章節 147: Welcome Back Hope

Harsh black lightning spilled from the skies. It tore the street of an unknown city apart, ripping it to bits. A siren blared loudly, constantly roaring as a massive shape moved through the dark clouds above.

The roaring of a dragon shook the entire city as the massive, winged beast came down. It was long and serpent-like, stretching out for miles. The thing easily dwarfed the massive city, glaring down at all the people below. On top of it, a long figure stood. One dressed in shadowy black armor with glowing blue eyes. The Emperor held his white sword high above his head.

Down below in the city, only a single figure looked as if they were going to stand in his way. A young woman with long crimson red hair and Godlike strength that rivaled that of the other Lords.

Ruby Admiral cracked her knuckles and pulled her fist back as the serpent-like dragon let out a scratch loud enough to shatter the buildings. It struck forward, opening its mouth wide enough to swallow an entire street, but Ruby didn't back down. She put all her effort and all her strength directly into her fist. Every bit of strength she had was unleashed with a single powerful punch!

Then…

Suddenly the world faded and broke apart as Hope woke up from the dream she had been forced into.

The world and the thoughts that had been forced into her head, all of them, began to shatter and break. It faded to black, and the next thing Hope Lauren knew, her eyes were snapping open, and she gasped, taking several deep gulps of air.

It took her several seconds to remember who she was. She was Cinder, a member of Pantheon, a Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. Or at least she had been. She still couldn't feel the embers of her power anywhere within her, and she could tell instantly that her body hadn't changed that much. She remembered where she was and what had been happening as well.

The Emperor, or Nier, had taken her. She had seen him in those memories. Not only that, but she also heard people's thoughts and feelings. It was like she had been the Victorian, Max, Full Monarch, and even Avalon all at once. The emotions were swirling around inside of her, and it almost caused her to throw up, but she settled her beating heart and stared up at the roof above.

All those visions and memories. She was living through them all, seeing things she couldn't. Even the hidden thoughts the people wanted to keep to themselves. She could still feel it even in her own body. The muscle memories. Every strike Ruby Admiral unleashed played through her mind on loop. The Victorian, back then, had seemingly lacked any flashy powers and instead made up for it with total overwhelming strength. Strength that was so great, in fact, it made her wonder who was truly stronger. Ruby Admiral or the Victorian?

"Getting used to it?" The voice of Avalon teased her and ended the thoughts she had. "How is it Cinder? Getting to experience the life and feelings of another person. Their muscle memories and thought processes become yours. I'm sure once you get your powers back, you'll be a lot stronger just from watching the legendary Ruby Admiral in action."

She slowly sat up, shaking her head as the world stopped spinning. It was always so weird going from so many different views and thoughts to just her own. She was literally other people while she viewed the memories, so she'd have to get used to being Hope Lauren once more.

She was still in that weird monitor room. The one that had the bed and all the TVs hooked up, each playing a different image at max speed. Avalon stood near the entrance that led out to the golden hallway with a sly smirk on his face as he looked her up and down. She followed his gaze and studied her own form as she stepped out of the bed. She had gotten a bit taller by maybe an inch or two. If she had been twelve earlier, then she'd say she was thirteen or maybe in her early fourteens now. She was dressed in a pair of long black pants and had a black hoodie on over the outfit the Emperor had gifted her now. The clothes were seemingly formed from actual shadows and molded and twitched sometimes. Like a weird liquid-like substance that had been forced into a solid state.

She wasn't sure where the clothes had come from since it wasn't the outfit she had been wearing when she started, and part of her didn't want to know how she had been dressed in it. She'd just have to remember that Avalon needed to pay severely.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to you forcing me to relive memories that aren't my own." She finally said. "It makes me dizzy and sick to my stomach." The brain could only handle so many memories and thoughts, and she was being forced to see the same thing over and over from so many different points of view. She hoped it didn't ruin her mind later in life. Avalon wasn't exactly a sane person, and she feared ending up the same as him.

Avalon just chuckled when he noticed the look in her eyes. "Trust me. It could be so much worse. I could have shown you some of Alpha's past."

"His name is Jack Larison." She hissed out.

"Whatever." The man turned away from her and motioned for her to follow. "My power is actually why I was able to revert back to my human form after changing. I'm sure you saw what happened to Fire Prince, right? That was one of the memories I showed you. Nier forced another Ego into that man's body. An Ego that devoured the human one inside of him and fused with the Super Ego. In this case, the fire-based power merged with a vampire-based power, causing him to become that bat monster. Nier isn't able to force Ego's into targets without destroying their human half. In some rare cases, like Fairy Queen or the other generals, they keep their sanity, but the humanity in them is still long gone and destroyed. The destruction of the human Ego is why our forms change and we lose our memories. With my memory power, though, I was able to force all the memories I had stored up back into myself. It caused my destroyed human Ego to mend a bit. Of course, my monster form is also very special since I become something that isn't technically a living creature. Maybe that's why I was able to do it, as no other monster has come back the same way as I have, even if I give them their memories back."

"So that man in the armor, the Emperor, that was Nier?" She asked quietly. She could still feel the emotion Max had. That man had prayed and hoped without belief that it hadn't been Nier. Suddenly, the way he acted when he first took her and her mom to the past made a lot more sense. The way he kept staring at Nier in silence. That Nier seemed very different from the Nier of today. Not to mention the blue-eyed Emperor…

"Of course it was. Nier is the one and only Emperor, after all. Alpha was just a stand-in. A means to an end for when Nier was busy." Avalon twirled his finger, and more of the small fly robots landed on the tip of it as they walked through the golden hallway. "See, these drones don't just record everything. They are sort of like low-level psychics. They pick up on surface-level thoughts and emotions. I can then use the data they collect to beam them into a person and allow them to relive the past and actually feel as if they were the people in those memories. It can be a little harsh on the mind and body seeing so many POVs, though, right? Thanks to my power, I was able to forcefully remind myself of my human life when Nier turned me into a monster and repaired my damaged human Ego, allowing me to still exist, unlike every other monster, such as Fairy Queen or Hell Hound, who are long gone. The stress and emotions we are putting you under will hopefully forcefully awaken a power inside of you, or at least speed up your growth and get you back to where you were."

"Well, it looks like it is working." She glanced down at her hands, flexing them. She still felt weak, but somehow she knew she just needed a little more. Slowly it was coming back. With a bit more work, she'd reach her old self. "Why did you let me out though? Are we going to go eat again or something?" The memory clearly had more to it than what she had seen. It had left her with many questions she wanted or actually needed to know. It had been a simple memory of Ruby fighting the Emperor. It had started in the middle of their battle, and she had no idea how things progressed to that point or what had been going on.

Harrison clicked his tongue and winced a bit. "There's a lot you didn't get to see yet. After all, I didn't even show you where Alpha fits into all of this. Sadly, we're out of time, though."

"Out of time?"

"Yep! A full day has passed since you were knocked out and living through those thoughts. We have to be careful with how much we shove in your head so it doesn't blow up, and we've reached the limit for tonight! Though you don't need to worry about that anymore as we've also arrived earlier than expected to our destination."

The hallway opened up, but instead of a dining room, she now found herself in the entrance to what she would have guessed was a large manor. Like everywhere else in the strange building she was in, it was made out of solid gold and hurt her eyes to look at. There were dozens of pictures of Sky all over the place and even full-blown statues of her in various poses with different weapons or outfits. One even had her and her father standing on top of the Victorian's corpse, both wearing black jagged armor.

Near the back, a pair of heavy golden doors the size of a small building resided. It was like some sort of palace or something in a comic. At the entrance to the door, Fairy Queen stood. The woman's eyes were narrowed, and the woman stared back at her, causing her to flinch and hide behind Avalon. She really hated having no powers. Standing next to Fairy Queen in his black armor with the red flames pouring out of his eyes was the Emperor. He wasn't alone either. Flanking him on either side were two more people she was shocked to see. Demonica, and Polaron. However, both were made out of what looked like solid darkness. It sort of reminded her of Mr. Larison's Giants or Lucifer's zombies. Could it have been a trait the Rulers shared?

Then again, she was also able to make pseudo-life forms. Baggy, her fire construct came to mind. A small being that was clearly alive to some extent.

"I brought her just as you asked me to, boss!" Avalon called out, waving his hand. The Emperor's red eyes turned toward them, and Fairy Queen's teeth ground together as the woman hissed.

She did her best to suppress her fear and stepped past Avalon, glaring back into the Emperor's eyes. "Your minion told me we arrived at some place. Where did you take me?"

The Emperor's arms were folded behind his back and over his cape as the eyes seemed to stare into her soul. "A pity. Your power hasn't fully recovered yet." The man's voice sounded just as it did in the memory. It made her hate him even more seeing how he openly betrayed Full Monarch and Max Lightning as if it had been nothing. Nier was just as much of a monster as those he transformed.

"Answer my question." She demanded.

He turned away from her and placed his hand on the door. He felt it hum and could tell Golden God had come to a total stop as they arrived at their destination. "Hell." He finally said. "We've arrived at hell-"

"More specifically, Hell Land!" Avalon announced as the doors snapped open, allowing her to finally see the outside world. Screams rang out all around them as, in the distance, a roller coaster flew through the air. "The only place on planet Earth where supervillains can have fun! Now with eight new rides!"

The Emperor had taken them to a theme park...

She blinked slowly, processing everything. "What?"

***

"Well, well, well." Michael twirled the vial of blue liquid between his fingers. "They really don't make stuff like this anymore. I'll have to remember to thank Alma when I next see him- If I next see him- I guess he's working for the Branch again, huh? I bet I could get Doctor Blue- Nah, what am I saying? Doctor Blue is working for Zoo now—a pity. I'd have loved to get my hands on more of this stuff- I bet this is how he healed that Battery hero, isn't it? Ah, but then it's worthless to me since I don't have heart issues- But what if I get heart issues- Wait, I'm immortal. What am I saying?"

Michael tossed the blue vial behind his back, throwing it into a trashcan. Now that he finished studying it, he didn't need it anymore. Not when he had someone like his sister with him. Thanks to her, recreating that healing drug would be more than easy. In only a few short hours, he'd be able to recreate everything that the Wandering Coin had made, but better.

His sister was just amazing like that, after all.

Michael hummed and looked around his sister's lab. It was an open space that was so cold it caused his breath to be visible. Metal tables scattered the place filled with half-built machines or broken-down products she had been in the middle of crafting. His eyes slowly landed on a mirror, and he took a moment to admire himself.

"Looking good, sexy." He winked. "You're going to do great today. You're going to make so many sales—I bet you're going to make all the sales- Okay, well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. You have some grays in your hair, so maybe half of the sales—I have grays in my hair- No wait! I'm immortal! I don't get grays."

The reflection that looked back at him was a young man. One with messy blonde hair that had been combed down. His bright green eyes were hidden behind his shades, and he took a moment to adjust his collar. He was dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt and black dress pants. He had a very expensive fur coat that cost more than some towns, and he wore what some people called a 'pimp hat' for the final touch. It was a black fedora with the symbol of a golden butterfly on the side of it.

He flipped his hat in the air and caught it on the tip of his finger, moving out of the way just in time as a massive rumble went through the entire building he was in. Several of the lights above exploded, sending a sea of glass down, but he covered his head with his hat. "Looks like they're really aggressive today- Oh, I bet Meta is going to kick their ass- Should I help- Nah, she can handle it- But then again, I haven't played any good games in a while- I can't decide. Red light green light, cops and robbers, or good old freeze tag—ah, screw it, I'll just play a good old game of Simon Says."

Michael moved out of the way once more as the door to the lab exploded off its hinges, slamming into the wall next to him. He kept his sly smile on his face and watched as someone else entered the lab. "Are you safe, brother?" A voice asked quietly.

"I am now that you're here, Meta!"

"Please stop with that nickname." His sister said in a flat tone. Like him, his sister used to have blonde hair, though now hers was almost pure gray with just a bit of blonde scattered in it. Her hair was tied back, but even then, it went far down her back, having not been cut in years. She didn't wear glasses or shades like him, but her green eyes also didn't glow nearly as much as his did. They were dull, almost blank, and emotionless. She wore what looked almost like a black and yellow military service uniform, complete with a small cap. It had no badges of honor, though. A silver rapier hung off the side of her belt, and her hand was placed on the handle, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. "I'm going to go out and handle the people that are on our front door." She said quietly. Meta was the kind of person who had almost no emotion in her voice. It was as loud as it needed to be. No more, no less. "Will you be fine by yourself?"

Michael flipped his hat up once more and held his finger out, catching it. "I'll manage, Meta. Go kick some ass- Oh, are you going to use your model two suit or the new model three- I bet we could make a model four if you wanted- Screw it, let's go all the way to model five and really beat them-"

"I'll be back shortly." His sister responded, cutting him off before his rant could get any longer.

Michael was the opposite of his sister. Sometimes it was hard to get him to shut up. He watched as she turned her back, and he gave her one last smirk. "Seriously, though. Show them all why you don't mess with us. Make them pay."

His sister didn't say anything as she left the lab. Unlike him, she wasn't even an adult yet—she was seventeen. She had only been part of their family for a few years now and had been gifted her name by their father. She was mostly quiet and never bothered to talk to the other siblings besides him, which sometimes ticked him off since that meant his father always left her to him.

Michael took a seat in a chair and flicked on one of the monitors that was in the lab. They had many bases all across the planet, and most of the time they would never stay at one place for very long. The rest of the family was at the base in Hell Land, so only he and Meta had been at this one. As the monitor flicked on, he saw the outside of their base.

They were in the middle of a desert, somewhere away from any of the grand cities that the heroes resided in. Out here, it was no man's land; every person was for themselves. A lone metal building stood surrounded by the ruins of what might have once been a city, but years of disasters had destroyed it all. Their building stuck out like a sore thumb, so he wasn't shocked it had been found. It looked almost like a vault and was drilled into the ground. The entire destroyed city around them shook as explosives rained from above.

A massive metal ship floated directly in the sky above them. It was an old navy warship that was being forced to sail on the air instead of the sea, thanks to some ability. It sported a flag he recognized instantly. The Anti-Matter gang was a group of Wasteland villains that were working on taking over what part of the world hadn't been put under the control of the Victorian or the Hero Branch. The large warship sported that flag and pointed its weapons at their bunker, firing ceaseless barrages at the smaller building.

Even deep underground, he could hear their captain shouting at them from his ship's intercoms. "Come out now! Give us all your stuff and any women you got hiding in there!" The Anti-Matter gang, at the end of the day, were little more than pirates who could make boats fly.

Part of the vault opened up, and a lift began to rise out of it. Meta stood on it, her dull eyes staring up at the massive ship that floated in the sky miles above her. It rumbled and trained its weapons on her but didn't fire. No doubt, the captain was discussing with the rest of his crew, trying to figure out who she was. He doubted they'd be able to put it together. After all, the world hadn't gotten to see 'this' Meta in action.

"I'll say this once." Her voice danced through the air, going further than it had any right to, and it seemed to actually cause the entire ship to freeze in place. As if it were alive and listening to her. She drew her rapier, holding it up. "Leave. Now."

Michael watched this go down on the monitor and frowned. "Still so soft, Meta." He reached up to his earpiece and pressed a button. "Meta, wrap this up quick. Father wanted us to meet him in Hell Land before the end of the day."

On the monitor, he watched his sister reach up to her own earpiece. "Right-"

She was cut off as the ship finally made up its mind and resumed firebombing the area with everything they had. They unleashed all of their cannons and explosive power onto the lone girl, hitting her with massive bombs. Fire poured over the land, and a massive dust cloud was kicked up. The lab shook, and more things were knocked over as massive craters formed along the ground. They kept the barrage up for nearly a full minute before they finally stopped firing and allowed their guns to settle down. As the dust rained, though, Michael felt his lips quirk up into a smirk.

"She tried to warn you. You should have left when she gave you the chance."

A green glow of energy seeped out in the dust and formed into a bubble around Meta. Everything around her was destroyed, but she was perfectly fine. The cannons went back to point at her, but they were too late. The air around her shimmered. "Sorry." She spoke quietly as the energy seeped out and began to take shape, forming around her like a suit. "Begone. Vanish off the face of this planet."

It was over in a single attack.

One moment, Meta was on the ground, and then next, she was gone as the ship exploded, something flying through it faster than anyone on board could react. Massive emerald wings forged from energy spilled out of the wreckage of the ship as everything began to fall apart, and Michael once again heard his sister's voice.

"I'll see you at Hell Land, big brother." In the wreckage of the destroyed ship, Meta floated, now clad in powerful iron armor. Astral green wings flowed from her back, tearing space itself apart. She was, after all, one of the greatest Mental-based Supers in the world, second only to Boy Genius.

"Right." Michael flipped a coin, giving a sly smirk. "We shouldn't keep Father waiting."

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章節 148: Hell Land

Hope Lauren had seen a lot of odd things in her admittedly short life.

Every member of Pantheon was at least a little weird, and, being a Super herself, she would say her life was far from normal. Not to mention Mr. Larison was a bundle of secrets and thoughts she'd doubt she'd ever solve.

Despite all of that, though, somehow Hell Land still took the cake for the oddest thing she had ever seen.

An amusement park created for villains, by villains. "This place can't actually be real, right?" She asked, making a face. They still hadn't fully stepped outside, and part of her was convinced Avalon was pulling her leg. After all, picturing the Emperor himself taking her to a place like that was simply too goofy.

Avalon clapped her on the back, causing her to flinch a bit and shoot a glare up toward him. He only smiled back down. "Of course it's real. We're here after all. Don't tell me you're not a fan of amusement parks. All kids like them."

"I'm not a kid." She hissed and slapped his hand away. "I turned sixteen right before the Beast came. With how much time passed, I might be at least seventeen by now!"

"It hasn't been that long. Also, you being sixteen still technically makes you a kid, you know." The scientist snorted.

"Yeah, but I wasn't as small as I am now!" She complained.

"Don't be so dramatic. You'll change back eventually. I think?" Avalon hummed, rubbing his chin.

"You think!"

"Shut up!" Fairy Queen yelled back at them, silencing both her and Avalon. The villain made a face and balled her hands into a fist. "Is it right to actually let her out of her cage, Master?"

The Emperor simply let out a soft hum. "Be nice, Fairy Queen. Cinder is our guest."

"I'm not your guest! I'm your prisoner."

"You can go if you want." The world's strongest villain gestured out with his hand. He watched her, waiting for her to move. She didn't. Where would she even try to go? She'd need to figure out where they were first, at least. "Alright then. Children, behave yourselves." He turned away from her, his cloak flowing behind him.

The shadowy forms of Polaron and Demonica followed after them. Right behind them was Fairy Queen. Finally, that left her and Avalon in the back. They exited the strange golden building they were in. Past the large tower doors was a ramp that went down leading outside. As they stepped down the ramp, she looked up, finding the body of Golden God. The ramp they were walking on was attached directly to his belly button, which had formed into the massive doors.

Earlier, the Emperor had told her they were inside of Golden God. It turns out he wasn't joking. Golden God was, in a way, the Emperor's personal ship. A sad fate to end up as if you asked her.

As they stepped off of the ramp, it pulled itself back into the robotic villain's body, and the heavy doors shut and faded away. "We've arrived at Hell Land, my Master." The machine spoke in his emotionless voice, motioning forward with his many arms. "I trust the ride was to your satisfaction."

They were in another pocket realm. She could tell right away because of the sky. It looked like something out of a horror movie. It was blood red with black skull-like faces forming the clouds. Some glared down, and some had their mouths open wide in a hellish roar. They were on an island, one surrounded by an ocean of what she hoped was red water. The island sort of reminded her of the base the Bad Timers had used, only it was much bigger.

A massive dock was formed all around the coast of the island, and there were dozens of boats of all shapes and sizes. Some looked like something out of a sci-fi comic, most likely being forged by a Mental-based Super. Others were extremely old-fashioned and barely holding together. All were filled with large crews of people. In fact, the entire beach was scattered with hundreds of people. Towles were laid out, and some people walked around in swimwear while others were dressed head to toe in villain costumes. Others looked like grunts who were part of some small gang, and some were playing in the red water, surfing or swimming, or even fishing.

It was such an odd sight. Some of the people looked toward them and whispered, but it wasn't out of fear. Instead, they were speaking in awe as they stared at the Emperor, many taking pictures. Golden God also got a lot of attention. He remained floating in the air and smashed one of his hands down, blocking most people from looking at his boss.

"It's one hundred dollars per photo." The machine stated in his emotionless tone. "I've gone ahead and hacked into everyone's account and will be transferring the money of anyone who took a picture without our consent." That got a lot of people to drop their phones or cameras. That didn't stop the excited whispers, though, or the stares the Emperor was getting. It was the same look people would give the Victorian.

She realized that Avalon's words earlier hadn't been wrong. This was a place for evil. Each one of these people was a villain. The same group that the Emperor had united under one banner years ago when he declared war on planet Earth. These were his people. His subjects. His warriors. Hundreds of gangs from all over the planet all gathered here.

Whatever realm they were in, it was not one that should have existed. Here the Emperor was the most popular. He was the symbol of evil. The one that all these people were looking up to.

Slowly, the Emperor walked toward his destination. Across the beach was what she could only describe as an amusement park. Large walls blocked off an entire area of the island just past the beach. There were several tall motels scattered around, and just past them was a gateline that had several men dressed in black knight armor with the words 'security' across their chest plates. Their helmets were shaped like wolf heads, and they gripped jagged maces. It reminded her of Hell Hound, whom she still remembered from Ruby's memories.

A large line had formed in front of the gate, made up of villains she had never seen before. Some looked like straight-up monsters; others wore colorful costumes. Some still didn't even bother to try and stand out, and if not for the dangerous aura they gave off and fake smiles on their faces, she'd have assumed they were normal people.

Past the gate was the park itself. Even from here, she could hear the large crowd of people and see rides in the distance. Things like roller-coasters, ferris wheels, and more. She could smell various different meals at hundreds of food stalls, and loud music blared through the entire place. It was so hard to wrap her head around all of this. The park itself was almost normal—the kind of place people would want to go to. It was so weird thinking that it was a place for the most evil people in the world to gather at. What would they even do here? Have fun?

"How are there so many people?" She muttered, looking around in mild terror as their group made their way to the line. She had never gotten to go to an amusement park before. Her family never had the money or time for it. Part of her wished that never changed now.

"Don't ask so many stupid questions." Fairy Queen barked back at her. "Speak another word, and I'll make sure your stay here isn't pleasant."

"Now, now, remember what Nier said." Avalon chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder as he stared down Fairy Queen. "Be nice to Ms. Lauren. She was just curious, was all. To answer your question, Ms. Lauren, shortly before the war, the hero known as Max Lightning discovered an ability to create extra space. Thanks to him and the help of some of Full Monarch's energy, I was able to create pocket realms using some of Sini's old notes. It had been a project he had been working on even before Max showed up, as a means to save the human race in case Full Monarch lost to the Beast. The Hero Branch gladly gave me all the resources I needed, and with the help of Max, I was able to create the first realms. Of course, at the time the good guys didn't know I was a double agent and was planning on selling them out since I had already been changed into a monster. Hell Hound actually asked me to build this realm for her. See, realms were made in the start as a way for us to save humanity from the Beast attacks. It ended up getting discarded though since these places can't actually grow resources. Sunlight, water, and nature—all of it is fake and has no effect on real-world plants. You'd need a Super like the Lord of Life to actually grow anything, and these realms are actually pretty small, so it'd be impossible to fit the entire planet's population inside of one; thus, the process was used instead for bases."

"If she didn't know that much, then she's an idiot." Fairy Queen growled back at them.

Avalon rolled his eyes. "Just shut it." Slowly they reached the gate, and the line broke in two, allowing them to get past. The guards didn't bother stopping them or questioning them and simply allowed them through without any incident. The inside of the park was wide and expansive, with many people walking back and forth. She saw more rides in the distance, a merry-go-round, gun ranges, haunted houses, mazes, and so much more. "Not everyone you see is a Super." Avalon spoke up, continuing his explanation from earlier. "After Hell Hound's death, some of the Monsters that worked under her turned this place into Hell Land. Hell Hound was always naive and childish at times. This was created as a place where villains didn't have to worry. It's been a closely guarded secret where the gate connecting it to the real world is. Some heroes likely know it exists but can't get to it. Most of the people here are goons. Small grunts that work under Supers. Being evil is almost like a job, and at a job sometimes your boss will throw you a bone and give you a little treat. Hell Land is the treat for villains. A Black Market where bad guys all over the world can let their henchmen go play while they make deals among each other selling info on heroes, gear, or even people. The one that runs this place is a villain called the Owner. This land is neutral ground and works as a base for anyone that needs it."

That last part made her shudder. "Just wait until the Victorian gets her hands on any of you. She'll destroy you all."

"Careful." Fairy Queen looked back at her, giving a cruel smirk. "Heroes like you, especially ones as small as you, might find themselves pissing off the wrong person. Not everyone is as kind as my master here. I'm sure plenty of villains would love to have some as pretty and 'young' as you around-"

"That's enough, Fairy Queen." The Emperor's fingers tightened around the woman's throat. "I won't say it again. Behave."

"Y- Yes, sir."

He dropped her and looked out across the park. A massive tower stood in the very center of it all. If she was to take a guess, she'd say it was where this 'Owner' guy was. "I came to speak with the Owner." The Emperor explained. It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her. "You're free to do whatever you want here until I'm done. Stay close to Avalon for your safety."

She didn't get to ask much more as the man began to walk toward the tower in the distance. He was followed by his shadows and Golden God, who remained in the sky. Fairy Queen shot her one last nasty look before stalking after her master like a hurt puppy.

"Fairy Queen doesn't like you." Avalon snickered and smacked her on the back. "I guess that's to be expected though. You killed one of her kids after all."

"I did?"

"Polaron." The man explained. "Though Fairy Queen has a lot of children. She was the second monster created and was around before Nier even fully created the title of Emperor. She's kind of a freak and kept having kids with all sorts of people. Most of her kids turned out as the Dragon Clan. People like the hero Wyvern, Drake, or Silver Dragon."

"If she was the second, who was the first?"

"Alpha's wife, Hell Hound."

"Mr. Larison's wife was Hell Hound!" That felt like a punch in the gut. She had known Battery was one of the people that worked for the Emperor, but it never dawned on her his wife would be as well. It made some sense, but for it to be Hell Hound? Ruby's memories were still fresh in her mind. Hell Hound was a powerful villain.

"I guess you can say it was love at first sight." Avalon shrugged his shoulders and began to walk in a random direction. "She made this place for him. I bet he'd hate what it's been turned into. Serves him right. She was more loyal to him than Nier. Almost always she stayed by his side. She was once Nier's daughter. At least her body was. The soul within her was something new, however, and Nier no longer held any love for her. He kept her around so he could eventually clone a body and place the soul of his actual daughter into that body. I guess Alpha took a liking to Hell Hound, and the two became smitten with each other. It was that love that caused them to betray the master in the end." Avalon shook his head and turned back to her, smiling. "So, while the boss is busy talking to some people, what kind of rides would you like to-" He froze when he saw Hope was nowhere near him. "Ah shit..."

She had taken off as soon as he turned his back on her. Without a second thought, she turned and ran. He had been so busy monologueing that he didn't even notice. Seriously, speeches and monologues had to be something that went wrong for bad guys everywhere.

She passed by many rides that had long lines of people waiting to get on. Things like bumper carts, spinning teacups, and even some gift shops. There was a food stall at every corner trying to sell some overpriced snack or beverage, and she had to fight her way through the crowd. Those guards in black armor were also scattered around, and she noticed several shooting looks her way. They weren't the only ones either. Actual villains walked around, some dressed up in goofy shark or clown costumes, and others decked out in so much Mental-based tech they might as well have been from the future.

That wasn't what she was worried about, though. What she was actually worried about was what she didn't see. Those damn tiny drones that Avalon had. So small they were the size of flys. They had been there since the start, and she'd be willing to bet he had some around her now. Her enhanced senses hadn't come back, so she had no way of knowing.

She ran through the crowd and found herself at a part of the park that was filled with various water-based rides. All the water was still that red color, which was probably not blood, she hoped. There were pools and other such things scattered around, and a massive sprinkler system was placed in the middle, which fired off streams of water. She ran through it as fast as she could so that if any drone was following her it'd be drowned. She doubted it would work since they had somehow made it through massive battles untouched, but it didn't hurt to try.

Once she was done with that, she ripped off the hoodie she was in and snatched several clothes from a carnival game stand. The kind that had you knock over bottles. The owner yelled something at her as she ran past it, ripping them off of his table, but she ignored him and ducked down some alleyways. Large tents were scattered around the rides as well, hosting various shows, so she used them to stalk in the shadows and got out of sight, stripping out of the rest of the clothes the Emperor had provided her.

She kept the pants but changed the shirt to a 'I visited Hell Land, and all I got was a T-Shirt' shirt. She also put on a red jacket that had the symbol of Hell Land, a wolf on the back of it. She put the hoodie up and zipped it up. She had gotten a second jacket as well, which she tied around her waist, forming a makeshift skirt of sorts to hide most of the pants. She double checked for some of the drones but didn't see any. With that all done, she finally allowed herself to relax and stepped out of the shadows.

She made her way into a large crowd, walking with the people, and looked around, assessing the situation. She might not have had any powers and might be trapped in a tiny body, but that didn't mean the situation itself was hopeless. If this was a realm, then that meant there was a gate. It was likely at the docks somewhere, so she'd have a way out. It likely wasn't the only gate as well. In the battle with Wish, during her first fight, Doctor Blue had managed to escape the realm despite not leaving through the main gate. She was willing to bet there was more than one way out of a place like this in case of an emergency. On top of that, if the controls got destroyed, the entire realm would be forced open.

If she could find a way to regain her power quickly, she could also likely force an opening and escape that way. Green Wolf had done something like that when he entered Polaron's base, and she and BB had done the same thing, forcing their way into the Wandering Coin's realm. She could still remember the feeling. It'd likely be easier getting out than it would be to get in.

Either way, no matter what, she needed to find a way out. The others thought she was dead or believed that fake her was the real Cinder. She needed to figure out what state her city was left in and check on her parents and Sky. Not to mention Mr. Larison, who was somehow still alive. She also needed to have a talk with the Victorian. Those memories hadn't been the end; she was sure of that. She really wanted to know what happened next.

Her thoughts suddenly came to an end as something caught her eye. There had been a few around, but this one made her stop. It was a statue of Hell Hound. What made this one so special compared to the dozen others she had passed though was that the woman wasn't alone. Forged from stone, and standing next to her, staring out at the crowd, was the Emperor. The two of them stood side by side almost as if they were equals.

It made her remember more of Ruby's memories. Something about the entire situation with the Emperor hadn't set right with her. Something she couldn't exactly put her finger on. There was that thing Max had said. What exactly was Nier's goal, and why were there two of them? One with red eyes and one with blue eyes. What was Mr. Larison's role in all of that?

"Found you." She froze when she heard the voice. She went to spin around, but it was too late. A sharp pain shot through her as a hand grabbed her roughly by her head. The fingers dug into the hoodie and her hair and lifted her up, causing her to let out a loud yelp of pain. "You thought you could get away with stealing from the mighty Owner?" She found herself face to face with one of the black armored guards. The man's other hand squeezed down around the handle of his mace, and his eyes roamed over the jacket and shirt she had stolen. He wasn't alone either. Two more guards stood behind him, glaring at her.

"I- I can explain-"

"Save it." His eyes narrowed from behind his helm, and he turned, dragging her. "I'll show you what we do with petty thieves."

No one bothered to help her. In fact, many cheered and smirked, treating it like a show as she was dragged across the ground. The men took her away from the crowd and behind one of the many tents that was set up. He shoved her to the ground and raised his mace. It twisted and changed, the metal coming to life and forming into a large axe.

"Left, or right?"

"W- What?" She asked, staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes. She hated how powerless she felt. This entire situation. It made her blood boil. Her body was so weak and helpless. She had forgotten just how truly scary it was to be a mere human in the presence of a demigod.

"Pick which arm we take, thief." His fingers gripped down on his axe as his eyes glared down at her. "That's what we do to people like you. You're still a child, so I'll show you mercy."

"Mercy?" She asked, shocked. "You're still taking one of my hands! It was just a shirt!"

"That's why I'm letting you pick which hand I take. That's my mercy. Because, after all, it was only a shirt. Be grateful. Now pick before I take them both."

"You're insane!"

"Wrong answer." Before she could move two of the other guards grabbed her either side of her arms. She thrashed about and screamed as he dragged his arm across the ground. He placed it over her left wrist and slowly brought it up. The weapon was jagged and mangled. Not the sort of thing made for taking limbs off cleanly. She squeezed her eyes shut as he brought it down.

For the first time in her life, she prayed Avalon or someone similar would come to her rescue. Despite how bad her luck had been lately something actually seemed to answer her call. She heard it right as the axe reached her. The sound of metal on metal. Something appeared above her wrist just in time to block the axe. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself staring at a rapier.

The guardsmen grunted and struggled, but with a flick of a wrist, whoever wielded the blade sent him crashing down. "Have you no shame?" The voice that spoke held almost no emotion. The two men that held her dropped her and jumped back, drawing their weapons. She looked up and found herself staring up at a girl in a strange military-looking uniform who had long gray hair. The girl wielded a slim rapier, one that had casually deflected the mighty great axe the man had. She was young as well. Seventeen at the most. The girl stood in front of her, holding an arm out protectively. "Evil people like you put a sour taste in my mouth." Her voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't silent either. It was blank and bland. Just like Lucifer or Golden God's.

"Who the hell are you?" The guard asked through gritted teeth.

The girl vanished in a single step, appearing before the three men. "The one who beat you." And with that, she swung the blunt side of her weapon, smashing it into all three of their heads and knocking them all out.

Hope fell back, staring up at her savior in shock. She had never seen this girl before. She had to be a villain, right?

Slowly, the girl's eyes found their way onto her. "Are you okay?"

And just like that, Hope met Meta.

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