Chapter 56: 52. Champion Chat Group

Dennis pulled back [Aura of the Strong] before he accidentally gave his dad a severe injury. The old man sat on the floor, gaping at his son like Dennis was a monster. Dennis's mom crouched at Dad's side instead of choosing her son's side. Just like always. Thankfully, the most his dad would suffer was a bruised backside and ego. Dennis had only used the Skill to push him back because anything else might've done worse damage.

"I'm taking the truck," Dennis muttered, entering the vehicle gently. The high-suspension, V8, full-sized monster of a pickup truck roared to life when Dennis started the engine. He worked the stick carefully, mindful of his absurd Strength, and rolled onto the cul-de-sac street before turning south. He raised the volume on the sound system as his phone hooked up to the truck's Bluetooth.

"Hey, this is Ox," Dennis said, using his assigned codename–his animal boon. It was a strange shift for Dennis. He'd been known as his birth name or high school nickname for a while. That was yet another change Dennis was subjected to since he'd taken the Queen's offer.

"This is Snake. Thanks for joining us," Lilith replied. "I know I sent this out late, but I wanted to ensure our enemies fully committed so they couldn't account for this."

"This is Tiger," Casey greeted. "And no excuses necessary. We need to know where we're needed."

"Pickup is heading your way," Lilith informed. "Then everybody will join for the push south."

"So, we can save, uh, Monkey?" Brit said. "And this is Elephant, by the by!"

"This is Owl," Mike introduced. "And that depends on what storyline we're running and the roles. If Jay's still the main character of this storyline, then the next question I have is the whereabouts of Jhara Luckrun. Because she's pivotal."

"This is Crow," Hailey came in. "I'm a big fan of Miss Luckrun's work. If she's aware of all of this, she won't let herself become a damsel of distress."

"The Luckrun household is a burning mass of destruction swallowed by the earth," Bat-Emily said. "Social media is a storm of clear-pictured videos of assassins attacking the place. And get this. Most of the assassins were teenagers. Here, I'll send some clips to chat."

"I've been following some of the same," Snake-Lilith added. "Do you have any imagery of Frank and Jhara?"

"Frank, yes, Jhara, not so much," Emily answered. "Last known sighting was a video of Frank carrying someone under a blackened towel. That could be Jhara! But then there were a bunch of explosions before the house collapsed into the ground."

Dennis shivered. He couldn't imagine that happening to his house. He'd been standing in an empty field, waiting for assassins to attack. But none came. And the MPC reported nothing going amiss at his house. He had been in contact with Team Divine since they didn't live far from him. They had experienced the same. It looked like all the Champions that lived further south were getting raked over the coals.

Especially Jay.

"Also, Brit, are you okay?" Emily asked. "I don't have as many postings on your case, but there's certainly a buzz from where you're at."

"Ah, it's no biggie, sugar. Just seventeen wayward souls I had to send to wherever the Multiverse would take them next," Brit said.

The chat fell dead silent. Dennis inhaled sharply as a chill ran up his spine. He now knew some people took to [Omen Bearer of the Apocalypse] easier than others, or Dennis wouldn't be so bothered with all the killing and death. But the way Brit had said that so casually was horrifying. She was the freaking Band Lead of all people and one of the most devout people of religion he'd known.

How could she treat killing people like it was no big deal? Was she still the same girl he'd become good friends with while burdening the problems of their respective cliques–the alpha toxicity of the jocks and the neurotic sensitivity of the bandmates? What did that make of him when he was still troubled by the fighting and killing if Brit took to it like a pro?

A chime broke the silence. A new join.

"Hello, Dragon," Lilith greeted. "We've been wondering about the state of Jhara Luckrun. Is she okay?"

"I'm going to ignore the levels of security you've breached hacking my phone, Snake," Frank muttered, "and say this. I've lost contact with her. I'm tracking her down as we speak."

"Is she alive?" Lilith asked.

"She has to be," Mike said without a doubt.

"It's to play, damsel, isn't it?" Hailey asked with a groan.

"Signs point toward her being alive," Frank said. "And possibly captured."

"How did you let that happen?" Casey asked with a harsh tone.

Dennis winced.

"You don't have a fucking clue what I've been through!" Frank roared, going from zero to one hundred.

Dennis nearly jerked the wheel into wrong-side traffic. He turned the corner and stopped to wait out his near heart attack.

"I killed," Frank said, "my former peers. I killed as many as they would send. It wouldn't stop. They wouldn't stop. Not even after the sinkhole. They're just like me. And they won't stop."

"Frank," Brit's voice came through with magic, making the truck's typically superb sound system crackle like it would give out. It gave Dennis the creeps, like he was listening to his mother's voice and was on edge to hear her disapproval or approval.

"Thank you," Brit continued. "I know there's more work to be done. And you won't let yourself rest here. But you've done more than enough."

"You're right," Frank said. "I've done more than enough. But there's more to be done. Jhara Luckrun will be found.”

Dragon signed off.

Lilith took over immediately. "Ox, do you have Team Divine?"

Tiger, Bat, Crow, and Pig.

Dennis got back to driving. Five minutes later, Team Divine slid into his truck. Casey had the shotgun seat while the others filled up the back of the cab, which was spacious enough except for Macy's Crafter's Pack. That had to get roped down in the cargo before they shot off and took the clearest highway.

The chat group fell silent now except for the occasional report from Brit. She was leading Rick and Tim as vanguards to see about the situation in the Junkyard. Lilith and Mike were traveling down together to back up the vanguard. Dennis and Team Divine would pull up as the cavalry if needed, which left Dennis anxious. The wait between Uptown and Junkside was long enough to knot up his stomach with imaginations of what he might have to fight.

Could he face down gun-toting assassins and put a sword through them? These were people. Dennis barely had a chance to wrap his head around his traumas coming out of the Toyreveler Dungeon, and they were already back into the action. Was this the life of a Champion? Constant blood and mayhem like a pulp fiction book?

"Was I wrong for asking Frank that question?" Casey asked, breaking the silence.

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"Huh, what?" Dennis blinked.

"I didn't mean to set him off or question his work ethic," Casey said. "Maybe I came across as too condescending. That is insensitive of me, isn't it?"

Dennis shrugged. Everyone knew Casey was rough around the edges. Nobody should take offense. But the way Frank exploded so suddenly was shocking.

Had it been true that he was killing other teenage agents he'd once competed with? Dennis figured any guy would be awfully on edge having to deal with that and protect a pivotal person to the mysterious storyline of the night.

"That doesn't give him the right to yell at you that way, Casey." Macy sniffed. "I'll tell him what's up when I meet him."

"You really shouldn't," Dennis said. "He sacrifices a lot."

"Still a jerk!" Macy whined.

"A person like that would grate against someone like Jay, wouldn't he?" Emily asked curiously.

"Knowing Rooftop Weirdo, he tried everything to get under Spook's skin," Hailey added.

"Jay made a lot of jokes with Frank," Dennis said. "Pissed him off a bunch, too. But it never came across as him trying to dig at the guy just to dig at him. I think, out of all people, Jay was the quickest to welcome Frank and make him a part of the team. Even when Frank tried to push away, Jay kept welcoming him."

Dennis exhaled a long breath, letting the tension come out. "Which, honestly, makes me thankful it's Frank on the case out of everyone. He put others first before himself more than anyone I've ever seen. He lost his arm that way."

Casey flinched. "But the Queen must've healed that."

"YoAnna couldn't heal that," Dennis said. "It was a sacrifice of great challenge and change. So, yeah, Frank's wrong for exploding like that. But that's not the measure of him. Please don't judge him off of just that."

"I understand," Casey said shakily.

The other three kept to their own council.

"Thanks for sharing that, Ox," Brit said, revealing that the entire Chat group was listening in.

Dennis's face heated up.

"Well, you hear that, Dog? It sounds like Dragon's living up to be a real badass," said Rooster-Rick.

"What we gonna do about it?" Dog-Tim asked.

"We gotta show everyone we lowly dregs for Champions are up to snuff, too!" Rick cheered. "Oh, that reminds me. We'll be having friends over for the party!"

"Really?" Lilith asked, sounding surprised.

"We got tricks up our sleeves, too," Tim said.

Casey grabbed Dennis's phone and muted it. "Do you know what the Junker Twins are talking about?"

Dennis shook his head.

"I can infer," Emily said. "But it's all rumors."

"What are they?" Casey asked.

"Rick and Tim are like Junkside royalty, a pair of gangster princes with gangster vassals," Emily said. "But there's little chance for any of that to be true."

That did sound very farfetched, which meant it was probably true. Dennis's 12 Intellect couldn't crunch the math on that, so he decided to go with what felt right. Because if Rick and Tim were Junkside royalty, they would be the first people he could talk to about what it would take to be a badass noble.

Depending on if he decided to stay a Champion after tonight was over. There was still that question hanging over his head. Did he want to continue this?

"Oh, nice, it's raining on the poor side!" Macy cried. "Ugh. Why must the life of a pleb be so dreary?"

"Please keep in mind half our fellow Champions are plebs," Emily said. "And we're heading straight into Junkside. Pleb capital."

"You could work on your people skills this way, Macy!" Hailey cheered.

Macy sniffed indignantly. "I don't need people skills. I have [Crafter] skills. Let me stay in the truck and build helpful stuff from here."

"We have to go as a team," Casey said. 

"But I'll be stained by the pleb water while breathing the air they fart in!" Macy whined.

"When we get home, we'll use our most excellent hygiene products," Casey continued. "We'll be thorough, happy, and pleb-free."

"Bubble bath!" the other three cheered.

Dennis sighed.

If the elven wives were just like Team Divine, then there was no hope for such. Maybe a dragonslaying sword was the most he should ask for if he decided to stay as a Champion.

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