Chapter 102: 92. Still A Hero of Comedy

Commander Luckrun sat in a high-back chair. The Pantheon Leader was to his left. The Pantheon Secretary sat in her mini high-back chair beside his right arm. For some reason, YoAnna wanted Jay at the center to highlight him further as Pantheon Commander. It made him feel more like a king than a prince. But YoAnna worked in mysterious ways, so Jay did as she wanted.

Jay was more focused on trying to readjust to his new reality. He was now a Pantheon Commander. He was now part of the highest levels of leadership leading a magical pantheon filled with divine entities, monsters, aliens, magical teenagers, and numerous adults acting in service all around the world. The last part felt the strangest to Jay. People had to adhere to his orders when he gave them for real.

That was a lot for Jay to take in. But he was a Luckrun, so he ran with the challenges and changes as best he could.

In front of the pantheon's leadership stretched long wooden tables laden with food. Roasted game from the forest. Fresh organic vegetables and fruits. The estate servants provided the produce, a temporary supply until the kiddies had their hobby farms running. They also provided the kiddies with lots of drinks. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The undead didn’t need any of these frivolous things.

But the kiddies were always prepared to throw a shindig for living guests.

Jay sipped on a sugary soda as he kept looking around with his eyes. No ceilings. No walls. Just the campsite square. Large trees supported the interconnected treehouse units surrounding the square. The kiddies used rope to fix the branches above their heads, blocking the high sun except for little sunbeams dappling through the leaves.

The kiddies sat on drawbridges strung between treehouses. They stood or moved all around the Champions and exuberated a constant celebratory mood. They danced. They showed off new some new artistic creations. The kiddies sang softly. Not always the same song. Sometimes they would sing different unintelligible songs at the same time. The different intersecting melodies melded together beautifully somehow.

Jay could kind of get why.

His awareness had expanded due to his new powers. [Analyze] was leaps and bounds better than [Identify] due to its customization options, which worked well with [Eye of Venerated Madness]. Between those two Talents, Jay could glean quick and bulleted information. Or he could examine something in more depth.

When he examined a few kiddies, he saw mention of the tiny, diluted fragment of divinity inside them. Just that clue alone triggered one of his new Titles: [Vice-Chair of the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon].

It dawned on him that the horror hurting Junkside– YoAnna’s blood– granted a long-lasting re-life to the undead Yoroachians. And it granted change. Very great change. YoAnna and her Champions had spent time talking about how YoAnna’s divinity could lead to incredible and terrible reality-altering changes on Earth because of a few lost droplets of [Godling] blood. The nature of challenge and change as influential concepts enhanced by godly magic and YoAnna being an unusually strong [Godling] could be part of the reasons behind the creation of the Yoroachians and why they came to be as Rank 2s instead of Rank 1s. It was certainly a reason why Gatanna, Lilith’s Adaptive [Yogatzilla] familiar, came out as a super monster when YoAnna's blood mutated a random sewer gator.

Though, there might be more involved in the equation than YoAnna’s blood and Jay’s mishandling of those precious divine samples that he’d tossed in the trash. Jay wanted to believe the System Admins were heavily involved. RoAnna might’ve been hinting at that before Jay had… finished her. But Jay had no proof, and this was something among many things that Jay had to discuss in further detail with YoAnna in private.

For now, Jay watched the kiddies put on a playful acrobatic performance. All of these acts were the kiddies' attempt to cheer up and celebrate the Champions and the Commander after surpassing YoAnna's challenging training session and selecting Jay as the new Pantheon Commander. It amazed him how lifelike the kiddies seemed now. Other than the black and red death energy hugging close to their forms, they didn’t seem dead whatsoever.

“Emily,” Jay called softly, holding back his [Commanding Gravitas] and graven voice. Those two combined wanted to come out like shotgun blasts if he wasn’t careful. Even a whisper could make a Champion tense. Jay would have to hold himself back extremely when around the Systemless or the Rankless users.

The Death [Medium] stayed perfectly still and rigid in her seat down the table. She had gotten to 100 Conviction and could lean on the [Conviction Crusader] Talent whenever she pleased, boosting her Conviction greatly just like Jay’s [Perceptive Highness] greatly boosted his Perception. She wouldn’t be so easily shaken now. But she was still glum with her creations dancing, singing, and serving the Champions a hearty brunch.

She waited patiently for Jay to continue.

“I think the kiddies are special,” Jay said softly. “Not just special because of the magic. Special because they’re taking YoAnna’s divinity for themselves. They’re using it to become good. They’re changing for the better. Even after death. That looks fairly balanced to me, don't you agree?”

“They’re still mistakes that shouldn’t have happened, Commander Luckrun,” Emily muttered. “Everything I’ve done with my death powers are mistakes.”

Jay opened and closed his mouth. Emily’s Conviction faltered. Now she was shaking in her seat. Should he try to encourage her with a bit more force?

Jay had no idea. It seemed easier before. Hadn’t it?

But now he was outrageously stronger. His [510 Applied AP] had over 100 AP on the next Champion in the ranking.

The new Talents and Titles had serious weight to them. To be [YoAnna's Commander of Challenge and Change] made him akin to a boss monster. Maybe stronger.

Hell, Kleo couldn’t even speak freely. If she did so without care, she might start brainwashing people accidentally. Jay and Kleo would have to work on that, along with other things

 Her [Faerie Devilry] Talent enhanced her ability to cause mischief, misfortune, and calamity. She was already a little menace, but now that had solidified way more. It didn't mean Kleo was evil. But she could cause a lot of harm subtly.

At the very least, Kleo cared about the Champions. And their people. She was willing to restrict herself rather than do harm to her friends. She was willing to stay silent, even if that meant becoming a habitual mute.

That saddened Jay.

But Kleo’s reassurances through [Faerie Master] helped him come to terms with all of these changes. The price for power could be steep. Especially when it came from YoAnna.

“Commander Luckrun,” Lilith called.

Jay winced. Couldn’t they call him Jay? Everyone called YoAnna by her first name, not Pantheon Leader or System Guide.

Then again, Kleo’s declaration earlier had an impact. It reverberated far and wide. That might not fade for a while.

Lilith persisted without his response. “I wanna give it to her.”

“Maybe that’s not a good idea,” Jay said, his voice barely above a whisper. With all the songs, clattering plates, clanging utensils, and overall brunch festivities, his voice should’ve been lost in the noise.

But it rode on a ripple of gravity. It reached Lilith anyway. It would seem like he was pushing his voice by the power of sound. That wasn’t the case. It felt like he had curved the distance and spoken right to her ear. His Gravity Affinity shenanigans rose with the new power levels.

Wormhole whisper.

That would have to do for now.

Lilith studied the space next to her face where his voice had sounded. She nodded satisfactorily as if this could be factored perfectly.

“Rip the bandaid,” Lilith said.

“It’s brunch,” Jay whispered.

“Excuses, and you know it.” She jabbed a spoon at him. 

Annoying, sure, but Jay appreciated Lilith’s insistence. At least she was still being herself around him. Mike hadn’t said much for a while.

Jay glanced down at Kleo. She gave him a thumbs up and more reassurances through [Faerie Master].

He caught YoAnna’s patient but welcoming eyes. Even her scarred side seemed more subdued and inviting. The flames of his hatred for her from the brutal beatings had simmered down a lot, too. That was good.

He could act without spite.

“Something for you, Pantheon Leader,” Jay said, finding the taste of YoAnna’s Title odd but suitable. At least under official business. Was this official?

Lilith popped a metal case out of thin air using her [Dimensional Storage] Skill. The case was gray, square, and even on all sides. She lobbed it up.

Jay [Gravity Grasped] it to his hand, his telekinetic prowess directing it competently. He waited for some kiddies to clear the huge stacks of empty plates from in front of YoAnna. Then he set the box down for the Pantheon Leader to open.

“This is RoAnna, the Yoroachian Queen. Her head that is.” Jay made sure to angle the box where only YoAnna could look into RoAnna’s face directly.

The sunbeams shining around YoAnna dimmed, and so did the light in her eyes. Her eyes became dark. The scarred side showed great sorrow. The perfect side remained neutral if a touch disturbed.

She reached into the box and gripped RoAnna’s head without taking it out. Lilith had cleaned the head and used alchemical balm to preserve it. It looked surprisingly fresh. Like it had been bitten off from between the shoulders just moments ago.

Jay swallowed a cough, cursing his 57 Intellect for the vivid memory.

“I owe you all an apology,” YoAnna said, rubbing her thumbs on RoAnna’s stiff cheeks.

“In my haste and insolence, I tried to manipulate Jay in hopes to placate the System Admins and to settle an issue between us,” YoAnna continued. “Desperation and fear led me to make poor decisions. The results gave rise to gross negligence. Death and destruction followed suit.”

YoAnna sighed. “I am sorry.”

YoAnna stood abruptly, smashing her chair to smithereens with a simple motion. She bowed deeply, her hands clenched shakily against her belly. Whether her pride was hurting or she was truly shaken by the fault she had to bear in Junkside’s suffering was unreadable via magic. She was still partially an enigma.

But Jay had eyes. And a heart. He could feel her sincerity by looking at her actions. He slowly got to his feet, not having to bow since he’d made his painful apologies last week. But he stood with her in solidarity.

“That’s not good enough,” Dennis said from the far side of the table. The negative emotions had been brewing over there since Jay became commander.

YoAnna straightened to her full height. “What do you suggest, Dennis?”

“We need to tell people that it’s our fault,” he said in between chugging frosty bear from a mug. He was hitting it hard.

“We shouldn’t do that,” Hailey cut in with a polite smile.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Dennis grunted, his words slurring just a tad. Some of the drinks were Good Quality stuff. They could hit hard and get past Resilience up to a point. Jay hoped Dennis wasn't getting frat-boy wasted to make a scene.

"May I introduce a few points for you to consider, please?" Hailey asked nicely. Her time as the Event Planner, Third Nerd, and member of the Divine Four shone through. “Our public image is not holding up so well. Too many speculations. The out-of-context video cuts of Commander Luckrun having American soldiers executed and him riding the top of a monster’s head had painted us in a bad light.”

“Why just me?” Jay muttered softly.

“You’re the worst person for optics. Which makes you the easiest to prey upon for the media to ramp up viewership.” Hailey looked apologetically at him. “We’re on thin ice. Falling through will put us in a PR nightmare. The worst type of nightmare. It may do irreversible damage to a brand that’s just starting to come to light. It might even screw our relations with our supporters. And put our families in jeopardy.”

“Everything she said checks out,” added Emily, the former Journalism President. “It’s been about ten days since the Yoroachian stuff started. We’re in the infancy of the news storm. It will get bigger. It will get stormier. I recommend discontinuing all social media. Don't look at the news by yourselves. It can get nasty as they find more people to talk to about us. Teachers. Peers. Former friends. They'll turn on us if it gets them their ten-second bite of fame.”

The kiddies quieted while Hailey and Emily talked. The kiddies were good at reading the serious atmosphere. Or it might be Jay struggling to rein in his power.

Gravity fluxed weirdly around him in wavering purple ripples. Brit sat the closest to the pantheon leadership and looked queasy from Jay’s unbottled power.

YoAnna set a hand on Jay’s shoulder.

That put him at ease. He bounded his magic tighter.

“I did a lot of stupid crap,” Jay whispered next to each Champion and Chair. “And it’s starting to pile up.”

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“Yup,” Frank said coolly. His emotional-g was unreadable again. He looked like he was here to let things play out after accomplishing some major developments for himself.

“Whether or not the viewership looks terrible,” YoAnna said, “we must stand as a pantheon and decide. Telling the truth is an honest challenge. It is the right thing to do. To withhold the truth is a personal challenge. It will test us individually and as a group. A group that must engage in multiple battles physically, magically, Systemically, and politically.”

YoAnna sighed. “I do not think we are prepared to have this world turned against us. Unless you can convince me, I wish to withhold the truth. What says you, my Champions?”

Everyone but Dennis agreed, even if reluctantly. The truth should be withheld. The PR damage could be too great for the Pantheon.

And they had to think about their parents. Their close contacts. And the people who want to support the good guys, the Protectorates.

Jay feared for his mom even though she was fighting her demons way better than before. She seemed tougher now. But that could flip around at any moment.

Dennis got to his feet, his chair legs scraping across the wooden planks lying beneath them. He walked around the table and held out his bag of holding to Jay.

“I think I should leave,” Dennis said.

His eyes looked everywhere. They settled on Brit and held her with disappointment. Then his attention fell back on Jay. 

“I didn’t sign up to be a coward, Commander Luckrun.”

Jay stared at the little bag containing Dennis’s only weapon and some items.

Jay felt the Pantheon Leader’s attention weigh on him heavily. She wanted to know what he would decide, which was scary. It felt like he had to set examples that would affect YoAnna greatly. As if his decision would set a precedence that would send waves everywhere. Why would she put him in such a position of power? Wasn't she greater and wiser than him? Yet, she was fully investing her trust in him to do what was best. As if she needed someone to show her things she didn't quite understand yet. She truly was far from human.

“Can we compromise?” Jay asked softly.

“No,” Dennis said.

“Can you give us a few weeks?”

“We’ve had more than enough time.”

“I can’t let you leave,” Jay said. “Once a Champion, always a Champion.”

“This isn’t something you can fight me on,” Dennis said firmly. “Because I know I’m right. If I don’t stand. If I don’t convince you guys. We’ll become just like every asshole that brushes aside mass death and destruction caused by their negligence. We’ll become the people who keep enjoying their lives and have no accountability when kids are dead because of their actions.”

Dennis drew in a big breath.

“I will not compromise.”

Jay swayed slightly. The gravity of Dennis’s statement affected the [Freak]. He was more sensitive to these things now. Jay could fight this. He could break Dennis's Conviction and leave only the willpower bear. Then he could crush Dennis until the [Fighter] saw things from Jay's perspective.

But that would be a fucked up thing to do to a Champion.

Brit sighed, sounding aged and weary.

“I don’t know what’s right or wrong,” Brit said. “The Multiverse is so big. And there are no absolute truths I can discern. And I know YoAnna can’t give that.” She looked at Dennis. “But we can shape our principles along the way, can’t we? We can do what’s right. Not because it’s easy. But because it’s the best thing we can achieve. I'm sorry, Dennis. I should've stepped up with you earlier.”

“It’s foolish,” Lilith countered. “It will strengthen our enemies. It will embolden those seeking power to use us as their diablos. Uneducated and emotional people respond highly to fear and hate. And there are plenty of those. We will see the world turn against us before we even formally establish ourselves. Before I even have the means to kill most threats on Earth in case we need that as a contingency.”

“You had a wonderful point up until that last part,” Hailey said. “And my points still stand. I don’t think you understand how vicious it can get when everyone thinks we’re the sole reasons behind the apocalypse. It might not hurt us now or in a few weeks, but the politics involved will surely hurt us down the road if we come out with this.”

“The ignorance of the masses,” Emily said, “will not stay passive.”

The lines were drawn. The moral and logical standpoints were pitted against each other. The rest of the Champions waited and listened.

Jay felt his inner child cry. It was dying too soon. He looked around the table. He found Mike. His friend was sitting patiently with a trusting smile. As if he saw Jay for Jay rather than everything the weirdo had become in such a short period.

Jay thought about his mom.

She was a Luckrun. She was tougher than most.

And she loved a good story. Some of the best stories tested heroes in ways that went beyond power and accolades. Some of the best stories tested heroes in their morals, especially those they had established.

“I am a hero of comedy,” Jay said. “And I am friends with heroes, not villains. We may do villainous things. But our overall aim is to save the universe and have a kick-ass time doing it. Less doom and gloom, and more fuck it, we’ll figure it out and have fun along the way.”

“The people will drag us through the dirt,” Hailey complained.

“They have the right to do so,” Emily said darkly.

“Sounds like you’ll have fun finding ways to turn that around, Hailey, Emily,” Jay said encouragingly, letting his power peek out just a little.

“Our enemies will recruit more into their numbers. And we are uninformed of the complete situation in Junkside,” Lilith complained.

"It's quite bad in Junkside from what the little birdies are telling me," Rick admitted. "It'll be nice to know when we'll get the green to go in and fix things."

"Or put down the assholes making more of a mess of stuff without us there," Tim added. "Tell the truth. Don't tell the truth. Whatever. Junkside needs to be solved."

“YoAnna has to deal with the System Admins before we can go in and help Junkside, guys," Jay said with YoAnna nodding along. "But we'll solve that issue as soon as we get the green. And if the rate of enemies popping up increases with the blood revelation, that means there are more willing test subjects for your products, Lilith."

The O'Kellys nodded in agreement.

Lilith tilted her head to the side. “You have turned me to your side, Commander Luckrun. I approve of the notion of letting our emotions leap ahead of logic. Tell the truth. I can work on my new idea for smart alchemical weaponry that targets Pantheon enemies in close quarters and melts them inside out.”

“That can’t be possible,” Brit said.

“Niña, I have the power of magic and science!” Lilith snapped. “I can do anything if I put my mind to it.”

“That’s still wrong, Lilith,” Brit said shakily.

“Just because your zealotry makes you feel good when you wipe people off the face of the planet doesn’t make you any better than me.” Lilith was out to take Brit’s spine now. “We are the same, Britney Williams. We are both power-hungry predators.”

Brit’s mouth twisted like she was sucking on a lemon. She looked like she was going to dig her heels and bulldoze her way through Lilith’s talking points.

“Dispute this another time,” Jay commanded.

The Champions listened.

Brit and Lilith kept glaring at each other.

 Jay shook his head. Personally, he was too lazy to combat people on hard opinions. Why not use those opinions to move people in the direction you want them to go?

Kleo approved of Jay’s logic through [Faerie Master]. She would be way better at this than him since she had the [Influential Actor] Talent. But it would be terrible to use that on their friends.

Sooner or later, Jay would let Kleo off the leash. He would let her play around with her devilish tendencies.

He sent Kleo a warm imaginary hug through [Faerie Master], thanking her for her patience. Kleo reciprocated by flying from her seat and hugging his neck lovingly.

Jay smiled as he kept going on a roll. He looked at each Champion and sold them on telling the truth. He faltered when he came around to the O’Kellys again. They hadn't quite agreed yet.

Tim shrugged.

Rick pointed his axe. “It’s a dumb move. But it’s a ballsy one. I’ll follow you, Commander Luckrun, as long as we can do some good in Junkside.”

That pretty much sealed the deal.

Jay turned to Dennis. The guy was shocked. He probably expected everything to end with his resignation. Jay pushed against the bag of holding until the big lug realized he should hold on to that.

“You’re a big jerk for this Dennis,” Jay said. “Gonna make shit harder on everybody. But look what you’ve done. You challenged us. And you changed the Champions around. You changed your Commander around.”

Dennis’s eyes widened even larger. The implications of what he’d done were just starting to come to light in his head. 

He was far from the smartest Champion even with 20 Intellect. Nor did his 30 Conviction mean much compared to others.

Some might look at him as the most cowardly in battle. But his personal willpower– his firm moral stance was strong. It reached out to Jay and reminded the [Freak] of his own personal goals: to exist as a hero of comedy. And to be better than Commander Steele.

Jay glanced at YoAnna for the final approval.

“If my Champions deem it is best to tell the truth, then we shall face the challenge and see what change comes of it.” She smiled. “It shall be great and terrible, I assure you.”

“The rate of dark plots to annihilate us designed by the Benefactors and our world leaders will certainly increase,” Lilith whispered so quietly only the nearest Perceptive Champions, YoAnna, and Jay could hear it.

The Pantheon Commander hoped Lilith was joking.

Jay could accept the Benefactors of the World Knife to create more dark plots and ramp up an assassin and paramilitary recruitment drive. He wasn't sure what he'd do if the world leaders did the same with an aim to betray the Protectorates. Especially if the world leaders did so hand-in-hand with the Benefactors.