Loud, blaring music blasted out from all angles. The stage was filled with massive booming boxes that unleashed waves of sound so fast and so loud that they would instantly drive any normal human deaf. The sound was able to send the sand flying back at super speeds and tear down trees. Even a Super likely wouldn't be able to listen to it for very long.
For Roulette, though, it was still too quiet. It never seemed to be enough. No matter how loud, he turned the volume up. The old man rested in his lazy-boy chair with his feet kicked up. His rifle rested across his lap, and his arm was outstretched, holding onto a remote that pointed at the stage in front of him. He kept turning the sound up louder and louder, waiting for someone to come and demand that he stop and turn it down.
No one ever did.
No one ever would.
Not anymore...
The stage was a massive soundboard that could play hologram images as well as music. Currently, it had Pretty Face's loudest song on full blast, the newest Enforcer member going ham on a series of guitars and drums as he screamed into the microphone. Roulette had been gifted the sound stage for his one hundred and twelfth birthday party. Backup had been the one to build it.
He used to hate all of Backup's inventions.
Now, what he wouldn't give just to see that young man create something new.
Roulette pressed the button on his remote, causing the stage to shut off. The lights flickered all the way off, and he remained in his chair, staring at it with blank eyes. He was old. He was so old; he was from a time when heroes didn't even wear costumes. His suit mainly just consisted of what he liked wearing most. Despite that, he had still been handed the title of hero and was still allowed to fight alongside his fellow team members in the form of the Watch Dogs. He had been one of the first people to join the group, being even older than Old Dog, who he trained with at the time.
Roulette felt his old bones begin to pop and creak as he struggled to his feet and stood up. He grabbed his hunting rifle and placed it down into the sand. He used it as a cane and began to walk, heading through the island.
Watch Dogs didn't own a base inside of a realm. Old Dog had never liked the realms, so they instead created a physical island. It had many places across it, though now only two truly mattered anymore.
Roulette stepped out of the wooded area and found himself standing in what looked like a makeshift resort area. A pool was built in the center, and all across it, passed out in the waters, Duplicity resided. There were around ten of her in total, each one totally unconscious. Roulette sighed and shook his head. He took a moment to create various beds made out of bullets. Rubber bullets that were bouncy and soft so that the bed would be at least semi-comfortable. Once that was done, he walked around and scooped up each Duplicity before placing the girl in the bed. He made sure each one was tucked in before he moved away.
"I swear, you take worse care of yourself than I do." Roulette grumbled. "I'm an old man, and I ain't got much time left. I should be the one being doted on all the time."
One of the Duplicity's muttered something in their sleep and casually rolled over, snoring softly.
It was just the two of them.
They were all that was left of the Watch Dogs. The other members were...
Roulette walked forward with his makeshift cane, and he went around the island gazing out at it once more. The trees were almost pure white, and snow rained down from above, thanks to Bad Wolf's power. Soon, though, that power would come undone, and with Bad Wolf gone, it would never be able to be recreated. The winter wonderland that made up the strange beach island would be broken. Until then, though, he'd enjoy the sight while he still could. It was beautiful. He knew that it would also be the final resting spot he lay at.
He could feel it in his bones.
Old Dog had described what it was like rotting away, and he was sure the same fate was finally starting to reach him. Even if it had taken a bit more time than previously expected.
He wasn't really sad about that fact, though. After all, he had lived quite the life.
Roulette found himself stepping into a new area of the island. It held a somber tone to it, being covered in a field of flowers that stood up even with the constant snow. A large stone pillar rose out of the ground, one that was carved with various names across it. The old hero waddled over to it, and he placed his hand on the pillar, rubbing it softly. The stone bit at his hand, but he ignored it, and his eyes scanned each name that was across it.
"Levithan, Stone Captain, Kraken, Oil, Motor Man, Tidal Wave, Lava Cat, Edge, Law Maker, Old Dog, Bad Wolf, Backup." So many members had come and gone. Duplicity would likely be the last name added to this list. He hoped her name wouldn't be on it for a hundred more years. She was still a great hero, after all. "It's been quiet since you all left us, you know. I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I'm used to the sound of explosions from all your inventions blowing up, Backup. I hope you're keeping him in check, Bad Wolf. You know how he can get. I also hope you're doing well, Old Dog. It's been years since you've seen your wife, so the two of you should spend as much time together as you can. I look forward to getting to shake your hand once more, Edge. It'll be real good to see you again. Soon. Very soon, I think."
Roulette closed his eyes and bowed his head down. He kept his grip iron-tight on the butt of his gun and said as many prayers as he knew. He had never been one to pray a lot; that had been something Oil always did, but he found himself praying a lot more. It was lonely sometimes.
He hated the thought of leaving Duplicity alone, but he also knew he didn't really have much choice. Maybe with him gone, maybe with her as the last member of the Watch Dogs, she would move on and be that great hero she was meant to be again.
Roulette suddenly stopped when he heard a loud sound. It came from the other side of the island and caused him to raise his head. It was a barking sound. It was quickly followed by another, and then a whine. The dogs were all howling at something.
They had taken in all the pups as a request from Motor Man. Motor Man always had a soft side and couldn't help it. Even after his death, they kept doing it, bringing in any dog that had been affected by powers and couldn't be changed back. This island served as a safe place for them. Though he didn't know what Duplicity would do once she was the only one left in charge. He hoped she remembered to feed them all.
Roulette gripped his gun tighter as he heard the whining get louder. He marched toward the noise as quickly as his slow body would allow and found himself stepping out through the woods near the edge of the beach where the dock resided. The sands were filled with dogs, some massive, some tiny, some bigger than even a truck, all seemingly barking and growling at the same thing.
Roulette stared into the sky where his dogs were looking, and for a moment, he felt a jolt go through him.
Wings. Long and golden, they flapped out, sending a rain of feathers down. Angelic in nature, for a moment, the old man found himself reaching out for one. Then he noticed who they were attached to.
It was a young-looking man. One who came down from the heavens themselves, floating softly to the ground. The man had blonde hair that was hidden beneath a fancy-looking hat with the symbol of a butterfly on it. They were dressed in an extremely expansive-looking suit and wore a long coat. From their back, massive golden wings jutted out before they slowly pulled themselves back into the man's back and vanished beneath his flesh. The man reached up and tipped his smile.
Roulette felt his teeth grind together, and he lifted his gun, pointing it toward the person in front of him. "Calvin-"
"Michael." The younger man corrected with a sly grin. "Archangel Michael, member of the Immortals. Right-hand man of Lucifer." Michael's grin grew larger as he stared into the anger-filled eyes that glared back. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Little brother. You and I should have a long conversation."
Something was about to begin.
Something that would change the world forever.
The Murder Games were soon to start...
***
"Pallet Boy Red has arrived!" The hologram of Rowan had his hands on his hips and a smile on his face as if he had done something good. "I'm programmed to let you know that while he isn't the best Mental-based Super out there, he should be more than enough to fix the battery issue. Simply show him the hood of the van and let him tinker on it for a bit! It should only take him three hours-"
"Three hours? You said the battery dies in one hour! And then it blows up!" Alexander said with wide eyes.
"I guess Rowan didn't consider that when he built this." Hope rubbed her forehead and resisted the urge to curse Rowan out. "This ride is a prototype, after all. I'm starting to see why he didn't make more than one."
"Stop acting calm." Kevin jittered and jumped up, his backpack form growing out dozens of long tendrils. "There is someone on our roof! Now isn't the time to act so casual!"
"Kevin's right." Hope folded her arms and nodded. "Do you think it is someone from the group you used to be part of, Kevin?" She knew Kevin likely didn't want to think back to his time in the Wandering Coin, but they were the only group she could think of that had access to the Pallet Boy's tech.
Kevin's backpack form created a small head that shook. "Not a chance. You guys destroyed all the tech we kept."
"The one you kept?"
"Yeah. I found out later, but apparently, Doc sold a majority of what he didn't need to random buyers in Hell Land." Kevin explained. "So, basically, what I'm saying is that it could be anyone up there."
"What is Hell Land?" Alexander asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Now's really not the time, Dad."
"Sorry."
"What's going on?" Jane finally managed to walk back, and she entered the area they were in to see them all staring up at the roof. "Did you find out what was with the alarm?"
Hope didn't say anything for several seconds. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed up above her. Whoever had landed didn't make any more noise. Even with her enhanced senses, she couldn't hear anything, so whoever it was, they were quiet. She wasn't able to see them through any of the windows or mirrors either. The person was placed at just the right angle to be totally out of sight. She'd have to open the door and step out if she wanted to see them. Made all the worse by the fact that they were still in the middle of the ocean, driving across it.
She wasn't really confident with her ability to fight underwater.
"What's going on?" Her mother asked once more, this time in a much more stern tone.
"Nothing." She reached out and grabbed Kevin. He didn't need to be told what to do; in an instant, he and the Pod wove over her body, instantly creating her hero costume once more. If worse came to worse, she'd just use him to create wings or something and try to fly that way. She wasn't too sure if something like that would work, but she didn't have any other choice. "Stay here." She stepped past her mom and entered the hallway outside. "I'll be right back."
"Hope-"
"It's okay." She turned back to her mom and managed to force a smile, giving a thumbs up. "I'll be okay. I promise. Besides, I already one-shot Cyber Horse earlier today, so when it comes to tech-based heroes or villains, I can handle myself."
Jane didn't say anything for a few moments. The woman just stared at her daughter's face in silence. Finally, though, Jane took a seat and nodded. "Alright. If you're sure."
"Of course I am!"
She couldn't have been any more unsure.
There was a terrible nagging feeling in her gut. One she had been suppressing, but she couldn't deny the terrifying thought. What if this was Avalon? It would be just like him to show up, and if anyone could use Pallet Boy tech, that man could surely figure it out. The thought of him being on the roof sent shivers down her spine. If Avalon was here, then that meant the Emperor was likely close by as well. She really wasn't ready for that just yet.
"Are you sure we can handle this?" Kevin whispered as they stepped away from where the Lauren's resided. It seemed he was thinking the same thing as she was. He was also aware of the danger that could be above them.
Hope brushed a strand of her hair back and pulled up her hood as she made her way to a different hallway. "I'll manage." She stated. The van had one hallway that led to a set of double doors, which would take her out the back way of the car. She used that hallway and made her way over to the doors, pushing them open. Outside the doors, she saw the endless sea around them, and saltwater rose up to meet her, chilling her down to her bone. She ignored it, though, and took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's do this."
"Just so you know, if it is someone dangerous, I'm ditching you and running away." Shift stated flatly.
Cinder rolled her eyes and stepped forward. As soon as she felt her body begin to fall out of the van, she spun around and grabbed the top of it. With inhuman strength, she pulled her entire body up and landed on the roof down in a crouch. "I don't know who you think you are, but you have a lot of explaining to do- Wait! I know you!"
Instantly, all the hostility she had built up faded and flickered out as she stared at the person on the roof of the van. She had been expecting someone like Avalon or even a total weirdo like Red Ape. This person was actually at the bottom of her list. What were the chances she'd be seeing them again so soon?
"Great," Kevin muttered out. "We got the nutjob. How did she even find us? Better question actually, why did she find us!"
The person who stood on the roof of the van was a young girl around her own age. They had long gray hair that had been tied back, and they wore what looked almost like a strange military uniform. A rapier hung at the girl's waist, and she was currently crouched down, fiddling with the roof of the van with her hand. Meta, the girl she had met during Hell Land, had somehow shown back up. Either this was good, or it was very, very bad.
"Meta?" Cinder found herself taking a step back, and she nearly fell off of the van's roof. She had to throw her hands out and steady herself as she stared at the other girl. "What are you doing here?"
Meta's head finally looked up. The girl cocked it to the side, and her eyes were as blank as ever, holding almost no emotion. "You were screaming for help." Just like her eyes, Meta's voice lacked any tone to it, being simply flat and to the point. It still creeped her out a bit, especially as she could still recall Meta's last words.
"Are you talking about the signal?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yes." Meta ran her hand over the van's roof again, as if she were almost petting it. "This ride was crying out for help. Begging to be seen by me."
"Huh?"
"My power," Meta said flatly. "I can hear voices in things that don't talk. The signal you were letting out came to me like a wailing baby. This thing isn't quite ready for field testing, yet you still brought it out? You even pushed it so far." Meta glanced down at the front of the van, which was still partially caved in. "There, there." The girl patted the van as if soothing a sobbing child.
"I didn't build it; it was a gift-" She shook her head, getting her mind back on track. "Wait! It told us the Pallet Boys were coming! Did you steal any of their gear!"
Meta finally stood up and casually dusted herself off. The girl raised her sleeve up and showed off a small watch wrapped around her wrist. "This is what picked up your signal. I guess it did belong to some heroes at one time or another. I found it in the junkyard behind Hell Land recently when I was visiting it." So apparently, Meta and Metal Ronin had a few things in common. "You were the one asking for help, you know. You're kind of being rude." Meta's fingers gently wrapped around the sword handle at her side and got ready to raise it up. "I don't like rude people-"
"Wait! I'm not rude, Meta! It's me, remember!"
"No." Meta drew her blade. "I don't remember. I don't think we've ever met. Sorry."
Cinder let out a squeak and pulled her hood down. "Ruby! I'm Ruby! I was at Hell Land, remember!"
Meta's hand twitched, and in a flash, the girl sheathed her sword. She almost let out a sigh of relief but was stopped when Meta grabbed her by the face. Meta gripped either side of her face and stared at her with a blank look. She could tell the villain was studying her. Finally, Meta let go and spoke once more. "Growth spurt?"
"Not exactly. It's complicated." She sighed.
Meta nodded. "I see. Hope. Your name is Hope? Ruby was a fake name."
She winced a little. Kevin was the one who had said her real name in front of Meta during Hell Land. It was thanks to him that this creepy girl knew who she really was. "Yeah... My name is Hope Lauren."
Meta kept looking her up and down for several moments. "I see." Meta's hand seemed to twitch for a moment, almost going for her sword once more, but it stopped. "Cinder."
She winced again. "Yep." She said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm Cinder- Whoa!" In an instant, Meta's sword was aimed at her again, placed directly under her chin. The girl was seriously fast, maybe even faster than Battery. She hadn't even been able to see the movement. Meta's head was cocked to the side again, and the girl's finger toyed with a trigger that was attached to the handle. "Wait-" She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to feel searing pain, but it never came. When she did open her eyes again, the blade was still just pointing at her neck.
Meta was eyeing her up again and finally seemed to make a choice. The girl pulled the sword away and sheathed it once more. She was starting to get a heart attack from how often that sword nearly impaled her. Meta finally showed a bit of emotion by letting out a scoff. "You're not Cinder. Don't lie. Bad girl. Don't say false things to your elders."
"Bad girl? Elders? We're the same age- Hey, wait a second! I am, too, Cinder! I'm a good girl!"
"No, you're not. You're a bad girl for lying." Meta casually turned away from her. "The real Cinder would have shattered my sword and then knocked me out in one attack. You're not the Lord of the Sun; don't lie to me like that. Your costume doesn't even look right." So Meta was also a Cinder fangirl, as it turned out? She was really unsure if that was a good thing or not.
"Why do people keep saying that my suit isn't right? It's called getting an upgrade!" Cinder took a deep breath and placed both her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out. "I'll have you know I'm the real deal. I'm Cinder—a proud member of Pantheon and, yes, the current Lord of the Sun. I just... Happen to be a bit weak right now." She deflated a bit and fought off the urge to drop her head.
Meta turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. "Weaker?"
"I lost a lot of my power during the Beast fight." She explained. "That was why I was all tiny when we first met. I wasn't actually a kid; I was just in a depowered state that was all shrunk and stuff."
"Uh, you sure it's a good idea to be saying all of this?" Kevin hissed into her ear. "This bitch is freaking psycho, Hope. Just look at that dead-eyed expression."
She nearly winced. Kevin was right. Meta's weird way of acting had made her not think straight, and she had basically announced the fact that she was way weaker than a villain—one who could have been part of some evil group and seemed to have it for her.
"So your power isn't what it used to be?" Meta let out a soft hum. "I see. So you are Cinder, and you are the Lord of the Sun; you're just weaker now."
She tried not to say anything but finally just sighed in defeat and nodded. "Yeah. Can you keep that fact to yourself?"
"Sure."
"Seriously?"
"Super seriously." Meta rubbed her chin, and the girl looked up at the sky above, not seeming to care about the fact she was staring straight at the sun. "That's an issue, though. You being weaker and all. Cinder can't be weak. She needs to be strong. Stronger than me. The Lord of the Sun needs..." Meta shook her head. "Is there a way for you to get your power?"
She shrugged and shook her head. "No?" This was really weird. This wasn't a normal conversation. It was way too casual for what was going on. Meta was just one big oddball. "Why do you seem to care so much?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Because." Meta glanced back at her and held a soft frown on her lips. "I need to see Cinder. You aren't Cinder. Not until you have your full power back. Right now, you're just some girl running around claiming she's the Lord of the Sun. That makes this all much worse for me. I was hoping I'd get to meet her, the real you, before the start of the games. Guess I'm out of luck, though."
"Start of the games?"
"It's nothing." Meta's entire form seemed to almost slump a bit, and the girl looked like she might be pouting. Meta turned away from her and began to walk to the edge of the van, seemingly getting ready to jump off. "I guess I'll just have to see the real Cinder for when you get your powers back. Give me a call or something, okay? I'd really like to meet her."
"I'm the same person you know. With or without powers. Unless... You're talking about the Brightest Star." Meta didn't look back at her, but she knew she was correct. It wasn't really her that Meta was interested in. It was the Ego within her. The power that could talk. Something almost no person should know about, yet this girl did. That just made her more worried. "Earlier, when we first met, you told me that you were a very bad person. Are you evil?"
"I'm a villain. That much is obvious, isn't it?"
"But are you evil?"
"If I am? What will you do to me, Hope?"
"Cinder. I'm Cinder when I'm in this costume."
"Until you have your power back, I don't think I want to call you Cinder, nor do I think I'll accept you being the Lord of the Sun." Meta still didn't look at her. The girl just kept staring out at sea. "As for what business I have with the real Lord of the Sun, that's my personal privacy. I don't think you have any right to question that."
She sprung forward with her enhanced speed. Meta barely had time to turn around before she delivered her attack. It stopped inches away from Meta's face, the wind blowing the girl's hat off and sweeping her hair back. She moved her fist back, stopping the attack at the last second, just as Meta had done for her. "When I was in Hell Land, you went out of your way to help me escape. You even helped Kevin. You had no idea who either of us was, yet you still helped. Then, today, you show up out of the blue after you hear the signal. You also didn't seem to know it was me. Were you planning on helping again?"
"I was going to do what I could before you started being rude to me." The girl said casually.
"I just don't get you at all." She pulled herself away and folded her arms. "You're a villain; you say you're evil, and yet you keep helping people? You know things you shouldn't and are acting all shady. You're like a younger, girly version of Mr. Larison."
"Evil is subjective, you know." Meta also folded her arms. "I told you that during Hell Land. Not all villains are evil, and not all heroes are good guys."
"Well, what are you?"
"You should answer first."
Her reputation was in the dumps, and she was being hunted by the Hero Branch, so in a way, that did make her a villain, but she definitely wasn't evil—at least, she didn't think she was. "It doesn't matter, I guess. I just can't read you at all." This time, she was the one to turn away, and she casually waved her hand. "Take care, Ms. Meta. Maybe one day, when I have my powers back, we'll meet again, but don't get your hopes up on me being the Brightest Star. I intend to stay in control of my body-"
"Wait."
She stopped suddenly when she felt a hand grab her wrist. Meta gripped her sleeve, and she looked back at the girl. The villain stared at her with no emotion in her eyes as Meta patted the top of her head. "What?"
"My hat."
"Huh?"
"My hat is gone." Meta stated dryly. "I liked that hat. You blew it away, though."
She processed the girl's words and rubbed the back of her neck gently. "Okay? What do you want me to do about it?"
"Take responsibility. You owe me a new hat."
"Seriously?"
"Super Seriously. It has to be a cool hat also."
Her eye twitched a bit as she stared at the odd villain. "I don't have a hat for you, though."
"Oh." Meta cocked her head to the side once more. "Okay. Then I want to see the inside of this van and fix it up. It keeps crying, it keeps crying, and it makes me sad. I'm going in."
"You will not!" Her eyes went wide, and she raised her arms up. "There is no way in hell I will ever let you inside of this thing! My family is in there."
"Cool." Meta brushed past her and made for the double doors. "I guess I'll get to meet your mom and dad then."
"Hey! I said no!"
"Do you have a hat for me?" Meta questioned.
She looked down at her suit for a moment. "Don't even fucking think about it," Kevin said flatly. "I ain't about to become this psycho bitch's hat. I'd rather stick with you than her."
"Then I guess it's settled." Meta lazily flipped her hair. "Until my brother comes to pick me up and gives me my hat back, you will have to let me stay here."
"I don't think I agreed to that..." Meta just ignored her, and the girl was already hanging off the side of the van. "Seriously. This girl is just the weirdest."
A few minutes later, Hope found herself sitting in the backseat next to Meta as the van drove forward, both her parents sitting up front. Her dad kept eyeing the new girl up with the rearview mirror, his eyebrow raising more and more as Meta's face remained totally blank and expressionless. Her mom also kept looking back, waiting for Meta to do or say anything, but Meta didn't.
The villain just remained in place, staring straight ahead. It was hard to tell if Meta was even breathing, and she wondered if the girl might have fallen asleep.
"So," Jane raised an eyebrow and looked back at her daughter. "Who's your new friend, Hope?"
"I have no freaking clue."
"I am Meta." Meta said quietly, "Where are we going?"
"We were kind of just heading in a random direction." Her father said awkwardly. "At least until the van dies, and we have to leave it."
"Dies?" Meta frowned softly. "Oh. You mean how the battery is running out? Not an issue. I will take care of that. In return, though, I'd like to be dropped off at Daisy."
"Daisy? Why?"
"Because I said so."
"Okay..." Alexander shot his father a look, but she just shook her head.
"Alright then." Hope sighed and looked away from Meta, staring out the window. "Next stop is Daisy, I guess."