"Should we get straight to business, or is there anything else you'd like to do first, Cinder?" Ward asked, giving a casual wave of his hand. "After all, you and I are friends. I was there with you on stage when you demasked."
This was the man Sky told her about.
She had actually seen him before on the news. He had been one of the men standing next to the fake Cinder. He looked almost stereotypically evil. She still wouldn't quite say that she viewed the Hero Branch as an evil organization. They were helping more people than they hurt, after all, but when it came to Dean Ward, the man looked like an evil CEO would if this were some sort of cheesy tycoon novel.
He wore an expensive black business suit complete with a red tie, which he fiddled with. His skin was dark, and he had black hair that was combed and tied back into a ponytail. Unlike many people she had grown to respect, Ward's eyes lacked the bags under them, showing he had been getting plenty of rest during these trying times. That or he was wearing a lot of makeup. He didn't appear to be stressed out, though, at least not that she could tell. He had a smile present on his lips, but it was the kind that would change into a sneer at any moment, and already one of his eyes was twitching as he stared at her.
Sky had told her everything she needed to know. This was one of the men who had been behind the fake Cinder plot, as well as the man who had tried to prevent Sky from arriving on the battlefield with the Beast. He was also the one responsible for stopping the people from Oleander from being able to get out.
Dean Ward was one bad apple.
Just like his father.
The fake memories Avalon had forced into her head were really helpful in times like these. She had seen the previous head of the Hero Branch, thanks to them. Ace Ward was a near identical match to Dean Ward, right down to the fact that both of them hated heroes. It was no wonder Dean was the way he was if a man such as that had been his father. It did make her wonder, though, what exactly happened to the late Mr. Ward. After all, Ace Ward was almost never mentioned. Nor was the fact that he helped out the Emperor against his will...
She still remembered what she had been shown. The blue-eyed Emperor stood in Ace Ward's office, a hand on Dean Ward's shoulder, back when Dean had been just a young boy. She wondered for a moment if Dean recalled that event or if he had been too young to remember it.
"Well, go on." Her thoughts came to an end as Ward spoke up once more. His lips broke into a frown for a moment before forcing the smile back on. "You should say something, Cinder. Everyone is waiting on you after all."
"What do you mean?" Hope asked. She frowned at the man, but then she noticed it. "Oh... Right. People actually know who the hero Cinder is. I'm kind of a big deal now, aren't I?"
Ward calling her Cinder had seemingly caused a chain reaction in the officers around them. Many of the Hero Branch soldiers who had their guns held up had instantly dropped them at the first mention of her name. The fact that there was a fake Cinder running around was likely a closely guarded secret that only a few of the higher-ups and trusted agents got to know about, so many of these people likely thought she was still the very same hero who had removed her mask and helmet live on stage. That Cinder was friends with the Hero Branch, after all.
"When did she change her costume?"
"I thought her hair was blonde."
"Doesn't she seem a little off from how we were told she acted?"
Her enhanced senses allowed her to hear the various mutters that came from the different soldiers. She resisted the urge to sigh and face-slap herself. They weren't the only ones either. Now that the fire was out, a large crowd had formed behind all the workers and Ward, and many of them had heard the name Cinder. Flashes of light went off as hundreds of pictures were snapped at her, and she had to turn her hearing down in order to stop the barrage of questions that were being flung out.
"Is that really the hero Cinder?"
"I like the new suit. It makes sense the Hero Branch gave her an updated one."
"What happened to her golden hair and red eyes?"
"Why didn't she use any fire in that last battle? She seemed slower and weaker than I was expecting."
"She totally took those two bad guys down all by herself, right?"
"I was in the crowd of people she saved! There was this cool red thingy or something she had! I guess she has a bunch of other powers!"
"She ran circles around Golden Weaver earlier today as well! I watched them battle in my city block, and she kicked his ass."
"So that's the hero that single-handedly beat the Beast?"
"I liked her old costume better; I hope she changes back."
"Isn't her real name Hope Lauren? I saw two old people with her as well. Are those her parents?"
Her eye twitched a bit as she processed everything the crowd was spouting off. Her gaze focused back on Ward. If he had been alone, she likely would have punched him in the face out of annoyance and anger. The old her still would have done. Sadly, the current her couldn't afford to do so. Doing something like that would surely result in the Victorian coming after her, and with how messed up in the head her idol was, the Victorian would likely accept the mission just to mess with her. With the crowd watching and all the cameras, she'd just let Ward go.
For now.
"So, would you care to explain why you were avoiding the Hero Branch?" Ward asked in a calm tone. "Cinder is a hero who works for the Hero Branch and has gone out of her way to save millions of people with the help of her Lord power. Why, just last week she prevented an entire island from sinking after it had been mysteriously cut in two."
"I remember that!" Someone in the crowd cheered out. "I read about it on the news."
"Yeah, and she also stopped that giant meteor the other day, right? She and the Victorian flew up to stop it. I know only the Victorian was shown in the footage, but that was because Cinder is just that fast, right?"
"Cinder also single-handedly defeated the return of the Bad Timers and saved an entire village all by herself."
"Yeah, she beat Polaron's brother with one punch."
"It makes me wonder why she suddenly did so much worse in her fight today."
She suddenly got a bad feeling as the large crowd began to mutter amongst themselves.
Ward's smile only grew as he stared at her. "Yes, it does make me wonder about you. We haven't heard from you in a few days, and now you show up looking a bit different and seem a lot weaker. Then you go and avoid the Hero Branch? Also, just look at this city block." Ward gestured with his hand. "In all your other fights, the block was never quite this destroyed, Cinder. It makes me wonder. Are you really Cinder?"
She almost let out a dry laugh at that. "Wait, are you trying to say that I'm the fake?" Ward knew about the fake Cinder, right? "Oh, wait. I get it." Suddenly it made sense. He was going to throw her under the bus for what he did. If word had gotten out that the Hero Branch had a fake Cinder and faked the fact she was still alive, it likely would have turned out badly for them. Ward couldn't have that happening, so he was about to kill two birds with one stone. She was going to be painted as the faker.
"There was a villain that used to exist," Ward stated loud enough for the crowd behind him to hear. "They went by the name of Skin Walker and could take on the shape of other heroes. Of course, they didn't have the ability to use those other heroes' powers; things like fire control, for example, would simply be impossible for them. Hey, since we're 'friends' and all Cinder, wouldn't you mind showing me your fire? I'm sure the crowd would love to see it as well."
"You're an asshole." That was all she said in response.
Suddenly, all the guns were trained back on her.
"So it's not Cinder?"
"I thought as much; I mean, just look at her. She looks nothing like Cinder. She isn't even acting like Cinder."
"I think I heard of Skin Walker before. Mr. Ward's pretty smart for figuring it out so quickly; I had no clue!"
"What was up with the people in the van then?"
"Since we haven't heard from Cinder in a few days, I was getting worried. Now we find out some shape-shifter monster freak is running around pretending to be her. She makes me sick. If I find out, she hurt Cinder in any way..."
Golden Weaver remained flat on his back but managed to push himself up slightly with an elbow. He stared at the hero's back that stood in front of him as the crowd suddenly went from whispering about how great Cinder was to how obviously not Cinder this girl really was.
"Why aren't you defending yourself?" Golden Weaver asked.
"Would they believe me?" Cinder responded weakly.
Ward almost smirked and had to resist the urge to pat himself on the back. The truth was, he had been in a bit of a pickle. Skin Walker was gone. The monster had been on a film set, ready to do a few fake shots of her saving people, but suddenly vanished. He had been told she went to her trailer but never came out of it. Luckily for him, the stars seemed to align. Cinder, the real Cinder, was back; she was basically worthless now since she seemed to lack all her Lord powers. He was guessing whatever force brought her back had lost the Lord's powers, and they would be reborn through the Pod. His sources told him she couldn't transform or use fire at all, so this was the best opportunity to tie up any loose ends he had left. He might even be able to force her to work for him. She did bring her parents here, after all. It'd be easy to manipulate her if he held their lives in his hand.
"Whoever you are, you aren't Cinder." Ward made sure the cameras were pointed at him as he flung his arm out and pointed at the girl who stood before him. "Why don't you and those criminals in that van turn yourselves in? Do that, and you have my word we won't hurt you. I just want to talk and learn where the real Cinder is."
Yeah right.
Ward almost giggled. Golden Weaver wasn't the only hero in Lillian. Out of sight, up on two other buildings, he had Cyber Horse and Medium Iron ready to jump in if he needed them. Even if this 'hero' tried to run, he was ready to capture her and find some use for her.
"What do you say, Skin Walker?" Ward called out one last time. The crowd's muttering hadn't stopped as they watched the scene before them. It hadn't taken much to win them over. Any goodwill she had formed from saving the block was totally gone. In their eyes, she was just as bad as Yellow Kobold and Squid M.D. Slowly, Dean Ward held his hand out as if he were offering a peaceful gesture of surrender. He still stood dozens of meters away, mostly to keep himself safe, and his guards didn't lower their guns. He forced a fake smile on his face. "Lillian has already suffered enough as it is. We can end this in a peaceful manner. You might not be the real Cinder, but you still tried to be her. This is what she would want. Just turn yourself in and do the right thing. Please."
Hope made a slight face at the man, and she did her best to not punch a hole through his face. That would only prove his point, after all. Instead, she thought of the best way to respond to this situation. The only thing she could say that mattered. Something that came from her heart.
Finally, she spoke.
"If you're ever in trouble, I don't think that I'll try and save you."
"What?" Ward actually stepped back, caught off guard. "Is that a threat-"
"Later."
"Later?"
Before anyone could even process what was happening, she grabbed the van by the bottom and lifted it up above her head. Screams rang out in the crowd, and people began to scatter. Ward's eyes went wide as she took aim and chucked the car as hard as she could. It flew over everyone's head as people dropped to the ground, and it crashed wheels first onto the road behind the crowd and Hero Branch workers. Instantly, the van roared to life as her parents, who were still sitting inside, floored it, and it began to blast down the road.
"Make sure you wake up Purrfect," Hope said casually, looking down at Golden Weaver. "That Kobold guy is the reason the Giants didn't react at all. She's asleep."
Golden Weaver didn't even get a chance to respond. The entire block shook as Cinder blasted off into the air with one of her enhanced jumps. She twirled through the air, going over the crowd, and began to fall toward the moving van. Suddenly, though, a chain blasted out, which wrapped around the young hero. Lightning blared off of it, and the sounds of hooves echoed out as a figure came dropping from one of the buildings above.
"Not so fast, Skin Walker!" Two heroes came down hard and fast. The first looked like a large horse, but his skin was pure metal, and dozens of circuits coated his flesh. His mouth was open, and a chain blasted out of it, which was the one wrapping around Cinder's waist. On the horse's back was another hero dressed in metal knight-like armor, holding a long lance that began to twirl around. They were the heroes, Cyber Horse and Medium Iron! "We're not letting you get away, villain!" Medium Iron announced as they fell toward the girl. "Your days of terror end here-"
Cinder flexed her body, shattering the chain around her. She grabbed one end of it and tugged it toward her as hard as she could, dragging both heroes toward her. "Sorry." She brought her arm back and balled her hand into a fist. "I'm a little ticked off, so you might want to block this."
"Oh, crap-"
As soon as they reached her, her fist shattered the lance, as well as Medium Iron's armor. Cyber Horse let out a loud whine, and in an instant, both heroes were blown back by a tremendous force. They went flying and rammed into the hood of Ward's car, shattering the entire vehicle. Neither of them got back up, and they were totally knocked out.
Golden Weaver let out a low chuckle. "Was she pulling her punches when she fought me? Even without fire, she's a total monster. Just how strong are these current Lords?"
Finally, Hope dropped down and landed on the hood of her van, which kept blasting down the road. Because of the large crowd behind them, the other Hero Branch trucks had no way of giving chase. She stared dead ahead at Ward and poked her tongue out.
Ward gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to stomp his foot down. He was in public, after all. He reached up and adjusted his tie, letting out a low sigh. "That bitch will pay." He said quietly to himself. "Don't just stand there, you idiots! Get this crowd gone! I want that villain captured now! And someone get me a new car this instant!" Why couldn't Laps have done her job? None of this would have been happening if it wasn't for her. He cursed that damn woman, as well as Battery. It was them that Cinder had become an issue. After all, he couldn't make any mistakes.
"Uh, could someone get me some prosthetic legs?" Golden Weaver asked sheepishly. "I kind of can't give chase until I'm up and moving again."
Ward's head snapped down to the useless hero, and he let out a scoff. "Please. Don't think I didn't notice your incompetence, Weaver. You're getting another pay cut."
"Damn..."
Ward reached up and adjusted his tie. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
"You're going to go get Cinder yourself?" Golden Weaver asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hell no!" Ward shook his head. "I am going to do the next best thing, though. I know just the person who can help me." He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, dialing a number. It clicked, and someone answered... "Mommy, I need your help, there's this hero being really mean to me."
Back at the van, Hope flung herself off the hood and gripped it tight, using it to swing herself up, feet first, through the van's windows. Space distorted around her as she tumbled into the massive realm that made up the van's interiors and crashed into the back seat. She lay flat on her back, staring up at the roof, her lips turning into a thin line.
Jane and Alexander shared a look. They both remained in the front seat, neither of them quite knowing what they should say or do. "Are you okay?" Her mom finally asked.
Hope kicked her feet out slightly and rolled her eyes. "Yep. Just fine. It's not like I just watched an entire crowd's worth of people turn on me in an instant." She was seriously going to punch Ward the next time she got the chance.
"When your father and I first saw that man, I knew he was trouble." Jane sighed sadly.
"You met Ward before?" She raised an eyebrow.
"It was during the Beast attack," Alexander explained. "He didn't show up for long. He didn't really seem to care about your mother or me. He was mainly just using us to get to Paragon, I think."
"That man is seriously the worst!"
"How'd someone like him even reach his position of power?" Jane questioned.
"He was born into it." All of them jumped a bit as a fourth voice joined into the conversation. Kevin had woken back up—a face formed on her shoulder, which twisted and rose up a bit. "After the war with Lucifer, the scientist known as Sini started up Sini Corp. and began to create the first-ever city. He needed funding, though, and resources. So, five families stepped up. The Wards, The Laps, The Almas, The Ros Family, and the Milas. Each one of these five families held a vast amount of wealth and treasure, which they all gathered after the defeat of Lucifer. With this vast fortune, they were able to fund Sini Corp. and later create the Hero Branch. Of course, they didn't do it for free. They ensured that their families were the ones who got to run the Branch and any other major organization that existed. Every city is led by a member of this family. They've grown large since those days, with dozens of branching family members and main heads. The leaders of the families mainly reside within Rose City, while lesser members get to live in the other cities or run the Hero Branch of a city."
"You know a lot about them?" Hope noted surprised.
"I'm not just a muscle-bound jock, you know." Kevin hissed. "I was top of my class. I would show up early and jot down all Mr. Pluto's notes and study them when I wasn't training."
"Why can't you be that productive, Hope?" Jane said flatly.
"Hey!"
Alexander's hands gripped the steering wheel as he drove. "I think what your backpack said is right, though. I do recall those five names he mentioned. They're always popping up, and many of the richest people in the world are tied back to those five families. Even the current head of the entire Hero Branch, the one responsible for running it all, above even the directors, has that name."
"Great, so it isn't just Ward I have to deal with, but an entire family of assholes." Hope bemoaned and rolled over onto her stomach, burying her face into the seat.
"I don't think all of them are bad," Jane said sheepishly. "I mean, Alice Ward, is that news lady, right?"
"She married into the family," Kevin said casually.
"Oh? So?
"Yeah, most of the main members of the families are total dicks. Stupid ass rich people."
"Your backpack has such a way with words, Hope..."
Hope grunted and slowly pushed herself up. "I need to distract myself with some things. Just keep driving until we're back at the beach. We'll escape on the ocean and go to the next city or something." Her costume sloshed off of her, the red and silver pulling away as it formed back into a backpack that dropped onto the car seat. It seemed the Pod was sticking with Kevin for some reason, as it wrapped mostly around the red backpack.
"You're just leaving me here?" Kevin questioned as she got out of her seat.
She lazily shrugged. She was back in the outfit she wore under her costume and didn't really need her suit or the Pod in the van. "Just hang out."
"Wait-"
She left before he could even say anything. An awkward silence filled the air as Kevin remained in the car seat while Jane and Alexander both sat ahead of him. "So," Alexander asked slowly. "Uh, what's it like being a backpack?"
"It allowed me to reach enlightenment."
"Really?"
"Nope. It just saves me energy, and I don't have to bother walking around since I get people to carry me."
"Neat." Jane rubbed the back of her neck. "This is so weird."
"Welcome to the life of a Super."
The halls of the van were wide and expansive. Hope found herself walking down the long corridor, and she made her way into one of the hallways that had a series of doors on each side. She really hadn't had time to look around, and in her current mood, she was desperate to get any sort of distraction. She eyed the many doors up and down.
They looked like they were metal sliding doors. The kind you would see in a sci-fi book or something. Each door had a name on it, and it caused her heart to sting a bit as she read each one out. 'Cinder, Whisper, Battery, Myth, Snowdawn, Metal Ronin, Money Tree, BB, Wasp Nest, Oxide, Poseidon, Paragon, Ocean Empress.' Each name caused that guilt to increase. This part of the van had likely been made before the Beast fight. If this was supposed to be some sort of gift Metal Ronin had planned for her, he likely built each room for them. A place for all of them to stay at.
She walked over to the door that had her name on it. The door slid open on its own, allowing her to see the room that was past it. She had seen the bedrooms the Sub Enforcer members would stay at whenever they slept in their base. She had only been to the base a couple of times, but it had been enough. This bedroom was modeled the same way the Sub Enforcers bedrooms were.
It was a rather large room, once again bending space and reality as it was bigger than it should have been. There was a king-sized bed placed up against the wall and a large shelf that could hold dozens of figures or books. A closet was in the back for her clothes, and another door led to a connected bathroom. A couch was in the middle of the room with a large TV hooked up in front of it, and various gaming consoles were already plugged in. She seriously had to wonder where Metal Ronin got all this stuff from. Was it all built from trash? Or had he bought some of this with his own money? Either way, something like this room couldn't be cheap.
It wasn't just hers either. All the rooms had similar setups. Each one was likely as expensive as the apartment she lived in with her mom.
Used to live at, she corrected herself.
Still, it was kind of amazing what Metal Ronin was able to do all by himself. Mental powers were cool. Of course, that wasn't the set of powers she wanted. Flight was at the top of her list, followed by her fire powers. Luckily, once she regained her Lord powers, she'd be able to do both once more, being able to fly and shoot power.
There was something else she wanted to do, though...
If she got lucky and somehow, some way, she managed to gain another set of powers, there was something she'd like to be able to do.
Hope slowly shook her head. Something like that was silly to think about in the first place. For now, she was just mainly focused on getting her old powers back first.
The hallway kept going on for a bit. There were other metal doors, but they lacked names on them. The ones that didn't have names on them weren't done either. Some of the doors simply led nowhere, showing nothing but a wall on the other side, while others were half-done rooms or empty altogether. A few did have beds, though. She found one in one of the doors with no names and collapsed onto it, letting out a sigh.
It was really comfortable. She'd need to thank Metal Ronin the next time she saw him. This van was almost perfect-
"Hope!"
She sat up instantly as she heard her mother's voice. "Yeah!" She called out. She ran out of the room and found her mother in the hallway. Her mom was walking on her own, though still a bit sluggish, but she was just happy to see her mom on her own two feet again. That was until she noticed the worried look on her mother's face. "What's wrong?" She questioned.
"The van is doing something weird."
"Weird, how?"
"It's talking?"
"Huh?"
She left the hallway and moved past her mother, heading to where her dad was. He was still driving the van, though struggling as something kept distracting him. In the passenger seat, Kevin had moved, the backpack growing various red and silver tendrils as he smacked at something that was on the dashboard. A loud beeping filled the entire van, and red lights were going off.
As she got closer, she saw what was causing the distraction and the reason for the alarms to be going off. The dashboard was glowing, and a little knob appeared at the center of it, which fired out a soft glow. The glow had taken the shape of a person, being some sort of mini-hologram. She recognized the person instantly. It was Rowan. He didn't have any of his armor on, and it was hard to make out his appearance since the hologram left him as the size of a small action figure, but he was speaking in a loud and clear voice.
"-you should pull over and stop the van immediately. The battery is running low, and it is at high risk of dying. Soon, the power will be out. It has a small chance of exploding if the battery runs out completely."
"Whoa, exploding! What do you mean by that?" She asked with wide eyes.
"I am a hologram; this is a prerecorded message that will be repeated until the vehicle is put into park. You should pull over and stop the van immediately. The battery is running low, and it is at high risk of dying. Soon, the power will be out. It has a small chance of exploding if the battery runs out completely." Kevin's tendrils kept poking at the hologram, phasing through them.
"We can't stop; we're over the damn water!" The monster hissed.
She glanced at the window, and sure enough, they were driving on the ocean once again. They must have reached it while she had been looking around. "I am a hologram; this is a prerecorded message that will be repeated until the vehicle is put into park. You should pull over and-"
"How much battery do we have left?" She questioned.
"I don't know." Her father shook her head. "I didn't even know this thing had a charge. I thought it was powered by gas."
"You have one percent battery life left." The Rowan hologram said casually.
"Wait, so can you hear us?" She demanded turning on the hologram with narrowed eyes.
"I am a hologram; I have a series of prerecorded messages that I can respond with. Your question was 'Can you hear us?' My answer is no. Do you have any other questions?"
"Leave it to Metal Ronin to make junk that doesn't actually work." She sighed. "What did you mean this thing was going to explode?"
"This van is running out of battery life." The hologram explained. "When battery life reaches zero, it will die. After that, the thing that allows it to maintain this realm will cease, and it will implode. You have one percent battery life left. This will last for a little under one hour."
She folded her arms, frowning. "We can head back to Lillian, I guess. We should have enough time."
"What about the Branch?" Kevin growled.
"I'll deal with them and steal another car." She shrugged.
"We'd need a boat, actually." Her father jumped into the conversation. "This van can drive on water, but other cars can't. Lillian and Oleander are separated from the other cities, so you'd have to take a boat or plane to get anywhere else."
"Guess we'll steal a boat then."
"We could try for Daisy." Alexander hummed. "This van is pretty fast and could reach it before it runs out of juice."
"We shouldn't go to any city." Kevin hissed again. "The Hero Branch is after us."
"So? A lot of people are after me." She folded her arms and hummed, looking down at the hologram. "Is there anything else we could do, little Rowan?"
The hologram seemed to process what she was saying and then spoke up once more. "A signal has been sent out to heroes that might be able to help-"
"Shit." She facepalmed. "Now we're going to have some heroes come and attack us. Just great. I really hope, pun intended, Ward's story about me being a fake Cinder hasn't gotten out yet. Maybe I can talk to these guys-"
"Someone has responded to the signal." Rowan's hologram spoke up once more. "Pallet Boy Red is approaching."
"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow at that. "We're in the middle of the ocean? The only city near us is Lillian, so I would have thought it was someone from there, like that Cyber Horse guy, that would show up."
Kevin's face paled, which was impressive since he was still a red backpack. "That isn't the issue."
"It's not?"
"No! Think for a moment! How is Red Pallet coming? He's dead!"
Her blood suddenly ran cold, and she froze. She had completely forgotten that. The Wandering Coin killed the Pallet Boys and took their tech.
"Pallet Boy Red is approaching," Rowan stated cheerfully. "He is within eight miles—four miles—two miles- Two mil- He is here."
It was a quiet noise. Nothing more than a simple 'thudding' sound, but it was enough to make them all look up.
Someone was standing on top of the van.
Loud, blaring music blasted out from all angles. The stage was filled with massive booming boxes that unleashed waves of sound so fast and so loud that they would instantly drive any normal human deaf. The sound was able to send the sand flying back at super speeds and tear down trees. Even a Super likely wouldn't be able to listen to it for very long.
For Roulette, though, it was still too quiet. It never seemed to be enough. No matter how loud, he turned the volume up. The old man rested in his lazy-boy chair with his feet kicked up. His rifle rested across his lap, and his arm was outstretched, holding onto a remote that pointed at the stage in front of him. He kept turning the sound up louder and louder, waiting for someone to come and demand that he stop and turn it down.
No one ever did.
No one ever would.
Not anymore...
The stage was a massive soundboard that could play hologram images as well as music. Currently, it had Pretty Face's loudest song on full blast, the newest Enforcer member going ham on a series of guitars and drums as he screamed into the microphone. Roulette had been gifted the sound stage for his one hundred and twelfth birthday party. Backup had been the one to build it.
He used to hate all of Backup's inventions.
Now, what he wouldn't give just to see that young man create something new.
Roulette pressed the button on his remote, causing the stage to shut off. The lights flickered all the way off, and he remained in his chair, staring at it with blank eyes. He was old. He was so old; he was from a time when heroes didn't even wear costumes. His suit mainly just consisted of what he liked wearing most. Despite that, he had still been handed the title of hero and was still allowed to fight alongside his fellow team members in the form of the Watch Dogs. He had been one of the first people to join the group, being even older than Old Dog, who he trained with at the time.
Roulette felt his old bones begin to pop and creak as he struggled to his feet and stood up. He grabbed his hunting rifle and placed it down into the sand. He used it as a cane and began to walk, heading through the island.
Watch Dogs didn't own a base inside of a realm. Old Dog had never liked the realms, so they instead created a physical island. It had many places across it, though now only two truly mattered anymore.
Roulette stepped out of the wooded area and found himself standing in what looked like a makeshift resort area. A pool was built in the center, and all across it, passed out in the waters, Duplicity resided. There were around ten of her in total, each one totally unconscious. Roulette sighed and shook his head. He took a moment to create various beds made out of bullets. Rubber bullets that were bouncy and soft so that the bed would be at least semi-comfortable. Once that was done, he walked around and scooped up each Duplicity before placing the girl in the bed. He made sure each one was tucked in before he moved away.
"I swear, you take worse care of yourself than I do." Roulette grumbled. "I'm an old man, and I ain't got much time left. I should be the one being doted on all the time."
One of the Duplicity's muttered something in their sleep and casually rolled over, snoring softly.
It was just the two of them.
They were all that was left of the Watch Dogs. The other members were...
Roulette walked forward with his makeshift cane, and he went around the island gazing out at it once more. The trees were almost pure white, and snow rained down from above, thanks to Bad Wolf's power. Soon, though, that power would come undone, and with Bad Wolf gone, it would never be able to be recreated. The winter wonderland that made up the strange beach island would be broken. Until then, though, he'd enjoy the sight while he still could. It was beautiful. He knew that it would also be the final resting spot he lay at.
He could feel it in his bones.
Old Dog had described what it was like rotting away, and he was sure the same fate was finally starting to reach him. Even if it had taken a bit more time than previously expected.
He wasn't really sad about that fact, though. After all, he had lived quite the life.
Roulette found himself stepping into a new area of the island. It held a somber tone to it, being covered in a field of flowers that stood up even with the constant snow. A large stone pillar rose out of the ground, one that was carved with various names across it. The old hero waddled over to it, and he placed his hand on the pillar, rubbing it softly. The stone bit at his hand, but he ignored it, and his eyes scanned each name that was across it.
"Levithan, Stone Captain, Kraken, Oil, Motor Man, Tidal Wave, Lava Cat, Edge, Law Maker, Old Dog, Bad Wolf, Backup." So many members had come and gone. Duplicity would likely be the last name added to this list. He hoped her name wouldn't be on it for a hundred more years. She was still a great hero, after all. "It's been quiet since you all left us, you know. I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I'm used to the sound of explosions from all your inventions blowing up, Backup. I hope you're keeping him in check, Bad Wolf. You know how he can get. I also hope you're doing well, Old Dog. It's been years since you've seen your wife, so the two of you should spend as much time together as you can. I look forward to getting to shake your hand once more, Edge. It'll be real good to see you again. Soon. Very soon, I think."
Roulette closed his eyes and bowed his head down. He kept his grip iron-tight on the butt of his gun and said as many prayers as he knew. He had never been one to pray a lot; that had been something Oil always did, but he found himself praying a lot more. It was lonely sometimes.
He hated the thought of leaving Duplicity alone, but he also knew he didn't really have much choice. Maybe with him gone, maybe with her as the last member of the Watch Dogs, she would move on and be that great hero she was meant to be again.
Roulette suddenly stopped when he heard a loud sound. It came from the other side of the island and caused him to raise his head. It was a barking sound. It was quickly followed by another, and then a whine. The dogs were all howling at something.
They had taken in all the pups as a request from Motor Man. Motor Man always had a soft side and couldn't help it. Even after his death, they kept doing it, bringing in any dog that had been affected by powers and couldn't be changed back. This island served as a safe place for them. Though he didn't know what Duplicity would do once she was the only one left in charge. He hoped she remembered to feed them all.
Roulette gripped his gun tighter as he heard the whining get louder. He marched toward the noise as quickly as his slow body would allow and found himself stepping out through the woods near the edge of the beach where the dock resided. The sands were filled with dogs, some massive, some tiny, some bigger than even a truck, all seemingly barking and growling at the same thing.
Roulette stared into the sky where his dogs were looking, and for a moment, he felt a jolt go through him.
Wings. Long and golden, they flapped out, sending a rain of feathers down. Angelic in nature, for a moment, the old man found himself reaching out for one. Then he noticed who they were attached to.
It was a young-looking man. One who came down from the heavens themselves, floating softly to the ground. The man had blonde hair that was hidden beneath a fancy-looking hat with the symbol of a butterfly on it. They were dressed in an extremely expansive-looking suit and wore a long coat. From their back, massive golden wings jutted out before they slowly pulled themselves back into the man's back and vanished beneath his flesh. The man reached up and tipped his smile.
Roulette felt his teeth grind together, and he lifted his gun, pointing it toward the person in front of him. "Calvin-"
"Michael." The younger man corrected with a sly grin. "Archangel Michael, member of the Immortals. Right-hand man of Lucifer." Michael's grin grew larger as he stared into the anger-filled eyes that glared back. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Little brother. You and I should have a long conversation."
Something was about to begin.
Something that would change the world forever.
The Murder Games were soon to start...
***
"Pallet Boy Red has arrived!" The hologram of Rowan had his hands on his hips and a smile on his face as if he had done something good. "I'm programmed to let you know that while he isn't the best Mental-based Super out there, he should be more than enough to fix the battery issue. Simply show him the hood of the van and let him tinker on it for a bit! It should only take him three hours-"
"Three hours? You said the battery dies in one hour! And then it blows up!" Alexander said with wide eyes.
"I guess Rowan didn't consider that when he built this." Hope rubbed her forehead and resisted the urge to curse Rowan out. "This ride is a prototype, after all. I'm starting to see why he didn't make more than one."
"Stop acting calm." Kevin jittered and jumped up, his backpack form growing out dozens of long tendrils. "There is someone on our roof! Now isn't the time to act so casual!"
"Kevin's right." Hope folded her arms and nodded. "Do you think it is someone from the group you used to be part of, Kevin?" She knew Kevin likely didn't want to think back to his time in the Wandering Coin, but they were the only group she could think of that had access to the Pallet Boy's tech.
Kevin's backpack form created a small head that shook. "Not a chance. You guys destroyed all the tech we kept."
"The one you kept?"
"Yeah. I found out later, but apparently, Doc sold a majority of what he didn't need to random buyers in Hell Land." Kevin explained. "So, basically, what I'm saying is that it could be anyone up there."
"What is Hell Land?" Alexander asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Now's really not the time, Dad."
"Sorry."
"What's going on?" Jane finally managed to walk back, and she entered the area they were in to see them all staring up at the roof. "Did you find out what was with the alarm?"
Hope didn't say anything for several seconds. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed up above her. Whoever had landed didn't make any more noise. Even with her enhanced senses, she couldn't hear anything, so whoever it was, they were quiet. She wasn't able to see them through any of the windows or mirrors either. The person was placed at just the right angle to be totally out of sight. She'd have to open the door and step out if she wanted to see them. Made all the worse by the fact that they were still in the middle of the ocean, driving across it.
She wasn't really confident with her ability to fight underwater.
"What's going on?" Her mother asked once more, this time in a much more stern tone.
"Nothing." She reached out and grabbed Kevin. He didn't need to be told what to do; in an instant, he and the Pod wove over her body, instantly creating her hero costume once more. If worse came to worse, she'd just use him to create wings or something and try to fly that way. She wasn't too sure if something like that would work, but she didn't have any other choice. "Stay here." She stepped past her mom and entered the hallway outside. "I'll be right back."
"Hope-"
"It's okay." She turned back to her mom and managed to force a smile, giving a thumbs up. "I'll be okay. I promise. Besides, I already one-shot Cyber Horse earlier today, so when it comes to tech-based heroes or villains, I can handle myself."
Jane didn't say anything for a few moments. The woman just stared at her daughter's face in silence. Finally, though, Jane took a seat and nodded. "Alright. If you're sure."
"Of course I am!"
She couldn't have been any more unsure.
There was a terrible nagging feeling in her gut. One she had been suppressing, but she couldn't deny the terrifying thought. What if this was Avalon? It would be just like him to show up, and if anyone could use Pallet Boy tech, that man could surely figure it out. The thought of him being on the roof sent shivers down her spine. If Avalon was here, then that meant the Emperor was likely close by as well. She really wasn't ready for that just yet.
"Are you sure we can handle this?" Kevin whispered as they stepped away from where the Lauren's resided. It seemed he was thinking the same thing as she was. He was also aware of the danger that could be above them.
Hope brushed a strand of her hair back and pulled up her hood as she made her way to a different hallway. "I'll manage." She stated. The van had one hallway that led to a set of double doors, which would take her out the back way of the car. She used that hallway and made her way over to the doors, pushing them open. Outside the doors, she saw the endless sea around them, and saltwater rose up to meet her, chilling her down to her bone. She ignored it, though, and took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's do this."
"Just so you know, if it is someone dangerous, I'm ditching you and running away." Shift stated flatly.
Cinder rolled her eyes and stepped forward. As soon as she felt her body begin to fall out of the van, she spun around and grabbed the top of it. With inhuman strength, she pulled her entire body up and landed on the roof down in a crouch. "I don't know who you think you are, but you have a lot of explaining to do- Wait! I know you!"
Instantly, all the hostility she had built up faded and flickered out as she stared at the person on the roof of the van. She had been expecting someone like Avalon or even a total weirdo like Red Ape. This person was actually at the bottom of her list. What were the chances she'd be seeing them again so soon?
"Great," Kevin muttered out. "We got the nutjob. How did she even find us? Better question actually, why did she find us!"
The person who stood on the roof of the van was a young girl around her own age. They had long gray hair that had been tied back, and they wore what looked almost like a strange military uniform. A rapier hung at the girl's waist, and she was currently crouched down, fiddling with the roof of the van with her hand. Meta, the girl she had met during Hell Land, had somehow shown back up. Either this was good, or it was very, very bad.
"Meta?" Cinder found herself taking a step back, and she nearly fell off of the van's roof. She had to throw her hands out and steady herself as she stared at the other girl. "What are you doing here?"
Meta's head finally looked up. The girl cocked it to the side, and her eyes were as blank as ever, holding almost no emotion. "You were screaming for help." Just like her eyes, Meta's voice lacked any tone to it, being simply flat and to the point. It still creeped her out a bit, especially as she could still recall Meta's last words.
"Are you talking about the signal?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yes." Meta ran her hand over the van's roof again, as if she were almost petting it. "This ride was crying out for help. Begging to be seen by me."
"Huh?"
"My power," Meta said flatly. "I can hear voices in things that don't talk. The signal you were letting out came to me like a wailing baby. This thing isn't quite ready for field testing, yet you still brought it out? You even pushed it so far." Meta glanced down at the front of the van, which was still partially caved in. "There, there." The girl patted the van as if soothing a sobbing child.
"I didn't build it; it was a gift-" She shook her head, getting her mind back on track. "Wait! It told us the Pallet Boys were coming! Did you steal any of their gear!"
Meta finally stood up and casually dusted herself off. The girl raised her sleeve up and showed off a small watch wrapped around her wrist. "This is what picked up your signal. I guess it did belong to some heroes at one time or another. I found it in the junkyard behind Hell Land recently when I was visiting it." So apparently, Meta and Metal Ronin had a few things in common. "You were the one asking for help, you know. You're kind of being rude." Meta's fingers gently wrapped around the sword handle at her side and got ready to raise it up. "I don't like rude people-"
"Wait! I'm not rude, Meta! It's me, remember!"
"No." Meta drew her blade. "I don't remember. I don't think we've ever met. Sorry."
Cinder let out a squeak and pulled her hood down. "Ruby! I'm Ruby! I was at Hell Land, remember!"
Meta's hand twitched, and in a flash, the girl sheathed her sword. She almost let out a sigh of relief but was stopped when Meta grabbed her by the face. Meta gripped either side of her face and stared at her with a blank look. She could tell the villain was studying her. Finally, Meta let go and spoke once more. "Growth spurt?"
"Not exactly. It's complicated." She sighed.
Meta nodded. "I see. Hope. Your name is Hope? Ruby was a fake name."
She winced a little. Kevin was the one who had said her real name in front of Meta during Hell Land. It was thanks to him that this creepy girl knew who she really was. "Yeah... My name is Hope Lauren."
Meta kept looking her up and down for several moments. "I see." Meta's hand seemed to twitch for a moment, almost going for her sword once more, but it stopped. "Cinder."
She winced again. "Yep." She said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm Cinder- Whoa!" In an instant, Meta's sword was aimed at her again, placed directly under her chin. The girl was seriously fast, maybe even faster than Battery. She hadn't even been able to see the movement. Meta's head was cocked to the side again, and the girl's finger toyed with a trigger that was attached to the handle. "Wait-" She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to feel searing pain, but it never came. When she did open her eyes again, the blade was still just pointing at her neck.
Meta was eyeing her up again and finally seemed to make a choice. The girl pulled the sword away and sheathed it once more. She was starting to get a heart attack from how often that sword nearly impaled her. Meta finally showed a bit of emotion by letting out a scoff. "You're not Cinder. Don't lie. Bad girl. Don't say false things to your elders."
"Bad girl? Elders? We're the same age- Hey, wait a second! I am, too, Cinder! I'm a good girl!"
"No, you're not. You're a bad girl for lying." Meta casually turned away from her. "The real Cinder would have shattered my sword and then knocked me out in one attack. You're not the Lord of the Sun; don't lie to me like that. Your costume doesn't even look right." So Meta was also a Cinder fangirl, as it turned out? She was really unsure if that was a good thing or not.
"Why do people keep saying that my suit isn't right? It's called getting an upgrade!" Cinder took a deep breath and placed both her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out. "I'll have you know I'm the real deal. I'm Cinder—a proud member of Pantheon and, yes, the current Lord of the Sun. I just... Happen to be a bit weak right now." She deflated a bit and fought off the urge to drop her head.
Meta turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. "Weaker?"
"I lost a lot of my power during the Beast fight." She explained. "That was why I was all tiny when we first met. I wasn't actually a kid; I was just in a depowered state that was all shrunk and stuff."
"Uh, you sure it's a good idea to be saying all of this?" Kevin hissed into her ear. "This bitch is freaking psycho, Hope. Just look at that dead-eyed expression."
She nearly winced. Kevin was right. Meta's weird way of acting had made her not think straight, and she had basically announced the fact that she was way weaker than a villain—one who could have been part of some evil group and seemed to have it for her.
"So your power isn't what it used to be?" Meta let out a soft hum. "I see. So you are Cinder, and you are the Lord of the Sun; you're just weaker now."
She tried not to say anything but finally just sighed in defeat and nodded. "Yeah. Can you keep that fact to yourself?"
"Sure."
"Seriously?"
"Super seriously." Meta rubbed her chin, and the girl looked up at the sky above, not seeming to care about the fact she was staring straight at the sun. "That's an issue, though. You being weaker and all. Cinder can't be weak. She needs to be strong. Stronger than me. The Lord of the Sun needs..." Meta shook her head. "Is there a way for you to get your power?"
She shrugged and shook her head. "No?" This was really weird. This wasn't a normal conversation. It was way too casual for what was going on. Meta was just one big oddball. "Why do you seem to care so much?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Because." Meta glanced back at her and held a soft frown on her lips. "I need to see Cinder. You aren't Cinder. Not until you have your full power back. Right now, you're just some girl running around claiming she's the Lord of the Sun. That makes this all much worse for me. I was hoping I'd get to meet her, the real you, before the start of the games. Guess I'm out of luck, though."
"Start of the games?"
"It's nothing." Meta's entire form seemed to almost slump a bit, and the girl looked like she might be pouting. Meta turned away from her and began to walk to the edge of the van, seemingly getting ready to jump off. "I guess I'll just have to see the real Cinder for when you get your powers back. Give me a call or something, okay? I'd really like to meet her."
"I'm the same person you know. With or without powers. Unless... You're talking about the Brightest Star." Meta didn't look back at her, but she knew she was correct. It wasn't really her that Meta was interested in. It was the Ego within her. The power that could talk. Something almost no person should know about, yet this girl did. That just made her more worried. "Earlier, when we first met, you told me that you were a very bad person. Are you evil?"
"I'm a villain. That much is obvious, isn't it?"
"But are you evil?"
"If I am? What will you do to me, Hope?"
"Cinder. I'm Cinder when I'm in this costume."
"Until you have your power back, I don't think I want to call you Cinder, nor do I think I'll accept you being the Lord of the Sun." Meta still didn't look at her. The girl just kept staring out at sea. "As for what business I have with the real Lord of the Sun, that's my personal privacy. I don't think you have any right to question that."
She sprung forward with her enhanced speed. Meta barely had time to turn around before she delivered her attack. It stopped inches away from Meta's face, the wind blowing the girl's hat off and sweeping her hair back. She moved her fist back, stopping the attack at the last second, just as Meta had done for her. "When I was in Hell Land, you went out of your way to help me escape. You even helped Kevin. You had no idea who either of us was, yet you still helped. Then, today, you show up out of the blue after you hear the signal. You also didn't seem to know it was me. Were you planning on helping again?"
"I was going to do what I could before you started being rude to me." The girl said casually.
"I just don't get you at all." She pulled herself away and folded her arms. "You're a villain; you say you're evil, and yet you keep helping people? You know things you shouldn't and are acting all shady. You're like a younger, girly version of Mr. Larison."
"Evil is subjective, you know." Meta also folded her arms. "I told you that during Hell Land. Not all villains are evil, and not all heroes are good guys."
"Well, what are you?"
"You should answer first."
Her reputation was in the dumps, and she was being hunted by the Hero Branch, so in a way, that did make her a villain, but she definitely wasn't evil—at least, she didn't think she was. "It doesn't matter, I guess. I just can't read you at all." This time, she was the one to turn away, and she casually waved her hand. "Take care, Ms. Meta. Maybe one day, when I have my powers back, we'll meet again, but don't get your hopes up on me being the Brightest Star. I intend to stay in control of my body-"
"Wait."
She stopped suddenly when she felt a hand grab her wrist. Meta gripped her sleeve, and she looked back at the girl. The villain stared at her with no emotion in her eyes as Meta patted the top of her head. "What?"
"My hat."
"Huh?"
"My hat is gone." Meta stated dryly. "I liked that hat. You blew it away, though."
She processed the girl's words and rubbed the back of her neck gently. "Okay? What do you want me to do about it?"
"Take responsibility. You owe me a new hat."
"Seriously?"
"Super Seriously. It has to be a cool hat also."
Her eye twitched a bit as she stared at the odd villain. "I don't have a hat for you, though."
"Oh." Meta cocked her head to the side once more. "Okay. Then I want to see the inside of this van and fix it up. It keeps crying, it keeps crying, and it makes me sad. I'm going in."
"You will not!" Her eyes went wide, and she raised her arms up. "There is no way in hell I will ever let you inside of this thing! My family is in there."
"Cool." Meta brushed past her and made for the double doors. "I guess I'll get to meet your mom and dad then."
"Hey! I said no!"
"Do you have a hat for me?" Meta questioned.
She looked down at her suit for a moment. "Don't even fucking think about it," Kevin said flatly. "I ain't about to become this psycho bitch's hat. I'd rather stick with you than her."
"Then I guess it's settled." Meta lazily flipped her hair. "Until my brother comes to pick me up and gives me my hat back, you will have to let me stay here."
"I don't think I agreed to that..." Meta just ignored her, and the girl was already hanging off the side of the van. "Seriously. This girl is just the weirdest."
A few minutes later, Hope found herself sitting in the backseat next to Meta as the van drove forward, both her parents sitting up front. Her dad kept eyeing the new girl up with the rearview mirror, his eyebrow raising more and more as Meta's face remained totally blank and expressionless. Her mom also kept looking back, waiting for Meta to do or say anything, but Meta didn't.
The villain just remained in place, staring straight ahead. It was hard to tell if Meta was even breathing, and she wondered if the girl might have fallen asleep.
"So," Jane raised an eyebrow and looked back at her daughter. "Who's your new friend, Hope?"
"I have no freaking clue."
"I am Meta." Meta said quietly, "Where are we going?"
"We were kind of just heading in a random direction." Her father said awkwardly. "At least until the van dies, and we have to leave it."
"Dies?" Meta frowned softly. "Oh. You mean how the battery is running out? Not an issue. I will take care of that. In return, though, I'd like to be dropped off at Daisy."
"Daisy? Why?"
"Because I said so."
"Okay..." Alexander shot his father a look, but she just shook her head.
"Alright then." Hope sighed and looked away from Meta, staring out the window. "Next stop is Daisy, I guess."
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