Would¡¯ve made all of this so much easier.¡±


    Sini scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°What part? Attacking everyone with an army of monsters?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Alpha nodded. ¡°Absorbing him would have let us avoid so many casualties. But then the kid had to interrupt us. Wano refused the offer, and the Lord got away.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Sini paused, thoughts whirring in his head. ¡°Nier¡­ he was there. He wasn¡¯t there to help Wano, was he?¡±


    Alpha clicked his tongue. ¡°Bingo. He¡¯s the one that made this whole thing possible. We wouldn¡¯t have our army without his body transmutation ability. He''s using his power of Lord of Life well, wouldn''t you say?¡±


    Sini recalled the transformed monsters, specifically Fire Prince, and how he had been transformed into a monster. ¡°He¡¯s the Emperor, isn¡¯t he?¡± Sini asked, closing his eyes. It must have been a decoy or something. That was the only explanation for how Nier had been in front of the Emperor. He was sure¡ªat least that it was Nier. Nier was behind all of this. The fiery red eyes fit as well. That was how all Lords looked when they were in their battle mode.


    Claps echoed in the room as Alpha sounded his applause. ¡°He said you¡¯d get it, eventually. You know, he really didn¡¯t want to kill Wano. When the guy killed himself just to make sure we didn''t get the Lord, Nier really wanted to hate himself for it. But when it comes down to it, he''ll do whatever it takes.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Sini opened his eyes and leaned forward, placing his palms on the surface of the table. ¡°You¡¯re evil,¡± He stated, venom clear in his voice. ¡°Both of you. This is the same thing that happened seven years ago, isn¡¯t it? The same experiments. Nier is still trying to recreate a soul.¡±


    Alpha took a sip from the mug and let it go, allowing it to shatter on the floor. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll take that burden. We¡¯re evil. The kind of evil that brings progress, changes the world for the better, and brings the world to a new age. Part of Nier¡¯s great cause, his great purpose.¡± He turned his head, looking at the wall or something past it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s time up. What is it? Are you going to go easy, or are you making it hard for us?¡±


    Sini answered with silence, and Alpha sighed. A portal opened behind the man as he stood. The Lord of the Sea sprung into action, the table bursting apart from the water Sini had been quietly pushing into the wood. Forming into spikes, the water stabbed toward Alpha, but he disappeared through the portal before the water reached him. The Lord of the Sea stood alone in the room and growled.


    He placed his fingers up to his comms, his eyes darting around. ¡°Sini, here. Everyone be alert for a red-haired man in a trench coat, alias Alpha. He¡¯s some kind of teleporter; capture him if possible-¡± Sini¡¯s words over the comms were cut short as the building erupted with flames.


    Moments before, while teleporting away, Alpha had opened one more portal. Above the city, this time. And through it, he had dropped something. A bomb. A really, really big bomb.


    In the room, Sini flooded the room with water and instantly froze it, protecting himself with the icy tomb. As the flames of the nuke died down, the ice melted and flowed away. Most of the walls were gone, and Sini found himself standing in a massive hole that had been vaporized out of the side of the tower, most of the nearby buildings in piles of rubble.


    He dropped down into a lower floor, finding a small computer intact, although the screen was cracked in multiple places. He quickly logged in, trying to figure out what was happening. As he typed, he sighed to himself.


    ¡°Oh, Nier. Why have you gone this far?¡±


    ***


    Legend opened his eyes, or at least he thought they might be open. He couldn¡¯t see anything, anyway. Wherever he was, it was pitch black, with no floor that he could feel. But he wasn¡¯t falling. It was almost like he was in the ocean, but without the pressure of water. He gritted his teeth and waited.


    ¡°Did you really think I would let you die so easily?¡±


    Legend grunted. ¡°Just bring me back, already. Take your damn price.¡±


    If the voice ever chuckled, Legend imagined that it would be a dark one, the kind a villain would make in a spy movie.


    ¡°Twice in one day. You must be enjoying my gift.¡±


    ¡°It is a tool. One to be used like any other,¡± Legend stated, feeling something slipping from him.


    "Exactly. I cannot allow you to die yet.¡±


    Legend mentally ran through any knowledge that he could, trying to figure out what the void had ripped from him this time. He remembered his children, their names and childhoods. Then he remembered his parents and how they had instilled him with stories and legends of ancient, forgotten gods and heroes.


    He remembered his lov¡­ His wif¡­ The wedd¡­


    Legend knew what had been taken. The mother of his children. Her face, her name, his love for her. But he didn¡¯t feel loss for the memories. No, he felt the power. Dark and sickly, twisting in the spaces of lost emotions.


    ¡°Rise.¡± He felt his limbs piecing back together.


    ¡°Rise.¡± He felt his power rising, a gallery of shapes and forms swarming in his mind.


    ¡°Rise, my Ruler. My Ash. My Ruin. My Legend, awaken.¡±


    Legend¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he leapt to his feet, looking up to see the golden figure in the air, a woman in green leaves, and a woman with silver hair floating above the battlefield. Golden God had come with friends. One he knew to be Fairy Queen, from Young Dog''s reports. But the third one...


    A monster leaped at him as Legend¡¯s hair grew long and wild, his eyes turning a deep red as he called upon a forgotten name. The monster paused as it stared into his eyes, and it turned to a nearby monster that was striking at a Hero Branch worker. Before it could hurt the worker, claws emerged from its chest as the monsters around Legend began to turn on each other.


    Above him, Ruby let out a battle cry as she leapt at the trio in the air. Golden hands slapped at her, but Ruby blocked the hits, grabbing onto one of Golden God¡¯s fingers, climbing up the arm, and punching at the robot¡¯s face, sending it flying back with a compressed wave of air from how hard she hit.


    As she fell, Ruby felt wind pushing her from underneath, and she grinned. ¡°Send me at him!¡± She yelled to Max.


    The man laughed to himself and sent a blast of wind at Ruby to rocket her at the golden villain. He floated in the air, rising to face the two women.


    Fairy Queen sneered at him while the Princess of Life merely smiled passively, almost more focused on the battlefield below them. ¡°You two wouldn¡¯t mind surrendering, would you?¡± Max asked, ¡°My friend¡¯s going to deal with your golden friend, and Legend is back in action. Make this easy for us, eh?¡±


    Fairy Queen laughed at Max. ¡°Little Lord, there¡¯s no fun in that. Besides, we don¡¯t care about that bitch or the old man, we¡¯re just here for you.¡±


    ¡°One of your pals already killed the last Lord of Sky, and now you want to kill another?¡± Max asked as lightning crackled around him. Ruby was busy dealing with Golden God, while Mermaid was trying to make it to Legend and back him up. That meant he was basically on his own.


    ¡°No, that is not our goal,¡± The Princess of Life retorted, turning to look at him with an almost concerned look in her face. ¡°If you come quietly, the quicker we can enact our master¡¯s plan and save this world.¡±


    ¡°Sure, every world-saving plan requires unleashing hordes of undead monsters,¡± Max stated, shaking his head. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not going anywhere. Now, which of you want to- '''' Fairy Queen cut him off with a grab at his neck that he dodged by simply dropping from the air.


    The Princess of Life shot her a disappointed look. ¡°What? He¡¯s not going to come quietly. And we don¡¯t need his arms or legs, just that Lord power hiding out in his mind,¡± Fairy Queen snickered with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll rip him to bits, but I won¡¯t kill him.¡±


    From underneath, Max shot up with lightning branching from his hands. Fairy Queen easily blocked it by using her ability to enhance space and extend it. He turned to the Princess of Life, who shook her head and kept her hands by her side. One enemy was one he couldn¡¯t hurt, and the other one seemed like they didn¡¯t want to fight back. The time he spent looking at the Princess was enough for Fairy Queen to finish blocking his lightning, and the woman took a swing at the air. Max looked at her, confused, before the air in front of him split apart. He held his arms out in front of him to block as the reality of the air twisted and slashed at him as if it were a sharp blade.


    Max held on until the slashes ended, feeling the faint cuts they left on his arms. With a crackle of thunder, he leapt at Fairy Queen, sending her flying into the clouds above with a bolt of lightning. None of the attacks hurt her, but the energy did cause the winged woman to be pushed up, shoving her out of the city.


    As Max''s battle raged in the clouds, Ruby leapt from limb to limb as she fought Golden God. Each time he would attack, she would grab onto the limb and rip it off the robot. They seemed almost endless, though, and for each one she ripped off, three more would counterattack while she was falling with the detached limb. And with each falling limb, Ruby kicked off it while it fell, sending her flying back up to Golden God.


    As she reached another hand, she went to rip at it, but it fell from the robot on its own, detached from the inside. While Ruby fell, a dozen arms all shot at her, far faster than any of the others had been. The ground cracked as she was sent directly into it from a harsh series of slaps. In a crater, she lay on her back and dusted herself off. Ruby stared up at Golden God, who floated above her, and growled to herself. This counterattacking thing wasn¡¯t her style. She didn¡¯t like to wait for them to swing first. Countering was a trick, a technique that weak people used to turn their enemy¡¯s strength against them. And she refused to use cheap tricks when her own strength was the only thing she ever needed.


    More hands launched out at her, and she slammed a fist into the ground. A dust cloud bloomed out, and the hands hit where Ruby had been. As they lifted away, the cloud dispersed to reveal a hole carved into the ground. As Golden God floated down to look around, a nearby patch of grass burst open as Ruby leapt out at him from beneath the ground, having literally dug her way through it. Before the golden robot could float out of reach, she punched at his metal face, landing a solid blow that sent the villain crashing to the ground so hard the entire city shook.


    Ruby leapt onto the robot and started to beat on the metal of his chest. Hands converged on her, and she leapt off. As soon as she jumped away from him, Golden God shot up, floating rapidly toward the clouds above. Ruby grabbed onto one of the limp hands hanging from him, holding on as they passed the cloud layer.


    Golden God noticed his passenger and whipped at the limp arm before Ruby could jump to another one. As she began to fall, she felt wind wrapping around her from behind and turned to see Max, bloodied and bruised.


    ¡°You want to try attacking from above?¡± He asked, smiling.


    Ruby nodded. ¡°Yeah, this asshole¡¯s a coward. Can¡¯t get a good shot in.¡±


    Max closed his eyes and concentrated as Ruby felt the wind around her gather and solidify under her feet.


    He opened his eyes and patted her on the back. ¡°There you go, won¡¯t last long, so don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah, just how I like to do things!¡± She stated and leaned forward, the air under her feet was now enough to keep her aloft. She began to fly up now, twirling in the air, carried by the wind itself. Max had created a large cloud she now stood on and could use to fly.


    Max turned to see Fairy Queen floating nearby, the scorch marks from lightning shocks slowly fading to smooth skin as she grinned at him.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just unfair,¡± He sighed. ¡°You can also heal?¡±


    Fairy Queen just laughed at him. ¡°Is this it? Now I¡¯m sad that the Emperor didn¡¯t allow me to come as he killed the last Lord of Sky. That would have been actually entertaining.¡±


    The lightning around Max crackled and snapped as he glared at the reality-weaponizing woman. He snarled and shot at the monster, lightning snaking out and zapping her even as his fist swung through the air.


    As he passed, her slim hands whipped out and grabbed onto his head. Max fought to pull her off, but his vision faded¡­


    ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± Wano yelled, shaking Max¡¯s bed until the son opened his eyes.


    Max started to speak, to talk one last time to his father, but stopped. This wasn¡¯t real; he knew it straight away. He was in his home, back in the village. But it wasn¡¯t right. He looked around, saw the house, but everything had a faint layer of static, even Wano. He smiled sadly at the man who stood over him, waiting for his father to talk. He wanted whatever this was to be real. He had dreamed this exact scenario dozens of times. But he knew it would never happen. Wano was dead. He had a burden to carry, and he couldn¡¯t spend his time in dreams.


    He dug deep, feeling for the Lord inside. He knew it was there, and if this Fairy Queen wanted a Lord, he was going to give her one!


    The illusion shattered around him as his hair lit up. Fairy Queen looked down as the Princess of Life shot up into the air nearby, a swarm of spears chasing after her. Legend ascended through the clouds, wearing a bright red cape and wielding a spear and shield with massive wings coming out of his back. The Princess, on the other hand, seemed to be able to actually fly like Full Monarch floating through the air as Legend chased after her. Fairy Queen went to follow, but then she felt it.


    A wave of pain stabbed through her layered reality, burning through the infinite distance. She felt pain and turned just in time to see Max. His hair was the color of a storm cloud, and his eyes ignited with a fiery red glow. Spacial lightning able to pierce time and space crackled around him and literally twisted reality so that it could shock and burn Fairy Queen.


    Fairy Queen screamed and swung at Max, but a pulse of lightning sent her flying back. The Lord of the Sky opened his eyes, electricity sparking from his iris like a laser beam. Everyone stared, even Ruby and Golden God, as they all felt energy gathering around them like an intense storm.


    The clouds below solidified, and any clouds above vanished to reveal the endless blue sky. Then, everyone blinked, and it switched. The clouds were above and the endless blue sky was below them, and everyone felt gravity trying to pull them into that endless blue. Pillars of storm clouds extended down into the blue, down past the point where any of them could see, and in the distance, everyone could see things twisting and moving in the distance, roars and screeches reaching their ears. In a flash, they were no longer on Earth but instead found themselves in a land of twisting storm clouds that covered every distance around them.


    Max looked around and saw the paths. Some were twisted, fragmented, and breaking in places. Others were solid, a straight line from birth to death. He turned to Ruby and Legend, giving them a grin. He created a realm. A pocket world where his Lord power would flow freely. A realm of weather that could control time and space.


    ¡°They wanted a Lord.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the Enforcers tower, Sini tapped on his earpiece, trying to get through to someone. Right before he gave up, he heard a crackle, and a voice called out on the comms.


    ¡°Whoa, what was that? Young Dog, you got some teleporting thingamajigs on that toolbelt or something?¡± Golden Weaver asked.


    Sini sat up straight. ¡°Golden Weaver, that you?¡±


    ¡°Unless there¡¯s another insect-themed hero on the Enforcers, I¡¯m one of a kind. What happened?¡± Golden Weaver responded, his signal carrying the faint sound of people speaking in the background.


    Sini clicked through the computer. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d tell me that. Your signal¡¯s saying that you¡¯re in Daisy City.¡±


    There was a pause before Golden Weaver answered. ¡°Oh yeah, haven¡¯t been here in a while. Hey, you know if they¡¯re still dealing with that jester villain? Dude freaks me out.¡±


    ¡°Focus,¡± Sini instructed. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Yeah, some blue portals opened and nabbed us all. Everyone¡¯s here, even the civs.¡±


    Sini frowned and leaned back in the chair. ¡°Why would Alpha do that?¡± He clicked through the computer some more, going through any camera that was still operational, checking satellites and even traffic cameras. Alpha was nowhere to be seen. But he could see someone standing right outside the Enforcers tower. One tall and dressed all in black. The Emperor, flanked by a woman in blood-red armor. They were waiting right outside his building for him.


    Just as he was debating what to do about that issue, another voice crackled into the channel. A familiar one that caused all of them to pause and feel the smallest spark of hope return.


    ¡°-onarch, getting -ose. -llo?¡± Full Monarch¡¯s voice asked.


    ¡°Full Monarch? Boss man! De fawk yoo bin dooen?¡± Omega asked over the radio.


    There was a brief silence as everyone mentally processed the question.


    Full Monarch answered without pause, seemingly understanding Omega. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy. Things don¡¯t look too great down there, do they?"


    In the background, they faintly heard Golden Weaver asking how Full Monarch understood Omega. ¡°There¡¯s a full-scale attack by the Emperor and a swarm of monsters. We¡¯ve also got reports of some of his ¡®Generals¡¯ attacking Max and Ruby.¡± Sini explained. ¡°I¡¯ve got eyes on the Emperor and one of the Generals outside of the Tower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, immediately,¡± Full Monarch replied.


    Sini shook his head, forgetting that no one could see it. ¡°No, go save Max and Ruby first. I¡¯ll hold the Emperor off. I¡¯m a Lord, too, remember? I can keep them at bay for long enough.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    "This isn''t a suggestion; it''s an order." Sini said, cutting his friend off. "Get to Max and Ruby as soon as you can. They need you more than me. You can come back me up once you''ve made sure your kid is okay."


    There was a pause before he heard Full Monarch finally speak. "Right. I''ll do that- Uh oh."


    "What''s Uh oh?" Golden Weaver asked in a panic.


    "Someone was waiting for me to return to planet Earth." Was all Full Monarch said before he hung up.


    High above the clouds, in the upper limits of the atmosphere, the golden blur found himself coming face-to-face with a man with inky black hair, holding a book. Angelic wings stabbed out of the pale man''s back, and his golden eyes stared into the number one hero''s.


    Lucifer smiled. ¡°Hello, Jackson. It¡¯s been some time, hasn''t it?¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Five: The Ruler That Would Devour The World

    Heavy bags rested under Nier''s eyes. The man''s shoulders were slumped, and his clothes were soaked down to the bone. He stared past the glass of a store selling various different TVs. They were all on and played the same thing.


    "-the newest sidekick of the number one Hero has made her appearance! The one and only Ruby Admiral!" The image on the TV showed Full Monarch saving a city that was burning to the ground. Joining him in the air was a young child who flew alongside him and helped save the day with a smile on her face. Dressed in her red costume. This, however, was something that never actually happened. Ruby Admiral sadly never got to fight alongside her father, nor could she fly, and eventually ads like these would stop showing, and soon the world would mainly forget about the ''hero'' Ruby Admiral.


    Nier''s eyes were hollow and sunken as he stared at the screen in complete silence. "So instead of trying to permanently stop the Beast, this is what you''ve decided to do, Jackson. I see where your priorities lie."


    ''I told you to forget about him.'' A voice hissed in his ear. One he had heard many times now. It was the voice of the entity that called herself the Prettiest Flower. Something which had taken root in his head and had begun to speak to him shortly after the death of his family. ''Focus on our mission. You need to let me in more. I can make a new body for her. One that can house the perfect child you seek, once you figure out how to actually make a soul. Are you listening to me, boy!''


    Nier took a sip from a flask he held, doing his best to drown out the voice that was inside of his head. It was getting harder and harder for him to figure out who was actually talking and what thoughts were his own. ¡°I give up. I tried to bring Sky back, but it didn¡¯t work. Jackson¡­ The look he gave me.¡± Nier reached up and rubbed his face.


    He had tried to bring his wife and daughter back, but even though their bodies came back to life, the thing that was in control of them weren¡¯t the people he loved. They were monstrous and feral. Even if they looked mostly the same. They kept coming after him.


    He had been arrested a while ago for his crimes but managed to escape after the Beast came back down for a second time. That had truly broken his will and spirit. After all, it was now clear that thing was going to keep coming and would target humans over and over again. If he even dared to try and create his monsters to fight it off, the Branch would throw Jackson at him.


    Not like it mattered though. He had failed to save his daughter after all. He couldn¡¯t bring back that soul that once existed. Not yet, at least. His life basically had no meaning.


    ''Listen to me! Obey me!''


    ¡°Just shut up.¡± Nier sharpened his fingers into claws with his power and brought it up to his neck, ready to slit his throat. ¡°It¡¯s time this story comes to an end.¡±


    ¡®No! If you die, I¡¯ll go back to the Pod! At least find a willing body for me to go into, please, Nier!¡¯


    Then it happened...


    From a nearby alleyway, Nier heard the sound of a can being kicked. He turned his head and raised an eyebrow when he saw someone standing in front of him. The boy was dressed in baggy clothes and had shaggy red hair. He was shivering from the cold, but there was a look in his eyes. The same look Nier had seen in dozens of soldiers during the war with Lucifer so many years ago. People died so someone like this kid could live. It was a fifteen-year-old boy, one that seemed determined.


    One of the teen¡¯s arms was wrapped under the body of a small brown puppy. The animal was barking and growling as it glared at Nier. In the child''s other hand, he clutched an old, rusted switchblade. "E¡ªEverything in your pockets," the young boy announced, and his stomach growled loudly. "Your wallet and everything. Now!"


    Nier let out a quiet sigh and got ready to use his power to fly away. He wanted to die in peace after all. He was just about to summon Lucky and leave when the Prettiest Flower spoke up once more. ''Wait! This child! Don''t you see who this is! Look closer!'' For the first time in his life, Nier found himself actually listening to her as he turned to look back at the shivering teenager in front of him.


    At first, he didn''t see anything impressive. Slowly though, he felt his eyes shift and change as they pierced past the mortal flesh before him and allowed him to truly gaze at the being he was looking at. He saw every detail. The very cells that made up this boy were made clear in his mind. The DNA that caused this human to exist. The boy was a Super. A strong one at that. One thing did stand out though. The child''s father. He was able to figure that out in an instant. After all he had seen that woven strand of DNA many times. This teenager was¡­


    A large snort escaped Nier before the man totally lost it. He threw his head back and laughed, causing the child to step away.


    "I- I''m serious-" The teen growled. ¡°I- I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Nier crouched down and allowed the blade to stab into his chest. He ignored the gasps of the teen or the puppy, which began to bite at his hand as he got too close. He grabbed the boy by his chin and stared into his emotionless, dead eyes. "That''s a good look in your eyes. What''s your name?"


    "I¡ªI don''t know." The boy grunted out and tried to thrash around, but Nier''s strength easily overpowered the child.


    "Well, Mr. No name. I''m really delighted I ran into you. Maybe this is fate. Nah. Nothing so cheap. Still..." Nier smiled as he stared at his reflection in the child''s eyes. He really did look so tired. "How would you like to help me save the world?"


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. You¡¯d be about my daughter''s age now that I think about it.¡± He tilted the boy¡¯s head, looking him over. ¡°She¡¯d have been fifteen this year, the same age as you. Yeah. You¡¯ll do. It¡¯s a bit ironic though. After all¡­ You are ¡®his¡¯ son. Then again, it is his fault I lost my child in the first place.¡±


    ***


    The city shook. Sini calmly removed his glasses and gently placed them on his desk next to the computer. He had seen more than enough.


    He adjusted the tie to his business suit and steeled his nerves. It had been years since he last took up arms against a threat. His hair now sported dozens of specks of gray, and his face was full of wrinkles. He was still a Lord, though. Even pushing a hundred, he stood above most Supers that were in their prime.


    He would do what he was born to do. Protect the Earth and its people. This was the job of a Lord. A hero. Of any decent man.


    All around him was destruction. The bomb had nearly torn down the stone tower that served as their base and destroyed most of Sini Corp., the company he created to bring mankind one step further into the future.


    Before the Calamities, they say humans stood at the top, that they were far more advanced. It had taken nearly fifty years and the work of every Super he knew, but slowly, Sini had brought the world back to its true self. Now, though, it was all in ruins once more.


    The buildings were falling apart. Black flames ate away at the streets. Most of Rose City was already gone. ¡°If you wanted my attention, rest assured. You¡¯ve gotten it,¡± he called out.


    Outside the building was dirt. The road, the street, the buildings, the cars, and even the city had been wiped clean off the map in a one-mile radius, leaving just a flat stretch of land directly outside his front door. At the very edge of this bizarre, strange new battlefield that had been created, Sini saw him¡ªhis once-long-time friend.


    The thing might have been Nier once, but he wasn¡¯t that soldier any longer. A twisted, jagged throne created from living flesh had been forged directly at the edge of the arena. The Emperor¡¯s proper form was blacker than even darkness itself, melding in with the wisps of night. What he could see, though, was a pair of glowing blue eyes that stabbed out of the black void that rested on the throne. He couldn¡¯t make out arms or legs or anything like that, but he could feel the thing''s tremendous power. A power that was rivaled only by the other Calamity threats.


    Directly in front of the shadowy throne, the Emperor''s bodyguard stood. Hell Hound wore blood-red armor, something she had been gifted from her dark master. Sini traced her form as she walked forward slowly. In her hand, she gripped a jagged mace, one stained in blood¡ªher weapon, the very same that had shattered dozens of heroes'' skulls. Able to negate and cancel out powers.


    Sini strolled forward, walking out of his building. He stopped fifteen meters away from Hell Hound as he and the villain glared at one another. ¡°You could have just knocked if you really wanted to speak with me. This destruction was uncalled for, Nier. I know that you¡¯re hurting, but this isn¡¯t the way. This isn¡¯t what she would have wanted-¡°


    Hell Hound¡¯s fingers grew tighter on her weapon, and he could see her eyes narrow. ¡°You have no right to speak as if you know who the master is or what he¡¯s gone through.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who raised him. I have every right.¡± Sini spat out.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson.¡± The monster hissed, crouching low. ¡°One you should have been taught long ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how do you plan to do that?¡±


    ¡°I planned on hitting you so hard your head pops, and I¡¯d get to see the inside of your skull.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± A ring of water began to slowly twirl into existence around Mr. Sini. ¡°It¡¯s been fifty years since this old man bothered to fight. That said, I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯ve gone soft-¡±


    Hell Hound was on him in an instant. Moving faster than most pro heroes, she swung her mace down so hard that the world had trouble keeping up, space twisting and bending to her will. Sini¡¯s water barrier barely had time to rise up and block the strike, and even then, the force of the attack was enough to send him flying back. His water struck out like a whip, but Hell Hound twirled herself around and slammed her weapon down onto the wave, sending a powerful shock wave through it that was so hot and fast it caused the water to instantly boil and steam.


    Sini held both his hands out and let out a loud battle cry. From the sky, the clouds were torn in two as a long trident slammed down into the ground, and he ripped it out with one hand. ¡°Do me a favor and help this old man get back in the swing of things, will you?¡±


    He didn''t need to win this fight. He just needed to hold this monster off long enough for Full Monarch to save Max and Ruby.


    Hell Hound threw her mace at Sini as hard as she could, and he swung his trident out, smacking it out of the way. The villain dropped to all fours and darted forward like a wild beast, her armor¡¯s helmet ripping in two and allowing the wolf-shaped maws on it to lash out. Sini vanished and reappeared behind the woman, bringing a sword made of water down in an attempt to rip her head clean off.


    Blood splashed down onto the floor, and Sini¡¯s sword slipped from his grip as he stared down at his stomach. A beam of blue energy had stabbed through him. His glare turned toward the Emperor, who still rested on the throne. The man¡¯s finger was raised ever so slightly, poking out of the black he had covered himself in. ¡°Have you no shame! I was fighting her, and you- Wait! How did you do that energy-"


    Hell Hound¡¯s mace smashed into the side of Sini¡¯s head so hard his neck nearly snapped, and he was sent flying with dozens of his teeth flying out of his mouth. He rolled across the ground, spitting up blood, and groaned. Hell Hound stalked forward, raising her weapon, but stopped when she saw her master''s hand raised. As soon as she turned her back on him, Sini struck.


    Water formed together into a large snake made of liquid, which struck out and rammed into Hell Hound so hard it nearly snapped the woman¡¯s neck. The villain stumbled back, and her helmet broke off of her armor and tumbled down.


    Sini went to push himself back up but instantly froze when he saw the face of his opponent. ¡°Y- You.¡± He whispered out. He was seeing a ghost.


    The woman had pale skin and long brown hair that flowed down her back in a tangled mess. Her eyes were canine-like, as were her teeth, and her ears jutted out like that of a dog. Despite her new additions, he knew who this was.


    ¡°Sky?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my name anymore.¡± Hell Hound hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°This might be Sky¡¯s body, but I¡¯m me! I¡¯m Hell Hound!¡±


    He knew Nier had tried to bring his daughter back. Seven years ago, when they arrested Nier, the man¡¯s monsters were taken in to be studied since it was the first time something like that happened. The Beast, however, had attacked the planet for a second time, and in the commotion, Nier as well as dozens of monsters managed to escape and get away. Now here one stood before him.


    The dead daughter, Sky, was back. The reason Nier was doing everything that he did. It was all to bring this girl back fully.


    Hell Hound stalked over to her master''s side, who began to slowly stand up. The woman put her helmet back on, covering her face once more, while the Emperor¡¯s blue eyes stared down at Sini.


    ¡°Let me guess...¡± Sini shakily pulled himself back up and nearly collapsed to his knees. ¡°Now that I¡¯m like this, you want to fight me, huh?¡± He stalked forward, moving past Hell Hound and back to the sword he left stabbed into the ground. ¡°You really aren¡¯t Nier anymore. You¡¯re just as bad as Lucifer.¡± Sini screamed and ripped his weapons out of the ground. He gripped the sword tightly as ice armor began to form around his body. ¡°I won¡¯t give up, monster! This old man has some fight left in him!¡±


    The Emperor made no move to defend himself, staring at Sini quietly. As the hero limped forward with his sword raised high, the Emperor remained still. Sini swung down and¡­


    The Emperor struck out faster than the wounded hero could react. His armored fist jabbed forward, slamming into Sini¡¯s chest with an echoing crack. The hero fell back, barely standing, as he tried to breathe, a monumental task in that moment. Each breath was painful, a strange wheezing sound accompanying every rise of his chest. He clutched at his gut in shock. That blow had a tremendous amount of force behind it. It was well past super strength. It was as if he had been struck by a giant.


    Sini fell to his knees and looked up at the throne. The Emperor stood, holding a bright white sword. He slowly walked forward and raised his blade. As it lifted fully, the blade began to glow. When it faded, the blade was no longer held in the Emperor¡¯s hands. Instead, Avalon stood in front of Sini, dressed in a bright white lab coat that held a glow for a few seconds before the light faded out.


    ¡°Hey Mr. Sini..." Avalon said, his saddened eyes staring into the hero¡¯s.


    ¡°What¡­ are you doing with them?¡± Sini wheezed as he held a hand to his chest, trying to use his powers to force things to work inside his body. But one of the boons of being a Lord was his curse in that moment; the Lords were difficult to alter or affect with powers.


    Avalon smiled at his old friend, his mentor, the man who inspired him to work harder than anyone else. ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t have to go like this.¡± He stated, placing a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder.


    Sini sucked in a breath as he felt bones shifting and grinding. ¡°Then don¡¯t¡­ You don¡¯t have to¡­ join them. Please.¡± He gasped, pleading.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ He turned me into a monster. Nier did. He twisted me.¡± Avalon explained, looking down at his hands. ¡°You know, he called me his Sword. I¡¯m not a fighter, you remember that. Hell, I don¡¯t like hurting people. But, hey¡­ Can¡¯t really say no. Not anymore. Now I have a job I have to do."


    Bloody hands grabbed onto Avalon¡¯s white lab coat, leaving bloody streaks. Sini looked up at the man. ¡°At least¡­ Tell me what this is all for.¡± He asked.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°That¡¯s only fair,¡± Avalon replied with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s to save everyone, obviously. We need your power and the energy that the Lords naturally give off. More specifically, the power that is held within your Pod. They¡¯re a tricky thing, you know. I¡¯ve been studying them all. You basically gave me access to every Lord¡¯s Pod, and I¡¯ve been able to find out some interesting things, such as what they really are and where they came from.¡±


    ¡°S- So you¡¯re just going to kill me?¡± Sini spat out. ¡°After everything we¡¯ve done. All the hard work you did. This is the path you follow, Avalon?¡±


    Avalon just let out a soft sigh and ran his hand through his hair. He looked stressed, but he kept a smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You''re not going to die. You''re my dear friend after all. Wano wasn¡¯t supposed to die either. We never wanted any of you to die. But you have to go away for a while. When you''re done, you can be let out. Both you and that other boy."


    Sini looked up. ¡°Max? You''re talking about Max? What is it that you''re planning? What do you mean I have to go away?"


    ¡°Are you asking about the method or the reasoning? Don¡¯t answer, I know you want to know the method,¡± Avalon chuckled, kneeling down. ¡°Well, you know my power used to be that I could pull memories out of people and transfer them into objects or other people. A little like a memory teleportation of sorts. Useful for helping people remember where they left their keys or figuring out what song they heard on the radio. He found me after the Beast. After his family died. He asked me to use my power on the Ego of his power. I never thought to go for the core of someone¡¯s power, but when I did¡­ The things I saw¡­ They¡¯re alive, you know? Our powers. Most of them aren¡¯t sentient enough to accomplish much, but others? Well, some very bad stuff is just waiting on certain Egos to get their chance.¡±


    Avalon sat down, cross legged, not seeming to care as a trickle of Sini¡¯s blood dripped across the lab coat.


    ¡°I¡­ know about¡­ the Egos.¡± Sini muttered, his eyes beginning to lose focus due to the damage he took. ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured,¡± Avalon chuckled. ¡°You Lords are a special case. That¡¯s actually a really interesting thing. You see, when he twisted me, broke me into pieces, and let my power¡¯s Ego consume what was left¡­ Well, I learned something. A little secret. You want to hear it?¡±


    Sini didn¡¯t answer, or perhaps he couldn¡¯t, as Avalon leaned forward to whisper into his ears. Sini¡¯s eyes widened, and he shakily raised his head. Avalon nodded and stood.


    ¡°I suppose this is goodbye. I hope that, when this is all over and the world is truly safe, I can pull you out of what we have planned and you can rest in the first true age of complete peace,¡± Avalon stated, glowing brightly and disappearing as the sword reappeared in the Emperor¡¯s hands.


    Sini closed his eyes as the Emperor brought his sword down.


    "Goodbye, Mr. Sini. Goodbye, my father." Were Avalon''s final words to the man who raised him.


    The sword touched down on Sini, and the Emperor gave two simple commands. "Put him back in his Pod. Bring the Pod here.¡±


    It happened all at once. In a bright flash, Sini was gone, and in its place, the Pod that belonged to Sini reappeared. It began to beep and let out several panicked noises as a full-grown man¡¯s body was shoved into it instantly.


    Avalon could teleport to only places he had been or people he personally knew and had a connection with. All four Pods were something the man was very familiar with. After all, he had worked on a lot of them and used that metal to create his drones. The sword form he was now in was also made out of the same metal as the Pods.


    Before, his power had been to create gadgets made for spying and transferring memories. Now, after becoming a monster and having a new Ego implanted into him, that power had evolved to something further. The ability to transport matter itself across the universe, so long as it followed his established rules of being a place he had gone to, either as a sword or as a person. This rule could also be bypassed by instead focusing on the person who touched it and going to places they had been.


    For example, if someone went somewhere he hadn¡¯t gone, as long as they were wielding him, he could still send that person to that location since they had gone there before. All Lords held a connection to the Pods, and it was their starting point for many of them. In a way, it was the perfect location to send them. Sini had started his life in the Pod so the sword could send him back to the heart of it all.


    Sini was literally undone and broken down as he was forced back into the very beginning of his starting state within the Pod, undoing it all. It was almost like a baby returning to the womb. The Pod expanded a bit before shrinking back down to its normal size, now holding the energy and soul of Sini and the Tallest Wave. Energy that began to softly spill out.


    The Pod began to whirl and hiss, the lights growing brighter as it tried to take off and fly away on its own. It didn¡¯t get far though.


    In an instant, the Emperor changed and began to grow. Thick blue energy poured out of him, and his size rapidly expanded, getting far bigger. Hell Hound was forced to jump back, and she watched as her master grew to one hundred meters tall. Forged from crackling blue energy, the Emperor grabbed the fleeing pod and held it in his hand. Slowly his helmet began to crack and break as he forced part of his mask open and opened his mouth.


    He tilted his head back and then casually dropped the pod into his mouth, swallowing it.


    A Giant had just eaten a God.


    ***


    Far away, in the Domain of the Lord of Sky, thunder began to rumble.


    In the flipped realm, where the clouds solidified above and the endless blue sky lay below them, Max, Ruby, and Legend fought against Golden God, Fairy Queen, and The Princess of Life. Though saying it was a fight would be an overstatement.


    One of Golden God¡¯s hands shot forward at Max, aiming to end this realm before it could do anything, but the man disappeared in a burst of lightning. Before anyone could react, Golden God let out a distorted scream as a column of lightning as wide as a skyscraper descended onto him. Max reappeared on top of Golden God as the lightning dissipated.


    ¡°Tin can in a storm. You were the wrong person to send for me,¡± He stated in a blunt tone. "This is the power I discovered after my fight with Water Prince. This is my realm. My world. This is the power Nier brought out of me!"


    Both Fairy Queen and The Princess of Life sprung into action, leaping at the Lord of Sky. As they did, Fairy Queen felt a tug on her leg, turning to find Ruby grinning at her.


    ¡°Remember me? Because I sure haven''t forgotten about you!" The red-haired girl announced.


    Fairy Queen swung at the self-proclaimed villain, but Ruby took the altered reality punch head-on and punched at the leg held in her hand. There was a sharp crack sound as Fairy Queen screamed and held her hand out at Ruby, who braced but was still blown back as reality around her rejected her presence.


    In Max¡¯s realm, space twisted and changed constantly to the boy''s whim. Fairy Queen tried to make her infinite barrier, but it didn¡¯t work in here. That meant Ruby¡¯s attacks could actually reach her. Something Ruby was all too happy to prove by blasting forward, dodging the larger blasts of distorted reality. Fairy Queen growled, and Ruby just grinned even as small slashes left faint cuts across her flesh.


    All of them were flying through the air. Max''s wind caused them all to stay above the blue sky that was below them all the while the clouds above spat out lightning that constantly struck out as the enemies.


    This allowed Ruby to move in ways she normally didn''t. As she reached Fairy Queen, she grabbed the woman by the head and gripped down.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I can tell you¡¯ve got some regeneration. Never had to fight someone like that. You mind if I test some attacks out?¡± She asked with a laugh as she rammed a knee into the villain¡¯s stomach and sent them into one of the pillars of storm cloud.


    Meanwhile, when The Princess of Life leapt for Max, she felt a hand grip her foot. She turned to find a twisted, ugly face with scraggly black hair and a thick beard. Legend held her in a meaty, thick hand and punched at her with the other. The Princess of Life blocked the hit, but even she was surprised at the impact those fists left. Even for super strength, this was too much. Those hands held the heat of volcanoes and hit hard enough to form even the toughest metals¡ªthe hands of a powerful smith.


    The Princess of Life was sent falling into the endless blue sky below but stopped and floated back up to Legend. She flipped some of her long brown hair and gave a gentle smile.


    She didn''t look like a monster, unlike her two teammates. She looked human, beautiful, and peaceful. She wore a long white gown, and her eyes almost seemed to glow and spark.


    "How are you here?" Legend questioned. "You died. I was sure of it. I was there when Nier found your body."


    "The real Princess is long gone." The woman hummed. "I guess I''m nothing more than a body holding onto what little memories were able to be transferred into me with that white sword... Still, I have a job to fulfill. I will be the one to carry my Lord''s new child within me."


    "Nier really is the Emperor, huh?" Legend sighed tiredly. "Sounds like he really went off the deep end."


    ¡°Please, surrender,¡± The Princess of Life asked, looking at the man as he shifted back to his normal form. ¡°You are an Enforcer. You fight to save this world, so, please, allow us to save it despite our evils.¡±


    The hero grunted and shook his head. ¡°No can do. If there¡¯s anything I¡¯ve taught my children, it¡¯s that evil cannot be allowed to win, no matter what. If I¡¯m going to leave anything when I¡¯m gone, I want it to be that lesson.¡±


    The Princess of Life frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re accomplishing with this resistance. But alas, you believe it is right.¡±


    "It doesn''t matter if it''s right or wrong. I''m going to do what needs to be done and let you finally rest, Ghost of Nier''s past."


    ¡°That¡¯s what you call me, huh.¡± The Princess of Life¡¯s frown grew. ¡°I was a corpse. One who was brought back seven years ago. The same happened to Hell Hound. The souls you once knew are long gone. We are brand new creations. I know the Emperor holds no love for me. I can never truly be the wife he wanted. He found me recently again and tamed me along with Hell Hound. Forced us to submit to him. He gave me a job to do. Hell Hound was too imperfect in his eyes. He needs to create a new body. One that can house the soul of the real Sky. To do that, he needs power, though. Lots of power. It is my duty to carry the body of what will one day belong to Sky. So in the meantime, I can¡¯t let people like you who will get in our way live.¡±


    Legend closed his eyes and shook his head. "You got it all wrong. It¡¯s you who can¡¯t live. You¡¯re nothing more than bad memories rolled up into human flesh. You might look human, but you¡¯re almost worse than the other two that are here. You¡¯re the closest thing to an actual monster I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    Max watched his allies fighting from on top of Golden God. The giant villain seemed to object at being used as a viewing platform as several hands zoomed toward the newly awakened Lord. Right before they hit, Max disappeared with a burst of lightning, reappearing away from the robot.


    He kicked toward the villain, air and lightning twisting together as the blast hit, denting metal and leaving the air smelling like static.


    Breathing heavily, Max looked down at himself, feeling the adrenaline running through him like electricity. He knew this place deeply. Even without looking up, one of Golden God¡¯s hands was blasted out of the air by lightning as it shot toward him.


    As Fairy Queen readied for another clash with Ruby, the air around her compressed and the pressure rapidly increased, steadily crushing the villain with pure oxygen even as the villain warped the area.


    The Princess of Life dove down into the endless blue, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Cloud tendrils wrapped around her instantly and dragged her up, slamming her into the cloud roof.


    The pillars of storm clouds gathered behind Max, collecting and forming together, growing cloudy wings and talons. Behind him, a colossal bird made of clouds let out a shriek. Max held his hand out at Golden God and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Loudest Thunder-¡± His words were cut off as the clouds above them cracked and shattered, as did the endless blue, all of it detonating on the villains in a massive storm cloud explosion.


    The realm collapsed, and Max fell for a moment, caught by Legend as the man shot forward with winged feet.


    ¡°Whoa, that took more out of me than I expected. You got an energy bar in those robes?¡± He asked the Enforcer, sweat beading on his face.


    Mermaid rose to greet them, riding a platform of floating water. ¡°What was that?¡± She asked, looking at the three heroes as the wind carried them softly to the ground now that they were in the real world.


    "I don''t know, but flying was a lot of fun." Ruby announced, rubbing her fist. "I''m going to need to figure out how to do something like that myself one day."


    "I don''t see that happening." Legend said flatly.


    "I''ll show you! I''ll say screw gravity and just fly!" Ruby announced.


    "So, uh. What do we do about those guys?" Mermaid asked, gesturing to the villains. "Are they still alive?" Left in a large smoldering crater directly over most of the rampaging monster, Golden God was flat on his back along with a beat-up Princess of Life and Fairy Queen. Both villains were still up and glared down at them.


    Before they could move though, Golden God let out a loud, hellish creak. They all turned to see the robot leaning backwards, exposing his stomach. The metal unfolded, revealing a doorway built into his gut. His job was to be a vehicle. If Fairy Queen and Hell Hound were both the bodyguards of the Emperor, and the Princess of Life was to be the mother of his child, then Golden God''s job was to simply carry the man...


    An armored figure stepped out of the doorway, walking onto one of Golden God¡¯s hands, eyes blazing with red energy. Max growled as he recognized the figure. The Emperor stood before them.


    Fairy Queen and The Princess of Life both bowed, paying respect to their master. As they did, Legend and Mermaid shot forward. Legend grew a flowing white beard as his muscles expanded, jabbing forward with a lightning bolt. Mermaid gathered as much water as she could to send a giant water tentacle at the villain.


    The Emperor smacked out at the attacks, blasting Legend back with a punch and slapping the air to send a shockwave that sent Mermaid flying.


    ¡°Feeble attacks. I have fought with Giants every day, and their strength eclipses yours. Do not waste your efforts.¡± A voice echoed out from under the armor, almost seeming to mock them.


    Max roared and flew at the Emperor, Ruby following behind, still carried by the flowing winds. The Emperor swung his fist out lazily, and Max dodged under it, thrusting a crackling palm out at the villain, but the energy faded before the hit landed as the Lord of Sky breathed heavily.


    Ruby kicked him away from the Emperor as she kicked between his legs, only managing to hurt her foot as the villain shook his head. He backhanded the hero, and she was sent flying back.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s tough,¡± She stated.


    Max seethed. ¡°He killed my father. I¡¯m going to beat him, no matter what.¡±


    Ruby smirked. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to need to bring your a-game. Match my pace, okay?¡±


    The Lord of Sky nodded as the duo rocketed forward, ignoring the calls to retreat from Legend and Mermaid.


    Ruby struck first, punching at the Emperor¡¯s chest, and when she dodged his swipe, Max dove in with a charged fist, ramming it into the armored back. As the villain turned around, Ruby slammed an elbow into his head, but even that didn¡¯t shift him.


    Before they could retreat, the Emperor¡¯s fists lashed out, and they were both sent crashing to the ground. Max held out his hand, and the air twisted to cushion their impact.


    Legend and Mermaid landed nearby.


    The Emperor and his Generals landed. Before anyone could object, Ruby shot forward, yelling. ¡°I¡¯m taking your place, damn it!¡±


    The Emperor dodged her reckless swing and grabbed her by the throat. As she struggled and choked, he leaned toward her.


    ¡°Poor little failed experiment. I¡¯m going to do the right thing and put you down, now.¡± He whispered, his hand jabbing at Ruby¡¯s stomach.


    As it neared her, Ruby was suddenly dropped to the ground as a burning mass slammed into the Emperor. As everyone turned to look, they watched as the Emperor was pushed back and leapt away.


    ¡°Full Monarch, a shame. I thought Lucifer would hold you for at least a little. That cretin is useless,¡± The Emperor cursed, looking into the eyes of the number one hero, Full Monarch.


    Full Monarch stood, smoking and steaming, and crossed his arms. ¡°He let me pass. Wanted me to let you know that he doesn¡¯t work for you.¡±


    The Emperor swore and dashed forward, sending an elbow at Full Monarch¡¯s face. The hero ducked under the attack and rose with a beam of fire directly into the villain¡¯s armored mask.


    As it hit, there was a cracking noise as the Emperor jumped back.


    Everyone watched as the mask cracked and fell to the ground, revealing the white hair and red eyes of Nier, who was already in their battle mode.


    Max let out a choked noise as he stumbled and dropped to a knee, staring in shock and horror. ¡°Nier, it¡¯s you? Why? And¡­ how? I saw you there!¡± He yelled, disbelief clear in his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that,¡± Nier replied. ¡°I had hoped he would go quietly; allow me to teleport him. I told him that it would be sparing you. Instead, he chose to kill himself and pass on the Lord¡¯s power to you. That damn idiot. I never planned for Wano to die. None of you were going to die. I was just going to get rid of you for a bit. Now I have to take you. Of course, I had to strengthen you first. Had to make sure the Lord Ego assimilated with a strong enough host. Now that you¡¯ve reached that point, I can continue with my plan!¡±


    Max glared at Nier with utter hate. ¡°What is it! What on Earth could justify the death of my father! What do you need me for!¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t just you that I need, boy.¡± Nier pointed at Full Monarch smirking. ¡°I need you as well, Jackson. All of us are required for this. I¡¯m going to take the power of all four Lords and combine them into one! With power like that, I¡¯ll be a godlike being that can truly save this planet!"


    Full Monarch frowned. ¡°You cannot absorb a Lord¡¯s power.¡±


    Nier¡¯s smirk only grew. ¡°I don¡¯t need the power to be within me! I just need it in its raw, unstable form. The Pods hold power beyond anything on this planet! They created us after all! By putting a Lord back into one while that Lord is still alive, it causes the machines to have a melt down! They begin to give off a tremendous amount of power and try to rebuild their Lords! While that energy is going off, I plan to use it!! I don¡¯t need you guys to help me! I¡¯ll put you back into the machine and harness that explosive power of all four Lords to force my goal to happen!¡±


    Ruby Admiral frowned. ¡°I respect the evil monologue, but what the hell is your goal exactly? It¡¯s gotta be important for you to go through all of this, right?¡±


    Nier nodded his head and threw his arms out. ¡°Of course it is! Once I have gathered all of the Lord Egos, I will finally be strong enough to truly save this world. You see, the only way for this planet to truly be safe is to make everyone a Super. Ensure there is no weakness in my perfect world. But humanity¡¯s weakness is an even greater hurdle than I expected it to be. I can twist them all I want and grant them powers to make them into a Super, but they all fail going crazy. Even I don¡¯t want a world full of mindless Monsters. I will not- No! I cannot bring my daughter back into a world of insanity or weakness. This planet must be perfect! It must be a world where she will never again be harmed by forces outside of my control!¡±


    "Let''s say your plan of putting us back in the Pods and using the Pods to access our powers works. Why do you think this will make your goal magically work? Everytime you try to make a human into a Super, it goes wrong!" Full Monarch yelled. ¡°You¡¯re just wasting life at this point!¡±


    Nier let out a hiss and pointed to the heavens. "Don''t you know the legends! The first Supers to ever set foot on this cursed rock we call our planet were the four Lords! The four of them then came together to slay the entity that called itself the Shadow! After that point, not only did they find themselves stuck in an endless cycle of reincarnation, they also brought forth an age of Supers! That''s the key! It must be! During that moment, all four Lords existed inside of their Pods and were all born together at the same time. I believe that combined force caused the birth of Supers to happen! If I can get the power of all four Lords to be together once more just as they did in that fateful battle all those years ago, then I''ll have the power to bring about a brand-new dawn of Supers! There will be no humans! No weakness! It will be a perfect planet! And with that power, I¡¯ll be more than Godlike! I¡¯d be above even you! So strong that I could rip into the afterlife and grab every soul that is there and force them back into their bodies! I¡¯ll be able to bring her back! My daughter Sky will live once again!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± Full Monarch muttered sadly. ¡°You know they wouldn¡¯t want this.¡±


    ¡°What they want!¡± Nier yelled, ¡°They don¡¯t want anything now. They¡¯re dead! Their dreams and their wants died with them! As did any hope I had to save a planet full of weak trash.¡±


    The number one hero shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no getting through to you, is there?¡±


    Nier¡¯s glare was enough to answer.


    Full Monarch bowed his head and readied himself. He wasn¡¯t smiling. Not anymore. ¡°Then, I make this vow; I will defeat you, old friend. I¡¯ll end your pain and finally bring you peace. I¡¯m going to right these wrongs.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Six: Their First Battle

    Black feathers rained from the sky as Lucifer folded his arms.


    "The audacity of Nier. Thinking that he could control me and use my power. How dare he?"


    Lucifer stayed suspended in the air, flying with the help of his wings. He stared down at the planet beneath him with his golden eyes, taking in the sight.


    He didn''t know how many years had passed since he had been defeated. All that time had seemed to go by in a blur. He still remembered it as if it had just happened. Full Monarch had killed him. His body had been reduced down to such a small state that he couldn''t put himself back together, not even with the dark gift that his master gave him.


    The Ruler of Death and Rebirth had truly been defeated. That was until Nier put him back together using the energy of the other Calamity...


    The Emperor, as he was calling himself, needed an army, one he provided with his undead soldiers. Every being that had ever fallen at his hands was brought back and used, transformed with the power to twist life. He was a little shocked that Nier had changed so much. What happened to change the hero into such a dark devil?


    Still though, the man overstepped his hand and actually thought he could command the mighty Lucifer.


    Lucifer scoffed and gripped his tome tighter to his chest. "Make him pay, Full Monarch." He ordered from high above. "Teach that miserable little man a lesson. I serve only one master, and it is certainly not him. I hold the power of the Ruler! Though it seems I am not alone... Not anymore."


    He had sensed it after he was brought back by Nier''s hands. Other Rulers existed. In fact, one stood on the battlefield down below.


    Legend had been knocked out after a direct punch from the Emperor, but Lucifer was certain he could still feel it. The power of the Shadow was alive in that man...


    "It seems he''s used his dark gift too much. I wonder just how many times has he died and been brought back." Lucifer wondered out loud to himself. "No matter. I alone will be the one true Ruler. Neither Lord nor a false Emperor will stop me!"


    Down below in the ruined streets, Max glared at Nier. "I trusted you! I vouched for you! How could you do something like this?" He demanded.


    Nier didn''t even bother to look at him. The Lord of Life''s eyes stayed fixed on Full Monarch. "Golden God. Leave this place with Princess and Queen. I will fight him alone."


    Legend and Mermaid were in no condition to fight. That left just Max, Ruby, and Full Monarch. People were no longer in danger, not in this city at least, as all the monsters had quit their rampage and stayed low to the ground, ready for their master''s orders.


    "As you command." Golden God began to lift off of the ground, carrying Fairy Queen and the Princess of Life on his palm, but was interrupted by a loud yell.


    Ruby came down from the sky, having jumped up as high as she could, and brought her fist back. "I''m not letting you get away!"


    The Emperor lazily lifted his hand up, and his monsters took to the air, hundreds of them jumping up or flying. They formed a literal tidal wave of bodies and came down on Ruby who panicked.


    "Stay silent, you bad product." Nier said in a cool tone.


    Fire slammed into the monsters suddenly, blowing the tidal wave apart, and Ruby dropped down into the waiting arms of her father, who caught her. "Don''t call her a bad product." He said through clenched teeth. He floated down to the ground and placed Ruby next to Max. "Sir Max, please get Legend, Mermaid, and my daughter out of here."


    "No!" Max argued. "I want to fight! Let me stay-" He froze when he saw the look in Full Monarch''s eyes.


    The number one hero''s eyes glowed with a harsh red fire. "Please," was all the man said.


    Slowly Max nodded and created a large cloud that picked him, Ruby, Mermaid, and Legend up and began to take them away. "Dad!" Ruby yelled, about to jump off.


    "Stay put!" Full Monarch ordered, not taking his eyes off of Nier.


    "No way! I want to help!"


    "I''m not asking!" He raised his voice, causing the city to shake. "You always disobey me! If there was ever a single time in your life where you decided to listen to your father, then make that choice today! Stay. Put."


    Ruby flinched at her father''s harsh words but nodded. Full Monarch never looked away from Nier, who sneered at him.


    "I know you''re stronger than me, but don''t think I''ll go down so easily." Nier announced. He waved his hand, and all the destroyed monsters began to put themselves back together as Lucifer''s immortal soldiers stood back up. "Let''s see how you deal with this-"


    Golden light exploded out of Full Monarch''s palm, sending shards of metal stabbing out. The shards stabbed their way into the bodies of hundreds of monsters, causing the creatures to howl and burst into ash as the metal caused their atoms to come undone.


    High above, Lucifer shivered a bit as he watched his warriors scatter apart and become so damaged they couldn''t put themselves back together. That had been the same attack that undid him years ago.


    Nier scowled as he watched more and more of his monsters come undone. With Alpha busy, that meant he couldn''t call in any more forces, and worse yet, Lucifer was no longer willing to help him out.


    "Don''t think it will be so simple!" Nier slammed his hand into the ground, causing the stone street to shatter and snap open as hundreds of wooden spikes jutted out. Full Monarch floated forward, snapping through the spikes, which were unable to harm him. "I''ll come out on top! I can''t lose!" Nier roared.


    More of the ground broke and began to rise up beneath Nier, forming into a large wooden dragon. Lucky, his summoned beast from the war, his loyal steed-


    In an instant, the wooden dragon exploded into shards of wood as Full Monarch flew straight through it, causing the sound barrier to snap. Nier raised his arms in an effort to block, but Full Monarch didn''t hold back, so he hit the Lord with a direct punch as hard as he could.


    Nier''s armor screamed as the metal snapped, and his left arm completely twisted back and shattered. Red blood poured from his mouth as his ribs exploded, and he was thrown back by the punch. He was sent flying, the air cutting into him as he was hit so hard he flew past the clouds and directly out of the city.


    His eyes stung, and he couldn''t focus as he flung through the air. He spun faster and faster, going for miles before, all of a sudden, the ground came up, and he hit it hard.


    More of his armor broke apart and came undone, shattering off of him, and he rolled across the ground, vomiting up blood. He was no longer in the city, nor was he in any city. In a single punch, Nier had been launched across the world and now found himself in a massive open desert.


    He didn''t have long to process this fact either, as a second later he was forced to jump to the side as a pair of thin red laser beams tore across the field he was in.


    Full Monarch floated down gently, his eyes burning a bright red as he fired more lasers out. Nier tried to counter by slamming his hand into the ground and causing a mass of trees to pour out, but the lasers sliced into them and burned them down to ash.


    Full Monarch pulled his fist back, swirling a mass of fire into his fist as he struck out, appearing in front of Nier. His fist rammed into Nier''s face, burning the blonde man and causing him to stumble back.


    "Why?" The number one hero said through clenched teeth. "Why did you think this was a good idea?" He struck again, nearly snapping Nier''s neck. "Why didn''t you come to me for help?" His next attack was a gut punch, causing Nier to drop to his knees as more of his armor fell apart. "Did I mean so little to you that you thought genocide was your only option!" He landed one more blow, slamming it directly into the center of Nier''s face, causing his brother to collapse on his back.


    Nier spat up blood and broken teeth; his face nearly caved in as he struggled to stay awake. "I- I knew you''d talk me out of it. Now, though- It''s too late now. I''ve already done so much evil. I have no way of coming back from this. Not when I have him." He reached up to the sky, his vision fading. "He''ll make my dream a reality. It''s hard to believe I found him wasting away. He''ll make the world I want."


    "Who?"


    Full Monarch felt a chill go down his spine as a blue portal began to rip its way apart a few feet away from them. Nier managed to give a twisted smile and looked up at Full Monarch.


    "Alpha."


    A foot stepped out of the portal. One covered in shadowy black armor and wearing a black cape. The Emperor stalked forward with his fiery blue eyes, looking from Full Monarch and then down toward Nier. Behind him, Hell Hound stalked out and dropped to a knee in front of her leader. This was the Emperor that she served.


    The Emperor spoke only a single word, yet it caused Full Monarch to remain on guard. ¡°Father.¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyes stared down at Nier.


    ¡°Do it.¡± Nier spat out. ¡°Use your gift. Win! My son!¡±


    There were two of them.


    Nier was the Emperor. He was an Emperor.


    The blue-eyed Emperor drew a sword from his belt. One forged out of white metal. He pointed it at the golden hero that stood before him, then slowly spun the blade around and stabbed it into the ground. Full Monarch narrowed his eyes, but the Emperor didn''t elaborate and simply began to stalk toward the hero without his weapon.


    Nier managed to give a weak laugh and pushed himself up on his elbows. "Behold my weapon! My solution to the problem that is you! He¡¯s one of the strongest Supers I¡¯ve ever seen! It¡¯s all thanks to the title he holds! I thought Lucifer was the only one, but I soon discovered that there were more of them! Of course, he also has his father to thank for his mighty strength! A strength that defies logic and was born from a child''s Imagination!¡±


    ''Jackson.'' The voice of the Brightest Star spoke quietly in his ear.


    "Yeah, I know. I feel it too," Full Monarch responded to his partner. "This guy is..." The Emperor reached Full Monarch and stared into the golden man''s eyes. Red clashed with blue. "Who are you?" The number one hero asked sternly.


    The Emperor spoke softly. "Funny. I remember you being taller-" Full Monarch''s fist slammed into the Emperor''s stomach, sending the man in armor blasting back. The force was so great that in an instant the Emperor was flung out of the sand-covered battlefield, sent crashing across the world. The Emperor slammed back first into a building that shook. All around him, screams echoed out as people stared at the villain, which had suddenly appeared. ¡°Lillian.¡± The Emperor looked around slowly at the city he was in. ¡°He punched me halfway across the world.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± The screaming instantly stopped, and everyone in the city stared up. Up above, Full Monarch floated down with his arms crossed. ¡°I just got mad and used more strength than I typically do. About ten percent give or take. I¡¯m honestly shocked you¡¯re still standing. That was the same punch that left your precious father in such a bad state.¡±


    The Emperor just grunted and ripped his way out of the building he was in. He dropped to the street below, and instantly the screaming picked back up. They were in a crowded part of the large city, and hundreds of cars had stopped as people stared at the battle that was about to begin.


    ¡®Jackson!'' The Brightest Star barked out inside of the number one hero''s head. ¡®What are you doing! Why the hell would you send him flying in the direction of a city? Get him out of here! Quickly!¡¯


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Full Monarch remained in the air, staring down at the Emperor. ¡°I¡¯m pretty good at seeing evil when I want. I know how bad someone is. I want to check on something first.¡±


    ¡®What!¡¯


    The Emperor waved his hand out, a crackling blue aura glowing around his body. Everyone in the city screamed out as, all across it, blue portals opened up beneath the people.


    ¡®Jackson! Don¡¯t just stand there! Stop him!¡¯


    Full Monarch didn¡¯t budge. He simply waited until every person in the city was swallowed up. The portals shut soon after. Every building, car, and street were now empty, just leaving him and the Emperor. With his enhanced senses, he looked through the buildings using a form of X-ray vision, and he stared out across the planet. Every person in Lillian had instantly been teleported to a different city. Some were in Daisy, others in Oleander or Dandelion, but they had all been placed back on their feet and in a safe location. All the monsters had also been teleported out of the city and were gone.


    ¡®Why did he do that?¡¯ The Brightest Star muttered. ¡®It would have made more sense to use the people as leverage against you.¡¯


    Full Monarch just gave a sly grin and slowly floated to the ground. ¡°I had a feeling when I first laid eyes on you that something was wrong, but just now you confirmed it. You¡¯re a bad guy, but you¡¯re one with morals.¡± He stared into the Emperor¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? You aren¡¯t that evil-¡±


    The Emperor instantly appeared in front of Full Monarch. ¡°My turn.¡± The villain said in a cool tone. His fist flew out at the speed of lightning and rammed directly into Full Monarch¡¯s face. The street around them exploded, and cars were sent flying back as a massive shock wave was unleashed from the powerful villain''s punch.


    Full Monarch recoiled back, feeling a bit of shock. He actually felt that attack. It stung his cheek a tiny bit. As if there was a tremendous amount of weight behind the villain''s strength. He had just been hit with the full force of a Giant. Fire ignited off of Full Monarch, but before he could counterattack, the energy around the Emperor flared up once more. The villain¡¯s right arm expanded, being surrounded in blue light that formed into a massive arm. The large limb wrapped around Full Monarch, and he sucked in some air as he was suddenly chucked through dozens of buildings and sent flying across the planet.


    It seemed as if the Emperor was paying him back for sending him to Lillian the way he did. Full Monarch flew through the air, spinning around. He tried to regain control of his flight by using his ability to fly, but before he could, a portal opened above him and a massive fist rammed down into him from behind, sending him smashing down into an open field of flowers. Another portal opened a few feet away from him, and the Emperor casually stepped out, his arm now back to normal.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s as good as you thought.¡¯ The Brightest Star snorted. ¡®He¡¯s pretty evil.¡¯


    Full Monarch launched himself forward and covered his body in fire. He unleashed a powerful punch, which the Emperor attempted to block. The Emperor¡¯s shoulders glowed and formed two large energy arms that tried to block the punch, but Full Monarch¡¯s fist shoved its way past the limbs. His fist rammed into the Emperor¡¯s gut, causing the man to let out a soft groan, and his armor began to melt slightly from the heat.


    The Emperor flexed and forced himself off of the limb and struck out with his power. Another massive arm grew out of his back, this one being twenty feet long and as wide as a bus. It rammed down where Full Monarch was, but the golden hero casually dodged the attack and appeared behind the Emperor. The villain created a pair of long swords in his real hands that were shaped like lightning bolts, and he spun around swinging them both out at Full Monarch, but once again the number one hero dodged the strike.


    The Emperor growled and stomped down on the ground as hard as he could and caused dozens of energy limbs to grow out of it. The arms tried to wrap around Full Monarch, but the hero rammed his fist up, uppercutting the Emperor, then flew after him, escaping the grab attempt. The Emperor was flung high into the air, going past the clouds, and almost reaching space. The villain couldn¡¯t fly, and so he began to rapidly fall toward Full Monarch, who was ready with another attack. Fire compressed around Full Monarch¡¯s palm, and he blasted it up at the Emperor.


    More blue energy swirled around the Emperor, blocking the intense heat with a large barrier. Another portal opened, and the villain stepped out, appearing in a field of snow miles away, but he barely got a moment to think before he felt a fist slam into the back of his head as Full Monarch flew over to him just as fast as he got away. He rolled with the punch and spun around, shooting out a thin beam of light that the golden hero barely dodged. The beam sliced the mountains around them apart and caused them to come tumbling down around them.


    Full Monarch smashed his hand down and grabbed the Emperor¡¯s helmet. His palm and fingers dug into the man¡¯s helm, and he lifted the villain up easily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you if I can help it since you¡¯ve been going out of your way to not hurt innocent people, but I need to know. Where is Sini?" Full Monarch questioned with narrowed eyes.


    The Emperor struck out, but his fist bounced off of the number one hero¡¯s face. Full Monarch had been slowly drawing out more and more power as the fight went on and had now become too durable for weak attacks like that to work on him. The Emperor grunted, then spoke once more. "If I tell you I''ve already devoured him, would that make you mad?"


    Full Monarch felt his blood boil, and he punched out as hard as he could, but his blow missed as a small portal appeared in front of the Emperor¡¯s gut. Full Monarch¡¯s fist went through the portal, and a second one opened behind the hero¡¯s head, which launched his arm out. The number one hero punched himself in the back of the head as hard as he could, which caused his grip on the Emperor to loosen enough for the villain to break his way out of the grab. Full Monarch tore his arm out of the portal and kicked out, unleashing a strong kick to the Emperor¡¯s gut, which blew the man back.


    The Emperor rolled with the kick and held both his hands up, forming two thin disks out of his Imaginary energy, which he launched out as hard as he could. The disks expanded to the size of cars and flew forward at insane speeds. They were so thin they almost appeared invisible and spun so fast they could cut through nearly anything.


    "You don''t seem as tough as Nier warned me." The Emperor taunted. ¡°He told me you were truly strong-¡± Full Monarch punched through the rings and flew past the Emperor, vanishing in a loud crack. Not even a second later, he reappeared in front of the villain, having circled the planet faster than light, ramming both his arms out. The Emperor created a blue portal in front of him at the last second, which the hero flew into.


    Full Monarch spun around awkwardly, looking around at the void of space. He was directly above the planet. He scanned the entire planet flying over in an instant with his enhanced sense and located where the Emperor was flying back down as fast as he could. It had given the villain enough time to do a new plan, though.


    Everywhere around him, the Emperor used his new power to boil and heat up all the ice and snow. His blue energy flared out like lightning and fire, causing the area he was in to totally melt. In an instant, an entire land of cold became a bubbling ocean. He dropped down onto the water and rode it like a tidal wave, using his energy to direct it, which allowed him to fly up after Full Monarch, who was coming down again. He brought both his hands up, firing out another compressed beam at the hero. "Do you hate me?" The Emperor called out.


    Full Monarch stopped at the last second and breathed in, puffing his chest out. Then he let out the breath he was holding, sending a stream of cold air that instantly froze the beam of energy and the new ocean the Emperor had made. The wave the villain had been standing on shattered beneath the villain, causing him to drop out of the sky, but he simply formed a barrier beneath his feet, which he stood on. He created a compressed orb of energy and chucked it at Full Monarch as hard as he could. The orb was so dense it caused the ice around them to shatter and begin to lift up. It formed into a massive ball that was practically a tiny moon, trapping Full Monarch inside of it, but the hero simply shattered his way through with ungodly strength, sending debris flying out for hundreds of miles.


    "I don''t want to play any of these games!" The hero called out to the villain.


    "Games? I''m giving it everything I got." The Emperor skated forward on the ice, created hundreds of portals around him, and fired dozens of beams into them, bouncing them around. They moved so fast that even Full Monarch had trouble following them. Then, without warning, the portals appeared above him, slamming the beams into his back. His costume was already torn and ripped from his battle with the Beast, and this tore his cape nearly all the way off; it only managed to hang on by a thread. "Do you hate me?" The Emperor demanded once more.


    Full Monarch ignored the question and shrugged off the attack. He clapped his hands out, smashing them together, and exploded the area around him as well as the clouds above. He appeared in front of the Emperor again and rammed a fist into the man''s helmet, denting it. The Emperor was sent crashing down and slammed back first into the ice below, shattering through it and forming a hundred-meter crater. From the crater, a roar emerged as five massive draconic heads came exploding out. They were made out of the same energy the Emperor had been using, and as they roared, they charged up waves of gravity, which they blasted out.


    Imaginary energy was what the Emperor wielded. It was a blank form of energy that lacked all properties in the universe and would instead shift and mimic any form of energy that the Emperor could imagine, even those that didn¡¯t exist. This meant it could defy the laws of the universe, and in almost any situation, it meant that the Emperor would always win as he could imagine himself coming out on top.


    Full Monarch tried to move, but more of the gravity around him grew heavier, forcing him in place. He raised his arms up, blocking the five gravity waves, and part of his sleeve was torn away. The beam washed over him and bent space itself, but he took it all head-on. As soon as the beams died down and the dragons recharged, his eyes glowed, and he fired out his own lasers, slicing their heads off in one clean shot.


    Another portal opened up meters away from him, and the Emperor flew out on a chunk of ice. Another energy disk formed in the villain''s hands, which he threw at Full Monarch, but the hero just opened his mouth and bit down on the attack, shattering it. The Emperor compressed more gravity around his fist, and he rammed directly into Full Monarch''s face. Full Monarch took the blow head on, barely being pushed back, and rammed his fist into the Emperor''s gut again.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Despite how strong the Emperor truly was, he was faced with something that had never happened to him before. For the first time in his life, the Emperor, also known as Alpha, wasn¡¯t able to imagine in his mind a way in which he won this fight. That was truly how Godlike Full Monarch was. Being so far above imagination, not even an arrogant child could come up with a way to win.


    Black metal rained down as a chunk of the villain''s chest plate exploded. The Emperor was sent flying across the planet once more, being flung through clouds, but he didn''t even have a chance to hit the ground as Full Monarch appeared behind him with his hand out. As the Emperor flew past him, Full Monarch grabbed the man by his cape. The villain''s fall was cut short, and the cape nearly snapped as he came to a sudden stop. He created a portal and was about to jump into it, but Full Monarch began to spin while holding onto his cape. It pulled at his neck, and he was dragged away from the portal. Then, the hero simply let go.


    The Emperor went flying the other way across the planet and slammed head-first into a mountain, shattering most of it, which came crashing down on top of him, burying him in rubble. More of the mountain exploded and was crushed as gravity began to swirl around the villain, who stood back up. More of his armor groaned and creaked, falling off of him, showing off a body that had trained for years for a moment like this. Muscles rippled and tore through the chainmail as the Emperor rapidly increased his strength as much as he could.


    "I have a question for you." Full Monarch yelled down once more on the scene. "I heard that you teleported everyone in Rose away. Why? Why did you save them?"


    "Do you hate me?"


    "And why do you keep saying that!" Full Monarch let out a sigh. ¡°Nier already told me what his goal is, but what about you?¡±


    ¡°My goal is the same as his.¡±


    ¡°What about after you finish his goal? Surely you have to have something in mind?¡± Full Monarch questioned.


    The Emperor patted what was left of his chestplate and glared up at the hero above him. ¡°Absolute strength. That is the only thing I care about!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means you die!¡±


    The Emperor stabbed his hands into the ground and lifted, ripping up an entire chunk of the mountain. He held a massive block of stone far bigger than any skyscraper, and he chucked it at the number one hero as hard as he could muster. Full Monarch lazily held his fist out, shattering the massive block as it hit him, but as it broke away, he found himself staring into the eyes of the Emperor who had been on the other side. The Emperor''s hands clasped together, and he swirled a mass of gravity into his palm just as he did with the thin energy beams. He smashed his hand directly into Full Monarch''s face and fired it.


    It was like a black hole had been weaponized, bending light itself and turning everything around them into less than dust-


    "Knock it off." Full Monarch brought his fist down on the villain''s head, shattering one of the horns, and sent the Emperor slamming through the ground. "Just give up. You''re not going to win-" A portal opened up beneath the Emperor, swallowing him up, and Full Monarch just sighed and rubbed at his stinging face. "Where did he go now?"


    ¡®You need to stop playing around.¡¯ The Brightest Star hissed.


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m having a lot of fun.¡± Full Monarch smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since anyone has pushed me this far, and unlike the Beast, this guy actually talks to me.¡±


    Over with Nier and Hell Hound, the two found themselves staring in shock as a portal opened up, and the Emperor came stumbling out of it. Most of his chestplate was completely gone, and his helmet was badly cracked and dented, missing one of his horns. Despite that, though, the man was still standing. At least he was before he was suddenly slammed into the ground so hard a current of wind sent Hell Hound and Nier flying. Full Monarch rammed his leg down into the Emperor''s gut, standing on the villain.


    "You give up yet?¡± Full Monarch asked with a soft smirk. ¡°Or do you still have more tricks to show? Your power is pretty strong, you know. You could make a great hero-¡±


    ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, what is with that question?¡±


    The Emperor coughed out and stared back up at the number one hero''s face. The blue eyes of the villain traced the face of the number one hero. ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t enough. The power that I have now can¡¯t keep up with you.¡±


    ¡°So you do give up-¡±


    ¡°I need more.¡± The Emperor¡¯s body began to glow brightly, but this time something was wrong. The energy beneath the man¡¯s skin flared up, and it caused cracks to appear all along the villain¡¯s body. ¡°More power. I just need to get a little stronger. A bit more and I can reach it. I just need to grow bigger!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Full Monarch¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Stop! Your energy is flaring up way too much! Your body is about to-¡±


    Nier formed a massive barrier of pure life force around himself and Hell Hound just in time as the Emperor exploded with a massive blast! The force of the explosion shook the planet, and the shock wave stretched on for hundreds of miles, the blast itself reaching all the way up to space. It scorched the ground and reduced everything to a state of total destruction. Despite how mighty the blast was, Full Monarch stood unharmed, shielded by a barrier of his fire.


    ¡®He blew himself up.¡¯ The Brightest Star let out a soft hum. ¡®That was the same force of power held within the Beast¡¯s bomb. A last ditch attack to take you out?¡¯


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Full Monarch rammed his fist into the ground and clenched his teeth as tightly as he could. ¡°Why! Why the hell does that always happen! Why the hell do they always do that? Again and again, they always die! Why does every villain I fight pick death! Why am I not strong enough to save any of them!¡±


    ¡®Calm yourself Jackson! It isn¡¯t over. Not yet.¡¯ The Brightest Star instructed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡®You¡¯ve fought it many times now. You should know as well as I do what happens when the Beast blows itself up¡­ It doesn¡¯t stay dead for very long.¡¯


    It happened instantly. A wave of darkness rammed out of the ground. It screamed through the air and howled. The shadows themselves seemed to be almost alive and whipped out like bolts of lightning. Then, a low voice began to hiss through the field. It was distorted and twisted and sounded totally wrong. It caused Full Monarch to shiver, and he stepped back as the darkness began to take shape.


    ¡°Did you really think I would let you die so easily? Rise, my Ruler. My creation. My destruction. My little Alpha. Wake up. My Giant."


    The darkness gradually died down, and in its place, the Emperor stepped forward, his eyes closed, and his body fully healed and restored.


    ¡®This power is what caused me to first wake up within you!¡¯ The Brightest Star warned. ¡®This is the reason we Lords stayed on this planet! This is it! A fragment of the Shadow! It was strengthened by his death! Take him out now!¡¯


    Full Monarch rammed his fist toward the head of the Emperor. Calmly, the Emperor opened his eyes. They weren¡¯t a fiery blue anymore. Now they were a wild, crackling black. A shadowy hellish aura covered the villain, and Full Monarch put all his effort into his punch, but his hand was blocked as a wave of black lightning blasted out of the villain''s eyes. The lightning actually managed to burn Full Monarch''s hand a bit and tear away more of his sleeve, causing him to jump away. The Emperor''s eyes no longer were blue. Now, instead, it looked as if black lightning had come to life, seeping out of his helm. The villain slowly walked forward.


    Nearby, the barrier Nier formed crumbled away, and the Lord of the Land and Life saw his weapon. Hell Hound¡¯s eyes went wide, and her body trembled a bit, but Nier simply let out a loud laugh.


    "Yes!¡± The second Emperor cheered. ¡°That''s his true power! Look at the weapon I found, Jackson! Isn''t he truly amazing? Only he can reach the dream I want! It''s possible with him! He holds strength unheard of! The strength of monsters found in only folklore! The power that rivals the gods themselves! This is my trump card. My Alpha! My son! I am so proud of you! Now do your job! Help me create a world for my real child!¡±


    The Emperor flexed a bit, his muscles growing in size and ripping up more of his armor. The energy seeped out wildly from his helm and began to take shape. Full Monarch rubbed his burned arm. ¡°Why are you listening to him! Why do you obey Nier!¡±


    ¡°Because he saved me from the hell that I was in.¡± The Emperor blasted forward, shattering the ground, and rammed a fist directly into Full Monarch''s face. The number one hero was caught off guard and stumbled back, spitting up a bloody tooth.


    He grabbed at his face, wincing. "You hit harder than my daughter. What the hell kind of strength is that?"


    "Do you hate me?" The Emperor appeared behind Full Monarch, and this time it was his turn to grab the man by the cape. He swung with it, lifting Full Monarch off his feet and kicking out, shattering reality and opening another portal directly in front of a volcano. He let go and sent the hero flying into the lava. Before Full Monarch even hit it, the black energy blasted out of the Emperor''s eyes, and a compressed laser rammed into Full Monarch''s back, shoving him deep into the lava.


    Full Monarch sank into the magma and spun around, firing his own laser beam out of his eyes, clashing with the Emperor. He flew out, keeping his power on, as their lasers fought against one another, black and red, trying to push the other back. The Emperor, however, couldn''t fly as he could, so he just floated up higher until he was able to move out of the way, causing the black energy to go blasting into the sky. Before the Emperor could turn his head, he slammed his red laser into the man''s stomach, badly burning it and sending him flying back. The Emperor spun and landed back on his feet, being sent miles back, landing where Nier and Hell Hound were once more. He lifted his palm, using it to block Full Monarch''s energy, and ignored how it melted his glove.


    The laser died out, and Full Monarch blasted back toward him. The two rammed out with their fists, slamming them into one another. Full Monarch hit the ground, shattering part of it and causing a massive earthquake around them. He was glad that he had been able to keep the battle away from so many people. The Emperor hadn''t bothered taking them to a city for some reason. The villain rolled across the ground and dug his feet into it, kicking off and ramming his remaining horn into Full Monarch in an effort to stab the hero. It didn''t work but did badly poke the golden man and bruise his gut, shoving him back.


    Full Monarch caught his breath and rubbed at his stomach. The fight with the Beast was starting to catch up to him. The Emperor also breathed heavily but didn''t stop. He clasped his hands together, and the energy began to spill out once more. The villain jumped into the air, going up for miles, and then exploded in a massive arc of lightning.


    The bolts rained down wildly and hit the ground all around them. "Behold." The Emperor declared. The lightning began to take shape, and the planet seemed to rumble for a moment as massive hands broke out of the ground. They were forged from black energy and tore their way out of the surface of the planet around them. Some stood at a hundred meters tall, others were smaller, and some were far bigger. Some wore armor, and others were fat and chubby, with only a cloth covering them. They stood shoulder to shoulder, stretching out for miles, forming a thick line. There must have been hundreds of them, with the tallest one reaching nearly two miles in length. It was like a walking mountain, which the Emperor calmly landed on. "My Gigantomachy." The villain glared down at Full Monarch. "Do you hate me?"


    The march of the Giants caused a massive series of earthquakes shaking everything around them as the figures took a step forward. They were so big, and there were so many of them that they could easily level a city in mere seconds. This was a threat to everything. Something that could bring the planet itself to ruins. Total destruction.


    ¡°Just where did he get power like that?¡± Full Monarch said in shock. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. First he¡¯s strong enough to create portals anywhere he wants, then he can summon something like this? It doesn¡¯t add up. Each of these things alone should be impossible. Something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    ''Jackson. It¡¯s the same as you. Just as you have Godlike strength for the title you hold, so does he. However, at the end of the day, it doesn¡¯t matter how great he is. Because. You. Are. The. Greatest.''


    "Yeah.¡± Full Monarch closed his eyes and charged his power up. ¡°You''re right, Brightest Star. Playtime is over."


    "Do you hate me-"


    The Emperor never got to finish as suddenly, a massive wave of heat flowed across the planet. All the sand around them was instantly turned into a field of glass as Full Monarch was suddenly surrounded by a thick blue flame cloak. It coated the man''s skin from head to toe, and he actually looked as if a blue star had come to life, swallowing all of planet Earth up in a ball of fire. The fire reached all across the planet''s surface but burned nothing. Not right now, at least.


    The battle was over in an instant.


    Full Monarch flew through all the Giants, shattering them all to bits before they could even think of taking another step. The Emperor didn''t even have time to process what was going on as Full Monarch''s fist rammed its way into his helmet, and this time, he was hit with the same attacks that staggered the Beast. His helmet cracked, as did part of his skull as he was rammed through several of his Giants and smashed into the ground directly next to the sword he had left behind...


    He didn''t get back up this time.


    Full Monarch appeared on top of the Emperor, cloaked in his blue fire, and went to ram his fist down. It rammed into the Emperor''s helm, cracking it even more and caving part of it in. His fire wrapped around the villain but didn''t burn. Instead, it was more like a warm blanket.


    "Give up." Full Monarch stated.


    Laughter echoed out of the helm. "Do. You. Hate. Me." The Emperor''s hands came up and grasped the man by the throat. "You must truly despise me! Condemn me even! After all! You broke your promise!"


    "What do you mean?" Full Monarch didn''t flinch as the fingers tried to strangle him. They couldn''t make a dent through his flame cloak. His cloak could block anything in the universe after all.


    "You never saved me! You never came back for me, no matter how much I called your name!" The black energy began to bubble up out of the cracked helmet, and once again the Emperor got ready to blow himself up. "I wield a greater power than you! I''ll come back again and again and again! You can''t beat me-"


    Full Monarch''s fist rammed into the Emperor right as the blast went off. The Emperor''s body came undone atom by atom, burning up and shattering, but in an instant, Full Monarch shoved every piece back together, forcing the molecules to obey him. He was the Lord of the Cosmos, and this universe was his to command! With control of matter itself, he forced the Emperor''s body back together, undoing the blast...


    "How!" The villain cried out. More of their helmet began to break and snap off.


    Full Monarch sat on the man''s chest, staring down at him with cold eyes. "Lucifer. He has that exact same power. I''ve seen it before. His death is always reversed and changed. He comes back. Over, and over. I beat him though. With my power of Cosmos, I undid his body and separated him. I use this same power on other villains as well. I shove a small bit of my energy into their hearts. If they turn their power off, it won''t hurt them, but if they refuse and keep using their powers, it''ll rip them to bits just as it did Lucifer. I reversed the effects of that power, however, and caused it to rebuild your body and force you back together. I saved your life."


    "Why." The Emperor hissed. "I would have just come back!" The Emperor tried to blow himself up again, but it didn''t work. Something was wrong. His connection to what gave him that power... It was... "What''s going on? What did you do!"


    "That isn''t healing. I don''t know what it is, but you shouldn''t use it. It''s a curse. Besides." The man smirked. "You still never explained why you took all those people out of the city. Every time I give villains the option to stop, they refuse." The man slowly stood up and held his hand out to the downed Emperor. "Give up. It''s okay to give up."


    The Emperor stared at the hand in front of him. "You beat me?"


    "I beat you." Full Monarch grinned.


    "No... Not yet!"


    "Y- You." Full Monarch felt his blood run cold. "I know you-"


    ''Look out, Jackson!''


    The Emperor grabbed his sword and swung it up! The blade failed to stab through Full Monarch''s flame, and the hero just stared down at the man with a sad look. "Stop it. I think I know who you are. We''ve met before. Do you remember me? If you don''t, it doesn''t matter. You can''t beat me in a battle of strength."


    "You''re right." The Emperor spat out. More of his helmet broke away, revealing a few locks of reddish-brown hair. "I haven''t grown strong enough yet! I still need to grow! I still haven''t become a true Giant that can stand before the Gods! If I can''t beat you in a battle of strength, then I will just get rid of you!" Full Monarch tried to move away, but from out of nowhere, Hell Hound appeared behind him! The woman wasn''t strong enough; even with her mace, it could never turn his power off, but she didn''t need to. She threw herself at Full Monarch, wrapping her arms around him. "Yes, Hell Hound! Hold him down!" The Emperor roared as he kept thrusting his blade further into Full Monarch''s flame cloak.


    Full Monarch grunted and tried to twist his body, but several vines and branches also stabbed out of the ground as Nier activated his power. It wasn''t just him either. Space began to twist and change as Fairy Queen appeared, and a massive beam of gray light rammed from the sky above as Golden God fired his laser into Full Monarch, trying to age the hero by several hundreds of years.


    "Stop it!" Full Monarch yelled. "Don''t do this!"


    The Emperor''s eyes ignited, and he forced the blade forward more. "Anyone touching this sword counts as the sword having gone there." He growled out. "My Portals aren''t perfect. They have limits, same with this sword! I normally can¡¯t freely teleport around anywhere I want in the universe, but that Lord inside of you! I know what they are and where they come from! Your kind have been across this realm countless times just as the thing that exists within me has!"


    "What are you saying? Just give up, please-"


    "Take him there! Take him to the edge of our Universe!"


    Full Monarch slammed his hand down, but it was too late.


    In an instant, Full Monarch was gone.


    Hell Hound collapsed to the ground, and Nier''s plants died as Golden God''s laser turned them to ash. Space stopped shifting, and every member of the Organization that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield panted, totally exhausted. It had taken everything just to hold the number one hero in place for a few seconds.


    The Emperor breathed heavily before slowly forcing himself back up. He wobbled a bit and gasped. His sword glowed, and his outfit suddenly vanished and changed, replaced with a new set of armor that wasn''t battle-damaged. He stalked forward weakly and forced a portal open. His body was still beaten and battered, not healing. Whatever Full Monarch had done to him seemingly wasn''t going away. Not yet at least... That didn''t matter, though. He had other things to do.


    He heard yelling all around him as he stepped out and came face to face with Max and Ruby. He was on the floating cloud, and the two were shocked to see him suddenly appear. He lifted his sword, pointing it at Max. "I will devour you! I will claim your power as my own-"


    A mass of black energy crashed down as Lucifer came slamming down into the cloud. He stood directly in front of Max, his wings unfolded, and a sword forged from the Dead Virus in his hand. He pointed it directly at the Emperor. "I don''t know who you are, but I doubt you''re in any condition to actually fight. You look like you can barely stand." The Emperor wobbled a bit and tried to focus, but his skull was killing him. "What''s it going to be?"


    "Why do you stand in my way?" The Emperor growled.


    "Why do you have the same gift I do?" Lucifer hissed. "First Nier, then that other hero bastard, and now you? I was the chosen one! I was picked by the Shadow! The only reason you still live is because I know that if I kill you, you''ll just come back to life." Lucifer growled. "That said, whatever it is you want with this brat, I don''t think I''ll let you have it. I usually try to keep my emotions in check, but I''m quite livid at the moment."


    The Emperor stood there, staring into Lucifer''s rage-filled eyes. Neither of them looked like they were about to give an inch. His grip on his blade grew tighter, as did Lucifer''s. Then, all at once, the tension suddenly faded.


    Slowly, the Emperor turned away and opened another portal. His eyes glared back at Max one last time. "I''ll. Be. Back."


    The portal closed, and Ruby collapsed back, breathing heavily. "I thought my dad was fighting him!"


    "W- Who are you-" Max flinched when he found himself staring into the golden eyes of Lucifer. "Wait! I- I''ve seen you before! My dad told me- Oh God! Are you-"


    Lucifer turned away, about to leave, but stopped suddenly when he heard the flapping of wings. Max didn''t bother to move, paralyzed in fear. Ruby was the only hero able to raise her arms for a fight, but she no longer stared at Lucifer. Instead she stared past him at four figures that were coming toward them.


    They were high up in the air, yet it didn''t seem to matter for these people. Long angelic wings stabbed out of their backs. There were four of them in total, all cloaked in black robes that masked their bodies. They soon landed on the cloud, kneeling before Lucifer.


    Lucifer''s face remained blank, but there was a new look in his eyes. Pride. Slowly, his gaze shifted from each figure.


    "Micheal, Gabriel, Uriel, and finally Metatron... Are you four the only ones that remain? No matter. It''ll be enough. There''s no longer a need to wait, children, your Father is home."


    The pride in his eyes was quickly buried as Lucifer turned to look at Max. "I won''t do this again. I simply find it amusing to stop little Nier like this. From this point on, you''re on your own."


    Ruby thought about attacking the man, or doing anything, but she knew she couldn¡¯t fight them, not with Max in his current state and unable to back her up. She just stood there, watching as black wings stabbed their way out of Lucifer''s back and he took off, followed by the four cloaked figures. They all simply flew away, leaving an eerie silence to settle on Max and Ruby.


    On this day a new villainous group would be created. One that calls itself the Immortals.


    And with that, the former Calamity left, leaving just Ruby and Max alone with the unconscious bodies of Mermaid and Legend. "Oh God, oh God, oh God." Max began to hyperventilate. "Did Full Monarch lose? If a monster like that guy lost, then what chance do I have? Oh God, he''s going to absorb me like he did to my dad. I- I''m screwed! I- I can''t-"


    "Calm down!" Ruby gripped his shoulders and shook him, staring into his eyes. "It''s okay! I''m here."


    "What do we do?" Max gulped.


    "I- I have an idea..." She said quietly.


    "What?"


    "How did your father stop the Lord''s power from transferring to him?"


    "He killed himself and transferred it to me. But that can only be done by having a kid."


    "Exactly."


    "Huh?"


    "What if... What if you were to have a kid?"


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Max asked, feeling a sense of dread.


    Ruby¡¯s looked away, gritting her teeth. ¡°If there is someone the title could pass down to, we could use it to barter or something. After all, you¡¯d be able to kill yourself and stop the power, and they¡¯d have to wait once more, putting them at square one. But in order for that to happen, you''d...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need a kid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ So¡­ I have an idea.


    ***


    Hope snapped her eyes wide open before instantly shutting them as a bright light hit her directly in the face. She groaned and felt a strange chill go through her body-


    Body?


    She was alive?


    Hope opened her eyes once more and gasped. Her head was still spinning, and it was hard to focus, but slowly, she was recalling what had just happened. She remembered it... She was out in space- The Beast- Then it had all gone dark. Everything stopped. The next thing she knew, she was somewhere else, someone else. Memories that didn''t belong to her jammed into her head. She had been Ruby Admiral, or at least she had been forced to witness what Ruby had seen. Someone had shown her the story of the Victorian?


    "Ah, good, you''re awake, Cinder." A mechanical voice buzzed in the area around her.


    She tried to speak, but her throat burned. It was hard to move, and her entire body felt weird. It was like her muscles were half asleep. She felt off, like she was smaller and weaker. As her vision finally began to work fully, she looked around, still trying to process everything. She was in a small room. One that had hundreds of monitors all along the wall, all flashing various colors and scenes. Her eyes burned just looking at them, and she found herself flat on her back on a cold metal table.


    Her hero costume was gone, replaced with a hospital gown. Her body looked weird as well. Like something was off, but she couldn''t put it into words exactly. "W¡ªWhere am I?" Her voice sounded different, more immature in a way. How was she alive? What was going on? What about the others? How much time had passed, and why did she dream about the Victorian?


    "I''m sure you have a lot of questions, dear Cinder." That strange mechanical voice was back. It echoed around the room from an unseen speaker. "Worry not. I''ll be down there shortly to explain everything."


    "Who are you?" She cringed a bit, hearing her voice. She managed to force herself off of the table and dropped to the ground. Her sense of balance was off, and she wobbled. Her head barely came up to the table. Had she gotten shorter? Or someone had shrunk her? Either that or the table had been built to be big for some reason.


    "Who do you think I am?"


    Her mind still felt sluggish. It was like she was working at half capacity, like a computer that still hadn''t fully restarted. Despite that, she could tell she was in danger. Whoever this person was, they weren''t a hero. Whatever reason they had for taking her couldn''t be good either. The monitors all flickered and rapidly powered off, turning black. A light appeared at the top of the room, and she stared at her reflection in shock. "W- What the hell? What happened to me? What did you do to me?"


    "Oh, I didn''t do anything, dear Cinder." The voice mocked. "You can thank your new form to the one who is hiding inside your head."


    "You know about the Brightest Star?"


    She didn''t get an answer. Slowly, she reached up and touched her face, staring at herself in the reflection of the TVs. Her hair wasn''t golden anymore. Her battle form had finally run out. Her hair was shorter, though. Before, her hair went down her back, but now it barely made it past her shoulders. Her eyes ached as well, like when she was a kid, and she needed to wear her glasses. Most shocking of all, though, was her body. She was shorter. No... She was younger.


    The reflection in the mirror didn''t show a sixteen-year-old girl. It showed her a shivering, terrified twelve-year-old.


    She had become a child again.


    "What the hell happened to me!" Her strength was gone, her enhanced sight gone, and her senses were reduced down. She tried to cause a flicker of fire to come out, but it didn''t happen. She couldn''t feel the power of the Lord. She didn''t hear the Brightest Star''s voice. For the first time in a long time, she felt lonely. "Brightest Star? Say something! You''re there, right? I- I''m a Lord! I''m the Lord of the Sun! I''m not a kid¡ªI''m a Super! I''m Cinder! What the hell is going on?"


    "There''s no need to panic." The voice was no longer mechanical. A wall behind her slid open as someone stepped into the room. "Your body will return eventually. You''re not actually a kid. How do I explain this... You saw what the Beast did, right? It couldn''t heal itself, so instead, it compressed its size down and rebuilt what it could with unnecessary matter. In a way, the Lord inside of you did the same. You would have died, but I guess it felt some pity on you and did its best to repair your form with what was left of you. It even used up some of its own flesh and rebuilt your brain and heart. I didn''t even know the Lord of the Sun could do that."


    Slowly, she turned around and stumbled back, staring at the man who was in the room with her. He approached her with a sly smirk on his face. He wore a lab coat just like Sky always did, and he had messy brown hair. She had seen him on TV a few times. She had also seen him standing next to the Emperor. She knew who this man was. Harrison Avalon stared down at her as her back was pressed up against the wall.


    "W- What do you want with me?"


    "What do I want?" The man''s smirk grew, and he dropped to his knees, placing his hands on her shoulder. He stared into her eyes, his grin growing. "I want you to help me! With you, it can be done! We can kill the Emperor! We can save this world!"

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Seven: The World Kept Spinning

    "Yeah. That''s it. That''s my father''s power. Cinder has become a true Lord of the Sun."


    "That stupid bitch just had to run her mouth." Dean Ward pinched the bridge of his nose as the recording of the Beast fight played back the sentence that had taken the world by storm. "She not only showed her incompetence in failing to save the city, but she practically ruined any chance we had at keeping the fact we had the next Lord of Sun secret."


    "It''s worse than that." A voice spoke up, coming through the speakers on his computer. "We didn''t even know we had the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos in our possession. The Enforcers decided to keep that little trump card secret from us. Who knows what other information they could be keeping secret from the Hero Branch? Director Laps should be fired and thrown into the darkest cell we have! She is guilty of treason!"


    It had all started after the battle with the Beast. Every time the Beast was defeated and killed, something would always show up afterwards¡ªa new threat that could bring humanity to its ruins. They had all been expecting a giant monster or some great disaster. Instead, the thing that was on the brink of wiping out the Hero Branch was a recording.


    Alice Ward, his very own sister-in-law, had survived the Beast attacks. He hadn''t bothered trying to get his brother or sister out of Oleander. He had hoped they would have perished in the attacks, and he could use that ''grief'' to increase his ranking and popularity. It would seem, however, that just as he failed to see through the hero Paragon''s will, he also failed to see just how far Alice would go. The woman had recorded parts of the battle on her phone. That single recording was now coming back to bite them all in the ass.


    It showed off a golden girl cloaked in fire. She wasn''t as grand as Full Monarch had been, but everyone could tell that it was the same. She then went on to beat the Beast single-handedly. At least, they presumed, as the actual battle hadn''t been filmed. Only the part where the golden girl that went by the name of Cinder was throwing the Beast around with godlike strength. During this attack, the Victorian decided to open her mouth and claim that they were seeing the Lord of the Sun.


    "It''s quite the tricky situation, isn''t it." Ward took a drag on a cigar he had and breathed out a large cloud of smoke. His office was a mess with papers scattered about, and shelves were knocked over from when he took his anger out on everything he could get his hands on. On his desk, his computer showed off the image of another man in a suit who served as Daisy''s Hero Branch head. The man¡¯s name was Arvin Ros, head of the Ros family. "No one has seen Laps since the attacks. She could be dead." Ward sighed.


    "Good! I hope that bitch is rotting in hell!" Ros screamed out.


    Ward slumped down in his chair and looked back at the screen, watching the recording of the Victorian''s words once more. Everyone had put their hope into that woman. They were all expecting her to be able to do more. Two years ago, the world suffered a Beast attack that resulted in the death of Legend and the birth of a new Calamity. The Victorian hadn''t yet existed. Not fully, anyway. Her power hadn''t been that golden light; the world knows her for now. Instead, it had been something harsher. After the Beast''s attack, she showed up, claiming to possess her father''s power. She had fooled them all by showing off grand feats and actually got them all to put their trust in her back that she could keep them safe from the next Beast attack. Yet when it finally did come, she failed to stop it and instead had to have a teenager step up¡ªsomething the general public noticed as well. Not just that, but Boy Genius¡¯s recordings had shown some hero known as Battery to be the actual hero that kept the city safe. Battery had gone toe-to-toe with the Beast all alone, doing what the Victorian couldn¡¯t.


    "So, what do we do now?" Ward questioned.


    "We need to give a statement on the state of Oleander and what will happen to it." The leader of Daisy responded. "For the first time in a Beast attack, the city doesn''t show any signs of radiation or total destruction, thanks to the hero Battery absorbing it all in his battle with the Beast. We have him to thank for the people of Oleander not dying from radiation sickness. It¡¯s hard to believe a guy like that was also under our noses.¡± Ros mused.


    ¡°What of the state of the city?¡±


    ¡°The damage is bad, but if we can figure out the costs, it could be possible to possibly rebuild part of it. It would, at the very least, be a place we could store Lillian''s increased civilians." Ros explained.


    "The public will want to know what happened to that hero. Cinder, I think, is her name. What do we tell them?" Ward asked.


    "The heroes have confirmed that her body was too damaged to save." Daisy''s head said, letting out a heavy sigh. "She sadly died."


    "That means we have to find the Lord all over again?" Ward never liked the Lords or even the new heroes, but even he felt a bit of emotion at the death of Cinder. Nothing as complex as sorrow; instead, it was annoyance. Another useless bitch as far as he was concerned. Just like the Victorian, Cinder had bitten them all in the ass.


    "That''s right. The general public doesn''t know about the existence of pods, nor do they really understand how the titles of Lords are passed down. At the moment, we need to use this as our chance to look for the Pod."


    "The bad guys will be out looking for it as well." Ward winced. "A few of them know about that. Especially someone like the Emperor."


    "They would look for the pod if they thought she was dead. What if they think she''s still alive though? They''d have no reason then, right?"


    "What are you trying to say?"


    Daisy''s leader gave a slight smirk. "I have a plan in mind. See, it could be bad if the public found out we allowed another Lord of the Sun to pass away. Especially as we all know, the Beast isn''t truly gone. It will return one day. We haven''t even gotten into the discussion of the Emperor''s return. If the people discover that the Lord of the Sun has died, if the villains see this as their chance, then we''ve already lost this war before it''s even begun."


    "So, you''re going to hide the fact that Cinder died? Won''t people figure out she''s dead when she fails to show up..."


    "Leave that all to me. For now, we should discuss the state of the Enforcers. They''ve requested to have three heroes placed on their team and plan on holding a meeting soon. They want to be shown off to the public as a way to save some face. A few of them did well in the fight with the Beast, so I suppose this is a way to make themselves look better for when it shows up next time."


    "Who did they have in mind as their new members?" Ward questioned.


    "The first was that new hero, Battery." The screen of Ward''s computer changed, showing off the hero in red. "He fought alongside the Victorian, and the two of them were able to almost defeat the Beast before it healed. Some people had managed to record him in the fight, and if not for the fact that the Lord of the Sun had appeared, he''d no doubt be the main topic of discussion. His power could be useful for combating the Organization whenever they make their move. Many civilians have also requested he be sent an invitation.¡±


    "I''ve never even heard of him, and yet he''s mister popular all of a sudden?"


    "Besides the incident with Cinder, his battle was the one that was viewed the most." Ros explained. ¡°Boy Genius¡¯s drone recorded the entire fight when he attempted to solo the Beast. It was quite the moral boast. I could hear the cheering even from my city. The whole world had its eyes on dear Battery for a moment there.¡±


    Ward nodded and rubbed his chin. "I see. I have no objections if the other directors don''t. Just as long as he stays in his place and follows my orders. What of the others, though? We lost two spots after all, and we still had that position open from Old Dog¡¯s death."


    "The second hero they''ve requested to join the team is a new one. She''s decided to call herself Lightning Empress. The Victorian has requested we allow her to join. At the moment, it''d be best to let her on due to her powers, as well as the fact that it could keep the Victorian happy."


    "Well, who is she?¡± Ward demanded.


    ¡°The newest Lord of the Sky and Weather. Daughter of the Victorian.¡±


    Ward rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. Whatever. The mother can have her baby if she wants. What of the last member?¡±


    "Poseidon-"


    "No." Ward cut his fellow director off. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk. "Poseidon will not be joining the Enforcers."


    "May I ask why? She¡¯s a Lord, and has been promised the spot for over a year now. Her mother is also no longer with us, so she¡¯d be the most logical replacement, wouldn¡¯t she?¡±


    "I want to teach that little bitch a lesson." Ward spat out. "Paragon refused to play the game by my rule. She ran off. She doesn''t want to play ball? Well, then, she can suffer the consequences. I don''t want Poseidon on the Enforcers. In fact, I don''t want Poseidon on any team. Have you decided what you''re doing with Ocean Empress''s old team?"


    "Team Reservoir unfortunately lost all of its members other than the heroes Poseidon and Paragon. Paragon has been MIA and hasn''t stepped foot into Lillian since the Beast incident but has been spotted in Oleander. The team itself has had dozens of heroes from around the world request to join it. Many people looked up to Ocean Empress and wanted to honor her by making sure the team she built lived on. Ocean Empress stated in her will that the team was to be passed down either to her husband, her grandfather, or Poseidon when Poseidon came of age. Poseidon recently turned eighteen, so the team will be handed over to her-"


    "Go ahead and just give it to me." Ward cut his partner off once more. "Put out some statement about how Poseidon is experiencing too much grief and mental issues to lead the team. Remove her sponsors as well."


    "Are you sure this is wise? You could gain the wrath of a Lord if you don''t stop before it''s too late."


    "The Lords aren''t gods. They''re just Supers with big egos. Mankind must still rule over them, or else we''ve already lost. I won''t tolerate Paragon refusing me again. I''m sure she''ll come to her senses when she learns what''s happening to her sister. Until then, her sister can take the punishment for Paragon¡¯s arrogance.¡±


    "Okay... Don''t say I didn''t warn you. Just so you know, I think this is a bad idea."


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Ward stomped his foot down and gave a smirk. ¡°For humans built by humans. Not Supers, not Monsters, not Lords. Humans. That is the world I will create. All of them are just tools. I¡¯ll follow in my father''s footsteps and do what he couldn¡¯t. This is still our planet.¡±


    ***


    An explosion ripped through the air, followed seconds later by a loud screeching sound. ¡°Stay the hell away from me, you scary bastard!¡±


    Up in the skies above the ruins of Oleander City, a large mantaray the size of a small bus flew through the air as if it were swimming. On the back of the majestic beast, a man in a labcoat stood throwing several bottles of black liquid at the thing that was rapidly chasing him down. Everything the bottles hit suddenly expanded and grew as the glass in them shattered.


    His name was Doctor Growth, a low-level solo villain who could make matter grow bigger thanks to the potions that he created. He had always remained in the shadows of Oleander, not doing anything grand due to the massive villain groups that lived in it, such as Zoo or the Bad Timers. Now that those groups were gone, it was his time to shine. At least that¡¯s what he thought.


    Sadly for Doctor Growth, he had gained the wrath of Oleander¡¯s strongest protector. A hero who hadn¡¯t once stopped since the battle with the Beast ended. A hero who had taken the whole world by storm.


    ¡°Fly my Giant!¡± Doctor Growth cried out with tears in his eyes. ¡°Fly!¡±


    ¡°You call that a Giant¡­¡± A spark of black energy seeped through the air, and it formed itself, taking shape into a massive serpent-like dragon that flew through the air at insane speeds. The dragon was massive, and the people in the city stared up at it in awe. A lone figure stood on its head. A hero dressed in a red costume. Battery stared into the eyes of Doctor Growth. His eyes flickered from blue to black, then back to blue. ¡°Lucky. Eat.¡± Battery said in a cool tone.


    Doctor Growth let out a loud scream and wet his pants as the flying dragon reached him and his own large beast. The Giant construct was so large that its maw was able to snap open, and in an instant it swallowed Doctor Growth and the mantaray whole in one single gulp.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Battery stood on the head of his Giant and stared down at what was left of Oleander with a cold look. Then slowly his creature faded away, dissolving into nothing. Doctor Growth vanished with it¡­ And the people cheered.


    "I''m in front of the Oleander bridge that connects itself to Lillian! As you can see, even after two months have passed, the bridge still hasn''t been fully repaired!" Alice announced, standing in front of her phone.


    Her friend June gave her a thumbs-up as he recorded the whole thing. After the incident with the Beast, Alice blew up in popularity online. She was making more money off of donations than she ever had earned from her reporting job. Oleander was left in pretty bad shape even months later, and people seemed to have a strange and twisted fascination with wanting to see the ruins of what was once a grand city. The sky was filled with dozens of Boy Genius¡¯s drones as well as Hero Branch drones that scanned the city.


    "As you can see, there are still thousands of people stuck in the city!" Alice announced, gesturing off to the side where many crowds had formed, all under tents or other things they had been given. "The Hero Branch in the beginning tried making an effort of getting people off this lot, but once the final member of the ''rich'' district was removed and carried to Oleander, they seemed to have slowed that process down by a lot. I wonder why!"


    The bridge that connected Oleander to Lillian was gradually being rebuilt. The Lillian Cleanup Squad, as well as the Oleander Cleanup Squad, had come together and were slowly but surely putting it back up piece by piece on the side of Lillian. It would still be at least another month or two, though, before the bridge was fully restored. Because of the bridge being out, there wasn''t any way for Oleander to get much help. It was mostly a sea-locked city. People had tried to get into the city through boats, but during a disaster like this, the villains thrived and rose up, taking over the beaches of Oleander and raiding any ship that came, stealing all the supplies. On top of that, there were so many ruined ships in the dock of Oleander, and the beach was in such bad condition filled with so much trash that it was impossible for ships to go that route.


    Most of Oleander was in bad condition as well. During the Beast attack, every building that was above the Beast¡¯s height had been torn down when it fired a thin laser beam out. Most of the city hadn¡¯t been able to get out of the city in time when the bridge was destroyed, so now the people stuck in the city had no homes nor any means of food since the villains picked off most of the supplies.


    That mainly just left small supply crates that would be dropped off every now and then through air that the people had to make do with. The Oleander Hero Branch was doing its best to hold everything together, but it was falling apart. Oleander had lost its Enforcer member before the battle began, and several lone heroes had also died. Only the Oleander Sub Enforcer team remained. They had to work so hard because there were still people that were living in Oleander. The Sub Enforcers were also the only group left, as Pantheon had vanished off the face of the Earth.


    Not everyone had been able to make it out of the city during the attack. And not everyone who did escape wanted to remain in Lillian. It wasn''t like it used to be, but Oleander had some people that were scattered throughout the destroyed city. Many of the people who were homeless and living on the streets were doing well in this new environment, while those who had been stuck were making the best of a bad situation. Dozens of tents had been dropped off, and the Hero Branch and other Supers were still making efforts to get supplies into Oleander. It wasn''t much, but the city was somehow clinging to the last of its life.


    Alleyways were filled with debris, buildings had been torn down, fires spread to several areas, and the streets were filled with hundreds of pits that dropped down to the sewers, which were flooded and destroyed. There were only a few spots where a person could have any power, and if not for Boy Genius''s drones, there wouldn''t be any internet at all.


    The people were surviving, though. They had all been forced to come together. Many of them were also inspired by something... Something that was slowly but surely also trying to fix the series up. "Crime has, of course, gone up in this situation," Alice explained to her large audience. "Many villains flock to this area, and some people claim they''ve spotted Green Wolf or Demonica sneaking around. It isn''t just Supers, though. Thrill seekers, or troublemakers, have also been popping up lately. People that all think they can get away with anything in our city. Well, let me tell you, so long as we have the Thunder Giants, Oleander is in good hands!" She announced, pointing to a series of large figures.


    They weren''t as big as they had been in the fight with the Beast, but there were dozens of them now. Each stood at nearly forty feet in height and were forged out of crackling black energy. They didn''t carry weapons and instead walked around with heavy-looking tools. The very same tools the Cleanup Squad typically used. It was as if the Giants had been part of such a workforce before, as they had been steadily clearing the streets of rubble and debris, setting up planks and bridges over the holes in the street, and were even rebuilding the bridge on their side of the city to connect it to Lillian''s half much sooner.


    None of them bothered the civilians stepping around them or ignoring them as they worked and worked and worked, never once stopping. For nearly two months straight, they had worked and had managed to fix up a single city block, allowing tents and other structures to be set up near the destroyed buildings. They also kept the city safe. All it would take was a single person committing a crime in front of one of these Giant workers for them to call the real warrior over. Seated on the ruins of a destroyed building, using it like a chair, was a fifty-meter-tall black armored warrior who had their sword stabbed into the ground next to them. They didn''t move an inch, their eyes just constantly scanning out and watching the civilians, making sure no harm would come to any of them.


    This was all thanks to a single hero¡ªa hero the public had seen countless times now. The drones followed him everywhere he went, streaming him to the world. He never ate, he never slept, and he never even used the bathroom. Again and again, he would simply show up and crush whatever even attempted to harm his city. Battery had quickly become a hero everyone looked up to. A mighty protector that saved his people.


    Right?


    "Teacher! I brought you some food!" A voice announced loudly. Purrfect stood on the edge of his building holding a large plate of random chips she had taken from a destroyed vending machine, as well as some soda. "You haven''t had anything to eat or drink in days, right! Here!¡±


    "I told you I don''t need to consume food or water to survive. And for the last time, stop calling me teacher." Battery stood at the edge of his building and stared down at his city, his eyes darting back and forth. Doctor Growth had been the tenth villain he had stopped. The others had also been swallowed whole by one of his Giants. Despite how strong he was, villains didn¡¯t seem to learn and kept trying to sneak past him or beat him. None even came close.


    "Next time you go out to patrol, can I come with you, teacher?" Purrfect asked, biting into a chip as she opened one of the bags.


    Battery ignored her question, and instead he began to stretch, feeling his joints pop. All around him, several drones flew and stared at him. They weren¡¯t the kind that could ask questions, but they still kept him ticked off. They were always recording every action he was doing and wouldn¡¯t leave him alone. It was weird having so many eyes stuck to him. Fifteen years ago, the heroes didn¡¯t have to worry about that. He wondered how Full Monarch would react to this new age.


    Battery shook his head and squashed the memory of Full Monarch. He didn¡¯t know why, but he had been thinking of the man a lot more recently. He tried to clear his mind and focused on his stretching. Purrfect placed the plate down and began to mimic him doing the same stretches. "Purrfect, why are you still here?"


    Purrfect was a young hero. She sort of reminded him of Snowdawn or Poseidon. The girl was seventeen and wore a yellow cat-looking outfit complete with cat ears and a tail that actually wiggled back and forth. She had whitish blonde hair that she had tied back a bit. She placed her hands on her hips, giving a sly grin. "Impressed with how good I am at toughing things out, teach?" She questioned. "I was part of the Daisy Sub Enforcers, but well... Most of my team... Anyway, Dust Cloud decided he didn''t want to be a hero anymore and gave up, and since our team leader is no longer with us either, the director of the Hero Branch decided to just replace the entire team with new heroes, so I sort of got fired since I didn''t do much in the Beast fight." The girl said sheepishly.


    "They fired you? I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. You are basically glorified cannon fodder."


    Purrfect blinked and gritted her teeth, doing her best to keep up her cheery demeanor. "Yep, fired! So now my only other choice is to either become a solo hero and hope I can get some sponsors or join up with a big-shot hero that will let me join their team!"


    "You¡¯d best not think of joining me; I don¡¯t have time for scraps. My last weapon broke before I could properly use her. I¡¯m a fool for thinking I could rely on any other power besides my own." Battery stated in a blunt tone. For some reason, his harsh words and uncaring nature made the people watching him through the drones fangirl over him more and increased his popularity. He didn''t really look the part of a hero at the moment. He had managed to get his mask back, which he wore, but several parts of his costume had been torn away, showing off his flesh beneath. He had a hole in the chest piece of his suit, as well as one that went from his back to his stomach from where the Beast had punched a hole in him. His body had been healed and fully restored thanks to him being a Ruler and the gift they all got, but his outfit sadly hadn''t been part of that exchange. He had gotten a lot of his muscles back from working out and training so that honed and enhanced hero body was mostly on display for the drones.


    "I''m joining you, and I won''t take no for an answer!" Purrfect announced, folding her arms and giving a sly smirk. "I saw you in action, Teacher! You''re totally cool and stupid strong. If I can get even a mile close to how strong you are, I don¡¯t ever have to worry again. You got to hold Ocean Empress in your arms and hear her-" A black hand appeared above Purrfect, dropping from the sky and splattering her as well as all the drones across the roof.


    Silence hung around Battery as his hand shoved Purrfect¡¯s corpse through the building and tore down some of it. All the drones around him had also been crushed, leaving him in total silence-


    "Hey, what was that for?" Purrfect asked, annoyed, suddenly appearing on top of the black hand. "Oh, I get it. You wanted to see how my extra-life power works, right? Well, fear not, Teacher, I''ll explain it to you! I have nine lives, just like a cat! If I lose any lives, I have to take a few days to recharge them! It takes one day to charge a life back up, and I can only hold nine!"


    "So, you can die eight more times?"


    "Yep-" Another hand appeared above her, crushing her once more. "Why!" She whined, appearing next to him. "What did I do that time?"


    "Don''t ever mention Ocean Empress ever again." Battery gruffly laid down and stared back up at the sky above. "Now get going before I take any more of your lives. I''m not building a team right now.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You said right now!¡± Purrfect announced puffing her chest out. ¡°That means you do plan on starting a team eventually, right! All Enforcers have their own team after all!¡±


    ¡°I might not even be part of the Enforcers. They might ask for me to be wiped out any day now."


    Purrfect pouted a bit but silently dropped down in a sitting position next to him. "You waiting for your old sidekick, teach? That Cinder girl?"


    "No. She failed. She could have been the next Full Monarch, but she went and blew herself up for a bunch of nobodies. If she somehow came back to life, I wouldn¡¯t even spare the energy to think about her." Despite the words, a flicker of emotion crossed Battery¡¯s eyes, unnoticed by Purrfect. Before long, though, dark lightning flickered underneath his skin, and the hint of emotion was dragged back under a bored demeanor. "Do you know what a Ruler is, Purrfect?" Battery asked, suddenly changing the subject.


    "Huh? Well duh. Like a person who is a king or something?"


    "Not that kind of Ruler. Have you ever heard a voice in your head? Maybe someone who tells you to do something?"


    "Are you asking if I''m crazy? I''m not? I don''t think?" She grabbed her head, her eyes going wide. "Is this a test? Am I crazy? Oh God, none of this is real, and it''s all a dream, isn''t it!"


    Battery kept staring up at the sky and closed his eyes. "I just find it odd, is all. Escaping death all the time is a trait shared by Rulers. Yet you have it as well. Demonica has fire powers despite that being the ability of the Lord of the Sun, and all Lords have battle modes, while many Supers can also transform. It makes me wonder just what makes Rulers, Lords, and Supers so different." Then again, he knew that already. Lords and Rulers weren''t alone. They existed alongside someone else that was found within them... "So," he called out. "What are you doing here?"


    "I already told you, teach-"


    "Not you."


    Purrfect cocked her head in confusion before she suddenly felt her body turn sluggish. It was almost as if everything was moving in slow motion. She stood up as fast as she could, but it was painfully slow, and she managed to turn her head, spotting that they weren''t alone anymore. Someone else stood on the building with them. Lady Time always stood out like a sore thumb. She wore an elegant white dress with a skirt and a long cape. Her hair flowed down her back, and many golden pocket watches wrapped around her, one of which even formed an eyepatch. Thanks to a mix of the Victorian''s golden light and Paragon''s healing, she had basically been fully restored.


    In her hand, she held her two swords. One able to slow things down, and the other able to speed things up. Her good eye stared down at Battery, who didn''t seem to have been slowed down in the slightest. He stood up lazily, moving his arms back and forth as if he were getting ready for a fight. "What do you need?" He asked calmly. Despite that, his power flickered around him. Crackles of energy went from blue to black, switching back and forth so fast it caused her head to spin a bit as she tried to keep up with it. Off to the side, Purrfect looked slowly between Battery and Lady Time, her smile fading to a look of concern.


    "You need to come with me." Lady Time stated.


    "I''m not interested in sleeping with you if that''s what this is about." Battery said, waving her off.


    "W- Why would you think it had anything to do with that?" Lady Time asked, baffled.


    "Aren''t you, Mister Man, and the Victorian in some weird, kinky relationship?"


    "Who the hell told you that?"


    "Ocean Empress."


    Lady Time stomped her foot down a bit and exhaled. "What I do is none of your business! You''ve been asked to go to the Enforcer tower in Rose City." She explained. "We''re having a meeting. An Enforcer meeting."


    "So, does this mean I made it on your little team?"


    "That''s what we''re going to discuss."


    Battery gave a slight nod and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright then. Let''s get this over with. Purrfect, don¡¯t get in the way of my Giants while I''m gone."


    "Alrighty, Teacher!"


    "I''m not your- Forget it. I don¡¯t care."


    Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Oleander near the Wastelands, where she had fought the Emperor in her battle, the Victorian let out a heavy sigh as her sword stabbed down into the ground.


    Sweat dripped from her face, and her muscles ached. Her costume was torn, and she still hadn''t gotten it fixed after her battle with the Beast. The world had been wondering where she had been for these past two months. All around her was destruction. She had torn the Wastelands to bits, shattering the ground and mountains around her, a river of blood staining the ground as thousands of the giant worms lay slain at her feet.


    "It''s still not enough." She angrily picked her golden sword up, staring at her dirty reflection in it. "I''m still not as strong as I need to be. As strong as I used to be. I just can''t live up to him."


    "Victorian..." A voice drew her gaze away, and she found a small drone floating next to her. One of Boy Genius''s. His voice came out of it in a faint hum. "We''re meeting at the tower."


    "Understood." She wiped some of the sweat away and slowly floated into the air. Millions of craters scattered the field around her, going deep into the ground. "I''ll be there soon."


    "You should clean yourself up first," Boy Genius said. ¡°We don''t want the new members to get the wrong idea."


    "Right." She looked back up at the sky. "And you still haven''t found any traces of her?"


    "No, ma''am."


    "I see." Her sword quickly faded and vanished. "I know this can''t be the ending. How much longer are you going to make us all wait, Hope Lauren?"

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Eight: Lightning Empress

    Directly after the Beast fight¡­


    Boy Genius hummed and looked at his device. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Jack sighed. ¡°I hear Nick say that all the time, what does it mean?¡±


    Directly after the fight with the Beast, he had been ordered to go straight to Nightshade by the Victorain. Apparently some people didn¡¯t like the fact that he had died and come back and wanted to check on him. That was why he found himself strapped to a metal chair with Boy Genius directly in front of him. Off on the other side of the room, the Victorian floated and kept her arms folded.


    ¡°Your body has been fully healed.¡± Boy Genius noticed. The kid set his machine down and folded his arms as he looked Jack up and down. ¡°Last I looked at you, you barely had a few weeks left to live. You were a corpse. One whose very cells had long since burned out. Now though every single bit of damage you ever took has been fully healed. It¡¯s actually kind of scary. Humans, even Supers, tend to get banged up as they experience life, and those wounds, though small, can stay with them a lifetime. Not you, though. You look as if you¡¯ve never once been hit. How did you get a regeneration power this strong?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t regeneration.¡± Jack said, shaking his head.


    ¡°What is it then?¡± The Victorian asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± Jack looked down at his hand and balled it up. ¡°My father called it ¡®Ruler¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ruler? You mean like Ruler of the Void and Dark?¡± Boy Genius questioned. ¡°The Emperor said something about that at one time, I believe.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°In case you two haven¡¯t figured it out, I''m the Emperor¡¯s son. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not evil; I want that fucker dead more than anyone else. He¡¯s the reason I am the way that I am. This dark gift I have¡­ Whenever I die, I hear something. It speaks to me. It orders that I return to life. Then it fixes me up.¡±


    The Victorian narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Is this why you refused my help? You knew that you would return from the dead?¡±


    Jack shook his head. ¡°No. Believe me, I didn¡¯t think this power was in me still.¡± He felt his energy flicker across his hand and stared down at his palm as the blue and black mixed together. ¡°I assumed that it was gone for good after what Full Monarch did. He saved my life after all. Even after everything I did.¡±


    The Victorian¡¯s arms unfolded, and the woman scowled. ¡°And just what is it you did as the Emperor¡¯s son? No record shows that he had a son.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the only one who saw and fought me was Full Monarch.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°We kept most of the fights out of sight. I assume you saw what I could do firsthand, though, Ruby.¡± He held a hand out and created a blue portal, which caused the number one hero''s eyes to go wide.


    ¡°You!¡± She flew forward and grabbed him by his destroyed collar. He was ripped out of his chair and rammed into a wall back first. ¡°You were the guy who created all those portals!¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Battery said flatly.


    The Victorian gritted her teeth. ¡°I had no idea. I knew you were important. Ocean Empress told me my dad saved you, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You figured I was just some fodder monster, right? He was the kind of person who would save anyone after all.¡±


    ¡°I should kill you.¡± The Victorian hissed. ¡°You aren¡¯t just some nobody. You¡¯re a big shot villain! Not only that, but you knew about the Rulers and kept that secret from us? Is that how the Emperor came back to life?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that he was back.¡± Jack grunted as he was shoved further into the wall. ¡°If I did, I would have told someone. He never told me he could die. As far as I knew, this was a gift only Lucifer and I shared.¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Legend also came back from the dead.¡± Boy Genius hummed. ¡°Though I never got to study him. I wonder if he was a Ruler also.¡±


    ¡°It figures.¡± Jack spat out. ¡°Lucifer, the Emperor, Legend, and myself. We all have one thing in common. We¡¯re all people that were affected by Full Monarch.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s my father¡¯s fault that you¡¯re the way you are!¡± The Victorian threw a punch out as hard as she could, but Jack caught it. The room rumbled a bit, and a shock wave went off from their clash.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± Jack glared into her eyes. His eyes changed back and forth, switching between blue and black. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll just come back.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this?¡± Boy Genius asked. ¡°Or at least tell anyone about this? Couldn¡¯t you have died at any time and fixed yourself? You became a lot stronger, I can tell; this version of you would have fared better in the battle with the Beast and could have saved a lot more lives.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would come back!¡± Jack raised his voice. ¡°I told you already. Full Monarch saved me. In the battle he did something, and- I¡­ I thought I was fixed.¡± The man spoke quietly now. ¡°I thought that I wouldn¡¯t come back to life ever again. I thought that I¡¯d finally stay dead this time.¡±


    Jack shoved his way past the Victorian. The woman still glared at him but didn¡¯t fight him this time. There was no point. Not right now.


    ¡°In a way, you¡¯re sort of like Lucifer. We should keep the fact you came back to life secret from the public so they don¡¯t panic about that. Only a few heroes know about you dying after all. We don¡¯t want you being compared to Lucifer.¡± Boy Genius hummed. ¡°His team is called the Immortals for a reason. He¡¯s been able to escape our care for so long due to him always coming back to life. Some heroes also have a way to escape death, such as Purrfect, but the way they do it is very different from yours. Your body, as with Lucifer''s, seems to be rebuilt out of darkness that takes shape.¡±


    Jack closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Yeah. You know the stories right. The Four Lords battled the Shadow. I think it might have something to do with that, though I honestly don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t seem to get a battle mode like the Lords, nor do I have any other power. I was born with my Imaginary energy, but I didn¡¯t awaken my Ruler power until I first died.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you first die?¡± The Victorian questioned.


    ¡°Hell Hound and I were training, and she accidentally cracked my skull open.¡± That caused the world¡¯s strongest woman to let out a soft snort. ¡°After that, my father began to go harsher on my training. I was broken down and forced to blow myself up in order to heal. I thought it was something he did to me when I was younger, but as Boy Genius said, both Lucifer and Legend seem to have the title of Ruler as well.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a title?¡± Boy Genius asked. ¡°Lucifer calls himself the Ruler of Death and Rebirth, and the Emperor calls himself the Ruler of the Dark and Void. He also seems to now have control over shadow, and you also have that shadowy black energy around you as well? Is that a connection?¡±


    ¡°I keep telling you, I don¡¯t know.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not keeping anything secret. I swear. The old man didn¡¯t explain it to me. I doubt he knew either. I don¡¯t know how he became a Ruler, how many there are, or what. It¡¯s all a mystery.¡±


    One thing he did know for sure though was the voice was gone¡­ Full Monarch¡¯s voice had been with him. It constantly spoke to him ever since he became a hero. It was always there. Yet ever since he died, it had gone strangely silent. The voice that had brought him back had been a different one. A much darker one that also hadn¡¯t spoken to him. It only ever talked when he was dead after all.


    ¡°What do we do with him?¡± The Victorian asked. ¡°Throw him in Nightshade or what?¡±


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll throw himself in there willingly.¡± Boy Genius snorted.


    ¡°I told you. I¡¯m going to work with you.¡± Jack held his hand out and stared at the number one hero. ¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me, but let¡¯s face it. I¡¯m strong, maybe even stronger than you, and I can¡¯t die. You won¡¯t be able to throw me in any prison. The way I see it, you really only have one option. Either work with me and we can truly stop this nightmare, or stay in my way and watch what I do.¡±


    The Victorian¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You think you can beat me?¡±


    ¡°Little Ruby, I would give you the ass whooping of a lifetime.¡±


    Boy Genius stared between the two, slowly shrinking down. ¡°Adults are being weird again¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it you want?¡± The Victorian asked.


    ¡°I want to stop everything evil.¡± Jack announced. ¡°The Emperor, Lucifer, Legend, the Beast¡ªanything that could threaten this world. I thought I would be dead by now. I planned to let the kid take over. My death was supposed to make her the next Full Monarch. With her gone though and me reawakening my powers as a Ruler somehow, I have no choice but to step up myself. If she is no longer with us, then I will just use a new weapon. You¡¯ll be my sword, Ruby. A blade I use to destroy everything evil!¡±


    ¡°You think you can control me?¡± The Victorian hissed.


    ¡°I do.¡± Jack declared. ¡°I¡¯m going to make my own rules. The Hero Branch, the Enforcers, all of it! I¡¯ll tear it all down and make my own path. I¡¯ll force this world to walk my path and bring it salvation! Even if it refuses!¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re declaring is treason, you know.¡± The woman growled. ¡°Destroy the Hero Branch? Force the world to follow your path? You¡¯d need the title of the number one hero to do that. A title I hold.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your title.¡±


    ¡°Only those who beat me can claim it. And only those in the Enforcers have the right to try and battle me.¡± The woman said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for?¡± Jack held his hand out. ¡°Let me on your team.¡±


    The Victorian stared down at the hand in silence. Boy Genius saw the look in her eye and shook his head. ¡°Jill! No! Bad Jill!¡± He scolded. ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡±


    Slowly the Victorian took Jack¡¯s hand. ¡°I look forward to you trying to challenge me. Just so you know, you¡¯ll be starting at the bottom and have to work your way up. Oh, and when you do get to me, I¡¯ll be absolutely destroying you. You¡¯re going to make a fine sword, Battery. One that I¡¯m going to wield and save the world with.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Jack smirked.


    ¡°I guess we will.¡± The Victorian¡¯s grin also grew.


    Be it arrogance or confidence, the Victorian had just allowed the Ruler of Creation and Destruction onto her team. The Giant was going to start his plan. His plan to save planet Earth.


    ***


    Present Day¡­


    Battery looked at all the statues around him with a frown. He had never actually gotten to see what was in the Enforcers tower, but he always heard rumors. Statues of all the previous Lords resided here. They would magically appear, seemingly out of the blue, once a Lord passed on. It didn''t have the very first Lords, the powers themselves, nor did it have any current Lord. But those that died... Those were everywhere in this room.


    His eyes were drawn to one statue, though¡ªone of Cinder.


    "Do you have any idea where the next Lord of the Sun could end up?" Lady Time called back to him. She was already climbing the stairs up to the top floor, where the others would be waiting.


    "Why do you think I would know?" Battery asked.


    "Well, you did find the previous Lord." Lady Time shrugged. "Oh well. We''ll find them before the villains. We have to." She walked up the stairs, going up a curve and being out of sight.


    Once he was sure she was out of eye and earshot, he approached the statue of the kid, looking at the features. Examining the girl made of stone, he felt his heart beat faster. Maybe it was a feeling of regret, sadness, or loss? Or maybe it was a feeling or unbridled rage. He couldn''t tell. This heart was so foreign to him now.


    For fifteen years, he had lived with that shard inside of him. Fifteen years of it suppressing his power. Now that heart that had been damaged and eaten away was gone. The heart touched by Full Monarch, gone. What was inside of him now was that which belonged to the Emperor. The heart of a Giant. The heart of Alpha.


    Battery placed a hand on the statue. A swirl of emotions crowded his head, but he pushed through them, settling on one. Anger. He summoned his power, giant hands forming around the statue. He watched the stone crumble to rubble as it shattered. He heard the Victorian had done something similar with the statue of the Emperor. When his final fight with Full Monarch came to an end, he too had appeared in this room. His statue hadn''t lasted long, and its destruction at the new number one hero''s hands was the reason the world was so willing to believe he died.


    Little did any of them know his kind always came back.


    He quietly watched the crumbling statue fall apart before finally turning and following after Lady Time.


    The stairs looped around the entire tower. It was an old building, maybe as old as the Lords themselves, and even amongst Supers, it was quite odd. Eventually, though, they reached the top, which was almost like night and day. Whereas the Tower was old and formed from crumbling stone, this room was brand new, sleek iron with air conditioning and a large round table that they could all sit at. The others were already there.


    "Oh no! What the hell is he doing here!" Drake asked, letting out a growl. In Wyvern''s seat, Drake had come in her place. His sister hadn''t been the same since the Beast fight and had retreated to Boy Genius''s base, where she had refused to come out. Drake glared at Battery, fire dripping down his lips.


    "I could ask you the same thing. You''re not even an Enforcer." Battery snorted.


    Drake''s eyes went wide, and he stared at the other heroes around him. "Wait? Did you guys actually make this jackass into an Enforcer? Are you all insane? We all practically saw him die! The dude was a severed head! Do you know what happened last time a hero died during the Beast attack? They came back as a Calamity! Legend is still trapped in the city we left him in, growing his army, and you guys are fine with this zombie on your team?"


    "Ocean Empress placed in her will that she''d like for Battery to take her place if anything ever happened to her." The Victorian stated. She had cleaned herself up and wore a fixed suit that Boy Genius gave her, though everyone could tell she was out of it. Her eyes had heavy bags under them, and she was slouched a bit.


    "The Beast always brings a Calamity with it! What if it''s him?" Drake demanded.


    "Then we''ll kill him." Mister Man grumbled.


    "Why are you all being so casual about this-"


    "We need the help." Boy Genius cut Drake off. "I understand your concerns. Rest assured; I''ve already scanned Battery''s body. Whatever Legend became, he isn''t the same. He''s willing to help us, and we can''t be picky about who we take on at the moment. He''s spent two months fixing up the city. I think if he was a calamity, then he''d have already struck. Just because he holds this power surely doesn¡¯t mean he is instantly evil. After all, we¡¯ve seen evil Lords, which proves not all Lords are instantly good. Maybe it is the same with Battery.¡±


    ¡°Maybe? You¡¯re willing to risk this all on a maybe?¡± Drake growled.


    Boy Genius¡¯s frown grew, and the boy looked even more tired. The truth was, he also didn¡¯t like having Battery on the team, but due to how popular the hero was, the Hero Branch had basically demanded he join. It didn¡¯t help the Victorian¡¯s thirst for battle made her look past the man¡¯s shadiness. ¡°I should remind you, Drake, you are here on behalf of your sister. Please don''t make me kick you out." The Mental hero said in a calm tone.


    Drake gritted his teeth and dropped back into his chair. "It just feels wrong... Something isn''t right. The Beast always causes something to happen. Why hasn''t anything happened this time?"


    "Who''s to say it hasn''t?" Lady Time took a seat at the table and slumped down on her arms. "The Beast once attacked during the war with the Emperor. We didn''t have a Calamity-level threat after that because we lost Full Monarch. His death was the Calamity, and the entire world went to shit. We all saw that girl in action. She wasn''t just the new Lord of the Sun; she was the next Full Monarch. It''s practically a joke how much stronger than us she became in that moment. What''s even the point of us..."


    Battery took his seat at the table and rested his head on his elbow. His eyes slowly scanned all the members. Drake was here in place of Wyvern and kept glaring at him. The Victorian, the world''s strongest Super, looked like she hadn''t gotten any sleep in the last two months. Mister Man looked cranky and paranoid. He had replaced his lost cowboy hat with a new silver one and now sported bigger guns. Beta looked the same as always and was also silently taking everyone in, recording them with his camera. Fable''s eyes were closed, and the man was snoring softly, already unconscious. Boy Genius had turned thirteen recently, though he didn''t have time to celebrate it since he had been busy dealing with his prison, and Lady Time looked just as depressed as the Victorian. Finally, that left the three new members.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Ocean Empress, Max Lightning, and Old Dog were dead. Those three spots had remained open. It took a while for a slot to be filled as the Enforcers had to get the go-ahead of the Hero Branch, and it typically involved a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Being an Enforcer meant you were now in charge of a full city, had the full funding of the Hero Branch, and ran your own team. Old Dog had run the Watch Dogs, Max Lightning the Clouds, and Ocean Empress had Reservoir.


    Now, three new members would be taking over.


    Battery locked eyes with Pretty Face. The pop star idol. That was who Lillian had selected as their new leader. Dean Ward hadn''t placed Poseidon onto the Enforcers and instead gave them the singer. The guy who had run away during the Beast fight and locked himself into a vault with the other rich members of Oleander. Pretty Face flinched a bit and looked away as Battery''s glare drilled into him. Ultimately, though, it was the person seated next to Pretty Face who truly got Battery''s attention.


    Whenever a disaster happens, new Supers are born out of it. Some people would find that their powers grew and evolved, while others who had been normal humans would suddenly awaken as Supers. Lightning Empress had only been working for two months now, and yet she had already taken the world by storm, doing Max Lightning''s duties. She had nearly wiped out all crime in her new city.


    Her hair was long, going all the way down her back, having grown out at an incredible speed. It was a deep gray color, like a stormcloud. Her eyes were a bright red, crackling with electricity. She didn''t wear a mask, but pure lightning dripped around part of her body. Just like Ocean Empress, she was basically naked and was using her powers to cover herself up. The lightning flowed like water, covering her chest and rear, almost like a bikini of sorts. Parts of her skin were also covered in clouds that hugged her body, forming gloves and boots. She didn''t seem too bothered by the amount of skin she was showing off, though. In fact, she didn''t seem to be all there. Her eyes had a dreamy look in them, and her head nodded back and forth as she stared up at a crown forged out of lightning that wrapped itself around her head.


    The newest Lord of the Sky and Weather. Lois had ditched the Whisper persona and had seemingly completely changed herself. That was, if it was even Lois that was in the driver seat...


    "What are you doing here?" Battery asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "Hmm?" Lightning Empress slowly stared at him and cocked her head to the side, nearly falling out of her chair.


    "Shouldn''t you be with Myth? You''re part of team Pantheon."


    "I left it." The girl giggled.


    "Why?"


    "Does that bother you?" Her head cocked to the other side, and her hair swept back and forth as a calm wind filled the room. "What about it? It''s a trash team. Besides, it only has garbage Supers now that the Lord''s dead. If I''m going to reach my goal, I''ll need real power." She repeated the exact same thing he had said to the Victorian word for word, almost slapping him in the face with it. "That''s how you feel, right? So, you shouldn''t be bothered about me being on Pantheon or not, right? That was unless you''re worried about poor Myth?"


    Battery''s energy flickered out, but he quickly got it under control and looked away. "Yeah. I don''t care. Just don''t slow down my new team, Whisper."


    "It''s Lightning Empress now."


    "Whatever."


    Boy Genius cleared his throat, slowly getting the attention in the room back on him. "So that everyone knows, I was the one that asked us all to have this meeting. Not only so we could get to see our new members, but I have some things to discuss. It''s mainly to do with the Immortals."


    The room shifted, and that despair that had been in them grew worse. "What about them?" Mister Man groaned.


    Beta''s head opened up a bit, and a hologram gushed out of the cracks, forming across the table. It took shape, turning into the map of a city. Then it changed and flicked to another city and another. Rose, Oleander, Lillian, Daisy, Dandelion, Daffodil, Violet, Gladiolus, Nightshade, and Chrysanthemum. These ten places were where the Enforcers ruled. Rose belonged to the Victorian, Daisy belonged to Lady Time, Dandelion belonged to Mister Man, Daffodil belonged to Wyvern, and Violet belonged to Fable. Oleander, Lillian, and Gladiolus had been commanded by Old Dog, Ocean Empress, and Max Lightning but would now fall under the control of Battery, Pretty Face, and Lightning Empress, respectively. Chrysanthemum used to belong to Legend, but it had been removed from the Ten Great Cities list. Finally, that left Nightshade, which wasn''t actually a city; it was a prison that Boy Genius and Beta both ran.


    Slowly, the hologram settled on the image of four cities. Oleander, Lillian, Rose, and Dandelion. "The Immortals are a group of five Supers," Boy Genius explained. "Each one is far stronger than any Super should be able to reach. I believe it''s because they all share a power source, which in the past allowed Lucifer to rival the Lords. Now that it''s being split five ways, though, he is no longer considered a Calamity level threat. That doesn''t mean he isn''t strong, though. Every member of the Immortals should be treated as a high-risk villain. I brought us all here to discuss what they call the Murder Games, which will likely be starting soon."


    The Victorian was the next one to speak. "During the Beast attack, the villain Uriel was able to escape Nightshade." She said grimly. "Nightshade is made to hold villains we can''t easily kill. Even chucking Uriel into deep space only ever slowed him down. Normally, it would be impossible to escape Nightshade without a means of teleportation on the level of the Emperor''s sword; however, while we were all distracted and busy with the Beast, Uriel was able to slip away. He only ever tries to escape whenever his master calls for him."


    "The Murder Games are held every few years." Boy Genius flipped through the holograms showing the four cities. "There is a sort of pattern to it. Out of all of our cities, I believe these four are the most likely to be hit."


    "Does Oleander even still count as a city?" Drake questioned.


    "That''s a good question." Boy Genius frowned. No one was able to get ahold of Laps, the head of Oleander''s Hero Branch. "At this exact moment, Oleander is mainly in the hands of Ward, the head of Lillian''s Hero Branch. Currently, their main focus is on rebuilding the bridge and allowing those stuck in Oleander to get out. They''ll have to access Oleander''s value, determine how expensive it would be to fix it, and decide if they want to fund it. This is one of the reasons I asked for Battery to come here. Currently, due to the situation of Oleander, it is doubtful you''ll be given much funding or a team until it is fully settled. They may decide to scrap Oleander altogether, in which case you''ll be asked to be transferred to another much smaller city such as Iris or Poppy. You do know what''ll happen if you turn them down on this, right?"


    Battery didn''t say anything and instead kept staring at the image of Oleander on the hologram. It showed off the city before the Beast attack. He had always heard Old Dog loved his city. Looking at it now compared to the state it currently was in, he felt he could sort of see the same values that the old hero had.


    "I find it doubtful that Oleander will be attacked and turned into the grounds for the Murder Games, but just in case, we''ll treat it the same as the other three." Boy Genius stated. "Lillian, Oleander, Rose, and Dandelion will be our main focus. We''ll be posting more heroes there, especially in Lillian, due to its overpopulation problem. I''ll be doing rounds as well, using my drones to see if I can detect anything. Lucifer isn''t like the Beast, though. It''s hard to stop his little games once they do start."


    "How long do we have to prepare?" Mister Man asked.


    "We can''t say." The Victorian said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "It could be in a week or two, or they might take months to get ready. They''ll be a bit busy setting everything up, but once they get started, then that''s it."


    Lady Time piped up. ¡°We should monitor the low-tier villains. Lucifer isn¡¯t going to entertain the possibility of some gang accidentally finding his preparations. Strange activity, mass gang disappearances, groups teaming up with no provocation.¡±


    ¡°He might already be set up and waiting, so there might be nothing that changes until the games start.¡± Drake huffed. He continued to stare at Battery, daring the hero to say something else, but Battery didn''t take the bait. The man just looked bored.


    The Victorian turned in her chair, looking toward her daughter. ¡°Lois, you are a part of the Enforcers, now. Any predictions or changes in the paths?¡±


    Lightning Empress took a moment to respond, the room going quiet as they all waited for some insights from the new Enforcer. ¡°It¡¯s Lightning Empress while I¡¯m in costume, Victorian.¡± The young hero responded, a dreamy look still in her eyes as they followed some unseen shapes in the ceiling.


    ¡°Well, Lois, I¡¯m proud that you¡¯re here. I knew you would grow strong, despite your rough start. I¡¯m sure your father would be happy that you have finally reached your  potential." The Victorian responded with a tense smile. ¡°Regardless, you have a lot of new responsibilities. Feel free to ask Boy Genius for assistance whenever it¡¯s needed.¡±


    "Oh? So now you decide to speak to me as an equal? And all it took was dad dying. Yeah. I''m sure he''d be proud of me, mother."


    An awkward silence grew in the room until Fable let out a snore that could almost be felt across the room. Mister Man shook his head and sighed, moving on past that issue. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to be ready to deal with the Immortals where they appear. They might not be a Calamity level threat anymore, but they''re close to that dangerous power level.¡±


    "We''ll stop them." Boy Genius clenched his fist and nodded his head. "We won''t lose again. That said¡­ That does bring me to my next topic.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Pretty Face asked, raising an eyebrow.


    The young hero took a deep breath and looked from the Victorian then back to Battery. ¡°The Hero Branch wants to hide the fact that Cinder is dead.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Was both Battery¡¯s and Victorian¡¯s blunt response.


    The hero lifted his hand up in a calming gesture. ¡°Let me rephrase that. They¡¯re going to hide the fact that she¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t do that!¡± Lady Time said in shock. ¡°Why would they do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same reason they haven¡¯t revealed the fact that the Emperor is alive or that Avalon turned traitor.¡± Mister Man snorted. ¡°They don¡¯t want to cause panic.¡±


    ¡°There are some merits to be had from keeping the death secret.¡± Beta piped up in a robotic voice. The machine had mostly remained silent the entire time content with filming, so his sudden words drew everyone in. ¡°For example, it causes the villains that would look for the pod to stop, allowing us more time to locate the next Lord. It also allows Cinder merch to be sold at a higher profit than if she is dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting it happen.¡± Battery said calmly.


    ¡°Aw, do you still care for her?¡± Lightning Empress asked, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°Do you not?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead. What does it matter what happens to her image?¡±


    Battery growled, but Boy Genius once again raised his hand. ¡°Listen. This is happening. It¡¯s out of our control. Victorian, you remember your agreement, right? You¡¯ll be expected to go along with it. All of us will. Even if we don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Battery folded his arms and closed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    There were a few more conversations that were had. Mainly on the state of the Hero Branch, new up-and-coming heroes, or Sub Enforcer teams, though Battery barely paid it any mind, not bothering to listen. He had gotten most of the information he needed. He never joined this team to actually be an Enforcer. It was just so he would know when and where a Calamity was going to appear. He planned on stopping them all, after all.


    If his story didn''t end, then he would make it into everyone else''s problem.


    Soon, it was time to leave, and the Enforcers began to depart, all of them exiting the tower. He got a few nasty looks from Drake, but he mainly ignored the kid and instead had his eyes glued onto his former team member. The other heroes were quick to leave, taking to the skies or some other means of transportation that they had. This left just him and his former teammate. "Did you really quit Pantheon?"


    Lightning Empress gave a goofy grin. "Does that bug you? I guess that''s all you can really feel right now,huh? That sense of anger and rage?"


    "Lois would never leave Myth during a time like this." Battery''s eyes narrowed. Blue and black, blue and black, blue¡ªover and over the color shifted, bouncing back. Inverting again and again with no regard. "The only thing I can think of that makes sense is the fact that you''re not actually Lois? Loudest Thunder. The first Lord of the Sky! That''s your name."


    The girl didn''t look surprised or startled by his words. Her goofy look just grew, and she lazily shrugged. "Maybe that''s who I am. Maybe I really am Lois. Or maybe I''ve become something in between. It makes me wonder how you know about this. I might be the Loudest Thunder. Maybe..." The girl looked up at the sky above, feeling her energy crackle out just like Battery''s, and her smile broke for a moment. "I changed, didn''t I? When my father died, it all sort of clicked. My existence. It was for this moment, wasn''t it? I became a Lord. This power must be how all of you felt. I always felt so useless being so weak, yet now..." She stared down at her hand, and for a moment, her goofy look faded. "It''s so scary. I feel like I''m going to explode any second now. I hear it. Constantly whispering to me. It won''t shut up." She winced and grabbed at her head. "Over and over, it talks. Is this what drove Wish mad? Is this what Hope had to put up with? The Loudest Thunder just won''t get out of my head. He keeps feeding me his power. He wants me to get stronger, but this is... I don''t know. I feel like I''m too strong now."


    "So, you are Lois then. At least for now. A Lord would never be worried about the power they have."


    "How do you know so much about our kind?" The girl wondered.


    "I don''t actually." The man gritted his teeth. "Most of the information I gathered was newly discovered or things I put together slowly. For example, I didn''t think any of you Lords would ever have to be worried about the Ego inside of you taking you over."


    "The Ego?"


    "It''s sort of a soul." He explained. "Supers sort of have two souls, I guess you could say. For most, that soul is simply a mirrored version of themselves. Their true power is who they are. For Lords, though, they have a soul that doesn¡¯t belong to them. One that is actually alive and can think for itself. It isn¡¯t a mirror but its own person. At first, I thought it was just something that had to do with Full Monarch. I didn''t know if it was actually a trait all Lords shared until the attack with the Beast. It was also a trait I didn''t know that I had."


    "So, you do hear the voice? I''m guessing that''s how you came back from the dead? A trait the Rulers have, hmmm?" The girl looked him up and down, and he knew instantly she was using her power. Slowly, the air around her began to twist and change. She was seeing the Paths. Lois, Loudest Thunder, or both¡ªwhoever was in control, it wasn''t the Whisper he knew. The words she said next confirmed that. "You''ll die again." She gave him a kind smile while saying such dark words. "Once more, your life will come to an end, and you''ll crumble away, losing more of your thoughts and memories. This time though, it''ll be in your own hands. You''ll willingly accept your death and cause it, becoming the Ruler you were meant to be. That''s what I see your stories being."


    "You bitch." His energy exploded out of him, forming around his fist, but he never got the chance to throw the attack out. In an instant, his hand was grabbed and held by someone. He glared back, finding himself looking into the eyes of the Victorian.


    "That''s enough." The number one hero said in a stern tone. "Lois, leave."


    The Lord of the Sky poked her tongue out at Battery and took to the sky floating away. Battery glared at her one last time as the clouds twisted and swallowed her up. "Why''d you stop me?"


    "I''m not going to let you hurt my daughter." The hero said sternly.


    "Oh, so now you care about her? Besides, is that thing even really Lois? She''s changed!"


    The Victorian folded her arms and stepped away from him. "You know, I could say the same thing about you." The light swirled and took shape in front of her, forming into a massive greatsword the size of a bus. It lay flat on the ground, and she stepped onto it and offered a hand toward him. "You can''t fly, right? I''ll escort you back to Oleander."


    Battery frowned but quietly stepped up onto the sword. Slowly, the blade began to lift off of the ground, and they began to float, going higher and higher. The air got colder, and soon they were among the clouds in the sky drifting away and leaving Rose City behind.


    He eyed the woman up and watched as she sat on the edge of her weapon. She allowed her legs to hang off, kicking them back and forth. "Who are you?" She finally asked him.


    He looked away from her. "Jack Larison. Or Battery."


    "Is that who you really are? Even after changing?"


    "You''re wrong. I didn''t change. This was how I always was. This is who I am. Before the war, before Full Monarch. I''m the real Jack Larison. I didn''t change; I  reverted." Battery spat at her, his heart pounding as he felt anger rising, along with a wet sensation dripping from his nostril. He reached up and found some blood dripping from it. "I''m still me. For now."


    The woman looked back at him. ¡°Is there anything else I should know about the Rulers? I might seriously kill you if I find out you have any more big secrets you¡¯ve been keeping hidden.¡±


    "I don''t know where the Rulers come from; I don''t know how many there are. Maybe it''s like the Lords, and there can only be four. What I do know is that it doesn''t let our stories end. It keeps us alive. Over and over. It revives us from the dead. The Emperor became one as well toward the end of the war, if I had to guess. I thought Full Monarch broke the curse. I thought he cured me of it and killed the Emperor for good. I was wrong. When I died, I expected to stay dead, but yet here I am. Forced to go on." Jack winced. ¡°I just wanted to rest. ¡®It¡¯ won¡¯t let me though.¡±


    "Is your death the reason you''re acting the way you are?"


    The aura around Battery seemed to dim a little as he leaned back. ¡°Emotions. That¡¯s a big part of the cost. Love, kindness, affection¡ªthey''re all suppressed when it brings us back. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same for the others, but for me, when I die, I come back instantly, and it numbs how I feel while increasing my rage. It also makes it so I don¡¯t question it at times. Dying becomes easy for me. It suppresses that instinct within me. Urges me to kill myself even. Lucifer and the others have long since given in, but I¡¯m still fighting. I don¡¯t know for how much longer I can keep it up though.¡±


    The Victorian gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "You''re still you, right? You were pretty good at avoiding death up to this point, so just don''t die.¡±


    He slumped down a bit and nodded. "Yeah, I''ll just keep living." He knew that was a fool''s errand, though. How much of himself had already been corroded? It was like a drug. Dying would be easier the next time, and he¡¯d come back quicker. The others wouldn''t let him sit on the sidelines. It was only a matter of time before he had to face his father again. "So why did you really want to take me back to Oleander?"


    The Victorian''s smile faded, and she looked out at her city. "Were you serious about standing in the way of the Hero Branch?¡±


    ¡°I was.¡± Battery nodded. ¡°If anything, today made me agree with that notion more. The way they want to use Cinder¡¯s death seriously pisses me off.¡±


    The Victorian nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like it either.¡±


    ¡°So then do something about it. You¡¯re the number one hero after all.¡±


    The woman shook her head. ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy-¡±


    ¡°It is, though. We¡¯re the strongest. What can they really do? Tell us no?¡± Battery snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t need the Hero Branch. I don¡¯t think any of us do. Once I¡¯m the number one hero, I¡¯ll do what I want when I want, all for the betterment of this world. If they get in my way, then I¡¯ll treat them for what they truly are. A group of scumbags that get high off of ruling the world.¡±


    ¡°The world doesn¡¯t work like that, you know.¡± The Victorian sighed. "Sure, you can be so strong the Branch doesn¡¯t order you around, but what of the people?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the people think of me. I¡¯ll save them even if they refuse my help.¡± Battery stated. ¡°I¡¯ll fix any damage I cause with my Giants and force the people to live with my might.¡±


    ¡°See¡­ That sounds like something a villain would say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it for their own good.¡± Battery hissed. "Besides, where do you get off telling me what¡¯s good or evil? You¡¯re the same girl who ran around calling herself the number one villain and would try to rob people. Why do you even bother listening to the Hero Branch and letting them get away with their crimes?¡±


    The Victorian¡¯s cheeks flushed a bit at Battery¡¯s words, and she looked away. ¡°I made a promise to them. I¡¯ll do what they need me to do so long as they remain on the side of good. Even if it''s things I don¡¯t like. I still think they help more people than they harm.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t agree with it.¡± Battery sighed.


    "Well, too bad. Until you become the number one hero, you don¡¯t get to make choices like that. And remember, you¡¯ll have to somehow best me in combat to get that title. Too bad for you; I¡¯m the strongest.¡± The woman smirked.


    Battery just rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever. Looks like we¡¯ve arrived at my destination.¡± Battery stood up and walked to the edge of the sword. They had finally arrived over Oleander. He looked down at the city below and took a step forward, walking off. Right as he began to fall, the Victorian spoke up one last time.


    "The place where the Emperor died. The one with all the worms. I''ll be waiting for you there." The number one hero said softly. "We''ll settle who''s the strongest there. Me or you.¡±


    Battery dropped from the sky, falling toward his city. Up above, he could truly see all the disasters that it had been hit with. All the ruins of the towers, the cracked streets, and the hobbled-together homes of the people. They were still trying to go on, though. Hope hadn''t vanished. He bet that thought would have made the kid happy. Even if only a little.


    He landed on his building, cracking the roof a bit. His sudden entrance caused Purrfect to jump a bit. She got into a battle stance but calmed down when she saw it was just Battery. "Oh, Teacher! For a moment, you had me worried. Nothing happened while you were gone, but the Giant guys wouldn''t listen to me-"


    Battery didn''t even look at the girl. He heard a loud buzzing from his belt and reached down, finding his phone. He pulled it out and stared down as a broadcast appeared on it. One being sent out to the whole world. One by the Hero Branch introducing their newest member. A member that looked very familiar to him¡­


    The hero Cinder was making her appearance.


    "Purrfect, I have a job for you.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty-Nine: The New Cinder

    A compressed line of water blasted out of the dark alleyway, slicing through a wall like a hot knife through butter. "Ay the bloody ¡®ell away fro¡¯ me, ya damn ¡®astards!" Cybercroc hissed out.


    The villain''s mechanical parts strained from the effort he was putting it through, and he shoulder-rammed himself through the wall he cut into, breaking through it and rolling across the broken street of Oleander. A growl tore through the air as something massive came charging out of the alleyway, chasing him down seconds later. Myth was out for blood, swinging out with his claws and ripping one of the villain¡¯s robotic arms off.


    ¡°¡®ow dare ya, go n break ma stuff, ya think ya will, ¡®ell no one does and goes and ¡®reaks ma stuff but me-¡± Myth ignored the rambling cyborg and easily tore the hydro cannons off of Cybercroc¡¯s shoulders, destroying the villain''s weapons. ¡°Bloody ¡®ell!¡±


    Cybercroc kicked up with his leg and smashed it into the jaw of Myth, but that barely caused the hero to flinch. Myth was already transformed into his lion mode, and the mad hero had been chasing his prey for over six hours, not once stopping. Most of Cybercroc¡¯s body was torn and mauled, oil and blood gushing out of cracks in the metal or scales. The fighting, however, was finally starting to reach its end. Cybercroc had nothing left to give.


    Myth¡¯s teeth locked around the robotic leg that smashed into his jaw, and his lion head jerked back and forth, allowing him to easily rip it off in a single motion. Waves of black oil coated the ground, and Cybercroc crashed to the ground, missing both an arm and a leg. The cyborg kept muttering out nonsense in his weird accent and attempted to crawl away, but he didn¡¯t get very far before Myth struck once more.


    Claws dug into the villain¡¯s back as Myth smashed his foot into the back of Cybercroc. Cybercroc let out another pained cry. It was the kind of noise a dying animal would make. Myth¡¯s foot stabbed down, the monster''s toes digging into the robot''s metallic back. Then he suddenly shifted and changed. In an instant, Myth had become a mighty bull-like beast, and with his enhanced weight, he stomped his hoofed foot down into the villain¡¯s back, snapping Cybercroc¡¯s spine.


    Myth let out a snort of steam, and his eyes burned with fury. He spoke only a single word. ¡°Yield.¡±


    Cybercroc struggled to lift his body. The street was filled with destroyed chunks of building, and rain poured down. The sky was black, making it hard to see, yet he could still make up the look of malice that was in the hero¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yield!¡± Myth yelled again in rage. ¡°You attacked a hospital! One of the last hospitals! The only place people in this city could go for help during this time! All those supplies! Ruined! That building! Ruined! Those people that needed help! Dead! All because of you! Yield!¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± What was left of Cybercroc¡¯s back forced itself open, and a massive barrel expanded out. It glowed and spun, and Myth braced himself as a massive compressed beam of water rammed into his gut. The bull monster was thrown high into the air and crashed down into the street hard, shattering more of the street. Cybercroc dug his remaining leg into the ground and used what was left of his destroyed arm and good arm to jump forward in an effort to escape.


    Myth stood back up, part of his costume tearing. Rain coated the bull¡¯s fur, and he wiped some blood away from his snout. ¡°Sub Enforcers. To me.¡± He hadn¡¯t come alone.


    Wasps swirled around Cybercroc, and he felt them digging into parts of his body. The bugs were forcing their way into the metal and began to chew on the wires within him. He tried to activate his firewall but it failed. His site suddenly became filled with lines of code as someone began to rapidly hack his suit. A chibi form of Metal Ronin appeared in his vision. A He tried to claw at the wasps instead, but a silvery liquid metal pooled around him, and suddenly Cybercorc found himself totally bound and stuck in place. Then he felt a wave of intense pain as Oxide came down on him hard with a massive hammer. It smashed part of his skull open and shattered the computer in his brain, flooding his eyes with oil and blood. He jerked and screamed but couldn¡¯t move due to the metal. A sword found its way to his throat, and he glared up at the hero Metal Ronin, who stood before him.


    Wasp Nest reformed his body, appearing on top of the cyborg, and he pressed his boot to the back of the villain¡¯s head, forcing the crocodile to kneel. Oxide stood directly in front of him, holding her hammer up, ready to strike once more, and Metal Ronin kept his sword trained on the villain¡¯s throat. All three heroes had a look in their eyes. The kind of look they didn¡¯t used to have. They didn¡¯t look like kids. They looked like soldiers.


    Some of the only protectors of Oleander left after the Beast attack.


    ¡°I hacked his systems, so he shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.¡± Metal Ronin stated in a cold tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Wasp Nest pressed his boot down harder. ¡°I remember this guy being tricky from what Snowdawn told me.¡±


    Oxide flinched a bit at the mention of the dead hero, and maybe out of sadness or anger she went to swing her weapon out once more. Her blow was suddenly stopped though as Myth appeared behind her and grabbed the weapon. ¡°Why not?¡± She hissed. ¡°This guy is a killer. A monster. He was created by the Emperor and only knows how to kill! He should be put down! His life isn¡¯t more important than all the heroes we lost!¡±


    Myth ignored the girl¡¯s rambling and stared down at Cybercroc. ¡°Looks like you guys really managed to capture him.¡± A new voice called out.


    ¡°No thanks to you.¡± Myth grunted. ¡°You just remained on the sidelines and watched me do all the work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the newest member of your team. It¡¯s my job to watch and learn before I try to perform any combos with you guys!¡± A new figure came crash landing on the battlefield of the ruined street, standing next to Myth. He had come from the skies, and a pair of long red wings pulled their way into his back. He was young, being only seventeen, and had messy, orangish-red hair. A long red dragon tail stabbed out of his rear end, and he wore a simple black tracksuit, not bothering with a mask. Horns jutted out of the top of his head, and he opened his mouth, letting out a few flakes of fire. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve seen what you guys can do, I¡¯m really looking forward to working with you all.¡± Drake, young sibling to Wyvern, announced.


    Cybercroc¡¯s eyes glared up at all the different heroes that stood over him. ¡°Spineless runts-¡±


    Drake¡¯s tail grew and slapped through the air at fast speeds, ramming into Cybercroc¡¯s face and snapping the villain¡¯s snout, finally knocking him out.


    Myth slowly shrunk back down to his form. His eyes had heavy bags under them, and his hair had grown a lot longer and became tangled due to not taking any care of it. His clothes were stained, and he looked exhausted, as did the others, but he forced his body to move, crouching down and staring at the unconscious body of Cybercroc. "Good work, everyone." Wasp Nest, Metal Ronin, and Oxide all gave a sluggish nod of their heads. ¡°We stopped him.¡±


    "Think we can take a break now?" Metal Ronin asked sheepishly. The boy collapsed onto his butt and stopped hacking Cybercroc¡¯s systems. ¡°I¡¯m totally pooped. How many hours have we been at this now?¡±


    ¡°Nineteen.¡± Wasp Nest groaned and also collapsed onto his back out of exhaustion. ¡°It¡¯s just one thing after the other. Oleander was never the best place to live, but this is crazy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all these damn villains.¡± Oxide sighed. ¡°So many new and old ones just keep attacking. Over and over again. They¡¯re raiding all the supplies and doing whatever the hell they want.¡±


    ¡°Why won¡¯t the other heroes help us?¡± Metal Ronin asked. ¡°I mean, we really need it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all tied up.¡± Myth grunted. ¡°Oleander isn¡¯t the only city going through a crisis. Practically every villain group got a moral boost due to all the heroes we lost. Every city is dealing with its share of crime. Sadly, the other heroes just care about their home cities more than they do Oleander right now.¡±


    "Who cares?" Drake said, throwing his hands behind his head. He stalked forward and stood next to his new boss as the two of them looked down at Cybercroc¡¯s body. "We don¡¯t need their help. You guys got me now after all. I¡¯m more than enough to deal with monster freaks like these guys.¡± He stated kicking the downed villain.


    "You''re a monster too, aren''t you?" Oxide asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Oh yeah, I guess I am," Drake said sheepishly. "My sis and I are good monsters, though."


    "There''s no such thing as good or evil monsters." Myth grunted out, slowly reaching out to grab the Wet Bandit leader by the head. His fingers dug into the scales, and he lifted himself and Cybercroc up, allowing him to stare into the villain¡¯s unconscious eyes. "The only sort of monster that exists are those that can control their urges and those that can''t." He stared deep into the monster¡¯s eyes before finally letting go, causing Cybercroc to too harshly drop to the ground head first. ¡°He couldn¡¯t control his urges, so we hunted him. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    "You know it''s good to have you back, Myth, but are you sure you''re really alright with everything?" Wasp Nest questioned.


    "I''m fine. I''ve had over a month to settle my emotions."


    "What happened with Cinder and Snowdawn isn''t-"


    "Call the Hero Branch and tell them we caught Cybercroc." Myth said, cutting his teammate off. "See what they want us to do with him."


    So much had changed in just two months... Oleander was barely being held together and needed heroes now more than ever. The people who were stuck in the city found themselves constantly in danger from the influx of crime that was happening around them now. Oleander barely had any protection, and despite the destroyed land, many villains thought this would be the perfect time to make it their new home. Most were likely banking on the city becoming the same state as other abandoned ones, and they could turn the place into their base or drug dens. Others wanted to raid the place and take whatever valuable loot it had left. More still just wanted to cause chaos. Most of the old threats were gone. There were whispers of Zoo, but that was it. It seemed like the Bad Timers and the Wandering Coin were truly gone.


    Demonica still hadn¡¯t been seen ever since the battle with the Emperor. Her state of being remained a mystery. Unlike the leader of the Wet Bandits that they now held.


    Cybercroc had seemingly grown fed up with everything and had gone on a mindless rampage. It was as if he had simply given up and wanted to cause as much destruction as he could. He had gone to a shelter that was keeping several children and their parents safe that hadn''t been able to get out of Oleander in time, and he had flooded with every person still inside. By the time the Sub Enforcers had arrived on the scene, he had flooded three blocks and ruined much of Battery''s cleanup effort, even tearing away parts of the bridge.


    That rage had fueled Myth and caused him to chase Cybercroc down. And he did it all with the help of his new team.


    "Have you tried talking to Battery at all? I heard he became the newest Enforcer member." Oxide spoke up. "Now that you''re the head of the Sub Enforcers, I''m sure the two of you have a lot of talking to do since you''ll have to work together to save this city."


    "I haven''t seen him." Myth spat out. "Not since he ditched my team. And I doubt we can save this city. We''re just waiting for it to fall apart at this rate."


    He should have been happy. He finally got the thing he wanted most. He lived up to the promise he had made with Red Iron and became the leader of the Sub Enforcers. After the Beast''s attack, Money Tree had taken the death of BB hard. Those two had always been close. Money Tree simply gave up and couldn''t be a hero anymore and left. He didn''t know where his friend went, and he really didn''t care. Not right now, at least.


    He had other things he needed to focus on¡­ Now it was his turn to be the leader of the Sub Enforcers. Despite how grand of a title it was, it had been a sour way to earn it.


    The Hero Branch barely considered it and just threw it at him. They didn''t care anymore. They had other, more important matters and didn''t expect Oleander to last. Now, it was his job to take care of and use Wasp Nest, Oxide, and Metal Ronin, as well as the newest member of their team.


    "Can we hurry this up? I want to go check on my sister." Drake said, folding his arms. His wings were already jutting out of his back once more as he got ready to fly off. He wasn''t going to be a permanent member. He was mainly just here because he wanted to keep an eye on Battery; he still didn''t trust the zombie, and also because Boy Genius had asked him to fill out the Oleander Sub Enforcers in case the Murder Games did happen. Also, he thought Myth was pretty cool.


    "Yeah, let''s get this over with." Metal Ronin reached up to touch his helmet. "This is Sub Enforcer member Metal Ronin, reporting in for-"


    All at once, it happened...


    Cybercroc¡¯s body threw itself at Drake, hissing and clawing out with what was left of his hand. If he was going to die, he decided he¡¯d take at least one hero with him. Unfortunately for Cybercroc though, Myth had been expecting something like this to happen. Drake''s eye went wide as the hand soared toward his face, but before it could reach him, Myth struck out. The man''s arm changed and twisted, taking on the shape of a lion as he only transformed part of his body and used it to rip Cybercroc¡¯s head off his body with a single tug.


    The villain¡¯s body crashed to the floor as Drake barely sidestepped it, and before anyone could move, Myth''s arm changed again, becoming large and covered in thick scales. It squeezed down and crushed the head of Cybercroc, splattering bits of metal and skull everywhere.


    Silence¡­


    Not a single hero said a word. They all just stared at either Myth or the corpse of Cybercroc in pure silence. A second later, however, and the noise was broken when a series of drones flew down to see what the heroes were up to.


    Lazily, Myth slapped his arm through the air as it reverted back to normal, and he turned away from the others as bits of Cybercroc flew off of his palm. "Let the Hero Branch know Cybercroc is dead, Metal Ronin. Our mission is done. Report back to our base."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    And with that, Myth walked away.


    ***


    "Are you sure you guys have got everything handled?" Drake asked.


    "Yeah, we should be fine. Go check up on your sister. How''s she doing, by the way?" Rowan asked.


    Due to the state Oleander was in, there weren''t really a lot of buildings left standing. By some miracle, the Hero Branch tower hadn''t been fully destroyed and was still standing, though half of it had been sliced off. The other half was also tilting awkwardly and highly unstable, but they couldn''t be picky in times like this. Drake looked up at the mostly destroyed tower, his eyes tracing all the chunks that were missing. He had trouble picturing how Oleander used to look compared to how it looks now.


    "Wyvern hasn''t been doing good," Drake admitted. The teen¡¯s shoulders slumped down a bit, and his tail stopped wagging. "Her memories have been getting to her lately." He and his sister were monsters. They weren''t created by the Emperor, though. Instead, they were born into the world as monsters, being children of the horror known as Fairy Queen. That woman had a lot of children with a lot of different Supers, doing her best to create the perfect weapon for her master. Her affair with King Drago had resulted in dozens of dragonic-themed Supers. "She fears she could be running out of time." Drake finally said. Despite not having been a human that was converted into a monster, they still suffered from the same effects all monsters did. They were all gradually breaking and shattering apart mentally. The insanity that plagued Polaron, Demonica, Mars King, and others was with them as well. A constant voice that demanded blood.


    "Bad Wolf was still able to be a hero despite everything," Rowan stated. "I''m sure it''ll be hard, but you guys can find some way to manage. Don''t give up, okay." He reached out, punching Drake in the shoulder. "We need young heroes more than ever. Soon, it''ll be our turn to take over the job. Besides, you got freaking dragon powers; you guys are way too cool! I want you guys on the side of good for another ten years at least!¡±


    Drake gave a faint smile and nodded his head. His wings expanded out, and he quickly lifted off the ground. "I''ll be back sometime in the morning. If there''s an emergency, just call for me, and I''ll come sooner. I can fly as fast as a jet, so it won¡¯t take me long to show up! Take care, Metal Ronin!" Drake blasted off at his top speed, heading to Nightshade so he could check up on the state his sister was in.


    Rowan watched the powerful hero go and waved slightly. It was hard to believe someone as epic as Drake was actually on their team. Despite also being a kid like them, Drake had shown up and fought the Beast, actually doing something to it. He knew it wouldn''t last. Eventually, Drake would go back to his actual team, the Sun Eaters, which was led by his sister, but for the time being, it was nice to have such a powerhouse.


    Rowan stuffed his hands into his pockets and silently entered the tower. The lobby had been completely ransacked and destroyed, but the elevator was still working. He stepped into it and felt the scanner go up and down his body. They had gotten the help of Boy Genius to ensure this building still had some power left in it just so they could get back to their base.


    Speaking of the base, it wasn''t like it used to be. As the elevators opened and he was transported to another realm, Rowan saw the state of Money Tree''s manor. Pocket worlds like this were able to be changed a lot; in the past, Red Iron had made it look like some old castle. Money Tree, on the other hand, wanted an over-the-top manner. Myth hadn''t changed the manor. There was no time for him to make his own base. Despite that, though, it simply didn''t feel like it was Money Tree''s base anymore.


    Almost all of the food and furniture were gone. Several walls and floors of the manor had been torn apart as well. They had donated most of what they didn''t need or their extra supplies to the civilians. Sections of Oleander were slowly being turned into makeshift camping zones where people were staying out, and with all the petty crime going on or the supervillains hanging out, it was simply too dangerous for the people to go into run-down stores looking for food.


    Oxide and Wasp Nest weren''t in the realm. In the past, they would all go on a patrol and would swap in and out with team Pantheon. Now, though, there was always at least one of them out in the city trying to at least slow down the crime. The Giants didn''t help as much as most people thought. They were slow and clunky, focused mainly on cleaning up, and always showed up too late. Sure, if they actually fought the threat, it would be wiped out, but most villains learned quickly they could just leave when a Giant spotted them, and they''d be fine. As long as it wasn¡¯t Battery chasing them, the villains could escape the slow-moving Giants.


    Besides himself, the only other hero in the manor was Myth, and he didn''t need to check up on his new team leader to know what Myth was doing.


    Day in and day out, Myth was either on patrol or locking himself in a bowling room they had. The room had been completely torn apart, as if some mad beast had rampaged through it. Myth would just sit in there silently. Maybe he was sleeping or getting some rest; none of them really knew, but once it was his time, he''d stand up and go back out on a patrol.


    That just left one other person that was still in the manor.


    "Hey, you made it back." Kyle looked up when he heard the door open. The boy was seated in a corner reading some comic book. "Did everything go well?"


    "Cybercroc is dead."


    "Oh? Should I know who that is?¡± Kyle sheepishly asked.


    Rowan slumped down next to his friend and dropped to the floor. His armor had already been pulled back into its container, so he was dressed like your average teenage boy. However, in the state the city was in now, there really was no such thing as average. He let out a low whistle, and a bark echoed through the manner as a small dog ran over and jumped into his lab. Rowan ran his fingers through the dog''s fur, feeling his nerves calm down. It felt like so long ago that he had begged Sky to save the puppy. Things really had changed a lot.


    "How are you holding up?" Rowan finally asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to pretend to care.¡± Kyle snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not my bodyguard anymore, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still your friend, jackass. Now how are you doing?¡±


    Kyle slowly closed his book and bowed his head. "Fine. I¡¯m doing fine. Well, Myth kind of freaked me out a bit. I think he was tearing down another wall earlier."


    "At this rate, he''s going to tear this entire place down." Rowan winced.


    "Would that really be so bad?" Kyle hugged his legs and rested his head on them, staring down at the floor. "I mean, there are plenty of people that are suffering out in the streets, living in tents or whatever else they have; meanwhile, here I am in this place. I''m the son of a killer, yet my life is held at a higher value."


    "Of course it is. You''re my friend!" Rowan snorted, flicking Kyle on the head. "My job as a hero is to keep the people safe; my job as a friend is to make sure you''re well."


    "I just feel so useless," Kyle admitted.


    Rowan felt his smile fade, and he slouched down a bit and kept petting his dog. He knew the feeling well¡ªone attack. A single blow from the Beast had downed him, causing him to miss the entire battle. He couldn''t be there for the others, as they fought with everything they had. He wasn''t there when Sera died. He never got to say his final words with Money Tree, who simply wandered away, leaving them all behind. He didn''t get to see Hope or Armin one last time, nor did he even thank Sky for saving his life. It was almost like some sort of cruel joke. And the worst part was he knew the others all felt the same, so he didn''t even have a right to complain.


    They were Supers. They were beings blessed with power, yet that was nothing in the face of true horror. Deep down, all of them knew that people like the four Lords, Lucifer, or Emperor would be above them all, but many still held out hope that they could help. That they could make a difference. That they could be the piece that changed everything. They weren''t, though. It had all come down to a battle of pure power. A battle that mere Supers couldn''t even hope to stand next to.


    The Beast had yet again shown them all just how truly weak humanity was.


    Rowan¡¯s thoughts stopped when Kyle reached out and began to run his fingers through the dog¡¯s fur. ¡°He¡¯s gotten a bit bigger, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Has he? He¡¯s pretty small? I mean, he¡¯s supposed to be a golden retriever or something, but he¡¯s still so tiny.¡± Rowan chuckled. His dog had light brown fur and was way shorter than it should have been despite the amount of time that passed. He really wasn¡¯t good with dog breeds, so he was just guessing what type it might have been. Sky said it was a mixed breed, but he couldn¡¯t recall what the girl said.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you named your dog Oppenheimer.¡± Kyle snickered.


    ¡°You can just call him Mikoshi. That¡¯s my last name.¡± Rowan shrugged.


    The two boys took turns petting the happy dog as they sat there in silence. ¡°Thanks for letting me stay here.¡± Kyle said quietly.


    ¡°Dude, duh. You¡¯re a friend. How many times do I have to say it?¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ So much has happened.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s smile faded, and he stared at the ground in silence. Neither of them said a word. They just sat there, feeling the passage of time take hold. Finally, though, Rowan looked down at his watch.


    "You should get some sleep," Rowan said, standing up slowly. He held his dog in his arms, tightly hugging it to his chest. "I''m going to bed, myself. I''ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow." He explained, heading off to what was left of his bedroom.


    "Yeah... I''ll go to sleep soon." Kyle watched his friend leave the room before he also stood up. He didn''t head for the bedrooms, though. Instead, he headed for the elevator. "I''ll sleep as soon as I''m done."


    The doors shut, and when they opened again, he found himself back in the ruins of the city he had started to call home. His father had taken him here in some attempt to keep him safe. Now, he had no idea where his father was or if the man was even still alive. His father had been held up in some Oleander prison awaiting trial when the Beast attack happened. His father might have been killed, or he might be wandering the streets, lost and alone. He didn''t know which one he was hoping for or if he even wanted to see his father again.


    He still went out, though.


    He made his way behind the building, where an alleyway held his supplies. Hidden behind a large dumpster he had to move out of the way was a black bag. Inside of it, he found his gear. A blue knife-proof jacket and thick gloves. The same supplies he had loaned to Hope when she first started out as Cinder. He placed the jacket on, slowly zipping it up and covering his head with the hood. Next, he put the gloves on before finishing the outfit with a simple black half-mask that he covered his face with.


    In the past, he had debated asking Rowan for a suit, but he had turned the idea down. Mental based users couldn''t make advanced tech for others that could last long. Their tech would always break down too quickly or run out of power if it wasn''t near the Super that built it. He didn''t need something like that, though. Whisper was basically just a normal human besides her invisibility. That didn''t stop her from going out and trying to help.


    He didn''t need to be a superhero. He just wanted to be a hero. Someone who could at least do something, even if that thing wasn¡¯t that Super.


    He ducked through another alleyway and began to walk, keeping his head low. The streets were full of rumors that Zoo could be coming back. He didn''t believe them, though. Green Wolf wasn''t the type to lay low like this for very long. The rumor of his death had spread among the underground, and a few streamers had heard about it and made dozens of posts. If Green Wolf really was alive, he''d have gone out of his way to show himself off to the rest of the city and make sure it was filmed. Most people accepted the fact that he was dead and gone, and the new leader of Zoo was either Red Ape or White Lamb.


    Likely White Lamb since Red Ape was...


    Either way, the rumors of Zoo''s return weren''t anything he was too worried about. It was likely just a group of non-powered humans that were claiming to be members of Zoo to up their credit or rob people. The Sub Enforcers had heard the rumors as well and were trying to confirm whether they were true or not. That was how he wanted to help them. He just wanted to know. If he could find out, he could tell them, and they''d be able to deal with it. They were the real heroes, after all.


    It didn''t take him very long to find something that was going down.


    "Give us all your stuff!" A voice barked out.


    "Please! I have a daughter; she''s sick-"


    "I don''t remember asking! Now hand it all over!"


    Kyle pressed himself to the wall of the alleyway and poked his head around the corner. At the very end of it, he found what he was looking for. A family of three cowered in a corner¡ªa mother, a father, and a young-looking girl. They had a makeshift tent set up and had likely been trying to tough out the area until they were saved by some heroes. The girl didn''t look to be in good condition, and she was flat on her back with a red face. They didn''t have many supplies, but they did have some boxes of food or medicine that had been air-dropped by the Hero Branch. The father stood in front of his wife and daughter with his arms out, pleading with the two men in front of him.


    If they were trying to make themselves look like members of Zoo, they didn''t do a good job. All Zoo members wore suits that showed off their color and a mask that showed off their animal. These guys, though, wore baggy jackets that covered most of their bodies up, and while they were wearing masks, they were just of a simple gray wolf. No way Green Wolf would ever allow anyone to wear the same mask as him. One of the men held a metal bat, while the other had a gun, which he had trained on the family of three.


    Their size, the way they spoke, and the way they were both shaking told Kyle everything he needed to know. They weren''t part of Zoo. They likely weren''t even from Oleander. They were small and sounded very young. Both of them were boys, likely around his age. If he had to guess, they were thrill seekers that came here and either got stuck or wanted to cause some chaos. Either way, it made him a bit sick.


    Kyle reached into his pocket and winced when he saw he didn''t have any connection. None of Boy Genius''s drones were above them, so this entire block was going through a blackout.


    "Please, I''m begging you, just leave us-" The husband was cut off as the teen with the gun fired. The man dropped to the ground, screaming as he clutched at his bloody shoulder. His wife yelled out and grabbed him but wasn''t able to move as the boy in the wolf mask trained the gun on her.


    "Holy shit, the kick this thing has is crazy!" The boy exclaimed. "My ears are ringing, and my arm won''t stop shaking. Did you see that blood splatter, Dillon-"


    The boy turned just in time to see the fist that flew at his face. Kyle gritted his teeth and turned his body, putting his back into it the same way Hope always did when he watched her fights on the news. He slammed his hand directly into the plastic wolf mask the boy had, shattering it. His fist smashed into the teen''s nose, snapping it, and threw the boy back. The other one let out a startled cry and swung out with his bat. Kyle managed to raise his arm up just in time, using his wrist to block it. He nearly screamed out in pain when he felt his wrist snap, and a red-hot burning sensation exploded through his arm, but he managed to fight through it and kicked out with his leg.


    The false Zoo member stepped back just in time, avoiding the kick, and swung out with his bat as hard as he could, aiming for Kyle''s skull. Kyle barely had time to duck down and heard the bat smash into the wall of the alleyway next to him, shattering it. He rammed his full weight into the boy, tackling him and causing them both to fall to the ground. As soon as the teen hit the ground, he was forced to drop his bat and tried to smack up at Kyle''s face or grab his throat to choke him, but Kyle was faster. A taser slid out of his sleeve, which he grabbed with his good hand and jammed it down into the neck of the teen. He glared down at the boy with hate as he powered it on and watched as the boy screamed and spasmed.


    He waited until he was sure the kid was out cold before he turned the taser off and stood up. He grabbed at his wrist, wincing, and turned back to the family of three. "Are you guys okay-" He stopped when he saw that they were gone. They must have made a break for it when the fighting started. He felt a little worried due to the state the father and daughter were left in. "I need to find a spot to call Rowan and-"


    A gunshot rang throughout the alleyway. Kyle blinked and quickly turned to look back at the teen with the gun. His punch hadn''t knocked the boy out. The kid''s mask was shattered, and blood was gushing down his face from his broken nose and jaw, but the teen glared back at Kyle with pure hate. The boy was young¡ªonly about fourteen or fifteen. Then Kyle looked down at his stomach, watching as his blue jacket slowly became a nasty red.


    It wasn''t bulletproof.


    More gunshots rang out as the teen fired again and again, hitting Kyle in the stomach and causing Kyle to scream out and collapse. The boy fired until the gun was out of bullets, at which point he threw it as hard as he could directly into Kyle''s head. "This is what you get for ruining our fun!" The teen grabbed the bat out of his unconscious friend''s hand and marched over to Kyle, jamming it into Kyle''s gut and causing his screams to grow. Red was constantly gushing out of Kyle''s stomach, and his vision was starting to blur. His body felt both hot and cold at the same time, and he clutched at his gut as if that would somehow stop the small ocean that was escaping from him. "There aren''t any laws here! I don''t have to worry about parents or dipshit adults! I can stay up as late as I want and do what I want!" The boy screamed over Kyle''s wails. "I can-"


    More red filled the alleyway as the head of the teen suddenly rolled off his body. Kyle felt his eyes go wide as he watched the head hit the floor, followed seconds later by the body. "Next time you want to have ''fun,'' don''t steal someone else''s style." A familiar voice echoed around the alleyway. One that Kyle instantly recognized. A figure stepped out of the darkness. A young girl that was only about sixteen or seventeen years old wore a white buttoned-up shirt with a suit jacket over it and a skirt. In her hands, she gripped a sword, which she brought down directly onto the throat of the other boy, killing him instantly. Her face was covered by a cartoon green wolf mask, but he could tell just by the way she was speaking she had a smile on her face. "Oh? Are you still alive?"


    He felt his vision blur and go in and out as he gasped and gurgled on his own blood. The girl stood in front of him, now staring down at him. Slowly, he managed to say a single word. "H- Hope?"


    "Hope?" The girl reached up and removed the wolf mask. Her blue eyes stared down at him, and he felt his own eyes go wide as he took her appearance in. It was her. Hope Lauren. "Is that the name of this body? Neat."


    With that, Kyle felt himself fade into a black sea.

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty: The New Paragon

    Everything was dark...


    Kyle felt his mind gradually click back into place as his thoughts began to restart. His head ached, but he supposed that was a good thing. After all, he was still alive... His body was screaming at him, but he fought through it. His eyes slowly began to open as he stared up at the stone roof above him.


    He groaned and tried to sit up. His stomach hurt, but the pain wasn''t as bad as he thought it would be. His ears rang a bit, and he heard the sound of people talking all around him. It was as if he was in a crowd or something.


    "Oh! Are you awake?" Kyle jumped a bit when he heard the voice. "Hey, try not to move around so much. She wasn''t able to fully heal your stomach, so you need to take it easy, got that kid?"


    Kyle winced and clutched at his gut. His eyes finally settled, and he was able to look down at his body. His jacket had been cut open; the same for his shirt, showing off his stomach. He didn''t know how long he had been knocked out, but small, tiny scars littered his flesh. He had been healed despite how close to death he was. There was only one Super he knew of who had healing this good. "Paragon saved me?"


    "Yep."


    He looked around, taking everything in. The floor was cold stone, and he had been placed down on it in a sleeping bag. Above him was a stone roof as well. There was a series of curtains set up around them, forming a makeshift tent, and lights hung above them. It sort of reminded him of the medical tents people would set up during a war. Outside of the tent, he could hear dozens of people talking as well as the sounds of children laughing and playing. It all felt so weird.


    A man was in the tent with him and had been the one speaking to him. It was an older guy in his early to late forties. He was dressed in a thrown-together outfit, a long-sleeved shirt, and baggy pants. The man was bald and very skinny but had large laugh lines on his face and a few flakes of red that were growing in forming a small beard. The man gently pushed up his glasses and placed his book down when he saw Kyle was trying to stand up.


    "What did I say?" The man argued, softly pushing Kyle back down. "Your stomach hasn''t fully healed on the inside yet. You''ll cause something to pop if you keep moving around."


    "I need to get up-"


    "No. You need to rest." The man said, shaking his head. He grabbed a cup of water that had been resting on a nearby table and brought it up to Kyle''s lips. Kyle silently drank it, feeling the burning sensation in his throat fade away. "Trust me, I was once in a similar position as you." The man said, giving a sad smile. "I know how frustrating it can be to have to rest when you just want to do something. You were trying to save some people, right? Went and got yourself injured, and now you want to go back out there and do it all over again."


    "No," Kyle said, shaking his head. "It isn''t about that." He needed to get back to the base. He was sure of what he saw. Hope Lauren. He didn''t know what was going on exactly, but it was her. Or at least it looked and sounded like her, but something was wrong. He needed to tell Myth or Battery or someone.


    The man placed the cup down and stood up. "Well, until Paragon can fix your stomach, you''re in no condition to move around. She got a bit distracted with something, so it could be a bit until she comes to get you-"


    "Mr. Lauren!" A voice cried out. The curtain to the area they were in opened up slightly, and a young boy ran in, clinging to the man''s leg. "My brother took my toy again!"


    "Oh, did he now?" The man asked, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, I''ll go and talk to him then!"


    "Wait? Lauren?" Kyle asked, easing himself up to a sitting position.


    The man looked back at him and nodded. "I guess I forgot to give my name, huh? I''m Alexander Lauren." The bullets he had taken were nothing compared to the gut punch he just got. He stared at the man in shock, feeling a chill go through him. This was Hope''s father. Her dad was the one in front of him. First, he had run into someone who looked like Hope, and now her father was standing before him? What were the chances? "Hey, I got to step out for a bit, so stay here, okay? I''ll be right back." He didn''t get time to say anything to Mr. Lauren as the man stepped out, following after the child.


    Kyle forced himself to stand and groaned, clutching his stomach. He had a lot more envy for heroes that had bulletproof skin. Slowly, he managed to hobble to the entrance of the makeshift tent he was in and pushed the cloth to the side, stepping out. He looked around, taking in the sight of the small society that had formed during these harsh times.


    They were underground in what he guessed used to be a train station. The rails lead down to a dark tunnel, though parts of the roof collapsed from the battle with the Beast in some areas. Other parts, however, were lifted and supported by large trees that had sprouted from the stone, wrapping their vines and branches into the roof above. There was a set of stairs that led up and would likely take him out into the streets of Oleander. There weren''t any Hero Branch members, but he did notice a few cops were standing next to the entrance, seemingly guarding it.


    There were about a dozen or so people walking around the underground area. Some wore the clothing they had on the day the Beast attacked, while others were wearing stitched-together outfits or leaves and vines woven together into jackets or dresses. Some had wooden spears, and everyone seemed to be doing something. There were kids playing with whatever toys were able to be found and adults walking back and forth, setting up tents and clearing the rubble in one of the tunnels, gradually expanding the area. More of those trees were scattered about growing fruit or being cut open, allowing small streams of water to spill out that some women were collecting.


    Oleander had become a wasteland of ruins barely holding itself together. Despite all of that, though, these people had found a way to survive by closing themselves off from the villains up top. Paragon had created her own secret society.


    "Oh, thank God you''re okay!" Kyle didn''t have much time to process everything, and a second later, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulder, which began to shake him. A man stood in front of him, giving him a look he had never seen before. "My family would be... I can''t thank you enough! You saved our lives. I''m so glad you''re not hurt."


    His mind finally clicked in place, and he realized who this was. "You''re the guy?" It was the father in that family of three. The one who had been shot in the shoulder, though the man seemed to have been fully healed and no longer had a shoulder wound.


    "Yes! You saved my daughter. I can''t thank you enough," the man said, gesturing out with his hand. Kyle followed where he pointed and saw the little girl standing next to her mother near the other side of the station they were in. A wooden table had been carved out from a tree, and the two were cutting some apples they had picked. She no longer had a fever and had a wide, happy grin on her face as she said something to her mom.


    It was a strange feeling knowing he had saved someone''s life. After all, he wasn''t a superhero¡ªnot like Hope or Armin had been.


    "I thought I told you to stay put." A hand clasped him on the back, and he looked up, finding Alexander had wandered back over. The man still had a smile on his face and winked, showing he wasn''t actually annoyed. "You should say thanks back to this guy, kid. His family was the one that managed to flag down Paragon and is the reason we were able to find you in time."


    He rubbed the back of his head and nodded. "Thanks... Hey, I''m not trying to be rude or anything, but can I speak to Paragon? If she''s around here, that is? It''s really important. I''m a friend of hers."


    Alexander rubbed his chin, running his hands through his beard as he thought about it for a moment. "Well, you''re in luck. She just came back." He grabbed Kyle and allowed the boy to lean on him. "She seemed to know who you were and asked to see you once you were up, so let''s say hi, shall we?"


    "Right."


    They walked through the train station, and he couldn''t help but stare at all the people as they went about their day. In only two months, they formed a new society that was seemingly thriving. He''d have to tell Wasp Nest about it when he next got the chance. They had been looking for Paragon for weeks now. No one knew what happened to the hero or if she had even stayed in Oleander. All they knew was that Poseidon was worried sick looking for her.


    They reached the section of the station that dipped down to where the tracks were. One of the tunnels at one end of the track was covered in rubble. Several men were slowly using wooden tools or whatever else they had to try and dig through it, but they weren''t making a lot of progress. The other tunnel, on the other hand, kept going further into the Oleander underground stations. These places, even before the Beast, had stopped being in use due to all the villains that claimed them or the number of collapsed areas. At the entrance to the tunnel, a group of men and women were holding fashioned spears or swords. In the middle of them, though, stood Sky.


    It looked like they had just gotten back from a trip, all of them covered in sweat. Several of the men that walked with Sky had a large stretcher out, which held the body of what looked almost like a bear, but the creature was far larger and covered in thick metal hide. He was a little shocked to see Sky talking so casually to the people around her.


    He had met the girl a few times since he was friends with Metal Ronin, who in turn was friends with Wasp Nest, who was dating Sky''s sister. In the past, Sky was always quiet and always wore her baggy clothes or covered her face with a plain mask. She always slouched down and never did much. Now, though, the girl was walking and had a wooden sword slung over her shoulder. She wasn''t wearing her mask and didn''t have her sunglasses as well. He had heard she wasn''t blind anymore, but he really didn''t get to talk to her about that with everything that had happened. Her hair was long and flowing down her back, and it was the color of white now. She had changed her outfit as well. She wore a pair of long sweatpants and a tank top, with her white lab coat open.


    She turned toward them and nodded to her group before she made her way over toward them. The others lifted the dead bear onto the station and let out a loud yell to everyone. "We brought back food!" One of the men announced, causing everyone in the station to cheer. "We''re going to be eating good tonight!"


    Kyle couldn''t help but snort. They were doing way better than anyone up top. On the surface, many stores had been taken over by low-level villains or random thugs. Myth''s team tried to stop them and reclaim some of them, but the Hero Branch had decided to start air-dropping food, which other villains would then try to snatch up and take. This meant that Myth''s Sub Enforcers had to instead focus on making sure the supplies went to the people that needed them most, so the stores got taken over and were now unused.


    The only people doing well in Oleander besides Sky''s group were the people who camped out near the bridge. Battery''s Giants were most active near there and seemingly couldn''t travel through the entire city alone. Battery seemed more focused on rebuilding the bridge and streets instead of stopping all the crime, which had made his makeshift soldiers into a weird Cleanup Squad.


    "Hi, Mr. Lauren," Sky spoke once she reached them and nodded her head. "How''s Mrs. Lauren?"


    Alexander let out a small wince and shuffled a bit. "She''s still not eating that much," he admitted. ¡°I tried to get Jane to walk around like you suggested, but she didn''t want to leave her bed."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Sky gave a slow nod. "I''ll try to speak to her again. We just finished our hunt, so I should be good to use my powers if I need to sustain her."


    "Hunt?" Kyle questioned.


    Sky turned to him and smiled. "It''s good to see you again, Brenner."


    "You can just call me Kyle."


    She nodded and reached out, placing a hand on his stomach. He felt a strange tickling sensation shoot through his body, and the pain inside of him slowly faded as his body eased back up. "Sorry, I couldn''t heal you sooner. I was a bit distracted when I heard those guys ran into a monster and had to rush off to help." She explained, shooting a thumb in the direction of the men that carried the dead bear.


    "Monster? Paragon, what''s going on?" He asked.


    "I''ll let you two catch up." Alexander cut in. "I need to check on Jane."


    The man walked away, leaving the two of them standing there. Sky looked out to all the people that were in the station, watching them for a moment. "Do you think Hope would have been able to save more people?"


    "Huh?"


    "I think she would have." Sky placed her sword down and slowly climbed back up onto the station floor. She sat down, dangling her legs above the track. She patted the place next to her, and Kyle copied her, taking a seat. "After the Beast attack, I wanted to help people. A lot of citizens got injured. I''m a healer. It was all I was ever good for in the past. At first, I picked this place because it was a good hiding spot. I hid here and used my power to heal some people. Those people then came back days later with more people. Eventually, I guess this sort of became a place where we could all stay. The streets were filled with a ton of fighting, you know? So, it was nice to stay down here."


    "I''m guessing you created the trees?"


    "Yeah." She looked down at her hands. "I plan on making more soon, and hopefully we can start getting some to the people above ground. I''m still getting the hang of my powers, and it takes a lot of energy to make these trees and allow them to be strong enough to dig their roots so far into the ground that they can get the water they need. They die fast also. I''m barely able to keep everyone fed with them, so we''ve taken to hunting."


    "You guys are starting to sound like cavemen." Kyle snorted.


    "Well, cavemen never had to deal with monsters," Sky sighed. "You know the rumors that these tunnels used to belong to Zoo? Well, it turns out they aren''t just rumors. I don''t know where, but somewhere down here, Zoo is hanging out."


    "Even after Green Wolf''s death?" He asked, shocked. Armin had told him what happened to Green Wolf. Apparently, Battery had caved the man''s skull in. Not even Green Wolf could bounce back from something like that.


    "Do you remember the group that was called the Wandering Coin?" Sky questioned.


    "Yeah?"


    "Well, in that group was a man named Doctor Blue. He used to be some big-shot Hero Branch Doctor. It was thanks to him that the Wandering Coin was able to make its drugs and manmade Supers with the help of the previous Lord of Life, Wish. During the incident in the Wasteland, he vanished. I''m pretty sure Zoo took him. Or, well, actually, I''m certain Zoo has him. These animals, or actually monsters, as we''ve started calling them, were created by Red Ape and Doctor Blue. They''re all over the underground area."


    "Are they planning on using them to attack the city?"


    "Maybe, but I don''t think so," Paragon said, shaking her head. "I think they just placed them all over the place to stop people from snooping around. A lot of these tunnels collapsed or merged with the sewers after the Beast attack. Zoo''s base doesn''t have as many options as they used to, so I think this is a way to keep the general public out. None of these creatures are that strong. I think instead they have another plan, and it''s taking them some time."


    "Have you told Myth about this?"


    "Not yet. I haven''t been able to."


    "What do you mean?"


    The girl looked around before leaning forward slowly. "Battery''s out to get me."


    "Huh?"


    "Something changed with him. I don''t know what exactly, but he''s no longer human. My eyes can see things now. His DNA has been replaced by something. Whatever brought him back to life didn''t do so by simply reviving him from the dead. I''m the Lord of Life, and not even I can bring a dead corpse back. It brought back what it could and filled in the gaps with itself. The look in his eyes... That''s why I''m hiding down here. I''ve been trying to get my people to get a hold of Myth, but we haven''t had a lot of luck with it yet."


    He took a second to process all of that. "Have you heard the news?"


    "What news?"


    "Battery became a member of the Enforcers."


    "Seriously?" Sky hissed and clenched her hands into fists. "Just my luck."


    "Are you sure he''s out to get you? He''s been rebuilding the city." Battery was one of the people Hope looked up to. He found it hard to believe the man was suddenly evil.


    Sky rubbed her chin and crossed her legs. She hummed and closed her eyes, thinking. "I guess it''s possible he became himself again after cooling off. I don''t want to risk whatever is inside of him getting out again. I don''t think it likes me very much. Maybe because I''m his sibling?"


    "You''re his sibling?"


    "Sadly." She stood up and folded her arms. "Should I risk it? If it comes down to it, and this is some sort of trap, I don''t think I can beat him. I doubt my powers would work on him. I''m still not that strong of a fighter."


    "You''ve been fighting?" He felt like all he was good for was just asking questions. There was a lot he was discovering had changed.


    "I''ve been fighting some of the monsters and figuring out how to use my powers. I''m sort of like Hope when she first started out. My strength has been steadily increasing, and I''m getting the hang of everything." She grabbed some of her hair, messing with it. ¡°My hair also has changed, so I guess I figured out how to enter my battle mode, but I have no idea how to turn it off. I wish Hope was here.¡±


    That suddenly reminded him... He slowly stood up and grabbed Sky by her shoulders, looking down at her with wide eyes. "I almost forgot!" He said in shock. "Paragon, I- I know this is going to sound insane! I know Myth and Metal Ronin said she didn''t make it out of the Beast fight alive, but I''m sure that I saw her!" He said, shaking Paragon. "I saw Hope! She''s alive!"


    Sky stared up at him and simply said two words that stunned him. "I know."


    ***


    It started long ago, all from a lone seed.


    A single seed that would go on to sprout into a large tree. One that a man was born under. This man''s name was lost to time, but many agreed that he was the first of a brand-new species. What wasn''t lost to time, though, was the man''s stories. He had seemingly been born with only one purpose in life. To speak of those that came before.


    This human, whose name has been forgotten by history, wandered the world and told his fellow men, women, and children the grand stories of the people who saved planet Earth. He spoke of the four Lords. He spoke of the first-ever beings with powers. He told the world of their abilities and of their sacrifice. And so the world would come to live in an era of peace, right? The four Lords died for our sins, keeping planet Earth safe from all disasters and slaying the Shadow. Therefore, humans had nothing to worry about, right?


    That is incorrect.


    The wandering man was simply the start of it all. He was the first Super born after the death of the Lords. Slowly but surely, rumors began to rise of people wielding dangerous abilities¡ªpowers mankind should have never seen. An outbreak that would sweep the planet, they possessed strength that was far beyond anything a kingdom or government could hope to match.


    The world entered a new age. One of war and conflict that would last hundreds of years. One in which Supers should have ruled, yet something stood in their way. In a single year, a Super forced the war to come to an end and caused both sides to alter the way they would do things. Born with Godlike power, the strongest Super the world had ever seen rose to the top of the food chain and single-handedly changed how powers would be viewed forever. This man called himself Full Monarch, and he had a simple goal.


    He was going to save the world.


    "Is something wrong, mister?"


    Nier snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head slowly, forcing a smile on his face. "Why would you think that there was something wrong?"


    "You had an angry look on your face."


    "Ah? Did I? Sorry if I scared you. I was just deep in thought." He chuckled. He took the arm of the woman that was in front of him and placed two of his fingers on it. He could feel the embers of his old power flare up. The ego in his head screamed and howled like a mad beast, but it reluctantly faded to silence. "There. That should be better."


    The woman''s eyes went wide, and she began to move her arm back and forth, staring at it. "Yeah! It''s not broken anymore! You''re amazing, sir!"


    "Goodness, no." Nier chuckled as his tired eyes glanced at the crowd of people that were in his alleyway. "Trust me. I''m not amazing. The real amazing people are the ones who survived this great disaster." He felt his smile fade for a moment before he forced it back on his face. "Next." He called out.


    The woman stepped out of line, now fully healed, allowing the next person in the crowd to step forward and receive healing from the kind stranger who had appeared.


    Oleander City was in utter ruins. The battle with the Beast was not an easy one. It left the city scarred and torn to bits. Many people hadn''t been able to escape in time, with dozens losing their lives and more being gravely injured. The Hero Branch wasn''t fast enough to rescue people, and Paragon''s feathers no longer rained from the sky. It was in the darkest moment that a man had set up a little clinic in an alleyway. However, calling it a clinic was rather generous. It was, in fact, just a simple wooden chair, one that Nier sat in, allowing people to come up to him where he would use his gift to heal them all.


    The savior of Oleander''s people, the one who took care of its people, was not one in a cape or one who fought the Beast. It was this golden man who decided to bless the world with his efforts.


    "You''re the best!"


    "Thank you so much, sir!"


    "You saved my child!"


    "How can I ever repay you?"


    "You''re a real hero!"


    The edges of Nier''s lips raised slightly, and he looked up at the dark sky above. "A hero, huh? Yes. That''s a nice ring to it. I am the one who will save this planet, after all. Nier... Me. I am a hero. Just me."


    "Yeah. That''s it. That''s my father''s power. Cinder has become a true Lord of the Sun."


    Nier snapped his head in the direction of where the sound came from. A group of teens were on their phones as they waited in line to be healed. It had been playing all over the internet for the past few hours. A simple clip that had been taken from a live stream. One in which the daughter of Full Monarch claimed that some hero no one had ever heard of was the new number one hero.


    "You heard it here, folks!" The voice of Alice came out of the phone. "That clip showed off the true hero that beat the Beast! Not the Victorian, not Max Lightning, and not whoever that guy in red was! No! It was all the hero known as Cinder!" The teens weren''t the only ones on their phones. Nearly everyone had pulled it out when they heard the alert. "I was saved by her once!" Alice announced proudly. "She''s been in this city for a while! It was she who stopped Zoo and the Bad Timers! She took down some of Oleander''s greatest foes and even teamed up with heroes from other cities! Without a doubt, she truly is-"


    Whatever Alice was about to say, it was suddenly cut off as loud static echoed out of all the phones. He looked down at a phone one of his patients had, watching as the screen flashed and changed into the symbol of the Hero Branch logo. It was a circle with the letters H and B in the center. Fairly boring, but a thing most people recognized. It seemed someone in the Hero Branch decided to hijack Alice''s stream. The logo flashed once, then suddenly changed the screen, showing someone that caused everyone in the crowd around him to gasp.


    A hero in a red outfit with the symbol of a butterfly across her chest stood on a stage, staring out at the camera that was pointed at her. She wore a metal helmet that covered her face, and fire flicked around her. Cinder, the hero that had taken down the Beast, had just gone live. She wasn''t alone either. Standing next to her was a large older man in a suit who was shaking her hand, the Hero Branch director of Daisy, and on Cinder''s other side was Dean Ward, the Lillian director. He had his hand on Cinder''s shoulder and smiled at the camera.


    Nier felt his eyes narrow as he stared down at the phone. Instantly, he knew what was about to happen. That wasn''t the real Cinder. After all, the real Cinder was...


    "Yo!" The girl dressed up as Cinder announced. "My name''s Cinder, but I''m sure many of you knew that already." The fake hero flashed a smile at the camera. "I know some people were wondering where I''ve been. Well, to tell you the truth, I''ve been busy. As many of you likely know by now, I am in fact the next Full Monarch. I''m the newest Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The Hero Branch and I have been working hard trying to clean up the disaster that was the Beast fight. I sort of messed up space during my clash." The girl gave an innocent giggle before suddenly growing serious. "There''s more to it than that, though. I want to be honest with everyone, just as Full Monarch was." Slowly she reached up and took off her helmet.


    The crowd in the alleyway all began to mutter more as they stared at the person on their screen. It was a young girl only about sixteen years old with long blonde hair and bright red eyes. She gave a sly smile to the camera and spoke once more.


    "My name, my real name that is, is Hope Lauren." The girl stated. "And I''m proud to say that I''m working alongside the Hero Branch-"


    Nier turned away, no longer able to keep himself calm. "It''s always the same, isn''t it? Always using us for your own motives when it best suits you." Nier ran his hand through his blonde hair and stood up, turning away. "I''m remembering just why I despise humans."


    Black armor danced across his flesh, suddenly appearing out of thin air as the Emperor turned away from the stunned people in the crowd. None of them had time to even move; as a second later, all the people he healed suddenly began to twitch and change their limbs, exploding out and growing in size as his newborn monsters began to tear into the rest of the crowd.


    He walked away, not looking back, and his metal boots echoed throughout the alleyway that quickly became stained in red. He still had an army to build. He was starting from practically scratch after his defeat at the hands of Full Monarch several years ago.


    As he stepped out of the alleyway, his gaze found itself on top of a nearby building that was falling apart. A billboard hung on the side of it, one that depicted the number one hero, the Victorian, in all her glory.


    He stared at the picture, and for just a moment, he found himself taken back to simpler times. He wouldn''t say they were exactly happy or even good, but the world truly had been better when Full Monarch had been around. Slowly, he looked up at the moon, and his mind began to wander.


    The past seemed like it was so long ago...

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-One: Fate?

    "What do you mean you know Hope is alive?" Kyle asked, stumbling back. That had been the last thing he expected the hero to claim. He stared at Sky in shock as the girl''s head cocked to the side. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    "I guess you wouldn''t know, would you?"


    "Know what?"


    The hero reached into the pocket of her lab coat and fished around for something. Slowly, she pulled out a small metal ball barely bigger than a golf ball. "Do you know what this is?" She questioned him.


    "No?" He looked around at all the other people that moved around the underground station Paragon had forged into her base, but none of them seemed to be paying any mind to the conversation that was going on. "I''m guessing you''re going to tell me that it''s something really important, though?" This was just getting weirder and weirder.


    Sky raised her hand up and brought the orb closer to her face, staring into it. The thing was extremely shiny and clean, bouncing her reflection back at her. Whatever the orb she held was, it let out a soft humming sound, and a faint blue light seeped out of the metal, flickering several times. "This is... Well, I really don''t know what you would call it." She admitted sheepishly. "The point is this thing belonged to Wish. It was how she kept coming back to life. I don''t know how much Cinder told you, but Wish respawned no matter how many times she was killed. It was thanks to a connection she had within me, due to me being an offspring of the previous Lord of Life. This Pod sort of works as a connector, I think. It holds the power of the Lords within it, and it used to be a lot bigger, but I guess it shrank when I wanted to carry it around. When a Lord dies, the power has two places it can go. The first is to a descendant. My sister got her power from her great-grandfather. I never met the man, but Mr. Sini had his power passed down to Poseidon. Originally he wanted it to go to my mother, but she wasn''t close enough."


    "There''s a range limit?"


    "Yeah." Sky nodded. "I think that''s why the Victorian didn''t become the Lord when Full Monarch died. When a Lord dies and they don''t have someone in their bloodline, they can pass the power down, or the power will instead go into one of these pods, where it will later birth a new Lord. My father wanted his power to go to me when he died but wasn''t able to reach me fully. Only a sliver of his energy found itself within me. This is mainly due to the Prettiest Flower, though. She had been looking for a body she wanted to take over for years and used her host, the Emperor, to create me."


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about..."


    "The long and short of it is I was too far away from the Emperor when he died, so I couldn''t become the next Lord, and that power went into this metal orb I''m holding that later created Wish," Paragon explained. "When Wish died, though, that power was finally able to fully pass back down to me, and in turn, her Pod now became my Pod. Just as the title of Lords can be passed down, so too can these strange machines." She tossed the orb back up into the air and caught it, repocketing it.


    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± Kyle questioned with a frown.


    Sky gave a sad smile and tapped her forehead. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed my new hair color, right? Well, let¡¯s just say that ever since I gained my title, I¡¯ve had a new person force their way into my life. One who has a bad habit of not shutting up. She tends to ramble about all sorts of things.¡±


    ¡®-the soul is a physical object, able to be mended and changed thanks to our power! Just think what will happen if we truly become one Sky! I¡¯d get my body back, and you-¡¯


    Sky went back to tuning the voice of the Prettiest Flower out. With something like this rattling around in her head, she was starting to understand why Wish had gone off the deep end so easily.


    Kyle quietly processed everything he was hearing. The Pods and their existence were kept secret from the public. Almost everything about how the Lords came back was something the Hero Branch tried to keep secret, so this was all very new information to him. ¡°So, these Pods,¡± he began. ¡°They are connected to a Lord¡¯s power? I guess I get that, but how does that tell you that Hope is alive?"


    Sky''s smile faded a bit, and slowly, she began to walk in the direction of a series of tents that had been set up. Kyle silently followed after her as she began to speak once more. "My sister also has a Pod. All Lords do. Her Pod had been gifted to Harrison Avalon back when he was pretending to work for the Hero Branch. That was how he got his hands on the strange metal he used for a lot of his inventions, like my sister''s armor and weapon or Hope''s shield and helmet. Though Battery made those... They''re all created and forged from the metal that belongs to my sister. Do you know what this means?" She asked, reaching one of the tents.


    "Not really?"


    "It means Cinder; Hope also has a Pod." Sky moved the cover of the tent off, allowing him to see inside of it.


    He had seen Hope''s mother a few times. Jane Lauren was a slim woman with tangled hair and heavy bags under her eyes. She was always working hard, taking up long shifts, and always seemed tired. Somehow, though, she looked even worse. The woman''s raven hair was being brushed by her husband, who rested in a chair next to the mattress she was on. Her skin had become extremely pale, and she looked like she hadn''t gotten any proper rest in days. She was even more thin, and her once beautiful hair was scattered with grays. She barely looked like she was paying attention to the world, and she was seated on the mattress, her body wrapped around something.


    It took him a moment to figure out what it was.


    It was made out of the same sort of metal Sky had been showing him. It wasn''t in the shape of a ball, though. Not anymore. It looked almost like a living liquid, forming large tendrils that waved back and forth and wrapped themselves around Jane, hugging her tightly. She was as much wrapped around the strange machine as it was of her. As if both of them were trying to comfort one another in a weird hug.


    Alexander looked down at his wife, with dozens of emotions coursing over his face. His hand moved back and forth in slow motion as he brushed some of the tangled knots out of her hair and did his best to wash her. "I used to be a fisherman." He explained quietly. He hadn''t looked up when they entered but didn''t seem surprised by them either. "Not for any big company or anything like that. It made enough to get by, though. One day... One day, I was out at sea, and I saw something floating there in the water."


    "The Pod?" Kyle asked quietly.


    "Yeah." Alexander gave a slow nod. "I couldn''t figure out how to open the damn thing, so I just loaded it in the back of my truck and took it home. When I did get home, the blasted thing opened on its own, and we finally saw ''her'' for the first time." He gave a slight chuckle and wiped at his eyes. "The smart thing would have been to tell someone, I''m sure. We didn''t, though. Hope was kind of hard to take care of in the beginning. We knew right away she was a Super. She went and blasted a hole in our roof. Still, she was ours. Just by looking at her, I saw Jane and me in her. We didn''t want to give her up. I had a friend named Marcus who knew a guy who knew a guy that¡ªwell, you get the picture. Marcus was able to get his hands on some old tech the new up-and-coming hero, Little Genius, had made. This was before LG had taken up the name Boy Genius and joined the Enforcer. LG had made this glass that worked really well at masking a Super¡¯s power. I always knew it wouldn''t be enough. I knew that eventually something would happen, and she''d discover who she really was. Still, part of me prayed that a day like this would never come. I never wanted her to be a Super. I just wanted her to be normal..."


    "If your daughter was born as a Lord, then I don''t think there was ever a chance for something like that to happen." Kyle winced and shook his head a bit. "Even if she wasn''t, though, even if for some reason Hope had been a normal child and she never gained powers, I don''t think she''d sit on the sidelines and do nothing. I think, somehow, she''d have found a way to be a hero. She was just amazing like that. Jumping in to save people was never even a consideration for her. Also, for what it''s worse, I think your daughter was normal. Powers and all. She laughed, she cried, she had fun... She was a good friend."


    "Don''t speak as if she''s gone." Sky cut in. "That Pod is proof that somehow, someway, Hope has to still be out there."


    "It does?"


    "It never created a new Lord," Paragon explained. "When the Emperor died, it took a bit of time before Wish was created because Harrison Avalon went out of his way to hide her Pod and make sure it didn''t get the DNA it needed. The Pod has to look for humans it can ''borrow'' from in order to create the child. I don''t really know how it works, but it hasn''t tried to make a new Lord of the Sun."


    "Because Hope isn''t dead?"


    "Exactly!" Paragon nodded. "She has to be out there somewhere!"


    "If she was, don''t you think the other heroes would have said something?" Alexander asked quietly. "Everyone knows she has the power of Full Monarch now. Someone would have-"


    "Mr. Lauren!" They were suddenly cut off by a loud yell. They all turned and saw an older man rushing toward them with a shocked look on his face. He was covered in sweat and looked like he had just gotten done running a mile. He nearly collapsed, breathing heavily. "T- The news- Did you- See?"


    "See what?" Sky asked.


    The man''s breathing slowed as he calmed down and handed his phone over to the hero. "I went out to the streets¡ªI found a spot with internet, and this was broadcasting." He gasped.


    Sky stared down at the screen and felt her eyes go wide. It was a video, one that was stuck in an endless loop of buffering now that the phone was outside of Boy Genius''s drones. On the screen, it showed a hero standing up on a stage with a smile on her face and her hands on her hips. Cinder stared out into the camera¡­


    "My name, my real name that is, is Hope Lauren. And I''m proud to say that I''m working alongside the Hero Branch-" Then the video would replay.


    An awkward silence filled the tent, and Kyle felt his face pale slightly as he stared down at the screen. ¡°W- What just happened?¡±


    ***


    Hope felt the vibrations of the various monitors as her back pressed up against the screen. She had never really been all that scared of Harrison Avalon before, but now she could barely get her heart to settle down.


    Her form was so much smaller, and her muscles felt underdeveloped. He towered over her even on his knees, and his eyes were wild and crazy looking. It didn''t help that she felt even more exposed in the hospital gown he had her in. Red Ape had been at the top of her list for creepiest scientist, but Avalon had somehow dethroned the Zoo member.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? Your body has been mostly fixed up and put back into one piece!¡± Avalon rambled. His hands dug into her shoulders, and his mad eyes glared down at her with dozens of different emotions. ¡°This is the first time something like this has happened since Wish. Not even the mighty Full Monarch was able to come back from the dead the way you have done! It really must be you, Cinder! You are going to be the one who will kill the Emperor-¡±


    She didn''t get long to process what he was saying. The man was just rambling before something forced him to shut up. A metal hand grabbed the man by his hair from behind, and Avalon was suddenly thrown across the room, smashing into his monitors and shattering them, sending glass and sparks flying everywhere. Avalon slumped down and winced, a little banged up but mostly fine. "What was that for, boss?"


    She stared up, feeling her legs shake more. Things had suddenly gotten so much worse. The Emperor stared back down at her, his fiery red eyes glaring into her blue ones. His armor was so black it almost blended in the darkroom as the lights flickered on and off. His hand quickly came down toward her, and she couldn''t help but let out a whimper and squeeze her eyes shut. Even with her power at its max, she doubted she''d beat this thing in a fight. He was almost as vile as the Beast and nearly as strong as it.


    An attack didn''t harm her, though. Instead, she opened her eyes to find she was now dressed in a different outfit. Black robes hung off of her, covering her up much more than the gown had. The Emperor turned away from her and began to stalk toward the exit of the room, which had opened up. He stopped and looked back at her. "Follow."


    "W- What?"


    "I won''t ask again."


    Quietly, she followed after him. She stopped and looked back down at Avalon, who was still sprawled out on the floor. He looked up at her and winked. Slowly, she pulled her foot back and used all the strength she had to kick him right between the legs. The last thing she heard before the door to the room sealed shut behind her was his screams of agony.


    She didn''t know where she was, and looking around didn''t help. The Emperor walked at a simple pace, but thanks to how small her legs had become, she struggled to keep up with him. They were in a strange metal-looking hallway. The walls, roof, and floor were all forged out of a golden substance, and the entire place vibrated constantly, a ''hum'' hanging in the air.


    There were many other hallways and turns, but she saw no windows or doors anywhere. Everything looked the same, and it was hard to figure out which way was truly which. It sort of reminded her of Nightshade. Not once did the Emperor speak, nor were there any other people in the halls. The only sounds were his metal boots and the pair of slippers she now wore, slapping against the floor.


    Eventually, the hallway expanded, and they finally reached a new room. Like the other parts of the weird building they were in, this room was also made of solid gold, but it actually had some things in it. There were two large round windows on one of the walls, as well as a massive dining table in the center with two chairs at either end. A few portraits hung on the walls showing off pictures of Sky, though they were all things the girl would have hated, like showing her horseback riding, wearing a princess-style dress, or standing atop a mountain of skulls with the Emperor watching as the world around them burned. A large screen also hung on the wall and showed the news, though the volume was all the way down. Finally completing the fancy look was a large chandelier also forged from gold that hung up top.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    She risked a look out of one of the windows and raised an eye when she realized it was a view of sharks swimming around. They were somewhere underwater. "Where are we?" She finally asked.


    "Inside of Golden God."


    "Huh?"


    The Emperor didn''t bother explaining further and walked to one end of the table and took a seat. He gestured for her, and she stared at him for a moment before finally climbing into her seat. Her head barely went above the table, and she stared down, finding several plates of steak, shrimp, lobster, and other rich food scattered about, along with at least a dozen other spoons. The armor of the Emperor bubbled and twitched and then vanished. Instead of the modern-day devil, she found herself looking at an old, tired man with bags under his eyes and messy blondish hair. Despite how old he truly was, his body was still hanging on, aging slower than most thanks to his dark gifts. Age had still eaten away at part of the mighty warrior though. And with age came experience. It was hard for her to believe this was the same guy she had just seen.


    Those memories she lived through. They were still fresh in her mind. Watching the story of Ruby Admiral had been¡­


    Nier took his fork and knife, slowly cutting into his steak, and took a bite out of it. "You know," he said, finally swallowing his food. "I forgot how much I liked the taste of food. I was up in space for years, and let me tell you, they don''t have meals like this on Jupiter."


    "J- Jupiter?''


    "Oh, it''s where my corpse ended up after I died. Full Monarch hit me really, really, hard." The man said, shrugging. "Well? What are you looking at me for? Dig in." He snapped. "It''s not real food; we''re miles under the ocean, but with Fairy Queen''s power, it might as well be the real thing."


    "I''m not hungry-"


    "I wasn''t asking." He took another bite, swallowing it. "Eat. Now. How else do you expect to grow big and strong?"


    She picked up her fork and knife and silently cut into the food. She had never really felt this helpless before. Part of her wondered if it''d be best to rebel against him and die. It''d at least get it all over with quickly. "H- How am I alive?" She asked after finally taking a bite of her steak. She hated to admit it, but it was pretty good. ¡°And why did I see all those things earlier? I- It was like I was dreaming or something. What the hell is going on!¡±


    The Emperor wiped his mouth clean and grabbed a cup filled with what she was assuming was wine. Her own glass had milk in it. He took a swig and swirled it around, letting out a satisfied ''pop'' with his lips. "I thought Avalon told you?"


    "I was told my body rebuilt itself like the Beast."


    "Sort of." The man placed his glass down and folded his hands on the table, leaning forward to look at her. "That''s what makes the Beast so dangerous, you know. I''ve been telling those dumbasses not to take it so lightly for years, but they never bothered to listen to me. Hopefully, they''ll take my warnings more seriously now. Full Monarch would always fight the Beast in space. When it thinks it will lose, it always takes the coward''s way out and blows itself up."


    "So, it''s not dead?"


    "Nope." She felt that wave of despair grow. Everyone had fought so hard, and yet it hadn''t even mattered. What a bad joke. "The Beast will take a bit to reform, but soon it''ll be back. You did better than I thought you would, though. You getting caught in its blast wasn''t part of my plan though. If you were to die, I''d have to wait another fifteen or so years before I could do my plan." The man sighed, rubbing his chin. "You actually did die. It wasn''t for very long, but it happened. I''m a bit worried about whether the powers of the Lord remained in you fully or not. If not, I''ll have to find where the other half of the Lord of the Sun ended up. I bet Full Monarch thinks he was clever, splitting the power in two to make sure both wouldn''t end up in the same place. The final laugh to be had, though, will be mine. Oh, and do tell me if your body is feeling okay. I had to put it together with whatever pieces I could."


    "You put me back together?"


    "Partially. The blast blew you to bits. I was only able to grab an arm and part of your skull." That made her feel very sick to her stomach. "As I said, you died. Luckily for you, Rulers are good at cheating death. I might not be the Lord of Life anymore, but that control remains inside of me. Your Ego would have shattered and broken, fading away, but it seems the Brightest Star did its best to mend and fix you. Even with my power, though, I wasn''t able to restore you back to full. That''s why you''re so small. Don''t worry, though. If you eat plenty of food, your powers and your body should eventually come back. It might be a few months, but you should return to the old you."


    That was the first good news she had heard all day. She let out a relieved sigh. Then she remembered who was in front of her. "Why did you save me, though?"


    "I had to." The man shrugged his shoulders. "After all, when I called the Beast to Earth, you blowing to bits was never part of the goal."


    Her chair fell back as she stood up. She glared at the man, feeling pure hate run through her body. She still didn''t feel any of her powers flare up, but that didn''t stop her. She grabbed the knife and threw it at him as hard as she could. Lazily, he caught it in between his fingers. "It was you? You did all of that! You killed all those people! You killed Mr. Larison! Wasn''t he your son?" She screamed. "You should have taken care of him! Why would you-"


    "That traitor isn''t dead."


    "Huh?"


    The man let out a sigh and snapped his fingers. Suddenly sound blared out of the TV, and she jumped a bit, looking up at it. "Introducing the newest members of the Enforcers!" Three people stood in front of the camera. "Pretty Face, Battery, and a new favorite, the daughter of the Victorian, the one and only Lightning Empress!"


    "W- What the hell?" She asked, stumbling back. Battery stood in the center, staring at the camera with his typical emotionless face. The one next to him also shocked her, though. It was Lois. Only the girl looked a little different and was covered in lightning. Pretty Face also stood next to them, and all three of them were in front of the Enforcer tower. "I- I saw him die? He''s alive?" She couldn''t help the slight smile that found its way onto her face. Of course, he was alive. Mr. Larison was amazing like that. If anyone could escape death, it would be him.


    "He did die." The Emperor announced in a blunt tone, making her head snap back over to him. "Just like you, he had to be revived. Unlike you, though, he''s a Ruler. See, I revived you using my own Ego and my own powers and was only able to do so thanks to you being a Lord and your soul not yet passing on to the afterlife. His power simply revived him all on its own. I wonder how much it took, though. Half? Maybe more? I wonder how much of him is still him."


    She looked back at the TV, watching as the camera showed off all three heroes. A second later, though, it changed, suddenly showing off a new scene. One that shocked her. A hero in a red outfit with the symbol of a butterfly across her chest stood on a stage, staring out at the camera that was pointed at her. She wore a metal helmet that covered her face, and fire flicked around her. Cinder, the hero that had taken down the Beast, had just gone live. She wasn''t alone either. Standing next to her was a large older man in a suit who was shaking her hand, the Hero Branch director of Daisy, and on Cinder''s other side was Dean Ward, the Lillian director. He had his hand on Cinder''s shoulder and smiled at the camera.


    "T- That''s me!" She said in horror. "Oh God, am I a clone?"


    "Yo!" The girl dressed up as Cinder announced. "My name''s Cinder, but I''m sure many of you knew that already." The fake hero flashed a smile at the camera. "I know some people were wondering where I''ve been. Well, to tell you the truth, I''ve been busy. As many of you likely know by now, I am, in fact, the next Full Monarch. I''m the newest Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The Hero Branch and I have been working hard trying to clean up the disaster that was the Beast fight. I sort of messed up space." The girl gave an innocent giggle before suddenly growing serious. "There''s more to it than that, though. I want to be honest with everyone, just as Full Monarch was." Slowly, she reached up and took off her helmet. "My name, my real name that is, is Hope Lauren." The girl stated. "And I''m proud to say that I''m working alongside the Hero Branch-"


    "What the fuck!" She started stomping her foot down. "Oh, this is bullshit! Why would other me do that? My identity! I hid it so well!"


    "Did you?"


    "Well... I still didn''t want it to come out like this!" She whined. "Why is other me doing this?"


    "Skin Walker." The Emperor said, taking another bite of his food. "That''s her name. She was a monster I created during the war. She can shapeshift. When I was beaten, she joined the Hero Branch and now is their pet. She takes on the form of people the Hero Branch wants to use."


    "Why is she me, though?"


    "They don''t want it to be known that you''re dead." The man explained. "See, the public all knows that when a Lord dies, they''re reborn. Some of the villains, though, know that when a Lord dies, the Pod is created. Villains always go looking for them. Hell, that''s why I was drafted into a war when I was a kid. To stop Lucifer from getting his hands on a Lord Pod. By making it look like you''re alive, they can try to buy themselves more time to look for your pod to bring you back. Of course, none of them know you survived."


    "The heroes wouldn''t let something like that happen, though, right?"


    "Sure, they would." The man stated. "In fact, I bet it was Boy Genius''s idea. They need the time as well. They need to replace you, after all. Sure, some of them would be against it, but what can they do? They could prove it wrong, but doing so would cause panic and harm and risk a villain getting their hands on the Pod. They tried the exact same thing when Hell Hound killed Sini, though back then, they didn''t have Skin Walker. Now it''s all too easy."


    "People will notice I''m not doing anything, though!"


    "Will they? Full Monarch was constantly up in space. Sure, he did help out on Earth, but it was never for long. All they have to do is give some of the good deeds the Victorian does to you, and thanks to how fast she moves, no one will be any the wiser. She''d go along with it, too. She''s the type to do anything to live up to the shadow of her father, in which she''s trapped herself. As it stands, the whole world thinks you''re a loyal lap dog of the Hero Branch."


    "Then I''ll show them I''m still alive!"


    "You''ll have to get stronger first," the man snapped, and the TV went silent once more. "No one would believe that you''re the Lord of the Sun in the state you''re in."


    "Luckily, that''s where I come in!" A voice announced. Harrison Avalon stood in the entrance to the room, flanked by hundreds of his floating metal hands. He gave a sly grin and walked past her, putting her chair back and taking a seat. He began to eat the food on the table. "I''ll be doing my best to give you the quick power-up you need, so you catch up to where you were."


    "What? Why? How?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.


    The mad scientist looked back at her and smirked. "Did you know I was a monster? I was in the Emperor''s army, after all. Don''t you find it a little odd? Why do I look human?"


    "I guess I never thought about it before? Mr. Larison was a monster before as well, and he''s human now."


    "That''s not true, actually." Avalon snorted. "I''m sure he thinks that''s what happens due to his memory issues, but he was never a monster. Nier couldn''t transform him. Just as the Lord of Life can''t use her power to change other Lords easily, he was immune to the change." For a moment, she thought back to Wish. Wish was never able to pop her or alter her like the girl could do to everyone else. She had always guessed it had something to do with her being a Lord but never questioned it more. "He got his memory issues from being a Ruler. However, all other monsters actually lose themselves when they change. Did the Brightest Star tell you about Egos?"


    "A bit?"


    "Good. So, you know the basics, then. Think of them sort of like a soul, I guess." The man hummed. "Supers have their soul, and then the reflection, which is their power. Monsters are different, though. They''re created with the Emperor''s power. His ability wipes the human Ego, leaving only the Super Ego. And for normal humans, it forces them to convert into a Super Ego. The body isn''t able to fully handle it, though, and ends up twisting and morphing as the power goes out of control. I guess in a way the soul controls how the body works. Normal Egos need the human half to keep them in check. Without it, all that''s left is a wild reflection that goes mad and mutates the form. This causes memory issues. That''s where I come in." He waved his hand, and suddenly she heard a buzzing sound as something landed on his finger. It looked almost like a small fly. "Before I became a monster, I was a Super who had a few powers under my belt. Supers can have more than one Ego inside of them. This is one of the reasons I was able to keep some of my sanity. I had a Mental power that let me make stuff, as well as a power that gave me control over my own memories, which I could then put into people. Those two powers working together allowed me to record things and then shove those recordings into people''s heads. Earlier, you experienced it. I have my little drones all over the place, recording nearly every event. Thanks to that, I was able to give you a taste of the life of sweet Ruby."


    Her mind raced a bit at what the man said. If had all felt so real. She had actually been totally unaware that she even existed or that she had been watching a memory. It was as if she had woken up as Ruby Admiral one day. She watched the girl¡¯s story all the way up until the point Full Monarch began his first ever battle with the Emperor, and Ruby Admiral had suggested Max Lightning have a kid¡­


    It left a bit of a sour taste in her mouth. Knowing all the mistakes the heroes of the past made. People looked up to guys like Full Monarch and the Victorian, yet the Victorian had started off as a villain? It was so weird and bizarre.


    "Thanks to Avalon, we can put you through layers of stress without actually having to put you in danger." The Emperor spoke up once more. "Sini, my daughter, and even myself were all Lords that also had another power besides the Lord''s Egos. My power is the one to make monsters, which has also managed to snatch a piece of the Prettiest Flower. This power is also what allowed me to take up the mantle of Ruler. By putting you through layers of stress, your body could become a Super once more and gain new powers. This will, in turn, also jump-start the Lord''s power within you. Not only will you return to your old self, but you''ll also be able to fix the damaged state the Brightest Star was left in and become a true Lord again. Maybe even on the same level as Full Monarch, since your new power would fill in the missing half of the Brightest Star. You wouldn¡¯t be the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos anymore; in a way, you¡¯d be something brand new."


    She glared back at the man. "Earlier, you said you caused the Beast attack, and that''s why I''m in this situation. Why did you do that?"


    "I needed Battery to become a Ruler once again."


    "What the hell is a Ruler? You guys keep bringing it up!"


    Avalon smirked and finished eating the last of the steak. "Just as there are four Lords, there are four Rulers. The Devil, The Angel, The God, and the Giant. The Dark and the Void, Death and Rebirth, Ash and Ruin, and Creation and Destruction. These four powers belonged to an entity long ago. One that called itself the Shadow. Upon its death, it split itself into four pieces. The Rulers are almost like a crude copy of the Lords in a way. The Lords did kill it, so I guess the Shadow decided to steal their gimmick." The man snickered. "When a Lord dies, that power is passed down, but when a Ruler dies, their power forces the body back together, taking over much of the Ego and using it to bring itself back stronger. Alpha was taken in by Nier to be a weapon that could slay Full Monarch. When he became a Ruler, he lost in his battle with Full Monarch, and in turn, the Lord of the Sun somehow sealed the power away. That was why Nier here needed the Beast. After all, he can''t kill Alpha himself or-"


    "That''s enough, Avalon." The Emperor stood up, pushing his chair back. "I first died in my fight with Lucifer. That was when I discovered who I truly was. I was born special, you see. I was both a Lord and a Ruler for a time¡ªthe only ever person to hold this title. I had planned for my power to go into my child; however, in the final battle with Full Monarch, I discovered too late that Alpha betrayed me. He had sent my daughter away. By then, it was too late, and I died once more, this time not recovering in time to hold onto the power of the Lord. I spent years waiting for that bitch to mature to the point where she''d bring the power back to what it should have been. I even had to team up with a disgusting human and wait for my precious daughter to get close to that ugly freak calling herself Wish, all so I could fix Alpha''s mistake and turn her back into what she was always meant to be. Now that she''s a Lord again, I need the Rulers to return. Legend, Lucifer, myself, and even my bastard son. The four of us, and the four Lords. Once you''re back to full strength, my plan will finally be possible." His black armor twisted and formed around his body once more. "I waited over sixteen years, but alas, the race is about to finally start. I hope you enjoyed your meal, Ms. Lauren. Soon, we''ll be putting you back through those memories of Ruby. There is still so much you must see.¡±


    She felt Avalon''s hand on her shoulder, and slowly, the man began to guide her toward the hallway once more. She stopped and looked back at the Emperor one last time. "What is it? Your plan? Why are you doing all of this? What could be so important that you''d risk letting me get stronger? You know I''ll do everything to stop you, right?"


    Those red eyes glanced back at her as the Emperor studied her. "Didn''t Avalon already tell you, dear Lord?" He placed his hand up to his chest. "Your power is something that must return to you. After all, you''re the one that will kill me."


    Avalon hadn¡¯t said it as a joke, nor was it a sign that he was a traitor. That was really the Emperor¡¯s actual goal¡­


    He wanted to die?

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Two: Pantheon?

    "My name¡ªmy real name, that is¡ªis Hope Lauren. And I''m proud to say that I''m working alongside the Hero Branch-"


    Myth squeezed down on the phone, causing it to shatter and explode.


    "Well, there goes my phone..." Kyle muttered.


    "I''ll build you a new one." Metal Ronin promised sheepishly.


    "So, I''m judging by your reaction that you didn''t know about that, Myth?" Paragon questioned the new Sub Enforcer leader, barely hiding her own blinding rage.


    Myth was in his human form but seemed to have almost grown in size, fists clenched and teeth ground together. "No," he said, doing his best to hold back his anger. "I had no idea the Hero Branch would go this far."


    After saving Kyle, Paragon and the boy had watched the recording one of her people had discovered. The one where ''Cinder'' revealed herself to the world and even gave away her identity. It caused Sky''s anger to flare up a bit. It was targeted at her. The way that Ward smiled into the camera. She just knew that the bastard had thrown Hope under the bus just to get one last kick in at her for disobeying his direct orders. It was the kind of thing a sick man like him would do.


    They had made their way over to Myth''s tower and now stood in the destroyed building that held the Sub Enforcers'' base. They weren''t in the realm; the Sub Enforcers had just gotten back from a patrol, so instead, they all scattered around the destroyed lobby room.


    Outside, hundreds of tents had been set up where Oleander''s people tried to set up some sort of semblance of normal life; all the while, the ''Giants'' walked the street patrolling the entire city, looking for any bit of crime. At first, the Giants had only stayed near the destroyed bridge. The Cleanup Squad Giants were putting buildings in place and slowly moving out across the city to repair them, but they hadn''t made much progress. The roaming soldier Giants had stayed near that area, keeping all the humans that camped around it safe.


    Battery had left, though. That was the reason she picked now to find Myth. She still remembered the way he acted. The changes that had consumed him. She didn''t know what he was plotting, but after he left the city, the Giants began to move quicker, and their patrol area grew further.


    "We all know it''s a fake." Oxide pointed out. "We could tell people, right? Make a video or a post or something calling it out."


    "It wouldn''t work." Wasp Nest said, shaking his head. "Back in the day, videos and stuff could be posted instantly, but after Boy Genius joined the Enforcers last year, everything goes through his systems first. If he''s sided with the Hero Branch, then any video or piece of media we created would just be deleted without actually being posted. It''s one of the reasons you don''t see a lot of videos or articles speaking negatively of the Branch. They tend to get rid of them before they even pop up."


    Drake rubbed the back of his neck, wincing a bit. "The Branch doesn''t always do that." He had worked the most with the Enforcers and felt kind of guilty for the situation they were facing now. "Boy Genius mainly created that system to stop villains from sending secret messages or videos to each other. That said, even if we did get the word out, would people believe us? Sure, a lot of people might, but most of the general population wouldn''t."


    "Drake''s right." Metal Ronin folded his arms. "The people like finding the light in the dark tunnel. Now that they know the next Lord of the Sun has arrived, they''d carry on believing she will save them even if they discover Cinder''s dead. It''s easier to go on living thinking Full Monarch has returned rather than consider the fact he died before he even did anything this time around."


    "Don''t say it like that," Paragon said, clenching her fist. "She did something."


    "Right." Metal Ronin let out a wince. "Sorry, that came out wrong. What I¡¯m saying is that even if we prove it¡¯s a fake, more people would choose to believe in the icon she is instead of accepting her death.¡±


    "The Enforcers will just stop this, won''t they?" Oxide asked, looking at Drake.


    The dragon-themed hero looked away, not meeting her eyes. "Well... It''s not the first time they''ve done something like this."


    "Seriously!"


    "It''s the Victorian," he tried to explain. "My sister is never a fan when the Branch pulls stunts like this, but the Branch has the Victorian, and she is strangely loyal to them, bordering on obsession. If any of the Enforcers tried to speak out, she or Boy Genius would stop them before it happened."


    "Boy Genius is in on it, too?" Metal Ronin asked, sounding a little hurt.


    "Maybe." Drake shrugged. "He isn''t loyal to the Branch, but he does believe in the greater good. If he thinks this will help more people, he''ll stick to it, and the fact that nothing has happened yet leaves me to believe he considers it a worthy sacrifice. On top of that, there''s Beta. He and Boy Genius are close, and he was built to literally make sure the Enforcers stay on the side of humans, AKA keep obeying the Hero Branch. That basically means at least three members of the Enforcers will go along with this plan, and they happen to be the three strongest heroes.¡±


    "So, it''s hopeless?" Wasp Nest asked, slumping down. ¡°We just have to watch as they use Cinder¡¯s image. All because they want to milk her being a Lord for a little bit longer?¡±


    Myth stayed silent, not saying anything as his teammates discussed what should be done. It was Paragon who stepped up and spoke for the group. "We can''t think like that. We might not have any idea what we should do now, but we''ll come up with something. I''m sure of it. The Branch can''t just get away with this. They''re throwing Hope''s legacy away!" The girl took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Until we figure it out fully, though, there''s another reason I came to you, Myth."


    "What is it?" The dark-skinned man asked, folding his arms.


    "It''s about Zoo," Paragon explained. "I want your help to take them out for good this time."


    "Zoo?" Myth gave a heavy frown as he processed her words. "They haven''t made a move since the Beast attack?"


    "That''s not true." Sky shook her head and looked the man in the eyes. "I''ve been living in the underground stations beneath the city, keeping a group of survivors safe. Recently, though, we''ve been running into creatures I''m sure were created by Red Ape. At first, it was just one or two every few days; now, we''re running into several of them daily. They''re getting closer to my camp and might eventually break out onto the surface."


    Myth nodded and looked at the members of his team. His eyes roamed over Metal Ronin, Wasp Nest, Oxide, and Drake. The Bad Timers and the Wandering Coin were gone, so that just left one more team that he hadn¡¯t destroyed yet. "Well then. I think it''s time the Sub Enforcers face off against Zoo." The only group left that endangered Oleander was Zoo. For the first time in years, he hoped that Oleander would be free.


    ***


    "My name¡ªmy real name, that is¡ªis Hope Lauren. And I''m proud to say that I''m working alongside the Hero Branch-"


    The TV shut off, and Pretty Face found himself staring at his own reflection. He slowly processed what he had just seen. Ward and another director of the Hero Branch had been up on stage with a Cinder lookalike. He knew it was a lookalike because the Enforcers, or really Boy Genius, had discovered what was left of her corpse up in space. Even knowing how fake it was, though, the lookalike really did pull off the image of Cinder.


    She had the same golden hair, those bright, fiery red eyes that held a naive light in them, and a sly yet innocent grin. Even the way the girl spoke was the same as Cinder, at least from what little he had heard of both girls. It was a cursed sight, seeing the dead smile like that.


    "Are you sure doing that was a wise idea?" Pretty Face finally asked. He was seated in Ward''s office. Now that he was a member of the Enforcers, Lillian had been assigned to him. That meant, effectively, Ward was his new boss, and unlike with the late Ocean Empress, Ward seemed like he wanted to take a very hands-on approach this time around with the team.


    Ward tapped his finger on the desk and gave a fake smile. "To be honest, it wasn''t actually me who came up with it. The fat-ass director in Daisy was the one that planned all of this out, so if you want to blame anyone, then blame him and the Ros family. I''m sure you''re aware now, but Cinder is the Lord of the Sun. We decided it was best to make the other villains hesitate to look for the next Lord. It, of course, won''t be long before they put it together that she isn''t with us anymore, but it buys us more time for Boy Genius to scout the new pods out."


    "Pods?"


    "Oh, I forgot that information is classified and kept from most of your kind. No need to worry about it." Ward clasped his hands together. "The important thing is that we''re taking some of the credit for work that the other Enforcer members are doing and announcing that it was Cinder who actually did it. So, assume that twenty percent of crimes you prevent are swept under the rug and given to her for the time being."


    Pretty Face felt a frown appear on his lips. He messed with his shades, peering over them to look at the Hero Branch leader. "This will, of course, be a temporary thing, correct?" He had joined the Enforcers simply for fame. He had never been a powerful Super, but he was blessed with an ability that made people have a hard time looking away from him. He used that gift, as well as his good looks and voice, to make it big as an idol. The Beast incident had been his claim to fame. Fan favorite Pretty Face throwing hands with the worst villain in history!


    They left out the part about how he ran away and hid in a bunker after one attack.


    "Just remember that I''m the reason you''re on the Enforcers in the first place." Ward smirked and leaned back in his chair. His office had been cleaned up, and he had gotten a big fat bonus after the Cinder incident, allowing him to add more important-looking junk around the room.


    "So why exactly did you guys reveal her name?" Pretty Face questioned. "I get you wanted the villains to think she was still alive, but what was the point of throwing her name out there? That just puts targets on her family, doesn''t it?"


    "Who cares? They''re a bunch of nobodies." Ward snickered. In truth, he still remembered that smug look Jane Lauren had shot him after Paragon had left. "As for why I had Hope''s name come out, she seemed close to Paragon. It''ll serve that healer bitch right. Exposing her little girlfriend like that is the only way I had left that I could hurt her."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "Is it smart to anger her? Poseidon is still somewhere in the city after all and is a Lord."


    "The Lords are all perfectly under my control."


    "Right, and I''m gay for the fashion." Pretty Face said sarcastically. "What exactly is your game plan when the public finds out she''s dead? You said it yourself: This won''t fool the villains for very long."


    Ward rubbed his chin. "The masses will believe whatever the hell I tell them. It''s actually simple, though. The Emperor''s being back is something only you Enforcers know. Once Boy Genius locates the next Lord pod, or we discover the next baby with fire powers that has the highest chance of being the Lord, we''ll swoop in and claim that poor Cinder died just like Full Monarch in a battle with the Emperor."


    "So not only are you pissing off the Lord, you''re also pissing off the Emperor?" Pretty Face stared at the insane man in front of him. "How are you alive right now?"


    "I''m alive because that golden bitch is following in her daddy''s footsteps." Ward threw his legs up on the table and chuckled. "The Victorian is trapped in her father''s shadow. She''s talked herself into thinking she has to follow our orders because that''s what her dad did. Full Monarch was an obedient little pawn that we aimed at our enemies. The Victorian is just like that. As long as she is on our side, the other heroes won''t dare step out of line and disobey us. All it takes is labeling them as villains and throwing her at them. She might not be able to save planet Earth, but she sure as hell will slow down its destruction until after I''m dead."


    Yes...


    As long as the Victorian did everything she could to be half the hero her father was, then every high-ranking member of the Hero Branch was untouchable. All she had to do was remain the number-one hero, and he''d be just fine.


    He was truly untouchable-


    The entire building suddenly shook. All of the expensive trinkets and cigar boxes he had scattered on his desk dropped to the floor in a loud thud, and he saw Pretty Face''s eyes go wide in shock. A second later, the window of his office was covered by a thick shadow as something smashed directly into the building. Glass flew out in all directions and almost stabbed him, but Pretty Face saved his life.


    The hero was fast and jumped up, creating some of his colorful energy clones and using them as makeshift shields to block the glass. Cracks appeared along the floor, and the two men found themselves staring into the eyes of something massive.


    It was formed out of crackling black energy that almost looked like living darkness. It wore no armor but was in the shape of some sort of humanoid-like figure. It had a massive beard that looked like it was made out of storm clouds and a big pot belly. It cracked a smile, showing off rows of jagged teeth. As Ward stared at this thing in terror, only one thought truly came to his mind.


    Giant...


    Sixteen years ago, during the war with the Emperor, an army of massive monsters and man-eating Giants had flooded the world. In all the stories, even before the time of the Supers, Giants were viewed as chaotic, dark creatures that could bring about the end of the world. He didn''t get to think about that for very long, though, as the next thing he knew, a pair of sharp, jagged claws were pressed to his throat, and he felt someone''s breath against the back of his ear.


    "The Boss wants to have a little chat with you." Behind Ward, Purrfect stood. She was dressed in a black catsuit with larger ears and a long tail that flicked back and forth, forged from metal. She looked more like a panther than a housecat thanks to her new costume, and she had even dyed her hair black. Her claws drew some of Ward''s blood as they ran along his neck.


    "B¡ªBoss?" The Giant from outside had rammed its large fist into the building, which caused all the destruction in his office. That same hand opened, revealing a familiar hero. Ward felt his teeth grind together as his eyes met Battery''s. The same hero he had allowed to join the Enforcers had just blown part of his building up.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how to schedule a meeting with you, so I hope you don¡¯t mind the sudden drop-in.¡± The hero said in a cool tone.


    "What the hell are you doing here?" Ward screamed. He glared at Battery with pure rage. "Do you have any idea who the fuck I am?"


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± The hero responded. ¡°Because if you do, you¡¯d know how little I truly care for ants like you.¡±


    Battery had updated his costume a bit. It was still the same red suit he had been gifted from Boy Genius, though all the damage from his previous fights was gone. The young boy had given him a new version of the suit that was fixed and allowed Battery¡¯s new energy to swirl through the lines across it. Battery had also added a long black trench coat to the design, placing it over his suit. Behind his mask, one eye sparked with wild black lightning, while the other was like a calm sea of blue fire. They weren¡¯t flickering anymore. Now they both stood at full power, both focused on a single goal. Both Ego¡¯s wanted the same thing after all. Slowly, he stepped off of the Giant''s hand.


    Pretty Face felt a snort escape him as he looked Battery up and down. "What''s this? Entering your edgy hero phase? Seriously, a black trench coat is so-¡±


    "You''re not part of this conversation." Battery had reached the hero faster than Pretty Face could blink and smashed his foot into the man''s gut with a lazy kick. It was strong enough to shatter all of Pretty Face''s ribs and send the hero ramming into the back of the room, where he smashed into another window and went flying out of the building. Outside, another Giant caught him, lowering Pretty Face to the ground, though it didn''t do it gently, and left the idol gasping and vomiting up blood.


    Ward glared at the darker hero as Battery stuffed his hands in his pockets and simply stared at him. Purrfect removed her claws and casually jumped up onto the desk, kicking her feet out. "Alrighty, Boss! What do we do with him?" She asked, cocking her head.


    "I''m still trying to decide that." Battery looked the man up and down.


    Ward stood his ground and glared back up at him. "Do you have any idea who I am? I am a director of Lillian! The only reason you are a member of the Enforcers is because I allowed you to be!"


    Battery didn''t look impressed, and his dual eyes bore into Ward''s. "Here''s what''s going to happen." He lazily created several more hands out of black energy, which tore the room around them apart. The door nearly burst open as several Hero Branch soldiers tried to run in, but they were blocked off as the hands caused part of the roof to cave in. "I''m going to give you a day or two to reveal who Skin Walker is. You''re going to make a public apology. Then you''re going to step down as head of Lillian, but not before using what power you have left to convince the other directors to leave Oleander alone. It doesn''t need any of your help. I''ll fix it myself. It will stay a city, but one you will all leave alone."


    Ward¡¯s teeth ground together so hard one nearly snapped. "You''re actually insane."


    "Not as much as you-" Battery lazily brought his arm up just in time to block a stream of water that slammed into the room. He deflected it with his palm, sending it slicing into more of the wall. "I thought you might pop up."


    Poseidon stood outside of the window, standing on a large horse made out of water that slowly walked up a tidal wave. She looked between Battery and Ward. "What are you doing here, Battery?" She asked quietly.


    "I came to look for you." Battery turned away from Ward, allowing his trench coat to smack the man in the face. Purrfect jumped off of the desk, and together, the two stepped back onto the palm of his awaiting Giant. Poseidon got eye level with him but kept her distance. She stood on the back of the horse and was ready to jump off if she needed to. Keeping her trident aimed at him, she allowed the man to speak. "I''d like for you to come join my team." He said simply.


    "Huh?" Poseidon asked, taken aback.


    "I''m an Enforcer now." Battery explained casually. "That means I''m allowed to build my own team, and the Hero Branch has to pay for it. I heard you lost all your rights to your team and didn''t make it on the Enforcers, so how''d you like to join mine?" He questioned, holding his hand out to her. "I''m starting up my own team. ''My'' Pantheon."


    "Why are you offering?" She asked with narrowed eyes.


    "Mainly because it''ll piss him off." Battery lazily pointed his thumb back at Ward. "But more than that..." For a moment, the color in his eyes went out. For a moment, he felt his heart twitch. For a moment, he felt a faint smile on his face. The image of River faded from his mind, and he shook his head as his eyes lit back up. "You don''t have any money coming. I''m guessing you''ve been living on the street."


    She didn''t stink; she was likely using her powers to wash herself up, but the look in her eyes and the weight she had lost made it clear to him that things hadn''t been going well for her at home. She had lost several pounds, became unhealthily pale, and had bags under her eyes. Her hair was messy, and her costume was covered in various cuts and tears. She stabbed her trident out in the direction of Ward. "Only because that asshole took everything away from me! No sponsors, no team; hell, he even cut off my accounts, so I can''t even get a hold of my followers!"


    "Then kill him if you want." Battery shrugged casually.


    "Huh!" Purrfect, Poseidon, and Ward all stared at the hero in shock and mild horror.


    Battery snorted. "But you won''t, will you? Because, unlike me, you''re a good person. That''s why I''m here. Actually, I do have some other reasons." His Giant stretched its arm out, allowing him to reach Poseidon. She didn''t flinch as he looked her up and down. He grabbed her by the chin and stared into her eyes. "I bet you haven''t gotten much sleep, right? You''ve been fighting off that ''little buddy'' hiding in your brain. You''ve got an unfair hand, you know. The other Lords can be turned off, but not yours. My father, the Emperor, went and screwed with your body, changed how it worked, and allowed more of the Lord''s influence to invade you. I''m sure he did it to save your life; after all, you''re important to Paragon, but the downside is that it made that bastard''s Ego gain a stronger foothold. Poseidon has been silent. Some people think she left this city. It''s because you''re afraid of snapping. Scared of letting the Lord take you over? You don''t have to be afraid, though."


    Battery let go of Poseidon''s chin and stepped away from her. She rubbed her jaw a bit. "Why don''t I have to be scared? Because you can beat the Tallest Wave?" She asked sarcastically. She still remembered how strong that entity had been. Above even the Beast, the full power of a Lord unleashed was simply Godlike. ¡°No offense; I saw what it did to you. Even if you¡¯re a million times stronger than you were in your battle with the Beast, I don¡¯t think you could beat the Lord.¡±


    "No. I''d lose if it ever came out. That''s the thing, though. It won''t come out." He looked back at her and smirked. "If you come with me, Poseidon, and join my team, I swear that the moment I even think you might turn, I''ll tear your head off your body and stop you before it happens. I''ll make sure you won''t hurt another person."


    She felt her face pale at that. Then she actually thought about it...


    Would Sky be able to save her again? If the Tallest Wave got out, would it be so casual with everyone and risk them breaking her free? They had barely even scratched the creature, and yet, in a single attack, it had nearly killed dozens of the greatest heroes in the world. Not to mention, she didn''t even know where Sky was anymore. Sky hadn¡¯t come home.


    Even now, she felt it. The abomination in her head. It yelled, howled, begged to be set free, refused to let her sleep, and constantly pounded away at her skull. Its voice had only grown more prominent since the Beast''s attack. In the past, she wouldn''t have to worry about it as much, but now, every time she was about to fall asleep, she could feel it bubbling back up. How long did she have until it ate away what was left of her sanity?


    How long was she going to be Poseidon?


    "Do you promise?" She finally asked in a meek voice.


    "I swear on it."


    Poseidon slowly nodded her head. "Okay. Well, I haven''t agreed to anything yet, just so you know. I''d need to hear more about this team. You''ll be building it in Oleander, right?"


    "No." Battery shook his head. "Not Oleander. You see-" A series of gunshots rang out. All of the bullets slammed into Battery''s head and didn''t even make it past his costume before they dropped down into the palm of his Giant. Ward stood, half hanging out of his window, glaring at the man in front of him. He gripped a smoking gun, which clicked, finally running out of bullets. Battery looked back at him. "Did that make you happy, little man?"


    "Screw you! Screw all of you! You don''t even know who you''re fucking with! I''m going to call the Victorian! She''s going to kick your ass! I''ll order her to throw you into the fucking sun! I know who you are! I''ll let the entire world know that you''re the Emperor''s son, you bastard!"


    "That''s why you let me on the team." It suddenly clicked with Battery, who let out a snort followed by full-blown laughter. It was a hard chuckle, one in which he covered his face with his hand and threw his head back as if he had just gotten some cosmic joke.


    "B- Boss?" Purrfect asked, feeling a little creeped out by the sight of the calm, collected man breaking down into a giggling fit.


    "You''re just like your dad." Battery''s laughter slowly died down, and he looked back at the man, giving a smirk. "You were planning on blackmailing me, weren''t you? Going to make me dance in the palm of your hand by holding that information over me, I assume?" He snickered some more. "Man. It would have worked on the old me, I bet. Sorry to say, I don''t care now, though."


    "You''re lying!"


    "Am I?"


    "E- Even if you''re not, I''ll still call the Victorian on you!"


    Battery''s Giant took a thundering step away, now carrying Poseidon on it. His grin only grew as he took one last look at Ward. "Oh, no need. I''m about to pay her a visit myself. After all, I think it''s time for the world to discover who the real strongest Super is. You can call me back later once I''ve become the number one hero."


    Ward remained rooted in his tower as the Giant finally left. The man let out a loud curse and slammed his gun down as hard as he could. ¡°God damn it!¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Three: Welcome Back Hope

    Harsh black lightning spilled from the skies. It tore the street of an unknown city apart, ripping it to bits. A siren blared loudly, constantly roaring as a massive shape moved through the dark clouds above.


    The roaring of a dragon shook the entire city as the massive, winged beast came down. It was long and serpent-like, stretching out for miles. The thing easily dwarfed the massive city, glaring down at all the people below. On top of it, a long figure stood. One dressed in shadowy black armor with glowing blue eyes. The Emperor held his white sword high above his head.


    Down below in the city, only a single figure looked as if they were going to stand in his way. A young woman with long crimson red hair and Godlike strength that rivaled that of the other Lords.


    Ruby Admiral cracked her knuckles and pulled her fist back as the serpent-like dragon let out a scratch loud enough to shatter the buildings. It struck forward, opening its mouth wide enough to swallow an entire street, but Ruby didn¡¯t back down. She put all her effort and all her strength directly into her fist. Every bit of strength she had was unleashed with a single powerful punch!


    Then¡­


    Suddenly the world faded and broke apart as Hope woke up from the dream she had been forced into.


    The world and the thoughts that had been forced into her head, all of them, began to shatter and break. It faded to black, and the next thing Hope Lauren knew, her eyes were snapping open, and she gasped, taking several deep gulps of air.


    It took her several seconds to remember who she was. She was Cinder, a member of Pantheon, a Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. Or at least she had been. She still couldn''t feel the embers of her power anywhere within her, and she could tell instantly that her body hadn''t changed that much. She remembered where she was and what had been happening as well.


    The Emperor, or Nier, had taken her. She had seen him in those memories. Not only that, but she also heard people''s thoughts and feelings. It was like she had been the Victorian, Max, Full Monarch, and even Avalon all at once. The emotions were swirling around inside of her, and it almost caused her to throw up, but she settled her beating heart and stared up at the roof above.


    All those visions and memories. She was living through them all, seeing things she couldn¡¯t. Even the hidden thoughts the people wanted to keep to themselves. She could still feel it even in her own body. The muscle memories. Every strike Ruby Admiral unleashed played through her mind on loop. The Victorian, back then, had seemingly lacked any flashy powers and instead made up for it with total overwhelming strength. Strength that was so great, in fact, it made her wonder who was truly stronger. Ruby Admiral or the Victorian?


    "Getting used to it?" The voice of Avalon teased her and ended the thoughts she had. ¡°How is it Cinder? Getting to experience the life and feelings of another person. Their muscle memories and thought processes become yours. I¡¯m sure once you get your powers back, you¡¯ll be a lot stronger just from watching the legendary Ruby Admiral in action.¡±


    She slowly sat up, shaking her head as the world stopped spinning. It was always so weird going from so many different views and thoughts to just her own. She was literally other people while she viewed the memories, so she¡¯d have to get used to being Hope Lauren once more.


    She was still in that weird monitor room. The one that had the bed and all the TVs hooked up, each playing a different image at max speed. Avalon stood near the entrance that led out to the golden hallway with a sly smirk on his face as he looked her up and down. She followed his gaze and studied her own form as she stepped out of the bed. She had gotten a bit taller by maybe an inch or two. If she had been twelve earlier, then she''d say she was thirteen or maybe in her early fourteens now. She was dressed in a pair of long black pants and had a black hoodie on over the outfit the Emperor had gifted her now. The clothes were seemingly formed from actual shadows and molded and twitched sometimes. Like a weird liquid-like substance that had been forced into a solid state.


    She wasn''t sure where the clothes had come from since it wasn¡¯t the outfit she had been wearing when she started, and part of her didn''t want to know how she had been dressed in it. She''d just have to remember that Avalon needed to pay severely.


    "I don''t think I''ll ever get used to you forcing me to relive memories that aren''t my own." She finally said. ¡°It makes me dizzy and sick to my stomach.¡± The brain could only handle so many memories and thoughts, and she was being forced to see the same thing over and over from so many different points of view. She hoped it didn¡¯t ruin her mind later in life. Avalon wasn¡¯t exactly a sane person, and she feared ending up the same as him.


    Avalon just chuckled when he noticed the look in her eyes. "Trust me. It could be so much worse. I could have shown you some of Alpha''s past."


    "His name is Jack Larison." She hissed out.


    "Whatever." The man turned away from her and motioned for her to follow. "My power is actually why I was able to revert back to my human form after changing. I''m sure you saw what happened to Fire Prince, right? That was one of the memories I showed you. Nier forced another Ego into that man''s body. An Ego that devoured the human one inside of him and fused with the Super Ego. In this case, the fire-based power merged with a vampire-based power, causing him to become that bat monster. Nier isn¡¯t able to force Ego¡¯s into targets without destroying their human half. In some rare cases, like Fairy Queen or the other generals, they keep their sanity, but the humanity in them is still long gone and destroyed. The destruction of the human Ego is why our forms change and we lose our memories. With my memory power, though, I was able to force all the memories I had stored up back into myself. It caused my destroyed human Ego to mend a bit. Of course, my monster form is also very special since I become something that isn¡¯t technically a living creature. Maybe that¡¯s why I was able to do it, as no other monster has come back the same way as I have, even if I give them their memories back.¡±


    "So that man in the armor, the Emperor, that was Nier?" She asked quietly. She could still feel the emotion Max had. That man had prayed and hoped without belief that it hadn''t been Nier. Suddenly, the way he acted when he first took her and her mom to the past made a lot more sense. The way he kept staring at Nier in silence. That Nier seemed very different from the Nier of today. Not to mention the blue-eyed Emperor¡­


    "Of course it was. Nier is the one and only Emperor, after all. Alpha was just a stand-in. A means to an end for when Nier was busy." Avalon twirled his finger, and more of the small fly robots landed on the tip of it as they walked through the golden hallway. "See, these drones don''t just record everything. They are sort of like low-level psychics. They pick up on surface-level thoughts and emotions. I can then use the data they collect to beam them into a person and allow them to relive the past and actually feel as if they were the people in those memories. It can be a little harsh on the mind and body seeing so many POVs, though, right? Thanks to my power, I was able to forcefully remind myself of my human life when Nier turned me into a monster and repaired my damaged human Ego, allowing me to still exist, unlike every other monster, such as Fairy Queen or Hell Hound, who are long gone. The stress and emotions we are putting you under will hopefully forcefully awaken a power inside of you, or at least speed up your growth and get you back to where you were."


    "Well, it looks like it is working." She glanced down at her hands, flexing them. She still felt weak, but somehow she knew she just needed a little more. Slowly it was coming back. With a bit more work, she''d reach her old self. "Why did you let me out though? Are we going to go eat again or something?" The memory clearly had more to it than what she had seen. It had left her with many questions she wanted or actually needed to know. It had been a simple memory of Ruby fighting the Emperor. It had started in the middle of their battle, and she had no idea how things progressed to that point or what had been going on.


    Harrison clicked his tongue and winced a bit. "There''s a lot you didn''t get to see yet. After all, I didn''t even show you where Alpha fits into all of this. Sadly, we''re out of time, though."


    "Out of time?"


    "Yep! A full day has passed since you were knocked out and living through those thoughts. We have to be careful with how much we shove in your head so it doesn''t blow up, and we''ve reached the limit for tonight! Though you don''t need to worry about that anymore as we''ve also arrived earlier than expected to our destination."


    The hallway opened up, but instead of a dining room, she now found herself in the entrance to what she would have guessed was a large manor. Like everywhere else in the strange building she was in, it was made out of solid gold and hurt her eyes to look at. There were dozens of pictures of Sky all over the place and even full-blown statues of her in various poses with different weapons or outfits. One even had her and her father standing on top of the Victorian¡¯s corpse, both wearing black jagged armor.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Near the back, a pair of heavy golden doors the size of a small building resided. It was like some sort of palace or something in a comic. At the entrance to the door, Fairy Queen stood. The woman''s eyes were narrowed, and the woman stared back at her, causing her to flinch and hide behind Avalon. She really hated having no powers. Standing next to Fairy Queen in his black armor with the red flames pouring out of his eyes was the Emperor. He wasn''t alone either. Flanking him on either side were two more people she was shocked to see. Demonica, and Polaron. However, both were made out of what looked like solid darkness. It sort of reminded her of Mr. Larison''s Giants or Lucifer''s zombies. Could it have been a trait the Rulers shared?


    Then again, she was also able to make pseudo-life forms. Baggy, her fire construct came to mind. A small being that was clearly alive to some extent.


    "I brought her just as you asked me to, boss!" Avalon called out, waving his hand. The Emperor''s red eyes turned toward them, and Fairy Queen''s teeth ground together as the woman hissed.


    She did her best to suppress her fear and stepped past Avalon, glaring back into the Emperor''s eyes. "Your minion told me we arrived at some place. Where did you take me?"


    The Emperor''s arms were folded behind his back and over his cape as the eyes seemed to stare into her soul. "A pity. Your power hasn''t fully recovered yet." The man''s voice sounded just as it did in the memory. It made her hate him even more seeing how he openly betrayed Full Monarch and Max Lightning as if it had been nothing. Nier was just as much of a monster as those he transformed.


    "Answer my question." She demanded.


    He turned away from her and placed his hand on the door. He felt it hum and could tell Golden God had come to a total stop as they arrived at their destination. "Hell." He finally said. "We''ve arrived at hell-"


    "More specifically, Hell Land!" Avalon announced as the doors snapped open, allowing her to finally see the outside world. Screams rang out all around them as, in the distance, a roller coaster flew through the air. "The only place on planet Earth where supervillains can have fun! Now with eight new rides!"


    The Emperor had taken them to a theme park...


    She blinked slowly, processing everything. "What?"


    ***


    "Well, well, well." Michael twirled the vial of blue liquid between his fingers. "They really don''t make stuff like this anymore. I''ll have to remember to thank Alma when I next see him- If I next see him- I guess he''s working for the Branch again, huh? I bet I could get Doctor Blue- Nah, what am I saying? Doctor Blue is working for Zoo now¡ªa pity. I''d have loved to get my hands on more of this stuff- I bet this is how he healed that Battery hero, isn''t it? Ah, but then it''s worthless to me since I don''t have heart issues- But what if I get heart issues- Wait, I''m immortal. What am I saying?"


    Michael tossed the blue vial behind his back, throwing it into a trashcan. Now that he finished studying it, he didn''t need it anymore. Not when he had someone like his sister with him. Thanks to her, recreating that healing drug would be more than easy. In only a few short hours, he''d be able to recreate everything that the Wandering Coin had made, but better.


    His sister was just amazing like that, after all.


    Michael hummed and looked around his sister''s lab. It was an open space that was so cold it caused his breath to be visible. Metal tables scattered the place filled with half-built machines or broken-down products she had been in the middle of crafting. His eyes slowly landed on a mirror, and he took a moment to admire himself.


    "Looking good, sexy." He winked. "You''re going to do great today. You''re going to make so many sales¡ªI bet you''re going to make all the sales- Okay, well, let''s not get ahead of ourselves. You have some grays in your hair, so maybe half of the sales¡ªI have grays in my hair- No wait! I¡¯m immortal! I don¡¯t get grays.¡±


    The reflection that looked back at him was a young man. One with messy blonde hair that had been combed down. His bright green eyes were hidden behind his shades, and he took a moment to adjust his collar. He was dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt and black dress pants. He had a very expensive fur coat that cost more than some towns, and he wore what some people called a ''pimp hat'' for the final touch. It was a black fedora with the symbol of a golden butterfly on the side of it.


    He flipped his hat in the air and caught it on the tip of his finger, moving out of the way just in time as a massive rumble went through the entire building he was in. Several of the lights above exploded, sending a sea of glass down, but he covered his head with his hat. "Looks like they''re really aggressive today- Oh, I bet Meta is going to kick their ass- Should I help- Nah, she can handle it- But then again, I haven''t played any good games in a while- I can''t decide. Red light green light, cops and robbers, or good old freeze tag¡ªah, screw it, I''ll just play a good old game of Simon Says."


    Michael moved out of the way once more as the door to the lab exploded off its hinges, slamming into the wall next to him. He kept his sly smile on his face and watched as someone else entered the lab. "Are you safe, brother?" A voice asked quietly.


    "I am now that you''re here, Meta!"


    "Please stop with that nickname." His sister said in a flat tone. Like him, his sister used to have blonde hair, though now hers was almost pure gray with just a bit of blonde scattered in it. Her hair was tied back, but even then, it went far down her back, having not been cut in years. She didn''t wear glasses or shades like him, but her green eyes also didn''t glow nearly as much as his did. They were dull, almost blank, and emotionless. She wore what looked almost like a black and yellow military service uniform, complete with a small cap. It had no badges of honor, though. A silver rapier hung off the side of her belt, and her hand was placed on the handle, ready to draw it at a moment''s notice. "I''m going to go out and handle the people that are on our front door." She said quietly. Meta was the kind of person who had almost no emotion in her voice. It was as loud as it needed to be. No more, no less. "Will you be fine by yourself?"


    Michael flipped his hat up once more and held his finger out, catching it. "I''ll manage, Meta. Go kick some ass- Oh, are you going to use your model two suit or the new model three- I bet we could make a model four if you wanted- Screw it, let''s go all the way to model five and really beat them-"


    "I''ll be back shortly." His sister responded, cutting him off before his rant could get any longer.


    Michael was the opposite of his sister. Sometimes it was hard to get him to shut up. He watched as she turned her back, and he gave her one last smirk. "Seriously, though. Show them all why you don''t mess with us. Make them pay.¡±


    His sister didn''t say anything as she left the lab. Unlike him, she wasn''t even an adult yet¡ªshe was seventeen. She had only been part of their family for a few years now and had been gifted her name by their father. She was mostly quiet and never bothered to talk to the other siblings besides him, which sometimes ticked him off since that meant his father always left her to him.


    Michael took a seat in a chair and flicked on one of the monitors that was in the lab. They had many bases all across the planet, and most of the time they would never stay at one place for very long. The rest of the family was at the base in Hell Land, so only he and Meta had been at this one. As the monitor flicked on, he saw the outside of their base.


    They were in the middle of a desert, somewhere away from any of the grand cities that the heroes resided in. Out here, it was no man''s land; every person was for themselves. A lone metal building stood surrounded by the ruins of what might have once been a city, but years of disasters had destroyed it all. Their building stuck out like a sore thumb, so he wasn''t shocked it had been found. It looked almost like a vault and was drilled into the ground. The entire destroyed city around them shook as explosives rained from above.


    A massive metal ship floated directly in the sky above them. It was an old navy warship that was being forced to sail on the air instead of the sea, thanks to some ability. It sported a flag he recognized instantly. The Anti-Matter gang was a group of Wasteland villains that were working on taking over what part of the world hadn''t been put under the control of the Victorian or the Hero Branch. The large warship sported that flag and pointed its weapons at their bunker, firing ceaseless barrages at the smaller building.


    Even deep underground, he could hear their captain shouting at them from his ship''s intercoms. "Come out now! Give us all your stuff and any women you got hiding in there!" The Anti-Matter gang, at the end of the day, were little more than pirates who could make boats fly.


    Part of the vault opened up, and a lift began to rise out of it. Meta stood on it, her dull eyes staring up at the massive ship that floated in the sky miles above her. It rumbled and trained its weapons on her but didn''t fire. No doubt, the captain was discussing with the rest of his crew, trying to figure out who she was. He doubted they''d be able to put it together. After all, the world hadn''t gotten to see ¡®this¡¯ Meta in action.


    "I''ll say this once." Her voice danced through the air, going further than it had any right to, and it seemed to actually cause the entire ship to freeze in place. As if it were alive and listening to her. She drew her rapier, holding it up. "Leave. Now."


    Michael watched this go down on the monitor and frowned. "Still so soft, Meta." He reached up to his earpiece and pressed a button. "Meta, wrap this up quick. Father wanted us to meet him in Hell Land before the end of the day."


    On the monitor, he watched his sister reach up to her own earpiece. "Right-"


    She was cut off as the ship finally made up its mind and resumed firebombing the area with everything they had. They unleashed all of their cannons and explosive power onto the lone girl, hitting her with massive bombs. Fire poured over the land, and a massive dust cloud was kicked up. The lab shook, and more things were knocked over as massive craters formed along the ground. They kept the barrage up for nearly a full minute before they finally stopped firing and allowed their guns to settle down. As the dust rained, though, Michael felt his lips quirk up into a smirk.


    ¡°She tried to warn you. You should have left when she gave you the chance.¡±


    A green glow of energy seeped out in the dust and formed into a bubble around Meta. Everything around her was destroyed, but she was perfectly fine. The cannons went back to point at her, but they were too late. The air around her shimmered. "Sorry." She spoke quietly as the energy seeped out and began to take shape, forming around her like a suit. ¡°Begone. Vanish off the face of this planet.¡±


    It was over in a single attack.


    One moment, Meta was on the ground, and then next, she was gone as the ship exploded, something flying through it faster than anyone on board could react. Massive emerald wings forged from energy spilled out of the wreckage of the ship as everything began to fall apart, and Michael once again heard his sister''s voice.


    "I''ll see you at Hell Land, big brother." In the wreckage of the destroyed ship, Meta floated, now clad in powerful iron armor. Astral green wings flowed from her back, tearing space itself apart. She was, after all, one of the greatest Mental-based Supers in the world, second only to Boy Genius.


    ¡°Right.¡± Michael flipped a coin, giving a sly smirk. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t keep Father waiting.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Four: Hell Land

    Hope Lauren had seen a lot of odd things in her admittedly short life.


    Every member of Pantheon was at least a little weird, and, being a Super herself, she would say her life was far from normal. Not to mention Mr. Larison was a bundle of secrets and thoughts she''d doubt she''d ever solve.


    Despite all of that, though, somehow Hell Land still took the cake for the oddest thing she had ever seen.


    An amusement park created for villains, by villains. "This place can''t actually be real, right?" She asked, making a face. They still hadn''t fully stepped outside, and part of her was convinced Avalon was pulling her leg. After all, picturing the Emperor himself taking her to a place like that was simply too goofy.


    Avalon clapped her on the back, causing her to flinch a bit and shoot a glare up toward him. He only smiled back down. "Of course it''s real. We''re here after all. Don''t tell me you''re not a fan of amusement parks. All kids like them."


    "I''m not a kid." She hissed and slapped his hand away. "I turned sixteen right before the Beast came. With how much time passed, I might be at least seventeen by now!¡±


    "It hasn''t been that long. Also, you being sixteen still technically makes you a kid, you know." The scientist snorted.


    ¡°Yeah, but I wasn¡¯t as small as I am now!¡± She complained.


    "Don''t be so dramatic. You''ll change back eventually. I think?" Avalon hummed, rubbing his chin.


    "You think!"


    "Shut up!" Fairy Queen yelled back at them, silencing both her and Avalon. The villain made a face and balled her hands into a fist. "Is it right to actually let her out of her cage, Master?"


    The Emperor simply let out a soft hum. "Be nice, Fairy Queen. Cinder is our guest."


    "I''m not your guest! I''m your prisoner."


    "You can go if you want." The world''s strongest villain gestured out with his hand. He watched her, waiting for her to move. She didn''t. Where would she even try to go? She''d need to figure out where they were first, at least. "Alright then. Children, behave yourselves." He turned away from her, his cloak flowing behind him.


    The shadowy forms of Polaron and Demonica followed after them. Right behind them was Fairy Queen. Finally, that left her and Avalon in the back. They exited the strange golden building they were in. Past the large tower doors was a ramp that went down leading outside. As they stepped down the ramp, she looked up, finding the body of Golden God. The ramp they were walking on was attached directly to his belly button, which had formed into the massive doors.


    Earlier, the Emperor had told her they were inside of Golden God. It turns out he wasn''t joking. Golden God was, in a way, the Emperor¡¯s personal ship. A sad fate to end up as if you asked her.


    As they stepped off of the ramp, it pulled itself back into the robotic villain''s body, and the heavy doors shut and faded away. "We''ve arrived at Hell Land, my Master." The machine spoke in his emotionless voice, motioning forward with his many arms. ¡°I trust the ride was to your satisfaction.¡±


    They were in another pocket realm. She could tell right away because of the sky. It looked like something out of a horror movie. It was blood red with black skull-like faces forming the clouds. Some glared down, and some had their mouths open wide in a hellish roar. They were on an island, one surrounded by an ocean of what she hoped was red water. The island sort of reminded her of the base the Bad Timers had used, only it was much bigger.


    A massive dock was formed all around the coast of the island, and there were dozens of boats of all shapes and sizes. Some looked like something out of a sci-fi comic, most likely being forged by a Mental-based Super. Others were extremely old-fashioned and barely holding together. All were filled with large crews of people. In fact, the entire beach was scattered with hundreds of people. Towles were laid out, and some people walked around in swimwear while others were dressed head to toe in villain costumes. Others looked like grunts who were part of some small gang, and some were playing in the red water, surfing or swimming, or even fishing.


    It was such an odd sight. Some of the people looked toward them and whispered, but it wasn''t out of fear. Instead, they were speaking in awe as they stared at the Emperor, many taking pictures. Golden God also got a lot of attention. He remained floating in the air and smashed one of his hands down, blocking most people from looking at his boss.


    ¡°It¡¯s one hundred dollars per photo.¡± The machine stated in his emotionless tone. ¡°I¡¯ve gone ahead and hacked into everyone¡¯s account and will be transferring the money of anyone who took a picture without our consent.¡± That got a lot of people to drop their phones or cameras. That didn¡¯t stop the excited whispers, though, or the stares the Emperor was getting. It was the same look people would give the Victorian.


    She realized that Avalon''s words earlier hadn''t been wrong. This was a place for evil. Each one of these people was a villain. The same group that the Emperor had united under one banner years ago when he declared war on planet Earth. These were his people. His subjects. His warriors. Hundreds of gangs from all over the planet all gathered here.


    Whatever realm they were in, it was not one that should have existed. Here the Emperor was the most popular. He was the symbol of evil. The one that all these people were looking up to.


    Slowly, the Emperor walked toward his destination. Across the beach was what she could only describe as an amusement park. Large walls blocked off an entire area of the island just past the beach. There were several tall motels scattered around, and just past them was a gateline that had several men dressed in black knight armor with the words ''security'' across their chest plates. Their helmets were shaped like wolf heads, and they gripped jagged maces. It reminded her of Hell Hound, whom she still remembered from Ruby''s memories.


    A large line had formed in front of the gate, made up of villains she had never seen before. Some looked like straight-up monsters; others wore colorful costumes. Some still didn''t even bother to try and stand out, and if not for the dangerous aura they gave off and fake smiles on their faces, she''d have assumed they were normal people.


    Past the gate was the park itself. Even from here, she could hear the large crowd of people and see rides in the distance. Things like roller-coasters, ferris wheels, and more. She could smell various different meals at hundreds of food stalls, and loud music blared through the entire place. It was so hard to wrap her head around all of this. The park itself was almost normal¡ªthe kind of place people would want to go to. It was so weird thinking that it was a place for the most evil people in the world to gather at. What would they even do here? Have fun?


    "How are there so many people?" She muttered, looking around in mild terror as their group made their way to the line. She had never gotten to go to an amusement park before. Her family never had the money or time for it. Part of her wished that never changed now.


    "Don''t ask so many stupid questions." Fairy Queen barked back at her. "Speak another word, and I''ll make sure your stay here isn''t pleasant."


    "Now, now, remember what Nier said." Avalon chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder as he stared down Fairy Queen. "Be nice to Ms. Lauren. She was just curious, was all. To answer your question, Ms. Lauren, shortly before the war, the hero known as Max Lightning discovered an ability to create extra space. Thanks to him and the help of some of Full Monarch''s energy, I was able to create pocket realms using some of Sini¡¯s old notes. It had been a project he had been working on even before Max showed up, as a means to save the human race in case Full Monarch lost to the Beast. The Hero Branch gladly gave me all the resources I needed, and with the help of Max, I was able to create the first realms. Of course, at the time the good guys didn¡¯t know I was a double agent and was planning on selling them out since I had already been changed into a monster. Hell Hound actually asked me to build this realm for her. See, realms were made in the start as a way for us to save humanity from the Beast attacks. It ended up getting discarded though since these places can''t actually grow resources. Sunlight, water, and nature¡ªall of it is fake and has no effect on real-world plants. You''d need a Super like the Lord of Life to actually grow anything, and these realms are actually pretty small, so it''d be impossible to fit the entire planet''s population inside of one; thus, the process was used instead for bases."


    "If she didn''t know that much, then she''s an idiot." Fairy Queen growled back at them.


    Avalon rolled his eyes. "Just shut it." Slowly they reached the gate, and the line broke in two, allowing them to get past. The guards didn''t bother stopping them or questioning them and simply allowed them through without any incident. The inside of the park was wide and expansive, with many people walking back and forth. She saw more rides in the distance, a merry-go-round, gun ranges, haunted houses, mazes, and so much more. "Not everyone you see is a Super." Avalon spoke up, continuing his explanation from earlier. "After Hell Hound''s death, some of the Monsters that worked under her turned this place into Hell Land. Hell Hound was always naive and childish at times. This was created as a place where villains didn''t have to worry. It''s been a closely guarded secret where the gate connecting it to the real world is. Some heroes likely know it exists but can''t get to it. Most of the people here are goons. Small grunts that work under Supers. Being evil is almost like a job, and at a job sometimes your boss will throw you a bone and give you a little treat. Hell Land is the treat for villains. A Black Market where bad guys all over the world can let their henchmen go play while they make deals among each other selling info on heroes, gear, or even people. The one that runs this place is a villain called the Owner. This land is neutral ground and works as a base for anyone that needs it."The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    That last part made her shudder. "Just wait until the Victorian gets her hands on any of you. She''ll destroy you all."


    "Careful." Fairy Queen looked back at her, giving a cruel smirk. "Heroes like you, especially ones as small as you, might find themselves pissing off the wrong person. Not everyone is as kind as my master here. I''m sure plenty of villains would love to have some as pretty and ''young'' as you around-"


    "That''s enough, Fairy Queen." The Emperor''s fingers tightened around the woman''s throat. "I won''t say it again. Behave."


    "Y- Yes, sir."


    He dropped her and looked out across the park. A massive tower stood in the very center of it all. If she was to take a guess, she''d say it was where this ''Owner'' guy was. "I came to speak with the Owner." The Emperor explained. It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her. "You''re free to do whatever you want here until I''m done. Stay close to Avalon for your safety."


    She didn''t get to ask much more as the man began to walk toward the tower in the distance. He was followed by his shadows and Golden God, who remained in the sky. Fairy Queen shot her one last nasty look before stalking after her master like a hurt puppy.


    "Fairy Queen doesn''t like you." Avalon snickered and smacked her on the back. "I guess that''s to be expected though. You killed one of her kids after all."


    "I did?"


    "Polaron." The man explained. "Though Fairy Queen has a lot of children. She was the second monster created and was around before Nier even fully created the title of Emperor. She''s kind of a freak and kept having kids with all sorts of people. Most of her kids turned out as the Dragon Clan. People like the hero Wyvern, Drake, or Silver Dragon."


    "If she was the second, who was the first?"


    "Alpha''s wife, Hell Hound."


    "Mr. Larison''s wife was Hell Hound!" That felt like a punch in the gut. She had known Battery was one of the people that worked for the Emperor, but it never dawned on her his wife would be as well. It made some sense, but for it to be Hell Hound? Ruby''s memories were still fresh in her mind. Hell Hound was a powerful villain.


    "I guess you can say it was love at first sight." Avalon shrugged his shoulders and began to walk in a random direction. "She made this place for him. I bet he''d hate what it''s been turned into. Serves him right. She was more loyal to him than Nier. Almost always she stayed by his side. She was once Nier¡¯s daughter. At least her body was. The soul within her was something new, however, and Nier no longer held any love for her. He kept her around so he could eventually clone a body and place the soul of his actual daughter into that body. I guess Alpha took a liking to Hell Hound, and the two became smitten with each other. It was that love that caused them to betray the master in the end." Avalon shook his head and turned back to her, smiling. "So, while the boss is busy talking to some people, what kind of rides would you like to-" He froze when he saw Hope was nowhere near him. "Ah shit..."


    She had taken off as soon as he turned his back on her. Without a second thought, she turned and ran. He had been so busy monologueing that he didn''t even notice. Seriously, speeches and monologues had to be something that went wrong for bad guys everywhere.


    She passed by many rides that had long lines of people waiting to get on. Things like bumper carts, spinning teacups, and even some gift shops. There was a food stall at every corner trying to sell some overpriced snack or beverage, and she had to fight her way through the crowd. Those guards in black armor were also scattered around, and she noticed several shooting looks her way. They weren''t the only ones either. Actual villains walked around, some dressed up in goofy shark or clown costumes, and others decked out in so much Mental-based tech they might as well have been from the future.


    That wasn''t what she was worried about, though. What she was actually worried about was what she didn''t see. Those damn tiny drones that Avalon had. So small they were the size of flys. They had been there since the start, and she''d be willing to bet he had some around her now. Her enhanced senses hadn''t come back, so she had no way of knowing.


    She ran through the crowd and found herself at a part of the park that was filled with various water-based rides. All the water was still that red color, which was probably not blood, she hoped. There were pools and other such things scattered around, and a massive sprinkler system was placed in the middle, which fired off streams of water. She ran through it as fast as she could so that if any drone was following her it''d be drowned. She doubted it would work since they had somehow made it through massive battles untouched, but it didn''t hurt to try.


    Once she was done with that, she ripped off the hoodie she was in and snatched several clothes from a carnival game stand. The kind that had you knock over bottles. The owner yelled something at her as she ran past it, ripping them off of his table, but she ignored him and ducked down some alleyways. Large tents were scattered around the rides as well, hosting various shows, so she used them to stalk in the shadows and got out of sight, stripping out of the rest of the clothes the Emperor had provided her.


    She kept the pants but changed the shirt to a ''I visited Hell Land, and all I got was a T-Shirt'' shirt. She also put on a red jacket that had the symbol of Hell Land, a wolf on the back of it. She put the hoodie up and zipped it up. She had gotten a second jacket as well, which she tied around her waist, forming a makeshift skirt of sorts to hide most of the pants. She double checked for some of the drones but didn''t see any. With that all done, she finally allowed herself to relax and stepped out of the shadows.


    She made her way into a large crowd, walking with the people, and looked around, assessing the situation. She might not have had any powers and might be trapped in a tiny body, but that didn''t mean the situation itself was hopeless. If this was a realm, then that meant there was a gate. It was likely at the docks somewhere, so she''d have a way out. It likely wasn''t the only gate as well. In the battle with Wish, during her first fight, Doctor Blue had managed to escape the realm despite not leaving through the main gate. She was willing to bet there was more than one way out of a place like this in case of an emergency. On top of that, if the controls got destroyed, the entire realm would be forced open.


    If she could find a way to regain her power quickly, she could also likely force an opening and escape that way. Green Wolf had done something like that when he entered Polaron''s base, and she and BB had done the same thing, forcing their way into the Wandering Coin''s realm. She could still remember the feeling. It''d likely be easier getting out than it would be to get in.


    Either way, no matter what, she needed to find a way out. The others thought she was dead or believed that fake her was the real Cinder. She needed to figure out what state her city was left in and check on her parents and Sky. Not to mention Mr. Larison, who was somehow still alive. She also needed to have a talk with the Victorian. Those memories hadn''t been the end; she was sure of that. She really wanted to know what happened next.


    Her thoughts suddenly came to an end as something caught her eye. There had been a few around, but this one made her stop. It was a statue of Hell Hound. What made this one so special compared to the dozen others she had passed though was that the woman wasn''t alone. Forged from stone, and standing next to her, staring out at the crowd, was the Emperor. The two of them stood side by side almost as if they were equals.


    It made her remember more of Ruby''s memories. Something about the entire situation with the Emperor hadn''t set right with her. Something she couldn''t exactly put her finger on. There was that thing Max had said. What exactly was Nier''s goal, and why were there two of them? One with red eyes and one with blue eyes. What was Mr. Larison¡¯s role in all of that?


    "Found you." She froze when she heard the voice. She went to spin around, but it was too late. A sharp pain shot through her as a hand grabbed her roughly by her head. The fingers dug into the hoodie and her hair and lifted her up, causing her to let out a loud yelp of pain. "You thought you could get away with stealing from the mighty Owner?" She found herself face to face with one of the black armored guards. The man''s other hand squeezed down around the handle of his mace, and his eyes roamed over the jacket and shirt she had stolen. He wasn''t alone either. Two more guards stood behind him, glaring at her.


    "I- I can explain-"


    "Save it." His eyes narrowed from behind his helm, and he turned, dragging her. "I''ll show you what we do with petty thieves."


    No one bothered to help her. In fact, many cheered and smirked, treating it like a show as she was dragged across the ground. The men took her away from the crowd and behind one of the many tents that was set up. He shoved her to the ground and raised his mace. It twisted and changed, the metal coming to life and forming into a large axe.


    "Left, or right?"


    "W- What?" She asked, staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes. She hated how powerless she felt. This entire situation. It made her blood boil. Her body was so weak and helpless. She had forgotten just how truly scary it was to be a mere human in the presence of a demigod.


    "Pick which arm we take, thief." His fingers gripped down on his axe as his eyes glared down at her. "That''s what we do to people like you. You''re still a child, so I''ll show you mercy."


    "Mercy?" She asked, shocked. "You''re still taking one of my hands! It was just a shirt!"


    "That''s why I''m letting you pick which hand I take. That''s my mercy. Because, after all, it was only a shirt. Be grateful. Now pick before I take them both."


    "You''re insane!"


    "Wrong answer." Before she could move two of the other guards grabbed her either side of her arms. She thrashed about and screamed as he dragged his arm across the ground. He placed it over her left wrist and slowly brought it up. The weapon was jagged and mangled. Not the sort of thing made for taking limbs off cleanly. She squeezed her eyes shut as he brought it down.


    For the first time in her life, she prayed Avalon or someone similar would come to her rescue. Despite how bad her luck had been lately something actually seemed to answer her call. She heard it right as the axe reached her. The sound of metal on metal. Something appeared above her wrist just in time to block the axe. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself staring at a rapier.


    The guardsmen grunted and struggled, but with a flick of a wrist, whoever wielded the blade sent him crashing down. "Have you no shame?" The voice that spoke held almost no emotion. The two men that held her dropped her and jumped back, drawing their weapons. She looked up and found herself staring up at a girl in a strange military-looking uniform who had long gray hair. The girl wielded a slim rapier, one that had casually deflected the mighty great axe the man had. She was young as well. Seventeen at the most. The girl stood in front of her, holding an arm out protectively. "Evil people like you put a sour taste in my mouth." Her voice wasn''t loud, but it wasn''t silent either. It was blank and bland. Just like Lucifer or Golden God''s.


    "Who the hell are you?" The guard asked through gritted teeth.


    The girl vanished in a single step, appearing before the three men. "The one who beat you." And with that, she swung the blunt side of her weapon, smashing it into all three of their heads and knocking them all out.


    Hope fell back, staring up at her savior in shock. She had never seen this girl before. She had to be a villain, right?


    Slowly, the girl''s eyes found their way onto her. "Are you okay?"


    And just like that, Hope met Meta.

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Five: The Return Of Her Past

    Hope took several steps back, keeping her eyes trained on the girl in front of her. She had no idea who this person was, but if they were in Hell Land, then that meant they had to be a villain, and that was enough for her.


    "Are you okay?" The girl with gray hair asked, cocking her head to the side.


    "I''m fine." Hope spun around and was about to run off once again but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked down, finding the girl looking down at her, directly behind her now. "C- Can I help you with something?"


    The villain''s face remained blank and held little emotion. Despite that, Hope could tell she was being sized up. "You look familiar." The villain finally said. "Who are you?"


    She opened her mouth, about to speak, but closed it. Thanks to the Hero Branch, the entire world got to see Cinder without her mask on and even learn that her real name was Hope. She''d have to seriously remember to beat the crap out of the guys that threw her under the bus like that. Her real name was basically out of the question, so she came up with something else.


    "Ruby. My name is Ruby Larison."


    The gray-haired girl''s muscles seemed to relax a bit, and the girl nodded her head. "I see. My name is-" The girl stopped and frowned, rubbing her chin. "Meta. You can just call me Meta."


    She was willing to bet money on the fact that Meta was in fact not this girl''s actual name, but she couldn''t really question it since she was also using a fake name. "Well, if that''s everything, I think I should head out before those guys wake up." She gestured to the knights, who were all out cold. "Wouldn''t want them to catch me again, right?"


    Meta adjusted her hat, her face remaining blank still. "You were caught stealing." The girl questioned, though the answer was obvious as her eyes scanned Hope up and down, taking in the Hell Land jacket. "You shouldn''t walk around by yourself. It is dangerous for kids to be here. Is there someone you came with?¡±


    "Nope! Totally alone!"


    Meta gave a small nod of her head. "I see. That complicates things. In that case, I should join you. You won''t be bothered so long as I am with you."


    That gave her serious goosebumps. Was this girl some sort of powerful villain or something? There were hundreds of evil groups all throughout the world. Oleander alone had three big ones in the form of Bad Timers, Zoo, and the Wandering Coin. Most Supers tended to be on the side of evil since it was so much easier. "N- No thanks." She quickly shook her head. "I might not look it, but I''m pretty strong." That wasn''t really a lie. She was the one who killed the Beast after all. As soon as she found a way to revert her tiny body, she''d be golden once more.


    "If you''re sure." Meta didn''t seem bothered by her blunt response.


    "Yep! Totally sure-"


    She jumped a bit when Meta suddenly reacted to something. Faster than she could blink, Meta''s hand soared into the air, grabbing something. The villain slowly brought it up to her eyes and stared down at the squirming robot that was shaped like a fly. One of Avalon''s drones had found her. It didn''t live for long as Meta squeezed down and crushed it. Meta didn''t stop there, though. In a fluid strike, the girl drew her rifle and sent out waves of slashes through the air.


    Green energy spilled out of the blade and sliced more of the drones down from miles away, cutting through hundreds of them in an instant. The villain spun her sword back around and sheathed it.


    "How odd. Avalon''s drones seem to be looking for something. He should be more careful, though. He could anger the Owner. I don¡¯t want him reading my thoughts though, so I guess I¡¯ll just keep destroying them if I sense them nearby-" Meta glanced down suddenly when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her elbow. Hope stared up at her with wide eyes.


    "I change my mind! You''re just the kind of person I need!" She put on her best puppy dog look and pleaded with the villain. "Big sis Meta, please help me get out of Hell Land!"


    Meta blinked. Slowly, the girl placed her hand on the young child''s head. "Cute."


    Meanwhile, on the other side of Hell Land, Avalon let out a string of curses and kicked a nearby puppy. The dog flew forward, crashing into a woodchipper as the other villains all cheered. "That''s ten points!" Someone called out. "Step on up to our attraction! Prove how evil you are by killing the cute pupper in the worst way possible! Top scores win a prize!"


    Avalon let out a grunt and adjusted his tie, giving a sly smirk. "Still got it." Though kick the puppy wasn''t the game he was best at in Hell Land. That honor went to Club the Baby Seal. He won top spot for that game after he beat a baby seal with another baby seal. "Maybe I should go play a round or two of burn the house down, or a good old-fashioned rob the baby of its candy?"


    They weren''t real animals or people in any of the games. The dog he had just kicked was thankfully just an animatronic created by the Owner. Every ride in Hell Land was all handcrafted by the Owner, who had a Mental based power made for creating twisted rides. Somewhere down the line, the Owner thought it would be funny or interesting to make a lot of twisted games with life-like robotic models, such as Grandma bowling, where you used a truck to run over as many old women crossing the street as possible.


    The scientist stepped away, now holding his prize. It was a life-sized Victorian body pillow. The Owner also thought it was funny to steal hero merchandise and offer it up as prizes in his games, so the heroes wouldn''t get any profit. Not like they needed it, though. Those ¡®good guys¡¯ were rich enough.


    "My drones should have found Hope by now." He tucked the pillow under one of his arms and pulled his phone out. His smug smile faded when he saw he had no signal. "How the hell did she destroy them all? Her powers shouldn''t be back yet." He typed something in, and the screen changed, showing off the last thing they saw before they were all destroyed. "Oh crap! Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" He dropped the pillow and took off, running at full speed toward the Owner''s tower. ¡°Why the hell is ¡®she¡¯ here!¡±


    The woman in the picture, the one who had seemingly found Hope before him, was someone he knew very well. Someone very dangerous¡­ One of the few Mental-based Supers that could give even Boy Genius a run for his money.


    In the crowd of villains, Meta and Hope walked. She clung to the villain, feeling pretty good about herself. If this girl was able to casually destroy Avalon''s drones, then she didn''t have much to worry about. Those bugs had been her biggest worry. As long as she stuck near Meta, the girl would be able to wipe them out if the man threw any more at them. The way Meta acted also was a good sign. She was pretty confident she could get the girl to protect her from Avalon if it came to it.


    Come to think of it though, that was a little odd. After all, she was sure this girl was a villain. She didn''t recognize the name Meta or the girl''s appearance, but that didn''t mean anything. New villains appeared every day.


    "You''re not really what I was expecting." She finally said.


    Meta glanced down at Hope, still having no emotion on her face or in her voice. "What were you expecting?"


    "I guess for you to not be so nice? We''re in a place called Hell Land." She snorted. "I mean, I look around, and it just sort of dawns on me that every person here is evil, you know." The crowd kept going in many directions. Some people stopped at food stands getting overpriced meals, others got onto rides. Some of the people were in costumes or suits of armor, but most looked like normal people. There were some that even looked like your typical family walking with their children. It sent chills down her spine knowing there were kids here.


    "Not everyone who is here is evil." Meta also looked around the crowd, taking the sight of it all in. "Many of the supervillains that come here do so to trade info or goods amongst each other in the Owner''s tower. While they do this, their teams are left to run around. My own boss is here, and soon I will be asked to join him. Most of the people you see here are henchmen. People without powers. More still aren''t even in a gang and are instead family members of villains or grunts. They just happen to know the right kind of people. Then you have the rich folk who work directly with the Owner. They fund this place and, in return, can take their people and family here as well as get to work personally with many villain groups. The elites of the world and the villains all go hand in hand. That said, does that make this a place of evil?"


    "If it''s filled with a bunch of villains or people who want to work with villains, then yeah." She said firmly. "I''d say so?"


    "Are you against villains?"


    "Uh! Well-" She winced a bit. She forgot that she was the only superhero in Hell Land. A superhero without any powers trapped in a child-like body. It was probably weird to not be into the villain life if you were visiting such a place.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "It''s fine." Meta squeezed her shoulder as they kept walking through the crowd. She tried to read the girl''s face but couldn''t. Meta was the kind of person who would be good at poker. The girl never gave anything away. "I''m sure you have your reasons for thinking that way. That said, Hell Land is a place for villains. Not a place for evil. I won''t deny that there is evil here and that it was built on top of evil. Being a villain doesn''t mean you''re evil right away, though. At least that''s what I think. There''s a whole planet out there. Despite that, though, the only person who protects it is the Victorian. The other heroes have left everyone else behind and stay in their ten cities. They''ve built walls and closed off the world. Villages, towns, and even other smaller cities still exist that the heroes never come to because it isn''t in their part of the world. The Supers that run around in this land are called villains because they don''t want to work directly with the heroes or the Hero Branch. Many of those people are here now, staying in the hotels or looking for work to provide for their family or village. I wouldn''t say they are evil. Of course there are evil villains; in fact, I dare say most are evil, but I''d also like to say that I wouldn''t really call any hero a good person either."


    She didn''t really have anything to say to that. The ten major cities of the world had closed themselves off. They had left the rest of humanity behind. The humans that didn''t live in the ten cities only had the Victorian to look after them. The lone hero who was strong enough, fast enough, and more importantly, kind enough, to go out of her way to check up on them. But she couldn''t be everywhere at once. Just as Full Monarch had failed, there was no way the Victorian could keep every place in the world safe at all times.


    The Hero Branch had walled everything off and turned the outside world into a place they called the Wasteland. A place where the giant monsters from the Emperor''s army still roamed, or the undead zombies of Lucifer''s forces walked. She had gone most of her life assuming that there was no one who would be able to make a living in a harsh land like that, yet the memories she had seen had shown her otherwise.


    That little village that Wano had moved to. How many more existed like it? Scattered all over this planet. How many places didn''t have a hero that could protect them? Not even a hero. Anyone that could protect them. When you considered just how many people must be in danger or struggling to live, it really made her consider if you could call the Hero Branch good.


    She looked around at the people in the crowd, watching many of them laugh or smile. Despite that, though, she still couldn''t help but remember how most reacted when she had been grabbed. No one had stepped in besides Meta to save her. Did that mean Meta was good despite being a villain? Did it mean that everyone who stood by and did nothing was evil? If that was the case, then every hero who could help but didn''t was evil. Then again, what could the people have done? Could any of them have stopped those men from taking her? If a person didn''t have the power and knew they didn''t and did nothing, were they evil for not trying at all?


    "Man, my head really hurts thinking about all of this." She winced and rubbed at her forehead. "Can everything just be black and white, and the good guys always win while the bad guys are mustache-twirling levels of evil? Is that too much to ask for?" That was when she noticed something else. They were going in a complete circle. The entire time she had been debating morality, Meta had walked them around a ride over and over again, the villain''s eyes never once leaving it. She followed the girl''s gaze, finding it was one of the spinning teacup rides. The kind where they crashed together and bounced around a large field. This one had been made by a Super, though, so it was much bigger, and the crashes looked way more chaotic and crazier. "Do you want to go on that ride, Meta-"


    "I thought you would never ask." Meta''s voice didn''t rise, nor did her face change, but her eyes seemed to have a brief flicker of excitement to them. ¡°I mean¡­¡± The girl cleared her throat. ¡°We can go on it if you want, Ms. Larison.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    That was how Hope found herself boarding one of the large metal cups. The ride was set up like an arena, with each teacup able to hold four people. It was just her and Meta, however. The other cups had other groups in them, and in total there were nearly twenty. The field was almost a mile long, and once the ride started, it was like a massive earthquake went off, and the cups began to spin so fast, they kicked up tornadoes. She had to do everything she could to hold onto Meta for dear life and not be sent flying off.


    That wouldn''t be the last ride Meta would take her on, as they walked toward the exit of Hell Land...


    Meanwhile, at another spot in Hell Land, the knights Meta had knocked out began to groan and shake as they were finally waking up. They were all handpicked by the Owner and given suits of armor that matched Hell Hound''s. The Owner hadn''t been one of the four warriors but had been a monster in the Emperor''s army who had been placed directly under Hell Hound, and so he had modeled his forces after his former boss.


    Each of the Owner''s knights was a Super able to rival the strength of villains like Green Wolf or Polaron. Despite that, they had all been knocked out in a single attack from a lone woman. It was enough to humiliate them and wound their pride.


    "Wakey, wakey, it''s time for school!" The knights jumped to their feet when they heard the mocking voice. They found a lone Super standing at the other end of the alleyway they were in. One dressed in a fur coat with a hat that had the symbol of a butterfly on it. Michael tipped his hat in their direction, giving a smile. "How''s it going, boys- Actually, don''t answer that I can tell- Oh wait, is that rude? Should I let you answer- Ah, who am I kidding. You''re all going to be dead soon- Wait, should I have said that?"


    One of the guards stumbled back, staring at the blonde man in front of him. He shook, and the two other guards behind him shot him odd looks. "What''s wrong, brother? It''s just one Super? We can take him."


    "No. We can''t." The man through gritted teeth. "I know him. I''ve seen him before. Look closely, you fools! That man is the legendary villain, Arch-Angel Michael! Member of the Immortals! He''s only rivaled by his leader, Arch-Angel Lucifer!"


    "Aw, looks like I got a fan club!" Michael gave a cheery smile and stepped forward, causing the three armored men to step back. "Still got to kill you though. Boss''s order- Lucy was all like- Again, why am I telling you? You guys will be dead soon- Though I guess if you''re going to die soon, it doesn''t matter, does it- Okay! I''ve talked myself into it! I''ll tell you what''s going on- Only because you keep pulling my leg- See, the thing is Lucifer doesn''t like how the Owner is taking the side of the Emperor in their little game, so he asked me to cut down your guy''s numbers, so to speak." Michael held up a bag that he casually tossed down in front of the armored men.


    The men stared down, finding several heads of their fellow guards piled up in the bag. One of the guards drew their weapon, a large mace, which they swung out while jumping toward Michael with inhuman speed.


    Michael just gave a sly smile and dodged the swing with ease. "Let''s play a game. Ever heard of freeze tag?" He placed his hand on the guard''s stomach, and in an instant the man was covered in ice, becoming a frozen corpse. Michael shoved the man over with his fingers, causing the frozen body to shatter into a million pieces. Another one of the guards turned to run, but Michael stopped him by speaking. "A new game. Simon Says. Simon Says smack yourself in the head as hard as you can." The guard''s arm moved on its own, gripping down on his mace and swung it up into his helmet, flattening it. His body collapsed next to the final guard, who hadn''t run.


    The last guard stood there gripping his weapon. Unlike the others, it wasn''t a mace and was instead a large battleaxe. He was the one who was tasked with cutting off the arm of the girl they caught. He didn''t run or try to fight. He simply stared Michael down as the young man reached him.


    "Tag." Michael casually slapped the man on the shoulder. "Looks like you made the cut. Enjoy your life, man- Oh, hey, can you clean up these corpses- No hard feelings, I hope- You know how bosses can be right? Anyways, I need to go find my sister- Take care, bro!"


    Large wings stabbed out of Michael''s back, expanding out with a flutter. They looked angelic in nature, consisting of hundreds of golden feathers. Michael took off into the air, leaving the black-armored knight standing in the alleyway, surrounded by his dead men.


    The knight looked at the two corpses and then at the bag full of severed heads. "I really need to take my PTO soon."


    Back over with Hope, she nearly collapsed to her knees, clutching her stomach. "Never again." She whimpered.


    "Are you okay, Ms. Larison?" Meta asked, cocking her head to the side.


    "No... No, I am not..."


    They had just finished riding a massive rollercoaster, and much like the teacups, it had been built to push Supers to their limit. She had no idea how so many normal people enjoyed it. The ride had moved so fast it caught the air on fire and went up so high that if they had been on Earth, she was sure they''d have reached space.


    Meta had taken her on three more rides before that as well. She was happy the girl was seemingly having fun, but it was seriously starting to cause her body to ache. "Let''s get you something to drink." Meta stated.


    "I''m fine-"


    Meta ignored her and began to drag her to another part of the park. They were in a large, crowded area miles away from the beach, where the exit was. Meta ordered them some sort of soda and she quietly took hers.


    "Are you enjoying yourself?" Meta asked.


    "I guess." She took a sip of her drink. "As much fun as this is, though, I''d like to leave. I asked you to take me to the exit. It''s good you''re having fun and everything, but there''s something I really need to-"


    "You''re being followed." Meta said it in such a blunt way that she almost thought the girl was joking. She jumped a bit and almost spun around, but Meta kept a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Stay calm. I noticed that they were following us a little while before the teacups. At first, I thought they might be after me, but it isn''t anyone I recognize. They''ve also kept their gaze on you. I haven''t noticed any of the guards. I''ve kept us moving with the crowd and at popular places so they wouldn''t be able to strike."


    "That''s why you took me on so many rides?" She had just assumed the girl really liked theme parks.


    "I''m telling you now because he''s approaching." Meta explained quietly. "If he tries to attack, I''ll take him out."


    "What does he look like?" She asked.


    "He''s a red monster."


    "A monster!" That caught her off guard. She had been expecting it to be Avalon or Fairy Queen. Both were monsters but looked humanish. Neither were red either, so it couldn¡¯t be them. The park was full of monsters, many of them having no choice but to live here since the outside world would attack them. That meant there was a good chance this monster was part of the Emperor''s group and dangerous. He also could seemingly bring his dead monsters back like what he did with Polaron or Demonica, leaving them in that weird shadowy form. At least she was assuming Demonica was dead if the girl was in that form. With that in mind, there was no telling who it could be.


    "He''s here."


    "Hope." A voice asked quietly. She felt a shiver run down her spine and she slowly turned around. It was a voice she recognized. "You are Hope Lauren, right?"


    He stood at eight feet tall and was covered in red skin that looked like living muscle. He wore a black jacket and blue jeans to cover up his form, and he was bald. A pair of devil horns stabbed out of his head as well as a tail that came from his rear, which flicked back and forth. In other words, he looked exactly like Mars King.


    She looked the monster dead in the eyes as he stared down at her. "Kevin?" She asked in a whispered voice.


    "Yeah.¡± The boy nodded. ¡°It''s me."

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Six: Meta

    Pain trailed through the top of her head, and Hope couldn¡¯t help but reach up and rub at the scar that was there. Even after being shrunken down, the wound Wish had left on her was still there. A jagged line that went all the way across her forehead. It suddenly ached and burned as she stared at Kevin, a sick reminder of everything she had gone through in her battle with Wish.


    ¡°Are you really Kevin?¡± She asked startled, though she knew without a doubt it really was him.


    Of all the people to run into, this might have been the one she was least expecting. To be honest, she hadn''t really thought about him at all since the Wish incident. A fact that made her a little disgusted with herself. Some hero she had been. She had failed to save him from ending up in such a bad fate, transformed into a monster by the Lord of Life''s hand, and then taken away by the Emperor to do God knows what.


    Now here he stood dressed in clothes but looking much like Mars King had back in the day, only smaller and slimmer. The teen''s eyes roamed over her own changed form, and he frowned. "I wasn''t sure if it was you or not when I first saw you. You''ve changed a lot. I mean, you were pretty tall for a girl, but now you look like a kid? This some sort of power or something you have?"


    "It''s complicated." She sighed. "Wait! Why am I being casual with you? I bet the Avalon, or the Emperor sent you to come get me!" She clung to Meta''s arm and pointed at the red-skinned monster. "Get him, Meta!" She waited, but Meta didn''t budge. "Meta?" She looked up at the girl''s face.


    Meta had her head cocked to the side and looked between her and the Mars King lookalike. "Did he call you Hope?" The girl asked firmly. "And he said you were tall? And you ''look'' like a kid? Are you not a child? Also, the Emperor is after you? Ah. Those drones I destroyed earlier. They were meant for you, weren''t they?"


    She felt a chill go down her spine as she looked into Meta''s green eyes. They suddenly looked a lot more scary. She could tell the girl was studying her up and down, processing everything that had been said. She had totally forgotten once again that this was a villain. One who had casually taken down those guards and Avalon''s drones. One who she could tell was very, very powerful. Maybe even stronger than someone like Wish had been. If Meta turned on her, she was basically screwed.


    "Furthermore, are you a follower of the Emperor?" Meta''s hand found its way onto her rapier, and her gaze now stared at Kevin. Green energy began to crackle out as the girl slowly drew her weapon. A crowd had started to form around them, but it quickly broke apart when Meta¡¯s blade was fully unsheathed. Everyone decided it best to not pay them any mind, seemingly avoiding Meta¡¯s wrath. "If you are, then you should know that I am not on the side of the Emperor. In fact, I''d say I''m against him and what he stands for. The one I follow is not him." Things were going from bad to worse in such a short amount of time. She wouldn''t be fast enough to escape if Meta decided to fight. Not with the level of speed the girl had shown.


    Thankfully, though, the dangerous silence that was starting to fill the void around them was broken by Kevin. "I''m not with the Emperor." The young man finally said, folding his arms. "I might be a monster, but that doesn''t mean I follow him. Believe me, it was bad choices that led me down this path. That girl you have with you is a friend of mine. I''d appreciate it if you let her go."


    "Let her go." Meta looked down and realized she had Hope''s shoulder in a death lock, digging her fingers into the girl''s skin. Meta let go and stepped away but kept her weapon drawn. Some people in the crowd stopped and looked at them, but most had seen stranger things during their times and kept moving around them. "Is this man really someone you can trust?" The villain questioned.


    Hope stared up at Kevin and then looked back at Meta. Kevin once again spoke up. "Look. I want what you want. I''m trying to get out of this place as well. I escaped from the place the Emperor stored me at and am just trying to find a way back to the real world. I don''t want to work for him. I was forced to obey Wish. She kept her cells deep inside of my DNA and forced me to obey her or she''d hurt me. Not just physically but mentally. I could always hear her voice. The Emperor hasn''t done that yet. I think he''s still trying to decide what to do with me and the other two weapons Wish created. This could be my only chance." He held his hand out toward her. "Do you want to escape with me?"


    She stared at the hand, feeling her mind race. Kevin had been a bully. He started off as one of the smartest kids in school and got all the highest scores at any physical activity he did. In a world where Supers existed, he had been born as a normal human who reached the top of humanity¡¯s limits. Maybe it was those limits that had broken him just as they had broken so many others. He had fallen into abusing substances to perform better and even joined Wish, becoming a monster. He had done a lot of horrible things, but what choice did he really have when the option was to be turned into something worse by Wish? Not even death would have been an escape for him.


    As a human, he had done some pretty bad things. Bullying others and even nearly fighting her at one point, which felt like it was years ago now. As a Super, he had followed someone equal to the Emperor in terms of cruelty. Yet now his eyes were pleading with her. Heroes hadn''t come to save him from Wish, nor had they been there for him when his life spiraled out of control. All the bad things he had done, there was no taking those back, but if a hero stepped in now, if one helped him, would it stop him from walking down a worse path?


    "I don''t think he''s a bad person." She jumped a bit when she heard Meta speak. The girl spun her weapon around and slid it into her belt once more. "I am not good at reading people, though. Do what you wish, Ms. ''Hope''."


    She winced a bit at the way Meta spoke her name. She got the feeling Meta wasn¡¯t happy about the fact she lied. Then again, she was sure Meta hadn¡¯t given a real name either, so it wasn¡¯t like the girl could be that mad.


    Slowly, she nodded her head and made up her mind. "Alright Kevin. If you want to escape, then you can come with me. Meta here was about to take me to the exit." She shot a look back up at the gray-haired woman. "You''re still going to help me, right, big sis Meta?" She asked, doing her best to put on a puppy dog look.


    "That doesn''t work now that I know you''re not actually a kid." Meta poked her in the cheek. "That said, I will fulfill the promise I made and walk you both to the exit of Hell Land."


    "Who is this girl?" Kevin asked, narrowing his eyes as he studied Meta up and down.


    She stepped between them both and raised her hand. "I don''t really know, but she''s nice, so behave, Kevin!"


    Kevin''s arms folded, and he turned away. "Yeah. I''ll try." He was quiet for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Thank you, I guess. I''ve gotten really lost in this place, and some of the Emperor''s guards have been near the exit waiting for me, so I had no way of actually escaping until I found you."


    ¡°His grunts are at the exit?¡± She bit her lip. ¡°So can we even get out?¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to fear.¡± Meta calmly sheathed her sword once more, and the energy finally died out. ¡°We won¡¯t be leaving through the main entrance.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    "The way we''ll be using is a backdoor exit." Meta explained. The girl walked through the crowd, and they both followed after her. "Big realms like these usually have two gates connecting them to the real world. The front exit is at the beach and is how most villains enter and leave. The way I''ll be taking you is a secret, and you''ll have to be ready for danger once you step out of it, but it will take you back to the real world."


    She nodded her head and walked alongside Kevin as they stalked through the large crowd, heading for one of the rides in the distance. She hoped Meta wasn''t just taking them there to get on another one. She was sure the girl had used the following card as an excuse for why they got on so many today. She looked up at Kevin, who kept his eyes forward. "Are you okay?"


    "Not really." The teen spat out and winced. "My head hurts still. My entire body, in fact. It''s like I''m wrestling with another me in my head. Sometimes I feel my emotions just change and swell on the fly. It really pisses me off."


    She nodded her head slowly. The Emperor''s power to turn people into monsters wasn''t one he got from being a Lord. At least she remembered hearing something similar to that when he was explaining Ego¡¯s to her. It was likely the power that allowed him to become a Ruler. Because of that, Wish''s methods for creating Supers had to be different. Now that she thought it, Kevin and those other two still had red blood compared to the black blood everyone else had. They also all looked human for the most part. Though now Kevin really didn''t since he walked around in his Mars King form. How did Wish change them? It was like she had made actual Supers instead of the monsters the Emperor created. Not to mention, with Wish dead, how did Kevin and the others still have powers? From what she knew, it was Wish¡¯s DNA and cells, but Wish was long dead.


    Right?


    "Why do you look like Mars King?" She questioned nervously.


    "Don''t know." Kevin shrugged. "Just felt right. After Wish died, I haven''t been able to change back. I still have my powers and can alter my form and stuff, but my skin won''t grow back." He brought up his hand and caused it to grow and stretch, twisting it into a red horse that was the size of a small baby and attached directly to his wrist. "I''m like a shapeshifter or something, I guess."


    "That''s pretty cool!" She shook her head and got herself back under control. "What happened when the Emperor took you-"


    "I don''t want to talk about it." Kevin''s teeth ground together, and his fist clenched tightly, shaking. "I just- Can we just focus on getting out of here?"


    She nodded slightly. "I understand." She wouldn''t say she forgave him for some of the stuff he had done, both as a human and as a Super, but she also wouldn''t say all of it was his fault. Especially the part that involved Wish. She still didn''t have her powers and was still stuck in such a small body, but she was happy that at the very least she was able to help him out and possibly finally save him from the darkness that had swallowed him whole.


    "We''ve arrived." Meta called back to them. She looked up and found that they stopped in front of a large merry-go-round. The ride itself had a long line of people waiting to get on it, and instead of horses, it was large dragons or mean-looking cats people rode on. The thing spun at crazy speeds, causing the people who rode it to become blurs. It was faster than even a jet, and just the thought of being on it made her stomach flop a bit.


    "You''re not going to say we have to ride this thing to get out of here, are you?" Kevin questioned.


    Meta''s face remained blank and emotionless, but she was sure the girl was experiencing the closest thing she had to a smile. Finally, Meta shook her head. "Sadly, there is no need for us to get on it."


    "Sadly?"


    The girl walked to the back of the ride, going around it where they were out of sight of the line. The ride was placed onto a large, sloped platform, and so moving behind it, they were at the base of the platform directly under it. Meta reached out and placed her palm on the stone, pushing it in and causing cracks to appear along it as it opened up into a doorway. "This is the doorway." Meta explained. "It''s sort of like two gates linked up. It will take you to the actual exit. You''ll need to be careful when you appear back in the real world, though, because you''ll be-"


    "Yo Meta!" A loud voice from up above cut the girl off. They looked up just in time to hear the flapping of wings as a blonde-haired boy in a coat dropped down. Michael twirled his hat and smirked. "I was looking all over for you. You weren''t at your usual rides- Who are these guys- Oh yeah, father wants us to return to him- Wait, seriously, who are these guys, and why are you showing them the exit?" He looked at the red demon and the young girl smirking. "Hey, my name is Michael-"This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "They were just leaving, brother." Meta cut him off and stepped in front of him. "I was just showing them the exit." She looked back at Hope and Kevin and nodded.


    Hope turned around to enter the doorway. She didn''t know who that Michael guy was, but he was seriously giving her the creeps. She turned back to look at Meta one last time. "Thank you. You''re a good person." She stepped past the doorway with Kevin, and it began to slowly cover itself up, sealing back.


    The last thing she saw and heard before it fully closed was Meta finally showing the smallest hint of an emotion. It was a smile. A sad one. "No." The girl said. "I''m actually a very bad person." And then the doorway sealed shut, leaving her and Kevin alone.


    Kevin was the first to look around while Hope processed the words she had just heard. They were in a strange tunnel. One made of stone that stretched out for about twenty feet. She could hear Hell Land above them. They were under the ride. At the end of the tunnel was a glowing blue portal. The gate that would actually lead them to the real world. She''d have to figure out what Meta meant later. Right now, all she wanted was to be in the real world again. There was so much her friends needed to hear. Not to mention she had a lot of information the Victorian would need.


    "Are you ready?" She asked, looking up at Kevin.


    "Ready as you are. Thanks for taking me with you..." He grumbled.


    "Don''t mention it."


    They walked to the portal. Gates could come in all sorts of shapes and forms. Some were like the Bad Timers, where you walked directly through an object to enter the realm. Others were like the elevator the Sub Enforcers used. This one sort of reminded her of the portal she and BB had created when they busted into the Wandering Coin realm. That portal had allowed her to see past it and into the realm like a window. This one was much the same, but all she saw was darkness. It spooked her out a bit.


    She wasn''t the only one either, as Kevin''s eyes scanned it up and down. "It''ll be okay." She said, half to reassure him and the other half to convince herself. He only nodded. Slowly, they stepped forward. "Oleander, here I come!"


    She regretted having her mouth open instantly. As soon as they stepped through, she felt massive pressure smash into her and dropped as there was no floor. A chill worse than any other hit her, and her mouth was flooded with water. It was pitch black, and she realized with horror that they were underwater. She began to drop as the water pulled her down, and she felt a horrible pain along her body. She was drowning.


    They were somewhere in the middle of the ocean, deep below... That was the hidden entrance.


    Her body was too heavy to swim, and she kept dropping further and further, and already her lungs felt like they were about to explode!


    Everything slowly faded away, and she felt her eyes close...


    ***


    The Emperor looked around the room he was in, scanning it up and down. It was a large office room. One with shelves and desks carved out of expensive wood and a soft carpet that served as the floor. Several large portraits of famous moments in history were placed on the wall. They were paintings of people like Full Monarch or Lucifer, ruins of the first city the Beast attacked, and a group photo of the first ever Enforcer team. Each book on the many shelves was expensive as well as being one of a kind.


    The room alone cost more than almost all of Hell Land. It was who sat behind the desk though that was truly important.


    If you were to ask the world who the Owner was, no one would be able to give you an answer. To many, he didn''t exist, and they had no idea of who such a being was. To some though, those on the Enforcers or those high enough in ranking of the Hero Branch would know the horrors in that name.


    The Owner, also known as the man who nearly helped the Emperor bring the world to ruins. Better known now for setting up and managing all of Lucifer''s Murder Games. A Monster who had grown beyond his creator and formed his own faction all with his own strength.


    "I assume there is a reason you asked to come to this meeting, Sir?" The Owner asked, giving a respectful nod to the one who created him. "After all, this was supposed to just be a conversation for me and Master Lucifer."


    The Emperor turned his head slightly and found the second-greatest villain in the world standing next to him. Lucifer''s face remained blank and impassive, but he could tell the man was angry. Lucifer''s fingers tightened around the massive tome he held, and his golden eyes glared down at the Owner for even daring to allow the Emperor into the meeting.


    "Indeed, there is." The Emperor remained in his armor. It was his greatest protection from Lucifer''s Dead Virus. Unlike Lucifer, he pulled out a chair and took a seat in front of the desk. "Lucifer and I are working together at the moment."


    "Don''t get it twisted." Lucifer''s voice came out almost like a hiss. The man opened his book and began to flip through some of his pages. "We are not on the same side. Just because you are a Ruler like me does not mean we are a team, little Nier."


    "You did agree that you needed me in the next Murder Game you''re doing, though." The Emperor stated in a blunt tone. "As such, if you''re to discuss the games with the Owner, then it is only natural that I be here to give my own thoughts."


    "I only need you because it means we can finally have all four Rulers at one place." The leader of the Immortals looked down on the man in the armor. "Your time came and went. You failed to take the world over just as I did. Both of us failed in our attack. Destroyed and beaten by Full Monarch. Though in your case it was your own arrogance. Your son-"


    "Alpha is not my son."


    "-the one you raised yourself. Turned against you. How fitting. Now here you are corrupted and broke like myself. Forced to accept a dark gift. We might both be Rulers, we might both have walked the same path, and we might both despise the Lords, and the one you called Alpha, but we are not teammates."


    The Owner tapped his finger down on the desk as his eyes roamed back and forth between the two villains that stood in his office. "You better not get into a fight and ruin anything in this room. This desk costs more than a village and was handcrafted by Ms. Hell Hound herself." He stated in his typical robotic tone.


    Sixteen years ago, during the great war, the Emperor had forced nearly every villainous group to kneel before him. Those that were too strong or too proud were wiped out or given a worse fate. They were turned into monsters. The Owner hadn''t been a villain before his change, but after becoming a monster, he was left with no choice but to work for the one who had made him.


    Even today, Monsters didn''t have a lot of choices for what they could and couldn''t do. They either had to be heroes or villains. The world gave them no other option.


    The Owner was not your typical monster. He had been a human, one who did not have any powers. Humans still possessed a soul, or Ego, but unlike Supers, who had two, his kind had just one. When the Emperor created his monsters, he injected a new Ego into the host. One that would rampage and destroy much of the first. For many, this Ego granted them new powers if they already had them, or their first taste at being a Super, if they were a human before. It would also likely spell their doom.


    The rampaging Ego would break their body and soul, forcefully merging with it on a level a power shouldn''t reach. A full Inversion, one in which the host no longer remained in control. With the host out of the way, the power was free to evolve and change with no restriction. This is what created most of the giant monsters that still roam the planet today. Once humans or Supers, they were unable to tame their power and become something almost similar to the Beast in terms of purpose.


    The Owner, unlike many other monsters, was able to tame the new Ego. It didn''t destroy his soul. It merged with it. A balance. One that allowed him to rise above his human self. Now he stood, not as a monster, but as a Super that could rival many of the greatest groups in the world with his mind.


    He didn''t have skin. Instead, he was made of pure metal. His head was robotic-looking, with a pair of antennae poking out the top. He looked very machine-like, with steam coming out of various cracks along him. Most of his robotic body was covered by an expensive business suit he wore complete with a red tie. He tapped his fingers on his desk and scanned the two strongest villains up and down, the computer inside of him processing what he should say next. Like Golden God, he was someone who had become a machine upon changing into a monster. They were the same kind of species as Beta, the hero of the Enforcers.


    "Every year, Master Lucifer asks me to get things ready for his game. I was told this year you would be competing, sir. Might I know what you will be bringing as forces for these games? Will you be an obstacle or a player?"


    "Whatever is easiest." The Emperor replied. "The details are not important. The only thing that matters is that this game has the four Lords and the four Rulers present. Only then can we truly settle the score." He looked toward Lucifer. "I assume you are fine with that."


    Lucifer''s eyes narrowed. "You know that only one of us will be able to reach the end. We both have a different idea for what it should be... Unlike Lords, our kind isn''t meant to work together. By the end of my next game, mark my words, there will be only one Ruler left standing. One Ruler who will finish the task the Shadow gave to us."


    "That Ruler will be me."


    Lucifer''s tome opened, and he glared at the man. "It will be me! I was around since the beginning! I was there when you were just a Lord. I was the first Ruler, and I will be the last!"


    "We shall see." The shadows in the room seemed to almost come to life, and the Owner sighed as both the Emperor and Lucifer summoned one of the members of their armies.


    In an instant, Lucifer found himself surrounded by hundreds of metal blades as the shadowy form of Polaron appeared behind him. At that same moment, the Emperor was coated in a layer of ice and frozen to his chair as the hero that once went by Snowdawn stood directly behind him. Neither Snowdawn nor Polaron held any emotion within their eyes. One was formed out of darkness itself in the mirror image of the man; the other was a corpse pieced together by the Dead Virus. Both were long gone.


    "That is enough." The ice and shadow vanished as the Owner''s fist smashed down into his desk, shattering it. Apparently it wasn¡¯t as important to him as he had claimed. The robot took a moment to collect his thoughts and let out a deep sigh, causing steam to flow out of a pair of holes in his head. Both the Emperor and Lucifer turned their attention toward him. Golden eyes, as well as a fiery gaze, dared him to raise his voice again. "My apologies. I seemed to have lost my temper. That said, have either of you considered the task it would be to get all Lords into the game as well as the last two Rulers? Last I checked, the remaining Rulers are not on our side. One is pretending to be a good guy, and the other has died so many times his soul and emotions have shattered away, leaving him twisted and changed into the monster that caused the Hero Branch to leave an entire city behind."


    "Legend won''t be hard to tame." The Emperor spoke up and dusted some of the snow and ice off of his armor. "He was once a hero, but after dying so many times, he was unable to balance the dark soul within him and has transformed. Even he has his uses as a mindless Ruler. The real issue, however, comes in the form of the hero known as Battery."


    "Yes, your son." Lucifer spoke up.


    "He was a tool. Nothing more. Nothing less." The Emperor growled. "When I first found him, I knew there was something special about him. He enabled me to chase after my plan in the past. I believed that with him, I could create a world in which the Beast would never attack. Now I see how foolish I was trying to use him. Upon his death, he revived as a Ruler as well. It was quite the shock for me. Unlike Lucifer and I, he has died the least amount of times. Each of our deaths has taken bits of our emotion and mind away. Thanks to Avalon, I was able to restore most of mine, however, which was why it took so long for me to come back in the first place. Alpha, on the other hand, has only died a handful of times now. The darkness is only just now starting to numb his mind and heart. He hasn''t awakened as a full Ruler yet. The Ruler of Creation and Destruction needs to be nudged a little more."


    ¡°So he needs to die more?¡± The Owner questioned.


    ¡°No.¡± The Emperor shook his head. ¡°It is true that death can have a greater effect on us. It takes away part of our souls and minds, but it won¡¯t be enough. Not for Battery. He assumed he wasn¡¯t a Ruler anymore, and the truth is I did as well. Full Monarch, with the power of the Cosmos, was able to reverse and repair Battery¡¯s damaged Ego in their final fight. This should have cured Battery, but it seems something went wrong and he became a Ruler all over again once he died. It did reset him though. He¡¯d have to die a numerous amount of times to reach the same point as Legend, or like me and Lucifer, he would have to willingly give in and let the Ego within merge with him. He¡¯s been keeping it at a distance for quite some time now, however.¡±


    "If that''s how it is, then leave it to me." Lucifer turned away from the two men in the room. "I know just how to break his spirit. I¡¯ll reduce him to the same sort of mad animal Legend is. Speaking of Legend, I even know how to get our fourth and final member to play as well. This will truly be the last Murder Games I perform. One with Lords and Rulers. After this, it will all be over. My plan will come at last."


    "You''re wrong. It will be me that reaches the end." The Emperor lowered his tone and stared at the man''s back. "I will be the one who does the duty as a Ruler. I will be the hero that saves this planet once and for all."


    Lucifer didn''t bother to look back at the man and walked toward the door about to leave. "We shall see, Nier. We shall see."


    Outside of the office doorway, he found his children. The Immortals. Uriel stood near Gabriel, the two arguing about something. Gabriel was hanging off of Uriel¡¯s arm, and the wires that formed her dress moved out, choking the pretty man. In the other corner, Michael stood along with their newest sibling. Lucifer looked Metatron up and down, taking in her gray hair and the military outfit she wore. "I have a job for you."


    "Yes, father." She kneeled down, keeping her head low. Meta didn''t meet his eyes.


    He placed his hand on her head, running his fingers through her gray hair. "You''re the newest Metatron, so I expect you to uphold the standards of what this name means. My last child that held your name wasn¡¯t able to follow my orders. We''ll be starting the Murder Games up soon enough. This one will have all four Lords. Do you know what that means?"


    "The Lord of the Sun will be there." Meta questioned. Her face showed a flicker of emotion once again. This time one of malice and hate.


    "That is correct, my child."


    "Finally." Meta breathed out and gripped the handle of her sword. "I''ll finally be able to take my revenge on the Lord of the Sun. I''ll be the one that slays the false hero that calls herself Cinder."

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Seven: The Island

    It was all dark, but she could hear splashing all around her, followed by heavy waves slamming down.


    "H-"


    She almost groaned. How many times has she blacked out and then woke up in some new location? This was starting to get ridiculous.


    ¡°H-¡±


    She bet someone like the Victorian didn¡¯t have to worry about things like this happening. Neither would someone like Battery. Mr. Larison was way too cool to be constantly blacking out like she was.


    "Hope!"


    The voice of Kevin rumbled in Hope¡¯s ears. She mentally sighed as she felt her body start to wake back up and function again. Even without opening her eyes, she knew her body was still stuck in its tiny new form. She felt a little extra weight on her back, though, which confused her. She also felt sand and water splashing on her and a pair of lips on hers-


    Her eyes snapped wide open, and she prayed with all her heart that Kevin wasn''t giving her CPR. Thankfully for her, it wasn''t Kevin above her. Unfortunately, it also wasn''t anyone she knew personally. She didn''t make a good first impression either, as moments later, she began to vomit up an entire bucket''s worth of seawater.


    The person giving her the CPR, whoever it was, thankfully removed their lips just in time. She coughed and gasped, her body shaking. "There, there. Let it all out." It was a young woman. One who was currently patting her on the back as her lungs became free of water. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better once your lungs are clear.¡±


    She tried to nod her head but was unable to as more water and sand flowed out of her mouth. She was gasping by the end of it and couldn¡¯t help the shudders that went through her. Tears were streaming down her face, and she felt really embarrassed about the crying in front of another person, but she also couldn¡¯t really bring herself to care.


    The woman who had seemingly saved her life kept rubbing her back, soothing her nerves. ¡°T- Thank you.¡± She managed to gasp out. ¡°I almost drowned! Did you save me-¡± She stopped suddenly when she finally took notice of the person who saved her, and she instantly felt her face go red.


    The woman was in her early twenties at the most and had tanned skin, showing a life spent out in the sun. She also had long, flowing black hair. Whoever the woman was, she didn''t wear normal clothes, instead being dressed in what appeared to be leaves and grass woven together into a makeshift dress. It was similar in design to the ones from the memories Avalon had forced her to watch. The kind of outfit people in villages would wear.


    On top of all of that, though, the woman was extremely beautiful. She had been given CPR from a very attractive lady.


    Her face felt hot, and her world spun a bit as she tried to clear her thoughts. That was technically cheating on Sky, was it? Were she and Sky even dating? Did it matter? Who knows. She wasn¡¯t really able to think straight at the moment anyway.


    The woman noticed her flushed face and cocked their head to the side. "Are you okay, little girl?" The woman questioned. Just like that, her embarrassment was replaced with a flash of annoyance at being called a kid.


    Hope blinked a bit and tried to answer. She resisted the urge to explain the age thing and instead accepted the fact that this lady likely thought she was thirteen. It might mean the woman was more willing to help her out. "Yeah? I''m fine, I think?" She rubbed part of her head and coughed up the last of the water, feeling a bit dizzy but mostly fine other than that. "Where am I, exactly?"


    She took a moment to judge her surroundings, and it only made her worry grow. She wasn''t in any of the ten cities that existed. She was back on Earth, however. She could tell thanks to the blue sky above and the passing clouds. Just like Hell Land, though, she had surfaced up in some sort of beach-looking area. Or, more specifically, some sort of tropical island. The kind that had coconut trees and crabs walking around.


    There weren''t any big buildings, but she did spot several wooden huts. The island was pretty big just from what little she saw, but the spot she had surfaced on happened to be near what she assumed was a village. It was just past the tree line. Several of those small huts had been built into the trees, and just like the woman, there were people walking about, all dressed in hand-forged clothes. Some were large men carrying sharpened wooden spears or makeshift bows, and others were women washing the clothes or getting cooking supplies.


    Most concerning of all, though, was that she didn''t see Kevin anywhere near her.


    "You''re on Coral Island," the woman explained. "I was getting ready to go fishing when I happened upon you in the water." The woman nodded to a wooden boat that was barely tied down and still filled with supplies. "I took you back here as soon as I could. You''re really okay, Miss?"


    "Yeah." She tried to stand up but collapsed forward into the arms of the woman. "Maybe not." Curse her tiny, weak, pathetic legs.


    "You need to rest." The woman slowly helped her back up onto her feet. "I''ll take you inside and get you changed out of those wet clothes. You''re from one of the big cities, right?"


    "Yeah." The woman kept a hand on her shoulder, and they began to walk toward the village. "How did you know though?"


    "Your clothes." The woman explained, letting off a soft giggle. "They''re the kind city folk wear. I''ve seen a few of them before. Sometimes, when I''m out sailing, they''ll come by on their big ships. Many of them take a kick out of gawking at us and are always shocked we''re alive." The woman smirked a bit as she said that. "They think you need the help of Supers and the ''heroes'' to make a living."


    Coral Island wouldn''t be part of the ten cities. As such, it didn''t have any heroes other than the Victorian, who would keep it safe during one of her world patrols. Yet despite that, it was still thriving and holding itself together. In fact, it looked good. She couldn''t help but stare at some of the workers as they wandered into the village. It was unlike any place she had seen before.


    Even the village she had viewed through the memories, thanks to Avalon, was very different from this one. That village had more cabins and hunters. Like something you''d see in a fantasy novel. This one, though, had all the huts high up as makeshift tree houses, with ladders connecting them to the bottom and bridges allowing access to other huts. There were about twenty or so that she counted, and all around the woods, people worked, cutting down some trees to harvest or getting ready to hunt. Children ran around swinging wooden sticks, which they pretended were swords, and some people stopped to stare at her and the woman as they entered.


    None of the looks were like the kind she had gotten from Hell Land. They weren''t judging or sizing her up. They were more curious, seemingly studying her. Some even seemed concerned by her appearance. "Oh, I almost forgot. My name is Olivia." The woman spoke up. "Might I know your name, Miss?"


    "I''m¡ª" she stopped as she remembered Meta. She doubted this place had TVs or any connection to the outside world that would allow them to know who Cinder was, but she didn''t want to be unsafe. "I''m Ruby." She once again lied and used a fake name.


    "What city are you from, Ruby?"


    "Oleander."


    "Oleander? I haven''t heard of that one."


    "Which one have you heard of?"


    Olivia hummed and seemed to try to think of the name. "Violet." The tanned woman finally said. "I think the people on the boats always called it that, at least."


    She felt like someone punched her in the gut once more. "Violet, I see..." It was practically as far away from Oleander as you could get. However, it wasn''t all bad. If she could get to the city at all, then she could call Myth or someone else and get them to come pick her up. "I''ll need to head there, then."


    "I''m afraid you''re out of luck in that case." The woman looked down at her as they reached one of the trees. This one had a long tree trunk that formed a thin ramp, allowing them to walk up it instead of climbing the ladder. "It''s still miles away. It''d take a few days to get there. It is possible, but not in the state you''re in."


    She hated being so weak. It made her blood boil. If only her powers were here. She''d simply have the strength to swim the distance, or even run on the water, or perhaps even fly. Like this, though, she couldn''t save herself, much less anybody else.


    They finally reached the hut. It wasn''t very big. There was only one room, which looked as if it served as the bedroom and kitchen. There was a rack, which the woman gestured to. "It isn''t safe to stay in those wet clothes. It gets cold this time of year. Go ahead and change into those, and I''ll take you somewhere you can get warmed up while we figure out what to do with you."


    "What to do with me?"


    "We do have a few ways of getting in contact with a city," Olivia explained. "In case there is a great disaster like a monster attack or a deadly virus that requires their help. In my time, we only had to use it once to stop a giant sea lizard from destroying our island. The one they called the Victorian came in and killed it. We ate that monster for the next year and a half. We''ll explain that we have a lost city member, and they need to come pick you up."


    That made some of the tension fade. She''d be able to get off the island sooner than later. "Thank you."


    Olivia only smiled at her and closed the door. She was alone in the hut now. There were no windows or anything, so she didn''t have to worry about anyone seeing her. She walked over to the rack and looked down. It was pretty much the same thing Oliva was wearing, but a little longer. Due to her small size, it''d cover most of her form. She really missed her hero costume. It was annoying having to change clothes so often.


    She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and was about to pull it off. Her jacket was gone, so she didn''t need to worry about that. She stopped, though, when she heard a voice. "Psst. Don''t do that. I don''t want to see you naked."


    She nearly screamed when the voice of Kevin came out of nowhere. It made her jump and look around with wild eyes, but she didn''t see anything. "Kevin?"


    "Right here." The voice rumbled and almost seemed to be directly behind her. That was when she noticed it.


    She didn''t remember losing her jacket, but something had seemingly replaced it. She was so focused on her surroundings that she hadn''t even bothered to look at herself. She was in the pants the Emperor had created for her as well as the Hell Land T-shirt. They were both dripping wet, but what was really odd was that she had a backpack. A red one that was strapped around her shoulder.


    Her hand shook, but she firmly reached for it and took it off. She looked down at it, studying the thing. It was pure red, even the zippers. It was closed and didn''t have any design or anything on it. As she stared back at it, it stared back at her. A pair of eyes, followed by a mouth, appeared on it.


    "Hey." The backpack said in Kevin''s voice.


    She blinked slowly, processing what she was seeing. "Hey?"


    Kevin had turned himself into a backpack.


    A few moments earlier¡­


    "It isn''t safe to stay in those wet clothes. It gets cold this time of year. Go ahead and change into those, and I''ll take you somewhere you can get warmed up while we figure out what to do with you."


    "Thank you."


    Olivia smiled at the young girl and closed the door. The woman stood outside of her hut and waited until she heard the child walk to the other side. There were no windows, and despite being made out of wood, it was surprisingly hard to hear through the thick walls. The woman looked around slowly and took in her surroundings.


    The other members of the village were down below in the forest, many heading out. None would notice her, nor would they hear any sound she made.


    She brought her hands up to her mouth and began to cough. Violent and harsh, she kept coughing into her hand as a bluish liquid splashed out of her throat, dripping down her chin as she vomited up a small metal cube that was roughly the size of a dice. She breathed heavily as the coughing died down and wiped the liquid away from her mouth. The metal cube glowed and began to hum for a moment, letting out a faint blue light. It clicked and unfolded, turning into a small earpiece. It wasn''t a normal one, though. This one was special.


    "This is Parasite, reporting back to you." Olivia leaned against the wall, placing the earpiece up to her head. Her lips didn''t move, as she didn''t actually say any of this out loud. Instead, she thought of saying it. The device connected to her, and she felt her mind connect to another.


    "It''s about time, Parasite." A feminine voice came from the other line, sounding almost amused. No sound was made as it instead went directly into Olivia''s head. It was a form of telepathy, a way for them to radio each other all without having to make a sound. "What''s your status?"


    "I managed to sneak into the village you were telling me about. The people here have no idea I''m hiding amongst them. I''ve hijacked the body of one of their sailors." Olivia''s lips twisted slightly into a smirk, and she glanced down at her body, amused. "I waited at the entrance to Hell Land as you suggested, but that gray-haired girl never showed up."


    The voice on the other line let out a loud curse. "Some of our men spotted her in Hell Land. I was sure she''d use the backdoor exit when they saw her heading that way."


    "It isn''t all lost, my lady." Olivia''s smirk grew. "I found something else instead."


    "Oh?"


    "The report said that the gray-haired girl wasn''t alone, right? There was a young child with her. I believe I''ve run into that person. She called herself Ruby. She''s a Super."


    "I see. What have you done to her?"


    "Nothing yet."


    "Oh? That''s unlike you? I would have thought you''d have body swapped into the child''s form to figure out who she was and her connection to that gray-haired bitch."


    "I tried." Parasite bit down on Olivia''s lip. It was not hard enough to draw blood, but it was enough to let them feel the sensations the body was going through. "She had nearly drowned, and I pulled her out of the water. My ability failed on her, though. It didn''t work. I''ve never seen a Super able to resist my switch before. She doesn''t seem to have physical enhancements, so I''d guess she''s some sort of mental-based user. Luckily she thought I was performing CPR on her, so I brought her back to the village and decided it was best to radio in with you first and see what you''d like for me to do before I try anything else.¡±


    She heard a chuckle from her boss over the shared device. "This could work, then. That girl clearly is connected to our enemy somehow. Keep a close eye on her. Once we understand the connection she and the gray-haired girl have, we can use it to get our revenge."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "That girl will pay for wiping out one of our ships." Parasite agreed. "The Anti-Matter gang won''t simply sit by and do nothing."


    Quiet footsteps came from behind her. She hadn''t spoken a single word during her conversation with her boss, having used the earpiece to have a psychic conversation. Once she heard Ruby approaching, she opened her mouth wide, forcing Olivia''s jaws to snap open, and she forcefully swallowed the earpiece. Blue liquid squirmed inside Olivia''s throat and wrapped around the machine, pulling itself down into the woman''s guts. Then, she simply closed her mouth right as the door to the hut opened.


    "Have you finished changing, Ms. Ruby?" she asked slowly, turning around. She stopped when she saw the girl. ¡°Where did you get that?"


    Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "So, it turns out my backpack had some clothes that didn''t get all wet, so I just changed into them." The young girl still had that red backpack on her and had changed out of the black shirt and pants, replacing them with a pair of red shorts and a red hoodie. There was no other color to the outfit, just a sea of red.


    "I see where you got your name Ruby from." Olivia said, amused.


    The kid just smiled and shrugged. "So, what now, Ms. Olivia?"


    The woman turned and pointed out across the island. Past the forest stretching out in the distance was a large hill. Even from where they were, it was easy enough to see that parts of the hill had been hollowed out and more huts had been built on the side of it. "Ideally, I''d like for you to get drier, but if you''re ready, we can start heading out that way." The woman explained. "It''s about a mile and a half away, so it''s a bit of a walk."


    "What''s over that way?" The young girl asked.


    Parasite took a moment to connect with the body''s mind, gaining more of Olivia''s memories. "The one who runs this village lives there." She finally said. "We don''t normally keep things we can''t make from hand, but our leader has a little device he was gifted by a hero. It allows him to get in contact with the nearby city in case there is a serious emergency, and we can''t stop ourselves. As I mentioned earlier, we can use that to get in contact with someone who can come pick you up."


    "Alrighty then! Lead the way, Ms. Olivia."


    The woman nodded, and together, the two of them walked back down the ramp of her hut. They reached the forest floor where the other villagers were. Some waved or called out to them, but she ignored them for the most part and instead guided the child toward the forest, heading in the direction of that hill.


    Parasite found it funny in a twisted way. The people here hated Supers and refused to live in the ten great cities, so they had closed themselves off. From an outsider''s perspective, it looked as if they were thriving and doing just fine, yet everyday sickness and diseases were claiming their kind. They didn''t even know that a Super had managed to live amongst them. And even with all that pride, they had been forced to tuck their tail in between their legs and call for help from the heroes a few times.


    They made it deeper into the forest after walking for several minutes in total silence. The leader of the village liked to live alone, keeping to himself for the most part. He was only considered the leader due to the power he held, being able to call the closest city for aid. Many of the people in the village tended to just leave him alone and hunt in other parts of the forest. Because of that, they reached a point where nobody was around. A person wouldn''t be able to hear anything that happened.


    Parasite walked in front of the young girl, keeping her back to her target. "So, Ms. Ruby, being from one of the ten great cities, you must have seen a Super or two in your life, right? What was that like?"


    "I guess I''ve seen a few," Ruby responded casually.


    "I see." Parasite felt their real body bubbling up inside of Olivia, ready to jump out. She had tried invading the girl''s body when the child was unconscious but had failed at the time. It hadn''t been a full invasion, and before she could try again, the child had woken up. The girl''s power was the only thing that concerned her, but if she could jump quick enough, she''d be able to take the body over no matter what. She just needed to get the girl talking about something and be distracted. "We see Supers every now and then." She said suddenly. "They''re villains, though. Supers that have decided to live out here and attack places like mine. Recently, my group was attacked by a powerful villain. One that almost wiped us all out."


    "Really?" The child asked in shock. "You guys seemed fine to me! I didn''t notice much destruction."


    "Oh, it wasn''t these people. It was ''my'' real people. See, it all started when a girl with gray hair decided that for no reason at all, she''d attack us."


    "A girl with gray hair-"


    Parasite chose that moment to strike. While the child was taken aback by what she said, she spun around at full speed, ready to fire out of Olivia''s mouth. She expected to see the girl in shock, mouth wide, about to say something. What she didn''t expect was the large tree branch that was swinging at her face. "Huh?" Was all Olivia managed to get out before, moments later, the branch slammed into her face like a bat, breaking her nose and nearly knocking her out as she crashed to the ground.


    Hope had put all the strength she could into that, which wasn''t a lot, but she had been ready for it, having grabbed the largest branch she could hold while she followed after the woman. As soon as the Super turned to look back at her, she didn''t hesitate and swung her makeshift weapon directly into the woman''s face.


    Olivia crashed onto her back, clutching at her broken nose, and howled. A weird blue liquid squirmed in her mouth, twitching and bubbling. Hope pulled her foot back and kicked at the woman''s stomach one last time before she took off running at full speed deep into the forest, trying to get out of sight. "You were right, Kevin! She was a Super!"


    The red hoodie she wore twitched a bit as the right shoulder rose up, forming a small tendril with a mouth. "I told you." Kevin''s voice came out as a thin hiss. "While you were busy drowning, I was the one that pulled you back up to the surface. I managed to change and morph into this bag form just in time to stop that woman from seeing me. I watched as she pulled you back onto her boat and took you to this place. At first, I thought she was just giving you CPR or something, but then I looked closer and saw she was trying to spit this weird blue liquid into your mouth. Either way, I''m pretty good at spotting dirty liars, and she reeked of lies."


    Hope made a slight face and rubbed her throat. "What the hell was she trying to make me drink?"


    "I have no clue how their powers work, but it didn''t have an effect on you, I think." Kevin hummed. "I don''t know if the others in this village are Supers either or if it''s just her. We also don''t know if she was telling the truth when she told us about that device that can radio the cities."


    "We don''t have much of an option, though, do we?" she winced. She had been running in the direction of the hill as fast as her small legs could carry her. She missed having super speed. "It could be the only way out of here, right? Besides, if worse comes to worse, you can fight them all off!"


    "I''m not nearly as strong as you, though. Why aren''t you using the power of a Lord?" Kevin questioned.


    "About that-"


    She didn''t get to finish what she was saying as seconds later, the tree next to her suddenly exploded as a fast-moving blue tendril of liquid slashed into it. The tree came down directly in front of her, nearly falling on her, but Kevin''s own tendrils dragged her back just in time. She spun around and saw that Olivia had managed to catch up to them. The woman''s body didn''t seem to be in good condition either.


    Olivia''s legs had grown larger and longer, as if something in her body was forcing them to expand so she could run faster. Her skin was being stretched out of them, and the muscles inside of her limbs almost seemed to scream at every step she took. Her arms dangled at her side, not bothering to use them, and something was coming out of her mouth. Her eyes rolled back in her head as if she were unconscious, and it was whatever was inside of her that was truly calling the shots. It looked almost like jell-o. A mass of deep blue liquid formed itself into three tendrils, each six feet in length, which squirmed and flowed out of her mouth.


    "Ah, I think I get it now." Olivia''s mouth didn''t move, and it wasn''t her voice that floated through the air. It was still a female voice, but it came out as a series of slurps and slaps as the tendrils bubbled and squirmed. There weren''t eyes on them, but Hope was sure they were looking at her. "You''re a Mental-Based Super with a power involving biology or something, right?" The tendrils asked her.


    "What?" She asked, taken aback.


    "There''s no need to hide it." The tendrils hissed and squirmed faster. One of them seemed to point at the spot of her hoodie that Kevin''s mouth was forming out of. "That suit you''re wearing. You made that, right! In a way, it''s similar to my own form. Quite clever, creating clothes that can respond to your will."


    "Hey, screw you, lady!" Kevin''s voice came out as a loud, booming yell. "I do what I want when I want! Got that! I don''t belong to anyone!"


    "Whatever! It doesn''t matter." Parasite growled, and her tendrils started to twitch and stab out in Hope''s direction. "I''ll make you pay for what your teammate did to my people!"


    Her hoodie twitched as Kevin formed more tendrils, which shot out and wrapped around the blue ones, stopping them from reaching her. "My teammate? Lady, I don''t even know who you are!" She yelled back.


    "Don''t lie to me!" Olivia''s body crouched down and fired forward like a rocket, trying to headbutt them. She jumped out of the way just in time, causing Olivia to slam head-first into another tree and leave a large dent in it. Blood flowed down the woman''s face, soaking her hair, and her arms grew larger and longer, forcefully stretching out toward her. "I will have your body!" Parasite screamed.


    Kevin dragged her back just in time, using more of his tendrils to cause her body to duck down and dodge the large arm. She didn''t have super speed anymore, but Kevin still had his, and he was doing a hell of a job of keeping her safe. Or at least he was, but then Olivia''s arm twisted itself, literally snapping the bones. It almost made her throw up from the sound. The arm had grown way longer than it should have been and was turned into a makeshift lasso, catching her and Kevin off guard. It wrapped around her waist, holding her down.


    Kevin cursed, and her outfit twitched, forming barbed tendrils that covered her, but Parasite was faster. The blue tendrils stabbed out, impaling their way through Kevin and causing the boy to hiss. They weren''t aiming for him, though, and squirmed their way up. She tried to keep her mouth shut, but they forced it open. The liquid surged forward at fast speeds, dragging itself out of Olivia''s mouth and forcing its way into hers. The last of the liquid left Olivia and fully entered her. Kevin tried to stop it, but the slime-like entity caused its form to be more liquid in nature, so his grabs just went through it.


    "Hope!" Kevin called out in panic.


    Hope began to choke for the second time that day. She could feel the liquid forcing its way down her throat. There was a lot of it, and it squirmed its way through her body, spreading out. She collapsed to the ground, shaking, and could feel it moving in her veins. The burning sensation in her throat got worse as it began to move further up, going for her brain.


    Earlier, Parasite had tried to invade the body with only a strand of her liquid but had failed. Now, she was using everything she had. She rose up through the girl''s insides and reached the stem of the brain. She crawled her way up it, her liquid flooding it as she wrapped herself around it, and then-


    Suddenly, Parasite felt herself standing on her own two feet. Not her liquid forms feet, and not the feet of the child she was trying to take over. They were her feet. The ones she used to have. Back when she had been human. She had been one of the people turned into a Monster by the Emperor back during the war. After his fall, she had found a new group in the form of the Anti-Matter gang¡ªa group of Wasteland Pirates. For nearly sixteen years, she had lived out her life as some sort of slime creature with the ability to take over other people''s bodies. Doing so was the only way she could still have human sensation.


    Yet now she felt her own two feet touching the floor. "What the hell?" She muttered. "Where am I?"


    Everything was on fire. That was where she found herself. The floor, the roof, the walls¡ªall of it was a harsh crackling flame that formed the room she was in¡ªdirectly in front of her stood a large glass-looking screen, like a TV, though it was black now, almost like it had been turned off. Besides that, the only other thing in the weird fire room was an empty throne that had been split in two.


    "How foolish of you." She could hear a voice all around her. It held a mocking tone. It was deep and impossible to fully understand, sounding both male and female at the same time. Part of it even sounded like the girl she had just tried to take over. "I already kicked a piece of you out of my home earlier. I allowed you to carry on living, yet you repay that act of kindness by kicking down my door and forcing your way back in."


    Her eyes went wide, and she spun around, looking all around her. The fire in the room hadn''t been burning her despite standing on it, but it almost seemed to start to crawl up her form. Heat began to course through her, and she tried to cancel her power, but it didn''t work. "So, this is your power, huh? You''re like me! Someone who takes over other people''s minds!" She screamed.


    "Don''t mistake your flimsy control over muscles for what I truly am." The voice said, almost amused. ¡°The soul burns the brightest you know, and when it comes to Hope Lauren, her soul truly shines.¡±


    "Hope Lauren¡¯s? Wait." Parasite¡¯s eyes went wide, and the fire started to take the shape of hands grabbing at her. "What do you mean, Hope Lauren? Her hair and her eyes were the same, but she looked so young. Was that Cinder? No, that can''t be possible. That would mean you''re-"


    "After the battle with the Beast, much of my form was destroyed and shattered, repairing her body. How kind of you to offer yourself up to the Lord of the Sun. Don''t worry. I''ll be sure to savor this meal."


    The hands began to grab and tear at her now. Pain surged through her form, and the villain screamed out in pain. They began to break off parts of her, shattering her to pieces. The fire was eating her, absorbing her, and using her to repair itself. Replacing its damaged and cracked body with her. "Stop, please!" She begged. "I didn''t know! I''ll leave you alone-"


    "How many times have you heard that?" The Brightest Star wondered. Their voice still boomed around the room, though their body was nowhere to be seen. The hands kept clawing and ripping, forcing their way into Parasite¡¯s body, who screamed even louder as the fire swallowed her up. Her power was being absorbed and broken down. Her very Ego, her soul, was consumed and devoured. "I bet you''ve heard people say those same things to you. Did you stop when they asked you to? When you pushed their bodies to the limit, broke their limbs, twisted their muscles, or shattered their minds? Don''t worry. All I''m doing is giving you the same treatment."


    The broken throne gradually mended, a few cracks fading away.


    Parasite gave one last scream as more of her broke away, and she was pulled down into the fire. It surged up, and then instantly, she was swallowed whole. Gone in a single moment, Parasite ceased to be.


    "I have a lot of work to do..." The voice of the Brightest Star hummed. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, Hope¡­ Neither of us are-¡±


    Inside Hope''s body, the blue slime suddenly grew still, then slowly began to bubble and steam. Smoke poured out of Hope¡¯s mouth as the vapors of Parasite flowed out of her. She coughed up more smoke and rubbed at her chin, sitting up. "Are you okay?" Kevin asked.


    "I think so?" She rubbed her head and looked down at herself. Nothing had changed. At least nothing she could tell. Maybe she had gotten an inch taller? She was sure she had heard it though, even if it had only been for a moment. The Brightest Star''s voice. She closed her eyes and tried to reach for that power but felt nothing. Her fire was still gone, and the Brightest Star didn''t respond when she called out their name. They were there, though. She was sure of it. They had just saved her life from that villain. It had to have been the Brightest Star. "Damn it." She cursed.


    "What is it?" Kevin asked.


    "Nothing." She looked over at the body of Olivia and felt panic rise up in her. "Oh crap!" The woman was unconscious. Both her legs and arms were broken, and her head was cracked. She moved over to the woman and grabbed onto her. "We need to get her serious help now!"


    ¡°If we move her, it could cause more issues due to the state her body is in, and I doubt she¡¯ll make it much longer, so even if we ran and got help, she¡¯d still die.¡± Kevin shrugged, which was weird since he was still currently her clothes.


    She shook her head and gritted her teeth. ¡°We have to help her!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°We can! And by we, I mean you.¡± She announced.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Kevin asked in a confused tone.


    She crouched down and slowly placed Olivia¡¯s head in her lap. The woman¡¯s body creaked and groaned, nearly snapping, and more blood flowed out. Olivia wouldn¡¯t have much more time¡­ ¡°Kevin, go inside of her!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kevin¡¯s tendril grew eyes and blinked as it stared at her.


    ¡°You heard me! Parasite mentioned you were similar to her! You might be able to do something like that as well, right? Your own body has a healing factor, and you can clearly split off your cells and make copies since you¡¯ve made clones before! If you go inside of her, maybe you can reshape part of your body into other pieces and repair her damaged body!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know if that will work or not, and if it doesn''t, it¡¯ll kill her.¡± Kevin hissed. ¡°I can¡¯t just shove pieces of myself down her throat.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll die if we don¡¯t try, though!¡±


    ¡°She could die if we do try.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Slowly she reached up and placed her hand on the tendril that came out of her hoodie''s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not a weapon, Kevin. You can do more than kill. Wish used you to regrow herself, and you can use that power to help other people. You can use your power to save a life. You don¡¯t have to be the monster she left you as.¡±


    The tendril had a small mouth on it, which bit its lip. Finally, Kevin grunted. ¡°Whatever. If she dies, it¡¯s on your hands.¡±


    The tendril stretched out and suddenly stabbed its way past Olivia¡¯s lips. She had forced the woman¡¯s mouth open the best she could, and she looked away as the red tentacle expanded and grew. Kevin¡¯s tendril kept expanding, getting longer and longer, and the body began to make several snapping sounds as the tendril snapped bones and muscles back into place and forced organs back to where they needed to be. As it did this, small bits of Kevin¡¯s flesh dripped off of his tendril, which began to squirm their way inside of Olivia, fusing into the woman¡¯s flesh and muscles, mending them and anything else he found that was damaged.


    It took some time, but slowly Kevin¡¯s tendril finally pulled its way out of Olivia¡¯s body. Hope reached down and pressed her fingers to the woman¡¯s neck, feeling a pulse. She let out a sigh of relief and gave a small grin. ¡°See. That wasn¡¯t so hard.¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡­¡±


    Olivia was still unconscious, but her legs and arms had been shrunk back down, and all her damaged flesh was mended. Some things would have to heal naturally on their own; Kevin wasn¡¯t anywhere near as great as Paragon was, but at least the woman wouldn¡¯t be at any risk of dying.


    ¡°What now, hero?¡± Kevin asked with a sigh.


    She stood up and hesitantly grabbed the woman, placing Olivia on her back. ¡°I¡¯ll carry her back to the village and figure out what to do from there.¡±


    "What if the others are villains also?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are.¡± She frowned a bit, staring in the direction of where the village was. She had a weird feeling in her gut. Or actually, it was in the back of her head. Some strange new sensation as she stared in the direction of the village. It was a weird bubbling feeling. Then suddenly it changed, and she felt something else. White hot, a feeling of intense rage. Only, it wasn¡¯t hers. ¡°S- Something happening.¡± She said in a panic.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kevin questioned, suddenly on guard once more. ¡°What¡¯s happening-¡±


    Both of them suddenly stopped when they heard a loud mechanical noise above them. A shadow began to form, stretching out across the island, causing the other people on the island to all stop and look up.


    Above the island, a massive metal ship floated in the air, one that looked like an old military boat. Its cannons pointed down at them, and it sported the flag of a Wasteland villain group. The rest of the Anti-Matter gang had arrived.

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Eight: Suiting Up

    Hope felt it as she stared up at the large warship. It was a strange sensation that remained in the back of her head. A bubbling emotion that wasn''t her own. It confused her, but she didn''t have time to process it as Kevin began to speak once more.


    "Any plan to deal with that?" The red monster hissed in her ear. He was still wrapped around her body, working as her costume. She''d have felt embarrassed about the fact she was literally wearing him, but with everything going on, she didn''t care as much.


    "Nope." Was her blunt response. Even if she had all her powers back, she was unsure if she could fight off an entire warship. "I''ll just wing it or something."


    "You can''t seriously think you''re going to fight that thing!" Kevin growled. "Are you stupid?"


    She stared up at the ship, trying to keep a cool head. "Well, I can''t just sit by and not do anything."


    The boat was massive and old-looking. It didn''t seem to be enhanced by any tech. In fact, it looked very ancient and likely wouldn''t be able to sail on the sea anymore. It was most likely being lifted by a power rather than being a functional ship with Mental tech. The cannons on board of it slowly came down to point at the village, and she barely had time to turn her back as it opened fire on the island.


    She was thankful she didn''t have her enhanced senses because the noise was already so loud it caused her ears to nearly pop. The cannons were loud and booming, sending out massive slugs that erupted like chaotic fireworks. She took off running, but the entire island rumbled, and all the trees began to shake and crash down around her, falling to the forest floor. Red tendrils stabbed out of her backpack, slashing at all the branches that came down around her as Kevin kept her small form safe, as well as the unconscious body of Oliva, which she still carried.


    She could smell smoke and spotted a massive fire forming near the village, one that was quickly starting to spread out. The ship didn''t just stop with one round of cannon fire, either. They kept blasting down, tearing chunks of the ground away as they bombed the island.


    "We need to get the hell out of here," Kevin suggested. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked back, balling her hand into a fist. "Why the hell are you stopping, Lauren!"


    "I can''t just leave them."


    "Yes, you can! Don''t do anything stupid!"


    "The people in that village are in trouble because of me! That ship is looking for me; I''m sure of that! The villagers don''t have anyone to protect them. This isn''t like the cities, Kevin. The only hero out in this part of the world is the Victorian, and if she''s too busy or distracted, then she won''t show up in time."


    "What can we do?" Kevin yelled into her ear, forming dozens of mouths along her clothes. "I might be able to take a few rounds, but a direct hit with the state you''re in would reduce you to ash in seconds even if I kept you safe. We can''t save them. Most are probably dead already."


    "I have to try, though!"


    "You''ll die!"


    Hope shook her head and began to remove the bag. The coat and pants she wore pulled away along with it, sliding off of her flesh. She still wore some clothes beneath it, so she wasn''t naked, but she was way more exposed than before, dressed only in a T-shirt and shorts. "When you were in danger, my team came to your aid. Polaron could have killed us all then and there, but we still tried. And if I knew what Wish did to you, you can bet I''d have also shown up to help. I don''t care if I don''t have a chance. Those guys are after me. Maybe I can get them to talk or pretend to be controlled by their teammate or something. Anything that can get them to stop firing would help. I don''t expect you to follow me. You can keep heading through the forest and find a way off this island if you want, Kevin." She placed Olivia down on the ground while Kevin just stared at her as if she were insane.


    Kevin''s body formed into a small red blob, barely bigger than a large cat. A pair of eyes and a mouth formed on his surface as he looked up at the hero before him. "Why do you care so much? You don''t even know these people. In fact, they hate Supers. They don''t want your help. They made their bed, so this is what they get. If they wanted to be saved so badly, they should have never lived out here."


    She reached out and grabbed onto one of the trees that hadn''t fallen over and began to try and climb up it. "It doesn''t matter. I care because someone should. Now go. With any luck, I''ll be able to buy you enough time to get in contact with someone."


    "I really hate you."


    Kevin''s words caused her to pause for a moment, but she got back to trying to climb. "Do you?"


    "I''m not kidding either." Kevin continued. "Seriously, what the hell are you? It makes me so mad, you know. Do you know the things I did? What I was forced to do- No. What I chose to do. All of that was for this power!" His slime-like form jiggled. "I did everything just for an attempt to reach the top. But it was never enough. Not when I was just a normal human and Supers like you existed. You pretended to be a normal girl. Did I ever even stand a chance? Hell, even after I became a Super, it didn''t matter. I was just a lackey. That was all I was good for. No matter how hard I train or try to crawl to the top, I''ll never be able to come close to even reaching the power your Lords have. It pisses me off so much! Why is it fair that you have to be so strong and still be so good? And now, even without powers, you''re still trying to do something! What the hell! What does that make me?"


    "It makes you, you." She reached the top of the tree, her hands aching a bit. "I''m me, and you''re you. It doesn''t need to be complicated. It has nothing to do with powers or not. Even if I didn''t have powers, I think I still would have found a way to be a hero. Because that''s what I want to do." She looked back down at Kevin and smiled. "So just do what you want to do!"


    Kevin''s teeth clenched together before his form twisted around and began to slide across the forest floor, heading for the forest. "Whatever! Get yourself killed if you want, Lauren!"


    "Wait!" Kevin slowly looked back at her as she gave a sheepish grin. "Can you take Ms. Olivia with you, too?"


    Kevin looked down at the unconscious woman, and quietly, his tendril wrapped around Olivia''s waist. He began to drag the woman behind him as he escaped into the forest. "Seriously," Kevin said as he reached the woods. "I utterly despise your kind."


    She watched him leave as he vanished, getting further and further into the woods. "Good luck!" She called out. "See if you can get a strong hero or something! I''m counting on you to save me, Kevin!" She turned back to look at the floating ship, which was still causing the island to shake from its gunfire. "Now, what am I going to do about that?" She didn''t have to wonder for very long, as the barrage of fire stopped and the cannons began to turn toward her. "Uh oh."


    On board the ship, sitting in the captain''s chair, a woman in a long coat kept her head slumped down. She was the only one on board the ship. Thanks to her powers, she didn''t need to worry about crewmates or machines. Most of the ship''s inside was falling apart, and the helm of the ship was no different. This boat was old¡ªsomething used in the war with Lucifer for when Sini''s crew needed to engage in sea battles. Her gang had stolen one from a museum, and it was being held together with the help of her powers.


    Her eyes lazily stared out the window, watching the village below, which was now in ruins. The trees collapsed, crushing all the huts the people had built, and the humans below ran around like ants scrambling as the fire ate away at the area around them. She twisted her finger and caused the cannons on the ship to take aim again but stopped when something caught her eye. With another flick of her finger, a telescope floated into the air and hovered over her eye, allowing her to see.


    "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" In the distance, someone stood on one of the palm trees, having managed to climb it. It was a young girl. Only about thirteen, maybe fourteen at the most. She snapped her fingers and had the cannons take aim. She was about to fire but stopped. "Wait. Didn''t Parasite tell me she found someone? This must be them. Parasite is surely in control of their body." She reached up to her forehead, where a purple gem was buried beneath the flesh. It glowed a bit as she tried to connect with Parasite, but nobody was there to pick up the signal. "Or not..."


    The large ship floated through the air, carried by telekinetic powers as it neared the young girl. It began to drop to the ground, crushing and shattering all the trees nearby, and it lazily landed in the middle of the island. It was away from the village now, and the cannons were no longer firing, so the humans were able to catch their breath and stare in shock at the boat as it came down.


    Hope stood on the tree but began to slowly climb down it. She dropped to the ground when a large metal ramp slid out of the boat. The ship took up most of the forest floor, and its shadow was cast across the field, blocking out most of the sun above. She tried to keep her nerves calm as someone appeared at the top of the ramp and began to walk down it.


    It was an older woman in her late forties or early fifties. She wore the uniform of what you''d see a pirate wear in cheesy novels: a long red cloak and a hat with the symbol of a skull on it. A scimitar-looking sword was placed at her side, and she had a belt that was filled with old-looking revolvers. Hope was instantly reminded of the time she had spent in those visions Avalon had forced her to see. This woman was dressed similarly to how Water Prince had modeled himself. The woman''s eyes glowed with purple energy, and her hair was dyed a deep purple as well. All of the glowing around the woman came from a gem implanted in the center of her forehead, which hummed with psychic energy.


    The woman reached the bottom of her ramp and stepped onto the forest floor. By now, the fire had spread from the forest and was rapidly closing in on the village, but neither of them paid it much attention, keeping their gaze focused on one another. The boat blocked the view of the village, so neither of them could see what the humans were doing either.


    Hope just prayed that they had rafts or something and could escape if they needed to. Things were about to get ugly.


    "Who are you?"


    Her thoughts came to a crawl as the woman spoke to her. She could feel those purple eyes drilling into her. She didn''t know who this woman was, but she was willing to bet they were working with the slime girl who had tried to take her body over.


    She folded her arms and did her best to make herself look a lot more confident than she actually was. "What are you talking about?" She let out a fake snort and rolled her eyes. "It''s me. I know I got a new body, but-"


    "Nice try."


    She cursed herself but didn''t have time to act as the woman twitched a finger. The ground exploded, seemingly coming to life as it shaped and twisted to the woman''s will, wrapping her legs before she could move. She was stuck, unable to budge.


    "W- What gives! I- It''s me, you know. I took this body over." Her voice shook as the dirt began to crawl up her body, moving to the woman''s will.


    "I know you''re not a Parasite." The woman hummed out and squeezed her hand into a tight fist. The dirt molded itself into a large hand that began to copy the woman''s movement, squeezing down around Hope and causing the girl to wince. "I don''t sense her anywhere, so I''m guessing you killed her, right?" the woman asked, clicking her tongue. "I should have expected as much. After all, you''re on the same team as that gray-haired girl."


    Hope gritted her teeth and tried to wiggle herself free, but it was no use. The ground was bound together as hard as a boulder and wasn''t letting her go. If she had her powers or even a bit of super strength, she''d be able to get herself free in no time, but like this, she was helpless. "Can''t we just talk about this? Like, who even are you, lady?"


    "Talk?" The woman tilted her head to the side before giving a sly smile. "Okay. Let''s talk." The villain snapped her arm out, and the hand hurled Hope across the field, letting go of the girl and sending her crashing back first into a tree. The young girl let out a loud yell as her back nearly snapped, and she collapsed onto the ground. "My name is Psycap." The woman marched over and kicked out with her foot, slamming it into the girl''s face when she raised her head. "I''m the captain of the Anti-Matter gang, which is a group you''ve really ticked off, little girl."


    "I- I''m not a kid." She managed to spit out. She clutched at her broken nose but then felt the air leave her as her clothes twitched and began to grow heavier, pressing down into her. She was lifted off the ground by an invisible force, and her arms began to fold back, not caring how arms weren''t meant to bend that way. Psycap, whoever she was, seemed to have some telekinesis-based power. One she was getting to experience firsthand. "S- Stop it." She gasped.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Psycap let out a slight giggle. "Stop it? You killed one of my crewmates. Actually, you guys have killed all of my crew mates." The villain twitched her finger and dropped the girl out of the air and down to her feet. She didn''t give Hope a moment to catch her breath, though, as a second later, Psycap reached down and grabbed the girl by the hair, roughly yanking it and staring down into her eyes. "You''re with that grey-haired girl, aren''t you? Who the hell are you guys? What gives you the right to assume you can screw with my crew?"


    Hope felt her feet dangle off the ground as she was suspended by her hair. It wasn''t as long as it used to be, and the pain was digging into her scalp. She grabbed onto the woman''s wrist, squirming, but there wasn''t anything she could really do. "Are you talking about Meta?" She finally managed to ask.


    "Meta? Is that the name of that girl? There''s no reason to hide it. Some of my men were in Hell Land trying to recover and get new parts after that girl tore my best ship apart. They spotted you with her. At first, I sent Parasite here to try to get to her, but you were the only one who showed up. Who are you? How did you kill Parasite-"


    She did the only thing she could think of. She felt blood in her mouth from when she had been hit, and she swirled it around and then spat it out as hard as she could directly into the eye of Psycap. The villain screamed and dropped her to the ground, and she ducked down just in time as Psycap took a blind swing with her hand, sending out a wave of psychic energy that exploded through the trees, causing several of them to collapse. She grabbed a jagged branch and rammed it up with everything she had, trying to stab the woman.


    Psycap had some level of durability, though, so the wood wasn''t able to pierce her flesh. Instead, she changed her tactic and pushed out with everything she had, using the branch as a makeshift battering ram. Psycap was still rubbing at her eyes and was caught off guard, stumbling back and tripping over her own two feet, falling back and landing right as one of the trees came crashing down, smashing into her upper body.


    Psycap screamed and howled, her powers stabbing into the tree as it began to lift off the ground. But by the time the woman got it off of her and stood back up, Hope was long gone.


    Hope ran as fast as she could, heading in a random direction in the woods. Her instincts screamed at her to dodge, and she did it just in time, as a massive tree blasted out in the direction she was standing. Smoke was starting to fill her view, and she jumped into it in an effort to hide from the villain''s sight. She had to cover her face with her hands, and her eyes stung, but she pushed through it. All the trees around her were on fire, and there was so much smoke that she had no idea which direction she was walking in.


    Her plan seemed to work as she heard Psycap cursing and blasting out waves of psychic energy blindly, which swept across the field as an unseen force slamming through the smoke.


    She stumbled out of the smoke cloud and found herself back in the village. The ground was littered with mini craters, and the fire was the biggest around this part of the island. Hundreds of trees had collapsed, and all the various huts and homes she had admired earlier had been destroyed and collapsed in on themselves. She saw many of the villagers running around in panic, trying to find a way out of the village, but most of their routes were blocked by collapsed trees or roaring fires. Even the ocean wasn''t safe as the fire had spread out across the sand, blocking it off.


    She dove behind one of the destroyed huts, using it to hide herself, just in time for Psycap to come blasting out of the forest. The woman stood on a hunk of iron that she had torn off of her ship and was using her power to float on it. Psycap glared around the village but didn''t see the kid anywhere. She did, however, see the arrow that came at her. It stopped midair inches away from her face, and she let out a low growl. Several of the men in the village trained their bows at the villain and began to fire.


    With a twitch of Psycap''s finger, all their bows snapped, and the arrows that had been launched at spun around and stabbed back out toward the men, knocking several of them over. A child let out a scream and ran to his dad''s side, who sported an arrow in his thigh. Psycap lifted her hand up, ripping a massive boulder out of the ground and causing it to float toward the child, about to drop it. Right before she could, though, a rock hit her upside the head while she had her back turned, causing her to slip once more and fall off of her board, crashing down to the beach below.


    Hope ran out from her cover, dropping the rest of her rocks she had thrown at the villain, and jumped out, tackling the child out of the way just in time as the boulder dropped. The man with the arrow in his thigh barely had time to roll himself out of the way, avoiding it. He looked up at her for a moment as she held onto his kid, but neither of them had very long to process what was going on as, a second later, she was lifted off of the ground, dropping the kid as she floated up. She got higher and higher, and she struggled but was unable to properly move. It felt like hundreds of hands had wrapped themselves around her.


    Psycap was back on her feet, her eyes filled with pure hate as she rubbed at the side of her head, which was badly bleeding. "You''re dead," Psycap growled out.


    "W- What if we just play a game of twenty questions-"


    She didn''t get to finish any cheeky remarks she might have made as her arms and legs began to snap back once more, causing her to yell. She was lifted higher up, going past the trees until she was nearly four stories up. Psycap gave a smirk and twitched, causing her to spin around midair until she was dangling upside down. The woman was going to drop her on her head. If the fall didn''t kill her, the fire below her would as it raged on.


    "Seriously, I think maybe we should just talk about this! We might be able to clear this whole thing up! I''m not even friends with Meta-"


    "Is that so?"


    "Yeah! She just helped me out because of how cute I am, I swear!"


    "Then I guess I''ll just mail your cute little head to her when I next find her." Psycap sneered. "Die."


    The unseen hands began to rapidly close in around her, causing her face to turn purple as she began to get choked. The power was crushing her body, keeping her shoved in the air. Waves of pressure were slamming into her on all sides, and she screamed out, feeling her bones and muscles start to pop.


    "I''m going to make it rain red!" The villain announced in a cheerful tone. "Pop, little girl! I want to watch you burst-"


    A thin arrow flew forward and stabbed its way directly into one of Psycap''s eyes. The woman had enhanced durability but not good enough to keep her eyeballs safe. The arrow dug past it, and Psycap let out a scream, losing focus for a moment as she clutched at her face.


    One of the villagers, the one who had been the father of the kid Hope saved, notched a second arrow and went to aim but had to roll as Psycap unleashed another wave of psychic force, blowing most of the ground apart. Her focus faded from the pain, however, and her powers began to flick in and out. That also meant that Hope no longer found herself being crushed. The bad news, however, was that it also meant nothing was keeping her held up in the air anymore.


    Hope felt herself begin to fall, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She began to drop rapidly and felt the smoke and heat rise up to meet her. Right before she hit it, though, something else came from the sky, ramming into the waters like a cruise missile. A large wave was kicked up, which came crashing down onto part of the village, putting out the fire she was about to drop into. It also caused a shower to rain down, putting out more of the smaller fires that were scattered around and allowing several of the villagers to escape to the woods.


    She still dropped out of the sky, but whatever hit the water came flying out just as fast. It flowed like a liquid, bubbling up right as she dropped and caught her right before she hit the ground. The red unfolded and opened, swallowing her whole, and came to a sudden standstill.


    Psycap still screamed in pain and ripped the arrow out of her eye. Her good eye glared at the thing that suddenly appeared, and she lifted her hands up defensively. A Super had shown up¡ªone she didn''t recognize. It was a giant red blob that seemed to mold itself over the body of the girl it caught.


    "Kevin?" Hope asked in shock. She floated inside a strange pool of red liquid that didn''t stop her from speaking or breathing. "I thought you were leaving?"


    "Well, I was. It turns out the old guy that Olivia girl was telling us about had already called for help by the time I reached him. Someone should be on their way. In the meantime..." Kevin trailed off.


    "Aw, you came back to save me." She teased.


    "Shut up. I''m not doing this for you." He groaned. "I just think our chances of winning aren''t impossible after I saw you kick that girl''s ass without powers. She''s not that strong. Just a low-tier bad guy. Besides... Something Ashley said to me once suddenly came to my mind."


    "And what''s that?"


    "Like I''d tell you." Kevin snorted. "My girlfriend loves to gossip, and it''s my job as her boyfriend to keep her secrets."


    Outside of the blob Kevin had become, Psycap clutched half of her face, which was gushing with blood, and with her other hand, she tore a gigantic chunk of the ground up. "I''ll bring this entire island down!" The older woman roared.


    "Hope... Or maybe it''s Cinder right now. Do your thing."


    "What do you mean?" She asked confusedly. She was still floating in that red liquid trapped inside of Kevin''s body. "What''s my thing?"


    "Professional ass kicker."


    She gasped a bit as Kevin opened up, allowing her head to poke out of him; just like how he had turned into her clothes before, he began to take shape into an outfit. This one was different, though. It was familiar. Kevin was morphing into the shape of her Cinder-Suit!


    The red fibers stretched out, forming an armored bodysuit that covered her body from the neck down. Kevin wasn''t able to change his color much, so it was almost pure red, but he compressed and darkened parts of the suit, making it appear black. The symbol of a black butterfly formed across the chest, and inside of the suit it started to wrap around her arms and legs, allowing her to move and control him. A domino mask wrapped around her upper face, and instead of a helmet, he created a jacket hood that pulled itself over her head. The entire suit itself looked more stylish, being a mix of a hero costume and a jacket, and she took a moment to move her arms and legs back and forth, feeling the power that was in them. It was like she had gotten her strength back in a way.


    She took a moment to look at herself, admiring the costume. She was still a lot shorter than she''d have liked, but it was nice to be in a hero suit once again. It made her a bit happy. "Is it really a good idea to be my costume, though? Can''t you just fight her on your own?" She questioned Kevin.


    "I have literally never won a single fight since becoming a Super," Kevin muttered. "I''m not risking it."


    Psycap breathed heavily, the battle clearly having its toll on the other woman. Kevin had been right about Psycap¡¯s not being a big threat. Compared to someone like Green Wolf, Red Raptor, or Demonica, Psycap was kind of a joke. That didn¡¯t mean the woman wasn¡¯t going to go down easy, though.


    Psycap let out a scream, sounding almost like a wounded animal. Trees tore out of the ground and sharpened into spears, which were launched forward with the woman¡¯s telekinesis.


    Hope closed her eyes and took a deep breath before snapping them open and giving a sly grin. She crouched down and then bounced off of the ground, flying forward and dodging all the trees that stabbed into the ground around her. She could feel the suit twist and change, copying her movements. Kevin''s legs almost compressed like a spring, allowing her to mimic her fire jump. She came at Psycap fast and swung out with her fist fast and hard. It caught the villain off guard, who panicked and activated her power. Hope came to a sudden stop, unable to move as a telekinetic hold gripped down around her, and Kevin stopped her only a foot away from the Anti-Matter gang leader.


    "As if I would really allow you to get so close!" Psycap roared. The woman used her power to twist her, but the Kevin-suit held strong, resisting the effects, and didn''t budge. Hope gritted her teeth, trying to march forward, but Kevin wasn''t strong enough to resist both the hold and the twisting energy that was trying to shatter him at the same time.


    So instead, she tried something else. She could feel part of the costume running along her spine. Kevin had quite literally given control of his nervous system to her. She didn''t trust herself to experiment too much with his powers for fear of crushing herself, but she did have a simple idea. A tendril stabbed out of her back, using her body as cover and stopping Psycap from seeing it. It whipped out at lightning speed and smashed into the ground just as she closed her eyes. A wave of sand was kicked up and flowed out, smashing into Psycap''s good eye, who screamed and blinked rapidly, stumbling back. Hope felt the suit suddenly not be held by anything, and she rammed herself forward.


    Psycap tried to clear her eye, but the woman wasn''t fast enough. The hero''s fist slammed directly into the woman''s face, causing the psychic leader to stumble and nearly fall. It wasn''t just one punch, either. Hope struck out with her other arm, smashing it into the other side of the villain''s head. Again and again, Psycap was bounced around from fist to fist, Kevin''s arms compressing and pulling back like a piston system, allowing the force and recoil of the blows to not stop. Hope used all the hand-to-hand skills she had picked up to keep up the onslaught of punches before finally winding up the last strike. She jumped and spun around the red tendril, whipping out like a tail and slamming itself across Psycap''s face, smashing the older woman to the floor with a hard thud.


    Hope landed back on her feet and breathed heavily as the tendril pulled itself back into the costume. "Geez," Kevin whistled. "You''re a lot more brutal than I remember¡ªactually, scratch that¡ªyou and your team once threw me into a pool of superheated radiation. You''re definitely a psychopath in the making."


    She ignored his remarks and looked back at the destroyed village. Dozens of people all stood around, staring at her in shock. "Are you guys all okay-"


    "I''ll kill you." She froze when she heard Psycap''s gasp. The villain was somehow still conscious and had her head twisted back to stare at something deep in the forest. "You''re dead!"


    She pulled her fist back and swung it at the downed enemy, but it wasn''t fast enough. Kevin closed around her just in time as something massive rammed into the two of them and then exploded. She was blasted back, crashing at the edge of the beach, and the screams of the villagers restarted. She felt fire eat away at the suit, and Kevin hissed and howled. She managed to roll over into the water, and the hood opened back up, allowing her to see.


    "Damn it! I was really hoping she forgot about that!" She winced.


    The massive warship was floating in the air once more. Psycap''s eye didn''t leave it as the villain used her power to pick it up and take control of the thing. The cannons twisted and swirled, pointing back at the village as it got ready to fire once more. Psycap picked herself up, rubbing at her mouth, which was dripping with blood from all her broken teeth. "I''m going to kill you!" She roared. "Do you hear me? You''re so dead!"


    Hope clenched her fist, causing the suit to change a bit, forming a circular shield on her arm, which she raised up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kevin yelled inside the suit. "You know that I''m that shield, right? I don''t think I can take that much cannon fire!"


    "Well, we need to think of something!"


    "Die!" Psycap roared. "Die, die, die, die!"


    The barrels took aim and were about to fire. Hope steeled her resolve and crouched down, ready to at least attempt to dodge. Luckily for her, though, Lady Luck finally seemed to smile down on her. Right before the ship could fire, something smashed down into it from high above. Metal screamed and tore as the ship was suddenly ripped in two and exploded. Psycap yelled in anger and fear as the thing kept going through the ship and rammed down next to her. The villain stared in shock at the massive arrow that was as big as she was.


    Hope felt her own eyes go wide. There was only one person she knew who had arrows that big.


    "Mind if I join in?" A voice asked from high above. A man floated in the air, carried by wings made of feathers and wax that stretched out across his back. He held a mighty bow as big as a normal human, and already he had another arrow notched and ready to go. "This fight looks like it could be interesting."


    Fable, a member of the Enforcers, had arrived.

 Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Nine: And Then Things Got Worse

    Psycap did not look like she was having a good day. Her hand still covered half of her face, which was stained red, and the villain was barely conscious. What was left of her good eye glared up at the figure that hovered above her. Fable stared right back down with an unamused look. The gem in Psycap¡¯s forehead glowed weakly as the woman used her psychic powers to try and force her body up, but it was clear she was well past her limits.


    Hope took a sigh of relief as more of the broken remains of the ship rained down on the village. She sent out some of Kevin''s tendrils, allowing them to stretch out as far as they needed to, to wrap around whoever was left in the village and yank them out of the way of the falling debris, saving all the civilians.


    "Which hero is that?" Kevin whispered in her ear.


    "Fable." She responded, giving a sly grin. "We got lucky. He''s a really strong hero."


    She didn''t know much about the large man. He had never been one of her favorites; that honor went to the Victorian, Lady Time, and Ocean Empress. What she did know was that the man was the younger brother of Myth. At least that¡¯s what Lois told her. It made sense he was here. From what Olivia had said, this island would be near Violet City, which was the one Fable of the Enforcers guarded with his life. She was glad to see that he made it out of the Beast fight alive.


    The hero floated up in the air, his wax wings beating back and forth as he came down slowly. He held his bow at the ready, each arrow so large it''d be able to impale the Anti-Matter Gang leader where she stood. His eyes scanned the island, taking note of all the destruction and the two Supers that were down below. "I heard your little group ran into some trouble. Most people were saying you guys aren''t around anymore. So, you can imagine my shock when I arrive to find two Anti-Matter Gang members on the island."


    "I''m not with them!" She yelled up in panic. She wildly waved her arms and shook her head. "I''m a good guy!"


    "Nice try." Fable''s eyes glared down at her, and she took a nervous step back. "My eyes can see the truth of the world. I''ve gone toe to toe with you before, Parasite! Your aura hasn''t changed a bit!" So she wasn¡¯t able to fool Psycap, but she could fool Fable without even trying? Lady Luck wasn¡¯t smiling down on her after all¡­


    "Looks like you eating that villain was a bad idea." Kevin sighed.


    "I didn''t eat her; the Brightest Star did, and I swear to God if he doesn''t get out here and explain that this instant-"


    Psycap used the confusion to make her move. The woman struck fast, slamming her hand through the air and causing Fable''s arrow to snap its way out of the bow string. The large spear-like arrow spun around and came down hard on the man, and he was forced to reach up and grab it. He grunted as the thing got close to his throat, but then he simply gave a tired grin. "Watch out." Was all he said.


    Psycap sneered and forced more of her power into the air, having a mental tug of war with the hero. "Oh please! As if I''d fall for such an obvious-"


    A foot came crashing down onto the top of the woman''s head as, out of nowhere, Wyvern dropped from the sky as fast as she could. The dragon-themed hero kicked Psycap as hard as she could upside the back of the villain''s head, and Psycap''s remaining eye rolled into the back of her head. The woman stood there drooling for a moment before she fell forward and landed face first in the dirt, completely knocked out. Just to be sure though, Wyvern''s backside grew a long red tail that smashed down into Psycap¡¯s back, easily burying the woman deep into the ground.


    In no time at all, the two Enforcers had defeated the Anti-Matter Gang captain with seeming ease. In fact, it might have been overkill with how fast it was.


    The energy in the arrow vanished, allowing Fable to gently place it back in his quiver. His feet touched down on the beach, and the wings in his back pulled themselves into his flesh, vanishing. "Good work, Wyvern. Now what do we do about the other one?"


    "Hold that thought." Wyvern inhaled, and suddenly all the fire that was burning on the island was pulled to the dragon woman. Her mouth opened wide, and it flowed in like running water, allowing the Enforcer to devour it all. When the hero closed her mouth and gulped, the entire island was free of smoke and flame. The remaining people in the village all stood there, trying to figure out if they should do something, but decided against it when the hero let out a small burp, followed by some smoke. "Okay. Now let''s beat her up." Wyvern declared.


    ¡°Wait-¡±


    Hope didn''t even have time to think about running as the next second Wyvern appeared in front of her, moving inhumanly fast. Wyvern¡¯s fist flew in her direction, and she tried to throw her arms out in front of her, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t work. She had been hit by the hero before, so she knew better than anyone just how hard Wyvern could hit.


    Wyvern¡¯s claws stabbed out as the woman slashed out with her hand, but at the last second the attack stopped as someone jumped in front of her with their arms out. ¡°Stop!¡± Wyvern came to a sudden halt, her claws inches away from the face of one of the villagers. The very same one who had seen firsthand what the young girl everyone was attacking could do. ¡°She isn¡¯t bad.¡± The man said quickly. Sweat poured down his face as he found himself staring into the eyes of a predator as Wyvern studied him closely. ¡°This young girl saved my son. She fought that other freak and stopped many of us from being harmed. I don¡¯t think she is a bad person.¡±


    Hope stood there, her mouth going dry as she stared at the man¡¯s back. She felt really bad at that moment, as it was all sort of her fault. From what she gathered, if she never came here, then none of these people would have been hurt. It didn¡¯t matter if she saved him; she was the one who put him in danger in the first place.


    Wyvern¡¯s eyes roamed over the man¡¯s face before her tail came out and shoved the injured guy away, causing him to tumble down. ¡°Daddy!¡± The young boy from earlier ran forward and clutched at his father¡¯s side as the man looked up at the dragon-themed hero who stalked forward toward her prey. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her!¡± The boy cried out.


    Hope gulped but stood her ground. She wouldn¡¯t be able to run or fight back, not with both of them being there. She felt her heart beating rapidly as Wyvern finally stood directly in front of her.


    Then she suddenly let out a sheepish squeak as the young woman grabbed her by the shoulders and looked down at her. Wyvern''s eyes roamed over her costume, which twitched a little as Kevin likely debated ditching her and making a run for it. Wyvern''s eyes slowly closed, and the woman leaned forward, her nose twitching.


    Finally, Wyvern pulled away and turned to look back at Fable. "The Victorian was right. It''s Cinder."


    Hope felt her body relax a bit, and she took a sigh of relief. That relief then faded when Fable punched his open palm. "I see. So, Parasite body hopped into her!"


    "I''m not Parasite!"


    "She''s telling the truth." Wyvern noted folding her arms. The girl''s tail swished back and forth lazily, almost like a cat. "Parasite might have tried to invade her body, but the villain didn''t succeed."


    "Thank you!"


    Fable gave a nod of his head. "Oh. My mistake. Sorry about that, Cinder."


    Her eyes narrowed a bit, and she stepped away, looking at them both. "You know, you guys aren''t too shocked that I''m alive? It was like you knew I was here already or something."


    "That''s because we did." Wyvern stepped away as well, looking her up and down. "Though I didn''t expect that your form would be so... Cute?" The hero looked her small form up and down.


    "Please don''t use that word..." She shook her head and got her mind back on track. "Wait, you guys knew I was still alive? How?"


    Fable rubbed his chin, humming. "Well, after your ''death'', the Enforcers sort of had a split. Some of them, like Boy Genius, Mister Man, and Lady Time, wanted to find the next Lord of the Sun right away. The Victorian, though, kept claiming that you weren''t actually dead. She seemed pretty confident you''d come back."


    "I can''t tell if she''s a fan of me or not." She muttered. Meeting her hero had always been an odd point. At times the Victorian treated her as if she were a nuisance. Other times the woman acted as if she was the next coming of Full Monarch. Witnessing and being Ruby Admiral, the hidden past of the Victorian, had only made things way more complicated. Especially now that she was discovering more of the truth of the woman¡¯s relationship to Max and the Emperor... "I saw the fake me running around. Why''d you let that happen?!"


    "Do you think we had a choice?" Wyvern asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "A little bit, yeah?"


    "The Victorian didn''t agree to it as well but went along with it." Fable tried to explain. "Sixteen years ago, after the death of her father, she made a deal with the Hero Branch. The Hero Branch of today is very different than it used to be. In exchange for following their orders, they had to meet some of her demands. The Branch might not be pure, but it exists to better the world. Even if she didn''t like the fake you running around, she''ll honor the deal. To break it would be spitting in the face of her father. And as long as they have her under their control, the rest of us can''t really do anything about it."


    "The Hero Branch was the one who came up with the idea." Wyvern stated.


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah! I heard all of that before." She stomped her foot down, feeling some of her anger boil inside of her. "They did it to stop bad guys from looking for the pod. Newsflash though, it didn''t work as all the important bad guys already knew it was fake, and the Emperor knows I''m alive!"


    "You met the Emperor again?" Wyvern asked in shock.


    "Yeah! That''s why I''m like this! He put me back together but did a shitty job, and now I''m small and everything sucks!" She whined. "Also, what gave the Hero Branch the right to reveal my identity?" She missed the old simpler days when she was still saving cats from trees.


    Wyvern and Fabel shared a look for a moment. "The original reason the Victorian decided to go with the lookalike plan was because she was confident that you''d come back, and it''d keep you in the public image. I don''t think any of us saw your identity being leaked as something that would happen. From a tactical point, it makes no sense. Did you ever make any enemies of someone in the Branch?"


    "No!" She shook her head and stomped her foot down some more. "Whatever, that doesn''t matter now. I need to get back to Oleander right away!"


    Fable nodded his head. "The Victorian asked us to bring her there first. You go ahead and take her, Wyvern. My city is nearby, so I have some experience dealing with the locals here. I''ll make sure they''re alright. I''ll deal with the Anti-Matter Gang leader, too." Fable rammed his hand through the ground and easily lifted the body of Psycap out of it. The villain was still unconscious and likely wouldn¡¯t be waking up anytime soon.


    ¡°Are you sure you can handle it?¡± Wyvern questioned.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°This small fry?¡± Fable let out a soft snort. ¡°Of course I can.¡± He threw Psycap over his shoulder, then turned to look at the other villagers who were still watching. ¡°Worry not! I¡¯ll use my power and have your homes up in a jiffy! When I¡¯m done, it¡¯ll be like none of this ever happened!¡±


    Wyvern slowly took to the air as a pair of large red wings unfolded from her back. Her tail dangled down, and Hope reached out, grabbing it. She squeezed down tightly and stepped up onto one of the spikes that jutted out, using it as a footrest as Wyvern¡¯s wings flapped. She stared down at the village and its people, who in turn looked back up at her. She felt a little guilty about leaving so soon. Especially since she still considered this mess to be her fault. She was glad to know though that no one had seemingly died in the attack. By some miracle, everyone had been able to avoid any serious injury.


    Wyvern¡¯s wings grew even larger, and the woman got ready to blast off but suddenly stopped as someone let out a loud yell. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears twitched as she heard the familiar voice. ¡°Ms. Olivia?¡±


    From the destroyed forest, the dark-skinned woman ran forward. Olivia wasn¡¯t alone either. An elder man followed after the woman clutching a walking cane. He was likely the person Olivia had been telling her about. The man who had a way to get in contact with the cities.


    Olivia was seemingly fully healed. The woman¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t damaged and had been restored, and she was able to stand on her own two feet again, finally back in control of her body after all the horrible things Parasite had done in it. Olivia¡¯s eyes were wide, and she breathed heavily as she looked up at the two heroes that were in the air. Then she took a deep breath and let out a yell.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me!¡±


    Hope couldn¡¯t help the small snort that escaped her. Wyvern began to slowly fly away, and soon they¡¯d be gone, so this was the only chance she had to respond. She stood on the hero¡¯s tail, one arm wrapped around it, but the other she held out waving. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me! It wasn¡¯t Cinder who saved you! It was her new sidekick, Baggy!¡±


    ¡°Baggy?¡± Kevin asked, forming a mouth on the shoulder of her jacket.


    ¡°Your hero name.¡± She shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what I decided to call you. Oh, also, you''re my sidekick now.¡±


    ¡°I never agreed to this-¡±


    Kevin never got to finish his sentence as Wyvern suddenly blasted forward at her max speed, finally leaving Coral Island behind. Hope watched the island rapidly get smaller and smaller as a faint smile appeared on her face. She clutched onto Wyvern¡¯s tail tightly as they flew away.


    It finally felt like she was back.


    "For what it''s worth, I wasn''t at the meeting where Boy Genius came up with the plan." Wyvern called down to her, flying through the sky. "I wouldn''t have gone along with it if I knew. By the time I found out, it was already too late." And just like that, her sour mood came back as she was instantly reminded of the situation back home and the fact that there was a second Cinder running around.


    "You didn''t do anything once it happened though, did you?" She asked bitterly.


    Wyvern winced and shook her head. "I didn''t. I''m sorry. The Victorian-"


    "Victorian this, Victorian that! I get she''s the number one hero, but she''s just one person. She can make mistakes." She''d know that better than anyone. She had literally lived through the world watching the Victorian''s mistake. Ruby Admiral was a villain no one seemed to know about nowadays. Likely something the Branch buried.


    She knew that the Victorian must have changed a lot. Not just with herself but the Branch as well. Back then, all Supers were forced to work for the Branch or were dubbed as villains. Now though Supers could go about living a peaceful normal life without having to join the Branch. The Sub Enforcers had also been something the Victorian created. Kids could be dumb. Give kids powers, and they could be really dumb. Every child at one point or another likely thought about being a hero. The Sub Enforcers had been created by the Victorian to stop kids from walking down the same path someone like Sini, Nier, or Wano had to walk. The Hero Branch would force powerful kids into the war simply because they were strong. The Sub Enforcers, however, were meant to place child Supers under a powerful adult who could monitor them, help them grow, and take them on less dangerous missions. No matter what, children would try to use their powers to get into fights, so by at least creating the Sub Enforcers, it was meant to ensure they wouldn''t have to be thrown into a war.


    Of course, that all sort of got botched up when the Hero Branch went around the number one hero and used other groups to do their dirty work that had children on them. Boy Genius had once asked Pantheon to go after Fairy Queen. Looking back at it, there really would have been no way they''d win that fight if it wasn''t for Mr. Larison. The hero would have never been allowed to ask the Sub Enforcers to do something like that, but despite the fact her team was made up of mostly kids, because they weren''t technically Sub Enforcers, it was a loophole.


    This was to say that much like Full Monarch, the Victorian''s system wasn¡¯t perfect either. No system would ever be perfect, but she was starting to notice a core issue. One that she might need to address sooner or later.


    They flew in silence as she thought all of this over. Wyvern spoke up, a bit hesitant. "Most of her credit has been going to you."


    "What?" She asked, looking up.


    "The Victorian." Wyvern explained. "Since that faker can''t actually do anything, the Victorian has been working like a crazed beast. I don''t think she''s rested since she lost, and all of that credit has been going to you. Over half of her deeds, they''re claiming Cinder is the one doing it. I know you don''t like what the Branch did, nor of the fact that some of us allowed it to happen, but people have been looking up to Cinder. They¡¯re treating you almost as well as they treated Full Monarch."


    "I''m not the next Full Monarch though." She complained.


    "You''re not?"


    "No! I''m really not."


    She might have had the Brightest Star inside of her, but it was only half of the being. Not to mention, even if she did have the full half, she wouldn''t be following the same path that Full Monarch and the Victorian both did. At least not at the moment. Full Monarch created the Hero Branch as a way to ensure humans and Supers could work together and get over the fear that had been established by Lucifer. The Victorian rebuilt the Hero Branch to try and bring more order and balance in the relationship of Supers and help young ones grow and find a place for themselves. Both plans, however, were corrupted. Being the number one hero was more than just being the strongest. It meant making real changes. Changes to the system that could benefit all, and at the moment she really didn''t know what she could do to help everyone.


    "Don''t get me wrong, it''s always been my dream to be a big-shot superhero. As a kid, I wanted to fly alongside the Victorian and fight crime together with her, but now it seems like people only care about me because I¡¯m the Lord of the Sun. It wasn''t me that beat the Beast, it was the Brightest Star. Hell, if they should be praising anyone, they should all be focused on Paragon! She kept up with me when I was in that form and helped me beat it. I didn''t really consider it until now, but she must be crazy strong, right?! Why isn''t anyone talking about her?"


    "She hasn''t been seen by the public since the Beast fight." Wyvern sighed. "She vanished from sight, and no one knows where she is."


    "Seriously?" She frowned and gripped a little tighter on one of Wyvern''s tail scales. "Not even Poseidon has been able to find her?"


    "Well, Poseidon had been looking for her but gave up after she moved to Rose."


    "Moved to Rose?"


    "Oh? You didn''t hear about the changes that happened recently, did you?" Wyvern winced. "We''re coming up on Violet City. Why don''t you take a look? You''ll likely see it for yourself."


    Up ahead, the city began to come into view as they flew faster. She felt the air leave her lungs when she saw it. Violet City was one of the ten great cities that had been built by Sini Corp. after the war with Lucifer. The Lord had awakened a Mental power and gathered a team of other Mental power users, creating the ten grand cities. They were massive in size, made to hold most of the world''s population, and scattered all over the world. Some were connected to each other, like Oleander and Lillian, but others stood alone.


    Violet looked more like a massive village. Instead of skyscrapers, it had massive stone towers modeled to look like the grand Enforcer tower. Actual castles took the place of mansions, and there were hundreds of stone or wooden buildings. The people were dressed straight out of a fantasy book, wearing dresses or peasant clothes, but there was also an abundance of technology as well. Phones, cars, and other such things existed. It was as if you mixed modern and fantasy together into one weird place.


    Every Enforcer member other than the Victorian and Beta had their own hero team, as well as a Sub Enforcer unit in their city. For Fable, he led team Fairy Tale, which was made up of heroes that based themselves off of stories of the past, some even being modeled after heroes that were around before the four Lords. What truly caught her attention though and caused her pulse to quicken was what roamed the city. She had seen them all too well in the memories Avalon had forced her to live through.


    Giants...


    There were four of them in total, each one guarding a corner of the city. They were different shapes and sizes, but all were as big as a castle. One was heavily armored, while another only wore a bit of cloth. One had a great sword, another a bow, and another a massive club. Coming out of the back of all of their heads was a long strand of water that floated through the air. It connected itself to the Giants, and each one led to the same place. On top of the castle, another familiar face stood, her hand outstretched, allowing the strings of water to touch her fingers.


    Purrfect had a sly grin on her face and twitched her finger, each one sending shock waves through the cord, which in turn caused the Giants to move. They roamed the city, looking down at the people who had seemingly grown used to the beings standing there and no longer feared them.


    "Why are Mr. Larison''s Giant''s here! And is that Purrfect? Is she controlling them? Why? How?" She asked in shock.


    "You really have missed a lot." Wyvern let out another deep sigh.


    "No kidding." Kevin whispered in her ear, and she jumped a bit. She had almost forgotten she was literally wearing him as her costume. He had been mostly silent and hadn''t budged an inch since they left. "What the hell is going on?"


    Wyvern''s speed kicked up, and they flew out of the city. The hero got even faster, and in no time at all, they came across a second city. Dandelion was protected by Mister Man and his team called Mercy. It looked more like an old-timey city with old cars and people walking around in heavy trench coats. A grand battle between a previous Lord of the Sky and Weather had happened here once, and it was cursed to always rain with heavy black clouds that hovered above it, constantly pouring. On every corner a heavy-looking bank stood, and most of the people had guns strapped to them.


    Once more, four Giants stood. One was heavily armored and held a massive trident. Another looked more like a large lion covered in thick black fur made of energy and stood on all fours. The other two looked more like massive knights. Just like in the previous city, a tendril was attached to the back of their head, leading to the tallest building where Purrfect stood.


    "How is she here, too?"


    Again, they flew past it and soon reached Wyvern''s own city, Daffodil, which was protected by the Sun Eater team. Since Wyvern was good friends with Boy Genius and often worked alongside him and Beta, the city below looked like something straight out of the future. The cars hovered slightly off the ground, and every building was stacked on top of one another going up. It was all small and compressed with dozens of layers, each layer forming another mini-city on top of it. On each layer, a Giant stood and had the strands of water coming out the back of their head. At the very top of the city, lounging around on a chair being treated to an assortment of snacks from different robots, Purrfect laid her hand lazily controlling the string that connected to the Giants.


    "I''m starting to get worried." Kevin murmured.


    "Are you starting to get it yet?" Wyvern questioned her.


    "Get what?" She asked. "Get that Purrfect apparently found a way to clone herself or something? What the hell is going on exactly, Wyvern? Why are Mr. Larison''s Giants here? Actually, wait... Why did you show up to the island? That island was near Violet City, so I get why Fable showed up, but why are you outside of one of your cities? Normally only the Victorian leaves the city and protects the rest of the world. Also, now that I think about it earlier, you said something. You said the Victorian didn''t rest ever since she lost?"


    Wyvern didn¡¯t say anything for several seconds, instead focusing on flying out of her city and reaching the ocean. Soon they''d arrived at Oleander, which also had four Giants and a Purrfect located somewhere in the city. Finally, though, Wyvern spoke. "A lot happened in such a short amount of time. I''m guessing wherever you''ve been, it wasn''t a place caught up on all the news."


    "The last thing I heard about was that there was someone claiming to be me who gave away my identity. What else did I miss?" She demanded.


    "To answer one of your questions, the reason I''m not in my city anymore is the same reason no Enforcer is in their city. All of us have been kicked out."


    "What!" She felt a chill run down her spine. "Seriously? You''ve been kicked out? By who?"


    "Who do you think..."


    She glanced back at the city in the distance, staring at the Giants in shock. "N- No. You''re lying. Mr. Larison wouldn''t do something like that, would he? A- And if he did, I''m sure he must have had a good reason for it, right?"


    "Maybe. Or maybe the Victorian was wrong, and he really is the next Calamity." Wyvern bowed her head. "It started when he arrived in Rose. I don''t know the full story, but he picked a fight with the Hero Branch, which, in turn, led them to call the number one hero on him. He came to her himself though."


    In the distance, Oleander began to come up quickly. That wasn''t the only thing she saw either. A golden light took up the night sky. She hadn''t even realized they''d flown to the other side of the planet until she saw the Victorian. The number one hero had her arms folded and floated above Oleander City, just outside its border. Four Giants stood directly in front of her, seemingly blocking her from entering. Behind them, much smaller Giants worked on the destroyed buildings. Her eyes roamed over all the destruction of her city, feeling a pang in her heart.


    The golden woman''s eyes slowly turned when she heard the flapping of wings. The woman''s eyes seemed to ignite, and the smallest hint of a smile appeared on her face as she stared at Hope, who clung to Wyvern''s tail.


    "Battery and the Victorian did battle with each other." Wyvern spoke up once again. "The end result was that we now have a new number one hero. The Victorian lost, and Battery has been quick at establishing his own rules and his new Hero Branch."


    Battery was now in charge.

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty: Running The Gauntlet

    Wyvern''s wings flapped through the air as the dragon-themed hero stopped in front of the world''s strongest Super. Or maybe the Victorian was now the second strongest?


    Hope clung to Wyvern''s tail and stared up at the person she had practically worshipped all her life. The hero looked tired. Ever since she had become a Super, she had noticed it. The bags that resided under every heroes'' eyes. Even her own began to get them not even a month into her job. The Victorian, though, never seemed to have them. The woman was always flawless and gorgeous. Now though the woman''s costume was torn across her chest, her hair was long and messy, and her eyes seemed to lose some of that spark that normally resided in them.


    Despite that, the woman somehow managed to give a smile. "It''s good to see you again, Cinder."


    Hope felt her heart twitch a bit and had to fight a blush that was forming on her face. Those words were written down in hundreds of her Victorian x Y/N fanfics that she wrote. In any other timeline, she''d have let out a squeal. Now though, they didn''t hold true. Not after everything that happened to her.


    She was still practically dangling in the air, hanging off of Wyvern''s tail as she and the number one hero looked at each other. She got her emotions under control and finally spoke. "What''s going on?"


    The Victorian''s smile cracked, and the woman''s eye twitched. "Maybe we should land and-"


    "No!" She clenched down on Wyvern''s tail, causing the hero to wince. "I want to know. Please. Tell me what''s happening with Mr. Larison. I have a right to know. No more secrets."


    The Victorian let out a sigh and looked up. "You want to know? Okay. I''ll tell you. But it''s not pretty." Slowly, the woman allowed herself to think back as she began to form her thoughts. "It all started after he attacked Director Ward. He just showed up and attacked us."


    ¡°That can¡¯t seriously be how it started.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Wyvern let out a soft snort and gave a low shrug. ¡°It was one of the craziest plays I¡¯ve ever seen. He simply showed up and declared his victory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Victorian nodded. ¡°It all started a few days ago¡­¡±


    ***


    A few days ago.


    "Alright." Mister Man tapped his finger on the stone table, feeling his power flicker on and off as he occasionally phased through the table. "I''ll be the first to say it. It didn''t take long for Battery to snap, huh?"


    "I knew it wasn''t a good idea to invite him." Lady Time said, letting out a sigh.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to think about how smug Drake is going to look when he next sees us.¡± Mister Man sighed. ¡°That monster bastard is going to have the biggest ¡®I told you so¡¯ look the world has ever seen.¡±


    Boy Genius bit his lip. ¡°No. Even after all of this, I don¡¯t think Battery is the Calamity. He still hasn¡¯t truly killed anyone.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to Pretty Face.¡± Fable snorted. ¡°He¡¯s stuck in the hospital due to a snapped spine. If not for a minor healing factor he has, he¡¯d never walk again.¡±


    ¡°I know things seem bad, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Just accept it, kid.¡± Mister Man rolled his eyes. ¡°For once, you and the Victorian were wrong. The two of you let that wild mutt onto our team, thinking you could control his power, all because he showed some crazy strength in his fight with the Beast. Now that mutt has turned its hungry jaws on us. You. Screwed. Up.¡±


    Boy Genius flinched and slowly stared down at the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The room went silent. It was the first time he had ever made a mistake.


    The Enforcers were once again meeting. Or at least most of them were. The three newest members, Lightning Empress, Pretty Face, and Battery, weren''t currently in on this meeting. The thing they were discussing was what they needed to do about Battery. It had been broadcast all over Lillian how he suddenly summoned a Giant and attacked the Hero Branch Tower. Most of the public was demanding an answer. Pretty Face had been too injured to show up after being beaten into the ground by Battery, and Lightning Empress had simply not bothered to show. It didn¡¯t help that in Oleander, Alice Ward¡¯s podcast was hyping Battery up, and most of the world seemed to have suddenly gained a strange fascination with the weirdo. All because he had fought the Beast for the longest on camera and happened to sound and look a little handsome.


    "W- What are we going to do about him?" Wyvern asked, her voice cracking.


    "Oh, so you actually decided to show up this time?" Lady Time sneered at the younger hero, who flinched back. "Since Battery joined, you haven''t been here, and now we find out he attacked Lillian. Know something we don''t, missy?"


    Wyvern glared down at the table, not meeting anyone''s eyes. Finally, though she spoke. "He just gives me a bad vibe." That wasn''t true, though. The real reason was who he reminded her of. It was still stuck in her mind. The image of the Emperor, clad in his black armor with fiery blue eyes pouring out of his helm... The two held the same feeling. The sense of absolute destruction.


    "If you want to blame anyone, then blame me." The Victorian finally spoke up. The golden woman was the only one who didn''t take her seat. Instead, she hovered above the table with her arms crossed and didn¡¯t look worried in the slightest. "I was the one who invited him to join after all."


    "Oh, don''t worry. We all blame you." Fable''s head was face down on the table, the man letting out several tired grumbles. "Why did you invite that madman anyway? Got a crush on him?"


    "Gross." Was all the Victorian said with a flat face.


    Boy Genius held a hand up in an effort to calm everyone. "Now, now. I must say that it isn''t the Victorian''s fault. I looked Battery over myself, and he showed no sign of being like a Calamity. If anything, the readings he gave off were closer to Lucifer."


    "Oh yeah, because that''s so much better!" Mister Man grunted out.


    The young teen just shrugged. "His mental state seemed to be normal. Perhaps he has a reason for doing something like this."


    "He could have the best excuse in the world, and I doubt the Branch would care." Lady Time smashed her fist into the table. "After all, he openly harmed a high-ranking member. Not to mention he attacked Pretty Face, who is part of our team. Why don''t we cut to the chase? We all know why he''s doing this."


    They all turned to look at the table where Boy Genius had his hologram on the image of another thing they planned to talk about. It showed Cinder standing proudly on the stage next to Ward and another director. "Skin Walker." Mister Man sighed and placed his face in his hands. None of them really liked the idea of using an ex-member of the Emperor''s army to pretend to be Cinder, yet here they were. The shapeshifter was playing her role perfectly. "I bet he did it because of her. He''s pissed they outed Cinder and are pretending she''s alive. Christ, I didn''t even consider what''ll happen if he lets it slip to the public that a shapeshifter is taking the place of Cinder. Did Ward and the higher-ups actually plan any of this shitshow out? They¡¯re nearly dumb as Boy Genius has been lately!"


    A heavy silence hung in the air around them. Finally, it was Beta who spoke up. The robot had kept quiet the entire conversation, doing what he did best: watching things unfold. Now though it was his turn to speak. Though he didn''t have anything to add to the subject. Instead, he simply gave everyone a warning.


    "We have company." He said casually.


    A wall exploded as a wave of blue energy smashed into the building, shaking everything. The lights flickered, and four out of the seven Enforcers that were in the room bolted for the massive hole, staring out in shock. The Victorian, Boy Genius, and Beta remained seated. The young hero had a heavy frown on his face and stared at the floating woman, who had a sly smirk on her lips.


    "Jill." He said, using her human name. "Please tell me this isn''t part of Jack''s plan that he told you about."


    Beta cocked his head to the side and focused his gaze on the Victorian. "Plan?"


    The number one hero just grinned and brought a finger to her lip. "Shh. Let''s not spoil the plot now. After all, the show is just about to get good."


    Boy Genius gritted his teeth. ¡°Do you have any idea what you did? You told that man that you¡¯d be a weapon for him if he beat you, and that in order to get a shot at you, he¡¯d need to go through everyone else. He isn¡¯t the kind of person to back down.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The Victorian¡¯s smile was larger, and her fingers grew tighter around her sword. ¡°Isn¡¯t he awesome?¡±


    ¡°God, damn it, you¡¯re not supposed to be Ruby Admiral any more! Act like the Victorian!¡±


    Over with the other Enforcers, they all stared down at the street below, which was rapidly filling with smoke. Fable was the first to spot it. Lady Time, Wyvern, Mister Man, and himself all peered out at Rose City. Rose was one of the largest cities, almost ten times bigger than any other, and many of its people weren''t used to much danger as the Victorian personally kept it safe. The only sort of crime that would ever happen was caused by what remained of the Emperor''s army, which grew smaller and smaller every day. Despite that, the streets were filled with rows of people who all had their phones out and were recording the scene before them. The skies were filled with hundreds of drones, as every news station around the world all found themselves tuned into this one moment.


    Battery stood in the center of the road, staring up at the building he had blasted. One hand was stuffed inside of a pocket in his new coat, while the other arm was held out, his fingers twisted into a gun with smoke coming off of the tip of his pointer. His eyes glowed with a mix of blue and black, and he smirked. "Bang."


    Off to the side, on top of another nearby building, Poseidon stood with her arms crossed. "I hope he knows what he''s doing."


    "Have faith in the teacher!" Purrfect announced, letting out a soft purr as she elbowed the Lord of the Sea. "What you should be worrying about is getting changed into your new outfit and picking out a new name. After all, you won''t be Poseidon going forward."


    Poseidon gave a faint nod and looked down at the bundle of clothes she had in her arms. She was leaving a lot behind. "This is the correct choice, right?"


    "Does it matter? After all, in a way, it''s your only choice."


    The Lord bit her tongue to stop herself from speaking anything she shouldn''t say. If this wasn''t the right path, then she''d make it into one. Battery might have been set on walking the path to hell, but she''d walk the path of victory. No matter what it took, she''d avenge her mother and Hope. She''d make sure this was a world her sister could live in. A world where Sky could be happy.


    ¡®Give in.¡¯


    A world where the monster known as the Tallest Wave wasn¡¯t anything that needed to be feared. Poseidon rubbed her head, squashing down the voice. ¡°Don¡¯t lose, Battery. If you do, I might seriously kill you.¡±


    Battery had a sly grin on his face. He seemed to be almost back to his old self in a way, putting on some sort of twisted show for the people that were watching him. ¡°W- Why did you blast the Enforcer Tower?¡± One of the people asked in a shaking voice. ¡°Y- You¡¯re the newest member, right? The hero Battery?¡±


    ¡°Why did I blast the tower?¡± Battery shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s such an eyesore. I mean, look at it.¡± He gestured with his hand lazily. The other buildings were all modern, or even advanced skyscrapers. Not the Enforcer tower though. It was forged from old stone. ¡°Now that I¡¯m the number one hero, I decided we won¡¯t be using it anymore.¡±


    ¡°N- Number one hero? You?¡±


    Battery looked back at the camera, both his eyes glowing with a different colored light. ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t you guys know? After today, I¡¯ll be the one protecting mankind.¡± Blue and black swirled together. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a Giant, one that carries the will of the world on its very back!¡±


    Battery was once again the most searched hero name of the week in that moment alone.


    Just as Fable was the first to spot Battery, he was also the first to act. The man crashed down, cracking the ground as he landed, and glared at the hero in red. Many of the people backed away but still stayed close enough to record the fight. Fable''s lion cloak seemed to twitch and come to life, clinging to the man''s dark skin as he stomped his way toward Battery. "Why did you think coming here was smart?" He didn''t let the Super speak and instead struck out with a fist as soon as Battery opened his mouth. Fable''s hand rammed into Battery''s face and twisted the man''s neck. "I don''t care, actually. Save whatever excuse you have for the judge!"


    Fable struck out again and again, smashing Battery back and forth. The man took each punch, stumbling slightly as the fist rattled his brain. Fable didn''t let up and went until his knuckles hurt and balling a fist became hard. He sent out one last right hook, twisting his hand into Battery''s skull, and drilled the man''s head down hard into the ground. Despite that, though, Battery¡¯s eyes still held their light, and he easily pushed himself back up to a standing position, simply shoving Fable off of him.


    Battery took the punch and slowly reached up, wiping a bit of blood that dripped down his lip. "My turn."


    Fable went to block, but it was too late. Battery''s energy spiraled out, wildly crackling the air as the man sent his fist out. It formed an aura around him, taking shape. His power allowed him to control and create imaginary energy. A power that could be what he wanted. He used it typically to give it the property of Giants, creatures he heard about in legend. In that moment, he gave himself the strength of a hundred Giants and rammed a fist directly into Fable''s chin!


    A massive wave of force slammed out as Fable was sent flying from the punch and went well past the clouds, flying off at an angle. Battery pulled his fist back as smoke billowed off of it. He looked back up at the Enforcer tower, which now had a Fable sized hole through it, staring up at Mister Man, Wyvern, and Lady Time, who all glared at him. He simply smirked and tilted his head. "Who''s next?"Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Wyvern was in fact next, as it turned out. Despite the waves of fear that coursed through the woman, Wyvern decided she wasn¡¯t going to back down and would instead fight instead of flee. A growl rumbled deep in her throat as she launched out of the building, wings snapping open. Battery lazily tilted his head as he watched the draconic hero circle him. A ticking sound echoed in the air, and Wyvern¡¯s speed skyrocketed, the hero speeding up until there were dozens of after-images in a circle around Battery.


    He lazily looked toward the Enforcers Tower, raising an eyebrow at Lady Time, who simply raised her sword. The woman was amping Wyvern¡¯s speed as well as Mister Man¡¯s. A gunshot roared out, and Battery took a step back, narrowly dodging a bullet that whipped past him, and tore into the building behind him with enough force to shake it.


    ¡°Not a smart move, man! You should¡¯ve singled each of us out. You¡¯re not beating us together.¡± Mister Man called out, stepping out of the hole in the tower. As he fell, he disappeared into the circling blur that was Wyvern. As Battery followed him with his eyes, dozens of Mister Man images joined the Wyvern after-images, standing on the back of the draconic hero. The hero wielded two heavy-looking revolvers, each one having enough firepower to tear through even a Super¡¯s enhanced durability. Of course, the actual force of the bullets didn¡¯t matter since Mister Man could literally phase the bullets into a person¡¯s body.


    More gunshots rang out, and Battery dodged forward, somehow avoiding the horde of bullets that came from every angle. The nearby civilians screamed as the bullets sailed past Battery and the circling Wyvern. Before the bullets could hit the people, though, glowing blue hands grabbed onto the onlookers to drag them out of the line of fire. With another wave of his hand, Battery formed shields out of glowing black energy that stopped falling rubble from crushing anyone, and he even blocked stray shots himself with his summoned claymore.


    ¡°You gonna give me a ¡®heroes together, strong¡¯ speech?¡± Battery smirked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re all together. Just makes this whole thing go a bit quicker as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± He pointed up to the drones that watched the fight. A few had been sniped out of the sky by stray bullets, but most were still filming everything. ¡°And the best part is, all of this is live. You guys are about to get your ass kicked firsthand by me in front of all your plans.¡±


    "And what is it you''re trying to do!" Wyvern cried out, her voice still shaking a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why do this? Why now?¡±


    "Because I¡¯m the only one left that can." Battery¡¯s look grew serious. ¡°I expected to stay dead. I wanted that even. My plan was to die and cause Cinder to become the next Full Monarch. A hero that could truly save this world. Sadly though, fate is one hell of a bitch and has other plans for me. She died, and I lived. Therefore, it only makes sense that I switch the roles, doesn¡¯t it? I will be the one who saves this world if she can''t.¡±


    Wyvern¡¯s response to his speech was a stream of fire, a concentrated wave that rapidly filled the area around Battery with roaring flames. Battery didn¡¯t even flinch as he formed a skin-tight barrier of blue energy around him that blocked the attack.


    Wyvern and Mister Man kept up their barrage of fire and bullets, circling their enemy, until Battery leapt forward. His arms crackled with blue energy, which he slammed into the ground. Instantaneously, the blue energy poured into the ground, forcing it to crack and shatter, exploding upward like a geyser. The two Enforcers were forced to stop their circling and back away, breathing heavily. As Lady Time landed behind them, the trio looked at Battery with hints of worry in their eyes. Despite some rapidly healing blisters and flesh-wound bullet holes, the man was practically fine.


    He didn¡¯t even seem to be struggling, still playing the show up for the cameras. A few small Giants appeared behind him, which began to slowly mend and fix the ground with whatever they had after he had destroyed it. It was a stark comparison to the many buildings that were crumbling due to Mister Man¡¯s bullets.


    ¡°We need to take him out now.¡± Lady Time grunted.


    ¡°No kidding.¡± Mister Man reloaded his guns and tipped his hat a bit. ¡°Let¡¯s just kill him.¡±


    They rushed in, Lady Time tapping Mister Man and Wyvern with her sword, their speeds rapidly increasing again, causing them to get even faster. As they neared their foe, Battery swung a fist at Mister Man, sighing to himself as the fist phased through the Enforcer, who stepped in close and placed the barrel of his gun under Battery¡¯s chin.


    Before the gun could fire, Battery leaned back, swinging a foot at Mister Man with blinding speed, blue energy pulsing along the limb. The Enforcer leapt back, barely dodging the hit and retaliating with a shot that pierced into the limb, the bullet hole leaking energy briefly.


    Wyvern slammed into Battery¡¯s back, and he turned to view the draconic hero face-to-face. She growled deep in her throat and grabbed at him. Battery¡¯s arms came up to stop them, the two held in a grapple.


    Battery raised an eyebrow. ¡°Kiddo, you¡¯re not gonna win this one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to disagree,¡± Wyvern stated as she breathed in. Up close, with their hands held in a grapple, she let loose a beam of fire into Battery¡¯s face.


    Flames engulfed him, roaring out behind him and towards a coffee store where civilians were huddling. As the fire reached the glass front of the store, an armored blue wall formed over it, shielding it from danger.


    ¡°Huh, so that¡¯s how Red Ape felt.¡± Battery remarked as the flames died down around him. "Still, your fire isn''t all that special, at least not compared to ''hers''."


    Wyvern looked on in shock as her enemy¡¯s face became visible again. The man was unharmed, aside from some small burn marks on his face. Without giving her a moment, Battery headbutted the Enforcer, cracking several of her face scales and sending her flying back.


    He barely had a moment to breathe before he heard a sound behind him. He rapidly formed a barrier over his skin and turned around, coming eye-to-eye with Lady Time, who jabbed a clock-hand-shaped sword at his chest. Battery simply formed blue armor that blocked the hit and punched forward. As his fist neared the Enforcer¡¯s face, she suddenly backed away.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Battery taunted. ¡°I thought you guys were supposed to be some of the strongest heroes.¡± Around them more of the people had gathered, and once more barriers of blue or black energy were keeping them shielded and at a safe distance. Even the drones were getting barriers now.


    Lady Time didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she raised her sword, pointing it straight up. A gonging noise sounded, and the nearby street turned gray. The concrete of the road and the walls of stores crumbled to dust as a wave of energy pulsed out from Lady Time. Cowering civilians yelped as glowing blue hands pulled them out of the way of the energy pulse before they could also be turned to dust. Battery dashed forward and jumped over the energy wave, his feet sinking into the remnants of the concrete. As he reached Lady Time, Battery grabbed her arms before the woman could jump away.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to bother aiming, then I¡¯m just going to have to take your toys away.¡± He scolded as his grip tightened. Lady Time grunted in pain as she felt the bones in her arm cracking, her swords dropping from her hands. Before she could even think about rewinding some of the damage she took to fix her broken arms, Battery kicked her, sending her flying back into the Enforcer building. It was the only building he had actually attacked so far.


    As he stood there, Battery felt the pain before he heard the gunshot, turning to see Mister Man with a revolver aimed at him. The two dashed toward each other, Battery swinging out with a fist crackling with blue energy. As it passed through Mister Man, Battery felt the barrel of the gun pressing against his back, and he sighed.


    The bullet ripped through him and exited out of his front as Mister Man phased through Battery, swinging his gun around to catch the bullet in the revolver¡¯s cylinder to fire it again into Battery¡¯s chest. Bullets and guns didn''t normally work like that, but Mister Man''s gun had been created by Boy Genius and was far from normal, able to tear down entire buildings. On a nearby rooftop, Poseidon and Purrfect watched the battle with growing worry.


    ¡°I knew Teach was good, but I didn¡¯t realize he was ¡®three Enforcers¡¯ good.¡± Purrfect stated.


    Poseidon shrugged. ¡°In terms of normal Supers, sure, the Enforcers are near the top. But that¡¯s just the first step of the ladder. There are Supers that are a step above them, though. True monsters. And it¡¯s not just the Lords on that step. You¡¯ve got the scalebreakers like the Victorian, the Beast, and the Emperor.¡±


    Purrfect clapped and cheered as, in the street below, Battery struck out with the power of the Giants, forming large arms in the air to slap at Mister Man. ¡°And now that list includes Teach!¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure he was always on it. Even when he was pretending to be a member of Myth''s team, I always had a feeling he was a lot stronger than he let on.¡± Poseidon huffed out. ¡°He¡¯s just a monster, pretending to be human. Or trying to stay human, while he can.¡±


    Purrfect cheered again as Battery¡¯s energy hands slammed down onto Lady Time and Wyvern, who both tried to reenter the battle but were knocked back once more by the force of the attack.


    Mister Man, on the other hand, avoided each strike, firing at Battery with bullets that blew holes through cars and buildings. Battery dodged most of them, taking a few head-on. Although the onlookers couldn¡¯t tell whether these hits he took were slips in his defense or just a statement to the Enforcer. No matter how many holes were blown through his body, Battery just didn¡¯t stop coming.


    Seemingly tired of the endless exchange, Battery punched at the air with a glowing blue hand. Mister Man braced but looked around in confusion when he couldn¡¯t see any Giant arms. As he looked around, he mentally noted that the buildings seemed to grow taller. He quickly realized that, rather than the buildings growing taller, he was instead descending into a portal under his feet, looking down to find himself falling into one of the many forgotten cities that were buried under the Wastelands. Mister Man just sighed and slapped at his face. He might not have been able to be touched by Battery, but that didn''t mean the man still couldn''t beat him. Battery was simply removing him from the battlefield.


    Battery closed the portal, shaking his head. ¡°That guy¡¯s an asshole.¡±


    The people all stared in shock. Wyvern and Lady Time were down for the count, neither able to get back up, and Mister Man had been sent¡ªwho knows where. Was there anyone left who could stop Battery?


    Fable suddenly jumped a bit startled awake. The man felt a wave of pain coursing through his jaw, and he reached up to rub it, spitting up a few teeth. He stared up at the sky above him and felt water hit him. He was on some beach. "Did he punch me out of the city?" He set up slowly as his conscious mind slowly woke back up after being knocked out by one punch. He was somewhere in the middle of the ocean. A deep concern since Rose was a landlocked city. "Did he punch me around the planet? That bastard!"


    Back in Rose, Battery stared up at the Enforcer tower with cold eyes. The Victorian, Boy Genius, and Beta all stared down at him.


    ¡°Well, who¡¯s next? Is it the kid? I think it might be his naptime!¡± He called out, smirking at the trio that stood in the tower.


    Boy Genius went to grab his bag but stopped when Beta held an arm out. ¡°Not yet, sir.¡± Beta spoke softly. ¡°The match isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a match! It¡¯s something that needs to be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°And it will.¡± Beta hummed. ¡°¡®He¡¯ still stands.¡±


    Battery threw his arms out as the cameras took several shots of him. ¡°Anyone else? I really thought you guys were better. Then again, half of you didn¡¯t even do anything in the battle with the Beast! It was me who had to carry-¡± His taunt was cut off by the sound of a loud crack echoing through the street as something rammed into the hero with blinding speed. Battery stumbled forward as he rubbed his cheek and turned to the cause of the hit. Fable stood with his fist outstretched, smoke rising from the impact. "Not bad. Where did you end up, anyway?¡± Battery taunted with a grin.


    Fable rubbed his fist as he replied. ¡°In the middle of a goddamn ocean!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you get back? You have a dolphin form, also?¡±


    ¡°I ran across the water, jackass.¡± Fable stated.


    Battery nodded. ¡°You get points for style. Sadly, you lose points for taking this long. I could have wiped the city out if I was a bad guy."


    "Are you trying to say you''re not a bad guy?" Fable questioned with narrowed eyes. Battery simply raised a hand toward Fable, beckoning him to approach.


    Fable didn¡¯t respond as he leapt forward with another punch. Battery ducked under the fist and rose with a raised elbow. With a flash of blue and a resounding boom, Fable was sent flying into the air, rising above the Enforcers Tower. As he started to descend, Fable glared down at Battery. Against the other Enforcers, Battery had held back his strength in some effort to not harm them totally. Fable, on the other hand, could take it, each strike laced with the strength of the Giants, able to level entire cities if they wanted.


    ¡°Octavius trusted you!¡± Fable yelled as he transformed. His hair turned white, and his eyes turned red. His skin bulged and turned dark purple as his muscles expanded. Deep red fire ignited across a fleece that suddenly appeared on his shoulder, spreading down to his fists.


    Nearing the ground, Fable struck out, kicking against the air with a boom as he shot forward. Battery raised his arms to block the flaming fist, wincing as the deep red flames burned him, even through the layer of blue energy that hummed across his skin.


    ¡°You had something like this, and you didn¡¯t use it in the fight with the Beast?¡± Battery grunted. ¡°Are you stupid?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡± Fable growled. His flames compressed around his fist. ¡°Myth has a form similar to this. His three-headed dog form. Our fire isn¡¯t physical. It negates durability.¡± Fable unleashed another punch, which Battery tried to block, but true to the hero''s words, the fire bypassed Battery¡¯s aura and rammed into the hero¡¯s gut, badly burning it. ¡°These flames are made to attack the soul itself! They chip away at it and burn it to ash! They won¡¯t do actual harm and instead leave spiritual wounds that can never be healed! It¡¯s this power that allowed big bro to harm Demonica! Sadly, these flames don¡¯t do jack shit to the Beast, since that thing lacks a soul!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the explanation.¡± Battery wiped some of the ash off of his coat and spat out a tooth. ¡°I guess destroying the Beast¡¯s soul is a plan that won¡¯t work. Guess I¡¯ll have to find a new solution then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing important to a scrub like you.¡± Battery smirked. ¡°Just the number one hero rambling a bit. You know how we can get if you¡¯ve hung around the Victorian for the longest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are so going down, you arrogant little bastard!¡±


    The two lunged at each other, exchanging a series of blows that made the nearby civilian''s wince from the booming sounds. As Fable struck with flaming fists, Battery responded by forming blue arms to match. The arms came out of his shoulders, giving him extra limbs that struck out with more blows than Fable could keep up with.


    The two kept up the barrage of punches until Fable pulled a snake-icon shield from his back, pointing it at Battery, who raised a wall of blue energy armor to block. The wall dimmed and transformed into gray stone that burst apart as Fable charged through it, holding a spear. At the tip of the spear, his red flames had condensed, burning and roaring. He jabbed it forward at blistering speed, piercing it straight into Battery¡¯s side, who let out a yell as the flames scorched him from the inside.


    Battery latched onto the spear, holding it to stop Fable from retreating briefly. As the Enforcer looked into his eyes, Battery summoned a Giant fist, ramming it down onto Fable, who took the blow head-on. Fable¡¯s skull shattered and blood dripped down the man¡¯s face as he stumbled back, but he managed to stay standing and glared at Battery.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± Battery pulled his fist back. ¡°I accept that. Keep on living, Fable. I could use you in my plan.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± Fable spat out.


    Battery rammed his fist forward one last time. His blue energy exploded, and this time it compressed along his arm and formed into a massive, ten-meter-tall fist that rammed into Fable so hard the hero was once again blasted out of Rose City. Silence echoed out yet again as everyone stared at the display in shock. The energy arm slowly crumbled away as Battery breathed heavily.


    Battery ripped the spear out of his side and tossed it to the ground, finally forcing another smirk onto his face. He shot a look up at the tower.


    ¡°I had it all under control.¡± His eyes met those of the three heroes that stood above. ¡°Seriously. Who else is next?¡±


    In the tower, Boy Genius grabbed a nearby backpack, strapping it on.


    ¡°Right, my turn.¡± The young hero stated, getting ready to leap out of the hole in the wall.


    Before he could fall, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Boy Genius turned to see the Victorian, who shook her head.


    ¡°If you go down, a lot of systems are going to fall apart.¡± She reasoned. ¡°I¡¯ll take this from here.¡±


    She shushed the young hero as he started to object, pushing him back into the room. Boy Genius and Beta watched as the number one hero walked to the edge.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one you¡¯re fighting next.¡± The Victorian yelled down to Battery and stepped off the edge. As she fell, glowing light formed into her greatsword, which she grabbed and let pull her down even faster. As she slammed into the street, no one else but Battery could see her face.


    The Victorian was grinning like a mad woman.


    ***


    Hope frowned as she listened to the story. She was still having a hard time believing it.


    "Trust me, it''s true." Wyvern said, shivering a bit. "Don''t get me wrong, we''re strong. To be an Enforcer, you have to be able to defend an entire city after all, but we mostly exist to fight normal threats. It''s the Lords who are there to match the Calamites and other monsters. The Immortals, the Emperor''s four warriors, even Battery and the Victorian¡ªthose guys simply stand above normal Supers and are reaching the level of the Lords or even surpassing them at times."


    "I wish someone gave me the memo." Hope muttered. She felt very weak, not even just in the state she was in. In general, there hadn''t been a lot she could do against actual threats. Was it because the Lord of the Sun had been split in half, so she was only getting half of the power, or was it just because she wasn''t meant for that kind of power? And why wouldn''t the Brightest Star answer her anymore? Part of it was actually starting to hurt her feelings.


    "Is something wrong?" The Victorian asked, speaking up.


    "No." Hope shook her head and slapped at her face a bit, getting her thoughts on track once more. "I''m fine. Mostly. What happened next? If you wouldn''t mind telling me."


    The golden woman rubbed the back of her neck a bit sheepishly. "Well... Battery and I fought. And I guess¡­ Well, I guess it ended the way I expected.¡±


    ¡°You expected yourself to lose?¡± She said shocked.


    ¡°No.¡± The woman gave a small grin. ¡°That said, from the start, I think I had a feeling. Battery, well, he just isn¡¯t the type of person to lose, now is he?¡±

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-One: The New Number One Hero

    The ocean tore and split as a massive wave of gold sliced out.


    The Victorian blasted forward with speed that defied physics, her sword trailing through the water below her, each strike kicking up a gigantic wave of water that could easily tear a small town off the face of the Earth.


    The world¡¯s strongest woman had no choice but to unleash such devastating blows as the thing she fought was an actual Giant.


    Standing at over one hundred meters tall, forged from powerful blue energy, a winged entity flew through the air. It was forged from Battery¡¯s blue energy, and somewhere deep inside of the heart of the construct, Battery resided. The Giant had massive dragon-like wings that came out of its back, allowing for flight, and despite its insane size, it was shocking fast, easily giving chase to the tiny golden woman. It swung its massive sword out, ripping more of the ocean around them to bits.


    The Victorian turned her flight off, dropping into the harsh water as the blade soared over her head. In the distance, a small island was torn in two by the force of Battery¡¯s sword swing. Luckily they were far from any of the ten cities or any island that actually had life on it.


    The Victorian used the ocean to her advantage, moving through the rippling water that was still being spread out and split. She was used to fighting massive creatures, and Battery was, in the end, no different than any other. She laughed and launched herself up, using the Giant¡¯s massive form to travel through his many blind spots. As she appeared behind him, she forged her biggest sword yet, creating a golden blade nearly as big as Battery¡¯s new Giant form, which she sent ramming into the construct.


    The armor exploded and broke away as Battery came crashing out. He was back to his normal size as his creation crumbled to dust. He tried to raise his own sword up to block her massive blade, but he obviously stood no chance. With a single powerful swing, the Victorian rammed her sword into Battery as hard as she could and sent him blasting across the sky. He¡¯d no doubt crash somewhere miles away.


    With a crazed laugh, the woman dropped her massive sword into the ocean, the blade slowly fading away as it began to crumble into dust. Battery meanwhile found himself ramming into a sand-covered field with so much force it caused the area around him to change into molten glass.


    The hero groaned a bit and sat up, spitting up some blood. Not even the Beast had hit him that hard. As he looked around, he took note of the area he was in. The sky above rained down harsh rays of radiation and fire, and millions of dead worm monsters scattered the field. It was the same place the Victorian had fought the Emperor. That was where she sent him crashing.


    ¡°This some sort of joke?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The Victorian said, letting out an innocent whistle as she suddenly appeared behind him and swung out with a car-sized sword.


    Blue clashed against gold, sending sparks of energy zapping through the air. The glass beneath them tore apart, creating more craters around them. Her golden eyes met his blue and black ones.


    The Victorian''s greatsword was a mighty weapon, one forged from compressed sunlight that was practically a slab of metal the size of a car on a stick. It didn''t so much as cut; instead, it tore whatever it slammed into bits with the pure strength that rested in her arms.


    Battery''s sword, by comparison, might as well have been a twig. It was jagged and wild, as if a lightning bolt had been stolen from the heavens above and fashioned into a claymore. Already, it was starting to fill with cracks and snap as the force of the greatsword bore down into it. He had lost count of how many times he had been forced to recreate his sword.


    The Victorian gritted her teeth, forcing more of her weight down on the blade. Slowly but surely, her mighty weapon was bending and twisting Battery''s. She possessed many skills that he did not; even with his new series of powerups and the new way he acted, he still couldn''t fly. Something that she had been forced to learn. Her feet rose off of the ground, going up just enough to leverage more of her weight down on him. Battery''s knees buckled, and he began to feel himself be shoved into the ground, but he held strong, holding his claymore up as his life depended on it.


    Despite the situation, a smirk came onto his face. Both his arms were busy holding his sword, so he took a new action¡ªone he had seen the kid do many times when she had first unlocked her fire power. His mouth opened, crackling blue and black energy hissing out, and before the Victorian could react, the beam slammed into her face, blasting her back and sending her flying across the battlefield.


    The golden woman hit the ground hard, sending up a dust cloud as she rolled across it and crashed head-first into the lone tower in the Wastelands. The tower screamed as its body gave out and began to collapse in on itself, burying the number one hero beneath a sea of rubble.


    Battery dropped to his knee, breathing heavily, and winced as he rubbed his smoking lips. He was covered in bruises and cuts, and his arms ached every time he gripped his sword. The blade in question gave one last whine as it finally snapped in two. He didn''t miss a beat and was already creating a new, identical one. He placed the sword over his shoulder and forced himself to stand back up. "I know that''s not all you have left to show me. Get back up, Ruby Admiral!"


    A golden light blasted through the rubble as the Victorian climbed out and pointed her sword at him. "I go by the Victorian now. Don''t use that false name."


    "Really? Well, I think that false name suits you better." Battery cracked the muscles in his shoulders, and he felt his joints pop and crack. "Being a hero doesn''t suit you at all, you know."


    "I could say the same to you." The woman snorted. She stabbed her sword into the ground next to her and folded her arms, looking around the battlefield. She lost count of how many hours they had traded blows back and forth. In her fight with the Beast, everything was on the line. It had been do-or-die. This was different, though. It was almost like a dance of sorts, going back and forth with her partner. Out here, they didn''t need to hold back. "You''re not really the type to have a plan that''s for the greater good. So, what exactly are you doing?"


    "The great good isn''t something I need to convince myself to follow." Battery spat out one of his bloodied teeth; he was losing a worrying amount, and he began to walk slowly towards the hero. He stuffed his free hand in the pocket of his black trench coat and pulled out one of the suckers Lois had replaced his cigarettes with. He tossed one to the golden woman, who frowned as she looked down at it. "Evil, good, none of that matters to me. Not really. I''m just getting sick and tired of the way things have been going. If there won''t be a change, I''ll make one myself." He announced before popping the strawberry-flavored sucker in his mouth.


    "You really don''t look or sound that badass with that in your mouth." The woman giggled before placing her sucker between her lips¡ªa watermelon-flavored one. In a flash, she ripped her sword out of the ground and appeared in front of the hero, bringing her weapon down. Battery barely had time to react and attempted to block.


    Once more, a massive dust cloud was kicked up as the wind tore the field of sand around them apart, and their dance began once more. Off to the side, staying at a safe distance, two other figures stood on a large platform Boy Genius had made, which let them watch the fight. "I honestly can''t believe he was actually serious about fighting her." Boy Genius sighed and shook his head. His suit was a torn mess and covered in stains, and his eyes were filled with heavy bags. Despite looking like a thirteen-year-old, you''d have assumed he just went through the longest day of office work. None of the other drones could keep up with the fight; the force of it alone was enough to shatter or explode them, so he had to be the one to watch the match and make sure the correct winner came out on top.


    "It''s hard to believe he''s grown so strong." Standing next to the Enforcer member, a familiar face stood. Most of the world would have known her as the hero Poseidon, but that wasn''t who she was anymore. Not ever since Battery offered her a spot on his team and let her in on his grand plan. Just as Purrfect had done, she changed her outfit. She no longer had her helmet. Instead, her hair flowed down to her body and had taken on a deep blue color. Her eyes burned with a red glow that allowed her to see through the clouds of dust that swallowed the dueling heroes. Instead of her old hero costume, she had paid a bit of tribute to her one and only student, Snowdawn, by molding armor out of ice that clung to her flesh. Also, like Battery, she had dawned her own black coat, keeping it closed around her. Her trident was impaled into the ground of the platform she stood on, and she leaned against it lazily, using it to support herself.


    "I''m not too shocked by his level of power." The child muttered. "His energy was always wild and bounced around a lot, but from the beginning, he had the power of an Enforcer. The shard that was in his heart held him back. It ate away at his life and stopped him from using his true power. That is no longer something he has to worry about, though. This is the purest form of his power. A source of strength might be what we need. At least if it''s truly on our side..." Slowly, he eyed the blue-haired girl, taking note of her changes. "How are you feeling, Poseidon-"


    "Tallest Wave."


    "Huh?"


    "I changed my hero name." The girl shrugged and casually flipped her hair. "The Branch wants to screw the hero Poseidon over and not let her do anything, so I''ll just be a different hero until I get that settled."


    "I see... And the reason you selected that as your name?"


    "A reminder." Her fist clenched slightly, and her eyes followed the battle between the Victorian and Battery.


    Boy Genius turned away and also watched the fight. "Do you really think that it''s wise to follow that man?"


    "I don''t really have much of a choice, do I?" Tallest Wave asked bitterly.


    "You do." Boy Genius shook his head. "I didn''t know what the Branch was doing to you before it was too late. Look, Battery has the wrong idea with this plan of his. After the battle with the Beast, I forced him to have a checkup. I wanted to make sure he was still stable and not the next Calamity, but I wasn''t able to find anything that pointed at him changing too much other than the lack of the Victorian''s shard. It was here that he talked to the Victorian, and they came up with a plan. Or at least he came up with a plan. One that would basically throw the Branch off course. The Victorian only follows the Branch out of a sense of justice. If she can be bested, if she can be dethroned, then that''s it for her. We could lose her on our side. Something like that can''t happen. I know that the Hero Branch hasn''t made the best series of choices when it comes to you and your sister, but the process works."


    "Does it?"


    "Yes! You''ve worked with it for years and never had an issue."


    "That''s because, for years, I didn''t have someone like Ward hounding my family." She retorted.


    "We can get him thrown out."


    "And what happens when someone just as bad or worse as him appears? It didn''t seem like it was very hard for someone like him to be put in charge." The girl sighed and closed her eyes. "I don''t know if this is right. Maybe we are jumping the gun. Maybe your system can work. But maybe Battery''s can too." She looked down at the young hero. "I am the Lord of the Sea and Depths. I am also the daughter of Ocean Empress. My mother saw something in him. I''m going to believe in my mother''s ideals and believe in Battery as well. Because..." For a moment, she thought back to her time in Oleander. The way the man in red stood alongside Myth. The way Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin gushed about him after they worked with him once. The way he saved Money Tree and BB. The way he fought the Beast. The way he held her mother and comforted the woman as she passed away... "Because I think he''s still a good person. Even if he might have stepped onto a narrower path."


    Boy Genius clenched his hand into a fist. "Then I hope that he loses to the Victorian. She would never willingly let herself be defeated. She''ll fight with everything she has and defeat him! It''s her power versus his ideals!"


    Blue and black spilled out of the dust cloud as Battery jumped away from the Victorian. His energy crackled around him, forming a mixed-colored aura of his different lights. His blue eye glowed with a raging fire, while his black one sparked and hissed at the world around him. Creation and Destruction. Those powers danced together within him. The blue held the power of the mightiest beings and channeled it within him¡ªthe beings that called themselves Giants, monsters that stood against those that called themselves kings. The energy gave his body more strength than it should have been able to hold, his muscles bulking up a bit and allowing him to match the Victorian''s godlike power. The black, on the other hand, had the ability to create and shape. Instead of channeling the destructive force of the Giants through his own flesh, the black energy allowed him to create his army and order them as he wished.


    In the past, these two abilities were at war with each other and needed to swap in and out. Two Egos that fought tooth and nail to stand at the front. A battle of Creation and Destruction. Now, though, they worked together in harmony, directed by their master, who channeled both at the same time. The purest form of Inversion. To be both changed and unchanged. He had become one with his powers.


    Battery swung his blade out with everything he had. Destructive energy spilled out of the edge of it, launching out as a twisted, hellish cut that was a mix of fire and lightning. The Victorian brought her own sword up, channeling more of her power into it and causing the blade to grow larger, allowing her to use it as a makeshift shield. At the last second, before the attack could hit her weapon, though, the air in front of it shimmered as Battery snapped his fingers and a blue portal opened. A second portal opened up right behind her, and before she could even process what was about to happen, the attack went through the first portal and smashed directly into her back as it exited the second one.


    The energy swirled together and screeched before exploding in a mighty blast that converted all the sand around them into pure glass. It cut into the number one hero''s back, splitting it open and badly burning her. Her cape was torn off her outfit, and she flew off into the air, being carried away by the wind.


    She panted a bit and flexed her shoulders. A golden light seeped from her wound as it began to force itself shut. "What the hell was that? Since when do you have portals?"


    "I did something similar after the Beast fight. Or were you not paying attention?" Another portal opened up next to her as Battery stepped out and swung his weapon out as hard as he could. She lifted her sword up to block it, but his energy spilled out and took shape around the left side of his body. It formed into a massive, armored limb made out of solid blue energy wielding a claymore the size of a bus, which easily split her sword in two and blew her back. The energy vanished as Battery''s arm returned to normal, and he pointed his sword out at the hero as she landed on her feet. This time, the black energy spilled out, and it formed into a one-hundred-foot-tall knight who swung his sword down onto the Victorian''s head.


    She took the blow head-on, gritting her teeth as the sword smashed into her skull and shook the ground, sending a shock wave out. Thanks to her power, she forced herself up, floating, and shattered the blade. Her fist flung out as hard as she could, smashing through the knight''s chest and shattering it to bits.


    "Why do you even use a sword?" Battery called out to her. "You seem way better with your fists. You didn''t even use weapons back then when you were at your strongest."


    "Strongest?" She scoffed and wiped some of the blood away from her forehead as her golden light sealed her wounds shut. "You''re wrong. I''m the strongest as I am now. The old me was just a silly little girl holding onto a false goal. The world didn''t need another villain; it needed someone they could look up to. That''s why I stepped up."


    "You act like it was your choice." He shook his head and swung his weapon out, sending another slash her way. She went to dodge it, but another series of portals opened up. She flew into the air to avoid them, but the air around her kept shimmering and changing, bouncing the attack back and forth. "You''re not really the one who stepped onto this path, are you? The truth is, it''s your father''s dying will. I wondered why the kid''s power never reached the same level as Full Monarch''s even after she awakened her power, and now I think I have an idea. The change in your powers and attitude from when you were a kid. That strength doesn''t serve your purpose. The way you cling to Full Monarch''s dying rules. It''s within you, isn''t it? You mocked and belittled her because you knew that the piece of the Lord she had would never come close to yours. Because you''re holding onto the embers of what remains of the Lord of the Cosmos, refusing to let it die out!"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Did anyone tell you that you talk too much!" The Victorian reached the top of the sky, her voice booming. Golden chains sprung from her back, whipping at the air around her and cutting through the blades and portals, splitting them to bits. Rapidly, the chains began to wrap around herself, squeezing down tightly, and all the light around her began to be pulled in.


    It was sunlight itself that she controlled while in this state. It was a force of energy that flowed through the universe; it was the power that came from stars. With it, she could form mighty barriers and weapons or even use them to heal. She could also use it to boost her body up as much as she could, allowing her to reach a power close to the strength she once held as Ruby Admiral. That said, the truth about this power was that it was nothing more than her ability inverted. The real power came not from the light of a star but rather from the rest of the cosmos that light illuminated.


    It had taken a while to charge. For hours in their little dance, she had steadily drawn in the energy of the universe itself so she could reach her true power¡ªthe power that allowed her to go toe-to-toe with the Beast¡ªthe power that, if not for the interference of the Tallest Wave, would have killed the Beast. The chains snapped and shattered around her as she entered into her full power¡ªthe Galaxy Dress.


    Every part of her body was covered in a thick layer of black. It wasn''t like shadows, though, not like the Emperor. This was like looking up at the night sky. All across her form, hundreds of tiny golden lights sparkled off the inky black void that made up her body. The Victorian wasn''t holding back anymore. The need for her sword was something she was no longer concerned with.


    "Finally," Battery smirked, looking up at her. She floated up there, practically in space, slowly feeling her body tense and adjusting to the new power that was settling in her. "I was wondering when-"


    She appeared in front of him, throwing out a punch that bathed everything in gold as all the stars along her form ignited and blasted out. Battery was barely able to block it, creating a torso around his body forged from his blue energy. Her punch caused it to heavily crack, and this time it was his turn to be sent flying back. He flipped through the air and created a portal behind him, which he flew into. He appeared next to the woman and spun around with his sword, but she ducked under it and clapped her hands together so hard that she directed a massive shock wave into his gut, causing him to grunt as it blew a hole straight through him.


    She threw a punch at him, but another portal, this one the size of a basketball, appeared in front of him, which her hand sank into. The other end appeared directly in front of her face, and her fist smashed into herself head-on. As she stumbled back, Battery kicked out with his right leg, a massive blue armored limb appearing on it, which he smashed into her side, but it didn¡¯t even cause the woman to budge. He swung his blade again, shooting off his energy beam, but she literally punched through it, shattering the clouds above them.


    She lifted off of the ground, flew forward, flying past it, and began to circle the battlefield, picking up speed. She got faster and faster until she was just a black blur that not even Battery could follow anymore. His head darted from left to right as he tried to follow it. He created several of his Giants, the black-armored warriors appearing on every side of him holding massive greatshields to defend their master. While he did that, he opened another portal connected to the middle of the ocean.


    The Victorian rammed into his Giants, her force shaking and cracking their shields as she began to break through them one by one, rapidly making her way toward Battery. Right as she was about to reach him through and deliver a punch, he opened his portal, making it the size of a small golf ball, and rammed out a beam of water directly into her as the force of the ocean came spilling out. She blocked it with her palm, holding it against the horde of water, but it flooded the entire wasteland around them, quickly falling into the massive craters and cracks within the ground they created, forming several mini lakes. The water came up to her waist, and she breathed out as hard as she could, sending out a gust of air so cold it froze the entire area around them and changed the setting from a harsh desert to an arctic wasteland.


    She easily broke her own way out of her ice, simply flying up, but Battery had been forced to jump up onto the shoulders of one of his Giants to escape the force of the attack.


    ¡°No more games.¡± The Victorian came down hard and rammed her fist right through the Giant and easily snapped Battery¡¯s neck. The hero in red crashed to the ground, gurgling on his own blood. His eyes were wide, filled with shock, and his head was twisted all the way to the other side. Then slowly he grinned. ¡°Why are you smiling-¡± Battery¡¯s body ignited with a bright glow as the energy inside of him reached a breaking point. ¡°Are you about to-¡±


    Battery exploded.


    Literally.


    Without Full Monarch¡¯s guidance, because he was a Ruler once more, his old trick was back and better than ever. The mixed colors fused together into a mighty blow that actually caused the Victorian to scream as the force of the explosion ripped through part of her cosmic form, cracking it. Boy Genius and the Tallest Wave had to work together, creating a barrier to avoid the blast as it filled the entire Wasteland up.


    Battery¡¯s eyes slowly opened, and he found himself sinking into a pit of nothingness. It was black all around him. Something was gripping on him, trying to shove him further down. He could feel something slipping away from him. Some sense of emotion and memory, but it didn¡¯t matter. He needed to win.


    ¡°Did you really think I would let you die so easily-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Shut up and bring me back.¡± Battery said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°...¡±


    "Well, what are you waiting for?" Battery gave a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m your Ruler, right? Well, if that¡¯s the case, then I order you to bring your Ruler back.¡±


    ¡°...Rise, my Ruler. My creation. My destruction. My little Alpha. Wake up. My Giant."


    Darkness swirled together, and Battery blinked. The next thing he knew, he was back in one piece, standing in a gigantic crater caused by his self-explosion. All the damage he had taken was gone. His costume was fully healed, and his body had never felt better. His aura was even stronger, the power of a Ruler growing as he gave a smirk.


    ¡°Much better.¡± He cracked his knuckles, and from the dust cloud he found the Victorian glaring at him. ¡°Round two?¡±


    ¡°Why the hell did you do that!¡± The woman screamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me. Your attack is what killed me.¡± Battery rolled his eyes. ¡°You snapped my neck. I¡¯d have come back no matter what. If I die, I might as well blow myself up, right? After all, it¡¯s quite the effective way to hurt whoever I¡¯m fighting, and I get a full heal from it.¡±


    ¡°What about what you told me?" The woman wiped her mouth and hissed out. ¡°I could have healed you with my golden light. Why would you throw your life away-¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s all I have left to give!¡± Battery yelled back at her. ¡°Cinder is gone! She¡¯s dead! There won¡¯t be another Full Monarch! If I¡¯m still alive, then this world will just have to deal with it. I don¡¯t care what happens to me, what path I walk, or who I hurt or kill. All I can truly say is that I am going to make the bad guys suffer. I¡¯m going to truly put an end to it all!¡±


    The energy around Battery grew sharper and gushed out of the man, covering him up. It formed blue armor that began to grow, getting bigger. In a single heartbeat, Battery towered over the Victorian, now in his one hundred-meter Giant form once more. His power was at its peak, energy flowing out of him with so much force that the air was having a hard time keeping it contained, and cracks began to appear in the space around them.


    Battery swung his sword once, its power shattering everything around them and blowing the ground up. In the distance, mountains trembled and shattered, all caused by this single swing that could easily wipe out even a city. The Victorian felt the ground beneath her vanish as part of the planet was cleaved open, and they began to fall into the same underground cavern where she had fought the Emperor. One that held a long-dead city from a forgotten age. She went to fly, but Battery''s hand smashed down, slamming a massive fist into her. He hit way harder than any of his other Giants. This was indeed the full power of the Ruler of Giants. The true strength he held. Creation and Destruction flowed forth into his suit.


    The force of the attack rammed into her and sent her flying through the ground, smashing through dozens of the buildings below and opening up more of the cavern from the shock wave. She felt several of her ribs crack, but she didn''t have time to consider it as Battery''s massive form dropped down and shook the cave. He gripped his claymore with both hands and swung it as hard as he could, firing out a massive yet thin energy beam that was hotter than the sun. It began to melt through the stone around them, blowing the cavern up even more. The Victorian rammed her fist into the ground, shattering it and creating a crater, which she dropped down into just in time as the massive energy beam tore at the world around it, splitting through everything that got in its way in an instant.


    She focused her breathing and rocketed forward, flying through the ground, resurfacing, and appearing in front of him. He swung his sword down, this time smashing the blade directly into the hero, which rammed her into the ground and blew the place up once again. Every force was simply explosive and powerful.


    The Victorian took the full force of it, though, and did the exact same thing she did to the Beast. She forced herself to stand back up and grit her teeth. All across her form, billions of tiny golden stars suddenly erupted and went supernova. They swam across her entire flesh and changed into a bright ruby-red color as the full force of a dwarf star found its way into her fist¡ªRuby Admiral''s full-powered punch.


    The Giant stumbled a bit but stood its ground and raised its sword high. Blue fire and black lightning screamed out of the blade as its size began to grow and its eyes shifted into the same set Battery had, one blue and the other black. It swung its weapon down on her as hard as it could as she brought her fist up. She stopped at the very last second, though, halting her punch right as a portal appeared where she would have struck, redirecting an attack her way.


    "I knew you''d try that, asshole!" She had stopped him from pulling the same stunt he did earlier. His sword came down, cleaving his own portal in two, and she sidestepped his strike, though the force of the attack still caused dozens of cracks to ripple across her dress. Before he could even think of closing his portals or opening new ones, she flew up as fast as she could, going around his portal, and this time, she didn''t stop her punch. All of her energy was unleashed, and she struck out with an attack, completely blowing the roof of the cavern off and exploding any of the clouds that were left in the sky as her fist hit his construct directly where she knew he was hiding. "I win!" She roared.


    Her strike smashed through the Giant, breaking his sword and his armor. Hundreds of cracks began to rapidly expand over his form, snapping open, allowing her to see the hero that was at the center of it-


    It was empty.


    From the portal that had been created earlier, Battery stumbled out, appearing behind her. He ditched his Giant armor right before her punch could land. She spun around to meet him head-on, throwing out another haymaker as he stabbed out with a sword. Her fist smashed into his chin and snapped his head back, nearly breaking his neck, but his new blade pierced past her armor through one of the cracks and found its way into her gut, causing her to gasp and stumble back. He forced himself to step forward and twisted the sword as hard as he could, spilling her blood as he ripped it out.


    She pushed through the pain though and glared right back at him as her Galaxy Dress began to shatter and break away. Her hair went back to its brilliant golden color, and in an instant, she created her greatsword. Battery breathed heavily, also having taken quite the beating from that single punch. Despite that though he still raised his claymore up at her. Her golden light struggled to heal the damage caused to her gut, but she didn''t have very long as Battery swung his sword at her.


    Their fight had begun with an exchange of swords, and it would end with one as well. Blue clashed against gold as they began to dance, going back and forth and hitting each other as hard as they could. It lost all meaning: blade grinding against blade, greatsword and claymore, man and woman. It was almost beautiful in a strange, twisted way.


    "You asked why I use the sword." She brought her weapon down again, shattering through his blade and ramming the blunt part of her weapon into the top of Battery''s head, nearly cracking his skull open. "Because ''he'' used one! The Emperor''s sword was the weapon he always carried into battle! Though I''d guess you would know that wouldn''t you!"


    Battery gritted his teeth and created another portal, one much smaller near his hand. "How long have you known?" He struggled to push his head up as the handle of her blade jammed down into it.


    "When I saw you summoning those Giants in the fight with the Beast, I knew. I always thought you were familiar, but I''m bad with faces. I can hardly even remember what my own daughter looks like." The woman admitted. "I instead recognize people for the amount of power they give off. It wasn''t until now that you began to give off the old energy you once held."


    "Well, I''ve gotten a lot weaker since then." Battery smirked as his hand sank into the portal, grabbing something. "I was on so many enhancement drugs and had the Princess of Life boosting my powers with her ability that I could do almost anything. Even create portals to space if I needed to. Now the range of my portals has greatly shrunk, but I can still use them to grab just the tool I need!" He forced his head up, shoving her weapon off of him as he pulled out a new sword. It wasn''t one made of energy, though. This was an actual blade. One he had recently created.


    The Victorian gripped her sword as tightly as she could and slammed it down as hard as she could muster as Battery stabbed out with his weapon. Instantly, as soon as the metals met, his black blade tore its way past her sword, snapping it in two. Her greatsword shattered to bits crumbling in her hands as he stabbed back into her previous gut wound.


    She tried to focus on her power and up her defense, but it didn''t work. In fact, she couldn''t feel her power at all. She felt shock hit her as she tried to use her light, but that didn''t work either. She rammed her fist into his face, but it lacked much of her strength and barely caused him to blink. Before he could shove the blade in any deeper, she jumped back and fought through the pain, pulling herself off of the blade. As soon as she was off it, she felt her power instantly come back, but it was already too late. It would take her a while to build up the Galaxy Dress once more to counter this new weapon he had. Time that Battery wouldn''t give her. He had waited until her power had grown weaker than the blade''s so it could cancel her ability out.


    She clutched her stomach, feeling her stomach spill her blood, and forced the golden light to ease the wound close. It was slower, though. She was starting to run low on energy after hours of fighting and using her dress. Battery, on the other hand, had gotten a free heal and now held a new weapon proudly.


    It could hardly be called a sword. It was more like a longer knife. Despite that, though, she recognized it instantly. It was what remained of Hell Hound''s mace. After the battle with the Beast, he must have reforged it into the weapon he now held¡ªone that could negate powers.


    "Where''d you get that?" She asked breathlessly.


    "It belonged to my wife."


    "Neat." She collapsed forward, clutching her stomach, before landing face-first on the ground as her damaged body gave out. "Just so you know, using that weapon is cheating..." She breathed out.


    Battery scoffed before he felt his own legs give out, and he dropped to a sitting position next to her. He brought the weapon up, looking at it. "This was my only real win condition against that armor of yours."


    "So, you admit I''m stronger?"


    "As long as you accept the fact that I''m smarter." He spun the blade around before creating another portal, which swallowed it up. "This fight is over, though, Jill. I won."


    The Victorian closed her eyes. "Sure. We can have a rematch another time. You only did so well because of your cheap tricks."


    "It''s the power that belongs to me for being a Ruler. Just as you get your flight and healing from the shards of the Lord power you''ve clung to," He collapsed onto his back next to her and lifted his arm up weakly, holding up three fingers. She spun around onto her back, struggling to heal the damage his blade had caused. "There are three powers Rulers share. The Lords seem to get a bunch of different stuff, but we Rulers all have these three things in common. The first is that we can come back from the dead. Each time we die, our power revives us and rebuilds us stronger. However, there''s a price to this. It steals some of our memories and numbs our emotions. In turn, though, not only does it bring us back, the Ego within us merges with us more and more, giving us stronger powers. That''s why both Creation and Destruction can exist within me at the same time. I''ve died twice now since my power was reset by Full Monarch. The second thing we have in common is our armies. All of us have some form of soldier we can summon and use in combat. For me, it''s my Giants. Lucifer has his undead army, and Legend has something else. I''m not sure what the Emperor has. The final power we all share is a means of fast travel. For me, I can use the strength of Giants to punch holes into reality, creating portals. Lucifer gets his wings, and the Emperor seems like he can teleport through shadows."


    "That''s pretty busted."


    "It better be. It''s a hell of a price to pay for our curse."


    The Victorian stared up through the hole in the roof above them, finding that it had become night in the middle of their battle. The broken moon hung in the sky above. "So, what will you do now?"


    "I''ll do what I promised I would." Battery slowly stumbled up to his feet. "Now that I''ve beaten you, the Hero Branch will either have to accept me and my laws or become my enemy. No one can stand in my way now."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure of that!" From up above, Boy Genius glared down into the hole, activating some of his gear. The air shimmered around him as dozens of large drones decloaked. Each one was the size of a human and shaped like a cube, humming with energy. They all aimed at Battery, about to fire on the injured hero. "I''m going to stop you-"


    "That''s enough, Boy Genius." The child froze when he heard the Victorian''s voice. The golden woman struggled to her feet, nearly collapsing. "He beat me fair and square."


    "So, it''s fair and square now, huh?" Battery snorted.


    Boy Genius stood above them, gritting his teeth. Despite how much he glared at Battery, he didn''t attack, though. Not because of the Victorian''s words, however; instead, it was because Tallest Wave stood next to him, training her weapon at his throat, ready to strike if he even debated attacking Battery. Slowly, the number two hero''s arm dropped, and he turned away, his drones vanishing. "I hope you know what you''re doing."


    "I do-" Battery began, but he was cut off when Boy Genius shook his head.


    "Not you." He glared back down at the golden woman. "Your father would be so ashamed."


    And with that, he left. Battery stared up at the spot where the hero had been before he shook his head and turned away. Tallest Wave dropped down from the sky and landed next to him, folding her arms. She shot a nod toward the Victorian as Battery used his power to create a portal.


    "Where are you going?" The Victorian asked hesitantly.


    "To Rose." Battery responded casually. "It''s the city of the number one hero, right? So, it''s my city now. It''s where everything will begin. Where ''my Hero Branch'' will start." He stepped into the portal along with Tallest Wave and turned to look back at the former number-one hero. "I''ll try to keep in touch. Expect big changes, though. I know just where I''m going to start."


    The portal closed, leaving the golden woman alone. She floated up unsteadily. Her body ached. Everything hurt. She hadn''t been pushed that far since the Beast. Slowly, though, she made her way to her destination. Above the clouds and outside of the planet, she soon arrived on the moon and collapsed next to a familiar glass coffin.


    "I did it, Dad." She rolled over and looked at the coffin of her father. The one that held the body of the greatest hero on Earth. "I finally found someone who could cast a shadow as big as you did. I just hope I didn''t make the wrong choice. I just hope that my days of being a hero weren''t just wasted."

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Two: Alexander Lauren

    Wyvern''s feet landed on the beach below. The hero was careful not to knock over any of the piles of junk, something the Victorian didn''t seem to care about as the golden woman basically dropped from the sky and crashed down onto an ocean of scrap metal, using it as some sort of makeshift throne.


    Hope let go of Wyvern''s tail and looked up at her city. They were in the junkyard that took up most of Oleander''s beach. The Giants had seemingly marked it off as not being part of the city. The massive, armored men had moved away after seeing that they weren''t posing any harm, leaving her and the two Enforcer members alone. Her mind was still racing, trying to figure out what could have happened in such a short time.


    Just how long had she been missing for?


    "This place is a dump," the Victorian called down toward her and Wyvern. The world''s strongest woman had replaced her battle-damaged uniform yet again. A new cape was tied around the woman''s neck, and all the tears in the army uniform had been stitched up by Lady Time, but they were still nasty-looking, marking the entire outfit with a battle-damaged look.


    "No one ever got around to figuring out where a better spot to put all this junk would be." She said awkwardly. She still didn''t really understand what her relationship to this woman really was. As a kid, she adored the Victorian. The woman was her everything and her top favorite hero. Even now, she still dreamed of flying around the world with the woman fighting crime and would kill just to be her sidekick. That said, she also couldn''t help but notice a lot of the mistakes and flaws the number one hero carried. "What are you doing here?" She asked slowly.


    The Victorian''s smile faded for a moment, and the woman awkwardly shrugged her shoulders. "Lillian had Ocean Empress, Daisy has Lady Time, Dandelion has Mister Man, Gladiolus now has my daughter, Violet is protected by Fable, and Wyvern guards Daffodil. Boy Genius and Beta are the only two heroes who don''t guard any of the cities, instead focusing on their little prison. In the past, Rose used to be my city, but now..."


    "You''re not the number one hero anymore." She finished for the woman.


    "No. I''m not."


    She nodded her head, feeling a mix of emotions. Mr. Larison had somehow beaten the Victorian. She knew he was strong, but to be on that level¡­ That likely meant he was in Rose, which meant she wouldn''t be able to find him in Oleander, no matter how hard she looked. "Wyvern and Fable, both said you knew I was alive. How?"


    The Victorian hopped off the pile of trash and floated down until she stood in front of the young girl before her. Slowly, the woman brought her hand up to her chest. "I felt it in here. I could tell that the Brightest Star half that exists within you hasn''t moved to a new host. Though I never expected you''d be in such a small form..."


    "You know about the Brightest Star?" She asked, shocked.


    "I learned about it recently after speaking to Battery," the golden woman said, shrugging. "I must admit I''m a bit jealous. After all, the shard within me never once bothered to try and start a conversation with me."


    "The shard within you?" She froze as she understood what the woman meant. Brightest Star was split in two. The being had claimed Full Monarch did it. She only held onto the title of Lord of the Sun. Her Cosmos half was lost.


    The Victorian smiled, giving her a knowing look. "That''s right. Within me is a bit of the Lord of the Cosmos."


    "A bit? What do you mean by that?" She asked startled.


    The woman gave a nod to Wyvern. The dragon-themed hero nodded back and grew her pair of wings once more, allowing her to fly off. It was a conversation that Wyvern didn''t need to hear. Once the Enforcer member was long gone, the Victorian began to speak once again. "When I first saw you way back during that charity event, part of me had a faint idea that the power of the Lord might live within you. I''ll admit, seeing how weak you were in the past ticked me off a bit. The Lords aren''t anything special, in my opinion. They use cheap tricks to get as far as they could, and none were able to unlock the same level of power my father did. That was until you. In the fight with the Beast, you did the impossible."


    "That wasn''t me." She shook her head. "That was the Brightest Star."


    "Boy Genius''s drones caught the entire thing," the woman said. "Maybe in the beginning, you weren''t in control, but that wasn''t the case for the entire fight, was it? Toward the end, that was you. Cinder was the one who channeled the power of a Lord."


    "Only half."


    "Yes. Only half." The golden woman looked up at the sky, staring at the cracked moon above, which hung up there. The woman sighed softly. "During the war with the Emperor, my father had been sent away from the planet by that damn sword." Hope recalled the memory she had seen. The Emperor used his blade to teleport Full Monarch as far away from the planet as possible. "Even with his top speed, it took him a long time to return. During that time, over four years had passed on Earth. For four years, I trained my ass off to try and fight the Emperor and beat him. In the end, though, it was still my father that did it. He defeated and killed Nier. Yet Nier returned somehow due to being a Ruler. During the fight with the Emperor in his final battle, my father tore his power in two. When he died, the Lord of the Sun didn''t go to me."


    "It went into the pod that created me, right?" She asked, looking down at her hands. "And I''m guessing the Cosmos half went into you?"


    "No."


    "Huh?"


    "The truth is the Cosmos half is lost forever." The Victorian let out another tired sigh and shook her head. "The reason I assumed you''d never reach my father''s level is because most of his true power came from the Cosmos half. It held the power to alter the universe itself. Yet, in the battle with the Emperor, he faced a mighty monster. One that could shake the heavens. After he split his power in two, he sacrificed the Lord of the Cosmos half, using it to lay a finishing blow on the Emperor, who had grown even stronger over the four years my father was gone. I believe it is also this same power that might have once saved Battery¡¯s life and made the man think he was no longer a Ruler. My father was somehow able to cut off the connection they held, to whatever it was that kept bringing them back.¡±


    She felt a hollow pit forming in her gut at the number one hero¡¯s words. That was why Battery was constantly dying? She remembered the memories once more. That second Emperor, the one who possessed that blue and black light¡­ Full Monarch had done something to the villain in that fight?


    If that was the case though, and Full Monarch did save Mr. Larison from the title of Ruler, why did it come back when Battery died in his fight with the Beast?


    She was pretty sure she knew why¡­


    Nier had brought Lucifer back. The man had used the power the energy gave off to force Lucifer to come back even after the villain died at the hands of Full Monarch¡¯s Cosmos half. Come to think of it, Battery didn¡¯t come back until after the battle with the Beast¡­ After a new Calamity should have been born. Had she been the one that turned him back into a Ruler? Was it her fault he was now the way that he was?


    ¡°All that''s left of the Lord of the Cosmos is less than embers. Perhaps that''s why I never heard the Ego speak to me." The Victorian hummed. "Less than ten percent of that power is still living within me, which is why I am able to use the Galaxy Dress and control sunlight. It was my father''s last gift. And I''m truly glad he gave it to me. It was thanks to that power I was so sure you were still alive despite Boy Genius finding what was left of your corpse in space."


    She felt a little queasy at the mention of her own corpse but brushed past it. A lot of what the woman was saying made some sense. After all, Ruby Admiral seemed to have completely different powers compared to the Victorian. "And it was because you knew I was alive that you let the Hero Branch expose who I was?"


    "I didn''t know they were going to take it that far."


    "You didn''t stop them though."


    "I can''t."


    "Why?"


    "Because. I made a promise to my father." The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I promised him that as long as I could, I would stand in his former place and do his job. I made a vow with the Hero Branch to obey them and stay on the line of justice. I wasn''t the hero that this world needed; that hero has long since been dead, but I could at least stand in that spot until his rightful heir returned."


    "Are you talking about Mr. Larison?" She frowned.


    "No." The woman shook her head and let out a soft snort. "After the battle with the Beast, Jack Larison was taken into custody by Boy Genius. There, the two of us asked him a series of questions. I wanted to make sure he was still on humanity''s side. It was during this point he told me his plan."


    "You mean what''s going on now, right?" She looked toward the Giants that roamed Oleander. "I heard he kicked out all the heroes."


    "Not all of them, and it wasn''t so much as he kicked them out." The woman cracked a small smile. "I told you; I made a vow to obey the Hero Branch as long as I remained as the number one hero. I was their ultimate weapon. Jack knew this. That''s why he told me about his idea. We would engage in combat, and if he was able to beat me, I''d allow him to take my place and lend him Rose City. The only other person who could possibly take him out besides me would be Boy Genius, and even then, it would take him time to come up with a plan. Time the Hero Branch wouldn''t have. Once they learned I lost, they''d have two choices. Either try to cover it up and get rid of Battery, which they would only be able to do with the help of Boy Genius, or they''d have to try and strike the same deal they made with me, with Battery. He never gave them a chance, though. In one night, his Giants marched forward, appearing in every city, and kicked the Enforcer member out of it. The other heroes, such as the Enforcers teams, or the Sub Enforcers, were left alone and allowed to stay in the city. He did this before the Hero Branch could come up with a choice."


    "Wouldn''t they just make it look like he was a bad guy and try to get the Enforcers to team up against him?"


    "That''s likely what they would have tried, but there were two issues with this." The number one hero held up two fingers. "The first is that he brought Poseidon with him to the battlefield he fought me at. She recorded our fight and uploaded it already. Most of the world already knows he''s bested me and is thus stronger than me. Power doesn''t exactly make you the number one hero alone, though, which is why he also went ahead and defeated most of the gang villains that were in every city almost at the same time with his army. Due to his actions in the fight with the Beast, he''s quickly risen in popularity. The only heroes besides myself who are more popular than him at the moment are Pretty Face and yourself. The second issue that stops the Hero Branch from messing with him is due to how destructive it would truly be. See, not every Hero Branch member is corrupt. Some are seeing how much his Giants are improving the places he touches. They stop crime whenever they appear and have also been quick to fix up cities. Places that were thought to be closed forever are being reworked and used by them. If every Enforcer member other than me were to fight Battery, they''d likely win. Especially since they would have Boy Genius and Beta, but the destruction wouldn''t be worth it in the eyes of the Branch."


    "I still don''t understand why he kicked all you guys out of the city, though, but left the other hero teams behind."


    "To give the rest of the world the help they''ve been needing."


    "Huh? What do you mean by that?"


    "Have you seen the outside world?" The Victorian looked out at the vast sea, watching the waves rise and crash. "There are so many towns, villages, and even other cities that have been built. All without the help of the Hero Branch. Yet many of these places are small still due to how hard it is to advance." She couldn''t help but think of Coral Island. The Anti-Matter Gang wasn''t that big of a threat compared to some other groups, yet it alone had almost wiped out an entire village of people in seconds. "The Emperor tried to give powers to normal humans but failed and created his Monster army. Many of them went mindless and kept growing. He even used numbers from Lucifer''s army. These creatures still roam the world, living beneath the ocean or the Earth, and breed like rabbits, making more monsters. They attack villages on the daily. Not to mention all the other evil Supers that live outside of the cities and cause untold chaos in these lone places. I''m not enough. Neither was my father. That''s the root of all of this. Staying inside of these cities might allow us to protect those people, but it leaves the other humans open to attacks. By taking over all the cities, he''s showing the Branch that he can protect them all. It''s still a work in progress, and only time will tell if his plan is actually smart or not, but it''s forced the other Enforcers to leave and look at this world. To look at all the places that still need help."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She said nothing for several moments and processed the woman''s words. Many of these places didn''t join the Branch due to fear of Supers. On the other hand, she had to admit it would be easy for even a low-tier villain like Intake or Red Ape to take one of these places down on their own. Helping them out if they needed it wasn''t bad, but what if they didn''t want it? However, if a person were to find themselves in trouble, she''d likely try and save them even if she knew they didn''t want her help.


    And for that matter, would the Hero Branch really sit on the sidelines like this and be okay with what Mr. Larison was doing? Even if he had a good cause, she didn''t fully agree with it. It would have been better to speak about this plan to the other heroes and not just the Victorian, who seemed a little too eager to get rid of her position as the number one hero.


    "Are you still going to be a hero?" She asked slowly.


    "As long as this world still needs me." The woman nodded. "When I was a kid, I wanted more than nothing to spend time with my father. I acted out and did what I thought would get his attention. Now that he''s gone, though, I want nothing more than to make sure this world meets the standards that he held. I''ll take Oleander under my wing and protect it while Battery takes Rose. Even if he''s kicked us out of the cities, they''re still ours to protect. And now that I''m no longer the number one hero, I don''t have to worry about that silly vow I made!" The woman announced smugly and placed her hands on her hips, channeling her inner Ruby Admiral.


    She let out a relieved sigh at the fact the Victorian was going to stay a good guy. She didn''t know if her heart would be able to handle having to fight her idol. "One more question then, if you don''t mind me asking."


    "Go ahead."


    "Earlier, you said Battery wasn''t the one that was meant to take your father''s spot."


    "That''s right. He isn''t. That said, he still bested me in combat. Now it is his turn to hold onto that title until the rightful owner claims it."


    "So, who''s the rightful owner then?"


    "Are you dense?"


    "What?" She asked.


    The Victorian looked her in the eyes and raised her finger, pressing it down on Hope''s nose. "Obviously it''s you."


    "What!"


    The golden woman cleared her throat and gave a sly smile. "And now that you''re back, I think it''s time I make it official. Cinder, from this day on, I''ve decided that you''re going to be my sidekick."


    "Bu wah!"


    ***


    He clutched his stomach as he vomited. It took him a second to calm himself as it poured out, but once his stomach had nothing left to give and his gagging stopped, Alexander allowed himself to slouch down. He stared numbly at the bucket he had used, his eyes tracing the pool of red liquid that was filling it up.


    "More blood, huh? That ain¡¯t good." He slapped himself on the face and wiped some of the blood away from his mouth, forcing on a grin. "Hold on a little more, Alex. You''re a cured man, remember? Don''t go dying too soon. You still have a lot of work to do!"


    He slid the bucket down onto the railing and reburied it with the piles of rubble around him. Once it was hidden, he turned around and began to head back up the tracks to where the rest of their little community was. Whenever he felt himself getting a bit sick, he¡¯d always duck down into one of the rubble-filled train tunnels when no one was looking and do his business out of sight, so no one would have to worry.


    There was no need to stress anyone else out after all. Not after all the things they had to go through.


    As he exited the tunnel, his eyes adjusted to all the lights that had been hung up, and he heard the chatter of people. It still blew his mind that Hope''s friend had been able to cause all of this. Tents and blanket forts had been placed around the underground platform, which he climbed back onto. A few people were cutting up one of the creatures they hunted, some mutated bears, and the smell of the cooking caused his stomach to growl a bit. Children ran around playing while the adults continued to work. Even despite the bad situation, they all somehow thrived. All thanks to the hero known as Paragon.


    "Yo, Lauren!" Someone called out to him. "Why are you coming back from that tunnel? That one''s been blocked off for weeks now."


    "I just wanted to check it out for myself!" He lied. "Never know, it could be cleared out any day from Zoo poking around, and I just wanted to be careful."


    "Mr. Lauren, Mr. Lauren!" One of the kids ran up to him, and he laughed, opening his arms. The child leaped into them, and he spun them around a bit. "Guess what!"


    "What?" He asked the laughing child.


    "Ms. Paragon said she was bringing back strong people!"


    "Did she now?" Paragon still hadn''t returned after leaving for the surface. She and that Kyle kid had gone to find the Sub Enforcers. From what he knew, many of the members of that team had all been friends of his daughter. It made him a bit happy to know that she had so many kind people in her life. He placed the child down and folded his arms. "You know, the heroes back in my day were way cooler."


    "They were?"


    "Yep! We had some real badas- Er badbutts." He rubbed his chin, thinking back. "I lived up near a village in Daisy when I was your age. It was a beautiful place with lots of open fields and plenty of places to fish. Our city was protected by a hero named Golden Weaver. He was one of my favorites, back in the day!"


    "Really!"


    "Yeah! Even got him to sign a T-shirt! Though Hope tore it up when she was a baby." He snorted. He gave a sad smile for a moment and ruffled the child''s hair. "Hard to believe she used to be as small as you."


    "Hey! I''m not small!"


    "Yeah, you''re right! You''re growing bigger every day!"


    "Hey, Lauren!" One of the men near the second tunnel called out to him. "A couple of us were planning to go hunting again tomorrow. Do you want to come?"


    He didn''t get a chance to speak as someone else yelled at the hunter. "He can''t! He''s agreed to help us fashion more spears and armor!" Their local woodsmen hollered.


    "What! He promised he''d help us set up more tents!" A group of women huffed out.


    Alexander let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Guys, don''t worry, I can help all of you out!"


    "But you already do so much of the work?"


    "That''s just because I''m in the tippest-toppest shape of my life." He boxed the air a bit, flexing his muscles. "I never felt better! Now that I''m out of that stupid hospital, I feel like I can do anything!"


    "Just don''t push yourself too far." Someone in the back called out to him.


    "Don''t worry! I won''t." He waved at all the people as he made his way through the crowd. Eventually he reached his tent and ducked inside of it, closing it off. It didn''t block out all of the chatter outside, but he had long grown used to it. He stopped though when he saw his wife. "Jane... We''ve been over this. You need to eat."


    Jane Lauren rested on top of the mattress they had laid out. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the orb of twitching metal, which moved in response to her wrapping itself around her tighter. A bowl of soup rested on the ground untouched and had turned cold. Alexander took a seat and grabbed it, taking the spoon and bringing it up to his wife''s lips. She refused to open her mouth and just sat there, not moving an inch. Her eyes were dull, and she stared off into space.


    "Jane..."


    "It''s my fault." The woman''s voice croaked and sounded stressed due to how long she had gone without speaking. "She died because of me."


    "She''s not dead." Alexander shook his head and reached up to brush some of his wife''s hair out of her face. "That Paragon girl insisted Hope is still alive. That Kyle kid even claimed he saw her."


    "She''s hurt then," Jane mumbled out. "Badly. And it''s all my fault."


    "It''s not your fault."


    "It is."


    "It isn''t."


    "It is-"


    "No, it''s not, Jane."


    "Yes. It. Is." Jane closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I let her go out. I should have put my foot down. I should have said no. I should have done everything in my power to stop it. But I didn''t even when I saw her come back bruised. Even when I saw how it affected her emotionally, I bit my tongue. I didn''t say anything. I didn''t stop her from putting that costume on. I never got onto her. Because... Because she looked so happy. For the first time in years since you were put in the hospital, I saw her laughing and smiling. She was talking to more people besides Armin. She was going out of the house and speaking more. I didn''t do anything, though. I stayed up all night constantly worrying, but I never bothered to call her. I never got as mad as I should have been when she''d come home late or ditch school. I just did nothing."


    Alexander sighed and shook his head. "We knew something like this could happen when we first saw her blast a hole in our roof with laser eyes." He smiled fondly as the memory came back to him. "Both of us knew she had powers and that she''d likely want to grow up and be a hero. It was always the cool and popular thing to do. It was my choice to hide it from her, though. I didn''t want her to get herself hurt, so we hid her powers away and didn''t tell her the truth. Maybe if we had been open with her, maybe if from the beginning she knew, and we were honest with her from the start, something like this would have never happened. If you want to say it''s your fault, then that means it has to be my fault as well. Since it was my idea, the one who is really responsible is me. So, if you want to hate anyone, then hate me."


    "It''s not your fault, though. You were sick."


    "And if it''s not my fault, then it''s not your fault either."


    "But-"


    He cut his wife off by shoveling the spoonful of soup into her mouth. "Now eat up. You should be a hundred¡ªno, a thousand times healthier than me!" He kept bringing the soup up to her mouth, and she quietly ate it.


    "It''s cold..."


    "Well, maybe next time you eat it when it''s good and hot!" He placed the bowl down and wrapped his arms around the woman. He felt the pod brush up against him as it seemed to debate what to do with him, but eventually, one of its tendrils wrapped around him as if it were also hugging him. "It''s going to be okay." He said quietly. "Hope''s a strong girl. I know that she''s going to come back one day. And the first thing she and I are going to do is drag you out of this bed and go to one of the biggest theme parks in the city. We never got to go to one together as a family."


    "Are any of the theme parks even open?" Jane asked quietly as she placed her head on her husband''s shoulder.


    "If there aren''t any, then I''ll make them open up!" He declared.


    "You''re so silly."


    "I prefer cool."


    He didn''t get to say anything else to his wife, and a second later, the tent opened up as one of the hunters poked their head in. "Mr. Lauren! Come quickly! Paragon has returned, and she''s brought a whole group of strong Supers!"


    He pulled away from his wife, smiling down at her as he placed his hand on top of her head. "I have to get back to work.¡±


    Jane clutched onto him but eventually let go. ¡°Do¡­ Do you really think things can go back to the way they were?¡±


    Alexander frowned for a moment before he finally gave a soft shrug. ¡°Do they need to?¡± He turned his back on his wife and got ready to leave. ¡°I think it would be just fine to keep pushing forward where we are now, just as long as we can still go on to be a family.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice¡­¡± That was the last thing he heard his wife say as he shut the curtain and stepped out.


    Alexander turned and found most of their group were facing the stairs that led up to the surface above. "It''s about time she''s returned. She''s been gone the whole day. However, I can''t blame her. After all, it looks like she brought some strong-looking people." The man noted, rubbing his chin.


    Footsteps echoed throughout their tunnel as Paragon slowly walked down the stone steps. Her hair was pure white and fell down her back, reaching slightly past her waist. Her eyes were a fiery red color and blazed with determination. She wore her white lab coat and carried a long wooden sword that hung from her belt. Behind her, five other Supers followed.


    The first Super looked more like a monster than a man. A tall, bull-looking person, they walked on curved legs and wore ancient-looking metal armor that bent from the force of their bulging muscles. Next to him, a young man in an orange jumpsuit stood. He had messy red hair and a long-scaled tail that jutted out behind him, flexing back and forth. A girl stood next to him. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, and a metal mask covered her upper face. She wore a long, elegant silver dress that seemed to almost be alive, swirling back and forth softly. The final two people were a man in heavy-looking armor, resembling a set worn by ancient eastern warriors, letting out a series of robotic clicks as he walked, and a massive swarm of wasps that twisted and formed into a vaguely humanoid shape.


    Myth, Drake, Oxide, Metal Ronin, and Wasp Nest. The new Oleander Sub Enforcers were here. Kyle wasn''t allowed to come and was left back at the base...


    "So, is this everyone?" Alexander asked when Paragon finally reached the bottom of the stairs.


    Sky nodded and gave a slight grin. "Yep. These are some of my friends. We''re going to put a stop to Zoo once and for all since those Giants up top haven''t done anything yet." Even with Battery''s might, the underground beneath a city was a place his forces couldn''t reach, and so crime was slowly sinking beneath the cities.


    Alexander turned and motioned to the tunnel the hunters would use. "In that case, I''ll lead you guys there."


    "You''re coming with us?" Myth asked, letting out a snort. "Is that safe? Red Ape might not be a serious threat, but he is still a Super."


    "Mr. Lauren knows these tunnels better than anyone." Sky explained. "He was one of the first people that explored them. If anyone can stop us from getting lost down there, then it''s him."


    Myth nodded his head as he stared at Alexander. For a moment, the former leader of Pantheon was reminded of the time he first met Hope. She had insisted on coming with him to hunt down Red Ape, and it had been thanks to her that he was able to navigate the tunnels at all. Like father, like daughter...


    "You have nothing to fear with me around." Alexander grabbed one of the wooden spears the men used to hunt and casually placed it over his shoulder. "I can handle myself pretty well. And by that, I mean I''m totally going to hide behind you guys when the fighting starts!"


    "And here I thought he was going to reveal the fact he was secretly a Super or something." Metal Ronin snorted.


    "I wish! If I was a Super, life would be so much easier!" Alexander said with wide eyes. "I''d love to have powers like Golden Weaver or something! That''d be cool!"


    "He''s Cinder''s dad, alright." Oxide giggled.


    Alexander turned away and gave a sly grin as he pointed his spear toward the tunnel. "Now. Let''s stop stalling. It''s go time!" He announced proudly.


    Sky drew her own sword and pointed it up. "Get ready, Red Ape. We''re coming for you."


    "Yeah!" The others cheered.


    Meanwhile, deep beneath Oleander City, a young girl lazily rested on an old train. "Man, am I bored." She slowly brought the green wolf mask down over her face and grabbed the katana that was at her side. "Can''t something cool happen? Maybe I should pay a visit to Rose. I hear you''ve moved over there, Battery." Green Wolf let out a low giggle before she fell back onto the train and waited for something fun to happen.


    Little did she know, she was about to get her wish.

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Three: The One And Only Green Wolf?

    It had been easier with Cinder.


    Myth couldn''t help but think back to the first time he had met the girl. Back then, he didn''t even have his team fully planned out. He had only just found Snowdawn and got Lois to agree to join him. The day he had met Cinder had been just like any other. He worked with a group of the police force to track where all the missing animals had been taken and discovered the villain known as Red Ape had been hiding out in the sewers.


    In a way, this was almost exactly like that, but now the stakes were much higher. Instead of the sewers, which had over a hundred different paths, they were going deep into the subway, which had over one thousand ways to go. Other cities had reported that their animals were going missing, and most knew it must have been the work of Red Ape. The madman was most certainly copying what he had done the first time. The most significant change this time around, though, was that there was no Battery or Cinder to save the day.


    "You guys will need to be careful," Alexander called back to the heroes who had followed him through the station. "Some of these places can be a tight squeeze."


    "No kidding..." Oxide winced and did her best to suck in her gut and chest as she awkwardly squeezed through a gap. She was jealous of not being flat for the first time in her life.


    Oleander had taken quite the beating in the fight with the Beast. Most of the train stations had been from an older point in the city''s history, and nowadays, they weren''t used. Many had collapsed in on themselves, and rubble was piled all around them. Alexander navigated through it, though, by ducking under pillars of stone or going through cracks in the wall that led to other tracks.


    It was sort of like cave diving in a way. Only somehow worse.


    Paragon weaved in and out of the rubble right behind the man. She was followed closely by Wasp Nest and Oxide. Directly behind them, covering the rear, was the newest member of Oleander''s Sub Enforcers, Drake. His tail slapped at falling debris, and he shoved his way through walls, brute forcing his way. He kept getting nasty looks from the others for almost bringing the place down, but that didn''t seem to stop him. Finally, in the very back, Metal Ronin and Myth walked together.


    Myth had shrunk back to his human form, and Metal Ronin had switched his armor to a leaner and more skintight suit. It was sort of like Snowdawn''s own gear¡ªa silver skintight bodysuit that covered him from the neck down. A few blue dots were scattered across it, forming circuit lines that sparked slightly.


    "Have you field-tested that new suit yet?" Myth questioned.


    Metal Ronin looked down at his hands, flexing them open and closed. He didn''t have his helmet on but did wear a blue visor that covered his eyes and nose. It brought up various scans and information about his new suit. "No. This will be the first time I try using something like this." He admitted. Normally all his gear was made out of trash. His power allowed him to recycle and find uses for anything, even garbage, but this particular suit had been forged from the destroyed robots Boy Genius had sent out in the Beast battle. What little bit that was left of them had been fashioned together into the small, skintight suit he now wore. "I got the idea for this suit after seeing Battery in action. Some of the stuff he did in the fight with the Beast blew me away."


    "Yeah... He was strong." Myth grumbled.


    "Oh! I shouldn''t have said that, should I?" Metal Ronin winced and ran his fingers through his hair. In the past he had dyed it blonde to stand out more, but now it had been turned into a dull blue color.


    "It''s fine." Myth''s face made it clear he was lying.


    "Have you heard from Whisper at all?"


    "No."


    "Oh..." Metal Ronin awkwardly cleared his throat as the two of them dropped to their knees and crawled beneath a wall with a massive hole in the bottom that led out to another series of tracks. "Yo, Mr. Lauren, I had a question!" He called out.


    "Call me Alex!" The man hollered back. "And what''s your question?"


    "You guys were hunting all the monsters that appeared in here, right?"


    "That''s right." Alexander stopped and looked around at where they were. This tunnel was wider than the rest, and the tracks had long been torn out, turning it into a simple stone pathway. "When we first came down here, I joined many of the hunting groups and was one of the first to map out how far we could go. A lot of these tunnels are collapsed, but as you saw, I know the best places to get around them all despite that little issue. We''re getting close to the danger zone. At the end of this tunnel is another opening that was created, and that''s where a lot of the monsters are. It can be tricky killing them and getting their bodies back through all those tight spots, but we''ve managed."


    "And you haven''t gone past the monster-filled zone?" Oxide questioned.


    "Nope. It''s been too dangerous. My guess is Red Ape is near that area, so we didn''t want to risk anything," Alexander explained.


    "Red Ape isn''t strong, but I thought it would be for the best if I gathered a group up before I tried to confront him," Paragon stated, folding her arms. "I didn''t want to risk him pulling out the win on me because I let my guard down."


    "Well, that''s why we''re here." Wasp Nest smirked. "I''ll take that loser down in two seconds."


    "Is he really that weak?" Drake asked awkwardly.


    "Let''s just put it this way." Myth spoke up. "The only time I''ve considered him to be a threat was when he used gear made from other Mental-based Supers."


    "Oh wow. Wish bad guys sucked that hard in my city." Drake said in surprise.


    "I haven''t actually fought Red Ape either." Oxide noted. "The only real powerhouse on Zoo, though, was Green Wolf, right?"


    "Not exactly." Myth shook his head. "They had some other heavy hitters like White Cow and Black Shark."


    "You beat both of them though?" Metal Ronin said sheepishly. "Do they really count as heavy hitters if they lost to you?"


    "Are you calling me weak?" Myth asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "No, sir! I just meant you''re a lot stronger than you were a few months ago!" Metal Ronin looked around at the others. "We''ve all been working our asses off to get better so that next time something like the Beast happens we won''t be dead weight." His eyes slowly settled on Paragon. "You''ve really improved a lot also. I heard you could even join the Enforcers if you wanted to."


    Paragon didn''t say anything, instead choosing to keep her gaze forward. Her fingers did grip down on the sword that was at her side, though. It was Alexander who spoke up next, the man clearing his throat. "Alright. We''re about there." He called out.


    Up ahead, the tracks began to appear once more as they reached a part of the tunnel that didn''t have them all torn out yet. They had gone through a lot of rubble to reach this point, so it was kind of odd how untouched this section was. It opened back up as they came to another underground station, much like the one Alexander and his people had set up as a camp. Unlike that station, though, this one was abandoned. Some rubble had come down near the stairs that would lead up to the city below, blocking it off, but the rest of it was untouched for the most part. There was another tunnel at the very end of the station that would lead to the other half of the city.


    "Would you guys mind if we took a bit of a break?" Alexander asked as they exited the tunnel. They had been walking for less than an hour, but the hard terrain seemed to affect the older man. His face was a little pale, and he kept breathing heavier than usual.


    "Of course," Paragon nodded. "We should be good to go on our own from this point on. Now that you''ve led us to this tunnel, you can return if you want."


    "I''ll walk you back." Wasp Nest offered, holding his hand up. He had stopped being in his swarm form around the time they left the station full of people. "Now that I''ve seen how to get here, I can go in and out of my form and map the rest of this tunnel while we go back."


    "That sounds good to me; just let me catch my breath." The man chuckled and hopped up onto the platform sitting on it. "I''m the oldest one here, and compared to you younglings, I''ve practically got one foot in the grave."


    "I''m sure you got a ton of life left to give, man!" Metal Ronin said, giving a thumbs up.


    Myth cleared his throat, getting attention back on him. "You heard the guy. Take ten, everyone. After that, Wasp Nest will take Mr. Lauren back, and we''ll enter into the tunnel with the monsters in it."


    Everyone slowly mingled amongst each other while that let the older man calm his beating heart. Oxide stood off by herself, folding her arms, and played with some of her liquid metal. Metal Ronin and Wasp Nest moved further down the tunnel they had come from and were playing around with Metal Ronin''s new suit, the tech-based hero showing his friend how he could change its colors on the fly with a thought, causing the suit to shift from white to black to pink. Paragon took a seat next to Mr. Lauren, and the two were talking about something, but Myth didn''t really get to hear much of it as Drake came to stand next to him.


    The dragon-themed hero leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "You doing, okay?"


    "Are you?" Myth shot back. "I heard your sister was kicked out of her city."


    "Yeah. Some nice guy your former teammate turned out to be." Drake huffed, and a spark of fire came out of his mouth. "I can''t believe he actually expects us to believe he beat the Victorian."


    "You saw the video, didn''t you?"


    "The video''s fake, obviously."


    "Is it?"


    "Of course. Even if it wasn''t, though, the Hero Branch would surely stop him."


    "Would they?" Myth raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah! Even if I don''t always agree with some of the things they do, they''ve still managed to help a lot of people. The cities wouldn''t be nearly as protected if not for the superheroes. No way they''d willingly let him kick them all out and replace the heroes with those Giants."


    "Could they stop him, though?" Myth hummed. "There was a thing I heard once. Every Enforcer member could team up and fight the Victorian, and the number one hero would still win. That''s why the Supers fell in line when the Hero Branch came knocking. They had her under their thumb. If she lost and Battery is really the next strongest hero, could they actually stop him?"


    "Of course they could. Because they''d have every other Enforcer member as well as the Victorian."


    "What if she didn''t help?"


    "Why wouldn''t she?" Drake frowned. "She''s a hero."


    "Maybe she doesn''t want the spot back."


    "What? Why?"


    "I don''t know. That''s the only thing I can think of, though." Myth shrugged. "I mean after all. Boy Genius, Victorian, and the brand-new Lightning Empress." He spat the last name out as it left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. "Those three teaming up could likely beat the Emperor, so wiping out Battery should be no issue for them, especially if you added the other members of the Enforcers. The only reason I can think of why this hasn''t happened is that the Victorian doesn''t want to take the spot back. And if she doesn''t take the spot back, the next heavy hitter is Boy Genius, and it''d take him a bit to come up with a new weapon to take out Battery, even with the other Enforcers on his side."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Is Battery really that strong?" Drake winced.


    "You tell me." Myth sighed and balled his hand into a tight fist. He could still remember all the missions they had gone on as team Pantheon. How did things change so much? "You saw the battle with the Beast, right? The only people that actually did anything to that monster when all was said and done was Battery, the Victorian, and Cinder."


    Drake bit his lip, nearly drawing blood. The teen hated to admit it, but Myth was sort of right. Most of them hadn''t been able to go toe-to-toe with the Beast while its power was suppressed in its suit. The only reason they managed to fight it at all toward the end was due to how much damage it had taken from the nonstop battles it had gotten in back-to-back with everyone. The difference in power between Supers could be massive, even more so when you look at regular Supers compared to the monsters that were Battery and the Victorian. Those two were simply in another league, reaching levels of power that rivaled the Lords.


    Slowly, Drake spoke up in a desperate voice. "If the Victorian doesn''t step up to him, then what happens next? Does he just remain at the top, and we just hope he has our best interests at heart?"


    "Maybe?" Myth didn''t sound too sure himself as the man lazily shrugged his shoulders. "Or maybe the Victorian has another plan in mind."


    "And what would that be?"


    "If she doesn''t want the position of number one hero, maybe, just maybe, she''ll find the next person that should hold onto it. Maybe Battery is simply the man at the top who is waiting to be defeated so the whole world will accept the next greatest hero."


    "Like a scapegoat of some sort? Is that why the Hero Branch hasn''t done anything?" Drake asked in shock.


    "It''s just a theory." Myth snorted. "After all, it assumes that the traitorous bastard still has a heart."


    "Let''s hope then."


    Over with Paragon and Mr. Lauren, the white-haired hero placed her hand on the man''s back. ''I don''t know why you''re bothering. He might have been cured physically, but his Ego has been-'' She tuned out the voice of the Prettiest Flower as she got to work using her powers on the man.


    "How are you holding up, sir?" She asked quietly. "Any new symptoms?"


    "No." Alexander shook his head and forced on a grin. "Not thanks to you, doc. I''ve been able to act like I used to before I got the Dead Virus."


    "It''s important you tell me if something new is happening," Paragon said sternly. "The only reason you lived as long as you did with the Dead Virus is because Lucifer didn''t bother using its full force on you. Normally, he can kill a person instantly with his ability and claim their life for his tome, but he likely didn''t see a point in adding you to his collection. Your body was cured and restored, but you still carried that thing in you for years. There are things not even a Lord of Life can do."


    Paragon was instantly reminded of her mother. She hadn''t been able to bring Ocean Empress back from the dead. Nier wasn''t able to bring his child or daughter back. He had used his powers to make someone that looked like the Princess of Life he married, but it wasn''t the real deal, and he knew that. It would forever be tainted and never hold up to the original. That was what drove him mad, and started his attempt to create his perfect heir using the DNA of his four generals to make the body that would contain the next Lord of Life¡ªstrung along by the voice in his head, no doubt.


    She had been forced to learn what it meant to be a Lord from the Prettiest Flower. The Ego just wouldn''t shut up. They were vessels made to hold the power of the first Lords who kept coming back even after death had claimed them. There were three stages to a Lord. The first was a battle mode. This allowed the Lord to tap into a portion of the Ego''s full power. Their hair would change, and their eyes would turn a fiery red. The next stage, though, was the true battle mode. Whenever they began to hear the voice of the Ego within them, they would start the process that would allow it to fully awaken inside of them. The last and final mode was where the Lord would fuse with the host. In the past, Full Monarch did this to power up, but after his betrayal, something she had learned from the Prettiest Flower, the Lords more or less used this form to take the host over and gain a new body. In the Lord of the Sun''s mode, they became cloaked in blue fire powered by the universe, while the Lord of the Sea became a monster found in the darkest depths below. She hadn''t gotten to see the true form of a Lord of Life or Sky, and she hoped to never see it.


    "Seriously, I''m fine." Alexander''s rambling brought her out of her thoughts as the man patted her on the shoulder. "The one you should be worrying about is Jane."


    Paragon shook her head. "That''s not true. I''m worried about both of you. I promised I would keep your daughter safe, and I failed. Over and over again, I always fail when it matters. Not this time, though. I''m going to keep as many people as I can safe. I want to be a real hero."


    Alexander chuckled and flicked her on the forehead. "You already are. You¡¯re the one who saved all those people who had nowhere to go. You found us, helped us find a place to stay, and ensured we would have food. You even fought off a villain group for us. The Skull Boys never stood a chance when we had someone like you with us." Alexander stood up and stretched a bit, giving another grin. ¡°You are seriously the best, Paragon.¡±


    Sky bowed her head, trying to hide a faint blush that appeared on her face. ¡°D- Don¡¯t say silly things like that.¡±


    Alexander just laughed before he finally turned to the others. "Alright." He called out. "I''m good to move again. I''ll be heading back the way we came while you guys progress forward-"


    "Hold that thought." Wasp Nest spoke up and held his hand. Three of his fingers were missing, but a second later, a group of wasps landed on his hand and folded back into his flesh, fusing into it as his fingers came back. His gaze was focused on the tunnel they hadn''t gone down yet. While everyone had been busy talking, he had been exploring it. "Something''s coming our way."


    Right on cue, the sound of a stomp echoed throughout the underground. It was followed by several more as a group began to rapidly approach them, coming from the darkness of the tunnel in front of them. They all instantly jumped into action. Wasp Nest crouched down and got ready to shift into his bug form; Oxide grew a large metal whip out of her armored dress, which flowed in the air as if it had a mind of its own; Paragon took a protective step in front of Mr. Lauren and drew her wooden sword, while Drake and Myth both transformed. Both of them grew long, jagged horns, but Drake''s skin grew bits of red scales along his flesh while Myth took on the shape of a massive bull-like beast. Drake''s tail jutted out, growing long, and slapped the ground hard enough to crack it. Finally, that left Metal Ronin, who reached up and pressed a button on his visor; his bodysuit glowed, and the circuit symbols along it came to life, screeching as they struggled to process the power. Something formed over him, coming into existence as red and gold layers of armor closed around him, resembling the armor worn by the few ancient warriors that were capable of uniting feudal lords under one banner, followed by one of his standard beam sabers, the color of which now matched his hair, appearing in his hands. All of this seemingly appeared out of thin air.


    They were all ready for whatever it was that was charing toward them.


    Then they saw it. Myth let out a heavy sigh, and his bull snout let out an annoyed snort. "Seriously. This again? That man really has no creativity, does he?"


    "Why are they so big?" Oxide asked, cocking her head to the side.


    "And so pale?" Alexander frowned.


    Four alligators crawled out of the tunnel, hissing at them. They weren¡¯t regular gators, though. They were thicker and larger than any normal animal, and their skin was coarse and jagged, covered in razor-sharp scales, being a nasty gray color. The animals sported a set of intelligent eyes that quickly tracked the movements of the prey in front of them back and forth. And, of course, placed smack in the middle of their heads were pale white robotic hands that dug their fingers into the scalps of the transformed creatures.


    Red Ape, at the end of the day, was nothing but a one-trick pony.


    The gators roared, but Myth and Drake roared right back, causing the animals to whimper and cower back. It didn''t last for long though, as the hands on top of them squeezed tighter on their skulls and forced them to obey the will that had been programmed into them. Their eyes glazed over, and they charged forward, but they didn''t get very far.


    Oxide changed her whip out, swirling the metal together and forming it into a massive hammer, which she brought directly down on one of the alligators, easily shattering the hand that was controlling it and knocking it out in one blow. Paragon stepped forward and swung her own blade out, the wooden sword growing longer and forming vines on it as if it suddenly became a tree branch. It was still thin and as sharp as a normal sword, easily slicing one of the machine hands clean in half, causing it to slide off of the animal''s head, freeing it. Metal Ronin''s back opened up as thrusters fired out, allowing him to blast forward, and he slammed his free hand out, grabbing the device inside of the third alligator and easily ripping it out as he flew by it. That left just Drake, who lazily spat out a thin beam of fire that pierced the final animal''s robotic hand, blowing it up.


    The three freed animals escaped when they sensed the danger and ran as fast as they could. The one Oxide hit though smashed into the ground, completely knocked out. "That was a bit anticlimactic." Wasp Nest joked. "Like, I didn''t even get to do anything!"


    Paragon crouched down next to the unconscious animal and placed her hand on its hide. Her eyes could see past its hide thanks to her new powers. She could see the little cells that made it up. All the way it had been forced to change, the pain it would have gone through. "Can you change it back?" Oxide asked.


    "No." She shook her head sadly. "I can fix it up a bit, but the damage is more spiritual.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Metal Ronin asked, suddenly very interested in what was happening. ¡°You mean like their souls have been messed with?¡±


    ¡°Do souls even exist?¡± Drake said skeptically.


    ¡°Souls, being real or not doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Myth grunted. ¡°At the very least, there is something inside of us that functions as a soul. Both my brother and I have forms that can harm this thing.¡±


    ¡°Myth¡¯s right.¡± Paragon folded her arms as she stared down at the animal in front of her with pity. ¡°Our bodies hold something known as an Ego, which basically serves as a soul. This Ego is what shapes us and allows us to live. Supers have two Egos, as their power is another Ego that is a reflection of the first. The Lord of Life, and all healers for that matter, aren¡¯t just messing with biology. In a way, we¡¯re messing with the soul itself. I could use my ability of cell manpulation to put the bodies back together to the way they were, but their souls have been altered and shifted around so much that anything I do to them could destroy them. Souls can be very fragile, and the Emperor messing with them was what created all of his monsters. I¡¯d likely end up killing the gators by mistake if I messed with their soul.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really nothing you can do?¡± Oxide asked sadly.


    ¡°Think of it this way. Imagine you have a cup of clean water. Now put salt water into that cup, and with just your hands, try to get all that salt water out.¡± Paragon explained. ¡°You¡¯d likely spill all the water before you fully separated it. It¡¯s sort of like that.¡± Slowly she grabbed her sword, her knuckles turning white as she gripped down on it. ¡°The only thing I can do for these animals is get revenge for them and make the man that harmed them this much pay.¡±


    "Make him pay? Now that sounds like a threat." A new voice called out to them. They all jumped back and turned to stare at the entrance to the tunnel. Someone stood with their arms crossed, having seemingly walked up while Paragon was busy explaining the theory behind souls. Instantly, they could tell he was a member of Zoo, one that Myth recognized right away. He wore a black bird mask and a black business suit that had flicks of dark dust coming off of it. "Guess I''m going to have to teach you guys a lesson for badmouthing the boss." Black Crow announced, creating a sword out of coal, which he pointed at the heroes in front of him.


    "You''re the villain Money Tree beat," Myth said, narrowing his eyes. "You were there during the attack on the mall last year. How are you here?"


    "Oh, you didn''t hear about what happened to Nightshade?" Black Crow snickered. He wasn''t alone either. From the darkness, growls escaped as several large, mutated lions walked out and stood next to him, all having those familiar hands stabbed into their faces. They had undoubtedly stumbled into Zoo''s base just as they wanted.


    Drake let out a soft snort and folded his arms. "I liked Money Tree, but I''m pretty sure I could beat that guy. If you lost to him, what makes you think you stand a chance against any of us? You don''t really expect a couple of monsterfied animals to give you that big of a boost, do you?"


    Black Crow lazily placed his sword on his shoulder and slowly took his time eying them all up. "Yeah. You''re totally right. I have no chance of beating you guys. Like none at all!" His sword faded into dust, and he lifted his hands up, throwing them into the air. "So, I give up-"


    "Nice try!" Myth roared. "I''ve seen this trick before! Take him out!"


    Drake had zero hesitation. The hero blew past the others, moving faster than any of them, and opened his mouth wide, about to fire a beam of pure flame. He stopped at the last second though when Black Crow dropped to his knees. The villain was ducking. He didn''t get to see it, but he felt it as an unseen slash cut into the top of his head and sliced his eyes apart.


    Drake hit the ground yelling and grabbed at the top part of his face as it rained blood. Paragon was next to him in an instant, placing her hand on him and fixing the damage the best she could, trying to repair his eyes, but the others were all frozen in place. They knew who had to be the one responsible for that attack. Quiet and slow footsteps came from the darkness as a figure began to approach.


    Myth shifted into his lion form while Oxide expanded her dress into a heavily armored suit with a massive shield in front of her. Wasp Nest''s body came undone as he separated into thousands of wasps that buzzed and hissed while Metal Ronin''s suit vanished and flickered, changing into the costume he made after his fight with Wish, that being a large, ten-foot-tall, heavily armored suit that carried a greatsword and shield. Alexander Lauren hid behind one of the pillars in the train station and poked his head out, staring at the sight in front of him.


    Drake winced as his eyes slowly healed, and he was able to see again. "How?" He croaked out. "You''re dead."


    "My death was... Greatly exaggerated." The voice that came from the tunnel wasn''t one any of them were expecting. It caused a chill to go down all their backs as they recognized it very well. Alexander stepped out from behind the pillar and took a step forward in shock. It wasn''t the voice of the cruel villain that called himself Green Wolf. Instead, this was a voice they attributed to a friend, a comrade, or even a loved one. This was the voice of Hope Lauren. A young girl stepped out of the darkness wearing a black suit with a cartoon-green wolf mask that covered her face. She had one hand on her hip and the other one on the katana that she had flung over her shoulder. "Well, what do you all think?" She announced. "Do I make it work or what?"


    Hope Lauren stood before them.

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Four: The Thing That Harms Souls

    Shortly after the final battle with Wish...


    "Yeah, there''s no fixing this. Dude''s brain dead." Doc shrugged.


    "You didn''t even take a look at him!" Red Ape argued.


    "Yeah, ''cause I''m blind."


    "Exactly! So how do you know you can''t save him!"


    "Because his head feels like a deflated balloon," Doc snorted. He rubbed his hand on his lab coat, smearing flakes of skull and brain matter across it.


    "Why do you even care if he can save Green Wolf or not?" White Lamb questioned, letting out a sigh. "We should be more focused on what we''re going to do next." The rest of Zoo was locked up. They no longer held an alliance with the Bad Timers either. It was just the three of them¡ªfour if you counted Doc, also known as Doctor Blue. They were back in Oleander, having escaped from the battlefield, while all the heroes were distracted by the return of the Emperor. Now they were back in one of Red Ape''s dirty labs, discussing what to do next. "If you ask me, it serves Green Wolf right being in this state. He got what he wanted in the end, so I''m sure he doesn''t mind."


    Like all of his labs, Red Ape''s base was a mess. Zoo operated off of colors and animals. If you held the color white, you were the role of support; black meant you were a field agent who would carry out team missions, and red was the color Green Wolf gave out when he either trusted you to handle things alone or just wanted you to get yourself killed. All red members of Zoo had their own base. This one was one he shared with his brother, Red Monkey.


    It used to be an observatory near the middle part of Oleander city. It fell right on the border of a street that had been hit with toxic waste and was no longer in use; the rest of the city was simply building around it. The observatory had been horribly gutted and had most of its supplies taken out. It was also split in two, with one half of the building being filled with gym equipment and walls of weapons that Red Monkey owned. The other half was Red Ape''s side and looked like a hospital straight out of a horror movie. Cages were filled with dead animals since he had forgotten to feed them, and all the beds were stained red. On one of the beds, the leader of Zoo, Green Wolf, was sprawled out.


    The man''s mask had been removed from his face, but it didn''t really matter, as his head sort of looked like a crushed watermelon. The only reason the villain was still somehow alive was that his power was working even without his consciousness, forcing his heart and blood to keep pumping, though for how much longer something like this would last was unknown. Green Wolf was truly one foot into the grave already.


    "And there''s really nothing you can do?" Red Ape questioned as he pulled his ape mask off. He had shaved all of his hair off after receiving a bad haircut from his brother Red Monkey, so he was currently bald. He slipped on a pair of round glasses and also placed the damaged helmet that Cinder had worn on the table.


    "I doubt even Wish could fix this." Doc leaned against a wall and folded his arms. He wasn''t tied up anymore, but his coat full of gadgets had been taken from him. "How about we cut straight to the point? I don''t really think the two of you can keep me here."


    "Agreed." White Lamb reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a handgun, which she pointed at Doc. She took off her lamb mask and smiled. She was only about fourteen, and she had long blonde hair and dull green eyes. An obvious fake smile clung to her lips as she used her power to silence her gun and fired into the wall next to Doc. No sound was made as a bullet hole appeared inches from the Mental Super¡¯s head. "I think we should just kill him."


    Doc raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you do something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, blind.¡± White Lamb muttered and took aim again. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m going to have to shoot you in the leg or something, this time.¡±


    "Now, now, let''s not be hasty." Red Ape called out.


    "Don''t act like you''re the boss of me." White Lamb turned back to him, her fake smile growing as she pointed her gun at Red Ape, who let out a yelp and threw his arms into the air.


    "Whoa, whoa, let''s calm down! I''m like an older brother to you, aren''t I?"


    "More like the creepy uncle we all want to disappear." The girl responded flatly.


    "Ouch!" Red Ape shook his head and looked back to Doc. "Listen, Lamb, we can fix this situation. I know it looks bad with most of our forces being locked up and our boss being less than useful right now, but I have an idea."


    "And what''s that?" White Lamb asked.


    "We''re going to clone Cinder!" Red Ape announced proudly. White Lamb tilted her head for a moment. Then she pulled the trigger. Silently, a hole appeared in Red Ape''s foot, causing the pathetic man to cry out and fall over as blood began to gush out. "W- What was that for?!"


    White Lamb turned to look back at Doc. "Can you actually clone that Cinder girl?"


    "Nope." Doc stated, simply. White Lamb nodded and then shot Red Ape in the other foot.


    "Who gave you a gun? You''re still in middle school!" The villain sobbed out. He was on his back, rolling back and forth as he clutched both of his feet, which were rapidly staining the ground around him. Red Ape managed to glare up at the blind man, who was silently tapping his foot down. "Why''d you tell her you can''t make clones?"


    "Because I can''t." Doc scratched his chin in a thoughtful manner. "If I could make an army of clones, don''t you think I would? I''m a Mental-Based user who specializes in biology, the same as you. The only difference is that whereas you specialize in improving animals, I specialize in many different fields, mainly around alchemy and the creation of new life, such as airborne diseases or drugs. Most of what I was able to create was thanks only to the people I had helping me. With the help of my old lab partner Alma, I was able to create potions that could heal Supers, and with the help of Wish, we were able to create many of the drugs that the Wandering Coin had. Without her, I doubt I can remake any of them. I can''t even make new Supers without her either, as we used her to implant powers into humans. Cloning used to be my dream, but sadly, it just isn¡¯t possible.¡± The man said the last part in a sad tone.


    Red Ape slowly crawled onto his stomach and made his way over to the table Green Wolf rested on. He pushed himself up on shaking feet and gritted his teeth. "We had spies in your ranks¡ªlow-life grunts with no powers. I know that Wish was defeated, and her body was destroyed, yet you were able to rebuild both her and that Mars King lookalike. Explain that!"


    Doc let out a low chuckle. "Oh, that? I see why you thought that was cloning, but it wasn''t. In a way, I guess you could say it was similar, but I wouldn''t say it was actually making a clone. Thanks to my power, if I have someone''s DNA, then it is possible for me to recreate a human body. It''s actually not as hard as you think. Humans are shockingly easy to make."


    "So, then you can make a body!" Red Ape announced. He scrambled for Cinder''s helmet and held it up. It was still caked with some of her blood and strands of hair. "So, could you use this to make a copy of Cinder!"


    "I''ll remind you that I can''t see, so I''ll assume you''re holding up something with Cinder''s DNA," Doc said flatly. "Look, yes, it is possible if I got the resources needed to build a machine that could create a body of Cinder, but that''s all it would be."


    "What do you mean?" White Lamb asked, cocking her head to the side. "Like it wouldn''t be alive or something?"


    "Not exactly. It would have a heartbeat, but it wouldn''t function the same way as you or I do." The man reached up and stroked his chin, letting out a low hum. "The best way to explain this is to bring up something that hasn''t been fully proven yet. Do you all believe in the existence of a soul?"


    White Lamb placed her gun back and stood up off of the ground from where she had been sitting. "I get it now. You''re saying that you could recreate a person''s body, but you can''t recreate a soul. It''s basically just a living corpse at that point, right?"


    "What about with Wish and the other members of the Wandering Coin?" Red Ape demanded.


    Doc placed his hand over his heart. "When does a person die?"


    "What?"


    "When does a person die?" The man repeated. "Is it when their heart stops? Or maybe when all brain activity ceases to work. Well, you''re wrong if you think that. The Lords hold a power that is passed down when they die. Wish, however, was able to have her body killed off dozens of times, yet she kept coming back. The title didn''t pass down because she wasn''t actually dying. Her soul was surviving. It was hiding inside all the little cells she scattered around, ready to rebuild her even after all of her pieces died out, though she remained alive because her soul still held a connection to this world. A connection in the form of the hero Paragon. See, Paragon should have been the rightful heir to the Lord of Life when the Emperor died; however, through unknown means, not all of the power went to her. Instead, the power took on a form of its own, becoming Wish. It was through the little power that did make it into Paragon, though, that ensured Wish could keep returning even after her brain or heart was destroyed. It wasn''t until her soul was totally destroyed that she was finally unable to keep a foothold in this world, and her power passed on. Do you know what that means?"


    "Not really..." Both White Lamb and Red Ape admitted sheepishly.


    "It means that through some means, the power is connected to the soul," Doc announced. "Boy Genius once made a theory on this matter when he first joined the Enforcers. He stated that he believed Supers had a supernatural way of discovering one another. Often, they flock together, and even before their powers manifest, they come together in pacts even if they aren''t aware that they''re doing it. It''s why I believe humans can react to them with such fear. Because, on some deep level, Supers are no longer humans. They''re different. Something past biology itself¡ªtheir soul has changed completely. Or I guess their ''Ego,'' which is what Boy Genius called it. Kevin, Hannah, and Casey were all connected to Wish. As long as she survived, so would they if their bodies were destroyed. With my power, I was able to recreate bodies for them, and because Wish''s soul still clung to this world, and their souls clung to her, they could go back into those bodies, and they''d awaken their powers once more. Their bodies would be fully human up until the point the soul took it over, at which point it would become a Super again. Mr. Grove believed in things like fate and destiny. He wasn''t a Super, yet he had a strange amount of luck up until the point of his death. I believe all Supers have this strange ''Ego'' inside of us that guides and directs us in ways we can''t figure out. Maybe, in a way, we all have a path we follow when it comes to destiny, and even humans follow it as well since they, too, have a soul. Yet it is the difference in our Ego that makes us fight. If this is the case, it makes me wonder what happens to the people the Emperor turned into a monster, or the fate of Kevin and the others. After all, if Supers¡¯ powers are tied to the soul in a way, that would mean the Lord of Life isn''t just creating new life or twisting an existing one. It''s creating brand new souls."


    Red Ape nodded slowly, processing the words of Doc. "So, you could create a body, but it couldn''t do anything without a soul, and you can''t create a new soul without the Lord of Life?"


    "That''s correct."


    "Red Ape, what are you planning..." White Lamb asked nervously when she saw the man looking down at the body of Green Wolf.


    "His power is keeping his body alive. That means his power is still working." He looked back at Doc and grinned. "What if you had a soul that no longer needed its body? Would it be possible to recreate a new body for this soul?"


    Doc cocked his head to the side. "Well, we''d have to figure out how to extract a soul to do that, which means you''d need to figure out how to pull a person''s power out of their body and put it into this new body. If that could be done, then yes. I could create a brand-new body that could house this soul."


    "Perfect." Red Ape reached up and messed with the collar of his shirt. The pain in his foot was suddenly gone as he stared down at the remains of Green Wolf''s body. "In that case, I have something to confess about how my powers work."


    ***


    Present Day...


    Hope Lauren stood before them all.


    Metal Ronin and Wasp Nest were put into a stunned silence. Oxide felt confusion and fear seeing a teammate working for the enemy. Drake felt nothing and was more worried about the way everyone around him was reacting. Myth looked as if he had just seen a ghost and had been punched in the stomach at the same time. Alexander felt tears pouring down his face as he stared at the masked girl. Finally, that left Paragon and the white-hot rage that flowed through her veins.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Hope-" Alexander didn''t even get to take a step forward.


    "It''s not her!" Paragon had already left her spot by Drake''s side and was swinging her sword as hard as she could. The Hope lookalike lazily raised her own blade, blocking the strike. "This isn''t Hope!"


    "There''s that name again." Green Wolf taunted, sounding exactly as Cinder did, though with an edge of cruelty. The villain pushed back with her arm, sending her kinetic energy through her blade, which shoved Paragon back, sending the white-haired girl rolling. Green Wolf reached up and pulled her mask off, showing her face off to everyone and further ramming the knife into their hearts as they gazed at the innocent face of Hope, which held the cruelest smile in the world on it. "I guess that''s Cinder''s real name after all, huh? When I saw it on the news, I didn''t want to believe it, but that boy said the same thing to me when I first saw him also. Guess my new civilian name is Hope Lauren!"


    Myth gritted his teeth and growled. He was already in his lion form, ready to rip the throat out of any person he got close to. His eyes glared into Green Wolf''s, and he took a step forward. "Who the hell are you? Are you the same person who was on the news? Did the Hero Branch put you up to this?"


    Green Wolf let out a sickly-sweet giggle. "No, that Cinder on the news isn''t me. I had a funny feeling it wasn''t the real deal since she didn''t seem like the type to work so close to the Branch. I guess that means more than one of us is running around." The girl cocked her head to the side and slowly placed her sword up on her shoulder. "As for who I am. I mean, haven''t you figured it out yet? I''m the one and only Green Wolf!" She struck a pose, holding two fingers up in front of her eye, as she did her best to mimic the cover of a magical girl comic she had recently read.


    "She- He- It''s telling the truth." Paragon spat out. Her eyes had seen through it the moment this ''thing'' stepped forward. It might have had the same body as Hope; it was actually a perfect match, down to the very last detail. What was off, though, was what her eyes saw past the cells that made up the human body. All Lords had a form of extra senses. The most extreme case was the Lord of the Sky, who could view the Paths of time, but her eyes also could view something amazing. The thing that made up a person. The very will of existence. In other words, since she had become a Lord, she was seeing the Egos that resided within all living things. "Hope''s soul is bright. It''s like looking into the sun. Sometimes, I feel that if I stare at it for too long, it''ll burn my eyes. I first saw it when she and I fought the Beast together. This person''s soul is nothing more than a shriveled-up vile mess of a being that is lucky to be clinging to life. It''s just a poor excuse for a person!"


    "That''s one hell of an insult." Metal Ronin muttered.


    "So, she¡ªthey''re actually Green Wolf?" Oxide asked in shock.


    "You can go ahead and use female pronouns if you want." Green Wolf called out. She boxed the air a bit, feeling the muscles in her arm. "I''ve gotten real used to this body and think I might prefer it to my old one. It''s truly unfair how lucky some people are. This Hope Lauren girl was born to be a Super! It''s like her body was literally made to hold a power! I feel ten- No, twenty times stronger than I ever did when I was some middle-aged man! Did you know that my real name used to be Christopher? I used to be a real good gamer before I got my powers. It was hella boring compared to being a villain! When I first awakened my powers, I got such a high and ended up slaughtering a room full of people. I haven¡¯t felt that good in a long time. This body, though," She gave a grin and lowered her mask back down. "This body gives me that high I crave. It truly is the best. I could even beat Battery or the Victorian, I bet!¡±


    "We''ll see about that!" Myth roared. "Sub Enforcers! With me!" He shattered the ground as he blasted toward Green Wolf, swinging out with his claws. He was followed by the rest of his team and Paragon.


    Green Wolf simply let out an innocent schoolgirl laugh and ran forward. She was followed by Black Crow, who took to the air and expanded his wings. Green Wolf met Myth head-on, and the hero swung out with his claws. The attack bounced completely off of the young girl''s body, not even harming her in the slightest. With a light punch, she rammed her fist into Myth''s gut, hitting him so hard that he was sent flying back.


    His teammates scrambled to avoid him, though Drake wasn''t so lucky, still recovering from his injury, and felt Myth ram into him, sending the two of them flying back and crashing into one of the pillars of the station, shaking the entire place. Wasp Nest threw himself at Green Wolf next, but his bugs simply rammed into an invisible skintight barrier that was around her, stopping him from getting closer. He reformed several meters away, gritting his teeth. Oxide tried next, slamming a person-sized metal hammer into Green Wolf''s head, but like Myth, her attack bounced off. Finally, that left Paragon, who tried to grab Green Wolf. She reached forward, pressing her hand to Green Wolf''s chest, and flared her power out, but nothing happened. The hero realized too late she wasn''t actually making contact with Green Wolf as, just like with Wasp Nest, an impossibly thin barrier of kinetic energy blocked the touch.


    "Sorry, but you''re not going to get to feel me up today." The girl taunted, flicking Paragon on the forehead and hitting the girl with so much force that it bounced Paragon back just like with Myth. "Did you all forget what my power is? None of you can actually harm me-"


    "Take this!" Metal Ronin was the final one to attack. During all the confusion, he had switched his armor out once more, now dressed in a much slimmer suit that had wheels and various thrusters all along it. He swung his weapon out, which was the handle of a sword that had pure compressed plasma forming its blade. Green Wolf ducked down at the last second, avoiding the strike, which sliced into the top part of her wolf mask, cutting the ears off. "Ha! I did something!" He jumped back, his thrusters boosting him away just in time as Green Wolf swung her weapon at him.


    Wasp Nest reformed in time, tackling his friend to the ground as seconds later the spot Metal Ronin had been standing at was hit by a thin line of kinetic energy, which sliced the area apart.


    "I forgot how bullshit Green Wolf''s powers are." Wasp Nest cursed out. "They absorb kinetic energy and can send it right back at us. We can''t lay a finger on them unless we have other energy-based attacks!"


    "You mean we have to rely on Metal Ronin!" Oxide groaned.


    "Can you give us more of those beam blades?" Drake called out, shoving Myth off of him.


    "Sorry." Metal Ronin said, letting out a wince. "This suit is still a prototype, and can only create one at a time!"


    "Seriously, man!" Wasp Nest punched his friend in the shoulder.


    Green Wolf just giggled and leaned back, sheathing her sword. "Did you guys forget that I''m not alone either?" Before any of them could even react, black arrows rained from above as Black Crow launched an attack. Wasp Nest''s body dispersed into hundreds of bugs, avoiding the attack, while Oxide and Metal Ronin used their suits to keep themselves safe. Drake, Paragon, and Myth were simply durable enough to take the attacks, though small bruises would be left across their skin for later. Alexander, meanwhile, let out a yelp of panic and dove back behind his pillar. The arrows stabbed into the stone around them, shattering bits of it as they kept coming. "Isn''t this fun?!" Green Wolf called out.


    Paragon gritted her teeth and fought through the rain of arrows, forcing herself forward. She reached Green Wolf and swung her weapon out, but again, it bounced off. Green Wolf drew her own sword and swung it out, but Paragon blocked it with her blade, using her power to force the sword to stay together. The two danced for a moment, swinging back and forth at each other, trying to hit the other one but having no success. While that happened, Drake decided it was time to take out Black Crow.


    The teen''s wings expanded out, and he jumped into the air, spinning around, smashing into the roof. He stabbed his feet into it and stood on the roof, inhaling. Black Crow had wings of his own, which twisted and grew out, forming a barrier just in time to block the wave of fire Drake sent his way. Black Crow grunted and felt himself be blasted back by the force of the attack as he was sent crashing into the floor below. He created a pair of black swords and raised them just in time to block Oxide''s own blade as the girl made a claymore and swung it out at him.


    The animals he had with him also charged into the fray, but they were quickly dealt with by Myth, who grabbed the lion¡¯s both by the throat and rammed them down into the station so hard it shook everything around them and caused some rubble to rain from the sky.


    Alexander gulped a bit as he peeked back out of his hiding spot and watched the different fights that were happening. "So, these guys are friends with Hope? I guess this was her team, huh? They''re a little destructive and intense."


    Both Black Crow and Green Wolf managed to force their attackers back. Black Crow launched a wave of black coal dust into Oxide, blasting her through one of the pillars and sending her sprawling on the ground. Green Wolf simply expanded her force field, pushing Paragon back, who was forced to jump away.


    "You''re better than I thought you''d be with a sword," Green Wolf cheerfully noted as she stared into Paragon''s anger-filled eyes.


    "I''ve been practicing." Paragon spat out.


    "I can tell. I was there at the hospital and also when Wish grabbed you. I remember how helpless and scared you were, relying on Cinder to come and save you. I keep forgetting that the body I''m in is hers." The villain teasingly reached up under her mask and stroked her face almost lovingly. "It''s kind of funny, isn''t it? Oh, did you have feelings for this body? Sorry, but you''re too young for me. I still prefer older women, so I''ll have to pass."


    "I''m going to kill you!" Paragon yelled.


    Green Wolf only laughed at the threat. "Do you have any idea how many times I''ve heard that one? I''ve stopped counting." Snickering, the girl pulled her sword back up and pointed it toward the heroes. She moved it from person to person, her eyes roaming over them all as Black Crow landed next to her. No one moved an inch, all waiting for the right moment to dodge the invisible slash that was about to no doubt come their way. "There was a reason I came out here, you know." The girl admitted. "There''s someone I need to bring back." She pointed her blade at Myth, then moved it to Metal Ronin, then to Oxide.


    "Oh yeah? Who''s that?" Myth growled, showing off his fangs. "And bring to who?"


    Green Wolf giggled. "Aw. Look how scared all of you are. Big, tough heroes forgot how weak they actually were, didn''t they? You thought that just because you fought the Beast, you wouldn''t have to worry about anything else. That you''d have no more issues or concerns. Oh, how wrong you all are. We saw you guys entering our area through some of our stationed cameras. We also saw that one person with you wasn''t like the rest." Slowly, her sword pointed at a pillar. "That one."


    Paragon''s eyes went wide, and she spun around screaming. "Mr. Lauren!" She threw herself in front of the pillar, ready to take the slash head on, but it never came. Instead, the ground began to bubble. It was as if it were the surface of a lake, and before any of them could react, something phased through the ground, coming up! It was a large man in a suit wearing a shark mask. Black Shark wrapped his arms around Alexander, who barely had time to yell before the two suddenly sank back down into the ground. The Super used his power to swim through the floor and made his escape. "No!" Paragon yelled.


    The ground bubbled and shifted as the villain swam through it, heading into the tunnel behind Green Wolf and Black Crow. The two villains stood in the way, blocking the tunnel as Green Wolf raised her sword and Black Crow expanded his wings.


    "Drake!" Myth roared. "Take the bird out!"


    "You got it!" Drake flew forward, moving at his top speed right as Black Crow flew back into the air. The two entered a battle in the sky, launching fire and coal at one another as they wove in and out of the way of pillars.


    Myth charged Green Wolf, taking one of the slashes head-on, which cut into his fur hide as he roared. He swung out, but his claws stopped inches away from Green Wolf''s body as her barrier came back on. Myth only smirked, though, as from the side, Metal Ronin jumped out from behind Myth and swung his blade, slamming it into Green Wolf''s sword as the girl barely had time to block it. "Metal Ronin, you''re with me!" Myth announced. "We''re taking Green Wolf out! Paragon, Oxide, Wasp Nest! Go!"


    Paragon took off running past Green Wolf as she entered the tunnel and used her enhanced body to move at super speed after the bubbles that held Black Shark and Alexander. Green Wolf flung herself away from Myth and Metal Ronin and swung her sword out, but her attack was blocked by Oxide, who held her shield up, blocking it and reforming her metal''s shape as the cut tore into it. Oxide moved backward into the tunnel, making more of her shields, which flowed off of her costume and floated in the air around her. Wasp Nest also followed, turning himself into a massive swarm of his wasps, blocking out most of the view of the tunnel, and causing Green Wolf to be unable to aim at her slashes.


    The villain cursed and was forced to give up and block again as Metal Ronin swung his sword out. Myth charged forward, swinging out again, but he knew his attacks wouldn''t land. He was just trying to create openings for Metal Ronin. The tech-based hero jumped back, and his costume shifted and changed, switching into his standard suit as he pointed his blade at Green Wolf. "I don''t know if I can beat her." He admitted. "If I had some of my other gadgets or suits, I could easily do it, but this suit wasn''t made for fighting someone this strong yet. I''m sorry for not thinking about the chance of something like this happening."


    "It''s fine." Myth stepped in front of his young teammate and glared at Green Wolf, who stood several meters away, her sword at the ready. "I''ll be the one to take her out. You just back me up."


    "You''re going to take me out?" Green Wolf threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, please. You can''t even touch me. What can you possibly do?"


    "Sir," Metal Ronin winced a bit. "Are you going to ''use'' that?"


    "I am."


    "Are you sure? You know you can¡¯t control it that well!"


    "We have no choice!" Myth hissed. "Besides, I¡¯ve been training with it. I think I can manage. It''s now or never."


    "Oh?" Green Wolf cocked her head to the side and sheathed her sword. "What''s this? Did you get some new trick up your sleeve? Hey! I know this is cheesy, but I recently started reading some comics. I think this body is into them. I''ll let you go ahead and bust out whatever you want! Go ahead, big guy! Show me something cool."


    "You''re an idiot." Myth said in a blunt tone.


    "Am I? Or am I just that much stronger than you."


    ¡°Your barrier is strong, but it has a weakness. It can¡¯t absorb every attack fully. Only the kinetic energy within. That means if an attack is strong enough or formed from various types of energy, you won¡¯t be able to stop it fully.¡± Myth took a deep breath and focused his power. He gritted his teeth as he felt something inside of him begin to change. Something inside of him was screaming and howling.


    "What are you blabbering about?" Green Wolf found herself actually stepping back as Myth began to transform into a form she hadn¡¯t seen yet.


    ¡°My strongest form is a gigantic monster able to shape even the mountains themselves.¡± Myth grunted. His lion fur vanished, replaced with stretched-out black skin. ¡°This is a close second, though. It has a power, one that goes beyond anything my other forms have. It was what wounded Demonica. Despite her healing factor, I was able to render a wound so powerful it stopped her from healing." Myth¡¯s head seemed to almost turn dog light, harsh red eyes glowing out of him, and dark fire dripped down his maws. His voice grew deeper, and he started to howl. ¡°The same thing happened with Polaron, you know. He was wiped out by Cinder. He also could heal. Most of the Emperor''s monsters could. Haven''t you ever wondered how Full Monarch was able to beat those monsters so easily? It''s because he didn''t just attack their body. He hit them in a way that couldn''t be recovered from. He hit them directly in the soul. He used fire so hot it burned the very soul. My father, Legend, would do something similar as well! As it turns out, this form of mine can do what both of them could as well!¡±


    "I don''t like where this is going." Green Wolf drew her sword and swung it out, sending a slash, but it was too late. The attack slammed into Myth and barely left a shallow cut.


    Myth¡¯s hands changed, turning into a pair of dog heads as well, both of which also gushed red flames out, and a jagged tail slapped at the ground hard enough to shatter the stone. The three-headed beast let out a loud howl, the same form that had beaten Demonica during the mall attack. It was a little different, though. Myth¡¯s eyes glared out, fully under control as he charged forward.


    "Get ready!¡± Myth roared. ¡°I''ll show you the wrath of Legend''s firstborn son! I am Myth! Brother of Fable!"

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Five: Doctor White Egg

    Shortly before the battle with the Beast...


    "Do you think you could use your new power to heal Mr. Larison?" Hope asked softly as she folded her arms.


    "I don''t know," Sky admitted. The healer leaned against the wall, standing next to the Lord of the Sun. The two of them stood directly outside of the room where the other girls were. Lily was currently watching some cheesy horror movie with Sera and Ashley when the two of them decided they needed some alone time to talk. Sky glanced down at her hand, feeling the power that resided in it. A power that had appeared ever since the defeat of Wish. "I don''t think I could fix him. I''m sorry."


    Hope closed her eyes and let out a sigh she had been holding. It was a girls'' night, one she was spending with all of her new friends, and she had waited the entire day to build up the courage to ask Sky that question regarding the future of Mr. Larison. It was an answer she had expected yet still hated. "You''re sure?" She finally asked, opening her eyes.


    Sky nodded slowly. "It''s his power. He''s too strong. I think he would cancel out any changes I tried to make."


    "What do you mean by that?" Hope questioned.


    Sky held up two fingers. "There are two kinds of effects my power can cause in a person. The first is an effect that a person wants. Let''s say you get injured and want me to heal you. I''d touch you and patch you up, and because you wanted that to happen, your power would let me. The second kind of effect, however, is one you don''t want. Wish made contact with you several times yet wasn''t able to change or twist your form."


    "Yeah, I noticed that. The first time I fought her, she kept trying to blow me up, but it wouldn''t work. I assumed it was because I was a Lord since she was able to destroy Money Tree''s hand with one touch."


    "That''s sort of right." Sky nodded. "The stronger a person is, the better they''re able to negate powers on their level or lower. Wish was only really strong due to the number of lives and healing she had. In the grand scheme of things, you are way stronger than she''ll ever be, so anytime she wanted to use her power on you, she''d have to compete with your level of strength, which she couldn''t match up to. It isn''t just a Lord thing, though. All Supers have this trait. People like the Victorian are rumored to be able to move in frozen time due to how strong they are. The closer to someone''s level of power you are, the less their powers can work on you if you don''t want them to. It''s even the case with durability. Attacks won''t harm you simply because you''re so strong."


    Hope nodded her head but held a small frown. "I get what you''re saying, but doesn''t that mean you should be able to heal Mr. Larison? The reason you can heal me despite the power difference was because I''d allow it, right? So, if a Super is crazy strong, they can still be affected by weaker powers if they allow them to work. So, all he needs to do is let your power work on him, right?"


    "And that right there is the main issue." Sky turned away from Hope and stared out the window. The sun had long since set, and the moon hung high up in the sky. "Do you think he''d let me heal him?"


    Hope bit her tongue in order to stop herself from saying a remark she would regret. She had heard Mr. Larison''s words to the Victorian after the battle with the Emperor. It was like he had given up a long time ago. It tore her up inside watching that fake smile on his lips earlier today when he had allowed her to drive his car.


    "I don''t think it matters in the end, though." Sky''s words caused Hope''s thoughts to cease as the healer looked back down at her hand. "I''m still not sure if I''m actually the Lord of Life yet."


    "Of course you are!"


    "I could be. There''s something I''ll need to try first to confirm it, though."


    "Oh? What''s that?"


    Sky just gave a sly smile and brought a finger to her lip. "It''s secret."


    "Aw! Come on, tell me!" Hope whined.


    "Nope." Sky turned her head away, ignoring Hope''s puppy dog stare. "Still though, it does make me curious about the nature of powers now that I''ve inherited Wish''s ability."


    "What do you mean by that?" Hope asked, perking up.


    "The Emperor back in the day tried to create a world of only Supers." Sky practically spat out her father''s title as a look of disgust came onto her face. "He wasn''t able to create new Supers, though. Instead, the things he made were Monsters. They had powers like Supers, but whereas Supers look exactly like humans, Monsters kept changing and growing. Most died out, some became mindless creatures that still roam the planet to this day, and fewer managed to somehow keep their sanity and form. It wasn''t just humans he would change. Golden God and Fairy Queen both used to be Supers until he changed them. He placed new powers inside of them and managed to cause their bodies to twist and change. I''m sure there were others in his army that were also like that, such as Hell Hound."


    "Wish did something similar, too." Hope nodded. "Kevin wasn''t a Super before, yet he changed."


    "I don''t think it was the same thing though." Sky shook her head. "See, that''s what I''ve been thinking about. Previous Lords usually share powers, but they always have one thing above all else that makes them unique. Sini was a Mental-based user on top of being a Lord, Max Lightning was able to create realms, something no other Lord of the Sky showed; and Full Monarch had strength that went past anything any other Lord had. Wish and the Emperor also had powers that other Lords of Life didn''t have. The Emperor was able to create his monsters, but he couldn''t heal as well as Wish could. He could repair his body, but he never showed anything on the same level as Wish, who could literally send her cells out as weapons. I don''t think her way of making Monsters was the same as the Emperor''s. Not to mention those people she did change looked very human."


    "Some Monsters can keep a sort of human form, though. Avalon looked pretty human until he became a sword." Poseidon looked human yet had the same blood as a Monster, though Hope decided not to say that last part out loud.


    "I guess, but I still think it''s different. We won''t know until we ask one of them, though, and I doubt something like that will ever happen." Sky let out a soft snort and balled her hand into a fist, digging her nails into her palm. "What are powers exactly? Where did they come from? We still know so little. What is Inversion, and why do some people have more than one power while others are born only with a single ability? I was born with two different powers, both my Realm ability and my healing power, and now I might have a third power in the form of the Lord of Life."


    "Who knows." Hope threw her arms behind her head and looked back into the room the other girls were in. A jump scare had just happened, and Lily practically chucked her bowl of popcorn into the air, causing it to spill down. "Do you think I could get another power?"


    "What? Not happy with fire?"


    "Well, I''d like flight, but I know I''ll likely unlock that eventually. I don''t even know how to Invert my power, so I''m sort of stuck with fire." The Lord of the Sun hummed softly. "Another power could be kind of cool."


    "Oh yeah, what would you want? Besides flight, I mean."


    "I''ve actually thought about it a lot, believe it or not."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah." Hope smiled and looked back at Sky. "If I could have any other power..." She opened her mouth and spoke, saying her answer. Sky''s eyes went wide for a moment, and then the girl giggled. "Is it really that funny of an answer?" Hope questioned.


    "No. It''s just that I didn''t expect it. It isn''t anything as crazy as I thought it''d be." Sky admitted. "Is there a reason you picked that one specifically?"


    Hope just shrugged. "I just think it would be cool."


    Slowly, the memory of that day faded away as Sky found herself back in the present, running through the tunnel. She remembered that night constantly. It would always come back to her mind and cause her to curse herself.


    She had brushed the question off so easily. She hadn''t bothered trying to save Battery at all. She didn''t even consider it, simply deciding he wouldn''t have wanted to be saved. Maybe if she had tried, maybe if she had reached out to him and healed him, things could have been different. He wouldn''t have changed so much; he could have teamed up with the Victorian, and the two of them could have slayed the Beast. Her mother and sister would have never gotten harmed, and Hope would still be here, being the hero she was meant to be.


    But it wasn''t the time for what-ifs and half-baked ideas. So instead, Sky forced herself to focus on the here and now. She was Paragon; she was a hero, and right now, someone was in trouble.


    Black Shark caused ripples and bubbles to lift off of the floor that he swam in. A shark fin stabbed out of the ground, phasing through anything that got in its way as the villain''s power allowed him to swim through the earth around him. He had been under there for almost a full minute now, pushing forward at fast speeds. It was starting to make her worry. After all, he might not need to come up for air, but Mr. Lauren certainly would.


    "Paragon!" A voice yelled behind her. The healer turned back just in time to see a fast-moving silver blur coming at her. "Hop on!"


    Paragon jumped up just in time and came down directly next to Oxide, landing on a platform that the hero had created. They stood on a long silver disk that was about the size of a car. It was completely flat and floated off of the ground by several meters. Under it, millions of wasps formed, picking the thing up and carrying it forward at incredible speeds.


    "Good thinking." Paragon gave a nod to Oxide and turned to look back at the fin that poked out of the ground. Black Shark was only a few meters ahead of them, but they were quickly losing ground. "He''s too fast!"


    The metal-based hero created a bow forged from pure metal and an arrow, which she launched out at the shark fin. Chains attached to the arrow, turning it into a sort of harpoon, but it sadly didn''t work, simply phasing through the fin and crashing to the ground. "His power is similar to Mister Man''s." Oxide cursed. "Any plan to get him out of the ground?"


    "I have one." Paragon sheathed her sword and crouched on the metal platform. She poked her hand beneath it, feeling the wasps that buzzed. "Wasp Nest, do you trust me?"


    A loud buzzing noise came from beneath them, gradually distorting into a single word. "Trust."


    Breathing deeply, Paragon closed her eyes and began to focus on her power. It wasn''t just healing that she could do now. She was the Lord of the Land and Life. She had done it before with Destiny, though he had been created to literally merge with her powers. Wasp Nest was able to turn himself into billions of bugs and reform over and over again, negating the damage done to him. Yet Wish had still been able to harm and negate his power due to the sheer strength and control the villain had over life. She wasn''t planning on forcing him back into his human form like Wish had done, though. Instead, she began to do exactly what she did to Destiny.


    Suddenly, all the wasps began to twitch, and they started to reform, coming together just like when the hero would turn his power off. He didn''t turn back into his human form, though. Instead, the wasps began to grow and get bigger as they absorbed each other. Again and again until finally, only one wasp was left. Wasp Nest gasped, feeling his new body. He looked down at his hands in shock. It was like he had taken on some strange hybrid form between his human form and his wasp form.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He was the size of a normal person, but instead of flesh, he was covered in a thick black carapace that formed strong armor along his body. Jagged wings stabbed out of his back, flapping so fast they looked as if they were moving in slow motion. He had arms and legs like a human, and his head looked mostly humanoid. Paragon had forced his power to change, or at the very least she had tweaked it.


    "What did you do?" Oxide asked in shock. The platform they stood on crashed to the ground now that they didn''t have the hundreds of wasps to carry it, but Oxide simply changed its design, turning it into a sled and attaching metal tendrils to Wasp Nest''s waist as the hero flew forward much faster than he had been a moment ago. Sparks were kicked up as the metal board the two of them stood on scraped against the stone floor at rapid speeds.


    "His consciousness was spread out across millions of different tiny forms," Paragon explained. "Normally, changing how a person''s power works would be impossible for me, but I can use my ability to control Life to change a person''s physical form to an extent. For anyone else, doing something like this wouldn''t work, but Wasp Nest is unique since there were so many of him. I simply merged all that biomass into a single entity. His power involves changing his form already, so in a way, I guess you can say it''s like tweaking a single line of code. Instead of splitting off to change, I just had him connect together."


    "Will I be able to change back to normal?" Wasp Nest called out. The hero reached up to feel his throat, a little shocked that he was getting to talk in his transformed state so well. He felt strong¡ªcrazy strong. He had always been a little jealous at how weak he was in the grand scheme of things, yet now he was sure he could do a lot more with this body than he ever had.


    "We''ll figure that out later," Paragon said sheepishly.


    "What! You mean you haven''t tested something like this out before!"


    The healer just shrugged. "After that shark!"


    Wasp Nest just sighed before smirking. As he sped up, he got even faster. Black Shark had been gaining a lot of distance, but now they were rapidly catching up to the villain. The air around Wasp Nest began to heat up as he pushed himself forward, his wings kicking up the wind just as BB once did. The villain was only meters away now. "Go long!" He turned and spun himself around, causing the sled that he had been dragging to fly past him. "Get him!"


    Oxide caused the chain she had connected to Wasp Nest to vanish right as they passed him. The force of his spin had sent them flying forward, and she forced the metal they stood on to rise up a bit and wrap around both her and Paragon''s feet to ensure they didn''t go flying off. They went so fast that they actually went flying past Black Shark, and as soon as they passed by the fin, Paragon dropped back down to her knees and slammed her palm into the ground.


    The Lord felt her power flare up, and she forced it to Invert just as she had done in the battle with the Beast and in the belly of the Tallest Wave. The ground around them shifted and changed as her realm was layered over reality, changing it. All around her, in a ten-meter radius, the tunnel they were in became a field of grass that tore itself open and lifted the swimming body of Black Shark out, throwing the villain into the air. The villain spun around in the air, clearly disoriented for a moment as the field around them began to fade.


    In Black Shark''s arm, he held the body of Alexander Lauren, who was quickly taking a gulp of air before they crashed back down. Black Shark began to fall toward the ground again, about to sink into it, but right before he could, Oxide swung out, forming a massive hammer that she rammed directly into the villain''s head. Unlike Mister Man, the Zoo member could only phase through objects when he was swimming.


    The hammer cracked him upside the head and caused most of his mask to come off and shatter as the man''s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he hit the ground back first, completely unconscious. For good measure, Wasp Nest roughly landed on the villain''s gut, using his new super strength to break any ribs as he kicked down.


    "Mr. Laruen, are you okay?!" Paragon didn''t miss a beat and ran forward to the downed man, who was coughing up a storm.


    The older man grimaced a bit, making a sour face as he shook his head. "That was not a fun experience. I never thought I''d almost drown in stone."


    Paragon let out a sigh of relief as her eyes roamed over the man. She didn''t see any serious injuries on him. "I''m glad you''re okay-"


    "It''s not over yet!" Wasp Nest yelled. "Watch out!"


    Oxide acted fast, throwing herself in front of all of them and holding her arms out just in time. A massive metal dome appeared around them, blocking a wave of red energy that fired down the tunnel they were in, bathing everything in crimson. Paragon felt her eyes narrow when she saw the energy. It was one she had seen before. She had seen Red Ape use the same attack, firing that laser out of the helmet he had gotten from Avalon. It wasn''t Red Ape that shot at them, though. Oxide''s barrier slowly crumbled as the energy died out, and they all came face to face with two more familiar Zoo members.


    "First Black Crow, then Black Shark, and now you two show up." Wasp Nest called out, folding his arms. "I''m going to need to have serious words with Boy Genius about why none of you are in Nightshade!"


    Across from them, standing several feet away, Red Monkey pointed two of his revolvers at them. The guns smoked and billowed out fumes as the lasers that came from them died out. It seemed that creating a new body for Green Wolf wasn''t the only thing Doc and Red Ape had done in their spare time. They had somehow created another one of Avalon''s laser weapons, ones that Red Monkey now trained on them. Next to him, dressed in a pure white suit, White Spider stood. The woman didn''t bother wearing her mask and instead held a wild and almost insane grin on her face.


    "Aw. You''re wondering why Boy Genius didn''t tell you about us?" The woman asked in a mocking tone. "Maybe he just didn''t trust you guys enough."


    Before any of them could make a remark, a loud groan came from behind them as Black Shark suddenly jumped back up to his feet, no longer injured. "He heals fast!" Paragon yelled out. The villain swung out with a mighty fist, but Wasp Nest caught it easily and used his new body to shatter the palm and break Black Shark''s arm. Instantly, though, Black Shark ripped the limb out of the hero''s grasp and forcefully snapped it back into place as the limb healed once again. "Really fast!"


    "Since when can he heal?" Oxide asked in shock. She was then forced to throw up another barrier as Red Monkey fired at them again with both his guns, two lasers firing out of the barrels and combining into one big one, which started to push Oxide back.


    Black Shark shoved his way past Wasp Nest, who unloaded several powerful punches into the man''s body that literally left dents in the flesh, but it barely slowed the bad guy down, who made a mad grab for Mr. Lauren. The arm never reached its target, though, as Paragon swung her sword up and easily sliced the limb clean off. Blood didn''t come out of the wound, and the villain simply jumped back and clutched at his wound, which was already starting to bubble up and heal.


    "What the hell? He''s like a zombie or something." Wasp Nest stared at the regeneration in horror. Even Black Shark''s clothes were repairing themselves. "I''m pretty sure this wasn''t a power he used to have. Did Red Ape or Doc do this?"


    "Maybe, but I don''t think so." Paragon winced. "Whatever''s going on doesn''t matter. They''re clearly targeting Mr. Lauren, and I''ll be damned if I let them lay a finger on him!"


    The energy behind them died out as Red Monkey''s guns stopped firing and began to recharge. Oxide let out a sigh of relief and dropped her barrier, catching her breath. White Spider''s grin only grew, and the woman casually lifted her hand up. All along the tips of her fingers, tiny white spiders danced, weaving their webbing, which drifted down her arm. "It''s so cute how you all think you can stop us. You didn''t even notice it, though, did you? You already fell right into my web." The woman''s eyes met Paragon''s, which only caused White Spider''s smile to grow. "You know what happens next, right?"


    Paragon felt a chill run up her spine, and she yelled, but it was already too late. In a flash, White Spider''s power went off, causing Oxide, Paragon, and Wasp Nest to vanish out of the tunnel. Alexander stood there, surrounded by three villains, as he felt a wave of fear hit him.


    "Uh oh." He managed to give a sheepish laugh and reached up to tug at his shirt. "I don''t suppose you guys just want to- Sneak attack!" He pulled out a can of pepper spray and pointed it at Black Shark, unloading it into the man''s eyes.


    Black Shark didn''t even flinch as the villain approached Mr. Lauren and pulled his fist back, smashing it into Alexander''s face and knocking the man out with one punch.


    Back at the beginning of the tunnel, Paragon suddenly dropped down as she appeared right back where they started. "No!" She yelled out in anger. The sound of battle barely registered to her as Myth and Drake fought their opponents.


    "What the hell just happened!" Wasp Nest asked in shock. His form changed, twisting back into his human form as his new enhanced power wore off. "How are we back here?"


    "It''s White Spider''s power!" Oxide hissed.


    "I know, but how the hell did she do that!" Wasp Nest said, shaking his head. "Her power doesn''t let her just freely teleport people around wherever she wants. She has to set up a zone, and then it stops people from entering or exiting that zone, teleporting them back to the place she set it up at. She doesn''t get to control it, and her teammates have to follow the same rules she does. That''s not what she just did to us, though. That was actual teleportation. Not to mention, Black Shark''s power was also different. I''m sure of that. I watched the footage of his battle with Myth, and he never showed a healing factor on the level he did just now."


    "Who cares!" Paragon yelled. "We have to get back there!"


    "And do what? They''ll just send us back to the start again." Oxide winced.


    "That doesn''t mean we just give up, though." Wasp Nest replied. "There has to be something we can do."


    Paragon gritted her teeth and stepped forward. She got a few feet in the tunnel before she suddenly appeared back at the start next to Oxide and Wasp Nest. "Damn it!" She cursed.


    "Looks like the web has been set up." Oxide folded her arms and frowned. "No way we can get through now."


    "What are you guys doing back here!" A voice called out. They turned, finding Metal Ronin was making his way over to them. "Did you guys get Hope''s dad already?" Directly behind him, most of the train station was in ruins as fire spread out in all directions caused by both Myth and Drake, who were still fighting Green Wolf and Black Crow.


    "Nope. We''re stuck." Wasp Nest sighed. "White Spider made a web. Also, did Myth get bigger? And get fire powers? What''s even happening over there?"


    Metal Ronin rubbed his chin. "White Spider? Oh yeah, I remember her. She''s that annoying villain that Green Wolf brought with him once when we fought her. Poseidon beat her by destroying her web before it got created all the way."


    "Well, we can''t do that." Paragon grumbled and stomped her foot down. "It''s already been set up. Those bastards still have Mr. Lauren."


    "So?" Metal Ronin asked.


    "What do you mean ¡®so¡¯? Obviously, we can''t get through it." Oxide yelled, throwing her arms up.


    Metal Ronin looked at them oddly. "Yeah. She set up a ton of webs in the tunnel so that if you guys pass into it, you get kicked out. So why not just travel in a different way?"


    "Like what?" Wasp Nest questioned. ¡°We could get to the surface, but then we¡¯d have no way of figuring out where Zoo¡¯s base is. My wasps can¡¯t go through the web either, so we¡¯d be running around up top blindly and might piss one of the Giants up there off.¡±


    Metal Ronin cocked his head to the side. "Can''t one of you just walk through the tunnel and make it not the tunnel anymore?"


    Paragon sighed before face-palming. She felt her power surge back and shift as the area around her changed into her realm once more. White Spider might have placed the webs all over the tunnel, but none had been placed in her realm, which would layer itself over the world around them. In other words, she could just walk through her realm to get to the end of the tunnel.


    She was really glad Metal Ronin was on their side...


    Meanwhile, all the way at the end of the tunnel, Alexander Lauren let out a soft groan as he felt a hand gently slap at his face. His eyes slowly began to open as he found himself lying in a place that was definitely not in the subway anymore. It looked almost like a surgeon room but was way dirtier and filled with dozens of animal cages.


    "Wakey, wakey, sleepy head." A voice teased. As the light hit Alexander''s eyes, he found himself suddenly face to face with a man in a long, dirty lab coat. The man''s face was also completely covered by a green cartoon mask that was an ape smoking a cigar. Green Ape, leader of Zoo, stood back up and stared down at Alexander. "You have something I want."


    "W- Where am I?" Alexander reached up and clutched at his broken nose, which was still gushing blood. Black Shark''s punch had rattled his head and screwed up his thoughts. Everything was still spinning a bit, but he did his best to look around. They weren''t alone in the room. Black Shark, Red Monkey, and White Spider all stood near the back of the room, as well as several other people in masks that he didn''t recognize. "What''s going on?" He asked in a panic, scooting back.


    Green Ape hummed and folded his arms. "It seems you might have been more injured than I first thought. Obviously, you''ve been kidnapped by the one and only Zoo!" The man clasped his hands together, doing his best to speak like how Green Wolf would when the former leader put on a show. "As for where you are... Well, you''re in one of our former bases."


    "Former?" Alexander felt his ears twitch a bit as he heard a quiet beeping sound, and he turned, finding a wall filled with dozens of bombs. His face paled, and he felt a chill go down his spine. "W- What the hell!"


    "As I said. Former base. This place won''t be around by the end of the day." Green Ape said, letting out a soft snort. "I wonder how long it''ll take people to notice that an entire city block got blown up. After all, with White Lamb, not a single sound will be heard when we blow this place sky high!"


    Alexander gritted his teeth and jumped up to his feet, wobbling a bit. He glared at Green Ape and took a step forward. Red Monkey drew his gun and raised it, but Alexander didn''t care. "You''re a monster! It was you, wasn''t it? You''re the reason why Green Wolf is running around looking like my daughter!"


    "Green Wolf? Damn it, I told her to stop calling herself that." Green Ape sighed and shook his head. "She keeps thinking she''ll find some way to take the throne out from under me, but I won it fair and square! She''s supposed to be Red Wolf now, you see-"


    "Answer me!" Alexander roared.


    Green Ape raised his arms, holding them up slightly. "Geesh. Alright, if you really want to know, no. I''m not the one who created that body. It was actually the newest member of Zoo that made it."


    As if on cue, soft footsteps came down from a set of stairs that led up to a higher floor in the building they were in. It was followed by a cane that tapped each set of stairs as the person walked down. Even with all the rage he felt, Alexander felt himself be taken aback as he stared at this new person.


    "What the hell is this?"


    Doc reached the bottom of the stairs dressed in his new costume. "Okay, look, I know it looks bad, but..." The man asked, holding his arms out. "Do I make it work or what?"


    He had been Doctor Blue during his time as a member of the Hero Branch. After that, he was Doc and worked under Mr. Grove. Now... Now, he was at the lowest point in his life.


    He was an egg... A large egg that had only four holes for his arms and legs, which poked out of the massive shell. White Egg, the newest member of Zoo, had arrived.

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Six: Extra Lives

    Drake dodged out of the way of a large stone pillar, using his wings to shift his momentum in the air. Black Crow flew after him, sending waves of coal dust out. There wasn''t much room for flight down where they were, but that didn''t stop the two of them from zipping around the mini battlefield at high speeds.


    "Would you sit still and just die, already?!" Black Crow yelled out at him. "After we''re done here, we get to move to our new city!"


    "New city?" Drake frowned and grew long black claws, which he used to tear through one of the waves of dust that came his way.


    "Oh, you didn''t hear? We won''t be staying in this dump of a city for much longer." Black Crow announced proudly. The villain didn''t stop flying, weaving in and out of the pillars, using the stones to block the waves of fire Drake sent his way. "Now that we have the new boss, we''re moving onto finer fortunes! The only reason Zoo stayed here for so long was because Green Wolf loved this place. Our new boss is thinking of taking on some other heroes that are more worthy of him."


    Drake snorted at that. "Sounds like Red Ape is getting a little cocky. And just where are you guys planning to move?" He questioned.


    "Now, why the hell would I tell you that? No, it has to be a grand surprise!" Black Crow announced. "After all, the mighty Green Ape has even managed to tame the issue that was the Wolf!"


    It didn''t make sense.


    No matter how much Drake thought about it, he couldn''t wrap his mind around how Black Crow could be here flying before him.


    Nearly one year ago, Zoo and Bad Timers had teamed up to attack the city. They attacked a charity event and a hospital known for treating Super-related incidents. At the charity event held at the mall, Polaron had launched an assault while Green Wolf attacked the hospital. The hero teams Pantheon and the Oleander Sub Enforcers had come to the defense, leading to the capture and arrests of Black Crow, Red Panda, Ghost, Ears, and Intake. It is also believed that this event led to the deaths of Polaron and Mars King, as they had no further appearances afterward.


    A few months later, Zoo and Bad Timers would emerge to attack another event: A Pretty Face concert held in the Oleander Stadium. Team Pantheon and the Watch Dogs had been in place, ready for the attack, resulting in the defeat and capture of Stone Face, Saw Head, Black Shark, Red Monkey, White Cow, and White Spider. Green Wolf, Demonica, Red Ape, and White Lamb had managed to escape. This event is also what led to the destruction of the villain group, the Wandering Coin.


    Whilst most heroes would have no qualms over killing villains, Boy Genius was a unique case. He had created Nightshade Prison as a means of containing prisoners. While most low-tier or weak villains were kept in simple cells, the most dangerous and resilient villains¡ªones that posed difficulty in permanently taking out¡ªwere sent to this place. Under normal circumstances, it would be completely impossible to escape the compound. Even powerful Supers such as Fairy Queen, one of the Emperor''s four generals, and Uriel, a member of the Immortals, needed outside help in order to escape. In Fairy Queen''s case, she was able to escape due to Green Wolf wielding a powerful form of teleportation once held by the Emperor, while Uriel was able to escape during the Beast''s attack while every available hero was occupied with defending Oleander City.


    With all that being said, it made no sense for Black Crow to be here. Either Boy Genius didn''t tell them that members of Zoo had escaped, which should have been impossible with how weak they were in the grand scheme of things, or something else was happening.


    "Distracted? You should pay more attention in battle, boy." Black Crow''s wings unfolded and expanded, forming several jagged, black chains that swung through the station at Drake. "Try not to lose your head." Drake didn''t bother dodging, simply floating in the air and letting the chains hit him, confident in his defense as red scales grew across his body.


    Drake spat out, shooting a thin beam of fire that sliced through one of Black Crow''s wings, causing the villain to drop out of the air. They hadn''t been able to go too high, being in an underground train station, so the villain landed fairly softly, followed moments later by Drake, whose wings folded back into his body and disappeared beneath his flesh. Black Crow''s outfit was made of tiny grains of coal that were being controlled by his powers. Already, the wing was reattached to his shoulder as more coal gathered and formed into a long, twisted black sword that he pointed at Drake.


    "How exactly are you here?" Drake asked, his tail slapping the ground behind him.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know?" Black Crow mocked.


    "Yes, I would. That''s why I asked." The draconic hero sighed. "Let''s just cut to the chase. Tell me what I want to know, and I promise I''ll try to break only half the bones in your body. It''s the best deal someone like you will get, so I''d take it."


    Black Crow raised his hands, feigning fear. "Ooh, scary. You kids are getting edgy these days. Even if I wanted to tell you how I''m here, I couldn''t."


    "What do you mean?" Drake asked.


    "It was all sort of a blur; the last thing I remember was being in the prison. And now... well, I guess it doesn''t matter anymore." Black Crow replied. "I doubt you could kill me, even if you tried. I can kill you, though." Black Crow charged forward with superhuman speed, swinging his sword out.


    Drake raised his arm to block the attack, more scales jutting out of his flesh. He was confident that his defenses would hold, but as the blade neared him, he began to hear a horrible vibration sound, and sparks flew as the sword began to grind against his arm, the jagged blade cutting into the scales, spilling his blood. Along the edge of the blade, Black Crow was using his power to force the coal dust to spin, effectively turning it into a chainsaw. Drake''s tail swung up, stabbing directly into Black Crow''s face and hitting the villain hard enough that an average person would have their neck snapped instantly, but only managing to shove the Super back. As soon as he gained some distance, Drake jumped away, clutching his bleeding arm.


    Black Crow let out a cackle and created a second sword. Along the man''s back, various tendrils that were also vibrating began to slap at the air. In a way, he had become a human weed whacker. The villain slowly approached, taking his time as his tentacles sliced through the stone floor as if it were warm butter.


    Drake crouched low, then leaped off the ground, using the super strength in his legs to get even further away. Black Crow began to run at him, but the hero made his escape into a tunnel, leading the villain away from the others. Drake ran until he found the way blocked by a large wall of fallen debris. He could hear Black Crow behind him, the villain slowing as he realized the hero was cornered.


    "Well, well, well. There''s nowhere left for you to run, now, little hero." Black Crow sneered.


    Drake calmly turned around, his arms folded across his chest. "You''ve got really bad luck in your matchups."


    Black Crow frowned as he stared at the hero. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "I saw your fight with Money Tree and how he beat you. His powers completely countered yours, same as mine do; in fact, I think mine are an even worse matchup for you."


    Black Crow stepped back, his whips tearing at the nearby stone as he stared at the hero. "You''re just bluffing."


    "My sis and I aren''t just able to breathe fire. We can also control our flame, choosing who it does and doesn''t burn. If it contacts a flammable or explosive substance, we decide whether we want it to react or not. For example, I could blast out a stream of fire and have it smash into an ocean of gasoline, but if I didn''t want it to react, then it simply wouldn''t. Now that we''re far enough away from everyone, I don''t have to worry about a bad reaction getting out of hand. Fun fact: did you know that coal dust is highly explosive?"


    Black Crow looked down at his tendrils and clothing, realizing what was about to happen. "Ahh, fu-"


    Drake breathed out a stream of flame, his face morphing into a dragon head. The fire blasted out, far thicker than it had been earlier, encompassing the entire tunnel with a massive blast. As the fire washed through, the tunnel collapsed, burying Drake and what was left of Black Crow beneath an ocean of stone.


    Drake grunted, feeling himself be shoved into the ground as the tunnel came down on top of him. He could feel his form changing and morphing gradually as he got bigger, and more scales formed across his flesh, allowing him to easily dig through the concrete and begin crawling his way out.


    "I hope the others can manage without me." He mumbled as his jaws bit down on several rocks, crushing them all up. "It might take me a bit to get myself out of this mess I made." He was just about to rip through more rubble when he felt part of the ground shift. His ears twitched a bit, and his tail extended, getting even longer, swatting out at the pile of debris in front of him.


    His attack had already caused the mostly collapsed tunnel to further shatter and break. Just like the ways Alexander showed them, though, there were sections that had, by some miracle, remained clear. He found Black Crow''s body here. A slab of stone had collapsed down on the man''s lower half, pinning him down. Even if it wasn''t there, though, Drake didn''t think the villain would be moving around much ever again. The attack from earlier had badly burned through the Zoo member, leaving only a charred skeleton behind.


    Black Crow was dead.


    At least he should have been.


    Drake raised both his arms up, entering a defensive stance as soon as he saw the burned fingers twitch. His own body had changed a lot as well. Most of his clothing was gone as more and more of him changed into the image of a dragon you would see in an old fantasy novel. He had always held some hate for Zoo, especially Green Wolf, after what they did to his older brother, yet now the only thing he could feel was the flickers of fear.


    A low chuckle bounced around the enclosed space they were in, and despite the skull not having eyes, Drake was sure that Black Crow was staring right at him. Small bits of flesh began to cling their way to the bones and grow as Black Crow''s body began to heal and put itself back together. The villain¡¯s mask had disintegrated, and Drake could clearly see a threaded silver circlet wrapped around the villain¡¯s skull. As he watched, he saw the circlet twitch and writhe, almost as if it were alive. Even as the flesh started to gather and reform, Drake could faintly see the circlet almost wriggling under the skin.


    "What the hell did Red Ape do to you?" Drake asked in horror.


    "It wasn''t the Ape that did this to us." Black Crow''s skeletal hand pushed up off of the ground, tearing himself in two and freeing himself from the pile of rocks that pinned him down. "No... He didn''t do this to us. It was the man in the prison. He brought us back."


    "Brought you back?"


    "Haven''t you realized it yet?" A snarky smile somehow twisted onto the skull''s face, and then it suddenly dawned on Drake. It wasn''t flesh. "I''m already dead." It was paper. Paper was forming over the villain''s flesh, piecing him back together.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the underground station, standing outside of the other tunnel, Wasp Nest, Metal Ronin, and Oxide watched as Paragon began to activate her power.


    All around Paragon, in a ten-meter radius, the area shifted from the subway station to a field of flowers. The girl walked forward slowly, and the field seemed to move with her. The back part of the field changed back into stone as she walked, while the station in front of her changed into her field with every step she took.


    She entered the tunnel and walked until she was sure she would have triggered one of White Spider''s webs, yet nothing happened. "You were right!" She called back to Metal Ronin. "It doesn''t matter if she covered this whole planet in traps; I can walk over them all by forcing my world to layer itself over the ground. And no matter how strong White Spider might be, she''ll never be able to change my planet."


    "I''m glad it worked!" Metal Ronin announced, giving a thumbs-up. He had changed back into his circuit bodysuit, ditching his armor. "I wasn''t sure if it would or not!" That caused them all to make a face at him. "Well, we should get going!"If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "You''re coming with us? What about Myth, though?" Wasp Nest questioned. "Weren''t you helping him fight Green Wolf?"


    Metal Ronin just gave a sheepish shrug. "I think he''ll be fine without me. If anything, I''ll just get in his way."


    "We need to hurry," Paragon said impatiently. "I won''t let them hurt Mr. Lauren!"


    "Right. We''ll need to move fast and stay close to you so we don''t trigger White Spider''s webs." Oxide spoke up and lifted her hand, about to make another metal disk that Wasp Nest could carry, but she stopped when Metal Ronin held his hand up, stopping her.


    The tech-themed hero gave a sly grin and shook his head. "Allow me." He reached up and placed a hand over his chest, causing his costume to light up and change as he swapped out his suit. "This costume was created using some of Techcoat''s gear and the remains of Avalon''s supplies. It holds not just my old suits but a few new ones I''ve been working on as well. If speed is the name of the game, then I''m your man! Behold; the Motor Suit!"


    Metal Ronin''s costume changed and shifted once more. The circuits along it glowed and lit up as the hologram of an outfit molded over him before it became solid. It was a red and gold suit that looked almost like what you would see a racecar driver wear, complete with hundreds of sponsor tags and a biker helmet that covered his head. He did a pose for a moment before jumping into the air as he summoned his support gear.


    Beneath him, another hologram appeared that rapidly grew in size and became solid. Metal Ronin landed on it, revealing a massive three-wheeled motorcycle. The thing was red and gold and extremely long, reaching nearly twelve feet in length. It had a massive engine that stabbed out the front of it and dozens of thick pipes that unleashed actual flames. Metal Ronin gripped two massive handlebars that served as the steering and caused the bike to roar, sending out a deafening echo through the tunnel.


    "Get on, losers!" The seat was long enough to fit three people, and Metal Ronin was ready to test drive his new ride. Wasp Nest''s eyes filled with stars, and the young man eagerly took a step forward but was stopped when Metal Ronin held his palm out. "Whoa, sorry, bro, but this thing can only carry three people, and I''m not about to have a naked guy wrap his arms around my waist."


    "What! Then what am I supposed to do?" Wasp Nest demanded.


    Oxide climbed onto the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around Metal Ronin. "Guess you''re walking."


    "I can''t! The webs will stop me!"


    "Then just sit here and look pretty," Paragon said casually, getting on behind Oxide and wrapping her arms around the metal-themed girl. "Hit it, Metal Ronin!"


    "Yes, Ma''am!" Metal Ronin flicked a switch, and the back of the bike fired a stream of hot fire as it blasted down the tunnel, riding through Paragon''s realm faster than a jet.


    "Wait, I can turn into my bug form and-" It was too late, though. The trio were gone, leaving Wasp Nest behind. The boy stomped his foot down and let out an angry yell. "Oh, this is so bullshit! It''s because you guys don''t like bugs, isn''t it? Wait until HR hears about this-"


    Instantly, he felt something slam into him from behind as an unseen slash split him in two. Before the pain could even register, though, he exploded into a stream of pissed-off wasps, which floated up to the roof and reformed into his body, fully healed and uninjured.


    He dropped back to the ground and found himself staring at the middle of the station where Green Wolf and Myth were still fighting.


    "Wow, looks like those two are really going at it." Wasp Nest muttered. "Glad that''s not me."


    Green Wolf let out a mad laugh, seemingly having the greatest time of her life. All the while, she dodged in and out of all of Myth''s attacks. The fiery hound roared and charged at his foe with inhuman speed and strength, biting through stone pillars as if they weren''t even there. Fire gushed out of the hands that were where his hands should have been, crackling and melting the rocks around them.


    The villain swung her sword out, sending out another devastating slash that tore through more of the pillars, nearly bringing the rest of the station down on top of them. Not that she would care, though. She was having the time of her life. "Who knew that you were this fun!" She called out to the hound of fire.


    Myth felt the slash ram into him, but his flesh had grown far tougher than it used to be, covered in compressed ash and smoke. This form was made to fight heroes of old legends, warriors that were said to rival even forgotten gods. He had grown stronger, faster, and better. He was tired of being weak. Tired of failing again and again. Tired of watching those he cared for die. This was his story now.


    His tale.


    His Myth.


    He wasn¡¯t ever going to lose again.


    The three-headed hound howled, the scream coming out like a blast, which shattered more of the stone and actually caused Green Wolf to wince and nearly drop her sword as she scrambled to cover her ears. She barely had time to create a large bubble of her energy, which swirled around her just in time to block another wave of fire that Myth launched out of his mouths. Smoke covered most of the area in front of the villain, and she felt her barrier crack and break as Myth charged it and stabbed into it with his arms, tearing past the defensive wall that she had created. This power negated durability and instead attacked the soul itself. The only thing immune to it would be those with very powerful souls or machines that lacked them.


    Green Wolf found herself staring down at the maws of one of the hounds as Myth¡¯s arm came at her face in a punch. The dog¡¯s maw was opened so wide it¡¯d swallow her head. She dropped to the ground below, dodging the bite at the last second. She could feel the intense heat hot against her skin, but luckily for her, this body was highly fireproof now. In the beginning, Cinder might have had a weak body, but constant battles and exposure to intense heat had caused the girl''s flesh to harden and become so tough it had even been able to withstand an attack or two from the Beast. And now that blessed body that was loved by the powers was under the control of Green Wolf!


    The former leader of Zoo punched out with her arm, ramming it into Myth''s stomach so hard he was blown back. The hero slammed straight through a stone pillar, but it wasn''t even a second later before he pushed himself out of it, using one of the hounds heads, to bite into a stone pillar, ripping into it and throwing it at the villain in front of him. Green Wolf lazily swung her sword up, slicing the pillar in two before it could reach her.


    "Seriously though, man, I have to tell you, you''ve leveled up like crazy. What''s your secret? Come on; you can tell me how you grinded so hard, right?" Green Wolf asked, letting out a low whistle as her eyes studied the Sub Enforcer''s leader that stood before her. "You''re way stronger than that Money Tree guy. He was always boring. Never kept me entertained. I only fought him once before, and it sucked. I always knew he was a coward, though-"


    "Shut up."


    Myth''s voice shook the station, coming out in a thick growl that actually managed to make Green Wolf pause for a moment. It didn''t last long, though. The girl was already running her new mouth off once more. "I guess I never actually bothered to look at you, now that I think about it. After all, that team you used to be on had some big people who caused you to hide in their shadows. To think now those people are all gone-"


    "Shut. Up."


    "Battery and that Whisper girl both left you, didn''t they? Oh, and in a way, I guess Cinder and Snow Boy, too! How does it feel to be the last member left standing? You know, I kept trying to get most of my team TPK''d yet never managed it; think you could give me some advice since you''re so good at letting your friends die-"


    "I said shut up!" Myth roared and stomped forward in a pure rage, ripping the ground around him apart. Green Wolf only smirked and swung her sword out at the hero, who was wide open. Her attack landed true, slamming directly into Myth''s eyes and slicing into them, spilling blood down the hound¡¯s face. The villain''s smug smirk, however, quickly faded when Myth didn''t even slow down, seeing through the other four eyes he had on his remaining heads.


    Green Wolf went to jump back and dodge his attack but felt something grab onto her, and she looked down just in time to see that the hero''s tail had expanded and grown out like a snake, wrapping itself around the young girl''s waist, keeping her trapped. Her eyes went wide, and she looked up just in time to see all three heads staring her down, all opened wide.


    "You talk way too much!" Myth grunted out as he glared at her through bloodied, wrath-filled eyes.


    Green Wolf wasn''t even given a moment to try and come up with a clever or witty remark as Myth¡¯s three heads charged up. The fire compressed together into a thick ball, all three about to unleash their strongest attack directly into Green Wolf¡¯s face. The villain was about to be bathed in fire so strong it would burn the soul directly to ash. Myth won-


    "M- Myth! P- Please don''t hurt me, sir!"


    Instantly, his fire went out. The mask around the Zoo member''s face fully broke away, and he found himself face-to-face with her once more. Familiar eyes stared at him, filled with emotion, pleading with him. He was holding Cinder. He was hurting Cinder.


    "Man, you''re too easy." Instantly, that innocent and scared look vanished, and it was replaced with one of Green Wolf''s twisted grins. Myth felt white-hot pain as the girl''s sword found its way deep into his gut. "I can''t believe you actually stopped! Are you stupid or something!" Her energy went right through the blade and blasted through his stomach, causing him to spit up a wave of blood and drop the girl. "You heroes really are-"


    "I told you; you talk too much. Never speak to me again." Despite the pain he was in, Myth stabbed out with his maws, shutting them directly into Green Wolf''s throat. He pulled back and ripped the girl¡¯s neck open. Green Wolf¡¯s eyes filled with horror, and she kicked off of the hound, launching herself back.


    Slowly, the villain managed to push herself back up and glared at the hero in front of her. The cartoon wolf mask had been reduced to small embers, which rained down her face, and blood was dripping down her chin. She tried to speak, but it only came out as a series of gurgles. Her hand shot up and clutched at her throat, which was gushing blood from the chunk that had been ripped out. Myth had burned her vocal cords right out of her throat. This body would never speak again.


    She gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with hate as she brought her sword up. More of her kinetic energy began to spill out, compressing along the blade and flowing out like water, becoming visible. It was pure green energy that began to compress itself into a thin line. She got ready to fire out in an attempt to split the hero straight in two. She was on a time limit now, already getting lightheaded from the blood loss, so she decided she¡¯d at least drag Myth to hell with her.


    Green Wolf swung down as hard as she could, sending her attack flying out directly at the hero.


    Myth countered with his own finishing move. All three heads once again opened, and he carried where he left off from earlier; all the fire compressed down between them, forming a thick ball that blasted out like a laser beam. It met the wave of green energy head-on, and for a moment, red and green swirled around each other, crashing back and forth as a chaotic storm. The powers clashed wildly, seemingly evenly matched, and the entire station around them began to crumble and burn up, falling apart.


    Then Myth uttered a single word. "Die." The red flame broke through the green, shattering it and launching its way to Green Wolf, whose eyes went wide. The girl reached out, holding her hand up in an effort to block the attack, but no barrier would have been able to withstand something like this.


    The station they were in rocked as it was hit by a mighty explosion. Just like with Drake, everything began to break and come crashing down as the roof above shattered. Green Wolf somehow managed to redirect some of the blast, which went crashing up wildly, blasting a hole through the roof above and traveling into the city, where it tore right through a building, bringing it down. Debris fell around them, and Myth gasped out, nearly falling to his knees as the fire around him went out. Steam poured off of his body, and he grunted, feeling his heart beating a mile a second. He was starting to understand how Battery used to feel. This power was still hard to control.


    His form began to change back into his human mode, and he let out a soft grunt. It was over. There was no way Green Wolf would still be alive. At least that¡¯s what he hoped.


    His ears twitched, though, when he heard the faint gurgling sound of a body that was barely clinging to life. He looked up as the dust fell, and he found Green Wolf still standing on her feet. At least what was left of them. The entire left side of her body was basically gone, and the right side was still a burned mess. Somehow, though, she was still glaring at him and managed to lift her melting sword. He tried to move his legs, but they felt like they were made of jelly. He wasn''t able to dodge as the villain brought her sword down.


    At least she would have, but she suddenly stopped as a shadow appeared above her.


    Green Wolf looked up and found a massive black armored figure staring down into the hole above she created. Their fighting had alerted one of the roaming Giants, who normally weren''t able to interfere with the crime that went on beneath the city. The villain seemed to let out a sigh and simply accept her fate as the Giant''s pointer finger came down directly on top of her head; it simply poked down into the hole and, in an instant, crushed the body it saw as if it were a bug.


    Myth flinched and felt sick to his stomach as he heard the horrible crunching sound. Then he found himself staring face-to-face with the Giant before him as it seemed to study him. Once it was sure he wasn''t a villain, it turned away, and before he could even process what was happening next, the hole began to get blocked off as the Giant grabbed a massive shovel and began to fix the damage.


    He was seriously going to need to have a long conversation with Battery one of these days¡­


    That day was not today though.


    Myth gasped out, clutching at his chest. He collapsed forward as his veins began to burn. It was like hot magma was gushing through his body, and the pounding in his chest was growing faster. Despite how hot he felt, it was also strangely cold, his lungs aching as if they were filled with frost. Perhaps this was the revenge of Cinder and Snowdawn. The justice he deserved for allowing them to die. His reward for turning a blind eye to the dangers of child heroes. He had practically let those two march to their deaths after all.


    Once more, he failed.


    Then again, he always failed.


    The last thing Myth heard before he blacked out was the panicked screaming of Wasp Nest, who landed down next to him. Everything went dark after that.


    Meanwhile, outside of Oleander, there were many other cities that existed, and within each of these cities, Harrison Avalon had owned a building made to house his genius inventions. What most of the world didn''t know, however, was that each city also held a hidden base that Avalon had built. One in which he allowed himself to live as the weapon he truly was. These were the same bases he had used to fool both Zoo and the Bad Timers into thinking that he was on their side.


    Now that the Emperor had returned, there was no way that any of them could be used anymore by Avalon, as the moment he poked his head in any city, he would surely be jumped by every hero on Earth. In other words, that meant the bases were now free to be used by those he had betrayed. And it was within one of these places that Green Wolf''s eyes slowly opened.


    "Damn. Guess he beat me." The girl sat up on the metal table she was on and covered herself with the sheets of the hospital bed. It was extremely cold, and all she had was a hospital gown. "It''s to be expected I lost, though. After all, that body only had about ten or twenty percent of my built-up kinetic energy. I''ll get him next time."


    The girl allowed her eyes to roam around the room as the sounds of beeping filled the air. Hundreds of beds were scattered around, each containing a very familiar body.


    "After all, unlike last time, I still have so many extra lives to get it right."

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Seven: She Didnt Know

    Alexander Lauren glared up at the man who stood before him. He knew enough about Red Ape, or maybe it was Green Ape now, to know that while the man might have failed a lot at what he did, he was still a dangerous Super who went out of their way to cause suffering in the world.


    The others in the room didn''t seem to mind the man being in charge either. Red Monkey leaned against a wall with his arms folded while White Spider stood near the stairs that led up, playing with some of her spiders, which danced across her fingers. Black Shark kept his fingers low, placing them down to Alexander''s neck. The villain stood directly behind the tied-up man, ready to strike if the human even thought of doing anything funny.


    Finally, that left just Green Ape and White Egg, who both stood before Alexander, looking down at the man. Or at least Green Ape looked. Even if he had the ability to see, White Egg''s costume would have completely blocked the man''s view. Unlike the others who all wore suits and masks, White Egg''s outfit was literally a full-body egg suit that only had a pair of holes for his arms and legs. A smiling face had been drawn onto the front of the egg costume with a marker, and at the very top of it, a top hat rested lopsided as the blind man fumbled around with his walking cane.


    "Why are you doing this?" Alexander growled out. His eyes glared into the cartoon mask the new leader of Zoo wore.


    Green Ape let out a soft snort at that. "You really are her dad, aren''t you?"


    "What?"


    "She asked me something similar to that the first time I ever talked to her." The villain walked over to the wall that was filled with explosives, slowly checking them over. "To think my rival would actually be the next coming of Full Monarch. Not even someone as smart and brilliant as I could have seen that coming."


    "Seriously?" White Egg asked. "I mean, it was pretty obvious-"


    "Yes! A twist such as this was one not a soul could see coming." Green Ape dramatically posed, placing his hand to his forehead. "And now she has left this city behind to work for the Hero Branch." The man let out a large comical sigh as he finished checking on his bombs. "That''s okay, though. I know that she''s calling out to me. Begging for me to swoop in and give her a real challenge!"


    "You''re an idiot." Alexander said flatly. He looked around wildly at the other members of Zoo who weren''t meeting his eyes. "Why are you guys following this guy? He''s just so dumb?"


    White Spider shook her head and reached up to rub at the center of her forehead. Something flickered and glowed beneath the skin, taking shape around her skull before it faded out. "Trust us. None of us like listening to him. We don''t really have a choice, though. Only ones that have free will now are White Lamb and that new Egg guy. If you want to break out and put a bullet in his head, I''ll cheer you on."


    "That''s hurtful." Green Ape frowned and shook his head. "Earlier, you asked what I was planning. Since you''re the father of my nemesis, I''ll let you in on my secret. I''m here to cause serious chaos!" The man threw his arms out and let out the closest thing he had to an evil laugh. "Imagine the state Oleander will be left in once I''m done with it. It''s barely clinging to life after the Beast attack. I''ll be the one who wipes this place off the map! Something not even the Beast could do!"


    "That''s your plan?" Alexander asked in horror and shock. "People are trying to recover and rebuild! You can''t do this! What good would it do? You live here, too!"


    "Not for much longer." Green Ape let out a snort and began to head for the stairs. "We''ll be leaving this dump of a city and making a new home. That said, even if I wasn''t leaving, I''d still have to do this. I made a promise to someone very important, and they''d kill me if I broke it. Can''t have that. That person is the reason we have so many members of Zoo back, you know!" Green Ape snapped his fingers, and Black Shark grabbed Alexander by the back of the neck and forced the man to stand. "You''ll be coming with us."


    "Why?" Alexander winced as he was forced to take a step forward.


    White Egg reached out with his cane and poked it into the gut of the human. "Not a lot of people can say they''ve been cured of the Dead Virus. Of course, I do wonder if it can even be cured... I''d like to study you a bit, if you don''t mind."


    "I do mind!"


    "Nonsense! You won''t feel a thing- Okay, that''s actually a lie. I won''t be able to use anything to ease the pain when I dissect you, so it''ll actually hurt a bit. Actually, a lot. You''ll die a terrible death, come to think of it... Hmm. Oh well. Can''t be picky now, can we!"


    "I would like to be very picky!"


    Green Ape turned back to look at them from the top of the stairs. "Come on, people. We don''t have all day. The helicopter is waiting for us. Black Shark, White Egg, you two are with me. Make sure our ''guest'' is well taken care of. Now let''s go before the heroes-" The entire building suddenly shook, and the sounds of a massive engine roared out. Green Ape just sighed and shook his head. "Too late."


    One of the walls, thankfully the one that didn''t have all the explosives, caved in, sending out chunks of debris everywhere. The floor was torn up as a massive motorcycle crashed through, coming to a grinding stop that kicked up waves of sparks in all directions. Before the dust even had time to settle, liquid metal whipped out, slamming into Red Monkey, who was aiming his guns. It was followed by Paragon, who blasted out of the mini-dust cloud, heading straight for Black Shark.


    The villain used some of his super strength and tossed Alexander toward Green Ape and White Egg, who were both scrambling onto the stairway. Paragon swung her sword out, the wooden blade extending and lengthening, growing long enough to slice right through Black Shark''s legs, downing the villain who crashed to the floor. She jammed a knee to his back and placed her sword down on his throat. "I know you can heal. Just stay down." She hissed.


    Metal Ronin''s bike vanished in a flash of light, causing him and Oxide to drop to the floor. The young man was now dressed in his typical suit and had his own blade drawn, which he pointed down at Red Monkey, who was on the ground about to reach for his gun. Finally, that left White Spider, who was tied up with thick metal chains that Oxide created. "How the hell did you guys get here?" The woman yelled. "There''s no way you''d be able to find this place if you went back up top, and you shouldn''t have been able to travel through the tunnels!"


    Paragon didn''t answer the girl and instead looked to the top of the stairs where Green Ape and White Egg stood. Both men had an arm around Alexander, using the tied-up man as a meat shield. White Egg even had his cane pressed to the man''s neck, ready to click a button and cause whatever weapon he had in it to activate. "Let''s all be cool." Green Ape yelled down. "We have a hostage-"


    Metal Ronin''s arm pointed out at them, a barrel unfolding out, which fired a perfect shot directly past Alexander''s shoulder, right at Green Ape. It would have hit the man too, but the force in the bullet suddenly died out and faded as it hit a green barrier that appeared around the three men. "Do I have to do everything?" A familiar voice sighed out, causing the three heroes to shiver. Slowly, Green Wolf walked down the stairs and folded her arms. She was dressed in a slightly different outfit, wearing more casual clothes, and didn''t even have her mask or sword with her.


    "How!" Oxide asked in shock. "You shouldn''t be here! You should be fighting Myth!"


    "Don''t tell me they can teleport again." Metal Ronin winced.


    The Hope-lookalike only let out a soft giggle and flipped some of her hair back. "That version of me sadly lost. I guess that Myth guy is stronger than I thought. By now, the piece of me that was inside of it should be long gone in my new home."


    "What the hell does that mean?" Oxide questioned.


    "She''s saying that she''s not the Green Wolf we met earlier." Paragon replied.


    "Sure, looks like her." Metal Ronin snorted.


    "This one is a little older than that one we saw down in the tunnel. I''d say by a week or so." Paragon muttered, looking up at the girl. "This just got a lot worse for us. There can be multiple of them running around."


    "You''ve got to be kidding me! This world is barely big enough for one Cinder; we don''t need anymore!" Metal Ronin called out, waving a fist.


    Green Wolf just gave a smug smirk and folded her arms over her chest as she slowly made her way down to stand next to Green Ape. Paragon''s eyes narrowed as she glared back up at the girl. "Are you really okay with this, Green Wolf?" She asked the villain. She didn''t know much about them, but from what Hope had told her once, Green Wolf was an arrogant prick. It made no sense for the girl to be serving under a fool like Red Ape. "Shouldn''t you be the one standing on top? Why are you letting Green Ape stand above you?"


    "Nice try, but you won''t get me to betray the master!" Green Wolf announced proudly, placing her hands on her hips.


    "Master?"


    Green Ape reached out and grabbed the girl''s chin, forcing her head to tilt to the side. "I guess your eyes aren''t as good as I thought, Paragon. I thought you''d have noticed something like this." Along Green Wolf''s head, a small scar resided. One that held a faint, glowing blue light from beneath it. "No doubt you''ve seen the devices I put onto my animals. They allow me to control them. Sadly, it doesn''t work on humans. At least not to the same extent. I had a feeling Green Wolf would murder me for tampering with their body, so when we were making the new bodies, I had Doc here carve out a few pieces of the brain that I felt were unneeded and replace those pieces with some of the tech I got from Avalon. It isn''t full control, sadly; she still finds ways to disobey, but it''s the closest thing I have to taming Green Wolf."


    Paragon felt her stomach flop a bit at that. She knew the man was evil and insane, but this was pushing it. He always seemed so goofy and harmless, yet he was brainwashing his former boss. Now that she got a closer look, she could see the strained smile on Green Wolf''s lips. The way the girl''s eyes would twitch and her fingers would ball into a fist. Green Wolf wasn''t happy. That much was obvious.


    "One of the things we programmed in her was a rule to keep me safe and not harm me." Green Ape explained. "I also put in a rule where she can''t use her powers on me. That means I can do this." Much to their growing shock, the man suddenly punched up with his arm, ramming it into Green Wolf''s stomach. The girl dropped to her knees, gasping and dry-heaving as she clutched her gut. Metal Ronin tried to take another shot, but even in the pain she was in, Green Wolf''s power caused her barrier to not fall, keeping her and Green Ape safe. Green Ape slammed his boot down on Green Wolf''s head, pinning her down. "What did I say about calling yourself Green Wolf! Green is my title now! Not yours!"


    "Stop it!" Alexander yelled out in horror. He knew it wasn''t his daughter. It was still her body though. Green Wolf was whimpering and crying out as her head was stomped into the ground. Even her enhanced durability wasn''t working on any of Green Ape''s hits. Alexander thrashed around, only being held back by White Egg, who was shockingly stronger than he looked. "I said stop it! Leave my daughter alone!" He roared.


    "Why should I!" He brought his foot down a couple more times, breathing heavily. Blood trickled down Green Wolf''s face, the girl''s breathing becoming more shallow. "It doesn''t matter what happens to this body. Besides, she deserves it. All of you do! You all think I''m some joke! That I''m not to be taken seriously! Well, you''re all wrong! I fought Cinder! I''m the reason she almost died several times! Me! I''ve come close to killing her more than any other villain! I''m not some joke! I''m a bad guy! I kill people!" His breathing was growing heavier as he huffed and puffed.


    "Are you done yet? The helicopter is ready." A new voice asked. From the very top of the stairs, peering down at them with a bored look, White Lamb stood. The young girl''s arms were folded, and her eyes slowly traced the injured form of Green Wolf. "Careful not to kill her. The moment she dies, we lose our barrier."


    Green Ape leaned back and took a calming sigh. "Right." He cleared his throat and shuffled from foot to foot, seemingly embarrassed by the explosive rage he let out. "We''ll be taking our leave now. Oh, and ''Red Wolf'', make yourself useful and keep them here. We''ll blow this place sky high as soon as we''re in the air." Green Ape turned and placed his arm on Alexander''s shoulder, forcing the man to walk up the stairs as he left the badly injured Red Wolf at the bottom step.


    "Like we''re just going to let you get away!" Oxide tried to strike out at them, but her attacks bounced off the barrier Green Wolf had set up. Even the roof was covered in it, stopping them from busting through it.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Green Ape turned back to them and waved his arm. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Kill them."


    Instantly, Red Monkey and Black Shark struck. Black Shark sank into the ground as if it were a liquid, leaving his legs behind and causing Paragon to drop to the ground. Red Monkey, on the other hand, made a grab for his gun but was stopped by Metal Ronin, who swung out with his sword, cutting the man''s arms off. That didn''t stop Red Monkey, though, who didn''t even flinch as his arms reattached instantly and he grabbed his pistol. "He can heal, too!" Metal Ronin called out. The teen winced, but he knew what he needed to do. Red Monkey turned to him, but Metal Ronin swung once more and cleaved the head of the villain off in one swift motion. "Damn it. Why couldn''t you have just given up?" He sighed.


    The head hit the ground and rolled across it. Before Metal Ronin could even turn away. Red Monkey aimed his gun, and his headless body opened fire. A red beam of energy slammed directly into Metal Ronin, burning the front of his armor and sending him crashing back first into the wall. He would have broken through it, but Green Wolf''s barrier stopped that from happening. Metal Ronin grunted and stared up in shock as Red Monkey''s head was pulled back to his body as if by magic. Paper filled the wound, forcing the two cuts back together and sealing.


    "What the hell! Since when can he do that?"


    "He can''t." White Spider gave a nasty smirk and twisted her body. Her bones popped and cracked as she snapped her body in ways it shouldn''t be able to contort and dropped out of the chains that bound her. Oxide jumped back and watched in horror as White Spider''s body also healed.


    "How many people have healing powers now!"


    Black Shark silently stood up from out of the ground, fully healed as well and standing on new legs. Paragon grimly closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "I get it now."


    "Get what?" Metal Ronin grunted, standing back up.


    "The reason their powers are different, how they can heal, and most importantly, why they''re not in Nightshade." The girl opened her eyes and stared at the three members of Zoo that were in front of her. "I was wondering how the three of you escaped, but it''s pretty obvious now, isn''t it?"


    White Spider just gave a sad grin. "We didn''t escape."


    "What does that mean?" Oxide demanded.


    "They''re already dead." Paragon clarified. "These three aren''t actually here. What you see is nothing more than one of Lucifer''s zombies."


    ***


    During the Beast attack on Oleander City...


    "My power only works on animals." Red Ape explained. The three of them, that being himself, Doc, and White Lamb, were in one of the underground bunkers Harrison Avalon had used. Doc was gathering as much tech as he could to start building his machine that would hopefully let them create a new body for Green Wolf. "It is a Mental-based power that lets me open them up and change them on a biological level. I actually force parts of them to evolve and change, sort of like in those games where you collect pocket creatures and battle with them."


    White Lamb was seated at a table that held the body of Green Wolf, kicking her feet back and forth as she made sure the man was still breathing. "How does that help us?"


    "Do you know what Inversion is?" Red Ape asked.


    "Nope." The girl shrugged.


    Doc let out a hum, feeling his way around a large metal device. "It''s a thing some Supers can do. Not all though. It allows them to alter and switch the way their power works."


    "That''s right." Red Ape nodded. "I first learned about it from Green Tiger. He was the leader of our team before Green Wolf. Green Wolf was never able to figure it out and couldn''t invert his powers, but Green Tiger was a pro at it and taught me everything I knew."


    White Lamb made a face, though it remained unseen since she wore her mask once more. "So, you''re saying you can invert your power using this Inversion thingy? Why are we just now hearing about that?"


    "Well, to be honest, I was always kind of scared that Green Wolf would go out of his way to kill me if he ever found out." The man admitted sheepishly. "I think he''d get pretty jealous if he found out I could do something he couldn''t. Not just that, though, but my powers when Inverting are kind of useless."


    "Oh, trust me, that''s not the Inversion''s doing." White Lamb muttered under her breath. "So, what exactly is your power when it''s changed?"


    "It is the total reverse of my normal power." The man exclaimed. He held his hand up and balled it into a tight fist. "Instead of a power that affects animals, my power only works on humans, and instead of changing biology, it moves to something more spiritual in nature. I believe it affects the closest thing that we can prove is a soul."


    Doc dropped whatever he was holding and sputtered a bit. "You''re saying you have a power that can change and alter Egos? Only someone related to a Lord of Life should be able to do that!"


    "Are you secretly some sort of badass?" White Lamb asked slowly, narrowing her eyes.


    Red Ape sheepishly shrugged. "I mentioned it''s pretty useless, remember. I don''t actually change or alter anything. In fact, it does next to nothing."


    "What does it do then?" Doc demanded.


    "I can reach into a person and pull out a small piece of their soul." Red Ape announced proudly. "Sounds cool, right! Well, it''s not. See, on some sort of level that I don''t understand this soul, or Ego as Doc calls it, seems to know what it is and how it should be. If I take a piece out of someone, that piece will return to the body almost instantly and put itself back together. I also can''t take more than one piece, and that piece is always so small it has no effect. Even if it did, though, the pieces return as I said earlier and fix themselves without any outside help. In a way, it is sort of like the way blood flows in our bodies without us doing anything. For years, I never really found a use for this power since it couldn''t damage anyone and didn''t do anything to them."


    "So then how is it useful to us?" White Lamb sighed. "Don''t tell me you just wasted all our time."


    Doc shook his head and came to the defense of Red Ape. "Actually, I think I understand what he is getting at. I mentioned earlier how, on some level, powers are linked to the soul. Souls are something that can be altered or changed, though, as shown by the likes of the Emperor or Wish. Red Ape also proves that they can leave the body yet return to it on their own. They''re almost alive in a way. The proof is Green Wolf''s corpse. His power is going out of its way to bring him back to life and keep him stable."


    "So what?"


    "So," Red Ape gave a sly grin. "I think it''ll be different this time when I take a piece of the soul. If I can pull that piece out and we put it into a body that lacks a soul, I wonder what will happen. Normally that piece will put itself back together in the host''s body, but what happens if the soul knows that the host''s body is badly damaged and won''t last and it''s suddenly handed a brand new body that it can feel out? I believe that shard will instead pull the rest of the soul to it and trade bodies. Sadly, though, if this does work, it means I can''t do anything for the rest of us. As much fun as it would be to put myself into a Cinder body, our bodies would have to be borderline corpses for the soul to want to ditch them, and unlike Green Wolf, we don''t have powers that can keep us alive in that state."


    White Lamb slowly stood up off of the table and slid down to the floor. "Let''s say all of this does work out. Why does it actually matter?"


    "Huh?"


    "What does bringing Green Wolf back actually do for us? Even if you can get their body under control, it''s just one Super. None of us can fight. We don''t have an army or other members that can keep us safe. No other villain would likely side with us either after how many times Zoo has backstabbed the different groups. Even if we could get out of this city or something, we have nowhere to go, no resources, and no members. We''re bound to be picked off even if Green Wolf is with us. In fact, he''d likely be the reason we get picked off since he''d go pick a fight with some people."


    They all knew what was happening up top. The Beast was coming. Every hero was currently in Oleander City. By some miracle, they had all found one of the bunkers beneath the city Avalon had, which also just so happened to have everything Doc needed. White Lamb honestly doubted there would even be an Oleander City left standing by the time the Beast was done.


    "Maybe I can be of some help to you all." A voice called out from the darkness of the room. It caused all of them to jump and spin around. Everything had constantly been shaking, and the sound of battle up top hadn''t ceased. Even from miles under the ground, they had been able to hear the heroes¡¯ last stand. Now though, a new sound echoed around the lab. One of footsteps. "You''re in need of members, you say? Well, I happen to have just escaped a place that had a few of your members inside of it and think I could be of some assistance."


    Red Ape felt his eyes widen in horror at who he saw. The man was very handsome. Long flowing golden hair and shimmering eyes. He was dressed in a white priest robe and had a kind smile on his face. There was a saying most villains would tell to the younger generation of bad guys. ''If you''re going to be evil, then be so evil that a hero kills you.'' There was one reason every villain that lived in the ten great cities followed this rule. If you were captured, you''d be sent to Nightshade. And if you were sent to Nightshade, you''d likely end up standing before the only person that caused villains everywhere to fear.


    Uriel of the Immortals now stood before them.


    White Lamb''s witty remarks were gone, and the girl simply turned her power on, herself masking all noise as she slipped back into the darkness in an effort to escape. Red Ape dropped to his knees and backed away in horror. Doc, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on and kept working on his machine. "You can help us?" The blind man questioned.


    "Oh yes." Uriel''s face was twisted into a smile, the kind that was without a doubt fake and forced. "I believe I have just what you''re looking for." In one arm, he clutched a book, one that was far smaller than the tome Lucifer walked around with but still mighty big. The villain opened it slowly and tore out a page. "Avalon was actually the one who sent me here, you know." That caused Red Ape to let out a soft whimper, but it was soon replaced by a cry of sadness when the page that fell to the ground shimmered and expanded, becoming a familiar person. Red Monkey stood crouched low, not moving as his body was put together by the shards of paper that were becoming his flesh.


    "M- My brother." Red Ape knew what this meant if he was seeing his brother. Red Monkey was long gone. At least his body was. All that was left now was a shell holding onto what remained of the man''s soul. The Dead Virus had gotten him.


    Uriel patted Red Monkey on the top of the head. "I was able to escape thanks to the Beast and came here to speak to Avalon''s master. That was where I spoke to Avalon, and he mentioned you guys. At first I came here to finish the collection and get the last members of Zoo."


    "Y- You changed your mind, though?" Red Ape hoped that was the case.


    "For now." Uriel shrugged and looked around the room. "I heard what you said about making a new body, and I thought it was interesting. After all, the body I''m in isn''t my own. Then again, we Immortals have switched bodies so many times I hardly recall how I used to look. The only person I know who is able to move a soul into a new body is Lucifer, so I find it interesting you all think you could do the same. It makes me happy in a way. To know that Supers are coming this far."


    "What do you want with us then?" Doc demanded.


    "I guess you can say I''m here to make a deal." Uriel tore out more pages and threw them into the air, causing the bodies of Black Shark, Black Crow, and White Spider to appear. "I''m willing to offer you guys not just every member of Zoo I have but some special bonus rewards, too. Of course, you''ll have to earn those... After all, some of these guys I have are gifts I got from Lucifer. So, let''s make this deal. You guys can have these four now, and, in return, I want you to do something for me. Do that, and I''ll give you even more of my soldiers and then some."


    "And what is it that you want us to do?" Doc asked suspiciously.


    Uriel threw his arms out in a wide-open way and gave a large grin. "Chaos. Pure and utter chaos. I want this city to burn."


    "W- Why?"


    "Because. It. Just. Sounds. Fun."


    ***


    Present day...


    Green Ape shuddered a bit as the memory of that night hit him. Thankfully, he hadn''t seen Uriel since then. With the help of the Immortal, they had easily built Doc''s machine and were able to start making Green Wolf bodies. Before the end of the night, Green Wolf had awoken in the body of Hope Lauren and went out to deal with some villains that had to do with drills and chainsaws.


    Time had flown by quickly since the night of the Beast attack.


    They finished climbing up the stairs and made their way up to the roof. This base was just an old apartment building that had been emptied out. On the roof, a large helicopter stood ready to go. Despite its blades spinning, it made no sound thanks to White Lamb''s powers. It was a Hero Branch chopper¡ªone they had stolen out of the skies when it had been dropping off supplies. Thanks to how it looked and the fact it made no noise, he was hoping it wouldn''t alert the Giant. If it did though, he had a solution for them.


    Doc threw Alexander into the back, and the egg-shaped man got in after. "You know how to fly this thing?" White Egg called back to Green Ape.


    "Yeah. Green Tiger taught me." The man announced getting into the front seat. White Lamb got into the seat next to him, and he grabbed the controls, causing the helicopter to rise.


    "Stop it! Let me go!" Alexander yelled and squirmed around. "You can''t do this! You''re going to blow up the building, aren''t you? Your people are still in there! Those aren''t just heroes; they''re kids!"


    "Can you shut him up?" Green Ape questioned. White Lamb didn''t even look back at the man. She silently flicked her finger, and Alexander''s mouth made no more noise. "That''s better." As the helicopter rose up, Green Ape looked down at the city below. It was still in ruins, but the Giants had been hard at work trying to fix it up. Speaking of which, one stared directly at him and began to slowly lumber toward the floating helicopter. Green Ape reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two switches. "Here goes nothing."


    The first switch was a bomb. One that would cause not just the building they had come from to explode but countless others as well. They had taken as many of Avalon''s explosives, which the man had a shocking amount of, and placed them in every building still standing, as well as beneath many of the city blocks and sewer systems. With a simple click, all the hard work the Giants had been doing would come undone. It was only possible to do this thanks to the fact they had been forced to move underground so much. He had gotten to study the layers of the world beneath the city very well.


    The second switch was much more complicated. It was connected to dozens of cages scattered all around the city in the spots that didn''t have bombs that would unleash every single one of his mutated pets. All he needed to do was click two buttons, and this city would be over with.


    "Oh, how it feels good to win." Green Ape grinned and pressed down on the pair of switches as hard as he could.


    An explosion was caused. One that was not caused by the buildings, though. All the buildings remained standing. No bomb went off. What did happen, though, was something far worse for Green Ape. Something rammed into the helicopter. It wasn''t a Giant either. It was way scarier.


    "Looks like I made it in time!" The entire helicopter literally crumbled and fell apart, silently blowing to bits and sending the people in it tumbling out. "I was able to block your signal from going off with a powerful barrier. It might be fast, but light''s faster." Green Ape felt himself turn in the air, and he stared up with rage-filled eyes at the smiling face of the Victorian.


    Alexander felt the metal around him shatter and break, and he began to rapidly fall. He let out a loud scream, but no noise came from him as he tumbled. He never hit the ground, though. Instead, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him as they crashed into the roof of the building, shaking it.


    "Got you! Are you okay, sir?"


    Alexander froze as he heard the voice. He had heard it so many times today, yet this one was different. It wasn''t like Green Wolf''s. It was kind and gentle. The arms around him were soft and protective. Slowly he looked up, staring into the eyes of a young girl who wore a red hooded costume. He stared into the eyes of Cinder, his daughter.


    "Don''t worry." Hope gently placed the man down and stepped out in front of him, cracking her knuckles. "I''ll take it from here."


    His daughter didn''t recognize him. She didn''t know that the person she just saved was her father.

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Eight: A Hero Named Cinder?

    "H- Hope?" Alexander asked in shock.


    Hope winced and let out a sigh. "I guess I should get used to people knowing who I am, huh." She looked down at her hands for a moment, taking in how small they looked. "Although, not many should know who I am since I''m all small and-"


    From above, a weird guy in an egg suit let out a yell as he dropped to the ground and landed on his back. His egg didn''t crack; instead, it was very bouncy, and due to how wide he was, the egg man was able to catch Red Ape, who was wearing a green mask for some reason, and White Lamb, the two Zoo members, coming to a soft landing on their teammate.


    "I told you the suit was a good idea!" Red Ape announced.


    "Bigger fish to fry, big guy." White Lamb said, elbowing the man.


    Cinder folded her arms as she looked at the three villains. The helicopter above them was still falling apart and raining down around them after the Victorian rammed herself through it. Metal debris smacked the roof as Red Ape slowly stood back up and looked back at her. She could see his eyes from beneath his mask, which went wide as it took her form in.


    She felt a little embarrassed since she was practically half her size and wearing a new costume that was technically alive. Despite her new adjustments, though, it was clear Red Ape knew who she was.


    "Ah! So, you''ve come personally, rival!" Red Ape threw his arms out. "I knew you''d be the one to show and stop me in the end! It was only a matter of time! I just needed to make a scheme so big that you''d personally come and stop me!"


    "Wait, that''s what you were doing!" White Egg asked in shock. "What about Uriel-"


    "Fuck Uriel!" Red Ape announced. "I could care less what he''ll do to me! I wasn''t making chaos for him! I did it for her! She thought she could leave me! That she could leave this city and run away from her arch nemesis! I think not! I knew that I could create a situation so bad that you''d have no choice but to show up and stop me, Cinder! Even if you''ve become a lap dog for the Hero Branch!"


    Cinder reached up and pinched her nose, letting out a heavy sigh. "Oh, it just had to be you. It couldn''t have been Demonica or anyone like that? My first villain fight just had to be Red Ape-"


    "Green Ape!" The new leader of Zoo called out. "I am Green Ape now! The one who will defeat Cinder!"


    "Is that really Cinder, though?" White Lamb asked, cocking her head to the side. "I mean, she''s smaller than me, her hair is black again instead of gold, and she''s wearing a weird suit? Are we sure this isn''t a Green Wolf clone or something?"


    "Of course, I''m sure." Green Ape huffed. "I would know my rival anywhere!"


    The Victorian stayed in the air, her arms folded as an amused smirk stayed on her face. "Seems she''s more popular than I thought." She cleared her throat and began to float down. "Hey, Cinder, take care of these guys. I''m checking the inside out." The golden woman touched down on the floor and didn''t apply much force as she simply sank into the ground, easily shattering the roof as she dropped down into the building below.


    Green Ape stood across from Cinder and Mr. Lauren with his two teammates staring down the hero. His finger kept clicking the buttons on the switches he had, but they weren''t working. All around him, smaller than the eye could see, small golden particles were devouring the signal waves before they could get far. This wasn''t dealing with little hero gangs anymore. Now he was dealing with the number one hero. Someone who wasn''t bound by the same rules as them. Green Ape placed the remote down and took his lab coat off.


    "Looks like I''ll have to do this myself." He grunted out.


    "You think you can beat her?" White Egg asked.


    "I will!" Green Ape wore a simple wife beater shirt beneath his lab coat. All along his flesh, various tubes ran across his skin, and as he twitched, a familiar orange-looking liquid began to enter his bloodstream. The last of the Wandering Coin''s enhancement drugs caused his muscles to grow and bulge as he expanded a bit, bulking out. It didn''t stop there. He reached up and pressed a button, causing another one of his helmets to fold out of the ape mask. The switch rotated on its own, forming his bubble off and on as the laser got ready to fire. "Here I come, Cinder."


    Cinder looked back at the civilian behind her. He looked a little familiar, but she didn''t have a lot of time to think about it. "Stay here. This won''t take long." She crouched down and jumped to the side, cracking the floor as she soared across it in the Kevin-suit. Green Ape turned to follow her with his head, firing a thick red energy beam out. She threw her arm out, and the suit she wore unraveled, firing out tendrils. She dropped off the side of the building and the tendrils wrapped around it, allowing her to swing herself across to the other side at fast speed. The tendrils twitched and pulled her up on her own, launching her high into the air and putting her above the building.


    Alexander watched the scene with wide eyes. She was almost starting to remind him of his favorite superhero, Golden Weaver. He had never actually gotten to see his daughter at work. He didn''t know why her form was a lot smaller than it should have been, but it didn''t matter. He felt a bit jealous that Jane had likely gotten to see something like this. It felt different from watching the other heroes fight.


    Green Ape''s energy beam died down, going into recharge as he glared up at the sky where Cinder was. The girl began to rapidly fall back toward him, and he got ready to fire again but stopped as his barrier formed around him just in time to block shards of jagged metal. She had snatched some of the bits of the helicopter that were raining down and weaponized them. His barrier easily stopped the attack, though it caused him to lose his chance to attack as Cinder came back down, whipping around the building again, getting faster and faster. His shield wouldn''t die down either as she kept throwing rocks, or metal bits, in his direction again and again, the attacks coming out quicker and quicker.


    Then she launched. In an instant, her tendril pulled itself back to her, and this time Cinder was the one to be sent flying, cracking through the air with a mighty boom. She flew forward at fast speeds as her momentum carried her directly toward Green Ape. His barrier screeched, growing its bubble around him as she reached him. She spun her body in the air and rammed into his shield, feet first. She didn''t have her fire, so she couldn''t rocket herself forward as well as she might have once been able to, but she could still use the enhanced strength of Kevin to turn herself into a battering ram.


    Cracks appeared along Green Ape''s barrier, and the floor beneath him began to creak as his legs struggled to stay standing. He let out a scream as he lost the power struggle, and his helmet began to smoke as the bubble shattered. Cinder''s feet smashed into his gut, still being carried by her speed. All at once, Green Ape was blasted back, flying across the building, where he slammed through another three sets of towers, finding himself flat on his back in another apartment.


    All of his ribs were broken and the building he was in began to slowly collapse as Green Ape''s eyes fluttered shut. "J- Just... As... I... Expected..."


    Cinder came to a sliding stop, her suit firing out more tendrils, which stabbed into the ground, breaking her fall. In almost no time flat, she had managed to take out Green Ape. She let out a soft sigh and turned to face the others. Both White Egg and Alexander were looking at her in stunned silence. White Lamb, however, was gone. The girl had likely used her power to turn her own sound off and made a break for it. The lamb mask was on the ground, and she didn''t know what the Zoo member looked beneath her mask.


    It didn''t matter at the moment, though. For now, she needed to deal with White Egg.


    Or at least she thought she needed to. "I give up." White Egg dropped his cane.


    "Just like that?"


    "Yep. I''m blind, but even I see how outclassed I am." The villain shrugged.


    She blinked, a little taken aback. "Blind? Wait, I know that voice! You''re Doc!"


    The egg man flinched. "Um no, that''s uh, my uh, my twin."


    "Your twin?"


    "Yep."


    "And you''re also blind like he is?"


    "It can happen."


    Cinder made a face. "I''m going to knock you out now."


    "Wait-"


    She didn''t even have time to move or process what happened. Despite how big it was, none of them had noticed how close the Giant had gotten to them. Likely because of White Lamb, it moved silently, and before she could act or White Egg even knew it, the thing brought its palm down on the egg-shaped man and shook the building as it squished him.


    "No!" She yelled out in shock.


    The Giant slowly removed its hand, and she stared at what remained of Doc in shock. There wasn''t any blood. Instead, as the egg costume shattered open, a yellow and white liquid spilled out. Yolk? The yolk bubbled up and rose into a swirling mass. Doc had turned himself into a weird slime thing? Either with a power he always had or one he recently got, she wasn''t sure. After all, she never actually saw the man use his powers before now.


    The Giant brought its palm down again, but it was yolk, and there wasn''t really anything to it. The yellow slime creature squirmed out from under the palm. She jumped at it, but her hands just went through it as it moved past her arm. It jiggled across the ground with shocking speed and reached a drainage that was connected to the roof leading to the sewers below. Before she or the Giant could make another move, the yolk creature threw itself into the drainage system and sank down, vanishing.


    "Damn it!" She cursed out. First White Lamb and now Doc. She wasn''t making her return look very good. "Why''d you crack the egg open?" She demanded, looking back at the Giant.


    The large creature stared at her silently. It towered over the building they were on and likely could have torn it down with a simple flick of its fingers if it wanted to. Instead, though, it raised its hand and brought it down toward her. She readied herself for an attack but stopped as its finger pressed down on her head. It wasn''t hard; in fact, it was actually pretty gentle, all things considered. The Giant held its finger there for a moment, then simply removed its hand and turned away, stalking back into the city.


    Cinder stood there, a little dumbfounded, trying to process what just happened. "That was kind of weird."


    "Hope?"


    She turned when she heard the voice of the civilian. He was staring at her in shock, taking her form in. Now that she was also getting a better look at him, he also looked eerily familiar. A bushy beard covered his face, and his eyes were filled with tons of emotion. He was pretty thin due to the lack of food. She had noticed quickly how bad Oleander looked when the Victorian had carried her into the city. The man took a step closer to her, and she traced his face with her eyes-


    It had been so long she almost forgot.


    Every time she had gone to see him, he had been extremely pale and bald. Even after being healed up a bit, he wasn''t in a much better condition. Now, though, his skin had color to it. He looked older. His hair was back, and he was walking again. He looked so normal. So alive. She knew who this was.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Hope?"


    "Dad?" She croaked out.


    She felt herself being tackled to the ground as the man, her father, wrapped his arms around her. It wasn''t a weak hug either. It was one filled with a lot of strength and love.


    In the floors below, Paragon, Metal Ronin, and Oxide stopped what they were doing as the roof above them shattered apart and a familiar person dropped down before them. They all stared in shock as the golden woman, the Victorian, stood up.


    "Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me!" White Spider yelled out, throwing her hands into the air. "Seriously, how is this fair?"


    "What''s the situation?" The Victorian asked calmly and easily slapped away a stray laser beam that Red Monkey fired at her.


    Paragon recovered first and shook her head, getting her thoughts back on track. She had no idea why the Victorian was here in Oleander, but she wasn''t going to complain. "They''re zombies. Created by the Dead Virus." She said quickly. "We can''t kill them."


    The Victorian nodded her head. "Judging by how they''re still speaking and showing emotion, this is likely Uriel''s doing. Lucifer doesn''t keep the will of his soldiers." The former number one hero brought her hand up, the golden light soaking through her clenched fingers as three shards of metal were formed. She threw her hand out, tossing the shards forward, which impaled themselves directly into the three zombie Zoo members. "Rest now. Your time is over."


    Golden cracks spilled out across the three members'' skins. White Spider looked down at her hands, watching as her body crumbled away slowly, being burned to less than ash. This was the same thing Full Monarch did to Lucifer and the other zombies, as well as the monsters the Emperor created. An attack able to kill despite regeneration. "If you see Uriel, make him pay. Make it brutal and slow. It''s what that sicko gets." White Spider closed her eyes as her body came undone and she was scattered to the winds, followed shortly by Black Shark and Red Monkey.


    "That was shockingly easy." Metal Ronin said, still in shock.


    "What do we do about Green Wolf?" Oxide asked, pointing to the staircase where the injured Green Wolf was still resting.


    "Cinder?" The Victorian raised her eyebrow in shock. "That doesn''t make sense, though? Why is there a Cinder lookalike here? Surely, it''s not Skin Walker, is it?"


    Paragon shook her head. "It''s complicated. Basically, Green Wolf is in a cloned body of Cinder. There''s actually several cloned bodies, and he can be in at least two at the same time, possibly more."


    "Is that why her power hasn''t fully returned?" The Victorian hummed, rubbing her chin. "Is it because of the other bodies? No. That doesn''t make any sense."


    Before they could ask what the woman meant, the door to the room burst open as Wasp Nest and Drake came crashing into the room, ready for combat. The two men stopped instantly when they saw the Victorian. "What the hell did we miss?" Wasp Nest asked in shock. He had Myth resting on his back, who was barely conscious.


    "Is that the Victorian?" Myth grunted out. "Geez, things must be worse than I thought."


    Drake entered behind them back in his human-looking form. Scales still covered most of his upper torso, which was now visible since his jacket had been torn off. A long red tail expanded out of his rear, which was wrapped tightly around Black Crow, keeping the villain in a crushed state so that he couldn''t do anything. "Ms. Victorian? What are you doing here?"


    "I''ll explain in a moment, but why don''t you heal Myth first, Paragon? He looks like he needs your help." The woman suggested.


    Paragon nodded, still a little phased at what was happening around her, but she shrugged it off and placed her hand on Myth. She could tell he was mainly suffering from overheating his body and pushing his muscles too far. He''d need to rest, but she mended what she could, allowing him to walk on his own two feet again. He thanked her as he got off of Wasp Nest''s back. He stretched a bit, feeling his bones and muscles pop and tense as his body adjusted itself slowly.


    "How did you three get here?" Oxide questioned. "The tunnels should have been blocked off by White Spider''s webs, and she just died, so there''s no way you all made it through there in time."


    "We blasted a hole in the roof and traveled up top." Drake explained. His tail swished back and forth, swinging the body of Black Crow around, who just groaned and hissed. "Those Giants weren''t happy, but luckily they seem to be programmed to only target bad guys and left us alone."


    "It''s so weird how they work." Metal Ronin said, letting out a sigh. "Boy Genius once had an idea close to this before. He talked about it on a podcast once. He wanted to make hundreds of robots that could patrol the streets and keep the city safe while the heroes worked to save the world outside of the walls."


    "Why''d he give up on it?" Oxide questioned.


    "Too tricky to get to work." Metal Ronin shrugged. "Perfect AI like Beta took several minds all working together to create. Normal robots are easy enough to make; Boy Genius has them all over his base, but even there they run into issues he hasn''t been able to figure out. Not to mention Mental-based gear breaks down a lot when not near the one who created it, and all it takes is one bad code for the robots to not work. I guess Battery''s Giant''s don''t have those issues, or the man simply didn''t care since he flooded all our cities with them."


    "Well clearly, they have their own faults." Wasp Nest said, letting out a snort. "All a bad guy has to do is hide underground, and there''s nothing the Giants can do. I guess that''s why he left us little heroes alone and kicked out all the strong Enforcer heroes. He''s using us to finish his dirty work."


    Myth cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Who was that on the roof?" He asked.


    "What do you mean?" Paragon responded.


    "We were able to find you guys because of the fight going on up top. It wasn''t the Victorian, and you''re all down here, so who was up top fighting?"


    "I guess you''ll have to ask the Victorian." Paragon shrugged and turned to look at the golden woman. "Likely someone she brought with her."


    The Victorian looked down at the body of Green Wolf. The clone held a small smirk on her lips as she looked back up at the body of the Victorian. "You''re lucky." Green Wolf spat out.


    "I am?"


    "Yeah. My main body has most of my power and isn''t in this city. It''s a dozen times stronger than the version of me that lost to Battery, and it''s growing every day." The young girl bragged. "I know eventually it''ll be strong enough to beat you."


    "How long do you think that''ll take?" The golden woman questioned.


    "Five years!"


    The woman snorted and folded her arms. "Five years, huh? So, in five years, the little puppy thinks it''ll be grown up enough to sink their fangs into the gods?"


    Green Wolf also let out a snort, leaning her head back on the floor as her broken body began to breathe slower. "You and Battery are just alike, you know. You''re like the same person in a lot of ways. Yet both of you still can never live up to the shadow that Full Monarch casts. You''ll never reach it. The end that either of you wants. People like me will always be there to stop you."


    "Is that what you think?"


    "It''s what I know."


    The Victorian let out a soft hum. "I think I have a good idea of what to do with you."


    "And what would that be?" Green Wolf asked as a small frown twisted itself onto her face.


    The Victorian gave a wide grin. "We''re going to use you as spare parts to fix Cinder!"


    "Cinder!" Paragon turned and stared at the golden woman. "You mean you know where she is?"


    "Of course I do." The golden woman turned to look back at them, giving them all an odd look. "Oh. I guess I didn''t mention it, did I? Yeah, Cinder''s right above us on the roof."


    "What!"


    ***


    Cinder dodged out of the way of hundreds of curved blades that rained down from the sky. She flew through the air, being carried by bright golden fire that poured out of her hands and feet, allowing her to control her movement with ease.


    Orchid Town wasn''t in any of the ten great cities; it was actually directly connected to Gladiolus, one of the only cities left that didn''t have any Giants. In the air above the city, a large, lanky man floated, covered in scraps of metal that formed his armor. Iron twisted and took shape, cutting through the air as the villain attempted to kill his rival.


    "I''ll kill you for what you did to my brother, Polaron!" Polaris hissed out.


    Cinder only gave a cocky grin, her golden hair falling down her back. She came to a sudden stop in the air, and her eyes glowed with a faint red light as a beam of energy blasted out of them and began to easily burn through the metal constructs Polaris was creating. "Nice try, Polaris, but your days of evil end here. I know the truth. You were the one behind Bad Timers. It was never Polaron but you. You were the real mastermind. A right-hand man of the Emperor''s army, and a threat that could even rival the Emperor himself! I, Cinder, shall be the one to stop you!"


    "And that''s a wrap!" The voice of the director called out.


    "Thank fucking God." Cinder muttered under her breath as her fire died down and she dropped out of the sky and to the ground. "Hey, I know this was her costume, but can we seriously write an arc or something where she changes into something better? Also, I think I should start making myself look more pretty if I''m going to be the new face of the Hero Branch. No offense to Cinder, but damn, she''s flatter than a board."


    "Pretty sure that''s because she was still a kid when she died." Polaris called out, also dropping from the sky. He shook himself free of all the metal, revealing a rather handsome young man with neat brown hair and wide eyes. "Also, me being the brother of Polaron sounds a bit racist? I''m not a monster, and all of the Emperor''s people were? I don''t know if it makes sense that I''m the final boss."


    Orchi town wasn''t as destroyed as it might have first looked. No buildings were truly turned over, the road hadn''t been damaged that badly, and all the metal was actually plastic because Polaris wasn''t actually Polaris and didn''t have metal-based powers. He had control over plastic. The street was filled with dozens of Hero Branch workers as well as script writers and cameramen. Another hero, one who had the ability to put up a powerful barrier around their area, was working constantly, his power making sure that no one could see what was going on in the filming area.


    It made non-Supers simply blank out and not be able to even recall that it was there. They''d just move past it in silence. In a few days when filming was done, they''d leave, and the people would find that an entire city block was gone. The power blocked their memories, and so instead they''d fill in the blanks themselves when they saw on the news that night about Cinder stopping an attack. It would slot in perfectly to the hole in their minds, and some would even claim they had been there in person to witness the new number one hero''s epic battle.


    The directors and Hero Branch workers ran back and forth like headless chickens while Cinder dropped down to a sitting position and began to remove her boots and gloves. They were simple Mental-based tech that could produce low levels of flame, allowing her to fly. The downside though was that it burned her hands and feet just wearing them. She wasn''t fireproof like the real Cinder had been, after all.


    "Alright everyone, take ten!" A director called out.


    "You okay?" Polaris questioned Cinder.


    The girl shook her head, her golden hair shifting slightly. "I need to go sit in my trailer. Come get me when it''s time to finish the fight scene." She had a bit of time. They''d likely film some of the other scenes, such as hired actors recounting how amazing it was to be saved by the mighty Cinder and set up a few stock clips of her stopping floods or volcanoes, which had actually all been done by either Battery or the Victorian.


    "You got it. Go rest up." Polaris said, clapping her on the back.


    She couldn''t actually be bothered to remember his real name. This had been her life for months now. As soon as the Beast had been defeated, she was given the job of a lifetime. Be Cinder. Every week, she was stopping a great disaster somewhere in the world. Every month, she was fighting a new evil that arrived on Earth. Every day, she was making public appearances, talking on shows, being shown out in the field with the Hero Branch, or working alongside the Cleanup Crew to fix cities. Any place besides Oleander, that was. They had gotten hundreds of hours of footage all before she even made her public appearance.


    Her life and her eventual death were all planned out and scripted.


    It was all so boring.


    Cinder made her way to the side of an alleyway where her trailer stood. She entered it and let out a nice sigh as the cold air hit her. "Having fun?" Her eyes snapped open at the voice. One she had heard many times in her nightmare. "Don''t scream or you''re dead."


    It was almost a comical sight. The Emperor was crouched low, his horns brushing the roof above him as his fiery red eyes glared at her. She squeaked and went to back out of her trailer, but the door shut on its own, trapping her inside with her former boss.


    "It''s been a while, Skin Walker." The Emperor spat the name out.


    Cinder felt her body shake, and her focus came undone as her power dropped. Her skin bubbled and changed, along with her eyes and hair. Gray, nasty flesh covered her from head to toe, and her hair rained down her back, the color of oil. Her eyes were pure black, filled with only fear, and she brought her arms up in front of her chest as if to defend herself. "B- Boss?"


    She had heard that the Emperor was back. The Hero Branch still hadn''t come out to the public about that little fact. They had been keeping it to themselves at the moment. She knew that one day the villain would come for her, assuming she was the real Cinder. She didn''t expect him to see through her disguise so quickly though. Then again, he was the one who made her. She had been a monster in his army sixteen years ago. After he fell in battle at the hands of Full Monarch, she had been one of the few members of his group that switched sides and joined the Hero Branch to work as an agent for the greater good.


    Now, her former master was stalking around her trailer. His eyes roamed the walls, staring at all the new posters and fan mail she had received. "It seems you''ve been busy." He sounded almost amused.


    "I- It''s so good that you''re here, sir! T- The Hero Branch was using me! They''ve been forcing me to work for them. Now that you''re here, we can kill them all and-"


    "Did I give you permission to speak?" Skin Walker instantly bit down on her tongue, silencing herself. The Emperor reached out and grasped one of her pictures. It was when she first showed herself to the world as Cinder. Up on a stage with many of the Hero Branch directors. "How has it been? Pretending to be the savior of humans? You may speak."


    "I- I didn''t have a choice! They''d throw me in Nightshade or worse!" She pleaded.


    The Emperor placed the picture down and looked back at her. He approached her slowly, and she tried to shrink down. He reached out and cupped her cheek, staring down into her eyes. "Change back."


    "W- What?"


    "Cinder. Become her again."


    She gulped but dared not disobey. Her power turned back on. Her flesh became pale, her hair grew less ratty and ignited in a golden light, and her eyes looked as if they were on fire, turning into a scarlet red. Her face and height also morphed, and her chest shrank back down. In only a moment, she was once again a perfect lookalike for Cinder. The Emperor kept his hand on her chin and tilted her head back and forth, looking intently at her.


    "It''ll do." He dropped her and turned away.


    "What''ll do, sir?" She gulped, feeling her heart steady. "D- Do you have another job for me?"


    "As a matter of fact, I do." He looked back at her, his red eyes meeting hers. "You''re Cinder from now on. I have the perfect role for you. One where you''ll really become a hero."

 Chapter One Hundred And Forty-Nine: Tall Once More

    "Put me down!"


    "Never! This is perfect! You''re small enough for me to pick up again! This brings back so many memories!"


    "I''m not that small, dad!" Hope let out a strangled whine as she was unceremoniously lifted up by her father, who swung her around wildly.


    "You''re so tiny and cute!" Back before the accident, her father used to pick her up all the time and let her ride on his shoulders. She had been a young kid back then, though. Now, she was practically an adult, no matter how young her new form looked, and the thought of someone like Sky showing up and seeing how helpless she was in her father''s arms was too much to bear with.


    "Dad!"


    Alexander didn''t let go. The man kept his arms around his daughter, squeezing her tightly. She looked up at him, taking his appearance in. He wasn''t as muscular as he had been before the accident. Despite that, he looked far better than the last time she saw him. His skin had more color to it, and a small beard was starting to grow back. His hair was combed down the same way Mr. Larison''s always was as well. She had never really noticed or thought about it too much, but both men looked sort of similar.


    "Was it Sky who fixed you?" She asked, quietly resting in her father''s arms.


    She didn''t see how his smile strained a bit. "Yeah," Alexander lied. "Sky fully cured me after..."


    "After I died."


    "Your mother and I never stopped believing. We knew you''d come back."


    "I didn''t though." Her voice strained a bit, and she wiped at her eyes. "Dad, I- I actually did die. I should be dead now. It wasn''t through my own skill or power that I was able to come back from something like that. I- I mean, look at the city." She pulled her face out of her father''s shoulder and looked at all the destruction. Even after months had passed, the Giants still hadn''t been able to fix all the damage. Buildings were still knocked over, power was out, roads were flooded with debris and cars, and massive pits scattered the ground. "I failed."


    "You didn''t fail at anything, Hope." Her father placed her down and gripped her shoulders tightly, looking down at her. "You should have never been there in the first place. The heroes had no right using kids at all. The Victorian or that Battery guy should have done everything. They''re the number one hero; it''s their job to keep everyone safe. You''re just a kid."


    "But I''m a hero, dad-"


    "You''re just a kid. My kid."


    She shook her head and was about to say more but was cut off when the door to the roof burst open. Faster than she could even react, she felt her clothes suddenly tense up. "Oh shit, I''m not emotionally ready to see Ashley yet; I''m out!" Kevin blasted off of her, dripping to the ground like Doc did in his yolk form. The red blob flowed into the drainage pipe and vanished leaving her and her father baffled. There went her Super suit.


    She didn''t even have time to process it as a loud squeal came from the doorway. She turned and stared, feeling a smile come onto her face. It was her friends. Oxide, Metal Ronin, and Wasp Nest all stared at her in shock, processing what they were seeing. Wasp Nest kept blinking, while Metal Ronin just kept scanning her up and down, making sure he wasn''t seeing a ghost. Behind them, she saw Wyvern''s younger brother, Drake, who looked just as shocked. Myth was there also. His face was pale, and he kept shaking, one hand reaching out to her.


    Then her eyes met Sky. The healer shoved their way through the small crowd and stumbled out onto the roof, looking directly at her. She was shocked to see how much Sky had changed in so little time. The girl was standing tall now instead of hunched over and had seemingly fully ditched her mask, wearing only her lab coat. Sky also most troublingly looked a lot like Wish had, now sporting white hair and red eyes.


    She knew it wasn''t Wish though.


    Wish''s eyes were always filled with hate or fear. The villain had cursed the world and the life they had been given and used every chance to throw their venom around.


    Sky''s eyes were filled with something else, though.


    That was all she got to see before she was practically tackled and hugged to the ground by the white-haired girl. "Oh my God, you''re so small and adorable!"


    "Why does everyone say that when they see me! I don''t want to be cute; I want to be cool!" This time she was swung around by Sky. She had been taller than the girl in the past, but with her new body and lack of Kevin, she was helpless to stop the onslaught of cuddles.


    "W- Why is she so small, though?" Wasp Nest asked awkwardly. "Also, as cool as it is that she''s here, how is this possible?"


    Sky stopped swinging Hope around and placed the fire-based hero down, though she kept her arms on her shoulders. "That''s a good question? Hope, what happened? Why are you so tiny now?" The girl asked, looking down at her friend. The Lord of Life allowed the healer to see every detail about Hope''s body. Unlike Green Wolf''s, which had flaws and a different soul mixed into it, this one was a perfect match for the real Hope, though that glow was gone, replaced instead with an empty void.


    Hope looked down at her hands quietly for a moment, as if trying to process it herself. "It''s kind of a long story." She finally said. "The last thing I remember was the Beast attack. I carried it into space, and... Well, I didn''t get out of the blast radius in time." She chuckled darkly.


    "Don''t laugh about that." Oxide said, shaking her head. "Why did you do that in the first place!"


    "It was that, or let the entire city blow up." She shrugged. "I didn''t have an option. All of you would have done the same." Her eyes roamed over all of them, daring anyone to say otherwise. "We''re all heroes. I did my job. I saved the city."


    "How does that end up with you being small, though?" Drake finally spoke up. The young boy rested near the back, keeping his arms folded while his tail remained outstretched and wrapped around the throat of Black Crow still. "Boy Genius had used some of his drones and sent them into space. They found what was left of your body. Was that fake?"


    "No, it was real." She felt a bit queasy in her stomach and was glad Sky was with her as the healer squeezed down on her shoulder. "I died. That was likely what was left of my corpse. Just like with Wish, though, I guess I was able to cheat the system and come back. I''m still not sure how, though. I know it had to do with the Emperor-"


    "It''s her!" Drake looked like he was about to charge her, his wings suddenly expanding as he snarled, but Myth grabbed the boy''s shoulder, holding him back. "What are you doing! Isn''t it obvious! She''s the Calamity! Every time the Beast attacks, something worse always comes for humanity when it leaves! It''s her! Just like how the Emperor once used the Beast''s energy to bring Lucifer back from the dead and return him to this world, I bet he did the same thing to her!"


    "So now you''re willing to say that Battery isn''t the Calamity?" Myth growled, holding Drake in place. The other Sub Enforcers looked around nervously.


    "What''s he talking about?" Alexander spoke up. "My daughter isn''t a threat to humanity. All of you were holding out hope that she''d come back, and now just because it involved the Emperor, you''re scared of her?"


    "We''re not scared." Oxide shook her head. "It just took us all off guard, I think." Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin both nodded.


    "That''s enough out of you, Drake." The booming voice of the Victorian came from above them, and they all looked up to see that the golden woman was floating down slowly, holding something. "I assure you that Cinder isn''t a threat to anyone other than what I aim her at. She''s the Lord of the Sun and the best chance our world has of reaching the good ending of its story. Remain calm."


    The dragon-themed hero snarled a bit and shook his way out of Myth''s arms. "Am I the only one who hasn''t gone mad? All of you are taking so many risks just because it''s friends that are coming back. You all turned on Legend the moment he came back from the dead, but when Battery or Cinder do it, it''s fine."


    "That wasn''t my father that came back." Myth''s hand squeezed down on Drake''s shoulder, causing the boy to wince. "Why don''t you go round up the other villains that aren''t here? Some were getting away, and you''re the fastest flyer here, not counting the Victorian."


    "Whatever." Drake''s wings slapped the air, and the boy was gone flying away from the building.


    She watched him leave, quietly gulping. She hadn''t even considered it for a moment. What if all of this was playing into the Emperor''s hands? If he wanted to keep her hostage, he would have never let her leave Golden God. He also had Avalon, one of the greatest teleporters in the world. The only reason she was here was because he let her. That thought sent a chill down her spine. She slowly reached up and placed her hand on Sky''s.


    The Victorian softly landed on the roof and dumped what she had been holding. It was a body. She felt shock hit her when she found herself staring at her own face. "You''re shorter than I remember." Green Wolf mocked.


    "Is that the fake me that''s been pretending to be Cinder!" She demanded. "Why is she so badly beaten?"


    "It''s not her." Sky said, shaking her head. "It''s Green Wolf."


    "Come again?"


    "She''s telling the truth." Green Wolf snickered and tried to sit up but was slammed to the ground by the Victorian, who placed their boot on the clone''s head. "Ah whatever. It doesn''t really matter now, does it? After all, you''re all about to kill me."


    "What!" She stared in shock at the others. "What does she- He? What do they mean by that?"


    "Relax, it won''t actually kill Green Wolf." Sky said, waving her hand. "Though I don''t think that would be a bad thing if it did. Whatever happened to them seriously ruined their soul. They have more than one body now and can control at least two, possibly more."


    "Great, so now I have to deal with the Hero Branch look alike and a mass murderer pretending to be me! My image is ruined!" She sighed. So much time and effort as Cinder down the drain.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "It could be fun to pretend to be you and go around slaughtering people, but why would I ever do that?" Green Wolf giggled and licked her lips, lapping up some of the blood that caked her face. "My target has always been Battery. They''re my final boss fight, not you. You''re just not my style."


    "Please don''t make that face in my body..."


    Sky crouched down and placed her hand on Green Wolf''s chin and her other on Hope''s shoulder. "With my eyes, I can see how your body should have been. Whatever healed you didn''t have enough biomass, and so instead it scrunched you up, which is why you''re so small. Green Wolf''s body is a near-perfect match for you, so I should be able to use them to fix you and restore you back to how you should be. It''s sort of like decompressing a computer file."


    She nodded slowly. "Okay. I trust you, Paragon. Is it going to hurt?"


    "Oh yeah, a ton."


    "What!"


    That was all she managed to get out before Paragon activated their power. Instantly, she felt her cells ignite with an intense heat that ran all along her body. She wasn''t fireproof anymore though, so the burn caused her instant pain. It was white hot, like acid going through her veins. She felt her muscles and insides twitch, and she wasn''t able to stay on her feet, crashing face first into the ground next to Green Wolf, who was howling in pain. She didn''t see what happened, but she heard the wet sound of flesh breaking just like when Wish used her power on people, and she also heard Wasp Nest lose his cool and throw up.


    Everything went dark after that, and she found herself no longer standing on the roof. Instead, she was back in a familiar place. One made of fire, which stretched out in all directions. As if she were standing on the sun itself. She half expected to hear the voice of the Brightest Star, but instead it was a mad cackle that echoed around the void they were in.


    The fire was weaker than it had been last time. It barely went up to her ankles as if it were shallow water. The throne that held the Brightest Star remained, but the first Lord was gone. Instead, something else stood in its place. A large green dire wolf.


    She looked away from the wolf, causing it to growl. There had been a mirror suspended up on the wall, or at least the closest thing there was to a wall in this strange fire realm. It normally allowed her to see what her body was doing when she gave control of it to the Brightest Star. Now though it allowed her to look at her reflection. She gasped at what she saw and looked down at her hands.


    She was her normal height in this place, but she didn''t look human anymore. It spooked her a bit because she sort of looked like the Beast. Her body was made entirely of golden fire, and she didn''t have a mouth. There was an outline of where her eyes were, and her body was still clearly her''s, having the faint sign of breasts and her long golden hair. It was as if she had changed from a human into a pure being of fire. Like the place they were, in the fire that made up her form was dim and flickered. It was also covered in dozens of nasty black cracks and dents.


    "Look at me." The growl of the wolf stopped her from studying her form further. She could also feel something. It was faint but clearly there. Pure malice and hatred. The emotion. It wasn''t coming from her though. It was coming from the wolf that stood on the throne. She was feeling Green Wolf''s emotions. "Notice me! Worship me! Praise me!" All of it was Green Wolf''s thoughts and desires. His rage and need to be seen¡ªthe reasons he caused all of his crime.


    The wolf dropped down in front of her, staying low, and it began to stalk toward her slowly. She looked back at it and tried to speak, but she didn''t have a mouth. It snarled and got ready to attack her.


    "Prey. I hunt. I kill. Joy. I love it. Hate you. Hate everything. Hate everyone. Hate, hate, hate, love to hate. Stronger. Devour. Kill. Hunt." More of the emotions began to bubble up, and she could feel it all. The way a psychopath like Green Wolf felt. It made her sick to her stomach. The wolf lunged at her, and she quickly ducked and dodged out of the way of it. The animal rolled across the ground and got back up, hissing and barking at her. "Kill. Take. Kill. Hate. Feel joy. Want joy."


    She clenched her hand into a fist and shook her head. She stomped her foot down and tried fighting fire with fire. If she couldn''t speak, she''d just use her feelings. She reached deep into her mind and mustered up some of her memories, pulling them to the surface. All her love, anger, sadness, joy, fear, and curiosity. Just as she had done to the Brightest Star, she forced all of her memories of her time as a hero out. The good and the bad.


    Meeting Mr. Larison, fighting Intake, her argument with Sky, beating Red Ape, learning Armin was Snowdawn, training her powers with Metal Ronin, killing Polaron, learning she was a Lord, her date with Sky, speaking with Mr. Larison, fighting the Beast, and dying alone.


    All this and so much more.


    The wolf howled madly as it was hit with waves of emotion. It jumped at her again, but this time she brought her fist back and slammed a punch directly into it. In an instant, Green Wolf shattered and broke away, crumbling to dust.


    Then she woke up...


    Meanwhile, in an underground lab, another Green Wolf froze and stumbled for a second, frowning. There was a strange hollowness they were feeling now. They shook their head, getting rid of the feeling, and looked back out at the lab, watching as four more Green Wolf''s began to wake up and get off of the table.


    "Five in total." Green Wolf smirked and looked down at her hand. "I can control up to five bodies at the same time. This should speed things up for my plan." Though they felt a strange worry in their gut. Yesterday, they had been able to control six bodies. At least they were pretty sure. They were also having some trouble recalling what happened in Oleander. They remembered dying to Myth and ditching that body for a new Cinder clone, yet the other clone that was in the city was... What happened to it?


    "I hate to tell you, but we don''t have a plan anymore." A familiar voice called out. Yellow yolk swirled together as Doc''s body slowly reformed and changed back to flesh. The man no longer had his egg suit and now wore his lab coat once more. "We''re all that remains."


    "The others were caught?" Green Wolf asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Yep." Doc sighed and shook his head. "Looks like your little group is dead once more. Green Ape went and rammed it all into the ground."


    "You got here pretty quickly." Green Wolf noted folding her arms. "We''re not in Oleander anymore after all."


    "Please, it''s not like we''re that far from the city." Doc snorted. "After all, this base is in Lillian. The two cities share the same pipes. Once I was in my yolk form, I was able to slither through and make it here."


    "And what was that yolk form, exactly?"


    "Something I created back when I had Wish. It''s a drug that I only have a few copies left of. It allows a person to melt down for an hour in order to escape. You can''t be damaged really since you''re a slime, but you also can''t harm anyone either."


    "So that''s not a power you normally have?"


    "No. Why?"


    "Because it means I can do this." Green Wolf grabbed a scalpel and swung it, splitting Doc''s shoulder wide open and spilling his blood. He screamed and dropped to his knees while the four other clones began to get out of their beds. The lab was filled with so many of her bodies, though not all were ready. The prime body stalked over to the doctor and smiled. "The game isn''t over. Now that Red Ape is out of the way, I''ll be taking the player one spot for myself. I have a lot of ideas and plans. Plans you''re going to help me with. Five years from now." She turned away and let out a loud laugh. "Just five years, Battery. Wait for me until then."


    Hope slowly opened her eyes as the realm of fire faded away. She found herself looking up at the faces of the other heroes and her father. She glanced over and felt a little sick at her stomach when she saw the melted pile of flesh that was all that remained of Green Wolf. Or at least that Green Wolf.


    "How do you feel?" Sky asked.


    She pushed herself up and looked down at her body. She was taller than Sky again. That fact made her feel giddy. Her clothes were ripped pretty badly and torn in places from where her body expanded. She was back to her normal height. Even her hair was long again. She flipped it, feeling it flow in the wind. The other heroes and her father stared at her, everyone holding their breath.


    "I think I feel normal." That caused many of them to let out a sigh of relief. She was herself again. She opened and closed her fist, looking down at it.


    "Is something wrong?" Her father asked.


    "I can''t feel my fire." She felt a weird chill inside of her. One that had been there ever since she woke up inside of Golden God. She tried to focus her power, but it wasn''t working. No fire was flaring up at her fingertips. Her hair wasn''t changing either. Before the Beast fight, she had been unable to turn her Lord power off, but now she couldn''t access it at all. The thing had been a staple for her, something she used constantly, but now it was as if it were gone. Was she no longer a Super? Was she no longer the Lord of the Sun?


    Before anyone could stop her, she smashed her fist down into the roof of the building. The entire tower they were on shook and rumbled as the roof cracked and caved in, and many of them stumbled.


    "Still have super strength, so that means I''m a Super, still." She muttered. Her body also felt denser than it had as a kid, and she could feel her nerves and senses were sharper, her ears picking up on the sounds of everyone''s heartbeats. It was almost like she had regressed back to when she first got her powers. Before she had been able to shoot out fire. She was tall and normal again, but something was still wrong.


    "Are you not able to use your Lord power?" The Victorian demanded. "I thought you would be restored fully."


    "I don''t know." She shook her head and stared down at her hands. "I''m sure I''m still the Lord of the Sun." Her encounter with the wolf as well as the faint sound of the Brightest Star laughing came back to her. It was still there, but the fire had seemingly become too dim for her to reach.


    Sky frowned and looked Hope up and down. "You might need a jumpstart."


    "What?"


    "Your power, I mean. It could need something to jumpstart it. Like when you devoured the sun in my realm that one time. That''s what boosted your power to the point of not being able to turn your Battle Mode off, right? You might need something like that again. It''s possible that while your body has been fully healed, your power hasn''t."


    The Victorian bit her lip for a moment, seemingly debating something. "There could be a way. I''m sure if you got a piece of the Lord of Cosmos, it could give your power the kick it needs."


    "Are you saying you''d give me your piece?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the golden woman. She recalled the memories she had seen. If the Victorian gave that piece up, that would basically be the woman returning to her roots and becoming Ruby Admiral again, wouldn''t it?


    "That''s right." The Victorian nodded. "I could give you that piece that I hold. I''m not sure if it would fix your fire powers, but at the very least it would give you a boost and allow you to access what''s left of the Cosmos half."


    "Is anyone else totally lost by what this conversation is?" Wasp Nest asked, but he was quickly shushed by everyone.


    The golden woman looked into the eyes of the now-restored Cinder. "If I give it up to you, though, it won''t be for free. You know what I want, right?"


    "What''s she talking about, Cinder?" Myth asked. The former leader of Pantheon had been mostly quiet, still processing the fact that his teammate was still alive.


    Hope sighed and folded her arms, tilting her head. "The Victorian asked me to-" She stopped suddenly as her enhanced hearing picked up on something. She was so glad that it was back. She turned and grabbed Sky, yanking the girl out of the way just in time as something crashed into the roof, further cracking it and shaking the building they were on. She kept her arms around Sky as she glared at the new uninvited guest.


    "A lot of stuff seems like it''s going on here." Cheerily, Purrfect stood up and dusted herself off, giving a grin. "Mind if I drop in? After all, my Teacher will likely find what you all have to say to be very interesting."


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the city block, Red Ape stared at the roof above through bloodied eyes. His body was broken, and he could barely form a coherent thought. Slowly, Drake landed next to the villain.


    "You still alive?"


    Red Ape spat up a glob of blood and broken teeth.


    "Cool. I think there is a nice cell in Nightshade with your name on it."


    Black Crow chuckled and clawed at the tail that was around him. "Sorry, boss. Looks like we lost again. Guess Zoo really is done for this time."


    Drake''s tail grew tighter, cutting Black Crow off. "There was another one with you also. What happened to White Lamb?" The hero demanded.


    Red Ape let out a weak chuckle. "Good question. I bet she left."


    That was indeed true. Already outside of the city block, White Lamb strolled, removing articles of her suit. Now she looked like any other young girl. If someone came by, all she would have to do was claim she was looking for food for her family or that she was lost. Her power had allowed her to slip silently away right under everyone''s noses. It was the perfect getaway-


    "White Lamb. Or should I call you by your real name? Mariah Rhodes."


    White Lamb froze when she heard the voice. The young girl turned around, raising her gun, but stopped when she saw who stood at the entrance to the alleyway. No one had seen Luna Laps since the Beast incident. Many people assumed that the Hero Branch director had simply died. Yet now here that woman stood, an eyepatch covering a missing eye, one arm in a cast, and the other holding a large Mental-based gun that was trained on the young girl in front of her.


    White Lamb sighed and dropped her gun, holding her hands up. "You don''t think you have a faster trigger finger than me?" Ms. Laps questioned, a little amused.


    "If you''re here, then I doubt you''re alone." White Lamb shrugged and turned her sound back on. "I''d be dead the moment I pulled the trigger."


    "You''re a smart girl." Laps slowly lowered her weapon and smiled. "Maybe smart enough to take me up on my offer and make the right choice."


    "What choice?"


    "You can either rot away in Nightshade or you can join Battery''s new Pantheon."

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty: A New Team Is Under Way

    "Purrfect?" Hope asked in shock as she stared at the cat-themed hero. She had seen a bunch of them through the different cities, so she wasn''t shocked the girl was here, but why did they suddenly appear from out of the sky?


    Purrfect gave a grin and looked at all the different heroes. Sky stayed in Hope''s arms and narrowed her eyes, grabbing her sword in case she needed to fight. Slowly though, Purrfect turned to look at the golden woman. "You know the rules. You can''t be here."


    The city shook and rumbled as the massive Giants made their way over. They stared the golden woman down. Three of them in total. The number one hero just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. I''m leaving. Come on, Cinder."


    "Now wait a second!" Myth stepped forward and shook his head. "Cinder is staying here in Oleander. She''s a member of my team."


    "She was a member of your team." The Victorian said, rolling her eyes. "You''re running a different team now though."


    "Then she''ll just join this new team." Myth argued.


    "Like hell, she will! She''s my new side kick!"


    The Victorian and Myth glared at one another, and it looked like a fight might break out. The others awkwardly looked away. It was kind of like watching two parents'' fight. "The Victorian asked you to be her sidekick?" Sky whispered.


    "Yeah." Hope nodded slightly sheepishly.


    "I''m assuming you said yes?"


    "Well..."


    "Cinder''s power isn''t like what it used to be." The Victorian announced. "I''ll give her whatever is left of the Cosmos fragment in me to power her back up. What can you offer her?" The golden woman taunted.


    Myth folded his arms and snorted. "Unlike you, I''m a good mentor."


    "Will you two knock it off!" Hope finally said, letting out a sigh. "You''re both whining like actual kids." Both adults seemed a little hurt at her blunt words.


    Wasp Nest threw his arms behind his head. "It does make me wonder though." The boy hummed.


    "Yeah." Metal Ronin nodded. "Cinder, what team are you joining?"


    "Does she need to join a team?" Alexander asked sheepishly. The father stood next to his daughter and had a hand on the girl''s shoulder. "Does she even need to be a hero?"


    "Of course she does!" Oxide announced. "She''s the Lord of the Sun! Or at least she was! Plus, did you see what she did in the fight with the Beast? Even half of that power could push heroes further into the winning side when it comes to the battle of good versus evil!"


    All eyes turned to look at Hope. The raven-haired girl sheepishly shrank down a bit. She had her body back now and was strong again, but she still lacked her fire. It felt a little weird having so many people invested in her when she really didn''t feel all that impressive or important. She wondered for a moment what Mr. Larison would do. She was glad she got to see Sky again; now she wanted to see Mr. Larison and make sure he was also doing well.


    Purrfect rolled her eyes and sighed. "Look, just pick and get it over with. The Victorian can''t stay, so either leave with her or become a new Sub Enforcers member."


    "That''s right." The Victorian announced holding her hand out. "Take the shards within me and let me train you. I''ll make you into the perfect mirror image of my father!"


    Myth held his own hand out. "I''m glad you''re back, Cinder. We could use someone like you. It''ll be like the way things should be."


    Hope bit her lip and looked between both hands. "I think the choice I''m going to make is..." She thought about what she was going to say for a moment. "I think... I pick..."


    ***


    "Get off of me!" The blue skies rippled above Rose City as a large, winged beast unleashed a powerful roar that split the clouds. Rose City was the largest of the ten great cities, being the first one ever built by Mr. Sini personally. A massive bubble formed around the entire city that worked to keep it safe, and, in the past, it had been protected by the number one hero, the Victorian. That meant it wasn''t used to seeing crime. Yet ever since the woman was dethroned, it found itself facing more danger than it used to. "I''ll kill you; you damn hero!"


    Everyone in the city found themselves staring up at what appeared to be a large blue bird. It was around the size of a bus and covered in jagged blue feathers. Its neck stretched out awkwardly long, and its talons could tear entire buildings down. This villain was known as Big Bird, a villain famed for his aerial combat.


    Today, though, Big Bird met his match.


    Battery dug his fingers into the throat of the villain. He stood on the creatures back as it wildly flew through the air above his new city. With a twist of his hand, the hero caused the bird to howl and jerk to the left, avoiding a building it had been about to ram into. "I think it''s time we stop playing this game." Battery grunted out.


    Big Bird''s neck expanded out, and the bird twisted his head all the way around to glare at Battery. The monster opened his mouth wide, his beak spilling out with a wave of energy that got ready to blast out. Battery only smirked, and his mixed-color aura flared out. In an instant, his entire weight changed and shifted, the hero suddenly gaining hundreds of thousands of pounds. The weight of a Giant suddenly stood before Big Bird, and it caused the villain''s eyes to bulge as his back was torn and his spine snapped.


    Big Bird dropped from the sky and rammed down into the street below, directly in front of a large crowd of onlookers. The people of Rose City all stared with wide eyes as their newest protector casually stepped off of the defeated villain. Phones were out, and streams were gaining viewers as the people recorded the man. Battery paid them no mind though and simply placed his hands into the pockets of his black coat. He began to walk off as Big Bird tried to pick himself back up.


    The villain stopped though when he heard a loud rumble. Slowly the monster''s head managed to twist around, and it stared up at the massive figure that stood before it. A Giant, one forged out of black lightning, that stood over one hundred meters tall, reached down, and with two fingers, it picked Big Bird up. The villain squirmed and cried out, but it was too late. The Giant''s mouth cracked open, and it raised the bad guy above it and let go. Big Bird vanished into the mouth of the energy construct, the mouth sealing shut.


    That was the tenth villain that had been caught that way so far.


    Battery had proved very quickly he didn''t need the Enforcers to protect the cities, nor did he need Nightshade. Not when his Giants could simply swallow any villain that was defeated in one of the cities.


    As Battery walked away, he placed his fingers to his ear. "This is Battery. I took down Big Bird. He was absorbed by Giant number eight. Let Boy Genius know that I''m willing to give all the captured villains to him if he''ll play nice."


    Static came from the other end, and then a male voice came through the earpiece Battery wore. "Last time I tried to send him a message, he tried to hack the company. Why don''t you just accept he doesn''t like you?"


    "Because I need him." Battery sighed.


    "Do you?"


    "For my plan? Yeah. He''d help out a bit."


    "I see. Well, for the time being, why don''t you return to the base?"


    "Yeah. Will do." Battery took a moment to look up at a billboard that stood on top of one of the towers. Rose City was very different from Oleander. It was larger, with more people. Most of its citizens didn''t have any sense of danger and were way too used to being saved. Every inch of the city seemed to sparkle and glow, and dozens of screens stood high, constantly showing the state every other city was in. Rose''s people were a bit stuck up and arrogant. All of them were nobles for the most part and had bought their way into this city. On one of the billboards, the one that caught his eye, a large image of Avalon Industry''s hung. "I''m coming back to base now." He muttered, feeling his stomach flop a bit at just the thought of Avalon.


    Sini Corp had been bought out and taken over by Harrison Avalon and transformed into Avalon Industry. Now that Avalon was officially working for the Emperor, though, the company had to once again be transferred to someone else. It was still being kept under wraps about the fact the Emperor was alive. That was information the Hero Branch was holding close to their chest, not wanting widespread public panic. Now Rose had a new company within it. The new owner of Avalon Industry had changed it a lot.


    "Battery! You''re under arrest!"


    Battery stopped for a moment when he heard the voice. He turned and found several Hero Branch officers had their guns trained on him. The Hero Branch hadn''t been happy with what he did. In fact, they likely hated him. He had kicked out every Enforcer across the world, filled each city to the brim with his Giants, beat the Victorian up, and then took her city over. All without asking for permission from the humans that ran the world.


    Battery raised an eyebrow. "You''re trying to arrest me? I''m bulletproof, you know." Several of the citizens were still filming or watching the exchange as the Hero Branch officers took their chance to come after him now that he was live on camera.


    "If you really consider yourself a hero, you''ll give up and allow yourself to be captured!'' One of the Hero Branch officers announced. "You''ve committed several crimes and have done a great evil to the world."


    "My only crime is overthrowing your crappy group." Battery ignored the bullets that began to ram into him as several of the men opened fire. He lazily turned away and swatted his hand through the air. It tore and split as a crackling blue portal forced itself open. "I''m the strongest. At least right now I am. I don''t need to follow rules or do what people tell me to do. I''m going to do what I want, when I want. Stay out of my way and just watch. Because I''m the hero that is going to save this planet."


    The red hero stepped through the portal, and it closed behind him. He found himself on the other side of the city now. There was a reason the Hero Branch wasn''t attacking him as much as they normally would have. It wasn''t him they were scared of. Instead, it was the person he had partnered up with.


    "Ah, greetings, Battery. Welcome back to the Alma Foundation!" Sitting behind a desk, dressed in a long lab coat, Nick Ale, also known as Nicholus Alma, threw his arms out. He was the roommate of Jack back in the day, and after Avalon''s betrayal, Laps had transferred the entire company to him. The Hero Branch had gone along with it at the time, assuming Alma would work for them just as he did back in the day. Instead, though they found themselves having the Alma Foundation, the thing he renamed Avalon Industry to, turning on them and siding with Battery. This basically gave the hero an entire company behind him that backed and funded him and meant the Hero Branch lost one half of their tech.


    "Do you have to greet me every time I come back?" Battery sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    Alma''s grin just grew larger, and the man shrugged. The office they were in was all the way at the top of the Alma Foundation, formerly Avalon Industry, tower. It was large and spacious, with a carpet and many paintings hung along the wall. It looked more like a living room than an office space, though it did have a desk, which Alma sat behind, and a series of large windows that allowed Battery to look down at the city below.


    Down below, he watched hundreds of people standing outside of the Alma Tower, all protesting. Rose, as well as the other cities, weren''t exactly happy with what he did. Just like the Hero Branch, they didn''t like the way he took over by simply flexing his power and forcing his new rules on everyone. Several of his Giants, each one being a lot smaller than normal, standing at only ten feet tall, stood guard outside of the building, stopping the people, as well as dozens of Hero Branch officers from getting in.


    "Your ratings came in." Alma stated. "After the battle with the Beast, you rapidly became one of the most searched heroes since your fight had happened live. Now though you''re one of the least popular heroes."


    Over on a couch watching the news, Tallest Wave, formerly Poseidon, let out a soft snicker. "Nine out of ten humans all agree they''d like the Victorian back compared to you." The girl lazily flipped her blue hair while her fiery red eyes watched the news talk about the newest good deed the fake Cinder performed. "There are riots going on in every city as well. You sure that your plan is going to work?"


    "It will." Battery''s hands remained in his pockets, but they clenched into a fist. "These people will get the salvation I bring them. Even if they don''t want it. Riots will die down in a few months or years. They''ll get used to having my Giants around and what I''m doing. Crime with villains has gone down a considerable amount since I''ve done this. My Giants simply eat all the villains they come across, so we also don''t have to worry about the bad guys eventually coming back since none of them can escape my Giant''s gut."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Tallest Wave folded her arms. "It doesn''t matter how good the actions are in the end; most people still hate you."


    "Are you one of them?"


    "I''m helping you, aren''t I?" Tallest Wave asked, raising her eyebrow. "You told me you''d make sure I don''t transform, and in exchange, I''ll make sure you stay on the narrow path and don''t stray too far yourself. You''re getting close, though. So be careful."


    Battery wanted to say more but was stopped when the door to the office suddenly opened. "Teacher!" A loud voice announced. Purrfect came skipping into the room and gave a grin. "Someone came by to see you."


    "Someone came to see Battery?" Alma asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who cares about him enough to come here? Also, how did they get past the crowd and Giants?"


    Purrfect''s grin just grew, and the girl turned, waving her hand out. "You can come forward now!" The sound of metal on stone came from out in the hall as someone walked forward. Silently, Beta stepped forward, entering the cushy office. The robot looked around, his red eye scanning everything and recording all that he saw for later. Battery felt a bit shocked to see the robot, but then his shock was replaced with a smirk. "Teacher, Beta showed up from out of nowhere and demanded to speak to you!"


    Battery folded his arms and leaned back against the window. "I was hoping to talk to you as well, Beta."


    "You were?" The machine kept scanning them all up and down, processing everything.


    "I was. I tried striking several deals with Boy Genius to get a conversation with you, but he kept turning me down." Battery shrugged. "It''s nice to know you''re here though."


    Beta seemed to let out a series of clicks. "I did not come of my own free will. I came because Boy Genius asked me to take you out."


    Everyone but Battery tensed up at that. Battery''s smirk just grew. "Take me out?"


    "Indeed." Beta clicked once more, and his chest unfolded and expanded, revealing something inside of him. A small golf ball forged out of solid metal resided. It hummed with a faint blue energy and spun rapidly. Tallest Wave felt a chill go down her spine when she saw it. "I am rigged to explode. This is a bomb, one created by Boy Genius. He has been very busy trying to come up with a way to beat you ever since you defeated the Victorian. This bomb was going to be used in the fight with the Beast but was deemed too strong. It would have wiped out the entire city. It will explode with the same force the Beast did, going forward for over one hundred miles, instantly vaporizing matter."


    Tallest Wave and Purrfect were on Beta in a second. Both girls struck out, but the machine was shockingly fast and easily dodged both strikes. In a flash, he was on the other side of the room, standing directly in front of Battery, as the orb got ready to explode. Alma let out a girlish scream and stood up so fast his chair fell back.


    Battery looked directly down into the red orb that stared up at him. "If you set that thing off, it''ll take out the entire city of Rose."


    "It will not." Beta placed his hand over the orb. "Because you are here. Despite your actions, you are still a hero. Boy Genius calculated that there is a high chance that you form a barrier over us and shield the city from the blast. Only you''ll be caught in it. In the event you stop and contain the blast, it is then set to form into a mini black hole that will rip you to bits. Thankfully Poseidon is here, and she can get rid of the black hole with her power over gravity before it harms the city. She won''t be able to do it fast enough though, and you''ll be caught in it. After using most of your energy to block the bomb, you''ll be tired and unable to shield yourself. Your atoms will come undone, and you''ll die. Should you survive this, however, Boy Genius has a satellite placed over this building. Once it''s all done, this satellite will unleash a powerful beam of energy that will melt this building down to less than ash. Only the people in this building will die, as well as those around it. That is, of course, an acceptable loss of causalities if it means stopping a villain like you. Finally, if that fails, he is set to come here himself with half his suits and do battle with you. You''ll be very injured and likely lose."


    Battery let out a soft hum. "It seems Boy Genius really thought this through." The man nodded. "He did make one mistake though."


    "And what is that?" Beta asked.


    "You''re not going to blow yourself up." Battery snorted and moved past the robot. "You wouldn''t have bothered to give me a play by play on how everything goes. So, let''s just skip these games and get straight to business. Why did you really come here?"


    Beta''s head almost seemed to cock to the side. "I was sent here by Boy Genius to be used as a bomb. You have been requesting to meet with me ever since you took down the Victorian. It was decided to use that fact to turn me into a bomb. That said, I am not built for combat. Not the model I''m in, at least. I was built to monitor and watch. My purpose is to record and stand on the sidelines of history. In human terms, I like learning about new things. That said, I cannot disobey a direct order from Boy Genius, and so I will self-destruct and take you out."


    Battery nodded his head and took a seat on Alma''s desk. The others in the room still hadn''t calmed down and were all on edge, staring at the bomb placed into Beta. It looked like it could go off at any second. If Beta so much as thought about blowing the building up, then it would happen. "The fact you haven''t exploded now though means there is something you want."


    "Boy Genius told me to blow myself up. He never told me when." Beta explained. "That''s why I''d like to have a conversation first. I''d like to learn what it is you''re doing. Boy Genius had a theory. Are you setting yourself up as a martyr figure? Do you plan on making yourself despised and hated so that someone else who comes along and beats you will be universally loved? Someone like Boy Genius or the Victorian if she has a rematch with you?"


    "Of course not." Battery scoffed. "I''m not playing the part of the bad guy, so some silly little hero can come down and beat me and claim the spot of the number one hero. The people still consider the Victorian to be the number one hero due to her power, but there is more to being the number one hero besides power. Any hero that can beat me might not fit the true criteria."


    "And what is the criteria?" Beta questioned.


    "We''re not soldiers. We''re heroes." Battery explained. "That means to be the number one hero; it isn''t about power, fame, or skill. It''s about how many people you save. The Victorian and Full Monarch both spent their entire lives saving people once they got the title. Nonstop, over and over, they would go to every city and even the villages and stop crime no matter what it was."


    "Yet you haven''t left Rose." Beta pointed out. "Since you forced your way into this city, you have stopped crime that appeared here, but you haven''t done anything else in any of the other cities."


    "Of course I have." Battery snickered and leaned back on the desk. "My plan has saved millions, maybe even billions. All in one move as well."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Over half the population of the world lives inside of the ten great cities." Battery stated in a blunt tone. "But there is still another half of humanity out there in the world. Those that live out of the cities. In the past, the only heroes that could stop crime out there were the Victorian and Full Monarch. The other Enforcers were ordered by the Hero Branch to stay in their city. I''m sure many of them truly didn''t understand the state the world was in. That''s why I''m showing them all. When I created my Giants, I placed them in every city and ordered them to kick the Enforcers out. This forced the Enforcers to be placed in the rest of the world. Many of them are strong, but they''re just mere Supers at the end of the day and can''t hope to match my Giants. Not without putting the entire city in danger, at least. Left with little option, they''d have to explore the rest of the world and find a place to set up shop. This means they''re now out there in the world, and since they all have some moral compass, when they see a village in trouble, they''ll jump in and stop it."


    "If your goal was to keep the villages safe, why did you only kick the Enforcers out?" Beta questioned. "Why not every hero? Wouldn''t it be better to show how strong you are by showing off the fact you can keep all cities safe by yourself?"


    "Unfortunately, I''m simply not that good." Battery sighed. "Even I have limits. My Giants have some issues. Ones I haven''t been able to get around yet. At the moment they can''t go into the underground or cover the entire city. They don''t need to, though. There are so many of them, and they''re all so big that all villains are forced to stay underground and perform their crimes. This is putting most of the civilians out of harm''s way. By keeping the other Sub Enforcers or Enforcer teams in the city, it allows them to go into the underground after the villains and do battle there. This also means the destructive battle is being done out of sight and away from where people live, lowering property damage as well as casualties. When a villain is beaten, my Giant can then swallow them up. The villain will be trapped in my Giant and forced into a slumber until I allow them to be spat out. The cities are being protected by other heroes still, and since crime is much slower, it gives the heroes more time to prepare. So, what would normally require an Enforcer to stop no longer does."


    Beta folded his arms. "I see. And when you said you saved billions, it was because of this, correct? You consider every person saved by the other heroes to be one you saved since you''re the one that set this all off. That is cheating in a way, is it not? The only reason something like this is able to happen is due to the many other heroes that are stepping up to the mantle. On top of that, you actually haven''t even managed to take every city over. One stands out of your reach."


    Across the world, Gladiolus City stood, totally Giant free. Up on top of a roof, Lightning Empress kicked her legs back and hummed a tune to herself. She had simply destroyed every Giant that tried to appear.


    Back in Alma Tower, Battery''s look turned sour for a moment. "The other cities are still being protected by me and are doing just fine. More importantly, though, I''m showing that we don''t need the Enforcers."


    "What do you mean?" Beta questioned.


    "Even if the people don''t like me, even if they hate my methods and want me dead, they''re still standing. When all Enforcers left, you''d think widespread panic would break out due to villain attacks. Yet that didn''t happen. Not just because of my Giants, but also because of the other heroes that had to step up. All across the cities, the other heroes are doing the job of the Enforcers. At the end of the day, the Enforcers truly aren''t that special. Yes, there are some special members like Boy Genius or the Victorian, but the rest of the members are a dime a dozen Supers you could find anywhere."


    "Why is it so important to show the world that they don''t need the Enforcers? You''ve focused on that a lot."


    "Simple. Because soon the Enforcers will be tasked with a new job that I''m going to give them." Battery explained. "A job that will require them, as well as myself, leaving all ten cities and going somewhere else. When this happens, I want to show the people as well as the villains that there is nothing that will change. The cities are doing just fine right now, and everything is under control. So, when I do move all the Enforcers into phase two of my plan, the people don''t need to worry, and the villains won''t be able to view this as their time to strike."


    "And what exactly is your plan?" Beta demanded.


    "I''m going to kill every Calamity." Battery announced. "Lucifer, the Emperor, the Beast, and even Legend. All of them, everything that threatens this planet. I''ll kill it all and wipe the world clean. Then I''ll kill myself and finally end this cycle."


    Beta looked Battery up and down slowly. "I don''t see that happening. It is one thing to say you''re going to save the world. It''s another to actually do it."


    "You''re right." Battery grinned. "That''s why I needed help. I couldn''t have done this at all without people like Lily or Purrfect."


    Beta turned to look at the two girls. "What part do you two play in all of this?"


    Tallest Wave lazily flicked her hair. "All powers have their cost. Battery''s are no different. Normally, creating so many Giants would be too much for him. He has to bear the burden of them all on himself and carry that weight. I''ve been using my power to lower the extra weight being placed on him from his constructs, allowing him to not be instantly crushed."


    "And Teacher taught me how to do something cool!" Purrfect announced, cutting into the conversation. The girl held her hands together. "Check this out. Shadow Clone!" The air around her shimmered, and suddenly a second Purrfect appeared.


    "She doesn''t need to say or do that to make a clone." Battery said flatly. "I taught her how to Invert. Her extra lives can be their own life and person. I mentioned my Giants aren''t perfect. That''s where she comes in."


    "I''m in every city that has a Giant." Purrfect bragged as she and her clone began to play rock, paper, scissors. "I monitor the Giants and direct them whenever something happens. I also watch and listen to everything across the city through them." One of the Purrfect''s lost the game of rock paper scissors, and the one that won flicked their claws out, slicing the other one directly in two. Its body faded and vanished once it died.


    Beta watched all of this and then looked to Alma. "I got a load of money and am funding him." Alma shrugged. "Also, I stopped donating to the Hero Branch and giving them free stuff, so they''re kind of in a panic, but because Laps went behind all their backs, they can''t do anything about it."


    Beta processed everything he heard. "It seems you have made your plan to the best your hand allows. Even if it might contain flaws and is a path I myself would not follow. I was built to watch. Made to monitor and study history. Sadly, however, I was created after the time of Full Monarch."


    "That makes you sad?" Battery questioned. Could machines really feel sorrow? Or was Beta even really a robot...


    "Yes. It does make me sad." Beta hummed. "I would have liked to watch his downfall. It was a historical moment. The day the previous number one hero failed to save the world. You''ve made many plans, and you''ve stretched yourself as wide as you can go to chase after some goal. I would have liked to see it play out. Watch the moment it all fails and you''re ultimately dethroned and beaten."


    "You can watch it all." Battery stated.


    Beta cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"


    Battery held a handout to the machine. "I want you on my side, Beta. I''d like for you to team up with me. That was the reason I kept bugging Boy Genius about you. I''m making a brand-new Pantheon. One that will be filled with actual godlike heroes that will save this world. I want you to be there. To record it all. It won''t be the story of my downfall, though. I want you to watch. Watch the story of Battery. The one who will save this world."


    Beta stared down at the hand and then slowly took it. "I still think this will be a tragic story. One in which everything you fight for goes up in flames and you die alone and afraid."


    "Maybe. Or maybe I''ll die the hero that saves everything."


    "We shall see." Beta let out a series of clicks, and his chest closed shut. "I still have to bomb you after all. Though Boy Genius never told me when. I''ll watch this story. I''ll record it all and show the world. And at the very end of your tale, I''ll be there to blow myself up and take you to hell. The place you belong. Until then, though, I look forward to seeing this story, Battery."


    Meanwhile, across the ocean in his lab, Boy Genius finished the last of his planning. "It should be about time. Any second now, Beta should be blowing himself up to take down Battery-"


    All of Nightshade suddenly shook, and the various doors throughout the building slid shut and locked. Lights shut off, and the prison stopped floating, crashing down to the waters below. Boy Genius felt himself be thrown around, and his eyes went wide. "W- What the hell!" His computer and everything he had access to had shut off on him.


    The speakers in his room hummed, and the voice of Beta came through. "Sir, there has been a slight change of plans. You could get in the way of the story, so I''ll be putting you in time out for a bit. This place will not be destroyed and can survive in deep space. It also has oxygen and food that will regularly appear, so you have no fear of death. I''ll let you out once Battery is dead, but as it stands, you''re currently the only hero that could truly stop him, now that the Victorian has given up."


    "Beta! What the hell are you doing?" Boy Genius screamed out.


    "You might be trying to speak to me; however, I turned my hearing off and will soon disconnect from this place so you cannot give me any orders. Do not worry, old friend; you will not die. When it''s time for you to come out, this story will have already ended. Goodbye."


    "Beta!" The rumbling didn''t stop, and slowly, Boy Genius realized it. He was now locked away in Nightshade. The very prison he built was now his cell...

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-One: Her Cool Friend Snowdawn

    The Hero Branch truck drove off, causing most of the destroyed road to rumble. It was a bit shocking that they were able to even get the ride to show up since Oleander wasn''t in the best condition, but the Branch really didn''t want to rely on Battery for keeping the villains contained. It was up in the air what would happen to Red Ape. He had been the only one captured.


    White Lamb and Doc both got away. Green Wolf apparently became some sort of creepy hive mind and was still out there in the world, while White Spider, Red Monkey, Black Shark, and Black Crow were all undead zombies who had been changed at some point when they were in Nightshade.


    Things had really changed a lot since the battle with the Beast. Not just with Oleander, but the entire world had seemingly entered a new age.


    The Victorian had been forced to leave the city once enough Giants appeared. Number one hero or not, the woman was still one of the strongest people on Earth yet seemed content with following Battery''s rules. Ruby Admiral had never wanted to be the number one hero and had instead been keeping the spot warm for when someone else could come and take it. Battery being the one she had been waiting for was doubtful, but the man proved he had the power to back up his words by besting the Victorian in combat.


    Myth had also been forced to leave. The man was now the leader of the Sub Enforcers and would be required to give reports to the Hero Branch on what happened and the state of his team. Despite how hated he had once been by the Branch, the people who ran it were willing to overlook anything and run with Myth while they focused on the true issue that Battery was becoming.


    That left just the four of them.


    "So, Cinder, is this your dad?" Purrfect asked in a sly tone. The cat-themed hero walked alongside them and gently reached out, poking Alexander Lauren in the shoulder.


    "Yes, I''m her father." Alexander said sheepishly. The man looked back at his daughter. "I''m still processing some stuff, but you can call me Alexander. Are you a friend of hers?"


    "Friend isn''t the exact term I''d use." Hope said with a snarky tone. She took a moment to glance at Purrfect. "She fought the Beast alongside me. I thought she had died during that fight, yet I find out she''s not only still alive but somehow in every city?"


    "Clones." Purrfect explained casually. "Those are all my clones. Teacher can''t control all of his Giants as well as he normally can, with so many being created and spread out across the world, so he is basically using me as a medium. I control them for him, and with my new Inverted power set, I can be anywhere or everywhere!"


    Paragon folded her arms, frowning. "That''s all fine and dandy, I guess, but why exactly are you following us?"


    Team Sub Enforcers and the Victorian had quickly left once all the excitement was gone. That meant it was just the four of them now that walked the streets of ruined Oleander, heading back to Sky''s base. She had wanted a bit of some alone time or something to talk to Sky, but her father was here also, and for some reason Purrfect had been following them around non-stop.


    The cat girl only gave a sly grin. "There is no us."


    "Huh?" Paragon frowned at the girl''s words.


    "I''m not following you or Alexander. I''m just following Cinder." Purrfect explained.


    "Why?" Cinder questioned sheepishly.


    "It''s simple!" Purrfect sprung forward and wrapped her arms around the restored girl''s, hanging off of Cinder''s arm tightly. Paragon''s red eyes almost seemed to explode with fire, and the Lord''s already white hair somehow grew brighter as Paragon reached for her sword. Purrfect ignored this though and instead went even further by placing her head on Cinder''s shoulder. "Like, I saw what you did in the Beast fight. Then again, most of the whole world did what with the fight being live streamed by Alice Ward and Boy Genius. You''re totally my type, so wanna go out or something?"


    She tried her best to speak, but it just sort of came out as a series of stutters. "I- er- well- I- you-" Her arm was pressed right between Purrfect''s chest as the seventeen-year-old hung off of her arm. She wondered briefly if she got her fire powers back because her face suddenly felt extremely hot, and she was sure steam was coming off of it.


    Paragon''s sword drawing snapped her out of her embarrassed moment though as the white-haired girl struck out at Purrfect, only for the cat girl to narrowly dodge. "Back off!" Paragon hissed out at the other hero. "She''s already dating someone!"


    "I am?" She asked, taken aback. "Who?"


    Paragon''s angry look then turned to her, and she flinched back, suddenly aware of how much stronger Paragon had become. "What do you mean, who?" Paragon yelled, flailing her arms around. "You literally kissed me after the Beast fight!"


    "O- Oh yeah." She chuckled sheepishly, shrinking down further. "I, uh... kind of forgot..."


    "You forgot!"


    "W- Well, a lot of stuff has been going on, and... I''m just going to stop talking now..." She suddenly felt like a kid again from how small she was hiding on the ground while Paragon glared down at her.


    Purrfect pouted a bit and shrugged. "Well, if she''s already yours, then I don''t want her." The cat-themed hero turned away, giving a lazy wave. "Watch your back though, Paragon. Teacher seemed to be keeping his eye on you last time I checked. Your sister also asked about you."


    Paragon''s sour look only grew worse. Purrfect jumped away, leaping high into the air, and vanished. "A- Are you okay?" She asked nervously to her friend.


    Paragon''s look turned back to her, and she shrunk down even further. "Y- You idiot. You really know the wrong things to say, don''t you?" Paragon growled and then spun away, stomping off down the street.


    She stood there awkwardly and jumped a bit when her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don''t worry." He said a bit sheepishly. "I didn''t get it for a while either."


    "Huh?"


    Her dad didn''t bother to explain what he meant any further. She followed after her dad and Sky, feeling a bit odd. Eventually, they arrived near the entrance to the subway station. She had seen the state of her city with Wyvern and then further after her battle with Red Ape, but actually walking the streets was another thing all together. Even at night, the streets would usually have some people walking around, but now they were strangely empty. Battery''s Giants had been working hard, and even now many were still clearing rubble, but Oleander could hardly be called a city anymore. It would take a few years, at least, before it even came close to reaching its former glory.


    "Why are we at the entrance to a subway station?" She asked once Sky stopped in front of it.


    "This is my base." Sky said, turning back. The girl''s angry look was finally gone, but their tone still wasn''t that happy.


    "You have a base?" She asked shocked.


    Sky''s head slowly nodded. "Yeah. After you... After the Beast fight, I formed it."


    "Your friend has been the one keeping us all safe." Her father explained, clapping her on the back. He had a wide grin on his face. "She''s really something, Hope, I''m telling you. She was able to beat back so many monsters and grunts that tried to attack our people. It was thanks to her we were able to form a community and work together."


    "Community?"


    "I think it''s better if you see for yourself." Sky had the slightest hint of a smirk now.


    They climbed down the stairs, entering the subway station, which opened up. Her eyes went wide when she saw the dozens of tents scattered around and the many people running around the platform. Children were playing various games, while adults cleaned clothes or began to cook whatever supply of food they had. She was instantly reminded of the island she had been on earlier. Those people had also been able to live amongst each other, forming a group. Sky had seemingly done the same, keeping an entire section of the city safe. She wondered briefly just how strong the other girl must have become.


    "Paragon''s back!" Someone shouted.


    That was all it took for the flood gates to open, and people began to rush them. Even before the Beast fight, Paragon had been pretty well known, due to the fact the girl was the daughter of Ocean Empress and one of the greatest healers in the world, but now it seemed Paragon had gained a large following.


    Over thirty people had swarmed the healer, shooting out a series of questions and requests. Sky managed to give another genuine smile as she talked to her people. "Mr. Lauren I''ll catch up once I deal with these people. Why don''t you take your daughter and go see your wife?"


    "If, you''re sure." She wanted to protest, but her father dragged her away. She looked back at Sky, who was still in the middle of talking to all the people. The girl looked happy. Happier than she had ever seen her before. "She''s really something you know." Her father patted her head as they walked to a tent in the back. "I''m serious, she''s the reason so many of us are still alive... Things were bad when you..." Her father trailed off slowly. "I''m glad you''re okay."


    She smiled softly and grabbed his arm gently. "Me too."


    No one seemed to recognize her in the subway station, despite the fact her identity had been revealed. She wasn''t too shocked by that, though. There were a few key differences between her and the other Cinder. For one, the fake Cinder had been based off the version of herself right before the Beast fight. Her hair had been short, stopping right before her shoulders. Wish had been the one to cause that; the girl had torn out a chunk of her hair, so she had been forced to get to cut it. Now the body she had had long hair that fell just before her lower back. It was actually even longer than it had been when she first started out as a hero. On top of that, though, her eyes were blue and her hair was a raven black, whereas the fake Cinder had golden hair and fiery red eyes. The last notable difference though was the scar.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She reached up and brushed the scar that went directly across her forehead. It was jagged and had faded by now. It was a wound she had gotten after her very first fight with Wish. Even after being turned into a child and then getting her old body back, it still wasn''t gone. That mark Wish had left on her still remained. It was in fact the only wound she still had that hadn''t left yet. No amount of healing seemed to get rid of it.


    "Are you okay?" Her father asked when he noticed her rubbing her head.


    "Yeah. I''m fine. Is mom okay?"


    Her father rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "She''ll be a lot better once she sees you."


    They stopped outside of the tent. Her enhanced hearing was back, and it allowed her to hear the soft humming that came from inside. It wasn''t from her mother, though. It was coming from something else. Something she had heard before. From beneath the tent, a faint blue light gushed out.


    She moved the curtain away and saw her mother. Her mom rested on a sleeping bag, and in the woman''s arms was a large metal pod. The thing had seemingly come to life and almost wrapped itself around the other woman, humming softly. Blue light kept seeping out of it, but it all stopped once she entered.


    Her mother let out a soft sigh. "You were gone for a while, Alexander."


    "Mom." She croaked out.


    Instantly her mother''s look changed, and the woman''s head rose up looking at the entrance.


    For a moment, Jane''s eyes stared at Alexander, then they slowly turned to look at the young raven-haired girl that stood next to the man. "Hope?"


    She didn''t have time to say anything as she was tackled into a bone-crushing hug from both the woman and the metal pod. The two of them squeezed down on her hard, causing her to gasp and groan. She could feel her muscles and bones ache from how hard she was being hugged.


    "M- Mom, I think you''re going to kill me." She squeaked out, already seeing stars. Her mom didn''t say anything and just began to cry softly. She felt her own eyes tear up, and Alexander crouched down, wrapping his arms around both her and her mother. "It''s okay." She finally managed to say. "I''m okay."


    "Y- You''re really you?" Her mother sobbed out.


    "As far as I know?" She chuckled.


    "You should have seen her earlier, Jane!" Her dad said with wide eyes. "She was so short and tiny! I was able to pick her up and swing her around!"


    "Don''t say embarrassing things like that, dad!"


    "But it was so cute!"


    Her mother''s arms grew tighter around her. "Don''t ever disobey me ever again! Next time I tell you to leave Oleander, you leave Oleander! You won''t ever be fighting something like the Beast again! In fact, I don''t want you fighting ever again!"


    "But mom-"


    "No buts!" Her mother still hadn''t stopped crying yet and was somehow still scolding her. "I gave you one rule when I said you could be a hero. You have to save yourself! You didn''t do that! D- Do you have any idea how much I was worried!"


    She rubbed her mom''s back softly. "I''m sorry I made you worried." The pod let out a series of beeps, and metal tendrils seemed to wrap around her waist. "You too, I guess?"


    "I agree with your mother." Alexander slowly pulled away from them. "This is the reason I never wanted you to get powers, Hope. It''s dangerous. You died!"


    "What!" Her mom said in shock.


    "I only sort of died." She winced, trying to defend herself. "I mean, the fact the Pod here is still connected to me proves it." She brushed her fingers over the metal. "I''m still a Lord. I survived the Beast fight. If I can walk out of that, then I''m pretty sure I can survive anything."


    "I don''t care." Her mom said softly. The woman pulled away and shook her head. "I don''t want you getting hurt like that ever again. I... I thought I was going to die from how much I was hurting."


    She looked away, not meeting her mother''s gaze. "Mom. I''m Cinder. I''m a superhero. Look. We can talk about this later. There''s still a lot that needs to be figured out. But I promise you. Both of you. I won''t ever lose like that again." She looked at both her mom and her dad. "You don''t ever have to worry about me again."


    "Hope''s right." They all jumped when they heard the voice of Sky. The healer had finally managed to get through the crowd and walk over. "About discussing this all later, I mean. Right now, we should focus on other things."


    "Like what?" She asked.


    "Well, for one, we should get you more clothes." Sky said a bit embarrassed. "I didn''t mean to stare, but... Wow."


    She jumped back, covering herself up, as her face turned a bit red. "What the hell, Sky?" Her clothes had gotten pretty banged up throughout the day, and her sudden growth spurt had only caused them to get worse. She wasn''t in her super suit nor her Kevin suit. Nothing too bad was showing, but she felt a little embarrassed by Sky''s looks all of a sudden. Her father took off a coat he was wearing and placed it over her. "Thanks."


    "Of course." Her father smiled.


    "Your parents have been living here ever since the Beast stuff went down." Sky explained. "You''re also welcomed to stay here. We have food and have been managing well."


    She nodded softly. "That does sound nice."


    "More importantly, though, you don''t really have a choice." Sky sighed.


    "What does she mean, Hope?" Her mother asked.


    "Well..."


    She awkwardly tried to explain what happened. Slowly she thought back to what went down on the roof tops when Purrfect had been there.


    "She should be in the Sub Enforcers!"


    "No! She should be my side kick!"


    "No! She should be in the Sub Enforcers! I was her previous team leader, and we have all her friends!"


    "Well, I''m the hero she idolized, and I have a way to greatly power her up! It''s only natural she should be my new side kick! She''ll be the second coming of Full Monarch and take down Battery!"


    Both Myth and the Victorian seemed to be butting heads, the two heroes glaring at one another. Finally, they turned and shot looks at her. "Pick, Cinder!" They both screamed.


    She shrunk down and hid behind Sky. Slowly, she peeked over the Lord of Life''s shoulder. "D- Do you both promise not to be mad when I pick-"


    "Pick!" Everyone shouted at her.


    Sky reached up and patted her hand. "It''s okay, Hope. Do whatever you want."


    She nodded her head slowly and managed to calm her beating heart. The Victorian, Myth, Purrfect, Wasp Nest, Oxide, Metal Ronin, and even Sky and her own farther were all staring at her eagerly waiting to hear what she''d pick. She closed her eyes and gave her answer.


    "Neither."


    "What do you mean, neither!"


    Just like that, shouting began as all sides yelled at her this time, and she hid behind Sky even further. Sky just sighed and shook her head, shielding her from the yells.


    The Victorian''s arms folded, and the golden woman literally stared through Sky to look at the Lord of the Sun. "Explain yourself, Cinder. Now."


    She peeked back out from behind Sky''s shoulder once more. "I did a lot of thinking on my way over here. I''d love to be your sidekick and have you train me. Likewise, I''d love to join Myth''s team and fight alongside my friends once more. There''s a reason I can''t pick either of your sides, though."


    "And why''s that?" Myth asked, also folding his arms.


    She stood up fully and looked down at her city for a moment. "I''ve decided. I don''t want to be a superhero that works for the Hero Branch." She met both Myth''s and the Victorian''s eyes. "I can''t agree with everything they''ve done. Victorian, you''re still working for them, aren''t you?"


    The golden-haired woman bit her lip and looked away. "Cinder. I get they made you mad, but the Hero Branch is a group that owns all ten cities and all the heroes. You can''t just not work with them."


    "The Victorian is right." Myth sighed. "Even on Pantheon, we still had to work for the Branch to an extent. They fund everything about being a hero. They build your weapons and costumes as well as give you medical attention when you need it. They also capture the villains you hold and pay for all the damage heroes cause. If you tried going against the Branch, then you''d be billed for every street or building you destroy, and they wouldn''t even bother capturing the villains you contain. They might even send other heroes after you. You being a Lord means they''d be even more strict about letting you run around as an independent hero. I get that they used your image, and what they did does make me sick, but they literally run our world. They''re practically the ones in charge of everything."


    "I don''t care." She looked her former leader in the eyes. "This has nothing to do with the fake Cinder." That was a bit of a lie. It had some stuff to do with it. "I saw things. I saw the past. I know stuff. Like, I know who you used to be, Ruby." Her gaze caused the Victorian to flinch. "I''ve seen the Branch do good, and I''ve seen them do a whole lot of bad. Maybe they are the only thing keeping this world in order. And maybe getting rid of them would cause more issues than it would fix, and that''s why you haven''t done anything about them, because at the end of the day, the ends justify the means. I''m not that smart; I get that, but I can''t stand by and work for a system like this." She clenched her hands into a tight fist. "I''m not going to get in their way, and I won''t try to stop them. But I also won''t be a cog in their machine. I''m the hero Cinder. And the version of Cinder I want to be is someone who can save Oleander City. I don''t think that will happen if I keep working for the Branch."


    "Are you seriously trying to make it as a solo hero?" The Victorian scowled.


    "Are you going to keep listening to the Hero Branch?"


    The Victorian didn''t bother answering her. Instead, the woman just lifted off of the ground. "Whatever. I offered to give you the Cosmos piece I have back, but I''ll just keep it then. I''ll keep an eye on you because this silly plan will fail. Maybe you''ll be smarter next time we talk." Then, just like that, the golden woman was gone.


    She felt a little hurt, but she looked back at her former team member. "Myth?"


    The man sighed. "I get what you''re wanting to do, Hope, but this is an entire system. It isn''t something that can be beaten by being the strongest. Even Full Monarch wasn''t able to get rid of all the evil that is in the Hero Branch. He did use them for a force of good. It''s because of the Hero Branch that the world can still move on even after so much evil."


    "Maybe." She turned away. "But I''m going to follow my own path-"


    "Is this because of Battery?" Everyone went silent when Sky spoke up, her eyes trained on Hope. "You can be honest, Hope. The Hero Branch despises Battery. They want him dead and have been working with Boy Genius to stop him. All because of what he''s done recently. Is the reason you''re refusing to work with the Branch related to him? Because you know that once you got the piece of the Cosmos or the backing of a Sub Enforcers, they''d order you, the next Lord of the Sun, to go kill the villain known as Battery?"


    "It''s been a long day." She casually threw her arms behind her head. "I think we should all get some rest."


    She never bothered to answer that question.


    That had been the event leading to her walking alongside Sky, Purrfect and her father. Slowly the memories faded as she found herself back in the tent with her parents.


    "So, you decided to make enemies of the Hero Branch." Her mother let out a heavy sigh and slumped down. "Can''t you just do anything normal for once, Hope?"


    "Nope." She said flatly. "I refuse. That''s the coward''s way!"


    Sky bonked her on the head gently. "We don''t want you doing anything that''ll get you hurt, idiot! Why can''t you just take better care of yourself?"


    "Because I have you around to patch me back up." She shrugged.


    Her words caused Sky to look away and mutter a few things under her breath. She felt her father''s hand on her shoulder, and she looked back up, meeting his eyes. He was giving her a thumbs up. "Way to save it. You made up for the disaster that was earlier. Keep lines like that coming."


    "Huh?" She made a face at him.


    Sky recovered and sighed. "It''ll be dangerous moving forward. I doubt Myth will do anything, but the Victorian is sort of a bitch at times. No offense, since I know you look up to her, but that golden woman might seriously attack you if the Branch orders it because you turned her down."


    She shuddered a bit, imagining the number one hero charging at her. Slowly though, she steeled her nerves. "That''s okay."


    "Is it?" Sky asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, you don''t even have your fire or anything like that?"


    "She doesn''t?" Her mom asked, frowning.


    She shook her head and looked down at her hand once more. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t get a spark of fire to come out, and her hair refused to change. She also still didn''t hear the Brightest Star. "There''s a couple of things I''ll try. For now, I''ll just hide behind Sky."


    "How... Brave of you?" The white-haired girl asked, cocking her head to the side. "I guess it''ll be a nice role reversal, though. This time you''ll be the damsel in distress."


    She chuckled before slowly remembering something. "Oh yeah, there''s actually something I''ve been meaning to ask."


    "What''s that?" Sky asked.


    "I didn''t see Snowdawn with Myth. What team did he join?"


    Instantly, the atmosphere in the room changed. All the smiles were gone, and her mother once again let out a broken sob. She suddenly felt an intense sense of dread.


    "W- Where is he?" Her voice broke a bit. "I- I mean, I''m sure he''s with your sister or something, right? S- She trained him. H- He''d be in Lillian. Right."


    Sky looked down, not meeting her eyes. "Hope..."


    "Where''s Armin!"


    "Hope!"


    "I was told he was still alive! Your sister told me! He was in the ocean! Where is he?"


    "I''m sorry."


    "Sky!"


    "He didn''t make it."


    Her entire world seemed to shatter and break at those words. Armin Moore, the hero Snowdawn, her best friend, and basically her brother, was dead.


    She felt tears begin to fall down her face. "That''s... N- Not... Cool." He would have been proud that she made a cold pun.

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Two: There Is No Reason To Feel Hatred Toward Something Like This

    A Few Years Ago...


    "That''s cheating!" Hope whined.


    Armin snorted and pressed a button on his controller, causing his character in the video game to dodge Hope''s character and hit back with a counter strike. "It isn''t cheating. I''m using a basic combo."


    "Those are too hard for me to memorize, though." Hope''s head dropped a bit. She was over at her best friend''s house playing some new fighting game he had bought that had characters based around the Enforcers. Armin was playing as Ocean Empress while she had, of course, selected the Victorian. She was confident the Victorian could win any fight with any other character on the roster list in real life, yet with her at the controls, she had watched her beloved hero lose again and again.


    Armin''s grin only grew as he entered a series of fast button presses, causing Ocean Empress to spin around and strike out with a fast-moving water whip. "You''re just really bad at this game." The boy taunted.


    Hope just huffed and folded her arms as her character''s health dropped to zero and she lost the match yet again. "Whatever. I''m still way better at Dark Monarch than you are." Dark Monarch was a very challenging game. One in which you played a character who had the ability to come back from the dead over and over, and the goal was to defeat all sorts of bosses and collect their souls to bring the world back to an era of peace. She was proud to say she''s done several no-hit runs and almost succeeded at half of them.


    Armin just shrugged at her childish response. He slumped down a bit in his chair, and the grip on his controller loosened a bit. "Things have been a bit weird this year, huh."


    "Tell me about it." She sighed and fell onto her back, staring up at the roof of his house. "I can''t believe the Beast and Lucifer both attacked during the same year." The image of Lucifer caused her stomach to rumble a bit. Part of her was always wishing for power just so she could attempt to stop the monster that ruined her family''s life.


    "How are you holding up?" Armin asked, nudging her leg.


    "I guess I''m managing." She shrugged. "Why are you asking?"


    Armin looked a bit guilty for a moment as he stared down at her. "I sort of overheard my dad talking to your mom on the phone. Things haven''t been going that well for her..."


    Her frown grew, and she folded her arms, still looking up at the roof. "Yeah. I guess money has been a bit tight. I haven''t really been able to eat at the house since mom is so busy. I''m glad I can come over here and hang out."


    Armin nodded his head, his smile coming back. "That''s right. You''re free to come over at any time. My dad won''t mind." The switched the channels of his TV, turning the game off and putting on some show talking about the life of Pretty Face, who had recently fought the Beast, landing one attack. "Are your grades still good?"


    "What are you, my mom?" She rolled her eyes and flipped over onto her stomach, staring at the TV now while Armin sat next to her. "If you really want to know, I''ve been keeping up a solid B plus grade!" She bragged.


    "That''s better than me." Armin snorted. "No matter how hard I study, I fail to get my grades up at all."


    "Mine are so good because I cheat!" She announced proudly. "I stay up late the night before a test and read my textbook on whatever subject the test is on and memorize it!"


    "That''s called studying... You just study."


    "Calling it cheating sounds cooler though."


    "You''re a nerd." Armin said flatly.


    "Hey, you''re the one who looks like the stereotypical nerd."


    Armin let out another snort before his look grew serious. "Speaking of nerds, you know that boy Chester? He''s sort of that science geek boy."


    "Yeah? What about him?" She worked with Chester once or twice on some projects, though she didn''t really know anything about the boy and could hardly remember what he even looked like.


    "I heard he has a crush on you." Armin smirked. "Want me to pass on a good word to him?"


    "Pass." Her face crunched up a bit and she shook her head. "I''m not interested in him."


    "What gives?" Armin folded his arms once more and looked away from the TV, staring down at her. "I thought we were at that age where dating would be something we attempted to do. My pull game is trash, and girls keep avoiding me, but I know you''ve gotten a few boys that pinned after you. How come you''re not interested in them?"


    She casually flipped her hair and let out a hum as she watched the TV. Her eyes lit up as it stopped showing Pretty Face and instead showed off the number one hero. The one and only Victorian. The woman was heavily bandaged after her back-to-back battle with the Beast and Lucifer but was still somehow standing flawlessly in front of the camera. "You know." She said, slowly staring up at the number one hero. "I think I just prefer girls?"


    "Okay? Neat, I guess. I also like girls. Does that mean we have to be rivals?"


    "Nah." She giggled softly. "Pretty sure the ladies would prefer me over you."


    "Ow..."


    Armin''s hurt look didn''t last long. Soon he was chuckling, which caused her to giggle. Then they were full on laughing. The living room was just filled with the sounds of two fourteen-year-old kids having fun.


    She was glad to be here during this moment. After all, Armin was her best friend. More than that. Armin was her brother.


    ***


    Present Day...


    "Is she going to be, okay?" Jane Lauren asked quietly.


    "I''m not sure." Sky sighed and folded her arms. "It''s been over a month since the Beast attack happened for us. We''ve all had plenty of time to process those we lost and rest. For Hope though, it must have been like only a day passed. From what I know, she''s been running around non-stop burning through her energy and only just now got her normal body back. Things are still wrong with it, though." Sky shook her head again. "I''m not shocked that she''s tired."


    "Hope could use the rest." Alexander nodded softly and squeezed down on his wife''s hand. "I''m just glad you''re finally up and moving around."


    "I''m not." Jane said flatly. "My body is killing me." The raven-haired woman leaned on the shoulder of her husband. Her body was slowly getting used to standing again, her legs shaking a bit as they struggled to keep her up.


    "That''s what you get for staying in bed for months straight."


    The three of them stood outside of the tent Jane had been staying in since the Beast attack. It was in there that Hope Lauren had finally collapsed. It seems the news of Armin had been the last straw for the Lord''s tired body. A lot had happened in such a short amount of time, and yet at the same time things had seemingly been stuck in limbo. The underground was still bustling with people going back and forth, and Sky couldn''t help but watch her people. She had been the one to save them all, and it was through her power that something like this was even possible. For weeks she had felt suffocated, like the pressure of keeping them all safe would crush her or something. She was glad Hope was back now. Together, she was confident the two of them could do anything.


    "I''ll give Jane a look over with my power." Sky spoke up, slowly unfolding her arms. "Why don''t you check up on Hope and the Pod, Mr. Lauren?"


    Alexander nodded and slowly handed his wife off to Sky, who helped the tired woman slowly sit on the ground. "I''ll be right back." The man nodded and headed for the tent that Hope slept in.


    Jane watched her husband walk off slowly. Sky stood behind the older woman and placed a hand on Jane''s neck. Instantly, her Lord of Life powers flared up, and she was able to view Jane''s cells and DNA, checking out the state the woman''s body was in. "Your muscles have grown a bit weaker due to not moving around enough, and you''re still a little malnourished and dehydrated." Sky said softly. "You should start excursing a bit and eat and drink regularly once more."


    "I know." Jane bowed her head down. "You and Alexander were both there trying to help me, but my body just..."


    "It''s okay. Hope''s back now. You don''t need to go through that anymore."


    "I do though." Jane shook her head. "Because she''s going to still try and be a hero. You know that, right? It isn''t fair. I don''t like that the world we live in requires kids like you to do things like this. I don''t like you being one either, Sky. You shouldn''t have to put all this responsibility on your shoulders."


    Sky''s lips curled up a bit. "No one is forcing me to do this, just as no one is forcing Hope. I''m pretty sure even if she didn''t have powers, she''d be doing something. She was always the type of person who would throw herself into danger without thinking things through. Likewise, I''m the one who decided I wanted to walk down this path myself. Helping all of you out is my choice." For a moment she found herself thinking of Wish, then of the Emperor, and finally the image of Battery came to her mind as well as the words he said to her during the battle with the Beast. "I''m tired of thinking I''m going to end up like any of them. I stayed put and did nothing for too long due to that fear. I won''t do that anymore, though. I''m going to be a hero and walk this path to prove to myself that I''m not like any of them. This is my power. My choice."


    "You say that, yet you can''t turn your Lord form off." Jane sighed.


    Sky reached out and took a strand of her white hair, looking at it with a frown. She didn''t like how it made her look just like Wish. Wish had copied her body, and the girl had always been in her Lord form, having the fiery red eyes and white hair that proved it. Now she basically looked exactly like the nemesis. It made her skin crawl at times. It didn''t help that damn voice wouldn''t leave her alone. Always in her ear, whispering softly. It pissed her off.


    "I''m in control still." Sky noted. "I''m going to use this power. You don''t have to worry about your daughter, Ms. Lauren. I''ll protect her and keep her safe. It''s the least I can do for the amount of times she''s saved me."


    "It would be nice, wouldn''t it?" Jane smiled softly. "All of us staying here and rebuilding our own little community. Even if Oleander is never rebuilt, we''d be able to make some sort of difference down here. That''s the thing though. I don''t know if Hope is the kind of person that would truly be satisfied with something this small. Not anymore, at least. She''s one greedy hero."


    Alexander stepped out of the tent, and instantly Sky felt her stomach flip when she saw the look on the man''s face. He hurried over to them and folded his arms. "Hope''s gone."


    "What!" Jane went to stand, but her legs nearly gave out, causing the woman to stumble into the arms of her father.


    Sky stood up and began to head for the exit. "I''ll go look for her. She couldn''t have gotten far."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I''ll come with you-"


    "No." Sky cut Alexander off and shook her head. "Please. Let me. I failed to bring your daughter back once before. I won''t this time. I promise."


    "Sky, you know we don''t blame you for that. You don''t have to hold onto that guilt-"


    "I''m not Sky." She turned away and made her way to the exit. "I''m the superhero Paragon."


    Paragon made her way back up top. Not a lot of time had passed, so it was still night. The moon hung above the sky, and the Giants kept roaming around. She glared at them but ignored them for the most part. Oleander, even in its destroyed state, was massive. There were hundreds of hiding spots someone like Hope could have gone to. She''d have to be on the lookout to spot the raven-haired girl-


    The city rumbled a bit, and a large shattering sound echoed out on the other side of the city near the beach of Oleander. "I''m guessing she''s over there." Sky said flatly.


    The white-haired girl took off at her top speed. Even before she had become a lord, her body had been getting slightly stronger and faster. It was what allowed her to keep up with Wish even slightly. Now that she was a Lord, she had the inhuman strength and speed she had been lacking. That power was further boosted by her Lord state, which she was no longer able to turn off. The Lord form tended to give a ten times boost to everything, so on top of having an enhanced body, she was being further boosted by her transformation. She went even faster by using her Inverted realm ability. Her world would appear beneath her in a ten-foot radius around her, changing the street into grass. It followed her as she ran and would change more of the city as she blitzed across it, though the city would change back to normal once it left her ten-foot radius.


    In her realm, she was far stronger and faster, getting a huge boost. That boost remained the same whenever she summoned a portion of her world and stood on it. So, by using it and her Lord form, she was basically cheating and getting several power-ups that all stacked together. That was how she had been able to keep up with the Beast at all and fight alongside Hope. After all, if she had a strength of two and then entered her Lord form, it would go up to a strength of twenty. Her realm power was a further ten times boost so that twenty would actually be two hundred. And just like all the Lords, she was rapidly growing stronger and better every day, so she definitely wasn''t just a simple two anymore.


    It was thanks to all these boosts and power-ups that Sky literally zipped across the city, moving like a white blur. She wasn''t as fast as someone like Battery or the Victorian, but her speed was still very impressive. She moved quicker than any car, and no one in the city was even able to witness her move as she ran past them. She eventually came to a sliding stop in front of the entrance to a familiar place.


    The garbage of Oleander had all piled up on the beach, forming a literal maze of trash. Lily would come here often to train with Armin when the boy had asked to get stronger. It was also where Metal Ronin would get most of his trash and other parts to build his suits. She also knew that it was where Hope would go to train.


    Standing in the center of the maze, surrounded by massive holes and falling apart trash heaps, Hope Lauren stood breathing heavily. The girl had cut her long hair at some point, though Sky had no idea when, and it fell just before Hope''s shoulders. Hope had also finally gotten a change of clothes that fit her, wearing a simple T-Shirt and sweatpants. On the girl''s arm was a large metal shield that seemed to hum and glow. Hope gritted her teeth and stepped forward, slicing out with her arm and easily ripping through a large metal wall with the shield. It was almost like the thing was crazy sharp and could slice through anything. The wall came tumbling down and shattered, once again shaking the city.


    Sky frowned softly and stalked forward slowly. "Hope?" The raven-haired girl looked tired. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from where she had been crying earlier, and her hair hadn''t been cut all that well.


    "We trained here." Hope''s shoulders deflated a bit, and the girl sighed. "Armin and me. This place has always left a sour taste in my mouth. It was where I first got my powers and where Kyle took me to try them out. Armin and I would often come here and practice every day when we weren''t going on missions with Pantheon. Mr. Larison would also take me here to practice. He taught me how to properly throw a punch and some other moves, and it was thanks to him that I was able to use my Lord form so well. Lois and I would hang out here, too. She would use her power and give me tips on things. I just found out recently she''s not on Myth''s team. She changed her name and is now the Lord of the Sky. For that to happen, it means Max Lightning isn''t there. I wasn''t there for her when her father died. I wasn''t there for Myth when his team fell apart. I wasn''t there for Mr. Larison to keep him on the right path, and now he''s gone off the deep end. I wasn''t there for you either when you were saving my parents and keeping people safe. And I wasn''t there for my best friend when he died. I don''t know what his last words were or what he wanted or anything. He''s been dead for weeks, and I haven''t even once thought of him."


    Hope let out a soft growl and swung out with her shield once more, easily ripping a car in two as the metal weapon on her arm cut through it like a hot knife through butter.


    "Where''d you get that shield?" Sky asked slowly. The one Battery had made for Cinder had been totally destroyed in the battle with the Beast along with Hope''s costume. This shield was a little larger and far sharper on the edge, and it looked like it was made of pure silver.


    Hope lazily held her arm out, and the shield began to squirm and bubble up as if it were alive. It sort of reminded her of Oxide''s power. It took the shape of a small glowing blue ball and hummed with energy before shifting back into its shield form. "It''s my Pod." Hope explained wiping at her eyes. "It followed me when I ran over here. It turned itself into a shield, and I''ve been using it to get rid of some of the stress I have." She swung out again and tore down another wall of trash, kicking up a massive wave of dust.


    "You shouldn''t be here." Sky shook her head. "You haven''t had time to rest since any of this happened. When''s the last time you even had something to eat? Your body has gone through several changes, and I''m sure you''re tired."


    "I don''t have time to rest." Hope growled. "Resting is what caused all of this mess to happen. If I had just been there, then maybe things could have changed and gone differently. But no! Instead, I was just too weak, just like always! Now I don''t have my powers!"


    "You have some of them." Sky winced. "Like your strength, speed, and durability. Your enhanced senses as well. It''s just your fire that hasn''t returned."


    "And that''s why I can''t just sit by and do nothing! Everyone is counting on me! I''ll just have to make due with what I have until my powers return!"


    "I don''t know if they will..."


    Hope''s eyes went wide, and she spun around, staring at Sky in shock. "What do you mean? You said I just needed to consume a fire source or something, right? It could be just like in your realm. I could eat that sun you create or something and get them back, right?"


    Sky shook her head. "That wouldn''t be enough, Hope."


    "I- What are you saying?"


    Sky looked back up at Hope sadly. "I can see powers. Ever since I became a Lord of Life, I''ve been able to see not just DNA but the souls of people as well. That was how I knew Green Wolf was in a cloned body. The clone on a physical level was a perfect match for you, but the soul inside was wrong. When I looked at you during the Beast fight, I saw your soul. Supers have two. It would be your soul and the soul of the Brightest Star. Your soul looks almost like your strongest transformation. A massive, powerful star that took the shape of a person. Now though whenever I look at you, all I see is..."


    "What." Hope asked slowly. Her throat suddenly felt dry and hollow.


    "It''s just darkness." Sky admitted. "I can tell it''s you, but it''s also like it''s not. Like you''re not the Hope that fought the Beast. Instead, it''s more like you''re all that''s left. As if the pieces of Hope''s soul and the pieces of the Brightest Stars soul were shattered and destroyed and then merged together. Despite being a Super, you have one. A single soul that resides in your body. You mentioned you couldn''t hear the Brightest Stars voice anymore. I don''t know if it''s because he''s dead or he''s been reduced to such a small extent he might as well be gone. Your soul has one big hole right through it. A black hole that will need to consume more than even a star to reignite. Honestly, if you wanted even a fraction of your Lord power back, you''d need to fill that hole up with something like what the Victorian was willing to give you. You need a lot of power."


    Hope''s shoulders slumped down a bit, and the girl nearly collapsed due to how exhausted she was, but she forced herself to remain standing. She felt strangely hollow, and now it made sense. Avalon mentioned that the Brightest Star had used their own form to restore and create that small body she had been in. That was all that was left of her. She had died; her body had been blown to bits, and her soul had likely shattered. The Brightest Star''s own torn in half soul must have clung to her, and thanks to the Lord''s power, a new body was formed, one that housed whatever was left of both of their crumbling souls, which had merged into one. It was hard to say if she was even truly Hope Lauren anymore, or just remnants of what that girl had been and what a Lord should be. She might have had her body back, thanks to borrowing biomass from Green Wolf, but powers came from the soul, and the only soul in this body was a destroyed mess barely clinging to life. In a way, her soul was like Mr. Larison''s heart had been. A shriveled-up mess with a large hole through it that had power constantly seeping out.


    She shook her head, erasing the bad memories and thoughts. She tightened the shield on her arm and swung out once more. Her weapon easily cleaved straight through a wall of scrap, ripping it apart and causing it to collapse down. She struck out again at an old boat, cutting it down, then she swatted her arm forward and cleaved part of the ocean in two with her strike. Her arms and legs felt tired, and her lungs burned, but she didn''t stop.


    "I don''t care." She finally managed to gasp out. "I don''t care whose soul is in this body or what state it is in. I don''t care if I have the power of a Lord or not. I''m still Cinder." She felt tears burn her eyes, and she wiped at them. "I''ll just become so strong that even without my fire powers, I''ll win. I''m not going to let everyone who is counting on me down. I can hear them. Constantly."


    Her enhanced senses hadn''t turned off. It was like the switch had been flipped on and then broke ever since she got to the beach. Thanks to what the Hero Branch did, the world knew who Cinder was. Constantly all across the city, the country, and the planet itself, people were calling out for her. Cinder was being sun to the heavens. So many people needed her help. More now than ever.


    "You need to rest, Hope." Sky said quietly.


    "I need to get stronger! So, I can save them all! That''s the only way I can face Armin and look him in the eyes when I next see him. I let him die-"


    "You didn''t."


    "I did-"


    "If you let him die, then I let you die." Sky''s words caused Hope to go silent. "Do you think that I didn''t beat myself up about it? I looked your parents in the eyes. I told them, promised them, that I would make sure you would come back. That you would return. I went to the battlefield and disobeyed Ward just to save you and everyone in the city. Not only did I fail to save you, but I also failed to save my mom." Sky''s voice broke for a moment, and the girl rubbed her eyes, letting out a soft growl. "I even looked Battery in the eyes and told him I''d save you, and yet I didn''t. Now because of me, he''s the way that he is. Worse yet, I lost my sister. I haven''t seen her in months, and she''s been following after him like some sort of lost puppy. You want to blame someone for all of this? Then blame me. It''s all my fault. Because I let you die. I''m the reason you''re like this and the reason you couldn''t save any of them. So, either hate me or drop it. But stop hating yourself. So many other heroes failed. It isn''t just you who couldn''t hold all that expectation on your back. There is no reason to feel hatred toward something like this."


    Hope''s arms shook, and she slowly collapsed to her knees. "What do I do then? It feels like I''ve made no progress. Like I''ve been shoved so many steps back. I still need to get stronger. I don''t want to just do nothing."


    Sky walked forward and slowly wrapped her arms around Hope. "You don''t have to do nothing. If you want to try and get stronger than do that. Right now, though you need to rest. You can walk down the path of being a hero later. You''re still a kid. Even if this is the path we walk, no one should be able to put blame on us for stopping and resting. Our lives are just as important. We''re allowed to fail and mess up, because it''s through our mistakes that we can keep growing and save other people."


    Hope felt her body ease up as she rested in Sky''s arms. She felt really tired. The constant fighting and moving around had caught up to her a while ago. It was hard to even keep her eyes open. "I just want to make a difference."


    "And you will. You''re Cinder. You''ve already saved so many people. You''ve saved me countless times now. Just because you''re a hero doesn''t mean you can''t be saved by others. It''s your turn to rest. Whatever it is you''re planning, you can do it another time. The world isn''t going to go anywhere. Not overnight."


    "I guess." Her eyes shut, and she breathed out. She could still feel the metal that clung to her arm, and it twisted and changed, forming into a small silver glove just like how her old shield would change into a bracelet. "I still have so much to do. I still have a goal I want to reach. I won''t stop chasing after it until I''ve reached it. I want a happy ending. One for everyone."


    "Everyone includes yourself."


    "Yeah. You''re right." She nodded softly and leaned back into Sky''s arms. "I''ll worry about it later, then, I guess. I''m still Cinder. I''m still the hero that is going to save Oleander City."


    "And I''m the hero, Paragon. The hero who is going to make sure people like you don''t push yourselves too far. Battery, the Victorian, and you all need to realize that none of you are Full Monarch. None of you can do everything he was able to do."


    "I know that." She argued. "I never wanted to be the next Full Monarch, and I never thought of myself as the next version of him. Since the beginning, I knew that I''d only be able to get as far as I could with the help of the amazing people around me." For a moment, her mind went to her team. Lois, Mr. Larison, Mr. Thaddeus, and finally Armin. "I just want to be a hero they can rely on. I don''t need to be the best, and I don''t need to be at the very top. I just need to be a hero that can save the people that I want to save."


    The image of Battery and Whisper came to her mind once more. She still needed to save both of them. Even if it would be a hard-fought battle, even if she had a hill she would have to climb, she knew that she''d reach them. She had to.


    "I''ll rest up for now." She finally said. "But don''t think I''m throwing the towel in."


    Sky smiled. "I look forward to seeing you get back to normal then. I''ll help you out as much as I can. You''re welcome to stay in my community. I''m going to keep everyone there safe. I''d love to have your help. I just want to keep my people safe."


    "How did you build that community anyway?" She questioned. "And how did you find my mom and dad? You were the one that was keeping them safe this entire time, right?"


    "Yeah." Sky nodded. "It''s sort of a long story."


    "I don''t mind long stories."


    Sky let out a slight giggle. "I see. Well, in that case... It began after the Beast attack."

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Three: Her Heroic Nature

    Slowly, Sky began to speak while she held Hope. She started her tale and informed the raven-haired girl of everything that had happened while she was gone. Most importantly though, Sky told her just how it was that Paragon had become a hero to so many people.


    It had all started only a week after the battle with the Beast.


    Twelve days...


    It had just been twelve days since the battle with the Beast happened. Not even two weeks after the world had been forced to witness so many Supers put their lives on the line and battle the greatest threat since the Shadow. Oleander City was beyond destroyed. Not a single building stood tall on any of the streets, and the area around the destroyed bridge was flooded with thousands of people all begging to be let in to Lillian. It was in the heart of the city that things truly looked grim, however.


    Nearly every store that had once stood tall had been torn apart and picked clean of all its stuff. Thugs or gang members stalked the alleyways, and what little heroes were left in Oleander, such as the new Sub Enforcers group led by Myth, were struggling to keep up with it all.


    Villains were typically the kind of people who thrived in situations like this. With the state of the city, it was all too easy to take anything you wanted, including people. So many civilians had been forced to pick sides when new villainous groups popped up. Many gangs from other cities had moved to Oleander once they were sure they could take advantage of it, and so now the destroyed ruin of the once proud city found itself reduced into a further battlefield as different gangs and thugs battled for control over the many destroyed streets and dwindling food supplies.


    It was here in the twisting alleyways that Alice Ward found herself slowly stalking through.


    "Damn it." The older woman let out a soft curse when she saw her phone was lacking a strong enough connection to broadcast. The streets were filled with hundreds of destroyed drones Boy Genius, or the Hero Branch created, and the sky would often have a few dozen flying around, but recently a new villain group had been quick to remove the airborne helpers. "The people need to know what''s happening in Oleander. I just need to find a drone that gives off a strong enough signal for me to go live."


    She knew it was dumb to be wandering around by herself. June would have a field day if he saw her now. The two of them had somehow managed to make it through the Beast attack, and she was currently one of the most famous streamers in the world after she managed to capture the battle of Cinder versus the Beast. It didn''t matter how famous she was though, because she was stuck in Oleander without access to any of her fanbase. So much for being a famous reporter...


    Dean Ward, her brother-in-law and head of the Lillian Hero Branch, had made sure she wasn''t able to get out of Oleander. He was likely mad at her for daring to go against his orders and film the battle with the Beast. She could care less what he wanted, though. The Ward family was just a means to an end for her.


    She had married Matthew Ward several years ago in order to further her own career, and it was a mistake she still regretted, even to this day. The Wards were one of the main families that supported the Monarch Force when Lucifer was still considered a Calamity level threat. After Lucifer lost, they, along with four other families, all threw their support and riches at Sinicorp and helped create the Hero Branch. Now, in the present day, there were dozens of different Wards walking around. She had married Matthew since he was part of the main branch. Ace Ward, Matthew''s father, had been the leader of the entire Hero Branch at one point. Despite coming from literal greatness, however, Matthew blew all his fortune instantly and was basically an outcast, his status instead going to his little brother Dean. And since she had been the one to marry Matthew, that meant she was also an outcast from the main Ward family now. All her effort and fame, her career on the news and in streaming¡ªall of that had come from her own hard work and drive. She had gotten to where she was without the help of the Ward family, even after they set her back so much.


    That was why it was so important to her that she find a way to get her livestream back up and running. Her fans needed to know that she was alive and okay, but more importantly, she wanted to show Ward that his efforts yet again failed. He was still just a child pretending to be as cruel and evil as his father was.


    Alice glanced down at her watch as she shifted from foot to foot in the alleyway she stood in. It was soon to be six a.m. on a Monday. That meant a new drop was going to happen.


    Every Monday, a Hero Branch helicopter would arrive near the bridge and take a few people across to Lillian. Another helicopter would also drop various supplies into the city for the people who weren''t so lucky or were staying. June and her husband Matthew were still at the bridge. She had left them both behind and hoped they''d be able to escape Oleander without her. Dean would never let her leave this city. Not while he was still in office at least.


    "Jackpot." Alice gave a sly smirk when her phone let out a soft buzz and her ears picked up the first traces of the helicopter''s blades. High above, flanked by dozens of Boy Genius''s armed drones, a Hero Branch chopper flew and dropped a series of large boxes that floated to the ground softly thanks to the parachute attached to them. "It''s go time."


    The helicopter was already gone, having flown off once it dropped all the packages off. It dropped five in total while it flew over the city, each package landing in a different zone. Each package was made to hold various supplies, such as clean water and food, clothes, and medical boxes, and would have the same gear in Boy Genius''s drones built into them, allowing someone to have access to the internet. There was just one small issue with them. Thanks to all the villains and smaller gangs running around inside of Oleander, most packages were stolen before the heroes could do anything about it. The only ones that weren''t tampered with were the ones that would land near where the hero Battery remained, since no villain was able to make any footholds in his part of the city.


    With all that in mind, Alice moved as fast as she could. Despite being past her prime, she had lived a healthy life, so she moved fast, ducking in and out of the alleyways. The main streets were abandoned, even before the Beast attack. Spider Street was a place most people avoided, but now it was almost like a ghost town. Heavy fog seeped out of the cracked streets, rising from the destroyed sewers below, and destroyed buildings and cars blocked several passages.


    Alice found herself hitting a dead end more than once before she finally managed to stumble out of the dark alleyway near the drop point. Red smoke poured out of the box that had crash-landed. It was a bright orange and had the logo of T-Fin written across it. It looked almost like a treasure chest. A parachute was attached to the back of it, which had allowed it to make a soft landing, and a few drones floated around it, making sure no gang members came for it. The drones were armed with heavy-looking guns, which honestly wouldn''t do much if the wrong kind of people wanted one of the boxes bad enough. The drones glanced her way, but she paid them no mind and moved to the box.


    Seeing as she was a civilian, the box clicked open, and inside Alice found dozens of boxes of food, water, clothes, blankets, and pretty much anything else you would need to survive the apocalypse. That wasn''t what she cared about, though. Slowly Alice pulled out her phone. It was a bit cracked and damaged due to everything that happened, but it managed to stay at max power due to her staying around Battery. The man was constantly giving off so much power it kept all phones and electronics around him fully charged. Though even he couldn''t give them all a stable internet connection.


    Alice rummaged through the orange chest, which began to let out a series of beeps mimicking some music from an old video game as she fished out the thing she was looking for at the bottom. It was a small-looking black cube that was barely bigger than a baseball. The metal was smooth and dark, and a single antenna poked out of the top of it, which glowed with a faint red light. She checked her phone again, and sure enough, it was finally connected back to the internet. She could finally go live once more and begin reporting on the state of Oleander-


    One of the drones above her exploded in a hail of molten metal. Fiery jagged blades flew out as the machine shattered to pieces and broke apart, causing Alice to let out a startled yell. The other drone spun around to face the direction the attack had come from. Its large guns popped out and began to rapidly spin, but before the drone could fire, it was destroyed as a wave of molten slag blasted out of the alleyway with a crackling boom and blew through the machine instantly.


    Alice felt her throat go dry as footsteps slowly began to stalk forward. She hadn''t been fast enough. Someone else had wanted the box she was at. One of the many new gangs that ran Oleander. Alice dove behind the box, but it was too late.


    "Drop everything you have and empty your pockets! Gives us your clothes too!" Two men stood before the box now. Both of them wore simple gray jackets, and their faces were covered by a skull-looking mask. Alice knew who they were instantly. The Skull Boys used to be a low-level villain gang that ran around Chrysanthemum. After the total destruction of the city and the birth of the new Calamity known as Legend, the Skull Boys had fled into the Wasteland. They were made up mostly of nonpowered people, though recently they had gained a leader that was a Super and were gathering more Super followers. Now that Oleander was in the state that it was, they were also looking to throw their hat in the ring and take it over. "Are you deaf? Don''t just stand there; drop everything you got!" One of the men screamed. They both had guns, but one man held a simple old-looking rifle while the other held what was obviously Mental-based tech. It was a large-looking cannon that the man struggled to hold that spewed out various fumes and had small droplets of lava dripping out of it. The gun was able to fire small, compressed orbs of molten slag that could easily melt through solid steel or a person, instantly. It was something Alice wanted to not get hit by.


    "Let''s just try to be calm." Alice said softly, holding her hands up. She was still holding her phone, and she considered trying to go live, but the men would likely take her out the moment her fingers twitched. "There''s no need to do anything any of us will regret later-"


    "Regret?" The grunt who held the old rifle let out a laugh and used the butt of his gun to ram it into her gut. Alice dropped to her knees, gasping and wheezing. "Listen, grandma, we ain''t picky when it comes to killing. Men, women, old ladies, or even babies. We''ll rob ya blind or pick it off your corpse. Now we won''t say it again. Drop everything you got, clothes and all."


    "Y- You barbarians." Alice felt a surge of rage go through her. She had survived the Beast attack only to end up in this situation. Being ordered to strip naked by two thugs who thought they were scarier than they really were.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Barbarians?" The one with the Mental-based gun sneered and kicked out with his leg, ramming it into Alice''s head. The older woman cried out, and she crashed to the ground flat on her back. She saw stars, and the world began to spin as her vision faded in and out. It suddenly became hard to focus on anything, but Alice still managed to hear the sounds of laughter as the two men trained their guns on her. "We warned you, didn''t we?" The one with the bigger gun cocked his weapon. "You Oleander folks sure are idiots-"


    "I''ll be the first to admit that the people of Oleander can sometimes be a little foolish." Vines and roots suddenly exploded out of the ground and wrapped around the Mental-based gun, squeezing down on it and causing it to crack and shatter. Both men let out startled yelps and spun around just in time to see a new person standing at the entrance to the alleyway, slowly stepping out onto the street they were all on. "That said, I''ve seen firsthand time and time again how brave the people of Oleander can also be. They aren''t the kind of people to give up, and they aren''t the kind of people who will let guys like you walk all over them. They might not have the power to fight back and keep themselves safe, so I''ll make it my job to carry that burden myself."


    A younger girl stepped onto the street. She wore a long flowing lab coat, and her reddish-brown hair was tied back. The girl''s eyes sparkled with determination, and in her hands, she held a long wooden sword.


    Paragon, former member of Team Reservoir, had arrived.


    One of the Skull Boys let out a loud yell, and he raised the old rifle he had, firing a shot. Paragon easily dodged the bullet thanks to her newly awakened powers. The bullet moved in slow motion to her, and the healer simply cocked her head to the side. She had seen Cinder do things like this enough to know how to mimic it. Her entire hero persona had been molded after the girl in a way.


    "Damn it! We got a Super." The other grunt reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun, also opening fire on Paragon. Both the rifle and pistol launched their bullets, but none of them met their target.


    Paragon vanished in a flash, moving faster than the two men could see. She appeared behind them, causing them to let out startled yelps. "What was it you said earlier?" The hero asked, turning her eyes onto them. "Men or women, and even babies? You''ve killed them all?"


    "Well... When we said that, what we meant was-"


    Paragon jammed her weapon out as hard as she could. It had grown blunt thanks to her powers, so it doesn''t have enough force to stab the man, but it did hit him hard enough to shatter all of his ribs and send him tumbling across the ground, breaking more of his bones. He''d live, her eyes told her that much, but he''d never walk right again. The other grunt swung out with his rifle, but the weapon exploded on Paragon''s face, shattering to bits. The girl''s eye twitched a bit, and she jammed her foot up as hard as she could, ramming it directly into the spot between the man''s legs. She kicked hard enough to shatter bone, and the man screamed out and broke into a sob as he crashed to the ground.


    Paragon''s eyes roamed over the two men with a cold look, and slowly the ground around them shifted as the stone became a series of grasses and flowers. Vines wrapped around the men, tying them up and pulling them down into the ground. It gagged both of them and covered them from head to toe. They were both banged up pretty badly and would need medical help soon. Medical help she wouldn''t be offering.


    Paragon turned back to the other person that was here. Alice was still in a sitting position and had watched the display with wide, shock-filled eyes. "Are you okay?" Paragon asked, dropping down to her knees.


    Alice flinched when the girl touched her, but slowly the woman felt her body ease up and mend, her broken ribs healing. "Y- Yeah. I''m fine. You''re Paragon, aren''t you?"


    "Yeah. I think we''ve met before."


    "We have." Alice gave a soft smile. "You healed my husband. Though that feels like a lifetime ago by now. I''ve also seen you on the news when you were with your sister. I''ve done a few reports on you. That''s one of the reasons I''m left so shocked right now. From what I know, the hero Paragon is just a healer. Not a fighter."


    Paragon casually sheathed her sword and stood back up once she finished healing Alice. "I just got tired of being so weak I had to be saved constantly. For once, I''d like to help out and save other people. Not just through healing their bodies but with my own two hands."


    Alice nodded and slowly climbed up to her feet. "What are you doing out here?"


    "I came for this." Paragon wrapped an arm around the orange box and, with inhuman strength, easily lifted the thing off the ground. "It''s for my people."


    "Your people?" Alice raised an eyebrow at that. There were three places the people of Oleander were currently at. The first was near the bridge connected to Lillian. These people were protected by Battery and always got the supply drops and had plenty of food and water. Battery had even started to build shelter for them, so they were the most well off. The main issue was how crowded it was. Everyone was wanting a spot on the helicopters that would arrive, so it had the most people. Some people had to be kicked out of this zone due to overcrowding and violence. The second zone was right at the edge of Battery''s control point. It was mostly peaceful but lacked a lot of supplies and would only make do with the left-overs from the first group. They also had the protection of the Sub Enforcers. The final zone was the remainder of Oleander. The people here were forced to survive in the ruined buildings and alleyways, hiding from the many gangs that ran around, and would have to get lucky and find a drop zone first. Most of the violent people in the first two zones were kicked out to this third zone, which was the most massive. Because of how spread thin the heroes were and how large the city truly was, the Sub Enforcers weren''t able to help most of the people here and instead made do with just the second zone. Everything Alice knew, however, was brought into question by Paragon''s words. It sounded as if there was actually a fourth zone. One protected by the healer herself. "Are you keeping a group of people safe, like Battery?"


    Paragon gave a soft frown at being compared to Battery, but slowly the girl nodded her head. "I was doing it before him just so we''re clear. He''s taken up residence near the bridge and is keeping that spot safe, but he barely does anything. He just stays there, not bothering to help out the people that actually need it. That''s why I''m out here. I''m building a place for the people that don''t want to leave Oleander or can''t for some reason. I''ve been collecting a supply drop every time it drops. Usually, one is enough to keep us all fed and clean for at least a week, though with our numbers growing, I might need to start getting two. I''ve been trying to avoid that since that''ll mean other unfortunate people who aren''t part of my group will miss out on a box if I take it."


    "Well, you tied those two Skull Boys up pretty easily by creating grass and vines. Can''t you do something similar and create something like an apple tree?" Alice questioned.


    Paragon softly shook her head and waved her hand out. The ground once again changed, the streets being covered in grass as a small tree forced its way out of the ground. It had a single red apple attached to it, and Alice reached out, grabbed it, and took a soft bite out of it. She instantly made a face and spat it out. "My power does let me make an apple tree, but I''m not that good with it yet. I''m mainly used to fixing bodies, not creating brand new life forms out of nothing." Paragon explained. "The apple lacks all protein and carbs. It also tastes bad. It''s basically just cardboard. In a pinch, it could fill a person''s stomach up, but they''d get no energy or anything from it and would still need actual food."


    "You could have warned me about the taste." Alice dropped the apple and made a face as she wiped her mouth. It had seriously been the worst thing she ever ate.


    "Sorry." Paragon lazily shrugged her shoulders.


    Alice huffed before turning back to the two bound-up Skull Boys. "What are you going to do with them?"


    "Nothing."


    "What?"


    "The Hero Branch won''t listen to me and refuse to let me call them." Paragon shrugged. "So, I can''t get any of them to actually come out here and take these two guys in. I could go to Battery, but... For reasons that are my own, that''s not possible. The state the two men are in means they won''t be hurting anyone and likely won''t survive for long. They can stay here and either get saved by their team if the team cares enough or rot for all I care." She had killed Mars King, so the concept of taking a life wasn''t something new to her. Cinder always did her best to avoid it and only would use the option on other Supers. Cinder would never kill a human. She wasn''t Cinder though. As far as she was concerned, the Skull Boys and Mars King were one and the same. They were both scum who didn''t care about taking life. If they could kill and steal, then the same could happen to them. At least that''s how she viewed it.


    Alice frowned softly but didn''t say anything else. "This group of people you''ve been taking care of, can I see them?"


    Paragon shrugged softly. "Sure. As I said, I made it so that anyone needing help will have a place to stay. You''re welcome to come along."


    Alice gave a grin and slowly clicked her phone on, turning it on to live. "Great. Then let''s go. I''d like to see just how well the people of Oleander are doing."


    The Wards were often the most famous of the noble families. Most people knew who they were. Despite marrying into the family, Alice was still well known as a Ward. So much so that it didn''t take her long to get over a thousand people in her stream, the number constantly growing as she filmed Paragon. Dean Ward wasn''t going to be able to stop her. The world was going to see it. The people of Oleander were still alive. The people of Oleander were still staying inside of Oleander. Oleander, despite its ruined state, was trying to remain as a city.


    The two of them left the hero and the reporter, not noticing as another figure stalked forward out of the darkness. A man walked forward dressed in a long black coat that was opened to show his stomach, rows of abs lining his gut. On the back of his jacket, the symbol of a skull proudly rested. His hair was long and wild and seemed to swirl around on its own almost as if it were alive. The man had his hands stuffed in his pockets as he eyed up the two tied-up members of his team.


    "Did you happen to see what happened, Windy?" The man asked in a cool tone.


    "I did, boss!" A bubbly voice bounced around the street. Slowly, the ever-present fog that hung around the area began to twist and twirl, taking shape. It came together and formed into a young woman. One with long dyed green hair and bright yellow eyes. Mist formed into a cover going over the woman''s modest areas, covering her up a bit, and a skull mask rested over her face, but other than that, she lacked clothes. "I was waiting just like you told me to and saw the whole thing go down!"


    "Good girl." The leader of the Skull Boys placed his hand on top of the woman''s head, patting it. "So which hero took them out?"


    "One with a sword!" Windy announced puffing her chest out and causing more fog to swirl around her in the air.


    The man''s smile faded, and a heavy frown came onto his face. His hair twitched like living tendrils and began to flow around his body, cutting through the heavy fog in anger. "A sword?" He hummed. His mind went back to two more members that were part of his team. Chainsaw Hand and Drill Man had been sent out on a mission directly after the Beast fight. They had been tasked with raiding Zoo''s base. Everyone knew Zoo was gone, so it should have been easy, yet neither of his men had come back. Instead, Windy had found them both sliced to bits. "I see."


    "Yep! This hero was a girl who had a sword! She could be the same one that killed Chainsaw Hand and Drill Man!" Windy smirked.


    "At first I had assumed it was Green Wolf that killed them, but that bastard hasn''t made a move, so I''ll assume he really is dead. He isn''t the type to go into hiding after all." The leader of the Skull Boys mused. "If we do assume he''s dead, then the only person left that has a sword that could have killed my men is either Battery or this new hero you found. For obvious reasons, taking Battery out isn''t happening, so I''ll just settle for getting my revenge on her instead." The man chuckled.


    "How are you going to get revenge?" Windy asked.


    "I''ll send Enlightened out after her." The man hummed. "We''ll see how strong she truly is when faced with someone like him. After all, ''he''s'' stronger than Red Raptor and Mars King."


    Windy nodded her head as her smile grew larger. Her body began to break away and turn into fog drifting into the air. "I''ll let Enlightened know that he has a job to do. But what about those two?" She asked, looking down at the two bodies of the Skull Boys.


    "What about them?" The boss''s grin never faded as his hair struck out, growing so long it tore right through the grass bindings and went directly through the chests of both of his men. "They''re dead. See. No heart." His hair ripped its way out of the corpses, the grass slowly turning a nasty red.


    "I see." Windy giggled a bit. "My mistake."


    And just like that, a new villainous group had set their eyes on the hero Paragon.

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Four: Enlightened Cockroach

    Oleander''s stadium had been one of the few things the city was truly proud of. The people of Oleander were quite fond of their sports, and so the stadium was always kept in good condition. The only time it had been damaged previously was when Pretty Face held a concert in it and several groups, including Zoo, attacked. In less than a week, the stadium had been rebuilt with funding from the Milas family, another of the great Noble families.


    Of course, now that the Beast had attacked, the stadium was once again destroyed. Just like Oleander, it was left mostly in ruins. The Beast had attacked Oleander with a single powerful slashing attack from the very beginning of its invasion. An attack that had instantly cleaved every structure in Oleander directly in two. The stadium was no exception. The top half of it had been perfectly sliced clean off and tumbled to the ground outside of it. Most of its stone walls were cracked, and dozens of destroyed and gutted cars were scattered in the parking lot around it.


    The Cleanup Squad would have a field day fixing all the damage when they finally got their foothold in Oleander back. Either that or Battery''s Giants would fix it back up. Whatever came first.


    Alice followed closely behind the young hero known as Paragon. The healer had changed a lot. Something her chat was freaking out about. Most people knew Paragon as the young girl that clung to her mother''s arm and remained in the hospital constantly. Now though the world was seeing the new Paragon. The hero didn''t wear her mask anymore and didn''t seem to care about hiding her identity. Such things were no longer important to her. It made Alice wonder just what had happened to cause Paragon to change so much.


    Her question was soon answered though when they entered the stadium. It was dark, making it hard to see, but Paragon let out a call. "I''m back! It''s okay to come out."


    Alice watched with wide eyes as several shadowy figures stalked out from behind the pillars and came to the center of the stadium. There were around twenty of them, give or take. Most were older people. The kind of folks who were shoved to the very back of the line when it came to the food shortage. A few were crippled folks, people who had been missing limbs for so long Paragon could no longer heal them back, and finally a few were kids who clung to their parents. They all had one thing in common, though. They were all still alive.


    Alice''s eyes lit up as she watched the number in her stream shoot up even higher. It was nearing ten thousand viewers as people from all over the world wanted to see what was going on in Oleander at a time like this.


    "You''ve been keeping all of these people safe?" Alice questioned.


    "I''ve been trying." Paragon slowly placed the orange chest down. "It was mostly thanks to him." The girl nodded her head toward a figure that approached. Alice raised an eyebrow at the man. He was frail and bald, dressed in a white shirt and black pants pulled up. Despite that, he held a smile on his face compared to the gloomy looks the others in the crowd had. "Mr. Lauren, I''ve returned with some supplies. Can you start handing them out to the people?"


    "Of course." Alexander began to rummage through the box, getting any supplies he could hold, and slowly he began to hand them out to the other onlookers, making sure everyone got something.


    Alice watched the man work on the sidelines, keeping her phone close to her chest. "Lauren? As in Alexander Lauren?" The older woman questioned.


    "Yeah. You heard of him?" Paragon asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Alice nodded. "I don''t know a lot about him, but I know enough. He was infected by the Dead Virus. Most of the world waited to see if you could cure him. When it was revealed that you couldn''t, we all figured he''d end up dead. How is someone like him walking around so casually?" Her chat was going wild, spamming out theories and conclusions. Most were claiming this as proof Paragon was the new Lord of the Land and Life.


    "He was cured of the Dead Virus." Paragon said simply.


    That caused the chat''s growing responses to come out quicker. Alice gave a sly grin. "I noticed you aren''t claiming it was you who cured him? Does that mean someone else appeared with a healing ability stronger than yours? Perhaps the new Lord of the Land and Life?" First Cinder turned out to be the Lord of the Sun, and now confirmation that a new Lord of Life was appearing. This was the greatest news Alice Ward had ever reported on. The world was entering a new age right before their very eyes. With it recently being revealed that the new hero Lightning Empress was the Lord of the Sky and Weather, that meant that for the first time in forever, all Lords were around the same age. Assuming Cinder was still alive, of course...


    Paragon didn''t bother responding to Alice instead moved closer to Alexander once he was finished handing out all the supplies. "How''s she doing?" She asked quietly.


    Alexander''s smile faltered for a moment. "Jane still isn''t moving around much. I placed her in the underground parking lot with a few other people. I managed to feed her a bit, but... Well, you know how she is right now."


    Paragon nodded softly. "And you, sir?"


    "Ah, no need to call me sir! Just Alex is fine! And I''m doing fine-"


    Paragon ignored the man and placed her hand on his stomach. "Your body is still falling apart." They were far enough away from Alice Ward and the others, so she didn''t have to worry about anything being overheard. Just in case, she spoke in a soft tone, keeping her voice down.


    Alexander flinched a bit, but his smile didn''t fade. "Yeah... I guess it is. Still. I''m glad I can move around so much. I was a goner before, but now I have some time left. And thanks to you, you''ve kept my wife and me safe. I seriously can''t begin to pay you back, you know, Paragon. You''re the best."


    Paragon blushed a bit and looked down, shaking her head. "I''m far from the best. I wasn''t able to cure you and can''t do anything for you now. You''ve been damaged by the Dead Virus for way too long. I can just slow it down a bit. Besides, you''re the amazing one. After the battle with the Beast, you''ve been taking care of your wife and were the one who had the idea of moving everyone to this location. You even helped gather most of the people that''s here right now." She lightly punched the older man on the shoulder. "I can see where Hope got her good nature from."


    Alexander''s smile faded for a moment at the mention of his daughter. "You really think it''s possible she''ll be coming back, right?"


    Paragon nodded. "I do. I don''t think she''s the kind of person who would let her story end like this. She''ll be back for sure."


    "In that case, I got nothing to complain about." Alexander stretched and gave a wide grin. "I''ll just keep on pushing forward until my daughter shows up. I got some time left, time I''m going to spend reaching my own happy ending. One that benefits everyone I care about. We should start by finding a better location."


    "What do you mean?" Paragon asked, frowning.


    "I mean, this place is good and all, but it''s obvious and out in the opening. The only reason we haven''t been attacked yet is because all the gangs are fighting amongst themselves. All it takes is one serious villain or group looking at us though, and it''s over."


    Paragon''s frown grew, and she placed her hand on the handle of her sword. "If something like that happens, I''ll keep everyone safe."


    "You can do that?" Alexander folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "No offense, but you''re not a fighter, right? You''ve only had your enhanced body for about twelve days or so, correct?"


    "I''ll manage." The girl shrugged. "Somehow."


    Over with Alice, the older woman watched all the people sorting through their supplies while her phone caught all of it. "As you can see, Oleander''s people haven''t given up yet. I know Lillian and the other cities were debating what they should do with the city, but the people are still living here and managing. Make sure to share this video with friends and family. The world needs to see the state of Oleander and witness the fact that we are still pushing forward-" Her stream suddenly shut off. "Damn it." Alice let out a sigh and pocketed her phone. "Looks like little Dean caught on to what I was doing and banned my account again. Hopefully some people clipped it before it got taken down."


    That was the tenth time her account had been taken down this week. Every time she got access to the internet, she would make a new streamer account and go live and show off what she could before her brother-in-law ordered for it to be shut down. She still had the internet box Boy Genius made tucked away in her pocket, so she was able to access the internet anytime she wanted now. She could head back to where Battery was and record as she pleased so long as she kept making accounts. She''d have to keep the box secret, though. The Hero Branch soldiers had been ordered to smash all of them in Battery''s area when they saw her streaming, which was why the hero''s zone was blank and had no access to the internet.


    Alice calmly folded her arms and gave a sly smirk. Dean wasn''t the type to sit by and let her keep doing as she pleased. Sooner or later, he''d up his game. She looked forward to beating whatever else he tried to throw at her. It didn''t matter if he was the beloved member of the Ward family, while she was just a commoner who married into it. She didn''t plan to lose the game the other Nobles played. The story she wanted to tell was one that she would witness herself and show to the whole world. Even if they killed her.


    Alice watched the kids try and get the energy to play, but most were still exhausted or depressed. It had been less than two weeks since the Beast attack after all. No one had gotten over the horror quite yet. It was while she was watching the kids play though that she heard it. She wasn''t the only one either. The entire stadium went silent for a moment, and they all stopped to listen as a new sound filled the quiet air. Paragon''s hand rested back on her wooden sword, and the girl raised an eyebrow.


    "Buzzing?"


    A low buzzing had filled the air around them, followed by a series of clicks. It was the middle of the day, and the ruins of the stadium were cast in a series of shadows from the many torn-down buildings, so it was hard to truly see what was coming, but directly in the entrance leading to where they were something squirmed. It stayed low to the ground and skittered about. One of the people pulled out a phone and turned on the screen, facing it toward the darkness. An inky black mass stared back at them, causing everyone to let out loud yelps and jump backwards.


    It was buzzing and humming and squirmed in ways that showed it wasn''t human. It was shaped like a large ball and had various dark tendrils coming off of it. The thing stalked out of the darkness, but it barely took another step before Paragon ran forward. The hero moved at her top speed, and to all the people around her, it looked as if she teleported from how fast she was. She wasted no time and spun, swinging her sword around. The wooden blade grew sharp and thin and, in a single motion, sliced through the mass. Instantly, Paragon knew something was wrong. She had seen something like this before. Whatever this thing was, it didn''t actually have a solid body. Actually, that wasn''t true. It was made up of dozens of solid bodies. The same way Wasp Nest would turn into millions of wasps and have them form together into a shape; this thing was doing that. What she just cut into wasn''t a body; instead, it was millions of cockroaches.


    The bug sworn exploded, and Paragon felt a wave of pain course through her when something rammed into her gut. The bugs had grouped themselves together into the shape of a fist and rammed into her as hard as they could. Whoever this person was, they were way stronger than Wasp Nest because their bugs seemed to have inhuman strength, each one hitting the hero hard enough to bruise her skin. Collectively, the bugs'' strength was strong enough to shove her back and send Paragon ramming into a wall near the back of the stadium.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    That caused widespread panic, and everyone let out a loud scream when they saw their hero be flung back. Alexander stepped forward, letting out a yell. "The underground parking lot! Go!" He screamed out. Several of the adults grabbed the kids and began to run for the area the man told them to. One, however, stayed behind. Alice had her phone out and was quickly trying to make a new account so she could go live and show off the battle. "What the hell are you doing? That thing is going to kill you!" Alexander yelled.


    "Who cares!" Alice managed to get to the login page, her eyes filling with joy. "I bet little Dean would love to see how well Paragon is doing. He always hated her after all!"


    Alexander was just about to grab the woman and force her to come with him, but he stopped when he noticed the swarm blow past both of them. The bugs crawled forward at inhuman speed, taking shapes once more as they headed directly for Paragon. Whoever this villain was, it seemed Paragon was their main target.


    Paragon groaned and tried to sit up but wasn''t able to properly move her body up. Her right arm had gone straight through the stone wall of the stadium from how hard she had been thrown into it, and despite her efforts, she was having a hard time yanking it out. She pressed her feet to the wall and tugged, but she wasn''t quick enough. The massive swarm reached her and forced itself together into a long-jagged blade. The bugs buzzed louder and hummed as they swung out as hard as they could-


    A wave of cold smashed into the swarm, causing the bugs shape to fall apart. Alexander stood behind them, wielding a fire extinguisher he had gotten from the orange box. It sprayed over the bugs and disrupted them just enough to buy Paragon the time she needed. Paragon used all her new strength and ripped her arm out of the wall. She swung her sword out once more directly into the swarm and buried it in the mass of black. As soon as it was in, she cocked her hand to the side and flared her power through her blade. The wooden sword suddenly expanded, and millions of tiny twisting branches grew out of it at insane speeds. The growth was so fast and so intense that every bug was instantly impaled and torn apart in a single instant, killing them all easily.


    She had gone straight for the kill simply because of how close this power was to Wasp Nest. Wasp Nest was able to change back into his human form as long as enough of his bugs survived to form a humanoid shape. Changing back would fully heal him, and then turning back into his bug form would give him all his bugs back. That meant the only way to take him out was to either instantly kill him in his human form, kill enough of his bugs where he couldn''t reform, or do what Wish did and disrupt his body''s cells so much he couldn''t change. Even if there were a few cockroaches that got away, it wouldn''t be enough for whoever this was to reform, so this method meant she basically won the fight instantly.


    "Are you okay, Paragon!" Alexander shouted out in a worried tone.


    "Yeah." Paragon winced and rubbed at her stomach, which was a bit bruised. She still hadn''t figured out how to heal herself even after absorbing Wish. Nor could she change her own body the way Wish had been able to. She wasn''t mad about that, though. She didn''t want to be a copy of that bitch.


    "Is it over?" Alice called out. The woman had managed to go live on @TheRealAlice#16 and was once again streaming to a small audience that was rapidly growing.


    "I think it''s over." Paragon nodded. "I took him out instantly."


    "You hear that, folks!" Alice announced. "The amazing Paragon took out a full-fledged villain on her own! She even kept this entire place safe! Be sure to share this with everything! Speaking of being alone, Paragon, you used to be on a team with your sister Poseidon, right? Are you planning on forming or creating your own new team?"


    Paragon gave a lazy shrug and focused mainly on looking the dead cockroaches over. "Maybe when my girlfriend gets back I will, but until then I''m going to focus on keeping these people safe and waiting for Oleander to return to normal."


    "Girlfriend? Who in the world managed to claim your heart!" Alice''s chat had instantly exploded with more popularity and theories.


    Paragon went back to ignoring the woman and dropped the bugs'' corpses. "They aren''t normal insects. They''re Super. Each bug has the strength of a human being. If enough gathers, they could seriously do some damage."


    Alexander nodded and frowned. "Well, then it''s a good thing you stopped it when you did-"


    "Who stopped who now?" Paragon''s eyes went wide when she heard the voice, and she spun around, swinging her sword out just in time. Something appeared behind the girl moving with insane speed and instantly punched through the wooden blade. The force of the punch rammed into Paragon''s face and made the girl cry out as she was blasted through the walls of the stadium and rolled across the parking lot. "Don''t think you''ve gone and beaten Enlightened Cockroach just because you killed a few of my babies!"


    "Paragon!" Alexander stared at the hole in the stadium in shock. "You bastard!" He glared back at the villain who had struck his daughter''s friend.


    Enlightened Cockroach was a member of the Skull Boys Gang. One who had joined around the time Green Wolf became the leader of Zoo. He had actually tried out for Zoo but had been turned down since Zoo already had a bug person in the form of White Spider. The real truth was, though, that not even Green Wolf was strong enough to keep Enlightened Cockroach in check. Enlightened Cockroach was just too strong.


    The villain stood at seven feet tall and was covered in bulging muscles. He had a stern-looking face, and he was dressed in a brown skintight suit that was shaped like a cockroach. A pair of long, jagged black wings stabbed out of his back, and the man stalked forward, shoving past Alexander. His eyes never left the hole Paragon had been sent through. "I liked Drill Man, you know." Enlightened Cockroach''s look grew angry. "I could do with or without Chainsaw Hand, but for you to kill Drill Man! That seriously pisses me off!"


    "Who the hell is Drill Man?" Paragon pushed herself back up to her feet and rubbed at her forehead, which was trickling a bit of blood down her face. She was a little dizzy, but she fought through the pain and instead kept her senses sharp and focused on the villain that stood before her. A low fog hung in the air, growing thicker with every moment, and Enlightened Cockroach used it to his advantage, stalking her in the parking lot, going in and out of the mist.


    "You don''t even know their names?" Enlightened Cockroach hissed out. "You sliced them apart, yet you didn''t even bother to remember them? That seriously pisses me off, you cold-hearted bitch!"


    Paragon''s frown grew. "I think you have me mistaken with someone else."


    "Are you saying you''ve never killed before? Lies. I can smell it on you. Blood has been on your hands. I see the sins crawling across your back. How many lives have you taken, hero?"


    "How many lives have you taken, villain?" She glanced back and forth through the fog, but it just kept growing.


    Enlightened Cockroach let out a low chuckle. "You want to know? Three hundred and forty-five. I keep track of every person I''ve ever killed. I make sure to remember their faces, the way they speak, and the look in their eyes. It''s the least I can do for taking their life after all."


    "You say that as if it''s a noble thing."


    "Can you recall the people you murdered?" Enlightened Cockroach demanded. "Their faces and their looks?"


    "I can''t. But I don''t want to either." Paragon shrugged. "I''m not a good hero. I''m someone who will do anything to protect the people I care about. Even if that means taking the life of someone else. If I kill someone, it''s because they''re scum. Anyone that kills should be able to be killed. That goes for myself as well. I''ll fight to save myself, but at the end of the day, I wouldn''t cry or be sad if my own life was taken from me because otherwise, I''d be a selfish person that has no right to kill. We can debate our morals all day, but I''d rather just get this over with. So why don''t you come at me?"


    "You''re quite cocky." Enlightened Cockroach stepped out of the fog, standing a few meters before her. Slowly he pulled down a skull mask that covered his face. "I''ll break you in one punch."


    She took a deep breath and readied her sword. It didn''t matter how strong he was, nor did it matter how scary he wanted to be. She had faced Wish and the Beast. She had fought alongside Cinder and had even wounded the Tallest Wave. Nothing this guy could throw at her could compare to the horrors she had gone through. She would defeat him. She had to defeat him.


    Enlightened Cockroach was on her in an instant. His wings clicked together, and suddenly, in a flash, he appeared directly in front of her, moving so fast that the street around them shattered. The man was like a fully realized Wasp Nest. Even in his human state, he was strong and fast. Blocking would also be useless since he had punched straight through her sword earlier. He was not just faster than her but stronger as well. So, instead, Paragon focused fully on offense. She stepped forward and swung her broken sword out as soon as Enlightened Cockroach appeared in front of her. The wooden blade expanded and grew back to its full length, and she used all her might to slash it into the villain. The blade, however, was instantly blocked as Enlightened Cockroach''s arm came up. Her sword dug into his flesh but only got a few inches in before it stopped. Red blood poured down the villain''s arm, but he barely slowed and instead swung his fist out as hard as he could.


    Once again, Paragon felt herself be blasted back as the force of the strike hit her head on. It nearly caused her neck to snap and broke her nose. She was flung through the parking lot and smashed through several cars, causing her to gasp out. She finally stopped flying back and was buried halfway into a bus. Enlightened Cockroach didn''t stop there though and lifted his right hand up. Suddenly the air around him swirled and changed as it instantly filled with thousands of angry roaches that buzzed in the air. The bugs all formed together into a sharp whip that slashed down and split the bus in two, barely missing Paragon, who jumped out of it just in time. The bus, however, exploded from the strike, burning up a lot of the bugs, but Enlightened Cockroach just created more.


    Paragon came to a sliding stop and held her sword down at her side, biting her lip. She had gotten it all wrong. The man wasn''t like Wasp Nest. He didn''t turn into his swarm. He wasn''t a person with a transformation ability; instead, he was someone with a creation ability. Like how elemental users could create and control their element, he was creating enhanced roaches that he controlled. On top of that, he was like Golden Weaver, as Enlightened Cockroach had the powers of a roach himself, being blessed with insane durability, speed, strength, and flight. Without a doubt, he was stronger than Mars King, Intake, and even Black Crow. She was lucky he had never joined Zoo, because it would have meant all their previous battles with the group would have likely resulted in a loss.


    Enlightened Cockroach formed another whip and swung it out at her once again, but Paragon thrust her sword up, meeting the whip. Once more, her power flared up, and her blade expanded, shredding all of the bugs and killing them instantly. The wooden spikes kept coming and tried to stab into the bug man, but they shattered on his hard shell-like body. Enlightened Cockroach took to the air, gliding up as his black wings rapidly moved. He blasted back down toward Paragon as fast as he could. Once again, the girl swung her sword out, but his hard body blocked the strike, and his fist rammed into her gut, blasting her back.


    "How many more do you think you can take!" Enlightened Cockroach yelled out. His strike was fast and hard, blowing Paragon across the lot and hitting the girl so hard she was sent flying back into the stadium. Paragon rolled through several of the seats and groaned, coughing up a bit of blood. "Just give up. You can''t hurt me as much as I can hurt you. Your body is going to give up long before mine does!"


    Paragon spat out a bloody tooth and shook her head. She wasn''t used to pain. She wasn''t the one who was always getting hit and injured. That honor belonged to people like her sister or Cinder. Those were the real heroes. Heroes that never gave up and would without a doubt beat this villain. Heroes that she looked up to and wanted to be like. Her mother never whined about the pain, and the woman always got back up even when facing something like the Beast. As the daughter of Ocean Empress, she had no choice but to stand.


    "I''m not done." Paragon readied her sword, which shrank back down to its blade form. "I''m going to take you out in one attack." She promised.


    "You can''t even properly cut me." Enlightened Cockroach flew above the stadium and glared down at the girl. "You''re just like all the other heroes. A foolish Super who bit off more than they could chew. I''m going to cave your head in with this next strike!" The Skull Boys member announced.


    Down below, Alexander and Alice watched the two with wide eyes. Alice held her phone up, still live. Her audience was massive and watched the battle with eagerness. Most were filled with support for Paragon, while others just wanted to see blood and cheered Enlightened Cockroach on. They were all watching her stream, though. Watching Oleander''s newest hero perform her duty. The hero Paragon was making her true debut today.


    Alice gave a soft grin. "Beat him. Show Ward how strong you''ve become."


    Enlightened Cockroach let out a loud battle cry and blasted down as hard as he could. The villain pulled both his arms back and rocketed forward so fast he caused a loud sonic boom to go off. In a flash the villain appeared in front of Paragon, and he got ready for her strike, tensing his body up. Only something was wrong. He could tell right at the last second that he made some sort of mistake. Paragon let out a breath she had been holding as she drew her sword and swung out. A single image was in her mind. There was a reason she was using a sword now. A reason she was trying so hard to make it work. Part of it was selfish. Part of her was doing it to just show ''him'' up. Because the person that was stuck in her mind every time she swung her sword out was none other than Battery. His form, his battle with the Beast, every swing he unleashed¡ªall of it went through her mind. Again and again, she had watched it, and again and again she had practiced it. A perfect swing. All she lacked was the power.


    So...


    She simply gained the power. She used her Inverted ability.


    As her swing came out, the area around her and Enlightened Cockroach changed and shifted. The bleachers they stood in were replaced with grass in a ten-foot radius around her, and in an instant Paragon felt her power skyrocket and jump up. Her swing picked up speed, holding even more power behind it. Enlightened Cockroach gritted his teeth and stabbed out with both of his arms stomping forward, but with her realm being beneath her, she had gained the power boost she normally had when she was in it. In an instant, her sword cut through Enlightened Cockroach. His shell didn''t keep him safe this time. Paragon stepped past him with inhuman speed, gripping her sword. Slowly she spun it around and sheathed it.


    "I told you I''d end it in one strike."


    "Y- You bitch-" Red poured down Enlightened Cockroach''s mouth as slowly his upper half slid off of his lower half, and he was sliced cleanly in two.


    "Don''t worry." Paragon looked back down at the pissed-off villain. "I''ll remember your face and that look in your eyes. Your death is one I''ll hold with me. The hero Paragon beat you."

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Five: The Lord That Calls Herself Paragon

    Paragon stabbed her wooden sword into a bleacher and panted. Not having a basic healing factor sucked in moments like these. She had several large bruises that ran across her flesh, and she was bleeding a bit from a couple of cuts. She was still in way better condition than the villain she had just fought, though.


    Enlightened Cockroach spat up a wave of blood and struggled to push himself up on his elbows. Even sliced in two, the villain didn''t look like he was ready to give up.


    "D- Don''t think this is over so easily-"


    "Dude! I literally sliced you in half." Paragon pulled her sword out of the ground and held it at her side. "Just give up already. Or else I''ll take your head off."


    Cockroaches had a unique body structure that allowed them to survive things most other species simply couldn''t, including being torn in half. The upper body of a cockroach would be able to function and survive, though not for very long since it''d likely be unable to eat. Compared to nearly every other life form that would instantly die from an attack, though, it meant they were doing better than most. Enlightened Cockroach also, as it turned out, seemed to inherit that survivability as one of his powers.


    The villain''s wings expanded, and he again took to the air. His upper body was all that was left, and the muscles around his waist squeezed shut, sealing the hole in him close to prevent any more blood loss. His eyes were filled with rage, and he glared down at the young girl.


    Paragon wiped some of her blood off of her face and held her sword up. "I''m serious. I''ll really kill you. I won''t let you hurt me or anyone else."


    Enlightened Cockroach gritted his teeth and glared past the girl at the other two people who were still in the stadium. Alexander Lauren and Alice Ward both stared up at the villain. Alexander gripped his fire extinguisher tightly while Alice eagerly filmed everything she saw.


    The woman''s chat was still going nuts over the fact that Paragon, the once weak healer of team Reservoir, had basically beaten a villain all by herself.


    "Don''t even think about it!" Paragon called out when she noticed the way the villain kept staring at the civilians. "I won''t let you get to them."


    Enlightened Cockroach''s wings began to grow slower as the torn-in-half villain started to float to the ground. "Whatever. I''ll admit it. You bested me. As I am now, I can''t beat you. Don''t think for even a second that this means your crimes won''t go unpunished!"


    "My crimes? You''re talking about the fact that you think I killed two members of your team? Newsflash, that isn''t me." Paragon rolled her eyes and placed her sword over her shoulder. "Did you ever consider the fact that there are a bunch of other heroes who use swords? Anyone of them could have killed your two teammates. It wasn''t me. Even if it was, though, you''re a bad guy. You lost the moment you decided to walk the path of evil. You openly talked about how many people you killed. You don''t get any of my sympathy."


    Enlightened Cockroach sneered before his body spun around, and he began to fly out of the stadium. Paragon pointed her sword at the villain, about to launch it out, but stopped suddenly when Alexander let out a scream.


    "Paragon!" The man yelled. "Look out!"


    Paragon could feel it. A wave of intense heat suddenly appeared behind her. She spun around just in time to see a flash of orange. Enlightened Cockroach smirked, now outside of the stadium. "I can''t beat you, but I''m sure the boss can."


    The orange smashed into Paragon, and the hero let out a scream of pain as her lab coat exploded with fire. It was molten metal that suddenly rammed into her. Her legs tripped, and she fell over the railing, crashing hard to the ground below, still on fire. Alexander ran forward and unleashed the fire extinguisher, causing the foam to put most of the fire out. Paragon used her power, causing roots and vines to rip out of the ground, dragging the metal off her back, dripping it onto the ground.


    She panted and hissed once she was finally free of the attack. Her new durability had saved her life. Cinder''s fire was one she had gotten used to after hanging around the Lord so much; thanks to that, this heat couldn''t burn her too badly. However, it destroyed her lab coat and burned a hole through her shirt. Her entire back had turned a bit red from where the metal touched, and sweat was pouring down her face.


    Clapping echoed through the stadium, and Paragon glared up at the new person who had arrived. "Bravo! You''re a lot stronger than I expected. Don''t worry about losing to her, Roach! You''re not weak; she''s just a freak. Go on and scamper on home, big guy."


    Enlightened Cockroach clenched his hands into a tight fist but nodded and began to fly away. "As you wish, boss."


    A pale-skinned man walked down the steps. He had a smug smile on his face and winked at Paragon, who in turn just glared back at the new villain. The man had long black hair that stretched all the way down to his feet. It flowed like some sort of tendril moving back and forth casually. He was dressed in a biker jacket, one that had a grinning skull on the back of it. In fact, the man seemed to like skulls a lot, as he also had a skull belt that kept his blue jeans up and two leather boots that had hard skull-shaped reinforced ends placed on them. He had a switchblade in his hand, which he opened and closed casually.


    "How''s it going?" The man asked, giving a casual wave. His hair began to form over his face, part of it twisting and shaping. It slowly took on the form of a mask that was, of course, in the shape of a skull. A second later, the hair that formed his mask seemed to change, the fibers shifting from black into an almost silvery color as it seemed to turn into metal, giving him a metal skull mask. "My name is Skull Daddy."


    "I am not calling you Skull Daddy..." Paragon said flatly. That might have been one of the worst names she ever heard. And she had just fought a guy named Enlightened Cockroach.


    Skull Daddy shrugged his shoulders, lazy. More of his hair twisted and changed, molding together as it formed into a metal chair, which he took a seat in. He casually folded his legs and snapped, "It won''t matter if you want to call me it or not. After all, you''re about to be dead. Kill her, Windy."


    "Okay!" A loud, sing-song voice announced cheerfully.


    Paragon instantly put her guard up and raised her weapon, but it was too late for her to react. She had been focused on where the attack would come from, but it simply appeared out of thin air. In a single instant, the fog formed together and took shape into a green-haired woman who unleashed a powerful elbow directly into Sky''s gut. The hero let out a gasp, being hit hard, and she was sent flying, crashing into the wall of the stadium. The attack wasn''t as bad as Enlightened Cockroach''s had been, but it still hurt a lot.


    "I''m Windy! It''s good to meet you." The girl said, waving her at the camera.


    "I might need to stop filming..." Alice muttered. She was likely about to get banned for nudity.


    Windy, despite speaking like some bubbly girl, was an older woman in her early thirties. Her hair was long and dyed green, and the girl wore a skull mask directly over her face. The girl did have underwear on, and mist did pour out of her flesh, covering up most of her skin, but she still didn''t seem to be that shy.


    Paragon sat up and rubbed her aching stomach from where she had been hit. "Fairy Queen, Wish, and now you. What''s with evil women deciding to run around barely covering themselves?"


    "Don''t act like it''s just a bad guy thing! Didn''t your mom used to run around naked?" Windy cocked her head to the side and gave a cheerful grin. "You know. Before she went and got herself killed-"


    Alexander swung the fire extinguisher out like a makeshift weapon. It rammed into Windy''s head but phased through the girl, the villain turning into pure fog. The fog compressed itself down back into a humanoid shape as the girl appeared behind Alexander. With a sadistic giggle, Windy rammed her fist into Alexander''s back, causing the man to scream out as his spin was nearly snapped.


    "Mr. Lauren!" Paragon felt a blinding rage bubble up inside of her, and she fired forward at a fast speed. She appeared in front of Windy and swung out with her sword, but once more, Windy vanished, turning into fog. She wasn''t trying to hurt the villain though, just get the woman away from Alexander. "I got you!" Paragon placed her hand down on Alexander, her power flaring out as she healed the man.


    "Behind you, Paragon!" Alice called out a second too late.


    Windy formed back together mid-kick and rammed her foot directly into Paragon''s face. Paragon''s head was nearly snapped back from the force, and the hero was sent rolling across the ground. Despite that, though, it was Windy who screamed out, the villain suddenly hopping on one leg as she clutched at her other foot, which she had used to kick Paragon with.


    "W- What the hell did you do!" Windy yelled. The bottom of the girl''s foot had a large chunk missing out of it now. Paragon stood back up and spat out the chunk of meat she had torn out with her teeth. She had done it the moment the attack had landed, taking some of Windy''s foot with her. Windy didn''t giggle anymore and instead let out a hiss of anger. The girl vanished, her body coming undone, and suddenly she reappeared next to Paragon. "You bitch!" Windy rammed a fist directly into Paragon''s face, but the hero took the blow and also sliced out with her sword, cutting Windy''s side badly. The villain screamed out in pain and came undone again, reappearing a few meters away, clutching at her bleeding side.


    Paragon let out a relieved sigh when she saw it. "For a moment, I thought you might be like my friend Wasp Nest." She explained. "Whenever he transforms his body, he gets a full heal, but your foot and side are still damaged. It doesn''t look like you can change only part of your body, either. All of you changes, and you have to be whole in order to land any hits on me. If Englightened Cockroach was a better version of him, then you''re basically a shittier Wasp Nest."


    Windy stomped her bloody foot down in anger. "No fair!"


    Off to the side, Skull Daddy remained in his chair, watching the exchange. He let out a loud laugh and threw his head back. "You''re not going to let her talk to you like that, are you, Windy?"


    "Of course not, Daddy!" The fog in the area began to compress and flowed toward Windy, who reached into it. The girl had hidden something away, meant only for people she really didn''t like. "I''ll be sure to flatten her skull so we can add it to your collection."


    From the fog, Windy pulled out a large warhammer. The thing was easily six feet tall and must have weighed at least a few tons. On either end of the hammer, formed large metal skulls that were stained red. Just looking at the hammer was enough to make Paragon''s stomach flop. She could see all the dead cells that clung to it. This thing had killed a lot of people. And despite how crazy its weight was, Windy carried it around in one hand.


    "I don''t know who this Wasp Nest is, but can he do something like this!" Windy smashed a foot into the ground, and she tossed the hammer out as hard as she could. It blasted forward with insane speed, and Paragon barely had time to throw her weapon up, blocking the strike. As soon as the hammer smashed into her, it vanished into the fog as Windy reappeared behind her, swinging it out. Paragon ducked at the last second with wide eyes as the hammer smashed directly over her face and rammed into the ground next to her, blowing part of it up. "Nice dodge! Do it again!" Windy vanished again, the fog compressing above the hero as the girl came crashing down with her gigantic weapon. Paragon threw herself out of the way at the last second, and the entire stadium shook.


    Down below, the people in the underground parking lot all let out whimpers as debris started to rain down above. The battle up top was starting to pick up pace, and if Paragon didn''t end this soon, the entire place could come crashing down.


    Up top, Alexander managed to sit up now that his back was healed, and he watched with wide eyes as Paragon was chased around by the mad villain with a hammer.


    "Are you her father?"


    Alexander jumped when he heard the voice, and he turned to find that Skull Daddy was looking at him. "N- No? Wait! Why the hell am I answering you! Call your villain off now! Paragon could get hurt!"


    "Of course she can; that''s the whole point, dumbass." Skull Daddy leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together as he watched the fight. "How many people are viewing so far?"


    "I''m nearly at ten thousand again," Alice responded casually. "I have had to remake my account three times since this battle began, so the numbers keep hopping around. People are watching, though!"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Are you not bothered about the fact that you''re talking to a supervillain?" Skull Daddy questioned.


    "Nah, trust me, I''ve talked to a lot worse." Alice shrugged. "Like one time, I talked to this group of people that write Victorian x Boy Genius fanfics. You want to see true evil? It''s that."


    Skull Daddy blinked, taken aback. "I see? And the fact that I could kill you at any moment?"


    "We all die someday!" Alice stepped closer to the raging battle in order to get a better shot. "If it happens, then it happens. At least let me film this fight first!"


    Skull Daddy looked to Alexander. "This one''s a weird one, huh?"


    "Says the guy named Skull Daddy."


    Back over with Paragon, the hero rolled out of the way of another attack at the last second. Windy''s hammer smashed into the ground, shooting up a wave of dust that mixed with the fog and sent jagged rocks flying in all directions. "Sit still!" Windy said, speaking once more in her sing-song voice. "What''s wrong, little hero? I thought you found my weakness!" Windy swung her hammer out, smashing it into Paragon''s sword as the hero barely blocked it. Paragon was lifted off of her feet and sent crashing into the back wall of the stadium. "See, the thing is, you were right. Clashing with me is a weakness I have. If I hit you, you can hit me. That doesn''t matter, though, if I have this hammer! Because it''ll do way more damage to you than you''ll do to me!" Windy announced proudly.


    Paragon got back up on shaking legs. The girl''s body was more banged up now, with the wounds from Enlightened Cockroach and now Windy taking a toll on the young Lord. Despite that, though, she wasn''t done. Not yet. Paragon wiped more of the blood away from her face and tucked her red hair behind her ear.


    "I''m standing still."


    "What?" Windy cocked her head to the side, clearly confused.


    Paragon raised her sword, gripping it with both hands. "You told me to stand still. I''m standing still. Let''s clash."


    Windy''s grin faded, and the villain sneered. "You really are dumb." Windy reached out with her other hand, and from the fog, she pulled out an even bigger hammer. She dropped her old weapon to the ground and picked up the new one. It was twice as big, being bigger than even Windy, and the hammerhead on it was two massive skulls as big as a person''s torso. This thing easily weighed somewhere around one hundred tons, and Windy had to hold it with both of her arms. The villain struggled with it but gave a smirk. "Still want to clash if I''m holding something like this?"


    "Sure." Paragon shrugged. "Go ahead."


    Windy''s eye twitched. "Arrogant bitch!"


    Windy vanished and reappeared in front of Paragon. The villain rammed her massive warhammer down so hard that it sent out a loud boom in all directions and shook the entire stadium. Paragon didn''t swing her sword up, though. Instead, the hero used her head. Literally, as the hammer came down, Paragon stomped down and smashed her head forward, ramming the top of her skull into the mallet, catching everyone off guard.


    Windy shook her head and put all of her weight into the weapon, shoving it down as hard as she could. Instead of exploding Paragon''s head, though, something else happened. The ground around Paragon suddenly changed and twisted as the girl activated her realm. Her strength instantly shot up, and Paragon used her control over life to wrap vines around her legs, keeping her stable. Then she forced the ground to lift up. The hammer was still coming down, and she was rising up. With a loud scream, Paragon used all of her strength to force herself through the weapon! Windy''s hammer exploded as the top half of it shattered on Paragon''s hard skull, and the hero broke past Windy''s best attack.


    Windy squealed and tried to escape by changing into mist, but she wasn''t fast enough. Blood was pouring down Paragon''s face, and she''d likely have a concussion later, but she fought through the pain. Her eyes glared into Windy''s as she rammed her sword up and, in an instant, cut off both of Windy''s hands, which were still gripping the handle of the massive hammer.


    Windy fell back, screaming loudly, and rolled across the ground as she stared in horror at her arms. Paragon rammed her foot into the villain''s head, pinning Windy down. "Do you give up?"


    "I do, I do! Don''t kill me! I don''t want to die!" Windy sobbed.


    Paragon let out a sigh and stepped off of the girl. "I''ll use my power to stop the bleeding. I won''t bring your arms back though-"


    "Paragon!"


    This time, Paragon was ready for it. As soon as she heard Alexander scream, the hero jumped out of the way just in time as a wave of hot magma poured down at the spot she had been standing at. The magma rained down on Windy, and the woman screamed even louder as they ignited in hellish flames, quickly burning up. "Oh darn." The voice of Skull Daddy called out. "I was hoping Windy would have at least grabbed onto you or something and taken you with her."


    "Why the hell did you do that!" Paragon roared out. "That was your own teammate! She gave up!"


    Skull Daddy was no longer sitting down. The man now stood and readjusted his skull mask. "For a killer, you sure seem to be soft. You let Enlightened Cockroach and Windy survive despite stating you didn''t mind killing. I guess the hero, Paragon, has a soft side."


    "There''s no reason to kill a villain who can no longer fight and has no choice but to give up!" The hero growled.


    Skull Daddy shrugged casually. "Does it really matter? You cut both her arms off and were going to have her arrested, right? I would have lost her either way since Windy would surely be sent to Nightshade. There''s no point in letting her live if she''s just going to be locked up. At least Enlightened Cockroach still has a few uses left and can recover, but someone like Windy would never be the tool I needed with how badly you damaged her. You can''t be soft in this world. You have to kill if you want to push ahead of the others. Even heroes kill, after all." The man chuckled.


    "Well, you''re in luck." Paragon spat out. Her eyes were filled with rage as she glared at the villain. "I won''t be sparing you."


    Skull Daddy smirked, and his hair rose. "If you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself, I guess." He pointed at the phone Alice held and gave a thumbs up. "Go ahead and watch, dear viewers. Today, you''ll see the hero known as Paragon die a painful death!"


    Paragon launched herself forward, using her realm powers to give her a boost. She moved fast as she zipped her way toward Skull Daddy, but unfortunately, she made one mistake. She was fighting a villain.


    Skull Daddy''s hair lifted up and formed together. Several of the strands connected into a large barrel that dripped magma down onto the ground. The villain had a simple yet strong power. He could control his hair and absorb non-living things into his hair. His hair could then later become anything it absorbed. He had made sure to absorb all sorts of Mental-based gear and other goodies, which gave him a ton of options. As the barrel of his lava-blaster poked out, it aimed at Paragon. The girl was moving too fast for him to get a proper shot off on though, so he instead did the next best thing.


    "Save him, hero."


    Skull Daddy''s gun twisted in his hair and pointed at the downed Alexander. It unleashed a powerful wave of molten metal that launched forward. "No!" Paragon screamed and stopped running. She rammed her hand into the ground, flaring her power, and caused a massive tree to appear, its branches shoving Alexander and Alice back. At the same time she was busy doing that, more of Skull Daddy''s hair changed, this time into a long-range lightning gun that unleashed a bolt of energy.


    The energy bolt rammed into Paragon, and she let out a loud scream of pain as her nerves ignited and her body spasmed. Skull Daddy''s lava launcher then fired at her again, smashing molten metal directly into the front of her body, setting her on fire once again. Alexander threw the fire extinguisher at her as hard as he could, and she sliced up with her sword, cutting into it and causing it to explode in foam that coated her. That only bought her a few seconds of peace, though, as Skull Daddy appeared in front of her, moving fast thanks to rocket boots.


    The hair on his arms transformed and took shape into large red gauntlets, which amplified his striking power and caused his punches to unleash sonic booms. He smashed his fist directly into Paragon''s face as hard he could, nearly caving it in. As Paragon fell, he kicked out with his leg, the rocket igniting and causing his foot to ram into Paragon''s throat. Paragon spat up some blood and stabbed out with her sword, but the blade bounced off of Skull Daddy''s chest as the hair on his body formed into armor made out of the strongest metal in the world that another Super who used to go by the name of Red Iron could create.


    Skull Daddy let out a loud laugh as he grabbed Paragon by the hair and rammed the girl''s face into the side of the stadium. He blasted off, dragging her across it, and tossed her as hard as he could through the wall. More of his hair came out and stretched across the field, wrapping around the large hammer Windy had used. The hammer seemed to suddenly shrink and vanish as the hair pulled it closer, and soon it was gone, only to then reappear above Skull Daddy as some of his hair shifted into it and the other strands wrapped around it, lifting it up. Skull Daddy raised the hammer up and was about to bring it down but stopped when something hit him in the back of the head.


    His hair absorbed the bullet that rammed into him. Slowly, the villain turned and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you just wanted to watch?"


    Alice Ward no longer held her phone. It was on the ground, no longer recording. Now, the woman clutched a smoking gun. "Even someone like me has to step in if it means stopping a child from dying."


    Skull Daddy folded his arms and gave a smirk. "You think you can stop me from killing her?" More bullets rang out as Alice unloaded the gun, but it was useless. Skull Daddy''s hair moved too fast, blocking all the strikes. "I''ve got to admit you got guts, lady." The man began to approach, but the hammer above him vanished and changed into his molten metal gun. It aimed at Alice, who didn''t back down. Alexander jumped in front of the woman, holding his arms out, also not backing away. "How cute." Skull Boy snapped, and his gun got ready to fire.


    At the last second, though, he felt something grab him as Paragon tackled him from behind. He grunted as he felt the hero''s hand grab his skin. The villain''s eyes went wide as he suddenly felt the girl''s power flare up, and she tapped into the power of Lord of Life, using her manipulation of cells to try to mess with him. He was strong, though, and she had less than a second, so she wouldn''t be able to do much.


    Skull Boy rammed his elbow into Paragon''s face and knocked the girl off of him, sending her rolling away. It had been enough, though. The girl had managed to use her power and gave a single command.


    "R- Rapid... B- Baldness, you son of a bitch."


    Skull Daddy''s eyes filled with horror as, all of a sudden, all the hair across his body fell off. It literally slid off of him, dropping to the ground below. In an instant, he was totally bald. The horror in his eyes faded, and instead, they were filled with utter rage. "Oh, you little bitch!"


    Skull Daddy still had the enhanced stats of a Super, and he still wore some of his gear, having the large gauntlet, rocket boots, and chest plate. Anything that had been changed remained, so the lava gun was also somewhere in the pile of his hair, but that was all he had left. It was more than enough for the state Sky was in, though. Skull Daddy slammed his foot hard into Paragon''s head, stepping on the young girl and causing her to cry out. He kept stomping down over and over again, glaring down at the hero.


    "Stop it!" Alexander screamed.


    Skull Daddy kicked Paragon one last time before glaring at the two humans still here. He reached down and grabbed his gun, ripping it out of the pile of hair. He aimed it at Alice and Alexander but once again stopped when Paragon grabbed his ankle. The hero was too weak to use her power now, likely not able to think straight due to all the head injuries she had received, but she still managed to glare up at him.


    "D- Don''t hurt them." Skull Daddy kicked the girl with his rocket boot, launching Paragon away. This time, nothing stopped him as he pulled the trigger and fired the wave of molten slag toward the two humans. "No!" Paragon screamed out, but there was nothing she could do.


    She watched in horror as the attack floated through the air in slow motion. Alexander and Alice both had looks of fear on their faces as it came at them, but both were too slow. Once more, she was about to fail.


    Then...


    Everything seemed to stop.


    As if time itself froze.


    ''You don''t want them to die, do you?''


    It was back. The voice of the Prettiest Flower. It whispered into her ear, practically purring. It sounded just like her late mother, and for a moment, she swore she could feel her mom''s arms around her.


    ''I can give you the power to save them... All you have to do is... Well. I think you know.''


    She wasn''t in the stadium anymore. In an instant, she suddenly found herself standing in a strange room. There was grass everywhere, covering the floor, the walls, and even the roof. Flowers bloomed out in all directions, and many trees stood. The sounds of birds chirping filled the air as well. At one end of the wall, a large mirror hung, one that showed what she was seeing. She saw the world through her eyes, frozen as all of this happened within the span of a single second.


    ''What do you say?''


    At the other end of the room, she finally saw her. The Prettiest Flower was indeed pretty. A large throne resided, one formed out of various trees. A massive pink flower resided in the middle of it that was like some sort of lily. Coming out the top of the flower, the upper half of a woman rose up. She was big, easily twenty feet tall, and well endowed. Her skin looked to be made up of grass and vines, various flowers growing along the woman''s body, and she had long, flowing pink hair. It was truly like looking at a goddess.


    Paragon felt her mouth go dry as she suddenly came to her senses. She looked back at the mirror, staring at the scene in front of her. Slowly, she made up her mind. "Give it to me. As you did in the Beast, fight."


    The Prettiest Flower''s grin grew, and the woman''s hands clasped together. Several vines grew out of the flower half that made up her lower body and wrapped around Paragon in a tight hug. ''Oh, how wonderful! I knew you''d come around! I''ll give you all of my power, and in exchange we shall become one, and I''ll gain control over your body-''


    "No." Paragon drew her sword and cut her way out of the vines. She pointed the blade up at the first Lord. "Just give me your power. I''m staying in control."


    The Prettiest Flower sneered, and her vines suddenly turned into rows of sharp thorns. ''Trying to bargain with me?''


    "This isn''t a bargain. It''s an order."


    ''You dare think you can order me around? I am a goddess! You have no sway! Your sword can''t hurt me, silly vessel.''


    "It isn''t for you." Sky took a deep breath and brought the blade to her own neck. In the real world, her body did the same. "Give me your power. Or I''ll kill myself and send you back to the Pod."


    Prettiest Flower''s eyes flashed with fear for a moment. ''N- No! Not that damn shell! Y- You''re bluffing. You wouldn''t!''


    "If I fail to save them, then I don''t deserve to live. It''s that simple."


    The Prettiest Flower stared into the cold eyes of Paragon. The Lord bit her lip and then let out a hiss. ''Your body is rightfully mine! I''m the reason your father was able to make you! He was too stupid to figure it out, but I wasn''t! I created the soul that is within you! A perfect duplicate of his precious daughter''s! It was all me that did the work! Not Nier, and not Alpha! I''m your parent-''


    "My parent is River Sini!"


    The Lord of Land and Life smashed her fist down onto her throne. ''I will have your body! Maybe not today, but it will eventually be mine, girl! That is a promise!''


    The world suddenly changed, and the next thing Paragon knew, she was flat on the ground as molten lava launched toward Alexander and Alice.


    The two adults closed their eyes as the attack came at them, but it never hit either of them. In an instant, they felt an arm wrap around them as they were dragged out of the way. With blinding speed, Paragon had made it to them in time. Both Alexander and Alice stared at the girl in shock. Her hair was the color of snow, and her eyes now glowed with a fiery red light. Her power as a Lord has just awakened.


    Skull Daddy stumbled back with shocked-filled eyes. His legs shook, and his face had turned pale as he stared at the Lord in horror. "W- What the hell is this!"


    "I''m the Lord of the Land and Life." Paragon drew her blade, and it began to expand and grow out. "I''ll do what the Lord of the Sun cannot." The entire weapon expanded as from her handle something began to come to life. Crafted from solid wood, a massive snake-looking dragon jutted out, the tip of its tail connected to Paragon''s sword handle. "Do you remember what I said earlier?"


    Skull Daddy turned around but barely got three steps before the dragon roared and charged forward.


    "I wouldn''t let you live."


    The dragon''s maw opened wide, and in an instant, the wooden beast crunched down on the top half of Skull Daddy...

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Six: Cinders New Sidekick

    "You actually killed him..." Alexander noted softly.


    Paragon collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. "I told him I would." She wiped her face clean with her sleeve while her wooden sword slowly shrank back down to its normal size, the dragon vanishing and fading away. She did her best to not look at what was left of Skull Daddy. He definitely didn''t have a skull anymore... "I guess he shouldn''t have tested me."


    Alexander frowned and folded his arms. "You shouldn''t have done something like that."


    "He was trying to kill the people I promised to protect," Paragon argued. "Not just you, but the others below us as well. I won''t just stand by and do nothing."


    "I understand that." Alexander tried to explain. "It isn''t the fact that he died that''s bad; bastards like him should burn in hell, but you''re just a kid-"


    "It''s not the first life I''ve taken, and it won''t be the last," Paragon said flatly.


    "That''s a depressing thing to say." Alexander trailed off awkwardly.


    "Being a hero isn''t sunshine and rainbows." Paragon managed to stand back up; wobbling a bit, she managed to sheath her sword. "I can''t save everyone, but I can at least save the people that are in front of me at this moment. It doesn''t matter if I''m a kid or not. I''m the only one who can do it."


    Off to the side, Alice Ward managed to find her discarded phone. The older lady''s eye twitched a bit when she saw how fried the device was. She wouldn''t be able to stream or update her viewers until she got back to Battery''s camp. She''d have to take June''s phone or her husband''s. "What are you planning on doing now, Paragon?" The older woman questioned.


    Paragon didn''t answer for several moments. Instead, the young hero looked out toward the edge of the stadium, where the ramp that led to the underground parking lot was. Sensing that the fighting was over, the people down below were finally starting to come back up. "I don''t know how many people are in the Skull Boys group." Paragon finally said. "On top of that, that bug guy managed to get away. He could return when I''m gone or come back with even stronger villains. None of us can stay here, so I guess I''ll be looking for a new place to stay. I think I''ve pretty much gathered everyone willing to work with me across this part of the city anyway, so it''s high time we move out."


    Alice gave a slow nod, a small grin on the older lady''s lips. "And what are you going to do about your hair?"


    "My hair?" Paragon felt her eyes go wide, and she reached out to grab part of her hair. She let out a soft curse when she saw the white locks that were tangled between her fingers. Just as Cinder once had the issue, she couldn''t seem to force herself to change back. She was stuck in her Lord''s Battle Mode.


    ''You didn''t think it would really be that easy, did you, sweet Sky? Now give me my body!''


    "Great." Sky let out a sigh. "I guess this is the rest of my life now; I''ll just have to figure out how to tune her out."


    "Tune who out?" Alexander asked.


    "Nothing, don''t worry about it."


    Alice studied the healer for several moments. The woman looked the girl up and down. There had been a rumor going around that Paragon had become the Lord of the Land and Life, but most people didn''t believe it. For years, people thought that she had been one until the girl''s own mother came out and claimed Paragon wasn''t. Now, though, it seemed as if things had changed and the rumors of her being one this time were true. Without a doubt, Paragon was the newest incarnation of the Lord of the Land and Life.


    Cinder, Whisper, Poseidon, and now Paragon. All four Lords this time around seemed to have one thing in common with each other.


    The story was starting to become interesting now...


    "You should stick to the underground," Alice called out once everyone had finally made it back to the surface.


    "What?" Alexander shot a look toward the local celebrity, but she was already leaving. "Where are you going!"


    Alice made it to the stadium''s exit gate and turned back with a half-wave. "Sorry, but I have had zero interest in actually staying with you guys for very long. I got the footage I need, and I''ll be heading back to the safety point in Battery''s zone. Not only is it the most guarded place, but filming him in action has been a game changer for my viewer count. I do hope you will all take care and not die. I''m rooting for you, Paragon."


    "What did you mean about sticking to the underground?" Paragon asked, folding her arms.


    Alice gave a lazy shrug. "You said you needed a new place to stay. The surface of Oleander is a dangerous place. Of course, the world beneath our city might not be any better, but who knows? Someone like you might be able to make it work. From what I''ve come to learn, you, Lords, seem to have a bad habit of doing the impossible."


    And just like that, Alice Ward turned and walked away.


    The rest of them all stood in the stadium, many of the people looking toward Alexander or Paragon. Alexander rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before managing to give a faint grin. "Well, Paragon? What do you say? It''s up to you. We''ll follow you and go wherever you need us to."


    "I guess it won''t hurt?" Paragon shrugged, then let out a sigh. Something about Alice Ward rubbed her the wrong way. Then again, she never really liked the Ward family due to how shady they had been lately. "Does anyone happen to know where a subway station is? We can start there."


    One of the people in the crowd, an older man, nervously raised his hand. "I used to be part of Moore''s Cleanup Squad. I think I know a nearby subway station that could have survived the battle with the Beast. It''d be large enough to hold us all, but we''d have to figure out food and other stuff."


    Paragon nodded and gave a small grin. She looked out at all the people she had managed to gather up so far. It wasn''t much. Many people in Oleander were still suffering, but it was enough. She could at least say for certain she was making a difference, even if it was just a small one.


    "Let''s go then." She finally said. "Before that Cockroach bastard comes back."


    ***


    Present Day...


    "So Alice Ward is the one that put the underground base inside of your head?" Hope asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "That''s right." Paragon nodded. "I don''t really like her or her family, but I must admit since I''ve followed her advice, none of my people have been in danger."


    "Alice Ward always creeped me out a bit. She''d always ask weird interview questions." Hope shuddered a bit but managed to quickly brush those memories away. She had woken up a bit and managed to get some energy back after finally taking a break. She sat across from Sky. The two of them were still in the junkyard, sitting cross-legged next to a makeshift campfire Sky had managed to make with her powers. She was a bit jealous; it seemed that she got weaker, and everyone else in her life had grown. Chances were, she''d be the one getting saved by Sky now instead of the other way around. "Did you ever beat that Cockroach guy you told me about?"


    "Nope." Sky shrugged casually. "He never showed back up. I kept waiting for him, but nothing happened. Maybe he left the city, or maybe he got killed by some other villain group or one of Battery''s Giants. I don''t really know, and I don''t really care."


    "Noted." Hope awkwardly trailed off. It had been a little shocking hearing how Sky murdered two villains. It wasn''t the first time the girl had confessed to murder, and she really couldn''t talk since she had nearly killed Wish, Kevin, Casey, and Hannah several times. Still, she hoped one day the world wouldn''t be so dark and that someone like Sky wouldn''t have to kill. It had been the same in Full Monarch''s time as well. She still recalled the memories Avalon had forced her to watch. Full Monarch had seemingly offered a chance to surrender to every villain he fought, even the Beast, and they all turned it down. People just seemed to have something in them that made them want to not lose. A feeling she could relate to. "What happens now?" She slowly asked after sitting in silence for several minutes.


    "What do you mean?" Sky looked back at her.


    "You heard my mom." Hope let out a soft snort. "She doesn''t want me to be a hero. It''s going to be hard to sneak out."


    "It never stopped you before? You once told me you were hiding the fact that you were a hero."


    "Yeah, but that made me feel like a huge jerk for lying to my mom." Hope bowed her head down, letting out a heavy sigh. "I don''t think I can do that again. Also, my dad is smart, and he''d see right through me."


    "Mr. Lauren is pretty on point at times." Sky nodded.


    Hope smiled softly and nodded. "Dad''s amazing. Thanks for keeping him and my mom safe while I was gone." She leaned forward, hitting the other girl lightly on the shoulder. "You''re the best, Sky!"


    Sky looked away, now with a slightly red face, and cleared her throat. "R- Right. Well, either way, I think what you do now is pretty obvious."


    "It is?"


    Sky nodded and reached out, grabbing Hope''s hands. "We can keep them all safe. Not just your parents but everyone in my group. I''ve been managing everything by myself, but with Battery gone and you back, I''m sure we can expand the area. We can fix Oleander and stop any threats before they appear! I''m sure your parents won''t mind if you help me out, after all, they''re part of our group as well and also help provide. It''ll be almost like one big happy family!" Sky had a light in her eyes and an actual smile on her face, but it slowly began to fade as she stared at Hope. "Hope?"


    Hope didn''t have that light, and the girl also didn''t smile. Instead, she had a guilty look on her face.


    Sky studied the look for a moment before the girl finally let go and scooted away. "You''re not planning on staying and helping fix Oleander, are you?"


    "I do!" Hope said quickly, though the girl was unable to look the other hero in the eyes. "I want Oleander to be back to how it was, and I want to spend time with my family. I''d love to be on a team with you and keep all those people safe, but-"


    "Battery." Hope looked almost as if she had just been punched in the stomach when Sky spat the name out.


    "What about your sister?" Hope said quietly. Sky''s eyes changed for a moment. The look of rage switched to one of sadness. "I heard she is in Battery''s group. It''s thanks to her that his Giants are able to be in nearly every city and have managed to kick out all the Enforcers. I saw the strand of one on the back of their heads. Wouldn''t you like to speak to her and learn what''s going on?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Sky''s hands balled in a fist. "Of course, I want to know what''s going on. I''d like to figure out why the hell she signed away her soul and why she''s going against everything Mom stood for, all so she can stand next to Battery. I''d also like to know why she changed her name, her costume, and her entire way of acting. Of course, that is something I''d like to figure out, but she isn''t taking any of my calls. Not to mention, it''s my fault she ended up the way she did. Because I wasn''t there for her, I couldn''t be. I was stuck in Oleander, helping its people out, while she stayed in Lillian. I had your father and mother to help me, but she had nobody."


    "Then you understand how I''m feeling." Hope urged. "We can get to the bottom of this. I''m sure the two of us could march into Rose and demand answers-"


    "I can''t leave Oleander!" Sky shook her head. "I have to keep the people there safe. Battery''s Giants pushed all the villains to the underground. We''re likely going to have to move once more because of him. Not to mention, I know his Giants can''t do everything. They aren''t perfect. I can''t leave those people alone; they won''t be able to get food or survive without me."


    "Are they really that fragile?" She had a hard time believing that. She had seen firsthand that people could survive on their own without Supers.


    "I don''t care if they are or aren''t. I''m not risking it." Sky wiped at her eyes, wincing. "I failed to save my mom, my sister, and you. I- I can''t fail again. I don''t care what I have to do or how much I have to change. I''m going to keep my people safe. That''s the kind of hero I want to be. B- Besides. My sister is strong and smart. I know she can manage even without me."


    Hope reached out and gently took Sky''s hands, squeezing them. "Okay. So you don''t want to leave Oleander. You want to stay and rebuild it and keep its people safe. I understand, and I get that."


    "I want you to be there with me, too," Sky said quickly. "When I learned that you were alive, that was what made me double down in my efforts. I don''t want you to go. This is what your parents were yelling at you for. All of us are worried about you running off and..."


    "Dying again?" Hope gave a sheepish smile and looked up at the night sky. Her eyes traced the many stars above as well as the cracked moon. There was a faint glimmer of gold above, no doubt the Victorian standing on the moon all by herself. "You said your sister can manage all by herself. Well, sadly, I don''t think that''s the case for Mr. Larison. He''s an idiot. Even more so than me. He''s the kind of person who will come up with a plan and try to force it to happen. He wanted me to take over as the next Full Monarch, but he couldn''t understand that''s not who I am. The way he''s acting now, it all happened after I went away for a bit. When we first became heroes, I promised him I would make sure he didn''t die, and yet I broke that promise. It''s only natural that I find where he is, so I can say that I''m sorry. Also, I''d like to maybe punch him in the face and try and snap his senses back."


    Sky let go of Hope''s hands and folded her arms. "Why do you care about him so much? He lied to you, hid information, and even tried to force you to become something you''re not. I don''t get it."


    Hope let out another sheepish laugh as her smile grew. She could still remember it. The first time he saved her life, the first time she declared he''d be her sidekick, the first time they fought Intake together, and Green Wolf, and so many others, the first time he taught her how to throw a proper punch, the first time he helped her discover her powers, the helmet he gave her, the shield he gave her, and the first time that they stood up on a roof and did something she never got to do with her father. Just because her father was finally back didn''t mean that the hole Mr. Larison had seemingly filled was gone.


    "He''s my friend." She finally said. She had already lost Armin. She didn''t want to lose anyone else.


    "Didn''t the Victorian say she''d give you her powers or something and help you beat Battery?" Sky frowned. "If your plan was to run off on your own like this, then why didn''t you take her up on her offer?"


    "I don''t want to do it for the Hero Branch or for the Victorian. I don''t want to kill Battery either or even beat him in a fight. I''m just going to come to him as Hope Lauren and punch him in the face until he becomes my friend again!"


    "You haven''t thought any of this through, have you..."


    "Nope!"


    "Don''t sound so proud of that fact!" Sky let out a heavier sigh and shook her head. "So what, you''re just going to leave Oleander and somehow get all the way to Rose? You know that''s halfway across the world, right? Rose isn''t connected to any of the other cities and is somewhere in the middle of a massive wasteland, surrounded by a bubble to keep the people inside safe. It isn''t exactly a place just anyone can get to."


    "I''ll find a way." Hope shrugged and giggled. "Besides, I don''t plan to set out on my own. At least not for a bit. You told me to rest, and so did my parents. That''s just what I''m going to do." She leaned forward, her smile growing. "Don''t worry. Cinder and Paragon are sure to team up again. I''m sure of that fact. As soon as I''m done getting Battery back on the right path, I''ll rush right over and join you. We''ll fix Oleander together."


    "And what will you do if I''ve already fixed it by then?"


    "I''ll tear it down so we can fix it again!"


    "Hope!"


    "I''m kidding." Hope held her hands up defensively. "It was just a joke."


    Sky slowly calmed down and nodded her head. "Are you really sure about this though? Do you think you can actually help him?"


    "I have to try. It isn''t just Battery that I''m worried about." Hope squeezed down on her new shield, which rested next to her. She stared at her reflection softly. "So much changed with everyone. I don''t think I can help Myth out without the others. I''m not just doing this for Mr. Larison. It''s for Lois, Thaddeus, and Armin as well. I don''t think things can ever get back to the way they used to be, but I''m going to at least make sure the people I care about don''t have to suffer, not just physically but emotionally as well."


    Sky stood up and offered a hand down to Hope, who took it. She pulled the raven-haired girl up to her feet. "If you''re really sure and you promise to get as much rest as you can first, then I guess I''ll allow it. I can''t control you after all. That said, we should get back."


    Hope squeezed the other girl''s hand before letting go of it. "Go on without me."


    "Why?" Sky narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on her wooden sword.


    "I promise I''m not about to run off!" Hope held her hands up again. "I just need to deal with something else first. I''ll be back at the base in no time. I''d like to spend time with my mom and dad before I set out after all. Oh, and can you keep this all a secret from them?" She clasped her hands together and begged. "I don''t want to lie to them anymore, but I know they''d never let me just leave Oleander and go be a hero. I still need to figure some things out before I go, and I''ll find a way to tell them somehow."


    Sky studied the Lord of the Sun silently for several moments before finally turning away. "I won''t lie to them." That was all the Lord of Life said as she finally left.


    Hope stood in the junkyard silently as she waited until her enhanced senses could no longer hear Paragon. The healer likely ran at her top speed to get back to the base, given how paranoid she had become. Sky truly was taking her role as Guardian seriously. It made her feel a bit guilty for forcing Sky to stay out here with her for so long. She was sure the girl had been worried about her people the entire time.


    Hope looked around the empty junkyard. Her little rampage from earlier had torn down a lot of the walls, leaving several new piles of scrap metal. Thanks to the state of Oleander, no one had bothered to come to investigate the noise she had caused. She didn''t need to worry about any civilians sneaking up on her while she lacked a costume. Despite how alone she should have been, though, her enhanced senses were finally back and working better than ever because she was able to hear a faint sound.


    It was small, barely audible even to her, yet she could tell that it was getting closer to her¡ªa slithering sound, one that was faintly getting louder.


    "You can come out now. Also, why were you hiding?" She called out.


    The pile of junk next to her squirmed and twitched as something began to pull itself out. It was small, only about the size of a backpack. The thing was covered in what looked like red leather and had a squarish shape for its body. Two stubby arms and stubby legs also poked out of it. It didn''t have a head; instead, it had a face directly on the front of it.


    "That girl looked like Wish." The red box said in Kevin''s voice. The teen shuddered a bit and shook his small arms and legs. "Really creeped me out. I have nothing wrong with you batting for the team that you do, Lauren, but seriously, out of every fish in the sea, you choose the one girl that looks like Wish? You couldn''t have picked any other bitc-"


    Hope lazily flicked Kevin, shoving him onto his back. He flailed around a bit, seemingly unable to turn himself over. "What''s with this new form?" She asked curiously. He had been seemingly changing a lot. In the beginning, he looked mostly humanoid, but then he seemingly changed into a teen version of Mars King. After that, he became a weird backpack, an outfit for her to wear, a strange slime monster, and even a full-blown hero suit that gave her powers. Kevin''s powers were seriously impressive.


    "I can''t grow back to my normal size!" The red square hissed. His flesh bubbled up a bit, and he shifted from a square shape to a basketball-like form. He began to bounce on the ground several times, seemingly out of anger. "This happened once before, also when I had been working for Wish."


    "It did?"


    "Yeah! Remember how I can make all those clones and other things? Well, doing that takes a lot out of me. The more I stretch and change my shape in weird ways, the more I lose some of my cells. I have a healing factor, and my cell count always eventually returns to normal, but with how much you''ve forced me to use my powers today, I''ve lost a ton of mass! It''s sort of like burning calories, in a way. Now I''m all small until I get a lot of food back in me!"


    "Okay? What do you want me to do about it?"


    The ball began to rapidly smack her over the head over and over again. "You''re the reason this happened to me! Find me food or something! This entire city is a dump, and I don''t know where anything is anymore!"


    "Ow! Stop that." She caught the ball and glared down at it. "Don''t make me pop you." She dropped Kevin back to the floor, and he began to bounce once more. "I don''t get it, though. In the fight with Wish, you made a ton of clones and were constantly changing your form and doing crazy stuff. I don''t think I made you do anything on that level today. Why didn''t you shrink down back then?"


    "Back then, I had Wish''s cells inside of me," Kevin explained. "I still had limits to what I could do, but those limits were nearly a hundred times greater than what they are now. I didn''t get weaker or anything since you finally took Wish out, but I no longer have her endless power source fueling me. It''s the same with Hannah and Casey as well. Hannah can no longer create a limitless supply of bones, and Casey now has a limit to how much blood he can use. We can still heal and have way more flesh, bones, and blood in us than normal humans, but we have limits now. And my limit just so happens to make me small until I can get some food in me."


    Hope nodded, seemingly understanding. "I get it. Okay, then yeah, I guess it is kind of my fault you''re the way you are. I managed to get my height back to normal thanks to you, so it''s only fair I help you out. Why''d you come running back here, though?"


    "Don''t really got anywhere else to go." Despite being in a perfect ball shape, she could tell Kevin shrugged. "No ma or pa back home for me."


    "Really?"


    "Never knew who my dad was, and my mom died about three years ago after she overdosed on some bad stuff," Kevin said casually. "I was living from couch to couch with some friends or staying with Ashley before all the Wish stuff happened."


    "Can''t you go bother Ashley then? I''m sure she''d help you out-"


    "Hell no!" Kevin yelled out. "Are you dense or what?"


    "What?"


    "Do you have any idea what I said and did? I can''t look her in the eyes or ask her for anything. Someone like me shouldn''t even step foot in front of someone like her."


    "If you stick around me, it''s only a matter of time before you run into Oxide again, you know." She said flatly.


    "No, it''s not! I heard what you were telling your girlfriend-"


    "She''s not my girlfriend!" Hope said with a red face.


    "You''re planning on leaving Oleander, aren''t you!" Kevin announced loudly. "I don''t know how you''re going to do it since the ocean is cluttered with dead ships and the bridge is gone, but when you do, I want to come with you. I have nothing left in a shithole like this." Arms sprouted out of Kevin''s body, allowing him to fold them. He kept bouncing, so he only managed to stay at eye level with her half the time, but when he did, he had a serious look on his face. "I don''t care where you''re going, but when you leave, I''m coming too."


    "Are you sure? I mean, I''m not exactly going anywhere, but that''ll be good for you. I''m heading for Rose, and I doubt those people would let you stay since you''re a..."


    "Monster... Yeah." Kevin let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "I''ll find somewhere to stay. It doesn''t have to be Rose. You''re going to have to go through several different cities to get there anyway."


    "I do?"


    "Wow, you really have thought none of this through, have you..."


    Hope folded her arms and let out a snort. "It''ll work out somehow. I''m sure. Just so you know, if you''re coming with me, then you can''t act like a villain or do anything like that. I''m a good guy, and I expect you to act like one as well."


    Kevin grumbled a few things under his breath. "Too much work. I''ll just turn into a backpack or something, and you can wear me like we did on that island earlier today."


    "You expect me to just carry you for free and do all the work?" She frowned before rubbing her chin. "Then again, I am in need of a new costume." She hummed before slowly eyeing the red ball up and down. "I have one condition."


    "What''s that?" Kevin raised an eyebrow at her.


    "We won''t be able to call you Kevin while we''re out in the field. You''ll have to call me Cinder, and I''ll need a new name to call you as well."


    "Uh oh..." Kevin suddenly didn''t like the look he was seeing.


    Hope grinned and grabbed the ball, using her new strength to mold him as if he were clay. The former villain hissed out at her but went along with it as she made him take shape into a backpack once more. She slipped it on and announced as loudly as she could. "From this day onwards, you shall be Baggy! Sidekick to Cinder!"


    "I am not going by the name Baggy!" Baggy, the backpack growled out.


    "Do you want out of Oleander or not?" Cinder responded flatly.


    Baggy grumbled some more before settling into his new shape. "You''re seriously the worst, you know that?"


    "And you make for some damn good fashion."


    And just like that, the first day of Cinder''s return came and went.

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Seven: Setting Out

    "Careful not to hurt yourself, sweetie!" Jane Lauren called out.


    "Mom, I''m literally bulletproof. Pretty sure I''ll be fine." Hope said flatly.


    "Knowing you, you''ll somehow find a way to wind up in the hospital." Jane huffed out.


    Hope rolled her eyes and brought the farming tool down into the soil. The streets of Oleander were still messy, filled with large walls of rubble and abandoned cars, but that didn''t stop them from expanding out. Sky had finally decided that it was time to leave the underground subway. Many of Sky''s people walked the streets, doing the smaller jobs that Battery''s massive Giants couldn''t, like picking up the trash, while Sky herself used her power to separate the stone and raise the ground, creating small patches of farmland. They were able to get actual seeds, and now that they weren''t underground and had access to the sun, they were doing their best to grow crops and other such things.


    She currently held onto a hoe and brought it down through the soil again and again, doing her best to mimic what her father had shown her.


    Sky had created four twenty-by-twenty square feet of soil, and in one of them, Alexander Lauren twirled his farm gear around, burying the seeds beneath the soil and piling it up in an almost perfect way. Compared to him, Hope found hers looking very sloppy and nasty.


    She gritted her teeth and tried putting her back into it but was once again stopped by her mom. "Don''t do anything that could harm yourself, Hope!"


    "Mom, I''m fine!" She did her best to not yell. Jane Lauren rested in a lawn chair, the woman''s body still not having fully recovered. The metal pod was in Jane''s lap, squirming around as if it were some sort of cat that was trying to get comfortable. Every time she tried to even use an ounce of her strength, her mom was there to stop her.


    "Your mom is just worried." Alexander let out a low chuckle and stabbed his hoe into the ground. He seemed to be doing a lot better now that his daughter was back. He was finally starting to get proper muscle on his body once more and even grow back some of his reddish hair. His eyes held a twinkle in them as he glanced at his daughter. "You know, Hope, with everything that has happened recently, I don''t think you can blame us for being a bit paranoid about the danger you might put yourself in."


    Hope placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "What? You think I''m going to go do something reckless and shatter?"


    "That''s exactly what would happen to you, thanks to your luck." Jane snorted. "I''m honestly shocked that you actually stayed put for so long."


    Hope remained silent and looked away, not meeting her mother''s eye. It had been a week since she had returned. She had kept her word and stayed to rest and regain her strength and energy. During that week, Sky had put her to work, helping out when she could. She didn''t go out at all, though. Her parents had kept her at the base while Sky and a few other hunters would run off to go get supplies or stop some minor threat that popped up. Her fire powers still hadn''t returned, and she didn''t get to talk with Myth or the Sub Enforcers at all either.


    Red Ape had created dozens of monsters and left them beneath the city all over the place. The Sub Enforcers had been busy cleaning up and finding all the animals. Part of her also thought Myth might have been avoiding her after she rejected his offer to join his team.


    Now just wasn''t the best time...


    Speaking of the best time, she also hadn''t told her parents of her plan...


    She wasn''t going to stay here. It was nearly time for her to set out, like how she discussed with Sky last week. Despite having thought it through for a full week, she hadn''t gotten the courage to drop that bombshell to her parents. As far as they knew, she was just content with staying with them and living such a mundane life.


    "I''m proud of you, Hope." Hope nearly flinched when her mother spoke up once more.


    "Why?" She asked. Her throat suddenly felt dry.


    "I really thought this kind of life wouldn''t suit you." The raven-haired woman looked up at the sky. Clouds floated across it gently, and it was starting to look bright once more as the Giants cleaned up more and more of the Beast''s taint. "You''ve been trying your best. Doing what you can. You''re still being a hero. A hero for us."


    "That sounds cheesy," Alexander said flatly. "She''s likely to run away if you stay trashy stuff like that."


    "It''s not cheesey! That came from the heart!" Jane threw something at her husband, but the man casually sidestepped it. "You thought what I said was cool, right? Hope!" Jane turned and found that her daughter was no longer looking at her; instead, she was whistling and had gotten back to work. "Don''t pretend to ignore me now!"


    A loud ringing bell echoed through the streets, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. Alexander gave a grin as he ran his hand through his beard. "Guess it''s that time already."


    "It''s not even noon yet, though." Hope frowned and glanced up at the sun that hung in the sky.


    "Maybe it''s a special occasion?" Jane shrugged.


    "What would it be for, though?" Alexander asked, frowning.


    Hope once again looked away from her parents, not saying a word. She had told Sky a few days ago that today would be the last day she stayed. In other words, it was a special occasion. It was the final day she''d spend time with her family like this. Of course, no one else would know that. Nobody but Sky, that was. Chances were, she was going to be given the stink eye from Sky.


    "Shall we?" Her father called out.


    "Sure. Let''s get this over with." She muttered quietly. She adjusted her clothes as she got out of the field of soil and took her mother''s arm, helping the woman stand up. The metal pod flowed over her body and twisted around her, forming a silver-looking jacket. Due to the harsh sun, most of them were dressed lightly; her father looked almost like a farmer, and her mother wore a sundress. She herself was dressed in a simple black tank top and sweatpants.


    The three of them, as well as the others who worked on the above ground, headed for the sound of the bell. They had set it up the other day. It was a simple metal cowbell with a rope attached to it that led down to the subway station. They still hadn''t fully cleared out that area and were staying down there for the time being, so the bell served as a way to get in contact with the workers up top.


    She made sure to keep a supporting arm on her mom''s back as they descended down the stairs. It would still take a bit more exercise and moving around before her mother was entirely able to walk again. The price the woman paid for refusing to get out of bed for months straight, as well as not eating. Her mom still wasn''t eating properly, the woman''s stomach having seemingly grown smaller.


    As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Alexander''s nose twitched, and the man let out a low whistle. "Now, ain''t that just one of the finest smells?"


    "Why are you talking like that?" She asked flatly. Though she had to admit, her mouth was watering a bit. There was a heavy, smokey smell that hung in the air and the sound of sizzling meat. A majority of the animals Red Ape got to were able to be given a semi-normal life. Their bodies were forever altered, but they still had their old minds and, as such, were taken by the Sub Enforcers and given the help they needed. Some monsters, however, were simply too far gone. The animal within them was totally absent, leaving only a raging creature that was just as vile and twisted as the things the Emperor would create. Those ones had to be put down, and since they were in need of food... "It looks like Sky caught a big one today."


    When they finally entered the part of the station that held the others, they saw what Sky and the other hunters had gathered today. It was a large, boar-looking creature, around the size of a bear. It had been mostly skinned and prepped for cooking, being stuffed through with a large metal rod and placed over a roaring inferno. All the smoke around it traveled up through a hole in the roof, heading to the outside. A carver was cutting into the dead monster and setting the meat on various plates made of wood.


    Several tables were scattered around, and people were already sitting and digging in. In the back, a majority of the hunters were already on their second or third plate. All of the hunters were young men or women who followed Sky through the tunnels, taking out what was left of Red Ape''s twisted creations. She had to admit she was kind of annoyed that she had never been offered a position. Even without fire-based powers, she was insanely strong and fast. Of course, she doubted her parents would ever truly let her leave their sight. She was even forced to sleep in the same tent as them at night.


    The three of them got in line and soon got their plate of meat. It looked like some sort of steak. Eventually they found themselves at a table in the very back where Paragon waited for them. The girl only ate what she needed to, preferring to let the others have the majority of the food as well as drinks. Several bottles of different sodas were brought out, allowing everyone to get a wide variety of drinks. Usually, they just had bottles of water when they ate, but today was a special day, after all, at least for Sky.


    "Are you already done eating?" Alexander asked in shock when he saw Sky''s empty plate.


    The white-haired Lord wiped her mouth clean with a napkin. "I finished just now."


    "You sure you don''t want more?"


    "I''ll be fine."


    "Really?" Hope let out a giggle as she took a seat. "I still remember when you brought me out to that fast food place. Didn''t you eat like eight burgers-" Sky kicked her from underneath the table, the healer''s face turning a bit red.


    "Now that I think about it, Hope also had a large appetite." Jane hummed and began to calmly cut into her food. "Is it a Super thing?"


    "Nah." She forked a piece of meat and plopped it into her mouth. "Mr. Larison would sometimes go days or even weeks without eating. I think Sky and I just like food."


    Sky folded her arms and studied Hope. "Speaking of Mr. Larison, what exactly is your plan when you confront him?"


    Hope nearly choked on her food, dropping her fork. Alexander frowned. "When you confront him? What does that mean, Hope?"


    Sky''s eyes widened a bit when the girl realized just how in the dark the Lauren''s were. Hope managed to get the food down, but she banged a bit on her chest. "W- Well, what Sky meant was that when Mr. Larison shows up in Oleander, I am going to speak to him."


    "You think he''s going to return to Oleander?" Jane asked, a little surprised.


    She honestly didn''t. Even if Battery learned she was still alive, which he definitely knew about thanks to Purrfect, she doubted the man would come to visit her. When he set his mind to something, he would focus on that goal, and right now, it seemed like he was dead set on turning himself into some weapon, the very same one he wanted her to be. Of course, she couldn''t just say that to her mom.


    "Y- Yeah. Sure. I''m sure he''ll drop by."


    "Is it wise to talk to someone like him?" Her father frowned and finished cutting up his slab of boar steak. "I''ve seen him in a few videos. I honestly don''t know how I feel about you hanging around someone like him."


    "He''s not all bad." Jane cut in. "I mean, he saved my life from Polaron once." The woman shrugged.


    "You were once attacked by Polaron!" Alexander asked, horrified.


    "Twice actually," Jane said sheepishly. "But just like Hope, I always bounce back!"


    "How many secrets do you two have?" Alexander studied his wife and daughter and let out a soft chuckle. "Why can''t you both be more like Paragon? She doesn''t hide anything."


    "That''s not true." Paragon took a sip of a water bottle she had. "I keep the things your daughter tells me secret."


    "Oh? And what has our daughter asked you to keep hidden from us?" Jane asked, leaning forward.


    "Whoa! No! Bad parents!" Hope waved her arms around, blocking her mom''s eyes. "You are not allowed to ask that. Besides! Sky would never tell you! The secret two girls share is greater than anything-"


    "If you ask me nicely enough, I''ll spill everything Hope told me," Sky said casually.


    "Sky, why!"


    "I''m a free agent, Hope. I play all sides."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Alexander ran his fingers through his beard and gave a sly grin. "As tempting as it is to hear what my daughter talks about when she''s behind my back, I think I''ll have to pass. However, I am glad that I have you here, Paragon. I''ve been trying to speak with you all day today, but you were out hunting by the time my wife and I woke up. There was something I wanted to tell you."


    "What''s that?" Paragon asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Alexander and Jane both shared a look. Then, the two parents slowly turned to look at their daughter. Hope suddenly felt her stomach flip-flop, and she began to get nervous about the way they stared at her. "You haven''t been having fun, have you, Hope?" Alexander asked softly.


    Her throat felt extremely dry once more, but this time, she forced herself to swallow and speak. "I mean, I love the fact that I''ve gotten to spend this much time with you, Dad. It''s been literal years since we got to do stuff like this, and having Mom with us also is even better. We feel like an actual family again, but-"


    "The farming life really hasn''t sat well with you, has it?" Jane finished for her.


    "No." She shook her head sadly. "I don''t really like doing stuff like that. I''m sorry."


    "You have nothing to be sorry about." Jane reached out and gripped Alexander''s hand, giving it a squeeze. The woman looked back at her husband one last time before continuing. "When you ran off last week, Hope, your father and I were scared. We were terrified that you were going to run off and not come back. I know you like being a superhero, and that''s what you want to do, but the stress of that job nearly killed me. That''s why, when you and Paragon came back, we had a conversation with Paragon."


    "What sort of conversation?" Her head shot up, and she stared at her friend. This time, it was the Lord of Life''s turn to look awkwardly away as Paragon didn''t meet her gaze.


    "It was my idea," Alexander cut in. "I told Paragon not to place you on any of the hunting or scouting teams. We wanted you to stay by our side at all times and remain where we could watch you."


    "Is that why I was placed on the farming team?" She asked, shocked. She had wondered why Paragon wouldn''t let her do anything else. Every time she asked for work or to help, it was always just helping the others set up the first of what would hopefully be many crops.


    "That''s right." Alexander nodded. "Don''t be mad at anyone but me, though. As I said, it was me who made her promise to not let you do any dangerous stuff. Your mother and I just didn''t want to lose you again."


    Her shoulders slumped a bit, and she sighed. "You don''t have to worry about that. I keep telling you, but neither of you will listen."


    "Actually, we have listened." Jane reached out and brushed her daughter''s short hair back. "I know you like action, Hope. You''ve always been a hyper girl. You''ve also been well-behaved and have helped us out a lot. That''s why your father and I were talking, and we''ve finally decided that we''re okay with the idea of you using your powers, as long as it''s with Sky. We still don''t want you to be a hero, and we won''t let you get into any battles, but I think it''s fine if you help Sky out with some of the superhuman things she does since she''s had to do all of this by herself for so long. Only when you''re with Sky, though, got that? And no costumes. You''re Hope. Not Cinder."


    "You''re making Sky my babysitter!" She whined, causing Sky to let out a sheepish snort. It was bad enough that she was still unsure what her relationship with Sky indeed was, but throwing this into the mix just made it more complicated. "I don''t know how to feel about this." She admitted.


    "Well, it''s the best you''re getting," Jane stated firmly. "I''m done with you being a hero¡ªno more of that. You can still be a good person and help people this way, though. The fact you''ve stayed here and haven''t run off even after fully recovering proves it, Hope. You''re still our little girl."


    And just like that, that wave of crushing guilt was back.


    She was leaving. No matter what they said or thought, as soon as the sun set, she was ready to leave and not look back until her mission was done. They had no right to trust her, no reason to give her this much credit because she was about to do the thing they were fearing. She wasn''t their little girl; she was the hero, Cinder.


    Cinder lied to her parents once more...


    "I need to talk to you in private." Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Sky grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her toward an empty tunnel at the end of the station.


    "Don''t go too far, and be back by curfew!" Alexander hollered at them.


    "We''re just going to talk, Dad; we''ll be right back!"


    "Sure you are!"


    "Dad!"


    Sky didn''t say anything as she dragged the other girl. They walked down the tunnel and got to the end when Sky finally turned. Sky''s eyes roamed over Hope, looking the girl up and down. The silver jacket the Lord of the Sun wore bubbled up as the pod squirmed under Sky''s intense gaze. Finally, though, Sky spoke. "You didn''t tell them." The girl said in a flat tone.


    Hope flinched and found herself staring at the ground. "I mean, I was going to but-"


    "Hope. You need to tell them."


    "I know!" Hope winced and looked up slowly. "It''s just hard, you know. I can''t just say what I''m thinking so easily like you can."


    "You think I can say what''s on my mind so easily?" Sky raised an eyebrow.


    "Of course you can!"


    Sky let out another snort. "Trust me. I want to say plenty of things, but I''m too scared to. That doesn''t change the fact that you should tell your parents, though. You told me not to. Eight days ago was when you let me know you would be leaving, and four days ago was when you said it would be today that you finally truly left to go do your stupid mission. I had assumed you let your parents know."


    "I planned to, but I never found the right time." She sighed and shook her head.


    Sky frowned and folded her arms. Hope was just like her father. Alexander Lauren was also keeping a secret. The man had forced her to keep quiet about the condition his body was truly in. Neither his daughter nor his wife knew how little his time was. Sometimes, she thought about telling Hope. She had a feeling that if she did, that would be what worked. That would be the cause that would make Hope drop everything she was doing and stay put. It was for that reason, though, that she didn''t. Because even if she didn''t like the idea of Hope leaving on this foolish quest, she liked the idea of breaking the girl''s spirit even less.


    Hope deserved to be happy, too.


    "Is something wrong? You''ve been staring at me silently." Hope trailed over awkwardly. "I mean, I guess I don''t mind, but... Okay, you can stare as much as you want-"


    Finally, Sky nodded and reached out, making up her mind. She gripped Hope''s shoulder tightly. "You can do it. You have to. For their sake. Tell them."


    Hope nodded. "I will."


    Sky smiled and slowly moved past the girl. "Seriously, you better not take long when you do set out. There are a lot of things I''d like to tell you, but I''ll wait until I can actually have you all to myself."


    "What do you mean by that? Sky? Sky? What does that mean, Sky?" She wasn''t given a response as Sky casually walked away, leaving her standing alone in the tunnel. She reached up and slapped her cheeks a bit, getting herself focused and back on track. "Okay, Hope. You can do this. After all, you''re the amazing Cinder. You''ve fought Green Wolf, Polaron, and even the Emperor and the Beast! All you have to do is look your mom and dad in the eye and tell them you''re leaving! You can do this!"


    She left the tunnel, and as soon as she did, her enhanced hearing allowed her to pick up on the loud laughing sound that came from her mother''s direction. Her mom was wrapped fully around her dad''s arm, and Jane Lauren was laughing like she hadn''t laughed in years as Alexander said some cheesy joke.


    How long had it been since she heard her mother let out a laugh at that?


    How long had it been since she saw her mother look that happy?


    How long had it been since she got to see her father walk around and smile?


    "This might be harder than I thought."


    The boar meat wasn''t the end of the celebration. No one knew quite why it was happening besides her and Sky, but the weird party they had going on moved out of the station and up to the streets above. They set up more tables and brought out more food. Sky seemed to be going all out digging into the stash of sweets and bringing out what little candy they had stored up for everyone to enjoy, as well as various board games.


    Several of the kids played the different games all running around the street while the adults ate food and talked amongst each other. A few even joined in and played with the kids, like her father.


    Thanks to the drones that flew around in the sky, they were able to connect to the internet, so some people set up music that came off of their phones, while others managed to get a TV hooked up to a computer and played some cheesy Full Monarch movie. It just kept going on like this, with everyone doing something, and soon, when the sun was starting to set, they made makeshift campfires and brought out a bag of marshmallows Sky had gotten on one of her supply runs a few days ago.


    It was a strangely cozy setup.


    She stood next to her father, and her mother was seated once more as a fire roared before them. She held a stick out that had a marshmallow on it, but she wasn''t good at cooking it, as the thing turned out blackened.


    During all this time, she also, once again, didn''t tell her parents she was about to leave.


    "Excited for tomorrow?" She jumped a bit when her father spoke up.


    "What do you mean?" She asked nervously.


    "I mean, you''re going to be exploring those tunnels with Sky and the other hunters," Alexander explained. "You''ll get to use your powers again and help out. I figured you would be a little happier."


    "Oh. That." She burned another marshmallow and stared into the fire silently. "Yeah. It''s cool, I guess."


    "You guess?"


    "There was something else we wanted to tell you, Hope." Her mother stated, giving a soft smile. "Now that we''re sure you''re going to stay, your father and I are fine with you getting your own tent. I know sleeping in the same area as Alex can be hard due to how loud he snores."


    "You''re the one who snores." Alexander rolled his eyes. "Sounds like a damn bear sometimes."


    "Hey!" Jane''s eyes narrowed, and Hope couldn''t help but giggle.


    "Your mother is right, though, Hope." Alexander gave a large grin. "We can get you your own tent. Or, if you have anyone you might want to share with-"


    "She''s not old enough yet!" Jane shook her head. "Own tent. She gets her own tent, and that is where she will stay. All. By. Herself."


    Alexander shrugged. "Sorry, Hope. I tried."


    "It''s fine." She stared at her marshmallow as it burned to ash. "There''s actually something I''ve been meaning to tell you myself."


    Silence hung in the air around them. The others in the crowd played and ran around or chatted, but for her and her family, it felt like time stopped. She tried to speak, but her throat didn''t want to work anymore. She looked at the ground and then back up at her dad, about to speak.


    "You''re not going to stay."


    She felt as if she had just been punched in the gut. Her stick dropped and fell into the fire. Neither her mother nor her father looked at her. Both Alexander and Jane stared into the fire silently. It was her father who had spoken.


    "H- How did you know? Did Sky tell you?"


    "Figures she''d know." Alexander shook his head and sighed heavily. "Hope... We''re not dumb. I think... Well, I think your mother and I already knew. When you ran out, we were shocked you came back. And then we were more shocked when you started working the fields with us. You didn''t bring up your powers or your costume or talk about heroes. We knew something was wrong because you just didn''t look happy. Then, when we told you we were fine with you doing these low-level missions with Sky, nothing changed. Not to mention, Sky sort of let it slip that you were planning on seeing Battery. It was kind of obvious, huh? You just can''t be happy doing these small things. Even if they do help people, and you are still a hero, this stuff doesn''t cut it out for you, does it?"


    "W- Why aren''t you raising your voice?" She asked in a hollow tone. "Shouldn''t you be yelling at me or something?" They sounded disappointed. Sad even. It kind of hurt more that they weren''t screaming at her.


    Jane shook her head. "We don''t want you to be a hero, we don''t want you to leave, and we sure as hell don''t want you getting into fights. But what can we do?" She felt her heart twitch more. "You''re going to leave, right? Even if we tell you no. Even if we try to stop you, you''d even fight through Sky if you had to. We''re powerless as your parents. We tried begging you not to, but it fell on deaf ears. Because that''s just the kind of person Cinder is."


    It hurt.


    It seriously hurt.


    It felt like she had just been attacked.


    She turned away. "I''m sorry."


    "Are you?"


    "Jane?" Alexander grabbed his wife by the shoulder and shook his head. "Don''t."


    Jane winced. "I''m sorry, Hope-" The woman never got to finish, though, as her daughter took off running. "Hope!"


    Hope didn''t stop. She ran at her full speed, using her superpowers to escape from the street. She didn''t want to look back at her parents. It felt almost like a betrayal, both on her part and on theirs. They had said the right things to really hurt her. At the same time, though, they weren''t wrong. She had been feeling so guilty because no matter how many people she was truly helping here, it was just too small for her liking. She wanted to be Cinder. She wanted to be the hero who saved the world. She couldn''t settle for just being Hope, the girl who helped a small community.


    It didn''t take her long to arrive at her destination. She came to a sliding stop in front of the junkyard. She breathed heavily for a moment before letting out a yell.


    "Baggy!"


    "Don''t call me that!" A pile of trash twitched and exploded as Kevin came crawling out in his weird red blob form. He could go back to his normal size, but the Super seemed to prefer staying small and under the radar, especially since it allowed him to hide better from Oxide. "Are you crying?" Kevin asked, coming to a stop when he saw her.


    She wiped at her eyes and let out a soft growl. "Hell no! I''m Cinder! I don''t cry!" She stomped her foot down and took a calming breath. "We''re heading out."


    "Already?"


    "Yes."


    "I thought we were waiting until nightfall?" Kevin asked, confused. The sun was setting but was still up for the most part.


    "Change of plans."


    "Why?"


    "Because I said so!"


    "Okay! Geez." Kevin crawled over to her and went to climb up her back, but the silver jacket she wore grew a tendril and swatted at him, smashing him into the ground. "Ow! What the hell!"


    Her jacket dripped off of her body as the metal Pod dropped to the floor. It took on the same blobby shape as Kevin and began to slap at the monster with long tendrils. Kevin hissed and started to slap back, and silver and red became a quick blur on the ground. Hope rolled her eyes and reached down, grabbed both of them, and tore them apart from each other.


    "That''s enough, you two. Play nice."


    "Who the hell is she!" Kevin hissed out.


    "She?" She looked at the weird metal blob. "It''s my Lord Pod. It gave birth to me, so I guess it would be a girl?"


    "Why the hell is it attacking me!"


    "I dunno?" She frowned, and her fingers dug into the metal. "Don''t do that. Baggy is a friend."


    "And stop calling me Baggy!"


    The Pod let out several beeps, and a strange blue light glowed out of the metal before it twisted itself over her body. Once more, it took on a shape, and this time it became a long silver trenchcoat that covered her up. "Whoa. Stylish."


    "Show off..." Kevin hissed and formed into a backpack, which she slipped on. The pure red and the pure silver clashed a bit, but she couldn''t really do anything about style at the moment. "Are you seriously fine, Lauren?"


    "It''s Cinder. Call me Cinder. Got that, Baggy?"


    "You really are dead-set on calling me Baggy." Kevin sighed and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and managed to light one up. Her backpack grew a mouth and a tendril to hold the lit cigarette as it began to smoke. "Just remember this, ''Cinder'', I ain''t staying with you forever. I''m just getting out of this shithole and into some city that''ll let my kind thrive. Got that? We''ll be cutting ways soon."


    "Sure, Baggy, whatever you say."


    "I hate you."


    She made her way out of the junkyard and began to head down the street. Kevin wasn''t much of a talker, and her new coat also didn''t say anything, though it did glow blue every now and then. She remained silent for most of the trip herself until soon she arrived close to the bridge that connected to Lillian. She was a block away, staying out of sight of the massive crowd that was around the destroyed bridge. Many of Battery''s Cleanup Squad Giants were still working on this area, working night and day no matter what. She really didn''t know how she planned to get into the city, just that she would use this bridge and wing it.


    Maybe she''d jump the distance?


    "Hope!"


    She stopped suddenly when she heard the yelling. Slowly, she turned around, and once more, her throat went dry. "Yeah? What do you two want? Here to stop me or something?"


    Alexander pushed a wheelchair forward, which Jane was seated in. Both no longer wore outdoor clothes; instead, they were dressed in coats and had heavy-looking bags on. "We''re not here to stop you," Alexander said, shaking his head.


    "You''re not?"


    "No." Her father smiled softly. "Hope..."


    "We''re coming with you," Jane said flatly.


    "Huh!"


    "You heard me," Jane smirked and folded her arms. "If you''re really going to go through with this and dress up in some silly costume, and if there truly is nothing we can do to stop you, then at the very least, we''re going to be there. Where you go, we go. If you''re going to be Cinder, then we''re going to be Cinder''s parents."

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Eight: The Cinder Van

    A Few Days Ago...


    "So, how have things been?" Myth asked. The leader of the Sub Enforcers stared down at the street below, his eyes not leaving the young girl who was attempting and failing to move soil in a mini-field.


    Sky gave a half-shrug and dangled her legs over the side of the building she was on. "I mean, nothing really happened after you left. If you''re worried about her, you can talk to her. I think that would make her happy. She talks about you sometimes."


    Myth shook his head. "It isn''t that easy."


    "It is, though."


    "No. It''s not." The man''s tone made it clear he wasn''t willing to argue.


    Sky let out a soft sigh. "Alright. So, what did you want to talk about then?"


    It had only been three days since Hope returned to Oleander City. The Lord of the Sun and Cosmos hadn''t been happy about her new job, being placed on farm duty, but Hope hadn''t complained about it either. It was in the middle of the day, and so many of the people below were working. Normally, Sky would find herself busy doing something, but she had felt prying eyes and discovered Myth standing on top of a destroyed tower, watching the streets below.


    That was where she was now¡ªsitting next to the dark-skinned man, simply taking in the sight of her people working.


    Myth folded his arms and remained standing instead of sitting. "Red Ape is in Lillian right now. Being held in a cell. Hopefully, soon he''ll be sent to Nightshade."


    "That''s good. Right?" Sky raised an eyebrow. She had almost forgotten about the goofy villain. His monsters were still in the tunnels, and the Sub Enforcers had been removing all the bombs he had scattered around the city when he tried to blow everything up. Despite how dangerous it had all been, Red Ape was still so forgettable.


    "He''s the only one we caught." Myth pinched the bridge of his nose. The man had even more bags beneath his eyes, and his skin was littered with small bruises from a recent mission he had gone on. "The others got away."


    "Only Green Wolf, Doctor Blue, and White Lamb got away," Sky said, shaking her head. "Red Monkey and the others were already dead."


    "That''s still bad, though. Green Wolf seemingly has more lives than he or she knows what to do with, and he got a whole lot stronger. And Doctor Blue is quickly becoming a huge pain in the ass. First, he made Wish, and now this. When will it end?"


    "You know as well as I do that it never ends," Sky responded back sadly.


    Myth gave a faint nod. "We still have Black Crow as well. Unlike Red Ape, we didn''t send him straight away. It''s a good thing we didn''t either."


    "It is?"


    "Yeah. Not long ago, the Hero Branch lost communication with Nightshade and Boy Genius." Myth muttered quietly as if he was afraid the people down below would listen.


    "Seriously!" Sky felt her eyes go wide. She looked up at the sky, finding Boy Genius''s drones. They were still flying around doing what they normally did, though now it made her wonder who was truly piloting them... "I know Nightshade is important and all, but someone like the Victorian or Fable could break in and check out what''s going on, right?"


    "That''s what the Hero Branch wanted." Myth slowly shook his head and let out another tired sigh. "It''s not there, though."


    "What do you mean it''s not that? Like it''s gone?"


    "Yeah." The Sub Enforcer leader nodded somberly. "Usually, it floats above the water, but now it''s nowhere to be found. It likely dropped into the water and could be somewhere at the bottom of the ocean by now. The Victorian tried to check the ocean out for it, but she couldn''t find it. It''s possible Alien could have gotten to it first."


    Sky couldn''t help but shudder. "Alien? That''s not good."


    Mars King was bad. Alien was much worse, though. Alien was the father of Mars King. Just like Daemon, Alien was someone who could have held the position of the Emperor''s four Generals should a General have fallen. He was one of the earliest monsters created in the Emperor''s army, and it took Legend to take him down during the war. After the death of the Princess of Life, Alien, much like many of the monsters, was unable to keep control of his powers and began to change and mutate. He now lives at the bottom of the ocean, near the core of the planet. The Victorian tried to fight him once, but his massive size caused the entire planet to rumble, and it was deemed too dangerous.


    In the end, they just left him there. He was almost considered to be labeled as a Calamity level threat, but the title never got passed down to him since he thankfully never did anything. Alien would just sleep and only wake up to eat the magma around him or the other giant monsters that were his prey. His movement would cause mass earthquakes, but that was about it, so the plan was just to let him be, until a hero with a strong enough teleportation, or realm power, was found that could send Alien away from planet Earth.


    After all, the Hero Branch was more worried about Lucifer and Chrysanthemum since both of those threats were very active.


    "Is it Battery''s fault?" Sky finally questioned.


    "Nightshade vanishing and likely being eaten by Alien?" Myth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Likely. Seems like everything crawls its way back to him one way or another after all."


    Sky nodded and balled her hand up into a fist. "You should talk to Hope."


    "Why?"


    "Because she''s planning on chasing after that psychopath." Sky hissed. "He''s dangerous. Who knows what he''ll try next?"


    "I might not like Battery''s current action, and I might be a little pissed at everything he''s done, but I can still say for certain he would never harm Cinder. That goes for the others as well. I don''t think he''d ever attack Whisper. After all, he''s left her city alone. He even took your sister in."


    "Don''t remind me," Sky said bitterly. "Speaking of Lois, though, what exactly is your plan with her?"


    "I don''t have one." Myth lazily shrugged. "I invited her to come back, but she said no, then spouted off some random future event where I would get crushed to death. That''s the tenth way she said I''d die."


    "She meant a lot to you, though?"


    "So did Battery, Cinder, and Snowdawn. But look at them. I failed them all." Myth looked down at his hand. It shook a bit, but he forced it to ball up into a fist. "I was looking forward to having Cinder back on my team, but now I''m glad she turned me down. I don''t deserve to be a team leader. I''m thinking I might give the mantle of Sub Enforcer leader to Wasp Nest soon. He''s eighteen now, soon to be nineteen, and was being groomed for it from Money Tree. With a bit more training, I think he''ll be ready for it."


    Sky frowned but didn''t say anything. She really didn''t know what to say. She had lost her mother, but Myth had lost so much more in his life. His mom, his dad, his teacher, his friend, his teammates, and now this? At least she still had her sister and Hope in her life. Myth''s life was just sad, though. She was amazed he was still able to be a good guy after everything he went through. He still refused to lash out at the world.


    Myth truly was a hero.


    Myth turned away and was about to leave but stopped suddenly. "You said Cinder was planning on going after Battery?"


    "Yeah." Sky nodded and winced. "She plans on trying to talk to him, but I don''t think it''ll end well."


    "You didn''t try to talk her out of it?"


    "Do you think you could?"


    "Good point. Cinder is stubborn like that." Myth finally let out a chuckle. His hand slid into the front of the robes he wore as part of his hero costume, and he pulled out a small brown cardboard box. The box was small enough to fit inside of a person''s pocket, and the hero handed it out. "Here."


    "What''s this?" Sky took the box and looked down at it.


    "Metal Ronin made it. It''s a gift. You can give it to Cinder yourself as a present or something. I think she''ll like it. Just open it up and push the button and toss it."


    "The button?" Sky dug a nail into the brown cardboard box and found a flap opening it up. Inside was a small-looking capsule thing. It was shaped like a pill bottle and made of metal with a big red button on the end of it. The girl took it, pressed the button, and tossed the thing to the center of the roof they were on.


    Instantly, the capsule let out a loud buzzing noise and hummed. White smoke flew out, and Sky found herself staring at something in shock, which expanded out of the smoke.


    "Oh? Metal Ronin made this... Huh. Neat."


    ***


    Present Day...


    Hope found herself openly gawking at her mom and dad. She was standing somewhere on the street, a block or two away from the bridge that connected to Lillian, and both her parents stood before her with smirks on their faces. Well, her mom sat but still.


    "You can''t be serious?" Hope finally managed.


    "We''re dead serious," Alexander said flatly. "Your mother and I talked. As I said earlier, we already had a pretty good idea you were going to leave."


    "I didn''t mean to make you run off." Jane bowed her head slightly in shame. "I know what I said was bad. I was just mad. Angry even. I don''t like you doing this, Hope. It''s our fault, though. We could have told you about your powers and the truth a lot earlier, but we never did. Instead, we hid it from you, and when you found out, you did what any kid would do when they got powers. You tried to be a hero. And why wouldn''t you? We see heroes every day. On the news, in cartoons, in stories, and in games. For almost fifty years now, superheroes have become a part of our society. I don''t blame you for wanting that. That doesn''t stop how dangerous it is, though. I just can''t let things go back to the way they were before the Beast. Even before I thought I lost you, every night was a living hell. I would stay up late, worried you wouldn''t come back or that you''d be seriously injured. And then it finally did happen."


    "Mom..." Hope felt her voice break, but she sternly balled her hand into a fist and steeled her nerves. "I understand why you''re worried. The truth is, I get scared about stuff like that happening to me or my friends every time I do hero work. I don''t want to give it up, though. Even with the danger when I''m out helping people, I get this strange rush." She looked down at her hands and found that they were shaking. Not from fear, though. "Maybe it''s selfish and wrong. Recently, though, I found out a lot of heroes are really selfish and make mistakes. I want to help people, and I want to fight crime. Because that makes me happy, it really does. And I know that you''re going to be worried that each time I try, I might not come back, but I still have to do something. I''m a Lord. I''m a symbol. I''m... I''m Cinder."


    Jane slowly, with effort, stood up. The woman''s legs were getting stronger every day, and she used that strength to walk forward and wrap her arms around her daughter. Hope tensed up for a moment but quickly hugged her mother back. "I understand. Actually, I really don''t, but I can see that you really do care about this a lot. That''s why your father and I decided that we''re going to come with you. I don''t want to sit on the sidelines wondering if you''ll return someday, so I''ve made up my mind. I''m coming with you."


    "It''s going to be dangerous, though." Hope argued. "You could get hurt."


    "That''s all the more reason we have to come with you," Alexander announced. "After all, you might be Cinder, but Cinder is still our little girl. Nothing is going to change that. Besides, both your mom and I have already survived attacks from both Polaron and Green Wolf!" The man bragged.


    "Only because I saved you," Hope responded flatly.


    "Exactly! If we get in trouble, our badass daughter will just save us!" Alexander struck a pose and pointed to the sky above. "I saw what you did to Red Ape. That was totally badass. It was like I was seeing Golden Weaver in action or something, the way you swung around the building."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Hope let out a giggle and slowly separated from her mother''s embrace. "I was only able to do that stuff thanks to my amazing new sidekick." She grabbed the straps on her backpack and tugged on them slightly. "This is Baggy. Say hi, Baggy."


    An awkward silence filled the air as Kevin refused to create a face or say anything. "Welp. Our daughter''s insane." Jane said sadly.


    "He''s a talking backpack, I swear!" Hope shook Kevin, but the red monster refused to play the game and remained motionless, not reacting at all. "Dad! You saw him earlier! Remember how my costume ran away from me? That was Baggy!"


    "Sorry," Alexander said sheepishly. "I had some dust in my eye or something from your intense battle. One moment, I saw you dressed in all red, and then the next thing I knew, you stripped down. I just assumed you did that because you sensed Sky was coming-"


    "Dad!" Hope felt her face heat up.


    Kevin still refused to do anything and remained as a motionless backpack. He seemed to really not like the name Baggy after all... With a huff, the Lord of the Sun placed the bag over her silver jacket. Her jacket also wasn''t really doing anything and had remained motionless, simply clinging to her. She wondered if she''d get any more sentient clothing options later.


    "Are you two seriously going to come with me?" She finally asked.


    Her mother remained standing, though she kept a steady hand on Alexander''s shoulder. Both parents nodded. "We''re coming with you, whether you want us to or not," Jane stated.


    Hope nodded and folded her arms. She knew there was no arguing with her mom. Her mother was as stubborn as she was. "Okay. But if you two are going to come with us, then there needs to be some ground rules."


    "We''re your parents. I don''t think you get to boss us around." Alexander snorted.


    "I''m serious. Firstly, if I''m in costume, I need to be called Cinder. I know the Hero Branch threw my identity out the window, but I still want to keep it mostly under wraps if I can. Secondly, if there is anything that happens, which, with my luck, will happen, I need you two to keep yourselves safe and hide or something. I don''t want either of you getting hurt."


    "Your mother and I can handle ourselves."


    "Your father is right. The only thing we''re concerned with is keeping you safe. Speaking of rules, though..." Jane placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "I have a few of my own. Just because Oleander is destroyed and we''re leaving doesn''t mean you get out of school work, young lady."


    "Mom-"


    "Don''t mom me! You''re super far behind already! Starting today, we''re going to drill your homework into you if we have to! And when you are doing hero work, I don''t care who you''re fighting or how much stronger you are; I want you to go all out and just wipe the floor with them instantly! None of this slowly powering up crap; just take the bad guy out and make sure you''re safe! I know that being a hero likely means you''ll get hurt. I don''t like it, but I can live with it. I absolutely forbid you from dying, though! Do you understand?"


    Hope found herself throwing her hands up in defeat and stepping back due to the intense gaze her mother held. "Yeah! Understood. I''ll make sure to not die? I mean, it wasn''t really a plan I had in the first place, but I''ll for sure add ''not die'' to the bucket list."


    "Good." Jane nodded happily, the mood shifting once more.


    Alexander let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "Now that that''s been settled, what exactly is the game plan, Hope? You''re leaving Oleander, and I''m guessing your goal is to head to Rose."


    "No." She shook her head. "Rose is the eventual plan, but there is somewhere else I need to go first."


    "Oh?"


    "It''s not too important. I''ll head to Rose eventually after. For now, I just need to get out of Oleander City first."


    "And how do you plan to do that?" Jane questioned. The raven-haired woman slowly sat back down in the wheelchair Sky gave her and folded her arms. "I mean, the bridge is still out. Can you walk on water or something?"


    "In my Lord form, I''m about as fast as Demonica, maybe even faster, and Demonica can run on water, so I probably could as well." The only real issue was that she didn''t have her Lord form anymore. She also wasn''t really sure if her strength, speed, or durability had changed at all. She knew she still had some powers, but she''d need to test out just what her new limits were, at least until she could get her connection to the Brightest Star to return. Just like Kevin, they were still ghosting her. "I was actually planning on jumping the distance." She said sheepishly.


    "Jumping?" Her father asked, dumbfounded.


    Hope let out another giggle, seeing the look in her dad''s eye, and she awkwardly rubbed her neck. "Yeah. I don''t know if I''d be able to make it or not, but worst-case scenario, I just swim the rest of the way or something. I dunno, I haven''t really thought it through, actually."


    "Well, you can''t do that with us here," Jane said sternly.


    "That''s true." Hope frowned and folded her arms. "I''ll need to think of a new way then, I guess." This was getting a bit tricky.


    Alexander ran his fingers through his beard, which was getting bigger each day. "I think I might have an idea."


    "You do?" Hope and Jane both said, taken aback.


    "Yep." Alexander smiled. "We should head down to the beach. It''ll be easier to show you down there."


    Hope shrugged. "Okay? Let''s head there then, I guess."


    She had no idea what her father wanted to show her; her mother didn''t seem to know either, and her father had one of the biggest smiles on his face. Whatever it was, he was clearly excited for it. That made her a bit nervous. He was always into weird things. After all, he was the same person who saw a metal Pod sitting out in the ocean and decided it would be a good idea to take it home.


    Her mother remained in the chair, and she stood behind it, pushing it as they headed to the junkyard where she had picked up Kevin. Eventually, they arrived, and her father looked around, trying to find a space that was open enough.


    Eventually, the man seemed to have found what he was looking for and stopped in the center of the junkyard, where there was no trash or piles of metal. There was also a large path that had been cleared out that led further from the beach and down to the waves. It was the same place she had trained with Snowdawn and Battery at one point.


    "This should do," Alexander said, placing his hands on his hips.


    "What is it exactly?" Jane called out.


    Alexander gave another large grin and reached into his pocket, fishing something out. "Catch, Hope."


    Hope quickly raised her hands up. She caught what her father tossed her and found herself staring down at a small brown box. She cocked her head to the side and managed to open it, but that just made her more confused. Inside the box was a metal object that was shaped like a weird cylinder. It was really small, like so small she could swallow it. It was made out of rusty-looking metal, likely having been built by Metal Ronin, and on the side of the strange object, the letters ''CV'' were carved in. Finally, a red button was placed at one end of the object.


    "You pull it out, press the button, and then toss it." Alexander stated. "At least that''s what Sky told me." The man moved out of the way as his daughter pulled the strange machine out.


    Hope held it in her hands and got ready to throw it. The thing was light, though she could tell it was Mental-based tech. She pressed the button and tossed the thing. It hit the middle of the junkyard and let out a loud clicking noise. Her mother let out a sheepish squeak and hid behind her as what looked like mist poured out of the device. The mist rose up and swirled together, and there was a soft buzzing. The next thing she knew, the strange mist was taking shape and forming together into a solid object. When it was all said and done, she found herself staring at... herself?


    Metal Ronin was a Mental-based Super. That meant that, like Boy Genius, he was able to create things, even if it didn''t make a whole lot of sense. Each Mental-based Super is specialized in different things. In Metal Ronin''s case, he had two main things he could do. The first was compression. He could make tech that could compress itself down into small forms. That was how he was able to make his suit pop up around him or keep so many weapons stored up. Other heroes had to actually put on their suits manually, but Metal Ronin''s was constantly shrunk down and hidden out of sight until he called it forth. The second thing Metal Ronin was able to do was create inventions out of trash.


    Actually, that was the only thing the hero could use. For whatever reason, even should it be heavily degraded, out of juice, or waterlogged, Metal Ronin was able to slap old, broken-down junk together and create something new out of it thanks to his power. But that did raise a question. What exactly counted as junk? Of course, the answer is simple. Anything discarded or scrapped can count as junk, no matter its true value. After all, one man''s treasure is another man''s trash. Usually, that saying was said in the reverse way, but not for Metal Ronin.


    Shortly after the Beast attack, Metal Ronin discovered that he could reuse and rebuild the discarded suits of other Mental-based heroes. After all, Mental-based tech was something that normally shouldn''t work or be able to function, so when a Mental-based Super died, that tech would never be able to be rebuilt or function the same way, and in other words, would become discarded junk. This included suits created by Boy Genius. It was by using these very same suits that Metal Ronin was able to create his greatest masterpiece yet.


    The Cinder Van.


    "What the hell am I looking at?" Hope asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "It''s so cool!" Alexander said with stars in his eyes.


    "It''s kind of... ugly." Jane admitted.


    It was a large red van. One that had huge-looking tires and massive pipes that jutted out of the hood and the back. The pipes blasted out a stream of fire that was so hot it caused the sand around them to bubble up and partially turn to glass. Both her mother and father even had to step back as the van roared to life, causing her ears to ring, even without her enhanced hearing. The van itself was painted with a red and golden look to it, and also on the side of the van, where the sliding door was, an image of the hero Cinder resided. On one side of the van, the image was of her in her costume. The suit Boy Genius had created for her. In the image, she held her shield up. On the other side, it was still her, but she was in the form she fought the Beast in, coated in golden fire, and even though it was a picture, it still radiated that sense of aura. The license plate on the van read out the words ''Pantheon'', which were done up in bold letters, and on the bumper of the vehicle, a massive pair of bull-looking horns came out, likely a nod to Myth.


    The entire junkyard kept shaking as the ''Cinder Van'' hummed with untapped power.


    "Where the hell did you get this?" Hope demanded. She felt pretty embarrassed about a car having her face on it. That was a bit too ego-fueling. Though now that she thought about it, she did have an action figure of herself, so she wondered what other Cinder merch existed and how she could get a piece of that pie.


    "Sky gave it to me," Alexander stated proudly.


    "And where did she get this from?"


    "Myth gave it to her."


    "And I''m guessing Metal Ronin gave it to Myth." She folded her arms and nodded her head. "Makes sense, I guess. Though I am wondering what this achieves."


    "What do you mean?" Her father questioned.


    "Honey, the bridge is still out." Jane folded her arms, letting out a soft huff. "There''s no road for us to take this abomination out on."


    "Roads? Where we''re going, we don''t need roads!" Alexander walked over to the scary-looking ride and opened the front door. "Get in, suckers!"


    Hope shared a look with her mom before slowly moving to the van. She felt a little embarrassed about grabbing the handle; it was placed right over her picture self''s chest, but she managed to fight through the shame and pull the door open. As soon as she saw inside the van, she gasped.


    Mayor Grove, or Sunshine, as he used to go by, had a suped-up car that had Super tech in it. Whisper had stowed away in that ride once and told her all about it. The girl had claimed the inside had been bigger than it was on the outside. After the battle with the Wandering Coin Metal, Ronin must have found the wreckage of the car and took it for himself as the Cinder Van followed that same logic. The inside was freaking huge. Like its own realm or something, though it was only indoors.


    She climbed into the van and used her super strength to pull her mother up, chair and all. It was as if a strange futuristic house had been placed into the car. They were in what looked almost like a front door-like area. The walls were made out of dark silver metal, the same for the floor and the ceiling, which had various lights shining down. The area they were in had a coat rack as well as a place for shoes and other such things.


    As she moved forward past the entryway of the weird house they were in, she found herself stepping into what looked like a kitchen. There was a silver countertop placed against the wall, as well as a stove, an oven, a microwave, and a fridge. A lot of cabinets were also built into the wall.


    Her mother was still in the wheelchair, and slowly, the raven-haired woman wheeled herself toward the stainless steel fridge and opened it. Jane let out a soft gasp when she saw what was inside. It wasn''t much, likely the rest of the Sub Enforcers'' supplies, but there were a few boxes of food and other such things scattered in the fridge that Metal Ronin had left them.


    Past the kitchen was a mix of the dining room and living room. It was split in half, with one side having a large table with several chairs scattered around, while the other side had a couch and a loveseat placed in front of a TV that was built into the wall. A fake fireplace also stood, with digital fire, and an inbuilt heater kept the entire place warm.


    The entire ride seemed to be almost like a traincart, simply going forward in one direction up until this point. Three hallways resided at the end, and the entire space seemed to grow even larger, opening up more. One hallway was shorter than the others, and she saw her father at the end of it. He stood in what looked like the cockpit of a plane. On either side of him were the two front seat doors through which he had entered. The seats of the van were also in this area, as were the controls that would allow you to actually drive this thing.


    The second hallway also wasn''t that long. It stretched out a bit, and at the end of it had a set of double doors. They were the doors to the back of the van, though due to the weird spatial warp going on, they were placed at the front. So if you were to climb into the back, you''d be able to get to the control room quicker.


    The final hallway was by far the longest. It stretched out, going on and on. On either side was a series of doors every few feet. Normal-looking bedroom doors. She''d have to explore and find out what else was in here, but if she had to guess, it was likely this was where the bedrooms in this weird place would be.


    "It''s about time!" Her father called out to them.


    Slowly, she wheeled her mother forward until she stood in the same area as him. It looked mostly like the front of the van should be. Her father was already in the driver''s seat. She helped her mother into the passenger seat next to him while she took a seat in the back.


    "Why the heck would Metal Ronin build something like this?" She questioned.


    "Well, you are the hero that beat the Beast." Jane shrugged. "Maybe this is your reward."


    "Great, a ride with my face plastered on it, because my reputation hasn''t become bad enough." She sighed.


    "Oh, come on." Alexander grinned. "You have to admit this thing is pretty cool."


    "Yeah... It is." That almost made it all worse. Seriously, how the heck did Metal Ronin make this? "As cool as it is, how does it solve the issue of getting out of Oleander?"


    "Sky showed me this thing a day or two ago, and she and I tested it out." Her father explained. "You know how a lot of people are still trapped in the city? Well, Metal Ronin is basically building these as the fix. He only made one so far, but apparently he has a few more in development. They''ll be able to use these to house some of the people, as well as take the people out of here. This one, however, was built for you. It was going to be a birthday gift to you, but drastic times call for drastic measures! Remember what I said. Where we''re going, we don''t need roads!"


    Her father stomped his foot down onto the gas, and the van let out a massive roar. Fire gushed out of the back of it, and it rocketed forward. It plowed through a massive wave of trash and flew down the beach, heading for the water. She let out a loud scream, as did her mother.


    They didn''t crash, though.


    Instead, at the last second, right before they hit the water, her father pulled back on the wheel, and it came forward with him as if it were the steering wheel to a plane or something, and the van suddenly drove across the water!


    Literally.


    They were driving on top of the ocean. She stared out the window with shock-filled eyes. They weren''t going so fast that it could do this; instead, it was almost like it was some sort of boat or something.


    Her father''s grin only grew. "Told you. Next stop, Lillian City."

 Chapter One Hundred And Fifty-Nine: Lillian City

    Kyle toyed around with the strange Mental-based tech in his hand. It was some sort of ray gun Metal Ronin had planned to attach to a suit but never got around to finishing it.


    All Mental-based Supers had a lab or some sort of place where they would make all their gadgets. For the hero, Metal Ronin, it had been in the junkyard, but since the Beast attack, everything had been moved into one of the wings of the manor they stayed in, which served as the Sub Enforcer''s base.


    The area looked almost like an old garage. Dozens of shelves lined the wall, all containing Metal Ronin''s half-built projects, and in the center were two large vans that had been gutted and were still being built.


    Kyle flipped the strange ray gun in his hand, toying with the trigger. It had no energy and wouldn''t fire, but he took a moment to pretend like it was working. He aimed it at the wall and squinted. "Pow. Pow. Pew. Gun noise-"


    "What are you doing?" Rowan asked in a flat tone.


    Kyle let out a loud yelp and dropped the device. He spun around and found his bodyguard staring at him with an unamused look. Rowan was in the doorway to the garage dressed in a wielding outfit and holding a blow torch. Today, Myth, Oxide, and Drake were patrolling, so both Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin were the only Sub Enforcer members at the base with whom Kyle had to hang out today. Despite that, though, he had basically avoided both of them.


    "Relax. I was just looking around." Kyle said sheepishly.


    Rowan stared at his friend with a blank look. "Really?" The superhero walked forward and bent down, picking up the broken gun. "Because it looks like you were messing with some dangerous stuff."


    "Dangerous stuff? None of this crap even works."


    "That''s why you shouldn''t mess with it." Rowan huffed. "It isn''t stabilized. This thing here could have blown your hand off." Rowan jingled the gun in front of his friend''s face. "Why do you think I scrapped it? If it worked, Oppenheimer would be ready to use it out in the field."


    "Oppenheimer?" That was when Kyle noticed his friend wasn''t alone. Standing behind Rowan, Oppenheimer, the dog walked in. The black puppy looked around before finally settling down near the corner. "You''re still trying to build a dog mech suit for him?" Kyle asked, a little amused.


    "Damn straight, I am." Rowan tossed the useless gun onto a shelf and gave a smirk. "When I finally figure it out, he and I will be ready to kick serious villain ass."


    "How haven''t you figured it out? I mean, you already are able to build a suit for yourself; shouldn''t you be able to make one for your dog?" Kyle questioned.


    "I mean, yeah, I could, but what use would I get out of it? The suit would run out of battery way too fast." Rowan sighed. "It''s the one thing I haven''t been able to figure out yet. I don''t know how Boy Genius does it."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Nothing." Rowan shook his head. "It''s a Mental-based thing. I actually came in here to work on something, so you need to leave." Rowan looked around his lab, searching for the right object, but a frown came onto his face. "That''s weird." He moved over to a crowded shelf filled with dozens of small devices shaped like capsules. He knocked several of them off as he searched through the pile but was unable to find the right one.


    "What are you looking for?"


    "There should be one listed as HV." Rowan''s frown grew. "I was still working on it."


    "HV?" Both boys jumped a bit when they heard the other voice. They turned and found that they weren''t alone anymore. Kenny seemingly just got out of the shower, dripping wet, with only a towel covering him. He held it up with one hand and leaned on the door. "Are you talking about that dumb-looking van?"


    "It wasn''t dumb!" Rowan said, offended.


    "It was kind of dumb..." Kyle trailed off.


    Rowan let out another huff and folded his arms. "Whatever. Where the hell is it?"


    Kenny gave a lazy shrug. "Myth gave that thing away."


    "What!"


    "Yeah." Kenny rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "He even put the last bit of the food we had in it without telling us. I get Cinder was a teammate, but still. That kind of sucks, you know-"


    "Why would he give it away!" Rowan yelled.


    "Cause it was done?"


    "It wasn''t done!"


    "It wasn''t? It worked, though, right?"


    Rowan clenched his teeth and let out a deep sigh. "Idiots. All of you don''t understand how Mental tech works at all, do you?"


    Kyle gave a sheepish shrug. "I mean, you guys make impossible to understand tech? What do you expect?"


    Rowan walked over to one of the gutted vans and used a wrench to bash into the metal, heavily denting it. The sound caused the other two boys to wince, and the dog whined and ran out of the room. "Why do you think we don''t have more of those vans for the people?" Rowan asked sarcastically. "It''s because I still haven''t figured out how to get them to work right." He grabbed one of the capsules that rested on his desk and clicked it, tossing it at the wall.


    Kyle and Kenny dropped to the floor as the thing exploded, and a third van appeared, knocking dozens of shelves over. This van had a bright white paint job on it, and the image of Snowdawn resided on both doors. It looked finished, and just like the Cinder Van, if one were to open it, they''d find an entire mini-reality inside.


    "I started building these vans around the time Wish was defeated," Rowan admitted. "I got the idea after studying some old junk I found out in the Wastelands. I have a couple of them, and in a way, I guess you can say that they work. They can drive, have built-in weapons, and do other such things. Each one also has a few rooms."


    "So then what''s the issue?" Kyle questioned. "Can''t you just give these to the people that are still in the city? It''d be a whole lot better than the tents they have to stay in."


    "No. It wouldn''t." Rowan shook his head. "You should know this already. I''ve mentioned it before, but it''s the same reason Avalon or Boy Genius don''t make Super tech for the Hero Branch to use."


    "That battery thing, right?" Kenny stated. "Tech made by you guys isn''t powered by electricity or anything like that. Instead, your kind gives off a type of energy source, which keeps the things powered. If something stays away from you for too long, then it''ll lose its power and need to be recharged."


    "That''s right." Rowan nodded. "I could make a big ass gun and give it to someone, but it would have only a few shots before it died. In my case, anything I make has a battery life of two hours, and then it must be near me for two hours to recharge. With these vans, I''d have to sit inside of them for two hours straight to give them the juice they need. Since I can only be in one place at a time, I can''t charge multiple suits or vans. Boy Genius sort of has a workaround for this. His gear can last for weeks without needing to be recharged, but even he still has to recharge all his stuff manually. It''s why he sticks so close to his prison. Sometimes, he''ll make what he calls burner gear for the Hero Branch. He did this for a few members during the Beast fight. This is gear that is meant to be used once or twice and then scrapped. As far as I know, the only piece of tech that can power itself is Beta. Boy Genius hasn''t been able to make anything like that again since Beta''s creation."


    "What about the costumes, though?" Kyle asked. "Doesn''t he make all your guy''s clothing and stuff like that?"


    "Those are just fabrics." Kenny snorted. "No tech involved. And the stuff that does have tech, while being put in place by Boy Genius, isn''t actually Mental-based tech. It''s all normal tech that any normal person could make; it''s just installed and created through Mental-tech, making it better. It''s sort of like building a normal car, but one that is built by an advanced robot. It''ll do better than normal cars despite not being Super tech, so it also doesn''t have the breaking down issue. Of course, that also means it can''t do anything special either, other than be well made."


    Kyle nodded slowly. "Okay. I think I get it. So you''re annoyed that Myth gave your thing away because it''ll depower, and you haven''t been able to fix that issue? Is that right, Rowan?"


    "No." Rowan shook his head again. "If that was the case, we could still get some use out of these vans. After all, even if they don''t have power, they''d be able to be used as a place to store people. Sadly, though, the situation is a lot worse than that. Remember how I said a lot of this crap is unstable?"


    "Yeah," Kyle said, suddenly feeling very uneasy.


    "That''s the real reason we don''t give gear like this to people unless it is made to be thrown away after one use. Even if we can recharge them, it''s way too dangerous. Because once they do run out of juice, the power that allowed them to function stops working. And once that power wears off, boom!" Rowan clasped his hands together, clapping as loudly as he could. "The entire thing can go up in smoke. All it takes is one guy forgetting about it or some other slip-up, and an uncharged high-tech weapon falls apart, unleashing all that pent-up energy."


    Kenny''s face paled a bit at that. "Wait. Are you saying that all these vans are basically bombs?"


    "Worse than that," Rowan said sternly. "Myth gave a bomb away as a gift because he couldn''t be bothered to ask me why I stopped working on these damn things."


    Kyle nervously folded his arms. "I don''t suppose any of us has the number to get in contact with Hope or her family?" Hope still didn''t have a phone, and he didn''t manage to get Mr. Lauren''s number. An awkward silence filled the room as the two superheroes shifted. "Well... Shit."


    "It''s fine." Rowan finally said while the two other boys processed the fact that they were in a room with two other bombs shaped like vans.


    "What do you mean it''s fine?" Kenny hissed out. "You just told us it was a bomb!"


    "It is, but that''s only if it goes off."


    "What the hell does that mean? All bombs are still bombs before they explode, you know!"


    Rowan slapped at the van next to him once more. "Look, I might not have figured out a way to stop these bad boys from losing power and exploding, but I did put some safety nets in place to ensure they wouldn''t just randomly go off."


    Kyle let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, so they won''t have to worry about their ride randomly exploding on them?"


    "Exactly." Rowan nodded. "There is something in the van that warns you if the power is running low, and it should let them know they need to get out of the van in case it does explode while the van waits for a Mental-based user to power it."


    "Wait, what do you mean while the van waits? I thought only you could power the van since it is your tech?" Kenny questioned.


    "To an extent, that is true; only I can power my own tech, but as I said earlier, I was able to take tech that wasn''t my own and make it mine. The same thing could be done by other heroes who have Mental-based powers." Rowan explained. "In Oleander, we don''t have enough heroes with those kinds of powers to make it work, but if you were to leave the city, you could maybe find another hero to fix up the van. If someone with Mental-based powers works on tech made by another Super, they can modify it in their own way, making it their tech. And since it is their tech, it can be recharged by them. I programmed the van to send a distress signal out whenever it runs low on battery, just in case. So, either they''ll be warned it''s about to explode, or they will be picked up by some other hero with tech powers who can hopefully fix up the van or warn them of the dangers."


    "When you say it sends out a signal, couldn''t that cause some bad guys to come after them?" Kyle asked nervously.


    "Not a chance." Rowan snorted. "I programmed the signals to only go out to heroes who I know. People like the Pallet Boys, Tech Horse, or even Boy Genius."


    "Wait, the Pallet Boys?" Kenny frowned. "Rowan, you know those guys are dead right?"


    "Yeah, but they were already in the system and I was to lazy to take them out so-"


    "Rowan! You know that a bunch of bad guys stole all the Pallet Boy''s gear, right? What happens when the signal gets sent out, and some evil guy sees it?"This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Rowan went silent. He didn''t say anything for several seconds. Finally, though, he cleared his throat. "Yeah, so this is sort of why I didn''t want the vans to be handed out yet..."


    "Rowan!"


    ***


    "I have to admit, this van is a little cool, I guess." Jane hummed.


    "And it''s so safe!" Alexander slapped the dashboard and gave a grin. "You got some real neat friends, Hope!"


    "I wouldn''t really say Metal Ronin and I are friends," Hope said in a slightly bitter tone. She still remembered that time the boy helped train her, and he used all those drones to zap her butt. Some things were just unforgivable.


    "You''ll need to tell us all about them sometime." Jane smiled and placed her hand over her daughters. "You hardly even told me about all the superheroes you know. They all seem so interesting."


    "That''s just most heroes, I think." Hope shrugged. So far, she hadn''t met a sane or normal hero.


    Hope took her red backpack off and placed it next to her in the backseat. Kevin still hadn''t talked or said anything since the ride began. She was starting to get a little worried. Maybe he went to sleep or something? Or maybe he was just ignoring her? She really didn''t know. As soon as she took the backpack off, the silver jacket she wore twitched and changed. It formed into a long scarf that wrapped itself around her neck.


    She ran her fingers through it. Despite looking like normal clothing, it still felt like metal. It also still had its weight to it, though the Pod was always fairly light and could be lifted by normal humans, so thanks to her enhanced strength, she had nothing to worry about. She still had on her normal clothes beneath the jacket. During the ride, she had changed into a simple black T-shirt that showed off Pretty Face, as well as a pair of blue jeans.


    They hadn''t even been on the ocean for an hour, yet they were nearing their destination. The ride was fairly smooth; her dad seemed to know what he was doing and drove on the surface of the water like a pro. She took a moment to look out the window and stare out at Oleander. It remained in the distance and was slowly but surely getting smaller and smaller as they approached Lillian. They had to take the long way around since they left from Oleander''s beach.


    Across the sea, in the distance, the ice island that made up Watch Dog''s home base still resided. Sky mentioned that Duplcity and Roulette had made it out of the Beast fight alive. Sadly, they were the only two from their team of four. She wondered briefly if they were still on that island. They hadn''t made a move in the city since everything went down. They must have been lonely.


    It reminded her a bit of Armin, which only caused the pain in her chest to grow.


    That pain just motivated her more though. She was determined to reach Mr. Larison and figure out some way to make things return back to how they used to be.


    "So what exactly is the plan?" Alexander called back. "You''ll have to be a bit patient with us, Hope. Your mom and I are total noobs when it comes to this job."


    Hope folded her arms and turned her attention back to what was happening in front of her. They were close to the beach that rested around Lillian. Lillian really was like a mirror image to Oleander in some ways. "The end goal is Rose City; that way, I can speak to Mr. Larison, but there are a few other places I''d like to stop first."


    "Like Lillian?" Jane asked.


    "Yeah." Hope nodded. "Rose is far away and sort of hard to get into. I''ll need help, so there is another city I''d like to stop by first. I also wanted to check up on the person that was there. For now, though, I want to stop by Lillian and look for clues."


    "Clues?" Alexander raised an eyebrow and gave a sly grin. "What are you, some sort of detective?"


    "I will be today, I guess." Hope gave a sheepish giggle before growing serious. "Sky told me her sister left this city and joined Battery. I''d like to stop by their house. Maybe there are clues or something. I doubt I''ll find anything, but it''s better to be safe than sorry. There''s still a lot I don''t really understand right now."


    "This is getting a little exciting," Jane muttered. "I never thought we''d be doing anything like this as a family."


    "Me neither." Alexander gripped the wheel tighter. "I''m glad though. That we''re all together, I mean. No more being apart."


    Hope felt a faint smile come onto her face. "Yeah."


    They finally reached Lillian beach. Unlike Oleander, it wasn''t filled with massive piles of trash. In fact, in a way, she was reminded of Hell Land. The beach was large, and hundreds of people were on it, seemingly having a fun time. Some people were playing volleyball, others were swimming out in the ocean, and kids were building sandcastles. It was the total reverse of Oleander. Or at least it appeared that way.


    Before they even fully arrived, everyone on the beach seemed to freeze and stare at them. It was certainly a weird sight... Some people even pulled out their phones and began to take pictures, no doubt noticing the Cinder image that was on both sides.


    Hope felt her cheeks flush a bit. It was kind of embarrassing. She kept forgetting that her Cinder persona was a tad famous now.


    The van had heavily tinted windows that were made in a way that allowed them to see the outside world perfectly but blocked anyone from seeing the inside. Their van came out of the ocean and drove up onto the beach. Alexander awkwardly kept going forward, making sure to move out of the way of anyone who was slack-jawed and frozen in place by what they saw. It wasn''t every day you saw something like this after all.


    Soon enough, though, they arrived near a large ramp that allowed cars on the beach to drive up onto the road. "It feels weird getting so many looks." Jane shuddered a bit. "Is this how you normally feel, Hope?"


    "Yep," Hope said flatly. "You get used to the judging eyes eventually."


    She had been to Lillian once, though she never got to see much of the city. That had been back before the Beast attack, and back then, she noticed Lillian was pretty similar to Oleander. Both were massive cities with rich parts and hundreds of manors. The main difference, though, was that Lillian was a lot more pact-in and enclosed. Oleander was wide and massive with three different zones, but Lillian only had massive skyscrapers that covered every corner and thin roads and sidewalks. You were either in the rich part of the city or the super-rich part of the city. Even before the Beast, it felt a bit claustrophobic to move around.


    After the Beast attack, things grew so much worse.


    Traffic was full everywhere. Every single road had hundreds of cars on them. At each street, two different Hero Branch trucks resided, and Hero Branch soldiers were doing their best to direct everything. The sidewalk was filled with thousands of different people all screaming about different things.


    Many of these people likely used to live in Oleander. They had lost their homes during the Beast attack and had been forced to flee to Lillian. Unfortunately, Lillian didn''t have enough homes for an entire second city''s worth of people. Of course, all the rich and important people in Oleander, who had been flown to Lillian by helicopters, were given the finest places to stay, but the rest of the people were out of jobs and homes, and with all the shelters having become full, they were left with no other option but to live on the streets. This even started to affect the people of Lillian.


    None of the other cities were willing to offer any help either. This was because they were going through their own crisis. Because of what Battery pulled, every city no longer had any Enforcers and was filled with wandering Giants that took up more space. Lillian had four massive Giants, each one dressed in thick-looking Knight armor. They stood taller than any skyscraper and took up a full block, turning the already claustrophobic city in on itself more.


    Battery''s method might have been working for some places, but this was not one of them.


    Even though Lillian hadn''t been attacked by the Beast, it was still feeling the effects of the Calamity from space. So great was that creature''s terror.


    "What now?" Alexander asked quietly. "I can''t get onto the main road."


    Due to the massive number of people, they were stuck on the ramp and unable to cross the sidewalk. Even if they were somehow able to get past all of that, though, the road was still totally clogged. It basically made driving impossible.


    "I''ll handle it." Hope stated.


    "What are you going to do?" Jane asked, looking back at her daughter.


    Hope picked Kevin up and gave a small grin. "Do what I do best. Use obscene strength to force the outcome I want to happen."


    "Huh?"


    Hope shook the backpack. "Alright. No more silent treatment. I need a costume. Come on, Baggy." Silence filled the van. "Please..."


    "...I want a better name..." Kevin''s voice came out from the bottom of the bag, though no face appeared on it.


    "It does talk!" Jane and Alexander stared with wide eyes as the red backpack shook.


    "What''s wrong with Baggy?"


    "It''s stupid, and I want a cooler name!" Kevin hissed.


    Hope rubbed her chin. "Okay. I get it; you don''t like the backpack thing. What if we call you Packy, as in-"


    "No! No! No!" Kevin began to bubble up and change. Red tendrils grew off of him as he wrapped around Hope. "I''ve already decided."


    "Oh yeah?"


    "Yeah." Hope felt her suit begin to reform around herself as Kevin turned into her hero outfit. The scarf around her twitched and also began to change as her outfit wove itself together, strand by strand. "I''ve decided. If I have to go by some stupid ass hero name, then from now on, I am going to be called Shift!"


    The costume finished, as both Kevin and the scarf worked together. It sort of looked like the first design he had created out of himself, but now it had some silver in it. It was still mostly red and covered her body from the neck down. Silver lines ran through it, giving it an outline, and the butterfly symbol was also made of silver. She thought about asking for it to be changed since she really didn''t want a connection to Full Monarch, but she didn''t really know what else she could put there. A half mask covered her upper face, and instead of a helmet, she had a hood, which she could pull on and off at will.


    Once again, she was Cinder. The hero she dreamed of being.


    "Whoa." Alexander''s eyes were wide as he stared at his daughter.


    "That''s a new one." Jane was also taken aback. "That makes costume number three, I guess."


    Cinder didn''t say anything as she stood up and began to head down the hallway that was within the van. "Where are you going?" Her father called out.


    "Outside."


    She made it to the door and stepped out of the van. Instantly, she could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes on her. Most of the angry mob stopped when the weird van pulled up, and they stared as a hero had stepped out of it. She was a bit grateful that fake Cinder had made so many drastic changes, like ditching the helmet and staying in the golden-haired form, so no one instantly knew what they were looking at. Her costume had changed quite a bit after all. Before any of them could decide to film her or say anything to her, she moved into action.


    Cinder crouched down and placed her hands on the bottom of the van. "Help me out B- I mean Shift."


    Kevin just grunted, and she felt the suit twist a bit as his strength became added to her own. With a slight smirk, she pulled up and lifted the van above her head. Many of the people in the crowd let out loud yells, and some stumbled back. At the end of the block, the Hero Branch officers noticed her and began to yell something out into a radio and head her way.


    She stuck her tongue out at them and shifted the van until it was fully above her head. She kept a tight grip on it and then jumped up, using Shift''s strength combined with her own to do a super hop. She came down hard, landing directly behind the Hero Branch truck. They screamed at her, and one even tried to grab her, but she jumped again, going even further and landing out of the block.


    Traffic was still overflowing no matter where she went, and the sidewalk was extremely crowded, but people moved out of the way as they jumped through it, going further and further in the direction of where she remembered Sky''s house being.


    It made her wonder who was protecting Lillian City. After all, Ocean Empress was dead, as was most of Team Reservoir. Lillian also lacked a Sub Enforcers team due to how crowded and enclosed it was. Ocean Empress had always managed without one, so the Hero Branch decided to use the funding for a Sub Enforcers elsewhere.


    Cinder hoped crime was remaining in check.


    Inside the van, Jane held onto something as the ride kept rocking back and forth. She felt herself leave the seat a bit as her daughter jumped up, going high into the air, before they suddenly came back down in a harsh landing. Then, it would happen all over again as Cinder blasted herself forward.


    "H- How the hell are you remaining so calm?" Jane shot her husband a dirty look as her face turned a little green, and she resisted the urge to throw up.


    Alexander gave a hearty laugh and clapped his wife on the back. "I was a fisherman, you know. This is nothing compared to the trashy boat rides I went on. Keep going, Hope! Or, I guess I should call you Cinder!"


    Back outside, Cinder''s lips twitched slightly into a grin as she kept up her pace, carrying the van over her head. Kevin spoke into her ear as she ran, asking a question. "So you said you wanted to check out your girlfriend''s house? Did she give you permission?"


    "Not sure if I''d really call her my girlfriend, and no, I sort of forgot to tell Sky I was doing this. Don''t worry, though; what she doesn''t know won''t hurt her." Cinder said sheepishly.


    "Huh. Guess lesbians lie to each other like straight couples."


    "Huh?"


    "Nothing."


    Slowly, Cinder came to a stop once she began to near her destination. The streets finally began to open up more. While the main half of Lillian was flooded with people, the super-rich part was being well kept. It was still crowded, but she didn''t have to dodge in and out of the crowd''s mid-jump. Instead, she slowed herself down to a brisk walk, though she still carried the massive van above her head since it was just easier than putting it down.


    She still remembered when she first went to Sky''s house. It had been for a girl''s night, one that was seemingly started at random for no reason. They had been so happy and cheerful back then. None of them knew the horrors that lurked on the horizon. Nor were they ready for all the loss that awaited them.


    Kevin let out a low whistle when he saw the different manors. They were massive, each one with its own metal fence. Most of Lillian was made up of towers, but this part. The rich wanted you to know they were rich, showing off their massive lawns.


    When they finally did arrive at Ocean Empress''s manor, Cinder came to a sudden stop, and she felt a pang of mild anger. It stood out like a sore thumb, especially compared to how nice all the other houses looked. River Sini''s home was in ruins.


    The fence had been completely torn down, and most of the yard was destroyed. Heavy machinery covered every square inch of the land, and several men in construction outfits walked. There were a bunch of Hero Branch guards as well. The manor itself was mostly torn down. They weren''t just repurposing the place. If you wanted to do that, you could have still left the manor and just made some changes. This was a complete overhaul, every square inch being changed.


    There was a new section in the back of the yard that was being turned into a pool, and what looked like a makeshift sound stage filled with musical equipment was also being put up. There had been a statue of River Sini''s late husband, the father of Poseidon, but it was gone now. Instead, a new statue of Pretty Face was put up.


    She had heard he took over the city once Ocean Empress died; he was now a member of the Enforcers, but it seemed like he was abusing his power by getting rid of everything Ocean Empress had.


    The place Lily and Sky grew up at was just gone. How would they react when they learned this?


    She had arrived too late to do anything about it. The damage was already done.


    She suddenly felt really ticked off. It was during this mood that she felt something hit her in the back of the leg.


    It happened suddenly and without warning. One moment, she was standing, and then the next, something wrapped itself around her ankle and pulled on her hard. She quickly went from being ticked off to angry as she tripped and dropped the van with her parents in it. Luckily, Shift thought fast, several tendrils growing out of the back of the costume, which wrapped around the van, and managed to place it down gently.


    Many of the men in the yard all stopped what they were doing and stared when they heard the noise. "Nice save, Shift." Cinder spoke through gritted teeth. Whatever had grabbed her attempted to tug her further back, but she fought through it and pulled her leg up. She looked down and found several clumps of golden thread wrapped around her leg. She grabbed at them and tore them off at her, but not even a second later, more golden lines blasted toward her from a nearby roof. She rolled out of the way just in time as they splattered against the ground next to the van. "Why the hell are you attacking me?"


    "Why are you running away from the law!" A loud voice called out. A golden figure dropped to the ground, landing before her in a crouched position. They wore a golden costume that had the image of a spider across it, and a mask covered their face. Both their legs were gone, replaced with wooden limbs that now supported them, and they were missing an arm now after their right arm was blown off during the battle with the Beast. Despite that, there was no mistake about who this was. "You''ve been causing a ruckus, and the Hero Branch ordered I bring you in. Who even are you?"


    Golden Weaver, a former member of the original Enforcers, stood before her. In other words, one of the heroes who fought alongside Full Monarch.


    Alexander''s eyes went wide as he stared out the window at his favorite hero. "Holy crap! I need his autograph!"

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty: A Golden Age Hero

    When he had been a kid, he used to live in a small backwater village that was technically part of the city that was near them. The protector of that city had been the hero known as Feast.


    Because of that, Alexander Lauren found himself growing up constantly surrounded by Feast merchandise. Everyone back home seemed to love the constantly hungry hero; in fact, Feast was so popular nowadays that he was able to retire and instead run the various Feast Shacks scattered throughout the many different cities, each one cooking some of the unhealthiest food you could imagine.


    Feast wasn''t Alexander''s favorite hero, though.


    No, instead, that honor went to the one who had saved him. Before he had become a fisherman, before he had moved to Oleander City with his best friend Marcus, he had been drafted into some small-scale war. He had been forced to carry a gun and take up arms against his fellow man, all because of a local village that was declaring itself separated from the Hero Branch. At the age of sixteen, Alexander had fired his first gun.


    It was during this war that he met him.


    The one and only Golden Weaver.


    In the present, Alexander was just as shocked as he was back then when he first saw his hero. Golden Weaver stood across the street, directly in front of the hero Cinder.


    "I''ll ask this once more. Who are you, evildoer?" Golden Weaver announced loudly.


    "Evildoer? I''m a good guy." Cinder said, shaking her head.


    "Yeah, right!" Golden Weaver let out a snort. "You have evil written all over you. Just look at your suit."


    "What''s wrong with my suit?" Cinder looked down at her new hero suit with a frown. "Hear that, Shift, he''s making fun of you."


    "Let''s kill him!" Kevin announced.


    "D- Did your clothes just talk?" Golden Weaver questioned.


    Cinder shrugged. "Look. I don''t want to fight you, so how about we just agree to go our separate ways?"


    "No can do, evildoer." The old hero shook his head. "I was told by Ward himself to bring you in. Thanks to that bastard, Battery, Pretty Face isn''t able to step foot in this city, and with Ocean Empress gone, I alone am the last protector of this city. I bet Yellow Kobold is the one that put you up to this, isn''t he?"


    "Yellow who?"


    "Yellow Kobold!" Cinder jumped a bit when she heard her dad''s voice. Alexander had rolled the window down and had his head poking out. "He''s the archnemesis of Golden Weaver! The two have been rivals for over twenty years now! Even before the Hero Branch was started, they were always doing battle with each other! Hell, they still fight even to this day!"


    "You seem to know a lot about that hero?" Jane muttered, still sitting inside the van next to her husband.


    "Of course I do!" Alexander''s smile grew. "He''s my hero."


    During the war he had fought in, the Hero Branch had called upon a hero to come and end it. Feast had been away on some super important secret mission, so the hero that showed up and fought alongside the rest of the soldiers was the one and only Golden Weaver. Alexander had been on the front lines, and he watched it all happen with his own two eyes.


    The enemy they were fighting against had stolen a bunch of tanks and even Mental tech that had some juice left in them. Despite that, though, Golden Weaver had single-handedly taken the soldiers out, using his webs to tie everyone up and keep his teammates safe. All without taking a single life. Then he had done something no other hero had. He had helped many of the soldiers sneak away and escape the Hero Branch''s clutches, allowing them to go into hiding and live normal lives. Be it enemy or foe, Golden Weaver had offered this choice to all, letting them all go and stopping the Branch from throwing the enemy soldiers into a cell to rot for the rest of their lives.


    Alexander was one such soldier. He had begged the hero to take him out of this place and help him, and Golden Weaver listened. It was thanks to that man that he got to live in Oleander and eventually meet his wife.


    Of course, he doubted Golden Weaver actually remembered who he was. That had been years ago, so long in fact, that Golden Weaver had still been a member of the Enforcers.


    Back in the day, before even the Emperor arrived, Golden Weaver was a high-ranking member of the Enforcers. Many of those old heroes died fifteen years ago during the battle with the Emperor, but Golden Weaver was one of the few to make it out of that battle alive. Not unscratched, however. His career as a top hero had been stolen from him due to the damage he received from the Emperor.


    The hero wore a gold and white, skintight body suit that had the symbol of a spider on the front of it. Where Golden Weaver''s legs should have been were thick wooden pegs, both from the kneecap down. He was also missing an arm now. He had lost the arm in the battle with the Beast, the entire limb having been torn clean off, leaving the sleeve totally empty.


    Golden Weaver had been one of the heroes who tried to stall the Beast for as long as he could, though he obviously wasn''t successful. He had been knocked out in one attack, destroying his already damaged body even more and losing what was left of his legs and arm. He hadn''t been able to get healing from Paragon since he had been buried deep beneath the ground, and by the time anyone found him, his body''s own natural healing had sealed his wounds shut, scarring them and stopping Paragon''s healing from restoring his lost limbs.


    That wouldn''t stop Golden Weaver, though.


    He was a hero. One who would move to save people, even if his body was totally destroyed.


    "I won''t say it again. Come quietly. Please." Golden Weaver asked once more.


    "I''m the hero Cinder."


    Silence hung in the air from that response. The golden bug-themed hero just stared at her, seemingly studying her. "You look nothing like her."


    "Really?" Cinder waved her hand in front of her face, then raised her half-face mask up. "Because I''m sure we have the same face."


    "Your costume is wrong. Also, Cinder''s hair is longer and golden."


    "Oh my God." Cinder sighed and slapped at her face. "Seriously. I''m Cinder! Call Myth or something!"


    "Show me your flames."


    Once more, silence hung in the air, only this time it was her turn to not say anything. She awkwardly stood there. "About that..." She barely raised her hand up as something came flying at her face. It moved at fast speeds, coming at her as soon as Golden Weaver''s leg twitched. Despite that, though, she managed to catch whatever it was and stared down at it. "What the hell am I holding?" It was a wooden block. One shaped like Golden Weaver''s peg leg. That was when she looked back up, and her jaw nearly dropped.


    Golden Weaver''s left leg was raised up, and the wooden leg that had been attached to him wasn''t on anymore. That was what she was holding. Instead, where his leg should have been, from the kneecap down, was a long metal blade. The golden hero brought his sword leg down and stabbed it into the ground. Then he lifted his right leg up, and once more, it twitched, or actually, it kicked out at fast speeds. The wooden pegs worked as a sheath, one that came flying off of him at high speeds, revealing the sword beneath.


    With the loss of both of his legs, instead of trying to get clunky Mental-based tech to work, Golden Weaved had decided to attach swords to his body.


    "He''s so cool." Both Alexander and Cinder said at the same time.


    Golden Weaver tested both of his bladed legs, bringing them down on the road as he awkwardly seemed to stretch. "Cinder or not, I was still told by director Ward to bring you in. You''re quite popular, Miss. Maybe you really are Cinder, though I doubt it. In actuality, I think I know who you are." It was impossible to see his eyes due to the mask he wore, but Cinder knew in that moment he was glaring at her. "You''re Skin Walker! The shapeshifter who used to serve the Emperor!"


    "What! No!" Cinder let out a bit of a whine and flailed her arms. "You got it wrong! Seriously! She''s the imposter! I''m not the sus one!"


    "Now I know you''re a faker! No sane person would ever use the word sus!" Golden Weaver''s entire body twisted forward, and he brought his remaining arm up. It was missing most of its fingers, but he still had his pointer and pinky. They lifted, and from his wrist, his costume split open, firing out a golden thread. "Get ready, villain! I''m bringing you in!"


    Cinder cursed and stepped back as Golden Weaver took off. It was just like when she fought Red Ape. They weren''t surrounded by giant buildings, but many of the manors were tall, and there were still dozens of street lamps that hung around. Watching Golden Weaver move caused her eyes to burn. He wasn''t in his prime, far from it, yet he became a golden blur as he seemed to literally bounce between the rooftops at high speeds, moving with his threading, which twisted and pulled any way it needed to. He kept building up speed, going around her, and sending out waves of sparks as his sword legs sliced into the ground.


    Off to the side, in what used to be Ocean Empress''s home, all the construction crew had stopped what they were doing and simply watched. They weren''t the only ones either. Many of the rich people in the manner had left their homes and were watching the fight that was about to begin. At either end of the street, dozens of Hero Branch vans also pulled in, each one letting out dozens of armed soldiers that stood on standby while Golden Weaver got ready to take out the threat.


    "Stop! You two don''t have to fight!" Alexander called out from the van in horror. He really didn''t want to see his daughter and his favorite hero try to beat one another to death.


    "I agree with my dad! We can seriously talk this out!" Cinder called out to the golden blur.


    Golden Weaver somehow got even faster. He kept flicking his arm out, causing the string to blast out, which would then work like a rubber band, stretching out before rapidly shrinking back down on itself, tugging him along. He used his sword legs to kick off of buildings as he flew further, boosting his speed as he got ready for his attack.


    "Sorry! Orders are orders!" The hero said through clenched teeth. "Trust me, I''m not usually one for following them, but with all the chaos going on in our world in this moment, someone needs to step up! Someone needs to do something! And it just so happens, that person is me!"


    Hope took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing her senses. She could still hear the man bouncing around above her. After a few moments, Cinder reopened her eyes and got ready for combat. "Okay then. Just remember I tried talking."


    In a flash, Golden Weaver struck out. He came blasting down, using his elastic threading to launch himself down toward his foe. He twirled his body out, bringing his legs down hard, but thanks to her enhanced senses, Cinder dodged out of the way, stepping back just in time. The ground in front of her utterly exploded from the sheer force of Golden Weaver''s strike, his blow kicking up rubble. The hero didn''t stop, though, using his arm to support himself as he raised both his legs up and twisted with them like some sort of dancer. She was still in the middle of dodging the first attack, so she wasn''t able to stop the blades as they both came slicing toward her and rammed into her side.


    Golden Weaver let out a sudden grunt, and his entire body was forced to a total stop as his blades failed to pierce Kevin''s hide. "D- Damn, you''re sturdy-" The hero stopped when he saw a shadow loom over him, and he looked up just in time to see Cinder''s fist flying toward his face at fast speeds.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    No fire powers. She couldn''t create a spark of flame, fly, or do anything like that. That meant she really just had one method for winning.


    All-out offense.


    She put all her trust in Kevin, tanking the sword blows he had done, and pushed herself forward on the heels of her feet. She twisted her body and struck out with a super fast, super strong jab, using the same punch Mr. Larison had taught her. It was a simple right-left combo, but it would do the trick. Her first fist rammed into Golden Weaver''s head and hit him so hard she tore part of his mask away and rammed him into the ground. He wasn''t out yet, though, and struck out with his own hand, smashing it into her face, but she didn''t falter as she struck out with her second fist.


    Before it could land, though, Golden Weaver managed to twist his entire body, showing insane flexibility, as he somehow brought one of his legs up. Her fist rammed into the sword that was attached to him, totally shattering it, but it bought him the time he needed. The hero''s wrist fired out the thread, and it rammed into her face like a rocket, blowing her head back. It was hard and solid, nearly cracking her jaw. It clung to her face as well, briefly blinding her as she stumbled back.


    Golden Weaver didn''t stop there, either. He flung his hand out again, firing off more webs that wrapped around her arms and forced them back as the end of the golden thread attached itself to two different fences that stood in front of the many manors around them.


    She was now blind and bound.


    Golden Weaver remained on the ground due to one of his legs being destroyed and forced himself forward with his webs, causing it to yank him toward the girl as he sliced out with his remaining sword, this time going for a fast puncture attack instead of a broad stroke, so he could try to pierce the armor she wore. His blade impacted her gut, but the Kevin suit stayed strong. Or at least it tried to. The threading around her arms began to pull her toward Golden Weaver, while his own webbing pulled him toward her. So not only was he being pressed into her, she was being forced further onto his blade.


    The Kevin suit twitched and shook as the blade began to stab into it, and with a loud growl, Kevin struck out himself. "That''s enough!" From her back, a massive fist formed out of the red muscles that made up Kevin''s body. It grew out like a tendril and came smashing down on the head of Golden Weaver, who was caught off guard. The strike sent the hero flying back, and Kevin pulled the tendril back into himself. "No one stabs Shift and gets away with it!"


    "You almost seem like you''re more into this than I am..." Cinder muttureed. She forced her arms past her body using all her strength and snapped the threading that bound them. Once that was done, she quickly ripped off the bit that clung to her face. "Still, thanks for the save. Your powers are actually crazy useful!"


    "S- Seriously, is your suit alive or something?" Golden Weaver tried to sit up and spat out a few broken teeth. The right side of his mask had been badly torn from the strikes he took, showing messy brown hair filled with grays and wrinkled dark skin.


    "Something like that." Cinder rubbed at her jaw from where his attack had landed. "You''re down a leg, and I can break your threads. Let''s just call it here, k''ay?"


    "Don''t get cocky. I''m nowhere near my prime."


    "Me either."


    "Huh?"


    "I used to be way cooler." The flame-based hero pointed a thumb at herself. "I don''t want to brag, but I did kind of solo the Beast, you know. I might not have my fire anymore, but I''m still a crazy strong girl."


    Golden Weaver''s eyes narrowed a bit. "You really aren''t acting like how I thought a villain would be."


    "That''s because I''m not a villain." The younger hero poked her tongue out.


    Golden Weaver let out another weak snort and struggled to stand on one leg, digging the sword into the ground. "Maybe. This fight isn''t over yet, though!"


    Cinder let out another sigh. "Seriously. I don''t want to do this."


    "Neither do I."


    "Then why are you? Why are you listening to the Hero Branch? I really am Cinder, you know. I''m not kidding. I''m a hero."


    "Maybe..." Golden Weaver trailed off for a moment. "When I was younger, I constantly ignored them, defied them, and did whatever I wanted. I always got away with it also because Full Monarch had been the one to personally put me onto the team. I fought alongside him every chance I had and tried to help him beat the Emperor. That action cost me my career, but I didn''t care. Because, at that moment, I had helped the greatest hero alive. He died, though. Even after my help, even after all our help, the Emperor still killed him. And now, now I''m watching this all happen again. That man, Battery, reminds me so much of the Emperor. He''s trouble. And the only one I can think of right now who can do anything is the hero, Boy Genius. That kid has already done so much, and I think he can even be the one to take the mantle of number one over when he is older. I know it''s selfish and wrong to put all this hope into a kid, but I don''t know what else to do other than follow after him. And he believes in the Hero Branch, so I will do the same!"


    Mental tech was clunky. It always broke down and would need to be charged, or it could literally explode.


    It was for that reason Golden Weaver never bothered to get any that could replace his missing limbs. He preferred the ordinary peg legs instead of metal that could explode. That said, he was still a famous hero. Even if he never asked for it, even if he didn''t want to use it, he had still been gifted something. Something created to help put him back to the way he used to be.


    Golden Weaver raised his mask up, showing his jaw beneath it, and he used his teeth to dig into the sleeve of his costume, ripping it away. A small wristwatch rested under his suit. With his tongue, he pressed down on the button that resided in the watch.


    "You called yourself Cinder. You claim you''re the Lord of the Sun. The very same hero who beat the Beast? For a moment, I was actually on the verge of believing you. It''d be so amazing if Full Monarch returned to us. I don''t think you are him, though. You''re nothing like him."


    "You''re right. I''m not Full Monarch." Cinder tried to say more, but the older hero cut her off.


    "Exactly." A glow began to spread through Golden Weaver''s body as the watch activated. "That''s why I''ll instead put all my eggs into the next best basket. I''m backing Boy Genius up all the way!"


    As the glow ended, Cinder found herself taking a nervous step back. She wasn''t the only one who was shocked. The people in the crowd all stared on with wide eyes, and Alexander''s jaw was hanging wide open as he saw his idol dressed in an updated suit.


    Golden Weaver now wore a black and silver costume. It looked close to his old one, being a body suit that was black with various silver lines that took on the shape of a spider. The sword leg he once had dropped to the ground, and instead, two mechanical, robotic legs took its place. His missing arm was also back, also made out of slick-looking silver metal. He was decked out in heavy Mental tech.


    "Black Weaver, online."


    "Oh, you''ve gotta be kidding me-" She never got to finish that sentence.


    If Golden Weaver had been fast before, then Black Weaver was simply in another league. His good arm fired out a golden thread that flew past her, while his robotic arm sliced out with a super thin black line that sliced the fence behind her to bits as she barely ducked under the attack. His golden line tugged, and in an instant, he rocketed forward, ramming feet first into her gut. She grunted and tried to take the blow head-on, gripping down on his legs and bending the metal, but he swung out with his metal limb once more, slicing out with the thin-bladed line.


    Kevin screamed out as the line sliced into him, and even she winced as it went through the entire suit and cut into her side. She dropped the legs and stumbled back, grabbing at her bleeding side, and once more was forced to dodge as he kicked out with his legs. With gritted teeth, she used all her strength, as well as Kevin''s, and rammed her arm into Black Weaver''s gut. It barely caused him to flinch, though, as his suit absorbed the force of the blow and dispersed it into the space around him.


    "This suit was made by Boy Genius and Beta." The dark hero announced. "It basically has dozens of powers already built into it." He twisted his body and punched out with his good arm, but she easily blocked the strike and struck out with several red tendrils that Kevin launched. Black Weaver was too fast now, though, and he easily dodged them all and jumped away from her. "Just give up." In a flash, he was up on the roof of one of the manners and folded his arms. "You can''t win."


    The people who were watching the fight all cheered and clapped, many of them screaming for Golden Weaver, or rather Black Weaver, to win. Cinder wiped some of the blood from her lips and frowned. She was starting to feel a bit ticked off. The people were treating her as if she were some villain.


    "You do have one weakness, and it''s a pretty big one." She called out casually. "If this suit was really so good, you''d have used it on the Beast or something, right?"


    "It was built after the Beast fight."


    "Still." She shook her head. "You would have used it earlier in the fight or just run around in it at all times, but you don''t. See, I happen to be friends with another hero who uses tech, and I know that those things have short battery life. Tech this good runs out, especially with how much you have to push it in order to keep up with you. You aren''t like Boy Genius either, so you can''t recharge it. All I have to do is wait for that battery to die, and that suit stops working, no matter how cool it might be."


    "Spoken like a true villain!" Black Weaver launched toward her again at fast speeds and struck out with his fist as he appeared in front of her. She met his blow with her own strike, her hand denting the metal one as they clashed. His other arm rammed into her face, but it barely tickled, his super strength dwarfed by her enhanced durability. She pushed down with her fist and tried to break his metal arm, but he pulled back and kicked her in the gut with his leg. She sucked in her gut and slapped out at the air as hard as she could, doing the trick Wyvern taught her during the Enforcers test, causing the wind to compress and be launched out.


    The attack rammed into Black Weaver but didn''t blow him back, as he used his golden threading to stay put, the thing stopping him from going too far. It tugged once more and snapped forward, launching him off of the ground, and he rammed a knee into her gut, causing her to crash to the ground with a gasp.


    Black Weaver lifted his robotic arm up and fired out the thin line, bringing it down-


    "Wait!" Cinder felt her eyes go wide as someone jumped in front of her. Alexander stood with both his arms out, his eyes wide as he got ready to take the attack. Thankfully, at the last second, Black Weaver managed to pull his arm back up, the threading reeling back into the metal arm, missing Alexander by an inch. Alexander let out a relieved gasp and dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. "I thought I was dead for sure!"


    "Dad! Why would you do that!" Cinder gasped, trying to catch her breath. She had almost just watched her father die. It would have been a needless death, much like this entire battle was, as she had a means of getting out of the way. She also doubted Black Weaver would have killed her since he seemed to want her alive for that Ward guy.


    "Dad?" Black Weaver had backed away as soon as Alexander jumped into the fray. The hero had a frown on his face as he stared at the man before him. "Why did you call him dad?"


    "Because he''s my father, jackass! You almost killed him!" Her eyes were filled with anger now as she stood up.


    Black Weaver''s frown only grew larger as he stared at her and Alexander. "This man is your dad?" Black Weaver studied Alexander''s face for a moment. "Wait a second... I know you."


    "Y- You do?" Alexander asked. The man''s body kept shaking as he stared at his cyborgized hero. "Really?"


    "Alexander Lauren. The man who escaped the Dead Virus." Black Weaver nodded his head. "I heard about you making it out of that hell alive. I''ve seen plenty of people who took the same thing you did and didn''t come back from it. Tamer was a powerful member of the Enforcers, but it was able to still claim her life. Yet you, a mere human, resisted it for so long and came back from the brink of death perfectly healthy."


    Alexander winced a bit. "Yeah... Perfectly healthy... Right..."


    "If you''re Alexander, though..." Black Weaver''s eyes trailed back over to the person he had been fighting. "You''re his daughter, and Cinder''s real name is Hope Lauren, so then you''re-"


    "I''m Cinder." She stated in a blunt tone. "A hero. You know, the thing I''ve been saying since before this fight started!"


    Black Weaver awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and didn''t say anything. Even with the mask he had on, she could tell he held a guilty expression. Finally, he looked like he was about to say something, but then he stopped all of a sudden. His head snapped up, and he looked around. He likely had enhanced senses. She took a guess about that but was pretty confident she was right because she was doing the same thing he was. Her head also snapped back, and she stared toward the city.


    "What is it, H- Cinder?" Alexander asked.


    "I- I think I just heard-" Her enhanced senses went off once more, and she heard it again. Louder this time. A deep rumbling.


    Something had just exploded on the other side of the city. Something big. Even from where they were, they could see it. A constant stream of black smoke began to rise up.


    Black Weaver didn''t say anything and took off. He swung out with his threading and began to swing toward where the danger was. He was followed a second later by Cinder, who tried copying him. With the help of Kevin, she was able to create several long red tendrils that jutted out and stabbed into the sides of the building, allowing her to also swing forward. It didn''t take long for them to get out of the manor part of the city and reach the many different skyscrapers that were scattered throughout Lillian, allowing them to swing even faster and easier.


    Back where she left her parents, Alexander jumped into the van and stared it up, chasing after his daughter and hero, who were miles away already. Thankfully, due to all the smoke, he didn''t have to wonder where she was.


    "What''s going on?" Jane questioned with wide eyes.


    "I don''t know, but I think I might have a good idea of who''s causing it," Alexander muttered.


    "Who?"


    "The one guy who''s always involved anytime the hero Golden Weaver does anything..."


    Black Weaver was the first to arrive on the scene. He came swinging down and clung to the side of a building. His eyes narrowed at what he saw. The street was full of fire, and a massive bank had a large hole blown into the side of it. People were screaming, and firefighters were trying to put out the flame. One building had even come down completely when one of Battery''s giants had been rammed into it. The construct rested on the ground, heavily cracked and torn to bits.


    "What could have done this?" Black Weaver didn''t even flinch as the hero, Cinder, landed next to him. Instead, the older man stared up at the sky, where something floated.


    "My nemesis." That was all he said.


    "Your nemesis?"


    She looked up at what he was staring at and also saw it. Someone hovered in the air, standing on what looked like a large silver board. They were dressed in a tight yellow outfit that was covered in scales and wore a half mask that was shaped like a lizard that covered their upper face. Their lower face was twisted into a grin, and they had a large white beard.


    Yellow Kobold, the enemy of Golden Weaver, met her eyes slowly, though they shifted over to Black Weaver.


    "Hello. Old friend." Then Yellow Kobold said something else. "Boom."


    And in a flash, everything exploded.

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty-One: Director Ward

    Yellow Kobold was never considered to be a scary villain.


    He was just a bad guy that happened to constantly return. Even when he died, it wouldn''t be too long before some new guy took up the mantle and carried on the mission of making the hero, Golden Weaver, suffer.


    This Yellow Kobold seemed different. He had the same set of powers; all Yellow Kobolds had the same powers for some reason, almost like a passing of the torch, but this Yellow Kobold had a look in his eyes. One that spelled trouble.


    "Boom."


    That was all the villain said, but it was enough. Cinder felt her eyes sting as a bright flash appeared in front of her and a wave of force rammed into her from all sides. Her suit let out a loud hiss as the blast rammed into them, and the tower she had been standing on exploded, raining down shards of hot stone. She wasn''t alone in her falling either. Next to her, Black Weaver tumbled down hard.


    The older hero managed to shake off the force of the blast and fired out a golden web, which latched onto part of the building that wasn''t destroyed. It pulled him back, allowing him to stop his fall.


    She was just about to copy him and do the same but stopped at the last second when she noticed all the people that were down below. The bank at the corner of the street had been where the attack first started. A heavy fire was pouring out of it and spilling out onto the road, which was covered in some kind of flammable substance. Dozens of people were trapped down below, boxed in from the flame and Battery''s downed Giant. The rubble from the tumbling building was also raining down on the people below.


    Black Weaver tried to stop as much as he could, but he was only able to web up a few large blocks of stone and sever a couple more with his other arm.


    Cinder took a deep breath and shifted her focus from catching herself to focusing on the debris instead. "Shift!"


    "Already on it!" Kevin announced.


    She flung her arms down, and dozens of red tendrils blasted out, all moving like whips. They sliced into the stone, cutting them down to smaller sizes, or simply wrapped around the bigger ones, lifting them up. When she finally came crashing down, she landed in the crowd of people, eight stone boulders suspended behind her that had come from the destroyed building behind her. The tendrils twitched and began to slam the debris down, forming into a makeshift ramp that went directly over the cracked Giant, allowing many of the people to run out of the danger and get to a safe location.


    "Thank you!" Someone managed as they passed her.


    Black Weaver remained stuck to the wall, watching her for a moment before he slowly looked back up to where Yellow Kobold was. The villain''s grin had somehow grown even larger, and he was standing on his board with his arms crossed.


    The board in question was a thick silver-looking thing that sort of resembled a surfboard. Yellow Kobold was a villain who had been blessed with several powers, from mild super strength and speed to a few Mental-based ones as well that allowed him to make his flying board and battle suit. Despite how simple and goofy his costume looked, it was actually built with dozens of Super tech in it that amplified him further beyond his power and allowed his voice to come out even louder than it normally would. Unlike Golden Weaver, Yellow Kobold didn''t need to worry about his suits running out of battery either since he was the one who built them, so they remained fully charged just by staying near him.


    "It''s been a while, Golden Weaver! I like the new costume!" Yellow Kobold shouted. His voice came out amplified and shattered dozens of windows.


    Black Weaver didn''t even bother to come up with some witty response. He was still on a time limit; the more he used his tech, the quicker it would die, so he went all out on the attack right away. Black Weaver fired a golden thread onto the underside of Yellow Kobold''s board, and it snapped taut, pulling the hero up toward the villain. He slapped his other arm through the air, the razor wire cutting out, but Yellow Kobold was faster and managed to use his power to block it.


    At the last second, before the attack could land, the air seemed to shimmer and change. Large blocky letters seemed to form into existence in front of Yellow Kobold. They spelled out the words ''POW!'' in all caps, and whatever they were made of, they were able to easily block the razor line Black Weaver sent out. "Pow." Yellow Kobold spoke, and the words suddenly shattered, and Black Weaver felt his gut be pressed in as an invisible force rammed into him. The hero was launched all the way back down and rammed into the ground, shaking it. Another set of letters appeared in front of Yellow Kobold, this time spelling out the word ''BOOM!''. Once more, Yellow Kobold spoke, and the letters cracked and shattered. "Boom."


    A massive explosion went off, tumbling down toward Black Weaver, who was trying to pull himself out of the ground. Before it could reach him, though, Cinder jumped out in front of him. She threw her arms out, and her suit formed into a large red and silver shield that appeared just in time to block the blast. Her arms shook, but she kept them up as the explosion died.


    "Talk about a weird power." She grumbled out. Yellow Kobold had onomatopoeia creation as his main ability. It allowed him to bring certain words into existence, which would form into the air, made out of solid space matter, which he could then activate by saying the word. Each word had a different effect, and the louder he said it, the stronger it got. This power seemed to always appear whenever the next Yellow Kobold stepped up as well. Almost as if it was able to infect and take over a person, transforming them into the villain. It reminded her of the Lords, and she wondered briefly if the Ego inside of Yellow Kobold was alive or something.


    "W- Why did you jump in and save me?" Black Weaver winced as he pulled himself out of the ground.


    "Because I''m a hero. Duh." She just rolled her eyes and cracked her knuckles. "You''re still banged up from our battle, so you sit tight. I''ll take this guy out. You just deal with the other one."


    "The other one-" Black Weaver''s enhanced senses went off, and he ducked down just in time as a red beam of energy blasted past him. He growled and turned around. "I suppose you''d be here as well."


    Slowly walking out of the ruined bank, Yellow Kobold''s teammate emerged. Unlike Yellow Kobold, many people considered this guy to be an actual threat, one on the same level as Green Wolf. He had gone toe-to-toe with the late Ocean Empress several times. Squid M.D. was a villain you didn''t want to take lightly. He wore a skintight black body suit that covered him from the neck down. His arms were casually folded behind his back as he walked out of the destroyed bank. His entire head was covered by a massive, solid silver ball that had a glowing red dot in the middle of it that could fire out powerful beams of energy. The helmet that Red Ape loved wearing had been based on Squid M.D.''s. Avalon had reverse-engineered it after studying it. Squid M.D.''s was far stronger and had thick metal tendrils that flowed out of it like liquid, which slapped at the ground. There were eight in total.


    The villain didn''t say anything. He almost never bothered to speak. He did, however, cock his head to the side as his helmet built up another mass of energy and unleashed a powerful bolt toward Black Weaver. The hero sidestepped the attack just in time, and the energy beam tore into one of the nearby buildings, causing it to rain down around them. Thankfully, due to Cinder''s actions, everyone had already left the block and evacuated.


    "You take him. I''ll focus on the flying jerk," Cinder announced.


    "Wait-" Black Weaver reached out for her, but she was too fast.


    She took off at high speeds, using her legs to perform one of her signature super jumps. The ground shattered beneath her, and she blasted up toward Yellow Kobold, who was still in the air, well above the skyscrapers. A solid mass of letters appeared in front of Yellow Kobold, but she didn''t see what they spelled out. Instead, she just heard him speak.


    "Zap!"


    Instantly, the letters twisted and changed into a thick bolt of lightning that rammed down into her. It railed into their stomach before she reached the villain, and both she and Kevin let out loud yelps as their nerves lit up. She instantly began to fall once more, and she crashed down into the roof of a nearby skyscraper, cracking it a bit. Already, before she could even think of recovering, Yellow Kobold had created more letters.


    "Splash."


    This time, the letters turned into a large wave of water that poured down on her and soaked her down to the core. She knew what was about to happen next and jumped off of the roof just in time as Yellow Kobold sent another lightning bolt her way. A red tendril formed into a whip connecting her to the building, and she used it to spin her body, causing the bolt to fly past her.


    "Better luck next time!" She called out, swinging around the entire building.


    "Ha! I don''t need luck! It''s only a matter of time until I hit you! Pow!" Yellow Kobold pointed toward her, and a wave of force slammed past her. She dodged midair, leaving a fist-shaped crater on the side of the building.


    "You might as well give up now, you know." She swung up with Kevin and blasted into the air once more, attempting to reach Yellow Kobold.


    "Boom!" The explosion rammed into her once again, and she was sent crashing back toward the building. "Why would I give up!"


    She shook off the pain and ignored Kevin''s hisses in her ear. "You might have beaten one of the Giants, but each city has four, you know. They''re going to show up and kick your ass. We don''t have to beat you; we just need to stall you out."


    Yellow Kobold''s grin somehow got even larger, and the villain let out a loud laugh. "Is that what you think?" He glared down at her and snorted. "I already dealt with the Giants."


    "What?" She frowned and suddenly felt uneasy. The Giants weren''t fast, but they weren''t slow either. They really should have arrived on time. From where she stood, she looked out across the city and saw them. They stood large and imposing, forged out of black thunder, yet not a single one moved. They were totally stuck in place, simply standing there. "That doesn''t look good..."


    "Tell me, hero, are you a gamer?" Yellow Kobold shouted down toward her. "I happen to love games. I''ve played so many that I know how to trick the A.I. These Giants aren''t perfect. They''re sort of like machines. They have to be programmed. Each one needs a series of orders built into them. In this case, they were programmed to protect the block that they were on. Maybe they could have done more, but Battery has them scattered all over the world, so I doubt he could manage such complex orders. When I got here, this Giant attacked me, but none of the others did because I wasn''t on their block. It was tricky, I''ll admit. It took most of my firepower and Squid M.D''s lasers, but we were able to take that construct out."


    "That''s wrong. The Giants wander around!"


    "Only when they''re told to." Yellow Kobold snickered. "Think of it as adding a new set of code to them. Do you see those strings of water attached to the back of their head? That''s what does it. It''s connected to a main source that controls and directs them. Without that source, though, they just stand by and follow their prime directive, which was to guard whatever block they happen to be on."


    She had seen the strings of water when she was being carried by Wyvern. Each thread led back to the hero Purrfect, who was somehow in every city. Purrfect likely served as the main instructor in Battery''s absence. Purrfect would be the one keeping her eyes and ears open and directing the Giants as she saw fit. If what Yellow Kobold was saying was true, then that meant she wasn''t currently in control of them.


    "What did you do to Purrfect!" She demanded.


    Yellow Kobold waved his hand casually through the air. "Oh, relax. She isn''t dead if that''s what you''re worrying about. A buddy of mine named Mud Man tried that in Daisy City. He snapped the neck of the Purrfect that was there. Sadly, killing her doesn''t work. It causes the Giants to instantly go to where she should be as fast as possible, and from what I heard, they tore poor Mud Man apart, reducing him to atoms. After that, a new Purrfect shows up. You kill the one who controls them, and that just causes another order to go off, and the Giants kill you. So, instead of taking her out, I had to come up with a different solution. One that ensured Purrfect wasn''t harmed in any way."The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "And what''s that?"


    Yellow Kobold''s power activated once more, and she got ready for an attack, but instead, he spoke something else into existence. "Snooze."


    It happened all at once. Faster than she could react, her eyes grew impossibly heavy, and she fought back a yawn. Her vision blurred, and snoring filled her ear as Kevin instantly blacked out. Everything began to grow dark, and she gasped as she dropped to her knees. Yellow Kobold floated down to her and flicked her on the forehead, causing her to collapse onto her back on the verge of blacking out. She was suddenly just so tired...


    "I did that to Purrfect." Yellow Kobold said bluntly. "You lose. Now sleep. Lay down like a good little girl and go into an endless slumber-"


    A loud crack echoed out, and blood dripped down her chin as her fist rammed into her own face, and she broke her nose. She suddenly didn''t feel tired, instead being hit with blinding pain. Pain that quickly changed into anger.


    "Shit-" Yellow Kobold tried to jump back onto his board, but she kicked out with her leg and shattered it in two. The villain let out another curse and stumbled back as she slowly stood up.


    Blood dripped down her face, and she removed her knuckle from her face, breathing heavily. "That. Really. Hurt."


    "You''re absolutely insane!"


    Down below in the street, Black Weaver dodged another wave of energy that came his way. He jumped forward, using his new robotic legs to boost himself toward Squid M.D. Golden threading wrapped around a large piece of debris, and he threw it at the villain, but one of Squid M.D.''s tendrils slapped it out of the air. He kept going forward with his momentum and launched the razor thread, but a tendril on Squid M.D.''s helmet twitched and turned a knob that was on the side of it. Instantly, a bright red bubble appeared around the villain, which easily blocked the slicing attack. Black Weaver came to a sliding stop in front of the force field and began to unleash a series of blows to the energy, doing his best to crack them.


    Squid M.D. cocked his head to the side, not saying anything. He was always the strong, silent type. Yellow Kobold was able to do enough talking for two people, after all. Squid M.D. watched silently as cracks began to appear along his shield. Then, in a flash, his barrier cracked. Black Weaver''s fist sailed forward, aiming directly for the villain''s helmet, but Squid M.D. dropped down to a crouch, dodging the strike with ease. Several of his tendrils sprung out and wrapped around Black Weaver''s waist and began to squeeze down. The hero let out a pained gasp as he felt several of his ribs break, but he ignored the pain and brought his metal hand down.


    The fingers of the robotic limb completely sliced through two tendrils and stabbed into a third. Oil spilled out, bursting into flames from the fire that was still around them, but neither man paid it any mind. Squid M.D''s tendril managed to wrap itself around Black Weaver''s robotic arm and force it to stretch out. Next, Squid M.D. pulled his arm back and balled it into a fist. The energy bubble suddenly swirled around it, forming a barrier around his fist as he struck out and rammed it into Black Weaver''s arm, ripping it off.


    Sparks flew as Black Weaver stumbled back and clutched at his missing arm. "That was a gift from Boy Genius, you ass-" A red beam of energy rammed into Black Weaver''s gut, ripping up part of the black suit and blasting him into a nearby wall. His vision was suddenly swarmed with various alerts. His battery was at less than ten percent now. "Okay... Let''s finish this fast!"


    Back up top, on the roof of a skyscraper, Cinder twirled out of the way as a cutting edge flew past her and ripped an antenna off of the building. Kevin was asleep, so she didn''t have any of his strength or shapeshifting to back her up. This was all her; with just her raw physical power, she was going to need to take a villain down.


    "Splerch!" Yellow Kobold screamed.


    Thanks to her enhanced senses, she jumped out of the way just in time as space twisted and compressed, similar to how the Fairy Queen''s powers worked. It tore the ground around her apart but missed her. She fired forward with her super speed and sent out a powerful strike toward Yellow Kobold, but the words appeared in front of him, forming a barrier. Her fist rammed into the letters, and they were so sturdy she didn''t even crack them. In fact, she did more damage to herself. She winced and stared down at the word she had just punched.


    "Bonk!"


    She felt like a massive hammer rammed down into the top of her skull. It rattled her brain and sent her to her knees. Yellow Kobold slammed his hands down to her, and another series of letters formed together, which smashed into her. Her body folded around them, and she gritted her teeth and got ready for it.


    "Kaboom!"


    The letters exploded, and she was flung toward the edge of the building being sent off of it. At the last second, though, she managed to grab onto the edge of the building. She held on with one arm and swung herself forward, using her feet to ram into the wall and shatter it, allowing her to break into the building. Yellow Kobold growled, and his eyes darted across the ground. He could hear her beneath him. He created more letters, preparing a different word as he got ready.


    The roof shook, and the ground began to crack. Yellow Kobold smirked and got ready to activate his power once more. Suddenly, the ground broke as Cinder came rising out of it, swinging her fist out. The letter he created earlier easily blocked the attack, and he activated his power once more, ready to deliver a killing blow.


    "Snikt!"


    Just like with Green Wolf''s cuts, a powerful unseen slash launched out toward Cinder. Yellow Kobold grinned, ready to see the girl be sliced in two, but his smile faded when he saw something else. Her other arm raised up, holding something. His cracked in half silver board. She held it out like a shield, the cut ripping into it but unable to fully slice through it. She had been ready for his attack. The entire roof caved in from the way she jumped through it, and both of them began to fall forward. Yellow Kobold tried to create another word, but because he was falling, as soon as it appeared in front of him, he smacked into it face first, causing him to accidentally bite down on his tongue. He let out a yell of pain, but then the real onslaught of hurt began.


    Cinder rammed her arm up as the villain fell directly onto her fist. Her first strike came from her left arm and rammed into his mask, absolutely shattering it. Her feet finally touched the ground as she landed on the floor, and she used the shift in momentum to bring her right arm out, hitting with the second strike. Her fist dug into Yellow Kobold''s face, and with a twist of her arm, she caused his entire body to spin around as he was sent back first into the wall. Blood poured down his face, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head before he collapsed forward and dropped to the ground.


    Slowly, she took a deep breath and pulled her arm back. "Looks like I still got it." She was forever grateful that Battery taught her how to do a one-two combo. It was more than enough to take out small fries like Yellow Kobold. She moved over to the downed villain and grabbed him, placing him over her shoulder. He wouldn''t be getting back up anytime soon. She went to the hole in the wall she had created and looked down at where Black Weaver was. "I hope, pun intended, he''s doing okay."


    Down in the street, Black Weaver launched forward as fast as he could. His metal legs began to crack as the machine struggled to keep up with him, but he forced them forward. Squid M.D. formed another bubble of energy around himself, but Black Weaver flew past the villain with incredible speed. As he did, he unleashed a wave of his golden thread, which wrapped around the energy barrier that formed Squid M.D.''s bubble. Once it was all the way around the barrier, Black Weaver began to run. He moved in circles around Squid M.D., the thread getting longer and wrapping around the bubble even more.


    Squid M.D. remained still, simply watching, his head cocked to the side once more. Then it happened. Again and again, faster and faster, Black Weaver went, his threading growing tighter as it began to push down on the bubble. It was slicing into it, each round pulling it apart. In a loud crack, the entire barrier came down. Squid M.D.''s metal arms flew out, and they attempted to block the threading, but they were torn in half instantly, the villain losing the last of his arms. His own durability was far stronger though, the threading tying around him perfectly, his black suit somehow stopping it. It wouldn''t work for very long, though, as Black Weaver got even faster and began to tie the knot tighter. Squid M.D. struggled to break free, but he was literally being crushed by the threading, his suit crying out as it began to tear.


    Right as Black Weaver was about to win, his time suddenly ran out.


    A simple ''click'' filled the air, and instantly, the suit around Black Weaver vanished. The hero was sent crashing forward, back in his white and gold suit, missing both his legs and an arm. He rammed head-first into the ground, losing all his speed as he came to a hard stop. As soon as the threading grew slack, Squid M.D. flexed out and shattered the webbing around his body, breaking free.


    Golden Weaver grunted and tried to spin around, but he could barely move. It was hard to be mobile with only a single limb. The hero did manage to flop onto his back, and he looked up just in time to see the red energy build up in Squid M.D.''s helmet. The villain was going to fry him.


    At least Squid M.D. would have, but he suddenly stopped as he heard a loud honk. The kind you''d hear from a large vehicle or something. The villain turned just in time as a massive van came roaring out of the fire and rammed into Squid M.D!


    "I just saved my favorite hero!" Alexander and Jane cheered from the van as Squid M.D. was sent rocketing back from the van. The car came to a screeching halt as Alexander hit the brakes. "You think he''s dead?"


    "He''s getting back up!" Jane said in a panic.


    Squid M.D. pushed himself back up, looking beaten and battered but still managing to stand, and he fired his laser toward the van, ready to slice it in two. Before it could hit, though, a golden thread wrapped around the van, and it tugged. Instead of dragging Golden Weaver toward it, though, it dragged the entire van to Golden Weaver. The laser flew past the vehicle, and Golden Weaver rammed his elbow into the ground, bouncing himself up. He landed on top of the van, and instantly, Alexander knew what he needed to do.


    Alexander twisted the wheel, spinning the van around, facing Squid M.D. Golden Weaver didn''t have legs, so he would just take the step for the hero. He hit the gas and rocketed toward Squid M.D. The villain went to twist the knob on his helmet, but Golden Weaver''s thread was faster. It launched out and wrapped around the knob, pulling it all the way around and snapping it off. Squid M.D. changed his tactic and stomped his foot down and held both his hands out. The van rammed into him, and he began to get pushed back, the road ripping apart. Eventually, though, Squid M.D. stopped being shoved back. With sheer strength, thanks to his suit, he began to push back against the van, stopping it in its tracks.


    Golden Weaver launched his web out, grabbing something, which he pulled toward him, right as Squid M.D. managed to get a good grip on the van. Inside the car, Alexander and Jane both buckled up just as Squid M.D. picked the entire thing up and flipped it over. The van crashed down, and Golden Weaver launched off of it at the last second, swinging something out.


    It was the metal arm Squid M.D. had torn off earlier. The razor thread blasted out and sliced through the top half of Squid M.D''s helmet, ripping the entire thing in half and causing it to fall. Long black hair spilled out as the helmet tore, revealing a young woman beneath it who looked very pissed.


    Golden Weaver kept going forward thanks to his momentum and rammed his palm into the woman''s face, slamming her head down into the ground as hard as he could! The road shook, and this time, Squid M.D. didn''t get back up. Her eyes were rolled into the back, just like with Yellow Kobold.


    Golden Weaver collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily. "I think I''m getting too old for this." The older hero gasped. "Maybe I should take a page from Squid M.D. and Yellow Kobold''s book and pass on the mantle."


    "Dibs!"


    The hero turned his head, finding the van doors had opened. Alexander stepped out, supporting his wife. They were a bit banged up but mostly fine.


    "Mom! Dad!" From above, Cinder dropped down. She flung Yellow Kobold roughly to the ground next to Squid M.D. and ran forward to pull her parents into a tight hug. "Don''t ever do that again! That was so reckless!"


    "Don''t worry, it''s the last time I let your dad drive," Jane muttered under her breath.


    "Hey! What I did was totally awesome!" Alexander whined.


    "You ruined the van," Hope said flatly.


    "It still works."


    "Right..." She looked down at the van and winced. The paint job was scratched, and it was impossible to tell who was on it anymore. The windows were heavily cracked, and the front half was partially dented. Other than that, though, it did look like it worked. It was still on, the engine still roaring. She grabbed the van once she let go of her parents, and with her enhanced strength, she flipped it back over, putting it back to the way it was. "Good as new." At least she didn''t have to be embarrassed about it having her picture on the side of it anymore.


    "I don''t think it''ll ever be ''good'' again," Jane said, shrugging.


    From the sidelines, Golden Weaver remained on his back, watching the family. "You really are Cinder. Right."


    "I told you that a million times!" She huffed.


    Golden Weaver lay on his back and stared up at the roof. "Sorry. I guess I just had a hard time believing it." He looked out at the street. It was a destroyed mess, and not a single soul had been harmed. All because Cinder had been quick with that ramp, allowing the people to escape in time before the real battle began. "You''re not Full Monarch, though, are you?" If it had been Full Monarch, that battle would have been over in an instant, and the street would have been fixed with a wave of a hand. That was how great Full Monarch was.


    "I''m Cinder." She said sternly. "I''m my own hero."


    "Yeah." Golden Weaver chuckled. "I can see that now." He closed his eyes and sighed. "So. What now?"


    "You aren''t going to try and take me in?"


    "I can''t even stand." Golden Weaver snorted. "I''ll admit it for now. You won. At least for today."


    She nodded and gave a soft grin. She had seen Golden Weaver in the memories Avalon had forced her to see. After seeing him in action again today, part of her was also starting to understand why her father liked him so much. "I''d like to do this team up again. How would you like to come with me?"


    "You think the Golden Weaver would come with us!" Her father asked with stars in his eyes.


    Golden Weaver let out a soft chuckle. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have to say no. I''m needed here. I''m pretty much all that''s left in Lillian. It''s my duty. My mission. My want."


    She nodded. "I understand."


    "I still need to bring you in, you know." Golden Weaver gave a sly grin. "Why don''t I give you a head start?"


    "I thought you said you couldn''t stand!"


    "Guess I changed my mind!"


    She rolled her eyes and opened the van door. Her mom got in, and she was about to follow the woman but stopped. "You''re a cool hero." Slowly, she got into the van.


    Alexander twitched a bit and tapped his fingers together. "I know this might be a bad time, but do you think I could get your autograph or-"


    She got out of the van and grabbed her father, dragging him back to the car. "Sorry, Dad, we gotta go."


    "Aw!"


    She snickered and let him get in. She was just about to get in herself, but once more, her enhanced senses picked something up. Water sprayed out, finally putting the harsh fire out, as several firetrucks arrived on the scene. They weren''t alone either. With them were dozens of Hero Branch trucks.


    One in particular stood out, though. It was a slick black limo¡ªthe kind the mayor of Oleander used to drive. It came to a sudden stop, and she felt a sense of unease begin to build up. Several Hero Branch officers stepped out, followed by one more person¡ªan older man in a suit with dark skin and slicked-back black hair.


    Dean Ward, director of Lillian City, gave a smile that sent shivers down her spine. "Ah, Cinder. It''s good to finally see you face-to-face. I''ve been wanting to talk to you. Did you know that?"


    This was the man.


    The one who had messed with Sky and Lily.


    The one who had allowed the fake her to exist.


    Hope Lauren finally met Dean Ward.

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty-Two: Not Cinder

    "Should we get straight to business, or is there anything else you''d like to do first, Cinder?" Ward asked, giving a casual wave of his hand. "After all, you and I are friends. I was there with you on stage when you demasked."


    This was the man Sky told her about.


    She had actually seen him before on the news. He had been one of the men standing next to the fake Cinder. He looked almost stereotypically evil. She still wouldn''t quite say that she viewed the Hero Branch as an evil organization. They were helping more people than they hurt, after all, but when it came to Dean Ward, the man looked like an evil CEO would if this were some sort of cheesy tycoon novel.


    He wore an expensive black business suit complete with a red tie, which he fiddled with. His skin was dark, and he had black hair that was combed and tied back into a ponytail. Unlike many people she had grown to respect, Ward''s eyes lacked the bags under them, showing he had been getting plenty of rest during these trying times. That or he was wearing a lot of makeup. He didn''t appear to be stressed out, though, at least not that she could tell. He had a smile present on his lips, but it was the kind that would change into a sneer at any moment, and already one of his eyes was twitching as he stared at her.


    Sky had told her everything she needed to know. This was one of the men who had been behind the fake Cinder plot, as well as the man who had tried to prevent Sky from arriving on the battlefield with the Beast. He was also the one responsible for stopping the people from Oleander from being able to get out.


    Dean Ward was one bad apple.


    Just like his father.


    The fake memories Avalon had forced into her head were really helpful in times like these. She had seen the previous head of the Hero Branch, thanks to them. Ace Ward was a near identical match to Dean Ward, right down to the fact that both of them hated heroes. It was no wonder Dean was the way he was if a man such as that had been his father. It did make her wonder, though, what exactly happened to the late Mr. Ward. After all, Ace Ward was almost never mentioned. Nor was the fact that he helped out the Emperor against his will...


    She still remembered what she had been shown. The blue-eyed Emperor stood in Ace Ward''s office, a hand on Dean Ward''s shoulder, back when Dean had been just a young boy. She wondered for a moment if Dean recalled that event or if he had been too young to remember it.


    "Well, go on." Her thoughts came to an end as Ward spoke up once more. His lips broke into a frown for a moment before forcing the smile back on. "You should say something, Cinder. Everyone is waiting on you after all."


    "What do you mean?" Hope asked. She frowned at the man, but then she noticed it. "Oh... Right. People actually know who the hero Cinder is. I''m kind of a big deal now, aren''t I?"


    Ward calling her Cinder had seemingly caused a chain reaction in the officers around them. Many of the Hero Branch soldiers who had their guns held up had instantly dropped them at the first mention of her name. The fact that there was a fake Cinder running around was likely a closely guarded secret that only a few of the higher-ups and trusted agents got to know about, so many of these people likely thought she was still the very same hero who had removed her mask and helmet live on stage. That Cinder was friends with the Hero Branch, after all.


    "When did she change her costume?"


    "I thought her hair was blonde."


    "Doesn''t she seem a little off from how we were told she acted?"


    Her enhanced senses allowed her to hear the various mutters that came from the different soldiers. She resisted the urge to sigh and face-slap herself. They weren''t the only ones either. Now that the fire was out, a large crowd had formed behind all the workers and Ward, and many of them had heard the name Cinder. Flashes of light went off as hundreds of pictures were snapped at her, and she had to turn her hearing down in order to stop the barrage of questions that were being flung out.


    "Is that really the hero Cinder?"


    "I like the new suit. It makes sense the Hero Branch gave her an updated one."


    "What happened to her golden hair and red eyes?"


    "Why didn''t she use any fire in that last battle? She seemed slower and weaker than I was expecting."


    "She totally took those two bad guys down all by herself, right?"


    "I was in the crowd of people she saved! There was this cool red thingy or something she had! I guess she has a bunch of other powers!"


    "She ran circles around Golden Weaver earlier today as well! I watched them battle in my city block, and she kicked his ass."


    "So that''s the hero that single-handedly beat the Beast?"


    "I liked her old costume better; I hope she changes back."


    "Isn''t her real name Hope Lauren? I saw two old people with her as well. Are those her parents?"


    Her eye twitched a bit as she processed everything the crowd was spouting off. Her gaze focused back on Ward. If he had been alone, she likely would have punched him in the face out of annoyance and anger. The old her still would have done. Sadly, the current her couldn''t afford to do so. Doing something like that would surely result in the Victorian coming after her, and with how messed up in the head her idol was, the Victorian would likely accept the mission just to mess with her. With the crowd watching and all the cameras, she''d just let Ward go.


    For now.


    "So, would you care to explain why you were avoiding the Hero Branch?" Ward asked in a calm tone. "Cinder is a hero who works for the Hero Branch and has gone out of her way to save millions of people with the help of her Lord power. Why, just last week she prevented an entire island from sinking after it had been mysteriously cut in two."


    "I remember that!" Someone in the crowd cheered out. "I read about it on the news."


    "Yeah, and she also stopped that giant meteor the other day, right? She and the Victorian flew up to stop it. I know only the Victorian was shown in the footage, but that was because Cinder is just that fast, right?"


    "Cinder also single-handedly defeated the return of the Bad Timers and saved an entire village all by herself."


    "Yeah, she beat Polaron''s brother with one punch."


    "It makes me wonder why she suddenly did so much worse in her fight today."


    She suddenly got a bad feeling as the large crowd began to mutter amongst themselves.


    Ward''s smile only grew as he stared at her. "Yes, it does make me wonder about you. We haven''t heard from you in a few days, and now you show up looking a bit different and seem a lot weaker. Then you go and avoid the Hero Branch? Also, just look at this city block." Ward gestured with his hand. "In all your other fights, the block was never quite this destroyed, Cinder. It makes me wonder. Are you really Cinder?"


    She almost let out a dry laugh at that. "Wait, are you trying to say that I''m the fake?" Ward knew about the fake Cinder, right? "Oh, wait. I get it." Suddenly it made sense. He was going to throw her under the bus for what he did. If word had gotten out that the Hero Branch had a fake Cinder and faked the fact she was still alive, it likely would have turned out badly for them. Ward couldn''t have that happening, so he was about to kill two birds with one stone. She was going to be painted as the faker.


    "There was a villain that used to exist," Ward stated loud enough for the crowd behind him to hear. "They went by the name of Skin Walker and could take on the shape of other heroes. Of course, they didn''t have the ability to use those other heroes'' powers; things like fire control, for example, would simply be impossible for them. Hey, since we''re ''friends'' and all Cinder, wouldn''t you mind showing me your fire? I''m sure the crowd would love to see it as well."


    "You''re an asshole." That was all she said in response.


    Suddenly, all the guns were trained back on her.


    "So it''s not Cinder?"


    "I thought as much; I mean, just look at her. She looks nothing like Cinder. She isn''t even acting like Cinder."


    "I think I heard of Skin Walker before. Mr. Ward''s pretty smart for figuring it out so quickly; I had no clue!"


    "What was up with the people in the van then?"


    "Since we haven''t heard from Cinder in a few days, I was getting worried. Now we find out some shape-shifter monster freak is running around pretending to be her. She makes me sick. If I find out, she hurt Cinder in any way..."


    Golden Weaver remained flat on his back but managed to push himself up slightly with an elbow. He stared at the hero''s back that stood in front of him as the crowd suddenly went from whispering about how great Cinder was to how obviously not Cinder this girl really was.


    "Why aren''t you defending yourself?" Golden Weaver asked.


    "Would they believe me?" Cinder responded weakly.


    Ward almost smirked and had to resist the urge to pat himself on the back. The truth was, he had been in a bit of a pickle. Skin Walker was gone. The monster had been on a film set, ready to do a few fake shots of her saving people, but suddenly vanished. He had been told she went to her trailer but never came out of it. Luckily for him, the stars seemed to align. Cinder, the real Cinder, was back; she was basically worthless now since she seemed to lack all her Lord powers. He was guessing whatever force brought her back had lost the Lord''s powers, and they would be reborn through the Pod. His sources told him she couldn''t transform or use fire at all, so this was the best opportunity to tie up any loose ends he had left. He might even be able to force her to work for him. She did bring her parents here, after all. It''d be easy to manipulate her if he held their lives in his hand.


    "Whoever you are, you aren''t Cinder." Ward made sure the cameras were pointed at him as he flung his arm out and pointed at the girl who stood before him. "Why don''t you and those criminals in that van turn yourselves in? Do that, and you have my word we won''t hurt you. I just want to talk and learn where the real Cinder is."


    Yeah right.


    Ward almost giggled. Golden Weaver wasn''t the only hero in Lillian. Out of sight, up on two other buildings, he had Cyber Horse and Medium Iron ready to jump in if he needed them. Even if this ''hero'' tried to run, he was ready to capture her and find some use for her.


    "What do you say, Skin Walker?" Ward called out one last time. The crowd''s muttering hadn''t stopped as they watched the scene before them. It hadn''t taken much to win them over. Any goodwill she had formed from saving the block was totally gone. In their eyes, she was just as bad as Yellow Kobold and Squid M.D. Slowly, Dean Ward held his hand out as if he were offering a peaceful gesture of surrender. He still stood dozens of meters away, mostly to keep himself safe, and his guards didn''t lower their guns. He forced a fake smile on his face. "Lillian has already suffered enough as it is. We can end this in a peaceful manner. You might not be the real Cinder, but you still tried to be her. This is what she would want. Just turn yourself in and do the right thing. Please."


    Hope made a slight face at the man, and she did her best to not punch a hole through his face. That would only prove his point, after all. Instead, she thought of the best way to respond to this situation. The only thing she could say that mattered. Something that came from her heart.


    Finally, she spoke.


    "If you''re ever in trouble, I don''t think that I''ll try and save you."


    "What?" Ward actually stepped back, caught off guard. "Is that a threat-"


    "Later."


    "Later?"


    Before anyone could even process what was happening, she grabbed the van by the bottom and lifted it up above her head. Screams rang out in the crowd, and people began to scatter. Ward''s eyes went wide as she took aim and chucked the car as hard as she could. It flew over everyone''s head as people dropped to the ground, and it crashed wheels first onto the road behind the crowd and Hero Branch workers. Instantly, the van roared to life as her parents, who were still sitting inside, floored it, and it began to blast down the road.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Make sure you wake up Purrfect," Hope said casually, looking down at Golden Weaver. "That Kobold guy is the reason the Giants didn''t react at all. She''s asleep."


    Golden Weaver didn''t even get a chance to respond. The entire block shook as Cinder blasted off into the air with one of her enhanced jumps. She twirled through the air, going over the crowd, and began to fall toward the moving van. Suddenly, though, a chain blasted out, which wrapped around the young hero. Lightning blared off of it, and the sounds of hooves echoed out as a figure came dropping from one of the buildings above.


    "Not so fast, Skin Walker!" Two heroes came down hard and fast. The first looked like a large horse, but his skin was pure metal, and dozens of circuits coated his flesh. His mouth was open, and a chain blasted out of it, which was the one wrapping around Cinder''s waist. On the horse''s back was another hero dressed in metal knight-like armor, holding a long lance that began to twirl around. They were the heroes, Cyber Horse and Medium Iron! "We''re not letting you get away, villain!" Medium Iron announced as they fell toward the girl. "Your days of terror end here-"


    Cinder flexed her body, shattering the chain around her. She grabbed one end of it and tugged it toward her as hard as she could, dragging both heroes toward her. "Sorry." She brought her arm back and balled her hand into a fist. "I''m a little ticked off, so you might want to block this."


    "Oh, crap-"


    As soon as they reached her, her fist shattered the lance, as well as Medium Iron''s armor. Cyber Horse let out a loud whine, and in an instant, both heroes were blown back by a tremendous force. They went flying and rammed into the hood of Ward''s car, shattering the entire vehicle. Neither of them got back up, and they were totally knocked out.


    Golden Weaver let out a low chuckle. "Was she pulling her punches when she fought me? Even without fire, she''s a total monster. Just how strong are these current Lords?"


    Finally, Hope dropped down and landed on the hood of her van, which kept blasting down the road. Because of the large crowd behind them, the other Hero Branch trucks had no way of giving chase. She stared dead ahead at Ward and poked her tongue out.


    Ward gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to stomp his foot down. He was in public, after all. He reached up and adjusted his tie, letting out a low sigh. "That bitch will pay." He said quietly to himself. "Don''t just stand there, you idiots! Get this crowd gone! I want that villain captured now! And someone get me a new car this instant!" Why couldn''t Laps have done her job? None of this would have been happening if it wasn''t for her. He cursed that damn woman, as well as Battery. It was them that Cinder had become an issue. After all, he couldn''t make any mistakes.


    "Uh, could someone get me some prosthetic legs?" Golden Weaver asked sheepishly. "I kind of can''t give chase until I''m up and moving again."


    Ward''s head snapped down to the useless hero, and he let out a scoff. "Please. Don''t think I didn''t notice your incompetence, Weaver. You''re getting another pay cut."


    "Damn..."


    Ward reached up and adjusted his tie. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."


    "You''re going to go get Cinder yourself?" Golden Weaver asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Hell no!" Ward shook his head. "I am going to do the next best thing, though. I know just the person who can help me." He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, dialing a number. It clicked, and someone answered... "Mommy, I need your help, there''s this hero being really mean to me."


    Back at the van, Hope flung herself off the hood and gripped it tight, using it to swing herself up, feet first, through the van''s windows. Space distorted around her as she tumbled into the massive realm that made up the van''s interiors and crashed into the back seat. She lay flat on her back, staring up at the roof, her lips turning into a thin line.


    Jane and Alexander shared a look. They both remained in the front seat, neither of them quite knowing what they should say or do. "Are you okay?" Her mom finally asked.


    Hope kicked her feet out slightly and rolled her eyes. "Yep. Just fine. It''s not like I just watched an entire crowd''s worth of people turn on me in an instant." She was seriously going to punch Ward the next time she got the chance.


    "When your father and I first saw that man, I knew he was trouble." Jane sighed sadly.


    "You met Ward before?" She raised an eyebrow.


    "It was during the Beast attack," Alexander explained. "He didn''t show up for long. He didn''t really seem to care about your mother or me. He was mainly just using us to get to Paragon, I think."


    "That man is seriously the worst!"


    "How''d someone like him even reach his position of power?" Jane questioned.


    "He was born into it." All of them jumped a bit as a fourth voice joined into the conversation. Kevin had woken back up¡ªa face formed on her shoulder, which twisted and rose up a bit. "After the war with Lucifer, the scientist known as Sini started up Sini Corp. and began to create the first-ever city. He needed funding, though, and resources. So, five families stepped up. The Wards, The Laps, The Almas, The Ros Family, and the Milas. Each one of these five families held a vast amount of wealth and treasure, which they all gathered after the defeat of Lucifer. With this vast fortune, they were able to fund Sini Corp. and later create the Hero Branch. Of course, they didn''t do it for free. They ensured that their families were the ones who got to run the Branch and any other major organization that existed. Every city is led by a member of this family. They''ve grown large since those days, with dozens of branching family members and main heads. The leaders of the families mainly reside within Rose City, while lesser members get to live in the other cities or run the Hero Branch of a city."


    "You know a lot about them?" Hope noted surprised.


    "I''m not just a muscle-bound jock, you know." Kevin hissed. "I was top of my class. I would show up early and jot down all Mr. Pluto''s notes and study them when I wasn''t training."


    "Why can''t you be that productive, Hope?" Jane said flatly.


    "Hey!"


    Alexander''s hands gripped the steering wheel as he drove. "I think what your backpack said is right, though. I do recall those five names he mentioned. They''re always popping up, and many of the richest people in the world are tied back to those five families. Even the current head of the entire Hero Branch, the one responsible for running it all, above even the directors, has that name."


    "Great, so it isn''t just Ward I have to deal with, but an entire family of assholes." Hope bemoaned and rolled over onto her stomach, burying her face into the seat.


    "I don''t think all of them are bad," Jane said sheepishly. "I mean, Alice Ward, is that news lady, right?"


    "She married into the family," Kevin said casually.


    "Oh? So?


    "Yeah, most of the main members of the families are total dicks. Stupid ass rich people."


    "Your backpack has such a way with words, Hope..."


    Hope grunted and slowly pushed herself up. "I need to distract myself with some things. Just keep driving until we''re back at the beach. We''ll escape on the ocean and go to the next city or something." Her costume sloshed off of her, the red and silver pulling away as it formed back into a backpack that dropped onto the car seat. It seemed the Pod was sticking with Kevin for some reason, as it wrapped mostly around the red backpack.


    "You''re just leaving me here?" Kevin questioned as she got out of her seat.


    She lazily shrugged. She was back in the outfit she wore under her costume and didn''t really need her suit or the Pod in the van. "Just hang out."


    "Wait-"


    She left before he could even say anything. An awkward silence filled the air as Kevin remained in the car seat while Jane and Alexander both sat ahead of him. "So," Alexander asked slowly. "Uh, what''s it like being a backpack?"


    "It allowed me to reach enlightenment."


    "Really?"


    "Nope. It just saves me energy, and I don''t have to bother walking around since I get people to carry me."


    "Neat." Jane rubbed the back of her neck. "This is so weird."


    "Welcome to the life of a Super."


    The halls of the van were wide and expansive. Hope found herself walking down the long corridor, and she made her way into one of the hallways that had a series of doors on each side. She really hadn''t had time to look around, and in her current mood, she was desperate to get any sort of distraction. She eyed the many doors up and down.


    They looked like they were metal sliding doors. The kind you would see in a sci-fi book or something. Each door had a name on it, and it caused her heart to sting a bit as she read each one out. ''Cinder, Whisper, Battery, Myth, Snowdawn, Metal Ronin, Money Tree, BB, Wasp Nest, Oxide, Poseidon, Paragon, Ocean Empress.'' Each name caused that guilt to increase. This part of the van had likely been made before the Beast fight. If this was supposed to be some sort of gift Metal Ronin had planned for her, he likely built each room for them. A place for all of them to stay at.


    She walked over to the door that had her name on it. The door slid open on its own, allowing her to see the room that was past it. She had seen the bedrooms the Sub Enforcer members would stay at whenever they slept in their base. She had only been to the base a couple of times, but it had been enough. This bedroom was modeled the same way the Sub Enforcers bedrooms were.


    It was a rather large room, once again bending space and reality as it was bigger than it should have been. There was a king-sized bed placed up against the wall and a large shelf that could hold dozens of figures or books. A closet was in the back for her clothes, and another door led to a connected bathroom. A couch was in the middle of the room with a large TV hooked up in front of it, and various gaming consoles were already plugged in. She seriously had to wonder where Metal Ronin got all this stuff from. Was it all built from trash? Or had he bought some of this with his own money? Either way, something like this room couldn''t be cheap.


    It wasn''t just hers either. All the rooms had similar setups. Each one was likely as expensive as the apartment she lived in with her mom.


    Used to live at, she corrected herself.


    Still, it was kind of amazing what Metal Ronin was able to do all by himself. Mental powers were cool. Of course, that wasn''t the set of powers she wanted. Flight was at the top of her list, followed by her fire powers. Luckily, once she regained her Lord powers, she''d be able to do both once more, being able to fly and shoot power.


    There was something else she wanted to do, though...


    If she got lucky and somehow, some way, she managed to gain another set of powers, there was something she''d like to be able to do.


    Hope slowly shook her head. Something like that was silly to think about in the first place. For now, she was just mainly focused on getting her old powers back first.


    The hallway kept going on for a bit. There were other metal doors, but they lacked names on them. The ones that didn''t have names on them weren''t done either. Some of the doors simply led nowhere, showing nothing but a wall on the other side, while others were half-done rooms or empty altogether. A few did have beds, though. She found one in one of the doors with no names and collapsed onto it, letting out a sigh.


    It was really comfortable. She''d need to thank Metal Ronin the next time she saw him. This van was almost perfect-


    "Hope!"


    She sat up instantly as she heard her mother''s voice. "Yeah!" She called out. She ran out of the room and found her mother in the hallway. Her mom was walking on her own, though still a bit sluggish, but she was just happy to see her mom on her own two feet again. That was until she noticed the worried look on her mother''s face. "What''s wrong?" She questioned.


    "The van is doing something weird."


    "Weird, how?"


    "It''s talking?"


    "Huh?"


    She left the hallway and moved past her mother, heading to where her dad was. He was still driving the van, though struggling as something kept distracting him. In the passenger seat, Kevin had moved, the backpack growing various red and silver tendrils as he smacked at something that was on the dashboard. A loud beeping filled the entire van, and red lights were going off.


    As she got closer, she saw what was causing the distraction and the reason for the alarms to be going off. The dashboard was glowing, and a little knob appeared at the center of it, which fired out a soft glow. The glow had taken the shape of a person, being some sort of mini-hologram. She recognized the person instantly. It was Rowan. He didn''t have any of his armor on, and it was hard to make out his appearance since the hologram left him as the size of a small action figure, but he was speaking in a loud and clear voice.


    "-you should pull over and stop the van immediately. The battery is running low, and it is at high risk of dying. Soon, the power will be out. It has a small chance of exploding if the battery runs out completely."


    "Whoa, exploding! What do you mean by that?" She asked with wide eyes.


    "I am a hologram; this is a prerecorded message that will be repeated until the vehicle is put into park. You should pull over and stop the van immediately. The battery is running low, and it is at high risk of dying. Soon, the power will be out. It has a small chance of exploding if the battery runs out completely." Kevin''s tendrils kept poking at the hologram, phasing through them.


    "We can''t stop; we''re over the damn water!" The monster hissed.


    She glanced at the window, and sure enough, they were driving on the ocean once again. They must have reached it while she had been looking around. "I am a hologram; this is a prerecorded message that will be repeated until the vehicle is put into park. You should pull over and-"


    "How much battery do we have left?" She questioned.


    "I don''t know." Her father shook her head. "I didn''t even know this thing had a charge. I thought it was powered by gas."


    "You have one percent battery life left." The Rowan hologram said casually.


    "Wait, so can you hear us?" She demanded turning on the hologram with narrowed eyes.


    "I am a hologram; I have a series of prerecorded messages that I can respond with. Your question was ''Can you hear us?'' My answer is no. Do you have any other questions?"


    "Leave it to Metal Ronin to make junk that doesn''t actually work." She sighed. "What did you mean this thing was going to explode?"


    "This van is running out of battery life." The hologram explained. "When battery life reaches zero, it will die. After that, the thing that allows it to maintain this realm will cease, and it will implode. You have one percent battery life left. This will last for a little under one hour."


    She folded her arms, frowning. "We can head back to Lillian, I guess. We should have enough time."


    "What about the Branch?" Kevin growled.


    "I''ll deal with them and steal another car." She shrugged.


    "We''d need a boat, actually." Her father jumped into the conversation. "This van can drive on water, but other cars can''t. Lillian and Oleander are separated from the other cities, so you''d have to take a boat or plane to get anywhere else."


    "Guess we''ll steal a boat then."


    "We could try for Daisy." Alexander hummed. "This van is pretty fast and could reach it before it runs out of juice."


    "We shouldn''t go to any city." Kevin hissed again. "The Hero Branch is after us."


    "So? A lot of people are after me." She folded her arms and hummed, looking down at the hologram. "Is there anything else we could do, little Rowan?"


    The hologram seemed to process what she was saying and then spoke up once more. "A signal has been sent out to heroes that might be able to help-"


    "Shit." She facepalmed. "Now we''re going to have some heroes come and attack us. Just great. I really hope, pun intended, Ward''s story about me being a fake Cinder hasn''t gotten out yet. Maybe I can talk to these guys-"


    "Someone has responded to the signal." Rowan''s hologram spoke up once more. "Pallet Boy Red is approaching."


    "Huh?" She raised an eyebrow at that. "We''re in the middle of the ocean? The only city near us is Lillian, so I would have thought it was someone from there, like that Cyber Horse guy, that would show up."


    Kevin''s face paled, which was impressive since he was still a red backpack. "That isn''t the issue."


    "It''s not?"


    "No! Think for a moment! How is Red Pallet coming? He''s dead!"


    Her blood suddenly ran cold, and she froze. She had completely forgotten that. The Wandering Coin killed the Pallet Boys and took their tech.


    "Pallet Boy Red is approaching," Rowan stated cheerfully. "He is within eight miles¡ªfour miles¡ªtwo miles- Two mil- He is here."


    It was a quiet noise. Nothing more than a simple ''thudding'' sound, but it was enough to make them all look up.


    Someone was standing on top of the van.

 One Hundred And Sixty-Three: A Familiar Face

    Loud, blaring music blasted out from all angles. The stage was filled with massive booming boxes that unleashed waves of sound so fast and so loud that they would instantly drive any normal human deaf. The sound was able to send the sand flying back at super speeds and tear down trees. Even a Super likely wouldn''t be able to listen to it for very long.


    For Roulette, though, it was still too quiet. It never seemed to be enough. No matter how loud, he turned the volume up. The old man rested in his lazy-boy chair with his feet kicked up. His rifle rested across his lap, and his arm was outstretched, holding onto a remote that pointed at the stage in front of him. He kept turning the sound up louder and louder, waiting for someone to come and demand that he stop and turn it down.


    No one ever did.


    No one ever would.


    Not anymore...


    The stage was a massive soundboard that could play hologram images as well as music. Currently, it had Pretty Face''s loudest song on full blast, the newest Enforcer member going ham on a series of guitars and drums as he screamed into the microphone. Roulette had been gifted the sound stage for his one hundred and twelfth birthday party. Backup had been the one to build it.


    He used to hate all of Backup''s inventions.


    Now, what he wouldn''t give just to see that young man create something new.


    Roulette pressed the button on his remote, causing the stage to shut off. The lights flickered all the way off, and he remained in his chair, staring at it with blank eyes. He was old. He was so old; he was from a time when heroes didn''t even wear costumes. His suit mainly just consisted of what he liked wearing most. Despite that, he had still been handed the title of hero and was still allowed to fight alongside his fellow team members in the form of the Watch Dogs. He had been one of the first people to join the group, being even older than Old Dog, who he trained with at the time.


    Roulette felt his old bones begin to pop and creak as he struggled to his feet and stood up. He grabbed his hunting rifle and placed it down into the sand. He used it as a cane and began to walk, heading through the island.


    Watch Dogs didn''t own a base inside of a realm. Old Dog had never liked the realms, so they instead created a physical island. It had many places across it, though now only two truly mattered anymore.


    Roulette stepped out of the wooded area and found himself standing in what looked like a makeshift resort area. A pool was built in the center, and all across it, passed out in the waters, Duplicity resided. There were around ten of her in total, each one totally unconscious. Roulette sighed and shook his head. He took a moment to create various beds made out of bullets. Rubber bullets that were bouncy and soft so that the bed would be at least semi-comfortable. Once that was done, he walked around and scooped up each Duplicity before placing the girl in the bed. He made sure each one was tucked in before he moved away.


    "I swear, you take worse care of yourself than I do." Roulette grumbled. "I''m an old man, and I ain''t got much time left. I should be the one being doted on all the time."


    One of the Duplicity''s muttered something in their sleep and casually rolled over, snoring softly.


    It was just the two of them.


    They were all that was left of the Watch Dogs. The other members were...


    Roulette walked forward with his makeshift cane, and he went around the island gazing out at it once more. The trees were almost pure white, and snow rained down from above, thanks to Bad Wolf''s power. Soon, though, that power would come undone, and with Bad Wolf gone, it would never be able to be recreated. The winter wonderland that made up the strange beach island would be broken. Until then, though, he''d enjoy the sight while he still could. It was beautiful. He knew that it would also be the final resting spot he lay at.


    He could feel it in his bones.


    Old Dog had described what it was like rotting away, and he was sure the same fate was finally starting to reach him. Even if it had taken a bit more time than previously expected.


    He wasn''t really sad about that fact, though. After all, he had lived quite the life.


    Roulette found himself stepping into a new area of the island. It held a somber tone to it, being covered in a field of flowers that stood up even with the constant snow. A large stone pillar rose out of the ground, one that was carved with various names across it. The old hero waddled over to it, and he placed his hand on the pillar, rubbing it softly. The stone bit at his hand, but he ignored it, and his eyes scanned each name that was across it.


    "Levithan, Stone Captain, Kraken, Oil, Motor Man, Tidal Wave, Lava Cat, Edge, Law Maker, Old Dog, Bad Wolf, Backup." So many members had come and gone. Duplicity would likely be the last name added to this list. He hoped her name wouldn''t be on it for a hundred more years. She was still a great hero, after all. "It''s been quiet since you all left us, you know. I''ve been having trouble sleeping lately. I''m used to the sound of explosions from all your inventions blowing up, Backup. I hope you''re keeping him in check, Bad Wolf. You know how he can get. I also hope you''re doing well, Old Dog. It''s been years since you''ve seen your wife, so the two of you should spend as much time together as you can. I look forward to getting to shake your hand once more, Edge. It''ll be real good to see you again. Soon. Very soon, I think."


    Roulette closed his eyes and bowed his head down. He kept his grip iron-tight on the butt of his gun and said as many prayers as he knew. He had never been one to pray a lot; that had been something Oil always did, but he found himself praying a lot more. It was lonely sometimes.


    He hated the thought of leaving Duplicity alone, but he also knew he didn''t really have much choice. Maybe with him gone, maybe with her as the last member of the Watch Dogs, she would move on and be that great hero she was meant to be again.


    Roulette suddenly stopped when he heard a loud sound. It came from the other side of the island and caused him to raise his head. It was a barking sound. It was quickly followed by another, and then a whine. The dogs were all howling at something.


    They had taken in all the pups as a request from Motor Man. Motor Man always had a soft side and couldn''t help it. Even after his death, they kept doing it, bringing in any dog that had been affected by powers and couldn''t be changed back. This island served as a safe place for them. Though he didn''t know what Duplicity would do once she was the only one left in charge. He hoped she remembered to feed them all.


    Roulette gripped his gun tighter as he heard the whining get louder. He marched toward the noise as quickly as his slow body would allow and found himself stepping out through the woods near the edge of the beach where the dock resided. The sands were filled with dogs, some massive, some tiny, some bigger than even a truck, all seemingly barking and growling at the same thing.


    Roulette stared into the sky where his dogs were looking, and for a moment, he felt a jolt go through him.


    Wings. Long and golden, they flapped out, sending a rain of feathers down. Angelic in nature, for a moment, the old man found himself reaching out for one. Then he noticed who they were attached to.


    It was a young-looking man. One who came down from the heavens themselves, floating softly to the ground. The man had blonde hair that was hidden beneath a fancy-looking hat with the symbol of a butterfly on it. They were dressed in an extremely expansive-looking suit and wore a long coat. From their back, massive golden wings jutted out before they slowly pulled themselves back into the man''s back and vanished beneath his flesh. The man reached up and tipped his smile.


    Roulette felt his teeth grind together, and he lifted his gun, pointing it toward the person in front of him. "Calvin-"


    "Michael." The younger man corrected with a sly grin. "Archangel Michael, member of the Immortals. Right-hand man of Lucifer." Michael''s grin grew larger as he stared into the anger-filled eyes that glared back. "It''s been a while, hasn''t it? Little brother. You and I should have a long conversation."


    Something was about to begin.


    Something that would change the world forever.


    The Murder Games were soon to start...


    ***


    "Pallet Boy Red has arrived!" The hologram of Rowan had his hands on his hips and a smile on his face as if he had done something good. "I''m programmed to let you know that while he isn''t the best Mental-based Super out there, he should be more than enough to fix the battery issue. Simply show him the hood of the van and let him tinker on it for a bit! It should only take him three hours-"


    "Three hours? You said the battery dies in one hour! And then it blows up!" Alexander said with wide eyes.


    "I guess Rowan didn''t consider that when he built this." Hope rubbed her forehead and resisted the urge to curse Rowan out. "This ride is a prototype, after all. I''m starting to see why he didn''t make more than one."


    "Stop acting calm." Kevin jittered and jumped up, his backpack form growing out dozens of long tendrils. "There is someone on our roof! Now isn''t the time to act so casual!"


    "Kevin''s right." Hope folded her arms and nodded. "Do you think it is someone from the group you used to be part of, Kevin?" She knew Kevin likely didn''t want to think back to his time in the Wandering Coin, but they were the only group she could think of that had access to the Pallet Boy''s tech.


    Kevin''s backpack form created a small head that shook. "Not a chance. You guys destroyed all the tech we kept."


    "The one you kept?"


    "Yeah. I found out later, but apparently, Doc sold a majority of what he didn''t need to random buyers in Hell Land." Kevin explained. "So, basically, what I''m saying is that it could be anyone up there."


    "What is Hell Land?" Alexander asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Now''s really not the time, Dad."


    "Sorry."


    "What''s going on?" Jane finally managed to walk back, and she entered the area they were in to see them all staring up at the roof. "Did you find out what was with the alarm?"


    Hope didn''t say anything for several seconds. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed up above her. Whoever had landed didn''t make any more noise. Even with her enhanced senses, she couldn''t hear anything, so whoever it was, they were quiet. She wasn''t able to see them through any of the windows or mirrors either. The person was placed at just the right angle to be totally out of sight. She''d have to open the door and step out if she wanted to see them. Made all the worse by the fact that they were still in the middle of the ocean, driving across it.


    She wasn''t really confident with her ability to fight underwater.


    "What''s going on?" Her mother asked once more, this time in a much more stern tone.


    "Nothing." She reached out and grabbed Kevin. He didn''t need to be told what to do; in an instant, he and the Pod wove over her body, instantly creating her hero costume once more. If worse came to worse, she''d just use him to create wings or something and try to fly that way. She wasn''t too sure if something like that would work, but she didn''t have any other choice. "Stay here." She stepped past her mom and entered the hallway outside. "I''ll be right back."Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Hope-"


    "It''s okay." She turned back to her mom and managed to force a smile, giving a thumbs up. "I''ll be okay. I promise. Besides, I already one-shot Cyber Horse earlier today, so when it comes to tech-based heroes or villains, I can handle myself."


    Jane didn''t say anything for a few moments. The woman just stared at her daughter''s face in silence. Finally, though, Jane took a seat and nodded. "Alright. If you''re sure."


    "Of course I am!"


    She couldn''t have been any more unsure.


    There was a terrible nagging feeling in her gut. One she had been suppressing, but she couldn''t deny the terrifying thought. What if this was Avalon? It would be just like him to show up, and if anyone could use Pallet Boy tech, that man could surely figure it out. The thought of him being on the roof sent shivers down her spine. If Avalon was here, then that meant the Emperor was likely close by as well. She really wasn''t ready for that just yet.


    "Are you sure we can handle this?" Kevin whispered as they stepped away from where the Lauren''s resided. It seemed he was thinking the same thing as she was. He was also aware of the danger that could be above them.


    Hope brushed a strand of her hair back and pulled up her hood as she made her way to a different hallway. "I''ll manage." She stated. The van had one hallway that led to a set of double doors, which would take her out the back way of the car. She used that hallway and made her way over to the doors, pushing them open. Outside the doors, she saw the endless sea around them, and saltwater rose up to meet her, chilling her down to her bone. She ignored it, though, and took a deep breath. "Alright. Let''s do this."


    "Just so you know, if it is someone dangerous, I''m ditching you and running away." Shift stated flatly.


    Cinder rolled her eyes and stepped forward. As soon as she felt her body begin to fall out of the van, she spun around and grabbed the top of it. With inhuman strength, she pulled her entire body up and landed on the roof down in a crouch. "I don''t know who you think you are, but you have a lot of explaining to do- Wait! I know you!"


    Instantly, all the hostility she had built up faded and flickered out as she stared at the person on the roof of the van. She had been expecting someone like Avalon or even a total weirdo like Red Ape. This person was actually at the bottom of her list. What were the chances she''d be seeing them again so soon?


    "Great," Kevin muttered out. "We got the nutjob. How did she even find us? Better question actually, why did she find us!"


    The person who stood on the roof of the van was a young girl around her own age. They had long gray hair that had been tied back, and they wore what looked almost like a strange military uniform. A rapier hung at the girl''s waist, and she was currently crouched down, fiddling with the roof of the van with her hand. Meta, the girl she had met during Hell Land, had somehow shown back up. Either this was good, or it was very, very bad.


    "Meta?" Cinder found herself taking a step back, and she nearly fell off of the van''s roof. She had to throw her hands out and steady herself as she stared at the other girl. "What are you doing here?"


    Meta''s head finally looked up. The girl cocked it to the side, and her eyes were as blank as ever, holding almost no emotion. "You were screaming for help." Just like her eyes, Meta''s voice lacked any tone to it, being simply flat and to the point. It still creeped her out a bit, especially as she could still recall Meta''s last words.


    "Are you talking about the signal?" She asked hesitantly.


    "Yes." Meta ran her hand over the van''s roof again, as if she were almost petting it. "This ride was crying out for help. Begging to be seen by me."


    "Huh?"


    "My power," Meta said flatly. "I can hear voices in things that don''t talk. The signal you were letting out came to me like a wailing baby. This thing isn''t quite ready for field testing, yet you still brought it out? You even pushed it so far." Meta glanced down at the front of the van, which was still partially caved in. "There, there." The girl patted the van as if soothing a sobbing child.


    "I didn''t build it; it was a gift-" She shook her head, getting her mind back on track. "Wait! It told us the Pallet Boys were coming! Did you steal any of their gear!"


    Meta finally stood up and casually dusted herself off. The girl raised her sleeve up and showed off a small watch wrapped around her wrist. "This is what picked up your signal. I guess it did belong to some heroes at one time or another. I found it in the junkyard behind Hell Land recently when I was visiting it." So apparently, Meta and Metal Ronin had a few things in common. "You were the one asking for help, you know. You''re kind of being rude." Meta''s fingers gently wrapped around the sword handle at her side and got ready to raise it up. "I don''t like rude people-"


    "Wait! I''m not rude, Meta! It''s me, remember!"


    "No." Meta drew her blade. "I don''t remember. I don''t think we''ve ever met. Sorry."


    Cinder let out a squeak and pulled her hood down. "Ruby! I''m Ruby! I was at Hell Land, remember!"


    Meta''s hand twitched, and in a flash, the girl sheathed her sword. She almost let out a sigh of relief but was stopped when Meta grabbed her by the face. Meta gripped either side of her face and stared at her with a blank look. She could tell the villain was studying her. Finally, Meta let go and spoke once more. "Growth spurt?"


    "Not exactly. It''s complicated." She sighed.


    Meta nodded. "I see. Hope. Your name is Hope? Ruby was a fake name."


    She winced a little. Kevin was the one who had said her real name in front of Meta during Hell Land. It was thanks to him that this creepy girl knew who she really was. "Yeah... My name is Hope Lauren."


    Meta kept looking her up and down for several moments. "I see." Meta''s hand seemed to twitch for a moment, almost going for her sword once more, but it stopped. "Cinder."


    She winced again. "Yep." She said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I''m Cinder- Whoa!" In an instant, Meta''s sword was aimed at her again, placed directly under her chin. The girl was seriously fast, maybe even faster than Battery. She hadn''t even been able to see the movement. Meta''s head was cocked to the side again, and the girl''s finger toyed with a trigger that was attached to the handle. "Wait-" She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to feel searing pain, but it never came. When she did open her eyes again, the blade was still just pointing at her neck.


    Meta was eyeing her up again and finally seemed to make a choice. The girl pulled the sword away and sheathed it once more. She was starting to get a heart attack from how often that sword nearly impaled her. Meta finally showed a bit of emotion by letting out a scoff. "You''re not Cinder. Don''t lie. Bad girl. Don''t say false things to your elders."


    "Bad girl? Elders? We''re the same age- Hey, wait a second! I am, too, Cinder! I''m a good girl!"


    "No, you''re not. You''re a bad girl for lying." Meta casually turned away from her. "The real Cinder would have shattered my sword and then knocked me out in one attack. You''re not the Lord of the Sun; don''t lie to me like that. Your costume doesn''t even look right." So Meta was also a Cinder fangirl, as it turned out? She was really unsure if that was a good thing or not.


    "Why do people keep saying that my suit isn''t right? It''s called getting an upgrade!" Cinder took a deep breath and placed both her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out. "I''ll have you know I''m the real deal. I''m Cinder¡ªa proud member of Pantheon and, yes, the current Lord of the Sun. I just... Happen to be a bit weak right now." She deflated a bit and fought off the urge to drop her head.


    Meta turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. "Weaker?"


    "I lost a lot of my power during the Beast fight." She explained. "That was why I was all tiny when we first met. I wasn''t actually a kid; I was just in a depowered state that was all shrunk and stuff."


    "Uh, you sure it''s a good idea to be saying all of this?" Kevin hissed into her ear. "This bitch is freaking psycho, Hope. Just look at that dead-eyed expression."


    She nearly winced. Kevin was right. Meta''s weird way of acting had made her not think straight, and she had basically announced the fact that she was way weaker than a villain¡ªone who could have been part of some evil group and seemed to have it for her.


    "So your power isn''t what it used to be?" Meta let out a soft hum. "I see. So you are Cinder, and you are the Lord of the Sun; you''re just weaker now."


    She tried not to say anything but finally just sighed in defeat and nodded. "Yeah. Can you keep that fact to yourself?"


    "Sure."


    "Seriously?"


    "Super seriously." Meta rubbed her chin, and the girl looked up at the sky above, not seeming to care about the fact she was staring straight at the sun. "That''s an issue, though. You being weaker and all. Cinder can''t be weak. She needs to be strong. Stronger than me. The Lord of the Sun needs..." Meta shook her head. "Is there a way for you to get your power?"


    She shrugged and shook her head. "No?" This was really weird. This wasn''t a normal conversation. It was way too casual for what was going on. Meta was just one big oddball. "Why do you seem to care so much?" She narrowed her eyes.


    "Because." Meta glanced back at her and held a soft frown on her lips. "I need to see Cinder. You aren''t Cinder. Not until you have your full power back. Right now, you''re just some girl running around claiming she''s the Lord of the Sun. That makes this all much worse for me. I was hoping I''d get to meet her, the real you, before the start of the games. Guess I''m out of luck, though."


    "Start of the games?"


    "It''s nothing." Meta''s entire form seemed to almost slump a bit, and the girl looked like she might be pouting. Meta turned away from her and began to walk to the edge of the van, seemingly getting ready to jump off. "I guess I''ll just have to see the real Cinder for when you get your powers back. Give me a call or something, okay? I''d really like to meet her."


    "I''m the same person you know. With or without powers. Unless... You''re talking about the Brightest Star." Meta didn''t look back at her, but she knew she was correct. It wasn''t really her that Meta was interested in. It was the Ego within her. The power that could talk. Something almost no person should know about, yet this girl did. That just made her more worried. "Earlier, when we first met, you told me that you were a very bad person. Are you evil?"


    "I''m a villain. That much is obvious, isn''t it?"


    "But are you evil?"


    "If I am? What will you do to me, Hope?"


    "Cinder. I''m Cinder when I''m in this costume."


    "Until you have your power back, I don''t think I want to call you Cinder, nor do I think I''ll accept you being the Lord of the Sun." Meta still didn''t look at her. The girl just kept staring out at sea. "As for what business I have with the real Lord of the Sun, that''s my personal privacy. I don''t think you have any right to question that."


    She sprung forward with her enhanced speed. Meta barely had time to turn around before she delivered her attack. It stopped inches away from Meta''s face, the wind blowing the girl''s hat off and sweeping her hair back. She moved her fist back, stopping the attack at the last second, just as Meta had done for her. "When I was in Hell Land, you went out of your way to help me escape. You even helped Kevin. You had no idea who either of us was, yet you still helped. Then, today, you show up out of the blue after you hear the signal. You also didn''t seem to know it was me. Were you planning on helping again?"


    "I was going to do what I could before you started being rude to me." The girl said casually.


    "I just don''t get you at all." She pulled herself away and folded her arms. "You''re a villain; you say you''re evil, and yet you keep helping people? You know things you shouldn''t and are acting all shady. You''re like a younger, girly version of Mr. Larison."


    "Evil is subjective, you know." Meta also folded her arms. "I told you that during Hell Land. Not all villains are evil, and not all heroes are good guys."


    "Well, what are you?"


    "You should answer first."


    Her reputation was in the dumps, and she was being hunted by the Hero Branch, so in a way, that did make her a villain, but she definitely wasn''t evil¡ªat least, she didn''t think she was. "It doesn''t matter, I guess. I just can''t read you at all." This time, she was the one to turn away, and she casually waved her hand. "Take care, Ms. Meta. Maybe one day, when I have my powers back, we''ll meet again, but don''t get your hopes up on me being the Brightest Star. I intend to stay in control of my body-"


    "Wait."


    She stopped suddenly when she felt a hand grab her wrist. Meta gripped her sleeve, and she looked back at the girl. The villain stared at her with no emotion in her eyes as Meta patted the top of her head. "What?"


    "My hat."


    "Huh?"


    "My hat is gone." Meta stated dryly. "I liked that hat. You blew it away, though."


    She processed the girl''s words and rubbed the back of her neck gently. "Okay? What do you want me to do about it?"


    "Take responsibility. You owe me a new hat."


    "Seriously?"


    "Super Seriously. It has to be a cool hat also."


    Her eye twitched a bit as she stared at the odd villain. "I don''t have a hat for you, though."


    "Oh." Meta cocked her head to the side once more. "Okay. Then I want to see the inside of this van and fix it up. It keeps crying, it keeps crying, and it makes me sad. I''m going in."


    "You will not!" Her eyes went wide, and she raised her arms up. "There is no way in hell I will ever let you inside of this thing! My family is in there."


    "Cool." Meta brushed past her and made for the double doors. "I guess I''ll get to meet your mom and dad then."


    "Hey! I said no!"


    "Do you have a hat for me?" Meta questioned.


    She looked down at her suit for a moment. "Don''t even fucking think about it," Kevin said flatly. "I ain''t about to become this psycho bitch''s hat. I''d rather stick with you than her."


    "Then I guess it''s settled." Meta lazily flipped her hair. "Until my brother comes to pick me up and gives me my hat back, you will have to let me stay here."


    "I don''t think I agreed to that..." Meta just ignored her, and the girl was already hanging off the side of the van. "Seriously. This girl is just the weirdest."


    A few minutes later, Hope found herself sitting in the backseat next to Meta as the van drove forward, both her parents sitting up front. Her dad kept eyeing the new girl up with the rearview mirror, his eyebrow raising more and more as Meta''s face remained totally blank and expressionless. Her mom also kept looking back, waiting for Meta to do or say anything, but Meta didn''t.


    The villain just remained in place, staring straight ahead. It was hard to tell if Meta was even breathing, and she wondered if the girl might have fallen asleep.


    "So," Jane raised an eyebrow and looked back at her daughter. "Who''s your new friend, Hope?"


    "I have no freaking clue."


    "I am Meta." Meta said quietly, "Where are we going?"


    "We were kind of just heading in a random direction." Her father said awkwardly. "At least until the van dies, and we have to leave it."


    "Dies?" Meta frowned softly. "Oh. You mean how the battery is running out? Not an issue. I will take care of that. In return, though, I''d like to be dropped off at Daisy."


    "Daisy? Why?"


    "Because I said so."


    "Okay..." Alexander shot his father a look, but she just shook her head.


    "Alright then." Hope sighed and looked away from Meta, staring out the window. "Next stop is Daisy, I guess."

 One Hundred And Sixty-Four: Daisy City

    "My, my, you look quite ticked off, friend. Did something happen?" Arvin Ros, head of Daisy''s Hero Branch, had an amused smirk on his face as he stared down at his laptop.


    On the other side of the screen, Dean Ward ran his fingers through his hair. "You said this would all be under control." Ward hissed.


    "When did I say that?" Ros questioned.


    "It was you who came up with the fake Cinder plot, to begin with!" Ward hissed. "Your family are the ones that capture most of the Emperor''s monsters. You use them for your own means and agenda. I was turning a blind eye to it since this time it helped us, but now your little pawn is gone, and we have the real Cinder running around once again."


    Ros lazily tapped his finger down on his desk. Unlike Ward, who was still quite young, Ros was an older, plump little man who had seen a lot during his time working for the Branch. "I''ll admit things haven''t been going the best for us recently. It all started with that new villain, Battery. I never considered he''d pull his stunt. Not only did he manage to beat the Victorian, he even threw every hero out of their city. Worse yet, he''s been doing a better job than we have. We''ll need to get it back under control. I''ll also take the blame for what happened to Skin Walker. I''ve used her as an agent for fifteen years now. Her powers made it a good way to come up with cover stories. This is the first time she''s run away, however. It''s quite worrying, as she seemed very loyal to whoever was in charge. It makes me concerned about what happened to her." Ros let out a sigh and shook his head. "If only we had a button that we could push that would just magically fix everything."


    "We do have that button!" Ward yelled as he slammed his fist down into his desk, shaking his computer.


    "We do?"


    "The Victorian is supposed to be our dog." Ward hissed out. "She obeys us without question. Even now, she should be following our orders! So what if she lost once? It was a fluke. She won''t lose again, I''m sure. Especially if the other heroes help her."


    "That''s likely true. The Victorian could swoop in and solve our little Battery problem. There''s just one issue. Nobody can get ahold of her." Ros pulled out a cigar and lit up as he leaned back in his chair. "In the past, she remained in Rose at nearly all times. This made it easy for your mother to get in contact with her. When the Victorian wasn''t in Rose, we had Boy Genius who could find her. Now, not only is she not in Rose, but Boy Genius has seemingly vanished off the face of the Earth as well. We simply haven''t been able to give her any orders, so she''s still doing her own thing until then."


    "Will she even obey now that she isn''t the number one hero?"


    "Her father would. Just remind her of that fact, and she''ll fall in line. She''s still a good dog." Ros huffed out a stream of smoke.


    Ward sighed again. "Why couldn''t we have Full Monarch? Every Lord before now was actually worth something. Now we''re stuck with all these useless fools. This Lord of the Sun is pathetic, as is the Sea. The only ones worth a damn in this generation are the Sky and Land."


    "Speaking of the Lord of the Sky, Gladiolus City is still the only city not under Battery''s control. We''ve managed to move all the other Enforcers over there. I''ve been working with them to come up with a plan. Mister Man and Lady Time are trying to get ahold of the Victorian, so we might be able to wrap up this Battery issue sooner than we thought." Ros stated. "In the meantime, though, what do you plan to do with the Lord of the Sun?"


    "Hope Lauren? I was just going to throw her to the wolves." Ward shrugged.


    "How cruel."


    "No. What''s cruel is her very existence. It''s such a cosmic joke. She dared to be born with only a faction of Full Monarch''s power. If she truly cared about us, she would never have existed. Worse yet, she got everyone''s hopes up during the Beast fight. She actually made us all believe that she could live up to his legend. Now look at her. Depowered and weak once more. Barely above common trash like Golden Weaver. I had a few agents I''ve placed in Oleander, some of them living amongst Paragon''s people, and I managed to overhear the issue of her powers. They believe they could return, but it''s been days, and she has shown no sign. We don''t really have time to wait for her now, do we? Honestly, it would just be a lot faster if she died and we got a new Lord."


    Ros snickered at Ward''s rant. "Come now, friend, even a broken toy can still be used. We both know the reason you''re really mad. She humiliated you on live TV."


    Ward''s little talk with the hero Cinder had been filmed and broadcasted by dozens of people and was going around the news now. Everyone and their mother saw the man announce that Cinder was the fake, and most people were willing to believe it. They also saw as the fake Cinder casually threw the van near Ward, nearly making the man wet himself, before one shotting two of his Supers and blowing up his car.


    Ward had been so flustered by the end of it he had called his mom to whine. Sadly for him, Madam Ward was a bit busy dealing with Battery in Rose City.


    "We need to get rid of Cinder no matter what," Ward growled. "She could reveal the fact we propped up a fake. That was why I did what I did. I''m helping us, you know. If you don''t want to go down with the ship, you should also focus on taking her out."


    "Am I really in the same boat you are?" Ros cocked his head to the side. "After all, how does anyone know that it was me who hired Skin Walker and not you?"


    Ros watched Ward''s face twist to anger once again at his suggestion, but before either of them could say anything, the door to Ros''s office slid open, and an unpaid intern ran in and began to whisper something into Ros''s ear. Ros''s eyes widened for a moment, and his grin grew.


    "Really? You don''t say. That''s interesting."


    "What is it?" Ward asked through clenched teeth.


    Ros looked back at his monitor lazily. "A van."


    "Huh?"


    "A van is approaching my city. On the water."


    Ward leaned back in his chair and stared at the other director with narrowed eyes. "What are you going to do about it?"


    "Me? Nothing. I have no issues with the hero Cinder. She did save an entire city, after all." Ros tapped his finger down on his desk and stared back at the camera. "You, though... Well, I''m willing to bet money you''d like to have it dealt with, so why don''t we cut straight to the point? You want Cinder dead or captured since she''s currently depowered. What will you give me if I do it for you?"


    Ward gritted his teeth, and they ground together so hard he could almost taste the flakes of a tooth on his tongue. "I thought you didn''t want her to die."


    "Well, logically speaking, if her powers don''t ever return, she would be better off dead so we could get a new Lord." Ros shrugged. "I''m willing to let her live to see if the powers do come back, but as it stands now, not only is she seemingly against us, but she is also in a state where a villain could get their hands on her. I simply don''t want that happening. More importantly, though, I also love the idea of you owing me a favor. So, what will it be?"


    Ward let out another angry huff. "My father used to run the Branch, and right now, my mother is the one in charge! I don''t need your help! I''ll handle this matter myself!"


    "Will you now?"


    "Yes!" Ward slammed a hand down onto his keyboard and disconnected from the call. His screen went back, and he gripped his hand into a tight fist. "I don''t need any help. I''m the son of the great Ace Ward; I''m the one who should rightfully rule the world. I''m the most human."


    It was starting soon. He could feel it. Supers were reaching too far. With people like Battery or Cinder existing, the world as Ward knew it was on the verge of a change. A change that wouldn''t allow someone like him to walk down the path he desired.


    He was still in control.


    For now.


    ***


    Alexander gasped and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He winced a bit as he stared down into the toilet bowl. It had become mostly red after he was done throwing up.


    He had let Jane take over with the driving after Hope, and that new girl had come back inside. He had felt the sharp pains in his stomach, and that had been his cue to leave. Luckily, most of these rooms had built-in bathrooms, so finding a spot to puke up his guts hadn''t been too hard.


    Alexander let out a weak chuckle as he tried to steady his breathing. The world was spinning, but he had been through this enough times to know it would eventually settle down.


    When he had been in Oleander, he had Paragon to help him. Now, though, he was mostly fending for himself. He had basically forced Paragon to stay silent about it and not say anything to his wife or daughter. He was well aware that this trip was likely going to be his last. He intended to enjoy it. He wasn''t stuck in the hospital after all. He was free. Free to go where he wanted and be with the people he loved. He couldn''t have been happier.


    "Come on, Alex." Alexander slapped at his face a bit as the world finally quit spinning, and his body calmed down. "Just a little bit longer. You can do this."


    Physically, he was fine. The Dead Virus that had existed within him had been utterly removed, and he no longer needed to worry about it. The damage he had received, though, during his time while he was infected had been another matter altogether. His body was at the end of its story, slowly coming undone. The truth was, he should have been dead years ago. The day he had been touched by that vile villain should have been his last day on Earth. It was a miracle he had made it this far.


    A miracle he wasn''t going to look down on.


    Alexander left the bathroom, and once he was done cleaning up his mess, he stretched a bit and made his way up front to where the others were. That alarm hadn''t stopped. It was still going off, saying that they were low on battery. That Meta girl had assured them though that the van could run for a bit longer even when the battery was so low. The alarm was more of a warning, and they weren''t quite at the empty stage yet. Once they reached Daisy, they''d be able to stop, and Meta would take a look at the van and see what she could do to fix the battery issue.


    It mostly went over his head.


    "Are you okay?"


    Alexander looked down at his daughter as he stepped into the room. She was still in the car seat, sitting next to Meta. Jane was up front, doing her best to drive the strange car that they were in. He reached down and messed with his daughter''s hair. "Of course I''m fine. I used to be a sailor, you know. Being out on the water has never bothered me." He joked.


    "If you''re sure." His daughter didn''t sound too certain.


    "I am."


    It had been almost a full hour since they left Lillian. The van wouldn''t have much more juice left at the rate they were going, but luckily, they didn''t need to go much further. "Is that Lillian?" Jane asked.


    Alexander looked out the window as he saw the city they were approaching. Daisy was sort of like Lillian and Oleander in a way. It was connected to another city, that being Gladiolus. Whereas Lillian and Oleander were mostly the same, though, Daisy was totally different from its sister city.


    The sun was still high up, painting the city in a golden glow that made it hard to really see any of the details. Massive towering Giants walked around, just like the others. A large bridge connected the city, which went across the waters to Gladiolus. Unlike Daisy, Gladiolus seemed to lack any of the Giants.


    Just as they had done in Lillian, they drove out of the ocean and landed on the beach of Daisy. The beach was slopped down, going mostly into the water, and around Daisy was a large hill with a big stone wall going all the way around the city. Daisy also didn''t seem to have any massive skyscrapers, so from where they were, it made it impossible for any of them to actually gaze at the city. They all piled outside of the van, and Meta finally took a look at it.


    "Shh, shh, it''s okay." The gray-haired girl rubbed her hand on the car''s hood. She was certainly an odd one. He wondered just who the hell she was. A friend of his daughters. Meta pulled the hood up, and a wave of steam and smoke came blasting out, but it didn''t even cause the girl to flinch. "Oh." That was all she said once the smoke was gone.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Is that a good oh or a bad oh?" Jane asked nervously.


    Meta looked down at the engine, not saying anything for several moments. The engine was formed from what looked like trash. Discarded scraps of metal that were practically glued or taped together. It shouldn''t have worked, yet it did, thanks to Metal Ronin''s weird power. All Mental-based users could sort of use other gear crafted from other Supers, but it would require them taking apart what they were messing with and rebuilding it so that it would feed off of their power instead. The more complicated something was, the harder it would be to take apart. Thankfully, Metal Ronin''s didn''t seem too bad.


    "It''s using a spacial rift to generate the pocket realm that is inside of the van," Meta explained casually. "It''s actually using several spacial rifts that are all stacked on top of each other, hence why the inside can rapidly change in length. This also is what allows the van to move. It actually hasn''t been driving in a traditional sense. Instead, it has more or less been going forward in space, teleporting rapidly. Doing this to a human body isn''t really healthy and could be dangerous, so I guess that is why he made this thing so big, giving it some shielding. It does make me wonder where he got all the stuff to make these things, though."


    "I think he got it from the Watch Dogs." Hope finally spoke up. "They had this boat that could fly and stuff, and it also was larger on the inside like this van."


    Meta nodded her head. "I see. Backup had an ability that allowed him to use spatial tech similar to the stuff Avalon used to make the original realms. I''m guessing what was left over from that ship you mentioned was rebuilt by Metal Ronin into this stuff."


    "I think he used it in one of his suits as well." Alexander piped up. "He has this new suit that just sort of summons stuff for him. I saw him bust some of his gadgets out of thin air a bit ago when I was teamed up with the Sub Enforcers."


    "Am I the only one who is totally lost?" Jane asked flatly.


    "Nope." Kevin let out a sigh. "I always just tune out the smart mumbo jumbo. It doesn''t have to make sense as long as it works. Powers are bullshit like that."


    "Can you fix whatever issue the van is having?" Hope asked, folding her arms.


    Meta nodded her head. "Of course. It''ll be quite easy. As that hologram mentioned, the battery is low. I''d say less than one percent. We''re lucky we got here when we did. Now that the van is off, the battery won''t be at risk of draining as fast. I''ll start with it, undo the engine, and remake it myself. This will allow me to power the rifts inside of it so it won''t die. That said, you should know I don''t plan on staying with you all for very long. I have some things to do in this city, so when I''m done, I''ll take my leave. Without me, the van would eventually run out of power again. It might be able to last a day or two at most, but you''ll need to find someone else to fix it again."


    "That''s fine." Hope shrugged. "I just need it to get to Gladiolus, which is close by thankfully."


    "Gladiolus? What are we doing there?" Alexander asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought we were heading to Rose?"


    "We are. I told you, though, I had something I needed to do first." Hope explained. "There is someone in Gladiolus I''d like to speak to first before I go and see Mr. Larison."


    "Larison?" Meta cocked her head to the side again. "You are Hope Lauren, so by Larison I would assume you are talking about Battery, correct?"


    "You know Mr. Larison?" Hope asked a little taken aback.


    "No. We''ve never met." Meta shook her head. "I did hear a lot about him from my father, though. He talks about the one called Jack Larison a lot."


    Hope frowned a bit. That was a little ominous. She doubted Meta would explain further, though. The girl had a bad habit of not saying enough. "How long will it take you to fix the engine?"


    "Not too long. Maybe about an hour." Meta shrugged. "The battery should last now that the van is turned off."


    Hope nodded her head. "Okay. In the meantime, I guess I''ll go take a look at Daisy."


    "Is that a smart idea?" Jane asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, you did sort of tick off the Hero Branch."


    Hope just shrugged. "Maybe, but at the same time, I really wanna see what Daisy looks like."


    "Fair enough, I guess." Jane zipped up a jacket she was wearing and stepped forward. "I''m coming with you in that case, and I won''t take no for an answer."


    Alexander let out a soft snort. "I''ll stay with Meta and the van. You two go have fun."


    Hope glanced back at Meta for a moment. The gray-haired girl was already tinkering on the van and didn''t seem to be paying any attention to them. Slowly, she took her backpack off and tossed it over to her father. "Keep Kevin company also. I won''t need him."


    "Are you sure?"


    "I don''t plan on getting into any fights; I just want to go take a look, is all."


    "Yeah, but it''s you..." Alexander let out a soft chuckle when he saw his daughter''s cheeks turn a little red. "You seem to have a bad habit of drawing the wrong sort of people to you at the worst times. Seriously, stay safe. Try to keep a close eye on her, Jane."


    "If any fighting starts, I''m pretty sure I''ll be the one relying on her." Jane giggled.


    Hope rolled her eyes and began to march up the hill. "I don''t get into that many fights. The bad guys start most of them." She grumbled. She was followed closely by her mother.


    Alexander remained behind and watched his family leave. He held the backpack his daughter had tossed him awkwardly in his arms, and he leaned up against the side of the van while Meta worked on the engine. It was hard to really tell what the girl was doing. She didn''t have any tools. Instead, she would wave her hand, and a weird greenish glow would come out. Screws and other such things in the van would come undone and pull themselves out before putting themselves back in place. It didn''t really look like the girl was changing anything about the van either. He supposed it didn''t matter, though. Just so long as she made sure the damn thing wouldn''t randomly explode on them.


    "So, Meta, was it?" Alexander asked awkwardly.


    "That isn''t my full name. It isn''t my real name either." The girl barely spoke up and didn''t turn her head, keeping it under the hood as she worked. "I gave Ruby that name when I was in Hell Land as a nickname."


    "Ruby?"


    "That was the name your daughter gave me in Hell Land."


    "You keep mentioning Hell Land? What is it?" Alexander asked.


    "The name says it all." Alexander nearly jumped as the backpack he held grew a mouth. "It''s basically hell on Earth, my dude. Cinder saved me from that place."


    Alexander looked down at the backpack and gave it a once-over. "So, you''re a friend of my daughter''s, right?"


    "Nah. Just someone using her to get what they want. Don''t worry, though. I couldn''t hurt her if I wanted to. Even without her other powers, I think she''d kick my ass. I''m not much of a fighter, as it turns out." Kevin muttered sadly. A few tendrils on his body glanced at Meta. "What''s your deal exactly?"


    "I''m waiting on my brother to come pick me up," Meta responded in her usual flat tone.


    "Your brother is that guy I saw in Hell Land, right?"


    "Yes."


    "He creeped me out." Kevin shuddered a bit. "Same way you do. What''s your story? What is it you even do?"


    "My brother and I repurpose Super tech." Meta waved her hand and caused several pipes to pop out of the van before they spun around and put themselves back in place. "Unlike other Supers, my power is specifically made to copy and rebuild Mental tech. For others, it takes them a while to understand, and they need the tech in front of them for them to rebuild and use it. For me, though, once I figure out how something works, I can remake it as many times as I want. This includes biotech as well. That was why my brother and I were at Hell Land. We were selling some drugs I had created."


    "Drugs!" Alexander stepped back in shock, his eyes going wide. "What kind of hero are you!"


    "Hero?" Meta slowly looked at the man.


    Alexander felt an uneasy feeling in his gut as he stared into the girl''s blank eyes. "Y- Yeah. You know... The good guys. You''re a friend of my daughter''s, so... You''re a hero, right?"


    Meta stared directly at the other man before she slowly turned and got back to work. Kevin let out a small sigh of relief at the fact Meta didn''t do anything drastic. "Trust me, man, just ignore her the best you can. There''s a reason your daughter left me with you."


    Alexander could feel his throat become dry, and he cleared it, stepping further away from Meta. "I''ll just stand over here while you work on the van."


    "Okay," Meta said in a bored tone.


    He took a moment to look back at the direction his daughter and wife had left toward. "Between beating up Golden Weaver, running from the Hero Branch, and now letting a villain hitch a ride with them, I''m starting to get worried," Alexander muttered. "Just what the hell are you trying to achieve, Hope?"


    Over at the wall, Hope reached it and placed her hand on it. It was a large stone structure that circled the entire city, blocking it all. The wall went up about as big as most skyscrapers, and since most of the buildings inside of Daisy were fairly small, it made it impossible for her to actually see anything about the city.


    "How do we get in?" Jane questioned. "And how do its people get out?"


    "I''d imagine it has a gate or something." Hope shrugged her shoulders. "I bet if we were to keep walking in a random direction, we''d arrive at the gate and be able to get in that way."


    "Judging from the way you said that, I''m going to take a wild guess that we''re not about to enter through the front gate-" Jane was cut off when her daughter grabbed her. She let out a loud squeak as she was flipped onto her back and held in her daughter''s arms. "Hope?"


    "Up we go."


    "Hope!"


    Hope crouched down and then fired herself up as hard as she could. Her legs bounced her up, and she went flying into the air, jumping as high as she could. She kept a strong grip on her mom, who screamed as loudly as possible, and in only a few seconds, she reached the top of the wall. She came down softly, landing on it, still clutching onto her mom, who was shaking.


    "W- Warn me next time-"


    "I''m jumping again."


    "Wait-"


    This time, she stepped off of the wall and plummeted down. She kicked part of her leg out and used it to slow her fall, grinding against the wall until they came to a soft landing on the other side from where they started. She finally sat her mother down, who grabbed at the ground, still shaking.


    "You''re worse than that Battery guy! Why can''t you Supers learn to carry normal people more gently!" Jane yelled.


    Hope sheepishly rubbed the back of her head and giggled. "Oh, come on, that was so cool, wasn''t it?" Her mother just shot her a death glare. "Well, I thought it was cool." She poked her tongue out and then turned to finally take a look at Daisy. "Whoa. Not what I was expecting, honestly."


    Cities could be weird. Not all of them were very modern-looking, and not all of them looked as if they should make sense. This is mostly because each great city was built at a different time by a different team of Supers back when Mr. Sini first created Sinicorp. Violet City was the closest thing she had seen to Daisy. Violet had been the city Fable protected, and it was more like a village or old-looking town that you would see in a novel about knights and princesses.


    Daisy wasn''t Violet City but likely had been built by the same person or at least influenced by it. Like the other cities, the Giants stood at either side, each one towering above the wall. They all had the familiar threading of water attached to the back of their heads that led to the center of the city, where a massive castle resided. It wasn''t any normal castle, though. It was forged from glass and white marble and sparkled. Many of the houses actually looked to be made out of gems or glass. The street was a bright yellow, being pathed by a golden brick road that stretched out, and despite the fact it hadn''t rained at all and was still the middle of the day, dozens of rainbows stretched out in the sky, which hadn''t been visible until they arrived in the city.


    Since it was the middle of the day, people were walking around. They, in a way, reminded her heavily of a cosplay convention. No one was dressed in normal clothes. Instead, it was men wearing heavy suits of armor or women in dresses or cloaks. Some guys walked around in gray robes clutching staves, and others had bows and arrows on their backs. There were still cars and other such things that you''d see in a normal city, but it all had this fantastical feel to it.


    She had seen a few people from Daisy a time or two when people would vacation in Oleander, so it wasn''t the first time she had seen them so oddly dressed, but it was kind of cool seeing so many. Daisy hadn''t always used to be like this. It was a rather small city in the grand scheme of things and had only expanded and changed style after Lady Time took it over. The Enforcer had apparently been really into high fantasy, and so each year had added more and more to it over the course of fifteen years until Daisy had ended up the way it did now.


    Honestly, the Giants really didn''t stand out all that much. In fact, they looked like they belonged here. The people had apparently accepted them or grown used to them, as several decorations or offerings had been placed at the feet of the Giant, and as a person would walk by, they''d bow their head. Out of every city, Daisy had the lowest crime rate, with the exception of Rose. Lady Time would mostly spend her days modeling or teaming up with Mister Man or the Victorian, so it was unlikely the Giants had actually done anything in days.


    "This... Wow." Jane said with wide eyes.


    "Yeah." Hope''s own eyes were wide as she looked around at the grand city. She suddenly felt very underdressed since she was just in her T-shirt and pants, and her mother was wearing a heavy jacket and jeans. They stood out and were already getting several odd looks, though that could have also been from the fact she literally dropped off of the wall. No one was calling any cops or anything on her, though, and she didn''t see any Hero Branch vehicles that were coming her way. "Man, why couldn''t we have lived here? This place is cool. I mean- Oh my God, a sword shop!"


    Her eyes suddenly flashed, and she found herself being drawn to a small glass-looking building that was placed on the curb. Past the window, she could see what looked like a small little man that, in a fantasy series, would have likely been a dwarf. He stood behind a counter, and there was a wall of dozens of handcrafted swords hanging up. Her eyes were stars as she stared at them. "I want one."


    "With what money?" Her mother snorted.


    "Good point. We''re totally broke, aren''t we?" She sighed and deflated a bit.


    "Just a bit."


    She shook her head and began to walk away from the sword store. "Momma will be back for you when she''s rich!" She promised as she glanced back at the many blades.


    "So what are we doing exactly?" Her mother asked as they began to walk down the street, mixing in and out of the crowd of oddly dressed people.


    "I dunno." She lazily shrugged. "I really just wanted to kill some time before Meta fixed up the van. My ADHD brain can''t just stand by and do nothing, you know. Figured it''d be cool to look around." She looked at all the different buildings that resided around her. "So far, I''m not disappointed."


    "Well, I will admit this place is quite pretty."


    "Yeah, it is! I''ll have to take some pictures and show Sky. I bet she''d love this stuff. She told me that she likes to look at pretty things since she can see again!" She said cheerfully. "Now that I think about it, though, I also need a new phone-" She was suddenly cut off when her enhanced senses picked up on a loud cry that came up ahead.


    Her mother couldn''t hear it but took one look at her face and just sighed. "I don''t like that look, Hope-" Her mom once again let out a loud yelp as she picked the woman off and took off running at a high speed.


    She moved past the crowd, going faster than the human eye could follow, simply vanishing to the other people''s point of view as she followed the direction of the cry. When she finally arrived, she came to a sliding stop in front of a large park. It had strange blue-colored grass and dozens of trees with colorful leaves scattering off of them. Also in the park was a little girl who was crying and staring up at the top branch where a cat was stuck in a tree.


    "Huh." She said, a little surprised. "New city, same side quests."


    She had started her hero career by saving cats in trees, and that was something she doubted she''d stop doing anytime soon. She placed her mother down and, with a single jump, used just enough strength to appear next to the cat on the branch. It meowed at her as she scooped it up in her arms and dropped down to the grass below.


    "My kitty!" The little girl took the cat with shaking arms.


    "You should be more careful with him." She teased. "You don''t want him running off again and getting stuck. I might not be there next time to get him out."


    The little girl nodded her head. "I''ll be more careful!"


    Off to the side, Jane watched the display with a small smile. That smile faded though when a voice spoke up next to her. "My, my, my. Saving cats in trees. You really are a girl after my own heart, aren''t you, Cinder?" Jane felt a hand on her shoulder as someone seemingly appeared next to her.


    Hope froze for a moment when she heard the voice, and she frowned. "What do you want?" Slowly, she turned around and came face to face with the hero Purrfect. "And get away from my mother."

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty-Five: A Monster Called Shift

    Purrfect casually raised her hands up in a mock surrender. "Relax." The cat-themed hero let out a small snicker. "I thought you and I were friends. What''s with the hostile look?"


    Hope felt her tense muscles ease up a bit as her mom stepped away from the hero. "Friends? We''ve only met a few times. Also, I''ve sort of been attacked by three different heroes today, so I''m a bit paranoid."


    Purrfect folded her arms and gave a slight nod. "The Hero Branch doesn''t seem to be kind to those who don''t instantly bow down. I''m in the same boat you are, simply for siding with Battery. Though I don''t regret it for even a moment." Purrfect lifted a finger in a very casual manner, and a small bit of water seemed to be wrapped around it in a makeshift thread. The liquid flowed through the air, so thin it was almost impossible to see, and carried itself all the way into the sky, where it split off into four directions, each one attached to the neck of one of the Giants. "Since joining him, he''s shown me a few interesting things."


    "You mean like the ability to clone yourself?" Hope questioned. She had to admit she was a little jealous about that. Mr. Larison did make at least some sort of effort to teach her. Most of her hand-to-hand skills were thanks to him, and he had given her pointers on how to use her fire and her Lord form, but he had never unlocked an inverse or second power for her as he had seemingly done for Purrfect. It stung a little. "What''s it like being a clone?"


    "You''d have to ask a different Purrfect." The cat girl giggled and casually threw her hands behind her head. "You''re looking at the real deal!"


    "Really?"


    "Yep! I''m the one and only Purrfect. Those other versions of me are the clone." The girl spun around and then placed her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out. "See, Daisy City is actually the place I grew up in. This land is my home. I joined the Daisy Sub Enforcers and served under Vampirica. Though since then, my entire team besides Dust Cloud sort of died in the battle with the Beast." Purrfect''s smile faded slightly.


    Hope winced a bit and nodded her head somberly. She had been there when it happened. She watched Boss and the other Daisy Sub Enforcers die. It hadn''t been a good death either. Then again, most heroes rarely got good deaths. "I''m sorry for your loss."


    "Don''t be. As much as it sucks, I managed to pull through." Purrfect gave a casual shrug and forced her fake smile back on. "And like I said, now I get to work for Battery. Pretty cool. Speaking of pretty things, though... What''s with you not being in costume?"


    Hope looked down at herself and shrugged. "Well, my identity was kind of blown a while ago, and I only have one suit, and due to circumstances, it''s... A bit tied up at the moment. Besides, I showed up in a van that had my face on it, and most of the world already knew about me. I don''t really have any reason to hide right now. Especially not here in Daisy. This place is famous for never having any bad guys."


    "True that." Purrfect giggled. "Though, that does concern me a bit. After all, I''m wondering why you thought it would be a good idea to bring in a villain to our city."


    Hope felt a chill hit her instantly. Purrfect knew about Meta? Was Meta more important than she thought? Was there something she didn''t know-


    "I saw that suit you were wearing." Purrfect''s smirk grew. "Battery told me all about it. That costume used to be a villain, right?"


    "A villain!" Jane''s eyes went wide with shock. The woman turned to her daughter only to find Hope letting out a relieved sigh. "Is she telling the truth, Hope? Is that Kevin kid a bad guy?"


    Hope sheepishly looked away. "Well... I mean, not anymore." So it was Kevin Purrfect was talking about. That was good. If Meta wasn''t considered a big threat or someone Purrfect knew, then it just meant Meta wasn''t a major villain. "Kevin''s chilled out now. I mean, he gives me cool whips and stuff now. My old costume couldn''t do that. It''s like I have Golden Weaver''s powers or something when I''m using Kevin."


    "I don''t know how I feel about that." Jane let out a tired sigh. "I knew something was up with that boy. You just don''t trust a backpack when it begins talking. Things like that aren''t natural."


    "Backpacks are cool," Hope responded flatly.


    Purrfect watched the exchange with a sly grin. "I did watch you park that van on the beach, you know. It does make me wonder, who was that other girl you had with you? Did you and Sky not work out already? ''Cause if so, you always have me." Purrfect winked.


    "Don''t say it like that." Hope folded her arms and frowned. "Sky and I are doing fine. I think. Hey, wait! That''s also none of your business! Besides, I really can''t tell you anything about that other girl. I just sort of met her out of the blue. I don''t get any bad vibes from her. At least none of my Hope senses are tingling. She is odd, though. Her name is Meta."


    Purrfect''s head cocked to the side. "Meta?"


    "Yeah, it''s sort of an odd name. To be fair, I use Cinder, and you''re Purrfect, so I don''t think either of us can talk-"


    "It isn''t that." Purrfect rubbed her chin and frowned softly. "Meta. Meta? Meta, Meta, Meta, Meta, M-" Purrfect suddenly stopped. There was something the hero had heard recently... Something mentioned a little bit before the Beast.


    ''They always have new faces. Only their leader looks the same. This year one of them will likely be taking on the appearance of a young teenage girl. At least that was who disappeared.'' That was what Vampirica had told her team when they were being briefed on a certain villain group that only struck every couple of years.


    "Oh." Purrfect said slowly as it seemed to suddenly click for her. "Hey, Cinder? Meta wouldn''t happen to be short for anything, would it..." Purrfect seemed to grow rigid, and her face even paled a bit.


    Hope frowned slightly. "I mean, I guess it could be. I never asked, though. Why?" She suddenly got a very bad feeling. Her Hope senses were going crazy.


    "I think I know why the heroes headed for the beach now," Purrfect said hollowly.


    "Heroes? Wait, are some people heading for the beach?" She balled her hands into a fist and glared at the cat-themed hero. "You were keeping me distracted, weren''t you!"


    Purrfect stepped away and winced. "I told you, I''m aware you had that villain in your midst. I don''t care if you claim he''s good or not, and I don''t care if you''re a Lord. I don''t want villains coming into my city. I already tipped off the Sub Enforcers when the Giants saw them. By now, they''ll already be arriving. That doesn''t matter, though, Hope. That Meta girl is-"


    "Save it." Hope gritted her teeth and grabbed her mom, scooping the woman up. Her mom let out a bit of a yelp, but she ignored it. She glanced back at Purrfect, and her look caused the hero to take another step back. "You better hope nothing bad happens to my dad."


    And with that, she took off at her top speed, praying she wouldn''t be too late.


    Purrfect stood there for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "I''m starting to see why Battery ditched you and replaced you, Cinder. Idiot. You should have listened to what I had to say. If you did, you''d know that other girl is someone you''d absolutely hate."


    Outside of Daisy City, Alexander Lauren kept a closer eye on Meta as he watched the grey-haired girl work. Meta wasn''t one for talking; the girl simply kept her back turned and worked in silence now that he had stopped speaking to her. His arms grew tighter around the backpack.


    "I can''t believe Hope would actually leave me alone with a bad guy," Alexander muttered. She could have at least given him a heads-up or something.


    "She actually left you alone with two bad guys," Kevin said casually.


    "Aw! Come on, don''t tell me you''re also evil, Baggy!"


    "It''s Shift! S. H. I. F. T. No more of that Baggy crap!" Kevin hissed. "And besides, I''m not really evil. I wouldn''t say I''m good either. I don''t give a damn about being a hero. I''m in it for my own goals. I''m number one on my priority list."


    "I respect the honesty." Alexander chuckled.


    "You and your daughter are way too nice."


    "Are we?"


    Kevin let out a small huff. "You are. It seriously makes me sick to my stomach. You''re not better than me, you know."


    "Dude, you got crazy cool superpowers. I''d never consider myself better than you. I''m just a squishy, frail human." Alexander responded with wide eyes. "I mean, I''d kill for a shot at having powers. Seriously, you and Hope are crazy cool when you''re out fighting. I can hardly look away."


    Kevin squirmed a bit, and the red fabric that seemed to make up his form shifted slightly. "D- Don''t say something stupid."


    "Aw, are you blushing?"


    "No! I''m a man!"


    "Actually, you''re a backpack-"


    "Trouble." Meta''s words instantly caused the bantering to cease. The girl''s head was still face down in the hood of the van, but she lazily lifted a single arm and snapped. A burst of energy seemed to crackle out of the girl''s sword, which was still at her side, and in an instant, a large green dome appeared over her and the van, forged from solid, see-through, lime-colored energy. Alexander stared at the barrier with wide eyes. Neither he nor Kevin were inside of the dome with Meta. They were both still on the beach. "Keep me safe." The girl said softly and kept working.


    "Safe from what-" Alexander let out a totally manly and not at all girlish scream as the ground next to him seemed to literally explode.


    It happened directly to his right, a small softball-sized hole appearing as a loud ''booming'' noise blasted out, and he felt himself be knocked over. Sand rained down around him, and his eyes stung. Kevin let out a low growl, and he could feel the backpack shifting and changing slightly in his arms as it glared at something he couldn''t see.


    "Geez, Halo, your aim''s gotten a lot worse than I remember." A loud, booming female voice growled out.


    "I wasn''t trying to hit him." A second voice responded, this one being a much softer female tone.


    "Yeah, War, that guy isn''t our target. Just the red thing in his arms. There''s no need to hurt him." A third voice, one that belonged to a young boy, stated.


    "Oh please," the first voice was back, dripping with condescension. "He''s holding onto the damn thing. He''s involved somehow. Same for that grey-haired girl."


    "Grey-haired girl?" The third voice let out a low whistle. "Oh, she''s pretty cute."


    "Not the time, Dust." The second voice said softly.


    "Right... Sorry."


    Alexander winced and rubbed the sand out of his eyes. He always hated stuff like this. It was coarse and rough and irritating... Slowly, though, as his eyes cleared, he found himself staring up at three figures that were on the other side of the beach, near the wall his daughter and wife had jumped over.


    The first figure was a tall woman. She stood at nearly seven feet in height and had ginger hair that dropped down her back wildly, going past her waist. She wore what looked like worn-down rusty armor and a helmet that covered most of her head, save for the back where her hair came out. She was missing a right arm but didn''t seem bothered by it. She had a large battleaxe that was placed over her left shoulder and was being carried by her remaining arm.


    She was War God, a member of Fable''s team, and someone who had managed to land a few blows on the Beast before her right arm was torn off and she was frozen by a cube of ice. It had taken her hours to thaw. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way, sir." War God stated in a booming voice. Her hand gripped down on her battleaxe. "I really hope you pick the hard way."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The second figure threw her arm out in front of War God, stopping the tall woman. Unlike War God, this person was a much smaller woman. She stood at average height and was nearly as gorgeous as Lady Time. She wore what looked like a small dress made of white feathers that covered her upper body and fell past her waist a bit. The girl''s hair was snow white and seemed to float slightly, lifting up and down lazily. Her eyes almost held a golden glow within them, and she had a calm smile on her lips.


    She was Halo, a member of Lady Time''s team. After the death of Vampirica, she had been promoted, and now, instead of working for the Time Keepers, she was in charge of the new Daisy Sub Enforcers. And thanks to Battery''s Giants kicking out Lady Time, Halo was currently enjoying her position at the top, where she thought she belonged. "No need to get any violent, War God. Remember, I''m technically your boss right now."


    "Only until your team gets sorted." War God spat out. "Once the Sub Enforcers of Daisy have been rebuilt, I''m heading straight back to Fable''s side." War God jutted out with her thumb, pointing it at the last figure. "You need to hurry up and find other heroes, Halo. This kid isn''t cutting it as the only member of the Sub Enforcers."


    The final member of the trio was only about eighteen, barely being an adult. He was young-looking, with shaggy black hair and a slight bit of facial hair that was just starting to grow in. Unlike the other two, he didn''t seem to be in a costume, instead wearing a baggy green coat.


    Dust Cloud was his name. He used to be part of the old Sub Enforcers for Daisy. His squad had been wiped out, however, and torn apart. He quit at first, trying to make a name for himself. Purrfect had left the team once he was out, cutting ties with him. His solo career ended fast, though, so now he found himself working for the new and improved Sub Enforcers. He was currently its only real member, though, since War God didn''t count, which is a fact she loved to bring up constantly.


    "Can we just get this over with?" Dust Cloud asked casually. His entire body seemed to crack, and in an instant, he exploded. Waves of sand and other small particles swirled around where he was, and they launched forward, carrying his jacket and pants. Unlike Wasp Nest, he didn''t need to be naked to use his powers. In an instant, he appeared behind Alexander and pressed his palm to the back of the man''s head. "You''re under arrest, sir." Dust Cloud stated in a cool tone.


    Alexander was on his knees, his eyes wide as he felt the palm press into the back of his head. "W- Wait."


    "The backpack." War God growled out. "Toss it down. We know what it is. Purrfect tipped us off." The hero glared at the red monster in Alexander''s arms. "You''re a monster¡ªone who worked for a low-level bad guy group that called themselves the Wandering Coin. I don''t know what you''re doing in my city, and I don''t care. Your kind gets the same punishment every time I see you." War God smashed her axe into the ground, shaking the beach. "Death."


    "Your kind!?" Kevin almost sounded offended. "Listen up, you racist bitch! I''m going to make you eat those words-"


    "I warned you." Dust Cloud said simply. In an instant, his arm exploded to dust, the limb lifting into the air before reforming and dropping down at fast speeds.


    "No." Before the hand could ram into Alexander''s head, Kevin''s form exploded into a mass of tendrils whipped out in rapid directions. They formed over Alexander, blocking the strike and shoving Dust Cloud back. Kevin''s shape seemed to twist and change, growing large, and it kicked up a wave of sand and dust, blocking the hero''s view of him for a moment. "It''s been a while." The dust started to settle, and Halo felt her eyes widen from what she saw. "I think I''ll rampage for a bit and cool my head off."


    "M- Mars King?" Halo spat out in horror. "Y- You''re a member of the Bad Timers!"


    Alexander was now nowhere to be seen, nor was the backpack. Instead, a new figure stood. One that was covered in thick red muscles that formed his flesh. Demonic-looking horns stabbed out of his head, and a tail whipped back and forth. It was the spitting image of Mars King, though a bit slimmer and with a new addition. A silver color pulsed through the red. Metal claws stabbed out of the monster''s fingertips, the Pod literally running through his veins.


    "Mars King?" The new figure cracked his knuckles and gave a sly smirk. "Nah. Name''s Shift. Consider me the new top dog around here."


    It was very dark...


    That was the first thing Alexander realized.


    It was also very cramped.


    That was the second thing Alexander realized.


    He was trapped, his arms suspended at his side. He couldn''t see anything, but he could feel something pressing in all around him. He heard what sounded like talking, but it came from all around him. "K- Kevin?" He asked. "Where am I?"


    "Inside of me," Kevin replied casually. "I ate you."


    "What!"


    "Relax. You''re not in danger." Kevin''s voice chuckled. "Your daughter is kind of a greedy bitch. I told her my powers have limits now that Wish is gone, but it just went through one ear and out the other. I can''t maintain my normal form as well, so I''m using you as a sort of skeleton. You''re keeping me held upright. Don''t worry, though; I''ll do all the fighting. I''m going to take these three girls out!"


    Back on the beach, Dust Cloud frowned as he stood back up. "Uh, I''m a boy-"


    Shift kicked out as hard as he could, ramming his leg right between Dust Cloud''s legs. "Not anymore, you''re not!"


    Dust Cloud looked unamused as his body broke down into a wave of dust, all the damage healing. The hero appeared behind Shift once more and tried to wrap his arms around the monster, but Shift''s back was stabbed out, and several metal spikes came out. The silver spears rammed through Dust Cloud''s body, once again shattering his form. Just like Wasp Nest, he was able to change instantly the moment his body was damaged, and he always healed when he was reformed. Also, just like Wasp Nest, he had the physical stats of a normal human. That meant he wasn''t that strong. That was okay, though. He was never the muscle of the team. He was the distraction.


    Shift let out a growl and swatted at the air as the dust blocked his view. A second later, though, he felt a wave of intense pain as something came crashing through the dust cloud and rammed into him. War God''s battleaxe smashed into Shift''s side, the hero having insane super strength as she sent the monster flying back. Shift felt himself be launched, and he crashed back first into the green barrier that formed around the van, shaking and cracking it a bit. With a flick of her hand, Meta easily fixed it, mostly ignoring the fight and continuing to do her job.


    "You could lend me a hand, you know." Shift grunted.


    Meta casually brought her arm out and gave him a thumbs up. "You got this." Her head was still down, and she was not paying any attention.


    "I hate you."


    "Okay."


    War God came stomping forward, and she came out swinging with her axe, shattering the air around her. As her blow came out, Shift lifted both of his arms. His fingers expanded, and the metal blades that were in them jutted out. The Pod formed and flowed like a liquid, taking shape into a dome-like shield that was connected to his fingers. It blocked War God''s axe and even shattered the blade, the hero''s eyes going wide as she stared at her weapon. Shift just smirked as he watched the liquid metal pull itself back into his body. He ran a hand through one of his veins, feeling the liquid twitch inside of him.


    "Okay, maybe I misjudged you. You''re kind of helpful." Shift chuckled darkly. At first, he had hated the stupid metal thing. It fought him and seemed to despise him. Weirdly enough, though, after Cinder gave it a good talking to, it seemed to accept him and even worked with him to make the costume. Now, it was inside of him, giving him access to powers he normally wouldn''t have. In a way, it felt almost as if he had Oxide''s powers, as well as his own. The two of them would make for a good team. "Shit... I''m thinking about her again. Damn, I miss her-"


    War God''s grip changed, and her weapon glowed for a moment. In a flash, the axe was gone, replaced with an even bigger hammer, which she swung out with ease, even with one arm. It rammed into Shift''s side, the monster having let his guard down. His head was whipped to the side, and he felt himself be smashed into the ground. Inside of the suit, Alexander whimpered a bit as he felt everything around him shake. It was almost like he was being flung around. Shift rammed into the ground back first, and he twisted his body and kicked up with his legs. He couldn''t change his shape as much as he''d like, for fear of crushing Alexander, but he could do enough to hurt the one he was fighting.


    Shift''s feet crashed into War God''s stomach, his strength causing the woman to gasp as she was kicked high into the air. Before he could fully get back up and ready for his next attack, more dust came into his view, and Dust Cloud appeared before him. The hero unleashed a strong punch, but it didn''t even make Shift flinch. The boy lacked the strength to hurt anyone with super durability.


    "That all you got?" The monster asked with a smirk. He backhanded Dust Cloud, his hand ripping through the hero''s head, but just like before, he didn''t actually deal any damage as Dust Cloud appeared behind him and grabbed him.


    "Now, War God!" Dust Cloud yelled out, his arms gripping Shift tightly.


    Shift''s head shot up, and he watched as War God began to plummet down toward the ground straight for him. Her arm lifted above her head, and her weapon changed once more into a familiar thing all villains feared. A massive golden greatsword the size of a bus! War God had the ability to store weapons she collected and call upon them. That included weapons that belonged to other people. This was her prized possession. The giant blade the Victorian would use to cleave large monsters in half. War God swung down with the sword as hard as she could, forcing all of her inhuman strength into the blade.


    Shift flexed out, his body literally exploding through Dust Cloud as he tried to get away, but it was too late. The blade came crashing down, and the entire beach around them exploded, the sand instantly turning into molten glass. Dust particles flowed in the air as Dust Cloud slowly reformed and dropped down onto a part of the ground that was glass. War God landed in a puddle of molten glass but barely paid it any mind, instead sending her massive blade away and replacing it with a simple spear. As soon as her blade vanished, she saw what was left of Shift and let out a curse.


    A metal ball was formed protectively around the monster. It slowly came undone and dropped Shift to the ground. The metal pulled its way back into Shift''s red skin, and the monster growled, glaring at War God. "If that thing hadn''t saved me, you''d have killed the guy inside of me!"


    "Am I supposed to care-" War God was cut off as Shift blasted forward and rammed his fist directly into her face as hard as he could. It dented and caved in part of War God''s helmet and smashed her down into the molten glass, causing her to hiss.


    "You should care." Shift roared.


    Over with Meta, the girl closed the van''s hood, her barrier still up. Her arms were folded as she watched the fight. "He''s a little stronger than I first thought. He might even be able to beat War God. I wonder what he plans to do about the dangerous one, though." Just like Meta, Halo remained on the sidelines, her smile not fading as the hero watched the fight.


    War God gritted her teeth and tried to swing her arm up and stab her blade into Shift, but the monster stepped down on her wrist, his foot causing the metal to dent and creak. The hero cried out as her arm was shoved deeper into the ground and almost broke instantly. Before the bone could fully snap, Dust Cloud rammed into Shift as hard as he could, trying to tackle the red monster. It barely worked, only causing Shift''s foot to slightly raise up, but that was all War God needed. She changed her weapon into a massive anti-tank rifle and jammed it into Shift''s belly, pulling the trigger.


    Alexander let out a loud yell as he felt a bit of pain in his stomach. The bullet never reached him, though, both Kevin and the Pod working together to wrap around the massive shell that rammed into them, slowing it down enough that it didn''t break through Shift''s flesh. Shift swung out with his fist and shattered the gun before War God could fire again, right as the woman stood back up. His other hand also rammed through Dust Cloud, exploding the teen again. War God formed a longsword and tried to slice Shift''s head off, but her blade broke on his neck. Before she could recover, Shift''s right hand grew bigger, and it grabbed the woman by the face, lifting her up. Then he began to squeeze.


    War God screamed as her helmet began to bend and dent, as Shift''s hand closed in. "Stop it!" Dust Cloud yelled. "You''ll kill her!"


    Shift glared at the other hero. "Am I supposed to care?" He asked, repeating War God''s words. He squeezed down harder, feeling the helmet give out and shatter. War God was a bit sturdier than her helm and didn''t instantly die, but now he was gripping her skull. He could feel it. He had the power to pop her head if he wanted to. He didn''t, though. Instead, he squeezed down until he was sure she was filled with blinding pain, and then he rammed her face down into the ground, the molten glass having hardened. He used her head to bash into it and shatter the floor, and when he was sure she was knocked out, he flung her toward Dust Cloud. "She''ll live."


    Dust Cloud''s arms shook as he held the tall woman, doing his best to keep himself standing. He stared at the monster before him with wide eyes. "Y- You really are a nasty villain."


    Shift only smirked. "And you''re a little too much of a bitch to be calling yourself a man. Get out of here before I gobble you up, you sissy-"


    Pain.


    Faster than Shift could even process it, he felt a wave of intense pain in his side. He wasn''t the only one, either. Alexander screamed out, and Shift''s left side became a mix of black and red blood, which flowed down. Shift''s body shook, and he slowly glanced down to his side, which now had a small chunk taken out of it, the attack having gone all the way through and stealing a piece of Alexander''s flesh as well.


    "Just give up." Dust Cloud said quietly. "Please. You don''t have to die."


    Shift collapsed to his knees, wincing as he grabbed at his flesh. His body was already starting to heal, but Alexander''s was another matter...


    Halo stepped forward, but the girl''s smile was still not gone. She had a kind look on her face and held both her arms out as if asking for a hug, but she was dozens of meters away still. "I''ll give you a chance to spit out the person inside of you. You need only travel to hell alone, monster."


    Shift gritted his teeth and tried to stand but could feel Alexander''s body collapsing inside of him. "Y- You bitch. What sort of hero does a sneak attack like that?"


    "The kind that wants to win."


    "S- Screw you!" Kevin slowly pulled himself off of Alexander. The man was flat on his back, luckily not being in a section of molten glass. A small piece of Alexander''s side was missing, a horrible stream of red coming out. Kevin''s own body couldn''t maintain its shape; instead, it shifted and fell, becoming a weird slime-like form. The Pod dropped out of him as well, taking on the shape of Hope''s silver jacket. "S- Seriously, lady? You call yourself a hero?"


    "I am a hero. I did fight the Beast, after all." Halo giggled. She had actually just attacked the Beast once before following Pretty Face into the bunker, hiding with him until the fighting was over. It wasn''t that she was weak. She was strong. Almost as strong as Lady Time. She was also smart. Smart enough to know that she didn''t stand a chance against the Beast. Halo raised her hand, three fingers coming up, as she placed her pointer and thumb together, making a hole that she brought up to her eye. "Time to die-"


    A foot rammed into the back of Halo''s head, and the woman felt herself be flung across the beach. She rolled across the sand and flipped over and finally landed on her back. Blood trickled down Halo''s head, and she brought a hand up to feel the wound, her eyes wide. Dust Cloud also stared in shock.


    "Y- You. I know you."


    Hope placed her mom down, and instantly, Jane let out a cry and ran over to her husband''s side.


    Kevin craned his head up and found himself looking up at Hope as the girl stepped past him. "It''s about time you showed up." Kevin chuckled weakly.


    "Can you form my suit?" Cinder questioned. Her voice was flat and didn''t hold the usual emotion.


    "Sorry." Kevin shook a bit. "Not this time."


    "That''s okay." Cinder walked forward as Halo picked herself up. "I''ll just do this myself."


    Halo''s eyes met Cinder''s, and Halo felt her body freeze up. They were a striking blue, and they held a ton of anger behind them. Halo was strong. She was also smart. Smart enough to know that she just made a huge mistake.

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty-Six: Halos Mistake

    During the battle with the Beast...


    The shelter shook, and rubble rained down from above. Any lights that had been on had long since lost power, leaving them all in the dark, left only with the constant shaking of the city.


    "Who thought staying in this place was a good idea!" One of the elites from Oleander hissed out.


    "Y- Yeah! I- It''s not going to hold." A wealthy woman said, shivering, as more of the roof above gave out.


    "Aren''t you two heroes!" The vice mayor asked, turning to the two costumed people who were within the shelter. "Do something! That was the only reason we let you in here!"


    Halo took a cautious step back as dozens of eyes all turned to her. Things hadn''t been looking good outside. The Beast was seemingly winning. She had decided it was best to cut her losses and chase after Pretty Face. The handsome hero had delivered a single blow to the Beast, then proceeded to pose for the camera before running away once the perfect shot was finished. She had followed after him once she saw the Victorian get casually bitch-slapped away. That was enough for her to decide this battle wasn''t worth it.


    That was where she found herself now.


    It was some sort of vault, one created by the late Mayor Grove. Most of the wealthy and elite of Oleander were already out of the city, and the Hero Branch was personally getting them all out. Those who had missed the flight or weren''t as lucky, however, had this bunker to rely on. It was built into a large wall that sloped down beneath the city, and the inside of it was very dark. It hadn''t been finished; Grove died before it was truly done, so the vault was mainly just a massive square room of stone and metal. It was packed to the brim with hundreds of rich folks and Hero Branch officers. Outside of the vault would be the other rich people who hadn''t arrived on time, the door sealing shut.


    "Now, now!" Pretty Face called out into the crowd. He and Halo had managed to get spots in the vault. He had always been planning to escape to it once his heroic display of bravery was caught on camera, but Halo being here with him was a welcome surprise. He had gladly kicked some mother out so she could take the woman''s place. Like him, he viewed Halo as someone too beautiful to die at the hands of the Beast. "Let''s all just do our best to stay calm. I''m sure the heroes outside can handle it."


    "Yeah, right!" The rich man from before hissed. "We all know they''re dying out there! And then we''re next!"


    "We don''t know that for sure." Halo winced a bit as more of the eyes turned to glare at her, and she did her best to hide behind Pretty Face. "I mean, who knows... Maybe they''re doing better. Boy Genius and the Victorian are both up there. Surely..."


    "I just wish we knew for sure." One more said quietly.


    "If only there was a way." Another man agreed.


    Pretty Face gave a grin and suddenly clapped Halo on the back, causing the woman to jump a bit. "Well, as a matter of fact, this lady here can actually help us out and let us know how the battle is going."


    Halo stared at the other hero with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"


    "I''ve studied up on you and your powers." Pretty Face explained. "I know what you can and can''t do. You could go outside, walk through this vault door, and tell us the state of the city. I''d like to know if I should be planning my own escape plan in case the heroes aren''t going to win."


    "Y- Yeah!" Someone else said. "That''s a good idea. We need to know if they''re winning or if we need to figure something else out! T- This vault won''t hold if the B- Beast wins."


    "Tell us how it is out there!" Another person stated.


    Halo shook her head and stepped away from the crowd. "Are you guys crazy? Do I look stupid to you? If I go out there, I''ll die!"


    "You''re a hero, aren''t you?" Pretty Face cocked his head to the side. "Well, look around you. These people need to be saved. So save them."


    "You''re crazy." Halo hissed out and clenched her fist. "You go do it then."


    "I can''t." The handsome hero lazily shrugged his shoulders. "I''d have to open the door to get out, and that could put all these people in danger. You can phase through it, though, with your powers. Besides, if you don''t do anything and that Beast wins, then we''re all dead either way, so get to it."


    "W- Why can''t you just check the live stream or something?" Halo demanded. "Boy Genius''s drones were recording the entire thing!"


    "All the drones are down right now." Pretty Face shrugged.


    "But- But-"


    "No buts." Pretty Face grabbed Halo by the shoulders, and he spun the woman around. "Look, it''ll be quick. Just go out there and take a look around and then phase back in here. If it''s real bad, I''ll call in a couple of favors and get us out of here."


    "If you had another way to get us out of here, then do it," Halo growled.


    "No can do." Pretty Face wiggled his finger. "It''s a one-time-use trump card I''ve been saving. I can''t ever use it again once it''s out, ya see. That''s why I came to this bunker to hide out in the first place. I figured the heroes could handle it, but by the sounds of it, they''re getting their asses handed to them. If you get out there and it looks like they''re winning, we''ll all stay cozy up in here till the battle is over. If it looks like they''re losing, though, then I''ll go ahead and pop my trump card and get us all out of here. Of course, it''ll cost ya." Pretty Face gave a sly grin as he looked at all the people. "I''m thinking... Ten K. Each person. It might seem like a lot, but you''ll all be kept safe if it comes to it."


    "We already paid to have you stay here with us and keep us safe!" Someone yelled in outrage.


    "And hopefully, you won''t have to pay anymore." Pretty Face shoved Halo closer to the vault door. "She''ll tell us how things are going out there, won''t you, sweetheart? It''s getting a little cramped as well, so be a dear and make space."


    Halo glared back at the handsome man. "Why''d you even let me in here in the first place if you were just going to throw me out?"


    "Well, you were beautiful, but then you got that ugly frown on your face." Pretty Face shrugged. "Besides, I ain''t interested in women. You''re pretty to look at, but that''s all you''re worth. Now go on. We''re waiting."


    Halo took a deep breath and slowly reached out, placing her hand on the wall. "You''re an asshole."


    "No. I''m a survivor."


    "Nope, just an asshole." And with that, Halo''s body began to glow with a faint white light as she stepped forward and began to meld into the stone before vanishing out of sight.


    As soon as she was gone, a faint beep echoed through the vault, and Pretty Face pulled out his phone, looking down at it. "Oh hey, Boy Genius got his drones back online; guess she didn''t need to go outside and risk her life! My bad."


    Halo felt herself phase through the stone and metal around her. It was an old speedster trick she was using. Some heroes could move so fast that they could mess with their own bodies. She wasn''t really a speedster per se, but her power did allow her to do some things extremely fast. So fast she could vibrate her molecules through the stone, almost bending the space around her as she walked through it.


    It didn''t take her long to stumble out on the other side of the door, and when she did, she was shocked to see that everything was a lot more fine than she had been expecting.


    Buildings were still destroyed, and massive cracks littered the streets. Despite that, though, a large crowd of people remained outside of the vault door, bashing on it, all trying to get in. Her body was still in a distorted state, which made it hard for anyone to actually notice her. It was almost as if she was in a different space that reflected back on this one, so she quickly moved through the crowd and got to a spot out of sight before she let her powers drop.


    As soon as Halo became visible, she suddenly found herself surrounded by darkness as something massive loomed above. It was the spaceship. The very same that the Beast had arrived in. The massive UFO hovered in the air, firing out waves of energy beams that tore through most of the street. The heroes were still fighting it, Mister Man unloading waves of bullets into the ship. Halo watched the fight with wide eyes. It took her a moment to snap out of it, and she raised her arm, pressing her pointer and thumb together, and formed a circle, which she placed over her eye.


    It hadn''t worked on the Beast. Her attack had simply bounced off of that monster. She was betting, however, that it''d at least put a dent in whatever this ship was, though.


    Halo never got the time to fire her attack. The ship seemingly sensed her and fired out a wave of energy, sweeping it through dozens of the buildings around them. They were already badly torn apart, but now they were all coming down. Chunks of stone rained down. Halo blasted out, but her power only allowed her to get rid of one chunk, the rock that was heading toward her simply vanishing as if it never existed. There were still others raining down toward the people. She went to dodge out of the way, but someone managed to grab onto her.


    "Wait! You can''t leave us, we''ll die-"


    "Get off me." Halo smacked the hand away. "I''m not dying here-" It was too late, though. She wasn''t going to be fast enough to fire another attack out, nor did she have time to dodge. Halo watched as the rock fell toward her face. She had durability, but there was so much heavy stone that she doubted it''d matter. At the last moment, however, before it could hit her or any of the other people, a hero finally arrived.


    Bright orange fire rammed into the falling building, and with an incredible amount of force, the thing was shattered to bits. Most of the rubble raining down below was reduced to harmless chunks. Halo felt the small pebbles rain down onto her as the heat died down.


    "Are you guys okay?"


    Her throat suddenly felt dry, but Halo managed to turn her head. She found herself staring at a hero. One who was covered in their own blood, missing a chunk from their side, and badly beaten down but still smiling. A girl with raven black hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen.


    Halo found herself staring at Cinder.


    A superhero.


    ***


    Present Day...


    Halo grunted and grabbed at the back of her head, feeling a sickly wet sensation. That kick had nearly snapped her neck. "How dare you!"


    "How dare I?" Cinder said in a flat tone.


    Halo glared up at the younger girl. "Yeah. How dare you!"


    Jane held onto Alexander, trying to put pressure on the man''s wound, but he was still bleeding. War God was down for the count, and Dust Cloud had taken several steps back, holding his arms up, no longer wanting anything to do with the situation. "Halo." The boy hissed out. "Look at who this is."


    "It''s not Cinder, if that''s what you''re afraid of." Halo snorted out. The woman managed to stumble back up to her feet and glared back at the girl before her. Cinder just stared directly back at her. "I heard that there was an imposter running around."


    "Word travels fast," Cinder stated quietly.


    "So you''re not actually Cinder?" Dust Cloud questioned. The girl wasn''t wearing a costume, but she had that look. He had watched Cinder and Poseidon battle the Beast. That sense of power and dread was still with him. He had always thought it was the Beast that put those feelings there, but now he was unsure... Cinder or not, he was smart enough to know this girl was trouble.


    "It doesn''t matter who I am." Cinder closed her eyes, and she took a deep breath, doing her best to calm down. Halo had somehow surpassed Ward in terms of people she hated. "You hurt my father."


    "Your father''s a bad guy." Halo sneered. "He had what was coming to him for working with that monster over there. If he didn''t want to get hurt, he shouldn''t have joined the wrong team."


    Blood began to drip down onto the sand, and it took Cinder a moment to realize that her nails were digging into her palm from how hard she was balling her hand into a fist. Despite the anger she felt, she turned away from Halo and focused on her dad. "Can you help him, Kevin?"Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "I can." It wasn''t Kevin who spoke, but rather Meta. The grey-haired girl stepped forward and reached for her sword.


    "Why didn''t you do anything to stop the fighting?" Cinder demanded, staring at the other girl. "You could have taken them all out easily but didn''t."


    "I only want to fight the Lord of the Sun," Meta stated in her usual emotionless tone. The girl drew her weapon and sliced it through the air, cutting into Kevin.


    "Ow!" Kevin hissed as a chunk of him was taken off. "What the hell was that for, you bitch!"


    "Don''t be a baby. You heal." Meta twirled her sword around as the piece of Kevin began to wrap around her blade. It glowed with various lights, and she jammed it into Alexander''s side, causing the man to howl and groan for a moment, but a second later, the piece of red flesh moved over his missing chunk and began to mold into him before fusing with his body and stopping the bleeding. Alexander''s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he blacked out. "He''ll live but will need rest." Meta sheathed her sword.


    Cinder stared at the other girl in silence for several moments before she turned to look back at Halo. Halo had watched the exchange, and the older woman had a frown on her face. Halo''s attention was no longer on Cinder but rather on Meta. "I''ve seen that power before, but why do you have it? It belonged to someone else last I knew." Meta didn''t say anything; in fact, the woman didn''t even bother to look at Halo. "It was a man. He carried a sword just like that and could do things with that blade. Do you know what his name was?"


    "It''s the same name I have now," Meta said casually. "I took his name when I took his powers."


    "Took his powers?" Cinder shot a look toward the other girl. "What does that mean?"


    "It means I''ve just stumbled upon a really big villain." Halo stepped forward and lifted her hand up, forming a circle with her fingers, which she placed over her right eye. "You guys aren''t just a couple of bad guys. You''re all total scum if someone like the girl is in your group. I''ll just go ahead and kill you all here and now."


    "Wait-" Jane yelled out, but it was too late.


    In an instant, everything around them seemed to flatten and crush, as if a wave of invisible force came crashing down. Cinder gritted her teeth as she felt herself being shoved to her knees. It was like being under the effects of Poseidon''s gravity; only she could actually feel the weight that was pressing down on her. It was heavy and thick, as if she was lifting an entire building. Meta was unaffected and casually picked up Kevin and the Pod. The grey-haired girl moved closer to Jane and Alexander and, with a flick of her wrist, put a green bubble of energy around them that stopped whatever the effect was.


    "I assume you want to deal with her yourself," Meta said casually.


    "You''re damn right I do." Cinder managed a grin, and she slowly forced herself to stand. She wasn''t at the barrier with Meta, but that didn''t matter. The ground around them was literally being caved in as if they were in a crater that was growing deeper, but she ignored it and forced herself forward. The poor van also wasn''t doing well; part of it was beginning to get flattened and crushed, many of the windows exploding. So, much for Meta fixing the van... "That''s enough!" She yelled out.


    Much to her shock, that seemed to actually work as the intense pressure ended. She climbed out of the crater and made it to the top. Still, across the beach, Halo remained standing. The woman''s eyes were filled with annoyance.


    "You''re tough for a faker."


    "And you talk a lot for someone who''s going to be spitting up their teeth." Hope cracked her knuckles and got ready.


    Halo just laughed at the other girl. "Please. You won''t even get close to me-" Halo saw red as, in an instant, a fist rammed directly into her face. Hope was already on her, faster than the super could even follow. Hope smashed her fist down into the pretty woman''s face and twisted her arm, spinning Halo into the ground and causing the woman to gasp. It became hard to see, but Halo forced her eyes to adjust, and she found Hope standing above her. Blood began to softly pour down the side of Halo''s face, and the girl now sported a very nasty-looking black eye. "H- How dare you-"


    Hope ignored the girl''s whining and pulled her fist back, about to strike once more. She wasn''t given the chance, though, as Halo managed to form a circle with her pointer finger and thumb. There were no flashing lights, nor was there any build-up of energy. It was instead instant and without warning. All Hope felt was a powerful, sharp pain in her gut, and the next thing she knew, she was sent flying back with tremendous speed, smashing back first into the wall around Daisy City.


    Her back sunk into the stone, leaving an indent on her body, and she let out several painful coughs. A fist-size hole went directly through her T-shirt, and her belly had turned a nasty red, leaving a circled bruise that was smoking. Whatever had hit her had done so fast and hard.


    Halo managed to stand back up and placed her makeshift circle over her eye. "Let''s see how you like this!"


    Once more, there was no sign of any attack. One moment, she was pressed against the wall, and the next thing Hope knew, she was being blasted through it by a wave of force. It hit her a lot harder this time, flinging her through the entire wall and right through Daisy City. She was flipped over, rolling through the road, badly ripping it up, before she finally crashed back first into the window of some store. The glass shattered around her, and she rammed into the back of the wall, her momentum finally dying down as a shelf full of heavy items rained down around her.


    She could hear the screaming of the shopkeeper, but she barely glanced his way and instead rubbed at her stomach, which was starting to hurt a lot more now. Her shirt was also starting to get badly torn.


    But what exactly was it that was doing this to Hope Lauren?


    A halo is a phenomenon that can sometimes cause a large ring to appear in the sky where the sun or moon is suspended. This effect, at times, can almost look like a rainbow and is caused by the reflection and refraction of light, bouncing off of tiny ice particles in the orbit of the atmosphere. Halo''s power allows her to reflect and refract objects caught in her circle. She reflects an image of the space in front of her and forces it to refract into the object caught in her circle, causing an implosion-like effect when, for a moment, two layers of space are forced to compete.


    Another way to explain it would be for your mirror image to suddenly gain its own physical form, and then that physical form is suddenly placed inside of the space you stand in, causing you both to be standing at one point at the same time. Since something like this can not happen, it unleashes a powerful blast that is not only coming at you at the speed of light but hitting you, and only you, with a tremendous amount of force.


    This power is what made Halo so strong. Almost no one could react to the speed of her attacks or survive the sheer impact. The downside was the destructive property of her attacks. Throwing any attack at the speed of light would wipe out everything around you. Halo''s power, however, causes the damage to only be inflicted on what is caught in her circle, ensuring the world around her doesn''t get harmed. However, should she be faced with a foe or object durable enough to survive being hit by this, that person will likely be flung back at extreme breakneck speeds and likely destroy everything they come in contact with from how fast they are moving.


    Unfortunately, Halo does not care about casualties or the destruction she causes.


    "Why the hell would she blast me in the direction of the city?" Hope crossed her legs and frowned as she wiped some blood off of her chin. "Wouldn''t it have been smarter to send me flying in the direction of the ocean or something? This girl is such a pain."


    She wasn''t one for holding back as much as she should have. In a fight, she could sometimes have a little too much fun and destroy the street or building she was on, but she always made sure it had no people around it while she was doing it. When she had been flung through Daisy, she had destroyed several streets and a few buildings. Halo was lucky she hadn''t rammed into anyone. At the speeds she had been going, she''d kill someone on accident.


    Speaking of people, there were a bunch of them all around her. She had crashed into some store that had several people screaming at her, but she mostly ignored it. Outside were more of Daisy''s people, many of them dressed up in their odd costumes, though a few were in suits and stood next to heavy vans, no doubt the Hero Branch of this city. Some of them were screaming at the Giants, who remained motionless. Even in Mr. Larison''s new state of mind, he didn''t consider her a villain, so neither would the Giants, and since Halo also wasn''t considered a villain, at least right now, it basically meant the Giants weren''t going to be doing anything any time soon.


    "Get the hell out of my shop!" Someone screamed at her as loudly as they could, finally snapping her out of her thoughts. "Or at least get a broom and sweep up all this glass!"


    Hope turned her head and found herself staring at a small, plump man with a heavy beard. He sort of looked like how you would imagine a dwarf to look in some fantasy novel. She had seen him before earlier today. He was the blacksmith-


    "Wait!" Her eyes lit up and turned into stars as she looked around. "I''m in the sword shop!"


    All along the walls, many blades, each crafted in a different way, resided. They were hung up all around her, and she had actually crashed into a shelf full of them, which had crashed down around her, but thanks to her durability, none of them cut her. The shop owner was red in the face and looked as if he was very, very mad at her.


    "Get out of my shop! You already destroyed one of my windows and made a mess!" The man yelled.


    "Sorry about that, sir-" Her eyes went wide, and she grabbed the man by the beard, yanking him down along with herself. Her enhanced senses kicked back in, going on full blast, and she heard Halo''s familiar heartbeat. She had memorized it earlier on accident when she caved in the girl''s face, and that sound had alerted her just in the nick of time. A powerful force rammed at the spot she and the dwarf had been, blowing a hole through the wall and sending debris flying everywhere at high speeds. Some people screamed out in pain as jagged wood or stone stabbed into them. "Stop! What are you doing? Are you crazy!"


    "Well, if you wouldn''t dodge, none of them would be getting hurt." Halo sneered and stood outside of the store. Dozens of Daisy''s people all stared at the hero in shock. Her beauty was mostly gone, replaced with a look of rage, and her dress was stained black and red. "Stop staring at me!" Halo screamed and fired again.


    It was only through pure reflexes that Hope was able to dodge. She grabbed the small man and dragged him with her as more of the building came down around them, the walls blowing up. "I have a civilian with me!"


    "This poor hostage you took will be remembered fondly as a hero for his sacrifice!" Halo gave a wicked grin as she got ready to fire again. Blood was smeared down her face from the blow she took, and she looked completely insane, not even bothering to properly aim. She nearly took some poor guy out but luckily only took a chunk of his shoulder. "It''s your fault all of this is happening, you know! If you just sit still, I''ll kill you nice and painlessly! Every time you move, though, you cause more and more damage!"


    "You''re the one causing the damage!" Hope screamed. She jumped across the room, dodging another strike, but the last wall came out, and the entire store began to fall apart, the roof caving in.


    "So what if a couple of people get hurt, or some buildings get torn down!" Halo let out a loud laugh. "I''m not going to actually kill any of them or destroy the entire city. We have healers like Paragon and the Cleanup Squad to fix our messes! Do you think the Victorian cares when she kills some giant monster and leaves its corpse behind to be cleaned? Of course not! We keep the people safe, and because of you villains and how destructive you all are, we sometimes have to get a little destructive ourselves! That''s the only way we can play fair and nice with your kind!"


    She had liked the store.


    It had only been for a few moments, but Hope had enjoyed her time looking through the window at all the different blades. Now though it was gone. The roof crashed on top of her, but she withstood it and kept the man she held safe, shielding him with her body. With a slap above her, she blew the roof off of her and shattered it. None of the pieces rained down on the people, though, as she placed the man down and blasted into the air with a super jump and swatted all the broken pieces with her hand, sending out a shock wave that blasted the debris out of the city and far into the ocean. As she landed back down, she let out the sigh she had been holding.


    "What''s wrong?" Halo laughed as she took in the other girl''s appearance. "You''re not looking so tough now."


    Her clothing was a torn mess, and she had a few bruises across her body. She mostly ignored it, though, and kicked her foot through the rubble. "You know what?" Under the rubble, her foot found what she was looking for. One of the swords that had been hung up on the wall landed in her grasp. "I don''t think I''m going to feel that bad for what I''m about to do to you." She promised. The blade she held didn''t look like it was anything special. It looked like your average longsword, though formed out of a strange black metal. "In fact, I think I''m going to enjoy this."


    Halo once again took a nervous step back for a moment as she saw the look in Cinder''s eyes. The hero''s ego soon won out, though, and the woman shook her head and raised her hand, placing the circle over her eye. "Good girl. Now sit nice and still!"


    The wave of force blasted out, and Cinder raised the sword she held. Behind the hero, the dwarf let out a yell. "No! Not that sword! You can''t use it!" It was too late, though. Cinder was already swinging it out to protect herself.


    He wasn''t a human. He was a Super. His name was Dense Iron, and he was the owner of this shop. He used to be a hero back in the day, one who had been inspired by the late Red Iron, but he wasn''t anymore. Now, he just made gear for heroes. Or at least he wanted to...


    There were many heroes who used the name Iron. Red Iron hadn''t been the first, but he was the most well-known nowadays. He had died a few years back at the hand of the Beast, and as a way of honoring him, many people had taken on the mantle of Iron. Heavy Iron, Light Iron, Medium Iron, and even he, Dense Iron.


    His power was pretty simple. He could cause things he created from metal to grow heavier and more durable when they were used. That sadly also made his power basically useless. He wasn''t born with strength, and so he couldn''t actually use any of the blades that he created. In fact, almost no hero could. It was easy to carry; it had the weight of a normal sword, but as soon as you would try to swing it, all at once, it would become so heavy that not even War God could swing it around. And at that moment, Cinder was swinging her sword in an effort to save her life.


    Dense Iron felt himself trip as he stared up at the girl with wide eyes. He was sure that at any second now, it would happen. The weight of the sword would become so heavy her arms would be torn clean off her body, and then she''d be blown to bits by whatever Halo was doing.


    That wasn''t what happened, though.


    Cinder swung the blade and held it in front of her at the last second. The attack Halo launched at her was always small, using its intense speed and weight to cause damage, so the blade was large enough to withstand it. She expected the sword to shatter, but it didn''t. Instead, she was pushed back a few feet as the attack died down. She hadn''t been sent far, managing to dig her feet into the ground and remain in place for the most part.


    Halo looked like she was about to lose it. "That shouldn''t be possible!"


    "No offense, but you''re just not that tough," Hope said flatly. She placed the sword on her shoulder and sheepishly shrugged. "I mean, I''ve been hit by Battery, the Beast, Green Wolf, and even the Emperor."


    "So what! I fought the Beast as well!" Halo screamed and launched out another attack.


    Cinder focused her power for a moment. She felt her senses grow sharper, and then, all at once, she found herself seeing things she shouldn''t have been able to. When she was a kid, she had done something similar: she saw colors and twisted lights as her eyes gained new senses. She could see the light reflecting and building up. It wasn''t as unseen as Halo had thought. Once more, she twisted her body and raised the sword, smacking it into the small orb that fired out of Halo''s fingers. She shattered it and then, in a flash, appeared in front of Halo.


    "You might have fought the Beast, but there''s a big difference between me and you." She said in a blunt tone as she pulled her sword back. Halo''s eyes went wide with fear. "I''m the one who killed it this time." She swung the blade as hard as she could.


    Halo''s breathing reached a pitch, and the girl''s legs shook as she stumbled back in fear, screaming. The sword never sliced into her, though. Instead, it stopped inches away from her face. Halo was flat on her butt, staring up at the blade, her body shaking as fear overtook her. Despite how easy it would have been, however, Hope stopped her attack at the last second. She couldn''t bring herself to kill the other hero.


    That didn''t mean she was letting Halo go without consequences, though. "Boop." Cinder brought her hand up and jammed the sword handle down into Halo''s head, hitting the woman hard enough to send her crashing face down into the ground unconscious. "I win."

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty-Seven: A Villain Named Metatron

    The dogs dropped to the ground, many growling, some whining, and all moving away as the angelic figure came down. Feathers rained across the beach, and the wings stopped flapping as Michael''s feet softly touched the ground.


    Michael adjusted his hat, his eyes sparkling a bit as he stared at the old man in front of him. Roulette''s knuckles turned white as his grip grew tighter on the butt of his rifle.


    "Calvin," Roulette spat the name out, glaring back at the Immortal member. "You didn''t really think I''d let you fly down here and pretend like we''re old friends, did you?" Roulette raised his gun, pointing it at the pretty man. All the dogs stayed near Roulette''s feet and glared back at the villain. "Die-"


    "Red light," Michael spoke softly, and in a flash, the beach was bathed in a bright red light that danced across the field. Michael stood directly outside of it, his arms folding as he watched everyone the light hit freeze in place. Roulette stood perfectly still, the old man seemingly frozen in time, a bullet halfway out of his gun. "Geez, bro. I thought you''d be happy to see me." Michael stuffed his hands in his expensive jacket and stalked forward. He walked around the light, making sure he didn''t step in it. "Like, come on. We haven''t seen each other since... Well, I guess it''s been since I claimed this body as my own."


    Michael spoke in a different way than he normally did. His usual way of speaking was fast and erratic, constantly shifting from one topic to another. A side effect of being two people at once. After all, he was both Calvin, the older brother to Roulette, and Archangel Michael. However, at this moment, Calvin was sound asleep.


    Michael was in the driver''s seat.


    Michael walked all the way around the orb of red light that bore down on Roulette. Roulette was placed at the very edge of it, the old man''s back poking out by just a small bit. Slowly, Michael pressed his own back to the older man''s and leaned against him.


    "You''ve gotten really old, you know." Michael snorted out.


    Roulette didn''t respond, still frozen in place.


    "I guess I should have expected that, though, shouldn''t I?" Michael let out a soft hum and used the hero as a pillar to stand against and support his weight. "Unlike me, you aren''t Immortal. Though I guess immortality isn''t quite the right way to put how I live, is it? After all, this body has reached its limit. Though it might not look it, poor Calvin is older than even you. I''ll be leaving him soon and finding a new host. That''s actually why I came here. When I leave, Calvin will die. Years of stress and age will hit him all at once, and bam! He''ll crumble away to dust. I actually did like the man, you know. He was pretty handsome." Michael rubbed his face, giving a sly smirk. "It really is going to be a shame when he dies. I feel like I''m putting down my dog or something. So, I thought I''d let you see Calvin one last time before he crumbles. Oh, and uh, green light-"


    A hail of bullets smashed down into the beach as Roulette stumbled forward. The dog and the old man all stared in shock as the spot Michael had been was now empty. Roulette jumped a bit when he felt an arm suddenly wrapped around his shoulder, and the old man growled as the Immortal villain now stood next to him.


    "You bastard-"


    "Let''s play freeze tag now." Ice blasted out across the field, freezing many of the dogs solid. Roulette jumped away, letting out a yell as the ice creeped up his arm.


    "H- How dare you! L- Let the dogs go!" The old man hissed out through clenched teeth as he fought off the cold.


    Michael casually sat down on the frozen body of a large dog, using it like a chair. "Once I''m done. Oh, and don''t worry about any of them dying; my power isn''t lethal unless I order it to be. Childlike wonder and the like, ya know, even though they look frozen solid, they won''t actually shatter or freeze to death."


    Roulette''s tension eased a bit, but he didn''t put his gun down. "What the hell are you doing here? Why are you toying around with me!"


    "Right. I guess you didn''t hear my explanation since I stopped your time." Michael let out a soft giggle. "My bad. Though I won''t be explaining it again. Guess you missed out, little brother-"


    Roulette opened fire, unleashing a series of bullets. None of them reached the villain, though, large white wings forming around Michael, which blocked the hail of bullets.


    "Come on now. You should know crap like that doesn''t work on me. I''m above most Enforcers. What can you do?" Michael cocked his head to the side. "Let''s just sit down and have a talk, little brother."


    "I''m not your brother." Roulette yelled.


    "Right now you are." The wings folded back and formed into the Immortal''s back, vanishing. "Look, I don''t got long to talk, okay." Michael placed his feet up on another frozen dog, using it as a footstool. "I have to go pick up my sister soon."


    "Sister?"


    "Oh, not Calvin''s sister. my actual family''s sister." Michael snorted. "Metatron is finally back. It took a while for them to merge with their new body, but they eventually managed to pull it off. Really screwed up the poor girl though. Made her hair go all gray and crap. Guess that''s just how it is when you share a body with Metatron, huh. They''re pretty batshit crazy. Even more than Gabriel." The villain shook his head. "That''s okay, though. They''ll get a new body in the next few games. This next one is for me."


    "Next one..." Roulette''s eyes went wide with horror, and the old man stumbled back. "You''re talking about the Murder Games?"


    "Bingo." Michael winked. "Hey, did you know that we didn''t name them that? Yeah, some reporter named Alice Ward was the one to pick the name out a few years back when they noticed we were doing them. They even said it was a new thing, which it wasn''t. Then again, you''d know that better than anyone, right?" Michael chuckled. "After all, you were there when the first Murder Game started. Back when we didn''t even have Father."


    "Do you mean when you stole my brother''s life away?" Roulette asked through clenched teeth.


    "That was years ago now, wasn''t it?" Michael gave a faint smile and stared up at the sky above, watching the clouds pass by slowly. "Our Father first built us during the Great War. He made so many of us members of the family that don''t exist anymore, like Raguel or Raphael. We were created in his box. It was this giant ship he used to fly around in. In one of the rooms we resided, floating around the vast nothingness around us. At the time, we were nothing more than faint psychic energy that Father had crafted himself. Beings without souls or wills, we simply existed. That was until our home got destroyed." Michael made a bit of a face. "Fucking Full Monarch. Always comes back to him, doesn''t it?" The villain''s fingers traced the symbol of a butterfly on his hat. "He destroyed Father''s flying box and caused it to crash. He even killed Father so badly that even being a Ruler didn''t instantly revive him. We spent years trapped in that damn metal shell, and we were even forced to devour our other siblings to survive. Poor Ariel never stood a chance... Eventually, though, we got a lucky break."


    Roulette took a few steps back and frowned as he stared at the young-looking man. He hadn''t expected the villain to go into a rant like this. It was good for him. He was just stalling for time after all.


    "Do you know of this group called the Thaddeus clan?" Michael questioned, though he didn''t bother waiting for an answer. "Of course you have. You''ve even met one of them. The big bull guy. See, this family was hired to watch over Father''s ship and grave. All to make sure that dear Dad didn''t pull one of his tricks and come back to life. It might have even worked if it wasn''t for the hero Legend. He hated the job. He never wanted to be a guard dog, so he stopped bothering to keep his eyes open. That was when my siblings and I were able to escape. At least what was left of us. We tore our way out of that hellish box, and well... You know the rest. We found ourselves a couple of bodies and took them over. That''s how Calvin and I became so close." Michael smirked as he tenderly touched his own face. "I truly do love this body. It''s a shame I have to part ways with it."


    "Why are you telling me all of this?" Roulette questioned. "I don''t really give a damn about your life story."


    "Calvin just likes looking at you. By talking, I give him more time until the sad conclusion happens." Michael lazily shrugged his shoulders. "After all, by the end of these Murder Games, I''ll have a new body one way or another. I wonder who it''ll be." The man hummed and rubbed his chin. "Metatron went to go check out one of the players. I''ll have to ask when I get back to her."


    Roulette allowed a half smirk to appear on his face, and the older man lifted his rifle up once more. The air suddenly swirled and twisted as dozens of bullets appeared. "Sorry, but you won''t be seeing your sister. I''m not letting you leave this island alive!" The elderly man screamed and unleashed his attack with a loud battle cry.


    The bullets blasted forward at high speeds, and Michael casually raised his eyebrow. "Seriously? If it didn''t work the first time, why would it work the second time?" His wings reformed and wrapped around him protectively. "My wings didn''t suddenly become any less durable-"


    A bright spark of electromagnetic energy sparked out between the bullets, and suddenly, they all began to mold together and form into a shape. A massive metal hand the size of a car wrapped around Michael and dragged the winged man off of the dog, lifting him into the air. Michael let out a faint grunt as he felt the giant hand begin to squeeze down on him, and he managed to cock his head to the side, seeing the person that caused this.


    Duplicity glowed with a bright white light that ignited the forest around her. Her clones had already merged together, forming into her energy form, and she floated off of the ground slowly, a strong glare in her eyes. "What the hell is an Immortal member doing here!" The woman yelled.


    Michael gave a sly grin and flexed his arms. "Good question." His wings fully unfolded, blasting through the hand around him with ease. "I won''t be repeating my story, though. Tough luck, girl." Michael dropped down to the floor and tipped his hat. "I hate to leave so soon, but I gotta bounce."


    "Oh no, you don''t!" Roulette screamed and smashed his gun down into the ground.


    "We won''t let you get away!" Duplicity announced.


    Metal tore its way through the island of ice, swirling together as millions of bullets came down like a tidal wave. Michael didn''t seem phased by any of it. And why would he? He had already escaped. "The floor is lava..."


    It was as if he didn''t stand on solid ground.


    Michael simply smirked as he began to sink down, getting deeper and deeper into the sand, which swallowed him up. Right as the attacks rained down, the man was gone. The floor had devoured him entirely.


    Michael felt himself floating around in a vast darkness. "Shadow tag."


    Slowly, he began to swim up, going into the black void. It was as if he were in an endless ocean. Suddenly, though, a light was above him. One that was getting brighter and brighter. Michael stabbed his hand out, and he felt himself appear in the world once more as he began to rise up out of someone''s shadow, coming directly out of it as if it were water. A startled yell came from someone who stared at him in shock, but Michael paid it no mind as he stood up fully and shook his head.


    "Man, I hate using those damn shadows to get around like that." Michael sighed. "Makes me feel like the Emperor or something-"


    "Brother?"


    Michael turned, giving a wide grin as he met a pair of dull eyes that stared back at him. "Hey, Meta! Uh? Where am I exactly?"


    Jane Lauren stood frozen in place as she stared back at the blonde boy who was near her. Unlike the gray-haired girl, she thought she had seen this one from somewhere... She didn''t have time to focus on that, though. Alexander''s head was in her lap, the man still breathing funnily, and Kevin was also hurt, resting off to the side.


    Meta stared at her brother, looking the man up and down before she turned back to Jane. "We should get your husband into the van. I believe there is a place for him to rest in there."


    "T- The van?" Jane shot a nervous look toward the car. It didn''t look too good...


    "It will still work," Meta stated in a blunt tone.


    Michael clasped his hands together, causing Jane to flinch slightly, and his smile grew. "Oh, that''s a good idea. I''ll lend a hand, okay? After all, it seems you''ve been taking care of my sister."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Jane felt her heartbeat begin to get quicker. She didn''t know why, but she couldn''t stop shivering. Something about the man was creeping her out. His eyes and way of speaking. All of it was just wrong. "T- That''s okay. My daughter will-"


    "No." Michael''s eyes glanced down at the raven-haired woman, and his smile didn''t fade. "I insist. Let me help."


    Meanwhile, further in Daisy City, Hope let out a cheer and placed her foot down on Halo''s stomach. The older woman was totally knocked out, with a large bump on the top of her head and her clothes covered in dirt. "I have conquered your queen!" Hope announced, pointing her sword into the air. "I am the mighty Sun Knight, Cinder! Slayer of dragons and arrogant bitches!"


    The rest of Daisy City didn''t seem to be amused by her jokes. Despite how fantastical the place looked, the people still had phones that were drawn and pointed at her. No doubt the headlines would be ''fake Cinder beats up innocent heroes'' before the end of the week. Everyone was just staring at her, mostly because she was refusing to stop stepping on Halo.


    Hope brought her foot down. Not enough to actually harm the unconscious girl, but enough to leave a footprint and cause Halo to let out a sharp breath. "Now! Before I go, I need to ask. Is there anyone else who I have to beat up today? Because it feels like I''ve been getting in a bunch of fights lately, and I''d like to just get it over with!" Her eyes roamed over the many different people, but none of them dared to keep her gaze. "Now that I think about it, I bet I''m not really coming off as much of a hero, am I..."


    "How are you holding that sword?"


    Hope turned when she heard the voice. Standing near her, staring down at the blade, was the small little dwarf guy she saved. "Oh, Dwarf dude, what''s up!"


    "My name is Dense Iron." The retired hero said in a flat tone. "Now, how the hell are you swinging around one of my prized blades so easily!"


    "It''s a sword? It''s meant to be swung around, duh." Hope lazily swung the blade out, going up and down with it. "I might not be a pro like Paragon or Battery, but I can still use one."


    "Its weight gets increased mid-swing!"


    "Does it?" She frowned and looked down at the blade. "Nah, it feels the same."


    "How strong are you!" Dense Iron asked in shock. "Even with super strength, you shouldn''t be able to do that! Who the hell are you!"


    "Cinder." Hope gave a half-grin as she twirled the blade around and offered it back to the hero. "My name is Cinder."


    Dense Iron stared at her for a moment before he slowly took the sword back. "Am I supposed to know who you are?"


    Hope nearly tripped as she heard the blunt response. "Yeah! Wait, you''re actually taking the sword back? You were supposed to be impressed with how badass I was and be amazed I can use it and let me keep it-"


    "This thing costs three million dollars and is made out of the same metal the Emperor''s armor was built out of; I''m not handing it out for free!" Dense Iron yelled out.


    Hope nearly deflated her eyes, losing some of their light as she watched the older man force the sword back into a sheath that he had at his side. "B- But- But in the comics, the hero gets to keep the sword-"


    "This isn''t a comic."


    "D- Damn it!"


    She didn''t get to whine for much longer, as a loud honking came from behind the crowd. The people were still watching, but they moved out of the way slowly as a car drove up. Daisy didn''t have many cars, mostly vans and trucks owned by the Hero Branch, but this was a car she had seen before. The same one Ward had been in earlier. Only it wasn''t Ward that got out of the car. Instead, it was a plump man in a suit. The director of Daisy, Arvin Ros, had arrived.


    "Cinder." The man called out. "It''s good to see you." His words instantly caused muttering in the crowd of people. "That''s right, people, this one is the real deal. You''re looking at the real Cinder. The very same girl who beat up the Beast. As for why she''s dressed like that..."


    Hope took a moment to look down at her appearance, and her face turned a bit red. Her shirt was badly torn, barely hanging on. She was reminded why she had brought Kevin in that moment. Getting into fights, not in a hero costume, sucked. She grabbed Halo and placed the unconscious woman in front of her, using the hero to hide herself from view. She poked her head over the woman''s shoulder and narrowed her eyes as she stared at Ros. "What do you want? Going to try and pull the same stunt Ward did?"


    "Of course not." Ros let out a deep belly chuckle and raised his hands up. "I''m on your side, you know."


    "I seriously doubt that..."


    "I''m being honest." The man leaned back against his car. He had several Hero Branch officers with him, but all of them had their weapons lowered. "Some people were a little afraid of how much weaker you''ve gotten, but if I''m being honest, it seems like you''re still stronger than most heroes. I didn''t really agree with Ward''s views on you. He tends to hate Supers, especially the Lords. Me, though, I see the value in your kind."


    "I''m going to press F to doubt."


    "What?"


    "It means I don''t trust you." She declared. "No offense, but you guys fucking suck!"


    If Ros was hurt by her words, he didn''t show it. The man just chuckled and lightly shook his head. "Now, now. I think you can be a little more reasonable than that."


    "Normally I would, but today something happened that ticked me off a bit." Hope''s grip grew a little tighter into Halo''s body, causing the unconscious woman to jerk a bit. "I haven''t been having a good week, if I''m being honest, and it seems like you guys just keep getting in my way. My patience isn''t that big."


    Ros lifted his hands slowly and nodded. "Okay. I get it. Look, I told you I''m not here to cause anything. Put Halo down, and you can go."


    "Are you going to do anything to Halo?" Silence echoed across the street as everyone seemed to avoid her gaze once more. She let out a heavy sigh. "She''s going to get off scot-free, isn''t she? Not even a slap on the wrist. She nearly killed someone I love, attacked her own city, and put her own people in danger, yet she''s going to get away with it-"


    "She''s a hero-"


    "Not a very good one." She let go of Halo, dropping the woman down into the ground face first. "If you''re going to treat the heroes like pets, then keep your dogs on a tighter leash."


    "You''ve done enough to her. I think she''s received her punishment." Ros argued.


    "She tried to kill my friend, my family, and me. I''d say I did the minimum for her, all things considered." She turned away and pointed her thumb toward Dense Iron''s sword shop. "Make sure you fix all the damages ''she'' caused."


    "That''s what the Cleanup Squad is for." Ros nodded.


    "That''s exactly what Halo said." Hope sighed and shook her head. The crowd backed away as she began to walk, but she paid them no mind. She didn''t care what they thought of her. She had saved them, and that was all that mattered to her. They could view her as the worst villain in the world, and she wouldn''t really mind as long as she still got the chance to save them.


    Maybe her dream of being the number one hero was dead, but she could still be a good hero. One that would do its job the right way.


    Her thoughts suddenly stopped as she heard another honking. She looked up and felt her eye twitch a bit as she saw what was left of the Cinder van. The poor thing was nearly caved in, and all the windows along it had been shattered. It was weird to look at as she could see her mother was driving it, and she was able to stare at the distorted space that twisted inside of the van. Whatever paint job was on it was totally gone, and it was covered in dozens of cracks and dents.


    She felt a little bad.


    It was a gift, and now it was ruined.


    At least it appeared to drive fine, though.


    Everyone all stared at the van as it pulled up to her and stopped. "Dad''s in the back," Jane said, poking her head out. "Are we ready to leave?"


    "Yeah." She nodded. "It''s about time we go. I need to go to Gladiolus City and finish up something there." She was about to grab the door to the van and pull it open, but the thing slid on its own, and she came face to face with Meta. "Oh! Meta-"


    "Hey." She suddenly froze when she saw who else was standing in the van with Meta. Michael gave a half-grin as he and his sister stepped out of the car. "You were a lot shorter last I remember. Did you go and get a growth spurt or something?"


    Hope tumbled back and stared up at the blonde man with wide eyes. She had seen him before. Meta''s brother? He had been at Hell Land. She hadn''t really gotten too good of a look at him, but now that she was seeing him again, and much closer this time, she suddenly realized that he looked familiar... Really familiar.


    Arvin Ros frowned as he watched two people step out of Cinder''s van. His eyes traced over the gray-haired girl with a bored look, but then they suddenly settled on the man with blonde hair and the hat. His eyes went wide suddenly, and his face paled as he took a step back. "Oh God!"


    One of his agents turned to look at him as he let out a panicked yelp. "What is it, sir? Do you know that man?"


    "How do you guys not?" Arvin Ros hissed. He stared back at the blonde man who was looking down at Cinder.


    A group that had been around for a long time... The Immortals were officially named around the time of the Emperor''s defeat, but that group was formed long before that. It wasn''t until recently that the term ''Murder Games'' had been created. The public didn''t know this, but the Murder Games had actually been going on for a lot longer than people realized.


    When the Emperor declared his war, the Murder Games had been going on, though they weren''t called that. The Immortals didn''t lay low; they caused as much chaos as they do now. The issue, however, was that everyone assumed they worked with the Emperor, so they didn''t really consider it to be their own thing. It wasn''t until the Emperor was defeated that a few years later, Lucifer and his crew struck once more, hosting another set of games in a city, and the term Murder Games became a thing. That was considered the first official one, but they had been going on even before that.


    The Shadow had almost ended all life on Earth and was only stopped by the four Lords. The Emperor had destroyed several cities, cracked the moon, and was stopped by Full Monarch. The Beast still existed, having not been beaten, and always took out a city. Compared to these three Calamity level threats, the Murder Games weren''t exactly on the same level.


    It was always bad for a city, but it could manage. Just like the Beast, the Murder Games was always held in one city each time it started and would go on until it was finished. Unlike the Beast, who always left the city in utter ruins and claimed millions of lives, causing a disaster so great it would affect other cities, the Murder Games were more tame. It would only go on until four specific people were killed. Four players. Other people would be caught in the crossfire and usually die as well, but the damages were never even in the high thousands.


    What made the Murder Games so bad was just how hard it was to stop them once the process began. That as well as one more fact... Each time a game would end, the Immortals would ''replace'' one of their members.


    The five Immortals. Lucifer, a man with jet-black hair and golden eyes. Uriel, currently a beautiful man with long blonde hair and bright golden eyes. Previously a young woman with short black hair and blue eyes. Gabriel, currently a young girl with short hair. Previously an adult woman with green hair. Metatron, current looks unknown. Previously an older man with no hair who was blind. Michael, currently a blonde man with green eyes. No previous form.


    Michael held his hand out to Cinder, who had tripped over her feet. The girl was staring up at him, her eyes slowly processing her face. "Hey. So you''re the one that''ll be in this year''s game?" Michael''s eyes roamed the girl up and down. "Hell yeah. Hopefully, you win. I''d love to be a kid again-"


    "Michael," Meta spoke up, causing Michael to cock his head back.


    "What?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow. "Can''t you see I''m trying to check out my new body-"


    "Trouble," Meta stated in a blunt tone.


    "What sort of trouble-" Michael was cut off by a massive shadow that appeared above him. Despite how large they were, Battery''s Giants were somehow really sneaky. The massive black figure had one arm already in the air, gripping a gigantic sword. Everyone screamed and began sprinting, but it was too late. The Giant swung its sword down as hard as it could. "Oh. That sort of trouble-"


    Everything exploded in a wave of black energy. Hope let out a loud scream as the ground around her shattered and broke apart, thick black lightning zapping out in all directions. She lost track of Meta and Michael but didn''t really care to look for them. Instead, her focus was on the van, which was blasted back as the Giant rammed its sword into the ground. The Giant didn''t seem to care about property destruction or endangering the civilians. Normally, it would, but the threat it was going up against now was far too great for it to hold back.


    The entire street was coming down and falling apart, some buildings caving in. She used her enhanced speed to blast forward and managed to wrap her arms around the van, stopping it from falling. "Mom!" She yelled out, but she got no answer.


    As the dust settled, she chanced a look back at the street. It was in utter ruins and split in half, but none of the people were harmed. This was thanks to Purrfect. The cat-themed hero was on the scene, standing near the body of Halo. Water strings flowed down Purrfect''s arms, the girl somehow tapping into a portion of Poseion''s water control, creating thick bubble-looking barriers around the Hero Branch officers and other civilians.


    Purrfect glared at the center of the crater that had been formed and swung her arm out. The Giant followed her movement and went to bring its sword down again, but before it could, the area was bathed in a green light. Something flashed out of the dust, a thin beam of green energy that moved fast, and with a single motion, it tore the head of the Giant clean off. The creature didn''t even have time to fall over; instead, its entire body instantly crumbled and shattered as it vanished from existence, the energy that made it up fading away.


    The flapping of wings suddenly filled the air, and from the dust cloud, two figures rose up. Hope felt her eyes go wide as she stared at Meta and Michael. They had bird wings coming out of their back.


    No...


    Not bird wings.


    Angelic wings.


    "Meta?" She asked softly.


    Meta didn''t meet her eyes, the gray-haired girl looking away. "Metatron." Meta spoke. "I am Metatron. Member of the Immortals."


    Purrfect let out a curse and swung her other hand out. Another Giant was running toward the scene, but the two siblings didn''t look like they were going to wait for it to make the first move. As soon as the Giant''s shadow appeared over them, both Meta and Michael dropped to the ground.


    "The floor is lava," Michael stated. And just like that, he and Meta sank into the ground right as the Giant attempted another sword strike.


    Everything exploded once more, and Hope felt herself be pushed back, but she kept her arms wrapped around the van. She stood there in shock as the dust cleared. Purrfect let out a scream and stomped her foot down. "Damn it!" The hero yelled.


    "W- What the hell happened?" Hope asked weakly, though she knew the answer already. Her blood was starting to boil as the thought of Lucifer came to her mind.


    Purrfect turned and glared at her. "You screwed up. That''s what happened. Why the hell did you have that woman with you! That was Metatron!"


    "I- I didn''t know..."


    "Clearly! Do you have any idea what this means?" Purrfect bit her lip, drawing blood. "It''s starting."


    "What is." She knew it, though.


    "The Murder Games."


    Meanwhile...


    Far, far away, so far that it wasn''t even on planet Earth, a shimmering blue portal began to open up.


    "Is this wise?" Beta asked. The machine followed Battery as the two stepped out of the portal, appearing in a gray crater. "The Victorian will likely come back up here to cool her head off."


    "It doesn''t matter." Battery shrugged and gave a faint smirk. He looked up, finding a sea of black as well as planet Earth, which floated in the distance. He was on the moon. He was at a very specific spot. A barrier of blue energy swarmed around him that allowed him to walk and talk with ease. Imaginary energy simply let him do the impossible. "I need to do this." He reached up and took his mask off.


    Slowly, Jack walked forward, going deeper into the crater until he arrived at what was at the center of it. A glass coffin resided. One that held the man who slept on the moon.


    Jack reached out and placed his hand on the coffin, staring down at the corpse of Full Monarch. The number one hero looked so peaceful...


    "It''s been a while, hasn''t it, Jackson?" Jack didn''t smile. He didn''t frown. He didn''t cry. He just stared.


    Beta watched the Ruler, recording the entire thing. The machine stopped, however, when he suddenly got an alert. "Ah, it seems you were right, Battery. The Immortals are on the moon."


    Jack nodded his head and turned away. "Alright. Grab the coffin. We''re heading back. Oh, and one more thing." The newest number-one hero climbed back up the crater and gave a sly smirk. "Don''t call me Battery. From now on, you can call me Full Monarch. The number one, greatest hero."


    The start of Jack''s plan was finally ready to begin.

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty-Eight: Congratulations!

    Arvin Ros paced back and forth. The director of Daisy held a stress ball in his hands, which he kept gripping, squeezing till it finally popped. "I take it all back." The man muttered. "Ward is right about you; you''re downright useless! I can''t believe you had a member of the Immortals with you."


    Hope flinched a bit and couldn''t bring herself to look up and meet the man''s eyes. She was just as mad at herself as he was. She had literally allowed one of the most evil people in the world to stand casually next to her parents. This revelation about Meta was practically causing her blood to boil.


    "She should be arrested!" Halo screamed, throwing her arms into the air. "Not only did she humiliate me, but she also caused all that damage to the city, and she is clearly working with the Immortals!"


    "I''m not working with them." Hope snarled out and glared at the older woman, causing Halo to let out a yelp and dive behind the chair she had been sitting in.


    "Intentional or not, you still allowed a member of the Immortals into my city." Ros sighed and collapsed in his seat. "There''s only one reason they would be on the move like this."


    "The Murder Games." Purrfect leaned against a wall, her head bowed and her arms folded. "Battery said it would be starting soon, but I hoped he was wrong. As usual, he isn''t..."


    "You don''t get to say that," Hope said under her breath, but she knew the other hero could hear her. "You didn''t know him as long as I have."


    Purrfect frowned. "Hey, don''t get all snappy with me. You''re the one that screwed up, you know."


    It was just after Metatron and Michael had left. Ros had quickly gotten his Hero Branch officers to clear the scene of the public who had been there to witness everything that went down. All the heroes present had been gathered up, and they now all rested inside of the director''s office. It was a plain-looking room with several shelves of rewards and seats scattered around.


    Hope found herself near the back, sitting in a soft armchair. Next to her, Dust Cloud and War God stood. Dust Cloud looked very uncomfortable, while War God looked like she was full of rage. They both stood on either side of her, ready to act if she tried anything funny. Halo was on the other side of the room, practically hiding behind anything the woman could get her hands on. Finally, that left Ros, who paced around the room nonstop, and Purrfect, who was chilling out in the corner.


    Hope leaned forward in her chair, but her movement caused both War God and Dust Cloud to tense up. "I think who really screwed up was you, Purrfect." She said flatly.


    "Oh yeah?" Purrfect raised an eyebrow.


    "You figured out who she was and had plenty of time to act, but you didn''t." She stated in a blunt tone as she stared back at the cat-themed hero. "Instead, you sent these three people after my friend and then waited on the sidelines. You didn''t warn anyone, and you didn''t bring any proper backup. You wanted all the credit for yourself, right? Using Battery''s Giants, you planned to try and get a cheap shot off of them, but that failed, and you ended up letting them get away. Then, of course, there''s the fact you made me fight these three idiots-"


    "Idiots?" Halo''s knuckles turned white from how hard the woman gripped down on the chair. "You''re the idiot!"


    "Nice comeback." She said sarcastically. Halo looked like she was about to lose it, but before another fight could break out, Purrfect let out a soft laugh, catching them all off guard. Purrfect laughed for several seconds before finally managing to catch her breath. "What''s so funny?" Hope asked, frowning.


    Purrfect''s smirk grew larger. "Just the way you''re speaking now. I didn''t really get to know you too well before the Beast stuff, but you seem like you''re a totally different person from that version of Cinder that I met. You keep talking about how Battery changed, and you want to speak to him because of that, yet you don''t seem to realize how much you''ve changed as well."


    Hope shook her head and looked down at her hand for a moment. "No. I''m still me. I''m just a little more ticked off than I normally am. I''m not the one that changed. It''s the world I returned to that''s different. However, that does bring up my next point. You can get in contact with Battery, right? Tell him to come over here."


    "Battery is an enemy of the Hero Branch!" Ros spat out. "He is not allowed in here!"


    Purrfect snorted and rolled her shoulders. "Sorry, Cindy, but no dice. Not because of what this guy said, though. Battery isn''t leaving Rose. He''s been too focused on that place. The only time he left it was when he went to steal¡ªwell, that doesn''t matter. The point is, he''s staying put. He did want me to pass on a message to you, though, when he learned you were alive."


    "Oh yeah?"


    "''Stay away.''"


    Hope let out a giggle. "Yeah. I was betting it''d be something like that. He''s scared I''m going to make him change his mind about whatever plot he''s cooking up." Her smile turned somber for a moment as her head bowed once more. "That was how it started out. I''m the one that keeps him on the straight and narrow path. I leave for a bit, and look what happens."


    Purrfect''s smile vanished, and the girl frowned. "Don''t get it twisted. Battery doesn''t need you anymore. You shouldn''t even care about that man in the first place. He told me all about his plan. You know he never actually cared for you, right? When he learned you were the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, that was when he pretended to join you. You were never a person to him, always just a weapon. One that he planned on aiming at his enemies. After you died, though, he decided it was time to pick up the slack himself. Now, he''s going to be the one that handles it all. So he honestly doesn''t need someone like you around. How does that make you feel?"


    "If you''re trying to hurt me with your words, it won''t work." Hope stood up and turned away, ignoring the way War God and Dust Cloud flinched. "I''ve made my mind up a while ago. Mr. Larison is in a bit of a rough state right now. He has nothing to worry about, though, because I''ll be there to smack some sense back into him."


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Ros barked out when she walked to the door.


    "I''m leaving. If you think you can stop me, go ahead and try." No one budged an inch as she opened the door and began to leave. She slammed the door shut behind her, shattering most of it.


    Ros grumbled a bit but didn''t say anything. It was Halo who spoke up next. "What do we do now?" The woman asked nervously.


    Ros finally took a seat and slouched down in his chair. "A little bit ago, Roulette of team Watch Dog got in contact with Ward. He claims Michael came to Watch Dog''s base and did confirm that the Murder Games are soon to begin."


    "And we don''t have Boy Genius to help us?" Halo whimpered.


    Ros let out another heavy sigh and shook his head. "No. We have Battery to thank for that." The director shot a nasty look in Purrfect''s direction. "He''s really screwed us over this time. Not only has Boy Genius vanished since Battery took over Rose, we lost contact with Beta. Those two were the only ones able to get in contact with the Victorian, so now our strongest fighter is God only knows where on this ball of dirt."


    "Battery could get ahold of him¡ª"


    "He''s the reason we''re in this mess!" Ros yelled, cutting Purrfect off. "Do you even understand why the Immortals are a threat? Sure, in terms of destruction, they aren''t as bad as the Beast, and when it comes to a body count, they don''t come anywhere close to the Emperor, but they make up for it in one way. They have never lost." Ros let out a few deep breaths as he collected his thoughts. "The reason they are called the Murder Games is because the Immortals follow a series of rules put in place by one of their members. Not even Lucifer is above these rules. When the games begin, they pick a series of players and a city. That city then becomes blocked off with a barrier so strong I doubt even Full Monarch could get into it. That''s why it''s so hard for us to stop them. When the games start, whatever city is selected has to rely on the heroes that are within that city. That means it''s usually one Enforcer and their team and one Sub Enforcer team going up against all five of the Immortals. Worse yet, the heroes have to keep protecting the city''s people who are caught in the crossfire. Because of Battery, though, there isn''t a single Enforcer in any of the cities!"


    "That''s not true." Purrfect''s grin was back as the girl cocked her head to the side. "Rose still has Battery."


    "So what? It''s not like the Immortals are going to attack it. They''ll likely attack my city or something!" Ros grumbled. "God only knows what poor bastards are going to be forced to play in their damn games."


    Purrfect just gave a lazy shrug and moved away as she headed for the door as well. "Battery has a plan. There''s a reason he did what he did. You just have to trust him."


    "Well then, it''s too bad I don''t!"


    "Yeah," Purrfect''s smirk vanished for a moment as she opened the door. "I guess it is."


    The door closed once more, leaving Ros alone with the three other heroes. Halo''s shoulders slouched slightly. "Welp... I''m going to go suck up to Pretty Face and hope he lets me back into his bunker."


    Meanwhile, down in the parking lot of the building, Hope opened the door to her destroyed van and climbed in. The poor ride had seen better days, that was for sure. A sad fact as well, considering it hadn''t even been a week since she set out: it was hard to believe how much stuff was constantly going on. Back when she was on Pantheon, it seemed like weeks would go by when nothing was happening. Now... Well, now it felt like she barely had time to sit down before some new threat stood before her.


    Was this how Full Monarch felt?


    She shook her head and closed the beaten-up door behind her. Despite how badly the car looked outside, the inside was the same as she had left it, not having been damaged. That was good. At least it wasn''t totally ruined.


    She moved to the kitchen area of the van and found her mother and father waiting for her. Or at least her mother was waiting for her. Alexander was placed onto the table, still unconscious. Kevin rested on the table next to her dad, the monster''s red tendril seeping out and piercing one of Alexander''s veins. Jane was seated nearby, watching with a worried look.


    "What''s going on?" She asked, fully stepping into the kitchen.


    "I don''t trust that Meta bitch now that I know who she is," Kevin grunted out. His tendril twitched and pumped something into her dad''s arm. "I''m breaking some of my cells down and sending them through his body to check it out from the inside."


    "You can do that?"


    "With a lot of focus. Something you''re currently breaking."


    Hope nodded and raised her hands up in a surrender motion. "Right. I''ll leave you to it then, I guess..."


    Kevin''s weird blob form eyes her up in silence. "What''s with you? You know this is tiring work, right? I''m basically saving your dad''s life. It''s also all your fault this happens."


    "Hey, now!" Jane stood up, glaring down at the red monster.


    "What?" Kevin rolled his eyes. "I''m right, and we all know it." The monster shrugged his shoulders the best he could, which was impressive since he didn''t actually have shoulders. "She let that Meta girl come into the van, and she even left that blasted woman alone with her father. Not to mention, she left me there to protect this guy. I ain''t a hero. Though, I have to say I''m sure as hell better than you or that Halo girl. You got all ticked off at that girl for destroying the city, yet you didn''t stop her fast enough. Come to think of it, you''re almost never fast enough to get to the threats when it really matters, are you? Even when you saved me, back when I was a human, you only showed up at that warehouse after I had been shot. Some hero you are-"


    "That is enough!" Jane yelled. "I won''t just let you badmouth my daughter!"


    She winced, and her shoulders grew slack as she nodded softly. "No, Kevin is right." She managed to give a faint smile. "I just seem to always be a bit behind, don''t I?" Sometimes I really hate myself for that fact. Mr. Larison was always the speedy one. Coming up with good ideas was his skill, not mine." She shook her head and slapped at her face, doing her best to cheer herself up. "That''s all the more reason I have to get him back! Cinder and Battery! That was how my story started, and it''s how I''m going to make sure it ends!"


    "Hope..." Her mom stared at her, almost with a look of pity.


    "I''m fine!" She turned away and threw her arms behind her head casually. "Can you get us out of this city, Mom? I need to go to Gladiolus, clear up something there, and then I can head straight to Rose City and give Mr. Larison the biggest knuckle sandwich!" Jane frowned, but slowly the raven-haired woman nodded and stood up, heading for the front of the van. She was about to follow but stopped for a moment and shot a look back at Kevin. "Thanks."


    "If you''re thanking me for saving your dad, then don''t bother." Kevin spat out. "He only got injured because I slacked off and got too cocky. I''m just doing this so I don''t owe him any favors."


    She snickered and shook her head. "No, it isn''t for that, though; thanks for making sure he''s fine. Also, thanks for what you said. Sometimes, I don''t pay attention to some of the mistakes that harm people. I... I want to do better, but it''s hard. I still have a long road ahead of me if I want to be a good hero." Her hand balled into a fist. "Next time I see Meta, I''ll make sure I don''t let her or that guy escape. I''ll stop them both."


    "There''s going to be a next time?"


    "Haven''t you seen my luck? Of course there will be a next time."


    "Good point." Kevin shuddered a bit. "Just be sure that I''m not there when you get into a fight with those crazy bastards. Seriously, I ain''t the hero type, got that! I''m not going to fight the Immortals! No matter what!"


    "Noted."


    "I''m serious!"


    "I''m sure you are." She giggled a bit as she headed for the front of the van. "Let me know when my dad wakes up, okay?"


    Kevin grumbled some more but kept working. "All of you are just pains in my ass... This whole family is stupid sometimes."


    The van already roared to life when she reached the front. Her mom was at the wheel, and she took a seat next to the woman as they drove out of the parking lot. They hit the main road and began to head for the bridge that connected Daisy to Gladiolus. The bridge went through the wall and was placed on the other side of the city in a way that caused the main castle to block it off. This meant she really hadn''t gotten a good look at Gladiolus and didn''t really know what to expect. Armin had told her a bit about the city, from a time he and his mother had visited it, but that had been years ago.


    She took a seat next to her mother, and they drove mostly in silence. Slowly, though, her mother kept peeking at her. "Are you okay?" The older woman asked.


    "I mean physically, I guess I am." She shrugged and rubbed her stomach. "I''ll need to get new clothes, though. Feels like I go through a new set of clothes each time I get into a battle."


    "I meant emotionally. You''ve been a little hard on yourself lately." Her mother said sternly.


    She winced again and gave a lazy shrug. "I guess I''ve just noticed how much harder this has all gotten. And yet, it still feels like it''s nothing compared to what Full Monarch did. Everyone seems to have these expectations of me being the next him, but that just doesn''t seem possible. And, like, I''m not trying to be him, but still. I just am starting to see the mountain I have to climb. Made all the worse by the fact that I don''t have my Lord powers."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "You''re doing the best you can. You''re still young. You''re still a kid. Anyone that expects you to save the world is a dumbass."


    She giggled before something caught her eye. Someone stood on the side of the road, staring at their van, seemingly waiting for them. Her mother saw them as well and slowed the car down until they came to a stop in front of the person. Since there were no windows, she was able to just poke her head out. "Hey, you need something, dwarf bro?"


    Dense Iron''s eye twitched a bit as he glared up at her. "I have a name!"


    "I know."


    The man growled and gritted his teeth. "You know, I have half a mind to not give you this stuff! I''ve been waiting out here for hours for you to show up, and this is the thanks I get?"


    "Stuff?" That was when she noticed he had a backpack on, which had a long, wrapped object attached to it. It was obviously a sword, and her eyes lit up as she stared at it. "You got me a gift! I knew it! This is the part where you give me the sword I used earlier, isn''t it? You recognize my brilliance and are going to lend it to me-"


    "No." Dense Iron said, causing her smile to fade. "I told you, that blade is worth more than you''d ever be able to pay off. It costs almost as much as an entire city and ain''t for sale."


    "Aw..."


    "This ain''t much, but here." Dense Iron slowly took off his bag and tossed it into the van. She caught it and stared down at the backpack. Her hands found their way to the wrapped object, and she undid it to find that it was indeed a sword. It wasn''t the one she had used earlier, though. That blade had been finely crafted, forged from a strange black metal, and literally hummed in her hands. This one, by comparison, was almost plain looking. There didn''t seem to be anything special about it at all. "That was one of my earlier blades." Dense Iron explained. "It still gets heavy and tougher when swung, but it''s just a normal sword. It likely won''t be able to cut anyone with durability, no matter how hard you swing it. You can use it to bash some heads in, though. You seem good at that. Inside of the bag is also a jacket. Nothing special, just a plain tracksuit coat for you to wear so you stop ripping your clothes. It''ll also get tough and heavier with my powers."


    She hugged the backpack to her chest and ran her finger over the iron blade. Even if it was a plain and boring-looking sword, she was still giddy. If it did get as tough as he said, then she could use it as a shield while also using it as a blade. It was almost too good to be true.


    "Why are you just giving me this stuff?"


    Dense Iron had already turned and was walking off, but the small man turned to look back at her as he ran his fingers through his beard. "Your name is Cinder, right?"


    "Yeah?"


    "I wasn''t there. I wasn''t in Oleander City. Not like Heavy Iron or Light Iron were. Those two boys had gotten a lot of their gear from me, and I wasn''t able to be there with them when they battled the Beast... You were, though. You even took that thing down." Dense Iron gave a smile, one that she couldn''t see since his back was turned. "I guess I''m just a little glad that you beat that thing when you did." He began to walk off.


    Cinder was nothing like Full Monarch. He was sure of that fact. He had been the one to make Full Monarch''s gear, after all. That had been so many years ago. Back then, he had tried making a sword for the number one hero, but Full Monarch turned him down. After all, the number one hero didn''t need a weapon. Weapons were meant for killing, and Full Monarch despised killing. He would much rather save people. Cinder, too, wanted to save people. He could tell it just by looking at her. Despite that, though, she wasn''t afraid to carry a weapon. She was able to take Halo with the sword without using the blade. She really was different in her approach to handling combat.


    "You would have liked her, Jackson." Dense Iron reached the end of the curb, vanishing from view. "You would have been proud to know she''s not another you."


    Back in the van, Jane drove once more and let out a soft chuckle. "That was nice of him."


    "Hell yeah, it was! I got a badass sword!" She attempted to draw her sword but didn''t have enough room. With a smile, she placed it back at her side and opened the bag. Inside was a simple tracksuit jacket that was red with a white stripe across it. It was clearly made out of some fancy material and sort of felt like a weighted blanket, being a little heavy. It likely wouldn''t be used too much; she did have a hero suit in the form of Kevin, after all, but it did mean that if she was caught without a costume again, she wouldn''t have to worry about her clothes exploding as badly.


    "So next stop, Gladiolus City?" Jane asked.


    "Yep! Onwards!"


    They didn''t really have to worry about anyone getting in their way. Daisy''s people didn''t usually drive cars, keeping the whole fantasy theme going on, and the Hero Branch had seemingly decided to leave her alone after she beat up so many of their heroes. Soon enough, they arrived at the bridge that led to Gladiolus. Right off the bat, she noticed something was wrong.


    It was angled in a weird way, going up in a slope-like motion. Despite that, though, she didn''t actually see the city it was connected to. It just kept going up and up, getting steeper and steeper, until it went through a cloud.


    "Where''s the city?" Her mom questioned.


    "Good question. I have no freaking clue."


    The van drove up a little more and reached the bottom of the sloped bridge. She was about to get out or try calling for someone, but before she could, a loud buzz echoed out. Something came out of the bottom of the bridge and connected to their van, wrapping around it. It was a series of wires. Jane tried to back the car out, but it was too late.


    All along the bridge, a series of gears began to form, and then their van was tugged forward. Silver wires jutted through the stone and seemingly fused to the bottom of their car, no doubt caused by some sort of power. The wires tugged them all the way onto the bridge and forced their car forward, going up the slope.


    She was forced to buckle herself in as the entire van began to lean back as it was dragged. It was like an escalator or something, dragging them up top. "Kevin! Keep my dad secured to the table! And keep the table secured, too!" She screamed back as the van was forced into a ninety-degree angle.


    Kevin managed to wrap himself around Alexander, and he stabbed another one of his tendrils through the table and into the ground, keeping it held in place as everything in their ride was flung to the back as the van was lifted up fully.


    The wires carried them higher and higher as their van was lifted across the bridge, and soon, they went straight through the cloud that it pierced. As it kept going, a heavy mist started to get thicker, and it became totally impossible to see anything. The only sound that greeted them was the shaking of their van as it rumbled along. Eventually, though, they came out of the mist, still rising up, and the bridge slope began to change once more, curving slightly. They were past the clouds, heading to one massive series of them that stood above all others.


    Hope felt her eyes widen in shock and also mild hype as she noticed the bridge connected to that massive cloud. It didn''t float like the other ones did, instead staying perfectly in place. It also looked less like a cloud the closer they got and more like a series of cotton. The ''cloud'' itself was massive. Made up of hundreds of large chunks that all formed together into a size nearly as big as Daisy. All along the top of it, many different buildings were located. They were all formed from stone and looked like skyscrapers, but each one was far smaller than any building in Oleander. Despite that, though, they still pierced the skies themselves, higher up than any other building could claim.


    It looked very similar to Oleander or Lillian, with a series of different buildings, streets, and parks. As their van pulled all the way up to the top of the bridge, they were jutted out and landed awkwardly on a nearby road. People dressed in business suits walked around like normal, though some did shoot them odd looks, and many children were playing in the streets and road.


    It looked shockingly peaceful and normal. Even safer than Daisy had seemed. Made all the more weirder by the fact that there weren''t any Giants. For the first time since she had started this trip, none of those massive creatures hung around.


    This city was seemingly free.


    Before she even had a chance to grasp what she was truly seeing, a massive shadow flew above the van, and something came crashing down directly in front of them. "More trouble?" Jane winced.


    "Not this time." Hope smiled and poked her head out the window. "Hey, Fable!"


    From the dust that had formed in front of them, the figure fully stood up, revealing a tall, dark-skinned man in a lion cloak. "Cinder?" Fable questioned. "I guess Lightning Empress was right. What are you doing here?"


    "I was about to ask you the same thing." She said sheepishly.


    Fable let out a small hum and crossed his arms. "It''s a little complicated. You arrived on the sky bridge, right? So that meant you were down in Daisy. You saw what was down there, right?"


    "Yeah, the Giants." She nodded. "That time on the island, when Wyvern and you saved me, Wyvern explained the whole thing to me when we were flying back to Oleander. I notice there aren''t any Giants here, though."


    "That''s right." Fable nodded his head and gave a slightly smug grin. "I lost my battle to Battery. He''s got a mean punch, but he''s still nothing compared to the Lords. He kicked all of us out of our cities and placed all his Giants in each city to keep them safe without us. Not this one, though. When he tried that shit, someone tore his forces down and fried the little kitty cat that serves him. Lightning Empress is not someone to be messed with. She is the Victorian''s daughter, after all."


    "Sky told me Lois got Max''s Lord powers, but I didn''t know she became this strong." She muttered. Then again, she should have expected as much. She had seen Max Lightning through the memories Avalon showed her, and the boy had been part of the Emperor''s grand plan at the time. Clearly, the Lord of the Sky and Weather was someone not to be messed with. "I actually came here to see Lois."


    "I know." Fable gave a faint chuckle.


    "Let me guess, Lois told you I''d be coming?"


    "Yep." Fable nodded. "Wanted me to take you to her. I didn''t really believe her at first; I figured you would be busy training your ass off with the Victorian. How''s that going, by the way? None of us have been able to speak to good old goldie in a while."


    "About that... Just take me to Lois, big guy..."


    "Sure thing." Fable moved over to the van and easily picked it up. Some of the people on the street were taking pictures and snapshots, but he paid them no mind. Instead, the powerful hero crouched down and then, in a single leap, tore through the air. He blasted through the sky at a high speed, leaping from building to building as he headed for some destination. "Since Battery''s Giants kicked us all out of our cities, we''ve all decided to stay here with Lightning Empress." The man yelled out to her. "We''ve been trying to convince her to take the battle to Battery. With her help, I''m confident we could win, but she''s been stubborn. I haven''t been able to get her to move at all. Think you can convince her?"


    "I can try, I guess?" She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I do plan on having her help me get to Battery. I also just wanted to check in on Lois after everything that happened with the Beast. That''s sort of the real reason why I came down here. Or, I guess, came up here?"


    "Speaking of up, how the hell does this place even exist!" Jane demanded. "We''re basically in space!"


    Fable let out a heavy laugh and kept up his series of jumps, carrying the van above him. "Lord of the Sky and Weather. You know how they can be. Max Lightning was the one who brought the city up here. Used to be down in the water like Daisy, but eventually the hero lifted it into the sky and, with his powers, put a pocket of air around it that makes sure people don''t freeze to death or struggle with breathing."


    "That''s so cool!" Hope said, wide-eyed. "Could I put Oleander on the Sun or something!"


    "That''s a stupid idea!" Her mom said, shaking her head. "A very stupid idea."


    Fable came down from the sky, carrying them still as he crashed at the end of a city block. "I have to ask, Cinder," the man said slowly. "My brother. How''s he doing?"


    "Myth?" She frowned and thought of her old boss. "He''s keeping it together. At least for now."


    "Good." Fable sounded a little relieved before he finally placed the van down and gestured in front of him. "Well, Cinder. Welcome to what''s left of the Enforcers!"


    They were at the entrance to a park. Directly past the gate a large stone table resided. Instantly she saw them. Mister Man and Lady Time were already bickering like an old married couple. Wyvern was slumped down, doing her best to ignore them while trying to read a good book. Pretty Face was also trying to ignore the two and instead was shooting himself several suggestive looks as he stared into a mirror. Beta, Battery, Boy Genius, the Victorian, and Lightning Empress were nowhere to be seen.


    Fable walked forward to a seat at the table and waved her over. "This is all of us, not counting Lightning Empress."


    Hope climbed out of the van, and as she did, she slipped her new jacket on and zipped it up. Her sword remained in its sheath and rested at her side. Jane stayed in the van and watched her daughter with nervous eyes. Slowly, Hope approached the table. "Where''s Lois?"


    "Still so impatient." A loud voice announced, seemingly crackling out like thunder. Hope felt the hairs on her body stand up, and she looked to the sky as a figure began to float down. It was a young girl with long grey hair and fiery red eyes. The girl wore living lightning, which formed together, covering her body, and slowly, her feet touched down on the ground. Lois, also known as Whisper, now known as Lightning Empress, cocked her head to the side. "Hey, Cinder."


    "Hey, Whisper."


    "I''m Lightning Empress now."


    Hope didn''t respond to that, and instead, she stepped forward. Both girls stared at each other for several moments before finally they embraced, pulling each other in for a tight hug. "How have you been?" She whispered to the other girl.


    "Good." Lois gave a sad smile, hugging her back. "You?"


    "I think you already know."


    "I do." Lois giggled softly. "I''m glad you''re alive."


    "I''m glad you''re alive as well. Armin..."


    "Yeah... I know."


    They stayed like that for several moments, simply holding one another. Mister Man sighed as he leaned on his elbow. "So, the mighty Cinder did live. She looked a little more impressive in her fight with the Beast."


    "Will you shut it?" Lady Time growled, choking Mister Man out, when she pulled the hero into an elbow lock.


    "It''s good to see you again, Cinder." Wyvern nodded respectfully to the younger girl.


    Pretty Face closed the mirror he held and leaned himself forward on the table, giving a sly grin. "Okay. Now that the main character is here, can we get back to the real job? My fans are waiting for me in Lillian. I promised them a concert, but I can''t do that if Battery''s Giants are there. You kept saying no, Empress, but now your little girlfriend is here, so are you ready to change your mind?"


    Lois flickered her finger lazily, causing a bolt of lightning to zap near Pretty Face. "As cute as Cinder is, someone else claimed her before me. Besides, I already have my special someone, and let me just say, his future is a lot happier than yours." The girl promised.


    "Hey! No reading our Paths!" Pretty Face growled. "We agreed on that!"


    "Oh, don''t be such a woman." Mister Man said, rolling his eyes.


    "Whoa! Sexist!" Lady Time slapped the man over the head.


    Wyvern clasped her hands together, praying. "A big meteor. Just have a big meteor come down and smash them all. Please, God, that''s all I ask."


    Hope stood off to the side, finally breaking out of Lois''s arms as she frowned. "You know, I gotta say you guys are a lot more badass when the Victorian is around."


    "Well, go ahead and give her a call," Fable grunted out.


    "I can''t."


    "Why not?" Everyone but Lois turned to stare at her in shock.


    "I sort of turned her down when she requested I be her sidekick, and she got pissed and left. Haven''t seen her since. No clue where she is now."


    Lois gave a lazy shrug. "Not even I know where Mom flew off to. She''s above my Paths. Same for Battery. It''s why I haven''t gone directly for him yet."


    "That and the fact he''s one of our friends, right?" She asked nervously.


    "Sure," Lois said flatly.


    She shook her head and grasped Lois by the hands. "Listen. I do need your help. I''m not asking you to fight Battery. The truth is I don''t want to fight him at all, but-"


    Lois smirked and raised a hand up. "Hope, sweetie. This is me we''re talking about. I''m already ahead of you in this conversation. You want our help to storm Battery, knowing he''s going to use Poseidon and other people to protect himself, so you can try and get close to him because you think you can be the person that causes him to change his mind. Is that correct?"


    "Well... Yeah! I need to talk to him! I know that if he and I just talk things out, we can come to some sort of agreement! I believe in him still!"


    "That''s cute, but it won''t be that easy." Lois took a seat and shrugged. "He has the backing of Avalon''s company. At least what''s left of it, that thing was almost as big as the Hero Branch itself, so he''s able to battle them in terms of finances. Secondly, he has Poseidon on his side, who is likely stronger than I am. On top of that fact, he has a seemingly endless spawn of those soldiers he can pull out of his ass and now has Beta on his team as well. If that wasn''t enough, Battery himself is a lot stronger than he should be. He was able to beat my mother, after all. I can say for sure I''m stronger than you, and I don''t really know if I''d be able to beat him in a fight. Now, this wouldn''t be too bad if our goal was to beat him. After all, if I and Fable team up, we''d likely be able to win, even if Beta does get involved, as long as Poseidon was dealt with by you or the others. But you don''t want to beat Battery, do you? You want to talk to him, but I just don''t think that''ll work out. I think it will come to blows, and I also think you''ll lose to him as you are now."


    "Well then, what do we do? We don''t have time to wait; the Murder Games are going to start soon." She argued. "I need to do this now."


    "She''s right." Fable nodded. "I received a call about it earlier. We''ve got a serious time limit. We don''t have Boy Genius with us. Who knows what city the games are going to take place in? We need to put a stop to Battery right now so we can all return to our cities."


    Lois let out a sad sigh. "Sorry, but that won''t work out, either."


    "Why not! You said it yourself. We can beat Battery." Wyvern questioned. "If Lady Time and I distract Poseidon, you and Fable can take Battery while Mister Man deals with Beta. With Cinder here, our odds go up even more. We''ve been trying to get you to act, but you keep refusing."


    "Because if I do, it won''t matter." Lois''s eyes lit up, and for a moment, she saw past the veil of the world. "I''ve been watching it. It''s faint. I don''t know how this path will truly end, but I know that I need to do it. The Loudest Thunder is walking me through it. I''m not meant to stop Battery. Hope is."


    "So then, why aren''t you helping me get to him?" Hope frowned. "I just need you to distract Poseidon, and I''ll talk to him."


    "I already told you that won''t work. You''ll lose as you are now."


    "We don''t have time for this." Mister Man grunted. "Just say what we need to do."


    Lois looked at the man silently before slowly turning to look back at Hope. "It''s on you. You have to do this. It''s all riding up to you."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "When you next see Armin, you have to reach out for him."


    "Armin! Seriously, Lois, what are you talking about-"


    "If I tell you too much, you''ll change the Path!"


    "What are you talking about, though? We don''t have time for this-"


    "You''re right." Lois gave another sad grin. "Time''s up."


    Hope felt her blood suddenly go cold as she stared at the other girl. "What does that mean-"


    "Hope!" Her enhanced senses kicked in just in time, and she spun around and ran toward the van. It was her mother screaming for her. She partially kicked the door down. "Hope, come quick! S- Something''s happening!"


    She came to a sliding stop and froze when she saw it. Kevin and her mom were both standing. Kevin had taken on a large orb-like form with massive spiked tendrils trying to claw at something, but his attack went through it.


    It was a strange little creature. That was the only way she could describe it. It looked vaguely like a human; it reminded her more of a chibi plushie with how big its eyes were. It wasn''t that big, around the size of a plushie doll, and it wore a black dress made out of various wires. It had mostly black hair, with a few bits of green along it, and its eyes looked like a star emoji. It rested on her father''s chest, her dad slowly coming to as he stared at the small doll in confusion.


    "Hello!" The doll spoke in a soft and happy voice. "My name is Arch Angel Gabriel of the Immortals!" The chibi announced, waving its arms back and forth. "You''re Mr. Alexander Lauren, correct? Well, good news! You''ve been accepted as a player in this year''s Murder Game! Congratulations!"

 Chapter One Hundred And Sixty-Nine: The Start Of The Murder Games

    Myth crouched down just in time as a bolt of pinkish energy flew past his head and rammed into the wall behind him. He was already in his lion form, his claws digging into the stone ground of the alleyway he was in.


    Love Doctor let out a growl and stumbled back as her attack missed the hero. "I command that you love me!" She shouted, bringing her hands together into the shape of a heart. More of that pink energy swirled around in it and blasted out toward the hero, but before it could hit Myth, a wave of liquid metal suddenly rose up in front of him, forming a shield. The energy splashed against it and faded, and the lion roared and charged.


    Love Doctor wasn''t very strong. She was a low-level villain dressed in a long white lab coat and a bright pink suit beneath it. Her hair was long, reached down past her back, and dyed a hot pink as well. Her only real strength lay in her ability. Her energy could cause all who were hit by it to fall in love with her. Sadly for her, she hadn''t been able to hit Myth with it.


    Faster than the woman could react, Myth charged forward, appearing on the other side of the alleyway where Love Doctor was. The woman screamed and threw her arms out, but it was too late. Instantly, Myth felt his form shift as he changed into his bull form and smashed a strong fist directly into the woman''s face, easily shattering her jaw and nearly snapping her neck.


    Love Doctor was thrown back and would have smashed into the ground at an extremely fast speed, but before she could, an orange blur zipped down. Drake wrapped his arms around the unconscious woman, stopping her fall, and slowly lowered her to the ground. "Whoa, man, take it easy. You nearly took her head off." Drake winced as he stared down at Love Doctor''s bloodied face.


    "It wouldn''t be the first villain he killed recently..." Oxide muttered, stepping out from behind a large trashcan at the other side of the alleyway they were in.


    "What was that?" Myth grunted out.


    "Nothing." The metal-based hero casually walked past her boss and folded her arms once she was standing next to Drake. It was just the three of them at the moment. Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin were both back at the base with Kyle, getting some much-needed rest. It had been a mostly boring day in the ruins of Oleander City. That was until they got reports Love Doctor was out causing issues. "Hey, I thought we didn''t need to deal with bad guys anymore. Battery''s Giants are supposed to do all the work." The girl hummed, looking up toward one which rested near the edge of the block they were on.


    "Those guys never work," Drake said, rolling his eyes. "They look scary, but it took less than a week for the bad guys to figure out how to get around them. Now all these assholes stick to the sewers or narrow alleyways, and the Giants can''t do shit."


    "I guess Battery''s dropped the ball then." Oxide giggled. "Serves him right."


    "You have no idea." Drake pulled his phone out, handing it over to Oxide. It showed a video of one of the other cities. The Giant there had a massive pile of trash around its ankles, and spectators were throwing things at it. "Not all the cities are happy with the way things are. Especially now that his flaws are starting to be noticed by the villains, this is nothing compared to Rose, though." The video changed and shifted to Rose City. Often considered the greatest of the ten great cities, the streets were a mess, with massive crowds seemingly rioting and screaming for the Victorian''s return. The building Battery had been staying in. It didn''t look too good, and all the damage he had caused to the Enforcers tower was already fixed by Rose''s Cleanup Squad.


    "Even if he did beat the Victorian, people don''t consider him the number one hero yet. No matter how much he insists he is." Myth grunted. "He hasn''t really made any more appearances since all of this started."


    "Poor guy is having it rough." Drake shrugged and took his phone back, calling the Hero Branch. "Yo, we got another one. Love Doctor. We''re near Fly Street; come get her."


    It didn''t take long for the few Hero Branch officers that remained in Oleander to show up and take the unconscious Love Doctor away. She was just a low-level villain with no enhanced strength, and as long as she couldn''t form a heart shape with her hands, she was basically powerless, so the officers just placed restraints on her and threw her into the back of an armored van. They watched it drive off, where it would head for a part of the city where a helicopter from Lillian could land. All of Oleander''s captured villains were being transferred to Lillian, where they would stay in a holding cell until they could figure out what to do with them. The Sub Enforcers had recently defeated Red Ape, and the same thing had happened for that villain. Red Ape was currently locked away in some cell where he''d likely never see the light of day.


    Normally, bad guys would be sent to Nightshade, but because of Battery, that wasn''t an option anymore. Red Ape had gotten lucky, as he was meant to be shipped off to the prison, but it vanished before he could.


    "Let''s head back for today. We''re done." Myth allowed his form to return to normal as he flexed his muscles. "I need a long bath."


    "Finally." Oxide let out a sigh of relief. "It feels like we''ve been working all day."


    "Because we have." Drake winced and rubbed some of the tension out of his shoulder. "Seriously, would it kill you to let us slack off a bit?"


    "We can''t." Myth grunted. "If we do, the bad guys win. And if we aren''t the ones to capture them, then Battery''s Giants will get ahold of them and eat them."


    It wasn''t often Battery''s Giants were able to stop a crime now, but whenever they did, that villain wouldn''t make it too far before the Giant simply grabbed them and devoured them. It was a disturbing yet effective way to get rid of crime.


    "We could always ask Paragon to help us out." Oxide stated.


    Myth shook his head. "No. She''s not part of our team. We needed her help once when we were dealing with Zoo, but that''s it. She''s done more than enough."


    "Pretty sure she wouldn''t mind..."


    "I said no."


    "Geez. Okay, mister grumpy." Oxide rolled her eyes and stayed silent for the rest of the walk back to their base.


    It didn''t take them very long to get back to the falling-apart tower in which their realm was held. When they stepped out of the elevator, they heard laughter. It was enough to lighten the mood for Drake and Oxide, and the two moved into the hallway in the manner they lived in. At the kitchen table, Kyle, Kenny, and Rowan all resided.


    "What''s with all the laughter?" Ashley asked with a smile. Her metal suit dripped off her body and fell to the floor, leaving her in the civilian clothes she had on beneath it. Drake casually unzipped his tracksuit jacket and placed it on a nearby chair.


    "Kyle was just telling us a funny story." Rowan chuckled and clapped his friend on the back.


    "Oh? What kind of story?" Drake asked, taking a seat at the table.


    Kyle gave a sad smile, and his head bowed slightly as he stared down at the table. "Actually, it was a story my dad used to tell me." That caused the laughter to stop. "He used to be a low-level police officer, and back when he first started, he was a total noob. Ended up shooting himself in the foot by accident." Kyle tried to crack a smile, but it didn''t seem to work.


    Kenny leaned forward and let out a sigh. "Have you heard anything about your dad recently?"


    "How could I?" Kyle sighed and shook his head. "I''ve been stuck in this realm."


    "He''s likely alive." Rowan tried to say it in a positive tone, but it came out awkwardly. "I''m pretty sure he would have been transferred to Lillian somewhere."


    "Maybe, but it doesn''t really matter now, does it?" Kyle said sadly.


    "Of course it does." Ashley stared down at the caramel-skinned boy, who was frowning. "You know what? Let''s go check out Lillian tomorrow. I''ll take you there, Kyle."


    "What? Why would you do that?"


    "Because I''m a hero, and I''m sick and tired of seeing a city look like a warzone." Ashley huffed out. "It''ll do me some good to walk around Lillian. I assume that''s okay, Myth?" The girl shot a look toward their new leader, who stayed near the entrance.


    Myth let out a small grunt and began to walk away, heading for his room. "Do whatever you want." Myth stated in a blunt tone. The dark-skinned man opened the door to his room and slammed it shut.


    "What crawled up his ass?" Rowan whispered.


    "Battey." Drake and Ashley said flatly.


    "Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."


    "I think Battery not doing anything recently has ticked him off more than when the man first started his dumbass plan." Kenny snorted. "Seriously, who does he think he is? He shows up and fights the Enforcers, kicks them all out, and then declares he''s the new number-one hero. He''s lucky we don''t have Full Monarch with us anymore. Otherwise, he''d be getting the ass-beating of a lifetime. He''s acting almost as bad as the Emperor."


    "Has the Emperor done anything?" Kyle asked quietly. "I mean, I haven''t heard anything about him since..."


    "Since your dad." Rowan winced.


    "Yeah."


    Ashley placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward, staring down at the non-powered boy. "Seriously, Kyle, stop being so gloomy. First thing tomorrow, I''ll take you to Lillian and let you get some fresh air."


    Kyle managed to crack a smile and nodded his head. "Right. Thanks, Oxide."


    The others began to talk amongst themselves, but Kyle barely paid attention. He simply sat there and watched his friends. Drake, Ashley, Rowan, and Kenny. Despite everything that had happened to him so far, despite all the horrors he had gone through, he was at least a little happy about the fact that he was surrounded by such good people. Such kind people. Maybe... Maybe it was about time his luck started to change. Maybe things would finally start to go his way-


    A bright flash appeared above the table, catching them all off guard. They instantly all stumbled back as the flash began to take shape and formed together into something. Screams of panic echoed through the manor, and Myth kicked his door down just in time to see the light take shape. It formed into what looked almost like a small plushie toy. The kind you would give a baby or something to sleep with. It was chibi and small and wore a dress made of wires. It had the appearance of a young girl, and a smile was on the doll''s face as its eyes stared at Kyle, who was staring down at it in horror.


    "Hello!" The doll spoke in a soft and happy voice. "My name is Arch Angel Gabriel of the Immortals!" The chibi announced, waving its arms back and forth. "You''re Mr. Kyle Brenner, correct? Well, good news! You''ve been accepted as a player in this year''s Murder Game! Congratulations!"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "What!" Kyle dropped to the floor in shock.


    Myth let out a roar and blasted forward, swinging his fist out as hard as he could. His hand literally went through the doll and tore the table in half. The doll stood up and walked through the hero. Kyle backed away, but it was faster. Oxide tried grabbing it as well, but it went through her and landed down in Kyle''s lap.


    "Time to go!"


    "N- No." Kyle''s eyes were wide, and tears were streaming down his face. It was happening. The thing his father figure fought against, the reason his dad did what he did. It had arrived. The end of his life was here. "I refuse!"


    "Sorry. But you can''t." The doll cocked its head to the side, and the two of them glowed. Wasp Nest scattered his body into wasps trying to grab Kyle, but just like the doll, Kyle was impossible to touch, all the bugs phasing through the boy. "I''ll be teleporting us to the city the game is taking place in now!"


    "Help me!"


    Those were the last words Kyle managed to get out before he vanished in a simple flash of light.


    "Kyle!" Rowan jumped for his friend, but it was too late. Kyle was gone. Kyle was now a player in the Murder Games.


    Kyle wasn''t the only person being selected, however. At that exact moment, four other people, each from a different city, all found themselves being suddenly approached by the Immortal.


    Meanwhile, within the city of Dandelion, a recent hero was on the scene!


    Phoenix stared down at the streets below through a pair of binoculars that he had. "The riots still haven''t calmed down." The young hero muttered out. Dandelion was the city of Mister Man. It was a gloomy, dark place that always rained and seemed depressing. The people that lived here all walked around with guns and never took anyone''s crap. That included the Giants that were here now. The people raged at the feet of them, firing at them and throwing anything they could get their hands on at the dark figures. "When will they hurry up and stop?"


    Phoenix was a young hero. Only about seventeen, he should have been placed onto a Sub Enforcers team, but he decided to strike out as a solo hero instead. His costume was a dark blue in design, looking almost like a skydiving suit. It had a section connected to his arms that could fold out into wings, and he wore a bird mask that covered his upper face. Flame-looking symbols danced across his costume, and a few feathers were attached to his back.


    At one point in time, people expected big things from this young hero. This is because of a lie Max Lightning told. Max Lightning, in order to hide Cinder''s identity, had told the Victorian that he believed a boy with flame-based powers in his city was the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. That boy was none other than Phoenix. He had been sent to Dandelion and forced to work directly under Mister Man up until it was discovered he wasn''t the Lord, at which point he was discarded and forgotten about. Despite that, though, Phoenix was far from weak. This disgrace that he had faced had only motivated him and left him with a new goal.


    Surpass Cinder.


    "Who cares if they''re still rioting?" A voice called out from behind Phoenix. The hero stood on top of a building and kept a constant lookout down on the people below, but he wasn''t alone.


    Slowly, Phoenix turned around with a soft frown on his face. "I care, Master Ros."


    A young man was on the other side of the roof. He had ashen skin and long, snow-white hair. His eyes were a light blue and held a twinkle in them, and he was dressed in an expensive suit. He held an umbrella above him, doing his best to stop the constant pouring of rain. "What have I told you, Phoenix? Stop calling me ''Master Ros''. Just Evan will do. We''re friends, you know."


    "I can not." Phoenix shook his head. "I promised your parents I would take care of you. I am fulfilling the role of a knight, and you are my prince."


    "How romantic."


    "N- Not like that." Phoenix cleared his throat and did his best to ignore the other boy''s teasing look. "You might be able to treat a situation like this lightly, Master Ros, but I can not. It is my job to ensure nothing happens to you. Riots like these can get out of hand, so I will remain on the lookout and ensure they do not cause harm to you or this building you call home. Now, please, go back inside-"


    The water above Phoenix stopped falling down onto him as the umbrella Evan held was placed over him. The young prince stood directly behind him now and gave a soft smile. "Only if you agree to come in as well."


    Phoenix was glad he was wearing a mask because he was pretty sure his face was pure red. "I- I can not-"


    "Come on." Evan wrapped his arm around Phoenix''s. "It''s way too cold out here for you to be doing this."


    Phoenix gave a faint nod and finally turned away, no longer looking at the crowd. "Well... I guess it''s okay to take a small break."


    "Of course it is." Evan''s grin grew as he headed for a door on the other side of the roof, practically dragging his friend with him. "You agreed to keep my family safe and are doing it practically for free. I don''t have powers. I''m not a Super, but I know you guys still need rest. I don''t want you getting hurt on my behalf." Phoenix muttered a few things quietly under his breath. "What was that?" Evan teased.


    "I said you''re too kind..."


    They were about to reach the door and head back inside when it happened... Phoenix spotted it out of the corner of his eye. It was a bright flash of light. He threw himself in front of Evan, greenish-blue fire blasting off of his arms, but it was too late. The shining glob of light took shape, forming into a small doll of Gabriel. The doll looked up, meeting Evan''s eyes, and the boy stared down at it in shock.


    "Evan Ros!" It spoke in a cheerful tone. "Congratulations!"


    Meanwhile, in Violet, a young eight-year-old girl kicked her legs back and forth slowly. She rested on a small park bench, and she watched the other kids around her play. Her name was Irene Milas.


    Irene was a quiet girl. One with messy brown hair and green eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses she wore. Violet was a city owned by Fable, and many of its people wore old-timey clothing. She was a bit of an exception, however. She came from the Milas family, one equal in power to the Wards. She was dressed in a simple business suit and clutched a book beneath her arms.


    Even at such a young age, she was being taught what she needed to do. She was part of the main branch family, and so it would one day be her turn to take it over and rule as Lady Milas. At least, should she survive until adulthood, that is...


    A few Hero Branch officers moved toward the young girl. "Ms. Milas, it''s time we get you back home. Your mother asked us to escort you."


    The little girl sighed and nodded her head. "Okay. Let''s head back then. I''ve enjoyed my time outside-"


    A flash appeared in front of her, and Irene felt herself be tackled to the ground by one of her soldiers as guns were drawn. Screams filled the park, and people began to run. She was scooped up in one officer''s arms and carried away, but she managed to look over his shoulder just in time to see the light form into the shape of a small doll. Faster than anyone could react, the doll was on her, staring directly into her eyes.


    "Congratulations, Irene Milas!"


    Meanwhile, in a prison cell somewhere beneath Lillian City, a man shrouded in shadows stared down at the doll that was at his feet. "So you''re saying I''m a player?" The man asked calmly.


    "Yep!" Gabriel announced. "Hey, you''re a lot calmer than the others have been so far."


    The man just chuckled. "So... Looks like I''ll be playing in the Murder Games this year." His body began to glow as he got ready to be transported. "Watch out, Lucifer. I''m coming for you."


    As for who this unnamed fourth man is, that remains to be seen...


    That left just one more player. All the way in Gladiolus City, Alexander Lauren felt his body begin to glow as the Immortal member sat on his chest. "W- What''s happening!" Alexander gasped out.


    Hope struck out with her hand, but her eyes went wide when it phased through the strange doll-like entity. Gabriel giggled a bit and shrugged. "I am transporting you and all players to the location where the games will be held. We pick a city every year and play there. A barrier will be set up, making it impossible for any hero to get in. Isn''t that wonderful? This year, a very special city was also picked!"


    "Get the hell off my dad!" Hope screamed. The doll was glowing brightly now, and that light was starting to cover her father. She tried grabbing her father, but her hand was going through him. She couldn''t get either of them; neither could Kevin. Her mom stood frozen in shock and horror as the flashing got faster. "Stop it!"


    The door to the van exploded open as Fable and Wyvern came crashing in. They both stood there in shock when they saw what was happening. "Shit!" Fable cursed out. "It''s starting!"


    "What!" Mister Man said in horror. "What city-"


    "Who the fuck cares!" Hope screamed as loudly as she could. "Save my dad!" She tried again, and again, and again, but it wasn''t working. She couldn''t touch either of them. Her father was about to be taken away, and there wasn''t anything she could do. She was helpless. Forced to watch. Alexander stared into her eyes, and she could see the horror and fear in them. "Take me instead!" She begged.


    "Nah. We don''t pick Supers as players." The doll shrugged. "Sorry. Bye-bye!"


    "No! Brightest Star, you can have my body!" She cried out. "I''ll give it to you, whatever you want, just save my dad-"


    All at once it stopped. In a single flash the light was gone, as was her father and the doll of Gabriel. The Murder Games was starting, and Alexander Lauren was a player. Her father. A game that the heroes have never managed to beat. Something that has always ended with Lucifer''s victory. Her father was...


    Hope felt pure rage, and she didn''t wait for Kevin or her mother to say anything. In an instant, the roof of the van exploded as she jumped through the ride and crashed directly onto Lois in the real world. Lightning Empress gasped, but she gave the girl no time.


    "You knew!" She screamed. "You knew this was going to happen! You knew, didn''t you!"


    Lightning Empress stared up into Cinder''s rage-filled eyes. Despite how terrifying it looked, the Lord of the Sky managed to crack a smile. "Yeah... I knew he was going to be a player-" Red. Lois only saw red as Cinder smashed her fist down into her face as hard as the girl could. Lightning Empress gasped out as her nose practically exploded and blood gushed down her face.


    "You bitch!" Hope punched out again as hard as she could. "Why! Why would you let something like that happen? Why!" She struck again and again, hitting her friend with everything she had over and over and over-


    "That''s enough!"


    Fable grabbed her and tried to yank her off, but she elbowed the man as hard as she could, nearly downing him. Before she could strike again, her body suddenly moved in slow motion as Lady Time hit her, and Mister Man appeared in front of her, placing his gun to her head. Wyvern''s tail wrapped around her wrist, stopping her arm, and Pretty Face summoned several of his ghostly clones that surrounded her.


    Fable managed to stand back up, and this time, he did yank her off of Lois. "Stop. That''s enough. You''ll kill her if you hit her again."


    She breathed heavily, her jaw clenched, but she finally took note of Lois. The girl''s face almost caved in, and she looked down at her knuckles, finding that they had become nasty red. Lois hadn''t fought back. The girl allowed her to beat on her as much as she wanted to. "Why..." She spat out again. "Why did you do it?" She was practically sobbing now. "Why didn''t you do anything about it!" It felt worse than Battery''s betrayal. Lois had done nothing. The girl was the Lord of the Sky and Weather, yet just stayed in her city, not helping out, and hadn''t bothered to warn her about what was going to happen to her dad.


    Lois spat something out as the girl tried to sit up. Lady Time offered a hand to Lightning Empress, easing the hero back up. "I- It was- T- The only way... If- If you knew you- You would have stopped at nothing t- To stop him from being a player. Y- You can''t, though. No one can. T- This is the only way. The only path I saw that I liked. Th- The only one wi- with a semi g- good ending."


    "Explain." She growled out. By now, her mom and Kevin had managed to step out of the van, but she didn''t focus on them. Instead, she glared directly at her trusted friend and teammate. "I''m serious, Whisper. I need to know!" Max Lightning had done this as well. Always keeping the secrets. So focused on the story he wanted to follow, he let those around him get hurt. Maybe it was a trait all Lords of the Sky and Weather carried. "Now!"


    Lightning Empress managed to crack a weak smile. "You''re about to find out."


    "What?" Instantly, Hope felt herself slip forward as Fable let go of her. She took that as her chance, and she threw out another punch toward Lois, but much to her shock, her hand phased through Lois''s head. She stumbled forward and passed through both Lady Time and Lightning Empress. That was when she realized it. Fable hadn''t let go. He couldn''t touch her anymore because she was glowing. Just as her father had.


    "What''s going on?" Jane yelled out in horror.


    Lois let out another weak chuckle. "S- She''s been selected."


    "I thought we were just told Supers can''t be selected as players?" Kevin asked in shock.


    "They can''t." Lady Time said sternly. "She''s not going to be a player. Players are resolved solely for non-Supers. She''s going to be assigned a different role."


    "What role?"


    "I don''t know." Lady Time stared at Cinder with annoyance. "The games are always different."


    Hope went to say something, but she wasn''t fast enough. In an instant, she felt something grab hold of her. It was like a hand dug into her stomach, and she was suddenly dragged. The world around her seemed to shift and break away in a swirling mass of lights, and the next thing she knew, she was tumbling to the ground. She felt herself hit the floor and found she was now face down in the grass.


    She was away from the others and moved to who knows where. She spat some of the grass and struggled to stand. She wasn''t in a city. At least none that she knew. It was more of a forest. A field of oak trees stretched out all around her in different directions, and grass was everywhere she looked. The sky above was more blue than she had ever seen, seemingly unaffected by pollution, and the air even tasted different. Better even. Her world was spinning as she processed this, and then she heard a voice.


    "Hope?"


    She spun around and came face to face with her dad. He was standing now. "Dad!" She ran forward and crashed into his arms.


    "Oh, thank God you''re here! I guess that girl wasn''t lying."


    "Girl? What do you mean?" She asked, looking up at her dad.


    "That weird-ass doll. It took me to this forest and asked me to pick a hero to be my bodyguard. I selected you without thinking, and then you just showed up."


    "Seriously?"


    "Hello!" She jumped when a third voice joined them, and she spun around to find that the doll was back. The chibi Gabriel floated in the air a few feet and stared directly at her. "You are the hero, Cinder, correct? The player Alexander Lauren has assigned you as his bodyguard! From this point on, you are given a simple quest! Keep Alexander Lauren alive! Good luck! Let the Murder Games begin!"

 Chapter One Hundred And Seventy: Picking A Class

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh-"


    Kyle often found himself jealous of his friends. They were all Supers, stronger than him, faster than him, and smarter than him. They also were all able to stick the landing. Even Hope. He, however, was unable. So, as soon as he found himself being warped through space, he also found himself screaming as he blinked into existence above the ground.


    He dropped down fast, smashing onto his back, leaving him as a groaning mess. His world was still spinning, but he was able to tell right away that he wasn''t in Oleander City anymore. He took several moments to steady his breathing and clear his blurry vision, but eventually, he sat up, letting out one last moan of pain.


    "No, no, no¡ªthis can''t seriously be happening, is it?" Kyle winced and stared with wide eyes at where he was. "Seriously. Why me? Why did my dad have to be right? Why did I have to be picked for this stupid fucking game!"


    He knew enough about the Murder Games. His father had forced him to study up on them. Two years ago, he was caught in the middle of one, although he wasn''t a player at the time. Whenever the game was held, it would take place in a city, and five players would be selected. It would go until the rules of the game finished, and then a few years later a new game would be held in a new city. Since these games took place in cities, there were plenty of people who weren''t players that were caught in the crossfire. Those people would have the privilege of being players for the next game if they were chosen. That was how Lucifer got his players, each game constantly marking the poor bastards caught in the middle to be future players.


    It was made all the worse by the fact the heroes couldn''t do anything once the game started. A shield would appear around the city in question, coating it from top to bottom. Not even the Victorian could get through. So, the only help the players would get was from the heroes trapped in the city with them.


    This was most of what he had been taught by his dad. His father had always been paranoid and feared something like this would happen one day. However, as Kyle used the knowledge his dad had drilled into him, he instantly became confused by what he saw.


    He wasn''t in a city. At least none that he knew.


    There weren''t any massive towers or small buildings. There weren''t any people running around, and there weren''t any roads or anything like that. Instead, he was in an open field. One that seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see. In the distance, he saw a running river, and even further past that, giant mountains hung. He knew that each city could be vastly different, but this was just too insane to be any of them. It was as if he hadn''t been teleported to any of the ten great cities.


    But if that was the case... Then where the hell was he?


    "Hello!"


    "Ahh-" Once more, Kyle screamed and stumbled back, falling onto his butt as he stared up at the thing that had spoken. Gabriel was back. At least that weird chibi doll form of her was. The thing stared down at him and looked almost like some sort of anime mascot or something, having a bigger head than its body, a weirdly tiny mouth, and massive eyes. "G- Get the hell away from me!" Kyle yelled as loud as he could and did his best to sound cool and brave. As he crawled further away from the thing, he managed to scoop up some rocks and chucked them at the floating doll, but just like before, his attack went right through it. This thing was more like a hologram than a person.


    Gabriel giggled and floated closer. "That won''t work, silly. Now, be silent. I need to explain who I am."


    "Who you are? I know who you are!" Kyle hissed out. "You''re Gabriel! One of the Immortals!"


    "Not exactly." The weird creature giggled again and twirled. "I''m actually Gabby! I''m a construct made from her power! Pretty cool, huh?"


    "No!"


    "Ah, what do you know?" Gabby folded her arms and rolled her eyes, still floating in the air. "You''re just a dumb human anyway."


    "Hey!"


    "Now listen!" Gabby snapped her fingers and landed on the ground in front of him, staring up into his eyes. "I am Gabby, and I am here to serve the role of an assistant. I will be monitoring you as well as helping you out."


    "H¡ªhelping me out? Y- You''re lying!" Kyle stood up and glared down at Gabby. He tried to stomp the doll out, but of course, his foot phased right through it. His efforts only managed to make it giggle again.


    "I can''t lie. Trust me."


    "I don''t!"


    "Too bad, so sad! Now listen." Gabby let out a soft hum and tilted her head up. "This year''s game is a little special and different. You might have noticed the city you have been transported to?"


    "What city? I''m in the middle of nowhere!"


    "It might look that way to you, but I assure you, this is technically a city." Gabby hummed. "See, in a normal game, we spawn you five players randomly throughout the city. You then have one hour to prepare and get ready before the hunt begins. During this hour, you are allowed to use anything in the city to protect yourself, even the people, should you wish. We have no issue with you using them as meat shields. In fact, we encourage it. It gives us more things to slaughter!"


    "You''re sick..."


    Gabby''s smile only grew. "That said, this isn''t a normal game. See, recently, Father has teamed up with a... Well, he''s quite a rude fucker if I do say so." Gabby said in a crude tone. "But Father has agreed to his terms. You would know him as the Emperor." Kyle flinched and felt his face pale. He felt sick at his stomach. As if he was about to throw up at any second now. It really was a nightmare. Not only was he trapped in the Murder Games, but the Emperor, the man who hated humans more than any other person, was also here. He was basically dead already. "It is thanks to working with the Emperor that Father is able to host the games in this city." Gabby continued. "Because of how harsh it is this year, Father has decided to handicap us and give you players an advantage."


    "W- What do you mean?" Kyle stared down at the creature weakly. Surely it didn''t matter. Not anymore.


    "Instead of giving you one hour to prepare, we will be giving you one week. There will be one week where we, the Immortals, shall not come after you. You will not see or hear from us. However, at the full moon of the seventh day, our hunt will begin, and rest assured, we will find all of you, and we will kill you. Slowly, painfully, and we''ll have one hell of a time while we do it." Gabby giggled when he collapsed again. He dropped to his knees and had to hold the contents of his stomach in. "I should also mention that Father has released several other obstacles in this city, and there were other dangers that were here even before we arrived. Many villain gangs, such as the ones the Emperor took over, have been placed in this city. Unlike us, they will be hunting you down right away. They have been promised vast wealth and fortune should they catch a player and slaughter them. As we speak, some are likely looking for you."


    "So I''m dead." Kyle let out a weak laugh and shook his head. "That''s what you''re telling me, right? That I''ve already lost. Yeah, real helpful you are, you useless piece of shit." In a way he was actually happy. If another villain found him and killed him, he at least wouldn''t have to worry about being added to Lucifer''s tome.


    Gabby just giggled again. "I did say I was going to offer help, did I not? There is one more thing I will tell you. You are allowed one bodyguard."


    "What? What do you mean?"


    "This year is truly a special game. Not only is Father part of it, but the Emperor is as well. In order to even allow you to stand a chance, Father has agreed to let you pick one hero to select as your bodyguard, and I will teleport that hero to your side-"


    "Victorian! I want the Victorian! Make her my bodyguard!" Kyle yelled it out as loudly as he could, his eyes wide. Maybe it wasn''t all lost. Maybe he could actually come out on top if someone like her was allowed to join-


    "She cannot be invited-"


    "Oh fuck you!" Kyle threw another rock at the floating creature. "Battery then!"


    "He can not-"


    "Then who can I have! Those two are the only ones that even stand a chance!"


    Gabby let out another hum and tilted her head. "The hero must be someone you know. Someone personal to you that you have a connection with. I can''t just grab any random hero. You must be able to put your trust in them, and they in you."


    Kyle felt a knot in his stomach, but he managed to nod. "Okay... Yeah... I have someone in mind." He stopped for a moment and suddenly felt guilty. To force them to join the game was cruel, but what other choice did he have... "Cinder. I pick Cinder. I want her to be my bodyguard."


    Gabby gave a nod. "Yes. She may be selected as your¡ªand she''s gone."


    "Huh?"


    "Someone else has selected Cinder as their bodyguard."


    "Son of a bitch!" Kyle dropped onto the ground and grabbed his head. He rolled around and tugged at his hair, letting out an assortment of curses and screams. Slowly, he calmed down and sighed. "M- Myth?"


    "Not able to be picked by you, I''m afraid-"


    "Fuck it, just give me Metal Ronin."


    "Very well."


    "Really? I can pick him?"


    "Yep." Gabby glowed with a bright white color, and then in a loud ''pop,'' another person suddenly tumbled to the ground. Rowan let out a loud groan and rested on the ground, staring up at the sky. "Metal Ronin has been selected as your bodyguard. His role is to keep you safe and ensure you live."


    Rowan managed to push himself up and clutched at the back of his head, letting out a weak hiss. "What the hell just happened?" He stopped suddenly when he saw Gabby and Kyle. "Kyle?"


    "It actually worked," Kyle said, stunned. "She brought you here."


    "Wait, you''re why I''m here?"


    "Y- Yeah. I was told to pick a bodyguard."


    "Why didn''t you pick the Victorian-"


    "Wouldn''t work."


    "Ah." Rowan nodded and frowned as he looked around. "Shit, this is real, isn''t it?" I''m not dreaming. I''m a member of the Murder Games now, aren''t I?"


    "You have been assigned the role of bodyguard," Gabby said cheerfully. "Your job is to keep your player safe."


    Rowan''s eyes narrowed at the doll, and he tried to take a swing at it with his fist, but his hand phased through it. He let out a sigh and stood up slowly. "Seriously, screw all of you Immortal assholes."


    Gabby chuckled. "You may ask your player the dangers you will face. I have already informed them of what''s to come. Now that the two of you are together, I suggest you get on the move. You have one week before we hunt you down. In other words, you have one week to finish the game."


    Kyle helped Rowan up, and the two boys looked around at where they should go. Besides the mountain and the river in the distance, the field they were in seemed to stretch on for miles, with no obvious structure in sight. If they really were being hunted down, then it likely wasn''t good to be out in the open like this. Rowan looked back at Gabby and frowned. "I don''t really get what''s going on. Normally I''d be freaking out, but I''m going to keep it together for my friend''s sake. That said, I do have a question."


    "What''s that?" Gabby cocked her head to the side.


    "How do we win?"


    "What do you mean?" Kyle looked at his friend, confused.


    Rowan just smirked. "If this really is a ''game,'' then there has to be a way for us to win. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be fair, and they seem to at least care about giving us a fighting chance if they let you bring me here and also are giving us a head start. If the goal is to just kill us, they''d kill us, but a game has to be able to be beaten, right?"


    Gabby''s eyes lit up. "Oh. You''re kind of clever. Another bodyguard asked this question as well, so I''ll tell you what I told her. The players have two ways to win the Murder Games, while we Immortals also have two ways to win. For us, our way of winning is to take all you players out. Either because you die from a villain attack or one of our member''s hands, it doesn''t matter. We just need to kill all but one of you."


    "All but one of us?" Kyle frowned at that.


    "Yep. One of you will leave. See, we hold these games to get new bodies. We wear these skin suits, and eventually, they get used and need to be exchanged. The last player standing will be allowed a place at our side and made into a new member of our games." Gabby''s words caused both boys to turn a little green. "That''s actually one of the win conditions you players get. See, if you can hunt down the other players, you can kill them all and be the last one left standing. That''s how the last game ended. We got to play for a bit, but one of the players, oh, was she feisty. She killed all the other players and allowed herself to join our family. Metatron really is a sweet girl." Gabby cued.


    "Shit." Rowan shook his head. "So not only do we have to deal with wherever the hell we are, we also have to deal with other villains, the Immortals, and other players as well that will try to save themselves. And I''m guessing each player gets a bodyguard as well?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Correct!"


    "I''m sorry for getting you involved." Kyle sighed.


    "Don''t be." Rowan shook his head. "I was placed as your bodyguard even before this game. It''s my fault you''re in this mess; I should have never let my guard down. Maybe if I had been paying more attention, I could have stopped you from getting teleported or something." Rowan folded his arms and grunted. "What are the second conditions? You said each side has two win cons."


    Gabby clapped her hands together, her grin getting even larger. "The second way the Immortals win is secret. I can''t tell you. As for how you players can all win without killing each other, it''s actually simple. You just kill us instead. Or actually, I should really say, you kill Father."


    "Father is Lucifer, right?" Rowan let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "Bastard Immortal, if Full Monarch couldn''t do it, I doubt I can. Shit. Oh well, I''ll figure something out."


    Kyle stepped forward, shifting slightly. "I have another question before we go."


    "Yes?" Gabby once again cocked her head to the side and fluttered her eyes slightly.


    "W- Where are we exactly?" Kyle questioned. "You said we only got here thanks to the Emperor and that it''s a city? But it isn''t a city that I recognize."


    Gabby''s grin faded, and the girl''s look grew serious. "To tell you the truth, I hate this place. I really wish Father didn''t come here, but he knows best, I guess. This is a city, but it has been changed quite drastically. You would know it as Chrysanthemum."


    Rowan and Kyle both froze as the name of the city left Gabby''s mouth. This time, Kyle was unable to stop himself, and he threw up. Things were so, so much worse than they knew. Not only were they in the Murder Games, not only was the Emperor involved somehow, but they were in a city that no longer existed.


    They were past the walls of the Chrysanthemum and resided in a place where a calamity-level threat resided. In other words, something just as powerful as the Beast, or the Emperor, resided in this city...


    "Fair game, my ass..." Rowan bowed his head. "Shit... Yeah, sorry, Kyle, but I think we''re dead..."


    ***


    "Chrysanthemum, huh?" Hope crossed her legs and used the hilt of her sword to spell out the city''s name in the mud. "That''s not good."


    "Chrysanthemum? Isn''t that the city that got covered in a lot of walls?" Alexander asked, folding his arms. He stood behind his daughter, who had remained shockingly calm as he watched her draw on the forest floor.


    "Yeah." Hope nodded her head slowly, a small frown on her face. "Seriously bad stuff for us. I think."


    "You think?"


    She knew a bit about Chrysanthemum. She and Armin used to stay up late reading horror stories about the city. It was the newest Calamity to face the world. Chrysanthemum used to be a city, but a few years ago, it was destroyed by the Beast. Like always, the Beast ended up causing more chaos after it left. A few members of the Cleanup Squad had been sent in to check out the city''s state as well as try to find any survivors who had been left behind. It was during that time they stumbled upon the corpse of Legend. Legend had been a member of the Enforcers who died in the fight. Or at least, he ''had'' died. He didn''t stay dead...


    That corpse of his woke up and nearly killed Myth and Poseidon. It had been around this time that the Cleanup Squad arrived on the scene. They had called for the Victorian, and she arrived just in time to see Legend''s body changing. It was twisting and morphing into something else. Not just him, but the city around him, as well as the poor Cleanup Squad members that had been caught in the radius of the strange energy he had been giving off.


    Boy Genius wasn''t a member of the Enforcers at the time, but Avalon was able to scan the energy and inform the Hero Branch it was the same type of power Lucifer had. Legend''s walking corpse was letting out a strange radiation that caused all humans that got near him to shift and change. The Victorian tried to fight Legend at the time, but due to the state she was in after the Beast, she fled and took Myth and Poseidon with her. Avalon later blocked off the city, deeming it too late to do anything, as Legend''s new power was far too dangerous. The man had woken up as a Calamity, one that would end all life if he ever got out of the city.


    That was why Chrysanthemum was considered to be a Calamity-level threat. The entire city was flooded with Legend''s radiation, and Avalon had formed several massive domes, which he placed over the city, walling it in and blocking it off.


    People sometimes referred to the city as the ''Zombie City'' and viewed what was inside of it as a real-life zombie virus. She honestly wasn''t too sure about that and had no real clue what was in it; she just knew that it was bad. Armin had constantly insisted it was worse than zombies and was actually robots, but she didn''t really trust that view either...


    Either way, if they were in Chrysanthemum City, then it wasn''t good for them. Especially because she knew what had actually happened to Legend, he had become a Ruler. Or rather, he was always a Ruler, able to come back from the dead, much like Lucifer and the Emperor could. The reason his energy was like Lucifer''s was because they all got it from the same source.


    "Why doesn''t it look like a city?" Hope looked up at the floating Gabby doll that was in the air above them. The thing had teleported her here and told her the rules, the fact they had a week, and she had to keep her father alive; she had basically asked it every question she could think of and was confident she knew the basics. She at least had an idea of how to get out of here. She just needed to kill Lucifer.


    "Legend''s body became totally corrupted by the energy that was held within him," Gabby explained. "This power normally brought him back, but he had used it so much it kept growing and growing until it soon spilled out of him. Avalon called this energy a type of radiation, but it would actually be akin to saying it''s more like magic, simply defying logic."


    "What does that mean exactly?" Alexander asked hesitantly. "And is it safe for me to be here?"


    "Of course, it''s not safe; you''re in a death game." Gabby laughed at her joke but slowly came down to land on Alexander''s head. "Don''t worry, though; Legend has since gained control of the energy within himself. Or at least whatever is now in control of Legend''s body. It doesn''t really do anything. Not anymore. It simply stays put in its home and stares up at the sky. I think it''s waiting. As for why you aren''t in a city anymore, you actually are."


    "That''s not possible." Hope shook her head and looked out at the vast expanse of forest that was around her. She felt her eyes sting a bit as she forced her enhanced senses to kick in, and she stared past all the trees, seeing further in the distance than any human should be able to. It just kept going. The forest would end, and she''d find herself staring past a field. That would eventually end, and a series of hills would meet her gaze. For miles, they stretched. Hundreds of times bigger than any city should be. "I''ve never been to Chrysanthemum, but I doubt it''s this big."


    "It is odd, isn''t it?" Gabby smirked slightly. "You''ve seen something like this before, though, haven''t you, sweet Cinder?"


    Hope closed her eyes and thought for a moment. She recalled the Beast fight. More specifically, what happened toward the end of it? Sky had forced her realm into the real world. "We''re in a realm?" She finally asked. Most realms had different colored skies or strange grass, but this one was shockingly normal.


    "Correct." Gabby nodded her head. "That was the true reason this place was locked down. Avalon was scared what would happen if Legend''s power kept growing. It wasn''t truly the people that were affected by his radiation. Instead, it was the world itself. That''s why I said it was like magic. Legend turned the very ground he stood on into a new world. Everything that touched his energy found itself changing and shifting, growing and molding. Chrysanthemum was placed under a series of massive barriers that sealed it off, yet that wasn''t able to stop the growth within the walls. What was once a small city has been changed into a world. One nearly as big as the planet itself. Should Avalon have not stopped Legend, it''s possible the man''s power would keep growing like a cancer until soon the entire universe was replaced by his realm. His kingdom. Thus is the power of a Ruler. The Ruler of Ash and Ruin, the God."


    Alexander bit his lip slightly as he placed his hand on a tree and rubbed it. "Seriously? So we''re in a realm of some sort? That''s so odd."


    "Is it?" Gabby''s eyes flashed with amusement. "This is something any Lord could do. Father is a Ruler, and thus it is only natural Rulers are just as good, if not better than the Lords."


    Hope slowly stood up. She still had the jacket Dense Iron gave her, as well as the backpack that now held her sword. She grabbed the straps and adjusted it slightly, her mind racing. "So, if I understand correctly, the Murder Games has five players. Each player gets a bodyguard, and the job of a bodyguard is to keep their player safe. So I have to keep my dad safe. We''ll be faced with various villains that have been set loose who will all be coming for us. The place we''re in is basically a mini planet, and God only knows how big it is. We have one week to come up with a game plan before the Immortals come hunting for us. Oh, also, the freaking Emperor and Legend might also both get involved as well? Did I get all of that?"


    "Yep! That sounds about right-"


    Hope tried to swat at the doll, but her hand went right through it. "You guys are so cheating! Fair my ass, how are we supposed to win!" She huffed. "Seriously, you guys have three mega-strong dudes on your side! That''s not fair for us! This entire game is rigged!"


    Gabby poked her tongue out at the raven-haired hero and flew into the air, getting off of Alexander''s shoulder. "All you bodyguards and players are big babies. You''re taking all the fun out of this, you know."


    "Such a shame; how about you just let us go since we''re no fun?" Alexander begged.


    "No," Gabby responded in a flat tone. "I will do something just as good, though."


    "Just as good as letting us get out of here? I''m going to go ahead and press ''F'' to doubt that." Hope said, rolling her eyes. "What do you have, though? Have you been holding out on us?"


    Gabby gave a large smirk and flicked her hand out. "This is something for the bodyguards only. We only pick humans as players, and they don''t get anything special. The Emperor knew you''d be a player, Cinder, so he made something special for you and the other bodyguards. I was debating not giving it out, but since you''ve all whined, I''ll go ahead and hand it over. See, he''s a real nice guy to Supers; he truly does love our kind, just as much as he despises humans. So without further ado, I''ll give you the Emperor''s gift."


    She almost didn''t want to know what it was, but any help they could get was needed. She watched as Gabby snapped, and suddenly, something appeared in front of her. It glowed brightly and formed a floating square. It was a light blue color, and her father gasped and stumbled backward as the thing phased into existence before her eyes. She stared at it in shock. It was something she knew.


    A system window.


    Armin and she used to read a ton of web novels, and a lot of them seemed to have some weird fascination with giving the main character a set of video game-like powers. The MCs of those stories had something called the system, and it was usually a floating box like this that showed off their stats. This wasn''t exactly the same; that would have been too helpful, but it was something almost just as good.


    In the center of the box, the words ''Select your Class'' appeared. They flashed a bit before the box suddenly changed and was replaced with what looked almost like a set of playing cards. Each card was a golden color and had a strange picture on it as well as a series of fancy letters. There were twelve of them in total, and her eyes roamed over each one, reading it off one by one.


    The first card had the outline of a figure that wielded a spear made of lightning. He wore what looked like robes, something all the figures in the cards had on, but each picture lacked in major detail, having no face or anything like that, just being a rough outline. The words ''ZEUS'' were written at the bottom. The next card was also a man, this one holding a trident. She was taken aback when she read the word ''POSEIDON'' at the bottom of it. After that was a taller man wearing a jagged crown. ''HADES'' was its name. The fourth one was a woman and didn''t seem to be holding anything. ''HERA'' was written on it. The next one was also a woman, and this one, for some reason, made a point to show off its rather large cleavage, being listed as ''APHRODITE.'' The next two cards seemed to go together, one being a man who held a bow and the other being a woman who also had a bow, both being listed as ''APOLLO'' and ''ARTEMIS,'' respectively. After that was another man, this one holding a sword listed as ''ARES'' and then a woman holding a shield, with the name ''ATHENA'' on it. The final three were all men standing in front of an anvil, a bottle of wine, or a pair of large running shoes. They held the names ''HEPHAESTUS'', ''DIONYSUS'', and ''HERMES''.


    "These are your classes," Gabby explained softly. "Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Athena, Hephaestus, Dionysus, and finally Hermes. These twelve names used to be gods at one point in time."


    "Really?" Alexander asked in shock.


    Gabby shrugged. "Well, actually, I don''t know. Those names are old. Older than even the four Lords. Before the age of Supers, before the Lords even arrived, mankind had hundreds of thousands of stories to tell, and these names were some of them. Some of those stories passed down and survived being engraved in the Egos of people. The Thaddeus clan, in particular, always held a strange interest in these old tales. The Emperor used his power, as well as a mix of Lucifer''s and Legend''s, to create these. He was trying to figure out how to create new Egos, and, well... He didn''t exactly succeed."


    "What do you mean?" Alexander asked, stepping away out of fear in case the screen was going to explode.


    "The cards don''t last forever. They only have a set number of uses before they get burned out, and they can only be used by Supers. It''s still impossible to fully convert a human to a Super, even with this new method." Gabby sighed and shook her head. "On top of that, these cards took a while to create and seemingly only work here. Sadly we can''t use them in the outside world. They also have... other side effects... Because of that, Father deemed them useless, and the Emperor viewed them as a failure. And since they''re both such nice guys, they decided to give them to you guys!" Gabby clapped slightly. "You may select one card, and it will be given to you. This card will hold a one-time-use power that you can use while you are here. Simply tear the card in two, and it will activate. The description of the power will be on the back for you to read about what it does. You will only get the card once you select a class, though, so you''ll have to go off of the names for now."


    "What if you get a bad one, though?" Hope asked, frowning.


    "Then you got unlucky. No take backs!"


    Each card glowed with a faint energy around it, and her eyes traced every single one, taking in what little detail was present. It reminded her almost of a video game where you would select your starting class and background. She nodded softly, staring at them. She really didn''t trust Gabby, but part of her was still giddy at the thought of getting a new set of powers, even if they would be one-time use. She knew just the one she was going to pick as well.


    "Alright then. In that case, I''ll go ahead and pick." She reached out and pressed the second one. "I select you, Poseidon!" If it was anything like the Poseidon she knew, then it had to be strong. "I want water powers!"


    Instantly, the card grew gray, and a weird buzzing sound came from the screen in front of her. "Oh, so sorry." Gabby made a fake pouting sound. "Looks like another player already selected that one."


    "What!" She stared in shock as the Poseidon card vanished. It wasn''t the only one, either. The Zeus card, the Apollo and Artemis cards, and the Hephaestus card all also faded and vanished. "Oh, come on! I was going to pick the Zeus one next for the cool weapon he held!" She pouted. "And hey, wait a second! Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, and Hephaestus? That''s five cards? I haven''t picked yet, so that means someone got two?"


    "One of the players was assigned two bodyguards-"


    "Bullshit!" Alexander and Hope both yelled.


    Gabby just sighed and shrugged. "Sorry, he made a convincing point. Now, just hurry up and pick. You know you don''t have all day, right?"


    Hope sighed and rolled her eyes. She looked back at the remaining options she had. ''Hades, Hera, Aphrodite, Athena, Ares, Hermes, and Dionysus'' all stared back at her. She glanced back and forth between the different options. She really wished she had someone like Myth or something here with her. She bet he''d know enough about all these different guys. "I- I don''t know who I should pick." She winced slightly and bit her lip.


    "Pick the guy with the sword or the woman with huge boobs!" Alexander said, shrugging.


    "Why that second one?"


    "I dunno. Kind of just curious, honestly."


    "We should probably take this a little more seriously, Dad..." She glanced back at each of the cards. Her hand stretched out, and she was about to pick one but stopped suddenly. Her enhanced senses went off, and her eyes went wide. "We got trouble."


    "Huh?" Her dad spun around just in time to hear a branch snapping. Something was coming toward them. But it wasn''t a person. This was an animal. A wolf. A really, really big wolf. One covered in thick gray fur that was nearly as big as a horse. It was like something Avalon would make. It wasn''t alone either. Behind it, four more wolves were stalking towards them, each as big as the last. "G- Good doggy." Alexander squeaked out and jumped to hide behind his daughter.


    Hope sighed as the wolves growled at them. She reached up and began to slowly draw her sword. "Guess I took too long deciding. Screw it." She waved her hand and randomly picked a card, not even bothering to see which one she had selected. The screen vanished from her view, and she felt her free hand become full as one of the cards seemed to magically appear inside of it. She didn''t bother looking down at it, though. Instead, she kept her gaze focused on the wolves. "Alright then. Let''s do this! I''m not scared of a couple of large puppies!"


    And with that, the first of many challenges in the Murder Games began...


    ***


    Sometime Earlier...


    "So I get a bodyguard?" In a dark cave, a man resided in the shadows, not allowing his face to be seen. Gabby floated in front of him and giggled softly.


    "That''s right, sir. One hero-"


    "Two."


    "Huh?"


    "I want two bodyguards." The man hummed. "In exchange, I won''t pick any heroes."


    "What do you mean?" Gabby frowned as she stared down at the strange man.


    "Villains." The man said simply. "I want two villains as my bodyguards. I know just the ones I have in mind."


    "That''s against the rules¡ª" Gabby went silent for a moment. "Hmm... Father has accepted these terms. Very well, sir. You are allowed two villains of your choice to be your bodyguards."

 Chapter One Hundred And Seventy-One: Cheating The Game

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


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


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


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


    She thought it would be different now.


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


    Until she was.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    "You''ll see. Eventually-"


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    ***


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


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


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


    They also hit really hard.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    "Hope, no!"


    "Hope, yes!"


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


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


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


    "Huh?"


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    "Dad!"


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


    They did, in fact, cheat at the game.

 Chapter One Hundred And Seventy-Two: Chrysanthemums People

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    "Kevin! What are you doing here?" She was a little glad to see the little red blob but also massively grossed out.


    Kevin let out a series of weird chirps as his body expanded a bit. He got a little bit bigger every couple of seconds, though he was still far smaller than he normally was. He was also still partially attached to the giant bird he had busted out of. It was like a scene in a horror movie or something, the animal''s corpse still twitching a bit as Kevin slid out of it.


    Alexander let out several gasps, catching his breath, as he rested in his daughter''s arms. "I- I vomited him out." The man finally managed to say.


    "What!" Hope stared down at her father as she helped ease him back onto his own feet. "Why was he in your belly? Did you try eating him?"


    Kevin finally pulled his way out of the pile of dead birds and plopped onto the grass, letting out a huff. "I know what happened." The monster spat out. "I was with the other Enforcers when this guy just decided to blast me to oblivion. I thought I was done for, but then the next thing I know, I woke up in that guy''s guts!" A tendril poked out of Kevin and jabbed at Alexander. "Like on the island, with that one girl, I must have left some cells in him on accident. To be honest, I''m a little ticked off that that''s what saved my life."


    "Why are you ticked off?" Hope asked, raising an eyebrow. It was pretty useful being able to respawn. Especially with how many strong people existed in the world that could seemingly kill a person with a wave of a hand.


    "It was the same way Wish would negate death."


    "Oh..." That made sense. "I can see why you''d hate it, then... Sorry."


    "You''re not the one to blame. The one who killed me is." Kevin grunted. "I thought that one girl was your friend? She ordered my death, and without a thought, that bastard blew me up!"


    "Whisper is the one who killed you?!" Hope suddenly felt a chill go down her spine. "You''re kidding, right?"


    "Nope! Looked me dead in the eyes and smiled as she said it! Seriously, what''s with all the psycho girls I keep running into? Am I cursed or something?"


    "Hope?" Alexander looked to his daughter, who had gone silent. Her shoulders were tucked down a bit, and she had brought a thumb to her lip, biting on a nail, seemingly deep in thought.


    She stayed like that for several moments, her mind racing. "I don''t care what happened to Whisper; I know that killing someone innocent isn''t something she would do. She kept talking about the Paths and said it was the only way when I confronted her about Dad. If she wanted you dead, she''d know that killing you there wouldn''t work. I bet she did it to get you into this area. She sent you, so you could help me."


    "I think you''re giving her too much credit." Kevin hissed a bit. "And to be honest, I don''t care what her reasons are or if she even had any. If she wanted my help, she could have just asked. Heroes don''t do things like that, even for the greater good. None of them have been acting like heroes."


    "They''ve focused entirely on beating the villains," Hope said quietly. ¡°''There¡¯s more to being a hero than fighting bad guys. Heroes that focus only on defeating villains aren¡¯t actually heroes. They¡¯re just soldiers with silly names.''¡± She repeated something she had heard a while ago. Mr. Larison had said that to her at one point. In a way, so many of the current heroes really were just acting like soldiers.


    They didn''t get to say anything else as the pile of birds shifted slightly, and a weak groan came from it. A hand stabbed out and began to shove the dead animals away. Druid was an older woman and, at one point, might have been considered a dangerous bad guy. She had long been outclassed, though, and after a bad loss to Ocean Empress, the villain had vanished only to reappear today. Druid''s costume was a mess and had been stained red, and the woman''s hand was placed over her missing eye. Her other hand clutched at her staff as she glared at the three of them with pure hate and malice.


    "T- This wasn''t how it was supposed to go," Druid spoke in a rage-filled voice as the older woman stumbled back. "We were told you would be easy to take out now that you didn''t have your powers! Cinder said you were just a weak brat playing pretend!"


    "Cinder?" She didn''t get to ask what that was about as Druid launched an attack at her. The old woman lifted her staff, part of it glowing as a swarm of massive piranhas suddenly appeared. Unfortunately, enhanced or not, they were still animals, and the fishes all quickly splattered and broke apart as they rammed into the durable superhero at high speeds. "Ew, gross..." Hope shook her head and spat out some of the fish guts.


    Druid was still stumbling back, letting out a series of screams and roars. "I was told I could kill you! That when I did, I would be gifted! I would be transformed just as Golden God and Fairy Queen were! It''s not fair! You should be weak! You don''t have the powers of a Lord! You don''t have your fire! ''She'' has your fire! ''She'' is supposed to be the strong one, not you!"


    Cinder took a deep breath and stepped forward through the swarm of fish. Kevin''s own body began to grow as he devoured many of the piranhas and wrapped himself around Alexander protectively. Cinder lifted her arm and balled her hand into a fist. "Fire or not, I''m still Cinder. I''m not Full Monarch, and I might not ever reach his level, but that''s okay. Because I''m still a superhero, one who can beat villains like you!" She struck out, moving with her enhanced speed, and rammed her fist directly into Druid''s face. Just like with Halo, she shattered Druid''s nose and smashed the woman into the ground, knocking her out in one punch. "Don''t ever try to attack my family again."


    The swarm of fishes died down, and Kevin unwrapped himself from Alexander. He had finally returned to his normal size, taking on a large blob-like form that was compressed down to a basketball shape like he normally was. "What are you going to do with her?" Kevin questioned. "Want me to kill her?" He asked it in a blunt tone.


    She thought it, she really did, but she finally shook her head. "No."


    "This isn''t some ''I don''t want to stoop down to their level'' bs, is it? ''Cause I''m pretty sure you have killed before." Kevin stated with a raised eyebrow.


    She shrugged. "I know. I guess I have. I don''t like it, though. I don''t want to kill unless I don''t have a choice. It was so easy to beat her, I''d feel a little bad about it, to be honest. Like I''d be using my power to forcefully take a life from someone who couldn''t fight back."


    "What kind of stupid logic is that?"


    "It''s my logic, and it isn''t stupid. If it''s someone like Lucifer or the Emperor, I don''t think I''d have an issue with killing them, since they could also kill me, but someone like Druid would never in a million years be able to hurt me, much less kill me. I don''t need to kill her to beat her, do I?"


    "Of course you do; she''ll come back; bad guys always do it. Look, I''ll do it if you don''t want to-"


    "No."


    "Why not?"


    Alexander raised his hand, stopping whatever fight was about to break out between the two heroes. "So what do we do now? Are there any other bad guys in the area?"


    Hope went silent and focused her enhanced senses, using them like some sort of sonar. She shook her head after a moment. "If there are, they''d have to be able to avoid my senses. That rain I talked about earlier is getting closer, though. We should make it to the mountains and find a cave, like I first talked about."


    "The mountains?" Kevin turned to look at them in the distance. "Those are pretty far away, you know. I guess for you it''d only take a couple of seconds to reach them, so are you planning on carrying both me and your dad? I know you have the strength for it, but still..."


    Hope gave a cheeky smirk, and slowly, a shadow began to descend upon them. Kevin looked up, and his eyes went wide when he saw a massive black wolf. "This is Wolfy. He''s our ride." She reached out and placed a hand on the wolf''s snout. "He''s also a good boy."


    Kevin stared at the wolf in silence for several moments. "Yeah, I''m not letting you name this thing Wolfy; you seriously suck with names."


    "Hey!"


    When they got onto the soon-to-be-named wolf, she explained the situation to Kevin the best she could, informing the red blob of the Murder Game rules and the fact that they only had a week to get ready before the Immortals showed up for the hunt. He wasn''t too happy about being forced into the games and took every chance he could to curse out Lightning Empress''s name, but since he didn''t have much of a choice, he agreed to help.


    Soon enough, they arrived at the mountain. It was a large, rocky terrain that went up high. When they reached it, the sky had just started to turn black. Luckily for the three of them, they didn''t need to travel up it very far to find a cave that had been built into the side of the mountain. It was wide and open, big enough that even their large wolf could fit inside.


    That was where they found themselves now. Alexander rested against the wall of the cave, messing with his phone in an attempt to get service but kept being denied, while Kevin stayed closer to the entrance, keeping an eye out for any danger that might come. The wolf they traveled on rested all the way in the back, curled up, and sort of glared at them. The animal was clearly not happy about its current arrangement. Finally, that left her. She was in the center of the cave and had gotten a bunch of rocks together, forming a circle around a pile of sticks. She used her nail and rapidly ran it across some of the stones so fast she created a spark that ignited the sticks into a small fire.


    "Yes! Still got it." She pumped her fist into the air as the fire began to grow. It was just in time, too. The rain was starting, a large downpour was coming down, and the fire was providing them all some brief warmth.


    "So," Kevin was the first to begin speaking again. He remained in his position, watching the rain in silence. His weird ball form kept twitching a bit, and a few large tendrils grew out of him, slapping at the ground every now and then. "Now that we''re here, do you have any other plans? We only have a week to get ready for the Immortals, right? That''s not a lot of time. What do we even do? What can we even do?"


    "It''s not just the Immortals." Alexander bit his lip and put his phone away. "So many other crazy bastards are here as well. The deck is seriously stacked against the players."


    Hope hummed and held her hand out to the fire, pretending to control it. The flame ignored her and didn''t follow any of her commands. Still no fire powers... "After the rain, I''d like to look around a bit more. I''ll head to the top of the mountain and see if I can find the border of this realm that we''re in. No matter how big it is, it has to have an edge. When I was in Sky''s, she threw me into space, and while up there I saw the border of hers. It was sort of like a giant black box that covered the mini solar system we were in. Her realm was huge, and I''m a little afraid this one could be just as big, if not bigger. If it isn''t as big, though, and I can find the exit, I might be able to use all my strength to punch a small hole into it and let us get out."


    "If you can''t?"


    "If I can''t break us out, either because I can''t reach the border or the border is simply too strong, like the Tallest Wave''s realm was, I''ll move on to the next best plan." She grabbed the handle of her sword and gave a small grin. "We get ready to fight the Immortals."


    "You think we can?" Kevin let out a snort.


    "Of course we can." She hummed. "Five players and a bunch of bodyguards. One of the players even got an extra bodyguard, so with you here as well, that makes twelve of us in total. We can find all the players and get them to help us. Seven Supers versus the Immortals, the Organization. There are only three real members in the Organization, so while I take on the Emperor and Lucifer, the rest of you can take down Fairy Queen, Golden God, and the other Immortal members."


    "You make it sound so easy." Kevin let out a soft snort. "I think there is something you''re forgetting about, though."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "What''s that?"


    "For one, I doubt any of us, including you, are strong enough to take on any of the Immortals. Secondly, though, even if we all were, you''re asking a bunch of strangers to work together." Kevin looked back at her. "That Gabby thing told you the other way to win, right? Take all the other players out. It only takes one, you know. Just one player who has a bodyguard that wants to keep them safe. One person to turn traitor and ruin it all for everyone."


    "Shift is right." Alexander nodded and let out a weak sigh. "I hate to say it, Hope, but a lot of us humans are kind of cowards. We don''t have the same godlike powers you guys do. I wouldn''t be shocked if at least one of the players decides to go after the others."


    Hope bit her lip and frowned. "Really? Would someone do that?"


    "More than you''d think," Kevin said sadly. "Any other ideas?"


    "We could try hiding, I guess." Alexander shrugged. "Hide it out until they give up."


    Hope shook her head. "I have a feeling we''re being watched. Gabby, or Gabriel, seems to have a way of knowing where we all were. That was how she teleported us all here. I don''t fully understand how her powers work, but I''m sure she can help us. If this really is a game like she claims, she''d be there to moderate it and make sure it didn''t get out of hand. She could even be watching us now. That might be how Druid was able to find us."


    "There''s one way to test it," Kevin said, letting out a hum.


    "There is? How-"


    "Yo, Gabriel!" Kevin''s voice bounced around the cave. "I want to make a complaint about this year''s Murder Games!"


    The air shimmered, and Alexander and Hope both stared wide-eyed as the small doll-like form of Gabby appeared. The strange creature hovered above Kevin and stared down at the red blob with an almost angry look. "Who are you? You''re not any of the villains we unleashed on the arena?" Was it Gabby''s first time seeing Kevin? The doll looked shocked at the creature, so clearly it wasn''t always watching them, yet it had shown up when its name was called. They''d need to learn more about the rules, but it seemed at least some stuff wasn''t being seen by Gabby.


    "The name''s Shift," Kevin announced, growing a tendril, which pointed out at Gabby. "I got dragged into these games against my will because you didn''t do your job properly!"


    "W- What do you mean I didn''t do my job!" Gabby asked angrily. "I''m perfect at my job!"


    "If you were, then I wouldn''t be here, would I!" Kevin snapped at the doll and pointed back at Alexander. "My cells were in that guy, so when you took him, you took me!"


    Gabby twitched a bit and looked from Alexander back to Kevin. "Oh my... That''s... Hmm... Father is going to be mad..."


    "Forget your father. I''m pissed! I don''t even want to be here!" Kevin grunted.


    "Once you''re in, you can''t leave the barrier." Gabby shrugged. "Not even we can break that rule." The doll folded her arms and frowned. "What do I do with you then? You can''t be a villain because you''re working with one of the players, and you can''t be a player since you''re a Super. Should I just kill you and get it over with?" Gabby hummed.


    "N- Now, hang on." Hope jumped up and raised a hand. "You said one guy got two bodyguards, right? What about if my father also gets two?"


    "I can''t really allow that under normal circumstances," Gabby stated with a frown. "You see, the player who got two had certain circumstances. He didn''t pick any heroes and also isn''t in good health or a state of being, having a handicap the other players don''t have. If I allow you to have an extra bodyguard, then I''d have to make the exception with the other bodyguards as well."


    "Well, then just let everyone else pick a second hero as well." Hope suggested.


    Gabby let out a laugh at that suggestion. "Nice try. You''re all lucky that Father allowed any of you to get bodyguards. No way he''d allow you all to get two."


    "W- What about having a handicap?" Alexander jumped into the conversation. "You said the player got two because he has a handicap? What if the hero I picked happens to have one as well?"


    "What do you mean?" Gabby frowned.


    Hope rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I don''t have all of my powers. In fact, I have less than half my strength. So, in a way, my father didn''t get to pick a full Super as his bodyguard when you think about it. So he should get two, right?"


    Gabby rolled her eyes. "No. One of the players actually picked a Super that doesn''t have any powers, believe it or not. You only being at half-strength isn''t anyone''s fault other than your own. I''m not going to let you get a second-" Gabby suddenly went silent. The girl''s eyes filled with rage. "No! You''re not Father, you can''t order me around- N- No..." The doll''s teeth clenched. "B- But¡ªwait till Father hears about this..." The doll twitched a bit and then stopped. Through gritted teeth, it looked down at Kevin. "Shift, you have been assigned as the bodyguard of Alexander Lauren." Then Gabby turned to look back at Hope. "Cinder, the Emperor says you''re welcome."


    Hope shivered once more and took a step back. The Emperor allowed it? So he had been watching? Her enhanced senses flared back up, and she glared around but didn''t spot any of Avalon''s tiny drones. Why would the Emperor allow Kevin onto their team? She still didn''t understand that guy, and part of her hoped she never would if she was being honest.


    "Now that that''s taken care of, I''m leaving-"


    "Wait." She cut Gabby off.


    Gabby sighed. "What now?"


    "Are you guys cheating by watching us?"


    Gabby giggled a bit. "Relax. I know where you guys are at all times, but I tend to tune you all out, and I won''t be telling the others; it''s no fun."


    "Then, just now, how did the Emperor know you were talking to us?"


    "Because he''s in the same room as me." Gabby shrugged. "I''m not the real Gabriel, you know. I''m a construct. The real me is talking to a wall right now. He heard the conversation and, right now, is just staring at me like a freaking weirdo! Go away, gramps, not interested!" Gabby huffed and then turned back to her. "I''ll only show up for game-related stuff. I''m not a fighter like my other siblings, and I respect the rules of the game, so don''t worry. I won''t cheat. Now if that really is everything, I''m leaving-"


    "Hang on a second!" Kevin bounced up and looked at the small creature. "I think you''re forgetting something."


    Gabby let out another heavy sigh. "Yes, Shift?"


    "I''m a bodyguard now, right?"


    "Yes?"


    "Cinder told me what they get. Give me my card!"


    Hope cheered, throwing her arms up. "Yeah! I didn''t even think about that! Quick, pick the girl with huge boobs!"


    Gabby huffed and said a few choice words, but with a wave of her hand, the screen appeared in front of Kevin. The little monster eyed all the cards up before quickly making his pick. His tendril touched one of them, and the screen vanished. "Is that all?" Gabby asked plainly. "Or do you all want me to clean your shoes, bathe, and feed you all while I''m at it?"


    Hope sheepishly shrugged. "Well, if you''re offering, my back is kind of killing me, so a nice massage would be-" Gabby vanished in a burst of light. "Drat. Guess I''ll just make Sky do it when I next see her."


    "What card did you get, Shift?" Alexander asked.


    Kevin held it up, showing off the card that had the image of a man in a crown on it. "Hades." He stated coolly with a smirk. "Because like him, I''m a king." Kevin''s face twisted, forming a pair of sunglasses made out of his red flesh over his eyes, as well as a little red crown on top of his ball-like head.


    "What does it do?" She asked. "It should be on the back."


    "Good question." Kevin hummed and brought the card closer to his face. "Let''s see here-" Kevin suddenly went silent. His eyes traced over the words. Slowly, he pulled the card closer to him until the entire thing actually slid into his body, where it vanished. "Uh, it''s just a dud."


    "Just a dud?"


    "Yeah, like how you told me your card sucked, mine does too." Kevin turned away and slid to the other side of the cave. "No use talking about it."


    She eyed the little guy with an uncertain look. It was pretty obvious he was lying, but she wasn''t going to force him to talk if he didn''t want to. Instead, she turned back to the fire and took a seat next to her father. It was still raining pretty hard, but she was glad that, for at least this moment, she was able to keep her father safe. Her thoughts briefly went to Druid. Kevin had torn off a few pieces of himself, and they created a makeshift rope, tying it around Druid and leaving her out there.


    Would the woman be okay, or would she die? A bit morbidly, she found that she didn''t actually care all that much. In the heat of the moment, she didn''t want to kill Druid with her own hands, but she also hadn''t bothered to save Druid or prop the woman up so she wouldn''t drown either. The woman had hurt her father.


    She had been disappointed at Mr. Larison and Whisper for acting like soldiers instead of heroes, yet in a way, she was doing the same thing. She shook her head and stood up. "I''ll be right back." She called out, heading for the cave''s exit.


    "Where are you going?" Alexander asked.


    "I''m just taking a quick step outside." She called back. "I''ll be back in a moment." She wanted to at least check on Druid. That''s what a hero would do, after all. She wanted to be a hero, didn''t she? Even in a horrible place like this, she didn''t want to turn into a soldier. "Make sure my dad is kept safe, Shift!" She yelled as she reached the exit of the cave.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''ll keep doing what I normally do." Kevin rolled his eyes and settled in next to the wolf, who kept eying him up. "You try eating me, and I swear I''ll swallow you whole." The wolf whimpered a bit and curled up into a ball once more.


    Outside of the cave, she stepped out and began to head down the mountain, ignoring the rain that was coming down hard. She still had insane speed, so it wouldn''t be too hard for her to reach the spot where Druid was. She could get there in the blink of an eye and then return back before either Kevin or her father figured out what she was doing.


    As it turns out, though, she didn''t have to go far. She made it down the mountain and took off running at fast speeds, heading toward the battlefield, but she only got about halfway before she suddenly came to a stop, her eyes going wide. Because of the rain, her enhanced senses were turned off, so she didn''t notice them until she was closer to them. Some people beat her to Druid.


    Druid was still unconscious, the woman''s body still tied up, but now placed into the back of an old, worn-down wagon, with several thick blankets kept over her in order to ensure she was warm. Connected to the wagon was an older-looking donkey that was getting on in years, and on either side of the old steed, two people flanked it. They had stopped dead in their tracks when they saw her and were staring at her in shock because, from their perspective, she had seemingly just teleported in since she had been moving faster than the eye could follow.


    They were young. One was an older boy a bit taller than her who looked to be about nineteen. He had messy red hair, and his hands shook as he stumbled back. The other one must have been his sister, as she looked similar to him. She was only about fourteen or fifteen and had longer hair. What was most bizarre about them, though, was the clothing that they wore.


    "Where did you get those clothes?" Hope asked quietly.


    "W- What?" The boy asked through clattering teeth. "O- Our village gave it to us- Wait, who are you? H- How did you just appear like that? A- Are you a mage?"


    Both the boy and the girl wore clothes she had seen once before. They were very similar to the clothes Myth wore. A white tunic that seemed to have been dropped over their bodies, and a few animal pelts beneath that for warmth. The boy wore his very similar to how Myth did, only covering half his chest and leaving his other arm to hang out, but the girl''s was more modest, covering her chest entirely. Just by looking at them, she could tell they weren''t Supers. Maybe it was part of her powers or maybe just a gut feeling, but neither of them seemed to carry themselves the way a Super would. Even Supers that lacked enhanced bodies seemed to walk differently from normal humans. These two people were humans, of that she was certain. What were they doing here, though? And what did they mean by ''village?'' Just how big was Legend''s realm...


    The young girl stepped forward, her mind seemingly made up. "P- Please! If you are a mage, then we need your help! W- We found this woman out in a field! I- I think she''s a mage as well and needs help!"


    Hope stared at the two kids, her mind racing with dozens of thoughts. Finally, though, she spoke. "Okay." She nodded her head. "I''ll help you."


    ***


    Evan Ros shivered a bit and kept his arms wrapped around Phoenix as they floated above the water. "T- Talk about a bad spawn point." Evan chuckled.


    "It isn''t the time to be making jokes," Phoenix said flatly. "This is a serious situation, Master Ros."


    "You don''t have to take everything so seriously, Phoenix."


    "We''re in the middle of the Murder Games," Phoenix said bluntly. "It''s my job to take everything seriously. I don''t want you to get hurt, and we''re already off to a bad start."


    Evan Ros had been selected for the Murder Games, and after appearing within the city of Chrysanthemum, he had selected his bodyguard, his best friend. Phoenix was, in a way, already his bodyguard, even outside of these games. It seemed like whenever he had any sort of issue, Phoenix was there to help him, and now was no different. This was a good thing, as he would have surely drowned without the other heroes'' help.


    Unlike the other players, who most likely got soft landings when they appeared, Evan had found himself being teleported into the middle of a massive ocean with no land in sight. It was okay now, though, as he got to lay in Phoenix''s arms as the hero flew him across the water.


    Fire formed out of Phoenix''s back, forming long bird-like wings crafted from a mix of blue and green embers that allowed the hero to soar at fast speeds. They had been flying for nearly an hour straight now, and only just now were they finally starting to see the traces of land. The ocean was slowly starting to thin out as a large continent stood before them.


    "This doesn''t make any sense," Phoenix grunted out. "Chrysanthemum didn''t look like this a few years ago. No way it was big enough to fit an entire ocean within it. This place changed."


    "Sometimes things change." Evan shrugged. "I mean, a few years ago, I used to be a girl. Life can just be weird like that and make some big leaps."


    "Not this big." Phoenix narrowed his eyes as he spotted something in the distance. "What the hell?"


    "What is it?"


    "I- I see a village or something?" Phoenix picked up his speed, moving faster than a speeding bullet as the small dot in the distance grew larger and larger. Soon, even Evan could see it as they came to a stop, landing at the edge of what looked like a small seaside village. It was right at the edge of the sea and had a dock connected to it that went out at sea, which Phoenix landed on. "What the hell is going on?"


    There were dozens of small, marble-looking villages scattered past the dock, and several boats were connected as well. Hundreds of people, all wearing strange white robes, stared at the two boys in shock as they came down for a landing. With his enhanced senses, Phoenix could hear various whispers as the strange people looked at them.


    "Mages?"


    "More of them?"


    "That one has fire on him? Is he like the Queen?"


    "He must be? That''s the second pair of mages to arrive, isn''t it?"


    Phoenix felt alarm bells go off in his head as he heard the people speaking. "Mages? What? Wait, second to arrive-"


    "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A voice called out. At the end of the docks, two figures suddenly appeared. The first was a young eight-year-old girl with dark skin and bright green eyes dressed in a small suit. Next to her was the one who spoke. An older teen who had a sly smile on their face, wielding a long claymore over their shoulder, dressed in a chainmail jacket. Irene, one of the other players, and her bodyguard. "Looks like we found some other player, Irene." The bodyguard stated, pointing his sword. "What do you want me to do with them?"


    And just like that, two players had come face to face in the Murder Games, standing before one another in a strange village. The first day of the Murder Games was still far from over...

 Chapter One Hundred And Seventy-Three: A Talk

    "T¡ªThanks for helping us out," the older boy said through shivering gasps as they walked up the mountain. They had to go slow due to the downpour, which made the stone slippery. "We would have gotten lost in the dark or attacked by beasts if you hadn''t come when you did. You saved my sister''s life."


    "It''s what I do." Hope stayed in the front, keeping a hand on the donkey as she led it forward. The two siblings remained closer to the back of the wagon where the unconscious body of Druid remained. "There''s a cave up ahead we can get you all into."


    "Thank you, mage!" The girl chirped out.


    Hope frowned slightly. "You called me that earlier? What do you mean by mage? Are you talking about Supers?"


    The boy shrugged awkwardly. "Soup what? I don''t know what that means, miss, but you''re a mage, aren''t you? Your kind always wears strange clothes and can do things normal people can''t."


    "Have you seen many mages before?" Hope asked casually, though her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, trying to process everything she was hearing. There was so much about this that just didn''t make sense. Like why were there two normal humans here? They didn''t seem to be players. In fact, with the way they were acting, it almost seemed as if they lived here...


    The sister was the one to speak up next. "Of course, we''ve seen some mages. A bunch of your kind have been appearing all over the place recently. We were told you guys are here to help us."


    "Who told you that?"


    "Another mage did."


    "And you just believed him?"


    "Well, yeah?" The brother said a bit sheepishly. "We haven''t met a bad mage yet? Your people are the ones who helped us build our lands up from nothing. Our queen is a mage as well.


    Hope raised an eyebrow and looked back at the two siblings. "Queen? And you say she''s a Super as well? She couldn''t have been in charge for very long, right?"


    The sister shrugged awkwardly and looked away for some reason. "I mean, the Queen has been in charge before I was born."


    "What? That''s not right; you''re not that young, right? Chrysanthemum has only been like this for two years at the most. Don''t either of you remember anything about the outside world?"


    "We are outside, though, aren''t we?" The brother questioned. "I never heard of this Chrismum place, but my sister and I were born in Pine-Tree Village. We''ve known these woods and mountainsides for most of our lives."


    "You were born here?" Hope asked nervously.


    "Yeah? My father was as well, and the same for his father. You''re not from around here, are you, mage?" The brother hummed.


    Hope felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Chrysanthemum was only destroyed two years ago. She, like everyone else, had assumed its people were a lost cause, having long been taken over by Legend''s plague. Yet here, two people from this weird city stood, claiming they had been here for years. That meant either they were changed by Legend''s power, and the man could alter the memories of humans, or the world around them was very much real, and time had moved on within this realm. A lot of time... She was walking through history. History that no one outside of Chrysanthemum had any way of knowing.


    "You said you lived here your entire life. Is that true?" She asked quietly. "You were born here? And there are entire villages?"


    The sister nodded. "That''s right. The mages helped us build our villages, all directed by the Queen. She''s been in charge since forever, I think, constantly helping to improve the lands. She taught our ancestors how to fish, how to hunt, and so many other things. I was a little shocked when I first saw you because you-"


    Whatever the sister was about to say, she was cut off when her brother lightly elbowed her and shook his head. "What my sister says is true. The Queen has been in charge before even my great-grandfather was born. We all thought that there were only a couple of mages that existed, but about a year or two ago, so many more of you began to show up. The Queen made an announcement and said they were here to help her."


    "Help her, but not you guys." Hope looked back at the body of Druid. "From what I know, a bunch of villains were brought in here. Those are likely the ''mages'' you''re talking about. Listen, you shouldn''t trust every mage you run into."


    "Does that include you?" The brother asked, suddenly on guard.


    Hope hand waved his concern. "I''m a superhero. It''s my job to help people."


    "A soup hero?" The siblings exchanged weird looks between one another.


    Eventually, they arrived back at the entrance to the cave, and Hope guided the two siblings and their donkey inside. "I''m back." She called out softly. "Also, I brought company."


    Instantly she saw her father''s and Kevin''s eyes go wide with shock when they saw the wagon and the two kids. "Players?" Kevin asked, stunned.


    "Nope. Just a bunch of other questions that need to be asked." Hope said, letting out a heavy sigh. The two siblings were also staring in shock at Kevin and the large wolf that was in the back. If they hadn''t been convinced she was a mage before, this would likely have set it in stone for them. "My name''s Hope." She said, getting their attention back on her. "That guy over there is my dad, Alexander, and the weird red blob is-"


    "I''m Shift," Kevin stated in a blunt tone, using his Super name. "And this guy is Lycaon." A red tendril flowed out of Kevin and rubbed the head of the wolf, who leaned into the touch. Apparently, the two of them had become friends while she was gone. He also apparently named it.


    "Lycaon? What was wrong with Wolfy?"


    "Everything," Kevin said flatly.


    Alexander cleared his throat and stood up. "Hope, who are these two people?"


    The brother stepped forward slowly and gave a small bow. "H- Hello, mister. I''m Nikos. This is my younger sister, Cora. Our father has recently become ill, so he sent us out into the woods to hunt. We heard this weird noise, though, and found the body of a mage. She looked to be hurt really badly, so we put her in our wagon and were getting ready to take her back home, but then this storm came out of nowhere. That was when your daughter showed up and saved us. A- Are you all also mages?"


    "Mages?" Alexander gave the boy a weird look.


    "He''s talking about Supers." Hope stated in a quiet tone. "The two of them claim they were born here."


    "That doesn''t make sense; this place should have only existed for two years," Kevin argued.


    "Does that mean time is moving differently?" Alexander questioned. "Like it''s only been two years in our world, but for these people, could it have been a lot longer? Twenty or even more years?"


    Kevin''s ball-like form shook as he jumped up on Lycaon''s snout. "No. That can''t be. That wouldn''t make any sense if it was. Let''s say time is moving faster here or something, but that wouldn''t explain how I got here. If it''s been twenty years here, and it''s only been a little under three years in the real world, then that would mean that time is moving much faster here than it is out in the real world. A few seconds in the real world would be days, possibly even weeks, in here, yet when I died, it was the same day you guys had arrived, right?"


    "Maybe the time distortion turned off?" Hope said unhelpfully. "If there even was one in the first place."


    "Maybe..."


    "W- What are you talking about?" The sister, Cora, asked hesitantly.


    Hope looked at the girl, but just like outside, Cora turned away from her. "We''re just a little confused, is all. We don''t call ourselves mages where we''re from. We call ourselves Supers, and the lands you live in used to be cities in our world that got destroyed two years ago. We''re just trying to put it together."


    "I don''t think I understand." The brother admitted sadly.


    "That''s okay. Why don''t you and your sister take a seat near the campfire and warm up? I''m to go place Druid further into the cave."


    "Druid-" Kevin glanced at her with wide eyes as she took the unconscious woman out of the back of the wagon. "You brought that psycho bitch here with us?"


    "She would have drowned if I hadn''t."


    "So?"


    "Look, I''m not fighting you on this; I''ve made up my mind," Hope said, letting out a weak sigh. "I''ll keep an eye on her. Besides, I have some questions I''d like to ask."


    Cora sat next to her brother as they allowed the fire to warm them up. The girl quietly stared at Hope, watching in silence before finally speaking up once more. "D- Do you not like that mage?"


    "She tried to kill me," Alexander said flatly.


    "Oh..."


    "Why would she do that!" Nikos asked with wide eyes. "That doesn''t make any sense? You''re all mages, right? Shouldn''t you be working together? The Queen is always saying mages are meant to work together to make the world a better place."


    "Sorry, but it doesn''t work out that way," Hope said in a slightly somber tone. She was still holding Druid and carried the woman to a spot near the back of the cave, away from everyone else. Druid''s body was wrapped up tightly by Kevin''s torn-off tendrils, forming a thick rope of muscles, and bandages covered the woman from head to toe. She likely wouldn''t be going anywhere even after she woke up. "I wish everyone could work together and better the world, but that isn''t how things work. Not even in here, I bet."


    Nikos frowned but didn''t challenge her on her point as she placed Druid down in a corner. "Who are you people? Where did you come from and why?" The brother asked as she walked back over and took a seat down next to the fire, causing Cora to look away again.


    "My daughter and I were sort of dragged into this place," Alexander said sheepishly. "We''re not here to hurt anyone; we''re just looking for a way out of here."


    "Here?"


    "This world," Hope stated simply.


    Cora''s eyes lit up for a moment. "The Queen could-"


    "Cora." Nikos cut his sister off, looking at the girl again.


    "B- But they should know," Cora complained. "The Queen is rumored to be from another world as well."


    "I imagine all the ''mages'' are from other worlds," Kevin called out. He had adjusted himself and was now resting on the wolf''s stomach, seemingly getting ready for bed. The rain didn''t look like it was stopping anytime soon, and the sun had set a while ago. "I bet they''re all the villains Lucifer brought in. Actually, does that name mean anything? Lucifer?" Nikos and Cora both shook their heads. "What about Gabriel? Is she the queen? Again, they shook their head. "Hmm, Fairy Queen?"


    "We don''t know any of those names, sorry," Nikos said, shaking his head. "I might have seen some of them, but I don''t know the names of any mages. They tend to keep to themselves and stay outside of villages. Pine Tree Village has a scholar, though. He''s this real old guy; he might know more."


    "After the rain settles, do you think you could take me to Pine Tree Village?" Hope asked.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Nikos awkwardly scratched at his chin. "I don''t know... You might be treated a bit weirdly there..."


    "What do you mean?"


    Nikos shook his head. "Never mind. It''ll be fine... I''ll take you there."


    "Okay?"


    The two siblings were certainly odd, that was for sure. Then again, she imagined anyone who grew up in a place like this would be odd. Who knew just how old these lands were? It seemed as if this really was its own entire world with full-blown villages and people. Just what had Legend truly created and why? She was noticing small things about it as well, like how the two siblings were dressed like Myth or the names of the villages.


    In the real world, cities, towns, and villages were all named after flowers. It had been something that was started by the first ever group of humans that survived the old world''s collapse. She wasn''t sure why they picked flowers, but they did. That tradition carried all the way to the present with Oleander City and other such places being named after flowers. Pine Tree Village, though, was obviously named after a pine tree.


    She had a pretty good idea for why it was named after a tree instead of a flower. A tree was simply bigger. Legend had a big ego; that was something she had witnessed firsthand through the memories Avalon showed her. She wouldn''t put it past him that all the villages and towns in his own personal world were named after trees simply as a way to make them sound bigger than the cities in the real world, which were named after flowers. It was petty, childish, and, most importantly, something someone like Legend would likely do. If that was the case, though, did that mean Legend was the Queen? She had been assuming he was in charge, but the siblings kept insisting the world was ruled by some woman.


    Hope was deep in her thoughts when she noticed Cora staring at her once more. She looked to the younger girl, and again Cora looked away. It had been happening a lot. It was the same look she would sometimes get when she was out in costume. Like civilians wanted to get a closer look but didn''t want to be caught staring. At first she had assumed it was because she was a Super. Cora and her brother seemed to like them, yet Cora wasn''t staring at Kevin or her father with that awestruck look. It was just her.


    "Is something wrong, Cora?" Hope asked sheepishly. Cora jumped a bit as she used her name. "You keep staring at me."


    "W- Well, it''s, uh, well..." Cora looked to her brother, who looked uncomfortable. Finally, Cora took a deep breath. "You look almost exactly like the Queen."


    Hope''s smile faded instantly, and the air in the room seemed to shift. Kevin sat up fully awake now, and Alexander shifted slightly. Hope looked at Cora, staring the girl dead in the eye. "What do you mean?" She asked quietly.


    Cora flinched and looked away from the intense look, clearly embarrassed. "It''s nothing-"


    "No. What do you mean, Cora?"


    Cora looked back at her, shaking a bit. "W- Well, you have the same face, you know..." Cora said awkwardly. "You and the Queen look so much alike. Though she has golden hair and red eyes..."


    "What''s the Queen''s name?"


    "Q- Queen Cinder."


    "Oh. So this is where she ended up."


    She found the fake Cinder. Skin Walker was here in Chrysanthemum.


    The conversation died out after that. The revelation that Skin Walker was here left a sour taste in her mouth, and even Kevin and her father seemed affected by the reveal. Perhaps sensing her anger, Cora and her brother didn''t say anything else for the rest of that night. It didn''t take long for her father to fall asleep, the older man finding a quiet corner in the cave. Nikos and Cora both also didn''t seem to have any issues with sleeping in the cave and soon drifted off. Kevin was the last to sleep, the red blood wrapping himself entirely around the wolf, snuggling with it. He constantly put on an act, pretending to be tough, but at the end of the day, he was like a big softie getting along with the Pod just as fast. That left her as the last person awake.


    She didn''t sleep.


    She just wasn''t tired. Maybe it was something she got from being a Super. Her stamina always seemed superhuman looking back at it. She normally would sleep like a normal person, but staying up late didn''t really tire her out unless she did so for several days in a row after fighting a lot of intense battles. Still, there was some sort of change within her; she could tell. She hadn''t gotten to properly rest since the fight with Golden Weaver, which was just a couple of hours ago.


    So much had happened in such a short amount of time.


    "Am I still growing?" Hope glanced down at her hand, balling it into a fist. She was getting stronger. She could tell. Yet the Brightest Star still remained silent, and not a hint of her flames. "Why won''t you talk to me?"


    A quiet groan broke her out of ramblings. She had taken a spot all the way in the back of the cave, away from the others, with only one person to keep her company. Druid shifted slightly before the older woman opened her remaining eye. The other eye was hidden behind a series of bandages, many of which clung to Druid''s body since the woman had been pretty banged up when the siblings found her. A red tendril of rope was also tied around the woman, holding her in place, and Druid''s eye instantly filled with rage as the woman thrashed around.


    Druid opened her mouth, about to scream something out, but a hand suddenly silenced her. Druid glared up, staring into the eyes of Hope, who looked down at her.


    "Don''t move around so much. You broke a lot of ribs from being crushed by all those birds, and I hit you harder than I should have. You''ll hurt yourself more if you try to break out of Kevin''s lasso." Hope said casually. "I''m going to remove my hand, but if you scream, I''ll knock you out again. Got that?"


    Druid''s eye was still filled with rage, but the woman didn''t yell as the hand was removed from her mouth. "W- Where''s my staff!" Druid hissed out.


    "Are you talking about this?" Hope reached up to where her bag was. The sword rested on one side of the backpack, hanging off the side of it in its sheath, and on the other side was Druid''s staff. It was made of wood, and at the end of it, the thing twisted into a sharp scythe-like blade, a green gem at the end of it. She took it off of her bag and held it away from Druid. "I know how your powers work. You can''t use them without this staff right. Your actual ability is to create various magical staves. You used to go by a different name, going by Magical Girl, and you used a staff that could shoot out bursts of energy. You used to be so full of energy and hyper, dressing up as some sort of magical girl from a comic or something, but after a horrible loss at the hands of Fairy Queen, you completely rebranded and became a villain."


    Druid''s jaw clenched, and the woman looked uncomfortable for several moments. "How do you know all that?" The villain finally demanded.


    "I love superheroes." Hope shrugged. "I collect a ton of their figures. I even have one of you back when you were a hero. You used to be so cute running around in a pink costume with ribbons in your hair-"


    "Shut up!" Druid sounded almost embarrassed. "Those days are over."


    "Because you became a bad guy." Hope let out a sigh and shook her head. "You really changed." Druid''s costume was no longer that cute pink dress, nor was the villain young. Magical Girl had been a younger woman, being in her early twenties, but Druid was well past her youth, her hair being mostly gray now with only a few streaks of black in it, and stress lines were all over the woman''s face.


    "Why are you bringing this up?" Druid asked quietly. "Why did you even save me?"


    "I didn''t save you, though I guess I should have," Hope said, giving a sad smile. "Someone else got to you first and brought you here. You''re lucky because you would have drowned. I only went back for you because I think the old me would have. I don''t really know when I changed, but it feels like I''m not the same Cinder. Maybe it''s because my identity was leaked or that the world around me shifted and changed, but I keep telling myself I''m still the old me, and then I do stuff like leave you to die. If I''m being honest, I don''t think I changed all that much, but I feel like the old me wouldn''t have been happy with me just leaving you out to drown like that. I dunno, I''m still just a kid. I''ve been struggling to figure out what it means to be a hero. I keep getting told different things and seeing different points of view." She sighed again. It felt like she did that a lot lately, and she leaned against the cave wall. "There was another reason I brought up that I knew your past, though."


    "And why''s that?" Druid growled out.


    "When you became a villain, you rebranded yourself, got rid of your old costume, and used your power to make a new magical staff. One that summons animals. You ended up losing again, this time to Ocean Empress, who beat you about ten or so years ago. The loss was so bad that you vanished off the face of the Earth." Hope looked down at the older woman and cracked a half smile. "I actually own the game that was based on that fight. So needless to say, I''ve seen your face a bunch of times, and that''s why I know something is wrong here." She reached out, and Druid flinched a bit as she ran her hand through the woman''s hair. She took a few of the gray locks in her hands and studied them. "Why are you old?"


    "What?"


    "You were only about fifty or so when you fought Ocean Empress. That was ten years ago, so you''d be in your sixties now. Normally, that''s the point a human starts to get gray, but you aren''t a human. Supers with enhanced bodies age slower or at least remain in their youth longer. It isn''t until around their eighties that the age catches back up with them, and they begin to rapidly get old. In the fight with Ocean Empress, you still looked like you were in your early thirties, but now you look like you''re at least sixty or seventy. What happened? You''re older than you should be."


    "You''re quite clever..."


    "I have my moments," Hope said, smirking a bit.


    Druid glared back at her once again but grumbled something. "I shouldn''t have to explain anything to you. We''re enemies."


    "We were enemies. I beat you, so now you''re not my enemy anymore."


    "What sort of ignorant logic is that?"


    "My logic." Hope shrugged. "Just go with it. How long have you been here? The one who told you to come after me was Skin Walker, wasn''t it?"


    Druid shifted awkwardly. "If I tell you, what do I get?"


    "I won''t punch you-"


    "I want out." Druid hissed. "I want to be let go with my staff. You already beat me once, so I know I won''t be able to get the jump on you, especially since there are so many more of you now. I''ll leave, and in exchange for letting me go, I''ll tell you whatever you want to know."


    Hope studied Druid''s face for several seconds. For some reason, she actually found herself thinking back to the first time she and Mr. Larison went out on a mission together. They had run into some guys who were selling drugs, and Mr. Larison had agreed to let them go in exchange for information. This was a little more high-stakes than that, though.


    "Okay. I''ll do it. I''ll let you go. But only after you answer my questions."


    Druid''s eye narrowed. "How do I know you''ll actually let me go? You agreed to that fast?"


    "You''ll just have to trust me. Now, was it Skin Walker who told you to come after me or not?"


    Druid finally nodded, giving a slow grimace. "She calls herself Cinder now. I saw you on the news. Watched your fight with the Beast. I knew she wasn''t the real deal, but she''s strong. Maybe just as strong as you used to be, and the fire she has is dangerous."


    "She has fire powers?" Hope frowned at that. She had assumed Skin Walker was just a shapeshifter. When she spoke to the Emperor, he explained the woman''s powers to her, but he didn''t mention anything about fire control. Then again, he had no reason to be honest with her.


    "She does." Druid shuddered a bit. "I watched her burn some guys down to ash in an instant. She''s dangerous. Not someone you want to mess with. She''s also the one that brought us all here and the only one who can get us out."


    "Get you out? You''re talking about the realm, right? She actually has a way out?"


    "She does. I''ve watched her create a doorway through space. She just tore it open with her bare hands. If I didn''t know any better, I''d likely assume she really was the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, given the powers she wields. If not for the way she acts, at least. She''s a right bitch. She gathered a bunch of us villains up and demanded we help her build these lands. Forced us to create entire mountains, forests, oceans, and other such things. It used to just be flat sand lands, but after so many years of nonstop work, it eventually became what you see now."


    "I guess that explains why mages are so popular with these people." Hope hummed. "Nikos was serious when he said you guys helped create their land. But why would Skin Walker get a bunch of villains to do that, and why would they listen to her?"


    "We listened because of the power she wielded. She''s strong." Druid shook her head angrily. "As for why she forced us to create this world, your guess is as good as mine. I don''t think she is really the one in charge. We were all told that if we did as told, we''d get to play in this year''s Murder Games and that if we won, we''d have a place on either Lucifer''s or the Emperor''s team. So many villains would kill for a chance to work under either of those two. Literally. I haven''t seen either of them or their teams, though. Just a bunch of us low-level trash being ordered around by ''Cinder''."


    "Please don''t call her that... The only Cinder is me." Hope folded her arms and hummed. "Where is Skin Walker now?"


    "I don''t know; I avoid that bitch as much as I can. As soon as we were all set free and told to hunt, you guys were separated. I don''t really know anything about this realm. I created all of the wildlife, but that''s it."


    "Did you create the locals as well?"


    "Of course I didn''t." Druid snorted. "Creating life like that is impossible unless you''re a Lord of Life. I can make animals, but that''s it. Even with a stronger staff, I''d only be able to make stronger animals. The kinds of things Red Ape would make. The people were likely forced in here and over time forgot about the real world after the fifth or sixth generation."


    "Over time? I figured these weren''t the people from the original Chrystanthum since Nikos said he was born in this place, but just how long have these people been living in this world?"


    "I''d say about two or three hundred years, give or take." Druid chuckled darkly. "Most of them were street rats from all over the world, stolen from cities. Just like us, Cinder dropped them all off in this place, and they did what humans do best, which is breed and create babies over time; as the elder ones died out and new humans were born, they forgot all about there being a real world and just accepted this place for what it is now."


    Hope felt her eyes go wide for a moment. "That doesn''t make sense, though. If this place really has existed for that long, you''d be dead as well. Supers might age slower, but most tend to die of old age the same way as humans do. It''s only the Lords, or a select few, that have long-lasting life spans."


    "We weren''t here the entire time." Druid rolled her eye. "It would take years to create a world you know. I was only in here for about twenty or so years. I constantly popped in and out, and each time I came back, so much time in here would have skipped forward. That''s how Cinder made these people think she''s some immortal queen. She''ll appear before them, say a few words, and then leave, and then ten or so years later, she''ll reappear looking the exact same when in actuality, she just stepped out of this realm for a second or two before reappearing. Once we got all the trees, grass, and oceans created and gave the people the supplies they needed to build and live, it was easy enough to leave this realm. We came back the next day, and it was as you see it now."


    "So time actually is moving faster in here than in the real world." Hope nodded slightly, though the things Kevin said earlier still confused her. Was time always moving faster, or was it just something they could turn on and off? "How does it work?" She asked.


    "Beats me. I doubt even Cinder knows, though if you find her, you''re welcome to ask her." Druid shrugged, or at least attempted to. "Look, I answered your questions. Are you going to let me go or not?"


    Hope looked down at the woman and held her hand out, placing it on the red muscles that formed the rope around Druid. "I was trained by someone that called himself Battery. He changed a lot, but there was a lesson he taught me once."


    Druid gave her a weird look. "And what''s that?"


    "Don''t actually let the bad guys go." Before Druid could move, she flicked the woman on the head using a small bit of strength, instantly knocking Druid out once again. That was the way Battery had done it the first time she worked with him. He hadn''t let that drug dealer actually go. She glanced down at the unconscious form of Druid with a bit of sadness. "Sorry."

 Chapter One Hundred And Seventy-Four: A Path Paved With Broken Rocks

    Nikos and Cora had packed some food. It wasn''t anything too crazy, just a few hand-picked crops and dried meat that they had from their village. Alexander cooked some of the meat over a fire once morning came, and they all ate mostly in silence.


    The rain had stopped pouring around the time the sun rose. Day one of the Murder Games had come rather quickly. That left just six more until the Immortals would make their move. Just six days to prepare and find a way out of here.


    "Nikos, you and your sister are going to be heading out, right?" Hope asked as they began to head out of the cave.


    "Yeah. We''re going to be heading back to our village." The older boy nodded. "Why do you ask?"


    "Well, I was wondering where the queen you mentioned was." Nikos suddenly grew very nervous as Hope spoke. "I''d just like to know what town or city she hangs out in."


    Nikos scratched at his chin the same way he did last night. It was a dead giveaway that he wasn''t happy to be talking about the subject matter. "I don''t actually know where she is. I grew up in a village, as I said earlier. We have a few cities; I''m sure one of them is where she is, but from what I remember, she just sort of appears whenever the time is right. You''d have to speak with a scholar or a merchant that travels around a lot if you wanted to learn more."


    Hope nodded softly. "In that case, would it be okay if I tagged along with you and your sister to your village? I think the reason the ''mages'' didn''t seem bad was because they were all getting ready for the Murder Games. Now that it''s started, these lands are going to be kind of dangerous to travel in. I don''t want you or your sister getting hurt." She also wanted to see one of these villages up close and maybe find out more about the realm. Earlier, Nikos had mentioned someone she''d be able to talk to in Pine Tree Village.


    Nikos looked a bit uncomfortable for a moment. "I guess I could, but if I''m being honest, miss, your way of thinking is very different from ours. We were taught to trust the mages and that they are here for us, yet you claim some are evil. Not to mention how closely you resemble the Queen... Are you perhaps related?"


    "No."


    "Oh..."


    Hope gave the boy a smile. "Please. I''ll be on my best behavior."


    Nikos nodded after some time. "You are a mage, and it is our job to help your kind out just as you helped us out. Even if you are a bit odd..."


    "Odd? How am I odd! I''m perfectly normal."


    "Well, it''s really that red little thing," Nikos explained. "I thought it was a wild beast or a monster at first, but it and that wolf seem to listen to you."


    "I don''t listen to her!" From the entrance of the cave, Lycaon walked out with Kevin on his back. The red orb formed a pair of large buff arms, which it folded over its body. "I don''t listen to anyone. I do what I want when I want. I''m my own person, got that? Shift is the only top dog around here!"


    Also, from the cave, Cora and Alexander stepped out. "So, are they coming with us, brother?" Cora asked.


    Nikos nodded to his sister. "Yes. This mage asked to come to our village." He turned back to Hope and gave a faint smile. "I''ll warn you now, though, it is a bit of a walk. It''ll take at least half a day."


    "Seriously?" Hope felt herself be hit with a bit of annoyance. She really didn''t have all that long to do anything, thanks to the ticking time bomb that was the Murder Games. Her plan right now was to find the fake Cinder, beat the crap out of her, and then use the information she learned from Druid to force the monster to open a way out of here. Once her dad was out, she''d be able to think a lot more clearly and wouldn''t have to constantly worry about him.


    "So we''re heading to their village?" Alexander asked.


    Hope nodded and cleared her thoughts. "Yeah. I just need to check something up top real quick, and then we can head out."


    "Up top?" Nikos glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean-" She was gone in the blink of an eye, blasting high into the air with a super jump. Nikos and his sister both stared up with wide eyes. "She can fly?"


    "Well, she is a mage." Cora shrugged.


    Hope felt the wind through her hair as she blasted up. It took her only a single jump to reach the top of the mountain, and she forcefully spun her body, using momentum to direct herself. Eventually, she landed at its peak and had to shiver a bit. Her lungs stung a little, and ice began to creep over her flesh, but she had been in literal outer space once, so the change in temperature and air barely affected her.


    Now that she was at the top of the mountain, she flared her enhanced senses out as far as she could, using the peak to see across the land. Her eyes were able to see a lot further than any human''s, and with them, she saw a vast sea to the east, a seemingly never-ending forest to the north, a grassy wasteland to the west, and to the south, she saw what she assumed to be the village the two siblings came from. It was built into another mountainside a bit past the small forest her father and she had come from. It wasn''t very big, being a small village with only a few white-marbled buildings and what looked like a town square that had been carved out of the mountain. She spotted a few people dressed in the same clothes as Cora and Nikos, all walking around.


    Despite how far she could see, though, she didn''t spot any obvious signs of the realm''s edge. Even looking up, she saw a vast cosmos above her. Legend''s realm was big, bigger than any other realm that has ever existed or likely will exist. She figured looking for the edge wouldn''t work, but it was a little annoying to find out that the easy solution was impossible.


    There was still one way to get out for sure, though. All realms had an exit built into them, even Sky''s. It was likely that Skin Walker had the exit with her, and that was how she could freely come and go from the realm. She really was going to have to confront the fake her sooner or later.


    With a shake of her head, Hope jumped back down, letting gravity carry her down. She awkwardly smashed into the ground next to the large wolf, landing on her feet. "No obvious exit sign. Looks like we''ll be here for a few more days." She shrugged.


    Alexander nodded slightly and helped Cora and Nikos pack up the last of their things onto the wagon. "We''re ready to head out when you are."


    "Are we seriously bringing this lady?" Kevin asked. From the top of Lycaon, Druid was tied down and constantly struggling against her bindings. They tied the lady up with more of Kevin''s makeshift rope and also formed a gag when the woman wouldn''t stop cursing them out. Cora and Nikos seemed pretty uncomfortable with the idea but didn''t stop them. "You know she''ll find some way to break out eventually, right? That always happens in comics and stuff."


    Hope shrugged slightly. "We can''t let her go because she''ll try to kill more of the players, and I don''t want to kill her. If we were in the real world, we could just lock her up, but if we just leave her tied up, she could starve to death or drown like she did yesterday. The guys who built this world did a sloppy job; it looks like it''s going to rain again later, and the clouds seem to just follow a set pattern. I''m guessing they took some shortcuts. I also noticed part of the world was awkwardly flat. If I''m being honest, this place reminds me of a badly coded video game."


    "I feel a bit insulted..." Nikos muttered. "We''re all packed and ready to head out if you all are."


    Hope jumped up and landed on the wolf next to Kevin. "Ready!" She announced. Her father decided to ride in the wagon with Cora while Nikos stayed up front with the donkey, leading it forward.


    They didn''t have much to talk about and began to head down the mountain in silence. They moved slowly since Nikos''s donkey was quite old. Now that she thought about it, Druid had likely been the one to create it and all other animals that ran around in the realm. Druid hadn''t done a good job, though, as things like bugs and other creatures needed for an ecosystem didn''t exist here. Despite how vast it looked, the world looked awkwardly flat and empty.


    She thought about simply picking each person up and quickly carrying them to the village but decided against it. She was strong enough to lift everyone but wouldn''t be able to get a proper grip on all of them, so a few people would have been forced to be left behind. With her speed, it would still take her a little under an hour to get to the village and back while carrying several people, so a few members of their group would be left alone, unable to defend themselves, which was something she refused to let happen. Especially because of the noise she was hearing.


    It was far off in the distance, several miles away from them, but her enhanced senses heard it. Screaming. Mad yells of rage and anger as what she assumed to be several villains stomped around the world. There weren''t any sounds of fighting, at least none that she could hear. It seemed, instead, that several bad guys were getting frustrated they hadn''t run into any players and were taking their rage out on the world around them. Or maybe they were adding to the land and improving it, being ordered so, and were mad that they were obeying Skin Walker''s orders. It didn''t really matter. Just so long as they stayed far, far away.


    "So you kids grew up in this village?" Alexander asked once they reached the woods.


    "Yep!" Cora said happily. "Pine Tree isn''t very big, but it''s a nice place, I think. We mainly hunt and mine for ore."


    "Mine for ore?"


    "Our village is built into a mountain," Nikos explained from up front, where he led the wagon. "Our village works under a city called Oak Tree City. We have a lot of blacksmiths who make armor and weapons for the city."


    "Why do you need weapons and armor?" Alexander asked, taken aback.


    "Well, for wars and protection and other stuff." Cora shrugged. "Bandits and the like roam some of these lands, you know. Not all of us are as strong as you mages are. Plus the monsters."


    "I guess this world isn''t as peaceful as I first thought," Kevin muttered, letting out a soft snort. "Leave it to a bunch of people to get trapped in a world like this and turn to a life of crime and go to war with one another. I''m guessing all the cities don''t like each other and sometimes fight?"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "They do!" Cora nodded. "How did you know?"


    "Just a hunch." Kevin shook his body and sighed. "How many are there? Cities, I mean?"


    Nikos glanced toward the red ball, studying the man. "You guys truly aren''t from around here, are you? It''s obvious with all these weird questions. You might not want to draw so much attention to yourselves." Nikos shook his head slightly. "To answer your question, though, there are four cities, and each city is in charge of about two or so villages. Oak Tree is in charge of Pine Tree and Ash Tree. A lot of times, the cities are led by their own king, who uses us to gather resources for war with the other cities. We only celebrate peaceful times when the Queen returns. She''ll appear in a city, gather a meeting, and hold a big celebration. The rulers will pretend to like each other before going back to trying to kill each other the next week once the celebration has died down."


    "Oh, cool, you guys reinvented politics and pointless wars." Kevin gave a half smirk. "Rad."


    "If you want to know more, you''ll have to speak to a scholar." Cora piped up. "They''re the ones that keep track of history and other stuff. I''m sure if anyone knows why the cities are at war with each other, it would be one of them."


    "Would one of these scholars be able to help us find the queen?" Hope asked. "Cause I really need to talk to her."


    "Yep!" Cora nodded. "Our village has one. I''m sure he''d be able to help you!" Nikos just sighed once more and shook his head. "They''d love to help a mage out as well."


    Hope smiled a bit and lay down on the back of the wolf, looking up at the sky. Kevin and Nikos kept talking, seemingly going over random bits of facts, while Alexander talked quietly with Cora, wanting to learn more about the history of Pine Tree. Druid was still tied up and gagged, constantly fighting against the restraints. She really didn''t know what she was going to do with the other woman, and she was starting to feel a bit guilty dragging Druid around like this. It didn''t really feel very heroic.


    She really didn''t like being alone like this either. She had expected to have already talked to Mr. Larison and set him straight by this point, yet it seemed like she was still so far from reaching that goal. Things were changing, and they were doing it fast. She was starting to feel left behind, like she didn''t have a place, and it seemed like no matter how hard she fought, this change was starting to affect her as well. How long would it be until the hero, Cinder, was someone else? She just hoped she got to remain as a good hero. A hero who could save the people she cared about and the people who were hurting who stood in front of her.


    That would be enough for her. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.


    She shot up suddenly as her enhanced senses went off once again. "Guys, we got trouble." That was all she had to say to get Nikos to stop the cart. They had made it past the forest and were now on a long, rocky path that stretched out. Far off in the distance, the mountain where Nikos''s village resided, but they still had a long journey to get there, and it seemed like something was keen on stopping them. "Something''s here."


    "I don''t see anything?" Nikos asked, looking around. Besides the forest behind them, it was nothing but an open field around them. Surely, they''d spot something that was coming at them from a mile away, yet no matter how much Nikos looked, he found himself unable to spot anything. Despite that, though, he trusted the mage''s words and moved to the back of his wagon. It wasn''t very big, most of the room being taken over by his sister and Alexander. A few supplies of rations rested in the back of it, as well as a wooden bow and a few hand-crafted arrows, which he took. He notched an arrow and moved back up front, looking out for any sign of danger. He still didn''t see anything. "Are you sure there is something? Is it able to go unseen or something?"


    "Maybe." Hope frowned, and her eyes scanned the field around her. She even looked up to the sky. She wasn''t seeing anything, but she could hear it. It sounded almost like a scratching sound. One that was softly rumbling around them, going slow. It took her a few seconds to figure out where it was coming from. "It''s the ground! It''s-"


    A crack echoed out, one that was loud enough for everyone else to hear. Part of the stone path in front of them crumbled a bit, and then a large hand shot out of the ground. It was made of a gray, rocky-like substance, and whatever it was, it began to pull its way out of the ground. It wasn''t a person. She was sure of that fact.


    Intake was able to take on a stone-like form, but he still looked rather human-like when transformed. Not this thing, though. It looked closer to Stone, one of the monsters that used to work for the Bad Timers. The thing stood at eight feet tall and was very blocky looking, being crafted entirely out of stone. It didn''t breathe or make any sounds as it moved, walking silently toward them. If not for the crunching of rocks, it would have been impossible to know that this thing was even here.


    Maybe it was her enhanced senses, or maybe it was something else, but she could tell right away that this was nothing more than a construct. It had no feelings or emotions, instead being crafted from someone''s power. That was a good thing, though. Because that meant she didn''t need to hold back.


    Before anyone could even register the fact that the stone monster took a step toward them, Hope vanished and reappeared in front of the creature. She struck out with an almost lazy punch, and that was more than enough to blow the thing apart. It crumbled to dust, shattering into a million pieces instantly. The broken pieces of the rock creature fell around her, and she pulled her smoking fist back.


    "Whoa!" Cora said with wide eyes. "Not only can she fly, but she''s stronger than a bear!"


    Nikos shook his head, recovering. "Don''t let your guard down!" The boy screamed out. "Those are golems created by Magnolia Tree! They can reform and-"


    Hope jumped a bit when the broken shards put themselves back together and, in a flash of movement, formed a hand that wrapped around her ankle. It squeezed down as hard as it could but was unable to shatter her leg. She was about to kick it once more but stopped when it began to brightly glow. The rock was shining, and it began to beep softly.


    "Oh, you''ve gotta be kidding me-"


    The golem exploded, the force of it blasting her back. The entire thing erupted in a mighty explosion, but luckily Kevin was able to shield the others, transforming himself into a large wall of red flesh that appeared in front of Nikos and the others. She rammed into the flesh wall and winced a little. Smoke was pouring off of her body. The blast had hurt a tiny bit, but for the most part, she was fine.


    "You okay?" Kevin asked, the wall forming a face that looked down at her.


    "Yep, just pissed." Before she could even stand up, the scratching sound was back, and then a second pair of arms jutted out of the ground as another golem pulled its way out. It was followed by a third, then a fourth, and then a fifth. She stopped counting after that and instead watched in annoyance as dozens of the creatures ripped their way out of the ground, all clicking and walking toward her. "Really annoyed. You ready?"


    "I''m going to get blown up a bunch of times today, aren''t I?" Kevin grumbled but began to change and swam over Hope, forming into the costume of Cinder.


    Nikos and Cora both stepped away, staring at Cinder in shock. "Now she looks like a real mage." Cora said, stunned.


    "Y- Yeah." Nikos nodded.


    Alexander gave a small grin. "You got this, sweetie."


    Cinder placed her hands on her hips and stared out at all the golems with a small grin. "Yeah. I know."


    Meanwhile, somewhere else within Legend''s realm, a few other players were also having a hard time.


    "So, we''re totally lost, right?" Kyle asked sheepishly.


    "We''re not lost." Rowan shook his head.


    "So you know where we''re going?"


    "Well, no, but-"


    "Then we''re lost."


    "We''re not lost!"


    It had been a full day since the two of them appeared within the weird realm. It had taken them some time to build up the courage to move after they learned just how hard the deck was stacked against them. Sleeping out in the cold had been more than enough to convince both boys, though, and as soon as the sun came up, they began to move. They were in a field of flowers now and had been walking for nearly three straight hours with no sign of anything, not even any bad guys or something interesting. It was almost as if they were playing a certain block game on super flat mode or something.


    "So what exactly is our plan?" Kyle asked, letting out a weak sigh. His stomach was killing him, and he was really thirsty, but there weren''t any animals or anything nearby for them to eat. There had been an ocean, but that was in the other direction, and they''d have to walk all the way back just to get it. Rowan also wasn''t in the best condition, as he hadn''t been able to bring any big suits along since he didn''t have any when he was taken. In fact, Rowan just had a single bit of tech with him. Well, that and the card. "You''re still looking at that thing?" Kyle teased when he noticed Rowan was looking at the card he had picked once again.


    The card was golden and had the image of an anvil and a hammer in front of a raging fire. The words ''Hephaestus'' were carved into the bottom. Rowan ignored Kyle''s teasing and turned it over, reading the back of the card. ''Tear this card in order to invent something'' was written on the back.


    "I just don''t get what it means. Like, do I create something, or do I get something random?" Rowan hummed. "And what are the limits? Can I make anything with it? If so, I think I have a good idea about something I''d like to make. Oh, and does the thing that''s created last or is it temporary? I hope it''s temporary because I really don''t have much." Rowan grumbled. Wrapped around his right arm was a red gauntlet. He had been dragged to the realm almost as quickly as Kyle had, so he hadn''t had time to grab any of his better suits. This piece wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t his best either, and he doubted he''d be able to find the resources to build anything better. This card was basically his trump card.


    "I get you''re stressed out," Kyle spoke up. "I am, too, but there is one bright side to all of this."


    "What''s that?" Rowan questioned.


    "When I was trying to summon a bodyguard, I tried for Cinder, and it said someone else picked her. All we need to do is find where she is. We can work with her and find a way out of this shit hole." Kyle suggested. "Plus, I''d feel a lot more confident having her by our side. No offense, man."


    "None taken. I''m not built for things like this. I need someone to play off of." Rowan nodded. "That''s why Kenny and I work together so well. We can cover each other''s weaknesses. I feel so exposed and alone out here without a team. Especially knowing some of the dangers that lurk in this stupid realm."


    Kyle gave a sad smile. "I''m sorry for dragging you into this place. It''s just my luck, huh?"


    "Hey, this isn''t your fault. I was your bodyguard before all of this, remember? I''m going to get you out of here." Rowan looked back at his friend and gave a small grin. "I promise, Kyle. You''re going to be safe with me. Nothing is going to hurt you-"


    The ground beneath Kyle suddenly split open as the land was torn in two, and Kyle tumbled down into a ravine that suddenly formed, smacking his head on a rock and getting hurt instantly.


    "Kyle!" Rowan screamed out, and Kyle yelled right back at him as he was dragged down by something. "I''m coming!" Rowan smacked his glove, and it whirled to life, metal forming around him, and then it transformed into his armor. He leapt down the hole, and a pair of boosters ignited from his hands and feet, which slowed his fall down until he landed at the bottom of the ravine. "What the hell?"


    The ravine opened up and dropped several meters into the ground, where it expanded into what looked like a large cave system. The walls of the cave, though, were covered in rows of thick, red crystals. They were sharp and almost seemed to hum, reflecting the light of the sun, which poured down from the top of the newly created hole. Rowan didn''t get to look at them for very long, though, as Kyle''s yelling bounced through the cave system. A hole was carved into the side at one end, and Rowan took off, booting his armor all the way on.


    "Metal Ronin, online!" He announced. The boosters blasted him forward, and he shattered through the hole in the wall, being carried forward by his rockets. A pair of energy sabers jutted out of his wrists, and he grabbed them, igniting both of the blades as he came to a spinning stop. "Let him go- Wait? It''s you! I- I know you!"


    Past the cave wall was a massive stone room. One that seemed to stretch out in all directions. More of those red crystals were present, though they formed into what looked almost like massive pillars that stabbed all the way up from the ground and reached the roof above, holding it up. In the center of the room, someone, or rather something, stood, holding Kyle. Kyle was held upside down, being grabbed by his leg, and couldn''t stop wincing.


    As much as Metal Ronin wanted to run in and save his friend, he was held in place by shock as he stared at the villain who held Kyle. It was a tall man, one who stood at eight feet in height, with a body forged out of solid stone, which was being absorbed by him. Many of the red crystals also covered parts of his body, forming chaotic, deadly spikes all across his flesh.


    "You''re Metal Ronin, a member of the Sub Enforcers, ain''t ya." Intake, a former member of the Bad Timers, gave a wicked grin as he glanced down at the tech-based hero. "I couldn''t help but overhear the two of you talking. What''s this about Cinder being here?"


    An old villain from the past had returned. Intake was back and better than ever.

 Chapter One Hundred And Seventy-Five: His Plan

    "Has everything been going well?" Myth asked.


    "You know, you don''t have to check up on me every chance you get. Especially now." Sky brought her rake down, running it over the soil that she had helped create in the middle of the road.


    Her group had fully removed most of the debris around the stairway they called home, and with her powers, she had been able to get rid of the stone entirely. They now had large rows of soil that were growing crops, and she even used her ability to create new trees. She still wasn''t able to get them to create any food yet, but she was able to make their roots go all the way into the ground as far as they could, getting water for them. All the crops they were growing were natural and being taken care of by several of her people. Her hope was that by the time Hope and her family got back, it would be enough to sustain Oleander and help it out of the hellhole it was still in.


    It was slow, and it was painful, but with the help of all of her people, she was making the city better. They were all working hard.


    That was what she was currently doing. Like her people, she helped out in the small field she created while Myth quietly watched her from the side. "You shouldn''t be here right now," Sky stated, not bothering to look at the man. "I heard what happened to Kyle."


    "It wasn''t just Kyle." Myth''s shoulders slumped a bit, and the man almost looked as if he was about to fall over. It had only been a day, but he hadn''t slept that entire time. "Metal Ronin got taken as well."


    Sky flinched and closed her eyes, taking a moment to send a quick prayer to Rowan''s family. "I see. I''m sorry. It''s already been a day, so they''re likely..."


    "Yeah... Most likely." Myth gritted his teeth and punched the ground.


    "I''m really sorry, Myth..." Rowan was Kenny''s friend. She didn''t know the tech boy as well as she had known Sera and Kenny, but she knew him enough to where it hurt. Her sister would likely be sad as well when news of it got out. Whatever city the Murder Games took place in would be forever changed, and with what happened in those games, it was unlikely anyone would be walking out of it alive.


    "How''d you know the Murder Games were happening?" Myth asked quietly as he looked back up at Sky.


    Sky turned to look at the older man. "Oxide is downstairs. She showed up last night and broke down. She ended up telling me all about Kyle being taken away."


    "I see." Myth let out a heavy sigh and rubbed at his eyes. "I should have known. I came here looking for her. After what happened, I... I told everyone to take a break. Wasp Nest is having a breakdown now that his friends are gone, and Drake said he''d try to figure out what city the game was taking place in and took off flying. I guess I should have expected the same for Oxide, shouldn''t I?" Myth gave a weak chuckle before his smile faded. "It''s not fair."


    "No. It isn''t." Sky set the tool down and walked over to the other man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It is never fair. That''s why I hate villains." She took a moment to look out at the city. Several of the knocked-over buildings were gone, making more room for the makeshift field she had been building, and all across it were hundreds of people all hard at work. Her eyes roamed over each of them. Her little group had grown quite large once it became clear Battery wasn''t coming back to Oleander. Most of the people that had been camped out near the bridge joined her group, led by Alice Ward. Alice currently was downstairs in the railroad area, working on dozens of cameras, trying to broadcast everything that was happening. "You know, you should take your own advice." She finally said, nudging Myth a little on the shoulder.


    "What do you mean?" The leader of Sub Enforcers shot her a tired glance.


    "You should take a break." Sky gave him a weak smile. "Remember my power set? It took me a single touch to see how much you''ve ruined yourself. Guys like the Victorian or Battery are freaks who can go months without sleep, but you''re not like them, Myth."


    "I''m not as strong as them, is what you mean?" Myth snorted.


    "I meant, you''re still human. You need a break." Sky turned back to look at her people. "And for the record, they might be stronger than you, but you''re kinder than them, so in my eyes, you''re the real hero."


    Myth managed to crack a half smile. "Thanks."


    "You don''t need to thank me. It''s the truth. You''re a good person, Myth." Sky gave the man another smile. "Why don''t we head downstairs? You can check on Oxide. I''m not really good with people, and she could use a hand."


    Myth gave a faint nod. "After you."


    Sky walked over to a makeshift fountain that they had and cleaned her hands off before leading Myth downstairs. Not a lot of time had passed since Hope had left, so much of the railroad was still the same, though a few walls had been knocked down, and more support beams made of trees had been set up. There were many more people than previously, and more tables and other makeshift furniture and tents had been set up. They had even gotten several TVs hooked up, thanks to Alice, who swiped some of Boy Genius''s drones, which were still flying around, even without the hero''s help.


    Alice was still working on a project of her own. The older woman was sitting at a table with her friend June and several other Hero Branch workers who had been stuck inside Oleander. They had one of Boy Genius''s drones on the table and were trying to fix it up and make it listen to them. Alice''s husband, Matthew Ward, was also present, though the man looked less than pleased. He was seated in a wheelchair, unable to walk anymore due to a leg injury he had suffered that resulted in his leg being taken off. He had been too stubborn to get the leg fixed at the time, and by now, it was too late, so there was nothing Paragon could do.


    Sky shot a nod to the older woman before leading Myth toward the back, where several large tents had been placed. Inside of one of them, Oxide was seated, no longer in her hero costume. The girl was curled up into a ball, and her eyes were red from crying, but she instantly wiped at them when she saw Myth.


    "M- Myth." Ashley stood up and did her best to compose herself. "Sorry for running off, sir."


    "No. You''re fine." Myth reached out, placing a hand on the girl''s shoulder. "Are you okay?"


    "Y- Yeah... No..." Ashley hung her head down, and her hand balled into a tight fist. "They''re dead, aren''t they..."


    "We don''t know that for sure-"


    "Be honest with me. Do you think they are dead?"


    Myth stared down at the girl in silence for several moments. "I do." His words caused Ashley''s hands to grow tighter into a ball. "It''s been over twenty-four hours by now since both of them were taken. The longest a Murder Game has ever gone on for was eighteen hours. That was when it took place in Max Lightning''s city. He and Team Cloud were the only ones able to fight and had done everything they could to protect the victims dragged into it, but in the end, it didn''t matter. It never does with Lucifer. Not even Full Monarch had been able to kill him for good." Myth shook his head sadly. "I''m sorry."


    "It isn''t over yet." Sky piped up. "Normally, we''d know what city the games took place in, but the public doesn''t even know the Murder Games are taking place."


    "They don''t?" Ashley turned to look at the other girl. "What do you mean? Is the Hero Branch hiding information again?"


    Myth shook his head. "Not this time. They can''t hide when a Murder Games starts because the barrier goes up. It makes it impossible for anyone to get in or out of the city, which is why it''s so hard to deal with the games. The Immortals rig it. This time, though, no city has asked for help, and Drake wasn''t able to find a barrier around any of them. There''s a chance that it could have taken place in a village this year instead. In which case, we likely won''t know what happened, and due to how much time passed, it''s likely over already."


    It was a sad fact to accept, but it was likely the truth. There was a good chance the other players would be dead by now since the Immortals always started hunting them around this point and always ended the game extremely fast.


    "Why is this game not taking place in any of the cities?" Ashley questioned. "It feels weird."


    "That''s because this game isn''t like any of the others." Ashley, Myth, and Sky all froze when they heard the voice. It was a familiar one, one they had all heard before. All the sound in the underground rail station seemed to cut out as if it had suddenly emptied out. "Did you miss me, Myth?"


    Myth was the first to spin around and see her. "L- Lois?"


    "The one and only!" Lightning Empress struck a pose.


    "Whisper!" Both Sky and Oxide said, taken aback. That was when Sky noticed two things. The first, the station hadn''t emptied. People were still sitting around and talking, but they couldn''t hear them, and they didn''t seem to be able to hear her group either. The second thing she noticed was how Lightning Empress suddenly appeared in front of them. It was through a glowing blue portal. "Uh oh."


    The portal opened wider, and two more people stepped out behind Lightning Empress. Battery held a faint smirk on his lips, both his eyes shining with their mixed colors. Next to him was someone new. A younger girl. One who wore a white business suit, the same as members of Zoo, but the girl also had on a white wolf''s mask. It was obviously White Lamb, but it seemed the girl changed her style up a bit and was with Battery for some reason.


    "Yo." Battery nodded toward Myth. "It''s been a while, Thaddeus."


    "Jack!" Myth''s eyes were wide as he stared at the other man. "Why are you here?" Myth shook his head and turned to look back at Lois, a hurt look on his face. "And why are you with him?"


    Lois didn''t have the chance to say anything. Sky moved fast, her white hair flying wildly as she drew her sword and slashed out at Battery. He didn''t even bother taking his hands out of his coat, and in an instant, large black arms appeared around him and White Lamb, blocking the sword. Sky''s eyes were filled with rage as she glared at Battery.


    "You! You''re not welcome here! Get the hell out of my-"


    "White Wolf, shut her up." Battery sighed.


    "Sure thing, boss." White Wolf snapped, and all of the sound that came out of Sky''s mouth was gone. The Lord was still talking, and she looked even more pissed than she had a few moments ago, but no more noise was coming out of her. "Better?"


    "Better." Battery nodded and patted White Wolf on the head. Then he turned to look back at Myth. "As for your question. I''m only here because she asked me to." He pointed a thumb toward Lightning Empress.


    Lightning Empress stepped past the annoyed Sky and looked at Myth, giving the man a faint smile. "Hey."


    Myth stared back at her, sadness present in his eyes. "Hey."


    "I guess you''re mad at me?"


    Myth shook his head. "Not mad. Just hurt."


    "Oh. Sorry. I didn''t see that coming." Lightning Empress winced slightly. "What if I told you I did what I did for a good reason?"


    "You left my team without warning; you joined the Enforcers without warning; you didn''t respond to any of my calls; you ignored me and wouldn''t let me visit you, all because you became a Lord, and you did it at a time when I thought I lost every member of my team and was recovering from my battle with the Beast, struggling to lead Money Tree''s team, which had been forcefully shoved onto my shoulders without warning." Myth stared into her eyes. "I''d say I''m still pretty hurt, even if it was for a good reason. But I guess you knew that all, didn''t you?"


    Lightning Empress gave the man a sad smile. "I didn''t actually. You''re the hero, Myth. The guy that destroys fate. Every time I see you, all I see is your death at the hands of the Beast, yet once again, you''ve managed to break destiny. You''re the one person I just can''t seem to read."


    "Well, I can read you." Myth stepped forward and placed his hands on Lois''s shoulders, looking down at the other girl. "I might not be able to see the future like you can, but we''ve fought alongside each other and talked so much I can tell what''s going through your head. I know that whatever this is, whatever you''re doing right now, it''s eating away at you. You don''t want to be doing this. Do you?"


    Lois shook her head and stepped away from the man. "Sorry. I have to, though."


    "You don''t."


    "I do. Because I want to." She turned back and looked at the man, a fake smile back on her lips. "I just want to see a happy ending for everyone I care about. Even if it means I get a bad one."


    "Lois!"


    Lois ignored Myth and walked back to Battery''s side. "Alrighty then." Lois casually placed her hands behind her head. "I told you where Paragon was, so go ahead and grab her."


    Sky''s eyes went wide, and the girl went to dodge, but before she could, a hand appeared around. It was forged out of that same crackling black energy and wrapped all the way around her, floating off of the ground. Sky made a gasping sound and began to yell some more, though it went unheard.


    "You can let her speak now." Battery said simply. White Wolf nodded.


    "-and then when I''m done doing that to you, I''ll get the duck and do it all over again, Battery!" Sky yelled, her sound suddenly coming back. "Let me go!"


    Myth growled and transformed into his lion form, and Oxide formed her metal dress, creating a sword. Lightning Empress turned back to them and waved her hands. "Hang on, guys! No need for us to fight. Battery''s here to help."


    "That''s right." Battery nodded before glancing back toward Myth. "See, unlike your team, my ''Pantheon'' actually gets shit done. I find myself in need of Paragon''s assistance, so I came to get her. Now that I have her, I''ll be taking my leave."


    "Like hell, you will!" Myth roared out, and he charged forward, striking out with his claws. Oxide attacked as well, the girl sending out large metal blades, but before either of them could reach Battery or White Wolf, Lightning Empress appeared in front of them, massive clouds twisting out of her hands, which somehow formed together into a solid wall. Myth tried to claw through it, but both his and Oxide''s attacks simply bounced off. "Lois! What are you doing!" He growled out in anger.


    Lightning Empress gave another sad smile and casually flipped her gray hair. "Sorry, but I sort of need Battery. Believe it or not, he''s kind of important to the story."


    "Let me go!" Sky thrashed around, trying to break out of the hand that held her, but it just grew tighter and floated to its master''s side. "I''ll seriously kill you!"


    "Sky." Battery looked up at the Lord. "Stop."


    "Why should I!" Sky hissed out.


    "Because if you piss me off anymore, I''m not going to let you help me save Cinder."


    That caused Myth''s group to instantly go silent. Both Myth and Oxide''s eyes went wide. Sky''s face turned a little pale, and she glanced down at Battery. "N- No. It''s not true. S- She didn''t- T- Then again, it is something she''d end up getting involved with, isn''t it?"


    Battery simply nodded. "Cinder is in the Murder Games." His words caused all their hearts to sink. "She''s not dead, though. Not yet. None of the players are." Battery turned to look back at Myth as the cloud wall vanished. "So, if you guys would just stay out of my way, I''m going to go ahead with my plan and save everyone."


    "What plan?" Myth questioned, staying in his lion form, still debating if he should attack or not.


    "I''m not explaining it twice; if you want to hear it, then just come on already." Battery rolled his eyes and turned back to the portal he had created. It had stayed up the entire time. "I''m going to be telling the others about it as well."


    "Others?" Oxide asked.


    White Lamb, or rather White Wolf now, slightly lifted up her wolf mask, showing off a sly smirk. "You''ll see." And with those words, Battery and White Wolf stepped through the portal, the hand dragging Sky in as well.


    Lightning Empress approached the portal and was about to enter, but she turned back to Myth and grinned. "Well? What are you waiting for? Come on. Fable''s waiting on you."


    "Fable! What do you mean my brother is-" Lois vanished through the portal, cutting Myth off. The man stood there for several seconds, staring at it before he took a step toward it. Oxide followed behind him, and they both stood in front of it, staring at it. "Should we?"


    "I dunno. This is freaking weird, man." Oxide sighed. "Why couldn''t I just be a normal superpowered individual? It feels like my life''s gone sideways ever since I met you all."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Myth reached up about to touch the portal but hesitated slightly. He was about to try again when Lois''s head suddenly poked out of it, an annoyed look on the girl''s face. "Oh, will you two just get in here already!" She grabbed them both and dragged them into the portal.


    Myth and Oxide stumbled out of it and crashed down onto a hard stone floor. "Myth!" A voice called out.


    "F- Fable?" Myth winced and looked up, his eyes going wide at what he saw. He had been to this place a few times back when his dad was alive. It was the Enforcers Tower. Fable ran over to him and helped him and Oxide up. "What''s going on?" Myth questioned, looking around.


    Fable sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled weakly. "To be honest, I''m not really sure. We''ve all been sort of waiting on Battery to explain himself."


    Myth nodded slightly and looked around the room. It was still mostly destroyed from the time Battery challenged all the Enforcers, but the table was still fine. Several people were seated at it. He wasn''t shocked to see Lady Time, Wyvern, Beta, Pretty Face, or Mister Man, but he was taken aback when he noticed Poseidon. Sky had also noticed the other Lord and stared down with wide eyes. Also at the table was Purrfect, and more shockingly, three humans. Jack''s roommate Alma, the man who had taken over Avalon Industries, was present, as was Ms. Laps, the woman who used to run Oleander''s Hero Branch. Also present was Jane Lauren, of all people. The raven-haired woman just looked sad and tired, slumped down on the table.


    White Wolf took a seat next to Purrfect, and the two wasted no time gossiping with each other as if they were old friends. Laps and Alma, both whispered to each other about some plan while Mister Man and Lady Time were already bickering. Wyvern was busy praying for it all to end while Pretty Face checked himself out in a mirror. That left Beta, who looked around the room, recording everyone. It was strange seeing the machine without Boy Genius around. At least Myth thought so.


    Myth flinched slightly when his brother clapped him hard on the back. "Well, big brother, welcome to Battery''s team!"


    "Come again?"


    "I don''t get it either."


    Myth wanted to say more, but the hand holding Sky phased out and vanished. The girl dropped to the ground, and instantly, she was at her sister''s side. The two of them hugged for a moment and stayed in each other''s arms for several moments. "Are you okay?" Lily whispered to her sister. "Are you taking care of yourself? Eating as much as you should? Bathing regularly?"


    "I am." Sky hugged her older sister tighter. "And you?"


    "Yeah. I''m doing fine. I changed my hero name. I''m the Tallest Wave now."


    "Oh, Lily..." Sky said sadly.


    "Don''t. I picked it myself."


    "Did you? Or did Battery make you?" Sky hissed.


    Lily pulled away from her sister and stared down at the other girl. "Sky. I decided to join his team, and I changed my name. I picked it because I''m not going to let it control me. I''m going to control it. Hope did something like that in the battle with the Beast. You saw it. Those Lord forms, whatever they are, they can be controlled. Battery has helped me a lot. His Imaginary energy has helped me suppress it. It''s like it was built for this or something. I joined him myself because I heard his plan."


    "Why do you trust him?" Sky grumbled.


    "Because Mom did."


    Sky stayed silent and didn''t respond to that. She wanted to comment about what Battery did to her. How he threatened her, slapped her, and belittled her, all at the same time, but she stayed silent. She didn''t want to ruin the look in her sister''s eyes. She could tell Lily was putting all her trust in Battery. Because that''s what Ocean Empress had done. Because that''s what their mother did. River Sini had loved Jack Larison. It might have been a short-lived fling, brought on only because they were both broken souls who had lost people close to them, but it had still been a type of love.


    Sky turned away from her sister and shook her head. "I''m sorry. I just can''t look at him the same way you or Mom did. Hope looks at him the same way as well. You all see some man who has done bad things but can come back from it, but I keep seeing a man who keeps blowing all his chances. How many second attempts to right the wrongs has he been given? Too many, I think."


    "Just sit and listen, okay?" Lily said quietly. "Just do that for me. Please?"


    Sky gave a weak nod and took a seat at the round table next to her sister. Myth watched the entire thing before he also took a seat, sitting next to his brother Fable. Oxide sat down next to him as well. That finally left Battery as the only guy left standing. He didn''t take a seat. Instead, he moved to a part of the table that made everyone have to look at him. It was a round table, and yet Battery had still managed to put himself at the front of it. He stood there silently, looking at everyone, not saying a word.


    "Well, go on then." Mister Man grunted out. "You went and forced us all to come here. Tell us what''s going on."


    "Also, where is the Victorian?" Lady Time questioned. "You said you needed her for your plan, but I don''t see Jill anywhere. Did you not grab her yet?"


    "Will you finally explain yourself?" Wyvern demand. "You and Lightning Empress are getting on my nerves. If we''re all some big team, why is it that the two of you always hide stuff from us?"


    "I don''t suppose everyone would be fine with suddenly jumping him?" Pretty Face asked, setting his mirror down. "I mean, there''s three Lords in this room. You know we could beat him if we all attacked at the same time."


    "Can you knock that off, Pretty Face?" Fable grumbled. "I hate Battery as much as you do, but the fact is we need him right now. He said he has a way to save the players."


    "And you believed him?" Oxide asked, raising an eyebrow. "The Murder Games have never been beaten, you know. It can''t be done. Even a monster like Battery can''t change that."


    "I just want my daughter and husband back." Jane slumped further down onto the table.


    Sky''s eyes went wide. "Mr. Lauren was taken along with Hope?"


    "That is correct." Beta finally spoke up. "I have hacked into every database and have been able to report that eight people have vanished. Alexander Lauren, the hero Cinder, Evan Ros, the hero Phoenix, Kyle Brenner, the hero Metal Ronin, Irene Milas, and finally, the hero Claymore. That''s five humans and three Supers."


    "Kevin is also in the games, so that makes four Supers!" Lois said casually.


    Oxide''s eyes went wide. "K- Kevin? L- Like my Kevin?"


    "Oh yeah! I forgot the two of you dated at one point, right?" Lois giggled. "Yeah, he''s in there. I totally pulled a power move by having Battery blast him so hard he''d respawn in the border of the games. Man, am I awesome or what?"


    Wyvern sighed, her tail flicking back and forth. "We were so shocked when we saw Battery do that. If you hadn''t explained yourself on the spot, we would have tried jumping him all over again, even if the outcome would have resulted in us losing."


    "Speak for yourself." Pretty Face went back to looking at himself in the mirror. "Once a coward, always a coward. I would have run away."


    "Why are you an Enforcer?" Mister Man asked flatly.


    "Because it made me more famous." Pretty Face smiled. "...Also because I sucked Ward''s-"


    "That''s enough of that." White Wolf flicked her finger out, silencing the pretty man.


    "Why is she even here?" Myth grumbled. "Isn''t she a villain?"


    "She''s useful." Purrfect grinned. "And cute!" The cat-themed hero patted White Wolf on the head.


    Luna Laps clasped her hands together and leaned forward on the table, looking toward Battery. "That''s enough with the silence, Battery. Begin."


    Battery nodded and let out a sigh before finally talking. "I''ll just cut to the chase since I don''t really like looking at any of you. How have your cities been?"


    Mister Man slammed his hand down onto the table and let out a loud growl. "Motherfucker, how do you think! You still haven''t removed your stupid fucking Giants, have you!"


    Battery didn''t even flinch at the outburst. "Your cities have all been fine. I''ll admit that crime is still happening. That''s one of the reasons I left the other teams in there. My Giants can''t stop everything, but they''ve done enough. It''s been weeks, and yet every city that has one of my Giants within it has remained standing. Crime hasn''t been able to take them over. Do you know what that means?"


    "Let me guess." Lady Time rolled her eyes. "You want us all to get on our hands and knees and say how great you are? Well, newsflash, dick, if we had been in each of those cities, and if you would have just teamed up with us, we''d have been able to wipe out crime entirely."


    Battery glanced to the other girl. "You''re likely right. It would have been better, and in the city''s best interest, if I had worked with each of you. We likely would have been able to shut down crime entirely. One Enforcer patrols the underground with their team, while my Giants patrol the aboveground with that city''s Sub Enforcers. It would have been almost perfect."


    "So you admit it!" Wyvern narrowed her eyes.


    "No." Battery shook his head. "Because saving each city wasn''t my goal."


    "Shocker there," Sky muttered.


    "Eventually, sure, I''ll save them, just as I''ll save this world." Battery nodded. "But before that happens, I need to wipe out the threat of the Rulers. That''s why I did what I did. I needed to show the world that without its Enforcers, the cities wouldn''t instantly get destroyed."


    Fable gave a small frown. "What do you mean by that?"


    "Think about it." Lightning Empress said casually. "Neither the Victorian nor the Boy Genius can break a barrier. When the last Murder Games happened, Avalon was still pretending to work for him, and yet somehow, the three best people in the world teamed up and couldn''t stop it. My father was alive back then. As a Lord of the Sky, he could manipulate space and time to an extent. He should be above any barrier."


    "Are you trying to say that we could have gotten into a Murder Games at any time?" Mister Man asked with narrowed eyes.


    Lois shrugged. "Honestly, I really don''t know, but I doubt a barrier could hold for that long against my father and mother. The real reason they never tried is because of the risk."


    "What risk?" Lady Time questioned.


    "The Immortals are strong." Beta explained. "It would take several Enforcers working together to take one down. Lucifer can also be considered a Pseudo-Calamity-level threat. It would likely take all Enforcers working together to win, and the battle would be hard-fought. Maybe even as hard as this year''s Beast fight was." That caused everyone to flinch slightly. "It also would not have been quick. A battle like that could take several hours to finish, or even days, considering the Immortals are... well, immortal. Not to mention the endless soldiers Lucifer can summon; during that time, while each Enforcer was away, all of the cities would be left in grave danger. It was feared that someone like the Emperor would return, or a revolt from all the villains would happen, and each city would be attacked and overwhelmed while the Enforcers were busy dealing with the Immortals. In the end, it was decided it was best to stop wasting resources and trying to stop the Murder Games and instead just protect the people trapped inside of the city. As sad as it might seem, it was safer. After all, the Immortals are only really targeting five people at a time and will hunt them till they finish. A city can be fixed after a Murder Game. That''s more than you claim for Oleander."


    Battery nodded slightly. "When I first kicked you all out, crime spiked through the roof. It was as Beta just stated. Every major villain group tried to take over the city, yet with my portal powers and my Giant soldiers, I was able to flash between each city and stop it. Was it perfect? No. But it did show that the villains can''t just win. That was important to do because my plan involved all the Enforcers. I''m going to smuggle as many as I can into the Murder Games, and the moment the villains discover that the world is lacking all of its protectors, they''re likely going to try and attack all the cities again. During that time, my Giants will stay behind and defend."


    Wyvern rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Let me get this straight. So, the reason you were a jackass is because you needed to show that you could keep a city safe without its Enforcer? Seriously?"


    "Yes." Battery said flatly. "And I did it. It might have been messy, but each city is still standing, right? Without any of you. So, while we''re all busy fighting in the Murder Games, you won''t have to worry about your city, and the people won''t have to worry either. Because I''ll still be keeping it safe."


    "I think you''re missing a point." Oxide said flatly. "You said you helped keep each city safe alongside your Giants. You won''t be here this time to do it. Do you really think your Giants on their own can stop all crime? Especially one as big as what you''re suggesting?"


    "Lightning Empress." Battery huffed out. "Explain it."


    Lightning Empress gave a small grin. "Several villains have had their Paths vanish. Basically, that means I can''t look at their stories anymore. For that to have happened, it would mean they either suddenly died or have been placed somewhere I can''t see. As I mentioned, I saw the start of the Murder Games and can see the trillions of ways it could end, but I can''t see the middle. All the villains would have had to be placed into the Murder Games for something like that to happen. So many twisted Paths from strong people. While it''s true that Battery won''t be here to stop all the villains, almost every heavy hitter from across the world won''t be there to counter his Giants either because they''re all in the games. Not to mention, not all of you will be going. Some of you will be left behind and will work with the Giants to help keep the cities safe. Now that he''s shown off how strong his Giants are and the weakened state the villains are in, they''ll likely think twice about taking once the several Enforcer members return."


    Pretty Face gave a faint nod. "I see. So you nerfed each city by taking its Enforcer away and then got the villains used to just the Giants, and now you''re going to give the Enforcers back. Since the villains are weaker now and failed once already to take over a city while the Enforcers were gone, they''ll likely think twice about doing it now that we''re back. Basically, ending the fight before it could even begin?"


    "Exactly."


    Myth raised an eyebrow slightly. "What did you mean by some will be left behind?"


    Battery lifted his hand and created a shimmering blue portal. "It''ll take a lot out of me to transport us all into the Murder Games. I can basically only take twelve of us, and that''s counting me. After that, I''ll need to recover my strength. The reason the Enforcers never bothered to attack the Immortals was because the Victorian knew it would take way too long, and the chances to win weren''t high. This time, however, Paragon, Tallest Wave, and Lightning Empress will be coming with us. That''s three Lords. Each Lord is worth about four Enforcers, maybe more, so that''s basically like I''m taking twelve of you guys with me. Then there will be eight more of you, plus myself, to back them up. Our odds of winning are greater."


    "Much greater." Beta chimed in.


    "I don''t like it still." Mister Man spat out. "It still wasn''t right what you did. You should have told us all in advance." He glared at Battery and Lightning Empress. "Both of you."


    Lightning Empress shrugged. "I''m not going to say sorry. What''s done is done. Battery has his own reasons, and I have mine. We''re playing smart."


    "You''re playing like a machine," Fable stated plainly. "Sure, on paper, it sounded reasonable, but neither of you bothered to think how it would make any of us feel. There''s no heart in your plan. It''s all just the math."


    "If it works, it works." Battery growled. "And it will work. I''m sure. We''ll take out every Ruler with it."


    "There''s that stupid ass term again." Mister Man groaned. "Ruler. What do you mean we''ll be taking them all out?"


    "Rulers are what the Emperor and Lucifer are." Battery explained. "Think of them as a reverse Lord. I don''t know everything, but I know that they can come back from the dead."


    "Doesn''t that make you a Ruler as well?" Lady Time asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Sort of." Battery shrugged, which didn''t put everyone at ease. "I''m still in control. When we die, our power devours part of us. Think of it as our soul shattering more and more. I''m still me. The other Rulers, however, have twisted and changed. The Emperor officially became one after he died at the hands of Full Monarch. The Lord of the Land and Life, which had been inside of him, had been fighting its influence off, but after that death, he lost that title, and it fully ate him."


    "The Emperor and Lucifer are both going to be present for this game." Lois said casually.


    "You''re fucking kidding me. No way we can win then." Mister Man bashed his head on the table.


    "Oh, it gets so much worse!" Lois said happily. "Legend is also there! He''s the third Ruler!"


    "Dad!" Myth''s and Fable''s eyes both went wide when they heard their father''s name. Myth shuddered for a moment, remembering the shambling corpse that had taken over his father. He always knew he''d eventually have to deal with it, but for it to come back like this... "Wait." Myth frowned suddenly. "That would mean that this year''s Murder Games is taking place in- Oh god dammit! That''s why we haven''t noticed any cities being attacked!"


    "Chrysanthemum?" Lady Time groaned out. "Seriously? Just fucking great. Yep. We already lost. You know that, right?" She shot a dirty look toward Battery. "That''s too much for us to handle. Oh, or are we also going to be fighting the Beast?"


    "Not yet, sadly." Battery said, shaking his head.


    "Sadly?"


    "The Beast will be after we deal with the Emperor, Legend, and Lucifer." Battery shrugged.


    "You make it sound so easy." Wyvern snorted.


    "Because it is." Battery grunted. "Listen. We don''t have to beat all of them at the same time. Just one. I can take on a single one of them on my own and win. So can the Victorian. That leaves the four Lords to team up and take down the last member of that trio while the rest of the group deals with the fodder. It doesn''t matter if you hate me; you all saw me go toe-to-toe with the Beast. I''m strong. None of those guys are anywhere near as dangerous as the Beast. We. Can. Win. At least I will win. When all the Lords are together, they experience explosive growth. Max Lightning was from the wrong generation and was holding them all back. Now that we have Paragon and Lightning Empress, if they work with Cinder and the Tallest Wave, it''ll cause them to all leap in power. A Lord is stronger than a Ruler. I''m pretty sure at least."


    "Okay, but we can''t actually kill them, can we?" Pretty Face commented. "You said it yourself; they come back."


    "The Victorian has a piece of her father''s power, which was able to turn Lucifer to dust for over fifty years." Battery shrugged. "Not to mention, I have my own method for putting one down. When it comes to fighting them, we can kill them or at least make it take so long to regenerate that we''ll be able to plan and develop more heroes and tech for when they do return."


    "That''s assuming I help," Sky said bitterly.


    "You will." Lois grinned. "Hope needs you after all."


    "Yeah. I guess I will. I won''t like it, though." Sky sighed.


    Jane looked around at all the heroes. The mood in the room had changed slightly. The doubt everyone had was still there, but also something new. A sense of hope. One that hadn''t existed in a while. Hate him or like him, if what Battery said was true, taking all three of the greatest threats out like this would change the world for the better. "You make it actually sound possible."


    "Because it is." Battery gave a faint grin. "You might not like me, but I''m going to be the man who saves the world. I''m the number one hero, and I''m going to show why that title belongs to me."


    Wyvern gave a faint nod. "You said you can only take twelve?"


    Battery nodded back, and the tension in the room seemed to fade more. They were all actually considering this. Praying that it would work. That this would be the fix to it all. "Yeah, I can only take twelve of us in, and once in, I won''t be able to get us out. I''ll be making three teams, each team having four members. I''ll be in charge of team one. Team two will be led by the Victorian. And team three will be-"


    "Myth!" Lois announced suddenly, catching everyone off guard. Myth''s eyes were wide, and he suddenly felt Lois behind him as the girl hugged him and pointed at Battery. "Also, I''m on team three."


    Battery frowned slightly. "I didn''t agree to that. Team three was going to be led by Boy Genius, who I was going to go grab."


    "Nah." Lightning Empress shook her head. "Leave him. He can''t play. Yet. Team three will be led by Myth, and I''m on his team, and he can pick the last two members of his team himself."


    Battery''s frown grew. "Fine. Whatever. You''re using your powers for me, though. You''re the trump card, Whisper."


    "Lightning Empress."


    "Whatever."


    "Do I get a say in this?" Myth asked.


    "I agree with my brother," Fable grunted. "I don''t want him going into these games. It''s too dangerous."


    "Now hang on." Myth shook his head. "I didn''t say that. I want to come; I just don''t know if I should be the leader of a team. Cinder''s in trouble, so I''m going to help her."


    "When Whisper decides something, it''s just best to do it." Battery shrugged. "Part of her story. You''re the team leader. Pick whoever you want on your squad. Each team will also get one Lord. Since you have Whisper and I have Tallest Wave, that means you''re on team two, Paragon."


    "Great." Paragon sighed. "Now, when I save Hope, I''ll have to watch her fangirl over the Victorian."


    "Speaking of the Victorian, you haven''t gotten her yet, have you?" Lady Time questioned.


    "I was waiting for her to be in a specific spot," Battery replied. "She moves around too fast for me to open a portal near her, so I had to wait until Whisper gave me the go-ahead, which she said would be after this meeting. Speaking of which," Battery turned and opened a portal up. "I''ll be right back." He stepped through and vanished, leaving the room in an awkward silence.


    "I- Is this actually happening?" Pretty Face. "Like, you guys aren''t actually considering this, are you? The dude is clearly batshit insane."


    "We''re all insane." Mister Man grunted out and played with his gun. "We wouldn''t be heroes if we had all our screws."


    "I hate him, but I hate the Emperor more." Lady Time nodded. "If I have the chance, I''ll take it. Even if it means working with a devil like Battery."


    Lois looked down at Myth and grinned. "So, Myth. Who are you going to put on your team? You got two slots right?"


    "I wanna come!" Oxide leaned forward, her eyes wide. "Kevin''s there!"


    Myth looked like he was about to argue but stopped. "It''d be kind of hypocritical of me to say no since it''s dangerous. It is, though, Oxide, and you''re not an Enforcer."


    "Neither are you."


    "Yeah, but I''m still strong." Myth snorted.


    "So am I! I''m coming, okay? Kevin... I... I just want to see Kevin." Oxide''s shoulders slumped. "Sorry."


    Myth''s look softened. "I''ll think about it, okay. As for the last person I want. I have someone in mind. I might need your help to find him, though, Lois."


    Lightning Empress grinned. "Don''t worry; I already know where he is and what his answer will be."


    Meanwhile, outside of Earth, on the surface of the moon, the Victorian stared down at the glass coffin that held her father. Her face was blank. She didn''t even react as a blue portal appeared behind her.


    "Did you move my dad?" She asked in a dangerous tone.


    Battery shrugged. "I needed to borrow him for a moment-" In a flash, he was on his back, the world''s strongest woman glaring down at him. She threw a punch at his face, but he caught it, his dual-colored eyes staring into her golden ones. "Ruby. It''s time."


    The Victorian''s look of rage faded for only a moment. "What do you mean?"


    "You know what I mean." Battery reached up and placed his hand on the woman''s cheek. "You''re my sword. It''s time I aim you at my enemies. Let''s kill them all. Let''s reach the end of our story."