Chapter 187: 177. Reunion

Jay wondered how he was still holding the #3 position of Earth’s Mightiest when someone like Brit existed. He was standing on the fields where their flying ships docked in preparations for maintenance, unloading of loot, and all sorts of busy-work that went on behind Company Magic R&D’s expanded facilities.

Highly decorated and guarded factories, workshops, laboratories, libraries, and university-like classrooms stood similarly to the buildings from Central High. They were all alabaster white walls, gold engravings, and Guarding Lion insignias painted on the walls in tribal black markings. Jay let his eyes wander as hundreds of Agents of Change involved with Company Magic R&D ran around in productive chaos. Mike and Macy led them for the most part. Jay’s attention drifted again, splitting between his dear familiar Kleo being so near at long last and his holy wife gliding closer while having a crushing air of power about her.

Brit slowed down even further. Jay couldn’t tell if she was hesitating or sizing him up. All that holy energy surrounding her plus the huge weight of her Conviction made it harder to read her.

His tail lowered to the ground between his legs. Nervousness set in. What if Brit couldn’t overcome her hatred for his eldritch side after all? What if too much had changed from the last time he’d seen her in the flesh?

There were a lot of questions flitting through Jay’s mind, and none of them were easy to answer. He’d never been in a situation like this before. His nerves grew taut as he thought of situations where Brit could control herself and settle next to him like a wife.

Jay wondered how he would handle having two powerful wives that were antithesis to his nature. He was both an eldritch fiend and a devil. He was everything that YoAnna and Brit were supposed to look down upon and stomp under foot.

Jay fretted.

Then Jay took a flying missile named Creepy Kleo to the face.

“What’s wrong with you, bozo?” Kleo grouched, tangling her six limbs with his hair. “You’re drowning in so much boobie you forget about the most special girl of all? ME! Creepy Kleo!”

“Of Luckrun,” Jay murmured.

Kleo froze. “What?”

“You are Creepy Kleo of Luckrun.” The air trembled with purple gravity waves and gravitas. “I should’ve done this a while ago.”

Jay reached up and pulled Kleo gently from his hair. She had changed little just like he hadn’t changed. Their Rank 4 evolutions didn’t amount to anything crazy other than some good AP gains and new Skills, which probably offset their breaking of ceilings from their Rank 3 evolutions.

Jay smiled down at Kleo sitting in his hands. Four arms. Two legs. All of her fingers and toes ending in little claws. A black doll-sized body. Purple lips and neon purple eyes. Her antennae stuck out of a shock of purple hair speckled with white dots. She was a miniature creature, a cute thing to behold. But she was still a [Laevateinn Faerie], a horribly powerful monstress that could eat most foes whole regardless of size. And she was one of the most powerful [Mage-types] around while growing into a leading [Crafter-type] now.

Jay hugged his familiar. Having her close again melted most of his worries. And now that she was named properly, Jay felt something click through the fourth dimension. That little click resonated far. Very briefly, Jay envisioned his mom glancing at them. It was a quick vision, disappearing as soon as it appeared. But it left a message.

Summer Solstice Ball.

The Devil [Freak] would be there.

Kleo’s lips curled into a smile. “We’ll see Momma at long last.”

“Yeah. If Bondye shows up, then it’ll be a whole Luckrun family reunion,” Jay said.

He hoped she appeared somehow. Knowing how gossip traveled faster than light speed around the Hell Circles, Bondye would surely know about the Summer Solstice Ball. Jay knew there were ways for devils to get around the limits of dungeon monsters having to stay inside their dungeons. But the cores of the Sixth Hell Circle might keep her barred as a leverage for negotiating their contract.

“I’ve never gotten to meet her. I want her to show up.” Kleo wriggled out of Jay’s hug and climbed onto his shoulder. “I have lots I want to talk to her about. But I guess I’ll have to settle with you, Master, since… so much happened! Being with the Booty Pirates is loads of crazy fun.”

“Can’t be any crazier than what I’ve seen with Graven Divinity,” Jay challenged. “Wanna put some malarkey on it?”

“You know it!”

On YoAnna, Jay missed his familiar so much. He wasn’t sure if he could part ways with Kleo for such a long time ever again. With her around, he felt a completeness he’d been lacking for a while.

He stood a little straighter. He felt a little brighter. It was as if Kleo’s presence warded away the dark heaviness he’d been feeling a lot as of late. She was the ‘comedy’ to his hero of comedy angle, and that had Jay wondering if he needed Kleo more than Kleo needed him.

“Get out of your head!” She kicked his temple with a perfect roundhouse. “Watch it, Master! I can whoop butt with my hands and feet, too.”

“Okay, okay, I’m getting out of my head,” Jay said. “So, do you have any idea what’s about to happen?”

“Lots and lots of action! But I don’t know what to focus on.” Kleo hopped to the top of Jay’s head. “Over there, YoAnna’s giving me some scary serious vibes.”

As if summoned by Kleo’s calling, YoAnna appeared. Jay didn’t think of YoAnna as one of his wives right now. She was simply the System Guide and [Godling], the big boss. She wore a modern and sleek work suit with tall closed-shoe heels. Her outfit was all black with gold threading. She also wore black jewelry that matched the anklet of the beheaded Benefactor leaders. Her hair wavered with a flaming ferocity as High Divinity magic poured out of her like a waterfall.

“Kneel, everyone,” Jay said, doing as ordered. All the Champions and Citizens gathering nearby followed his lead, even Casey. Kleo kneeled on her master’s head.

YoAnna looked upon this and nodded with satisfaction. She stood motionless and silent as Company Booty Pirates’ ships finished docking at their stations.

Running off the gangway first, Lilith zipped toward YoAnna, slid to a knee, gave YoAnna an open worship of thanks, then got up and skedaddled into a flying tackle against Jay. She kissed him on the cheek before dashing off to tackle Mike next and planting a bigger kiss on his mouth.

Gatanna came crashing down off the ship at her full height of 108 feet. Sensing the atmosphere around YoAnna, the big, black, dreadlocked gator monstress knelt as well. Then she stomped directly toward Cutie and Fuzzy, who were Gatanna’s closest friends. The giant monstress grabbed them up for a quick hug.

Tim and Rick followed in Gatanna’s wake and knelt in front of YoAnna. The O’Kelly twins pulled up last, looking starkly different from each other. Tim was still as sharp-edged as ever. Rick had grown a little taller, but now he was built like a proper strongman and tank with thick and toughened muscles. He’d been lifting like a pro bodybuilder.

Hailey flew into a tackle against Tim before kissing him all over his face, not giving him an opportunity to breathe or say a thing. Rick laughed and jeered at Hailey until she threw out a curse he had to dodge. Thankfully, it was a slow-moving curse or Rick’s bulky body wouldn’t have gotten out of the way in time.

Last, but definitely not least, Britney Luckrun hovered down. She touched the grass with her bare feet while wearing a colorful African dress of blues, reds, and yellows. She was taller now. As tall as Dennis. Jay didn’t mind. That meant he had more to love if he could get past his nervousness.

Brit knelt at YoAnna’s feet. She stood and turned to see her husband. Jay saw the war that was raging inside of her through her big brown eyes. And he could see she was winning. She was still deeply devoted to him regardless of his eldritch nature.

She rubbed the moonlight ring on her finger reverently. Jay almost shouted in glee, but he held it in like a proper leader. This wasn’t the time for the Pantheon Commander to lose his cool.

With Brit’s arrival, all the Champions were united once again after what felt like a long time. This hadn’t happened since the day showcasing Frank’s first magitek arm. This was when Team Crusader’s adventure in Miami started last October. It was now the beginning of June, less than three weeks from the Summer Solstice Ball.

Jay could feel the weight of everything pooling and twisting radically with meaning. Kleo patted his head, reaffirming that she was here to help him navigate the many pressing concerns and narrative turns. The Champions and nearby subordinates stood in wait for YoAnna to speak in honor of this momentous occasion.

The only thing that could cast a shadow on this moment was Beren’s presence, but he was leaning up against a tree outside of Company Magic R&D’s facilities and fields. YoAnna had barred him from entering these grounds unless he wanted to risk her wrath.

Regardless of the Multiverse Deity hierarchy between a Stage 1 and a Stage 2, YoAnna had way too much power for Beren to trifle with despite him having the higher stage. He had to respect the boundaries unless he planned to break his tenets and fight Jay then and there, which would certainly end with the Duelist’s defeat. Beren wasn’t dumb enough to attempt that, unfortunately. So he looked on from afar while YoAnna addressed her followers.

“It’s almost been a year since my Chosen gathered on the profile stone,” YoAnna said with a soft rumble. “If we make it to late August, it will be a year. Yet, so much has happened in such a short span of time. You have no idea how much you’ve accomplished with so little, my Champions. I haven’t made mention of your accomplishments in fear that it will turn you arrogant, for I’ve fallen arrogant. But you’ve constantly proved why you are the best I could’ve chosen across the entire universe.”

YoAnna paced slowly to her right, then to her left. Her steps caused the ground to shake harder and louder than Gatanna’s movement.

“You’ve saved the world against three dungeon incursions with no training or clue of what you were truly doing. You’ve fought off the Night of Knives, besting hundreds of trained and competent assassins who wanted you dead. You chose to leave behind school, going against the grain of society, to fully invest yourselves as Champions of your universe. You fought and won the Yoroachian Battles. You fought and won the Junkside War. You spread yourselves out and faced countless monsters while hunting our first major foes, the Benefactors. And you did so while set back by an onslaught of hardship.”

YoAnna paused, sweeping her divine golden gaze over her Champions. Jay shivered when her gaze passed over him. He could glimpse at the entirety of her power roiling inside of her. Power that could wipe out a landmass the size of Texas in an instant. Sometimes, it was easy to forget how wonderful and frightening a creature like YoAnna could be. Her Champions were more aware of this side of her, so when her gaze landed on a group of Agents working on the side, they were completely blindsided.

“And you’ve made the best choices in welcoming members to our pantheon. Do not think that my favor starts and stops with just my Champions. I see you, too, my Citizens. Though I am no longer the leader, I sit as matriarch at the top. And from where I sit, I’ve watched a pantheon who has moved quickly and fought hard in this ever changing world. I’ve watched a pantheon push themselves to their limits, or past such, in service to their brothers and sisters and those above them. And this is the most I can ever want from a pantheon, and I get to see it unfold without needing too much of my own input.”

YoAnna’s gaze swept around again and stopped on Jay and Kleo. The weight of her divinity settled heavily on them. The gravity duo stood their tallest despite being some of the smallest people here.

“This is all because of you and your ever burning need to climb greater heights and overcome the greatest of obstacles,” YoAnna murmured, like distant thunder. “Which leads us to this day where I speak in honor of your devotion and sacrifices and accomplishments. And I speak to urge you to continue pursuing the central tenets of my power. Challenge. And change. That is all.”

“Could’ve summed that up with a good job and a pat on the back, but I’ll take the extra word salad. Makes me feel like a proper badass!” Rick cheered, hoisting his giant red and gold axe that had formerly belonged to Gilgamesh. With him leading the cheer, it was easy for everyone else to smile and cheer as well. It also gave Jay his opportunity to take center stage.

He walked forward and stopped in front of YoAnna. The weight of her divinity was crushing. But Jay and Kleo were feeling pretty hyped up now, so they could endure it better. They faced their Champions.

“We have multiple events of note lining up today,” Jay said. “First, an issue between Brit and Casey must be settled. Then I will assign a team with the most important escort mission ever.” Jay looked up at YoAnna. “That’s what Ms Kowalski needs, right?”

“It will be the most important escort mission Earth has ever seen,” YoAnna said, her voice slamming down with godly seriousness. “Failure is not an option.”

“Woo, damn, I’m usually up for any challenge, but I think this one’s above me,” Rick said. “Thankfully, it sounds like a job for the ol’ Commander to lead, so no pressure for that team.”

“Who’s Ms Kowalski, anyway?” Cutie grouched. “I feel like I’ve heard about her but she never shows up when she’s talked about.”

Jay arched an eyebrow. Kleo giggled into her four hands. Before anyone could explain, Fuzzy did the job for them.

“She’s the most precious woman on Earth,” Fuzzy said.

“Very much so,” Mike agreed while carrying Lilith like a backpack. Hailey concurred while having her arms wrapped around Tim’s waist.

“Anything else?” Frank asked to move the conversation along.

Jay tilted his head as he searched through his fourth-dimensional office. After months of practice, Jay merged 4D headspace, meta-g, and emotional-g into a plain inter-sensory mechanic that settled into his corner of the fourth dimension. Everyone and everything was connected to it even if separated by different levels of conceptuality and mysticism. With so much thematic stuff happening all in one day, the fourth dimension was in a state of chaos– and this was the best time for Jay to see deeper into the script.

“The USA’s making a move,” Jay said. “North, south, and west.”

“Yup!” Kleo agreed, which meant Jay was right on cue. Her [Faerie] senses were sharper than ever.

“South as in from the Caribbean? Or south as in they have plants activating from South Florida?” Frank asked, showing how accustomed he was to interpreting Jay.

Jay dug deeper into the fourth dimension. The best he could gather was the enemy mobilizing rapidly while on land. It was a little confusing until Kleo’s presence interjected gently and reframed the fourth dimension as a picture book for Jay.

They flipped through some pages and stole information that they shouldn’t have gotten. But they had the advantage of a big deity backing them, so they could have the illustrations in the picture book come out bolder and more defined and easier to depict.

Jay saw seemingly normal people going about their day as adventurers around South Florida. Then they stopped and transformed into angelic monsters similar to the Cherubs, but more wild and inhuman. There were a lot of them.

“Oh, wow, that’s just creepy,” Kleo remarked.

YoAnna frowned. “This has been happening in my territory this whole time?”

The weight of her divinity intensified. Everyone who weren’t Champions fell to their knees from the pressure of YoAnna’s anger.

“What’s the issue?” Mike asked.

Kleo flew to Fuzzy and exchanged information through their special link as fairies. Hailey slid off of Tim to join the conversation since she was part fairy, too. Between the three of them, Fuzzy was the best expert.

“It is as Frank predicted, holy plants are sprouting among the people of South Florida,” Fuzzy explained.

“It was a wild guess. I have no idea how that’s possible,” Frank admitted.

“Well, holy magic can slip past divine awareness because they are inherently trusting of each other,” Fuzzy explained further. “There are four great celestial energies that are prominent. These four dominate the fourth dimension the most. Divine. Holy. Infernal. And eldritch.

“If you think of them as layers, the divine sits at the top with holy underneath. They usually work together all the time. What’s happening is the magic of holy taking advantage of our [Godling’s] instinct to trust in holy. I don’t think this will work with something overt like big bombs and attacks. But subtle stuff, yes.”

“This is true,” Brit confirmed.

“Again, my Champions have shown to be the best of the best,” YoAnna said with barely contained anger. “And I’ve been shown to be a fool.”

“This wouldn’t happen if you were learning properly under the prestige of my pantheon!” Beren shouted from outside the fence.

“Bro! Nobody gives a fuck about you or your pantheon right now!” Dennis roared, his voice thumping with a hint of the Ultimate Affinity. “You’re on the bench. You don’t matter. Shut your ass up and wait until you become relevant!”

Beren swelled with anger. YoAnna gave the weaker [Godling] one look. Beren contained his anger.

Jay could see the situation was heating up badly. YoAnna looked like she needed an outlet. But she was holding back because today’s events needed to play out in a certain sequence as foretold.

Despite the more important issues weighing down on them, the internal strife between Champions came first. The enemy was encroaching, and the greatest escort mission ever to exist needed a team formed, but Jay turned his attention to Casey.

“You don’t have to do this,” Jay said. “You can just kowtow and move on.”

“Please listen to Jay for once,” Hailey interjected quickly.

She moved in front of her blonde sister, the size difference between them becoming a stark reminder of how far the Champions had changed. Hailey had shortened while Casey grew taller. But Hailey was more dominant because of her position as Secretary and how much time she’d spent working to improve the world around the Protectorates. In comparison, Casey lacked the accolades.

“This is embarrassing, Casey,” Hailey said. “I’ve let this happen because I thought it would remain innocent. This was a mistake. I should’ve listened to Dad and taken more control to deal with you. Now I get to see the consequence of failing to listen.”

Rick pulled out a bag of already heated popcorn from his spatial pockets. He shared it with his brother as everyone watched the drama unfold. Even Dennis joined in on eating popcorn. It was Great Quality popcorn, too.

“Dad’s dead now,” Casey said. “Our moms, too. None of what they said matters anymore. All we have is what we want to pursue until we reach the end of the road.”

“And how is that road looking right now, Casey?” Hailey hissed. “Because that road hasn’t produced an affinity for you, has it? Maybe it’s because you’re doing everything wrong and being the least helpful Champion ever!”

Emily walked in and pulled Hailey aside, but that didn’t stop Hailey from throwing out more insults and hurtful barbs. Casey seemed to ignore her sister’s outburst and strode forward, finding a spot in the grass where she could stand across from Brit.

At that point, the difference in power was made so painfully obvious, Jay felt scared for Casey. He didn’t want things to go down this road. He didn’t quite understand why it was happening. He had a better grasp of his own worth– Brit had laid it out for him to think on. Jay had stepped up from his humble origins, took on the greatest risks, and proved himself to be the most reliable and powerful commander the Protectorates could ask for.

He also cared for each of them and wanted to see them grow, and if that meant he’d share the spoils from a battle he’d earned, he would happily share them to help prop up the others. In the end, he was the perfect choice regardless of his mistakes and his faults. This was Jay’s self-assessment so far. And it didn’t just come from Brit, either. YoAnna and the others had added to Jay’s sense of self-worth. And that should be great. It should be celebrated.

And yet, it became a double-edged sword. He became Casey’s unhealthy obsession in the pursuit of excellence.

“I think you all are looking at this wrong,” Macy said as Brit used her powers to smack Casey around the field without even trying.

“How?” Hailey rasped, pointing a talon angrily at the mockery of a fight. “It’s pathetic. Look how far she’s fallen. She can’t even get close without getting crushed.”

Jay winced as Brit’s elephant spirit came out as tall as Gatanna. One stomp struck with the power of a bomb. It didn’t need to land directly on Casey to send her tumbling like scraps of trash caught by gale-force wind.

“She’s not quitting, though,” Frank said, leaving it at that. Dennis, Tim, and Rick– Casey’s fellow [Fighters]– all nodded their heads.

“Brit’s a monster,” Cutie said, barely holding back a shudder.

“She’s amazing,” Fuzzy said. Gatanna rumbled in agreement.

“And that’s why she gets to be one of my master’s wives. He deserves the best.” Kleo was sitting on Fuzzy’s puffy hair like a wise sage, nodding in satisfaction as Brit continued to humble Casey.

Jay sighed heavily. He loved having his wives show their power and dominance. But seeing Casey get beaten down was too painful for even him. He still admired Casey even after all she’d done to be a jerk to him. Maybe that was him being soft since he saw a little of himself in Casey.

“It’s going to be okay, Jay,” Lilith said, still on Mike’s back. “Knowing Brit, she’s actually holding back. Even when she’s being tough, she’s showing love.”

“That doesn’t look like love for Casey,” Mike said.

Lilith shifted around on Mike’s back like a koala bear. “It has to be. Brit’s not melting Casey into soup. That’s what I would’ve done.”

“Does this love require the assertion of dominance?” Kleo asked.

“What is with you all and asserting dominance?!” Hailey shouted.

“I’m not sure if I should be charmed or disgusted if Brit inserted her dominance into Casey with whatever new thing she brought from Africa.” Rick grinned. “Though I will have to get a closer look to ensure its authenticity. While on the ground. With a camera.”

“That will cost you some serious malarkey,” Jay murmured.

“I’m willing to pay!” Rick said in a hurry.

“Fuck you, Jay! I can’t believe you’re entertaining this!” Hailey pointed a talon at Jay.

“Might want to choose your words wisely, Hailey,” Rick said. “Or Brit will insert her dominance into you next. Then I’ll owe Jay and Tim more malarkey than I can pay!”

“Ugh,” Mike grunted. “Can you continue the dirty jokes without the semantic satiation?”

Rick bellowed with laughter. Hailey made angry cawing noises and raked her talons over Rick’s shirtless torso. The Red [Fighter] let Hailey get some blood flowing to help satisfy her anger. Tim shook his head in shame at both his brother and girlfriend.

Macy chuckled, which was weird. Her sister was getting squashed and pummeled. But the Industrial [Crafter] remained in good spirits. Even her pig spirit peeked out from her body, which she rarely allowed outside or around company. She wasn’t too happy with her spirit, but she couldn’t change it out for a dolphin.

Macy’s hand found Mike’s hand. “Again, you’re all looking at this wrong.”

“Can you tell us the angle, sis?” Emily asked as the others settled down.

You are reading story The Gravity Freak of Dungeons and Monsters: System Portal Fantasy at novel35.com

“This isn’t about Brit or Jay or even YoAnna,” Macy continued.

Jay arched an eyebrow, curious. The fight was drawing to a close. Casey could barely keep moving. But she kept trying to fight Brit. Why would Casey torment herself so much? He looked at Macy for an answer.

Macy smiled. “This is about Casey pushing past her limits.”

The fight concluded. Brit stood over Casey’s battered and broken body. To anyone outside of the Champions, it would look like they’d gone too far. Casey was bleeding everywhere. Some limbs were bent at wrong angles. She was missing a cat ear. Her crooked tail twitched with fading life. Everyone held their breath as Brit glowered down at the mess of a Champion flattened in a crater in front of her.

Brit sighed. “In forgiveness, I give unto you this, Heal.”

With a flick of a finger, Brit wiped away all the damage she’d beaten into Casey’s body. This battle cemented the hierarchy of power for sure.

Jay watched his #3 position of Earth’s Mightiest slide to #4. Brit was now #3 of Earth’s Mightiest. At the same time, Casey’s position as #16 slid down to #25. Fuzzy climbed to #24. Cutie reached #17. And Dennis achieved the #16 position of Earth’s Mightiest.

Jay didn’t mind his loss in position amid Earth’s Mightiest. Having Brit ahead of him gave him a closer target to reach. The fact he could still compete against Brit while she was a powerful Rank 5 Ultra Human with the Holy [Stalwart Medium] Class was pretty damn nifty.

Having an adjective describing your Class, such as [Exceptional Freak] or [Stalwart Medium] gave extra thematic meaning and weight, plus more AP. It was also another way of diverging from others in your Class outside of having separate affinities. Jay imagined there were plenty of Holy [Mediums] in the Multiverse.

Brit lived up to her Class one hundred percent and showed off the promise of achieving Rank 5 power. Despite Skill gains slowing down a lot, the power acquired with each Rank Evolution was extraordinary. It was true that Brit wouldn’t have gotten this far without the collective effort of the others to feed her extra AP at every opportunity. But nobody could deny the appeal of having such a powerful battle healer. And YoAnna took full advantage of the moment.

“You’ve always been a standout, Britney Luckrun. No matter where you go. No matter what you do. You are destined to shine.” YoAnna’s eyes glowed like golden lighthouses, spotlighting Brit. “You knew this in your heart. And it has scared you. But there is no running away from this destiny. You can only run towards it. For we wish for you to succeed and take your rightful place as a powerful leader among the pantheon. Thus, I grant you these Titles, Counselor of Challenge and Change and High Priestess of the Protectorates.”

Brit replaced two Titles!

[YoAnna’s Champion of Challenge and Change] → [YoAnna’s Counselor of Challenge and Change].

[Spirit Chair of the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon] → [High Priestess of the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon].

If someone had thought Brit couldn’t get stronger without more levels, they were sorely mistaken. Becoming Counselor was akin to Jay becoming Commander. Jay nearly staggered from the weight of Brit’s promotion. Kleo fell from on top of Fuzzy’s head, the latter catching the former before collapsing.

A ripple of holy energy passed through the area, staggering everyone, especially those who were an antithesis to holy. Cutie clenched her jaw to keep from screaming since she was in direct conflict with Brit’s nature and didn’t have the mighty defenses of Jay and Kleo. Cutie only calmed down once Jay poured his energy into [Emotion Wave Stabilizer] to help the individuals most affected by Brit’s rising in power.

“This is dangerous, isn’t it?” Hailey rasped. “Yeah, color me jealous. And maybe hateful. I just watched my sister get beaten into submission and used like a stepping stone… AGAIN. But don’t you think Brit is our greatest weakness right now? What if the angels use the Holy Affinity to win their control over her?”

“The answer to that is trust,” Jay murmured. “Just like how we needed to trust Jhara Luckrun in Paris.”

“It’s easy for you to say, Jay,” Hailey spat. “The highest powers have your name or are your family.” Hailey pointed a talon up at YoAnna. “And all you’ve done is used my family to elevate Jay’s!”

An uncomfortable silence followed Hailey’s accusation.

Laughter filled the silence.

It came from the unlikeliest of sources.

It came from Casey.

“Wow. That was a pretty good beat down.” Casey lifted to her feet. “I got a lot more training to do if I want to get a date with Jay.”

“You’re joking,” Brit said, her voice sounding like a heavenly breeze.

Everyone gawked at Casey, Jay especially. She wasn’t Catgirl Casey right now.

She was… Casey Casey.

She let out a rickety laugh. “I don’t do the joking thing well. It’s not my normal thing. Chasing glory and excellence is more my speed. And how wonderful would it be when I tag you so hard, Brit, you’ll have to let me go on a date with your husband?”

Brit glared at Casey with barely contained fury. “You can get your rematch in a week’s time. Until then. You’ll be handling the laundry, the cleaning, and everything else I can have the house servant dump on you.”

Casey’s grin widened with glee. “So I guess I’m part of the Luckrun household now. I can’t wait until I start breaking limits, too.” She broke out into more strange laughter that didn’t sound right coming from her. “I wonder if cleaning the windows helps me develop a special technique. Will you be my Mr Miyagi, Brit?”

Brit cringed.

Jay couldn’t take it anymore. Casey’s joke was too geeky for him to ignore. It was time to shoot his best shot with her.

“Casey, be my friend!” Jay demanded with a bit of magic in his voice.

Casey looked at Jay with a pretty smile. Her blue eyes glinted merrily. “No.”

Jay palmed his face and groaned, getting flashbacks of when others had told him no when developing a new relationship. Hailey stormed over to Tim and screamed into her boyfriend’s chest. Emily shook her head. And Macy laughed along with Casey.

Casey and Macy weren’t as dark as Hailey and Emily. But Casey and Macy might be the craziest half of the Allens.

“Mother of YoAnna, Casey’s making jokes without being a catgirl.” Dennis gaped.

Mike opened and closed his mouth. He looked deeply disturbed. Almost as disturbed as Brit. Her narrative spotlight was getting stolen by Casey right now.

“Oh my YoAnna!” Macy cheered. “I know the perfect outfit for you, Casey!”

“Will it make me look… cute?” Casey asked.

“Of course!”

“Nice!”

“You didn’t drug her did you?” Rick pointed at Lilith, who was still acting as Mike’s backpack.

Lilith spat a string of Spanish cusses at Rick. She hadn’t drugged Casey. But the way Casey acted outside of character was so unusual she had everyone pulled into her… gravity. Even YoAnna.

“Maybe it’s best we move on,” Frank said, helping the Champions redirect to more serious matters. “We are in the middle of an invasion. And Ms Kowalski needs a solid team to escort her.”

“Oh, yeah, that,” Jay muttered.

Without thinking too hard, Jay decided upon the Champion assignments. The only person he couldn’t assign was Brit– YoAnna needed some alone time with their new Counselor and High Priestess. In the end, the most important part of this transition from internal strife to external strife was the selection of the escort team.

Tim, Rick, Emily, Cutie, Fuzzy, Gatanna.

Jay chose them to escort Ms Kowalski while everyone else prepared to fight battles around Florida. The team selection solidified with Jay naming Cutie as team leader and giving the team a name that resonated through each of them– Team Redemption.

“Oh, and one last thing,” Jay said, interrupting Cutie’s storm of cusses. “A new age dawns, the cycle renews, there are stories to be told, and mine is cast from a different mold, so let us follow this new journey, let us be pulled by the chosen lead, temporary as it may be, The Weight of the Story Lead.”

***

Cutie gasped with dead lungs as something landed on her shoulders. Despite her new size, undead power, and other changes she was still unsure about, she nearly buckled from the gravity of Jay’s incantation.

She’d felt this power before. It was not worn by her the last time she’d seen it. This thing was once draped around Jhara. This was back when Jhara had broken Cutie out of chains, back when Cutie’s entire world fell apart.

“Why?” Cutie asked with a strangled cry, feeling an urge to bite away bone and brain from someone’s skull. “You should lead this! Not me!”

“You asked for more action, so I gave you all the action you can get,” Jay said, looking a little more drained. “It’s fitting. You are charged with one of the most important missions on Earth. And you need to go back to the source of many troubles. I will not apologize for doing this to you, but you are the soldier for the job, Cutie Brown.”

Cutie stopped herself from shaking her head at Jay. She had subtle urges to attack him and eat his brains. Then she looked up and saw their [Godling] staring down at her, highlighting Cutie with a golden glow beaming from her divine eyes. Cutie held back a shiver her undead body wanted to feel.

Cutie was one of the Champions, yes, but Cutie still wanted to flee from the gaze of their divine matriarch. Cutie was a hellish wretch, she felt. She should be dead-dead. She should kill Mike and free herself. She should kill Tim and Rick for failing to live up to their promises– the O’Kelly Family wasn’t there when the Zion Soldiers had fallen. She had so much hatred inside of her. Some of that hatred was directed at herself. But she could only self-hate for so long.

Damn Jay. Damn him to the lowest depths of the worst Hell Circle. He would forever be someone whose presence brought weirdness and horror to Cutie’s life. She was glad the adoption didn’t go through. She didn’t want to be a Luckrun. They were cursed!

It was unfortunate that Cutie was a good soldier. She wouldn’t refuse the responsibility of handling the most important escort mission on Earth. She needed to be around a semi-functional unit that was the best of the best, after all. She couldn’t imagine anyone being better than the Champions, so she had to hop to Jay’s orders since she refused to leave them. She hated that. But a part of her couldn’t have it any other way.

“I’ll get the job done, Commander,” Cutie said, standing tall and strong. Then she turned to Mike. “May I go do what’s requested of me, Master Mike?”

Mike nodded sheepishly. Cutie had gotten used to calling him master now. She liked how it bothered him, so she made sure not to say it too much or he’d get used to it. She ignored Lilith’s hungry gaze for knowledge. Lilith scared Cutie. Gatanna was so much better than her mistress. And Fuzzy was alright when she wasn’t being pushy to get her way– Fuzzy could be so annoyingly pushy. Nonetheless, the familiars received their blessings from their owners.

As for the more human members of this team…

“Ask of me anything, Cutie. I’ll let you ride on my shoulders if walking is too much for you!” Rick said, half joking, half serious.

Tim nodded in deference to Cutie.

Emily tried to hide her trauma behind a welcoming smile.

They were a mess. Cutie was leading an absolute mess. But they were still the best of the best.

“Come on,” Cutie grunted. “Let’s go pick up the so-called most precious person ever. I wanna get this thing done and get back to watching my movies.”

***

4 - Lilith and Gatanna

Name: Lilith Hernandez, Rank 4

Class: [Crafter, Level 85]

Race: Human

Allegiance: Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon.

Affinity: Alchemy

Familiar: Gatanna

Type: Super Yogatzilla II

Statuses: [Health 2550/2550 HP], [Stamina 2600/2600 SP], [Mana 3950/3950 MP], [Chance x39/x40 CM].

Attributes: [1,306 Applied AP]; 130 Resilience, 125 Poise, 130 Strength, 130 Agility, 100 Perception, 295 Intellect, 101 Conviction, 295 Discovery; [0 Free AP].

Skills: [Alchemist Durability]; [Dimensional Storage]; [Small Transmutation]; [Devour and Digest]; [Selective Administration]; [Supreme Apex Apocalyptic Alchemistry].

Talents: [Analyze], [Questing Starlight], [Champion Cloaking], [Snake Boon II], [Great Status Overflow], [Super Monster Mistress], [Terminator], [Ranker 120], [Fortuitous Mastermind], [Attribute Perfectionist].

Titles: [Princess of Extermination], [Mother of Apocalyptic Monsters], [Death Chair of the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon], [YoAnna’s Champion of Challenge and Change], [Prodigy of Monster Slaying], [Young Virtuoso of Violent Ballads], [Slayer of Assassins], [Hunter of Immortals], [Mightiest of Earth: #8].

& 

Familiar: Gatanna Hernandez, Rank 4 (Lilith’s)

Type: [Super Yogatzilla II, Level 85]

Affinity: Adaptive

Statuses: [Health 10650/10650 HP], [Stamina 9230/9230 SP], [Mana 4350/4350 MP], [Chance x33/x46 CM].

Attributes: [2,887 Applied AP]; 595 Resilience, 470 Poise, 586 Strength, 337 Agility, 265 Perception, 170 Intellect, 277 Conviction, 187 Discovery; [0 Free AP].

Skills: [Polymorph Evolution]; [Glutinous Death Rumbler]; [Adaptation Acceleration]; [Aura of the Kaiju].

Talents: [Super Monster Status], [Monster Brawler], [Predatory Atmosphere], [Attribute Monster], [Familiar 30], [Healthmonger].

Titles: [Riser of the Painful Struggle], [Bloodchild of Challenge and Change], [Mightiest of Earth: #7].

Noteworthy Info: Lilith was formerly First Nerd of Central High. While she doesn’t sit as the smartest among the Protectorates, her persistent learning in Miraculous Magic Science has made her a leading expert in her field inside and outside of alchemy. Lilith has too many ways to mass murder mostly everything around her. Even the rocks are endangered by the potential mass murder of Lilith. Some of her creations have to be locked behind special vaults since she could easily take ingredients and reagents and push them into higher and deadlier qualities. For now, Lilith conducts most of her fights holding back her true power, waiting for the day where she could be allowed to cut loose and go all out. In the meanwhile, she has Gatanna looking out for her as a big, ferocious, and very reliable Super Monster.

…

6 - Tim

Name: Timothy O’Kelly, Rank 4

Class: [Fighter, Level 80]

Race: Human

Allegiance: Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon.

Affinity: Endless (Dog)

Statuses: [Health 2360/2360 HP], [Stamina 4680/4680 SP], [Mana 2990/2990 MP], [Chance x23/x24 CM].

Attributes: [1,246 Applied AP]; 128 Resilience, 108 Poise, 128 Strength, 340 Agility, 199 Perception, 100 Intellect, 100 Conviction, 143 Discovery; [0 Free AP].

Skills: [Swift and Slick]; [Renewed Breath]; [Aura of the Wolf]; [Survey Squad]; [Armory of Projectiles]; [Killer Aim Matrix].

Talents: [Analyze], [Questing Starlight], [Champion Cloaking], [Great Status Overflow], [Agile Rush II], [Ranker 120], [Attribute Perfectionist]

Titles: [Beast of Ceaseless Action], [Hunter of Violent Men], [Loot Chair of the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon], [YoAnna’s Champion of Challenge and Change], [Prodigy of Monster Slaying], [Young Virtuoso of Violent Ballads], [Slayer of Assassins], [Hunter of Immortals], [Mightiest of Earth: #10].

Noteworthy Info: Tim is the more silent half of the O’Kelly twins, two rough and tumble teens who were former gangster princes of the bad side of town. Tim serves as the archer of the Champions and prefers to use a bow and his own magic arrows as his primary combat system. He will use boxing as a secondary combat system sometimes. His best weapon is the Bow of YoAnna’s Fury that was created for him by YoAnna herself when he was fighting a monstrous Thor in Houston, Texas. He’s not strong enough to use its full power, but it packs a punch.

…

10 - Rick

Name: Richard O’Kelly, Rank 4

Class: [Fighter, Level 74] 

Race: Human

Allegiance: Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon.

Affinity: Red (Rooster)

Statuses: [Health 4420/4420 HP], [Stamina 2740/2740 SP], [Mana 2080/2080 MP], [Chance x21/x21].

Attributes: [1,134 Applied AP]; 342 Resilience, 100 Poise, 156 Strength, 118 Agility, 108 Perception, 100 Intellect, 110 Conviction, 100 Discovery; [0 Free AP].

Skills: [We Bleed Together]; [Aura of the Fervent Savage]; [Hit Me And See What Happens]; [Burning Blood Chains].

Talents: [Analyze], [Questing Starlight], [Champion Cloaking], [Great Status Overflow], [Resilient Juggernaut II], [Bloody Poise], [Ranker 120], [Attribute Perfectionist], [Chaos Rider].

Titles: [Fiend of Passion],  [Crime Chair of the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon], [YoAnna’s Champion of Challenge and Change], [Prodigy of Monster Slaying], [Young Virtuoso of Violent Ballads], [Slayer of Assassins], [Hunter of Immortals], [Mightiest of Earth: #14].

Noteworthy Info: Rick is the more boisterous and jovial half of the O’Kelly twins, two rough and tumble teens who were former gangster princes from the bad side of town. Rick serves as the tanky and resilient berserker of the Champions and prefers to use big axes. He will use smaller axes if necessary. He will use even smaller axes as a third option. Rick is still not capable of using any weapon other than axes and his bare hands. Outside of combat, you can trust Rick to do his job as the Crime Chair, find a new girl to spend some time with, or cause a little bit of a ruckus here and there. He takes his job as comedy relief quite seriously to help alleviate the stress for the group… and to mess with his twin.