Our team assembles as the full moon shines in the sky.

White Knight gazes over the hillside to see our approaching allies. “Looks like we have two lovely ladies joining us on our quest. Assailant, I expect you to be extra vigilant. No doubt our enemies are planning to commit despicable acts on these fair maidens.”

The bird angel lands and glares at Annie.

White Knight steps in front of her. He crouches down on one knee. “Psyren of the Darkness, won’t you please bless my ears with a lovely song?”

“My name is Poppy. And all I feel right now is an urge to claw out that traitor’s eyes.” She growls at my little angel.

I loom over Poppy, making my body like knives. “Each scratch for her is a missing limb for you.”

Poppy’s Hero steps in front of her. “Bloodshed among allies only creates pools of regret. We have a mission to do. You can work through your emotions by punching each other later.”

“Thanks, big sis,” says Poppy, snuggling her hero.

“What gender do you prefer to be addressed as?” asks White Knight to the hero.

“I’m a guy. Believe it!” says the hero, crossing her arms over her breasts. “My name is Nasuke. And one day it will be etched into legend!”

“White Knight at your service, my Prince,” he says, kissing her hand.

Nasuke pulls away. “The only way I’d ever have kids is to continue my bloodline.”

Poppy rolls her eyes. “Enough roleplay. When are we gonna get our asses in gear? The less time I have to spend with that treacherous Lamby angel, the better.”

Annie points to her Pink String of Fate. “Umm, are we gonna teleport in that direction, or walk?”

Nasuke sighs. “If we teleport, we’ll lose the element of surprise. But that’s my way of the ninja! So let’s do it!” The Hero gives a thumbs up.

Annie smiles at the Hero. “You remind me of my Rachie.”

Nasuke scratches her nose nervously. “I won’t let you down.”

I teleport the team in the direction of the string. My first jump is past the destination. But my second drops us in the proper spot. Everything feels delicate and fluffy, must be some sort of tundra.

“That’s a pretty useful jutsu,” says Nasuke with a grin.

“A RiftRipper’s teleportation range is linked to their desire to leave this world of misery.”

“I can relate,” says Nasuke with a somber look.

I lift up Annie. “That’s what I was always told, but this time I created that portal to help you.” I tickle her and she giggles.

White Knight suddenly teleports in front of Nasuke. He grabs a stone from mid-air. “Looks like someone was waiting for us.”

A CatBoy general hops down from a tree. “If you turn back now, I won’t tuck you into the bed of eternity!” His fingers emit sparkly dust.

Annie steps back. “He works for the militia. We must be close.”

“CatNap is my name. I doubt you’ve forgotten me.” He smiles and takes a step forward.

Nasuke tosses an electrically charged kunai at his feet. “Take one more step and I’ll make sure your life is a never-ending nightmare.”

“Heroes playing dress up? Is that what the villages are doing now? Cosplay? How childish.”

Nasuke’s voice changes into that of an angry young woman. “Hey! Cosplay is a serious commitment!” She throws a kunai at CatNap, who dodges. “Electric Bonds.” A line of electricity shoots out from the first kunai and connects to the other, zapping the CatBoy general in between them.

White Knight then rushes in, slamming into the CatBoy general before falling asleep.

I pick up Annie and slid past the fight.

Their base must be close. The others can keep him busy.

Annie’s string leads us to a snowy hill and is pointing directly beneath us. “The entrance could be anywhere.” She sifts through the snow.

I focus my awareness to find some sort of entrance, but the snow muddles everything. “I’m not thinking clearly.”

Annie grabs my cape. “It’s fine, poppa bear.”

I send out a single tendril and sharpen it with my mind. It pierces through the roof of the fortress and I cut us an opening.

The snow pools inside, dragging us along with it.

I feel the wind pressure change. An invisible blade cuts my cloak.

“Come out now,” says the Hero with an intense edge to his voice.

Annie tumbles out from the snow and onto the metal floor of the spacious room.

His emotional energy shifts. Joy now coats the hero’s body like a warm blanket of flesh. “You’re alive.”

“I thought you were dead too.” Annie hugs him. “We’re here for Rachie and Tumble. But you should escape too. The Mortal Militia is going to be attacked. You’re the new leader, right? You can disband the militia. It’s the only way to protect the heroes.”

I crawl out from the snow and offer my hand. “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Assailant.”

The Hero shivers. “Yeah, you’re the one who nearly killed me.”

“Oh, did I? I don’t have the best memory.” I scratch my head. “Sorry for doing such a sloppy job.”

The Hero grabs my tendril. “I’m Luchador Espada. I hope you’re not here to finish that sloppy job.”

“Not unless you want me to.” I carve a smile into my cloak and chuckle.

The Hero pulls Annie in close and whispers. “Look, I’m not the leader. Braven took over.”

Annie’s joy abandoned her like an unwanted child. “Is Tumble in danger!?”

“She’s safe…I promise.”

“What about Racheal?”

“She’s the second in command. Always with Braven. She believes in what we are doing. Why don’t you?”

“I just…can’t lose her. I’d save everyone, if I could. But if I can’t, then I have to at least rescue Tumble and Rachie.”

“We need them both. If you want to help, then come back to us. Braven won’t hurt you as long as Racheal is with him. We can figure something out.” He grabs her hands.

“Dios Gigante, your brother, got so many Heroes killed. He used them to bargain for your sister’s safety. How many more heroes have to die?” Annie looks up at him in tears.

“I could hardly believe it myself. Braven found out and he staged a mutiny against me and my brother. If I lead you to Racheal or Tumble, then he’ll kill me. Join us and you can see them both.”

“Your sister is alive,” I say.

“Then why can’t we find her? We’ve liberated over a dozen villages, but nobody has seen her.”

“You’re looking in the wrong place. I could slice you to pieces but that would make my sugar puff sad. So, you let us pass and I’ll tell you where your sister is. We can rescue her together once Annie has who she came for.”

Luchador Espada points to a collar on his neck. “I leave and Braven blows me up. This militia doesn’t have a prison. Instead Braven uses fear to turn prisoners into warriors. I can’t go with you. But I won’t stop you. So please, tell me where she is.”

“She’s in Glam Castle most likely. Your little sister has been turned into a CatBoy soldier.”

Luchador Espada cries into his cape. “Then there’s no way of getting her back.”

I circle around him. “I wasn’t aware they made cowards into Heroes. Very interesting indeed.”

“Where’s Racheal and Tumble?” asks Annie.

“Tumble is in the medical bay. All the way down the hall. Racheal is likely at the control room. There’s a meeting going on right now.”

“Thankies!” Annie puts her hands over the Hero’s ears and emits a powerful boom of sound.

He falls over unconscious.

Annie spreads open my cloak and hops inside. “Be sneaky ‘kay. Everyone is counting on us.”

I slide across the ceiling past many rebel soldiers. I make my body even thinner to squeeze through the opening of the medical bay.

The room is sparkly clean, unlike the rest of the base. There’s a single file line of rebels getting treated by the Angel one by one. Around the prickly Angel’s neck is a collar.

Annie peeks out from my cloak, a bit dizzy from being inside my void. She watches as the rebels pat her head to relieve stress. The particularly disturbed rebels are hand fed Memshrooms to forget their pain. “We can’t help her until we disable the collars. We have to find Braven first.”

I grab Annie’s hand and wave at her little sister.

The little Angel notices and smiles up at us.

Annie hugs me tightly. “Thanks for everything. We’re gonna save her for sure.”

We make our way to the control room and thankfully, the meeting is at an end. Once the rebel commanders leave the room, I slide in with Annie.

“I…wanna talk to him alone. We were close once.” Annie climbs out of me. “Braven!”

The rebel leader turns around and finishes up his cup of ginger tea. “I thought they had killed you. But no.” He raises his hands and summons up a small rainstorm indoors.

Annie stands on the table, knocking over some of the war table battle figures. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want Rachie.”

Braven takes off his shirt. “Rings can be lost. But ink is forever.”

“A wedding tattoo! But she’s my girlfriend!”

“Three years is a long time. My Ginger is now an obedient pet. We would already have kids, if her home village didn’t taken precautions.”

Annie wipes her tears. “I need to speak with her.”

“We staged the coup de tat together. Got our hands a bit bloody. What’s a few more dead heroes anyway? Ginger was really aroused after taking their lives.”

“She’s not like that. She’s a hero.”

“You just don’t know her like I do. Such a beast in bed!”

“Why do you hate me?”

“I’m actually thrilled to see you!”

“So you can kill me?”

“Of course not! Annie, we were friends once. And you brought me the love of my life.”

“Then why are you talking like a villain?”

Braven slams his fist on the table, making the figures jump out of formation. “She won’t forget about you! No matter what I try. A piece of you is lodged in her heart. Killing you will only make that glass shard pulse. I need your help and you need mine. So, let’s put aside our feelings…” He climbs on top of the table and looks down at Annie. “And get to business.”

“I want Tumble and Racheal to be safe.”

“I’ve kept them safe for three years. Not sure what you were doing.”

“What do you want?” Annie gets on her tip toes to intimidate him.

“I want to wipe out every last one of your kind. And I’m going to start with your sister, Shade. She’s going to tell me where your mother is hiding and then the cleansing will begin!”

“I’m not helping you hurt my family!”

“Thankfully I don’t need your consent. Gloom, you can handle the rest, can’t you?”

The shadow beneath the table comes to life.

I’ve waited long enough.

I dive into the shadow.

Annie blasts Braven with a sound wave off the table.

The door swings open and a hero girl rushes in. She stops when she sees Annie.

“You’re…alive!” The hero girl picks up my daughter and snuggles her affectionately. “You found her! On our anniversary.”

Braven turns red with embarrassment. “Yes…that’s exactly what I did.”

“Oh, come here, hubby.” The hero girl pulls him into her.

Gloom whispers to me. “What are you doing here?”

“Fulfilling a promise to my daughter.”

Annie looks at the hero girl. “Rachie, it’s not safe here. Umm, all the rebels are in danger.”

“That’s sweet of you to worry, but my hubby and I can handle anything.”

Braven glares at his crotch. “Not now! You will obey me!”

Annie buries her face in Racheal’s chest. “Please. I miss you. Just come with us.”

Racheal looks at me. “Is he your boyfriend? A RiftRipper for a boyfriend! That’s super hot!”

“I’m her father!” I yell.

“Oh…well that’s sweet. Sorry.” Racheal scratches her head. “Oh Annie, guess what!? Turns out Gloom was the RiftRipper that skinned me alive! Isn’t that awesome!?”

“We have to go now! The others that came with us. They’re here to kill everyone in the chain of command.”

What? Where did she get that idea!?

“You’re making this too easy,” says an edgy voice from the shadows. “Chidoriken!” Nasuke flings an electrically charged shuriken into the small pool of water surrounding the room.

Braven, Racheal, and Annie all scream out as they’re electrocuted.

“Hey, Angel killer!” Poppy lands on Braven. “The attack has already begun. Your rebellion ends today!”

Time to go!

I rush by, taking Annie and Racheal in my appendages and then cleaving us an exit.

“You have to save Braven!” yells Annie, tugging on my tentacle.

“He wants to kill every angel. I welcome his end.” I turn my tendrils into fans and with a powerful wave I launch the heroes and rebels fighting in the hallway off their feet.

“Yeah, he’s a jerk, but Rachie worked so hard to get a boyfriend. I don’t want her sad.”

“She’ll forget in time. Everything fades.”

I’m suddenly pulled back by hooks.

A sickle emerges from my back and slices the tendrils holding me back. “I’m a father on a mission. Get in my way and I will kill you, old friend.”

“I’m running out of time! They need a RiftRipper to sacrifice and I’m not gonna be it!” His hooks grab heroes and rebels and then slam them into me like battle clubs.

Killing could put me in a frenzy. Have to improvise.

“A sacrifice for what?” I ask, turning my blade tendrils blunt to deflect the attackers.

White Knight suddenly slams into Gloom. “According to my hostage, it’s the key to a safe passage to Earth.”

“Racheal can return home!” cheers Annie. “New promise. We bring her home!”

The ceiling is suddenly lifted from above us by a massive hand.

How can Dios Gigante still be alive?

The massive figure isn’t Dios. I can sense his vitality. Braven is the one looming above us.

How did he acquire Dios’ ability?

His hand slams down on Gloom. “Get her out of here! That’s what you’re here for, right? Keep my wife safe. Gloom, follow him. Bring her back to me when this whole mess is over.”

Annie tugs on my tendril. “We have to get Tumble to safety. Then we can leave.”

Braven turns his attention to Poppy who is flying down the halls and signing her enchanting song. “I’m going to tear off those wings, damn demon!”

I speed down the hallway and back to the medical bay where Tumble was.

The room was void of life. There were bodies on the ground. I couldn’t determine the cause of death. One thing was certain, Tumble was nowhere to be found.