"Huh what do you mean it's empty..." Ari asked as she, Kate, Cobain and Buttons made their way to the large field in the desolate stadium.
Left standing near the field she saw the embodiment of a ghost town.
Empty football pitch, stands, benches and commentary area.
It all appeared abandoned for a long time as the rain poured down on and pooled with the dust on the seats and floor.
"Alright Ari this is on you to figure out, I know why it's empty but can you figure it out. We have a mission, this kids whole life is football so why isn't he on the football pitch or in the football stadium" Kate said as she stood against a wall with her arms folded.
"Wait what? Aren't we strapped for time why do I have to figure this out?" Ari asked as she looked out at the wet desolate stadium.
"Part of the job is seeing what isn't there and explaining something that doesn't feel like it has an explanation. Like I said before this place thinks it's a poet there's symbolism all over the place figure it out" Kate said pointedly.
Pacing back and forth wracking her brain for an answer Ari stepped onto the pitch looking down.
"What the-" Kate said as she watched the pitch and saw Ari vanish into thin air as soon as she stepped onto it.
"Okay there's gotta be an explanation. Why would someone have a stadium in the middle if their subconscious if they aren't in-" Ari said as a thudding blow to the back of the head knocked her out.
"Ari!" Buttons said as he ran forward but was picked up by Kate.
"Shit don't! It's something invisible! Cobain get in there and fly back out" Kate commanded as Cobain flew off her shoulder and flew over the pitch.
Watching him fly over the pitch she was confused at seeing him still visible the entire time.
"Alright definitely need to touch it to get into it then" Kate said as her eyes darted forth across the pitch.
"I can't see anything!" Cobain said as he circled back towards Kate.
"Fuck guess we're going in" Kate said as she ran onto the pitch with Buttons in her hands.
As soon as Kate ran onto the pitch she saw a bullet speed projectile fly past her face.
"Dammit! Hit her!" a raspy voice said from a distance.
Looking over, Kate's gaze landed on a man in a football kit with a snake wrapped around his neck.
"Hit her you useless fuck! This is why you can't go pro" the snake shouted at the man as he wound his leg back and kicked it a ball in front of him and the ball flew forward at a breakneck pace out of thin air.
Just about reacting in time Kate dropped Buttons as she raised her hands up in front of her and shielded her face from the ball.
The force of the hit knocking her down she looked up towards Buttons as he ran over to an unconscious Ari and grew to be seven feet tall.
Facing down Avery stood with the snake wrapped around his neck Buttons growled as he extended his claws.
Marching forward he remained focused on Avery as the snake barked its commands.
"Kick that ball you useless cuck! Look at that thing it's huge how are you not hitting it!" he snake fearfully shouted.
Winding his leg back Avery kicked a ball that manifested in front of him with all his might as it flew towards Buttons.
Walking forward unfazed by it Buttons swiped the ball away.
"More kicks more force! Use your weak foot too all the greats do it!" the snake shouted as Avery pulled his leg back and began kicking balls towards Buttons one after the other as soon as they appeared in front of him.
Effortlessly swiping away every ball that went towards his face Buttons caught one and threw it right at Avery.
"Shit" Kate said as she put her hands on her head watching the ball hit the snake's head missing Avery's by a hair.
"Oh thank God it didn't hit the kid" Kate said as she exhaled.
"Here's what we do with little pests" Buttons said as he grabbed Avery by the legs and picked him up.
Hooking his claws into the snake's grip on Avery he tugged at it's body and yanked it off of him.
Flinging it to the side he watched as Avery's eyes fluttered as his head dropped.
"Guess you're tired" Buttons said as he set Avery down gently.
Watching the snake slither on the ground Kate ran over and stomped on it's body.
"And where do you think you're going" she said as she saw it struggle against her weight.
"Bested by a panda! You can't kill Doubt that easily!" it shouted as it continued squirming.
"Oh so you're his self doubt, makes sense. Anyways enough of you" Kate said as she raised her second foot up to stomp the snake's head.
As she went to drop her second foot on the snake's head she felt her leg on his body move.
Looking down she saw the snake grow exponentially in size as it threw her off, thrashing it's body around.
Landing on her own hand Kate winced as a all too familiar sign appeared before her.
[-5 HP]
Quickly getting up she watched the snake grow to the size of an anaconda.
"Like I said you can't kill Doubt just like that!" it triumphantly exclaimed as it faced off with Buttons.
Hissing towards him the snake looked over at Ari and bolted towards her.
"No you fucking don't!" Buttons shouted as he darted after it and jumped in the air aiming for it's head with a stomp.
"Ha! Got you panda!" Doubt shouted in a mad cackle as it threw it's tail up hitting Buttons in the leg knocking him off balance.
As he landed on his back it bit his arm as he cried out in pain.
Dive bombing towards the snake Cobain dropped feathers all around it as they exploded in a cloud of smoke and several crows appeared and dug their beaks into the snake before exploding.
Flailing in the smoke it wrapped it's body around Buttons neck.
"Right this is more like it" it said detaching it's mouth from Buttons as he rose to his feet and faced off with Kate and Cobain.
"Keep the kid he's useless I'm taking the panda and all your lives" Doubt said as it tightened it's grip around Buttons neck.
"Right! Kung fu them panda!" Doubt said as Buttons took a offensive stance squaring off with Kate and Cobain.