Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Steve fell asleep while his body lost its senses. First, the light between his shut eyelids blurred and blackened. Then, the smell of apple pies numbed into a faint smoke. The sound of the dog barking at the neighbor’s cat deadened. And finally, the last thing to vanish was the warm touch of his wife’s hands wrapped around his and the taste of her kisses on his lips.

Death for Steve would always have been an angel with dove wings and a halo flying down from the sky and taking his life. It was not that he considered himself to be worthy of Heaven; it was just that the idea of going to Hell was not his cup of tea, like with most people. However, there was no angel for Steve, or perhaps he even lost his mind, so he did not remember it. He was just surrounded by darkness with no limbs, no bones, no flesh. He had been in this state for days or maybe months by now, but Steve was not sad, just nostalgic. If the afterlife was only his soul and his memory, then it would do. He was content with having a peaceful eternity to cherish all the battles he had fought, all the lives he had saved, and all the friends he had made.

Suddenly, an ominous creaking sound resonated through the nothingness.

Steve’s heart skipped a beat when he realized he could hear again. He opened his eyes and checked his surroundings. He could also see! A medieval door of copper and wood opened to his left. He walked toward it with a body he could not see, perhaps shrouded by the obscurity. An ill-lit hallway of blue shades appeared. Rusty chains and hooks swung around as he trod past them. A metal plate nailed to the wall reflected the blurry image of a red, white, and blue suit over him.

“This can’t be,” he muttered.

Steve looked down at his body, which was now once again young, fit, and clad in his superhero uniform. Velvet curtains covered the end of the corridor and let a burst of faint laughter resonate between them. Steve ran forward and pushed them aside. Someone or something had given him another chance at life, and he would not waste any time jumping at it.

He arrived at a metal caged bridge. Malnourished people were being consumed by flames as Steve walked on and observed them. A shirtless man with dragon tattoos spun to his left on a giant cartwheel. To the right, stakes had elderly women with witch hats tied around them. Steve seized at the bridge bars to let him go through, but they burned his hands and would not budge. Steve saw a similar carnage during wars. Even though such horrors—the fire, the screams, failing to help people—would never stop to tear a gaping hole within him. Steve closed his eyes and entered a dusty antechamber. It was filled with cobwebs, golden cherubs on columns, and shelves full of dirty liquors whose tags had skulls on them. A buzzing came from the left, so he turned that way. Then he found a radio with a crimson sofa in front of it. The back of the single seat faced him, but he noticed a fingerless gloved hand. Its fingers grabbed dirty diamonds from a bowl. Crunches and munches resonated as the palm came back empty.

“Four members of the radical group, the Flag Smashers, were killed today in a car bomb attack,” said the presenter.

A raspy laugh boomed as the person inside the sofa smacked their fist on a nearby table. Steve edged around the sofa and spotted a man with a green top hat, a matching coat, and purple accessories. His eyes were covered with black greasepaint that sharpened up and down into a thin line. 

“Ah, Steve, I’ve been waiting for you,” the top hat man greeted as he gulped down a bottle of whiskey.

The former soldier gawked at him. “He looks… He looks like that singer with a girl’s name... Alice Cooper? ”

“The name’s Mephisto. Welcome to my nightmare.” Mephisto extended his left hand, but a boa constrictor slithered out of his sleeve. “Winfrey, please, I’m with a guest.”

The snake hissed before it crawled on the ground to lick the carpet drenched with alcohol. 

“Well, looks like things got...” He leaned forward. “Out of hand.” A wicked laugh boomed out of him while thunder banged. “Hahaha! Ha... And I wonder why people hate me...”

“I’m Steve Rogers.” Captain America shook his hand. “I guess you already knew.”

Mephisto hovered off his seat and stood up. “Captain America, right? Big fan. Although I do have a soft spot for your replacement.”

“Sam Wilson?” wondered Steve.

Mephisto snickered. “Ah, funny…” He straightened his face said, “No, U.S. Agent. Look.”

Mephisto pulled a remote out of his pocket and aimed it at a painting of Mona Lisa with a mustache. He zapped it and the artwork shifted into the video of a man with Captain America’s shield and a similar suit. He had been chasing another man wearing a black hoodie and pinned him down next to a memorial. They bickered while the face of the man holding Steve’s shield reddened. He lifted the shield over the man with a hoodie and smashed it down several times against the man while the screen glitched. After the images cleared, the hooded man’s bloody hand dropped lifelessly on the ground. Steve stared at it with wide eyes while Mephisto laughed again.

“Jesus...” muttered Steve.

“Best scene of the show if you ask me,” noted Mephisto. “C’mon Cap, it’s just a terrorist. I can inspire ten others to replace him if it makes you feel better.”

“What do you want?!” questioned Steve. “You’re here to torture me for leaving my friends behind?”

Mephisto smiled. “I’m not a punisher, I’m a businessman.” He removed his hat. “So let’s make a deal.”

“I’ve got an idea of what you are,” proclaimed Steve with a glare. “And I have no intention of bargaining with your kind.”

“Ooh!” Mephisto put his hands over his chest. “You broke my poor, poor heart of stone… Compliments aside, you saw what’s happening without Cap.” He put a cane out of his hat. “Don’t you want to get one more shot at life, just to help some lost souls?”

Steve crossed his arms. “Why would you help me?”

“One sinner to help another.” Mephisto joined his hands over the goat head of his cane. “There’s a boy in Arizona who’s very important to me.” He faked a pout. “Sadly, my children got jealous. You’re a dad too, you know how kids are… Anyway, I need you to protect that boy named Julio.”

“A boy? I…” Steve pinched his lips. “You have powers, can’t you use them to protect him?” he asked.

“Sadly, the maggot doesn’t fall far from the apple,” complained Mephisto. “They’ve trapped me here so they could be free to do whatever they want on Earth.”

Captain America flinched. “You mean they’re in my world right now?” 

Mephisto smirked. “Precisely… So, what you’re gonna do? Will you let my children take over the world, or will you stop them?” He reached out his left hand as his boa coiled around the arm.

Steve observed the reptile and sighed. “Fine, but I’m selling my soul to nobody.”

“Your soul wouldn’t taste good, anyway.” Mephisto winced. “Too much heroism and good-heartedness… Well, time to choose how you wanna come out of the grave.”

His hands fondled the goat head, and it turned into a microphone. He pointed to the east and stage lights beamed on a bed with a purple giant kissing a woman with long dark hair. He caressed her black and leather pantsuit while she rubbed his bare pectorals.

“Thanos, Hela! Get the hell out of here!” screamed Mephisto.

“We’re already in hell,” replied Hela.

Thanos tickled her chin and said, “Well, I’m about to be...”

Mephisto shook his head. “Get the hell out of my hell!” 

“Come with me my beauty. Many piles of dead bodies outside will be more comfortable than this damp mattress,” said Thanos and they left, giggling.

Mephisto shrugged at Steve before he clapped his hands. The lights flickered and a doll now sat on the bed.

“The possessor! No one ever gets as deep inside them as it does, baby!” he announced.

The doll turned its head around like an owl and vomited a brown slimy substance swarming with insects. Mephisto picked up a wet cicada out of the puddle and ate its head.

“Belgian chocolate, a relish.” He handed the beheaded insect to Steve. “Want a bite?”

Steve winced while Mephisto gestured to the west. It illuminated a television set that broadcast the movie of a well.

“He’s sick, he’s obscene. The revenant! Or as the Japanese called them, the onryō! Vengeful spirits blinded by rage,” explained Mephisto.

He cha cha’ed to the middle of the room and the drawing of a fat green ghost appeared.

“No landlord to throw them out, the poltergeist!” He whispered, “Between you and me, you should pick this one.”

Steve gawked at him. “Fine, I’ll-”

Mephisto clapped his hands. “The poltergeist, great choice!” he shouted and rubbed his hands together. “One more thing, some side effects might happen, such as you not manifesting right away, but it doesn’t matter.”

“Wait! Before you do it, I need another thing,” ordered Steve.

“Well, you did get me rid of that purple giant with the wrinkly chin.” Mephisto shrugged. “Ask away.”

Captain America took a quick breath and said, “I want one more moment to talk with my friends.”

“Aww, I would cry if I could,” mocked Mephisto. “Your wish, my wish... Now let’s get to the fun part.” His eyes set themselves on fire while his voice deepened. “Random sermonibus latine. Agatha habet veste deformis!”

Dark ebony thunder with orange hues came out of his fingers and struck Steve. Steve groaned as the electricity shocked him. 

“Enjoy your afterlife, Steve,” said Mephisto.

Steve’s vision blurred and soon the darkness came back.

Chapter Text

“I hate my life.” 

Jake winced as he opened his eyes. The sunlight stung his jade-green irises while a groan left his lips.

“C’mon champ, today’s your big day!” boomed a deep yet soft voice.

A blonde sturdy man in a flannel shirt smiled at him. The curtains hissed when he straightened them. 

“It’s the end of the world?” asked Jake with a slight pout.

The man sat down on Jake’s bed. Sparkles danced in his eyes. “I’ve talked to your boss, think he got something in store for you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jake muttered as his father left.

The young man stretched his arms and observed his room. Just the same yellow wallpaper and the same wooden floor. Jake groaned and dragged himself out of the bed. He scratched his back while his other hand gave a soft hit to a punching ball with Hulk’s face on it. His feet plodded around game controllers and shuffled out of the room. Jake opened the door in front of him and entered. He picked up a toothbrush from the sink, which already had toothpaste on it. His eyes glared at a note on the mirror with a cheerful face and Smile written on it. Jake tore and crumpled it before throwing it in the nearby bin. 

It was just the same empty daily ritual. 

The young man looked at his reflection as he brushed his teeth. His short shaggy brown hair swung at a slow pace against his forehead. Jake put his left hand on his waist and flexed his arm. 

“Could be better, ” he thought.

He spat the toothpaste down the sink before he used water to rinse his mouth.

When he looked back into the mirror, a buff man with a face similar to his father’s was next to him. However, he was wearing Captain America’s suit. Plus, his skin and hair were pale and the colors of his outfit were withered and foggy while his eyes glowed a faint blue.

“HOLY!” screamed Jake.

“Listen, Julio, it’s as weird as for you as it is for me, but-”

“How do you know my name?!” questioned Jake.

“Huh? What-”

Jake ran away to his room. Then he opened a coding book on his desk and stared at a pentagram on one of the pages.

“I must’ve done it by accident…” he mumbled.

“Jake, everything okay?” his father called from the kitchen.

“Yeah, just stubbed my toes,” lied the son.

“Ouch, pour cold water on them. It helps!” advised the man.

Steve followed him. “Hey!” he called.

Jake slammed the book shut. 

“What’s that?” Steve showed him a notebook with sketches of him and Iron Man being eaten by zombies. “And that?” He pointed at a target board with a picture of Hawkeye on it. A dart had landed on the latter’s crotch. “You could have gone for the head.”

“I did,” replied the young man as he walked through him.

“Wow! It’s not polite to walk through people without asking them!”

Steve contemplated his hands and joined them together. His hands phased through each other like a pair of scissors. A sound close to a violin or a theremin played as his fingers merged and unmerged. Steve jerked back and winced. Then, he leaned forward and rubbed his hands into each other, and thumped his boots, which produced a musical beat.

“Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk. I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk,” muttered Steve in a low voice. 

His feet went through the floor as he did so. Steve stumbled, but soon his thighs and waist sunk too. He grabbed at the floor, his hands stayed intangible and he dropped into the kitchen.

Steve groaned and said, “Oh sh-“

“Sugar, honey, iced tea?” asked Jake’s father.

Jake sat at the dining table while his dad served small cakes on his son’s plate. The young man watched as Captain America fell face-first through the table with his buttocks protruding through the plate.

“You’re not eating your buns?” wondered his dad. 

“Huh, yeah...” Jake picked up a slice and munched it with a grimace.

His father washed the dishes while Steve grunted and stood up.

“Your hoodie’s waiting on the couch,” his dad said while he washed cookware. “Twas kinda hard picking the right shade of dark and sulky out of your closet.”

Steve snickered while the young man shot him a side glance. The son looked down at his meal and did not raise his head. Once done with breakfast, he strolled to the living room in silence. The young man gripped at the clothes lined up there. A sigh left his lips as he struggled to put on his pants. As soon as he had his khaki green hoodie over him, Jake walked to the entrance door.

“Jake, wait!” His father rushed to him. “Remember-”

“I know.” Jake rolled his eyes. “If anything weird happens, I’ll run to the house and we’ll change our IDs before driving to Mexico.”

The corners of his father’s lips turned down a bit. “No… Just remember that I love you, Jake.”

Jake looked away.

His father reached a hand toward Jake. “Son, I know it’s hard for you, but if we-”

The son slapped away his father’s arm. “But what?! If we keep waiting, Spider-Man or Captain America is gonna come here and save the day!” Jake shook his head. “They won’t come, nobody’s gonna come!”

His father stared at him with drooped eyes while Jake walked out. The son glanced one more time at the man before he left.

Jake kicked a can as he observed the town. A bunch of dusty stores with old car posters were rotting around. Sand from the nearby desert covered the pavement's edge. Crows pecked the garbage off the streets and cawed at the boy.

“Listen, Julio, I don’t know what’s going on between you and your dad but-“

“Can’t you just leave?” Jake cut Steve off. “The last thing I need is a patriotic Jiminy Cricket. And call me Jake, people could hear you.”

“Jake, you don’t understand. You and your dad are in danger!” shouted Captain America. “You’re being hunted down by-“

“I know.” Jake sighed. “Why do you think my dad said that? We’ve been moving all over the country to get away from them.”

Steve stiffened. “But why didn’t you ask someone for help?”

Jake spun around. “Who? We’re nobodies. People like you don’t care about people like us.”

“N-no. You got this wrong,” mumbled Steve.

“I don’t care about excuses,” interrupted Jake. “Everyone has excuses, everyone talks and talks, but nobody does anything.” 

When he arrived on the main street, the ten feet tall copper statue of a rat greeted him. The young man glared at the so-called Rudolph Rodent. On his pedestal, Millstone, Where Dreams Become Real was chiseled on its rusty plate. A scoff appeared on his lips as he read.

“We’re both stuck in the same shit,” whispered Jake.

Scratches sounded as a lizard peeked out of the statue’s mouth. The Gila monster crawled down and interrupted Jake’s little reverie.

The young man strolled forward. A sight caught his attention amidst the rundown buildings and car carcasses. Madame Lewis’s Chamber of Chills. 

“That’s new,” Jake remarked. 

“You should stay away from this place,” suggested Captain America.

Oddities and sideshow freaks decorated the facade, such as a barker with a dog head or a silver surfboard. Creak... The door flung open and a mass under an old green cloak came out. It raised its head and strands of cobweb-like hair fell.

“By Gilgamesh! A new visitor,” rejoiced the old woman with a croaky voice.

“I’m sorry but-”

“The tour costs nothing. A free spell in my museum of oddities.” The hunchbacked lady puled a black leather book out of her cloak. “Behold, the Darkhold! Inside reside your darkest desires…” She opened the book.

Jake stared at the pages and frowned. Various pictures depicted half-naked men and women touching each other with Call Me Bi Your Name for a caption.

“You got some wild fantasies,” noted Steve. 

The gypsy woman cackled as her nails tapped against the cover.

“I have to go,” babbled Jake.

“See you soon,” replied the lady with a youthful shrill in her talk.

The young man hastened his walk for an instant and then he stopped. He turned around, and she was gone. She had left the door of her museum ajar until a breeze of wind closed it. Slam!  

Jake raised an eyebrow. “The hell?”

“Don’t tell me there are ghosts around,” added Captain America.

“You’re a ghost,” disputed the young man.

Steve huffed. “No, I’m not! I’m... a... non-alive person.”

They walked on as a murder of crows hovered above Jake, almost in circles. Jake turned around the corner of the street and sighed. French fries rested at his feet, covered with mold and chewed by rats. Jake glared at the building in front of him. On it stood the Clowntown sign with a jester character. Someone had tagged perverted symbols near the jester’s mouth.

“I fucking hate clowns,” thought the young man.

The double doors opened and a man with a red nose and an apron appeared.

“Jake Morton. Took your sweet time,” he said crisply.

“Sorry boss, I-”

“Doesn’t matter.” The man put his hands on his hips. “Listen, kid, the business is not doing well around here. And with all the people turning into dust and then coming ba-”

“You’re firing me, right?” Jake narrowed his brows.

The man removed his red nose. “I’m sorry Jake, but you took the job of someone who I thought would never come back. You and your dad are newcomers and I’d rather have familiar faces working here.”

Jake bit the inside of his right cheek. “Guess that’s how it is, right?” He chuckled. “Let’s just say thanks to the Sentinels of Liberty for making our lives better.”

Steve drooped his shoulders when he heard this. The light bulbs in the sign flickered as Jake stormed away.  

Hands in his pockets, Jake quickened his step to his house. 

“Jake, I know how it feels, but-“

“Well, someone’s running away from us?” a hoarse voice taunted.

Jake rolled his eyes and turned around. Two hooded figures were facing him.

“Tim.” Jake nodded at the bald young man on the left. “Tom,” he addressed the boy with a cap on the right.

Tom gripped at the lower part of his Nightmare on Elm Street shirt and exposed a Swiss Army knife on his belt. Tim smirked and put his open left palm on display.

“You know the song,” Tim spit.

Jake exhaled and dug into his pockets. Then he gave Tim two coins and a five-dollar bill. 

“That’s all?” noticed Tom.

Jake looked daggers at him. “Just got fired.”

Tim shoved the money inside the hoodie. “Do better next time.”

The pairs giggled and disappeared inside a dark alley.

Alone in the empty street, Jake clenched his fists and tightened his eyelids. 

“Why didn’t you fight them?” questioned Steve.

“So they could be even more of a pain in the ass?” Jake snapped his head at the latter.

His nails pressed against the palms of his hands while his arms trembled. Hot electricity flowed throughout his body. A nearby lamp post buzzed. Jake’s fingers burned yet were somehow numb to the heat.

“Maybe you could talk to your father,” counseled Captain America.

The young man ground his teeth. “Leave me alone!”

Jake’s heart pounded as his blood boiled. The buzzing of the lamp increased more and more.

Splat!

Falling pieces of glass startled the young man. He sheltered himself with his arms. Sparkles squirted out of the exploded lamp socket. Jake stared at it before he looked down at his hands. Tiny lightning bolts flashed in and out between his fingers. The young man observed the strange manifestation until it ended. Then he pointed at the lamp. No reaction. Next, he reached his hands toward a car, but the same lack of result happened. His shoulders dropped as his arms went back inside his pockets. Steve observed the scene with his mouth half agape. 

“He has powers too...” he muttered. “Jake, wait!”

Jake strolled forward in a hunched position.

“Careful!” shouted a high-pitched voice.

Jake glanced to his right. A middle-aged woman was looking up at a dead tree. On top of its branches, there was a spotted cat and a slender figure clad in white. They wore a pair of combat boots of the same color with a sleeveless thigh-length dress, and what seemed to be a Kevlar corset cinched their waist.

“Don’t be afraid, little kitty,” whispered the doll-like person.

Captain America smiled. “Ah, saving cats from trees, the good old days.”

The old branch leaned down as the person came closer to the animal. 

When inches separated them, the person stretched their black-gloved hands until the cat slunk toward them. Ferns fell from the quivering branch. The woman watched with her mouth agape while the person hugged her cat.

“Got him!” they exclaimed.

The branch broke.

“Don’t worry, I got this!” yelled Steve as he jumped and phased through them. “Nevermind.”

Jake rushed toward both the cat and his falling savior. The young man charged and outstretched his arms.

Flop!

Jake collapsed and moaned because of the weight against his back.

“Wow, thank you, sir,” spoke the person in a silvery voice.

“You’re wel-… come… Can you stand up now?” replied Jake.

“Ach, of course!” They got up on their feet.

The woman grabbed the cat and smiled. “Oh, thank you!”

“It was my pleasure.” The person curtsied.

While the cat and his owner left, Jake stood up, rubbed his back, and walked away. The cat’s savior ran after Jake.

They looked at Jake with their big purple eyes. “Thanks again for earlier,” they almost sang.

The person adjusted the ebony bow in their hair before they moved some sausage ginger curls away from their face. Meanwhile, Steve watched them with sparkles in his gaze.

Jake slapped the dust out of his pants. “That was nothing. Just try to not fall on me next time.”

The purple color of the person’s eyes suddenly became yellow. “Next time? Does it mean we’ll see each other again?” they wondered with a grin.

“It was just phrasing,” he replied.

“Oh, okay…” They glanced away.

“Psst!” Steve stepped closer. “Tell her she’s pretty.”

Jake glared at him. “She knows she’s pretty!” 

“Oh, you got an imaginary friend too?” they inquired. “Mine was Mr. Squiggles. He loved talking about the gibbering madness of his fallen realm.”

“Uh-huh,” Jake replied with a wince.

They extended their right hand. “I forgot, my name’s Bo Peep! I’m a superhero.” 

Steve lolled his head to the side. “Aww, young blood.”

“The name’s Jake,” he responded. 

“Jake? Since I fell on your back, can I call you Brokeback Jake?” asked Bo Peep.

Jake glared at them. “Aren’t you supposed to wear a mask or something?”

“Oh, I wear a lot of makeup,” they replied with a bob of the head.

Jake walked forward, and the person followed.

“You have something to ask?” he questioned.

The person nodded. “Yes, actually.” They took a quick breath. “I could not help but notice that you’re frowning a lot. So I was wondering… Why are you sad?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

Bo Peep’s eyes now turned blue. “Oh, I understand… You know, you could try smiling more if you want to.”

Jake winced a smile on his face. “There? Happy?”

Yellow tints came back in Bo Peep’s eyes. “Thank you.”

The young man jerked his head back. “Why are you thanking me?”

“Well, you forced yourself to smile just to make me happy.” Bo Peep blushed. “ I thought it was very nice of you, so thank you.” His eyes widened and turned back purple. “Ach, this masked man’s walking toward a shop with a gun. I’ll tell them it’s more polite to rob a store with a bare face,” said Bo Peep as he ran away. “See you later, Brokeback Jake!”

“Don’t call me- Whatever...”

“What a nice young lady. You should spend more time with her,” said Captain America before he realized Jake had stepped away. “Hey!”

The rest of Jake’s walk was quiet. Once back home, his father raced towards him.

“Jake?”

“I’m gonna go play in my room,” muttered the son as he walked upstairs.

“B-but, what about your job?”

“Got fired.” Jake entered his bedroom and slammed the door.

Steve shook his head. “You could be nicer to your dad!”

The sound of the door echoed in the young man’s mind with Steve’s words. Jake clutched at his head while the noise increased. Soon, the crows cawing joined it with the buzzing of the lamp post. Jake closed his eyes and covered his ears. The cacophony went crescendo and felt like it was splitting his brain. 

“Hey, you okay, kiddo?” worried Captain America.

“Stop… Stop…” begged Jake.

“Jake,” spoke an ethereal voice.

The young man opened his eyes. His bedroom was gone. He was now in the middle of the street, surrounded by a grey mist. 

“Jake,” the voice called again.

“Mom?”

Chapter Text

“Mom?” repeated Jake.

No answer made its presence known. 

“I don’t like this,” said Steve.

Jake scanned his surroundings. The sun had become a pale prism projecting a mauve and grey light all over the town. Birds floated still, frozen in the sky. Their bodies cloned copies of different colors which disintegrated after a second. A thick fog blocked all the alleys, some blurry silhouettes faded on the horizon. Only Madame Lewis’s museum of oddities had not been infested by the mist. The young man took a deep breath and penetrated The Chamber of Chills. 

Its inside was pink and quilted, similar to the inside of a body. Whereas, the ground had a zebra pattern. Many glass cases lit up when he got near them. Josephine Joseph, the Supernova Helmet, the Trident of Neptune, the Vapors of Vision, the Demonicus Sword, and other pieces of exposition illuminated on his path. 

“Wait, I saw some of these things before,” muttered Captain America.

All along the path, a womanly humming shifted between a human sound and a gust of wind. At the end of the hallway, there was a curtain door with neon letters above it that spelled Madame Lewis’s Fortune. Some letters malfunctioned and turned off, which left misFortune on display. The song had gotten louder as he approached. Jake pulled away from the curtain and entered the room.

The young man lifted his left arm as a powerful light blinded him.

“Am I outside?” wondered Jake.

While the grass under him remained the same, any bush or tree behind the halo changed in shape and color. A lady with eerie black hair and in a long white dress sat at the center of the glade. Her hands caressed her round belly. Light reflected against her dress, which made her features shiny and foggy, like a mirage. 

“Mom?” asked the son.

A smile crossed the woman’s lips, but the sunlight sometimes bent it into a grimace. 

“Jake...” she whispered.

Her voice echoed on every side of the area. Each reverberation fragmented and transformed the sound. J became R, while A turned into U, and KE changed into N. White butterflies fluttered around them, the yellow and crimson spots of their wings dissolved like paint and blood in the water.

“We need to go,” urged Steve.

Jake knelt and stared at her belly. Another voice moaned from inside his mother.

His voice.

He reached out his right hand and touched the bump. A light kick hit the other side. His mother wrapped her hands around his wrist. Red lines glistened at the edges of her nails.

“Mom.” Jake looked at her. “You’re hurt.”

His mother smiled from ear to ear. “Jake...” She lolled her head. “Run.”

One more hit from the other side of her belly. The young man eyed down. A pair of clawed paws pushed from the inside of his mother’s stomach. Jake jumped back. Above them, the sun darkened and became a red moon. His mother’s arms contorted and undulated like a desert hallucination. A miasma covered the butterflies who fell and decomposed on the ground. 

“Fifteen souls and the father,” murmured his mother. “Fifteen souls and the father.”

The earth fissured and spurted a black liquid. Flames arise from under his mother. Jake sweated while his chest compressed. He stood up and ran at her, but a crevasse grew between them. His mother’s left arm blurred into a fork of flesh while her right one thinned and rot.

“Fifteen souls and the father,” his mother chanted.

Black geysers spit chunks of meat as if a thousand hearts had been to macerate inside the oil. The fire consumed his mother’s dress while eyes, mouths, and horns appeared on her arms. Her left hand had turned into a goat while her right one was now a mummified infant. 

“Bastard!” hissed the goat with a sultry tone.

“Come closer,” whispered the infant with a breathy voice.

Captain America’s eyes widened. “Sweet mother of Jesus,” he spoke.

Jake fidgeted his gaze on every side, but crevasses surrounded the ground he stood on. 

“Run,” spoke his mother as she burned.

The earth tremored and crumbled. The young man fell into the pit of tar-like liquid. His vision flooded and sunk deep down into the dark abyss.

“Jake!” his father’s voice boomed.

Jake opened his eyes. He was back inside his room. The sunset outside the window.

“Are you okay?” asked his father in a soft tone.

Jake rubbed his temples and nodded. ”I’m fine…” He limped toward his bed and sat down.

“And I thought I’ve seen everything after reading Two Girls One Cap...” mumbled Steve.

Steve watched the room and squinted at the sight of Jake’s father. The latter’s face was blurry to him.

“Must be one of Mephisto’s side effects,” thought Captain America.

“Dad?” 

The man sat next to his son. “What’s going on?”

“I…” Jake stared at his father. “Why do we never talk about mom?” 

His father stiffened before he took a deep breath. “It’s complicated…”

“It’s always complicated.” Jake’s eyes reddened. “Every time I ask you why we have to move, you say that…”

“I know. I know...“ His father closed his eyes and exhaled. “I wish I could make this easier for you…” He gazed at Jake. “Your mother- Linda… She- she was a good person…” He glanced down. “The most beautiful and intelligent person I’ve ever met…” His eyes went back to Jake. “But she’d made some mistakes.”

Jake tilted his head to the side. “Which mistakes?”

The man sighed. “She was just a College student… They got drunk and partied…” He covered his face with both hands. “And…”

CLAP!

His father sprung out of the bed and rushed to the window. A clap of thunder banged while dark clouds amassed outside. White, pink and red wine lightning bolts struck down the sky. 

“Jake, hide inside the closet!” screamed his father.

“What? But-”

“Jake, please.” His father put his hands on his shoulders. “Promise me to not do anything until they’re gone.”

Steve tapped his back. “Listen to your father.”

The son nodded and opened the door of his wardrobe. Whereas, his father headed out of the room.

“Dad!” Jake called out. “I- I love you.” 

His father looked at him and smiled. “I love you too.”

All the lights inside the house turned off. Night and darkness took over the place. His father pointed at the closet and Jake walked inside. A small opening between the two doors let the young peek inside his room. Otherwise, his sight was close to zero.

“I’ll go help your dad, stay here,” ordered Captain America as he also left.

No noise could be perceived either, only dead silence. Jake leaned his head against the wooden surface. His father’s footsteps sneaked down the stairs. A metallic click echoed as he did so.

“A gun? ” marveled Jake.

The wet crumble of wood and brick sounded downstairs.

“Long time no see, Charles,” spoke an abysmal voice. 

“Get the fuck out of my house!” shouted his father.

Gunshots gripped air out of Jake’s lungs. He grabbed at his chest and breathed in and out. The same hellish voice laughed.

“Is that all?” it taunted.

“You- Aaargh!” his father yelled.

Jake put his hands against the closet doors. He was about to open them, but then pulled his arms back when he heard Steve.

“Leave him alone!” urged Steve.

A gust of wind blew and Steve’s voice stopped.

“Greylight, what was that?” questioned the baritone. 

“Just a ghost, brother,” replied Greylight.

“Alright, go check upstairs,” he ordered.

The young man’s heart stopped. A cold invaded his whole body. His eyes stared at his window. Ten feet separated him from it. 

Footsteps resonated against the stairs.

One of them walked toward his room. 

Sweat dripped from his forehead. His left hand reached toward the doors.

“Promise me to not do anything,” his father’s words repeated in his mind.

The footsteps now came from the hallway.

Jake closed his eyes and trembled.

The footsteps were now right under the doorway

Jake opened his lids wide open. 

An icy wind crept inside as a large lean shadow crawled against the floor. The figure whistled and walked closer. It had its back facing him. Grey unkempt hair covered its head while a long leather black coat did the same for its body. Its hands were pale and skeletal. Jake clamped his lips together. 

It turned around.

A pair of glowing death-blue eyes stared at him. A corpse-pale ghoul looked deep into his soul. The skin on him looked like a melted funeral veil. Its lipless mouth twisted into a smile while its left hand lifted and reached its face.

“Shh…” it hissed with the index finger over its teeth.

“Greylight! Found anything?” asked the baritone from downstairs. 

“Emptier than my brother’s heart,” replied the undead with a breathy speech.

The zombie chuckled, tipped its Stetson, and left the room. 

Jake recognized the sound, it was from his nightmare. The mummified infant.

“The bastard must be outside,” a croaky voice spoke.

“Madame Lewis?” the young man muttered to himself.

With a gentle move, Jake opened at a slow pace the closet. He peeked in the hallway, nothing. Then he tiptoed outside the room and edged against the wall. As soon as he touched the limit between the wall and the stairway railing, he stopped. 

“Let’s get done with the ritual already,” Greylight grumbled.

Jake peeped down at the living room.

A massive hole let the moonlight enter downstairs. The undead Greylight was there with Madame Lewis. A third figure also haunted the place, a colossal black knight whose armor had shades of royal blue and covered with thorns akin to barbed wires. Skeletons had been welded into the metal while their faces twisted in constant agony. His helmet covered his mouth and let long rat snake-like hair fall. Steve was imprisoned inside a cube of ice to their left. He slammed his fists against the cage, but its surface did not crack.

The young man’s gaze stopped on his father. Chains tied him up to a chair and his neck had bruises. 

He was still breathing.

Madame Lewis cackled and snapped her fingers. Fiery circles enveloped and engulfed her. Her clothes and skin disappeared into blazes. Two large horns grew out of her head as her skin shed pink. A series of necklaces with tiny wooden masks covered her bare chest. Whereas, a drape with a woven metal scale pattern clothed her lower body. What was left of the succubus’s flames crafted claw rings on her fingers. 

“Well, well, well, isn’t that the bastard’s precious daddy?” she purred with the same voice as the goat from his nightmare.

“Enough Jezebel, this ain’t one of your orgies,” the knight derided her.

Jezebel glared at him. “Perhaps if you had one, you would stop being such a killjoy.”

Jake’s father coughed and raised his head. 

“Blackheart...” he spoke.

 “A pity you have to face me,” responded Blackheart.

Jezebel huffed. “There we go, Blackheart’s little show all over again.”

“Shall we ask him if he remembers who you are, dearest sister?” taunted the knight.

“Go to hell,” hissed Jezebel.

“I was born in hell.”

Jezebel walked toward him. “We were all born in hell, not everything’s about you!”

Greylight stepped between the two. “The ritual.” He gestured at Jake’s father.

Blackheart chuckled and walked toward Jake’s father while his sister shot daggers at him. The knight placed an ebony crystal behind the chair. Each of them stood on a cardinal point around Jake’s father. Greylight was in the south, while Jezebel had the northwest, and Blackheart took the northeast. All three raised their arms and chanted.

Greylight caroled, “Sála, sála bandingi!”

“Et,emmu, s,ibittu et,emmu!” conjured Jezebel. 

“Hag, ralla hag!” intoned Blackheart.

Steve banged and elbowed against his cage as he shouted, “STOP!”

A black circle drew itself on the floor and radiated orange energy. Jezebel’s pupils burned into two pyres. A triangle appeared under her with two horns on each vertex. Greylight’s breath became a frosted murk, trident symbols aligned into a wheel at his feet. Whereas, Blackheart’s eyes beamed red while below him, an upside-down pyramid lit up with a cross at its basis. The storm raged and blew a twister inside. The crystal behind Jake’s father levitated and shine.

“Sála bandingi!”

“S,ibittu et,emmu!”

“Ralla hag!”

The father convulsed and groaned. His chest glowed white as particles of the same color went out of it. Soon, rays of white light left his father’s body and went inside the ebony crystal. The energy screamed as the gem siphoned it. When the force had filled the crystal, it took white hues and fell. Blackheart picked it up and extended his left hand at the demolished wall. Dark thunder with ruby hues came out of his palm and spun into an electric vortex. Hazy skulls moaned in agony and whirled until a portal opened. Blackheart headed through the ruby-colored wormhole and dematerialized. 

“Tsss, always have to show off.” Jezebel shook her head. “He could have done that without the skulls.”

Greylight laughed. “We’re demons, this is how we do it.” 

The two of them soon entered the portal and disappeared with it. At this precise moment, the ice prison around Captain America melted.

Jake ran downstairs and rushed to his father.

“Dad!” 

The son pulled at the chains, but they did not come off. 

His father gasped for air. “Julio... You’re safe… Good…”

“Dad…” Jake’s eyes became teary. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s… it’s okay…” His eyes drifted shut and reopened. “I wish I could have spared you this…” He lowered his head. “Go… go to Phoenix… Find Solomon…”

His eyes closed and did not open again.

Jake’s whole body collapsed against the chair.

“Dad!” He shook his father. “DAD!” 

The son collapsed and fell on hands first on the floor, tears dropped from his eyes. 

“I’m sorry, Jake,” muttered Steve.

“I don’t give a fuck about you being sorry!” screamed Jake. “It’s always the same thing, a bunch of talking and nothing else!”

Captain America dipped his chin to his chest and exhaled.

“Jake?” called a familiar silvery voice.

The young man glanced outside. Bo Peep stood under the wrecked doorway.

“What happened?” they asked.

Jake sat against the stairs, his eyes stared into the void.

“I don’t know…” He buried his face between his crossed arms. “They took my dad… There was light, they- they sang…” He inhaled deeply. “Weird drawings lit up on the floor…”

Bo Peep’s eyes became blue. They looked at his father, then back at Jake.

“You mean... like magic?” they questioned.

Jake bent his neck. “I… I guess…”

Bo Peep got on one knee. “Has some kind of light left your dad?”

The young man nodded once. “Yes…” He stared at Bo Peep. “How d’you know?”

“Jake.” They put their right hand on Jake’s left arm. “I think we can save your dad.”

Jake grabbed the railing and adjusted himself. “How?”

“I don’t know a lot about it, but my mom- she’s a fairy.” They gestured at Jake’s father. “She sometimes worked with souls and she told me you could…” They waved their hands around. “Move them around, put them in things-.”

Jake stood up. “Like a crystal?”

Bo Peep joined their hands together. “Probably.”

Jake grabbed Bo Peep’s hands. “Could you call 911 for my dad?” He trod toward the doorway. “I need to go.”

“Where?” wondered Bo Peep.

“Phoenix,” he replied. “My dad s-”

CLAP!

“What’s happening?”

Bo Peep and Jake rushed outside. A whirlpool of thunderous clouds in the sky shot down bolts onto the town.

“It’s around the main street,” Jake suggested.

“We should take a look,” Steve said.

“We should have a look,” Bo Peep said.

Jake bobbed his head and they both ran forward. Their clothes billowed while the wind blew against their bodies. Trees bent and trash cans rolled down. 

“Watch out!” Jake pulled Bo Peep behind a bush.

“Who’s that?” they asked.

Jake glared at the horned woman in front of them.

“Jezebel,” he answered.

Chapter Text

Pink lightning gathered in the sky. Under its focal point stood the town mascot, Rudolph Rodent, and Jezebel. The succubus’s back faced them. She was sitting in a lotus position while Tim’s and Tom’s charred bodies lay next to her. Small flames still burned their corpses. 

“Jezebel?” wondered Bo Peep.

“Alamgāte balāt,u! Alamgāte us,s,uru !” chanted the demoness while her metal claws danced.

Steve narrowed his brows. “Is that a new-age song or something?”

“She’s one of the demons who attacked my dad,” replied Jake.

“She did?” Bo Peep’s eyes turned red, and they unsheathed a knife out of their garter pocket. 

Jake widened his eyes. “What are you doin’?!”

“She got her back turned. With the right aim, I can stab her in the head,” he said as he left.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch the knife,” said Steve.

Jake gawked at them. “The hell’s wrong with you two?”

Bo Peep slunk toward Jezebel.

“Hey miss, stop killing people!” Bo Peep threw the knife at her.

Jezebel sang, “Alamgāte dagālu...” She turned and smiled before she disappeared into bands of flames.

The knife hit the statue and landed on the ground. 

Bo Peep grinned at Jake. “I think the knife scared her!”

“Good job,” complimented Captain America.

A massive rose lightning bolt struck the statue. Electricity shocked its bronze body and bright up its eyes. Slowly, it moved its head around. Jake stared at it and took a step back.

“Oh, fuck… Behind you!” Jake pointed behind Bo Peep.

They looked back at the giant rodent. “Scheisse…”

Nails flew out of the pedestal as the statue lifted its feet. One of its shoes rose above Bo Peep. The latter charged to the right and dodged the crush. They raced toward Jake, but a large hand grabbed them by the waist. 

“Bo!” shouted Jake.

Lampposts around the young man flickered. The latter’s gaze switched between the statue and the lights.

“Bo, cover yourself!” Jake urged.

Bo Peep nodded and shielded themselves with their arms. Jake and outstretched his hands. The bulbs buzzed and flashed as their intensity increased. Explosions of garish light outshone the entire area. The statue stumbled and let go of Bo Peep. The latter hit the ground with his two legs and right hand. 

Whereas, the enormous rat looked at the bodies around him, particularly Tom’s corpse. It then picked up two cars and dug its gloves deep within them. The vehicle carcasses twisted and slithered around the rodent wrists. Trunks, bonnets, and belts fused with their hands into bladed gloves. Pipes and plugs crept themselves into arm blisters shaped like rat heads. The radios merged onto the rodent chest and played a disrupted version of It’s a Small World. 

A cat screeched to their right. His middle-aged owner tried to hold him.

“We need to get the statue away from the town!” shouted Bo Peep.

“On it,” replied Jake.

The two of them ran to the left and waved at the ten feet tall town mascot. Rudolph Rodent watched them and shook up its left claw. Its pupils contracted and glinted. 

Jake’s face turned pallid. “Run!” 

He and Bo Peep took a run for it. The ground fissured and quivered as the rat colossus chased them. 

“It’s A wOrLd of LaUghteR, a WorlD of Tears…” played the radios melded to its chest.

The two ran against the blasting storm. A gigantic shadow of three circles lingered more and more on them. Bricks and concrete crumbled as the rat’s metal gloves scraped the stores. The rodent’s massive shoes stomped and cracked the street. A pallid ray of the moon crowned the colossus with the night light and clothed it with darkness. 

“Run, kids, run!” ordered Steve before he ran into a hot dog cart. “Ouch...”

“It’S a WOrlD Of hOPeS, And A woRLd Of FEArS,” the radios blared while the rat raised its left blades.

“Jake, watch out!” yelled Bo Peep.

Jake got pushed to the right while Bo Peep rolled away from the claws stabbing through the ground. The statue pulled its left arm and smacked down its right claws. Bo Peep did a front flip while Jake snuck into a telephone booth. The nearby building quaked because of the attack. Its slashed balcony swung and collapsed down on the booth. Bo Peep’s eyes became purple as they ran toward it.

“Jake!” they screamed.

A flower pot and some tiles dropped toward the telephone booth. The rest of the balcony had landed on Rudolph’s left hand. Bo Peep stopped and observed the tall animal. It used its other arm to sweep away the rubbles and watched over Jake. Whereas, Captain America observed the cart that had hit him. He focused on it and his hands touched it before he raced at the giant rat. The latter stretched wide its right claws and flung them at Jake, but Steve seized them.

“Time to go back to your boat, Willie,” grunted Steve.

The rat’s claws phased through Steve’s arms, but he held them tighter.

“C’mon... Steve! You... can do it!” he said as his arms turned tangible.

“What’s happening…” mumbled Bo Peep. 

Rudolph looked at them and waved its bladed fingers.

“Huh… Hi?” Bo Peep walked closer. “Are you friendly?” they asked.

The statue nodded while Captain America pulled at its right arm.

Bo Peep’s irises turned pink. “You want to make people happy, right?” 

“What is she doin’?” wondered Steve.

“You’re destroying the town, it’s making people sad.” Bo Peep drew a frown in the air.

The giant rat gazed around them. Rudolph then sat down on a jeep, crushing it. 

“What’s going on?” questioned Jake as he left the booth.

“Trust me,” whispered Bo Peep before they looked back at Rudolph. “The things on your arms, they’re dangerous. Could you remove them?”

The town mascot glanced at their hands and pointed at the cinema. One of its posters featured a horror named The New Toxic Avengers. Then it drew a smile in front of its face.

“Oh…” Bo Peep shook their head. “It’s a horror movie. It’s fake. What you’re doing… It scares people.”

Rudolph lolled its head to the right and scanned its hands. Pieces of car carcasses shed out of its arms and fell. Whereas, the storm had soothed down. Captain America released its right arm.

“Get away from that thing!” shouted a police officer, aiming his gun at Rudolph.

Bo Peep ran in front of the town mascot. “Wait! Wait! He’s nice.”

A man dressed in a green suit pushed the cop away.

He shouted, “What the fuck has been destroying my t-” His body froze, and he stared at the statue. “Holy…”

“Mr. O’Neill, I can explain!” Jake rushed to them.

“Are you telling me that Rudolph Rodent is alive?” asked the mayor.

Jake and Bo Peep nodded.

Mr. O’Neill wrapped his arms around both of them.

“Fucking cheesecakes! Do you realize how many tourists this thing will attract?!” the mayor yelled with stars in his eyes.

“He’s not a thing.” Bo Peep gestured at Rudolph. “He’s a person.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” O’Neill let go of them. “Come to daddy!”

The mayor hugged the giant statue. Meanwhile, Jake walked to the police officer.

“Hmm, there’s a man… my father, he needs your help at 15 Lee Smilin Street.” Jake took a quick breath. “Could you check up on him?”

“Of course,” the cop replied and headed inside his car.

The young man watched as the police car drove away.

“Hey! Thanks for saving me again.” Bo Peep grinned.

Jake chuckled and walked forward. “Guess it could become my new hobby.”

Captain America watched the two and smiled.

“I wouldn’t mind.” Bo Peep blushed and followed. “You need to go to Phoenix, right?”

“Yup.” Jake sighed. “I can’t drive for shit, so it should be funny.”

“I can drive,” Bo Peep responded.

“She can drive,” pointed Steve. 

Jake stepped back. “I… I’m not sure.”

“I’m really good at stuff!” Bo Peep ran in front of Jake. “I can fight, I can sing, I can take bullets at the back of the head-”

“Alright, alright.” Jake nodded. “But we’re just working together. Not friends.”

“Or we could be But-Buddies?” Bo Peep smiled.

Jake stopped in his steps. “Working acquaintances,” he retorted.

“Working partners?” asked Bo Peep with wide-open eyes.

The young man rolled his eyes. “Fine… We’re working partners.”

“Yeah!” Bo Peep jumped. “My name is Ben Cheung, by the way.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Did you just tell me your real name?”

“Well, I kind of broke in your house I think.” Ben scratched his hair. “Even if there was not really a door… So I thought it would be fair if I told you who I was.”

Ben clapped his hands. “Ta-da! Here’s the Sodomachine!”

Jake tripped. “The what?”

Bo Peep led Jake around a bike shed and gestured at a blue van with an orange floral pattern.

“A nice guy dressed in leather gave it to me because I was pretty,” Ben announced. “I found some funny-smelling needles inside, but I cleaned it.”

“Sounds great,” said Jake with a slight grimace.

Ben slid open the main door. “It has a mini kitchen, kind of cool, right?”

Jake stepped inside and asked, “You got all of this for being pretty?”

Bo Peep sat in the driver’s seat. “Well, I also saved him from people who thought he had a bundle of sticks,” he explained while he placed the keys in.

“You got an exciting life.” Jake sprawled in the passenger seat. “Can you gimme a ride back to my house?”

“Okey-dokey.” Ben pressed the brake pedal. “Let’s go for a back-ride in the Sodomachine!”

“Don’t-” Jake’s words the car launched and cut off his words.

“What’s a Sodomachine?” questioned Steve from the back seat.

The young man glanced at him. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

“Oh, you’re talking to your imaginary friend again?” inquired Ben.

Jake scratched his neck. “He’s... Well... He’s actually Captain America’s spirit.”

The RV braked while Bo Peep’s eyes twinkled.

“You can see Captain America’s ghost?!” asked Ben.

Steve coughed a bit. “Um, non-alive person.”

“He prefers a non-alive person,” replied Jake.

“Wow!” Ben lowered his window and yelled at a nearby ambulance, “Hey! I got a non-alive Captain America on my back seat!”

The paramedics stared at Ben.

“He’s joking!” Jake simpered. “Let’s go, now!”

Bo Peep drove on again while the young man eyed at his wheelman. Their big ringlets were brushed back and revealed Ben’s porcelain complexion. The moonlight shone on his peach eyeshadow and faded clementine lips. Their high neckline drooped and revealed a neck guard under it. Jake plucked at the chair when his eyes went down on the bow at chest-level on Ben’s dress.

“Don’t look here!” he thought.

Bo Peep’s elbow-high flamingo-colored gloves were themselves covered with fingerless tactical gloves. On closer view, their ruffle skirt was in fact a skort. Under it, there was a garter blade pocket of a material similar to the corset. 

Jake’s eyes went up toward Ben’s upper body. Steve phased his hand across the brunette’s hair.

“That’s no way of lookin’ at a woman!” he reprimanded.

The young man grunted. “I wasn’t looking at her chest!”

“They’re D-size breasts,” stated Bo Peep. “You think they’re too big?”

The young man glanced away. “Huh…” He brushed the back of his neck. “They’re fine.”

“Thanks!” Ben grinned. “You know, one out of three people would be distracted by my breasts before we fight, so I thought about picking a bigger size, so when I move the jiggling would distract them even more, but then it would be harder to move around.”

“Yeah...” Jake looked around. “I get that problem all the time...”

Jake and Captain America gawked at them with wide eyes. “Huh, my house’s right here. You can park,” said the young man.

“Alright.” Bo Peep stopped the car. “I’ll get some fuel, there are a lot of gas stations in your town for some reason.” 

Jake wrinkled his eyebrows. “Don’t chat too much.”

Ben hopped out of the seat. “I’ll be careful.”

“I didn’t say that,” replied Jake.

“Right, but you thought it.” Bo Peep giggled and exited the vehicle.

“I’ll be guarding the RV meanwhile,” informed Steve. “I’ll just shout ‘There are bad guys around the car!’ if somethin’ happens.”

Jake watched Ben leave before he did so too. His house stood in front of him. The night sky cast hues of blue. It smelled of dust and rain. A large slash scarred the front porch. The young man walked over its charred edges and observed the wrecked first floor. Chains laid down on the dirtied carpet around the empty chair where his father once was. Chips of wood and shattered glass had blown here and there. Broken dishes and cutlery decorated the kitchen. The son bent one knee and picked up photography of his father with his two-year-old self. 

The young man climbed up the staircase and headed inside his room. Once there, he grabbed a backpack and stuffed it with a few clothes from his closet. Then, he removed the cover of his coding book and revealed a leathery book inside with a golden eye mandala at its center. Jake also packed it inside his bag and left the bedroom. 

“Jake!” Ben shouted from the lawn.

The young man ran downstairs, then outside. 

“What’s going on?” asked Captain America.

“Look,” Ben pointed up.

Massive nimbus gathered in the sky and blasted each other with crimson-colored lightning. Soon, the thunderclaps crossed with each other and multiplied. Red bolts shaped eye sockets and a mad smile stretched between the black clouds like vermillion inkblots. Nuclei and nexuses of electricity swelled and connected spider webs of energy. Thunder rumbled and warped into hellish laughter. The face of the storm spread all over the sky and onto the horizon. It stretched and blanched into a translucent veil.

On the other side, a flock of birds flew by. Suddenly, they stopped and perched in the sky, just like in Jake’s nightmare.

Chapter Text

Jake observed the crows nested in the sky. Their caws amplified into a fuzz that pecked at the young man’s brain. He stumbled and held his head. 

“Jake, are you okay?” asked Ben.

“Oh no, it’s happening again.” Steve walked in front of him. “Listen to me, kid, try to picture yourself on a sunny beach.”

The wind blew gusts at them as one of them struck a store chime with feathers and a silver wolf head. The jangle resonated with the caws into a metallic scrape, as if his skull scraped a metallic surface. A bat burst out of broken roof tiles while its sight compressed and inflated permanently. Pages of a newspaper and a flyer of Clowntown spun around him. Pictures of clowns, Bigfoot, and words from the obituary contorted. Jake closed his eyes and fell to the ground.

The noises stopped.

The young man’s senses were numb until a smooth material touched the left part of his body. A perfume of vanilla and pepper tickled his nostrils. The sound of a soft sizzle and its end opened Jake’s eyes. Captain America’s skeletal face was right in front of him.

“You okay, kid?” he worried with an ethereal voice.

“HOLY!” he jumped out of the bed.

Steve’s face turned back to normal. “What’s wrong?”

“Your face... It was like a corpse seconds ago,” said Jake.

Jake rubbed a bit of the chocolate polyester before he laid on and pushed himself up. He sat down and observed the rectangular windows and seats close to him. He was inside Bo Peep’s van. 

“What happened?” questioned Jake.

“No idea. As soon as you were out cold, so was I,” replied Captain America.

Jake covered his eyes from the sunshine cast through the opened main door. He followed the scent of warm sugar outside.

“Backe, backe Kuchen,” hummed a soft-spoken voice. “Der Bäcker hat gerufen...”

Jake edged to the back of the vehicle. Trees from a nearby forest let ferns drift toward them.

“Zucker und Salz, Butter und Schmalz-”

“Who the fuck are you?!” yelled Jake.

A figure of the same size as the young man jumped and vaulted on the other side of a portable kitchen. They glared at with their brown eyes, swiftly grabbed a knife, and pointed it at Jake.

“Oh, it’s you, Jake.” They let go of the bladed instrument. “You scared me.”

They brushed their medium black hair while two wild side strands and a ponytail at the back swung. Then, they relaxed their oak wood beige-skinned face. 

“How do you know my name?” questioned Jake.

“A German!” Steve took a stance. “Must be one of Hydra’s agents!”

The young man side glanced at him.

Captain America drooped his shoulders. “Sorry. Tried to joke, that was insensitive... Sorry.”

The slender young man grinned. “It’s me, Ben.”

“What?” Jake tilted his head. “You’re…” He gawked at Ben.

They wore a black shirt and pants of the same color with a white vest over it

“I’m a guy,” he answered.

Steve eyed him. “Holy Mary, Jesus, Joseph, Saints, Angels, and the Wise Men...”

“I apologize for the confusion.” Ben frowned. “I know it may be impolite, but I like to keep my gender a secret when I become Bo Peep.”

Jake stared at his interlocutor. “So that’s why you wear a dress and a wig?” 

Ben nodded. “I like to have on a bulletproof cap and a bulletproof breastplate.” He opened a can of jam. “And I get to wear cute dresses.”

Jake leaned against the van. “Uh-huh.”

“I’d like to apologize again.” Ben used the knife to spread strawberry jam on a toast. “I’ve run out of eggs and bacon, so there are only desserts for breakfast.”

“I love apple pies!” rejoiced Steve before his fingers phased through the dessert. “Oh. Dear God...”

“No worries.” Jake picked up a gingerbread man and took a bite. “Hmm, good job.”

Bo Peep’s left eye turned yellow. “Really? Thank you!”

Jake furrowed his brows. “Huh… Why’s your right eye normal?”

Ben flinched and looked at his face with the knife blade. 

“Ach.” He chuckled. “I forgot to put my other lens on.”

“Your other lens?” asked Jake between two munches.

“I wear brown lenses since my eyes tend to change color.” He handwaved at himself. “I don’t think a lot of people have chameleon eyes, so it’s better for my secret identity.” Ben nibbled a toast.

“That’s smart. You should wear a costume too,” suggested Captain America.

Jake grunted. “I’m not a superhero, I don’t wear costumes.”

“Ach, I’ve been talking about myself so much, sorry for my lack of manners.” His eye became blue. “How do you feel?”

“Um…” Jake touched the back of his neck. “Fine, fine. Got a headache but it’s doin’ better.”

Ben smiled. “Good.” He cleaned the tiny kitchen with a napkin. “I was worried because you fell in the middle of the street.” His hands stopped. “I thought…” He picked up another toast. “By the way, I had to carry you back inside the van, which means I had to put my hands on your body.” Ben looked down. “I hope it doesn’t bother you we’ve been in contact.”

Steve elbowed him. “He was worried about you.”

Jake shook his head slowly. “No, don’t worry.” 

“I’m happy about it.” He glanced away. “I’ve also thought it would be a good idea to drive a bit. So we would be closer to Phoenix.”

“Oh yeah, good decision,” approved Jake.

“Thank you.” Ben joined down his hands together. “Well, I encourage you to bring as much food as you want inside.” He took a quick breath. “So you can eat while I drive.”

Jake stuffed his arms with desserts. “Makes sense.”

“Oh, but you can take your time. I’ll have to get ready myself.” Ben fiddled his fingers. “I just thought I should tell you this first to be polite, but I didn’t realize that this sentence would cancel the other.” He brushed his hair. “Does it make sense?”

Jake shook his head. “Not really.”

“Ach…” Ben’s hands fell. “Just take your time to eat and when I come back, you can bring the food inside.”

Jake chuckled. “Alright.”

Ben slightly waved and left. 

“You know Jake, you could use more niceness with other people,” said Steve.

“And you could use quieter,” retorted the young man. “I’m tryin’ to eat in peace.”

Once he was done with his toast, Jake glanced at a radar speed sign at the edge of the road. The young man aimed his left hand at it and balled his fingers. He watched the LEDs under the Your Speed message. His brows furrowed and his fist trembled. A diode lit up, then another, and all of them. Steve watched the scene with an ajar mouth.

Caw!

Jake leaped back. A crow had just flown right by him. The black bird was on the speed sign which now had the number 15 flickering on.

“Ready?” asked a silvery voice.

Jake looked to his right. Ben was back in his Bo Peep attire. The former took a glimpse at the radar. The crow had disappeared, and the sign turned off.

“Um, yeah, let’s go,” he replied.

He followed the doll-like person in the van and they both sat down on their respective seats. As soon as the drive began, the trees became more sparse in the landscape while cactuses replaced them. 

“You have powers, that’s amazing!” praised Captain America.

Jake rolled his eyes and turned on the radio.

“... Many flights had been canceled because of the anomaly which has taken over Arizona…” informed the radio presenter.

Jake’s neck tipped against his seat. He leaned forward and turned up the volume.

“... While it has been rumored that the event was unrelated to what happened to Westview, no official announcement has been made yet.”

Jake crossed his arms. “Guess Professor Hulk won’t be here to smash his way in.”

“Hey, a bit of respect!” shot down Steve. “The kids love him.”

Ben pursed his lips. “Jake… I was wondering.” He lolled his head. “Are you a superhero?”

“What?” Jake’s eyes darted to the left, then to the right. “I-I’m not a superhero.”

“Oh.” Bo Peep stared back at the road. “I assumed since you did some magic stuff before...”

Jake turned his head at the passenger window. He lifted his upper arm against his forehead to cover himself from the intense light. Sunshine reflected against the chalk-textured sands. The clouds vanished from the sky as if it was the upside-down Dead Sea. Miles away, a lurid bestial figure glinted. It was an old white carousel horse. Progressively, more and more merry-go-round horses appeared in the desert; fissured, maimed, and impaled. 

Steve furrowed his brows. “I got a bad idea...” 

“Look, there’s someone!” pointed Ben.

Jake gazed at the left and his eyes opened wide. 

It was a clown.

Its balding neon green-haired head turned toward them. Black makeup swallowed its irises. Whereas the white paint on its face and its lilac lipstick melted on a Victorian ruffle collar. He wore a scarlet bodysuit spotted with yellow dots, but also tattered. As the car got closer, two voids deepened on its visage. It had no eyes.

Steve slowly shook his head. “Oh... No.” 

The car stopped and Ben lowered his window.

“That’s a terrible idea,” commented Captain America.

“What are you doing?!” questioned Jake.

“It’s okay,” whispered Bo Peep before he looked at the clown. “Hi, do you need a ride?”

The clown stood still in front of them. Its lips paint winced into a depressed grimace while dust blew into the empty eye sockets. At a slow pace, it moved its head to the left and the right. Next, its mouth opened and revealed a lack of tongue before a harsh growl came out of it.

Eeeaaaagggggghhhhhh…

Ben stared at the clown. Then, he raised the window and stepped on the gas. 

Bo Peep used his right arm to sweep sweat off his forehead. “Let’s put on something to forget about this.”

Ben changed the radio station and accordion music played.

“Hello everybody, my name is Verka Serduchka,” sang an androgynous voice. “Me English, Nicht versteht. Let’s speak dance.”

“Sieben, sieben, ai lyu-lyu. Sieben, sieben, eins, zwei.” carolled Ben with the song.

“Is that what you kids play in clubs?” wondered Steve.

Jake gaped at Bo Peep. “What the hell is that?”

“Oh.” Ben turned down the volume a little. “It’s a hit song from Ukraine. I… I think it won Eurovision a few years ago.”

“Eurovision?” Jake raised an eyebrow.

Bo Peep griped at his chest bow. “You don’t know Eurovision? It’s like the European Super Bowl.”

“Eurovision, huh?” Steve rose an eyebrow. “I’ll ask Bucky about this.”

Ben seized the steering wheel and clenched his jaw. The car quaked while metal scraped against the road and screeched into a fiendish whistle. Jake grasped his belt and the dashboard cover with the other hand. Ben stepped on the brakes and the car rasped until it stopped.

The two young men got yanked forward by the halt and used their forearms to cushion the impact. They stepped out of the vehicle.

“Careful.” Bo Peep pointed down at the road.

Shards of glass lied on the road while others stabbed the tires. On the other side of the road, small translucent Ferris wheels figurines were lined up.

“We got trapped,” noted Captain America.

Jake glared at the figurines before he headed back inside.

“Jake, what are you doing?” wondered Bo Peep.

Jake drew a knife out of its holder. 

“We’re in deep shit, so I’m arming myself,” replied Jake.

Ben shook his head. “You can’t-”

“Why not?” Jake asked.

“It’s a carving knife.” Ben handed him a chef knife. “This one lasts longer in fights.” He took the other knife. “Also, slashing is better than stabbing.” The boy gestured a thrust with the blade. “You could lose your grip if you stab, so only do it when you have to, and aim your slash at sensitive parts like wrists or the throat.”

“He’s right,” added Steve with a thumb up.

Jake gawked at him. “Uh-huh…”

Bo Peep, then went to the back of the car where was a case. Once there, he opened it and put out a long metal staff. It was shaped into a slight S, with more curves on the hook at the top. 

“Wow... Not bad,” noted Jake, slack-jawed.

Bo Peep brandished the staff. “It’s my magical crook.” He grinned. “It’s also very useful to get stuff when you don’t want to move.”

“Strange, I swear I saw something like that before?” wondered Steve.

Jake observed Ben’s weapon before he looked down at his knife. Then he followed the latter outside. 

“So, I think we should think about the potential threats we could face,” suggested Bo Peep as they walked.

Jake rubbed his neck. “Well… Killer clowns?”

Ben nodded. “Killer clowns from space.”

“Reptilian killer clowns,” proposed Jake.

“Reptilian killer clowns from space,” added Bo Peep.

“Clowns who hate America,” suggested Steve.

They both chuckled and glanced at each other.

Suddenly, Ben tapped Jake’s right shoulder and pointed forward. There was another carousel horse with a red balloon strung to its pole. Behind it appeared a large sign with Carefree written on it. They followed the road until a series of perfect lawns, white picket fences, and pastel houses came into sight. The two of them got closer to the suburb and many people came out of their homes at the same time. They waved at them with huge smiles plastered on their faces. 

Ben waved back at them. “I’ve never seen people being so polite.”

“Look at their pride in being American,” Steve with a salute. “Green lawns, their faces filled with joy, the expression of agony in their eyes screaming for- Oh.”

“We get new tires and get the hell away from here,” muttered Jake as he clung to his knife.

“Hi everyone, I’m a superhero and he’s my working partner.” Bo Peep pointed at Jake. “We need new tires, could you help us?”

“Psst!” A kid gestured at them before he ran into a dark alley.

“You think we should follow him?” asked Ben.

“I rather deal with one creepy kid over a town of smiling zombies,” answered Jake.

They headed inside the alley and encountered a teenage boy with a tinfoil helmet. 

“Uh, nice hat,” complimented Captain America.

“Why are you wearing that thing?” Jake pointed at his head.

“It’s protecting myself against the mind-control guy,” answered the teen.

“Mind-control?” 

“Two weeks ago or something like that, a circus has appeared and people have been acting like total weirdos,” he told them.

Jake narrowed his brows. “Listen, we just need new tires, I’m sorry but-”

“You don’t want to help him?” Ben asked as he hunched.

“It’s not our problem.” Jake put his hands on his waist.

“You’re just like the others.” The teen’s shoulders slumped, and he turned around.

Steve shot daggers at Jake, who observed the boy as he walked away. The former’s face untensed and he sighed.

“Fine…” Jake grumbled. “Tell us how we can help.”

The teen twinkled a little. “The shopping mall, the people from the circus have gone inside and they’ve never left.”

“Let’s go to the mall, then…” 

“Son, there you are…” a cold voice called from the other end of the alley.

The three of them looked at the source of the noise. A raven-haired woman with an orange jacket ambled toward them with outstretched arms. The faint rays of light in the alley only shone on her wide smile while her brown eyes merged with the obscurity.

“Mom?” wondered the teen.

She stared at them with unblinking eyes and her lips contorted from ear to ear.

“Come to us, Sam. We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she said with a robotic voice.

Jake stepped in front of the teen. “That’s not your Mom.”

“There are more of them,” declared Ben.

Behind them, a little girl in an azure school uniform tottered with the same grimace.

“Become one of us, big brother,” the teen’s sister said.

Captain America balled his trembling hands and pushed back the mother a little. Peep used his crook to give her mild sweep to the side.

“This way!” 

Ben wielded his staff against the mother and her daughter. Jake and Sam ran out of the alley while Bo Peep and Steve shielded them. They arrived in front of a series of garages as people came out of other alleys. A dozen of them limped toward them, then a score, then fifty of them. Short, tall, youth, elders; all of them with a distorted smile. Steve swung his fists at them. Some hit them down while others phased through them. 

Purple smoke and slimy energy came out of Jake and the teen. It produced deep vibrations akin to an abysmal theremin and enveloped Bo Peep’s crook. 

“Jake, take the kid with you.” Ben bobbed at a small opening to their left. “Run as far as you can.”

Jake nodded and frowned. “Be careful.”

Ben grinned at him. “Thanks.” He glared back at the mob. “Go!”

Jake grabbed the teen by the arm and they raced forward. 

Bo Peep lifted his crook and shouted, “MAGICAL SPLASH FEAR!”

He hit the ground with the end of his staff and an explosion of purple light detonated and blinded the entire area. Jake closed his eyes and stomped his shoes as fast as he could. When his sight came back, he glanced back at Ben. Steve punched at the citizens, but his hands were now immaterial. A laugh resonated from a roof. An undead cowboy watched them.

“Haha, your ghost powers are worth spit when I’m around,” derided Greylight.

Bo Peep swung his crook against the crowd, which constricted him. Jake let go of the teen and stopped.

He stepped toward the former, but the other Jake shouted, “We hafta go!” the teen pointed to their left. 

More zombified citizens prowled in their direction. Jake ground his teeth before he sprinted away with Steve. The three of them raced between a blurry mist of faces. They sweated and smacked their feet against the concrete. Once at a slope, they slid and rolled down. 

“Here,” mumbled Jake between two gasps for air.

They snuck behind a colonial statue, which had been degraded with a buffoon attire. 

Steve sighed. “I’m sorry... If I was still alive I could’ve...”

“Fuck,” swore Ben as he punched the statue.

“My mom would have shot lasers at me if I said this,” laughed teenage Jake.

“My dad would have told me how I could get fired for this,” replied the young man.

“Watching your language’s important,” added Captain America.

The teen stared down at the ground. “I miss mine…” 

Jake’s smile faded as he looked at the teen. “Your dad, he…”

“He has disappeared weeks ago…” The boy lied against the pedestal. “The cops said he prolly ran away, but…” He closed his eyes. “My dad said a lot of weird stuff, but he would never leave us… If he was here, I’m sure he would have done everything he could to save Mom and Lynn.” 

“Poor kid...” said Steve.

Jake patted the teen’s back. “Jake, we’ll get your family and my partner.”

Teenage Jake nodded. “Call me Alex, that’ll be easier.” 

All of a sudden, the music of trumpets and drums played. Jake and Alex scanned the empty surroundings and slunk toward a movie theater. They edged around its outside walls and arrived in front of the shopping center.

A colossal stripped rainbow circus tent towered on its roof. 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” boomed a soprano voice from the sirens set on lamp posts. “Welcome to the Circus of Delights, where dreams and nightmares come true!” he laughed. “Forever, until the end of times.”

Chapter Text

Carefree Shopping Center overtopped the whole town. A stone sign had carved its past name, which was now covered by the graffiti Maynard’s Circus. It was a massive gingerbread house of bricks and glass. Swarms of eccentric figures surged inside the building; witches, werewolves, aliens, cowboys, human-sized animals…

“So, how do we get inside?” questioned Jake.

“We could walk through it?” suggested Steve.

“You’re the only one who’s a ghost,” replied Jake.

“Who you’re talkin’ to?” wondered the teen.

Jake scratched his hair. “Captain America... It’s a long story.”

Alex stared at him before he pointed at a man in a rabbit suit. “We need gold tickets. Only people with one can enter.” He glowered. “And the weirdo who boss around the circus only accepts costumed people.”

Jake looked at the movie theater. “I think I got an idea.”

The two of them walked in front of the theater's glass facade. Its other side showcased mannequins dressed with outfits related to movies.

“Ah, movie theaters, nothing can beat them,” noted Steve.

“What about the burglar alarm?” asked Alex.

The young man smirked. “No problem.”

“C’mon kid, you can do it!” encouraged Captain America.

Jake aimed his clenched fist at the movie theater and winced.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Are claws supposed to come out of your hand or something?”

“Um.” Jake shrugged. “I think I turned off the alarm.”

The teen put a slingshot out of his pocket. “Time to test this, then.”

He picked up a rock and shot it through the facade. No noise occurred.

“Wow, it worked!” yelped Jake. 

Alex shot a few more rocks until the whole facade was mostly shattered. After that, Jake stole a pirate outfit, while Alex put on a space soldier attire. They both forced a smile on their faces as they strolled toward the crowd at the mall.

“But we don’t have tickets?” noted Alex.

“Not yet,” replied Jake. “Cover your ears and walk quickly.”

The young man tightened his headscarf on his ears. Then he balled his hands and glanced at one of the sirens above. Veins pulsated on his arms while the music got louder and kept on its crescendo. Everyone around crouched and held their heads. Some tickets fell from their hands, with two being snatched by Steve. Since he was invisible to them, it was like a breeze of wind that hovered them to Jake. The young man and the teen bolted between the troubled queue.

“Good job, Jake. I have a good feeling about this,” cheered Steve.

As soon as the siren stopped, they returned to their slow walk. Progressively, the shadow of the circus tent consumed its visitors. At its entrance, a sheriff checked the tickets while his deputies guarded them. The middle-aged man grinned at them and inspected the tickets. Jake gulped as the sheriff read every letter. All the deputies eyed them. The sheriff raised his head and thrust his gaze deep inside Jake’s pupils. The man’s smile extended until its skin creased and peeled off his gums. His large hands ripped the pieces of paper in half and dropped them.

“You can enter,” he told them as he took a step to the side.

Jake bobbed his head and ambled forward.

“Wait.” The sheriff gripped Jake by the wrist. “Enjoy the show.”

“We will,” replied Alex.

The smiling man watched the teenage boy, then moved to Jake. He released the latter and turned around. The young man let go of his breath and headed inside the shopping center with Alex and Steve.

Percussions tremored while some brass instruments shrieked. An array of benches and chairs had been placed in rings in the mall's hall. Stage lights cast beams amidst the darkness that had taken over the place. The two upper floors encircled them and left around the opening as if the mall was a coliseum. Jake and Alex sat in the back row just before everything went off and silent.  

A single white flare shone on a glass case high in the air. Inside there was a man with a velvet top hat with a spiral brooch. He straightened his green tailcoat while a cherry picker pulled him down from the third floor. LED garlands strung to the platform flashed against his round sunglasses. 

“Heroes and monsters!” he announced with spread arms. “You are about to step into a land of dragon-men and princesses! Fiction or reality?! Heaven or hell?! It’s up to you to choose… Just remember.” He smirked. “There’s no shame in being scared.”

He snapped his left fingers and more beams shot down from atop as the music blasted back. Imp-like demons spat fire, bodies tied to aerial hoops swung around, cannons from the second floor shot people who landed and crashed downstairs.

“She has petrified Medusa and charmed the Hydra!” declared the ringmaster. “Coming from the deepest regions of the burning Amazonian forest, behold the snake lady, Esmeralda!”

An amber light illuminated an apple tree with a woman perched on it. She brushed her red finger waves and rubbed her scaly hands across her gown made of leaves. Her eyes opened and revealed slit pupils. Sharp fangs protruded out of her mouth, her tongue came out, covered in horny rings, and rattled. 

“An old tale once narrated the story of a fair maiden who met a frog. The beast promised to her he was a king and tricked the girl into a true love kiss… Guess not every dream come true.” He chuckled. “Cower in fear as you meet the Toad Queen, Morticia!”

A dark blue beam irradiated a woman with long black hair and lanky limbs of abnormal size. Her palmed hands and feet oozed mucus. 

“They say that only strong people carry heavy burdens. Well, what if some of them carried the burdens on their faces? Able of lifting fifteen bulls. Hold your breath in front of the strong man, Rajar!”

A green light cast upon a burly man with a beer belly. His head was disfigured into one of an elephant with a trunk for a nose. A mime makeup stressed his traits, while red paint glistened at the end of his tusks. There was a leopard skin draped around him.

“Last but not least. A beauty so angelic that doves cry at its sight. Our newest addition, right out of the nursery rhyme, Bo Peep!”

Jake lost his smile as a golden light shone upon a trapeze. Sascha was up there and danced on the roped bar. His face had the same frozen grin as the other zombified townspeople.

“Oh, God...” Steve winced a bit. “They got him.”

“Jake,” whispered Alex. “Smile!”

Deputies in the hall looked at Jake and walked toward him. A red light shot at the latter.

“My, my, my,” purred the ringmaster. “A mouse in the lion’s den?”

The young man and Alex leaped back as the audience stood up. The teenage boy grabbed his slingshot and aimed it at them. Jake raised his hands and aimed them at the stage lights. His fingers trembled as he focused on them. The mob narrowed on them, closer and closer. Jake’s heart pounded against his chest. One of the beats coincided with the explosion of the stage lights. Blackness wrapped around them. Alex grabbed Jake by the sleeve and yanked him.

“Follow me!” urged Steve. “I can see without the lights on.” 

Steve’s supernatural form glowed a little to Jake.

“Cap knows where to go!” shouted the young man.

The two of them ran in the dark. Footfalls echoed on every side, and silhouettes spun around them. 

“Get these roaches! GET THEM NOW!” shouted the ringmaster.

A loud thump sounded while a gust of wind blew at them. Steve opened two doors on a stairwell. Jake pushed Alex first and took a glimpse behind. A stampede hunted them down.

“Run! Run!” urged the young man.

They climbed and leaped the steps. At the bottom of the stairs, an overflow of people burst in and crawled up, which Captain America tried to contain with ghostly kicks and punches. Jake dashed as the best as he could until his right ankle got stuck. He tripped forward and peeked at his legs. A viscous tongue was latched onto him. Under them, the toad woman tugged at the young man as she mounted the stairs. 

“Eat this, Kermit!” yelled Alex as he shot a rock at her.

The stone hit Morticia in one of her eyes and she growled. Her tongue flailed around before Steve wrapped his massive arms around her. She let go of Jake who escaped. The young man elbowed another set of doors and they crash through it. Now on the second floor, they witnessed a strongman on the ground floor who threw poles up. Small beams shone through the holed circus tent.

Hissss…

The two of them gazed at their left. The snake lady slunk toward them as she licked her venom-dripping teeth. Suddenly, the doors behind them slammed open.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” cursed Jake as he darted with Alex to the other side.

Morticia jumped in and whipped her tongue at them. The young man shoved Alex out of the way and stumbled out of her range. He glanced at the grocery store next to them called Rocketpunch Market and they went in. Alex grabbed a can of tomatoes and slingshot it at the toad woman. It struck her in the other eye and she wailed. Blinded, she threshed toward the grocery store and fired her tongue at them. Her fleshy organ smacked a gondola while Jake reached his hands at the shutter. He waved his fists to the floor, and the door rolled down on her head and she collapsed, unconscious.

The snake lady crept next to Morticia and observed them with her scaled smile. Jake glared at her while she cracked her neck. Esmeralda’s collarbone twisted as her neck elongated and went up. The young man scanned the room and noticed a vent.

“She’s coming in!” Jake gestured at the vent.

Alex ran through the shelves. “We need garlic or-or vinegar!”

Jake tilted his head. “What?”

“Snakes hate these things!” shouted the teen.

Rasps sounded from the shaft. Within the shadowy airway, two serpentine eyes appeared. The bolts on the vent quivered as something banged on its bars. With a thud, the vent bust open and the snake lady slithered her head in. Her mouth gaped open, and she rattled her tongue. Alex dug his hands all over the vegetable section as she undulated toward him and showed out her fangs.

“Hey!” called Jake.

Esmeralda gazed to her left at the young man. Her smile stretched, and she glided toward him. She drew her head back and snarled before snapping at Jake. The latter recoiled and threw cinnamon oil at her. It shattered against the snake lady, who flinched and coughed. She tried to move, but Steve phased through the floor and seized her body.

“You’re not going anywhere!” he said.

Alex picked up an onion crate and spilled it at Esmeralda. She wheezed and squirmed around before glowering at the latter. Her mouth opened wide, and she pounced on the teenage boy. Alex got tackled down on his back as he shielded himself with the crate. The snake lady’s fangs impaled the wooden case and were inches away from the teen’s throat. Jake glared at her and seized a bottle of vinegar. He raced at her and poured the bottle all over her hair. 

Esmeralda howled and thrashed her head around. She slammed her head against the ceiling and the walls until her eyes rolled back inside. Soon after, she passed out and fell.

“Where did you learn that?” wondered Jake.

“My dad taught me,” replied Alex with a slightly puffed-out chest.

Suddenly, the ground quaked. The two looked around the grocery store with wide eyes. Cereal boxes trembled and dropped off the shelves. 

Planks and cans flew as a massive figure charged through the wall. Even the fissured ceiling crumbled as pipes from upstairs bent down. The strong man came out of the smokes of his crash and lifted a whole gondola. With a growl, Rajar hurled at Jake and Sam. They sprung out of its way as the gondola struck the pipes and fissured further the ceiling. Steve clenched his fists and threw another shelf to the surface, which crumbled it.

“Alex!” Jake pointed at the curved upper floor up there.

The young man nodded, and they rushed toward the hanging ceramic flooring. Jake lifted the teenage boy who crawled up. The room shivered again as the mastodon directed its tusks at them. Alex pulled Jake by the sleeves as the latter thrashed his lower body around. Jake’s heartbeat sped up as the mastodon charged at him. Alex yanked up him and the young man’s soles grazed the strongman’s bald head. The two climbed the crevasse while Rajar growled and lunged at them. Because of his weight, the damaged part of the ceiling collapsed on him and knocked him out. 

Once on the third floor, Alex and Jake fell on their knees and gasped for air. They were now inside a locksmith store named Key-Trained Master, which had a crowned keyhole for a logo.

“Jake?” called a silvery voice.

Jake stared in front of him and saw Sascha. He glared at the latter and stood in front of Alex.

Chapter Text

“Don’t get any closer.” He aimed his knife at Bo Peep.

Ben lolled his head. “What’s wrong?” He lolled his head. “Did I do something wrong?”

“You’ve been zombified like the others, I saw that creepy smile you made!” shouted Jake.

Ben's eyes bugged out. “But I always smile like this.”

"And also, he doesn't have that zombie talk," added Captain America.

Jake huffed and lowered his knife. “Yeah, true.”

“I’m glad you’re safe,” expressed Ben with a small grin.

“You’re doing good too.” Jake smirked before he knit his brows. “How did you manage to avoid getting mind-controlled?” 

Bo Peep softly clapped his hands as his eyes gleamed. “I told him I was working with Jezebel.“ His eyes gleamed. “And also- When I was a kid, I used to sneak away to see Herr Getmann's Traveling Menagerie, it’s like a German circus which had a friendly rivalry with Maynard.”

“May… nard?” questioned Jake.

Steve rubbed his chin. "I know him! His father with his circus once tried to attack me!" 

"Oh, he's like the ringmaster?" asked Jake.

“Yup.” Ben tapped Jake's right shoulder. “Oh, and it’s not mind-control, he stole the souls of the townspeople.”

"How do you know?" wondered Jake.

Bo Peep put up his staff. “I've tried to use my empathic powers on the townspeople, but it didn't work, so their souls must be somewhere else.”

Captain America clapped his hands. "Prolly his hat! His father used it as a weapon." 

"Cap, think they could be inside his hat," shared Jake. “Since nobody can see you, you could just go to him and destroy hit hat?"

Steve saluted them. "On my way to ruin a mad man's dream." 

Steve raced away from them, but his chest's glowed with Jake's. They both dropped to their knees and groaned. Steve limped back to them and their bodies calmed down.

Ben held Jake. "What happened?"

"Argh, I... I think me and Cap have to stay near each other," theorized Jake.

Steve stood up. "Lemme try this again."

"Wait, Cap! N- AAH!" 

Steve sprinted away and the process repeated itself. He then came back and they eased up.

"So..." The young man panted. "That Maynard guy... He thinks you’re on his side?” 

“Yes, and I was thinking-”

“That we could pretend that you caught us?” proposed Jake.

"Sounds great." Steve raised an exhausted thumb.

Ben bounced a bit. “Exactly! How did you know?”

“I’ve played strategy games every two days,” replied Jake.

Ben’s face brightened. “Like war games?” 

Jake ran a hand through his hair. “Um, yeah, some of them.”

Bo Peep gasped. “Wow, that’s amazing.”  

Alex coughed. “Huh, my family still needs our help.”

“Right.” Jake rubbed his chin. “Bo, hit me.”

Ben covered his mouth. “What?” 

"I could hit you instead," suggested Steve.

“It has to be Ben. Maynard will trust him more if it looks like he knocked me out,” justified Jake. "And a punch from Captain America would prolly send me to the hospital."

Bo Peep’s brows drew closer as he moved up his fist.

"You sure you want me to hit you?" worried Ben.

"Yeah, go ahead," encouraged Jake.

Ben then closed his eyes and punched Jake.

Jake staggered and held his jaw. “Shit, fuck!”

“I’m sorry, sorry!” Ben rushed to him.

Captain America cringed. "Ouch, he got you good." 

“I’m okay, it’s okay.” Jake glanced at his nosebleed. “Let’s go.”

Ben nodded before he tore away a curtain from the wall and ripped it in half. Then, he wrapped each cloth into a loose tie around Jake's and Alex’s wrists. The three of them stepped out of the store and roamed around the third floor of the mall. They threaded between multiple mannequins wearing top hats, tailcoats, and canes. A hiss echoed from a nearby stairway as the snake lady and the strongman emerged out of it. On the other side, palmed hands came up on the glass balustrade. The toad woman mounted and crouched on it. The three freaks surrounded and observed them.

“I got them,” declared Ben as he held Jake with his right hand.

The creatures stared at the quartet before they eyed each other. The strongman walked behind them while Esmeralda grabbed Alex by the arm. Morticia crawled in front of them and groveled forward. Rajar growled until the quartet followed her.

They were led in front of a lamp store named Solarr Eden. Its shutter was rolled down with a velvety veil painted on it. The strongman knelt and lifted the iron curtain, its metallic click-clack mimicked a drum. As soon as the curtain revealed the interior of the store, rows of lamps lit up; mosaic lamps, lava lamps, aroma lamps… All of them had been pieced together into a throne with the ringmaster on it.  

Maynard smirked and gaped his eyes. “My word, the lost souls got found and brought to the circus king.” He looked at Ben. “Congratulations, I knew the shock of the betrayal would make them vulnerable.” A chuckle escaped his lips. “Now they can join our sweet family.”

Whereas, Steve snuck closer to Maynard.

“A family?!” Alex glared at him. “You’ve turned my family into zombies!”

“Who cares?” shrugged the ringmaster. “The only thing that matters is what the audience sees. They want the tale of a little mermaid, not the story of a girl who got her legs sawed off and replaced by a fish tail!” Maynard stood up. “They want magic, they don’t give a flying fuck whether it comes from heaven or hell itself!” He leered. “And this is what I’m making, magic.” 

Captain America ground his teeth as he slowed his steps.

"The souls are in here for sure!" he shouted. "I can feel its power tryin' to suck me in!"

Steve's ghostly form glitched as he got closer. Jake scanned the lights behind Maynard and grit his teeth. 

The ringmaster gestured at Esmeralda. “Bring the kid to me.” 

Alex wriggled as the snake lady pushed him forward. Whereas, Jake's face heated up while the lamps increased in power. The snake lady shoved the teenage boy down to his knees while Maynard moved closer to him.

“Hag, ralla hag,” chanted the ringmaster while his spiral brooch started to spin.

Alex winced and shook up as a luminous portal opened on his chest. Jake's heart pounded against his chest. His eyes looked daggers at the lamps which flickered and brightened more and more. Steve tore off a chandelier and hurled it at the ringmaster's hat.

“HAG, RALLA H-”

A ray of white energy pierced out of Alex and floated toward Maynard’s hat. Jake's brain tremored while electricity overflowed the lamps.

The ringmaster’s throne blew into a flash of light as a cloud of fire engulfed his hat. He shouted and smacked the flames off of it. Esmeralda ran to him, but Ben hit her with his crook while Steve wrapped his arms around the strong man. 

“NO!” 

Maynard’s hat dropped into his burning throne. The latter raced toward it, but Bo Peep’s staff flew at his legs, tripped him, and levitated back between Ben’s left hand. The ringmaster’s velvet crown went up in blazes and turned to ashes. Maynard’s hair turned grey as his skin wrinkled. Soon, his youth faded and he turned into an old man. 

The souls inside it escaped and hovered away. Some of them went back inside Maynard’s freaks, who groaned and shivered.

“Ugh, what happened?” moaned Esmeralda.

“My- my hands?! Why?!” screeched Morticia.

Rajar shook his head before he stared at the ringmaster. 

“Maynard?”  

The ringmaster outstretched his arms at them. “I can explain!”

Esmeralda snarled at him. “You! You’ve turned us into monsters!” 

“No, no!” Maynard’s smile trembled. “I’ve turned you into my perfect family.”

“I’ve already had a family!” screamed Morticia. “What my husband is gonna say when he sees what I’ve become?! And my son?!”

“You’re pregnant?” Maynard tittered. “I didn’t know…”

“Of course you didn’t, you bastard!” Rajar pointed at him. “It was always about you!”

The strongman, the toad woman, and the snake lady walked closer to the ringmaster. Growls, snarls, and hissing surrounded the ringmaster as he dug his hands inside his coat. 

“A-ha!” Maynard put a tiny parchment out of his chest pocket. “Now, you’re gonna follow my orders again!” He frantically read out loud. “Pater autem mendacium! Tolle animam meam!” 

The fire consuming the throne snuffed out while its smoke whirled. Red-wine lightning banged within the twister. Everyone but the ringmaster and Steve stepped back. Captain America stretched his arms and walked in front of Jake, Ben, and Alex.

“What’s happening?” asked Ben.

A cold fog invaded the place as a crimson wormhole materialized. An icy ghoul and a gigantic demonic knight stepped out of it, Greylight and Blackheart.

“You’re here!” Maynard smiled. “Take them, d-”

Blackheart gripped his left armored hand all over Maynard’s face. 

“Looks like you’ve won, brother.” Greylight lit up a cigar in his mouth.

“You let me win,” replied the knight.

Greylight blew smoke. “I frankly thought the clown would sell his soul.”

Dark scarlet thunderclaps shocked a screaming Maynard as he convulsed and squirmed. His body thinned until he was nothing but flesh on bones. Then, two antennas spurt out of his forehead as his skin turned pale amber. He shrunk down and down and disappeared under his clothes. His tailcoat fell miserably on the floor as a cockroach crawled out of it. Blackheart put up his right metallic boot above the bug. 

“Long live the circus king,” he said before he stomped the insect. 

Black energy floated out of the roach corpse and entered Blackheart. 

The knight then stared at Jake. “Jake, right?” He chuckled. “Were you hiding like a coward when I took your daddy’s soul?”

Jake charged at Blackheart, but Ben stopped him with Steve 

“Captain America's ghost's with them, brother,” said Greylight.

"Take care of him," ordered Blackheart.

Greylight puffed at his cigar and blew an icy cloud at Steve. Captain America knelt as the fog engulfed him. When it dissipated, Steve's skin and suit bore no injury and only his boots were slightly frozen. A ghostly version of his shield glinted in his right hand and blocked the rest of the freezing cloud.

"He's stronger." Greylight huffed and said, “Let's not waste our time on a dead man.”

Blackheart grunted. "Very well," he said before he glared at Jake. “I hope your soul's not as weak as your mind, mongrel.” 

The knight guffawed as he disappeared inside a blood-red tempest. 

Greylight tipped his Stetson. “Ladies.” He winked at Esmeralda.

The undead cowboy shuffled his way back inside the portal and it faded away. Jake clenched his fists and ground his teeth. Ben wrapped his hands around his left arm.

“We’ll save your father, I promise,” said Bo Peep.

"You can bet on it," added Steve.

“Thanks.” Jake smiled a little.

“Where are the circus guys?” wondered Alex.

"Oh, they're hiding inside the men's bathroom." Steve gestured to the left.

They looked around, but the freaks could not be found.

"Hey, can you hear me?" asked Steve. "They're inside the men's bathroom!"

"Guess they ran away," said Ben.

"Yeah, most likely," replied Jake. "Hey Cap, why are you so quiet?"

"THEY ARE INSIDE THE MEN'S BATHROOM!" he shouted!

Jake squinted. "Huh?"

"What's happening?" wondered Ben.

"He's opening his mouth wide and... putting his hands around it?" Jake lolled his head. "I think Cap's eating a ghost burger?"

Downstairs, people woke up, moaned, and removed their costumes. 

“Let’s check on them,” suggested Jake.

The quartet rushed down the stairs and ran past some confused werewolf cheerleaders or dazzled vampires. Once on the ground floor, Ben clapped his hands.

“Hi everyone! I’m a superhero named Bo Peep and this is my working partner.” Ben gestured at Jake. “You’ve all been turned into zombies by a circus, but a non-alive Captain America helped us destroy the top hat that controlled y-”

“SAM!” called a woman's voice.

Alex turned to his left with a tensed face. “Mom?”

His mother embraced him and cried. “Oh, Sam! I knew you would save us!”

“Not bad, Bilbo.” His little sister elbowed him.

“Mom, Lynn.” The teenage boy teared up. “I’ve missed you so much!” Alex hugged them.

Jake and Ben watched the family and smiled. After Bo Peep finished his summary of the events, the townspeople got rid of their costumes and walked out of the mall. The two young men followed Alex with his family outside.

“I’m coming back,” the teen told his mother before he ran to Jake. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Jake bent down on one of his knees. “By the way, is there anything we could do about your dad?”

Alex nodded and glanced down. “His name’s Jesse Alexander. He always talked about space stuff. I’ve never believed him before, but maybe… Maybe it has something to do with him disappearing.”

“Alright.” Jake bobbed to little Jake's family. “You should go back to your mom, I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about.” 

The teenage boy twinkled and raced back to his family.

“Someone’s a superhero,” whispered Ben.

Jake rolled his eyes and snickered. “I’m not a superhero.”

“If you say so, Brokeback Jake.” Bo Peep giggled and stepped forward.

“Stop calling me like that,” mumbled Jake with a blush. 

"You did a good job, kid," said Steve.

"Ah, Cap, in the mood to talk now?" laughed Jake.

"I was talkin'! You just couldn't hear me," replied Steve.

Jake put his hands on his waist. "Weird... I guess you used your powers too much or somethin'?"

"Probably..." Steve looked down. "Oh, and I saw where those guys from the freak show went at."

"Really? Wh-"

A man with a Bigfoot costume ran to Bo Peep. 

"Jesus!" He panted. "I just saw some monsters in the men's bathroom, they burst a hole through the wall and ran away!"

Steve looked down and rubbed his temples.

The citizens cleaned away the buildings and got rid of the circus bizarrerie. Whereas, the two young men strolled through the suburbs. They passed by a series of duplexes with white ladders garnished with flowers. As the dusk began, a humanoid shadow elongated on them among other silhouettes. 

Steve, Jake, and Ben looked at its source and found the desert clown staring at them. The jester howled and limped toward them. Bo Peep pointed his staff at him while Jake clasped his knife. The clown hollered and choked before he gaped his lips. He then coughed and spit maggots out of his mouth.

“Oh shit, fucking maggots.” The clown smacked his torso.

Jake lolled his head. “You can talk?”

“Guess now I can.” The clown thrashed around a little. “One sec’.” He hit the side of his head until two eyeballs rolled against his lids. “Nice, I can see you too.”

“Whaddya want?” questioned Jake with a glare.

“I just wanted to thank you.” The clown showed them one thumb up. “I’ve spent weeks haunting that asshole Maynard and someone finally kicked his selfish ass.”

“Why you didn’t help us then?” inquired Jake.

The clown gestured at himself. “I’m a fucking apparition, not a poltergeist! It’s already a miracle that you guys can see me…” He coughed again.

"Oh yeah, that's me." Steve pointed at himself with a puffed-out chest. "I'm a... poltergeist."

"Your Mom must be proud," replied the clown.

“Maybe you could have told us that Maynard put souls inside his hat?” wondered Ben.

“I wish! I’ve lost my tongue and eyes after a failed balloon animal trick at a Bar Mitzvah...” He panted. “Didn’t even get paid ‘cause I traumatized a few kids.”

“So…” Bo Peep walked forward. “How did you die”

“Long story short.” He rasped and wheezed. “After Maynard’s circus failed, we married and he became a shrink or whatever. One night, he told me ‘Gerry, what if we had a nasty dirty night of love with your old clown costume?’”

Steve winced while the clown cleared his throat.

“So he was on top of me.” He gasped for air. “And then- BAM! Pillow over my face and the bastard smother me to death.”

“Ach, I’m sorry,” muttered Ben with a frown.

“And all of this for a sacrifice in exchange for that cursed hat!” Gerry sighed. “I should’ve left with the sword swallower…” His body started to fade and levitate. “Anyway, now at least I can rest in peace and chat with Barbra Streisand.”

“But Barbra Streisand’s still alive,” replied Jake.

The clown opened his eyes wide. “What?!” 

A sudden ray of light flashed above the clown as the sun set. The ghost vanished while pastel hues filled the sky. The rest of them stood still with their mouths wide open.

“What a funny ghost,” Ben said with a grin.

“We should go back to the car,” added Steve.

The duo headed back to the outskirts of the suburbs. Their van was still parked near the Carefree sign. However, the sheriff and his deputies were around it. They pulled down the vehicle with a jack.

“Hey, our two heroes!” declared the sheriff. “We wanted to show our gratitude, so here are some free tires.”

Ben gasped. “Wow!” Ben gasped. “Well, thank you for the new tires.”

“And thank you for saving the town,” responded the sheriff.

“Thank you for thanking us,” added Bo Peep.

“It's-”

“Alright.” Jake pushed Bo Peep toward the car. “It was a pleasure, let’s go.”

“Thanks again!” Ben waved at the sheriff before Jake nudged him in the van.

Jake exhaled and sprawled on his seat. Meanwhile, Ben placed his crook on cough and pushed the car key in the ignition.

“You don’t want to sleep in the back of the van?” asked Ben. “It’s comfier.”

Steve stretched his arms all over the back seat and man-spread.

Jake crossed his arms behind his head. “I’m tired, I’d rather not walk for now.” 

Bo Peep moved the gear shift knob. “Is it okay if I talk to you?”

“No problem.” Jake closed his eyes. “If I don’t answer it means I’m sleeping.”

“I understand.” Ben started the car and drove away from Carefree.

"Psst." Steve leaned forward. "Say something to him!"

Jake peeped at Ben. “So you’re not gonna talk?”

“Ach, well I just wanted…” He adjusted his head bow. “I wanted to say that it was nice saving the town with you.”

“Yeah, it was fun,” mumbled Jake.

“Really?!” inquired Bo Peep with a bubbly voice.

Jake yawned. “Mhm.”

“This-this is- is good.” Ben shimmied a little.

Jake glanced at his partner and smirked while Steve put two thumbs up for him. He fell asleep as Alex’s town furthered in the distance with the sign Now Leaving Carefree, we’ll miss you.

Chapter Text

The van headlights shone on the dark road while it drove by succulents and sparse shrubs. A couple of bats would seldom fly by and distort the van beams. On the passenger seat, Jake flipped the pages of a book on his lap and observed it. Cuneiform symbols were inscribed on papyrus. The young man goggled at it as the characters blurred moved, and shifted into letters. Two by two, the characters switched places until they aligned as English terms, and the words rearranged themselves into sentences. An illuminated title wrote itself on the top of the page Appendix XIII. 

“Protection spells,” read Jake.“While intended to be used for defense, it can sometimes be employed to restrain or bound a target .” Jake leaned forward. “As explained before, the source of its energy impacts the manifestation or effects of the protection spell,” he pursued. “ Just like any type of spell, protection spell needs a trigger such as an incantati- ”

Ben yawned while Steve looked over Jake's shoulder.

"You know Jake, at your age, I was reading comic books. But I'm glad the people of your generation are invested in intellectual things like-" He squinted and. "Summoning a big-bosomed woman as a shield?"

Ben yawned louder.

Jake gazed at him. “You’re sure you wanna keep driving?”

Bo Peep brushed his eyes. “There’s a town nearby, I’ll park here.” He yawned again. “So we can get a room or something.”

Jake gawked at the latter. “Yeah… To sleep.”

"You know Jake when I was eighteen," Steve said. "I realized that I felt differently about girls and-"

"Cap!" Jake looked at him. "I'm twenty-one, I know what sex is!"

"I know what sex is too." Ben dozed off a bit. "It's before the five and... after the seven."

“You really need to sleep,” replied Jake.

Soon, they passed by a sign with a clock tower drawing and Mesa del Murciélago written on it. Jake drooped against the steering wheel before he snapped his body back against the seat. Another neon sign flickered in the night, Lazy Cactus Apartments. 

The van parked in front of the forest green motel as Jake turned off the lights inside the vehicle. The pair stepped out of the car and Ben locked it. All of a sudden, bursts of laughter sounded resonated from a nearby hostelry,  Last Call Bar. A group of young people strolled out of it. They were led by a blonde lady with straight hair and blue eyes. She stumbled because of her low back lace blueberry gown, but also her digging her hands inside her white skull purse. Her eyes wandered until they spotted Jake and aimed at him.

“Shit,” he muttered.

She waved at her friends before she walked closer to the duo.

“Jake?” she asked.

“Lissa?” responded the young man.

“Bo Peep.” Ben pointed at himself.

"Cap," said Steve as he raised his left hand.

Her brows furrowed. “Great, the last person I wanted to see.”

“It’s awkward for me too.” Jake sighed.

“Awkward?” Lissa lolled her head. “You’ve disappeared and one week later texted that you’re dumping me!”

Steve cringed. "Ouch, that's jerky of you."

“Listen, Lissa, I’m sorry.” He brushed his hair. “But now’s not the time.”

The young woman huffed. “Whatever. I don’t need your apologies.” She stormed away.

Ben waved at her. “Nice to meet you, Lissa!”

Jake watched Lissa leave with her group before he shook his head and stomped forward.

“Do you want me to talk so you can think about something else?” suggested Bo Peep.

Jake thrust his hands in his pockets. “I wanna sleep and get the hell out of this place.”

Ben stared at him as they headed toward the motel.

“Phallus.”

Jake scowled. “Wh-what?”

“It’s a word I use to distract people,” declared Ben.

“Ah, good to know,” replied Jake.

"You know Jake," said Steve. "In case you didn't know, a phallus is-"

"I'm twenty-one!" shouted Jake before he pushed the entrance door. 

The ringing of a bell sounded as they entered. At the counter, there was a bearded man with a Mallen streak and a smudged lipstick mark on his neck. His fitment was decorated with garlands of fake garlic while on it laid the Bobblehead figurine of a shirtless werewolf with green pants. 

“Guests!” He slammed down his hands on the counter. “Welcome to Mesa del Murciélago, the weirdest town in Arizona!”

Jake simpered. “We’re coming from a town zombified by a circus.”

"And I went Liverpool once," said Steve before he elbowed Jake. "Peggy, the kids, and I saw a pack of lions right in front of our car, inches from our faces. Man, that was crazy."

The manager extended his left hand. “The name’s Gerald and here’s my son, Franky.”

Gerardo gestured to the right, there was a small chair with a porcelain doll in a suit sat on it. The trio watched the doll with drooping eyelids.

“Hi Franky,” said Ben in a low tone.

“He’s a little shy but smarter than Einstein himself,” added the father.

Jake pursed his lips. “How much for a room?”

“You’re my first guests in a while, so how about forty dollars?” offered the manager.

"I got it guys" declared Steve. "I always keep a wallet near just in- Oh."

Ben put a wallet out of his garter. “Is it okay if I give fifty?”

Gerardo twinkled. “How kind of you!” 

Bo Peep handed the money to the manager who in exchange gave them a key. 

“Room 237?” noted Jake. “Is this an aesthetic choice or something?”

“No.” He shook his head. “This floor's only for the two hundred.” Gerardo grinned and pointed down. “The others are downstairs… For the ones who have sinned.”

The trio stared at him.

“Ha-ha!” Gerardo cackled. “You guys should have seen your faces! Was just messing with ya.”

“Uh-huh.” Jake nudged Ben to the right.

Steve phased through the floor.

"I'll spy around the motel just to be sure," he said. 

They plodded along the narrow hallway and its Hicks’ hexagon carpet. Its wooden walls were decorated with taxidermied animals such as a mounted cougar head with sunglasses or a mouse holding a straw with flour underneath. Jake opened their room which had two beds and a window. A small bathroom could be accessed to the left while the right had the picture of a tower struck by lightning. Jake flopped on his mattress and groaned.

Ben eyed inside his wallet and moaned. “We’ll have a little money problem.”

“Argh...” Jake covered his eyes with his left arm.

Bo Peep sat down on his bed. “You’re okay?”

“I’m exhausted,” groaned Jake. “It’s all so stupid… My dad had to move all over the country ‘cause of three demon assholes and for what?” He shook his head. “A kid lost his father and no one’s care, another thinks a doll’s his son… Everyone, everything… It’s just so stupid.”

“I didn’t find the time spent with you stupid.” Ben smiled.

Jake chuckled. “It’s because you’re always happy.”

“Not really.” Bo Peep stood up and pulled the curtain. 

Jake sat up and frowned. “What are you doing?”

He gestured at the sky. “Every time I’m sad I look at the stars or rivers, or flowers… Anything to think about something else.”

The young man strolled toward the window. “It’s just some lightbulbs in the sky.”

“And it’s beautiful to me.” Ben pointed at a nearby tree. “Dew on a spiderweb, leaves rustling in the wind, the reflection of the moon in a puddle of water... Nature doesn’t have to be beautiful, but it is” His eyes sparkled. “I think that sometimes a single distraction is all it takes to be free, to forget all the pain and sadness.”

Jake observed the tree. “That’s a nice way of seeing things.”

A certain weight dropped on his shoulder, Ben had fallen asleep on him. Jake smiled a bit and admired the night sky. His eyes closed as he spotted the stars one by one.

"It's okay guys, no dead bodies under the floorboards," Steve said as he came in. "Just a bunch of dead rats and-"

He noticed the two young men sleeping next to each other and smiled. Then, he grabbed a sheet and covered them with it. Jake drifted off and his dreams filled with constellations of bears, harps, and winged horses. 

His ears moved a little at the sensation of a sizzle while the smell of eggs tickled his nose. Jake opened his eyes and noticed pillows under his head and a blanket over him. Ben was near the oven, in his male attire.

“You’re awake,” declared Ben as he cooked. “The people from Carefree gave us some food, so we’re finally getting eggs and bacon.”

“Good to know.” Jake bobbed to the bathroom. “I’m gonna go take a quick shower.”

Jake stepped inside the other room and stripped himself. Once inside the cubicle, he sprayed himself with water and washed his toned body with soap. Then, he washed his face and when his hands uncovered his eyes noticed Steve's back.

"Cap?" he called.

Steve turned around and revealed a ghoulish face with green eyes and rotten flesh on his lips.

Jake jumped against the wall. "What the-"

Captain America's face returned to its normal form. 

"Hey, Jake, just found out I could do this, creepy, right?" said Steve.

"I'm taking a shower!" screamed Jake. "Why here?!"

"Well I didn't want to scare you in front of Ben," said Steve. "... Sorry."

Steve left and Jake walked out before he dried himself with a towel. As he rubbed himself, Ben’s voice echoed in his mind. After he put some spare clothes on, he came back inside the main room.

“Hey, Jake y-” Bo Peep looked down. “Did you get stung or something?”

Jake rose an eyebrow. “Huh? Is t- Fuck!” 

Jake grabbed a pillow and put it against his crotch area. 

"Oh wow." Steve widened his eyes. "I'll be waiting outside."

“You don’t have to be ashamed.” Ben served the breakfast and opened a magazine named Food Homosseur. “Look, it's called a boner."

Jake jerked back. "The hell? Where did you get that thing?!"

"I found it inside a shop at the mall," answered Ben. "I just found it so interesting. Did you know sixty-nine was more than a number?" He flipped a page and showed it. "Look, I had a dream where we did this together."

Jake choked on a sausage. “Can we talk about something else?!”

“By something else, do you mean a topic totally unrelated to me finding you so handsome that I want you to chain me to a bed like in the magazine?” asked Ben.

“Yes!” shouted Jake.

The raven-haired boy grinned. “Alright.”

"Psst." Steve leaned forward. "Say that he's handsome too."

"Aren't you supposed to wait outside?!" screamed Jake at him.

Steve left and they chatted about war video games before they finished their meals. Once done, they fully dressed up and left the room with Captain America. 

“Gettin’ ready for the parade?” greeted the manager, his neck still marked with lipstick.

Jake waved at him. “Hey, we’re leaving, actually.” 

“Leavin’?” Gerardo pulled a face. “That’s gonna be hard, the parade’s blockin’ the whole town.”

Jake swung his hands up. “Great.”

“I can give you a free tour of the town to kill time,” offered Gerardo.

Bo Peep bounced his feet a bit. “That would be amazing!” 

"Always up to discover more about our great country," said Steve.

Jake groaned. “Better than staying inside, I guess.” 

“En route!” announced Gerardo as he put on a cap with bat wings.

They followed the manager out of the motel. 

“You must’ve seen the Last Call Bar?” he gestured to the left. “Some people have said that the Hulk moonwalked here once.” Gerardo pointed at Ben’s van. “This van is rumored to belong to a couple of serial killers who would use dolls to murder people.”

“It’s our van,” replied Jake with a stern expression.

“I know.” Gerardo erupted in laughter. “Oh, the parade’s right here, c’mon kids, let’s go!”

The three of them hasted toward a crowd. Confettis and alcohol poured everywhere as parade floats drove down the road. A giant woman’s head with a cowboy hat led the procession.

“Arizona Annie, the fiery-tempered woman with no past!” presented the manager. “Now, here’s Arizona Kid! And Arizona Dad! Wow, that’s Arizona Dog, followed by Arizona State!”

“Are they all named after Arizona?” questioned Jake.

"What a beautiful celebration of the state," praised Steve.

Boos exploded from the mob as they threw rubbish at the next float. The figure of a woman draped in a black cloth passed in front of them. Two gnarled and birdlike legs crouched out of it while her pale arms covered her face.

“Die! Disappear!” shouted the crowd.

“Why are they doing this?” asked Ben.

Geraldo watched the macabre float. “It’s the Vampire Witch. When the town was founded, it was infested with bats and rabies. A local healer, Imelda, was thought to be at the origins of the epidemic.” Geraldo paused. “So the townspeople insulted and shunned the woman until she left and died in the desert.”

“That’s horrible,” noted Bo Peep.

“You tell me,” added the manager.

Jake's eyes drifted across the horde of people until they stopped on Lissa and her friends who were laughing at the witch. There were two guys, one with a varsity jacket and another with shaggy hair and a beer. The other girls were a young woman who had a scarf on and was writing in her book, and a skinny redhead in a green crop top. She gulped down a bottle of sangria while sweat dripped from her forehead to her shoulders. The girl leaned against a tree whose shadow merged with hers, giving the impression that branches grew out of her body. She limped away, but her shadow did not change, it was still bloated and dented. 

“Taylor?” inquired one of them.

Lissa’s friend started to growl and shiver while everyone darted their eyes at her. She let go of her bottle which fell and shattered on the ground. Her neck swelled as she choked. A mass of brown hair bulged out of her mouth with a squeak. 

Two small black eyes blinked between her teeth. 

Lissa screeched as the redhead vomited a cauldron of vampire bats. Her friend’s eyes lost their colors and dried. Her body sucked itself out of flesh and muscles until the skin tightened against the skin. The swarm of bats flew out of her emaciated frame and lunged at the closest people, Lissa, and her friends. Thus, Jake and Ben sprinted toward them. Jake picked up a plank of wood while Bo Peep whirled his staff at them. Whereas, Steve punched a bat who was catapulted into another.

“Andrea, watch out!”

Lissa shouted at a girl with glasses as a bat flew around her. The latter shielded herself with a book while Lissa smacked it away with her purse. The two guys next to them thrashed against the flying fiends. As soon as they hit the ground, the bats burnt under the sunshine and vanished into ashes. Near them lied Taylor’s skeletal and pallid green corpse, her shadow was back to normal.

“Shit, it’s under my shirt!” yelled one of the guys.

He clawed at his varsity jacket and flailed around, a bat crawled out of his collar and bit at his neck. Jake struck the beast off the jock, which calcinated like the others. However, the latter’s shadow had changed.

The silhouette of a bat rested on his left shoulder. 

Chapter Text

Steve, Ben, and Jake were in the van, they followed a blue Mazda driven by Lissa. Both cars parked in front of a series of three tall cacti with the monument sign Flowing Wells University. Lissa and the rest of her friends carried the jock out of their vehicle while the two young men stepped out of theirs.

His shadow was now infested by five bats.

“Shouldn’t he go to the infirmary, instead?” questioned Jake.

Lissa shouted, “Sure, the nurse must have a magic ice patch for supernatural bats!”

“Wow," exclaimed Ben. "I think she’s a med student."

"I don't think so, a magic ice patch would work better for a magic headache," replied Steve.

"Let's go already!" ordered Jake.

They trod as fast as they could to a brick-walled lodge with the Greek letters ΓΣΑ above it. Two cyan doors opened on sea salt walls and wooden floorboards. Lissa gestured to a couple of girls who sat on the soft-hued sofas. 

“Call the dean,” she urged them before she pointed at her friends. “Put Drake on my bed.”

Lissa’s group nodded at her and helped Drake walked up a curved staircase. The former straightened her sleeveless teal mint blazer dress. Then, she ambled toward a chair and lounged on it.

“Lissa, we-”

“Wait.” She rose her hand. “Gimme one second.” She screamed and tapped down her lilac stilettos.

Steve covered his ears and winced.

“Phew, you can talk to me now,” said Lissa.

Jake walked to her. “Lissa, we think we know what’s going on.”

“Someone made a deal with a demon and unleashed dark forces on the town,” added Ben.

“Makes total sense.” She lit up a cigarette and smoked it. “Crazy things have been happening lately, so at least that would explain one of them.” Lissa took a puff. “So what’s the plan?”

Jake crossed his arms. “If we find who struck the deal, we could fix what’s going on.”

“Have you seen the town?” Lissa shook her head. “These guys stone a witch every year. Any of them could be the culprit.” 

“Would anyone have a reason to kill… Tracy?” questioned Jake.

She curled her lips. “Taylor. And yes, many people. She was bitchier than a dog pound.” 

Steve frowned. "Language!" 

“What about Drake?” 

“Also a bitch,” she answered. “They only like me ‘cause my family’s related to some Transylvanian baron or somethin’.” Lissa glanced at Bo Peep. “Is that corset made of Kevlar?”

Ben looked down at himself. “Um, yup!”

Lissa smirked. “That’s bold, but a good choice.” 

“Thanks! I like your purse,” he replied.

The blonde girl put her right thumb up and went back to her cigarette. Whereas, Jake and Ben climbed the stairway. 

Bo Peep elbowed Jake. “Your ex-girlfriend’s rather nice.”

“Don’t call her like that.” Jake groaned. “And I’m sure she’s over it.”

"She's not over it," added Steve.

They turned around the hallway and walked in front of a collection of newspaper clippings about bullying or sightings of cryptids. There were also photographs of students, whose one of which caught Jake's attention. It was an old picture of the chemistry club called Witches of Endor. He goggled at a young woman in a lab coat and eerie black hair. Next to her, there was another lady with the same outfit, white hair, and a blue mark on her forehead.

"This woman with the black hair, she looks like..." Steve squinted. "Your mother?"

Ben approached. “Are you ok?”

“Um, yeah.” Jake took a snap of the photograph with his phone.

Bo Peep beckoned at the latter. “Could I ask you something?” 

“What’s the matter?” wondered Jake. 

“Well, I don’t know if it’s noticeable.” Ben pursed his mouth. “But I have a special link with emotions.”

Jake tilted his head. “Like an empath? 

"I've once met a guy who could emotions to teleport himself," added Steve?

“I think it’s different.” Bo Peep brought up his right hand. “May I?”

Jake nodded and Ben put his palm against the former’s chest. Bo Peep’s eyes turned blue as he harnessed out of Jake's energy of the same color, its matter was watery and ethereal matter while a faint music box-like lullaby played out of it.

 “I can guide emotions from one person and give them to someone else.” The superhero swayed his fingers and the energy glided by them. “And if I let go, it comes back home.” 

The energy went back inside Jake and he exhaled.

“To me, people are most honest while angry-”

“And you need my anger, so we can use it on them to get answers?” Jake glanced at Lissa’s room with her friends inside.

Ben clapped his hands. “Exactly!”

"You two are making a nice team," said Steve with a high chin.

Jake sighed, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. Memories of his past job at a fast-food flowed inside his mind, the endless travels from one town to another, Blackheart’s scornful tone. Ben extracted a fiery scarlet force out of Jake's heart. It twitched, fluctuated, and emitted a rumble similar to a company of ghosts playing war drums. The energy flew around Bo Peep’s arms as his eyes became red. The latter drew back his arms and released a choleric wave at the nearby room, it crept under the closed door and through its keyhole. 

“FUCK THIS!” a male voice shouted from the other side.

Bo Peep grinned at his partner. “I think it worked.”

The trio stepped inside and witnessed Drake wrestling with two of his friends. Their eyes had taken a crimson hue. The jock’s shadow had bloated and edged itself with a thorny outline.

“Lemme go!” Drake thrashed around. “I’m gonna kill her!”

“Who?” inquired Jake.

Drake shot daggers at him. “Lissa! She’s behind this! She arrived and shits have been going down!”

“Stop talking shits!” The other boy yelled at him.

“Go smoke some pots, motherfucker!” Drake responded.

The two young men tripped and crashed on the pastel floor. 

"These two swear like sailors," said Steve.

“Excuse me.” Ben tapped Andrea’s back. “But what’s the deal with Lissa?”

The young woman gazed at him. “They’re idiots, Lissa’s done nothing wrong! She’s here to make sure people like Drake and Justin stop messing with the other students.”

“It’s a bunch of craps!” Drake punched his male friend. “I bet Frank’s also behind this!”

Jake rose one brow. “Frank?”

“Yeah, Freaky Franky,” added Justin. “Everyone made fun of him and he just disappeared one day.” 

Bo Peep stared at his partner. “Franky,” he muttered.

Drake clawed at his mate’s back “Me and that cocksucker fucked a lot of people until that Lissa ruined it!” 

“Talk about cockblockin’!” Justin chuckled and fondled Drake.

The two young men groaned and moaned as they brawled each other. Andrea, Steve, Jake, and Ben observed them with wide eyes.

"That's not a proper way to wrestle," said Steve.

“I thought it would only make them angry,” mumbled Jake.

Bo Peep leaned forward. “Anger does make people more honest…” 

"I'll stay inside, perhaps they'll be more honest once you guys are out," declared Steve.

The three young people walked out of the room-filling with grunts and closed the door.

Steve phased out of the room. "Hum..."

"They've revealed anything?" whispered Jake.

"They sure did..." answered Steve as he gazed into the void. 

Andra sobbed hot tears as she peeped at the newspaper clips. Ben picked up a box of lemon-scented tissues from a table and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She wiped her eyes and scratched her turtleneck sweater. “I always cry when I’m upset, it’s so annoying.”

“It’s okay.” Bo Peep sat her down. “Did you bully Frank too?”

Andrea darted her head up. “No! I would nev- I mean,” her voice broke. “Yes, but we all did. It was just having fun.”

Jake crossed his arms. “Does Frank have any family member or close friend?”

“He had no friends…” Andrea looked down. “He only had a father and an estranged sister.” 

“A sister?” Jake flinched before he pulled Ben to the side. “Lissa, she has an estranged brother too,” he whispered.

“You think-”

The doors of the lodge flung open and a thin woman in an ebony cape dress rushed in. She had white curly hair with a glaucous mole above her nose as if it was a third eye.

“I’ve run here as soon as I learned the terrible news.” She pranced to Lissa. “Oh, poor, poor, poor Tammie.”

The young woman clasped at her outfit. “Taylor.”

“Oh yes. Poor, poor, poor Taylor,” she bemoaned.

Lissa looked at Jake and Ben as they approached. 

“It’s the dean, Mrs. Choke,” she told them.

“Oh please.” She extended her arm. “Call me Jennifer.”

Bo Peep shook her hand. “Good afternoon Jennifer!”

“I’ve come here to inform you that I and Ta- Tam- Tra-”

Lissa glared at her. “Taylor.”

“Yes, Taylor! I and Taylor’s family have decided to organize a ceremony for her,” announced the dean. 

“What?” Lissa stood up. “But she died an hour ago.”

“And we still miss her.” Mrs. Choke pouted. “Anyway, off we go!”

The dean darted out of the lodge while Jake observed her. 

"This woman doesn't seem very honest," said Steve.

“You go with the others, I’ll watch Drake,” declared Lissa.

They nodded at her and followed the rest of the sorority sisters. A crowd of people gathered in front of Prast Park. Mrs. Choke stepped behind a wooden podium with a microphone.

“Good afternoon cool cats. Today, we- we lost a fellow kitten.” The dean gulped. “Beloved student, Taylor Trudy passed away this morning because of a horrible case of tape bats.”

Jake grimaced. “What?”

"Gee, back in my time, people would just jog to lose weight," added Steve.

“In other words, Taylor let a colony of vampire bats inhabit her body so she could eat and not gain a pound.” Mrs. Choke choked on her invisible tears. “It-it is a tragedy for all of us, and especially for her parents.” She looked at them. “Mr. and Mrs. Trudy, my goldfish defenestrated itself last week, so I completely understand your pain.” A smile contorted her face. “Which is why I wanted to immediately pay tribute to her… Unfortunately, because of the lack of time, we had to repurpose a statue in the park.” She shrugged. “So here’s the statue in loving memory of Taylor!”

A couple of young people removed a red cloth from a tall mass. Once it fell off, the tin statue of a goldfish was revealed with the words We Will Remember You B̶u̶b̶b̶l̶e̶s̶ Taylor chiseled on its pedestal. The dean clapped for herself and beamed while the parents gawked at the statue.

“How was she not fired yet?” Jake asked.

Ben applauded. “It’s a cute fish, though.”

The sound of glass shattering boomed throughout the campus like a cloud of fat flies flew out of the sorority lodge. It screeched as it whirled in the sky and veiled it. Soon, it surrounded the university and shrouded it in a dome of darkness. 

“A protection spell,” noted Jake.

Lamp posts turned on and lit small areas in the supernatural night. Students rushed everywhere in a frenzy while the dean escaped and pushed them away.

Jake fixed with Ben, “Let’s check on Lissa.” 

The trio raced through the campus and back to the lodge. Andrea waited for them at the entrance and pointed inside.

“Please, help her!” She clutched at her book. “Drake, he- he bit Justin. Then he jumped out of the window and attacked more people, and-”

Jake and Bo Peep leaped inside and discovered the place ransacked with upside-down sofas or broken tables. Scratching and bloodstains scarred the walls and carpet. 

“AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Lissa screamed.

They ran to the left and rushed inside the private gym of the sorority. The young woman recoiled against a wall of the room while Drake, Justin, and another sorority sister growled at her. Justin and the sorority sister had bite marks on their necks. All three of them shared a pale complexion, black irises, and razor-sharp teeth; but Drake was now as skeletal as a corpse. More ghouls rushed through the entryway, so Jake nudged Lissa into a corner while Steve and Bo Peep brandished their weapons against them.

“Protect Lissa, I’ll deal with them,” said Steve.

Jake nodded and grabbed a barbell. A radio played Burning Up by Madonna as Steve stepped toward the ghouls. He kicked one of the ghouls to the right which propelled him against the mob of monsters. Then, he threw his shield to the left and it bounced all over the creatures and the walls like in a pinball game. Vent shafts collapsed and more ghouls dropped down.

"Is it Cap doing this?" asked Ben.

"Yeah," replied Jake.

"He's doing good, but they need a distraction they can see," said Ben. "Tell me where's Cap's shield when you can."

Ben took a quick breath and glared at them. Justin charged at him, but Ben hit him in the stomach with the top of his staff. Then, he swung the hook at Drake’s jaw and sprung the other end at the female ghoul.

"Your left! Cap's shield!" shouted Jake.

Bo Peep ducked under the whirring shield which hit down the female ghoul in the thorax. Ben held her by the throat against a treadmill. Drake clawed him in the back, but Ben kicked him into a cart of gym equipment. After that, he slammed his left hand on the treadmill dashboard and the roller sucked the girl’s ponytail in. 

On the other side of the room, Steve hurled an exercise bike at the entry and pushed down a shelf of barbells to block it. Jake picked up one of them at Drake who pounced at them. At the back, Bo Peep lifted his crook above his shoulder, ran, and threw it at the ghoul. Like a spear, the staff end impaled Drake in the mouth as a dark liquid leaked out of it.

"The shield! Your right!" shouted Jake.

He next jumped on Justin's shoulders and sprung just before the metal shield struck the ghoul’s head. Justin was overbalanced and dropped under a lat pulldown machine. Ben grabbed at its bar flipped around it. As he landed, Ben gripped at the machine handle which pulled up its weight. He stomped at Justin and forced its head under the weight. Bo Peep then let go of the handle and the block of metal trapped Justin’s head. Whereas, Steve grabbed back his shield and punched the ghouls through the makeshift barricade. After a few more hits, they all ran away.

Bo Peep yanked his staff out of Justin's skull and wiped it off the oil-like substance on it. 

“Are you two okay?” asked Steve.

Lissa and Jake nodded with their mouths agape.

“What's happening?" asked Ben

"I think you guys scared them," said Jake.

Steve pushed the shelf out of the way. "Good, now let's get some ass-" his voice deadened to Jake.

"Well, I can't hear Cap again." Jake smiled. "Things just keep gettin' better."

“Your girlfriend’s wild,” muttered Lissa.

“Boyfriend,” Jake corrected before he paused. “And he’s not my boyfriend.”

"I think we should all make a standing ovation for Captain America," proposed Ben. "That was awesome."

Bo Peep clapped on his own while Jake and Lissa stared at him. They all went back to the entrance and Andrea came out of a closet. 

She hugged Lissa. “Thank God, you’re safe.”

"I'm glad you're safe too," said Lissa with a smile. “What do we do now?”

Through the windows, students could be seen outside being bitten by bats or attacked by ghouls.

“I have the answer.” Mrs. Choke spoke from upstairs. “We need Mephisto’s help.”

Chapter Text

All of them watched the dean leaning against the banister.

“Wait?” Jake tilted his head. “You ran into the park minutes ago.”

“The university’s full of secret passages.” She strolled to the right. “Come with me.”

They climbed up the stairs and joined Mrs. Choke in front of an old portrait of a tall countess with a large brim hat and a draped evening dress of a vanilla color. The dean placed her fingers on the bronze frame with a floral pattern. Her left fingers pressed some flower buds of copper, which each produced a distinct clink. Meanwhile, her right hand winded a leaf of tin which emitted a chime. She repeated the process until it played a symphony similar to Danse macabre.

Lissa looked at her phone and Andrea bit her nails. Whereas, Jake gawked at the dean while Ben bobbed his head in rhythm. Finally, Steve hit his head as his eyes glowed on and off.  

The wall with the painting shivered and slid open. Behind it appeared an antechamber of stones with a wooden ladder. Mrs. Choke spread up her cape and stepped down the rungs. They followed her and descended into an underground vault just about illuminated by gargoyle-shaped torches. Meanwhile, Steve hovered down the hole as if he was in a glass elevator.

“Wow. Talk about Fifty Shades Darker,” said Lissa.

“Almost,” responded the dean as she grabbed a torch. “A Spanish duke built it.” She walked forward. “It was a prison for a group of women named the Witches of Endor,” pursued Mrs. Choke with a chuckle “He tortured them until they confessed to him the secret to instant fortune.”

“And what was it?” inquired Andrea.

The dean stopped and peered at them. “A deal with a demon,” she answered with her face half darkened. ”Once he got what he wanted, the duke ordered their execution… Little did he know that their deaths would allow them to curse the town.”

“Lemme guess, an invasion of bats?” suggested Jake.

“I’m the one telling the story,” she scoffed. “And like a bolt from the blue, a bat invasion happened!”

Jake rolled his eyes.

“So, the duke did what he learned and struck a deal with the father of all demons, Mephisto.” She paused. “Mephisto told him that selling his soul could only go so far… Selling your soul, it’s like an engagement. But a soul sacrifice, now that’s the marriage.” Mrs. Choke turned toward them. “You must’ve realized by now the truth behind the Vampire Witch.”

Andrea furrowed her brows. “She was sacrificed to stop the curse.”

“Exactly,” replied the dean with a leer. “Ever since, the university would make a sacrifice to Mephisto when we needed his help.”

“Like Linda?” questioned Jake as he clenched his fists.

Mrs. Choke eyed him. “Ah, dear Linda. How do you know her?”

He looked daggers at her. “She was my mother.”

“Your mother?” The dean huffed. “I guess that’s where the baby fat came from.” 

Jake charged at her, but Mrs. Choke pulled a torch on the wall which slammed down a stone wall between them. Jake, Ben, and Lissa were left behind, while Andrea and the dean were on the other side.

“Let go of me!” screamed Andrea.

“Mephisto will love your soul, young lady,” announced Mrs. Choke.

"I'll get them!" shouted Steve.

Captain America sprinted to the wall but was pushed back while runic symbols shone on it. The dean’s cackle echoed and faded away with Andrea’s cries for help. Lissa banged her hands against the stones.

"Urgh... This place's full of magic," groaned Steve. 

“Andrea!” she shouted. “We need to get her!”

Bo Peep scanned the area. “But which way?”

They were in the middle of an intersection of three cold, narrow tunnels; the one they came from, one on the left, and another on the right. All three of them had dim flames to light its obscurity, which allowed even a rat to crawl away from the light and creep away. The musty smell of a wet rotten bark tree hovered in the air. Only the screech of the wind blowing through the fissures could be heard; until another noise manifested.

The trio stared at the left tunnel where a bloated and thorny shadow loomed against its end corner. Moans and whimpers resonated as a thin figure limped in. Its appearance seemed normal, but darkness veiled its head. This was not helped by the person turning its face down, as if it was sad or depressed. The person approached them and sometimes stumbled to the sides like a drunkard out of a bar. Steve recognized that walk as if the feet were on a tightrope above an endless void. 

Ben wielded his staff in front of Jake and Lissa while their heart pounded faster and faster. Steve clenched his fists and charged at the humanoid. The runes glowed again and he phased through the person. Steve threw more punches, but his hands stayed intangible.

Jake stepped back. "Cap... He can't help us."

The creature stopped and flinched. It shook as if it suppressed and contained manic laughter. Its voice exploded into a high-pitched scream, almost on the borders of human sounds. It fell on its knees and stretched its mouth open. Yards of fabric got regurgitated and piled into a lump of rags. The person fell to the side while its black bile of cloth twitched and bubbled. Sharp nails of old corn texture grew out of the rags until two veiny hands crawled out with them. Four pairs of bony pale indigo arms sprouted out of the cloth and wandered around. A slimy oval opened in the middle of the thing, similar to a vertical eye socket, and sets of piranha teeth poured saliva all over the ground.

“Run,” muttered Jake. “RUN!”

They turned around and dashed to the right. The vampire witch stomped her hands after them and crawled like a giant camel spider. She wailed and swung her long arms inches away from them. Jake peeped to the sides and noticed the fast-passing fires.

“The torches!” he gestured at them.

Jake smacked as many torches as he could, while Ben struck them with his staff. A large hand charged toward the former.

“Jake!” shouted Lissa.

She pushed the young man out of the way, only to get tackled down herself. The witch drew back before she lunged at her. Lissa shielded herself with her purse, but a long rotten fang stabbed her in the waist. Bo Peep hit the monster in the maw with his staff. Whereas, Jake yanked at a torch which made a part of the ceiling quiver. A rectangle of stones popped out and went down on the witch. She recoiled as her fang dislodged out of her. The wall lowered and touched the ground with a thud. Lissa groaned and leaned against a wall.

"I'm sorry," said Steve. "It... It'd be easier if I was still alive..." He sighed. "I might make myself useful, I'll see which way to go.

Steve sprinted away while Ben and Jake watched over Lissa.

“You okay?” asked Jake.

“No! Look at my purse…” She sighed. 

Bo Peep observed the wound. “It’s not deep, we should clean it.”

“And with what?” wondered Lissa. “You’re gonna pull a bottle of saline out of-”

Ben pulled a bottle of saline out of his breastplate. 

“Oh wow,” said the young woman.

Ben removed his head bow and poured saline on it. Then, he handed the swatch to her.

“Hold it tight against the stab,” he told her.

Lissa nodded and applied pressure on her injury with the piece of fabric. 

“Can you walk?” questioned Jake.

The young woman gripped at a gargoyle and pushed herself up. She winced and stood up. They headed forward along the tunnel until they perceived a burly silhouette in the distance.

"Cap?" called Jake.

"We can see him too," said Ben. "It's not Cap.

Lissa picked up the witch fang while Bo Peep brandished his crook and Jake took a fight stance. The silhouette approached and came out of the dark, blurry veil. It was Gerardo.

“Hey, kids! I was worried for you,” greeted the motel manager.

“How the hell you got down there?” asked Jake.

Gerardo gestured up. “I’ve followed you guys after that bat puking, but instead I found that weird woman walking down a hole in the park.” 

Ben lolled his head. “Is it lipstick on your neck?”

“Oh, this?” Gerardo glanced down at himself. “It’s a birthmark.”

“A birthmark?” Bo Peep widened his eyes. “Did you saw that weird woman again?”

“Yeah, she pulled a lever and almost cut my head off!” he answered.

"Hey!" Steve ran to them. "I know where to find them." 

"Good, let's go," said Jake.

"Who is he talking to?" asked Lissa.

"The gh-" Ben paused. "Captain America's spirit."

"Oh..." Lissa recoiled. "And I thought the breakup hit me the hardest."

They raced up as Steve led them further into the tunnel. They turned left and right until they heard the dean’s voice. 

“Mupaddû et,emmu! Qurrubu Pazuzu!” chanted Mrs. Choke.

A circular room appeared and was lit up by hanging braziers. Four alcoves had statues of chimeras; one of a leech covered in spikes, a goat-headed woman with a fish tail, a skeleton with bull horns, and a snake with fifteen eyes. Andrea was at the center, tied up to an altar. The dean was next to her with a dagger. Jake and Steve sprinted toward them, but a ring of fire and runes blazed up around. The lines of flames shaped into a fiery pentagram. 

“Lemme guess, you’re the one behind the bat curse?!” questioned Lissa.

The dean shook her head. “I would never do anything against myself. It’s probably one of the parents of a student I killed.” 

Jake ground his teeth. “Why? Why my mother?!” 

Mrs. Choke smiled. “She was my best friend, I had to prove to Mephisto how much I wanted his power…” She shrugged. “You should be proud, at least your mother helped a greater cause… Me,” she declared with a laugh.

The young man pressed his nails against his palms. His hands trembled as electricity and translucent rays enveloped them. Dust gravitated off the ground with small rocks underneath him.

“Well, I’ve wasted enough time.” The dean rose her blade above Andrea’s chest. “Pater autem mendacium!” 

“Andrea!” screamed Lissa.

“Tolle animam eius!”

Jake drew back his hands. “STOP!” 

He extended his arms at the dean and an invisible wave unleashed all over the room. The flames fluttered and their blazes glided to the goat statue. Its eyes lit up and burned as the pyre consumed the creature and melted off the stone. Two curtains of fire unwrapped on a horned woman with bones for wings, Jezebel.

“That’s hot,” she said.

The succubus stepped down her pedestal and strutted toward Mrs. Choke.

“Wha- what’s happening?!” asked the dean.

“You sacrificed your soul to me,” hissed Jezebel. “I’m surprised, is it a gift for me?”

The dean flinched. “I didn’t! I was about to sacrifice her!” She pointed at Andrea. “But then that boy blew the whole room!”

Jezebel looked at Jake. “Oooh.” She leered. “He sabotaged your spell, poor girl.” 

Mrs. Choke let go of her dagger. “He did what?!” 

“Don’t worry.” The succubus approached. “We’ll have a lot of fun in hell.”

“You- you can’t!” The dean shivered. “I’m your friend!”

The demoness gripped her by the throat. “And here’s a kiss to honor our friendship.”

Jezebel pulled Mrs. Choke close to her and forced her lips onto hers. The dean’s skin reddened as she wrestled the embrace. Her chest illuminated from the inside which lit up the silhouette of her rib cage through her dress. The fiery pentagram shrunk against them and wrapped around the two women into boas of flames. The dean’s bloodshot eyes went up in blazes as her skeleton flashed through her skin. Her muffled screams erupted louder as rings of fire surrounded them until they snuffed out with it. The pentagram disappeared with it and only ashes remained. A mark of cinder shaped like a face in agony was left where the dean once stood. 

Lissa rushed to Andrea and untied the ropes around her. They hugged each other, but the former vaulted behind the altar.

“It’s back! That thing’s back!” Lissa gestured at the entry of the room.

Large clawed hands protruded out of the tunnel as the witch crawled in. The whole group took a stance against her. The creature observed the room and judged each of them, it did not move.

“What’s happening?” wondered Jake.

Bo Peep looked at the others. “Imelda doesn’t want to attack the one who struck her deal,” he said. “Is that right, Andrea?”

Andrea jerked back. “Huh?” 

“Are you out of your mind?!” Lissa stepped in front of her friend. “She would never do that.”

“Then why Imelda didn’t attack us only when Andrea was here?” questioned Bo Peep.

Lissa glared at him. “It’s not her! It could be him too!” She pointed at Gerardo.

Gerardo walked back. “Hey!”

“No, spells need a trigger,” countered Jake. “I and Bo were with Gerardo when the bat curse started, and he was doing nothing.”

“But Andrea, she was writing in her book,” added Bo Peep.

Lissa shook her head. “That’s insane!”

“Gerardo, your son used to be a student here, right?” asked Ben.

The motel manager scratched his hair. “I- I… I don’t know.”

“Lissa, you went here because of a bullied student named Frank.” Ben paused. “What was his last name?” 

The blonde crossed her arms. “Timly, Frank Timly.”

Gerardo stumbled. “That’s… That’s my last name.”

Ben sighed. “Gerardo has a birthmark on his neck that looks like a lipstick mark, who’s the only person here who always her neck?”

Lissa eyed her friend. “Andrea.”

Andrea sprung away from the altar. “Lissa c’mon! You know it’s not me.”

“It’s thirty-two degrees, why are you wearing a sweater?” inquired Lissa. “What are you hiding?!”

Andrea took a deep breath and pulled down her collar, a smudged lipstick mark appeared on her neck.

Gerardo gawked at her. “You’re… you’re my daughter?”

“And you’re Freaky Franky’s sister?” asked Lissa.

Andrea shot daggers at her. “His name was FRANK!” She teared up. “None of them cared. They either bullied or ignored him! I was too much of a coward to do anything… He was all alone, he was desperate!” Her eyes wandered down. “So he did the only thing left to do…” She dropped her book. “I found him in the desert with an empty bottle of sleeping pills.”

“No, no… No.” Gerardo forced a smile. “Franky’s still alive, I left him at the motel. He’s still alive!”

Ben grabbed his left hand. “Mr. Timly, I’m sorry.”

Gerardo cried. “No, NO!” 

The father collapsed on the ground and wept.

“You see, they don’t care about how much they hurt.” Andrea clenched her fists. “So I cursed the university to make them suffer, just like they made my brother suffer!”

Suddenly, Imelda growled and lunged at Gerardo. Andrea picked up her book and sprinted between them. Steve sprinted forward while the runes around him glowed. He balled his hands and ground his teeth before he tackled the vampire witch to the ground. Steve groaned as symbols etched on his ghostly body and burned him.

"Cap, stop!" urged Jake.

"Don't worry!" Steve grunted. "I- I'm fine!"

"What's happening?" asked Ben.

"The magic's down here, it's... it's killing Cap," replied Jake.

“Andrea, that thing doesn’t care either!” Lissa shouted. “It’s gonna kill innocent people!” She touched her friend’s diary. “We need to get rid of your book.”

“You can’t.” Andrea gazed at Lissa. “I’ve already sacrificed my soul to put the spell on my book. It can’t be burn or destroyed... You need to get rid of me.” 

Lissa’s eyes watered. “What?” She looked at Jake. “There has to be another way!”

“We don’t have time.” Andrea opened her book and read it. “Önd frels, seiðr vera farinn at.”

The vampire witch squeaked and squealed. Smoke came out of her as her skin liquefied. Her whole body melted into black goo and dissolved under her cloak. Steve collapsed on the ground and panted. The vapors left the witch's remains and increased into a mist. Icy breaths started to leave everyone while the fog floated to the skeleton statue. Its eyes glowed blue as it froze, it next shattered and revealed an undead cowboy underneath.

“Well, that’s too bad, I missed my sister.” Greylight noticed Jake and Ben. “Jake and Bo, it’s a small world, isn’t it?”

Gerardo stood up. “You’re here for my daughter’s soul, right?”

“I hate playin’ the vulture, but that would be me,” replied the ghoul.

“Take my soul instead then!” pleaded the father.

Greylight watched the father and his daughter.

“Before that, I got something else to do.” He pulled up his revolver and shot at Steve.

Icy chains slithered out of the bullet and coiled around Steve.

"Sorry man, no time to play fair," said Greylight before he aimed at Andrea. “Sorry, little girl, there's only lead in this one.”

“Please, I’m begging you!” Gerardo walked in front of her.

Greylight sighed. “Congrats. You’ve won.” 

The cowboy lowered his weapon and lit up his cigar.

Gerardo cried. “Thank you! Tha-”

Greylight puffed a cloud of cold at the father and his daughter. Both of them got engulfed and their bodies froze. Once the cloud disappeared, Gerardo and Andrea had become ice statues.

“No…” mumbled Lissa. “What have you done?!”

“I froze them both, it should be enough for him.” Greylight chuckled. “I hate separating families.”

“You monster!” Lissa charged at him.

Greylight rose his gun against her. “Don’t get any closer.” He spat down his cigar. “I don’t like shooting women, but my finger slips from time to time.” Greylight looked at Jake. “You want to free them? Find me and kill me.” 

The smoke from the cowboy’s cigar went up until it surrounded Greylight and he disappeared. At the same time, the chains melted off Steve.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

Lissa stooped and observed her petrified friend. “Andrea…”

Greylight’s cigar burned out into another fog that encircled the group. When the cloud dissipated, they were back on the campus ground. The sky cleared on a sunset while bats turned to ashes. Some of the students lied down as skeletal corpses, while others gazed at the dead bodies.

Jake walked toward Lissa. “I’m sorry.”

The young woman clawed at the grass. “Jake, you’re one of the last people I wanna see right now, go away.”

“I understand.” Jake strolled away.

Ben came to him. “She’s sad, she’s not angry at you.”

“She is…” Jake kicked a rock. “The only thing I’m good at is being an asshole.”

“That’s not true.” Bo Peep paused. “You’re nice to me.”

Jake huffed. “It’s different with you.”

“Everyone’s different, you just have to find how it works with each person and go from there,” replied Ben. “I’m sure you can be nice to other people too, with your own unique ways.”

Jake smiled a bit. “Thanks.” He glanced at Ben. “How about you? You’re not smiling as much as the usual.”

Bo Peep exhaled. “Yeah… I- I don’t really know.” His eyes gazed at Jake. “Should I feel happy that I helped to save these people?”

“I mean.” The young man rubbed his neck. “Yeah, I guess.” 

“But they’re not good people.” Ben frowned. “They’ve pushed a guy to kill himself, they make fun of a woman who died in the desert… I don’t feel happy about saving these people.” 

“I’m with you on that.” Jake dug his hands in his pockets. “Honestly, I don’t like thinking about real people, it just gives headaches.”

Ben looked down. “I guess… I guess it would be better if we stopped talking about this.”

“Hey.” Jake put his left hand on Ben’s left shoulder. “Don’ let these assholes ruin your mood.” 

Jake grabbed his phone and checked it. Then, he turned and showed his screen to Bo Peep. There was on it the drawing of a gingerbread man with a short sword.

“Look, it’s a ninjabread man, he throws cookies at people.” 

Ben grinned a bit while Jake scrolled through his pictures until he found the one he took of his mother. He observed it and his eyes then widened.

“Wait.” He furrowed his brows. “My Mom was still around when I was a kid.” 

“Oh, she got pregnant here?” asked Bo Peep.

“No!” shouted Jake. “We lived in Nevada back then… I was just a kid, but I’m sure she never traveled.”

“But- How would she do that if she got sacrificed before?” wondered Ben.

“I think…” Jake paused. “I think my Mom survived.”

“Jake,” Lissa called them. “You can save Andrea?”

The young man turned to her. “I… All I know is that someone in Phoenix could help.”

Lissa took a quick breath. “I want to go with you.”

“What?” Jake grimaced.

“Wow, welcome to the club!” Bo Peep shook her hand.

“Bo, I don’t kn-.”

Lissa put credit cards out of her dress. 

Jake groaned. “Fine, you can come.”

Ben clapped his hands. “Yes! More people!”

“I bet it feels good to have another girl to talk to,” said Lissa.

“Oh, I’m a guy actually,” he replied.

Lissa rose an eyebrow. “Really? I would’ve never guessed.”

Ben grinned “Thanks.”

Jake rolled his eyes as they arrived in front of the RV. Meanwhile, Steve dragged his feet against the ground.

"You're okay, Steve?" asked Jake.

"Yeah... Everything's okay..." muttered Steve.

“Ta-da, here’s the Sodomobile!” announced Bo Peep.

Lissa cringed. “The what?”

Jake rubbed his neck. “He meant the Sodamobile.”

Ben pouted. “No, I meant Sodomobile, as in sodom-”

Jake put his left hand over Bo Peep’s mouth.

“He’s joking, he loves making jokes.”

Jake nudged Ben inside the vehicle. Meanwhile, a murder of crows observed them from the campus clock tower.

Chapter Text

“Slaughter her! ” shouted a deep voice from Jake's console. 

The young man pressed buttons while a blue ninja with fans fought another woman in pink on his handheld screen. The pink ninja used her razor-sharp teeth to swallow her opponent and spit out her bones.

Steve grimaced and asked, “You don’t have games with less guts?”

Jake glanced away from his console and glared at the front seat. Lissa was driving and chatting with Ben. The latter now wore white gloves and bows of the same tint.

“And suddenly Adelio shot his aunt,” said Bo Peep.

Lissa gasped. “She died?!”

Ben shook his head. “Almost, but then Maximiliano showed up and told Pedro that he would heal Alma if he canceled his wedding with Maria José.”

“No way!” screamed Lissa.

Jake rolled his eyes and groaned. Lissa and Ben babbled together until Lissa stopped the vehicle. In front of them, amidst the night sky, towered a dome of mist with small colored squares illuminating every minute. They stepped out of the car and observed the phenomenon.

“How many force fields are there in Arizona?” wondered Lissa.

She strolled to the left while Ben walked toward Jake.

“Hey!” Bo Peep grinned.

Jake turned away. “Hey.” 

Ben’s smile faded. “Are you angry at me?”

“No.” Jake stomped away.

Steve huffed and phased his left hand through Jake’s head.

The quartet headed in front of the dome when they heard a sound similar to a whip crack. All of a sudden, a lizard-like tongue came out of the fog and coiled around Lissa, Ben, and Jake. It yanked them through the field and lifted in the air, up in the moonless sky. From this level, various flares could be seen across the town. There was a lake at its center with a titanic jellyfish infesting it. The middle point of its membrane towered up to the sky while the rest dangle down. An icy light glimmered under the fleshy sheet They got dragged in front of a wrecked candy store, lollipops and cotton candy laid on shattered glass. Its owner crawled out of the smashed facade and screeched. It was a twelve-foot-tall pallid woman, her amber eyes glowed under her long white hair. Her long, thin fingers spread on both sides as blood dripped from them.

“What the hell is that thing?!” shouted Lissa.

 “Oh my God.” Jake's mouth dropped agape. “It’s- it’s the Hag!”

“The what?” she questioned.

“It’s a super zombie from a video game,” he replied. “That’s awesome!”

Lissa looked daggers at him. “Awesome?! It’s gonna eat us!”

The hag stretched her mouth and slit open her cheeks as she retracted her tongue. A whizz resonated as a light flashed to their right. The fireball darted closer to them and crashed against the monster. It blew up into a blue mush and bits of flesh while the quartet dropped down on the grass. 

Lissa and Jake grimaced as they slapped slimy bits off them.

“Ach.” Bo Peep grinned at Jake. “Your state sure loves zombies.”

From the same direction, a nearby bush rustled and branches snap when a Herculean physique appeared. Two heavy boots trod toward them with all their might. Above the soldier's footwears loomed a military armor on a kaki bodysuit tight against massive biceps, beefy pectorals, a ten-pack, tough thighs, and a massive package. The shield-clad specimen removed his helmet and shook out a blonde buzz cut. Jake's eyes twinkled as he contemplated the Adonis’s sweat-drenched forehead and blue eyes. The latter carried a rocket launcher on his left shoulder, which had a double-edged axe on its other end.

Steve raced to them. “Hey, you three are oka-” He gawked at the other soldier. “Who the heck is that guy?”

“Who the fuck is that guy?” questioned Lissa.

Jake beamed. “It’s Rod. Peter. Gherkin!”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“I am the last thing demons see before I blow up their damned asses,” answered Rod with a guttural tone.

“Who?” asked Lissa.

“He’s from this game Madness in Murderworld,” added Jake. “He’s a former marine whose family got killed by the Norse God of War, so the Sledkom hired him to fight demons summoned by a Viking entity.”

Lissa and Ben stared at him.

“Yeah.” Lissa shrugged. “Makes total sense.”

“Who are you?!” Rod grabbed and lifted him by the collar. “Are you one of these shapeshifting succubuses sent to torture me?!?”

Jake trembled. “No, no! I’ve played all the games you were in and-”

“Oh.” Rod let him go and frowned. “You’re a… gamer.”

Steve put his hands on his waist. “Is that the kind of people you’re looking up to? He’s a madman.”

Lissa rose an eyebrow. “Wait, how are you aware of being a video game character?”

“I’ve been in so many crossover games,” the soldier replied. “It just made sense about why I kept hearing ‘Player one has picked their Fighter’.”

The blonde girl wandered her gaze around. “I’m just gonna not question it and take a hot bath once all of this is done.”

“Hello Mr. Gherkin, could you tell us what’s going on?” asked Ben.

“Finally, some useful shit to talk about.” Rod sighed. “The area is a town named Fountainhills, it has been taken over by the Entity of Sin. This cosmic abomination had unleashed video game characters all over the town.” He made a wide gesture. “The only way to defeat that otherworldly fucker is to destroy the four artifacts spread across Fountainhills before daylight.”

“And what happens if we don’t do it before the deadline?” wondered Lissa.

“Then the force field will disappear,” answered a sultry voice. 

A horned woman ambled on the roof of the candy store.

“And my monsters will be free to invade the world,” said Jezebel. “Isn’t it sad, I wil-”

Rod shot a rocket at her and blew her into pieces. 

Jake jumped back. “Holy! You just killed a demon boss!”

Rod put sunglasses on.

“Go suck cocks in hell, Stygian siren,” he said.

Ashes levitated and gravitated above the store. Then, they whirled and set ablaze into a twister of fire. Soon, it gathered into a fiery horned body and regenerated as Jezebel.

“Wow, that stung a bit,” mocked the demoness. “Nice try, slaves, but you can’t kill the starring role.” She leered. “I was about to give you more hints out of pity, but oh well. Guess I’ll let you play along and watch.”

The succubus laughed and walked away.

Rod blew her up again.

“Let’s go before she comes back to life,” he ordered.

They darted away through the streets and followed Rod. Steve shook his head before he ran after them. They arrived in front of marble columns with gates. Its entrance had pickets shaped into vines while others above them spelled Redroot Botanical Garden . 

“This is where the first artifact is,” declared the soldier. “Stay close to me if you wanna survive.” 

Steve did not stay close to him.

Rod pushed the gates open which produced a grind throughout the area. Despite the lack of wind, the sound seemed to have startled the plants. Flowers like fairy duster, scorpion weed, or gravel ghost moved on their own. Chollas and other cactuses turned their spines at them while the bitter scent of lemons pricked their noses. The soldier and his group pussyfooted between the strange forest whose colors hypnotized and hid creatures, even the smallest insects. Jake and the others snuck under long steel arches. Each structure was linked to another by a series of bars spaced enough for an arm to come through each gap. 

A growl sounded from a tree to the left and Rod stopped in his tracks. 

“Shh.” He fixed on Jake and the others. “They’re here.”

Shrubs crooked as a myriad of crimson spheres glowed in the night. Scores of parabolic bodies sprinted out of the greenery. Multiple wart-like eyes on their fleshy cap oozed blood-tinted juice out of their ivory skin. They squealed like swine and pounced at the arches. Their arms squeezed between the bars and swung inside. 

“Peckiis!” shouted Jake. “They’re mutated mushrooms, the only way to kill them is to aim for the head!”

The soldier slashed his axe at their skulls while Bo Peep gouged their eyes with his crook, and Lissa did it with the heel of a stiletto. Meanwhile, Steve threw creatures away on the other side of the arches. Scarlet fluids squirted everywhere while more Peckiis swarmed at them and blocked the other way. They congregated onto Rod while others seized his arms by the sides. The mushroom abominations overran the arches and surrounded them. Jake dodged the claws as much as he could. His hands trembled as blurry electrical energy enveloped them. 

“My powers don’t work on them,” said Ben as his eyes turned from purple to brown. 

Memories of Jezebel, Greylight, and Blackheart came back to Jake. He clenched his fists while more and more monsters were amassed into a horde. His hands spread open and released a shockwave. Rod and the mushroom mutants became motionless as their bodies convulsed into pixels.

“Huh?” Jake flinched. “I… glitched them?”

The young man observed Rod and touched his back, which returned the latter to normal.

“Argh!” He peeped around. “I had one of those cinematic flashbacks again?!”

“Um, it’s complicated,” answered Jake. “Honestly, I don’t know h-”

Lissa nudged him away. “Just nuke ‘em first and we’ll chat next.”

Rod aimed his weapon forward. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

The former marine shot a rocket at the mob and blasted it. Jake admired Rod until Lissa nudged him. 

Steve glanced down at his shield and mumbled, “I could’ve done the same thing with more time.”

They then raced between the rest of the petrified creatures and got into the presence of a dry fountain with a princess toy that levitated at its top. 

“ First artifact, first artifact, first artifact, ” chanted an ethereal choir.

“It’s the first artifact,” noted Rod.

“Really?” scoffed Lissa. “I wonder why gave it away.”

She shook her head while the soldier climbed the fountain. All of a sudden, the ground trembled.

“DON’T TOUCH THIS!” screamed a disembodied voice.

Giant vines burst out of the ground and one of them gripped Rod and hurled him away. Like some multi-headed serpent, the living plant spread its tentacles across the botanical garden. It possessed a human head with a Venus flytrap-like mouth. The plant squeezed one of its vines around the princess and handed it to bigger Peckii. The massive beast of fungus and muscles leaped past them and rolled down a slope. Rod scanned the place and spotted a two-seater tourist cart to his left. 

“I’ll handle this,” said the soldier as he got inside the cart.

Jake hopped inside the vehicle just before Rod drove on, while Steve, Lissa, and Ben stayed behind. The cart chased the simian Peckii to the nearby mini-golf. They rode past fake volcanoes, trains, and castles. Jake panted as he struggled to gather the power between his palms. A small ball of energy grew between his hands that he threw at the burly Peckii, but it dodged it. The former marine discharged rockets at the monster, but it evaded them too. 

“Hey kid, shoot on the count of three,” ordered Rod.

Jake nodded. “Alright.”

“Three!” he yelled.

Jake propelled a blast of energy, which the creature vaulted away from. Whereas, the soldier shot a rocket at the bottom of a nearby tower. It fell and crashed on the creature who burst into pieces with the princess. A cyan smoke left the statue and evaporated.

“Wow!” Jake's shoulders dropped. “That was epic!”

They both stepped out of the cart while Steve, Ben, and Lissa ran in covered in slime. Lissa had grass on her teeth, Steve’s shield was splattered with green blood, and intestines of the same color were coiled around Ben’s left shoulder and right hip.

“Jake, you’re okay?” asked Ben.

Jake turned to the soldier. “Rod just killed that giant Peckii!”

“And we almost got fucked by a giant ficus, but we don’t yell about it,” said Lissa.

Jake handwaved. “You guys were fine, you had Cap with you.”

“He’s right,” Ben told Lissa. “Let’s just move on.”

Jake followed the former marine who walked away. Whereas, Ben sighed and gazed at them in the distance.

Lissa tapped his right arm and said, “Don’t pay attention to him.”

They joined Jake and the soldier and they snuck down a hill. Dark clouds and a thick fog appeared on the streets. Soon, their whole view was taken over by the mist. Distorted children’s voices sang lullabies while elderly ones moaned in agony. Twisted silhouettes manifested one by one around them. A gust of wind blew even more fog and blinded them. Once it was done, their weapons and Steve had disappeared.

“Cap?” called Jake.

“Where’s my axe?!” shouted the empty-handed soldier.

“They took it.” Jake gestured at the things in the mist. “They’re the Residents, their game doesn’t you allow to fight them.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” asked Lissa.

Rod pointed at an elementary school. “Here!”

The silhouettes got closer to them and they took a run for it. Jake split up from the others to go after the soldier. The young man’s eyes observed all of Rod’s movements. However, he did not notice a creature to his left. A long eyeless face contorted in front of him and screeched.

“Jake!” shouted Bo Peep.

Ben charged and pushed the young man out of the way. The blind creature spurt tentacles out its eye sockets and coiled them around Ben, before it dragged him deep into the fog.

“Ben!” screamed Jake.

Rod yanked Jake. “It’s too late for him, let’s go!”

Jake wrestled Rod’s strong grip, but he got pulled inside the school. The former marine slammed the doors of the building shut. Whereas, Jake leaned against a wall and gasped for air.

“It’s your fault!” Lissa glared at him. “If you weren’t eye-fucking Rod Schlong Wiener this whole time, Ben wouldn’t have had to save your ass and get taken by them!” 

The former marine separated them. “Don’t fight.”

Jake crouched. “No, she’s right. It’s my fault.” He rested his head against his knees. “I was angry at him and I ignored him, and… and now he’s…”

“C’mon kid.” Rod patted his head. “I’ve lost comrades too. They wouldn’t want us to give up. Let’s do it for them.”

The young man bobbed his head and stood up. They crept deeper into the dim-lit school whose old lamps flickered into a buzz close to the sound of nails rasping until they bled. Dirty sheets of paper and dusty pens lied on the tiles. Shattered windows let some breezes of wind penetrate and move lockers on their own. 

“Where’s the artifact?” whispered Lissa. “This school’s a labyrinth.”

“We’re in a horror game called no Mercy.” Jake put out his phone. “The only way to find the right way is to take pictures.”

The young man used his phone and flashed the hallways. One of the pictures showed a pentagram in the middle path. Jake waved to the others and they went this way. 

Aaaarrrgggghhhh…

“What was that?!” asked Lissa.

Jake widened his eyes. “Oh, shit…”

Chapter Text

Metal scraping against the ground echoed through the school as a skinny pale girl covered in bruises limped by. Her wet hair dripped water on her tattered student uniform. Colorless eyes stared at them from her head rotated at ninety degrees to the side. She dragged a sewer pipe in her left hand and held it tighter when she spotted them.

“It’s Hisako.” Jake shivered. “She can’t be beaten.”

“Not against my fists”, said the former marine.

Rod stomped toward Hisako, but she just grinned. Insane laughter came out of her and made the whole place quaked. The soldier gripped his head and covered his ears. The undead girl then snapped her neck and propelled him into a classroom. Jake clenched his fists and released a wave of energy at her, but a giant image of a bodiless smile flashed in front of them. The picture vanished and Hisako started to writhe and choke as water drops levitated out of her. Her arms and legs mangled while her bones crunched. 

“What’s happenin’?” wondered Lissa.

“I used my powers on her and…” Jake shook his head. “Shit, the game she’s from punishes cheating. And I think it saw my powers as cheating.”

“Okay.” Rod shuffled in and coughed. “Let’s run.” 

The trio darted while Jake took pictures with his phone as fast he could. Behind them, Hisako hovered above the ground and screeched. Books flew out of the lockers in her proximity while lights tore out of the ceilings. A table burst out of a wall and was flung at them. The soldier pushed Jake and Lissa out of the way while he punched the piece of furniture. Hisako shrieked and sinks crashed out the restrooms. Jake ducked as a sink flew just past his left ear while Rod headbutted another. The hallways started to flood with water and forced them to wade through. Veiny arms emerged out of the water and clawed at them. They turned to the right while Jake panted and took one more picture of the floor, a pentagram glowed in front of the principal office.

“Here!” Jake pointed at the room.

Rod busted the door open and they jumped into the room. Jake opened a closet and found a porcelain doll inside. More arms grabbed at Jake, but Rod kicked them away. Hisako arrived and her smile shifted into a grimace of anger. She wailed and charged at the young man. Jake picked up the doll and smashed it on the floor. 

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” screamed the same disembodied voice.

The ghost froze and trembled as rays of light came out of orifices before it fissured her and she disappeared into smithereens.

“Aaargh!” groaned a silvery voice from outside.

“There’s another one?!”

Rod cracked his knuckles. “Time for round two.”

The soldier ran out of the school and the young people joined him. The fog had disappeared with the Residents. Instead, Steve and Ben were here with the latter carrying his crook, Lissa’s purse, and Rod’s rocket launcher.

“Hi!” Bo Peep groaned. “I need a little help.”

“Ben!” Jake smiled and ran to him. “I thought they killed you.”

“What happened?” wondered Lissa.

“Ach, that was weird.” Ben made a broad gesture. “That thing ate me, but it was like a bag inside, kind of comfy honestly. And then I think Cap punched a hole through them.”

“I could swear that I heard other people inside these things,” said Steve. “But they’ve disappeared before I could free more of them.”

Jake recoiled. “You think these things are other people?”

“No idea.” Bo Peep nodded. “All I know is that I got this.”

Ben showed a black heart with eyes and fingers growing out of it.

Jake grimaced. “The hell?! Why would you keep it?”

“It’s very tough.” Ben poked it. “It could be useful later.”

Rod tapped Jake’s back and said, “Good job, kid.” He picked up his rocket launcher. “Ah, it’s good to have my FAG back.”

Lissa tilted her head. “Your what?”

“FAG, Fucking Axe Gun,” explained Rod.

They headed away a little while Lissa and Bo chatted.

“Jake, I know ripping and tearing everything seems fun, and it is.” The soldier bent one knee. “But I would give up all of this just to have my family again, or even my comrades…” Rod glanced away. “I miss the good old days where our sweaty bulging biceps would touch each other as we shot down demons.” Rod stared back at Jake. “Us men, we forget to open to each other, and then it’s too late. I want you to go back to your friend; hold his hand tight, lock eyes with him, put your forehead against his, and tell him how much he matters to you as real men do.”

Jake nodded. “Alright.” He stepped back before he lolled his head. “Wait, how did you know that Ben was a guy?”

“I smelled his soul,” replied Rod.

Suddenly, a seism fissured the ground with blue veins, it came from the lake. Everyone joined back together and tried to keep their balance.

“I DON’T WANT TO WAKE UP! LET ME DREAM!” screamed the same bodiless voice.

“It’s the Entity! Daylight’s coming!” Rod gestured at the giant jellyfish in the sky. “We have to split up to get the last two artifacts.” 

“I’m going with Ben and Cap,” said Jake.

Rod glanced to a signpost. “The closest is in the art gallery. May the forces of evil be confused on your way.” 

Jake smiled at the soldier before he departed with Bo Peep. They followed the signs until their path was blocked by a wall of ice. An aflame firetruck rammed through it while Ben and Jake hid behind a car. Two brawny ninjas fought on top of the fire station, one clad in yellow and the other in blue. Deeper in the streets, more fighters could be spotted. The trio snuck behind an inn and scanned the environment. A rush of wind sounded as a V-shaped plane lit up in the sky with a cluster of orange lights. The flying object passed over them until it disappeared south over the horizon.

“You know what this kite in the sky is?” wondered Ben.

Jake shook his head. “Ultimate destruction? Mutant Apocalypse? No idea.”

“The last time I saw somethin’ like that, a talking raccoon was drivin’ it,” said Steve.

The light trails left by the spaceship vanished while they crawled behind a bench.

“I’m surprised you chose me over Rod,” whispered Bo Peep.

“Why? I like spending time with you,” replied the young man.

Steve gave a thumb up to Jake while Ben kicked a window open. Then, they jumped down into a cellar.

“Well, I thought you were angry at me,” said Ben.

Jake pursed his lips. “I was...  Honestly, I love distracting myself too, that’s why I love video games.” He climbed a stairway. “So when I saw that video game characters took over the town, it felt like I was escaping from reality,” explained the young man. “But another part of me was angry ‘cause you talked less to me.”

“I understand.” Bo Peep paused. “But I enjoy talking to Lissa too… Maybe you talk with us if you two fixed your issues?”

Steve elbowed a door open while they chatted.

“Maybe… Anyway, I’m sorry for how I acted,” said Jake as he opened the door. 

“And I promise to talk more to you,” Ben assured with a grin.

Jake smiled before he gestured at a building named Colonel Rand’s Gallery. A temple-like structure dominated with a path lined with metallic shapes. A shadow moved from behind one of them before a woman with a blonde bun popped out.

“Have you seen my daughter?!” she questioned. “She’s your age and-”

Without warning, a cloaked woman with butterfly wings snatched the woman and carried her inside the art gallery. The trio rushed inside where they found various artworks with some human-sized cocoons glued next to them. Feminine screams guided them between the pistachio walls until they came by a PVC railing. On the other side could be spotted a bust whose amulet emitted a lapis aura. Before it was built an amphitheater-like room with a shimmering barrier around it. Jake observed the place and noticed a plasma tv screen to their left, which showed a dragon with Waiting for Player One under it. On the other side, another screen turned on as the butterfly woman materialized out of a puddle of mucus.

Jake touched the shimmering field and his name glitched on the screen on their side. He then pulled away and his name disappeared.

“Only one of us can go through the field,” said Jake.

“I should do it,” said Steve.

Captain America walked through the shield and the screen displayed No Living Player Detected. 

“Oh, for pity’s sake,” groaned Steve.

“What’s happening?” asked Ben.

“The game doesn’t seem to detect Cap,” replied Jake.

Ben adjusted his white bow. “I’ll do it.”

“Be careful,” Jake told him.

Ben smiled at him before he jumped downstairs and landed on his left palm and knees. The screen on their side changed and show fiery words that spelled Bo Peep with three hearts. Meanwhile, the insect woman tore away her cloak and revealed a yellow scarab shell skin. Her screen buzzed and showed Mourning Prey with three bug symbols.

“This one will inflict you pain,” she said. 

She arched her back to gargle mucus. Meanwhile, Bo Peep stood up and rubbed down his dress soaked with blue mushroom fluids. Suddenly, her belly ripped wide open as cobalt liquid bled out of her. A green stream shot out of nowhere and poured into her wound. The insect woman moaned as her upper body smoked and melted into the bubbly pool of acid inside her. Her legs trembled while her head dropped into her groin, which liquefied too. Whereas, the tv screen on her side glitched until it showed Komoder. Mourning Prey collapsed while a translucent figure loomed over her corpse. Hues and shades slithered on it before they formed themselves into a ninja with an armor of scales. It had two reptilian eyes while the human skin on its lower face had been ripped off and hung loose next to a lime lizard maw. 

“Oh fuck,” swore Jake.

Ben flinched. “What’s going on?” 

“Komoder’s a secret boss from Lethal Foes, he’s the hardest guy to beat!”

The reptile inhaled and recoiled.

“And he spits acid.”

Komoder spit acid at Ben, who rolled behind a vase display. The ceramic melted while the lizard man coughed.

Jake slammed his fists on the railing. “His acid’s on cooldown, you can attack him now!”

Bo Peep nodded and threw the remains of the vase at Komoder. The ninja ducked under it while Ben sprung at him with the end of his staff. The reptilian leaped above it, but Ben hit his crook like a pole to vault at his level. He then pivoted his staff around and spun a helicopter kick at Komoder’s jaw. The reptile unclasped his hands and stout claws peeled the skin of his fingers. He then sprinted, bent his left knee, and slid his other leg at Ben. The latter stepped to the side and slammed his hook at Komoder. The lizard man bent back as slipped by before he slashed at Ben’s right thigh and arm. Ben protected himself with his staff, but Komoder elbowed the stick with him against a wall.

“The cooldown’s over, run!” shouted Jake.

Komoder leaned his neck backward and puffed out his chest. Bo Peep grabbed the black heart in his pocket and threw it right into Komoder’s mouth. Ben then pulled a large chimpanzee painting and hurled its bronze frame at Komoder before he side kicked it at the speed of lightning. Next, he somersaulted with outstretched legs and slammed the left one on the painting, which stomped Komoder down with it. The reptilian seized Bo Peep by the right ankle and coiled his legs around Ben’s knees. Then, Komoder rolled and flipped Ben down to the side as he tackled Ben down. 

Jake glanced at the screen and noticed a flickering button. He raced to it and pressed the button as the screen displayed Summon! in fiery letters. Steve was yanked through the force field while cyan energy brought him back to life. He then sprinted and kicked Komoder away from Ben.

“You’re the real Captain America?!” wondered Ben with wide eyes.

Steve looked at himself and felt his body. “Th- that would be me.”

“Do you allow me to fight with you?” asked Ben. “It would be awesome.”

“Yeah, sure.” Steve glared at Komoder. “Let’s do it.”

The lizard man snarled as he grew one more pair of arms. 

“Stay behind me,” ordered Steve.

Captain America charged at Komoder, but the latter leaped over him and landed right in front of Ben. Bo Peep twirled his staff as Komoder scratched at him. A tail sprouted out of the reptile’s back and whipped at Steve. The reptile swung his arms around as he switched sides between Ben and Steve. Bo Peep sprung back and bounced on a corner of the room as he dropped his crook. Ben jumped over Komoder’s head who pounced on him. Ben called back his staff, which flew against the reptile’s back and tripped him toward Steve. The latter punched Komoder in the jaw and the chest. Komoder recoiled and shot a frog tongue at Steve and who blocked it with his left arm. The tongue wrapped around Steve’s wrist before the latter pulled at it. Komoder tried to walk back, but Steve yanked him and punched him again in the stomach. The reptile kicked Steve away and panted. Steve threw his shield at him while Bo Peep ran and stepped over Captain America’s back. Komoder crouched under the shield as Ben bounced on Steve and brought his staff down on Kodomer’s skull, which knocked him out. 

"I just fought with Captain America, this is amazing" whispered Ben.

“Phew, it’s fun to be alive again,” said Steve with a puffed-out chest.

The force field disappeared and Steve was turned back into a ghost.

Steve drooped his shoulders. “Spoke too soon…”

Ben with Steve then ran toward Jake.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?” asked Jake.

“My mom taught me,” he answered. “Jump down, I’ll catch you.”

Jake nodded and vaulted over the fence, he landed right on Ben and crushed him. They groaned and stood up.

“We should destroy that artifact before he wakes up.” Bo Peep gestured at the talisman.

The three of them sprinted to the other side of the room. All of a sudden, holes crashed into the walls as more ninjas rushed in. The two young men froze a bit before they sped up while Steve charged at them. Ben brandished his crook against the rest while Jake kicked the bust, but it only made the talisman fall into a nearby bush.

“Oh crap!”

“What did you do?” asked Ben.

Jake got on all fours. “I tried to kick the thing, but it fell!”

A woman in pink with piranha teeth lunged at Bo Peep and bit at his staff.

“Umm, Jake?” Ben’s voice wavered.

Jake tapped his hands all over the bush. “Lookin’ for it!”

Ben ducked under a clap of thunder and a steel fan thrown at him.

“Jake!” shouted Steve.

Jake picked up the talisman. “Got it!”

A fiery ninja whipped a bladed chain at them, but Jake hurled the artifact at it. The ninja’s blade harpooned the amulet which shattered. All the fighters in the room got stunned and started to smoke. Then, they burned and got consumed by flames until just their bones were left.

Jake contemplated the skeletons. “Holy! That was awesome!”

Ben gazed at him. “You liked it too?”

“Course! It was epic!” said Jake as he high-fived Ben.

“Back in my day young people preferred burnt marshmallows over burned people,” complained Steve. 

The three of them tiptoed between the charred bodies. One of the cocoons rotted and released the abducted woman. The trio helped her to stand up and they headed out of the art gallery. After this, they ran back to the street where they found Lissa and Rod near the inn.

“Hey,” said Jake as trod to them with Ben. “You okay?”

Lissa’s eyes twinkled. “It was great!”

Rod thousand-yard stared into the void. “It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever lived through.”

Ben lolled his head. “How was it at the mall?”

“Basically, we had to do a lot of fun things like dressing up with Prada, hairstyling, baking…” Lissa made wide gestures. “Oh, there was flirting with some boys but it wasn’t that bad.”

Jake jerked back. “Oh no… Flame On.”

“Flame On, what’s that?” asked Ben.

“It’s a Visual Novel with girly mini-games,” answered Jake.

Rod’s eyes wandered as he muttered, “I’ve slashed my way through legions of abominations and nightmarish creatures, a valley of death and guts…” He paused. “But nothing like that.”

“Not so tough now?” scoffed Steve.

Lissa put her hands on her hips. “We’ve destroyed the four things, isn’t the giant jellyfish supposed to be gone?”

Grumbles sounded as the Entity’s light shone brighter. 

“I WANT TO PLAY! DON’T WAKE ME UP!” screamed the Entity of Sin.

“Most games have a final boss, guess the Entity’s our last thing to deal with,” explained Jake.

The group raced to the lake at the center of Fountainhills. Once there, the jellyfish-like tower quaked. Giant metal poles around it trembled as one of them collapsed and created a path across the lake. They ran on it until they reached the Entity. The latter had electricity and lightning banging from inside its membrane while its rectangular quilted lower body breathed loudly.

Lissa stared at the Entity’s body. “Is it a mattress?”

The cyan beam under the membrane increased in intensity and revealed a small feminine silhouette under it.

Jake eyed at the woman they had rescued and said, “I think… It’s your daughter.”

The mother covered her mouth and trembled.

“Alice! Do you hear me?” she called.

“LEAVE ME ALONE! I WANT TO STAY INSIDE!” screamed Entity-Alice.

Electricity shot out of its membrane and hit the ground. At each clap of thunder, a character appeared; Peckiis, the Residents, lethal foes, and cute boys with animal features. The army of video game creatures growled and charged at them.

Chapter Text

A horde of fictional abominations stared at them, except one of the pretty boys who winked at Rod. The latter flinched and grimaced. A crowd of curious people, red eyes, mist monsters, and fighters clad in latex faced them. Steve raised his shield in front of the others while they stepped back.

Lissa stepped back. “What the hell?” 

“I’ll make them wish it was.” Rod loaded his rocket launcher.

The soldier discharged a rain of rockets at the characters who went up in flames. Their ashes slid between the bumps of the Entity’s quilted body and were sucked by its rings of muscle. Then, the meat mattress squirted out and spawned back the video game characters. The soldier lit them up again with his rockets.

“Welcome to Earth, motherfuckers,” taunted the former marine.

The Entity of Sin spawned them back again and Rod blew them up once more.

“You’re spawns of evil and my rockets are OCPs!” said Rod.

The soldier and the Entity battled each other while Alice’s mother, Jake, Ben, and Lissa watched them.

“We need to do something, it’s going on forever!” declared Steve.

“How about your powers?” Bo Peep asked Jake.

Jake looked down at his hands. “I’m trying to, but it’s not working.”

“Perhaps you need a push?” suggested Ben. “I’ve noticed that your powers worked the most when you were angry. Do you want me to help with that?”

Jake nodded. “Go ahead.”

Bo Peep took a quick breath before he put his right hand on the young man’s back. Red energy came out of Jake before it cycled up to his spine. Jake’s eyes turned the same colors as he clenched his fists. Then, he growled and outstretched his arms to release a translucent shock wave. Each video game character convulsed and pixelated as soon as the wave hit them. The Entity of Sin wailed when the energy touched it and the blurry child silhouette inside it became denser. 

“Aaah!” screamed Entity-Alice. “DON’T WAKE ME UP!”

Thunderclaps came out of the cosmic abomination and hit Jake. The young man shielded with his elbows as it the electricity wrapped around him like fingers and pulled him inside the fleshy membrane of the jellyfish.

“Jake!” yelled Ben.

When Jake’s sight cleared, he was surrounded by darkness. The only lights here were from a cyan ghost-like smoke above a bed. A little girl with brown hair slept under the sheets with game consoles with her too. Pixels and electricity came out of her and shifted into four giant misshaped screens. They turned on and showed a patched face composed of a floating eyeball, a distorted nose, and a mouth merging with a part of its neck. 

“You!” Alice’s voice echoed from the screens “You’re ruining everything!”

She looked at Jake and a vortex materialized next to him. It twisted the skin of his left arm and pulled cylindric pixels out of him. Jake ran away and his arm returned to normal.

“I don’t want to wake up! I want to dream and play forever!” shouted Entity-Alice.

“Wait!” Jake showed his palms to her and said, “I know what you mean!”

“You don’t!” she shouted as the ground quaked. “Nobody knows how it feels to hate reality as much as I do!”

The vortex grew bigger as Jake covered himself with his arms.

“Maybe not at the same level, but I know how it feels! How it feels when you spend your days talking to people, living adventures in another world, and then, you wake up surrounded by people who treat you like shit!”

Entity-Alice shivered. “I don’t- I don’t want to wake up! I don’t want to be back in that horrible world!”

“The real world is horrible, but a friend’s told me that even small things enough to forget how horrible it is,” said Jake. 

Entity-Alice shook her head. “I don’t have anything but this world!”

“Yes, you do!” replied Jake. “You have your mother.”

Alice’s face turned more human. “My… Mom?”

“I know it’s hard to open up to your family, but just one moment with them, just one… It’s enough to forget how horrible the real world is,” said Jake.

Entity-Alice shed a tear before she closed her eyes and faded down into her human body. The darkness around them vanished with the vortex while concrete and grass appeared underneath. Moonlight and stars shone on them as the young man dropped on the edge of the lake. 

“Jake!” Ben charged at Jake and tackled him into a hug. “I thought that giant jellyfish killed you!”

“You’re strangling me!” groaned Jake.

Ben bounced up. “Oh, right, sorry.”

Jake stood up. “It’s ok…,” he mumbled. “By the way, I know things started rocky for us.”

Bo Peep rose an eyebrow. “No, it started at a tree, not at a rock.”

“It’s a phrasing,” replied Jake. “Anyway, I know it was kinda weird at first. But after all the stuff that happened…” He rubbed his neck. “Well, I’m starting to see you as… a... a friend.”

Ben smiled and blushed. “Really?”

Jake tapped down his left shoe. “Yeah.”

Ben’s eyes turned yellow with shades of blue as he burst into tears.

“Huh, you okay?” worried Jake.

Ben wiped his tears. “Yea- yeah, it’s just- it’s just that nobody before has ever called me their friend. And… it makes me so happy.”

Jake smirked. “Well, you got a friend now.”

A portal of pixels materialized at the border of the lake and sucked video game characters inside of it. Meanwhile, Steve, Lissa, and Rod walked toward Jake.

“Good job, son,” said Steve with a smile.

Rod looked at the portal and said, “Well, it’s my time to go.”

Jake shook his hand. “Guess we’ll see again when I play your games.”

“I hope your aim’s good, ‘cause I love blowing up these bastards,” replied the soldier.

“Don’t worry,” assured Jake.

Rod headed toward the portal. “And remember, always keep a FAG by your side.”

“Yeah… sure,” said Jake as he glanced at Ben. 

Rod did a military salute to the group that they returned. Then, he stepped inside the warp gate and disappeared. The vortex closed and Alice popped out of its remains. Her mother ran to her and embraced her daughter.

“Oh, Alice!” She kissed her head. “I was so scared for you!”

Alice hugged back her mother. “Mom, I’m so sorry!” She looked at the others. “Is there anythin’ I can do to...”

“I’ve noticed some cameras in town,” noted Jake. “I don’t know about your mayor, but mine thought all that weird shit going on was good for tourism. Maybe you could use the footage?”

Alice grinned and shouted, “I could help!”

“But what about your games?” asked her mother.

“A break once in a while doesn’t hurt.” The little girl winked at Jake.

Jake smiled at her and observed the town. He noticed Lissa slapping the dust out of her dress. The young man inhaled longly and walked to her.

“Hey-”

“We’re not going back together,” she cut him off.

Jake flinched. “It’s not about that.”

“Oh?” Lissa exhaled. “Good, I was worried.”

“So…” He sighed. “I wanted to apologize for breaking up with you by text.”

Lissa crossed her arms. “I accept your apologies. But, could you tell me why you did it the way you did it?”

Jake scratched his hair. “I… I didn’t want to face the consequences of me breaking up with you… I just wanted to escape.”

“I understand.” She chuckled. “Men just seem to run away from me. First, my dad, then my brother, and you.”

“I know it might sound stupid, but it’s not because of you.” Jake put his hands on his waist. “Sure, our relationship wouldn’t have worked out, but I didn’t break up with you by text because of you, it was because I was too afraid of reality.”

Lissa smiled. “You know I lose track of the conversation when Prada, Chanel, or Versace is not quoted every five minutes.”

They laughed together.

“Wow!” Ben rushed to them. “So you two are friends, now?”

“We’re not friends,” corrected Lissa. “It’s just that now I don’t want to puke and stab my eyes out each time I see Jake.”

“Yeah, we’re friends!” Bo Peep hugged them both. “Now, we can do a three-way!”

Lissa recoiled. “A what?”

Jake covered Ben’s mouth and dragged him away.

“He hit his head,” said Jake as he forced a laugh. 

“Someone’s not sulky as he used to be,” said Steve.

The quartet walked through Fountain Hills while its citizens dropped uninjured out of portals, some landed on their cars while others fell face first in fruit cabbages. They headed through the city center and up a hill. Once there, they found the RV still parked in the middle of the road. While Lissa was changing of dress inside the vehicle, Ben stripped outside while Jake made sure the latter did not catch a cold by standing near him.

“I’m sorry that you have to see me naked.” Ben blushed.

“It’s okay.” Jake tried to not glance at him.

“Would it make it less awkward if you got naked too?” asked Bo Peep.

Jake jumped a bit. “No, no, don’t worry.”

“Okay.” Ben removed his wig. “Because I don’t want you to keep your clothes on just because of me.”

“I would rather keep my clothes on,” replied the young man.

Jake turned around once Ben was done. The latter now wore a pink double-breast waistcoat with a lemon tie. There was a white shirt under the vest with rolled-up sleeves. His raven hair was slicked back with a strand of hair that hung loosely at the front.

“I hope it’s not too flashy,” said Ben.

Jake eyed him. “No, you’re fine.”

The two young men ambled at the back seats of the RV. Lissa was at the wheel and had on half-moon sunglasses with a periwinkle crop top, a satin dark blue bolero, and pants. As she drove the vehicle, Jake and Ben played with the gaming console. The radio played theremin music which increased louder and louder.

“Lissa, can you turn off the radio?” asked Jake.

Lissa pressed a button and the theremin stopped. Instead, a man’s whistle replaced it. Lissa fondled the dashboard when the car braked on its own. Winds blew in a circular motion around them and bent bushes. All of a sudden, a beam of light cast on them from the sky. The vehicle trembled as it started to hover above the ground. The passengers looked out of the windows and spotted a triangular object beneath the stars.

“What the fuck is that?!” questioned Lissa.

“Language,” said Steve.

“It’s a spaceship,” replied Jake.

The RV levitated closer to the source of the lights until it was swallowed whole. A white room welcomed them while lasers passed all over the vehicle.

“The three subjects have all mutated life energies,” spoke a robotic voice. “The fourth one is a non-alive person.” The female one meets the required conditions.”

A rectangular ray scanned the car.

“No trace of silver detected, the subjects are safe to communicate with.”

Lines thickened on the walls and one of them opened on a space of dashboards, prismatic computers, and holograms. The quartet shuffled further into the room and noticed transparent cells with plants or canines inside. Rests of red solar panels lied on metal tables. More doors opened and tall, robust individuals came out with round helmets on and grey glimmery robes.

“Greetings earthlings, we’re from Jupiter and its many moons. We are the Jovian Witnesses,” declared the middle one.

Lissa gawked at them. “What in fucking hell…”

“Guess they’re here to share the good news,” said Steve.

The Jovian put out a book. “According to Pasiphae Eight, we shall skip over the formalities and inform you directly of our intents.”

They stared at each other for minutes in complete silence.

“Are you gonna tell us?” wondered Jake.

“Well, according to Kalyke Twenty-Three, we can’t reveal our intents without being asked about it,” said the leader.

They stared at each other for minutes in complete silence.

Jake tilted his head and said, “So… What are your intents?”

“We intend to thank you for freeing our spaceship from the force shield around the area you called Fountain Hills.” The ladder bowed to them.

Ben grinned. “You’re welcome.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome... “ Jake observed the starship. “By the way, could it be possible that you give us a ride to Phoenix?”

The Jovian looked in his book. “Well, according to Eukelade Forty-Seven, being freed from a force field created by a human mutated into a giant jellyfish-like creature only allow us to give you our thankings.”

Jake looked at them in disbelief.

“When we were in the other room,” said Lissa as she stepped up. “Your scanner robot said that I had something you were looking for. What is it?”

The Jovian sighed. “A long time ago, our community separated from the other Jovians. They were interested in cold machines while we preferred the studies of nature.” He looked at a glass cell to the left. “We’ve tried to harness the life forces of many creatures, and canines happened to be the easiest… But, it failed horribly.”

A crouched figure snarled in the corner of the cell. Patches of hair protruded out of the slashes of its suit. It turned its amber shiny eyes at them and showed its hellhound fangs. A wolf-like human monster charged against the glass and clawed at it. Its fur was irregular and bloody as if the beast suffered from scabies. Its chest muscles contorted into various unequal bulges while its hind legs were twisted and bony

“The disease you call lycanthropia started to plague our community.” He closed his eyes. “We tried to contain it, but some of them have managed to escape on Earth.”

Lissa watched the glass cell as her face reflected on it. 

“What that has to do with me?” she asked.

“You have a rare life force,” explained the Jovian. “If we could extract it, it could help us beyond-”

The young woman jerked back. “You want my soul?!”

“Well… I guess you could call it that way,” said the leader with a shrug. “Just know that according to Megaclite Nineteen, a life-force giving shall be rewarded with a free journey in our spaceship.”

“Oh yes, I guess my dead body is gonna have fun singin’ ‘hands up and touch the sky!’” shouted Lissa.

“Wait.” Ben gazed at the two. “You just need an extract from her life force? Would emotional energy be enough?” he inquired.

“Very much so,” responded the Jovian Witness.

Ben aimed his staff at Lissa before purple energy came out of her and was guided by Ben to the Jovians. The leader put out a cybernetic cube which absorbed the energy and lit up with the same tint.

“Phoenix it is?” The leader pushed a lever. 

What appeared to be flames ignited outside while the sight of clouds and stars flew by the portholes. 

“Well there we are,” announced the Jovian.

Jake rose an eyebrow. “Really? That was… fast.”

“I mean, you can do the same thing with a jet,” replied Lissa.

The four of them headed back to the vehicle until Jake furrowed his brows and turned to the aliens.

“Wait… Do you know a man named Jesse Alexander?” he asked them. 

The Jovian Witnesses looked at each other.

“We do, we had some encounters with him until he disappeared. “The leader gazed at a screen. “His helmet had been detected near a zone known as Carefree. But, according to Eirene Fifty-Seven-”

Jake groaned. “Oh, God.” 

“We can’t go to a zone related to the Nova Corps unless a third party gives us the permission.”

“Any third party?” wondered Jake.

“Indeed,” answered the Jovian Witness.

They stared at each other for minutes in complete silence.

“I think you should go to Carefree,” said Jake.

“Fair enough, farewell.” The Jovian waved at them. “Oh and, would you rather have a safe and slow landing back to the ground or a violent drop to a certain death?”

“A safe and slow landing back to the ground sounds better.” Ben looked at his friends. “What do you think?”

Lissa walked away. “Let’s just leave already.”

They waved back to the Jovian Witnesses before stepping back into the RV. One of the aliens pressed a red button which violently dropped them to certain death. The quartet got yanked out of their seat and hit the ceiling of the vehicle. The car froze in midair and gravity snatched the three of them back on their seats while Steve floated.

“I knew I shouldn’t have done my nails,” groaned Lissa.

“My deepest apologies,” spoke the Jovian out of a loudspeaker. “I’ve pressed the violent drop to a certain death button.”

The RV had a safe and slow landing back to the ground. Once done, the spaceship hovered over the area and dark clouds covered it. 

“So we made it,” announced Ben.

A storm with dark thunderclaps loomed above the silhouette of a capital. Immense vines slithered around its edifices while others infested a nearby sign. Huge roses veiled their shadows over the city while their thorns stabbed its buildings. A bolt of lightning flashed on the city sign which spelled Phoenix. 

Jake watched the storm, electric red reflections against the wrathful clouds drew Blackheart’s face.

Chapter Text

The group walked along the main road of Phoenix which was now a jungle. Palm trees grew out of car carcasses while thick forests of cacti slithered together like spiky snakes in a mating ball. Hands covered in moss came out of small gaps between the cactuses and similar plant statues were petrified on the grassy pavement. While Steve, Lissa, and Jake scanned the shadowy areas, Ben skimmed his right hand across a fence of wildflowers.

“I think this is bugloss.” Ben observed his fingertips. “I would say it’s not viper’s bugloss.”

“Bo,” Jake called him. “Blackheart's around, now’s not the time for botany!”

Scuttle and scrapes echoed all around them, leaves moved on their own, and shadows shifted in shapes. Locusts crawled out of a sewer drain and swarmed up into a humanoid body. To their left, two arms spread open bushes as they dragged its long centipede-like body out of them. Its owner had three faces melded together, one stuck in a tragic expression, another gone in a blissful state, and the middle one showed numbness. An ember claw burst through a manhole before another came out. Eight insectoid legs crept at them, followed by a massive scorpion tail. Its upper body was human, except for two spider fangs that adorned its cheeks.  

The four of them stepped back, but a pair of massive fiendish wings landed behind them. A bald man in a wine three-piece suit gazed at them with his orange irises and a smirk. Bo Peep brandished his staff at them while his friends clenched their fists.

“Just as expected, the mongrel and his friends,” declared a deep voice.

The wind screeched as it blew a pall of clouds down from the stormy sky. The rumble of the thunder twisted into a chuckle, then into a laugh. Two giant crimson glows shaped into the grey nimbus as below blood lightning sliced wide a maw of razor-sharp teeth.

“Your little fight was entertaining.” Each of his words boomed and shot gales at them. “But I’ve had enough of my brother’s bargain, and I won’t let Jezebel kill you before me!”

The cloud spun down into a twister and drilled a hole against the concrete. Once it dissipated, a black knight emerged with a titanic sword made of corpses. His monster menagerie smirked and stepped away.

“Your friends will be the first to taste my Sword of Demonicus.” He lifted his blade. “Enjoy their screams!”

Blackheart brought down his sword while Ben pushed Lissa to the side and rolled to the left. Steve charged forward and seized the sword.

“Don’t you dare to hurt them!” shouted Steve.

Blackheart groaned and laughed. “Oh, you still got that ghost with you,” he said. “I’ll make sure to give you eternal suffering in the depths of hell.”

“Is that all?” asked Bo Peep.

“All?” The black knight looked at the latter. 

“You’ll just cut us and move on? I’m pretty sure Jezebel would have done better,” said Ben.

“Bo, what are you doing?” questioned Jake.

Ben winked at him before he looked back at Blackheart.

“Jezebel?!” shouted Blackheart. “She’s a fool who couldn’t find her own shadow!”

“And she would’ve killed us on the spot too,” replied Bo Peep.

Blackheart wrestled Steve’s grip and thrust his blade at Ben, but stopped the tip inches away from the latter’s lips.

“Then talk,” ordered the knight. “Give me something more entertaining.”

Ben stared into his eyes. “Negotiation.”

Blackheart tilted his sword. “Negotiation?” He chuckled. “Didn’t have negotiation since that warhead bushido.” The chief demon lowered his head. “Solomon, make sure nobody else interrupt us,” he told the winged-man.

Jake gazed at him. “Solomon?”

“Abominite, Centipor, and…” Blackheart eyed at the locust creature. “Whatever the hell you’re supposed to be. Watch over the mongrel and his friend.”

“I want to stay with them,” countered Ben.

Blackheart gripped at his sword. “Is that how you want to start the negotiation? Not very smart.”

Ben bit his lower lip. “Fine, I’ll follow you.”

Jake widened his eyes. “Bo.”

“I’ll be careful, don’t worry.” Ben grinned at him.

Blackheart snapped his fingers and opened a scarlet warp gate. 

He gestured to Bo Peep. “Victims first.”

Ben gulped before he walked inside the vortex. Blackheart followed him but stopped and looked back at Jake. His red eyes moved in a way that hinted at a rictus. Blackheart raised his sword over his left shoulder and disappeared with the portal.

Bloody smokes of ashes and sulfurs slapped at Bo Peep as he closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was on the roof of an immense building.

“Welcome on top of the Chase Bank Tower!” greeted Blackheart.

Bo Peep glanced down. “How high is it?”

“Four hundred eighty-three feet tall.” Blackheart stepped forward. “Most people survive falls of twenty-five.”

Ben took a quick breath and smiled. “Oh, alright.” 

His eyes wandered between the knight and the void down below. Suddenly, they spotted a violet-blue star of petals at the edge.

“Are they cornflowers?” Bo Peep questioned. “I love cornflowers.”

Blackheart stared at him. “Yes. Yes, they are.”

“Why?” inquired Ben.

“Why what?” added Blackheart with a grunt.

Bo Peep stepped up a small set of stairs. “Why these flowers and not some others?”

Blackheart leaned down against the fence. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry.” Ben put his hands over his chest. “I love talking about flowers.” His eyes turned yellow. “You know a man named Eckhart Tolle? He would often say people should look at flow-.”

Blackheart growled, “Negotiation.”

“Ach, right.” Bo Peep pursed his lips. “Well first, I think you should spare me and my friends.”

“Killing people’s the only thing I enjoy,” replied Blackheart.

“Oh… That’s sad.” Ben fiddled his fingers together. “So… You’re telling me that you could kill anyone with no remorse?”

“Without the drop of a tear,” said Blackheart

Ben walked forward. “Even your siblings?”

“A fratricide?” Blackheart’s eyes twinkled. “Keep talking.”

“Well, before Phoenix, we went by La Mesa and Fountain Hills.” Bo Peep paused. “And we met Greylight and Jezebel.”

Blackheart huffed. “How atrocious.”

“Greylight… he failed to take a soul, and Jezebel pulled characters out of video games,” explained Ben.

Blackheart stared at him. “That’s pathetic.”

Ben leaned his left ear forward. “It sounds like you would have done something better than them, why you didn’t?”

“Because of this damn ritual.” Blackheart groaned. “Each of us needs fifteen souls, it’s a race to the first one to have them.”

Ben lowered his head a bit. “A ritual for?”

Blackheart tapped his pommel. “Now why would I tell you?” 

“Right…” Ben glanced away. “So the ritual doesn’t give you the freedom to do what you want?” questioned Ben.

“As I already told you, there are three ‘players’ for that ritual; me, Greylight, and Jezebel,” explained Blackheart. “The rules are simple; have fifteen souls being willingly sacrificed with your magic, no more than two souls can be played with per playground, no more than two players per playground before the game and no outside player can join once the game has started.”

Ben pursed his lips. “So what you’re saying is that... If a town has two souls being dealt with by Jezebel and Greylight, you can’t intervene in the town area? And if one soul is in the process of being sold, you can’t intervene either?”

“Indeed,” said Blackheart.

“So what you’re telling me is that- you are bored of having your siblings in the way?” said Ben.

Blackheart walked up the stairs. “I could kill them if I wanted to.”

Bo Peep lolled his head. “But?”

“But that would be tiresome.” Blackheart gazed up. “My brother has hidden his real body, and Jezebel, well, she can heal from any attack.”

“And you would rather kill people or have them sacrifice their souls to you instead of finding convoluted ways of getting rid of your siblings?” suggested Ben.

“Exactly.” Blackheart chuckled. “Flowers are beautiful to look at, aren’t they?”

Ben smiled. “Yes, they are.”

“They are just a perfect mix of shapes and colors.” He stepped forward. “Wolfsbane, Dracula Orchids, Doll’s eye-”

Blackheart seized at his sword and swung it at Ben. The latter threw his staff at the knight before he rolled backward. Blackheart tilted his head away from the crook as his blade cut an air duct in half. Bo Peep called his staff back, but Blackheart grabbed it as it flew at him. 

“Sorry, I was gettin’ bored,” declared the knight. “It’s in my nature.”

Ben tightened his grip on the knife. “Do we have a deal?”

Blackheart stared at Ben as he scraped his sword over the ground. He then rose it above his shoulder and let it carry it. 

“We have a deal.” The knight threw the staff at Bo Peep’s feet. 

They gazed at each other for minutes.

“Where’s the portal?” wondered Bo Peep.

The knight trod closer. “Down there.”

Ben rose an eyebrow. “Down wha-”

Blackheart kicked Ben through the fence. Bo Peep flapped his arms around and snapped his eyes around. Blood-tinted hues splashed all over his back as he fell inside a vortex. Then, vines and trees passed quickly as he landed on a solid mass.

“Uggh…” groaned Jake. “Can we stop falling on each other?”

Ben smiled. “Jake! You’ve saved me.” 

“And you’re crushing me,” replied Jake.

“Oh, right.” Ben stood up and helped his friend. 

“How it went?” asked Lissa.

“I think it went well.” Ben rubbed his neck. “He pushed me from a many-storied building, but apart from that, it went good.”

“Could have gone worse,” said Steve.

Another warp gate opened and Blackheart stepped out of it.

“Looks like I’m sparing you for now,” declared the knight. “So which one are you killing first, my brother or my sister?”

Lissa jerked back. “Wait, since when are we workin’ for you?”

“That’s between you and your friend.” Blackheart bobbed at Ben. “From now on, you’re my slaves.”

“You’ve pimped us to Sauron?!” yelled Lissa.

“You can pimp people?” wondered Ben.

Blackheart slammed down his sword. “Enough! Stop wasting my time... Greylight or Jezebel?”

The trio looked at each other. 

“Jake,” whispered Steve. “I don’t think-

“Greylight,” answered Jake.

“Saving the weakest for last?” Blackheart caressed his blade. “I like that.”

“Also.” Jake took a quick breath. “Solomon’s comin’ with us.”

Blackheart gazed at the man with wings and talons. “That won’t be a problem, right Solomon?”

Solomon sternly glanced at him. “I’m dying on the inside.”

“Great.” Blackheart clapped his hands. “Solomon’s joining your little team.” 

“So, what’s the plan?” inquired Lissa.

Electricity floated out of Blackheart’s left hand and shocked the ground. The street fissured as plants burst through it and grew into a thorny shrub. Its top flattened while flowers bloomed on its surface.

“I and my siblings have taken over Arizona, as you may know,” explained Blackheart while Venus flytraps grew at the edges of the shrub. “Counties like Gila and Maricopa are shared between us, mostly.” Daisies blossomed at the center and the east. “La Paz and Mohave have the misery of being controlled by Jezebel.” Lotus flowers crept at the northwest. “Meanwhile, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise are ruled under Greylight.” Chrysanthemums spurt at the south. “And the rest’s mine.“ Roses burgeoned at the north. 

“So we’re going south?” theorized Jake.

“Indeed,” confirmed Blackheart as the chrysanthemums withered. “My brother has eyes all over his domain, so I’ll drop you at the edge of Pima to avoid giving him the idea that we’re working together..” 

“Let’s go then,” said Lissa.

“One last thing,” Blackheart interrupted her. “Greylight’s too kind for his good. So, he let me have some of his territories.” The knight glared at them. “Feel free to mess with my brother’s toys, but stay away from the souls sold to me.”

Ben furrowed his brows. “You’re telling us to not save people if they’ve made deals with you?”

Blackheart raised his sword. “You got something against this?” 

“Yes,” replied Bo Peep. 

“I like when they fight back.” The knight put the tip of his blade just under Ben’s chin. “Let’s see how you fight with your pretty head off your shoulders.”

Jake pulled his friend back. “We won’t do anything to your souls, okay?” 

“A mongrel’s word is no better than spit… But I’m amused for now.“ Blackheart put down his sword. “I’ll spare your friend,  but I want him to say it himself.”

“I won’t-”

Jake elbowed him and whispered, “Ben, don’t be suicidal.”

“So, Little Bo Peep, will you be a good obedient lamb?” asked Blackheart.

Ben eyed at Jake who held his right hand.

Bo Peep sighed and lowered his head. “I won’t fight back.”

Blackheart laughed while Ben glared at him. Thunderclaps banged and shone his massive shadow over all of them. 

Chapter Text

Dark crimson thunderclaps banged in the stormy sky, the grimace of a smile flashed between the gray clouds. Hails dropped from the sky while a thick mist hid the horizon. 

“Why’s the weather like this?” asked Lissa as she drove.

“I guess it’s because of Greylight’s powers?” replied Ben from the backseat.

Jake tapped on the console held by Ben.

“Hey, you’re about to slaughter him,” pointed Jake.

Ben pressed some buttons on the console. “Wow, I just ripped his head off with his spine! That’s something.”

Steve winced and said, “That’s disgusting. And that’s not how cutting off heads works…”

“You’re great with your hands, honestly.” Jake put his left hand on his friend’s lap as he watched him play.

The two laughed together while Solomon glared at them through the rearview mirror. He groaned in the passenger seat and straightened his brows.

“Freaks,” he muttered.

Jake snapped his head at him. “What did you just say?”

“F-R-E-A-K-S,” articulated Solomon.

“Go fuck yourself!” shouted Jake.

Jake charged at Solomon, but Ben and Steve restrained him.

“Don’t pay attention to that guy,” said Steve.

“It’s not worth it,” whispered Ben.

Solomon chuckled. “Listen to your girlfriend.” 

“Shut up!” yelled Jake. “I brought you here, so you can say whatever shit you want about me, but you say anymore bullshit about someone else, and we’ll throw you out of the car!”

“Why you’ve brought that balding asshole here in the first place?” inquired Lissa.

All of a sudden, a deer leaped out of the fog and right in front of the RV. Lissa braked but the wheels slid on the frozen road and struck the animal. Jake, Steve, Ben, and Lissa stepped out of the vehicle and watched the fawn lying on the ground. The small deer writhed on the ground and moaned.

Bo Peep drooped his shoulders. “Poor deer.”

Solomon made an elegant footwork out of his seat and ambled toward the animal. He observed the animal with a stern expression. The man then raised his left derby shoe above the deer’s head and stomped his derby down. 

Ben jumped back. “Why did you do that?!”

“The thing was about to die, I just lessened its pain,” replied Solomon before he gazed at Lissa. “Oh, and, don’t call me bald ever again.”

“Bald,” responded Lissa.

Talons spurt out of Solomon’s left hand just before Steve pushed him away. 

Jake then grabbed him by the wrist and said, “We have a deal with Blackheart.” 

Solomon pulled his arm away. “And I have no deal with him.”

Bo Peep walked between the two and pointed at the right side of the road. A small figure stood up between two dense shrubs. All of them eyed at a white-haired little girl with braids. Hailstones turned to water against her yellow raincoat while the mist covered her legs as if she floated above the sand. 

“Hey, are you lost?” asked Jake.

“Don’t go inside the Benson House,” she said before she turned on the other side.

The child ran away behind the shadow of a thin tree and disappeared inside the fog. Jake raced after her with Steve, while Ben followed, and then Solomon.

“What are you guys doing?!” screamed Lissa. “Just let her starve in the desert and go back inside!”

Lissa watched the distance growing between them before she flapped her high heels in the desert too. She stumbled between the dunes and the rocks as she slapped away the steam around her. Blurry silhouettes were her only guide through the smoky maze. Her breath started to lessen while she lost any sight to help her find her way.

“Where are you?!” yelled Lissa. “Someone?”

“Lissa?” called a silvery voice.

“Ben?” asked Lissa.

She sprinted toward the direction of the sound and arrived at the bottom of a grassy sandhill. Once there, she reunited with the rest of the group. Gusts of wind and gales hurled a dust storm at them while more hales dropped.

Jake gestured at an old house on the hill. “Let’s go there!”

The five of them rushed up the mound until they reached the porch of the farmhouse. Steve kicked the door open and trod in before a gust slammed it shut. 

Dust and darkness reigned over the building, its floorboards creaked into a whine as they walked around. Small gaps in the floor let droplets glisten, akin to the glow of small creatures’ eyes.

“We’re fucked,” said Lissa.

“Why? We’re safe inside,” Jake told her.

Lissa shot daggers at him. “The ghost girl said to not go inside the Benson House, and look where we are now!”

He shrugged. “We could be in any house right now, you don’t know.” 

“Hey Lissa, look at the mat you’re on!” Ben gestured down with a grin. “It’s saying Welcome to the Benson House, that’s really polite.”

Lissa bounced away from the mat and shuddered. “I’m burning my shoes after that.”

“At least we’re no longer in that storm,” added Steve. “Now, let’s look around this ho-”

“Well, can’t hear Steve again,” scoffed Jake.

Jake explained the deal with Steve to Lissa, who rubbed her high heels against the walls. Meanwhile, Ben noticed that Solomon was stepping to the back of the house. Bo Peep went after him as he walked across the wallpaper which had an ebony tree pattern. The young man brushed his index finger over the thin branches until he grimaced. Ben jerked back and looked at his hand. Blood dripped a bit out of a prick on his finger while a red spot tainted the part of the wallpaper that had stung him. The branches on the wall shrank and vanished while the trees turned into vertical stripes, akin to bars of a cell. A cold tingle ran through him as the paint turned from white and black to red, like a mix of liquids.

“Looking for me?” asked Solomon.

Ben moved his eyes at him before he glanced one more time at the wallpaper. The trees were back to their original form and his finger bore no wound.

“Um- Yes.” Ben paused. “I just wanted to apologize for how it went.”

“You think a tiny scuffle saddened me?” Solomon huffed. “I don’t need pity from your kind.”

“My kind?” Bo Peep tilted his head to the right. “Do you mean the kind people with a voice like mine? Or with the same clothes? Or the same hair color? Or the same eye shape?”

Solomon lifted his chin. “I see what you’re trying to do. You want us to work together as a nice little team of misfits… Sorry, but we’re very different.” 

“Are you sure?” Ben stared at him. “We’re all different, but some differences are being pointed at while others aren’t. Reasons change all the time, and yet it’s always the same hate. When I see the hate in your eyes, I see the same look someone once gave me for a whole other reason... What’s so wrong with letting people free to live as they want?”

Solomon gazed at him and huffed. “Are you done?”

Ben shook his head and walked away.

The man removed his glasses and cleaned them with a hurried scrape with a pocket square. He strolled in the opposite direction and arrived in a dimly lit hallway that had the scratched artwork of a buck and a hart on the right. A stairway went down to the right and ended on a flaked ajar rose door. Two eyes glowed from the small opening while a tiny, delicate hand grabbed at the wooden edge. From the wrist hung ebony beads hung as a bracelet with symbols of Mpatapo square knots that continually fed in on itself. A single light bulb shone a bit on the small person behind the door, it was a boy with an intense resemblance to him. Solomon tightened his shoulders with his leg muscles while the boy looked at him with downcast eyes. 

“Keza?” 

The light bulb turned off and the child disappeared. 

Solomon opened the door and headed down creaky wet planks. Molded bricks let the air blow inside the basement. Breezes pushed and swung a chained lamp to and fro between two support posts. The rusty links squeaked at each oscillation and recalled the click of a gun. 

The north and south sides of the basement lit up one after the other every three seconds. Solomon edged at a corner searched behind a pile of cardboard boxes. Behind it, in a corner of the room, he spotted the boy in a fetal position. The lamp swung one more time and the child disappeared again. School books dropped from the pile and caused Solomon to leap around. However, the books did not touch the ground and instead levitated above it. The whole room was frozen and had stopped to show any movement of life. The chain lamp stood still and illuminated the little boy at the center of the room. 

“Keza?” called Solomon.

The boy’s eyes had rolled to the back of his head while his skull had shattered and blasted porcelains of skin hovering motionless above him. Black smoke came out of his skull with a small trail out of his mouth too. An ethereal growl resonated and increased as Solomon got closer. He extended his hand at the boy while the growl rose into a loud drill through the mind. 

The wind banged like a gunshot into the room as the child gripped Solomon by the wrist and spit fume everywhere. Solomon struggled and shook his arm, but the smoke soon invaded the room. The light bulb flickered and then exploded, filling the basement with darkness. Then, the light turned back on and the room was empty.

“He’s dead?” asked Ben.

Upstairs, Lissa and Ben observed the painting of a giant shoving a baby in his mouth.

Lissa shook her head. “No, I’ve studied this in school, he and his siblings survived by killing their dad from the insides.”

Bo Peep smiled. “Oh, I like happy endings.”

“Hey, what are you two talking about?” wondered Jake.

Lissa frowned. “We’re right next to you, are you paying attention?”

“Yeah. Guess I got some sand stuck in the ears,” answered Jake with a shrug.

“I could take a shower with you if you want?” suggested Ben.

Jake widened his eyes. “Wh- what?”

Ben frowned and said, “Sorry, I just thought it would waste less water that way.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” added Lissa.

“Hmm…” Jake fiddled his collar. “Wait, where’s Solomon.”

Ben furrowed his brows and said, “He’s at the back of the house.”

The three of them headed toward the other side of the house. 

Ben jerked back. “Wait, something’s changed” 

The hallway which led to the basement now had another wall where once stood a stairway. Whereas, the opposite deer artwork now bore a large slash over the buck. 

“There were stairs here…” Bo Peep checked the hallway. “And now they’re gone.”

“Alright, let’s leave,” said Lissa as she walked toward the entrance.

“We can’t leave without Solomon!” urged Jake.

Lissa threw her hands up. “That’s what I’m doing right now, won’t miss him.” 

“You’re about to go through a storm without a raincoat?” questioned Bo Peep.

Lissa observed her clothes, she had on a Viridian sleeveless turtleneck crop top with a xanthic belt and pants of an Aegean tint.

“Yes,” she replied.

Lissa grabbed at the doorknob and fondled it.

“It’s locked!” she screamed.

Jake looked around and asked, “Where’s Cap?”

“I’m starting to have a bad feeling about this place,” said Jake.

“Well, at least we know he didn’t die,” said Lissa.

A mass of fur dropped from the ceiling and landed on Lissa’s hands. She yelled and smacked away a rat. The rodent snarled at her before it wagged its translucent tail and crawled away. Meanwhile, Jake covered his ears and winced.

“Jeez, you had to scream that loud?” questioned Jake.

“You’re not the one who had a rat falling on you!” shouted Lissa.

Jake rose an eyebrow. “Huh? What did you say?”

Ben moved closer to him. “Jake, do you hear us?”

“Wh- what?” Jake gawked at them. “I can’t hear you.” He stomped his left foot. “What’s goin’ on?! I can hear other sounds, but… but I can’t hear you two.”

Bo Peep eyed Lissa before he seized a chair and hurled it at a window. The piece of furniture bounced against the glass and did not even scrape it.

Lissa trembled. “We’re stuck here!”

Ben rubbed his temples and scanned the area. Suddenly, the shadows of the windows loomed over him into a series of lines. Ben gasped for air as if the shadows coiled around his waist and constricted it. 

“We’re trapped here, they’ve blocked the windows,” said Ben as he pointed at the barred windows.

Lissa pouted her lips. “What? The windows are fine.”

“What do you mean? The windows are-” 

Bo Peep brushed his eyes, his sight of light and darkness mixed together. Visions of bars in front of the glasses endlessly appeared and disappeared. The floor then started to quake while small bumps hit from under. Soaked humid noises echoed under the wooden boards as a myriad of worms burst out of their cracks. Tube-like lampreys slithered to them and hissed with their maws shaped like oxygen masks. A crevasse separated Lissa from the group while more leeches surrounded her.

“Lissa!” shouted the two young men.

Ben ran to her, but lampreys pounced at his legs and made him trip. Lissa cowered in a corner of the entrance before what she stood on collapsed. Jake punched worms away from Ben while Lissa drowned in a sea of them. Lissa trashed around but was soon swallowed by the horde of lampreys.

“We have to help her!” screamed Ben.

More and more worms flooded the ground floor, so Jake dragged him up. They sprinted up the stairs just before the lampreys chewed at the banister and wrecked it. The two of them gasped for air while Jake stumbled around.

“Ben where are you?” Jake wandered his eyes all over the hallway.

Ben watched his friend and mumbled, “Jake. I’m right here.”

Jake ground his teeth and shouted, “The hell’s goin’ on?!”

Bo Peep’s eyes watered. “Jake, please, answer me.” He quivered. “Please, don’t leave me alone.”

Jake did not answer him and limped around. 

“I… I can’t see you anymore,” muttered Jake.

Chapter Text

Ben grasped at his chest as he breathed heavily. 

“Jake… Answer me… Please, answer me…” mumbled Ben.

Salty tears blurred Ben’s vision as the colors and materials around him shifted. A cold purple grid appeared under his feet while the walls turned into metal. Square amber lights flickered on the ceiling and blinded Ben as the place continued to transform. Oval doors opened and eight-foot-tall slender figures clad in latex stepped out of them. Kevlar belts constricted their waist, arms, and legs, while two hellish beams glowed out of their helmets similar to gas masks. The wraith-like people prowled closer to Ben as his heart pounded and quickened his breathing.

“Go back to your cell, Gaveedra Six,” ordered one of the wraiths with a shrill breathy voice.

They aimed their long sharp claws at Ben whose eyes turned to a violet tint. The latter limped back while more wraiths swarmed in front of him. 

“Go back to your cell!” shouted another wraith. “Go back to your cell!”

Ben shivered and shook frenetically. He turned around and ran as fast he could through the narrow corridor. Pipes spat burning steams at him while the wraiths chased after him. A door slid open to Ben’s left and he dashed through it. His feet hit the doorsteps and he stumbled forward.

“Ben?” called a silvery voice.

The young man opened his eyes and realized he was now inside a wooden house filled with sunshine. A perfume of pepper and flour tickled his nose as he stood up. He followed the scent to another room where he found a kitchen with a woman inside.

“Backe, backe Kuchen,” hummed the woman. “Der Bäcker hat gerufen…”

Ben’s eyes twinkled. “Mom?” 

The woman’s black medium hair shone as she turned around. She had a grey apron on with a white dress. Meanwhile, her face lacked every trait; no eyes, no nose, and no mouth, it was like the blank canvas of a rag doll. 

“Ah, Ben, you finally woke up,” she said with a voice that distorted between a silvery and a breathy tone.

She served him gingerbread men on the table.

“C’mon, eat quickly, you don’t wanna be late to work.” She tapped her spatula on the dish.

Bo Peep shook his head. “I don’t have time for this, I have to find my friends.”

The woman’s skin turned yellow as she bent her back, as if it had no spine, to stare at him.

“You don’t need friends!” she shouted. “You only need me.” She brushed his hair. “Isn’t that what you want? To be with your mom, forever?”

Ben recoiled. “You’re not my mom.”

“Of course I am.” Her skin returned to its original shade. “You wouldn’t leave your mom all alone, right, Ben?”

She outstretched her arms and walked toward him with her back still bent upward. Ben grimaced and stepped back. He took a glimpse to the right and noticed an open door. He instantly rushed to it and ran away from her. 

“Don’t run away from your mom!” yelled the woman.

The walls turned back into metal while the floor was a grid once again. Ben closed his eyes and raced through the hallway until he stopped hearing the woman’s voice. When the screams finally stopped, Ben opened his eyes and realized he was back into the Benson House. 

“Fucking damn house!” cursed Jake.

Ben walked further down the hallway and spotted Jake.

“Jake!” Ben sprinted to him and grabbed him by the wrists.

Jake wrestled him. “Let me go!” 

“It’s me, Jake.” Ben caressed his hands with his thumbs.

Jake relaxed. “Ben?” He looked into the void. “Is it you?”

Ben put his right palm over Jake’s chest. Jake took a long breath and wrapped his hands over Ben’s.

“I wish I could see or at least hear you…” muttered Jake. “If you told me before that I could stop see other people, that would’ve been a dream come true.” He lowered his head. “But not now… Not anymore… I don’t want to be alone anymore...”

Ben drooped his brows. “I’m sorry…”

Jake moved up his head. “Huh? You talked?”

“Jake?” Ben jumped a bit and asked, “Do you hear me?”

Jake blinked a few times. “Ben?” He smiled and shouted “I can see you! And I hear you! That’s-”

Ben pounced on his friend to hug him.

“I thought I would never see you again,” mumbled Ben

Jake choked and replied, “It sc- scared me too… Can you let me breathe now?”

“Oh, right, sorry.” Ben stood up and helped his friend to do the same.

“Phew, just gimme a few seconds to calm down,” said Jake as he panted.

All of a sudden, the disembodied head of Captain America appeared in front of him.

“What the fuck?!” shouted Jake as he jumped back.

“Ah, now you can see me,” said Steve as put his head back on.

“The hell were you, Cap?!” scolded Jake.

Steve knit his brows and replied, “I was with you the whole time! Who do you think punched down the stairs or kicked away the ghosts chasing Ben?”

“Ghosts were chasing Ben?” wondered Jake before he looked at his friend.

“Yeah, sort of,” replied Ben. “I… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” screamed a young woman.

“It’s Lissa,” said Jake.

“Oh, you can hear Lissa too, now?” Ben grinned. “This is great! Can you hear this too?”

Ben pinched his lips and puffed out his left cheek. Then he tapped it with two fingers which produced a sound similar to a drum.

Jake stared at his friend with wide eyes. “Yeah. I heard that… Can we now focus on saving Lissa, by the way?”

“Sure,” replied Ben with a shrug.

The three of them went after the source of the scream and edged along a narrow corridor. White paint peeled off the walls, which gave them a gauze-like texture. The strong winds thumped the right part of the passage and bellowed under an Apache carpet. The surfaces of the corridor bumped in and out as if it was breathing. Water leaked from the ceiling and emitted the bitter smell of antiseptic. The air blowing through the wet wood sounded like moans of pain. Steve, Jake, and Ben plodded across the soaked floor until they reached a bedroom at the end. Lissa’ faced a window while she covered her eyes.

“Lissa?” called Jake.

Lissa spun around and yelled, “Above you!”

The door closed as a wail resonated. A female figure emerged from the other side of the room near the door. The purple and white floral wallpaper ripped at her pale mouth level and revealed an oxygen mask over it. A burly silhouette to her left came out of the wall. His fangs ripped out the paper on his maw. The curtains of the windows behind them ripped into bandage-like tapeworms and slithered around Jake and Ben before they tied them up. Lissa pulled at the curtains, but her trembling hands slid over the humid substance over them.

Whereas, the wallpaper people grabbed at the floorboards and dragged the wall toward them. The male figure gargled and choked on water that leaked out his mouth while the female one gasped for air. Steve charged forward and wrestled the male creature. The wall moved closer against them while Lissa clawed at the fabric coiled around her friends, but it did not budge.

“My little ducks went on the water,” sang the female figure. “They stay with their head in the water and their tail up.”

Ben and Jake wriggled, but the curtains did not let go of them.

“After playing so much, they got hungry, so they went fishing in a hurry,” hummed the female figure.

Tendons stood out in Lissa’s neck and pulsed as she jumped left and right. 

“One after the other, they start going home.” The female figure outstretched her arms and smiled. “And after that under the shadow they all rest.” 

Lissa cowered against the window and stared at the wallpaper people. She listened to the nursery rhyme as the wall was seconds away from crushing all three of them.

“Jake! Tell Lissa to do somethin’, I can’t fight these things much longer!” urged Steve.

The young lady inhaled and pounced on the woman and tore the paper away from her face. Once Lissa was done, strawberry blonde hair dropped out of the ripped wallpaper.

“Mom?” asked Lissa.

The woman looked at Lissa with her green eyes while the wallpaper flaked off her body. 

“Lissa…” she whispered. “My precious little daughter.”

“Mom? Is it really you?” asked Lissa.

“It’s not your fault…” whispered the woman. “It’s not your fault.”

She caressed her daughter’s face and closed her eyes. The colors of her body faded before they turned translucent and that she vanished with the wallpaper. Meanwhile, the creature fighting Steve crumbled too, until only its skin was left.

Lissa fell against a dresser and put the heel of her palm against her stomach.

“You’re okay?” worried Jake.

Lissa glanced away and mumbled, “That was my mom… and my brother, I think…”

“You rarely talk about your brother,” said Jake. “Has something happened to him?”

Lissa exhaled and said, “One day, my brother went to the sea with his friends... And when their boat came back…” She gripped at her dress. “They found dead bodies inside, all bloody, bruised, and…” Lissa winced and continued, ” But no sign of my brother…” She paused. “My mom, she drove everywhere to find him… She was only thinking about finding him. Too much.” Lissa sniffled. “They said she was too tired to drive and- and… Her car… The sirens… She- She-” 

Jake and Ben put their hands on her shoulders.

“We… We should go, there’s no time to waste,” she mumbled.

“You can cry if you want to,” Ben told her.

Lissa stood up. “I don’t like putting my problems on other people.”

“You can do whatever you want.” Ben smiled. “Just know that if you want to talk, you always have us.”

 Lissa smiled back and “Thank you.”

“Oh, you’re here,” said a man from the hallway.

The four of them looked at the man and realized he was Solomon.

“Oh, you’re alive,” said Lissa with disappointment.

Solomon rolled his eyes looked at Ben. “I know that we have… different opinions. But since we have to work together, I’ll take it upon myself to stay polite.”

“Apologies accepted,” replied Ben.

Solomon recoiled a bit. “I didn’t apologize.”

“No, but you thought it,” added Ben with a slight smirk.

The creak of a door resonated downstairs. They all gazed at each other before they headed down the corridor and discovered that the stairs were back. They then reached the entrance and faced rays of the sun cast through the open door. 

“It’s open, let’s go!” urged Lissa.

They ran to it, but it shut close on them. The lights of the sun and the lamps turned off before the whole house groaned. Its curtains darted at Solomon, Lissa, Steve, and Jake before it tangled them. A dark mist penetrated between the floorboards and grew into a tall person. Ebony hair slithered out of the fog escorted by a blank yellowish face. Cracks fissured on the woman’s face as eyes opened and a thin long smile appeared

“Ben, you little dummy.”  Leered the woman. “You really thought you were smart enough to leave without me noticing?”

Ben balled his fists and ordered, “Let me and my friends leave.”

“I already told you, nobody would want to be your friend.” She lolled her head. “You’re too different, I’m the only one who could ever love you.”

Ben lowered his face. “No…” He stared at her. “You’re lying because you’re scared of being left alone!”

The woman’s eyes became bloodshot while her teeth shifted into fangs. The dark mist circled Ben and the wooden creaks inside the house turned into growls.

“How dare you talk to your mom like that?!” she shouted. “I choose every day to raise and feed you despite everything you did, and that’s how you thank me?!”

Chairs and tables flew around Ben as the mist grew into a storm.

“I’ve never chosen to have you as my mother!” Ben cried as his eyes watered. “I’ve never chosen to have this life! I’ve never chosen to be locked inside all the time! I’ve never chosen to have you insult and destroy me every day!”

“So what?” She huffed. “You’re gonna go hide in your room and cry like a little girl?”

“No,” coldly replied Ben as he walked up to her. “I’m leaving you and never coming back.” He glared at her. “You’re not my mother anymore.”

The storm stopped as the woman’s eyes widened and hollowed Soon, her whole face cracked like porcelain and collapsed into dust. The mist vanished while the curtains released the rest of the group. The door opened again and the sunlight came back.

Ben panted and looked down at the remains of the woman’s face which disintegrated. Tears poured down Ben’s eyes and he ran out of the house.

“Ben!” Jake sprinted after him.

Jake raced between cactuses and weed until he arrived at the bottom of the hill. Once there, he spotted Ben sitting on the fallen bark of a tree by the bank of a lake. Ben wrapped himself with his arms and wept. Jake shuffled closer and sat down on the bark. 

“I… I didn’t remember,” muttered Ben as he pinched his collar. “I didn’t remember any of this.”

“How so?” asked Jake with a frown.

“I don’t know… After I’ve left the house, my brain just went upside down…” explained Ben. “In my mind, I was just traveling while my mom was waiting for me at home.” Ben smiled a bit, but it faded away. “I just wanted to remember all the good and never worry... But now, I only remember the bad…” He broke down in tears. “And it hurts… It hurts so much....”

Jake put his right arm over Ben.

“I’m sorry,” said Jake with a soft tone.

Ben gulped down and continued, “It’s all coming back… All the horrible words she said, all the fights we had.” Ben’s hands shook and his lips quivered. “I just wanted to go out, to be free for once. And she got angry at me and screamed how much I was a horrible son.” He shook his head slowly and mumbled, “And- and I didn’t understand why…I- I- I don’t understand why she did that… I don’t understand…”

“Hey, you did nothing wrong,” said Jake as he placed his other hand on Ben’s lap. “It’s not your fault.”

“Thank you…” Ben wiped his tears and looked at his friend. “Why… Why are you so nice to me?”

“Because it’s you,” replied Jake. “I don’t know… You’re honestly the nicest person I’ve ever met and it makes me wanna be nice to you.”

Ben smiled a bit and asked, “Is it okay if I put my head on your shoulder?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry,” answered Jake.

Ben leaned his head on Jake's right shoulder and they both watched the lake.

“When I was a kid, I loved to look at the outside world through the window,” said Ben as his face relaxed. “The sky, the river, the flowers. Looking at them made me feel like I was already outside. That I was living without any bad memories of the past… I felt free.”

“I wish I was free too,” said Jake rubbed his face against Ben’s luscious hair.

The two admired the crystalline reflection of the warm sun in the waters of the lake. Some apache trouts, all beige and yellow, swam by with their mermaid-like eyes. Flatter rocks grew arms and turned into mud turtles while a few dragonflies flew around. The soft waves of the lake harmonized with the breeze of the wind between the reeds into a melody similar to a harp. Irises emanated the scent of a sidewalk after a thunderstorm while orchids yielded the perfume of chocolate and lemons. Jake and Ben held each other’s hand just like a couple of Joshua trees did behind them with their branches 

Ben raised his head a little. “Hey Jake, what’s happening between us?”

“I have no idea,” answered Jake with a shrug. “All I know is that it feels good.”

Ben nested himself closer to him. “Remember what I told you before? That when I feel sad, I looked at the outside world to forget?”

“Mm-hmm,” replied Jake.

Ben smiled and said, “Well, when I’m with you, I don’t need to distract myself from the real world.”

Jake hugged him tighter and replied, “Me either.”

The two young men watched the sunset by the lake while its light stayed in their eyes.

Chapter Text

Jake and Ben cuddled each other by the lake while a flock of crows observed them from the opposite bank. 

Suddenly, the flash of a camera banged. The two of them spun around and spotted an ebony long coat. Its wearer aimed a box camera at them and leered with his pale lipless mouth. 

“Lovely place, isn’t it?” said Greylight with a cigar in his mouth.

Bo Peep picked up a rock and threw it at Greylight, but it phased through him.

“Water off a duck’s back.”The undead cowboy snapped his fingers and the camera vanished into a fog. “I’m not really here.” 

“What do you want?” questioned Jake as stepped in front of Ben. 

Greylight puffed smoke. “I just wanted to welcome you to my land.” He tipped his hat. “Howdy hello, the name’s Greylight, the dutiful son of Mephisto.”

“What was the camera for?” wondered Ben.

The ghoul smirked. “I took your souls with it.”

Jake and Ben looked at him with wide eyes.

Greylight burst into peals of laughter. “Haha! Got your eyes wide like cherry pies!” He spat his cigarette “Relax, I was just kiddin’... I like to take pictures from time to time. My dad always said that if I had a soul, it would be the one of an artist.” He gazed at the sky. “Wonder how it would’ve been to paint canvas red instead of towns…”

A fist went through Greylight’s head as Steve punched him.

“Huh?” reacted Steve with wide eyes.

“Care to pull your hand out of my face?” asked Greylight.

“Wait, are you a ghost?” wondered Steve.

“Not really, I guess you can call it astral projection,” explained Greylight. “Anyway, I think you should go back to that old dank house, somethin’ back here might make you jump out of your skins.”

The cowboy blew a cloud that circled him before it took him away. The two young men gawked at each other and rushed back to the hill with Steve. After they raced past cactuses and dead trees, they spotted Lissa and Solomon in the distance.

“What’s going on?” asked Jake.

“The house’s at it again!” shouted Lissa.

Wooden claps resonated as the door and shutters of the house slammed to and fro. A dark mist gathered at the entrance and then darted at the bottom of the hill. It landed into a mass of glowing white eyes which screamed until it grew into an amalgam of imp-like creatures. Dead leaves blew from the desert as a little girl with a raincoat appeared, the same one they encountered at the side of the road. She walked toward the creatures and placed her palm against them. The smoke surrounded her into a tornado while her hair turned black and her pallid skin took an almond tone. The little girl took a deep breath as the fog around her evaporated. A large scar grew on the side of her head while the sclera of her left eye became red.

“Hel- hello,” mumbled the little as she teared up.

“Who are you?” asked Jake.

“My name’s Wendy,” said Wendy as glanced at the house. “I was trapped here after the bad men hurt me.”

Ben tilted his head. “The bad men?”

“They took me away from my parents.” Wendy sniffled. “I tried to run away from them, so I went inside this house… But I fell and knocked my head.” She gazed at them. 

“Wh-… What happened after?” asked Steve.

“When I woke up, I couldn’t leave the house... I was angry and sad…” she said with a crack in her voice. “A weird man appeared one day, it felt so cold… He told me that he would make the bad things inside me disappear if I shook his hand.” Her shadow twitched a bit as she said this. “After that, there were two Wendys.” She looked at the house again. “The one who was sad and angry stayed inside the house, and I was outside.” 

“I’m sorry,” said Ben.

The little girl lowered her head before she stared at them again. “Could you tell my parents where I am? So I can see them one more time..”

“We will,” Jake told her with a smile. “Could you tell us where they are?”

“They live down the valley, somewhere called San Verde, I think,” she informed them.

“We’ll bring back your parents,” declared Jake.

“Thanks,” replied Wendy as she beamed. “And… thank you for making me friends with the other Wendy.”

The group headed back to the road while the little girl waved at them. After they walked between shrubs and piles of stones, they spotted the spotless RV with no stain of blood. Moreover, the deer they had struck before was now gone. Only a few locusts were left as a sign of animal life.

Lissa gawked at the empty road and said, “Let’s just go before cocks start falling from the sky.”

Ben winced a bit and wondered, “Is it common for phalluses to rain around here?”

“Hey, you didn’t think it was a chicken this time.” Jake high-fived him. “Good job.”

Ben and Jake smiled at each other before all of them walked back to their respective seats inside the vehicle. While Lissa drove on, Ben laid at the back with his head resting on Jake's lap. On the passenger seat, Solomon observed his beaded bracelet before he glanced at Ben through the rearview mirror.

Jake glared at him. “You got a problem?”

“I do,” responded the man. “Why did you ask me to come with you?”

“My dad told me to find you,” answered Jake.

“What was his name?” questioned Solomon

“Charles, Charles Amundson,” replied Jake.

Solomon raised his chin. “Charles?”

“You knew him?” inquired Jake.

“He helped with some technical difficulties,” said Solomon as he fiddled with his bracelet. “And a good friend of mine.” He removed his trinket off his wrist and handed it to Jake. “You might wanna check this... Press the one with the omega symbol on it.”

Jake grabbed the bracelet and observed it, one of its ebony beads had some kind of crossed-out O letter etched on it. Jake tapped his thumb on the said bead and it glimmered. It cast a small beacon of light which increased into the projection of a man’s head.

Jake’s eyes bugged out “Dad?” 

“Ian?” muttered Steve

Jake’s father smiled. “Hey champ, you might be wonderin’ why your dad’s a floating head, and why he’s not all as wrinkly as usual.” He chuckled. “Well, it’s your dad from the past, but past as in two or three years ago, it depends on when you’ll watch this honestly…”

“Charles, just go to the point,” called a woman in the distance.

His father looked to the right. “Hey, intervention from your mom! Anyway... You’re not born yet, but there’s a lot of things I need to tell you.” He inhaled. “Jak, your father used to do… bad things. Mugging people, hacking stuff here and there…”

Ben sat up and held Jake by the hands while the latter furrowed his brows. 

“You might be thinkin’ why I did this?” Charles rubbed his neck. “I was young, stupid, and tired…  Tired of the pressure from the rest of the family.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Which brings up another point… Your grandfather…” Charles sighed. “His name is Steve Rogers. I’m pretty sure you know him more as Captain America.”

Jake flinched and glanced at Steve who also stared at the hologram.

His father sighed again. “It’s a hard choice, but I don’t want you to grow knowing that your dad was a criminal, or that your grandfather was one of Earth’s mightiest heroes.” Charles looked right in front of him. “I want you to grow up as your own person… It might be foolish, but as a kid, knowing that your dad’s Captain America was something to be proud of for sure,” his voice went down. “But being constantly compared to someone you consider as so much better than you, wondering and torturing yourself every night about you can make a difference compared to your dad… I don’t want that for you.” 

Steve stooped his posture as he heard this.

“I want you to see me as your dad, not as a name you have to carry around your neck,” said Jake’s father as he scrubbed his hand over his face. “That might be a terrible decision, and if it was, I’m sorry… I- I’m sorry… Just know that you’re my son and that… I love you.”

The light of the bracelet turned off and it dropped off Jake's hands. Hence, Solomon leaned forward and picked it up. 

“Your father told me to show you this if…” Solomon paused. “If something happened to him... My condolences.”

Jake looked down at the floor and clenched his fists while Ben rubbed his back.

“Jake…” Steve paused. “I’m sorry.”

“Lissa, stop the car,” urged Jake. “Stop it now!”

The RV braked and Jake stormed out of it. Ben immediately ran after him with Steve. Jake ran into the forest and banged his fists against a tree before he rested his head against it and wept. Ben rushed to the latter and put his left hand over his left shoulder. Steve shuffled toward them as Jake shot daggers at him.

“You!” Jake gestured at Steve. “Why you didn’t tell me about my dad?!”

Steve raised his hands a bit and let them drop. “I didn’t know, Jake. I promise…” Steve put his fists against his waist. “Your father… He had cut ties with me a long time ago.”

“Why would he do that?” questioned Jake.

“I ask myself this all the time…” spoke Steve in hushed tones. “My so- Your dad. He was a good kid, but he sometimes let his emotions take over and… acted out of them.”

Jake gulped some tears and asked, “Why you didn’t try to find him?” 

“We tried, me, his mom, our friends… But each time we found him, your father found ways to disappear again…” explained Steve. “So, we’ve just- we’ve just decided to respect his decision and gave up…”

Jake shook his head and laughed a bit. “Right, giving up, that’s what you guys do.” Jake stared at Steve from head to toe. “You and your fucking stupid costumes, your fucking catchphrases, and your fucking fake symbols… If you didn’t give up, my dad wouldn’t have been all alone! He would still be alive!” yelled Jake as he cried.

Steve moved down his chin and walked away while Jake watched him.

“Jake,” called Ben. “I… I’m saying this because I care about you…” Ben paused and said, “I think… I think you’re not being fair.”

“I don’t care about being fair right now,” replied Jake.

Ben wrapped his hands around Jake’s left hand. “Jake, you were here for me earlier. So I’m here for you now.” Ben took a deep breath and pursued with, “Some families have problems, and others…” Ben breathed again. “Some are not families. And I think yours had misunderstandings and problems… Maybe if you just talk-”

“I don’t wanna talk to him!” Jake bobbed at Steve.

“You don’t have to,” replied Ben. “Just know that he’s sorry. And that for me this whole thing is just a bunch of people refusing to talk.” Ben caressed Jake’s arms. “I’ll respect your choices, no matter what, but good families are rare you know?”

Jake smiled a bit and looked at Ben to say, “Sometimes, I feel like you’re the only person I can talk to.”

Ben grinned and replied, “That’s what friends are here for.”

Jake tickled Ben’s palms with his thumbs before he took a glimpse at Steve.

“Fine, you’ve won. I’m talking to him,” conceded Jake. “But you owe me one.”

Ben tried to understand what Jake had just said and led him toward Steve.

“Hey,” called Jake. “Sorry for earlier… I- I think got that from my dad.”

“You remind me of him,” said Steve with a nostalgic smile. “I swear to you, that there wasn’t a day where I forgot about him.”

“I trust you,” said Jake as he walked closer to Steve. “I can’t think of how many times I ignored my dad for hiding things from me…” He closed his eyes. “I… I just wish I would have spent more time doing other things with him instead- instead of being a complete asshole to him... Like I was with you.”

Steve put his hands on Jake’s shoulders and replied, “It’s okay… Emotions can be hard to control.”

“You look so much like him,” scoffed Jake before he teared up. “I miss him… I miss my dad so much…”

Steve hugged Jake and said softly, “It’s okay, I promise you we’ll find to bring him back.”

“We’ll save your dad,” whispered Ben.

Steve hugged him tighter while Ben pressed his brown-haired head against Jake’s back. 

“Um, guys?” interrupted Lissa. “You should check this out.”

A sign stood in front of them with San Verde spelled on it. They stepped back into the RV and drove forward. Remote double pen pastel houses appeared, they were separated from each other by grid fences. One of them bore on its roof a purple and yellow flag with the drawing of a red staff stringed with feathers, Tohono O’odham was sewn on it too. They walked out of the parked vehicle and strolled past white roadside shrines decorated with flowers and rosaries. Wendy’s picture was inside one of them while another contained the photograph of a crow-haired young woman. Jake knelt and carefully brushed away the little trees in front of it. 

Jake’s eyes opened wide. “That’s my mom!” He pulled out his phone and showed them to the others. “Look.”

“What are you doing with my daughter’s shrine?!” questioned a man.

The young man jumped up and faced an elderly man with a white Stetson, a silver cloud necklace, and a yellow jacket. He glared at them and held a statue of the Virgin Mary. 

“Your daughter?” Jake gawked at him. “Her name was Linda? And... she went to Flowing Wells University, right?”

The old man flinched. “How do you know that?”

Jake took a quick breath. “I’m her son.”

The old man’s mouth dropped as he observed Jake. “You’re… You look almost like her.”

He outstretched his arms and hugged the young man.

Lissa murmured to Ben, “Did he just say his daughter looked like a guy?”

“You’re his friends?” asked the grandfather.

“Yes,” replied Ben and Lissa.

“No,” answered Solomon.

He shook their hands. “Shap kaij, my name is Sam Esteban.”

“Wow, Jake, you got two granddads!” realized Ben.

Steve and Sam stared at Ben while Jake forced a laugh.

“It’s complicated,” said Jake.

“Jake can see the manifestation of his other grandpa,” explained Ben. “So if one day you died, maybe he would be able to see yours too.”

“Ben!” shouted Jake.

Esteban crossed himself and placed the statue of the Virgin Mary next to his daughter’s shrine before he bobbed at the grey house with the flag.

“You must be starving, we have some bean stews left,” declared the old man.

“Wait.” Jake sighed. “We found Wendy...” He glanced at her shrine. “Her body is inside the Benson House, on the other side of the valley.”

Esteban nodded. “It was deemed to happen… I’ll tell her famil-”

“Jake, we got some new faces?” greeted a frail woman with a cotton dress. “Welcome to San Verde.”

“Maria…” Esteban held her fingers. “Wendy, she… I’m sorry.”

The mother looked at Esteban for minutes before she let go of his hands. She stumbled and slid her body down a fence. Maria gripped at the grid and grimaced as her other hand clutched at her dress. Her mouth pinched before it opened and let out a long painful scream. Her scream was so intense it was as if air left her entire lungs and came out as nothing but hurt. Birds flew away from the houses while the mother wailed a few more times. Esteban put his hands on her shoulders as she cried. Two or three locusts watched them from the other side of the fence.

A man with a scarlet shirt and a black jacket ran to them. His semicircle necklace of green feathers and golden plates bounced against his buff physique. 

“Mother, what’s going on?” he asked.

“John, it’s your sister,” replied Esteban. “… I’m sorry.”

The sturdy man shot daggers at Jake and his group. “You, what you did to Wendy?!”

“It’s not their fault.” The grandfather stepped in front of them. “John, please, that’s my grandson.”

“No matter what blood says.” John clenched his fists. “He’s not one of us, half-breed.”

Maria covered her ears. “Please! Please! No more fighting!”

John helped his mother standing up and carried her back to their house. A red-haired man opened the door for them but John pushed him away.

“Forgive him, John’s very emotional,” said Esteban.

“It’s okay,” responded Jake. “Also. We’ve seen Wendy’s ghost, she told us bad men were chasing her, do you know what she meant?”

Esteban exhaled. “The border patrol, they’ve been troubling us for a while. Leaving garbage in our streets, blaspheming our shrines, trying to run us over… When Wendy disappeared, I had a feeling they were behind it.”

“Do you need our help?” offered Bo Peep.

A muffled buzzing resonated throughout San Verde while a myriad of twisted spots hovered in the sky. Bang-winged insects cracked a cacophony above the place. Progressively, a curtain of locusts rose and charged at them.

Chapter Text

Camel-colored locusts gathered under the dusk sky. They twirled around San Verde’s flag and chewed at it until it was riddled with holes. Grasshoppers devoured nearby fruits before they joined them. Their antennas intertwined each other into pieces of fabric while their bodies melted into bigger arms, legs, and a torso. They then into a neck and a head while a dark green hooded robe sewn on the body. The skeletal man had his limbs bent into an insect-like bent. His almond compound eyes contrasted with his pale beige shell for a skin, it glistened like peeled bits of lips glued together.

“Scream and shiver heathens, for Blackheart’s here to bring you salvation,” said the locust man with a husky voice.

Solomon glared at him and said, “Deacon.”

The locust man twitched as he fondled a poppet of branches shaped into a pentagram.

“Look at you; small and tiny, waiting for the hands of death to pound you into oblivion,” he said with a singsong tone. “Behold Blackheart’s sweet large dripping blade as it thrust into you while you beg for deliverance.” He licked his lips. “The wet tip of his sword tickling the sweaty hole in your flesh and c-”

“What are you here for?” questioned Solomon.

“Silly Mister Prey.” Deacon lolled his head and giggled. “The big cat becomes a mouse when faced with the hounds of hell.” 

Lissa grimaced and whispered, “Who’s that crackhead?”

“The great Blackheart has claimed this place,” declared Deacon as he got on all fours and gazed at them. “Do a single thing against his property and you’ll break the pact.”

“A pact?” asked Sam.

Tiny legs protruded between Deacon’s teeth as he declared, “Even if you tried, nothing beside remains. Round the decay.“ His voice distorted as his mouth multiplied into insects. “Look on his works, he Mighty, and despair! His name is Blackheart, king of kings…”

Deacon burst into peals of laughter and locusts as his body collapsed into a swarm of bugs that veiled all of the houses in the area. Jake and his friends protected themselves with their arms while Steve raised his shield in front of them. Once the buzzing ceased and the insects vanished; trees were left leafless, front yards were left grassless, and baskets were left fruitless. 

“We’re gonna need a lot of bug repellent,” noted Steve.

Sam picked up a devoured apple core and threw it away.

“That thing talked about a pact, would you like to explain?” inquired Sam. 

Steve put his left hand on Jake’s right shoulder and said. “You should tell him.”

Jake nodded before he looked at Sam and said, “We’ve made a deal with Blackheart... One of the people behind these supernatural things happenin’ around.”

“What?” Sam planted down his feet. “Why would you do that?”

“It was my idea,” said Ben. “Blackheart, he’ll help us kill the two others if we let him keep the territories he took.”

“And this included San Verde?” asked Sam with crossed arms.

Jake pursed his lips and muttered, “Yes...”

“And I’ll make sure you follow through,” announced Solomon. 

“There goes Spyro the Dragon again…” moaned Lissa.

“I’ll watch over the town and if any of you three tries to sneak by…” He spurted talons out of his left hand. “I’ll let you choose two fingers before I blind you with them.” 

Gingery dragon wings grew out of Solomon’s back before he took off.

“Someone go tell Pete that Elliott’s being an assclown,” said Lissa.

Jake sighed and told Sam, “I’m sorry, Mr. Esteban.”

Sam smiled and replied, “C’mon, call me grandpa.”

Jake raised his head. “Thanks…” He smiled back. “Grandpa.”

Sam gestured to the east and guided them to the grey house. 

“Here’s the district office,” declared Sam. “We could put some mattresses inside for you. There are only two rooms though, so you’ll have to share a bed.”

“That won’t be a problem, replied Lissa. “Jake and Ben will sleep together.”

“Hey!” Jake furrowed his brows. “We don’t have a say in this?” 

Lissa gazed at him. “Jake, do you want to sleep with me?”

“No,” responded Jake.

Lissa turned her eyes to Bo Peep. “Ben, do you want to sleep with Jake?”

Ben grinned. “Yes.”

“There!” Lissa clapped her hands together. “Oh, and if someone could put a TV or at least a radio inside my room, it’ll be great.” 

As the moon began to rise, she catwalked inside the building and locked herself into the next room. The others followed Sam and discovered a refined room with double-hung windows, a whiteboard, and a few plastic boards. 

Sam tidied some fallen pencils. “It’s not much, but I hope it’s enough.” 

“No, it’ll be okay,” assured Jake.

“Reminds me of one of the barracks I’ve slept in,” said Steve.

Bo Peep curtsied to Sam and said, “Thank you for your hospitality.” Ben then leaned forward and whispered, “I’ve smelled that Solomon man, I think he likes to drink alcohol... So, if you want to-” He winked to Sam and walked away.

More people came after Sam left and they brought mattresses. Ben put down his backpack and observed knife sheaths on some of their belts. Others outside held shovels and crowbars.

“Are you guys goin’ to war or something?” questioned Jake.

“We’re waiting for the night to get rid of those guys from the patrol,” answered a long-haired man with a white and black jacket. “Oh, and sorry for my brother. John’s on edge these days.”

“I understand,” replied Ben.

John’s brother simpered and said, “The name’s James, by the way.” 

Once they were alone inside the district office, Jake sprawled on the mattress and groaned. He covered his face with his palms and rested.

“Do you want a massage?” proposed Ben.

“No thanks,” mumbled Jake. “I just want to sleep, I feel like my head’s about to explode.”

Ben wrinkled his brows. “It’s not your fault, you know. It’s mine. You could’ve helped them if I-”

“We would’ve died without you,” Jake cut him off before he sat up. “I’m just angry that I can’t do anything to help Sam…” He slumped. “My dad, my mom, and now all of this,” muttered Jake as his hands clasped at the sheet. 

“Hey, Jake, it’ll get better, I promise,” said Steve.

“I just wish I could go on one day with no bullshit…” moaned Jake. “It’s fucking exhausting.”

Ben sat next to Jake and asked, “Do you need a hug?”

Jake chuckled. “You know you don’t have to ask.”

Ben wrapped his arms around Jake.

All of a sudden, Ben’s eyes brightened. “What if we could help your grandpa?”

“You got a plan?” wondered Jake.

“Yup!” he responded with a grin. “So, we pretend that I have set myself on fire-”

The whiteboard fell on the ground while the tiles under it trembled. Steve gestured to Jake and Ben to stay back as he walked forward. A part of the floor slid open as a white Stetson hat stuck out of it. before Sam climbed up. 

Jake tilted his head. “Grandpa? What’s going on?”

“I told you, I had my doubts against these people from the border patrol.” He tapped the ladder he was on. “So, we dug secret tunnels out of the mine under San Verde just in case we should escape.”

Sam went down and Jake followed him while Ben walked to the other side of the room and knocked on a door.

“Lissa, we’re taking down a border patrol, you want to join us?” he asked.

A growl resonated from inside her room. “Huuh, I’m busy! I’m… I’m reading online stories about... Capwolf impregnating Iron Vampire!”

“Ach, have fun then,” said Bo Peep before he headed back to the secret hatch. “Lissa is reading a romance novel about a wolf… I think. They’re having a baby with a robot vampire.”

Jake looked at him with wide eyes in total silence.

“Let’s go join grandpa,” Jake told him.

“I’ve phased inside the mine quickly, and it looks safe,” added Steve. “Don’t climb down too fast though, you could trip and break a leg.”

“Thanks, Cap, for teaching us how to climb a ladder,” scoffed Jake.

Ben and Jake both stepped down the wooden ladder, one rung after the other. Once at the bottom, they reached an underground railway. Ben opened his backpack and removed his vest while Sam and eighteen other men approached, including Wendy’s father and John.

“Ah, you’re here,” greeted Sam. 

“Why did you bring the half-breed and his wik'ovat?” questioned John.

Esteban shot daggers at John and shouted, “My grandson’s no half-breed! He’s one of us, deal with it.” 

Sam snatched a baseball bat off John’s hands and gave it to Jake. 

A click resonated.

John stepped to the side with a gun in his left hand, he pointed the pistol right at Sam’s head. Jake stomped toward John, but John pressed the cannon against Sam’s right temple. 

“One more step and I’ll shoot his brain all over the wall,” threatened John. “You two, go join the others.”

The two young men shuffled to the group while John moved backward.

“John, what’s the meaning of this?!” questioned his brother, James.

“You still don’t get it, James? Our ancestors were kidnapped, convinced they were a part of that tribe.” John flared his nostrils. “We’re no damn Tohono O’odham, we’re Apache!”

James glared at him. “It was centuries ago!”

“And it is still happening, we’re losing our identities.” John gestured at Jake. “Half-breeds like him and Wendy are allowed in our community!”

“Wendy was our sister,” declared James.

“She was his daughter!” He pointed at the red-headed man. “After father died, our mother married one of them and gave birth to that half-breed and you’re gonna call her one of us?! We’re better off without her!” 

“You had something to do with Wendy’s disappearance, didn’t you?” inquired Sam.

John smirked. “The half-breed’s not the only who made a deal with the demon.” His eyes turned amber like that of an eagle. “I gave Wendy to these savages from the border patrol. In exchange, Blackheart gave me powers,” revealed John as he touched his feathered necklace.

John seized a part of the ladder with his other hand and tore it away with ease. Steve tried to follow him, but John’s necklace glowed and pushed him back.

All of a sudden, inhuman whines echoed from the depths of the mine.

John cooed. “The patrol should be here soon.” 

“You’re selling us to them too?” questioned Sam.

“You’re weak, Sam,” declared John while half of the group joined him. “The path of war is the only way to take.” He looked at his brother and asked, “James, you’re comin’?”

His younger brother shot daggers at him. “I’m staying with my family.”

“Your choice,” replied John with a shrug. “I’ll tell the others you died like warriors.”

John opened a rusty steel door as the other men walked through. and shut it down. James charged to it but it did not nudge.

“He locked us in!” he yelled.

“I’ll get him,” said Steve.

Steve sprinted toward the steel door while the force of John’s necklace hindered him. Captain America groaned and phased through the surface. Once on the other side, Steve slowed down as he noticed a large crevasse in front of him, with only a fallen tree trunk as a bridge. A swarm of locusts let John and his men cross the bridge before the insects crawled all over the tree and gnawed its wood until it disappeared. Steve sighed and phased back to the others.

“So?” asked Jake.

“It’s useless, there’s a crevasse on the other side,” said Steve.

Clip-clops resonated against the humid stones of the cold mine. As the sound got louder, the scent of moist rocks mixed with one of mushrooms and sulfur. Sam turned his flashlight at its source. A herd of seven-foot-tall humanoids emerged from the darkness and dragged their long skeletal arms against the ground. Hoofed legs held the creatures’ upper bodies. Their torsos wore wilted men’s skin with the faces on their heads like hooded shirts. Black equine maws protruded out with huge rectangular teeth. Their pupils were dilated into vertical lines onto their brown scleras. Slimy border patrol badges glistened on the demonic centaurs. 

The hair on Jake's neck stood up as he observed the abominations. James recoiled his back against the steel door.

“How these things came to life?” wondered James.

“Blackheart also made a deal with them” answered Jake.

Frozen air breathed out of the bipedal Werehorses’ snouts as they walked closer to them. One of Sam’s men jumped at them with a shovel but the largest creature bit at his weapon, twisted its neck backward, and hurled inside an empty coal cart. Two of the centaurs pounced at him and bent their jaws inside the cart. Screams erupted before they were muffled as the two abominations smothered him with their great hands. The wheels squeaked while shadows wrestled above them. 

Jake and the other men held tight their weapons while Ben dug inside his backpack in a frenzy. Sweats dripped as their hearts struggled to soothe. James unsheathed two knives and groaned. Soon, all of them sprinted at the creatures. One of them dug its teeth deep inside Jake's baseball bat but James stabbed it in the throat. Oozes of pus squirted out of the holes before Ben smacked it away with his bag.

The Werehorses stepped back while the injured one wrapped its right hand around its neck. 

Ben picked up a baby doll and whispered, “Jake, I have a grenade inside this doll.”

Jake jerked back. “Why did you put it inside a doll? And where you got a grenade?”

“People are more vulnerable in front of babies, and an old veteran gave one to me after he asked me to call him a hung granddaddy,” responded Bo Peep as fast as he could. 

“I could sneak this behind them?” suggested Steve.

Jake explained the plan to Ben and Steve picked up the doll. The latter used his invisibility to trod around the Werehorses as he held the doll as low as he could. He then pulled the string out of the doll while some fume came out of it. Then, he threw it at the wounded Werehorse’s feet. Bo Peep and his friends sprung back while the creature looked down at the toy baby.

It exploded as dirt and yellowish mush blew up all over the mine as the remains of the monsters dropped down. The Werehorse leader observed its congener’s rests and snarled a neigh. It then next took a stance and lunged at them. 

Dust and rocks collapsed as the hatch above them was punched down. The centaur leaped away from it as a blonde figure landed in front of it. 

Her hands were clawed while her ears pointed up. She glanced back at them and flashed her mouths with two sharp fangs. Between her unkempt hair strands, a pair of golden eyes glowed, similar to that of a wolf.

“Lissa?” wondered Ben.

She gazed at the Werehorses with a smirk and said, “Surprise, bitch.”

Chapter Text

Lissa’s ebony scleras stared at the Werehorses. One of them got on all fours and breathed a fetid odor of rotten flesh at her face. She cringed and huffed. 

“We need to help her,” urged Ben.

Steve seized the biggest Werehorse while Bo Peep grabbed a stone and threw it at the creature in front of Lissa. The young woman pounced at the distracted monster and bit off its left shoulder tendons. Jake whacked its head with his bat while James stabbed it in the stomach before he swung the other twin blade at another fiendish centaur. 

“Kick it while it’s down!” ordered Lissa.

Lissa and her friends beat the beast with their feet until it was a dead horse. At the back, Esteban lit up the mine with his flashlight. He aimed the beam at a centaur’s eyes and blinded it. One of its men took the opportunity to swing its crowbar at its head while Ben grabbed a sharp tooth on the ground and thrust it in its abdomen. He then seized a leg from the blown-up Werehorse and struck the monster’s skull with it. 

“J- Jake,” groaned Steve “I can’t hold this thin-”

Their leader freed itself from Steve’s grip and charged at them as Ben rolled away. However, the other man stayed to crush his opponent’s head with his left shoe. The larger Werehorse seized him with both hands, smacked him against a wall, then again as his bones crunched. The monster next hurled the man into the darkness of the mine. It took a glimpse down at its peer, panting and oozing before it raised its left hoof and stomped the Werehorse’s neck. The tallest creature lifted the corpse and threw it to another man. He tried to run, but the dead body landed on him. His legs wriggled under the two thousand pounds of flesh as it crushed him.

Lissa growled and pounced at the leader before they wrestled and knocked each other against the walls. The ceiling cracked while the mine quaked.

“You need to go, the mine’s about to fall!” yelled Lissa.

Jake looked at “But you-”

“I’ll handle BoJack,” she cut him off.

They nodded to her and raced through the crumbling mine. Fissures slithered on the walls while gravel rained on them. Esteban led the way and ran as fast as he could. Pins and needles hindered their legs, but they sprinted against it. Pieces of rocks dropped all around them into an uproar while Steve raised his shield above Jake to cover him.

“Ben!” shouted Jake.

Dozens of them fell above Ben, so Jake pushed him out of the way. Jake stumbled and tripped to the left. A cluster of rocks now separated Jake from the others as he was stuck with another man wearing a red shirt. 

“Jake, keep running!” urged Sam from the other side.

Jake darted through the shaft with Steve and the man. Captain America’s shield sheltered them from the collapsing mine as they ran toward beams of moonlights until they reached a narrow crevasse. 

“Walk first,” said the man.

Jake slid through the gap while the man followed him. 

“My name is Ned Sestiaga Jr.,” listed the man. “I love soap carving, reading kids’ horror books, I’m terribly afraid of gees-”

“What the fuck are you doin’?” wondered Jake.

“I overshare when under pressure,” answered Ned. “One day, I was leaving the shower and stubbed my big toe, it hurt a lot…”

Jake rolled his eyes while Ned kept talking.

Grains of the desert blew on their faces once they were at the end of the crevasse. Jake stepped out of it while the mine tremored. Steve pulled Ned by the arm, but a pile of stones fell on the latter’s left leg.

“Go join the others,” said Ned. “There’s a soap right here, I’ll carve it to kill time.”

Jake left him his baseball bat and edged with Steve between a field of cactuses. 

All of a sudden, a buzzing sounded as tiny dots eclipsed the crescent moon. Wings and antennas appeared on them and soon a swarm of locusts flew toward them. Jake crouched and they dashed at Ned. The man squirmed and trashed his arms as the insects covered him like a second skin. Jake and Steve charged through the cactuses, but the locusts constricted on Ned and his body collapsed like sand. He became a torso, then a ball. Nothing but his clothes remained when they whizzed away. 

The grasshoppers assembled into a hooded humanoid and a laugh escaped them.

“Judgement is upon you, traitor,” proclaimed Deacon. “No bloodshed can quench our thirst, no slaughter can feed us enough. But the taste of your beating heart within our teeth will delight us.” 

Jake gazed to his right and noticed a crow on a dead tree. The bird tapped their beak and flew to the south. Jake took a quick breath and ran after the crow. Deacon split his smile into locusts and chased after him. Spines scratched Jake’s clothes while stones hit his feet, but Jake raced. Steve lifted his shield in front of Jake and crushed as many locusts as he could, but most of them escaped. 

Jake slapped insects away from his hair and shoulders. He rolled down a slope and faced a road with his mother’s shrine at its edge. Translucent electricity flowed through his fingers. He bawled his fists and closed his eyes. His arms trembled and he outstretched them toward the shrine and its fiery candles. 

Nothing happened.

Deacon giggled as he stood up the slope between two feathered trees. 

“Stupid child,” he mocked. “Blackheart will be overjoyed to know that we have eaten you alive.” 

The leaves next to them flapped with the wind and cawed. Jake watched the trees and smiled.

“Still smiling in front of death, heathen?” questioned Deacon.

“Look up,” said Jake as he pointed at the trees.

The locust man raised his head and gasped. Murders of crows up in the branches stared at him. He stepped back and shivered. The birds circled him and swooped down. Deacon swung his arms and caught one of them, but the volatile plunged their beak into his right eye and bit insects out of it. They pecked at every inch of Deacon’s body as he screamed and yelped. Locusts flew up but were soon snatched by other crows. Some insects squirmed as they were tore in half between two birds or squeezed under their talons. 

“BLACKHEART!” longly cried Deacon.

The largest bird ripped out of the man’s chest a crimson locust with a wasp-like body. The beak pinched its head and shook it around until the body of the insect catapulted away. All the locusts around dropped dead if they were not already eaten. Jake observed the macabre spectacle while Steve bodyguarded him. 

When they were done, ebony birds gathered back up on the branches. Their shadows loomed down along the slope and in front of the young man’s feet. Dark lines swelled on the sand and merged into the silhouette of a woman with long hair and a floaty dress. Jake watched the female shadow who faced him.

“M- Mom?” asked Jake with bugged-out eyes.

The shadow’s head reclined as if she nodded. Jake fell on his knees and gasped for air. He extended his right hand and touched her face. Despite the cold night, the sand was warm.

“Was… was it you in my dream?” he wondered.

His mother nodded again.

“Can you talk?” 

She shook her head.

“Maybe she knows something about your powers?” suggested Steve.

Jake looked at his quivering hands and asked, “My powers… Is it magic?”

Her head shook once more.

The young man pursed his lips. “Is it science stuff?” 

She answered with another negative gesture.

He crossed his arms and narrowed his brows. “Is it related to magic?”

She nodded.

Jake flinched. “Huh? It’s related to magic but it’s not magic? What does that even mean…” He sighed. 

The crows cawed as some of them began to leave.

“Mom, wait!” shouted Jake. “Don’t leave!”

Flutters resonated as the crows flew around Jake into a tornado. Moonlight flashed between their feathers like an old movie projector. Progressively, an ethereal female figure of light and darkness manifested. Her face had eerie similarities with Jake’s.

“Mom?” he called with a breaking voice.

His mother smiled a little and whispered, “I love you, Jake.”

The tornado shattered into various flocks of birds who dashed away and disappeared within the night. Small plumes of smoke left the snuffed candles around his mother’s shrine. Tears dripped down the young man’s cheeks as he held one feather that stayed here. Steve put his hands on Jake’s shoulders and helped him stand up.

“Jake!” yelled Ben as he rushed to him. “What happened?”

“Ned…” He glanced at the mine. “That thing made of insects killed him… And then…” Jake paused. “My Mom saved me.”

Esteban’s eyes widened and he whispered, “Linda…”

“I’m sorry for what happened,” stated John. “But we have to stop my brother.”

“You’ll be okay?” worried Ben as he caressed Jake's face.

Jake nodded and the group sprinted back to San Verde. Suddenly, a man emerged from behind a tree with a gun.

“James had doubts you would survive.” He aimed his pistol at Esteban. “Goodbye.”

Steve punched the man and he got knocked out.

“Oh... That was fast,” said Steve. 

Stems from a nearby bush moved and the group took a fighting stance. 

“Aaah!” screamed Lissa as she jumped out of the bush with a big horse head in her hands. “Aaah?” 

Everyone stared at her.

“Huh, Lissa are you okay?” questioned Jake.

“Um, yeah.” She dropped the horse head. “Look at my dress.” She lifted her ripped skirt soaked with yellow slime. “Whoever’s behind this better have a great lawyer!”

“Let’s go,” urged Jake before he sprinted forward.

“You wanted to shove the horse head on that man?” Ben asked Lissa.

“Yeah,” she said as they ran. “I thought you know, a head on a head, that’s a fun way of doing it.”

“I’ve noticed, nice idea!” complimented Ben.

They raced back in front of the district office where they found a crowded street and John on its roof. The buff man grimaced when they arrived.

“Here there are! The traitors, they were plotting with the border patrol!” shouted John.

“We killed them, you’re welcome,” responded Lissa while Bo Peep showed a badge covered by ooze.

“James’s the one plotting with the enemy!” yelled James. “He sold Wendy to them.”

People in the crowd flinched while Wendy’s mother put a hand over her mouth.

“J- John?” she stuttered. “You gave your sister to them?”

John stomped his left foot. “She’s not my sister! I did what’s best for us by selling that half-breed!” 

Maria stepped back. “No… NO!”

Everyone walked toward the district office while the wind blew violent gusts.

“It’s over John,” proclaimed Esteban. “Give up.”

The buff man ground his teeth. “Never.” He fondled the inner side of his jacket. “All of you, you’re weak. You forgot what these people did to us?” He pointed at Wendy’s father. “They’ve ransacked our lands, enslaved us, stole our lives!” he screamed. “And now you want to forgive them? Live in harmony? Make bastards with them?” John put a piece of paper out of his chest pocket. “I’ll make them pay, all of them, for what they did…” He read the paper out loud, “Pater autem mendacium! Tolle animam meam!”

A storm howled while nimbuses were amassed in the sky. John outstretched his arms as his eyes turned eagle-like while gales blew his wild mane. Lightning and thunderclaps banged above him into a pair of wings.

“It’s coming!” he yelled with a mad smile. “The power that was promised to me!”

Crimson bolts of energy struck the roof and two red eyes glowed within its smoke. A colossal titan of steel emerged with his armor, Blackheart.

“Your power?” Blackheart chuckled. “Any magic you had, it came from me.”

John stiffened and limped back. “Wh- wha- But we had a deal!”

“And it is now ending. Now’s the time for the payment.” Blackheart slammed his hands on John’s head. “You like your ancestors, don’t you? I’ll grant you the honor of joining them… IN HELL!.”

The knight pressed his palms against John’s skull while crunches sounded. Electricity flowed through his armor and shocked the buff man who cried. Soon, his tears earned a muddy texture and became yellow. John’s skin wrinkled and turned yellow as his lower lip hung down loosely. More and more, the buff man’s muscles lost their solidness and shifted into flabby meat. John squealed and squawked as his skin melted into a yolk-like mush. The man liquefied into a puddle that Blackheart gathered between his hands and kneaded it. He squeezed the substance between his fingers and when opened them it had transformed into an eagle egg.

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,” softly hummed Blackheart as he moved his hand pinching the egg.

Maria watched the scene and whimpered.

“Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.”Blackheart threw the egg up in the air before he grabbed it back. “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.” 

The knight jungled with John’s new inhuman form while his mother witnessed it.

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.” Blackheart dropped the egg. “Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.”

“NO!” wailed Maria.

The egg smashed against the edge of the roof and black energy came out of it before it entered the knight.

“All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again,”

James held his mother who broke down in tears while Esteban walked them away. Jake and his friends glared at Blackheart as Solomon flew next to him. 

“Deacon?” summoned Blackheart.

Nobody appeared.

The knight gazed at Jake. “You’ve killed him... Not bad.” He clapped slowly. “But wait... You’ve also broken our alliance.”

Blackheart snapped his fingers and a portal opened right under Ben. The latter fell into it while Jake rushed to it, but the vortex closed seconds after. Jake tapped the ground but his friend was already gone.

“What did you do?!” questioned Jake.

“You took my bishop, so I took one of your friends,” responded Blackheart. “Be glad that it wasn’t you, mongrel.”

Another portal appeared behind the knight and he stepped through it with Solomon. 

Jake stared at the ground where his friend once stood and cried.

Chapter Text

Ben walked down a hallway with his tainted clothes while Solomon escorted him.

“What do you earn from working for Blackheart?” asked Ben.

Solomon nudged him forward and said, “I don’t work for him, I work with him.”

”If you say so,” replied Ben.

Solomon flinched before he pushed Ben through a door. They arrived inside an immense room with checkered tiles with wooden walls. An elevated desk surmounted in front of them with an apple tree for a throne. Its branches slithered on the wall while snakes crawled between them. Head-shaped figs hanged from the branches with other fruits resembling arms and legs.

Bark covered a nearby jury stand that had human faces bumping against its surface. Solomon strolled behind it while a man with mutated scorpion traits prowled after him. 

“Ah, the backstabber’s finally here,” said Abominite.

A humanoid centipede crawled next to them and murmured, “I wish mercy on your soul and the ones around you.”

The tree grumbled as a hollow opened in it. Two armored hands grabbed its edges before a knight came out a part where nothing gleamed. 

“Good day, traitor,” greeted Blackheart with a deep voice.

“Good day, betrayed,” replied Ben with a grin. 

Blackheart clenched his fists while Solomon coughed. The latter gestured at a podium that Ben shuffled toward.

“The last person who had double-crossed was the angel of death,” proclaimed Blackheart as he sat down. “A mere mortal like you must have a lot of audacity for doing the same.”

“Thank you for your understanding,” said Ben. “But I am confused as to why you feel we double-crossed you?”

Blackheart chuckled. “Confused? You know what happened.”

“I think I do,” replied Ben with a wandering gaze. “But I thought we were allowed this one time to help.”

Blackheart tilted his head. “Why in hell would you be allowed to mess with my territories?”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “I- I don’t understand. That’s not wh-” He glanced at Solomon. “Oh.”

“Finish your sentence,” ordered Blackheart.

“Well, that’s…” Ben paused. “That’s not what Solomon told us.”

Solomon’s eyes widened and he released his talons. “You lyin-”

Blackheart showed his palm to Solomon and said, “Let him talk.”

“You should be more polite to him,” advised Ben.

“And you should choose wisely your next words,” retorted Blackheart.

Ben took a quick breath and said, “Solomon… He used to be friends with Jake's father.”

Blackheart slouched against the tree seat. “Pursue.”

“Since…” Ben pinched his lips. “You did what you did to his father... Solomon hadpity for Jake and then we met Jake’s grandfather… At first, we respected the deal,” assured Ben. “But then Solomon said he had talked to you and that you would let us help them as you had made a deal with both the border patrol and John.”

“He is lying!” shouted Abominite. “Don’t-”

“Quiet!” Blackheart cut him off. “I want to hear each word of his story.” He waved a little at Ben. “Talk.”

The latter nodded. “With all of this going on, Solomon said you would let us help since it would shake things up,” explained Ben. “So we helped them, which pushed John to sacrifice his soul to you.”

“Interesting,” scoffed Blackheart as he tucked his hand under his chin. “Solomon, I’m disappointed in you.”

Ben took a glimpse at Solomon with drooping eyes while the latter looked daggers at him.

Blackheart stood up and questioned, “You really thought I wouldn’t realize the kid was lying?”

Ben froze as his eyes turned purple. The colossal Blackheart stepped toward him while the scorpion man smirked and the centipede man shivered.

“You’re in my territory and found me stupid enough to trust you?” asked Blackheart as he approached. “You’ve tried to turn me against one of my men just to save your skin.” 

Ben contained his fear as the knight’s shadow and his sword loomed over him.

“You wanted to push me into killing my brother and my sister.” Blackheart shook his head. “What a perverted creature.”

Ben stared at Blackheart as his blade brushed the young man’s left arm.

“We have a lot to talk about,” said Blackheart. “Centipor, go fetch our guest some clothes,” ordered Blackheart.

Solomon jerked back. “What?” 

Ben gawked forward. “Y- You… What’s happening?”

“A shower,” announced Blackheart as he kicked Ben into another portal. 

Bo Peep tripped and fell back first against porcelain slabs. He was now next to shower stalls whose hoses had vines fused with them, and flowers were conjoined to their heads. 

“Perfumed water. Impressive, right?” described Blackheart. “Strip.”

Ben jumped. “You want me to get naked in front of you?” He stepped back. “Will you-”

“Sexual contacts bring me no pleasure,” Blackheart interrupted him. “You can take that idea out of your head.”

Ben winced as he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled down his pants with his underwear. He then took off his tie and Blackheart hurled the attire away. 

“Go under the one with hyacinths, I prefer their scent,” advised Blackheart.

The young man headed to the stall with strap-shaped leaves and reflexed red petals. Warm water poured on his slim body as soon as he turned the shower on. His hands washed his sweat and the dirt away while a spicy yet sweet aroma enveloped him. 

“Do you know what I like about flowers?” asked Blackheart. “You can’t read them, there’s always that sense of uncertainty with them.” He crossed his arms and bent against the wall. “Their deceiving appearance, their ever-changing colors,” listed Blackheart. “I easily get bored, but flowers, they keep testing my senses.”

“I’m done,” declared Bo Peep with their face turned to the opposite side.

Blackheart threw a towel to them while a vortex materialized to their right. Centipor stumbled out of it with a cart filled with clothes. 

“Here’s what you wanted Blackheart. I- I hope I won’t disappoint you like I always do,” said Centipor with a low voice.

Blackheart dug his hands through it and threw away some jackets and jeans.

“There!” shouted Blackheart before he handed an outfit to Ben.

Ben scanned the gifts. They were rather similar to what he used to wear, except that the vest was crimson, the tie had a violet shade, and the pants were completely black. He gulped and slid them on.

“Swell,” praised Blackheart. “You can leave, Centipor.”

“Anything, your highness.” The humanoid centipede bowed and crawled away. 

“Obedient and moronic, ain’t that the perfect servant?” asked Blackheart.

“You shouldn’t treat people like tools,” said Bo Peep.

“Is it worse than pretending to see them as people but still using them as tools?” countered Blackheart.

Ben narrowed his brows and said, “That’s not what I do.”

“Keep lying to yourself,” mocked Blackheart.

Ben balled his fists as his eyes turned red. “I’m not lying.”

Blackheart snickered and removed his helmet. It revealed a handsome blonde-haired masculine face with soft yet strong features. He opened his eyes which showed two dark irises and pupils with no colors and no tints. Blackheart knelt and plunged his gaze into Ben’s.

“They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul.” Blackheart grabbed him by the chin. “Seems like you have the soul of a chameleon to me.”

Bo Peep slapped Blackheart’s hand away and spun to the other side.

“I don’t do that on purpose!” yelled Ben. “It’s- it’s-”

“It’s in your blood,” answered Blackheart. “You’re naturally good at manipulating people.”

Ben shook his head. “That’s not true!”

“We’ll see,” said Blackheart with a smirk.

Another warp gate was summoned but the young man did not move. 

“You want to see your friends again, right?” inquired Blackheart. “Then follow me.”

Ben gulped and fiddled his fingers before he stepped through the portal. A blood-tinted tunnel of foggy faces in agony circled him. He edged forward while the souls moaned and wailed. Sunlight blinded him as an aurora of pastels shone in the sky. Stout and coarse grass surrounded him with an array of succulents; cactuses, rosettes of giant spiny leaves, and others with fleshy ones. 

Bo Peep gazed at his right where stomped two elephants. A pod of pelicans flew past them and swooped at a nearby lake. The young man contemplated the scenery while a herd of bighorn sheep trod toward him. Ben pricked some sweetbush for them that they ate as he brushed them.

“Welcome to the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail,” greeted Blackheart. “Fancy place, isn’t it?”

“You’ve made it?” quizzed Ben.

Blackheart admired his work and said, “Improved it..”

He ambled by a thin path of sand and Bo Peep walked behind him with his flock of sheep. They traveled by agaves, aloes, and Eve’s needles before they reached a wooden gazebo with hanging bronze stars. Flower shrubs were aligned on every side of the structure while they headed under it.

“My brother controls ice and death,” explained Blackheart. “My sister plays with fire and reality.” 

“And my specialties are storms...” Blackheart clapped his hands which released a wave of translucent energy. ”And life.”

Petals moved when the energy touched them and hovered above the ground. They fluttered as they grew delicate legs and antennas. Soon, a storm of colorful butterflies flitted around them akin to fishes swimming into an invisible sea. Mushrooms inside the holed stars glowed neon green and illuminated like lanterns the gazebo. Ben’s eyes twinkled as he grinned.

“It’s beautiful,” murmured Ben. “It’s like… Like…”

“Hell,” concluded Blackheart.

“Huh?” Ben lolled his head. “Hell’s nothing like this.”

“One man’s hell is another’s heaven,” said Blackheart. 

Ben watched Blackheart leave as he hugged a sheep who nuzzled him back. Then, they both headed to the east where all kinds of trees grew. Peaches, apricots, and oranges all shared branches and produced a soft sugary perfume. A giant pomegranate tree towered in the middle. The trunk had human curves and its top was a woody woman’s head with eagle eyes and lion teeth, two horns came out of her head and split into fruity branches. 

“Let me introduce you to Eve Munn, a brilliant botanist,” presented Blackheart. “She sold her soul to save all the plants of Phoenix from the evils of Man.” 

Bo Peep smiled. “Well, she did great.”

“Indeed, guess turning all its citizens into plants and animals did the job,” mocked Blackheart.

Ben jerked back. “What?”

He looked down at his sheep and noticed their eyes shifting into a more circular shape while their scleras lost their shade.

“Why did you do that?!” Ben yelled at Blackheart.

Blackheart leered. “Why not?” He bobbed at Eve. “Sadly, she’s just a tree, her shoulders- Well her branches, are not strong enough to hold my power.” His smile enlarged. “But they would if she sacrificed her soul to me.”

Bo Peep shot daggers at him. “She won’t, she’ll realize that it’s not the right choice.”

“What’s the right choice?” wondered Blackheart. “Saving the citizens, or saving the plants and the animals?” He laughed. “Once freed, the people of Phoenix will get rid of the forest that had taken over the city, put their pets back in their cages, and eat the others.” He raised both of his eyebrows. “There’s no right choice. Sometimes, you just have to trample over others for your own happiness.”

“You’re wrong!” screamed Ben. 

“Then let’s make a bet about it,” proposed Blackheart. “If she’s giving up on our deal, you’re free to go back to your friends… And if she sacrifices her soul, you’ll be free to leave...” His eyes turned fully red. “But your soul will stay with me.”

Ben clenched his hands and said, “I accept the bet.”

Blackheart smiled and glanced at the woman. “Eve, you’ve heard us, make your choice.”

The tree woman gasped for air and coughed. Ben watched her as his legs trembled. Eve observed the botanical gardens around her and simpered. 

“I… am…” She whispered with a breathy voice. “... Sorry.” 

Ben shook his head as his heart pounded.

Eve inhaled deeply. “Pater....”

“No,” murmured Ben 

“Autem,” she continued. 

Blackheart grinned from ear to ear.

“Mend-”

“NO!” shouted Bo Peep.

He slammed his hands on the tree as fast as he could. The young man’s irises became purple with shades of pink as he stared at her.

“You don’t want to do this,” said Ben. “You want to end the deal and save Phoenix and its citizens.”

Eve’s eyes turned to the same colors as Ben’s.

“You’re right,” she answered and looked at Blackheart. “I want... to… end our deal.”

Blackheart snapped his fingers and Eve’s wooden skin melted off her as she fell on the sand. Meanwhile, the herd of sheep next to them lost their fur and twisted their limbs into arms and feet. Progressively, the animals and plants turned back to their human forms.

“Congrats, you’ve won,” complimented Blackheart. “Guess it’s our time to split up.”

“Wait,” interrupted Ben. “You’re not upset about losing the bet?”

Blackheart shrugged. “How so?” He smiled. “I got exactly what I wanted.”

One portal opened behind each of them.

“Wait, since I gave you what you wanted.” Ben paused. “Tell me what’s the goal of the ritual.”

“Aren’t you a little opportunist,” scoffed Blackheart. “Ask and you shall receive... Whoever wins will become the new ruler of hell.” 

Ben furrowed his brows. “And that’s why you three are destroying Arizona? Just for that?”

Blackheart snickered. “I look forward to our next encounter, Ben,” he declared as he walked through his vortex.

Bo Peep watched him leave and clutched at his chest. He took a quick breath and stepped through his portal. Crimson visions rotated from every side as he traveled the warp gate. Sunshine blinded him at its end and he closed his eyes.

Once he opened them, the sparse pastels houses surrounded him. Ben was back in San Verde. The young man beamed and exhaled.

“Jake?” called Ben. “Jake!”

“Ben?” replied a familiar voice.

Ben turned to the right and saw Jake. The former grinned while Jake stared at him. Jake then glanced to the side and walked away, leaving Ben all alone.

Chapter Text

Rain poured over the roofs while Jake sat on his mattress and hugged his knees with crossed wrists. He watched the droplets slid across the window with half-shut eyes inside an ill-lighted room.

“You’re okay Jake?” Steve asked him.

“I’ve already said it, yes,” replied Jake in hushed tones. “Can you leave me alone now?”

Steve pinched his lips and bent one knee. “Jake, just know that if you want to say any-”

“I’ve nothin’ to say,” cut off Jake. “Just leave me alone, please.”

Steve sighed while Jake lowered his face. The former phased out of the district office while his grandson sulked.

“ My name is Ben Cheung, by the way…” echoed Ben’s words in Jake’s mind. “When I’m with you, I don’t need to distract myself from the real world .” 

His left hand whirled around a crow feather as he observed it with half-shut eyes. He stopped when a silvery voice resonated outside.

“Jake?” called Ben. 

Jake gasped for air and stood up while the precipitations slowed down a bit. His heart stopped a second at the sight of Ben outside and he rushed to him.

“Jake!” he called one more time.

“Ben?” wondered Jake.

Ben looked at him and smiled. Jake noticed his outfit and grimaced at them, in particular at the sight of the vest. It was of the same crimson color as Blackheart’s eyes.

Lissa ran toward the latter. “Ben! You’re safe!” she yelled. “What happened?”

“It’s complicated,” answered Ben.

Lissa turned toward Jake and told him, “Jake, look, he’s back!” 

Jake flared his nostrils into a scowl.

“Was it fun?” interrogated Jake.

Ben lolled his head. “What was fun?”

“Your little date with Blackheart,” spelled out Jake.

“Huh?” Ben stiffened. “It’s not-.”

Jake glowered. “Then why Blackheart let you leave? And why are you wearing those things?” He huffed. “Just say it and stop lying! 

“I’m not lying,” replied Ben. “I’m-”

“You never cared about us, you never cared about me!” shouted Jake. “You’ve been working with them the whole time!” Jake drooped his body. “You’re just like everyone else, hiding things from me...” He shook his head. “And I thought I could trust you…”

Ben flinched and froze while Jake turned his head to the left and walked away. The latter stopped and took a glimpse at Ben before he stormed off. The rain rose again in pace while Ben trembled. 

“It’s okay,” Lissa said. “He just needs some time.”

Jake stomped away as gusts of wind blew a wall of sand behind him. Sky tears dropped on his hair and dripped down his wet cheeks.

“Jake, wait!” yelled Steve as he ran after him.

“What?” asked Jake with a tired tone.

“I know we’ve no idea of what happened with Ben, but you should hear what he has to say,” said Steve.

The young man shook his head. “So he can lie again? You don’t think it’s weird how he appeared in town at the same time as Blackheart and his siblings?”

“Maybe… maybe it’s just a coincidence?” suggested Steve.

Jake looked away and crossed the road in front of San Verde . The rain started to flow over the sloping road like a river of mud.

“Jake!” called Ben

Jake glared at him. “Leave me alone!”

“I won’t, you’re my friend!” responded Ben.

“You’re not!” Jake spun around. “All this time, it was an act. You appeared and then they took my father. You were a part of their plan all this time!”

“I wasn’t!” yelled Ben. “I was always honest with you!”

Jake glanced away and said, ”Even if you were… I don’t know if… I don’t know if I could trust you anymore.”

Ben’s eyes turned blue and he clasped his staff. “Then… I’ll show you...” 

The latter’s arms quivered as he raised his crook and put the hook against his head. Instantly, his left eye lost its colors and became fully white while black scars shattered around it. 

“What are you doin’?” asked Jake.

“Proving to you that I’m honest,” replied Ben.

Ben’s other eye also shattered as cobalt energy came out of his staff and stretched into a bridge over the rain-soaked road. Jake gazed down as blurred silhouettes moved on it as if it was a screen. Jake widened his eyes as they cleared into pictures of Blackheart and Ben. The latter trembled while images of his meeting with Blackheart at the court were displayed.

“Ben, what’s happenin’ to you?” worried Jake.

“It- it doesn’t matter,” replied Ben as he began to bleed from his left eye. “I ne- you need to show you-”

“Stop! It’s hurting you!” pleaded Jake.

Ben shook his head and pressed his hook against his head. Sounds came out of the energy screen while Ben bled from the nose too. Jake ran through the blue bridge and tackled down Ben. The energy instantly returned to Ben as his eyes turned back to normal.

“Are you insane?! You could have killed yourself!” shouted Jake.

Ben wiped the blood off his face and sniffled. “I needed to…”

“You don’t need to hurt yourself for me,” said Jake. “Wh- when I get angry I just do and say stupid things.”

Ben looked away and said, “But... I’ve lost your trust…”

“Ben.” Jake sighed and held his hands. “I trust you, okay?”

“But you’ve said these things earlier,” said Ben with a low tone. 

“Because I’m an idiot,” assured Jake. “I was angry and I said things without thinking them.”

Ben exhaled a little. “If you say so...”

Jake helped Ben standing up and said, “I’ll help you wash your face up.”

The two walked back to Steve while Ben still looked down.

“Is he okay?” worried Steve.

Jake shrugged and asked Ben, “Hey, Ben. Are you angry?”

“No,” softly said Ben. “I’m just… sad…”

Jake frowned and looked at Steve.

“Maybe you should do somethin’ to cheer him up?” encouraged Steve.

Jake looked around noticed a covered garden. Near it, Sam Esteban sat on a stool under a wooden pergola, he used a rasp instrument to scrape an overturned basket. 

Sam raised his head and stood up. “Jake, your friend’s back!”

“Yeah, he’s a tough one,” said Jake as he tapped Ben’s right shoulder.

Ben forced a grin before it faded away seconds after. 

“Do you know who owns this garden?” asked Jake as he gestured to the left.

“Oh, it’s a public garden, it’s free for everyone to visit,” answered Esteban.

“Really? Well, let’s go!” said Jake.

The young man took one more glimpse at Steve who put a thumb up for him.

They walked in front of the garden protected from the rain by a large wooden arch coiled with leaves and other plants. Ben raised his eyes and widened them. He then smiled a little and removed his shoes. The waters from the sky clean the blood on Ben’s face as he unbuttoned the vest he had on and threw it away. He stepped barefoot on the grass and took a deep breath. The wind blew breezes at him and freed his ponytail into a long raven-hued mane. Flowers and pollens hovered around him as he spun with them. His eyes turned light blue as he fell into the lush vegetation. 

“You’re having a good time?” asked Jake.

“A lot,” whispered Ben as he brushed the grass. “I love rain... Before, I would slide my fingers between the bars of the window and feel the droplets on my hands.” He smiled. “It felt like freedom.”

Jake sat next to him and frowned. “Hey… I’m sorry for how I acted earlier.”

“It’s okay,” replied Ben as he twirled petals in his hair. “You didn’t mean it.”

Jake simpered and said, “It’s just…” He breathed deeply. “I… I don’t know how to say it...”

Ben tilted his head. “Don’t worry, take as much time as you need.”

“Thanks.” Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “If I got that angry… It was also because of the idea that you were…” He paused. “You were doin’- something- with another man.”

“Doin’ what?” wondered Ben.

“Well, you know…” Jake blushed and gestured at insects on Ben’s lap. “Mr. Bug meets Mrs. Bug and they…”

“Oh.” Ben knit his brows. “You thought I had sex with a man and ate him alive during the orgasm?”

“What?” Jake jerked back. “No, no. I mean, maybe the sex part… But not really...”

“Then… What is it?” asked Ben.

Jake gulped. “When a guy… has… feelings for someone… They get jealous when they think that said someone is interested in another person.”

“But I see people all the time,” said Ben. “And I don’t want to gouge out my eyes.”

“I…” Jake’s heart pounded against his chest. “I…” Jake inhaled. “I love you.”

Ben stopped to move before he asked. “For real?”

“For real,” replied Jake.

Ben smiled and said, “I love you too, but...”

“But what?” worried Jake.

“Is it okay if I want to also kiss you?” asked Ben.

Jake scratched his head. “Well, that’s kinda awkward… Since I wanted to ask you the same thing.”

“Oh, you can start if it, if you want,” proposed Ben.

“You’re sure you want it now?” asked Jake.

Ben nodded and Jake caressed his chin. Then, Jake leaned forward while Ben wrapped his arms around him. Their lips touched and they kissed each other. The rain calmed down while a ray of sun beamed through the clouds. Beads of water poured on them like glistening stars while some flowers blossomed. 

Jake pulled back and exhaled.

“Something’s wrong?” asked Ben.

Jake drooped his brows. “Does it mean that we… like… You and me?”

“We don’t have to push anything…” Ben brushed his friend’s hair. “We can just keep doing this and see where it’s going?”

“It’s nothing against you.” Jake paused. “I just need to get a handle on what the two of us are before…”

“I understand completely,” said Ben as he kissed him again.

The two made out until they heard a branch snap. They looked up and noticed Lissa in front of them.

“Oh my God,” muttered Lissa with wide eyes.

Jake stood up. “Lissa, I can explain-”

She put a hand over her mouth. “You and Ben…”

“It’s not-”

“It’s amazing!” she yelled and hugged Ben. “Ben, thank you!”

“Um- you’re welcome?” replied Ben.

Lissa looked at Jake. “I always thought that we broke up because of me, but now I know it’s because you prefer nuts over cherries!” 

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“And that’s why I used to compare us to Camilla and Shawn,” said Lissa. “And that’s why when we were dating, I had this dream where Armie Hammer was eating you.”

Jake jerked back. “Wait, what?”

“If you two ever need to buy a ranch to frack in Nevada, call me,” said Lissa before she walked away.

“I think she took it well,” said Ben.

“What the fuck just happened,” wondered Jake.

The two young men stood up and walked back to the district office while Lissa covered them with her holographic umbrella. 

“So, how did it went?” Steve asked them.

Jake pecked Ben’s lips and Steve smirked.

“Well finally, you took your time,” scoffed Steve.

Jake snickered as they entered the building. Ben waited for Lissa to go inside her room and stripped naked. 

“Ben?! What are you doin’?!” shouted Jake.

“I don’t like these clothes,” replied Ben. “And since mine are inside the RV, I guess I’ll just stay like this.”

“I got some clothes inside my bag, I’ll give you mine,” said Jake as he stripped too.

The door opened as Sam Estaban walked inside.

“Hey, Jake, I was-” Sam’s eyes darted at his naked grandson and Ben. “Argh!”

Jake jumped and covered Ben and him with a nearby bedsheet.

“Grandpa, it’s not what you think!” shouted Jake.

“Yeah, it has nothing to do with eating your partner alive during the orgasm,” added Ben.

“I think I should go,” said Sam before he closed the door.

“Fuckin’ hell,” muttered Jake.

“Hell?” Ben gasped and looked at his friend. “Jake, I’ve learned some things about the ritual!”

They both sat down and Ben explained to him what he had learned earlier in Phoenix.

“Rule hell?” Jake furrowed his brows and searched inside his backpack. “I think I- There!” He put out a book and flipped its pages. “Look, this chapter’s about hell and demons.”

“I can’t read it,” said Ben. “It’s a lot of strange symbols to me.”

“Oh, I forgot I was the only one who could read it,” said Jake. “Basically, it’s written that demons can’t fully use their powers on Earth, and can only reach their full potentials either through deals.”

“Or?” asked Ben.

“Or by becoming the ruler of hell,” answered Jake. “If Blackheart or any of his siblings wins the ritual, then they’ll be free to do whatever they want on Earth.” Jake stood up and removed the bedsheet off them. “We should get ready.”

“Hey, Jake.” Steve phased inside the room. “I was-” His eyes darted at his naked grandson and Ben. “Sweet Elvis in Heaven!”

“Cap, I can explain!” reassured Jake. 

“I think it’s better if I wait outside,” said Steve as he phased out.

Jake sighed and they put their clothes on. They were joined by Lissa and re-grouped with Steve outside.

“You’re leaving, grandson?” asked Sam as he walked toward them.

Jake nodded. “This guy who killed John, we have to stop him.”

Sam put his hands on Jake’s shoulders and said, “Your mother would be proud of you.”

They shared a smile and wished goodbyes to each other. They headed back into the RV and Lissa drove them out of San Verde . As they left, a single crow watched over a tree.

Jake looked at it and whispered, “I’ll make things right, mom, I promise.”

The crow flew over the RV as they rode on, soon joined by a flock of birds. Jake observed them and smiled as he held Ben’s right hand.

Chapter Text

Ben drove the RV while Lissa and Steve slept in the backseat. Jake looked away from his book to glance at them from the passenger seat. Then, he leaned to the left to kiss his friend. Steve caught a glimpse and smiled a bit. 

“Cap, I know you’re spying on us,” said Jake.

Steve opened his eyes. “I’m not! I was sleeping.”

“Ghosts can’t sleep,” he replied.

“Do ghosts have sex?” wondered Ben. 

Jake blinked a few times while the book on his lap turned on its own. 

He eyed down at the pages. “Holy!”

The young man threw the book away before Steve caught it.

Steve observed the pages and tilted his head. “Good Lord, an eyeball can really do these things?” 

Jake snatched the book away from Steve. The latter stared down at himself

“You okay, Cap? It’s just some freaky drawings,” said Jake.

Steve blinked and raised his chin. “Um- yeah. I was just…” He paused. “How it feels to be alive again. To taste, to smell, to feel...” He stooped. “I kind of miss these things.”

Jake inhaled briefly. “Steve, I didn’t really like you at first, but…” He sighed. “You and Ben, you’ve made me… hate less superheroes.”

“I’m glad to hear this Jake,” said Steve with a smile. “Honestly, I don’t worry for the future when I see people like you three.”

“Thank you,” replied Ben before he pinched his lips. “Wait, did Cap-

“You heard Cap too?!” asked Jake with wide eyes.

Ben braked. “I… I can see him!”

Lissa groaned. “Urgh, who’s that old creep!” 

The young woman jumped back and kicked Steve.

Steve furrowed his brows. “Old?” 

“Lissa calm down, it’s Captain America!” shouted Jake.

She squinted. “Really? Oh well.”

“Captain America is living at the back of my car,” whispered Ben. “Am I allowed to look at you?”

Steve’s skin turned a healthier complexion as his suit lost its paleness. The heat of the sun and the vanilla perfume of cacti flowers embraced Steve’s senses. The latter delicate clenched his fists and felt his muscles responding. 

“I… I am alive again?” mumbled Steve with a small yet defined smile.

Steve stepped out of the RV and laughed a little as gravity weighed on him again. His legs trembled, but it did not bother him at all. Steve nonchalantly tapped his feet around as rough concrete touched his soles. He observed his surroundings and squinted at the sight of sunlight that shone on his eyes again. The vehicle had stopped in front of a town sign with gloved hands and cartoony eyes. 

“Revelation?” read Ben.

All of a sudden, a police car parked in front of them. A slim blonde man stepped out of the passenger seat. Whereas the driver was much taller and bigger, he was covered in fur and had a bulbous head. Soon, the sunlight revealed he was a human-sized teddy bear with a sheriff attire.

“Well well, looks like we the bastards who put us in that shit,” said the teddy bear with a gruff voice. 

Jake stared at the plushy sheriff. “What the actual fuck?”

“One more word and I’ll shoot you a fucking third eye!” threatened the bear.

“Wait, you don’t understand-” Lissa searched inside her pocket.

“She’s armed!” shouted the sheriff. “Take cover!”

The deputy vaulted behind the car while the teddy bear rolled to the side. The latter pulled his gun as he did so and accidentally shot himself in the chest. Stuffing burst out of his back as he fell on the road.

The deputy ran to him. “Bear-Ner!” 

“Hey, Feiffer… I don’t feel so good…” muttered the sheriff. “Guess it’s the end of the road for me, kiddo.”

“But, we’re in the middle of the road,” replied the deputy.

“It’s a figure of speech, you moron.” The bear coughed. “Goodbye Feiffer, it’s been an honor.”

The deputy cried, “Bear-Ner, you can’t leave me! What am I going to do?!”

The sheriff handed him his badge. “You’re the sheriff now… Only you... can… prevent… wild… criminals…” 

The teddy bear died.

“Officer Bear-Ner? Officer Bear-Ner?! Officer Bear-Ner?!?” The deputy screamed at the sky, “NOOOOO!”

Jake, Lissa, and Steve stared at them with wide eyes while Ben frowned.

“I have no idea what’s goin’ on in my life anymore,” said Jake.

The deputy aimed his pistol at them. “You four, you’re comin’ with me!”

“I think we should do it, for officer Bear-Ner,” said Ben.

“I’m just gonna sit down and close my eyes,” replied Jake.

Ben tapped his back. “I think we should just accept that a lot of things can happen... Look at Lissa, she’s takin’ it well.”

Lissa stood still until she passed out.

Ben looked down. “Ach.”

“Get in the car!” ordered Feiffer.

Ben waved to him. “If it makes you happy!”

They stepped inside the RV and drove after the police car. Steve contemplated his newfound body while Jake observed the town. Black lotus flowers with human mouths and petals for lips sang while clouds filled with eyes cried cardboard rain. He squinted at the sun and noticed the silhouette of a fetus inside the giant star. 

“ Where are we supposed to be? ” thought the young man.

Soon, they arrived in front of a courthouse whose Lady Justice was flipping both middle fingers.

“Astra-Vik! That’s not what you’re supposed to do!” screamed the deputy as he left his car.

“I’m blind, how am I supposed to see what I am doin’?” replied the statue.

The deputy groaned. “Stop messin’ with me, now’s not the day.”

“Tss, you’re no fun,” she said as she picked up her sword and scales.

They followed him inside and a lot of citizens looked at them. Some of them were humans while others were dinosaurs, stuffed toys, or even anthropomorphic pieces of furniture. Jake and Steve watched them with wide eyes while Ben grinned.

“This is officially the craziest thing I have ever seen,” mumbled Jake.

They sat at the dependent’s table while a golden box opened and green mint smoke came out of it. Soon, it gathered the head of a woman with a red turban on. 

“Elalyth’s hella high, Elalyth’s hella ho,” she chanted. “Please all raise for Judge Hart right now!”

They stood up as a frog with a black robe and a peruke walked in. He tried to climb up his chair until the deputy lifted him.

“Sheesh, thank you, Feiffer.” He lightly hit his bench with a gavel “Uh, yeah… Hi-ho, ladies, gentlemen, and… in-betweens. You may, um, all sit down.”

Everyone sat down while Hart read some sheet of paper.

“So, um. I’m reading that four people were being accused of cursing our town.” He pinched his maw. “But I only three of you.”

Jake winced a bit. “Wait, where’s Lissa?”

“I thought Cap was supposed to pick her up,” replied Ben.

“I thought Jake was supposed to pick her up,” said Steve.

“Great, we’ve left her on the side of the road,” groaned Jake.

“Um, could you please quiet down a little, please? Thank you.” Hart gulped. “Well, I guess we’ll only use the electric chair thrice today.”

Jake widened his eyes. “The fuck?!”

“What’s an electric chair?” asked Ben. “It sounds fun.”

Without warning, the double doors of the courtroom slammed open. A blonde young woman raced in. She wore a teal blazer dress, had blonde beehive hair, and a pair of thick glasses with two hanging fur balls.

Jake rose an eyebrow. “Lissa?”

“Um, who are you?” questioned the judge.

“I am their prosecutor, Lissa Russel,” she said.

Hart lolled his head. “Don’t you mean defense attorney?”

She shrugged. “Oh yeah, that works too.”

Jake facepalmed. “We’re completely screwed.”

“I believe in her, you can do it, Lissa,” said Steve.

Ben put two thumbs up. “Yeah!”

“Elalyth’s hella high, Elalyth’s hella ho,” chanted the genie. “Please all raise for the district attorney, Helmo!” 

A naked red plush with an orange nose came in. He only wore a helmet with branch-like spines made of metal.

“Hi everyone,” Helmo said with a high-pitched voice. 

“Hi, Helmo. Um, could you two please take the dossiers for the case?” asked the judge.

Helmo and Lissa grabbed the documents from Hart’s bench and shook each other’s hands.

“Aaah!” Helmo fell to the ground. “She hit me!”

Lissa shook her head. “He’s lying!”

“Um, silence please.” The judge smacked his gavel on his palm. “Go back to your seat!... If you want to.”

Lissa walked back to the Defendant’s table.

“Your majesty?” she asked.

The judge grimaced. “Uh, yeah?” 

“I can’t see with these glasses on, I demand the right to remove them,” she said.

“Oh, well…” Request accepted.”

Helmo shouted, “Objection! She’s using her lack of glasses to earn sympathy points!”

Lissa stood up. “Objection! Your majesty, this attorney is a lyin’ piece of shit!”

“Language!” shouted Steve.

Hart gave soft hits with his gavel. “Uh, silence, please?”

Lissa and Helmo kept calling each other’s names.

“Stop arguing, please… Um.” The judge picked up a banjo, played it, and sang, “So you've been told to quiet down a bit…”

Ben bobbed his head in sync with the music while Jake tapped his forehead against the table. 

“Someday we'll find it, the courtroom connection. The robbers, the dealers, and me,” hummed the judge.

The double doors at the entrance opened again and the whole room hushed down. A man with a red sweater and a necktie entered. His salt and pepper hair was slicked back above his perfect blue eyes. His hands were joined behind his back. 

“Hello neighbors,” he greeted with a soft monotone. “I’m the mayor of Revelation, David Laramee, welcome.” David lowered his head and whispered, “C’mon Corney, say hello to them.”

He unfolded his left arm and revealed a ventriloquist dummy with a yellow flannel shirt and roper boots. Its wooden body was slim while its head was twice as large. The only human aspect of the dummy was its green eyes as if a real boy had donated his eyes to it. 

“Hi everyone,” Corney said with a squeaky voice.

Ben waved to the dummy and said, “Hi, Corney.”

The puppet snapped its eyes at Ben and fixed on him. The mayor walked forward while his dummy still looked at Ben. People bowed and clapped on the mayor’s way.

“Um, hi Mister Laramee,” welcomed the judge before he sipped his glass of water.

“Hello Hart, what’s going on around here?” asked David.

“Well… Uh.” Hart coughed. “‘We’re judging these p-” 

“Judging?” David frowned. “Oh dear, that’s not very nice. Isn’t that right Corney?” 

“Let’s hang them!” shouted Corney.

“Corney! Don’t be rude,” said the mayor before he gazed at Hart. “You’re not judging them, Hart, are you?”

The judge fondled his collar and choked up. “It’s- Well...”

David tilted his head with his dummy. “Is something wrong?”

Hart coughed more and fell off his chair. The deputy rushed to him while the judge writhed on the ground and his neck swelled into a bubble. Then, the sheriff rushed through the entrance and helped him. 

“Wait, I thought the sheriff was dead?” whispered Ben.

The judge dropped his arms and stopped to move. Bear-Ner put his left paw on Hart’s neck and sighed.

“He’s dead,” said the sheriff.

Bear-Ner put black tapes into X’s on the judge’s eyes while outcries erupted in the court. David squinted and ran to the judge’s glass. He then pulled out wet tiny strips of wood nailed into a cross. 

Bear-Ner smelled the glass. “Cyanide. My mama put some in her honey after dad left with a polar bear.”

“What’s goin’ on?” questioned Steve.

David showed the cross. “A marionette controller.”

“That son of bitch, the Puppet Master’s behind this!” yelled the sheriff.

Steve crossed his arms. “Puppet Master?” 

“A super-criminal plaguing the town,” answered David. “Nobody saw him, but he’s been attacking us from the shadows...” The mayor looked at him. “You’re the real Captain America, right?”

“Uh yeah, that would be me,” replied Steve.

“Great!” David shook his hand. “It’s an honor to have the greatest” soldier in History with us.” The mayor nudged him outside. “We’ll need your help to stop the Puppet Master.”

“Of course, but-” Steve gestured to Jake, Ben, and Lissa. “What about my-”

David clapped his hands. “We’ll take care of them, don’t worry.”

Steve waved to them as he left with the mayor. Meanwhile, citizens gifted them bouquets, greeting cards, and Tupperware containers. 

“Thank you,” said Ben out loud before he whispered, “There’s something weird goin’ on.”

“C’mon, you’re the one who said to relax,” replied Jake.

Ben tried to take a glimpse at the judge, but his body had disappeared.

Chapter Text

The crowd led Ben, Jake, and Lissa outside. A few normal people were around them, but most of the townspeople were puppets— a chef with no eyes, a furry blue monster with googly eyes, or an anthropomorphic elephant wearing pink sunglasses. 

“You did a great job as a lawyer,” Ben told Lissa.

Lissa looked down and replied, “If you say so…”

“Something’s wrong?” worried Ben.

“It’s just…” She sighed. “You’re an empath who can fight off a whole squad, Steve’s a super soldier, and Jake can turn off a TV without a remote.”

“And you can turn into a werewolf,” added Ben.

Lissa frowned, “But when this happens, it’s not really me. It’s as if I was drunk…” She raised her chin. “Hey, maybe I could solve this whole thing goin’ on by myself?”

“You’re sure?” asked Ben with droopy eyebrows.

“Yeah. Now, the first thing I need to do is find a suspect.” She looked around. “Here!”

Lissa pointed at a taller well-endowed blonde woman with a red crop top, a leather jacket, and tight blue jeans. 

“I wonder why you chose her,” snarked Jake.

“You’ll be less of a smartass once I’ll bust the whole case,” replied Lissa. “See ya later Ben,” said Lissa as she left.

“Stay careful!” yelled Ben. “I don’t like this place,” he muttered as he pulled Jake away.

Jake chuckled. “You don’t like this place? You dress up as a fairy, I thought you would love being here.”

“You were thinkin’ the same seconds ago, what happened?” wondered Ben.

“Steve and Lissa are already dealin’ with this,” answered Jake. “Steve deserved to enjoy being alive again and Lissa wants to solve the case on her own.”

“You don’t find it strange that the sheriff died and then showed up totally okay?” asked Ben.

Jake shrugged. “He’s a stuffed toy. Puppets can’t die.”

Ben’s gaze wandered. “Puppets can’t die?” He looked at Jake. “I thin-”

Jake wrapped his arms around Ben’s waist and kissed him.

“You got two choices; playin’ Sherlock or hangin’ out with your best bud,” declared Jake.

Ben sighed. “Fine.” He pecked Jake. “So what’s the plan?”

“We’re gonna buy you some clothes!” announced Jake with a smirk.

“Huh?” Ben tapped his vest. “I got fifteen of them. I think that’s enough.”

Jake snickered. “Exactly, you need a new style.”

Jake pulled Ben by the arm and they headed inside a clothing store called X-Caliber with a medieval aesthetic such as chandeliers, columns, and knights for mannequins. Jake threw clothes at Ben and pushed him inside a fitting room. Ben stripped and put on a white vinyl jacket with red shoulder pieces and two cuffs of the same color. The latter walked out and faced Jake who was wearing a tight green ski suit with white lines.

“Hey, you look hot with that jacket!” said Jake as he tapped his friend’s back.

“Thanks.” Ben raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you could walk outside with yours? It’s so tight, it’s like you’re wearing nothing at all.”

“That’s the point!” exclaimed Jake. 

The brunette did some bodybuilding poses in front of Ben.

“Sexy, right? Feels like I’m wearing nothin’ at all,” flaunted Jake.

Jake showed his back and flexed his arms. Ben blushed and admired the muscularity of his friend’s back while his biceps curled. 

“Wow, that’s…impressive” Ben gawked down. “Wh- what’s this position? Is- is it a mating ritual?”

“Is it workin’?” asked Jake.

Ben blushed and glanced away. “I’ll go put something else on.”

Jake huffed as they stepped inside their fitting rooms. Ben put on another white jacket with a black high-neck shirt. He then stepped out and saw that Jake now wore a short-sleeved black shirt with a sleeveless spiky khaki jacket.

“How do I look?” asked Jake.

“Healthy,” replied Ben.

Jake crossed his arms. “Somethin’s wrong?” he asked.

“It’s just... “ Ben paused. “I don’t want to say something weird.”

“But it’s fine, people say weird things all the time,” said Jake with a chuckle.

“I…” Ben played with his thumbs. “I’m not used to talking with other people, and sometimes... I don’t know what to say to act like a normal person”

Jake put his hands on his waist. “Just say whatever you wanna say. There’s nothin’ to overthink.” He snickered. “Like when you said you wanted me to chain you to the bed.”

Ben pursed his lips. “Ach, that was awkward.” 

“Yeah, but that was you.” Jake grabbed his friend’s hands. “You just say whatever goes through your mind and it’s great.”

Ben smiled. “Thank you.”

Jake stepped back. “Alright, go ahead, say what you really think about my jacket.”

“Um… I-” Ben paused and asked, “You’re sure you won’t be weird out?”

“I promise,” replied Jake.

“Alright…” Ben took a deep breath. “I really like this tight shirt because it shows your… well-built chest... In the past, I was forced to fight guys with well-built chests… And it made me sad because instead of complimenting them, I had to break their arms or crush their necks between my thighs… So I’m very that you’re the first man with a well-built chest that I can compliment without having to battle him to death.”

Jake stared at him and said, “Well, shit.”

“Did I say something weird?” asked Ben with a frown.

“No, I mean yeah, but that was great,” said Jake.

Ben’s eyes twinkled. “For real?”

“Yeah, guess I’m keeping this look then,” said Jake. “How about yours?” 

“Um…” Ben zipped down his turtleneck. “I prefer it this way.”

Jake smirked. “Me too, you can even zip it all the down.”

They walked in front of a wooden counter with skull lanterns. There was a purple puppet behind it with a monocle, a black tuxedo, and a cape. Jake then handed him one of Lissa’s credit cards.

“You have some change?” he asked.

“Da,” said the cashier before he gave him some coins. “One cent. Ah! Ah! Ah! Two cents. Ah! Ah! Ah! Three cents. Ah! Ah! Ah!”

Jake sternly looked at the cashier. 

All of a sudden, a crash resonated outside. Lissa rushed into the store with dirt in her disheveled hair and a scratched dress. 

“Anastasia!” she screamed. “She was drivin’ and… She- she needs help!”

They followed Lissa outside and she led them to a red Cadillac Eldorado that had crashed into a brick wall. Smoke came out of its busted bonnet while Anastasia lied headfirst against the steering wheel. She stayed motionless as the left part of her face had splattered into beige clay all over the dashboard. 

“There’s no blood?” wondered Ben.

“She was a clay puppet, I guess?” replied Jake.

People gathered around the car as the sheriff inspected it. Then, he pulled from under the bonnet another marionette controller.

“The car was sabotaged,” said the sheriff. “The neighbor did the same to mamma after she slept with her husband. She could never drive me to the candy store after that…”

Steve and the mayor raced to them while some citizens nodded and bent over for David

“What happened?” asked Steve.

“Anastasia’s car was sabotaged. Guess what we found.” Bear-Ner handed the marionette controller to the mayor.

The mayor furrowed his brows and grabbed the controller. “Puppet Master.”

“Isn’t it weird that we never saw him?” wondered Ben.

Suddenly, a peal of male laughter resonated as a man appeared on top of the clothing store. He wore a green apron on his lanky body. His hands were so thin that it seemed like his skeletal fingers had mannequin joints. On the contrary, his bald head was bulbous while his wrinkled jaw had marionette lines.

“Fuck, that man has no eyebrow!” shouted Lissa.

“Obey me, citizens of Revelation or my will is your will!” ordered the man with no eyebrow.

“You’re done Puppet Master, we got Captain America on our side!” yelled the sheriff.

“Ah! I’ll make him one of my puppets, like the rest of you!” The Puppet Master cackled and ran away.

“I’ll catch him,” said Steve as he climbed the building.

“I’ve just watched Captain America climb a building,” whispered Ben with sparkles in the eyes.

The mayor watched Steve leave while his left arm moved on its own. His puppet wriggled and waved at Ben.

Ben waved back and said, “Hi Corney!”

Corney extended his tiny arm and Ben shook it.

“Oh, I think Corney likes you,” said the mayor.

“He’s very polite,” added Ben.

David walked away, but his puppet still looked at Ben. It turned its head like an owl as the mayor moved to the side. Ben observed them disappear in the crowd, then tapped Jake on the left shoulder. 

“Look, the judge’s alive now!” Ben pointed at Hart.

Jake huffed. “Yeah, I saw that too.” 

Ben winced. “Why you didn’t say it?” he asked.

“‘Cause I need a break,” he replied. “Those last days have been hard, I thought I’ve lost you… I know it sounds selfish, but I need time to process all of this…” Jake stared at his friend. “I need time with you.”

Ben smiled. “It’s fine…” He caressed Jake’s right arm. “Cap’s on it anyway.” 

“Guys, look!” Lissa gestured at the car.

The melted clay over the Mercedes slithered toward Anastasia’s body while her car stopped to smoke. The beige slime gathered on her crushed face as the lower part of the ooze turned red. Soon, it formed humid lipstick while the rest sculpted the rest of Anastasia’s head. Lissa observed the scene with wide eyes while the bricks flew back into the holed wall and the damaged car healed its bumps. 

Anastasia blinked her eyes and looked at Lissa.

“Hey blondie, hop in,” she said.

“But… Your face exploded all over your car minutes ago!” screamed Lissa.

“What? It was nothin’.” She handwaved. “C’mon, let’s go already.”

Lissa lolled her head. “Huh, alright, I guess?” She looked at Ben and Jake. “Later, guys.”

The two young women drove away while Ben scratched his hair.

“See, everythin’s fine,” said Jake. “Hey, let’s get a room at a five-star hotel!”

“Wow, stars from space?” asked Ben.

“Huh… Not really.” Jake checked his phone. “Oh, this one has free Wi-Fi, even better.”

They walked in front of a hotel named X-Caliber which looked like a castle. The entrance hall was filled with treasure chests and had decorative axes on its stone walls. The two of them met at the counter a purple puppet with a monocle, a black tuxedo, and a cape.

Jake jerked back. “Wait, you’re the cashier from the clothing store?”

“Huh?” He crouched under the counter and came back with a mustache on. “You must be talking about my brother.”

Jake groaned and massaged his temples while Ben tapped his back.

“Could you give us a room with free wife… high?” asked Ben.

“Free Wi-Fi,” added Jake as he showed him the credit card.

The puppet tapped on a keyboard. “Of course,” he said before he handed them a room key. “Room for two. Ah! Ah! Ah!”

They walked away from the cashier and Jake headed in front of an elevator. Its doors opened and Ben sprinted in.

“Oh I know what that thing is!” declared Ben. “It’s a crematorium, right?”

“Uhh…” Jake glanced away. “Not really. But look.” 

Jake walked in and pressed a button on the panel before the elevator door closed.

“Wow, it’s a closing-door machine,” said Ben with a grin. “Groundbreaking.”

Jake chuckled. “It’s called an elevator. It’s a machine to move people up and down.”

“Ach, it’s just like a catapult.” Ben’s eyes sparkled. “Some warlords would catapult corpses infected with deadly viruses into enemy towns to destroy them. Smart, right?”

“What did you study in school?” asked Jake.

“Oh, you know, normal things like human anatomy.” Ben paused. “Psychological warfare, or how to break a guy’s spin with a pencil.”

“Homeschooled?” wondered Jake.

Ben beamed. “How did you guess?”

“Just a feeling,” he said.

" Five, six... "

Jake watched the floor number shifting on the screen as the elevator went up. He joined his hands over his crotch since his bulge was going up too. The event had been happening more and more these days. He glanced to the left at his best friend, Ben. He gazed at his friend's luscious black mane as Dude Looks Like a Lady by Aerosmith played inside. Ben's pale almond face had delicate yet strong traits, almost like a statue with delicate yet strong traits.

The elevator dinged as it reached their floor and they stepped through a hallway garnished with armors and torches.

Jake looked at their room key. “Room Cock-Horse?”

He spotted a door with a golden lion knocker and a rooster above it. He shoved the key inside the lock and opened it. Their room had flowery drapes, a chandelier, and a king-size bed.

Ben grinned. “Oh, check this out!” He darted to a wall decorated with weapons. “They have swords with a curved blade and a spiked hand-guard!” 

Jake observed the long thick blade and brushed his brown hair, it was almost phallic. Jake shook his head and put down the room key with his phone on a nearby table. Invigorating energy was growing inside him. He picked up a bottle of gin and gulped it down to calm it. However, it instead intensified it, akin to flames with gasoline. Jake needed to touch his friends, to smell him, to jump over boundaries he built himself in his mind.

Ben noticed his friend ogling him thanks to a reflection of the sword blades. His breathing accelerated while Jake sized him up. 

“You know I was wonderin,’ who would win if we fought Mano a Mano?” he asked.

Ben tilted his head “Mano a Mano?” 

“Hm, fighting without using our powers,” answered Jake.

Jake smirked and took another sip of gin. He found an appeal in Ben's lack of knowledge about modern society. Most people do not give their trust that easily, but his friend did. Ben was like a virgin trusting Jake to teach him about his world. Jake did not want to own Ben, but he felt empowered by the protective mentor status given to him.

Ben's words mixed up in his mind as Jake drank. The flavor of the bottle floated to Ben and bewitched him. Jake's sleeveless khaki jacket showed arms thick like pythons. He always thought Jake could be a superhero with his toned built. Jake's piercing jade eyes mesmerized him with his masculine aura. A desire to be virile and one-upping Jake grew inside Ben as if the latter was being possessed by his friend.

“Oh, well I would win,” said Ben.

Jake frowned and walked forward. “You’re sure? I’m bigger and stronger than you.”

“And I’ve got more training,” replied Ben.

Jake took a glimpse at himself into a mirror. Sure, he was not a bodybuilder, but he was still muscular enough to pin Ben down. The idea of his slimmer friend dominating him was shocking, and yet strangely arousing. It was almost as if Ben was rebelling against the power he had given to Jake. What was even more surprising was that Ben was usually soft-spoken and gentle, but not right now. Ben's eyes were possessed by an unexpected certitude. A sense of dread and excitement lit up inside Jake, he felt like he was facing a secret boss in a video game. A secret boss he found sexy.

“Let’s see then.” Jake stepped around his friend. “We fight, the first to pin the other on the ground for three seconds win.”

Ben grinned. “I love games! Is there a prize?”

“Whoever wins gets to do anything they want with the loser,” said Jake.

“Ach… Alright then, let’s play,” said Ben.

Jake took a stance and clenched his fists.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Only if you are,” replied Ben.

Jake gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. Then, he charged at Ben, but the latter grabbed his right wrist and pulled it. Jake shook his arm, but Ben swung a foot at his ankles and tripped him. 

Ben smiled and counted, “One-”

Jake crouched up and pounced at Ben’s legs. The latter sprung off the floor and seized a chandelier. He coiled his lower body around it and swung with his head hanging upside down.

“Come get me,” taunted Ben.

Ben's smile seemed playful yet arrogant, like a predator looking at its prey. The shadow of the chandelier mixed Ben and loomed over Jake into a spider-like silhouette. He scanned the room and snatched a bedsheet off the mattress. He then twisted it into a whip and bounced off the bed. Ben spun around the chain of the chandelier and leaped away. The two landed on opposite sides of the room and stared at each other. Jake threw down the sheet, smirked, and beckoned to Ben. The latter shuffled to the side before he darted to him. Ben grabbed a nearby chair and heaved his lower body horizontally as Jake stomped toward him. Ben wrapped his thighs around Jake’s neck and pivoted himself. Jake was overbalanced and fell on his back while Ben rolled to the left. He stood up and lifted the chair above Jake’s chest.

Jake grimaced as he massaged his waist. 

“Arrgh,” he groaned. 

Ben lost his smile and hurled the chair away.

“You’re okay?” Ben asked as he knelt and caressed Jake’s face.

Jake smirked. “Gotcha.”

Ben gasped as Jake grasped his wrists and pushed him to the side. The two rolled and Jake tackled Ben down against the ground. A hint of anger burned within Ben's eyes as if Jake had awakened a dormant lion inside his friend. At this precise moment, Ben was not a meek person Jake had to take care of, he felt a rival Jake had to wrestle with.

“See? You’re not the only one who uses distractions,” said Jake before he counted. “One, tw-”

Ben slammed his lips against Jake’s and kissed him. Jake closed his eyes and loosened his grip as he returned the kiss. Ben nudged him around and soon Jake was the one with his back against the ground.

“Three,” said Ben.

Jake widened his eyes. “Huh?” 

“I won,” declared Ben with a smirk.

As he said this, Ben felt like it was Jake speaking through him. It would usually scare him, but Ben let his friend's personality seep inside and control him.

The brunette watched as his friend stood up with triumph. Jake was filled with the wrath of losing, but also the pride of seeing his friend blooming and coming out of his shell.

“You count too fast,” said Jake as he stood up.

Ben sat up. “You were so much into the kiss," he said. "Maybe you didn’t pay attention to time.”

“Okay, first. This kiss was great,” said Jake while Ben smiled. “Second, I’ve let you win.”

“Don’t say that.” He shot daggers at him. “I can fight you for real if you want to settle this.”

Jake smelt the sweat mixed with Ben's vanilla perfume. 

“Has anyone ever told you you’re cute when you’re angry?” Jake winked.

Ben blushed and looked away. “I need to shower.”

The black-haired boy headed to the bathroom while Jake took another sip of gin and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Shit, I need to take a shower too," he mumbled.

Jake followed his friend, since taking a shower together would mean a smaller water bill. Ben was already naked and let the water pour on himself. Perhaps it was because of the liquor, but Jake never view his friend with such a sexual lens before. Sure, he knew that his friend was pretty, plus the two had kissed and touched each other before, but not at this point. The brunette also stripped himself and limped into the shower. Then, his vision blurred and darkened. 

When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor naked with Ben. 

"Aargh..." whined Jake. "Did we just had a threesome with a chandelier?" he asked.

Ben rubbed his head. "Yeah..."

Jake laughed. "That was fucking stupid."

"Jake?" called Ben.

Jake massaged his left shoulder. "Yeah?"

"I don't like gin."

Jake crawled toward his friend and kissed him.

"Me either."

All of a sudden, the ceiling trembled and the chandelier dropped. The two of them rolled away as they shattered into pieces of crystals and gold against the floor.

“Wow, did we do it that hard?” asked Ben.

A blue mass crashed into their room with an engine attached at its bottom. The machine whirred a giant fan toward them. Jake covered his bare crotch while Ben shielded them with a floor lamp. They charged to the entrance but rubbles collapsed on the way. Their breathing quickened as the blades of the fan rotated closer to them. 

Without warning, Steve landed in front of them. He held a girder with both hands and thrust it between the blades. His boots stomped down the other end of the girder into the floor. Metal dust rasped into sparks as the fan wrestled against the girder. Steve groaned as he grasped the tremoring structure. A loud rasp sounded as the blades stopped to turn.

“That was awesome!” shouted Ben with a wide smile.

“No problem.” Steve cracked his back and grimaced. “Forgot how it felt to have a spine, but it feels good to have one again.” He turned to them. “So, wh- You two are naked!”

Ben waved to him and smiled.

Steve widened his eyes. “Does it mean you… You know?”

Jake wrapped his left arm around Ben’s shoulders.

“Yeah… We slept together,” said Jake.

“And we had sex,” added Ben.

Steve’s mouth dropped ajar.

“Wow… That’s great.”

Laughters resonated from the zeppelin which had crashed into the hotel. Puppet Master jumped off the airship and landed on Steve’s back. He then used the strings of two marionette controllers to choke Steve like with garotte wire. 

“Let’s play a game!” yelled Puppet Master.

Steve gripped at the man’s shirt and yanked him over him before he slammed Puppet Master against the ground. Pops sounded as the man’s limbs broke down and detached. Puppet Master’s head rolled across the floor and against Steve’s boots. No blood left the man’s hollow body.

“He was a puppet?” wondered Ben.

Steve crossed his arms. “Might be a fake… The real Puppet Master could still be out there.”

“So, how does it feel to be alive?” asked Jake.

“Great honestly,” said Steve as he admired his hands and moved them. “Feels like the good old days.”

“Golly! What happened here?” questioned the mayor as he arrived with the sheriff and the cashier.

“Puppet Master,” answered Steve as he lifted the rubbles in front of the door.

David beamed. “You’ve killed him?”

“The bastard had it comin’,” said the sheriff as he spat on Puppet Master’s corpse. “See you in h-”

Bang!

A bullet flew through the window and lodged between the sheriff’s eyes. Stuffing blew up against the wall as the sheriff collapsed. Steve gawked at the shattered glass.

“It came from your office,” he told David. 

“Let’s go see what’s goin’ on,” ordered the mayor.

David’s puppet waved at Ben as they left.

Ben waved back at him. “Goodbye, Corney!” 

The cashier bowed to the mayor and stayed behind.

“You two are naked,” he said.

Jake scratched his head. “Yeah, we-”

“Two bare-ass men. Ah! Ah! Ah!” he laughed.

The cashier threw his cape around and left the room. Jake’s pants crawled against the floor as a blue light flashed under its left pocket. He grabbed out his phone and pressed its screen.

“Lissa?” he called.

“Jake, I’m in front of that clothing store from earlier, come now!” she shouted.

“Huh? What’s happening?” he inquired.

Lissa huffed. “Anastasia, she was killed by-”

Jake eyed at his phone and squinted.

“What’s goin’ on?” asked Ben.

“We need to go to X-Caliber,” said Jake as he jumped into his pants. “Lissa needs our help.”

The two of them put their clothes on as fast as they could. They then ran down the set of stairs and into the entrance hall. Jake hurled the room key at the cashier and they rushed outside. They raced through the streets until they reached the clothing store.

“Where is she?” wondered Ben.

Jake pulled out his phone and called Lissa as they checked around. 

Ben tapped Jake’s back and said, ”Look!”

They walked on the other side of the street and headed in front of a women’s clothing store named Spotlight. Its facade had a window display with female mannequins. Their pale faces were smudged with eyeliners as if they had hollow eyes. One of them wore a teal blazer dress and had blonde hair. Her purse shook while a glowing bump vibrated inside it.

“It’s…” Jake paused. “It’s Lissa’s phone.”

Chapter Text

Ben and Jake stared at the state of their friend. The former put his hands against the glass. He closed his eyes and white energy left the mannequin and entered Ben’s palms.

“I can feel her pain,” said Ben with blank eyes. “We need to help her. What did she told you minutes ago?”

Jack crossed his arms. “She said that Anastasia had been killed, but she got cut off before she could tell me who it was… You think it was Puppet Master?”

Ben brushed his hair. “Could be… But ther-”

Screams boomed from the corner of the street. The two friends headed to it and found a crowd gathered around the local judge. Hart lied on the ground with a dart lodged in his neck. The sheriff pushed people away, knelt, and sniffed the dart.

“Amazonian frog’s toxin,” said the sheriff “My mamma was addicted to it until it killed her.”

Ben widened his eyes. “It wasn’t Puppet Master,” he mumbled.

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“It’s a cycle,” said Ben as he pulled Jake away. “The sheriff dies, then it’s the judge, and then-”

A Mercedes drove past them with Anastasia at the wheel.

“Anastasia,” pursued Jake.

“Exactly! And she’s still alive right now, so Lissa wasn’t talking about Puppet Master,” declared Ben. “She wasn’t talking about the car crash, we saw it. She was talking about a death we didn’t saw.”

Jake narrowed his brows. “A death we didn’t saw? Wh… What if she meant her first death?”

Ben grinned. “Your eyes shine when you think.”

“Ah, thanks…” Jake blushed and glanced away. “Yo- you’re cute too when… Huh... We should go talk to Ana’.”

They headed over a construction site where Anastasia was parked near. 

“Hey Anastasia, how was the ride with Lissa?” inquired Jake.

The woman laughed. “Lissa? You mean the mannequin at Spotlight ?”

Jake and Ben looked at each other.

“You don’t remember drivin’ with her?” asked Jake.

Anastasia paused and scoffed, ”Why would I drive with a mannequin?”

“You were there at the court with us earlier, weren’t you?” questioned Ben.

“I…” Anastasia gawked away. “I think so.”

“What was the trial about?” asked Ben.

The woman played with her hair. “I- I’ve no idea.”

“She’s under a spell I think,” whispered Jake to Ben. “Hold my hand, I’ve got an idea.”

He nodded and grabbed Jake’s right hand. The latter extended his left hand at Anastasia and released a stream of anti-magic at her.

“Ben, make her feel sad,” commanded Jake.

Ben reached out his other arm at Anastasia and her eyes turned blue while her skin started to melt into clay.

“Wha- what’s happening?” she wondered. “I… I remember Lissa…” She looked at the horizon. “We tried to… to drive out of the town, and then we… we got separated.” The left part of Anastasia’s face floated into stagnant slime. “When we touched the edge of the town… So many words blew up in my head…”

“Who killed you? Who killed you first?” asked Ben.

Anastasia cried and simpered. “I forgot his name… He didn’t let me go, he won’t let any of us leave...“ She frowned. “I need to talk to him… my son... to talk to… to talk to Cor-.”

A girder dropped on Anastasia and crushed her with the car. Clay splattered all over Ben and Jake.

“We need to go to the town hall!” urged Ben.

Jake wiped the ooze off his face. “How are you not phased of being covered by puppet’s guts?!”

Ben shrugged. “It’s just clay. C’mon, let’s go.”

They sprinted through the crowd and by a very much alive Hart. 

“Hey fellas, where are you goin’?” he asked.

“To the town hall,” answered Jake.

Hart flailed his arms in front of them. “Bu- but that’s not possible. Only puppets are allowed inside the town hall.”

Ben pinched his lips. “Perhaps you could distract the staff?”

“Um… Well, I don’t like saying no, so I guess… Alright, on it,” conceded Hart before he tapped on a phone. “Um, mayor’s office? Yeah, I am dying, could you please send help? All of your staff if possible… Why am I not calling 911? Well, I’m dying, so I didn’t check who to call, sorry.” He hung up. “Alright, it should distract them.”

Ben thanked Hart before he walked with Jake in front of the three-storied town hall. It possessed crimson brick walls and an admiral blue roof. The sun shone just behind its roof, which loomed forward the shadow of the porch into a long black tongue over the front lawn. Deep thuds sounded as the two young men walked over the fieldstone walkway.

Ben tapped down his left shoe. “It’s weird, the ground sounds hollow here.”

The doors opened and a glove-sized blonde girl with buttons for eyes a sewn mouth appeared on the other side. Her hairline was shaped into two horns above her temples. A long pale arm with red veins was shoved from under her blue dress while its body hid behind the doorframe. Ben leaned to the side, but one of the doors closed to block his view.

Ben waved to her. “Hello, we’re here to see the mayor, could you let us enter?”

The little girl lolled her head to the left while her mouth bulged. Her eyes popped out while the seams of her lips cut. Sharp nails stabbed from within her face and sand bled out of her head. A large smile sliced from ear to ear as a needle dropped out of her mouth. A star pin fell on the ground while the arm pulled the girl behind the wall. The doors creaked and opened just before Ben and Jake entered. They checked the room, but the girl and the bodiless arm were nowhere to be found. The entrance hall was filled with portraits of a blonde cowboy and newspaper clippings with titles such as Cactus City Bandit Showdown! or Western Adventures .   

Ben picked up the needle which had Cory etched on its star. A whistle echoed from the depths of the dim-lit entrance hall. The little puppet girl emerged from a dark hallway and wiggled around.

“We should follow her,” said Ben.

“Hell no!” shouted Jake. “After clowns, dolls and puppets ar-”

Ben walked toward the puppet and said, “You’ll follow me anyway, I know you don’t want to be left alone here.”

Jake crossed his arms. “I’d rather be alone here than-”

The men in the portraits surrounding them observed Jake.

“Alright, let’s follow her,” mumbled Jake.

They came closer as the girl moved behind a wall again. A part of the floorboards thumped once in they headed into the hallway. Then, a hatch opened and a head of blonde hair surfaced, it was the little girl. They approached her and she disappeared down a stairway. 

“Why do we keep going into scary-ass underground places?” wondered Jake.

“We could go into a scary attic next?” proposed Ben.

“Fuck no,” replied Jake.

They walked down the dusty steps and arrived into a network of basement rooms with a corrugated metal ceiling and lath walls with oozes of plaster. A smell of fresh paint pervaded throughout the maze of hallways, which was heightened by the heat of circular ceiling lamps. A scratched banner dangled to the side as they walked under it.

“Arizona Kid?” read Jake of the banner.

“You know what it means?” asked Ben.

“It was a puppet kid’s show,” answered Jake. “It used to be popular, but the guy who played Arizona Kid did some shit and got fired.”

“They’ve burned him alive?” Ben widened his eyes. “It’s a bit much.”

Jake chuckled until they heard shoutings.

“I think it was Cap, let’s check this out,” said Jake.

They then arrived in a narrow hallway decorated with small cardboards buildings and cactuses. Old string puppets hung in front of them while others were hanged with nooses. The wooden people floated around with frozen faces and dislocated bodies. Ben removed a bow from his left braid and threw it at one of the puppets. The dummy convulsed and flapped its mouth as soon the ribbon touched it. Jake and Ben walked back while the floorboards under them trembled before they slammed open over a pit full of rusty nails and scissor blades.

“We have to use the puppets to go across,” said Ben.

Jake furrowed his brows and asked, “What if there are other traps?”

“I’ll lead the way,” announced Ben.

Jake held his friend’s right wrist. “Be careful.”

“You too,” replied Ben with a smile.

The young man took a deep breath and extended his right arm at an eyeless robber puppet. He wrapped his fingers around the cold marionette before he did the same with his other hand. His feet sprung forward and he swung over the steel-filled pit. A pale saloon girl puppet with pink eyes hung in front of him. Ben leaped and gripped at her. Behind him, Jake was seizing the robber. Gravity pulled him down, so Ben stretched his legs as he glanced at a witch puppet. He jumped and grabbed her, but her strings cut instantly. 

“Ben!” screamed Jake.

Jake sprung to grip the saloon girl and swung toward Ben. The latter fell until he grasped Jake’s left hand.

“It was close!” let out Ben.

“Do not let go of me,” pleaded Jake.

Jake inhaled and scanned the dummies in front of them.

“Hey, some of these dummies are-” He paused. “They don’t come from that kid’s show.”

“Like the witch?” questioned Ben.

“Exactly,” replied Jake. “Let’s try grabbin’ only the ones from the show.” 

Jake bobbed at a Native American puppet and Ben nodded. The former moved Ben to and fro until Ben jumped and grabbed the marionette. 

“I think you’re right so far,” said Ben.

“Good.” Jake simpered and pointed to their left. “Now try the old guy with a pickaxe.”

Ben put a thumb up before he took a quick breath. He then leaped forward and gripped a gold miner dummy. Its strings stiffened while its part of the ceiling shivered. Sweat dripped from Ben’s forehead as he stared up. 

The puppet stood still.

Ben exhaled before he swung to the edge of the pit. He landed on the floorboards and turned toward Jake. The latter leaped from the Native American puppet to the miner. He then panted a bit and looked at Ben.

“C’mon, you can do it, I believe in you,” said his friend.

Jake smiled and jumped forward. His feet touched a puddle of paint and he tripped backward. Ben sprinted and grabbed Jake’s collar before he yanked him out of the pit. The two fell against the floor and embracing each other.

“Three,” said Jake as he was on top of Ben. “I’ve won.”

Ben pushed him away. “And I’ve saved you.”

“T’was just a bunch of rusty tools,” said Jake with a shrug as they stepped forward. “I had my shot for tetanus anyway.”

“Shh.” Ben nudged him down. “You hear this?”

Jake leaned his head to the side.

“Let me go!” shouted Steve.

The two of them pussyfooted toward Steve’s voice and crept to the left into a room. They crouched a cardboard bank building and a couple of stuffed vultures. Ben recoiled when they arrived in front of the Puppet Master. The bald man stared at them and stood still. Jake extended his left hand and touched Puppet Master’s legs.

“He’s a puppet,” said Jake.

“He’s not the only one,” added Ben as he gestured to the side.

They peeped through the cell bars of a small jail at a saloon bar. Puppets were crucified on its walls with marionette controllers. Others were decapitated with their heads turned into lanterns. A pentagram was drawn on the floor with chalk and Steve was chained to a round table. Most of his body had been turned into wood, except for his head.

“My my, you’re a tough one, aren’t you?” said David as he walked in with his dummy. “My apologies for the mumbo jumbo, but I’ll have to go harder on you, buddy.”

“Let’s help Cap,” said Jake.

“We should record him first, so the town could trust us,” said Ben.

Jake frowned. “Why? The mayor’s obviously the one behind all of this. If we beat him, it’s done.”

“Only half of it, Greylight controls reality, Jezebel controls death,” replied Ben. “People keep coming back to life and the town’s turned into a kid’s show. David’s not working alone, let’s hear him talk or at least get proof against him.”

Jake sighed before he put out his phone and used it to record the mayor.

“What’s the meaning of this?” asked Steve.

“This town ain’t big enough for two heroes,” declared David. “But don’t worry, once I’ve turned into my puppet, you’ll help me have all this sweet glory.”

“So you’re the one behind Puppet Master?” questioned Steve.

David bent over him. “I am Puppet Master,” he answered with a sly smile. “I am everyone, the hero, the villain, the monster… It doesn’t matter, I get all the attention that comes with it.”

“I’m sure you’ll get even more now,” said Jake as he rushed in with Ben.

“Who are you supposed to be?” wondered David.

“It doesn’t matter, what’s matter is that the world’s about to know who you are.” Jake showed the video on his phone. “Puppet Master.”

“Jake, Ben! Stay away from him!” urged Steve.

David chuckled. “And I guess you want me to free the town and Captain America in exchange?”

Ben pulled out a knife from under his dress. “We also can torture you until you change your mind.”

Jake gawked at his friend. “Huh?”

“Ooh, stabby stabby, isn’t it scary Corney?” David asked his dummy.

“Very scary, dad!” answered Corney.

“Stop messin’ with us and give up already!” ordered Jake.

The mayor tilted his head. “You’re not the one in control around here, young man. I am.”

Jake tried to step forward, but the mayor’s dummy looked at him and turned his feet into wood.

“Argh! The fuck?!” groaned Jake.

“I could just turn you into puppets to get rid of you too, ain’t this much easier?” announced David.

Ben glared at the mayor and said, “You’re not the one turning people into puppets, it’s your son, Cory, right?”

David lost his smile and put out a gun. “His name’s Corney,” he replied with a cold tone.

“His name’s Cory!” shouted Ben. “And you used to be Arizona Kid, didn’t you?”

“I still am Arizona Kid!” yelled David. “I am the hero everyone kid in Arizona dream to be!”

“You’re a fraud,” replied Jake. “You’re lying and manipulating everyone!”

“That’s wrong! I am a hero!” screamed the mayor.

“A hero? That’s the only thing you’ll never be,” said Steve.

David’s dummy looked at him.

“Don’t listen to them, Corney, they’re just jealous of your dad,” proclaimed the mayor.

“Cory, you remember what happened to Anastasia? You remember what happened to your mom?” asked Ben.

The puppet glanced at Ben and mumbled. “Anastasia… M- mom?”

“Don’t talk about her!” urged David.

“Your dad, he didn’t want to let your mother leave. Is this why she died in a car accident?” asked Ben.

Cory looked at his father and said, “Mom… You’ve killed mom.”

“I had to! She wanted to leave us!” screamed David. 

“And you killed the sheriff and the judge too!” added Steve.

“She was tired of you trying to control everyone!” replied Jake as his legs turned to wood.

“That’s why Cory has turned the town into puppets, to make his father proud and to live in a world where his dad isn’t the monster he is!” added Ben.

“You’re lying! I am a hero! I-” screamed David.

Ben eyed at Jake who was now transformed up to his waist.

“Cory, I know you want to make your father proud, but your freedom’s more important.

“Shut your mouth!” barked David. “I’m his father, I know what’s best for-” He paused and gawked at his left arm which stiffened. “Cory? What are you doin’?!”

“Doin’ what mom would have wanted,” said Cory.

The mayor let go of his marionette as his hands shrank and his body turned into wood. His clothes shifted into leather while a Stetson hat grew out of his head. David choked as his neck lost human physiology and soon his whole being became a dummy dressed as a cowboy.

Cory looked at Steve and Jake which turned their body to normal. Captain America stood up while Cory increased in size and became a real boy. 

“Goodbye, dad,” said Cory.

Chapter Text

Steve, Jake, and Ben sprinted through the streets while clouds turned from cardboards to condensed vapor, and flowers got rid of their human traits. They arrived near some clothing stores and checked their display windows. One of the mannequins behind still wore Lissa’s clothes.

Ben winced. “What’s happening? I thought the town was supposed to be back to normal?”

Jake crossed his arms. “Maybe it’s taking more t-”

“Boo!” screamed Lissa as she jumped out of a dark alley in her underwear.

Steve covered his eyes and recoiled.

“Hey, Lissa!” Ben waved to her. “You’re going to the pool?”

“Why are you half-naked?” wondered Jake.

Lissa drooped her shoulders. “I wanted to scare you, you’ve left here for hours!”

“Can you put your clothes back on?” asked Steve.

Lissa headed back inside the store while some citizens walked to them. Anastasia was among them; including the judge, the sheriff, and the cashier, who were back to their human forms. 

“Hi. We just wanted to thank you for what you did,” said Anastasia while Cory held her right hand.

“You’re welcome,” replied Jake. “Not gonna lie, I’ll miss that puppet stuff.”

“You’re the only one,” said the cashier. “Ah! Ah! Ah!”

The sheriff glared at him.

“Sorry, still got the habit,” explained the cashier.

Ben pinched his lips before he questioned Anastasia, “Sorry to ask, but are you the one who wished for the deads to come back to life?” 

Anastasia sighed. “That would be me. I wanted to tell you everything, but then... David’s spell made us forget everything.”

“It’s okay, you’re free now,” replied Jake.

The street started to tremor as the deputy ran to them.

“Th- the mayor! He’s-”

“Howdy neighbors!” shouted David.

A giant cowboy hat appeared on the horizon as a ventriloquist stomped toward them. 

Jake raised an eyebrow. “What the…”

“I hope you didn’t miss me!” scoffed David.

“How is he back?” questioned Anastasia.

“I wonder which twisted beauty could have done this?” said a sultry voice. 

They all turned around and saw Jezebel with Greylight. Steve shot daggers at her and stepped in front of Jake and Ben.

“He sold his soul to you, didn’t he?” asked Jake.

Jezebel leered. “Sold? I wouldn’t have made my grand entrance just for some petty business. No, no.” She leaned forward. “It was a soul sacrifice.”

Jake widened his eyes. “A sacrifice?”

Jezebel snapped her fingers and David’s puppet eyes glowed with a fiery light before they set ablaze. The giant dummy flailed around as his wooden body was consumed by fire. His skin burned to ashes like Icarus’s wings as he collapsed against the hard concrete. Black energy came out of his remains and then flew inside Jezebel.

“Guess he couldn’t handle the limelight,” she said with a cackle before she turned to Greylight. “You’ve lost again, brother.”

Greylight shrugged. “Guess I’m not really good at this game.”

“Well, it was fun seeing you again, but I don’t like spending too much time with my fans.”

“Wait, you won’t try to kill us?” asked Jake.

“Plot armor, darling. The hero can’t kill the villains before the final battle,” answered Jezebel.

Steve tilted his head. “You think you’re the hero?”

“Of course! I got all the good lines, I always have everyone’s attention, and I am ravishing.” She winked. “And we all know that heroes are always beautiful in Hollywood.” 

“It’s real life, not a movie,” said Jake.

“Is it?” wondered Jezebel. “I control reality, I make what I want of it.” She caressed her left ear. “Oh, time to go, I’ve got a tragic scene where the townspeople come to rescue me from a living mummy.”

She raised her left arm and was enveloped by a curtain of flame as she vanished.

“What a bitch,” muttered Lissa. 

“A little sociopathic, but she got a sweet side,” said Greylight with a chuckle. 

Anastasia dropped to her knees and exhaled.

“You’re okay?” asked Steve as he walked to her.

“I’m free,” she whispered. “I’m finally free of him.”

She hugged her son while Steve tapped her back.

“You’re safe now, both of you,” said Steve.

Jake looked at the two of them as the sunlight briefly made Anastasia appeared similar to his mother. 

He glared at Greylight and asked, “How much time is left before…”

“Before what used to be dead departs the world of the livings?” pursued Greylight. “Do I even care? Clearly, not a soul here will sacrifice themselves.” He turned away and lit his cigar. “When they’re ready to say their goodbyes, they’ll be free to leave.”

The undead cowboy trod away before he threw his coat over him and he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

“You could stay with us,” Anastasia told Steve. “Nobody dies here.”

Steve smiled. “But there’s nobody to save either…” He looked at Jake. “I also have some things to do before I leave.”

“We don’t have to leave right away though,” added Jake. “You could enjoy being alive a bit more?”

“That would be selfish. We have no time to waste,” said Steve.

“Not really,” replied Ben. “Lissa’s a werewolf, we should wait before the night until we leave, just in case.”

“Right, so I don’t get turned into a mannequin again,” said Lissa.

Steve sighed. “Fine, but we’re goin’ back to the RV before nighttime.”

“Wow, you really are an old man,” said Jake.

They laughed and headed forward in the street with some of the citizens. Meanwhile, Ben strolled behind and contemplated some trees.

“Somethin’s wrong?” asked Jake as he walked toward his friend.

“It’s just… What Anastasia has said about freedom.” Ben frowned. “I wonder how it feels sometimes.”

“You don’t feel free?” wondered Jake.

Ben shook his head down. “Those memories… Those bad memories. They keep coming back…” He looked at Jake. “When I talked to Cory, it was as if it was all coming back to me again… I feel like a prisoner sometimes, as if I couldn’t escape from the pain.”

Jake held Ben’s hands and said, “I think I got a solution for that.”

“Really? What is it?” asked Ben.

“Fuck it,” said Jake.

Ben gawked him. “F- uck?”

Jake smiled. “Yeah, just say fuck to all the things that annoy you, I do that all the time.”

“Well…” Ben wandered his gaze. “F- Fuck bad memories?”

“Good! Keep goin’,” encouraged Jake.

Ben pushed his tongue against his left cheek. “Fuck… Fuck pain… fuck bad thought, and fuck pain.” He giggled. “Wow, it feels nice!”

Jake beamed. “Right? Now try sayin’ it louder!”

“Alright.” Ben took a deep breath. “Fuck worries!”

“Fuck worries!” repeated Jake.

Ben furrowed his brows and yelled, “Fuck Mom!”

“Yeah, fuck your mom!” shouted Jake.

“I am a fucking son of a bitch!” sung Ben.

“You’re a fuckin’ son of a bitch!” screamed Jake.

Ben pulled Jake by the collar and kissed him.

“Ach,” Ben recoiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask.”

Jake kissed Ben and said, “You don’t have to be sorry, it felt great.”

“Ben, Jake, you’re comin’?” called Lissa. “We’re having a karaoke party.”

“What’s a karaoke?” asked Ben.

“Oh, it’s a thing where people sing and get drunk,” explained Jake.

Ben grinned. “I love singing!”

They followed Lissa inside a bar whose front had Karaoke Island spelled in neon letters with a note Closing Soon . Inside there were palm trees wrapped with lights and a cardboard volcano emitting colored smokes. Speakers in the corners of the place played I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross. They sat at Steve’s table as a waitress served him an apple pie.

The scent of fresh crisp and mellow spices tickled Steve’s nose as he closed his eyes. Then, he removed his gloves and touched the warm soft texture before a cut a slice and munched it. A crunchy yet delicate taste of sweet sourness welcomed his mouth. 

“How’s the pie, grandpa?” asked Jake. 

“Just as good as I remember,” said Steve as he lounged on his chair. “Wait, did you just call me grandpa?”

Jake scratched his head. “Guess it slipped out by accident.”

Steve smiled. “Thank you, grandson.”

A violet stage light shrunk on Ben as everyone looked at him.

“Think it’s your turn to sing,” said Jake.

Ben’s face reddened. “B- but, everyone’s staring at me…”

Jake grabbed his friend’s left hand and said, “I’ll sing with you.”

The pair walked on the stage while a few people clapped a little for them. Piano notes played out of the speakers while Jake and Ben each took a microphone. Lyrics began to appear on a screen and Ben gulped.

“We're soarin', flyin’,” sang Jake as he gazed at Ben.  “There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach.”

“If we're trying. S- so we're breaking free,” mumbled Ben.

The bulbs on the stage flickered in sync with Jake’s heartbeats as he brushed Ben’s back.

“But your faith it gives me strength,” they sang together. “Strength to believe.”

“We’re breakin’ free!” caroled Ben.

A translucid shockwave boomed out of Jake and blew up the lights around one of the trees before it collapsed on a nearby table.

The pair sang, “We’re soarin,’ flyin’! There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!” 

“Can you feel it building, like a wave the ocean just can't control?” asked Jake in rhythm.

A bubble machine shook and spit liquid soap at some people’s faces who cried and stumbled.

“Connected by a feeling,” sang Ben as his eyes turned to a shade of shade for an instant. “Ohhh, in our very souls.”

“So everyone can see,” they sang.

“I can’t see!” screamed a woman as tears dripped from her eyes filled with soap.

“We’re soarin’!” caroled Ben before he untied his hair and let it down.

“Flyin’!” pursued Jake.

Sparks flew from the volcano before it went ablaze.

“Yeah we're breaking free!” the two sang.

The fire went out of the burning volcano and crept across the floorboards

“Ohhhh runnin',” crooned Ben.

People ran away as the bar and its pieces of furniture went up in flames.

“Both of us breaking free! We're breaking free!” 

The citizens of Revelation escaped by the front door and back door. Steve picked up the fiery volcano and threw it away, but it crashed on a liquor shelf which exploded and spread more fire.

“This is true! This is fate! And together, we see it comin',” sang Ben.

Lissa picked up an extinguisher and shot foam at a burning empty stroller.

“You know the world can see us.” Ben and Jake locked eyes. “In a way that's different than who we are…”

The two of them kissed while the music went down and beams from the ceiling collapsed.

“Can we break the fuck free out of there ‘fore we burn alive?!” shouted Lissa.

Steve grabbed Jake and Ben with his right arm and Lissa with the other before he sprinted out of the bar. Once they were out, a man with a coonskin hat stomped toward them.

“You!” he yelled as he pointed at Jake and Ben. “You’re the two homosexuals who’ve burned down my bar!”

Jake glared at him and said, “You got a problem with that?”

“Yeah, we’ve burned down his bar,” answered Ben.

“I meant the homosexual part,” muttered Jake.

The bar owner hugged the two of them.

“Thank you!” he shouted. “The insurance should be enough for me to adopt a Birman.”

“You’re welcome,” said Ben. “And if you need more insurance money, it would be our pleasure to also burn your Birman.”

The man widened his eyes. “What?” 

“He’s drunk,” said Jake as he pushed Ben away.

The four of them walked away and headed back to the courtroom. Ben’s RV was still parked in front of it as they arrived. Steve and Lissa sat at the back, while Ben drove with Jake on the passenger’s seat. They waved at Anastasia and her son as they went past them. Soon, the vehicle stopped in front of a sign with Now Reveleavin’ .

Steve looked down at his hands which began to pale.

“You’re ready, grandpa?” asked Jake with a frown.

Steve rubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The remains of apple pie flavor embraced his senses one more time before they vanished. Steve smiled and bobbed his head at Jake. 

“It was great seein’ you again, sir,” said Ben. 

The RV drove forward as Steve breathed deeply. His skin and clothes lost their colors and soon shifted into a translucent tint. Soon, Steve disappeared from Ben and Lissa’s sights while Jake only saw him as a blueish smokey form.

“Do you guys still see him?” asked Jake.

Both Ben and Lissa shook their heads with droopy eyes. 

“Don’t worry, old man, you still have to deal with me,” scoffed Jake.

Steve simpered. “C’mon, you know I don’t age anymore.”

The vehicle braked and Ben stared at Jake.

“Was it Steve talking?” asked Ben.

Jake raised an eyebrow and replied, “Yeah, how did you guess?”

Ben pinched his lips. “I- I think I’ve just heard him.”

“He heard me?” wondered Steve.

“There! I heard him!” Ben grinned. “He said ‘He heard me, right?”

Jake smiled. “Wow, that’s amazing.”

Lissa grimaced. “Wait, why can’t I hear him?”

“You want to hear Cap too?” asked Ben.

“Not really,” said Lissa shrugged. “I just don’t like bein’ left out.”

“Yeah, but they don’t know how Florienta ended up with the count at the end,” replied Ben.

Lissa smiled. “Thanks… It’s just… I’ve been feeling like I don’t belong here, sometimes.”

“You belong here,” said Jake. “You’ve saved our asses against that giant horse and you’ve… bought us time at the court.”

“And honestly, you match the team’s profile.” Ben gestured at her. “You’re a Transilvanian sorority sister who can turn into a werewolf. Cap’s a super-soldier who was brought back from the afterlife. Jake’s an anti-magic wizard who’s also a Tohono O’odham descendant, and I’m a Sino-Chinese German cross-dressing empath.”

Lissa stared at him. “Well… Put like that.”

“Speakin’ of team, we need a name for ours,” declared Jake. “I don’t know, somethin’ related to power, magic, bein’ young. Well, even if grandpa’s here…”

“Teen Titans?” suggested Ben.

Lissa shook her head. “It’s already taken. We’d get sued.”

“Young Avengers?” proposed Steve.

“We would need a young Hulk or a young Hawkeye for that,” replied Jake.

“Ghoulfriends?” said Lissa.

“I like this one,” said Ben.

Jake crossed his arms. “How about the X-Terminators?”

“No,” scoffed Lissa. “It sounds like porn stars hunting rats and roaches.”

“I prefer X-Ceptional…” muttered Ben.

“C’mon guys, it’s a great name!” insisted Jake. “It’s like X-Files and Terminator put together.”

“Fine, but I’m making the logo if we have one,” whined Lissa.

The four of them extended their left hands and joined them together.

“X-Terminators!” they exclaimed together.

Chapter Text

Vanishing rays of light in the sky tainted grey clouds with a hellish shade of fire. It then died down into an ill tint of pink, akin to rat feet, and ended with a deep bruised purple in the horizon. Some vampire bats were already out and flew past the RV. Ben drove it while wearing his Bo Peep costume. Meanwhile, Lissa put an azure fur jacket over her denim crop top as she shivered on the back seat.

“Jeez, it’s freezin’,” complained Lissa. 

Bo Peep frowned. “Jizz? Can it be used that way?” 

“Not jizz, jeez,” answered Jake.

“It sounds almost the same to me,” said Ben. “Should I move my tongue in a certain way to catch the right jizz?”

“D- don’t say it. Don’t say it that way,” mumbled Jake.

“Jeez is what you say when you’re annoyed or surprised,” explained Lissa. “And jizz is-”

“That’s enough!” Steve talked over her. “I have no idea what any of these words mean, but I’m fairly certain you three shouldn’t talk about it.”

“... after it gets really good,” finished Lissa.

Ben looked back at the road and pouted as he said, “Jizz…”

The latter held the steering wheel with a firm grasp to fight against the icy road. Mountains began to tower on both sides as they rode by a notched rectangular sign with Rio Idolo engraved in it. Gusts of wind screeched sand on the windows which prompted Bo Peep to turn the wipers on. Outlines of houses appeared as the wiper blades swung left and right. Then, a figure emerged on the horizon, it was an old woman standing in the middle of the road. She wore a purple prairie dress and had her hair tied up into a bun. 

“Great, just another crazy crackhead,” muttered Lissa.

The RV slowed down in front of the elderly lady as her left hand glinted. 

Jake widened his eyes and said, “It’s a gun.”

Ben hit the gas and ran over the old woman.

“What the fuck?!” shouted Jake. “Why did you do that?”

“She had a gun,” replied Ben. “It was us or her.”

Ben looked at his rearview mirror and squinted.

“I think she’s stuck under the wheels, I don’t see her behind,” said Bo Peep.

“Uh, guys…” mumbled Lissa as she pointed forward.

The old lady was again standing in front of the vehicle, with no wound on her pale body.

“I’ll handle this,” said Steve.

Captain America phased through the RV before he wielded his shield at the woman. Her cold blue eyes snapped at Steve and she smiled.

“You can see me?” asked Steve with an ajar mouth.

She raised her gun and Steve lifted his shield.

“Stop whatever you’re about to do!” ordered Steve.

The old woman put the gun against her left temple and moved up her thumb. 

“Pater autem mendacium! Animam eorum!” she chanted.

Steve sprinted forward as she pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Her skin whitened and soon froze. It then shattered as her skull blew up into pieces of ice while the rest of her body crumbled. 

“Guess cremation won’t happen for her,” said a raucous voice.

Greylight strolled out of the desert and knelt to pick up the revolver.

Jake, Ben, and Lissa stepped out of the RV and headed toward him.

“What just happened?” questioned Jake.

“She shot herself and turned into ice, thought that was obvious,” he scoffed. “Oh, or maybe you meant, what’s gonna happen?” Greylight leered. “Now that’s much more interesting...” He gulped down a bottle of whiskey. “You see, you fellas are gettin’ closer to my restin’ place, which means I have to bring out the big guns. In other words, the whole town’s skatin’ on thin ice.”

“How? You got one soul, you can only have another one per town,” said Ben.

Greylight chuckled. “Not if one of them wished for the whole town to go down with them,” he answered. “And I wonder who told you this? Was it Jezebel… or Blackheart?” he inquired. 

Bo Peep pinched his lips and glared at him.

“Anyway…” Greylight took a glimpse at the town sign. “Eighteen thousand citizens? Yeah, should be enough to get at least fifteen souls.”

“You won’t get any,” declared Jake.

“I already got one,” replied Greylight. “One card is taken and the whole castle falls.” He laughed. “Have fun chasing a bunch of rabbits at the same time…” his voice distorted as he turned into smoke. “You better hurry before the night comes, unless you love massacres...”

“We’ve no time to waste,” urged Steve as they ran back into the RV.

Ben burned rubber down some slopes to reach the town. The RV rode by a church, a flower shop, and a supermarket. Then, they parked in front of a police station. 

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Ben.

“We convince the cops to get everyone to a secured place,” announced Jake.

“Churches!” said Lissa as she showed her phone. “There are three around here. In horror movies, churches are always the best place to go to.”

“The house of God sounds like a great idea,” added Steve.

“Let’s do it then,” said Jake.

They walked out of the vehicle and entered the station. An officer with a ponytail ran by them and lit up her cigarette as they did so.

“Another grave was robbed, I’m on it,” she said.

“Hey, no smoking around here!” barked another officer behind the counter before he looked at them. “Yeah?”

The middle-aged man had a thick black mustache and a buzz cut. His short-sleeved uniform somewhat covered a square patch of beige cloth on his right upper arm.

“We need your help,” declared Jake.

Ben waved from behind Jake. “Good evening, Officer-” He tiptoed and read, ”Sam Farrow?”

“You can read, good for you,” scoffed Sam before he glanced at Jake. “So what’s the matter?”

Jake scratched his neck. “How to put this…” He took a short breath. “An undead cowboy sacrificed an old lady to put a curse or whatever on the town.”

The police office gawked at the young man.

“You don’t buy any of this,” said Jake.

“It’s not that I find this hard to conceive,” replied Sam. “Vampires, ghosts, demons… They’ve been poppin’ all over the news. The thing is, why should I trust you? What tells me that you’re not on their side?”

“‘Cause we’re asking you to put everyone to safety, there’s nothing wrong about that,” answered Jake.

“Viruses, bombs, mass-murder,” listed Sam. “I’m all for protecting the town, but listening to complete strangers could either be a trick or a complete waste of time. Sorry.”

“Do you want me to use my powers on him?” whispered Ben.

Jake sighed. “Go ahead.”

Bo Peep’s eyes turned purple with tints of pink and he aimed his staff at the police officer. Soon, Sam’s eyes shifted to the same colors and his mouth dropped agape.

“The town’s in danger. Get everyone to safety inside the churches,” ordered Ben.

The police officer’s eyes came back to normal as he picked up a phone.

“Sister Marjorie, remember what you said about lovin’ thy neighbor?” asked Sam. “How many people your church can handle?”

“Since when you can mind control people?” muttered Lissa.

“Oh, I’ve discovered I could do it some days before,” answered Ben with a shrug. “And I need to touch them for it to work.”

Jake gestured outside and said, “We should go get as many people as we can before it’s too late.”

“We should split up to cover more ground,” suggested Steve.

“Alright, I’m goin’ with Steve,” said Jake.

“I guess that means we’re splittin’ up?” wondered Lissa as typed on her phone. “Let’s meet up in front of the Church near the flower shop.”

Jake nodded and said, “Got it. Also, you two can take the RV, it’ll be safer.”

Ben frowned. “But what about you?”

“I got grandpa with me, I should be okay,” reassured Jake with a smile.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” asked Ben.

Jake held Ben’s hands and said, “I promise.”

The two young men hugged and kissed while police cars spread throughout the town. As Lissa and Ben rode to the left, Steve and Jake ran to the right side. Most of the citizens they had encountered either trusted them or were warned by relatives who had themselves been informed by cops. Soon, sirens resonated while a police car started to patrol their block of houses and used microphones to urge the townspeople to gather inside the local churches. 

“Hey Cap, can I ask you somethin’?” questioned Jake.

“Of course, Jake,” replied Steve.

Jake pursed his lips. “How does it feel to kill someone?”

Steve gazed at his grandson and took a deep breath. “That’s… a hard subject.” He paused. “I’m certainly not proud of it and I try to avoid this option as much as I can. But sometimes you just have to do it. And in these cases, I remind myself that I did what I had to do.”

“What about Ben? Do you think he thinks like you?” asked Jake.

“That’s somethin’ only Ben can answer,” said Steve. “What I can tell about him is that he seems to be a nice young man, but sometimes nice people do bad things.” Steve looked at the sky. “I had a friend, well, Ben’s more than a friend for you, but you got the idea... I have a friend who did some… horrible things, but was forced to do them.” Steve’s eyes went down. “I don’t think a lot of people could survive this situation with a stable mind. Sure, it doesn’t justify their behavior, but I do think it gives us an idea on how to help them.” 

“You think I can help Ben?” asked Jake.

Steve put his left hand on Jake’s shoulder. “If you want to, go ahead.”

Jake smiled. “Thank you, grandpa Steve.”

All of a sudden, shoutings resonated behind them. A teen with a short olive dress and dark brown hair was running after the police car. She held a white cat under her right arm who scratched at her silver pendant. 

“Come back!” she yelled.

Jake ran to her and asked, “What’s goin’ on?”

“My mom went on her own to the flower shop and she’s not responding to my texts.” She thrashed her phone around.

“She must’ve hurried to safety,” said Jake.

The teen shook her head. “She would never leave me alone with all of this goin’ on.”

Jake looked up at the sky as the last rays of sunshine were about to disappear.

“Shit,” cursed Jake. “Let’s go already. I hope you run fast.”

They sprinted down an alley as Jake called Lissa to tell her to meet up at the flower shop instead. The teen soon ran ahead of them.

“Well fuck, she does run fast,” noted Jake.

“On your left,” said Steve as he also ran past Jake.

The young man rolled his eyes and leaned his upper body forward to go quicker. They ran by a few more streets while the darkness of the night started to loom over them. After a few yards, a building could be discerned through a misty veil with Everbloom Blossom for a name. Wooden tables supported pale roses while buckets held chrysanthemums and a bit of rust. The glass door was left open and the ceramic floor was dirtied by muddy footprints.

Steve narrowed his brows. “I’m goin’ first. Jake, stay near the entrance with her,” he ordered as he phased through the walls.

Jake and the teen waited under the doorway while more fog infested the streets. Shattered flower pots lied down while the shelf bent to the side with broken brackets. 

“Mom?!” called the teen.

“Shh! Somethin’ weird happened around here, let’s be quiet,” urged Jake.

“Why are we stayin’ here? And where’s my mom or Mr. Cranshaw,” she questioned.

Jake raised an eyebrow and asked, “Cranshaw?”

“Tony Cranshaw, my boyfriend works for him, he’s the shop owner,” answered the teen. “It’s weird, he was just like my mom with me. He would never leave his flowers alone.”

“He’s not dumb, he wasn’t gonna run inside a church with flower pots,” said Jake.

They observed the place only lightened by the outside lamp posts. The backroom door was left ajar while the open second floor was almost pitch black. 

“Wait, I know these flowers.” She gestured at a decorative wheelbarrow. “These are roses of Altheas, my Mom gave them to my sister... He stole them!”

She headed toward the wheelbarrow while Jake tried to turn on his phone flashlight. Red cup-shaped hibiscuses were planted in the wheeled cart filled with dirt. Jake aimed his light at the flowers and two circles gleamed inside the wheelbarrow. The teen widened her eyes like a pair of glasses sticking out of the dirt. A bald pallid head was buried near them with a horrified expression. 

She gasped and stepped back only to trip against a vase. The vase dropped and a foot protruded out of it. Jake ran to her and led her away as she shook a little.

“It’s- it’s Mr. Cranshaw,” she mumbled.

“Cap, where are you?” muttered Jake.

The young man aimed his light all over the shop until a shoe dropped in front of them. Jake walked back and moved up his phone to the second floor as a deep moan resonated. Bare feet covered in dirt appeared followed by a charred pink dress. A little girl with brown pigtails stood in front of them and held a burned teddy bear.

“Awilda?!” screamed the teen as she yanked back Jake. “That’s my sister.”

“You wanna help her get down?” asked Jake.

“You don’t understand!” The teen lowered her voice and murmured, “My sister... She shouldn’t be here…  She died one year ago.”

Chapter Text

The little girl named Awilda looked at them with her colorless eyes. She shuffled forward and breathed heavily before she pointed at the entry door. Suddenly, the backroom door slammed open and a woman stumbled in with a daisy-patterned dress. Her hands were tied in her back and a cloth gag hung around her neck. 

“Ava?!” she called.

The teenage girl ran to her. “Mom, what happened?” she asked as she untied her.

“The flowers, I wanted them back for your sister, but he wouldn’t let me.” Her mother rubbed her head. “We fought and then I fell and…”

“It’s okay, Mom,” said Ava as she hugged her mother.

Steve phased through the wall with wide eyes.

“Somethin’ strange just happened!” he shouted. “I was fightin’ these hideous monsters and then they’ve just disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” repeated Jake.

The young man moved up his phone light on the second floor. It was empty except for a lonely teddy bear lying on it.

“She has disappeared,” noted Jake.

“Who is he talking about?” asked the mother. 

Ava lowered her eyes and muttered, “It- it doesn’t matter.”

Steve put his hands on his hips and scanned their surroundings. A thick mist had now taken over the streets. The lamp posts flickered and turned off and only left green glows for lights. Soon, shadow people with fiery emerald eyes came closer toward them. Jake gulped and took a stance while Ava held her mother and their cat hissed. Two huge orbs beamed at them and grew bigger as Steve stepped in front of the others. The store windows shattered and its front door busted open as an RV crashed in. A piece of wall hurled through Steve’s ghostly body like a javelin.

“Is everyone okay?” asked Ben as he opened the doors.

“He’s a close friend,” said Jake. “You can trust him.”

Ava gawked at Bo Peep and asked, “Him?”

“It’s a long story,” replied Jake.

They headed at the back of the RV while Jake sat on the passenger seat. As soon as he did so, Ben pounced at him and kissed him.

“I was so worried for you,” cried Ben.

“Bo! Now’s not the time,” let out Jake while squeezed.

Ben pulled back and blushed. “Ach, sorry.” 

The RV drove out of the store remains and sped to the right. Steve phased his upper body through the roof while Ava and her mother eyed at a woman wearing a red plastic sphere for helmet and long gloves of the same color.

“Who’s that?” questioned Ava.

“Um…” Ben tapped his fingers on the wheel. “She’s a superhero like us, her name is… Ruby-”

“Sandiego,” finished Lissa.

Ava grimaced a little and inquired, “What’s your power?”

“My power is that I can use my big-ass head to go faster underwater,” answered Lissa.

“Why don’t you have an oxygen tank?” wondered Ava.

“It’s a touchy subject,” replied Ben. “She’s the sixth Ruby Sandiego since all the previous ones have drowned.”

“Exactly, I’m wearing this helmet as a tribute for my aunt Ruby Sandiego the fifth.” Lissa gestured to the sky. “She died while trying to rescue a little girl from an inflatable pool.”

Jake facepalmed while Ben drove them through the town plagued by mist. They used the GPS on Lissa’s phone to find their way to Our Lady of Sorrows Church . A stucco building with twin bell towers. The mist circled the church yet did not even approach its steps. Cars were corralled also around as Ben parked the RV near them. Ben honked before they all left the vehicle and raced up the front stairs. An elderly nun opened the mesquite door while Officer Farrow aimed his gun at them.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said as he lowered his gun.

“Don’t you dare using that barbaric tool in the house of God!” shooed the nun before she looked at them. “Come inside.”

Ava’s mother embraced the nun as she came in. “Sister Marjorie, you’re safe!”

The two chatted and walked away while Officer Farrow talked with his radio harness. Steve, Jake, Ben, and Lissa then headed behind the statue of a saint covering his face.

“So why are you wearing that thing on your head?” questioned Jake.

Lissa looked around before she removed her helmet and revealed that she had a hirsute chin and a mustache on.

Steve widened his eyes. “Gosh, all hemlock!”

“Wow, you’re a bearded lady,” said Ben with a wide smile.

Jake sneered and suppressed a laugh.

“It’s not funny, look at me! People will think that I’m a monster!” shouted Ben.

Ben shook his head. “No, people would love you at the circus.”

Jake snickered while Lissa shot daggers at him. Suddenly, Officer Farrow stomped toward them and Lissa put her helmet back on. A little boy with golden hair glared at the policeman as he did so.

“Hey, the craptacular C-Listers men, I got somethin’ for you,” he scoffed.

“We’re the X-Terminators,” replied Jake coldly.

Ben popped out from behind Jake and said, “And we’re not porn stars.”

“Whatever, we need a rescue team for the grocery store, think you can help or you’re gonna mind control us into doing it instead?” questioned Farrow.

Ben furrowed his brows. “It’s not mind control! It’s… convincing people to do things, without them wanting it…”

“Who’s that Children of the Corn reject lookin’ at you?” asked Lissa as she pointed at the blonde boy.

“Oh, it’s my son, Sam Jr.” He waved at him. “Hey, son!”

His son shot daggers at him.

“Nice boy, isn’t he?” said Officer Farrow.

“We have to help him!” shouted Ava as she ran to them. “John’s at the supermarket!”

“You’re still talkin’ with that no-good thief?” scolded her mother.

“It doesn’t matter! He’s in danger!” yelled Ava. “Those- things, they’re attacking the supermarket!”

“X-Terminators, let’s exterminate!” called Jake as they headed toward the entry door.

Ava handed her cat to her mother and said, “I’m comin’ with you.”

“Are you crazy?!” Her mother pulled her back. “You’re goin’ nowhere!”

“I can’t sit here and do nothin’!” screamed Ava.

“I’m coming,” said Sister Marjorie to Officer Farrow. “Stay here. This church and its people will need someone to watch over them.”

The policeman sighed and handed her a rifle. “Remember to-”

She loaded the rifle. “I know how to use it.”

They stepped out of the church and sprinted inside the RV. Green reflections moved around in the fog as Ben drove on full speed ahead. At the back of the vehicle, Sister Marjorie prayed with a rosary in her hands while the rifle rested on her lap. 

“Where did you learn to use a rifle?” asked Lissa once the nun was done.

“I used to be a hunter,” murmured Sister Marjorie.

Ben tightened his grip on the wheel. “You’ve killed animals?”

“I did a lot of things I now regret,” she said as she kissed her crucifix.

The vehicle stopped in front of the grocery story façade of brick cladding with a few lamps flickering inside. Ben hit the gas pedal, but the wheels did not nudge.

“I think the engine died,” said Ben.

More emerald glows appeared in the mist and soon shadows surrounded them. Sister Marjorie trembled as she crossed herself.

“It’s them,” she muttered.

“Them?” asked Jake with a feeble voice.

“The lost children of Rio Idolo,” answered the nun. “Parents would always say to their children this nursery rhyme. ‘Children, have fear, have a fright. Sleep well and sleep tight. For you might anger the woman in white.’” She huffed. “But one year ago, a group of kids had run away from their houses… Ava’s little sister was one of them.” 

Children’s peals of laughter echoed around them while more silhouettes prowled in the fog.

“It was at the same time that a wildfire had spread across the region,” told the nun. “None of them survived.”

Black handprints burned against the windows of the RV as the laughter twisted into screams and the green lights in the mist exploded into flames. The doors of the vehicle were pulled open and creatures made of charcoal materialized on every side. Their melted eyesockets fissured with their sharp teeth as they screeched as if their skins were layers of charred meat molten together. Sister Marjorie shot one of them in the face and kicked its body away.

“Run!” she urged.

Lissa screamed and threw her helmet at another before she ran out of the RV. One of the ghouls pounced at Jake and clawed his chest. Ben stabbed the creature in the skull.

“Take it,” said Ben as he handed the knife to Jake.

They hurried out of the vehicle while Steve pushed ghouls away with his shield. Lissa removed her gloves and slashed creatures out of her way while the mist thickened.

“I can’t see!” she yelled.

“Here!” shouted a woman’s voice.

All of them followed the voice as fast as they could while the creatures hunted them and put their bodies back together. One of them leaped at Lissa and bit her neck, but Sister Marjorie gunned it down. They charged toward the supermarket and a woman opened its door for them. It was a police officer they had met earlier at the station.

“Quick! It’s safe outside!” she shouted.

A loud ringing resonated while the ground tremored. A giant hand emerged from the fog and seized the police officer. She screamed and thrashed around as a colossal emaciated corpse with blueish skin observed her. Steve sprung to him, but it smacked him away. The corpse then moved its dislocated jaw and brought the woman closer to its mouth. She punched its immense fingers as it hurled her inside its maw and swallowed her whole. Thunderclaps illuminated the outline woman inside the giant as she grabbed at its throat. It gulped her down and she fell before she hit hard the piles of bones inside its stomach and stopped moving.

Sister Marjorie showed her rosary at the corpse and shouted, “Begone you fiend!”

The creatures recoiled while they rushed inside the grocery store. Then, the nun closed the door and coiled her rosary around its knob and a nearby bar. As soon as they did so, the monsters came back and surrounded the supermarket.

“What’s that thing?!” questioned Lissa.

“It’s not a thing, it’s the wrath and desire for vengeance of the deads brought to life into that abomination,” answered Sister Marjorie.

“How do you know this?” asked Jake.

Sister Marjorie reloaded her rifle and said, “I told you, I was a hunter.” 

“All I know is that I’m glad we’re inside, that mist smelled atrocious,” whined Lissa.

They walked further into the supermarket while a group of fifteen people came out of their hiding spots. One of them was a teenage boy with a red shirt and a purple jacket.

“John, you’re not dead yet,” said Sister Marjorie.

“Happy to see you too, Sister,” scoffed John. “Not to scare you again, but we have another problem.” He bobbed at the depths of the store. “We’ve trapped one of them back here.”

Jake took a quick breath and they headed toward the janitor closet. Its door pounded a bit against boxes of water bottles pushed in front of it. A broken pipe leaked droplets near it while a feminine weeping sounded from its other side. John and Jake moved the boxes away while Sister Marjorie aimed her weapon forward. Ben stepped on a puddle before he slowly opened the door.

Light glinted as a woman wielded a pair of scissors at them. She had ebony hair and wore a white dress. The woman cried and groaned as she hid a little girl with brown hair behind her.

The nun squinted and called, “Awilda?” 

“Don’t you dare to touch her!” threatened the weeping woman.

“Calm down, we’re here to help!” said Jake.

“They wanna hurt her! I won’t let them!” screamed the woman.

“We won’t let anything happen to her,” promised Ben. “Trust us.”

The little girl caressed the woman’s hand and said, “It’s okay, Launa.”

Launa put down the knife and nudged Awilda forward.

“She’s one of them, what are you doin’?!” questioned John.

“You stole them!” shouted Awilda as she pointed at his chest pocket. 

Jake crossed his arms. “You were workin’ for the florist guy and he was stealin’ flowers off graves.”

“And?” John shrugged. “I had no idea what Cranshaw was up to.”

Steve phased his hand through John’s jacket and made a plastic bag filled with rings and necklaces drop out of it.

“This necklace... It’s Mrs. Fenley’s,” whispered Sister Marjorie. 

“Mrs. Fenley?” asked Lissa.

“She was… strange,” replied the nun. “She would go in the forest and burn circles in the sand… We all thought she was the one behind the wildfire.” She lowered her eyes. “People would deface her house, throw stones at it, burn her cats…” 

Ben scowled and said, “You’ve burned her cats?”

“I wasn’t surprised when we found her dead in her bed with a gun in her hand,” said Sister Marjorie with a broken voice before she looked at John. “You need to give it back to her.”

John rolled his eyes and removed his rings. “You’ve bullied an old lady into killing herself and you’re giving me lessons? Do you know how how much these things are worth?”

“Why would you rob dead people?” scolded Lissa. “You don’t mess with dead people!”

“Because my Dad needs it!” shouted John. “You think that flower delivery will buy him a new kidney?!”

The ceiling shook as a part of it collapsed and crushed two people. was snatched open by the giant corpse. It growled and unleashed strong gusts as it breathed at them. Jake’s hands trembled while the colossus raised its arms. The young man stepped in front of Ben as a fist went down toward them. Translucent energy flew out of Jake and shaped into a parabola. The energy spread around and covered everyone while the giant banged its fists against it.

“You’ve angered the spirits of the deads. Give back what you’ve stolen and apologize, or we’re all doomed!” ordered Sister Marjorie.

“But what about his dad?” asked Ben. “He needs the money!”

Jake grit his teeth as he groaned, “Quick, give them the jewels!”

“Bo! I can’t hold that thing much longer!” shouted Jake.

Ben lifted his crook and aimed it at the colossus. His eyes turned blue and reflected into the corpse’s gaze. 

“Stop it please!” begged Ben. “I know he stole from you, but his father is sick!”

The giant slowed down its punches and tilted its head to the side. Ben shivered as blood dripped from his left nostril.

“Ben! Stop! It’s hurting you!” yelled Jake.

“I can’t, I have to,” said Ben.

Awilda escaped from Launa’s embrace and ran forward through the crowd.

“Leave them!” pleaded the little girl.

The colossus gazed at her as its eyes shifted to the same color as Ben’s. Soon, a blue light beamed out of its mouth and increased in intensity. Its skin peeled away and it broke down into a red explosion. The crimson mass then collapsed into cyan particles and faded into smoke.

“What was that?!” questioned Lissa.

Ben dropped to his knees while Jake wrapped his arms around him.

“It was their anger,” said Ben. 

“If we just got rid of their anger, then why’s the mist still here?” asked Jake.

“They want you to find their real killer,” answered Awilda.

Jake gawked at her and said, “Their killer? But Sister Marjorie said-”

“We thought you died with the other children,” said the nun.

Awilda shook her head. “They need a friend to stay with them.”

“But what about your family?” asked Jake.

“Mom doesn’t care about me,” said Awilda with a scowl. “She likes more Ava.”

“Poor little girl,” said Launa as she brushed her hair. 

“Everyone,” Steve gestured outside. “Look.”

The mist backed away from the supermarket and then opened a path in the streets.

Ben watched the fog and said, “I- I think it’s leading us to the church we came from.”

“The church?” Lissa widened her eyes. “The kids died because of a fire, right?”

“Indeed,” replied Sister Marjorie.

“You’re onto somethin’?” asked Jake.

Lissa pinched her lips. “That asshole at the police station, he was wearing that thing on his arm… It was- it was a nicotine patch, I think.”

“A nicotine patch? Like in cigarettes?” questioned Ben.

“Exactly!” answered Lissa as she wiggled her nose. “And when we were in the mist I kept smellin’ that odor of someone’s smoking!” 

“That must’ve been why he got so angry when someone was smoking around him,” suggested Ben.

“You think that one of his cigarettes could have started the wildfire?” wondered Jake.

John huffed. “Makes sense. The jerk used to smoke one pack a day but then stopped after the wildfires happen-” His phone vibrated and he checked it. “Shit.”

“What’s happenin’?” asked Jake.

“It’s Ava.” John showed her a text. “She just told me that Officer Fakass had run away.”

Chapter Text

“Oh, wait.” John paused and checked his phone again. “Farrow didn’t run away, it was Officer Torgan, another guy who looks like him.”

Everyone else exhaled and relaxed.

“Wait.” John jerked back and shouted, “Farrow is dead!”

Everyone else flinched and gasped.

John squinted at his phone and said, “Nevermind, it was Torgan again.”

Everyone else exhaled and relaxed.

“Poor Torgan,” muttered Ben.

Suddenly, the engine of the RV started and its headlights turned on.

“Well, at least we don’t have to walk all the way back to the church,” said Lissa.

“I think it’d be better if you and Sister Marjorie stayed behind to watch over the grocery store, just in case.”

Lissa sneered. “You could just say that you want a one-on-one with Bo.”

Jake furrowed his brows and said, “I didn’t-”

“Stop wasting Bo’s time and go in the RV!” ordered Lissa with a smile.

Jake bobbed to Lissa before he walked outside and entered inside the vehicle. He then sat on the passenger seat while Ben drove. The moonlight cast shadows on Ben

“I’ve missed spending time with you,” said Jake with a slight blush.

“Me too. With all of this goin’ on, we didn’t have a lot of moments together,” replied Ben.

“Yeah, that must’ve been annoying,” said Steve from the back seat.

The two young men looked at Steve.

“Ooh, I’ll be on the roof,” said Steve before he hovered upward.

Jake snickered before he gazed at Ben. “Hey, can I ask you somethin’?”

“Of course, you can ask me anythin’,” answered Ben.

Jake took a quick breath and asked, “Have you ever killed someone?”

“Yeah, more than once,” answered Ben. “Have you?”

Jake’s eyes bugged out. “No. Never.” He blinked and stared back at the road. “Was it in self-defense?”

“Yes,” replied Ben. “But sometimes I think I should do more than that.”

“More than that? What do you mean?” inquired Jake.

Ben calmly looked at him. “Well, it’s like with wildfires, you have to put them down to protect everyone else,” he explained. “Some people are given chance and they still try to hurt others, do you think it’s fair to let them live?”

“We got prisons for these people,” said Jake.

“And some of them keep escaping, over and over again,” countered Ben as his eyes turned red. “And you think that every bad person will end up in jail? If nobody cares, nobody will punish them,” said Ben as shades of blue altered his irises. 

“What’s goin’ on with you? You’re the one who said that killing people was bad!” yelled Jake.

“Maybe some people only deserve bad things,” replied Ben. “You and me, we both know how it feels to be what the world’s ashamed of. They see us as mistakes… They don’t want to talk about us because we show that their perfect family factory isn’t as perfect as they claimed it was.” Ben fixed on him. “Why would you trust a system that has failed you?”

“Because you’re the one that made me trust it again,” replied Jake. 

Ben flinched and lowered his eyes. He kept driving quietly while Steve phased back on his seat.

“So, how was the date?” asked Steve.

Jake and Ben stared at the road in complete silence.

“Alright. I’m… I’m going back on the roof,” muttered Steve.

Captain America phased up as they parked in front of the church.

“Jake, I don’t want to walk out of the RV while being upset with you,” declared Ben. “So, I want to say that… I love you.”

Jake smiled a little. “I love you too.”

The two young men held each other’s hands before they stepped out of the vehicle. Then, they joined Steve at the entrance and knocked on its door. 

Ava opened it and questioned, “You’re back! Is John okay?”

“He’s alive and fine,” said Jake.

“Thank you,” replied Ava with a slight smirk.

Everyone looked at them as they entered. Officer Farrow’s son tottled to them and pulled at Bo Peep’s skirt.

“For you,” Sam Jr. mumbled as he handed him a sheet of paper.

Ben smiled as he admired the drawing of him and Jake with a bearded Lissa.

“Ah, you didn’t get killed,” scoffed Officer Farrow. “You’ve surprised me.”

Jake glared at him and said, “Tell me somethin’, officer, why did you stop smokin’?”

Farrow jerked back. “F- For my health, obviously.”

Ben knelt and whispered to his son, “You know that your dad is hiding things, right?”

The son nodded before his father yanked him back. “Sam, don’t stay near those people.”

“He already knows,” said Ben. “He knows you’re the one behind the wildfires.”

“How dare you accuse me?!” barked Farrow. “I did nothing!”

“You’re lying!” yelled his son as he wrestled his father’s grip.

The officer clasped at his son’s left arm until Ava pushed the former away. 

“Stop, you’re hurting him!” she shouted.

His son sprinted forward and hid behind Ava. Jake walked up to her while Officer Farrow cowered away and got surrounded by the townspeople.

“I forgot to tell you.” He paused. “Your sister’s still alive.”

Ava widened her eyes. “You- You’re…” She nudged Sam Jr. to the side and sit down on a bench. “You’re not messin’ with me, please, tell me you’re not.”

“I promise you, we saw her at the grocery store with John,” said Sam. “You can thank Launa, she took care of her.”

Ava grimaced a little. “Launa?”

“Yeah, she defended Awilda agains-”

“Launa isn’t real!” cut off Ava. “She’s her imaginary friend.”

“Did you just say Launa?” questioned Farrow as he trod to them. 

“You know her?” asked Jake.

Farrow shivered and shook his head. “Not really. I… I told my son to stop, but he kept talking about a woman named just like her.”

The door of the church closed and Officer Farrow jumped.

“Sam!” he screamed before he stormed outside. “Sam!”

He scanned the church steps and its surroundings, but only saw cars and the mist. However, a little shoe lied at the bottom of the stairs, identical to his son’s. 

Jake pulled out his phone as Lissa called him.

“Lissa! How’s Awilda, the little girl?” he asked.

“That’s the problem!” yelled Lissa. “She has disappeared!”

Jake paused before he questioned, “But she was with that woman, Launa.”

“Which woman? She was alone the whole time,” said Lisa.

Jake narrowed his brows. “Huh. But you didn’t-” He dropped his phone.

“What’s going on?” worried Ben.

“You and me,” said Jake. “We’re the only ones who can see ghosts. That’s why we saw her. That’s why we saw Launa.”

“Nobody cares about your sixth sense, tell me where my son is!” shouted Farrow.

“The graveyard,” muttered Ava. “Awilda used to sneak off to play there with Launa.”

They headed toward the RV while Ava’s mother ran after them.

“Ava, where are you goin’?” she questioned.

“Mom… Awilda. She’s still alive,” Ava told her.”

Her mother flinched and trembled. 

“Awilda…” She held herself against an exterior wall. “I have to come.”

Ava wrapped her hands around her mother’s shoulders and helped her walk to the RV. They sat at the back with the police officer while Jake and Ben were respectively on the passenger and driver seats. 

“I… I thought… thought your sister died,” mumbled Ava’s mother. “My little girl. Why she didn’t come back?”

Jake looked at her. “She said that… that the other kids needed a friend.”

“And I guess she also said that she hated me.” Her mother gazed at the floor. “I wish I’d done things differently…”

“She didn’t say that she hated you… Just that you didn’t care about her enough,” said Jake.

The mother simpered a little while the RV neared the cemetery. A yellowish half-moon shone through a pall of fog and cast shadows on them. They stepped out of the car and shivered because of the freezing air. Farrow used a key to unlock the metal gates and pushed it as it screeched. Sleepy Haven Cemetery was spelled with twisted bars above them as a black vulture perched on it and observed them with hunger in its eyes. They used flashlights to travel through a maze of fissured tombstones and mausoleums. A faint scent of ashes floated around while the wind moved the branches of dead trees like the fingers of a manic hand. 

“Wait.” Officer Farrow stopped dead in his tracks. “Do you hear that?”

A crystal symphony mixed with the gust of winds, it was an ethereal harmony, almost unreal.

“Macochi pitentzin. Manocoxteca pitelontzin. Macochi cochi noxocoyotl,” hummed a feminine voice.

They ran after the singing and arrived at a slope secured with a spiky fence. The mist departed on this part and revealed a woman in white. Invisible spiders wove to her dress a guipure lace train. Daisies bloomed on top of her long black hair and withered right after. Her ebony mane floated and danced with the wind as if it was underwater. Pearls of rain dripped all over her and turned into crystal beads. Her grey skin was patterned with mauve veins lined like reptilian scales. The mist cleared more which unveiled Awilda and Sam Jr. holding the woman’s hands. The three of them walked toward a river with a furious flow.

“Launa!” shouted Ava. “Let go of my sister!”

Launa turned toward her and looked at the teen with her pale azure eyes and smiled. 

“She never was your sister,” said Launa with an ethereal voice. “Every child with no family belongs to me.”

“She’s my daughter, not yours!” yelled Ava’s mother as she climbed over the fence.

Launa giggled while waves smacked against the riverbank and hovered above the grass. They turned into ribbons of water and tied Ava, her mother, and everyone else like snakes. Most of them wrestled against the binds around their wrists and legs while others tripped on the ground.

“You? Her mother? You’re not worthy of this title, you poor miserable woman,” said Launa before she looked at Farrow. “And you, wretch of a man. Always judging others, when your closet’s filled with burning skeletons.”

“You’re the one who killed them!” shouted Farrow.

Launa glared at him and a strand of water choked him. Steve and Jake tried to fight the watery snakes around them, but they did not nudge.

“I save children from people like you,” she declared coldly. “I told them to come with me, and you’ve killed them with your fire.” 

“I didn’t mean to! It- it was an accident!” yelled Farrow.

“Your kind always got excuses, don’t they?” wondered Launa as she stepped closer to the river. “Parenthood is a gift, and yet so many of you treat it as an accident or a tool for fame, you disgust me.”

Ava’s mother crawled forward while Launa and the children reached the water.

“Then, take us instead!” begged the mother.

Launa raised her chin and said, “I can see the regret in your eyes. What a lovely sight.” She glanced at Farrow. “You’ve earned my mercy… I’ll let you live with the loss of your children to teach you.” She sneered. “This is my gift to you two.”

She stepped back further into the river and brought the children with her. 

“Please! Awilda, I’m begging you, forgive me!” pleaded the mother. “I love you!”

Launa walked deeper as the water reached Awilda’s waist. The little girl gazed at her mother’s teary eyes and quivered a bit.

“Mom?” she whispered.

“Awi’, don’t trust her, we’re your family!” shouted Ava.

Awilda looked at her sister before she walked toward her.

“Don’t listen to them,” said Launa with narrowed brows.

Farrow stared at his son. “Sam, pleas-”

“I hate that name!” yelled Sam Jr.

“Okay, okay… Son, I’m sorry for lying to you and everyone.” He sighed and looked at Ava’s mother. “It’s my fault. The wild fire’s my fault.” He shook his head. “I found the kids at one point, but it was too late… I could only save one of them…”

Ava’s mother shot daggers at him. “You’ve left my daughter for dead?!”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” muttered Farrow.

The son eyed his father then Launa and mumbled, “I want to go.”

“Don’t worry, you two are going to a place where kids are happy forever,” she said.

Launa dragged the two children deeper into the river while their families fought against their binds. Awilda and Sam Jr. yelped as the water went up to their necks. Jake groaned and shook his arms as anti-magic materialized between his hands. The water siphoned his powers as he did so. He ground his teeth and clenched his fists as he released a surge of translucent energy toward Steve. The watery snakes around Captain America melted and he stood up. Steve then charged at Launa. Liquid tentacles emerged from the river and wrapped around him. 

“The children are mine,” snarled Laura.

All of a sudden, green lights glowed underwater and creatures made of charcoal swam up. They slashed at the tentacles while others clawed at Launa. Her body turned into water while Steve, now freed, picked up the two children and ran away with them.

“No!” shouted Launa.

She smacked the creatures away with a wave and yanked Steve and the children with watery tentacles. At the bank, Ben crawled behind Jake.

“Need a push?” asked Ben.

“Go ahead,” groaned Jake.

Ben moved his hands on Jake’s back as his eyes turned red. Jake took a deep breath as his eyes shifted to the same color. The latter grit his teeth and released a shockwave which turned off the flashlights and splashed down the tentacles and the snakes. Steve rushed back to the shore with the children while the charcoal creatures healed back. Jake, Ben, and their families stepped in front of them. 

“Go back to your world, you malicious travesty of motherhood!” shouted Sister Marjorie.

The nun stepped on top of the slope and aimed her rifle at Launa while her right hand held a rosary. She was soon joined by Lissa, John, and armed townspeople.

“Marjorie Baker, it’s been a while,” scoffed Launa before she looked at Jake. “And you, the cursed son.” She then gazed at Ben. “And the sixth child…” She smiled. ”I’ll be waiting for your souls to come to me…” Her voice faded as she waded down the river. “Children, have no fear, have no fright.” She melted into water as her words echoed, “If your parent’s not right. They might anger the woman in white.”

Launa vanished as snakes and daisies floated away. Soon after, the dawn arrived with the sun.

Farrow looked at the ghouls in the river and cried.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m sorry.”

Rays of sunshine touched the creatures and their charcoal crumbled. It progressively shed and revealed ghostly children. They smiled at everyone while Sister Marjorie kissed her crucifix. The sun blinded everyone and the ghosts were gone. 

Ben and Steve helped Jake walk up the slope as Lissa joined them.

“Hey guys, look!” She showed them her hairless face. “I’m back to normal!”

“Define normal,” said Jake.

Lissa rolled her eyes and replied, “Fuck you.”

“Don’t curse in a cemetery!” scolded Steve.

“Cap told you to stop cursing cemeteries,” Ben told her.

Lissa winced. “Huh?”

“Nevermind,” grunted Steve.

The quartet headed out of the graveyard and walked back to the RV as the dawn started. Meanwhile, Ava left with her mother and her sister while Officer Farrow was being arrested. Steve checked around while Lissa explained to the townspeople whatever happened to Ruby Sandiego. Jake sat on the backseat and panted as Ben walked to him.

“Hey, sixth son,” said Jake.

“Hey, cursed son,” replied Ben before he pinched his lips and asked, “Are we…” He stared at Jake. “Are we still upset at each other?”

Jake held Ben’s left hand and said, “I’m not upset at you. I’m just thinkin’.”

“You don’t want us to be friends anymore?” questioned Ben with droopy eyes.

“It’s not that…” Jake glanced away. “It’s what you’ve said before.”

Ben leaned against the RV and sighed. “I’ve disappointed you, right?” His voice broke. “I always disappoint everyone.”

“Ben!” called Jake. “Do you understand that most people aren’t attracted to killers?”

“No, I don’t,” muttered Ben. “I know how to make someone trust you or where their vital organs are, but I don’t understand anything about how to be a normal person…” Ben crossed his arms. “Maybe that’s why I always feel like I’ve never escaped from that horrible house. Maybe it means I’ll never be worthy of you.”

Jake exhaled and closed his eyes. “I love you, I love you so fucking much,” he murmured. “I’m just scared…”

“What are you scared of?” asked Ben.

“Of you,” replied Jake. “When I saw that woman braggin’ about punishin’ bad parents, I saw the same look in her eyes as in yours minutes ago.”

Ben looked down. “I’m scared of myself too… I don’t want to become like her or any of the bad people we’ve met before…” He huffed. “But sometimes it feels like everything has already been written and that I’m not meant to be a hero…”

“Do you feel like-” Jake paused. “Do you think you can resist your urge to kill someone unless it’s self-defense? No matter how much you hate them?”

Ben gazed at the sky and sat on the ground. The two stayed like this in silence.

“Yes,” answered Ben.

“You’re sure?” asked Jake.

Ben nodded and Jake stood up. The latter knelt and kissed Ben on the lips as he caressed his face.

“Are we still friends?” questioned Ben.

Jake chuckled. “Of course.” He extended his left hand. “Now, promise me that you will be true to what we said.”

Ben shook his hand with both of his and said, “I promise, I won’t kill anyone unless it’s self-defense.”

The two friends smiled at each other as the sun shone on them.

Chapter Text

The scent of wet mint mixed with an earthy perfume in the room. Jake stretched his arms as he lied on a bed with Ben. The former hugged his sleeping friend and kissed the top of his head. The two naked young men cuddled in the motel room. Jake put his left hand on a nearby heater.

“Damn, it’s cold in here,” said Jake as he hugged Ben.

A flash resonated which startled the two of them who jumped a bit. Greylight stood at the end of the bed with an antique tripod camera.

“What the fuck?!” shouted Jake. 

“Ah. To be young and in love.” Greylight put a bottle and glasses out of the void. “Oh wait, I’m not really here.” He threw the glasses above his shoulder and they disappeared. 

“What are you doin’?” asked Ben with a slight grimace.

“Havin’ a whale of a time,” said Greylight as a gulped down the bottle. 

“Just get to the point,” urged Jake.

Greylight’s bottle dematerialized. “Alright, alright. I just thought I should just tell you that I’m about to win the big prize.”

“Huh?” Ben lolled his head. “But you don’t have enough souls, only five or six peop-”

“You’re only countin’ the ones in this town, aren’t you?” cut off Greylight. “ While you were busy, I was makin’ deals in other towns.”

“Then, how many souls you got by now?” inquired Jake.

Greylight smirked and answered, “Fourteen out of fifteen.”

The two young men widened their eyes while the windows blew open. An icy gust of wind billowed the windows and froze the frame. 

Greylight chuckled as he breathed the ice. “You feel that? It’s my power growin’. And since I’m in a good mood, I’m also tellin’ you what’s my plan.” Greylight outstretched his left arm at the horizon. “‘Member what happened some years ago when half of the population gone.” 

“You want to do the same?” asked Ben.

Greylight shook his head. “No don’t worry… I want to do more than that.”

“That’s insane,” said Jake.

“Maybe. But just think about it.” Greylight leaned forward. “If people disappear, there’s nobody to save, nobody to enslave, nobody to murder… Harmony on Earth.”

“We won’t let you,” replied Ben.

“I hope you will,” said Greylight as he sat by the window. 

A gale blew away Greylight’s hat while his hair turned into smoke. 

“If you got the guts, meet me at Tombstone...”

Greylight’s skin transformed into a mist and flew outside, only leaving his skeleton.

“I’ll be waitin’ for you, as always,” he whispered as his bones collapsed into dust.

Jake and Ben looked at each other before they sprung out of the bed and put their clothes on. Then, they ran out of the room and came across Steve.

“Jake!” yelled Steve. “Somethin’ happen-”

“We know,” cut off Jake. “We have to stop Greylight.”

Steve raised an eyebrow and said, “Huh? No, Sister Marjorie has disappeared.”

Ben put his hands on his hips and muttered, “Greylight must be behind it.”

The trio headed outside the motel and Lissa joined them.

“Guys, you have to hear this!” she shouted.

“We know, Sister Marjorie got kidnapped and it’s prolly ‘cause of Greylight,” said Jake.

“What?” Lissa jerked back and put out her phone. “No, my rock’s gone viral!” She showed the picture of a rock. “I took at that town full of puppets. It’s about to beat the one with an egg!”

Jake blinked a few times and sighed. “Let’s just go to the RV already.”

They hurried inside the Sodomobile while Ben explained the situation to Lissa. The latter drove the vehicle while Ben dressed up as Bo Peep in the backseat.

“Can you hand me my breasts?” asked Ben.

“Um- yeah... Sure,” said Jake before he searched inside Ben’s backpack.

All of a sudden, the RV stopped in the middle of the desert, and Jake got yanked headfirst in the bag.

“Oh no, my breasts are smothering Jake!” yelled Ben as he helped his friend.

Steve winced. “This sounds... very wrong.”

Jake rubbed the back of his head and groaned, “Argh, why did you brake?”

Lissa pointed at the windshield and mumbled, “S- something j- just-”

Trees and cacti froze around them as they stepped out of the RV. Lights glinted in the distance under blue-gray clouds. They then continued down into a wall of dense ice crystals that towered in the distance.

“Maybe I could punch a wall through it,” suggested Steve.

“I’m gonna need a bigger hairdryer,” said Lissa.

A pair of bat-like wings touched the ground as a man landed to their left. He wore on a cobalt velvet suit and had sharp talons for nails.

Jake knit his brows and said, “Solomon.”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” greeted Solomon as he took a graceful stance. “Last time we’ve met, your boyfriend tried to sell me out.”

Jake gawked at Ben who simpered and said, “Sorry.”

“All in good time,” replied Solomon with a glare.

Lissa looked down and told him, “You’re walkin’ on a dead rabbit.”

“Oh.” Solomon gazed at his left shoe. “Fuck.”  He stepped away and pursued with, “Anyhow, since you’re heading to Greylight’s, you’ll need this.”

Solomon handed them a black iron key whose head was shaped into an eye with bird wings, its blade was chiseled into a twirl of hair, and its tip resembled a scorpion tail.

“If hell had restrooms, that would be the key,” noted Lissa.

“Close enough. It’s the key of Abbadon,” explained Solomon with a scowl. “If close enough, it’ll teleport you to the location of the amulet of Abbadon.”

“And where’s the amulet?” asked Jake.

Solomon smiled and answered, “With Blackheart… He’s currently celebrating with Greylight and Jezebel.”

Jake leaned back and said, “But if we teleport to him, Greylight and Jezebel will see us.”

“Don’t worry, the amulet will be put somewhere safe at one point,” proclaimed Solomon. 

Jake grabbed the amulet while Solomon gestured to his friends and walked back.

“Stay close together and it should teleport all of you,” advised Solomon.

Steve, Ben, and Lissa stepped closer to Jake while the eye on the key lit up with a crimson flare.

“Wait, at one point?” questioned Jake. “Was the amulet hidden yet?”

“Good luck, you’ll need it,” sternly said Solomon.

The blood-red light beamed and blinded them with visions of The ground under Jake disappeared and he dropped supine against a hard surface. Woody squeaks sounded while his sight came back. Jake opened his eyes and saw two gangly legs swinging back and forth at his face. They wore cowhide leather boots that moved to and fro on a rocking chair. Jake looked up and his eyes darted at a skeletal face with sunken cheeks and missing lower eyelids. 

“ Greylight, ” thought Jake.

Jake crawled back and kicked while Greylight leaned forward. An iron talisman with a horse head pendant hung around his neck. The jaw of the animal was merged with the forehead of a man whose eyes glowed crimson.

Steve, Ben, and Lissa stood up next to Jake while Greylight stayed still on his chair. 

“Why is he doin’ nothing?” asked Steve.

Ben picked up a rock and threw it at Greylight who stayed motionless.

“Maybe he is playin’ dead?” suggested Lissa.

Ben picked up another rock, but Jake grabbed his arm.

“Stop throwin’ rocks at him!” urged Jake. 

They scanned the area and discovered they were inside a dark grotto whose opening was locked by a half wooden round door. Liquor bottles and cigars lied around while a shelf to the right was stuffed with cameras.

“Blackheart said that Greylight hid his real body, guess we found it,” said Jake.

Lissa observed the inanimate Greylight with a scowl before she glanced at Ben’s knife.

“Ben, gimme your knife,” demanded Lissa.

“Is it okay?” Ben asked Jake

“I guess I’d rather have her doin’ this,” said Jake.

Ben nodded before he unsheathed the knife out of his garter and gave it to Lissa. She seized the handle and trod forward. Greylight’s vacant eyes stared at her stomach while a slight smile was plastered on his face. She gulped as her left hand trembled. 

“This is for Andrea,” she declared.

Lissa pulled back her arm and thrust it right at Greylight’s chest. The chair stopped to swing while Greylight moved his head up. Lissa jumped back with the knife and tripped, but Steve caught her. Greylight’s smile stretched from ear to ear as his face wilted. Air hissed out of his chest wound while his entire body thinned and collapsed.

“That guy’s filled with air!” noted Steve.

Ben’s eyes bugged out and he shouted, “It’s a decoy!”

The ground tremored and its southern part bent down. Jake gripped the shelf, but it fell with them. They all yelled, except Ben, and rolled down a slope. Lissa let go of the knife and Ben tried to grab it, but a bottle knocked it away. They landed deeper down the cave while items crashed around them or fell through small cracks.

“You’re okay?” worried Ben as he rushed to Jake.

“I’ll be fine,” replied Jake as he stood up. “You?” 

Ben nodded and grinned a bit. 

Without warning, garlands of lights turned on around them with signs of a giant cowboy head and colossal cactuses. Old country music played in the cave while the cowboy opened his mouth and revealed a ghoulish silhouette above them.

“Zombies and poltergeists, welcome to Tombstone Amusement Park!” greeted Greylight with outstretched arms.

Translucent people with Western clothes floated out of the ground and applauded. It was a parade of ghostly corpses twisted by death. Some of them missed their heads while others had to clap with one hand.

“Fancyin’ the place?” asked Greylight. “T’was supposed to be the first underground theme park, but then bodies started to drop and here… Some people thought it was haunted,” whispered Greylight with a sneer.

“Greylight, stop messin’ around and kill them already,” barked a deep voice.

A flower on one of the cactuses blossomed and Blackheart came out of it.

“Blackheart!” shouted Jake. “You’ve betr-”

Ben pulled back Jake and muttered, “Jake. I think it’s part of his plan.”

Blackheart winked at Ben while smoke came out of a huge blowpipe sign.

“You’re just envious of Greylight,” said Jezebel as she strutted out of the pipe.

“I wonder what anyone could envy from you,” scoffed Blackheart. “I guess one fool out there would envy your desperate desire to make father proud.”

Jezebel materialized a fireball in her left hand. “You spoiled moth-”

“You two, stop fightin’ for once!” ordered Greylight before he looked at Blackheart. “And don’t talk about dad in front of her, it hurts her.”

“That’s why I said it, to hurt her” replied Blackheart.

Greylight sighed before he stared back at Jake and his friends.

“Sorry for that,” he said with a shrug. “Anyway, you must know I need one more soul, so I thought, why not have it be one of you?”

“We will never sell our soul to you!” shouted Steve.

“I don’t need you to give your souls to me.” Greylight smiled. “It’s already done.”

A woman with a dark green uniform and black ponytail walked next to Greylight. She had on her chest a border agent badge.

“Lemme re-introduce you to Cherry Cream,” said Greylight. “I recall the last time you saw her, you’ve killed her workmates.”

“And that was after they’ve murdered a little girl and tried to kill our asses!” yelled Lissa.

“People can be mean shitworms, can’t they?” replied Greylight before he looked at Cherry. “Mrs. Shitworm, would you please?”

The woman glared a bit at Greylight before she stepped forward.

“Pater autem mendacium! Animam eorum!” exclaimed Cherry.

“Thank you for serving your country,” said Greyight as he shot her in the back.

Cherry exhaled as she arched and squirmed. Cold air went out of her mouth and lacrimal holes while her lips and eyes froze. Her pupils fissured while the rest of her head turned into ice. She limped toward the edge of the sign and Greylight kicked her. Cherry dropped and landed head first against the rocky ground, which shattered her face. Jake and his friends walked away as fragments of her corpse rolled toward them. Above them, Jezebel giggled while Blackheart raised his chin and crossed his arms.

“She wouldn’t sacrifice her soul. So trust me, that felt better than cinnamon tortillas,” explained Greylight.

“Leave them out of it!” pleaded Steve. “Take me instead!”

“Don’t worry, I plan to play fair,” announced Greylight. “You do remember that Sister Marjorie has disappeared? Well she and some of your other acquaintances are waitin’ for you around the cave.” Greylight scratched his left temple with his gun. “I guess that mean I could take one of their souls too. Anyway… Find all of them and I’ll let you go.”

Jezebel raised an eyebrow and said, “Letting them go?! Are you crazy?”

“C’mon sister, it’s funnier if they have a chance,” replied Greylight.

“I agree. That sounds like a great idea for once,” added Blackheart.

Greylight smirked and said, “See? Even Grumpheart agree.”

“Which means it’s a horrendous idea,” said Jezebel.

“Bel, please, let’s all be on the same page for once,” demanded Greylight.

Jezebel shot daggers at Blackheart before she eyed Greylight and sighed.

“Fine, do as you want…” she conceded.

Greylight smiled and puffed a cigar. Then, he blew smoke out of his mouth which floated down a narrow mineshaft.

“Great, let’s the game started!” shouted Greylight.

“Hope you won’t die too soon,” encouraged Blackheart.

“Oh, and one more thing.” Greylight knelt and fixed on them. “My real body’s somewhere around the mine…  Now that said.”

Lights flashed at an alcove filled with barrels and red sticks.

“Oh no, it’s TMNT!” shouted Ben.

Jake, Ben, Lissa, and Steve sprinted forward while Jezebel summoned another fireball. She threw the flames at the barrel which exploded. A conflagration chased after them Steve grabbed the others and hurled them down the mineshaft. He then pivoted and raised his shield against the incoming fire. He stamped his feet against the ground before the explosion hit him and propelled him away. Support beams and rocks crumbled while Steve phased through them.  

Lissa slapped dust out of her hair and groaned, “Ugh… What are doin’ now?”

“Look!” Jake stood up and pointed at a map on the wall. “It’s a map of Tombstone.”

“We must be here.” Steve put his finger on an area with You’re Here written on it.

“There are three red marks on the map too,” added Ben.

“The closest is at Softlands Watermill,” read Jake. “Let’s go. Greylight has no idea what’s comin’ for him.”

Chapter Text

Lissa trembled as she wrapped her arms around herself. Freezing air screeched through the damp cracks. Pale sun rays shone through the orifices while sand grains poured down. Jake and his friends walked at the end of the narrow mineshaft and arrived in front of a log wall. A human-sized white rabbit mascot sat on a cowskin armchair. The rabbit had large blue eyes with a Stetson hat and a red flannel shirt. A huge smile was sewn on his face while the rest of his skin was worn out. The fabric on his hands had been ripped away and revealed its rusty exoskeleton fingers. 

Jake stepped toward a tripod camera facing the rabbit and checked its hanging note.

“Bunsen Bunny ain’t sick, sit on him and take a pic,” read Jake.

“Oh, can I do it?” asked Ben. “I love rabbits.”

“As long as it’s not me,” muttered Lissa.

Ben sprung on the mascot and wrapped his arms around its neck. As soon as he landed, a spring bulged out between the mascot’s legs while Ben raised two fingers behind the bunny’s head. Jake grimaced and pressed a button on the camera. A flash blinded everyone before the log wall slid open. 

Jake dragged Ben away and said, “Get the fuck away from that thing.”

A polaroid developed out of the camera as they left. It dropped to the ground and showed the rabbit with narrowed eyes and an even larger grin.

The four of them then reach an underground frozen lake. A three-storied wooden building towered with fences at its front and a huge watermill was linked to it from the right. 

“Look!” yelled Ben as he pointed up the building.

A nun was tied up on its top floor, it was Sister Marjorie. They ran across a pier and then stepped on its giant wheel. Its bolts and buckets quivered as they climbed on it. Meanwhile, Steve phased through the building to get faster on top. Jake helped Ben get back up while his friend frowned.

“What’s wrong?” worried Jake.

Ben gestured at the mineshaft. “The rabbit, it has disappeared.”

An old orchestra played Run Rabbit Run through speakers. A gunshot sounded and a bullet shot at the wheel. Lissa gawked at her left and saw the rabbit mascot holding a hunting rifle. Ben threw his staff at the rabbit, but it dodged it. Ben called back its crook and it flew at the back of the rabbit’s legs, which tripped it. Ben then leaped down and charged at the mascot. The rabbit shot at him again, but Ben ducked under the bullet and slid forward. He then pushed his staff up against the cannon and stepped on the rabbit’s crotch spring. Ben pulled back his left foot and tore the spring out of the rabbit’s groin.

“Did he just castrate that thing?” asked Lissa.

The rabbit limped away before smacking Ben with his rifle. Ben swallowed the blood dripping from his nose and spit at the rabbit’s eyes, blinding him. Soon after, he swung his staff at the rifle and kicked it away. Ben pounced on the rabbit’s back and choked it with his crook while he bit off its right ear. The mascot stumbled toward the funhouse and they both stumbled over its fence. 

Ben landed on a large spinning disk and tried to stand up, but the rabbit punched him. Ben rolled to the side and booted the rabbit into a distorting mirror. The rabbit grabbed a shard of glass and tackled down Ben and aimed the shard at his throat. Another gunshot resonated and the rabbit’s head was blown away.

Sister Marjorie put down the smoking rifle while Jake pushed the headless rabbit away from Ben.

“I thought you loved rabbits,” said Jake.

“Not if they try to shoot us,” replied Ben before he spat stuffing out of his mouth.

Handclaps resonated as a man walked on the pier, it was Greylight.

“Congrats, you’ve made that bunny bite the dust,” praised Greylight as he put a note out of his coat. “Here’s a little poem I wrote for you.” He cleared his throat and read, “A huntsman went inside the forest to drink a sip of whisky and rest. When his eyes opened back, his bottle and he were taken aback. A bunny, fuzzy of his paws and lips, had filled his soul of spirit to the hips. The man saluted the animal’s spunk and said ‘Guess not just skunks get drunk’.”

“Wow, it rhymed, that was great,” complimented Ben.

Greylight bowed and replied, “Thank you.”

Jake puckered his brows and said, “Are you here just to read bullshit to us?”

“I guess.” Greylight shrugged and walked away. “Oh, and this too.”

He shot at the lake and the bullethole shattered its icy surface. A skeletal pale hand burst out of the water while more fissures cracked all over the lake. Steve punched down a wall of the funhouse before Lissa and Sister Marjorie walked through it. As they did so, a horde of frozen corpses emerged out of the waters. Some of them had the skin on their noses destroyed by frostbites and replaced by a dark purple layer.

Jake clenched his fists and watched translucent energy flow through his hands.

“You think anti-magic would work on these things?” asked Jake.

“Let’s try, we can always run away if it’s doesn’t,” replied Ben.

Ben put his right hand on Jake’s back and the latter’s eyes turned red. Jake took a deep breath and extended his arms. Shockwaves came out of him and spread throughout the area. They then passed through the ghouls and hit the cave walls.

“I guess we should run away,” said Ben.

All of a sudden the cave quaked and stones dropped from above.

“Running away sounds great,” muttered Jake.

The two of them sprinted through the busted funhouse while rocks crashed around. Pale hands clawed from under the pier and ripped down floorboards. A huge rock loomed over the two young men, but Steve ran back and yanked them away. The three of them rushed across the rest of the pier while stalactites and rocks crumbled on them.

“What happened?!” asked Steve.

“I… I’m not sure,” mumbled Jake. “I tried to use my power and then… This happened.”

“I guess your powers are evolvin’?” suggested Steve.

“That’s great!” praised Ben.

Jake looked at his hands and said, “I guess…”

The trio walked forward and reunited with Sister Marjorie and Lissa.

“Are two you okay?” asked Jake.

Lissa nodded as she helped the nun to stand up.

“I don’t know what happened.” Sister Marjorie rubbed her head. “That undead thing appeared and… It took me with it... I’ve tried to fight back, but-”

“It’s okay, we’ll get you outta here,” reassured Jake.

Steve smiled and eyed his grandson while the latter glanced at him.

“What?” whispered Jake.

“Nothin’, replied Steve. “I’m just surprised by how different you are now.”

“Well, people change,” explained Jake. “And thanks.”

“I didn’t compliment you,” said Steve.

Jake snickered and said, “Yeah, but you’ve thought it.”

Steve chuckled and patted Jake’s head as they headed through another mineshaft. Meanwhile, Ben and Lissa chatted with Sister Marjorie.

“Um.” Ben pursed his lips. “I’m sorry if this is offensive, but can I ask you a question?”

The nun scowled and sternly replied, “Go ahead.”

Ben gulped and asked, “Is your name Sister?”

Sister Marjorie gawked at him. “Are… Are you serious?”

“Ben’s special,” explained Lissa. “He’s German.”

“Oh, I see.” Sister Marjorie looked back at Ben and said, “My name isn’t Sister. It’s Marjorie. Sister is a title that was given to me.”

“A title?” Ben lolled his head. “Like a book?”

“Not that way,” replied Lissa. “It’s like with a Queen. Her name isn’t Queen, it’s her title.”

Ben grinned. “A Queen?” His widened as he gazed at the nun. “So, are you related to princesses? I love princesses.”

The nun laughed a bit before she said, “No. I have… I have to help people and pray to a force up there to help them.”

“Oh, so you’re a fairy?” wondered Ben. “My Mom sh-” Ben’s eyes unfocused as he lost his smile. “She…” He shook his head a little and simpered. “It- it doesn’t matter.”

The five of them arrived in front of a precipice leading down an abyss. 

“The Gold Rush,” read Jake on a nearby sign.

A lever glinted next to the sign and Jake pulled it. Caged lights above them turned on and illuminated four horizontal rock bridges in front of them, each separated by a void immeasurable in depth. Railways were built on the bridges and the last one had a man tied up on it, Sam Esteban.

Jake widened his eyes and shouted, “It’s grandpa!”

Sister Marjorie eyed him and muttered, “Grandpa?”

The cave tremored again while metal hissed. A wheeled snake barged in and slowed down in front of them. A spectral locomotive stopped in front of them, its immaterial texture seemed like ink floating in water or charcoal dusted on wet paper. Yellow will-o-wisps spiraled around it while some of them danced away from the cab as it opened. Smoke came out of it as Greylight appeared.

“All aboard!” yelled Greylight. “Welcome to the Starry Fright Express!... Final Destination...” He sneered and said, “Death.”

Greylight closed the door and the ghost train dashed away. 

“Grandpa!” shouted Jake.

Jake released a shockwave at the bridges, but it made them tremble.

“Fuck, I can’t control it!” cursed Jake.

“It’s okay, I got this,” reassured Steve as he jumped on the first bridge. 

The bolts and spikes on the second railway twitched as the train drove on it. Steve pinched his lips and crouched before he leaped above the third railway and landed on the fourth one. 

“Keep goin’ Cap, you can do it!” yelled Jake.

Steve rushed to Sam and untied his arms. Suddenly, a flare beamed from their left while steam growled. 

“Cap! Behind you!” shouted Jake.

Steve turned around and faced a ghostly locomotive darting at him and Sam, whose legs were still roped. The former shoved his feet against the ground and extended both of his arms. The head train rammed at Steve but slowed down as the latter stood against it.

“You- You’ve cheated!” grunted Steve.

“Cheated? Just took a shortcut!” explained Greylight. “I didn’t want to cheese off my sister, you know.”

Lissa jerked back and wondered, “His sister?” 

The first railway trembled again as a fiery train rode across it and slapped everyone with a hot gust of wind. It left a trail of steam whose scent was similar to incense.

“Out of the way!” yelled Jezebel “The Orient Express’s coming!”

“Your grandpa’s about to get DPep by two trains, we need to save him!”

“On it,” said Ben.

Jake tried to grab his friend, but Ben had jumped on the first bridge. He took a deep breath and massaged his chest a bit. An orange light started to glow on the second shaking railway, but Ben sprung on it. 

“BEN!” shouted Jake.

The rails tremored as Jezebel’s train drove toward Ben. The latter sprung forward as the train brushed the soles of his boots. Jake grit his teeth as he discharged a shockwave at the second bridge and made it collapse with the train.

“BALENCIAGA!” screamed Jezebel as she fell with her train.

Meanwhile, Ben landed on the third bridge and panted for air.

“Ye- yeah…” muttered Ben between two gasps.

On the final railway, Steve groaned as he struggled against Greylight’s train.

“Aargh! A... little... help?” he asked.

Ben inhaled deeply and jumped forward. Steve’s boots scraped against the ground as he got closer and closer to Sam. Ben landed at the edge of the bridge and grabbed it. His legs dangled in the void as he tried to push himself up. Jake watched him as his heart pounded against his chest. All of a sudden, Sam extended his right arm and gripped at Ben’s wig, and yanked him up. 

“Thank you,” said Ben with a breathy voice.

“You’re welcome. Can you get me the hell away from here, now?!” begged Sam.

Ben nodded and untied Sam’s legs and helped him stand up.

“I can’t hold that thing anymore!” screamed Steve with a grimace.

Ben grabbed Sam by the left arm and they both leaped on the other side of the mine. Steve tripped against his back as he was run over by the train. His mangled ghostly form lied on the rails as he groaned.

“Steve, are you okay?” asked Jake.

Steve cracked his limbs and replied, “Okay…” He unfolded his left arm. “Argh!...”

Without warning, a suspension bridge dropped from the ceiling and linked the two sides of the cave over the void.

“What’s happenin’?” asked Lissa.

“Don’t be scared,” said Greylight as he coughed.

Greylight limped on the fourth bridge and drank a bottle of whisky.

“Feel free to walk on it, it’s as safe as a legless snake,” reassured Greylight.

Jake raised an eyebrow and said, “But snakes already have no legs.”

“I know,” replied Greylight as he chuckled and hobbled away.

Jake, Lissa, and Sister Marjorie stepped on the bridge while Steve and Ben walked on its other end. Some puppets swung near the suspended ropes, each with different attire. One of them was an old woman with a prairie dress while another was a clown with green hair. Lissa stared at a black-haired marionette with glasses holding a book and frowned. Ben hugged Jake as soon as they were close enough while Steve helped them to travel the bridge.

Sister Marjorie reached the other end of the bridge while Sam gawked at her.

“Marge?” called Sam.

“Sam, it’s… it’s good to see you again,” replied Sister Marjorie.

“You two know each other?” asked Jake.

Sam gulped and said, “You could say that…” He sighed. “How to put that… Jake, she’s… she’s your grandmother.”

“What?!” shouted Jake and Sister Marjorie in unison.

“At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if your family tree included Frida Kahlo fucking Selena Gomez’s grandfather,” said Lissa.

Sister Marjorie eyed Sam and said, “My grandson? But it’s impossible… Linda, she-”

“It’s complicated,” explained Jake. 

“How did I not recognize you?” she wondered as she walked toward Jake. “You look just like her…”

“That’s what I said too,” noted Sam.

Sister Marjorie stood up and smacked Sam at the back of the head.

“You’ve let your grandson chase demons in a cave without a scarf on?!”

“You’ve let your grandson near someone who’s trigger-happy?” retorted Sam. “And yes, I meant you.

The nun huffed and put her hands on her hips. “It didn’t bother you when I saved you from that wendigo terrorizing the town!”

“Huh, sorry to chime in, but what happened between you two?” inquired Jake.

“It’s…” Sister Marjorie frowned. “After what happened to your mom... I and your grandfather decided separation would be better.”

“Let’s focus on gettin’ out of here first,” said Sam. “We’ll have plenty of time to discuss after that, alright Jake?”

Jake let out a quick breath and nodded. The six of them trod further into the mine while Ben translated what Steve was saying to Lissa. Whereas, Jake chatted with his grandparents.

“So, I guess I should call you grandma from now on?” wondered Jake.

Sister Marjorie chuckled and replied, “Yes you can.”

“Doesn’t he remind you of Linda?” asked Sam.

“Linda would’ve called us a couple of dinosaurs,” responded Marjorie.

Sam and Marjorie laughed a little and looked tenderly at each other.

“You haven’t aged a bit,” complimented Sam.

“You don’t look on the verge of death, either,” said Marjorie with a slight smirk.

“You two seem like you have a lot of to talk about,” scoffed Jake.

Marjorie rolled her eyes quickly. “I know what you got in your mind. I may be old, but I’m not stupid. 

“And where’s your friend, Ben?” wondered Sam. “And why that girl has the same name than h-” Sam widened his eyes. “Oh.”

“Who’s Ben?” questioned Marjorie.

Jake blushed and rubbed his neck before he gestured at Ben. His friend excused himself to Steve and Lissa before he walked up to Jake.

“Hey, Jake. Hey Jake’s grandparents,” welcomed Ben.

“So, you’re Ben?” inquired Marjorie. “Is this your real name or-”

“Ben’s a guy,” answered Jake before he grabbed Ben’s right hand. “We’re sort of datin’.”

Ben grinned and exclaimed, “Wow! We’re dating?”

Marjorie flinched and muttered, “You’re dating... another boy?”

“C’mon Marge,” cut off Sam. “Boys can date boys too.”

Marjorie glared at him. “I wasn’t about to say anythin’ against that!” She shook her head. “Just because I’m a nun doesn’t mean I have to be against Jake being… well… um...”

“I think you mean a dom top,” said Ben.

Jake elbowed Ben and yelled, “Ben!”

“But don’t worry, I’m perfectly happy with being a power bottom myself,” declared Ben.

“Ben! You can’t say that to my grandparents!” shouted Jake.

Ben lolled his head. “Oh, right, they probably didn’t understand.” He gazed back at Jake’s grandparents and said, “Basically, a power bottom is-”

Jake put his left hand over Ben’s mouth and mumbled, “Ben, c’mon!”

Sam chuckled and looked at Marjorie. “Don’t they remind you of us when we were young?”

“And we both know you were Ben,” replied Marjorie.

Sam and Marjorie laughed together while Jake watched them with a slight smile. Meanwhile, Ben stepped back to Lissa who was looking down.

“Hey Lissa, you’re okay?”

“So so,” she said. “I’ve been thinkin’ about Andrea and-”

“Help!” screamed a young woman’s voice.

Lissa jerked back before she raced forward. The rest of the group followed her as ran along a mineshaft going upward. Then, they arrived in front of a black-haired figure who wiggled as her hands were chained to a stalagmite.

“Andrea?” called Lissa.

Chapter Text

Lissa rushed up the mineshaft and unchained Andrea. 

“Lissa?! What are yo-”

“Andrea! You’re safe!” cut off Lissa before she hugged her friend.

Sister Marjorie and Sam watched the two while Ben clarified what was going on.

“She’s a mass murderer who tried to have her revenge against her college for being full of bullies, but then got frozen into a statue with her father,” explained Ben. “She’s also Lissa’s sister.”

“Sorority sister,” said Jake. “Not real sisters.”

Ben blinked a few times and asked, “They’re not real sisters?”

The latter pointed at Andrea— who had black relaxed hair and dark brown eyes— and Lissa— who had golden beige hair and sapphire eyes.

“They’re not sisters in an adopted or blood-related way,” responded Jake.

They re-grouped with Lissa who introduced Andrea to the others.

“Are you okay, Andrea?” asked Lissa.

“I don’t know. I was stuck…” muttered Andrea. “I could, think, see, and hear. I- I wanted to scream and run away, but- but... I was trapped and couldn’t move...” She paused and trembled. “I could only stare at my dad and do nothing to help him.”

Lissa put her hands on Andrea’s shoulders and said, “I’m sorry... But it’s okay now. I’ll make sure you’ll get out of here.”

Andrea shook her head. “Why? I’m a murderer, I don’t deserve to be saved…”

“You feel guilty about killing these people?” inquired Ben with a frown. “But they’ve bullied your brother and kept doing it even after… what had happened to him.”

“I know,” said Andrea. “But I’ve caused the deaths of innocent people, and even the ones who-” She pinched her lips. “Who I thought deserved it. Even these. I… I shouldn’t have…”

Andrea broke down in tears while Lissa held her.

“I think we should focus on escaping first,” advised Lissa.

Ben sighed and they all headed into a place named The Barrel of Love . They went through a heart-shaped doorway and arrived at an indoor ride. Three wine barrels floated in a river and had been turned into two passenger boats. Whereas, oil lamps cast dim lightning while a piece of soft violin music played. 

“I’ll check around to make sure it’s safe,” said Steve as he walked away.

Jake nodded to him and walked toward the first barrel. He furrowed his brows and noticed names sewn on its seats.

“Hey, that’s name and Cap’s name here too,” noted Jake.

“Mine’s on the seat next to yours,” added Ben.

“You’re not the only one,” said Sister Marjorie.

They soon discovered that the barrels each bore names. Steve, Jake, and Ben for the first one, Marjorie and Sam for the second one, and Lissa and Andrea for the last one.

“Should we just sit on the seat given to us?” wondered Lissa.

“Hey.” Steve came back and state, “Nothing weird, but then again I couldn’t phase through the walls because of that magic stuff.”

Jake shrugged and said, “I guess we’ll just go along with the ride. Still better than swimmin’.”

Each of them sat on the seat bearing their name, while Steve pulled a lever decorated with roses. A click resonated and the boats moved forward as Steve just stood on his barrel.

“I hope there are no traps around,” said Ben.

“Yeah, let’s stay on the lookout for them,” replied Jake before he looked at Ben and said, “Hey, can we talk about what happened earlier?”

Ben glanced away furtively and said, “Sure.”

“Did you agree with Andrea using a monster to kill her classmates?” questioned Jake.

“She wasn’t a monster,” retorted Ben. “She was a poor woman and an outcast.”

“Ben… We saw that thing chasing us, it wasn’t a woman anymore,” said Jake.

“It wasn’t her fault,” replied Ben. “Same with Andrea. You think it’s fair that people are being pushed over the edge and then we treat them as monsters?”

“The world isn’t fair,” declared Jake.

Ben gripped at his outfit and scowled. “Because only a few people try to make it fair.” He turned his head away. “I’m tired of having this talk with you. It’s like it’s never-ending...”

Jake crossed his arms and looked the other way.

“Hey, stop fighting you two,” said Steve as he sat between them. “I’ve been listening to you two, and I think you’re both right.”

Jake huffed. “Well, that doesn’t make sense our opinions are complete opposites.”

“Opposites can meet each other,” replied Steve. “Your grandma and me, for example. I think galaxies were separating us, and yet we still had a great life together.”

 “Thanks, Cap, but I don’t think Jake and me can agree about this topic,” said Ben.

“Are you sure?” asked Steve. “You Jake, you want people to kill each other.” Steve gestured at Jake before he looked at Ben. “And you Ben, you want a world that is fairer, right?”

The two young men nodded and Steve smiled.

“Well, these two goals can go along with each other,” assured Steve. “Sure, sometimes there are conflicts, even when you’re on the same side- And trust me, I’ve come across a lot of them… But, with a bit of understanding and effort, both goals can work out together.” Steve grabbed Jake and Ben’s hands. “So, do you two feel like understanding and making efforts for each other?”

Jake smiled a bit and said, “Yes.”

“Yes,” echoed Ben with a similar expression.

“Well, there we go!” Steve smacked his hands together. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on guard in case spikes come out the walls,” said Steve as he stood up.

Ben laughed a bit and stared forward. “I guess that… killing people is… extreme.”

Jake brushed his neck and replied, “And I guess... putting all killers in the same box’s extreme too.”

“I guess we’re both extremists,” said Ben.

Jake chuckled and replied, “Hey, we’re X-tremists!”

They both laughed and held hands.

“Has Steve walked away?” asked Ben.

“Yeah, how did you know?” wondered Jake.

“I think… I think I can see Cap too, now,” replied Ben.

Meanwhile, Steve checked around the other boats. Sister Marjorie tried to hide her rifle under her seat while Sam smoothed his hair.

“So… You became a nun?” asked Sam.

“Yes…” Marjorie took a quick breath. “After… after what happened to Linda. I’ve tried to go back to hunting, but-” She pinched her lips. “Being near death all the time didn’t help. So… this is who I am, now.”

Sam simpered a bit and said, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” replied Marjorie.

Steve watched the two with a satisfied expression and walked away. He then headed toward the final boat which carried Lissa and Andrea.

“Lissa… I’m scared…” muttered Andrea.

“It’s okay, I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you,” assured Lissa.

Andrea slowly shook her head. “But it should… I deserve that something bad to happen to me.”

“Andrea, I’m not in your head, but I’ve felt the same way.” Lissa sighed and said,” Feeling like you’ve failed your family and couldn’t protect them... Feeling like you’re just a burden… I know that what you did is wrong, but- But I think I know a way to make up for your mistakes.”

Andrea raised her head. “A way to make up? Which one?”

“Come with me and my friends,” answered Lissa. “We go around Arizona in a tacky RV and save people.”

“I don’t know.” Andrea glanced away. “I’m not a superhero.”

“Think about it,” replied Lissa.

Without warning, flashes blinded the boat passengers.

“The hell?!” swore Jake.

Steve narrowed his brows and scanned the area. The shrill sound of a machine and sheets falling resonated. His eyes then focused on the thin outline of a doorway behind the cardboard silhouette of a money bag. Steve pushed the bag away and the light blue symbol of the rune ᛉ . Steve tried to touch the rune, but it shone and released an invisible force against him.

“Jake, look!” Steve gestured at the hidden door and asked, “You think you could use your powers to open that door?”

“I can try,” said Jake. 

The young man outstretched his arms at the door and discharged an invisible shockwave. The whole tunnel tremored and a joist collapsed against the door. Then, a man dropped from the ceiling. His body hanged by the neck with a rope and swung into the door, hitting it open.

“Not what I thought would happen. But at least it’s open,” said Steve, dumbfounded.

Everyone, but Ben, looked at the hanged man with a horrified expression.

“That’s a fake dead body,” said Ben. “Real dead bodies have-”

“Ben, not now,” cut off Lissa as she stepped out of her boat.

Everyone walked toward the secret passage while Ben pouted.

Jake patted his friend’s back and said, “Hey, once we’re out, we can talk about dead bodies.”

Ben grinned and kissed Jake. They then followed the others and arrived into a room with untrimmed rocky walls. A collection of pictures were nailed around and each of them had an inky caption. Some to the right were photographs with Jezebel in them with titles including Sister’s First Slave or First Teenage Crush which was the picture of a bearded sorcerer with a red cape. Meanwhile, the pictures on the left were related to Blackheart, such as Big Bro Starring into the Void or Big Bro’s First Toy which was an instrument of torture. The ones on the ceiling were mostly landscapes or strangers. 

“Wow, Jake, isn’t this you with Ben here?” asked Steve as he pointed at a picture.

Jake observed the middle photographs and realized he was in them. Also, these photographs had no caption, unlike the others.

“Sorry, didn’t find the time to title these,” said a raucous voice.

All of them turned back toward the doorway. Greylight stood under it with an army of undead behind him. The ghouls wielded pistols and farming tools, for the ones who still had their arms.

“Ah, I love this one.” Greylight grabbed the photograph of an alien sky full of pink and lilac celestial bodies. “I’ve traveled the world and the seven seas, but stars would always be my favorite thing to look at.”

“What do you want?” questioned Jake with a glare.

“Showing you where the exit is,” replied Greylight. “You’ve won our deal and the evening’s comin’ soon. That’s the best time to view Procyon.”

Greylight handwaved to the other ghosts and they floated away.

“But what about the ritual?” asked Ben.

“I give up,” said Greylight with a lazy shrug. “All that shootin’ people stuff ain’t that fun… I could try goin’ back to one of those strip clubs on Uranus.”

Greylight limped out of the room while the others gawked at him.

“I don’t trust him,” whispered Jake.

“Me either,” replied Ben.

“You do know echoes happen a lot underground?” asked Greylight.

The group followed Greylight with a wary walk. Steve was first in line and clasped his shield, while Sister Marjorie and Sam brought up the rear. A crimson portal opened and Greylight stepped through it.

“Should we really follow him?” wondered Lissa.

“Jake, what do you think?” asked Ben.

The young man knit his brows and sighed. “I think that’s our only way of getting outta here. We should give it a try.”

“Hope we won’t get screwed over,” added Lissa.

Steve looked at her and opened his mouth.

“Language, we know, Steve,” cut off Jake.

They all took a deep breath and walked through the portal. Red energy spun around them and blew electric gales as they traveled it. Once out, they arrived inside a wooden town appearing to be out of an old Western movie with its saloons and covered wagons. The sun was about to set while a fresh breeze welcomed them.

“We’re outside?” wondered Steve.

“Welcome to Tombstone,” greeted Greylight. “Ever wanted to visit a ghost town? Here’s one.”

The door of a jailhouse opened as Blackheart walked out of it with his sword.

“You’re really sparing them?” asked Blackheart.

“Does fire burn?” retorted Greylight.

“Guess we were right to let our guard down,” said Steve.

Greylight looked at Jake and his friends and said, “Well, it was nice to meet all of you.”

“Wait, can I ask you one more question?” asked Ben.

Greylight scratched his neck with his gun and replied, “Uh, I guess.”

“Where’s your real body?” inquired Ben. “Is it hidden somewhere in the mine or-”

“Not at all,” cut off Greylight. “I thought it was easy to guess…” He smirked and said, “My real body is right in front of you.”

Lissa jerked back. “You mean this whole time, we could’ve killed you?!”

“Talk about missed opportunities,” mocked Greylight.

While they were chatting, Blackheart lifted his sword and prowled toward Greylight. The former aimed the tip of the blade toward Greylight’s back and held the pommel with both hands.

“Goodbye, cowboy,” muttered Blackheart.

“GREYLIGHT!” shouted Jezebel as she raced in.

Blackheart growled and put down his sword.

“What’s goin’ on, sister?” asked Greylight.

“You can’t let them go!” ordered Jezebel. “You’re about to have fifteen souls! Think about what father-”

“C’mon Jezebel, makin’ dad proud ain’t all to life,” replied Greylight.

“But-”

Greylight grabbed his sister’s hands and said, “How about we just forget that stupid ritual and go play with the stars? Like we used to do when we were kids.”

Jezebel shook her head and swung her arms away. “No! You’re wasting our chances of winnin’, and I won’t let you!”

Jezebel materialized fireballs in her hands and threw them at Jake and his friends. Steve blocked one of them with his shield, while Ben pulled Jake away from another. 

“Andrea!” screamed Lissa.

A third one shot at the portal as Andrea walked out of it. Sister Marjorie pushed her out of the way and closed her eyes as the flames darted toward her.

The fireball landed and exploded upon impact. Sister Marjorie opened her eyes and saw Sam standing in front of her. The latter dropped to his knees and fell against his burning chest. 

“Grandpa!” shouted Jake as he rushed to him.

Jake and Marjorie gathered around Sam with shock and fright on their faces.

“Grandpa!” repeated Jake. “C’mon, don’t go.”

Sam chuckled a bit and spat blood. “I’m sorry… Jake… I don’t think I’m gonna make it.”

Shadows veiled Sam’s body while a flock of crows circled above him.

“Sam, you can’t…” Sister Marjorie shook her head. “You can’t leave me. Not now.”

“I trust in you, Marge... You’re strong,” muttered Sam with a low voice. “Jake… Marge… I’ll tell Linda… I’ll tell her how much you miss her…”

Sam closed his eyes and the crows flew away. 

“SAM!” shouted Marjorie as she shook his body. “Wake up! I’m beggin’ you! Wake up!”

Jake cried while Marjorie tried to wake Sam up in vain.

Jezebel watched them with a smile before she looked at Greylight.

“There, brother! Now use th-”

Greylight shot his sister in the stomach, which froze her entire body except for the head. He then did the same with Blackheart.

“Greylight! What’s the meaning of this?!” barked Blackheart.

“You really think I didn’t know about your little plan with the mortals?” asked Greylight. “Jezebel and me, you’ve never considered us family, didn’t you?” 

Blackheart stared at him before he replied, “What did you expect? It’s my nature.”

“Your nature?” Greylight chuckled and walked away from him.

“Brother, what are you doin’?” begged Jezebel. “Have you lost your mind?!”

Greylight glanced at her before he stepped toward Jake. Ben, Lissa, and Steve sprinted in front of Greylight and glared at him.

“Ah.” Greylight smirked and put down his lighter. “Take care of my brother, will you?”

Jake widened his eyes and stared at Greylight.

“Brother?” asked Jake.

“I’m sorry,” said Greylight. “I’ve tried to gather all of us as a big happy family…” He took a glimpse at Blackheart and Jezebel. “What a stupid idea…” Greylight looked back at Jake. “Take this as a memory of the terrible Greylight, if you want.” He threw a bottle of whiskey at Jake and said, “Maybe in another world, or another life, I could’ve been a better family for you…”

Greylight loaded his left pistol while Jezebel squirmed.

“Stop it! What are you doing?!” screamed Jezebel.

Greylight aimed the pistol at the side of his forehead and said, “So long, brother.”

A gunshot banged and the gun dropped off Greylight’s hand. Blackheart flinched while the latter stumbled and fell on his back. A gust of wind blew away his holed hat into the desert while the night started. Greylight’s fading eyes faced the sky as stars appeared in it.

“Red, white, blue is in the sky…” sang Greylight with a lost voice. “Summer’s in the air… Heaven’s in your eyes…”

Greylight’s smile froze on his face as his entire body turned into smoke and became one with the dust and the sand. A lonely photograph moved with the wind and landed near Jake. The young man picked it up and saw that it was a picture of him cuddling with Ben by a lake, its caption was Little Brother and his Boyfriend . Some of Jake’s tears poured on the picture as he held it with a trembling grasp.

“Brother,” whispered Jezebel as she cried. “It’s your fault!” she yelled at Blackheart. “It’s all your fault!”

Flames melted the ice around Jezebel and engulfed her. The fire glistened against her weeping eyes and then vanished with her.

Ben rubbed Jake’s back while the latter observed Greylight’s whiskey bottle. Jake pivoted the bottle around and a rock rolled inside it. He took a closer look and gasped. A fragment of an ebony crystal was inside the bottle, the same crystal that had taken his father’s soul.

Chapter Text

Dunes shook and collapsed as Jake punched them. The latter flared his nostrils and bared his teeth while sweat dripped off his forehead. He aimed his left hand at the ground and released a series of translucent waves of vibrations that fissured the earth. 

“Hey,” called a silvery voice.

Jake turned around and saw Ben behind.

“Hey,” replied Jake before he punched down another dune.

Ben waved a bit at him and asked, “What are you doin’?”

“Releasin’ my anger,” groaned Jake.

“Oh.” Ben walked next to his friend. “Can I be angry with you?”

“Um- sure,” replied Jake.

“Alright,” said Ben with a grin.

Ben inhaled deeply as his eyes turned red. Soon after, he opened his mouth and released a prolonged scream, evolving from primal growls of wrath to a strangled wail. Meanwhile, a flock of birds flew out of a tree while a drove of hares jumped away. 

Steve observed the two young men from a distance with a perplexed expression.

“Maybe I should give them a moment,” said Steve with a low tone.

Once they were done venting, Jake and Ben slouched down on the sand and gasped for air.

“How do you feel now?” asked Ben.

Jake let out a deep breath and said, “Still angry... But better.”

Ben put his left hand on Jake’s who smiled at the former. They then held their hands closer.

“I love you,” said Jake.

“I love you too,” replied Ben.

The two hugged and kissed each other while Steve walked toward them. 

“Hey. Are you ready, Jake?” asked Steve.

Jake sighed and nodded. The latter stood up and followed Steve. Since the night began, Jake turned on the flashlight on his phone to travel through the dark desert. The outline of a town appeared on the horizon. The sight of giant plants coiled around the houses became more clearer as they came closer. A destroyed sign lied down, broken into pieces with weed and mold on them. Welcome to Tombstone could be read on it. The group headed on the main street while a tumbleweed rolled in front of them. Steve and Ben held their weapons while Jake moved translucent energy between his fingers.

“Blackheart!” summoned Jake.

The ground tremored as a huge crevasse cracked inches away from them. It was soon burst open by a geyser of skulls and other bones. Thorny bronze vines slithered out of and lifted an imposing black knight out of the abysmal hole.

“Ah, Ben, you’re here,” greeted Blackheart. “And you brought the mongrel with you.”

“Stop calling Jake like that,” ordered Ben as he stepped forward.

Jake lifted an arm in front of Ben. “It’s okay,” he told him before he glared at Blackheart. “You got some answers for us.”

“And I have no reason to share hem,” scoffed Blackheart. “Unless I get something in exchange.”

“What do you want in exchange?” asked Jake.

Blackheart glanced to the left and answered, “I want a talk with Ben.”

Jake clenched his fists. “What?! And why?”

“Firstly, unlike you, he doesn’t have the intellect of a sea sponge,” replied Blackheart.

“Go fuck yourself!” spat Jake.

“Do you want your answers?” questioned Blackheart. 

Jake gritted his teeth and looked at Steve and Ben.

“What should I do?” he wondered with a low voice.

“Whatever your choice is, I’ll agree with it,” replied Ben.

“Maybe I could follow them?” suggested Steve. “He can’t see me.”

“Alright…” Jake turned back to Blackheart and said, “You can talk with Ben, but if you touch-”

“The only thing I want is talking to him,” interrupted Blackheart. “Nothing else.”

Jake shot daggers at Blackheart before he gazed at Ben.

“Be careful, okay?” softly said, Jake.

Ben kissed him and replied, “I’ll be.”

Blackheart strolled away and Ben followed him. Ben took one more glimpse at Jake and grinned at him before he left with Steve. The three of them headed toward an Old Western jailhouse whose white paint only covered half of the building and shed away over a layer of dark dusty bricks. Its windows were covered by prickly shrubs  Steve walked toward the doorstep, but runes glowed on the floorboards and expelled him. Ben looked with concern at Steve while Blackheart opened the door.

“I trust you in Ben, you can do it,” assured Steve.

Ben nodded and went inside the jail. The latter’s heart stopped a bit as soon as he noticed the cells inside while Blackheart shut the door.

“Is there a problem?” asked Blackheart.

Ben looked away from the cells and glanced at the flowers by the windows.

“N- nothing,” replied Ben. “I was just wondering if you’ve found the key.”

“The key?” Blackheart tilted his head. “Are you sure you weren’t scared by the cells?”

Ben forced a smile and said, “No, not at all.” He gulped. “What I meant is that you gave us a key to teleport, and it got lost in the cave.” 

Blackheart gazed at the jail bars and removed his helmet.

“Already playin’ a game.” Blackheart chuckled. “By the way, do you know how pitcher plants catch their prey?” asked Blackheart.

“They use a perfume to hypnotize insects?” answered Ben.

“Exactly, hypnosis.” Blackheart sat on a desk and stared at the young man. “Has anyone ever told you that’s how your words feel?” He leered. “It’s as if you’ve measured and calculated your way of pronouncing each word and each syllable. To manipulate whoever’s listening to you.”

Ben coldly looked at him and replied, “I don’t manipulate people.”

“Of course you do.” Blackheart eyed at the windows. “I still remember what you’ve asked Greylight…” Blackheart cleared his throat and said with a honeyed tone, “Greylight, where’s your real body?” He laughed. “What a little snake.”

“I was just asking where was Greylight’s body,” asserted Ben.

“And for what?” Blackheart raised his chin. “The only way to kill Greylight is to wound his real body.” Blackheart stood up and stepped closer to Ben. “You wanted to help me kill my brother, didn’t you?”

“The talk is over,” replied Ben as he walked away.

Blackheart pulled out of his armor a fragment of an ebony crystal. Ben stopped and gawked at it.

“That’s-”

“A piece of the crystal that stole the soul of Jake’s father,” answered Blackheart. “Jake already has one, if I give you this fragment, only Jezebel’s would be left.”

Ben flinched and wondered, “Why would you give it to us?”

“You want it?” Blackheart knelt, lowering his face right in front of Ben’s, and whispered, “Stay a little longer and it’s all for you.”

Blackheart slowly moved the crystal fragment left and right while Ben watched it with fascination.

“Be quick,” mumbled Ben.

Blackheart smirked and wrapped his hand against the fragment. 

“Are you happy with Jake?” questioned Blackheart.

“Yes,” said Ben. “More than I ever was.”

“Ah, love, ain’t that a funny thing,” scoffed Blackheart. “I bet he loves and accepts every part of you, from the best ones to the worse ones, right?”

Ben widened his eyes before he took back his composure.

“That’s none of your business,” said Ben.

Blackheart walked around Ben and asked, “Ouch, have I hit a nerve?”

“You haven’t!” Ben glared at Blackheart. “People aren’t attracted to killers!”

“Ooh, so Jake wants you to against your nature,” hissed Blackheart. “I guess that you’re not that important to him.”

Ben narrowed his brows. “What are you talking about?”

“Your dear Jake just gave you to me, and in exchange of what? To solve some plain familial mysteries,” mocked Blackheart.

“Jake’s been through a lot, he can’t think properly all the time,” said Ben.

“Precisely,” Blackheart agreed with. “Don’t you think that with all the weight on his shoulders, Jake would be ready to do anything to get rid of his problems? Including making you think that he loves you?”

Ben shot daggers at him. “Give me the crystal fragment.”

Blackheart sneered and handed the piece of crystal to Ben. The latter grabbed it, but Blackheart wrapped his fingers around his hand.

“Be careful, Ben,” murmured Blackheart. “It’s not the first time someone has toyed with your emotions.”

Ben pulled his arms away and stormed out of the jail. He grinned a little when he noticed Steve and exhaled. The two of them headed back to the main street and Jake smiled as soon as Ben appeared. 

“See, he made it back,” said Steve.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Jake told Ben.

Ben stepped back a bit before he gave the fragment of crystal to Jake.

“It’s- it’s for you,” mumbled Ben.

Jake gawked at the crystal as his mouth dropped wide.

He took it and asked, “How did you-”

“You’ll have plenty of time to talk later,” cut off Blackheart. “You want your answers?”

Jake turned away from Ben to face Blackheart.

“Go ahead,” urged Jake.

Blackheart chuckled and glanced at Ben. 

“You might have heard of Mephisto,” announced Blackheart. “King of the underworld, father of lies, blah blah blah… Let’s just say that the old man had the time to fool around.” Blackheart huffed. “He had the project of resurrecting an infant with hellfire, and your mother happened to be the golden ticket.”

Jake shook his head. “But- but my mom was killed.”

“And Mephisto brought her back to life in exchange for giving birth to you,” answered Blackheart.

“Then… what happened to her after?” questioned Jake.

“The deal wasn’t as simple as she thought,” explained Blackheart. “On your eighteenth birthday, she had to give you up to Mephisto. And... For some reason, she refused and tried to fight back... Do the math.”

Jake shivered and fell on his knees. 

“My mom… She- she died because of me?” he mumbled.

Steve put his hands on Jake’s shoulders and said, “I’m sorry, Jake.”

Blackheart laughed. “Can you imagine? Dying because of a mongrel like you.”

Ben glared at Blackheart and unsheathed his knife. Then, Ben charged at the knight while Jake stared at him.

“Ben! No!” screamed Jake.

Blackheart seized Ben by the wrist as the knife stopped inches away from the eye holes of Blackheart’s helmet.

“Were you trying to kill me, little Bo Peep?” taunted Blackheart.

“No,” replied Ben. “I know how to gouge your eyes out without killing you.”

Blackheart laughed. “Oh, a threat?”

“It’s not a threat, it’s a statement,” said Ben. “You said anything wrong to Jake, even just once, and I’ll use the ninety-nine ways of mentally and physically torturing someone on you.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” whispered Blackheart as he wrapped his right arm around Ben’s waist.

Ben wrestled Blackheart and pushed his knife closer to Blackheart’s eyes. The latter kicked Ben away, causing him to fall to the ground.

“My, oh, my, things are taking an interesting turn,” declared Blackheart while a portal appeared behind him. “I’ll give you some time to collect yourselves,” he said as he trod toward the portal and glanced one more time at Ben. “See you soon, little Bo Peep.”

Blackheart stepped inside the vortex and disappeared with it.

“Ben, you’re okay?!” asked Jake. “Did he hurt you?” 

“I’m fine,” replied Ben with a small smile. “How about you?”

Jake looked down and said, “Let’s go back to the others.”

Steve helped Ben stand up with Jake and he carried the two young men through Tombstone. The three of them arrived in front of the RV parked at the edge of the town and Steve stepped on the driver seat.

“What are you doin’?” asked Jake.

“I’m drivin’, you two need some rest,” ordered Steve.

Jake smirked a little and joined Ben at the back of the vehicle. Steve started the engine and they rode away from Tombstone. Ben laid his head against Jake’s left shoulder during the ride while they both stared aimlessly outside.

“Cap,” called Jake.

“Yeah?” replied Steve.

“You… You don’t mind if I  call you grandpa?” asked Jake.

Steve smiled and said, “You’re my grandson, of course, you can.”

Jake smiled back at Steve as his grandpa drove them through the desert.

Chapter Text

Blues music played in a bar named Rawhide Kidz out of speakers at the feet of colorful horse statues. Copper light garlands shone on the brick walls while people chatted by its round tables. Ben sat on his own at one of them and drank a single cup of orange juice. The latter read a magazine with droopy eyes and lazily held up his head.

“Psst! Ben!” called a young woman.

Ben looked up at her and saw someone wearing a loose tunic blouse with pink and orange hippie patterns, tight blue jeans, and a flower crown over her long blonde hair. Her most extravagant detail was the expressionless mask dangling over her actual face as patches of hair came out of its holes.

“Lissa?” wondered Ben. “What are you wearing?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m dressed as Carole Baskin,” explained Lissa. “I don’t want people to see that I’m a werewolf.”

“Carole who?” questioned Ben.

“She’s a singer from the ‘70s who sang Jazzman and You’ve Got a Friend,” clarified Lissa. “Anyway, what’s goin’ on between you and Jake?”

“Nothin’, he just needs some time on his own,” replied Ben as he glanced away.

“Yeah, and George Washington was a Chinese pole dancer,” said Lissa. “For me, it sounds like you’re avoidin’ him.”

Ben rubbed the top of his glass and said, “I’m not avoiding George Washington, he’s dead.”

“I meant Jake,” replied Lissa. “You should go talk to him.”

Ben pouted and muttered, “I don’t know…” 

“Do it,” insisted Lissa. “Trust me, ever since you’re with him, he’s been less of an asshole. He has to have feelings for you.”

“Thank you,” said Jake with a slight smile. “How about you and Andrea?”

Lissa shrugged. “She said she wanna go back to Mesa to pay for what she did.”

“Do you want to go with her?” asked Ben.

“And leavin’ you alone with Cap and Jake?” She huffed. “Never.”

They both laughed together.

“I think you should go talk to Andrea too,” suggested Ben as he stood up.

“Good luck with Jake,” replied Lissa.

Ben nodded to her before he grabbed his magazine and picked up a guitar case. Then he walked up to another table, which was in a dark corner of the bar. The young man gulped when he noticed Jake sulking, with his elbows lying on the wooden surface.

“Hey,” said Ben.

Jake smirked a bit and replied, “Hey.”

“Can I sit down?” asked Ben.

Jake nodded and Ben sat in front of him. The former gulped down a glass of rum.

“How do you feel?” Ben asked with a frown.

“Like shit,” replied Jake as he rubbed his forehead. “I can’t control my powers, I don’t know who the fuck I am supposed to be, and I couldn’t even protect my mom and my grandpa.”

“I’m sorry…” murmured Ben. “You want me to give you a logical answer or-”

“Anythin’, but the logical one,” urged Jake. “I feel like my brain’s about to blow up if I learn anything else.”

Ben joined his hands and played with his thumbs.

“Anythin’, but the logical one?” wondered Ben.

The two friends looked down at the table in silence. Suddenly, Ben grabbed Jake by the collar and pulled him closer. Their lips connected as Jake bugged out his eyes. The latter then wrapped his brawny arms around Ben’s waist. The table trembled as Ben crawled on it to get closer to his friend. Jake lifted Ben and put him softly down on his lap while they still made out with each other. They took a quick breath and returned to their passionate kiss while Ben caressed Jake’s face and moved it down his torso.

“Wow,” said Jake once it was over.

“Wow,” echoed Ben with a tiny giggle.

The two hugged and cuddled each other while a calm piece of romantic music played in the background. Ben’s grin wavered a bit as Jake brushed his hair.

“You’re thinkin’ about somethin’?” wondered Jake with a scowl.

“N-” Ben paused and said, “Yes. But… I don’t… I don’t want to add more weight on your shoulders.”

Jake delicately stroked Ben’s right temple with his thumb and pecked his forehead.

“It’s okay… I’m always here for you. I’m your boyfriend,” said Jake

Ben’s eyes twinkled. “Boyfriend?” His grin enlarged. “I… I…”

“Lemme guess, you’ve never had a boyfriend before?” asked Jake.

“Exactly,” replied Ben with a bob of the head. “I guess I should tell you about what’s on my mind.”

“Only if you want to,” replied Jake.

“I do,” confirmed Ben. “So… Earlier, when I talked with Blackheart, he said… He said that you didn’t love me and... that you were making me go against my nature.”

“That asshole,” muttered Jake with furrowed brows. And what does he even mean by ‘making you go against your nature?”

“I guess he meant that…” Ben sighed. “That deep down I’m a killer…” explained Ben in a low tone. “Do you think it’s true?”

Jake looked at Ben and inhaled deeply. He then said, “I used to have these ideas about nature before… That we were all born with a title around our neck. Killer, winner, loser, hero, monster…” Jake smiled and continued with, “But three people made me learn that whatever our past is, whatever what people call us, we’re free to be whoever we want.”

“These three sound like great people,” commented Ben.

“You wanna know who they are?” proposed Jake.

Ben nodded while the lights behind them turned on and projected a halo.

“Cap, my father…” Jake paused and finished with, “And you.” 

“Me?” Ben’s face brightened and he hugged Jake.

The couple kissed once more while Lissa walked up on the stage of the bar. She glanced down at a nearby table where Andrea was reading a book.

“Huh, hi everyone,” said Lissa, which prompted Andrea to stare at her. “I’m gonna sing Nightingale by Carole Baskin.” 

Jake raised an eyebrow and said, “Carole Baskin?”

“She’s a jazz singer from Friends who sang Seventies and You’ve Got a Man,” explained Ben.

“I would like to dedicate this song to a friend of mine…” Lissa’s voice trembled a bit before she said, “Andrea.”

Lissa sang while her friend smiled. Without warning, the batwing doors of the bar slammed open. A muscular, grey-skinned man with a tall dorsal fin merged with his head stomped in. His irises were transparent while his mouth two series of razor-sharp teeth filled his mouth. A latex tiger bodysuit was tight against his strapping body and squeaked as he moved.

“Well, well, ain’t that that bitch Carole Baskin?” greeted the shark-man.

Another man with a brown beard and a khaki jacket stood up from his chair and gawked at the shark-man.

“Todd?!” questioned the bearded man in shock.

“Ah, Doctor Lemuel Datdass.” The man named Todd leered. “The last time I saw you’ve murdered my wife and tried to kill me too.” Todd licked his lips and stepped forward. “I’m gonna have fun ripping your heart out with my teeth.”

Ben put his crook out of the guitar case and ran with Jake and Steve in front of the doctor.

“We won’t let you eat Datdass!” announced Ben.

Everyone goggled at Ben with wide eyes.

“Oh really?” purred Todd. “Then you’ll have to face the Army of Evil!”

A hissing resonated as a scaled woman with an Amazonian body slinked in. A green pillbox hat topped her long red hair. A veil and tights of a fishnet material respectively covered her upper face and legs. The only piece of fabric on her was a short satin dress of the same color as her hat.

A customer catcalled her as she strutted inside the bar.

“Shut the fuck up,” she told him with a death stare.

The customer looked down and closed his mouth.

Jake and Steve exchanged looks and said together, “You’re Esmeralda, the snake woman from Carefree!”

“You can call me Princess Python now,” replied Esmeralda, with a rattle of the tongue.

“But you’re a rattlesnake,” retorted Ben. “Shouldn’t we call you Rattlesnake Royalty or something like this?”

Esmeralda looked at Todd, who shouted at her, “I told you, that name makes no sense!”

Another woman, with yellow scarab-like skin, entered the bar. She hovered above the ground thanks to her four membranous wings. 

“I am Dragonfly, daughter of Mourning Prey,” she introduced herself.

“Mourning Prey? Isn’t it that giant butterfly from that video game you play with Ben?” Steve asked Jake.

“You’ve killed my mother, and I’m here to avenger her death!” proclaimed Dragonfly.

Jake winced a bit. “Killed her? Komoder killed her!” 

Todd facepalmed while Dragonfly stared at a wall.

“Well… Um-... You’ve killed the man who has killed my mother, so I’ll make you pay for this!” she yelled.

A man with a green sea foam bodysuit jumped next to Dragonfly. Tentacles came out of his back and stretched out his costume. A series of holes were on the level of the tentacles.

“I hope you got guts for it because you’re about to face the power of the Squid!” He put out a woodwind instrument. “And the menacing melody of his clarinet!”

“We’re so fucked,” muttered Todd. “And I am Tiger Shark, blah blah blah, beware, blah blah blah, you’ll never beat us, blah blah blah...”

Lissa leaped off the stage and landed next to Jake’s group. She then removed her mask and revealed that hair covered her face.

“Aah!” screamed a female customer. “Carole Baskin has killed her cats and is wearing their skins!”

“I’m not the real Carole Baskin!” shouted Lissa.

The young woman removed her gloves and brandished out of them furry claws.

“Army of Evil, attack!” ordered Tiger Shark.

Tiger Shark charged at the doctor, but Steve stepped in front of the doctor and pushed Tiger Shark away with his shield. Meanwhile, Lissa had pounced on Dragonfly’s back and covered her eyes while Esmeralda elongated her neck to bite Lissa. Jake took a quick breath and extended his left arm toward Esmeralda. He instantly released translucent vibrations which made the floorboards under Esmeralda collapse, trapping her left feet and making her stumble.

“Ouch! I’ve bitten my tongue!” moaned Esmeralda.

Todd wrestled against Steve, who was invisible to him while the Squid blew with his clarinet a beat similar to Squidward Nose by Cupcakke.

“Squid, what the fuck are you doin’?!” questioned Todd.

“I’m using my clarinet to distract our foes. It’s called a mental attack,” replied the Squid.

Steve rammed his shield against Todd’s arms, who grunted, “Your fuckin’ clarinet’s about as useful as a pair of glasses for a mole! Use your fuckin’ tentacles!”

The Squid sighed and dropped his clarinet. Whereas, Ben sprung off a table and swung the top of his staff at Dragonfly, who was blinded by Lissa. Dragonfly yelped and crashed against a statue. All of a sudden, two tentacles coiled around Ben and choked him.

“That brainless meathead. He has no idea what art is,” said the Squid under his breath.

“Argh!” groaned Ben. “Pers- personally, I- I really liked yo- your music.”

The Squid smiled and brought Ben closer to him.

“Really?!” asked the Squid.

Ben bobbed his head, which was turning purple, and said, “I- I h- have a book. C- could y- you sign-”

“An autograph?!” yelled the Squid. “Of course!”

The tentacles released Ben, who gasped for air. He then handed to the Squid a Japanese magazine titled Naughty Tentacles. One of the Squid’s tentacles picked up a pen as he opened the book.

“So, what’s your na-” His mouth opened wide as he read the book. “Holy calamari! My eyes are cursed!”

Ben struck down his staff at the Squid’s head and knocked him out.

Then Ben walked toward Jake, who dodged Esmeralda as she snapped her fangs at him.

“I’ll get you…” Esmeralda struggled to keep her eyes open. “For throwing vinegar at me…”

Esmeralda limped around and gasped for air while her tongue swelled. She soon fell and passed out. 

“Wow, that was easy,” noted Jake. 

Todd wrestled with Steve until he noticed Jake, Ben, and Lissa had defeated his entire team. 

“Whatever…” Todd drooped his arms and said, “Invisible Man or whoever you are, just punch me and end this already. “

Steve raised an eyebrow and replied, “Alright, son.”

Captain America punched Todd and sent him flying out of the bar. Soon after, a police patrol of Bisbee, the town Jake and his friends sojourned in, arrived with cops who handcuffed the Army of Evil. 

“You know, I honestly liked what you did with your clarinet,” Ben told the Squid, who had two eyepatches on.

The latter beamed and asked, “Really?” 

“Yeah, do you know what a one-man band is?” wondered Ben. “With your tentacles, you could easily become one.”

“A one-man band?” The Squid raised his chin while a lamp turned on above his head. “This is a brilliant idea!” 

The police officers escorted the Squid inside a car while they put Tiger Shark in another.

“Where’s Datdass?” Jake asked a cop.

“Oh, he did some freaky experiments on people, so we’ve arrested him too,” answered the police officer.

“And is he in the same car as Tiger Shark?” asked Ben.

The cop shrugged and replied, “Yeah, why?”

Screamings sounded outside as one of the cars shook and blood splattered on its windshield. 

“Back up! Datdass is gettin’ eaten! I repeat, Datdass is gettin’ eaten!” the cop shouted at his chest radio.

The police officers opened the car and shot tranquilizer darts at its passengers while Jake and his group headed down an alley. They crossed paths with Sister Marjorie in the middle of it as she carried around a piece of luggage. 

“Hey grandma,” said Jake. “You’re goin’ already?”

“Hi.” Sister Marjorie paused a moment before she said, “Grandson…”

The two stared at each other in complete silence.

“I should go, gotta catch that train.” Sister Marjorie walked past Jake.

“Grandma, wait!” called Jake. “C- can you tell me a bit about mom?”

Sister Marjorie stopped in her tracks and slowly put down her luggage.

“Your mom…” Sister Marjorie closed her eyes and smiled a bit. “She was like you, she was like... Sam… A ball of sunshine, lighting up any room she walked in.”

Jake chuckled a little. “Me? That sounds more like Ben, honestly.”

Sister Marjorie looked at Ben asked, “So is this the boy who makes so happy?”

“Yes,” replied Jake.

“Then, I wish to you two the best,” said Sister Marjorie as she stepped forward and grabbed their hands. “Enjoy and cherish the time you have together, so you won’t have any regret.”

“We will,” said Jake. “Thanks, grandma.”

Jake’s grandma patted his shoulder and said, “Maybe we could see us again if you want to?”

“That would be great,” replied Jake.

“Good…” Sister Marjorie glanced down before she looked back at her grandson. “Jake, this world is… hard and cruel… But I want you to stay strong, okay?”

Jake nodded and said, “Okay.”

Sister Marjorie stood up and picked up her luggage as she trod away. Then she paused again and took one more glimpse at Jake to wave at him, and left. Whereas, Andrea was heading the same way and chatted with Lissa.

“So, you’re really leavin’?” asked Lissa.

Andrea pinched her lips and replied, “I have to. I’ve already called my dad, but I need to talk to him in person…” She lowered her head. “And also pay for what I did.”

Lissa held her friend by the upper arms and said, “Do you want to… stay in contact, after all of this?”

“Of course,” said Andrea with a small smile.

“It’s so awkward that you have to see me like this,” apologized Lissa.

“Don’t be sorry!” retorted Andrea. “It’s… I… I should show you somethin’.”

Andrea pulled up her left pant leg and revealed crystalline skin underneath.

“What’s that?” wondered Lissa.

“No idea.” Andrea shook her head. “All I know is that my ankle had been like that ever since I got de-frozen.” She gazed down the alley as the wheels of a train squeaked in the distance. “I should go.”

Andrea stepped forward, but Lissa ran after her and exclaimed, “Andrea! T-… take care.”

“You too,” replied Andrea before she walked away.

The group watched as Andrea and Sister Marjorie both left and disappeared between the many-hued houses of Bisbee. 

“You’re doin’ okay, Jake?” Steve asked his grandson.

“Yeah.” Jake exhaled. “Much better than earlier.”

“You’re thinking about something?” wondered Ben.

Jake put his hands on his waist and said, “It’s not really important, but I was just thinkin’... If I had a hero name, what would it be?”

Ben and Steve both grinned and exclaimed, “You want to be a superhero?!”

“No, hell no!” mumbled Jake as he blushed. “I was just wonderin’...”

Steve rubbed his chin and suggested, “How about Kid Magik?”

“Grandpa, I told you I’m twenty-one,” retorted Jake.

“Man-bitch,” said Lissa.

“No,” replied Jake with a scowl.

Ben pinched his lips and checked around them. His eyes then focused on a pair of blue birds on a tree.

“How about Richter? He drew some animals in a book I’ve read before,” proposed Ben.

“I think it’s also related to earthquakes or somethin’ like that,” added Steve.

“Richter?” Jake crossed his arms. “Not bad… I’ll keep it in mind just in case.”

“In case of what?” wondered Ben.

Jake sighed and rolled his eyes. “In case I wanna become a superhero one day.”

Ben and Steve high-fived while Jake gawked at them.

“Hey, I said that just in case. It doesn’t mean I will,” replied Jake.

“Well, you and Ben would a cute couple of superheroes,” said Lissa.

“The adventures of Ritcher and Bo Peep,” said Steve with a wide gesture.

Jake wrapped his left arm around Ben and said, “I guess that makes you the sidekick.”

“Hey! I’ve got more experience than you,” retorted Ben.

“I love you,” said Jake as he kissed his boyfriend

“I love you too,” replied Ben as he kissed him back.

Chapter Text

Ben rubbed his eyes and yawned while he put toothpaste on two brushes. He then picked up the white one and rubbed his gums. Suddenly, a sturdy arm wrapped around Ben’s waist and pulled him back. A warm and slightly wet touch pecked Ben’s head.

“Hey, gorgeous,” said Jake, in his underwear, before he used the black toothbrush for his teeth.

“Hey, handsome,” replied Ben as brought his body closer to Jake.

Jake chuckled, hugged Ben, and said, “Fuck, I love you so much.”

Ben rinsed his mouth and asked with a shaking voice, “For real?”

Jake nodded. “I could literally punch the Mt. Rushmore just to build your face on it.”

“Wow!” exclaimed Ben. “Well, I could… I could fight an army of monkeys with chainsaws for you.”

Jake spat toothpaste down the sink and said, “And I could punch an asteroid in half for you.”

Ben smiled and said, “And I could fight giant chickens with chainsaws for you.”

“And I could punch my fist into an asteroid made of chickens with chainsaws for you,” replied Jake with a smirk.

“And I could fist a bunch of asteroid-sized cocks for you,” declared Ben.

Jake gawked at Ben with bugged-out eyes. He then burst out laughing while Ben watched him.

“Did I say somethin’ weird?” wondered Ben.

Jake kissed Ben and said, “You’re the best.”

Ben blushed and replied, “You’re also the best.”

“No, I am the best,” asserted Blackheart.

The two young men turned around and saw Blackheart standing naked under the doorway with only his helmet on.

“WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS THAT?!” yelled Jake.

“I think it’s an erection,” answered Ben.

“I know what an erection is, and don’t look at it!” Jake covered Ben’s eyes before he glanced at Blackheart. “Why are you dres- Why are you not dressed?!”

Blackheart walked closer while Jake threw a towel at him.

“Since you two are sexual deviants, I thought this would get your attention,” explained Blackheart.

“Go fuck yourself with your ‘sexual deviants’!” barked Jake.

“Yeah, that’s wrong. Our erections never deviate,” added Ben.

“Ben, not now,” whispered Jake before he told Blackheart, “Go put some clothes on.”

Blackheart huffed. “Meet me in the hallway. We have matters to discuss,” he said as he left the room. “Oh, and you don’t have to have clothes on.”

Jake and Ben exchanged looks before they headed to a nearby closet. They grabbed some clothes and dressed up while Steve phased into the room.

“Jake? Why would you do that?” questioned Steve.

“Huh?” Jake raised an eyebrow. “What are you talkin’ about?”

Steve gestured at the hallway. “I just saw Blackheart leavin’ your room with a… well.” He pinched his lips and mumbled, “With a lot of excitement.”

“Wait, are you sayin’ that Ben and I had a threesome with Blackheart?” asked Jake.

“Um- no…” He scratched his hair. “Sorry, it just… looked like it…”

“Steve, c’mon! We would never do that,” said Jake.

“Right, we only have threesomes with chandelier,” added Ben.

Steve’s mouth dropped wide open.

“We were drunk, okay?” clarified Jake. 

Jake and Ben finished getting ready while Steve tried to avoid looking at the chandelier in the hallway. Once they were done, they left their room and meet up with Lissa in the hallway.

“Am I the only one who saw a Darth Vader stripper haunting the hallways with his light saber? wondered Lissa.

“Let’s not talk about this,” replied Jake.

“Ah, you’re finally ready,” said a baritone voice.

A brawny blonde man ambled toward them. He had a long crew cut and a white three-piece suit with blue details. A silver clip with a chiseled rose glinted on his orange necktie, similar to the zippers of the huge backpack he held with one hand.

“Who are you?” asked Lissa with a smile.

He raised his sunglasses and revealed completely white eyes under them. 

“Surprise,” greeted Blackheart before he put his glasses back on. “We need to talk about Jezebel.”

“Why? I thought she was the weakest,” said Jake.

Blackheart shrugged. “She is. But Greylight’s death has… well… Lit a fire inside her,” he explained. “You might need some info about her. Unless you one thousand degrees burns.”

“Go ahead, tell us anythin’ helpful about She-Bitch,” ordered Lissa.

“Firstly, as Jake might already know, she can shapeshift into other people,” declared Blackheart. “But don’t worry about doppelgangers, she can’t turn people who already exist.”

“Why?” asked Jake.

“She’s horrendous in magic,” answered Blackheart. “Also, she is technically immortal thanks to the idiots who worship her.”

“Is there a way to end her immortality?” questioned Ben.

“Yes. By killing all of her followers,” said Blackheart.

Jake furrowed his brows and said, “That’s insane.”

“Eh, I found it rather fun,” replied Blackheart. “I guess there could be another way since we’re stuck here…” Blackheart rubbed his chin and smirked. “Ah, I forgot. Good old gaslighting.”

“Gaslightin’?” Jake grimaced. “What do you mean?”

“Perhaps, dear Ben could explain this for us?” suggested Blackheart while Ben glared at him. “I used to play this game on Jezebel when we were children.”

“That’s awful,” scolded Lissa.

Blackheart hand waved. “I agree. It does get boring after the sixth mental breakdown... Oh, or I guess destroying the idols used to worship her would work too.” Blackheart before he unzipped the backpack. “Now that everything’s clear, here are some outfits to trick Jezebel.”

He handed them some pieces of clothing and a makeup kit. Ben finished dressing up first and now had on a flat yet voluminous redhead wig with a purple headband. He then adjusted the lime bow and brushed away the dust on his short-sleeved thigh-length violet dress.

“It’s nice, I don’t feel stuck in it,” commented Ben.

“At least yours doesn’t make you look like a total dumbass,” groaned Jake.

The latter wore an orange cap with a tank top and cargo shorts of the same color. His accessories were crocs without holes, an orange jacket tied around his waist, scrunchies on his left wrist, a shell necklace, fake glasses, and a denim cap with googly eyes.

“You look like a Baywatch reject or someone postin’ an apology video months after sayin’ an offensive joke,” said Lissa.

Lissa had a brown face mask on, with a blue choker and a golden pendant. She clad herself with a brown jacket, an azure crop top, and pants of the same tint as her jacket.

“Jake, Ben, look!” called Steve as he phased into the hallway.

The two young men headed toward Steve as a green aura glowed throughout the latter’s immaterial body. 

“What’s up with you?” wondered Jake with a slight grimace.

“I’ve just discovered that I could do this,” explained Steve. “Red light,” said Steve as his body turned red. “Green light.” His body turned back green. 

Jake stared at him with half-shut eyes and said, “That’s the most useless power I’ve ever seen.”

“I disagree,” said Ben. “This power could be useful one day.”

Steve smiled and replied, “Oh, thanks, Ben.”

“You’re welcome. I’m pretty sure that if we ever meet -a ghost or someone who- huh- can see non-alive people and…” Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “And can only be defeated by seeing red and green lights… Which actually has low chances of happening…”

Steve’s smile lessened as he drooped his shoulders.

“So yeah…” Ben pursed his lips and walked away.

Jake and his friends left the hotel with Blackheart and arrived in front of the RV, which was now entirely black. Ben widened his eyes and ogled at his transformed vehicle.

“You won’t be surprised to see that I’ve also changed the RV,” said Blackheart.

Ben shot daggers at Blackheart and said, “You could’ve asked us before.”

“I’m the one makin’ decisions now,” informed Blackheart. “Deal with it.”

“When is he leaving?” Ben whispered to Jake.

“I was wonderin’ the same thing,” replied Jake.

Blackheart pulled a sheet of paper out of his suit. “So, I’ve taken the liberty of giving each of you a seat.”

He showed them a map of the RV in a bird’s-eye view. Jake’s name was at the back with Lissa’s, while Blackheart’s name was on the passenger seat, and Ben was the driver. Whereas Steve’s name was under a tombstone.

Ben snatched the paper away. “Stop trying to control everything!”

“You three, and that ghost, almost all got killed by Jezebel,” said Blackheart. “You’re clearly in desperate need of a leader.”

“Don’t you have people to kill or torture?” questioned Lissa. “Go do that instead of bein’ a pain in the ballsack!”

Blackheart chuckled and slouched on the passenger seat. “Without you, my brother would still be alive. So I’ll spare you this time.”

“Spare us your shit-eatin’ face then, and go away,” ordered Jake.

Blackheart smirked and bobbed at the steering wheel. “Ben? The RV won’t drive itself on its own.”

Ben leaned forward and said, “Fuck you.” 

Jake smiled at Ben before he looked at Blackheart and said, “If you wanna stay with us, you better cut that bitchy attitude.”

“What do you mean?” wondered Blackheart. “This is the nicest I’ve ever been.”

“I can actually trust on him on that,” muttered Steve.

“We’re not your slaves or whatever you’re used to spending time with,” said Jake. “We don’t have to deal with you.”

Blackheart sighed. “Fine, I’ll just take the limousine instead.” He stepped out of the RV and grunted, “You mortals are so sensitive anyway…” He stomped away and murmured out loud, “I’ve wasted my time for those lowly beings, and that’s how they thank me? Ungrateful inferiorities.”

“Thank God, he’s gone,” rejoiced Jake. “And let’s also celebrate Ben's first time saying ‘Fuck you’ to someone.”

Jake wrapped his left arm around Ben’s shoulders and pecked him on the cheek while Lissa and Steve clapped for him.

“That won’t happen again,” said Ben.

“Oh it will,” retorted Jake. “I want you to throw some ‘dumbass’ and ‘motherfucker’ around.”

“Motherfucker?” Ben winced a bit. “What if they saw their mother die in front of them, wouldn’t it be rude to tell them to have sexual intercourse with their dead mom?”

Jake glanced away. “Well, put like that…”

A crimson vortex opened under them and the RV. Jake’s group and the vehicle fell through it before they landed in the middle of a road.

“Welcome to the northwest of Mariposa,” announced Blackheart as he walked out of a nearby limousine. “Three towns away from Middletown, where Jezebel is.”

“And why you didn’t just drop us at Middletown?” asked Lissa.

“Because I can’t,” replied Blackheart. “That would be obvious if you tried to think.”

“Jeez, you really can’t say anythin’ without being an asshole,” said Jake. “And why you can’t do teleport us here?”

Blackheart shot a bolt of dark lightning at the ground, which chiseled a symbol on it.

“Because of these things, you call runes,” answered Blackheart. “The good news is that once I’ll get near Jezebel’s, I’ll be able to twist them against her.” Blackheart walked back inside his limousine. “I would’ve told you more about these runes, but since my higher knowledge is too unbearable for you, I’ll keep it for myself.”

Blackheart slammed shut his car door while Jake, Ben, Lissa, and Steve gawked at him.

“Did we just vex an overlord?” wondered Lissa.

The group headed back inside the RV and followed Blackheart’s limousine. The large car then skidded and crashed into a tree while Blackheart jumped out of it. Blackheart ran next to the RV with perfectly straight hands as Ben lowered his window.

“What happened?” asked Ben.

“I’ve killed the chauffeur,” answered Blackheart.

“Huh? Why would you do that?!” questioned Ben.

“It was either this or tearing off your tongues,” said Blackheart.

Ben stared at Blackheart and replied, “You should try meditation.”

“This guy’s crazy,” muttered Jake.

“I think we’ve hurt his feelings,” said Ben as he closed his window. “Maybe we should try explaining to him why he shouldn’t talk to people that way.”

“Ben, Blackheart’s an asshole and that won’t change,” said Lissa.

“I don’t understand.” Ben looked into the rear-view mirror. “You’ve said that Jake was an asshole and has changed.”

Jake glared at Lissa and shouted, “You’ve said that?!”

“Hello? You broke up with me by text,” replied Lissa. “And Ben, it’s not the same thing. Jake was a pressed asshole, but thanks to you he’s looser. Meanwhile, Blackheart’s a straight evil asshole.”

“I agree with Lissa,” added Jake. “I think it’s better if we didn’t try talking to him.”

“But I thought people were free of being whoever they want?” wondered Ben.

“Ben, I think it’s different with Blackheart,” said Steve. “He did... some things that put him way beyond the way of redemption.”

“You’re… you’re right,” said Ben. “I’m sorry if I said anything stupid.”

“Don’t be sorry,” replied Jake. “You just wanted to help.”

Ben and Jake smiled and held each other’s hand. The RV then passed by an old gas station decorated with neon tubes and named Harter Doll and Toy Museum. A bulldozer rammed into its left wall as they drove by a group of construction workers. Blackheart jogged in front of the vehicle and Ben slowed down.

“What’s goin’ on?” asked Jake.

“I sense a strong concentration of corrupted energy around here, which means that one of Jezebel’s worship supplies’ near,” explained Blackheart.

“Does it mean that the town’s in danger too?” wondered Ben.

“Who cares?” Blackheart shrugged.

“But-”

“The best would be that we split up and visit the town,” said Blackheart. “I propose that Lissa, Jake, and that ghost who’s with him make one team, while I and Ben are the other.”

Lissa sighed. “I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but it’s not a bad idea.”

Jake and Ben stared at her.

“What?” exclaimed Jake.

“Ben’s the only one who has the patience to talk with Crackheart,” justified Lissa. “And yeah, I know that he totally wants to fuck your boyfriend-”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talkin’ about,” replied Blackheart

“... But Ben’s smart enough to not buy his bullshit,” pursued Lissa.

Jake and Ben looked at each other with a saddened expression.

“Stay safe,” urged Ben.

“You too,” replied Jake.

The two hugged and kissed before Jake handed his phone to Ben. Ben glanced one more time at Jake and walked away. Jake did the same later, but Ben was already gone. 

Chapter Text

Ben frowned and crossed his arms as he followed Blackheart on a dirt road lined with fan palms. 

They stepped to the side as a family strolled from the other way. Ben watched with droopy eyes the parents holding their son’s hands as the family chatted. Ben observed the warm and protective smile of the father, the mother’s voice laced with love and kindness, and the children’s eyes filled with stars and hope. 

Clouds followed the family’s steps as it cast sunlight over them and darkness over the others. Ben trembled a bit as an icy shiver hollowed his soul.

“I despise them too,” said Blackheart.

“Huh?” Ben snapped back to reality. “What do you mean?”

“I knew…” Blackheart gazed at the sky. “I knew there was somethin’ in your eyes that told me…” Blackheart looked at Ben and asked, “Harsh childhood, right?”

Ben flinched and stopped dead in his tracks. 

He stared at Blackheart and replied, “You too?”

“I guess.” Blackheart chuckled. “What’s your story?”

“I don’t know where to start,” explained Ben. “Do- Do you know this feeling where you feel like something’s wrong? The feeling that you should dislike something, but they just tell you to do it, anyway...”

“So you do it to make them proud,” continued Blackheart. “And you keep doin’ it, over and over… Like a good soldier.” 

Ben pinched his lips and eyed Blackheart, who smiled at him. The two of them then arrived in front of a garden adorned with angel statues each made of a different material. There was a wax statue, another made of doll parts, and another made of glass shards. 

“Hm. Jezebel could be one of these,” said Blackheart.

“She can turn into objects too?” asked Ben.

“As long as it has a human form,” answered Blackheart. “Here’s the trick though, Jezebel has sacrificed a part of herself to gain immortality.”

“Which part was it?” wondered Ben.

Blackheart scanned the ground and said, “Her shadow.”

Ben looked at the grass. “So, does it mean her idols have no shadow either?”

“Precisely,” replied Blackheart.

The door of a nearby caravan opened before a man with baggy eyes and a dirty beard came out of it. He wore blacksmith gloves and a denim apron. 

“Try to act natural,” whispered Blackheart as the man walked toward them. “Greetings, mediocre life stain! How do you plan on making your existence even more miserable today?”

“I don’t think that’s a natural way of greeting people,” commented Ben.

“What do you want from me?” questioned the man.

“Nothing, we just wanted to check your statues,” said Ben.

The man smiled. “Oh, my angels?” He extended his hand and shook theirs. “I’m Ludwig Vandoom. Come inside, we’ve much to talk about.”

Ludwig stepped back inside his caravan, while Blackheart put a bone out of his left pant pocket and turned it into a sword.

“Hmm, what if I made a statue out of his corpse?” Blackheart whispered to himself.

Ben raised his right arm in front of Blackheart and said, “Don’t… M- murder would attract attention.”

Blackheart grunted and camouflaged his sword. They followed Ludwig and discovered a wheeled house filled with wax figures. Each of the pieces of furniture was a wax statue, such as the chairs or the table.

“So… Has anythin’ weird happened around?” questioned Ben. “Like people without shadows, strange worshipping, or a woman with pink skin and horns?”

Ludwig grimaced a little. “What? Sounds eccentric to me,” he said as he served tea from a pot made out of Queen Victoria’s head. “The only curious thing was that hell-sent mayor who closed the museum.” He huffed. “All of this to replace it with a Kingdom Hearts museum.”

“A what?” wondered Ben.

A crash resonated outside and they stepped out of the caravan. Shattered glass and limbs lied on the grass while the doll statue had disappeared.

“No! This can’t be!” yelled Ludwig as he dropped on all fours. “I bet the mayor’s behind it…”

Ben analyzed the scene. A trickle of wax poured down a severed finger and spelled Pater autem mendacium. Animam eorum. Jake’s phone vibrated and Ben looked at it.

“Jake’s with the mayor,” read Ben. “We should rejoin them.”

Blackheart smirked and said, “Things are getting interesting after all.” 

On the other side of the town, a danger sign loomed over Jake as he walked past it. They followed a blonde man with a blue coat and a bowl hat of the same color. The young man looked to the side with a frown.

“Hey, Jake, you’re okay?” asked Steve.

“Yeah…” murmured Jake. “I just…” He gazed at his phone and smiled a bit. “It’s Ben.”

“Did he text somethin’?” questioned Steve as he leaned forward.

Jake squinted and read, “Dlk?Admql;dap’àpnkm.” 

An expression of confusion appeared on Steve’s face as he said, “Is it slang or a code between you two?” 

“I’m… not… sure…” replied Jake.

“Why are we followin’ this guy?” asked Lissa as she gestured at the man in front of them.

“... And then Woody called him a loser with no friends,” told the man with the bowl hat as he toured them around the town. 

Jake scratched his head and replied, “Well, normally we show up and some shit goes down, so I’m not sure…” He gestured at the man. “He’s the mayor, so he could tell us somethin’ useful.”

“Does he look like he has anythin’ useful to say?” asked Lissa.

“... And then Mickey asked about the door to darkness,” said the mayor.

“What is he even the mayor?” wondered Lissa.

The mayor stopped in front of a little boy who played with a teddy bear.

“Hey, buddy, aren’t you tired of playing with a fake bear?” The mayor asked the child. “We got three libraries around, and each of them got books with real bears in them!”

“I don’t know...” replied the boy with shifty eyes.

“C’mon,” answered the mayor. “Go tell your parents to buy one or two books for you.”

“Edwin!” shouted a grey-haired woman who stomped toward them. “You need to drop that damn car at the junkyard!” 

“Eunice, c’mon, you’re n-”

“You’re never listenin’,” she cut him off. “Just like always…”

Edwin looked down and closed his eyes.

“What’s going on?” inquired Jake.

“Eunice, my wi-” He paused. “My ex-wife, she thinks our dwarf car’s haunted.”

Jake and his friends exchanged looks and walked after the mayor until they arrived in front of his house which had a white race car parked in front of it. The height of the vehicle was at their waist level. A drawing of flames shaped into a sixty-six number. Rust had gnawed at its front paint, giving it the aspect of a diseased mouth which had bitten off its lips. A red Chevrolet was next to the dwarf one, but its passenger door had been rammed in. 

“Look!” shouted Eunice as she pointed at the Chevrolet. “Molly’s car did this!”

Edwin knit his brows and yelled, “Don’t talk about Molly!”

“It’s been five years, Ed,” replied Eunice. “You n-” She gawked inside the dwarf car. “And it has taken my credit card!”

Eunice slammed open the door of the dwarf car as she crouched. Its metallic door scraped against the ground while she crawled inside. The dusty seats creaked as she got further into the vehicle. The engine screeched as the radio of the car turned on and played a piece of children’s music. The car door closed on her.

“Eunice!” shouted Edwin.

Jake, his friends, and the mayor pushed the car handles, but its door would not open. 

Steve punched its windows and said, “What’s that thing made of?!”

The bonnet of the car folded down the middle as it twisted its skeleton into a smile. Its fissured headlights glowed while its front wheels drove backward and its back wheels rolled forward. The car paint flaked off as it tremored. 

“Get me out of here!” begged Eunice.

Black smoke spat out of its exhaust pipe as numbers and letters fell off its license plate until it spelled D1E . Steve hit its windows again, but its cracks healed just after. The car roof wrinkled and creased before it bent down into pleats that pointed at Eunice. Its backseat and the dashboards moved closer to each other and constricted against Eunice who clawed her hands on every side.

“Ed! Please!” she pleaded.

Edwin trembled and kept trying to budge the car door in vain. The bar of the car was now completely compressed as its windows bust open. Steve, Jake, Lissa, and the mayor rushed toward Eunice, but belts slithered around the woman and tied her up. The voices of the children singing through the radio distorted into a fiendish choir as the radio constricted. Edwin pulled Eunice by the right arm while Jake and his friends tried to cut the belts with shards of glass, but its fabric kept sewing itself back.

Eunice held Edwin’s hand and cried, ”Ed... I don’t wanna die…”  

The car’s metallic body progressively covered the woman’s face as it swallowed her. Her arm protruded out of it and shook while Eunice’s screams were muffled and choked. Bones crunched as Eunice’s arm stopped to move and a trail of blood dripped out of the hole it stuck out of. The mayor let go of Eunice’s hand and let it fall against the car crushed into a cube.

Tears ran down Edwin’s face as he stumbled away from the car. Jake shook his head and ground his teeth as he watched the macabre scene.

“Jake!” called Ben from far away.

Ben and Blackheart raced toward them and stared at the remains of the car.

“Wh- what happened?” asked Ben.

“I’ve no idea,” replied Jake. “The car just… it moved on its own and…” He let out a deep breath before he smiled a bit. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you’re also okay,” said Ben.

“Oh, I can feel another cluster of corrupted energy,” declared Blackheart as he brushed his right ear. “There.”

Blackheart walked toward the mayor’s house while Jake eyed him.

“You know what is he doin’?” questioned Jake.

“He can sense where Jezebel more or less is,” replied Ben. “Oh, she has no shadow.”

Ben and Jake walked back toward the mayor.

“Wh- what do I do?” mumbled Edwin. “Do I call the police or…”

“Sir, I think it’s more than that,” replied Jake. “Where to even start…”

“Could you tell us more about the car?” inquired Ben.

The mayor sighed and glanced at the dwarf car. “It… it was supposed to be a gift for my daughter… I lost her five years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” said Jake.

“Thank you,” said the mayor with a low voice.

House alarms resonated in the distance while people.

“Wh- what’s happenin’?” muttered Edwin.

“Nice sculpture,” said Blackheart as he pointed at Eunice’s crushed corpse. 

The mayor’s face crumpled while Jake and Ben glared at Blackheart.

“What? I was tryin’ to be nice,” murmured Blackheart before he looked back at the mayor. “So, mortal, do you have any place of worship in your house?”

Edwin raised an eyebrow. “Huh?” 

“You know, an altar with animal heads, dead babies, or-”

Jake pulled back Blackheart and asked him, “What’s the deal with you?”

“The faster we find Jezebel’s idol, the faster we can leave,” replied Blackheart.

“Why? Would destroyin’ it stop the toys from attackin’ everyone?” asked Jake.

Blackheart handwaved. “Who cares? Let them play, we’re here to weaken Jezebel.”

“No, you’re the one here for that,” retorted Jake. “We’re here to save people from the bullshits you and your siblings have created! How about you stop bossin’ us around and try to be helpful for onc-”

Blackheart snapped his fingers. “Great idea! I’ll look around for the idol, while you’ll distract the townspeople like pet monkeys.”

“You’ve listened to nothin’ I’ve just said,” replied Jake with a dejected face.

“You were talkin’?” wondered Blackheart. “Anyway, nice input, Jake.” He tapped Jake’s back and walked away.

“So, what’s the plan now?” asked Lissa.

Jake crossed his arms and inhaled. 

“What’s the most crowded place here?” Jake questioned the mayor.

Edwin rubbed his face and said, “Um- many people have left. So, I guess the school’s the only crowded place here.”

“Alright, let’s go here,” ordered Jake.

Jake and his friends raced through the empty town. Toy cars rolled on their own across the streets. All of a sudden, two women ran toward them. One of them had red hair and glasses on, while the other was a brunette with a sports suit.

“You have to help the kids!” shouted the redheaded woman as she held her slashed left arm. “These things have invaded the school and-”

“My son has run away, please help him!” yelled the blonde woman at the same time.

“One at a time,” demanded Jake. “Where’s your son?” he asked the blonde mother.

“At the back of the school,” answered the mother.

“I think we should split up again,” suggested Ben.

Jake sighed. “Alright, you and Lissa go to the front, me and Steve’ll handle the back.”

Ben nodded and kissed Jake before they split up again. Ben and Lissa ran along the main street until they arrived in front of a one-story concrete building. Giant pencils were used as columns while Barclay Elementary School glinted at its top in bronze letters. Its glass doors had been busted open while clawing marks tainted its entrance. Ben and Lissa hid behind a column and peeped at the school. Ben clutched at his chest and panted a little as he gazed at a bush with flowers.

“You’re okay?” worried Lissa.

“I’ll try.” Ben breathed quickly. “Jake and I had to split up a lot recently and it’s kind of hard to handle.”

Lissa tapped Ben’s left arm and said, “I’ll make sure you two get back together.”

Ben smiled a bit and bobbed his head. Then, they both edged into the school and hid behind lockers. Some of them were open while books and even a pair of glasses lied on the ceramic floor. A gigantic shadow loomed at the left of an intersection yards away from them. A janitor's closet opened at the same time and a little boy with black hair peeked his head out of it. Lissa gestured to the child to hide and he closed back the door behind him. Sunlight from the other end of the hallway blurred their vision as an immense figure stomped in. It looked around before it turned its head toward the janitor's closet and walked toward it. Lissa and Ben looked at each other with fearful eyes as the creature lifted its left paw near the door handle. 

Ben picked up a book and threw it outside against a shard of glass, which produced a shattering sound. The creature snapped its face toward them and walked toward them. Ben put his index finger against his lips and Lissa nodded to him while the thing’s footfalls became louder. The two held their breath and Ben aligned his staff behind the locker while Lissa gripped the spray can and lighter in her hands as a disheveled mass of hair appeared. 

A monstrous teddy bear stood between them. 

Its skin had been pulled inside out and revealed a pair of reversed button eyes and a gouged out maw with cotton dripping out of it like foam. Needles protruded out of its arms while its entire body was covered by sparse patches of fur over its sewn skin. Lissa moved one of her hands over her mouth as her eyes darted at the bear’s belly. A net membrane allowed a full view of its hollow stomach as children wriggled inside it.

Chapter Text

Muffled screams sounded as children wrestled against their mouth gags and the skipping ropes that tied them up. They kicked at the insides of the monster teddy bear that had swallowed them, but it did not react. Ben and Lissa observed them while the former counted with his right hand. Once it reached zero, Lissa screamed and the bear gazed at her. Ben lifted his staff and impaled the bear’s right arm into the floor before he slid under it. The bear slashed Lissa’s jacket as she ran away from it. Ben unsheathed a knife out of his skirt and cut open the creature’s belly. 

“Lissa, now!” shouted Ben.

The young man yanked the children out of the bear while Lissa moved up her lighter and spray can. She pressed the can and flame spat against the bear as they engulfed its head. It flailed around its arms covered by needles while Ben and the children crouched under them. Lissa then poured a bottle of essential oil all over the bear, which fed the fire and let it consume the toy. 

A redheaded woman ran into the school while the bear dropped against the ground. 

“Thank God, you’re safe!” yelled the woman as she hugged the children.

“I think it’s dead,” said Ben as he cut off its head. 

The janitor closet opened and a child walked out of it to join his friends.

“Th- thank you for saving us,” said one of them.

“Where are the others?” asked their teacher.

“The toys...” said a little girl. “They took them into the basement.”

“Take them somewhere safe,” ordered Lissa. “We’ll save the others.”

The teacher nodded and walked away with the children. Ben smelled the air a bit and smiled as he looked at the bottle of essential oil.

“Oh, is it lavender?” asked Ben.

“Yeah,” replied Lissa “Much better than this fucking lemongrass, right?”

They walked further into the hallway and Ben winced.

“Ach, I thought it would’ve been a good idea to high-five each other and say ‘Fuck lemongrass’ at the same time, but... I guess it’s too late for that.”

“We can still do it, don’t worry,” reassured Lissa.

Ben grinned and they high-fived each other.

“Fuck lemongrass!” they shouted together.

Whereas, at the back of the school, Jake and Steve walked by a bush of depressed lemongrass. They snuck along a brick wall and walked up a small concrete stairway that led them to an ajar yellow door.

“You’re ready?” asked Steve.

“Go ahead,” replied Jake.

Steve phased through the door and came back soon after with a stunned face.

“So, any danger?” questioned Jake.

Steve shook his head and said, “I… I… don’t know how to describe this.”

Jake knit his brows and carefully pushed the door which creaked. It opened and revealed a cafeteria.

“Oh no,” mouthed Jake with wide eyes.

The room was infested with hundreds of porcelain dolls who sat on the chairs and tables. Their pale painted faces were all directed at them.

“What should we do?” whispered Jake.

“I- I think we shouldn’t get aggressive for now,” said Steve.

Jake gulped and sweated as they edged between the tables. The dolls turned their heads and followed them with their empty eyes while they walked deeper into the cafeteria. Pop Goes The Weasel played while the crank of a jack-in-the-box on a tray winded up. Once it reached its climax, a cherub popped out of the box and the lights turned off. Faint rays of lights barely beamed inside the room from the windows and the open door. However, the sunshine from the doorway was blocked by a winged silhouette. The dolls looked back at Steve and Jake as they stood up.

“Jake, we need to go now,” urged Steve.

The winged figure hovered fast toward them while the dolls crawled in the same direction. They sprinted toward the hallway while Jake released a shockwave at the floor. Its tiles crumbled and toy hands burst out of the fissures as Jake stumbled away from them. Jake ran out of the cafeteria and slammed shut the hallway door while dolls swarmed on its other side. Steve pushed a locker against the door and they dashed away from it.

“Jake!” shouted a silvery voice.

The young jumped a little as Ben pounced forward and hugged him.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” rejoiced Ben.

“Hey, me too,” said Jake with a breathy voice. “Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

The lockers thumped as the door behind it pounded. 

“We hafta get away from here,” ordered Jake.

“The basement,” said Ben. “The others are being kept here.”

They headed toward a stairwell while Jake grunted. Clinks and scintillations echoed as they went down into the dim-lit basement. Jake and his friends trod over the green and grey checkered floor. They followed the sounds until they arrived in front of a room with flashing lights looming out of it. Steve phased through the wall and told the others to crawl inside. 

Xylophone music played as they entered a dark room with television screens inside. A pile of tables covered Jake’s group and separated them from the other side of the room. 

“Watch out,” said Steve as he pointed to their left.

Only a man was on their side, trembling on a chair. Salt shakers, tiny robots, and other electric toys lied on a puddle of water under him. A dunce hat was installed on his dangling head with crocodile clips. Jake and his friends peeped between the tables. Cartoons were showcased in front of children sitting on benches while giant stuffed toys danced around. A horse wrote School’s out! while a duck tied adults on poles. Paper planes were stuffed in the teachers’ mouths while ripped-up books and rulers were placed into a pyre at their feet. A dragon next picked up a jerrycan and poured gasoline all over them as the teachers groaned. The other human-sized toys clapped while the dragon grabbed a pack of matches. 

"Help us!" mumbled one of the teachers through her gag.

Some of the children clapped while the dragon put out a matchstick. Steve charged at the dragon and tackled against it the ground while Jake and his friends stepped in.

“One more step and I’ll burn your asses off!” threatened Lissa with her makeshift flamethrower.

The teachers soaked in gasoline squirmed and yelped.

“Oh, yeah… Maybe not here,” said Lissa as she put down her lighter.

“Huh, a little help?” called the mayor.

Everyone looked at the hallway and saw Edwin being held by an angel made out of doll parts. The statue’s wings were composed of arms and legs whose some of them threatened the mayor with scissors. The statue aimed its three eyes at the children and waved at them.

“Pl- please, just let the kids go,” pleaded the mayor.

The statue lost its smile and stabbed the mayor in the waist as he groaned.

“Tommy!” shouted a blonde woman who ran in.

She stopped as some scissor blades were pointed at her while the statue turned its head around. She gasped and walked back as a headless burned bear emerged out of the darkness. The woman screamed and stepped to the side, but dolls soon invaded the hallway.

“Mom!” screamed a little boy as he stood up

Stuffed toys tried to grab him, but Jake’s group blocked them. The boy ran by the statue who let him leave and stood in front of the beheaded bear.

“Paddy, stop!” ordered Tommy.

“Tommy, what’s happening?” asked his mother.

“I- I didn’t want this,” mumbled Tommy. “I just wanted to play.”

“We’re tired of school,” said a little girl. “So we wished to the fairy to help us.”

Ben looked at them and wondered, “The fairy? Did she have a shadow?”

The girl shook her head. “No. But she told us that if we sang a magic spell, we could play forever.”

“But don’t you have some time to play at home?” asked Jake.

“No.” The girl pointed at Edwin. “Because of this mean man, the teachers gave us more homework to do, and we never have time to play!”

Edwin wrestled against the statue and shouted, “I have to! It’s for their future! If they work-”

“We’re tired of working!” yelled the little girl. “School is cold, boring, and useless!”

“Because of the work, we had to leave our friends alone,” added Tommy. “It’s not Paddy’s fault, he just wanted to play with me again...”

“We’re sorry for making you work all the time,” apologized one of the teachers. “Please, just let us go! We’ll let you leave school earlier an-”

“Are you out of your mind?!” berated Edwin. “These are just some toys, we- Arrgh!”

The statue stabbed him in the left thigh. 

“Sir, I don’t think you have a choice right now,” said Jake.

“You don’t understand,” muttered the mayor. “If… if my Molly stayed inside to work…” He teared up. “She would still be with us…”

“But you can’t force children to work all the time,” replied Ben. “What’s the use of life, if you can’t live it?” asked Ben. “Children can’t live if adults always choose for them.”

Edwin sighed. “Fine, you’ve won… I give up.”

Dark fiery energy emanated out of the toys while some of them shrunk. Soon after, all of them dropped lifeless on the floor and the statue froze. Jake and Ben moved their scissors away from the mayor and released him. Edwin gazed at Tommy hugging his mother and leaned against a nearby wall.

“I… I just wanted what’s best for them,” he mumbled.

“Everyone’s different,” said Ben. “I know you had good intentions, but you can’t force people to do what you think it’s best for them.”

“I think he got the lesson,” said Lissa. “He just got stabbed by Barbie’s mutated sister.”

“Oh yeah, we should call a doctor,” added Ben.

The mayor fainted while Jake and Steve untied the adults.

“I can help him, I’m the school nurse,” said one of the adults.

The school nurse dug inside her fanny pack and pulled an ice pack out of it. She then threw it at the mayor’s unconscious body and smiled. The teachers and everyone else gawked at her.

“You’re not the school nurse,” said a teacher. “Who are you?”

The fake school nurse looked at the two teachers with an embarrassed face. The former then threw ice packs at them and ran away. Steve phased through the wall and blocked her path while the others chased after her.

“I’ll ask this again. Who are you?” questioned the teacher.

“I’m Marcia Trent. It- it’s a misunderstanding, please let me go,” begged Marcia.

“Why did you run away?” wondered Jake.

Marcia forced a laugh. “I had a harsh childhood, so I get anxious easily,” she explained. “My mother would lock me inside a closet and only let me out once I’ve repented for my sins.”

Lissa raised an eyebrow. “Lemme guess, a bucket of blood was also poured on you at the prom?”

Marcia nodded. “Yes, how did you guess?”

Ben was tapping on Jake’s phone until he glanced at the floor under Marcia’s feet.

“Marcia,” called Ben with furrowed brows. “Why do you have no shadow?”

“Oh.” Marcia lost her smile. “I guess it’s time for the mask to slip.” 

The fake school nurse put the nail of her right index finger on the top of her head. She then slid it down across the middle of her forehead and the rest of her face. Like the mouth of a Venus flytrap, her hair scalp and body peeled off to the sides land revealed horns and a pink complexion under it. 

“Jezebel,” growled Jake.

Marcia’s skin fell off Jezebel akin to a dress and burned into ashes as she twirled around. 

“You’re the fairy,” said Tommy.

“She’s not a fairy,” retorted Lissa. “She’s the fake-ass child of Paris Hilton and Pazuzu.”

Jezebel rolled her eyes. “They always talk about Pazuzu…” she muttered. “Anyway, it’ll be a waste of time, but I guess my show can afford to lose some side characters.” 

Flames burst out of Jezebel’s left hand while her eyes set ablaze and she madly laughed. The fire vanished and she stared at them with a large smile. Jezebel snapped her fingers, but nothing happened. 

“What’s happening?!” she yelled.

“Well, well, I wonder,” said Blackheart as he walked down the stairs with a painting.

Jezebel turned around with a shocked face.

“You?” She clenched her hands. “You’re not supposed to be in this scene!”

“And I guess this either,” said. Blackheart. 

He showed a painting of a blonde little girl whose face was similar to the mayor’s. Blood was smeared all over it into an amalgam of semicircles with an arrow at its top.

“Turning the painting of the mayor’s daughter into one of your little idols, I gotta say it is kind of quaint.”

“No…” she whispered. “You pathetic cameo turned into a recurring role,” she hissed. “I’ll tell father to cut out your lines!”

Blackheart smirked and put a bone out of his suit. Crimson energy enveloped the bone and turned it into a sword made of skeletons.

“Let me return the favor,” replied Blackheart. 

He swung the blade at Jezebel’s neck and cut off her head. It rolled down while her body stood still. Jezebel blinked a few times and looked daggers at Blackheart.

“Ah! I still got my immortality!” she taunted.

“Well, have fun getting your head,” said Blackheart as he picked her head and strolled away with it.

“Hey! Don’t dissect my brain again! No! NOO!” screamed Jezebel.

The others watched Jezebel’s body running after Blackheart with bugged-out eyes.

“Wait, we forgot to help the mayor,” said Jake.

“Don’t worry,” replied Ben. “I saw an ambulance outside and called its phone number.”

“Oh, good,” said Jake.

They headed upstairs while Jake and Steve carried the mayor. Then, they joined the other children outside while a white truck was parked in front of the school. A plastic banana split was built on its roof.

“Ben,” called Jake.

“Yes?” asked Ben with a grin.

“That’s an ice cream truck,” said Jake. 

“Oh,” replied Ben. “Maybe they got ice packs for the mayor?”

They put the mayor inside the ice cream truck and it drove him to the nearest hospital. After this, Jake and his friends sat at a bench while Ben walked toward them with ice creams.

“Hey, the ice cream man gave us free ice creams for saving the town and traumatizing the teachers,” said Ben.

“Trauma- what?” wondered Jake.

“Apparently, Lissa almost burning the teachers made them want the first thing related to ice,” explained Ben. “So, ice creams.”

“That doesn’t make any sense at all, but okay,” replied Jake.

Ben gave a strawberry popsicle to Lissa, a chocolate cone to Jake, and kept the vanilla one as he sat next to Jake.

“Hey, Steve, here’s the ghost of an apple ice cream,” said Ben as he extended his right hand to Steve.

“Huh, a what?” wondered Steve.

“The ghost of an apple ice cream,” repeated Ben. “I’ve asked the ice cream man if I could stab one of his cones, so here is its ghost.”

“Ah…” Steve stared at Ben’s empty hand. “Thanks.”

They savored their ice creams while Ben and Jake held hands. 

“I know it sounds stupid, but it’s nice to have time with you again,” Jake told Ben as he rubbed his thumb over Ben’s fingers.

“I don’t think it’s stupid,” replied Ben. “I love spending time with you.” 

“Me too,” said Jake before they kissed each other.

Ben finished his ice cream and said, “It’ll be fun to hang out together once all of this is over.”

Lissa pinched her lips. “You mean, all four of us?”

Ben grinned and bobbed his head. “Exactly! Steve could do fun things with his non-alive powers.”

“Ben.” Jake sighed. “Steve won’t stay with us once it’s over.”

“What?” Ben lost his grin. “But why?”

“I’m sorry, Ben,” said Steve with a frown. “It’s… it’s part of my deal with Mephisto… I can’t stay in the world of the livings forever.”

“Steve…” Ben’s eyes became humid. “You will leave us?”

Steve exhaled and put his hands on Ben’s arms. “I wish it could be different… But all things have an end, Ben.” 

Ben looked down at the ground before he gazed at Lissa.

“Wh- wha- what about you Lissa?” he asked her.

Lissa avoided his eyes and answered, “My uncle lives in another state, Ben. And... I’ll have to sort things out with Andrea.”

“But you’ll come back to see me and Jake, r- right?” asked Ben with a broken voice.

“Of course,” replied Lissa. “I’m sure that every month I ca-”

“Month?” cut off Ben. “N- not even each week?” 

Lissa looked down and said, “I’m sorry.”

Ben’s face paled and he turned to Jake.

“Jake…” Ben gulped down. “You will leave me too?” 

“Of course not,” said Jake as he grabbed Ben by the wrists. “I’ll never leave you.” He brought Ben closer to him and hugged him. “I’ll… I’ll just have to work from time to time, you know?”

Ben pulled away from him. “Work? B- but why?”

“It’s hard to explain…” Jake paused. “It’s a part of life I guess.”

Ben shook his head. “Working isn’t a part of life, it- it’s bad.” 

Jake tried to hug Ben again, but he swung his hands away and stumbled out of the bench.

“Th- t- they said that everyone would leave me,” mumbled Ben as he joined his hands over his torso.

“Ben, we don’t have a choice,” said Jake.

“Then why were you nice to me, if it’s only to leave after?” asked a trembling Ben. “People always do this... They’re nice to you and- and right after they hurt you.”

Ben gasped for air and gripped at his chest. 

Jake stood up and softly said, “Ben, just listen-”

“Stop talking,” ordered Ben. “I don’t want to hear anything…”

Ben’s vision blurred while the sounds around him became confused and unclear. He limped back and breathed heavily.

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” muttered Ben. “I- I have to escape.”

Ben ran away while Jake raced after him. 

“Ben!” shouted Jake.

Chapter Text

Ben covered his ears while his breathing quickened and his heart pounded. He jumped over a fence and kept running, as fast as he could. His body shivered at the sight of any building and his mind screamed to him to run.

When he opened his eyes, Ben was laying by the side of a stream, face against the sand and the grass. His hazy brain considered some actions, but his body stayed lethargic, paralyzed in its position and gazing at the flow of the water.

Crunches resonated to his left and he forced himself to glance. Blackheart was sitting next to him and eating crisps out of a ripped-up bag.

“I don’t know why you mortals enjoy this, it’s disgusting,” said Blackheart.

Ben sniffled and asked, “Wh- why are you eating them, then?”

Blackheart shrugged. “No idea.” He gestured to Ben. “Are you crying?”

Ben nodded. 

“Well that sucks since I’m terrible at makin’ people stop crying,” replied Blackheart as he devoured another crisp. “But if you need someone to make someone cry in agony, you can count me in.”

“Why are you here then, if you’re bad at it?” wondered Ben.

Blackheart waved his left hand up. “I don’t know… When people cry, I guess they like when someone else’s near them, so…”

“Ben!” shouted Jake as he ran in.

“Ah, Jake!” Blackheart saluted him. “We need you for-” He pointed at Ben.

Jake goggled at Blackheart before he sat next to Ben. 

“Hey,” said Jake with a warm smile.

“Hey,” whispered Ben. 

A loud crunch resonated as Blackheart munched another crisp.

“Blackheart, can you give us a moment?” demanded Jake.

“Why? It’s gettin’ interesting,” said Blackheart.

Jake glared at him and Blackheart stood up. The latter groaned and strolled away.

“How do you feel?” Jake asked with wrinkled brows.

Ben sat up. “Scared,” he said with a low voice.

“I’ll come back from work, you know,” said Jake as he rubbed Ben’s back. “And there are the weekend, the holidays, and the days off too.”

Ben looked at Jake and muttered, “That sounds like a lot of time for us to be together.”

“Exactly!” exclaimed Jake. “And there’s also break time, you could come to see me.”

“For real?” asked Ben with a smile.

Jake held Ben’s right hand and replied, “For real.”

“Wait.” Ben widened his eyes. “Does it mean you want me to live with you?”

“Of course, we already sleep together all the time,” replied Jake.

Ben’s face shone up and he wrapped his arms around Jake.

“Thank you!” shouted Ben.

“Thank you for being here for me,” tenderly said Jake.

“The two young men embraced each other while two burly arms coiled around them.

“Ah, just the three of us,” said Blackheart as he hugged them.

Ben gawked at Blackheart while Jake shot daggers at him.

“Alright, alright, giving you a moment,” said Blackheart as he dragged his feet backward.

They watched him leave and stood up. 

“Are you still scared?” worried Jake.

Jake inhaled and exhaled. “A little, but it’ll get better.”

“Alright, it’s okay,” replied Jake. “Just know that we still got a lot of time with Steve and Lissa. Let’s enjoy it while they’re still with us.”

“You’re right,” said Ben.

They held hands and walked back toward the town and rejoined with Steve and Blackheart.

“Hey, you two are okay?” worried Steve.

“Hey, Steve, we’re okay,” replied Jake with a warm smile.

“My name’s Blackheart,” said Blackheart.

Jake glanced at Blackheart and said, “I wasn’t talking to you.”