In a place between, slightly out of phase with a small blue marble, a man, a woman, and a young witch reach their destination. As soon as they are within the territory of the Earth. The woman, Ge, suddenly connected to the planet in a way she had never done before, drawing energy from it, keeping the infection that had been building through her connection to the monsters at bay. She could feel everything that was happening all at once, and there she could truly see the chaos and destruction unraveling across her world. She wanted to cry but only felt lost and confused.

Himiko on the other hand could only see the destruction in front of her, they had appeared in, what she remembered, as her home city, but so much of it was already destroyed by the creatures, she could see hundreds, if not thousands of them wandering around the city looking for prey. Despite all that, she thought back to her family and felt a steely resolve, form in her core. She wouldn’t let it happen again, not like in the other world.

Del just looked on sad. He had seen this scene too many times before, and he hoped to never see it again.

Ge was completely lost, new to this power and all the connections, she felt it deep down inside she needed to do something but didn’t know what. “What do we do?” She asked.

The witch looked out upon the world with determination. She had been through this for longer than she had been alive. Looking at her new, old body she hadn’t seen in thirty years, she could feel the anticipation and excitement growing within her. It had been so long since she could let loose, even longer since her body would have been able to keep up with her. She smiled, “We fight.”

Ge turned, pushing the overwhelming number of connections to the back of her mind, “How do you plan to do that?”

“Well, I'm a Witch.” She pointed to her pointy hat. Then wiggled her fingers, and held up her bag, “With witchy powers.”

Del let out a big laugh, “That you are.”

Himiko looked over to Ge seeing her looking lost, “What about you?”

“I don't know.” She tried to think of all her interactions with the other Gods, and how they helped their people, and could only think of one thing. “I'll send divine message to guide people.”

Del looked at her eyebrows raised, “Do you know how to do that?”

She thought for a second before shaking her head, “...No”

“I guess not done teaching you.” He smiled.

“Will they even listen to her? There hasn’t been a god on Earth for a long time…if ever.” Himiko asked with concern.

“They will.” He replied confidently, “She’ll just have to speak to them in a way they’ll listen.” He turned to Himiko to ask, “Where would you like to go?”

This was her chance. She could go directly home, be with her parents, and family, but no, then these things would quickly show up and by then, there would be who knew how many left. She needed to be somewhere better. “The place I can do the most good, for my city.”

“Let's get you there.”

——

In a place where no Heroes awoke, a place was forgotten, as the world fell to pieces. This place, once a thriving metropolis, had become a city filled with the desperate, and scared, while creatures of nightmares stalked the streets, mindlessly killing any and all they find. The people huddle in their little shelters, praying for someone to come find them, but here there were no Heroes, no powers, or memories awoken, within a child, or adult.

It was late at night when the city was the darkest it had ever been, the ever-present illumination was gone, and only the sounds of death filled the air. It was then at the darkest hour, a time known, as the witching hour, that a witch appeared. There she was, a young woman looking down on a city, whilst riding atop her broom, her eyes glowing in the dark as her, to any who might be watching, would see the unmistakable silhouette against the bright full moon.

Looking down upon the destruction of her city, Himoko could only feel a simmering rage boiling inside her. All the frustration and shit she had been through was about to boil over, as a crooked smile appeared on her face. She began, pulling from her magic bag, the tools of her trade floated all around her, as she began her witchy work in the sky those below, none the wiser. Himiko felt a thrill of joy as she poured herself into the brew, all her emotions, adding potency to her craft. Her magic spins through the aether, guiding and mixing, as she brews her deadly witches brew.

She stirred and mixed, her cauldron bubbling, as she chants her words of power. Her cauldron glowed, as power cycloned all around, gathered, and filled her cauldron with possibilities, and much more strangely impossibilities, stolen from chaos. She was a witch and had used the opportunity to take what she could from the between, and her smile only grew as she let out a witch's cackle, that echoed deep into the night.

All over the city, the monsters heard the cackle of a witch, and for the first time felt fear, though not understanding its source. Though not meant for them, the people who heard echo felt it deep in their souls, as images of women with pointy hats, and cauldrons appeared in their minds. The people held each other closer, fearing for themselves, and even fearing for those that pissed off a witch. The only solace the people had was that the horrors of the night had gone quiet, for they too, would learn to fear a witch.

Himiko moved, appearing before one of the monsters, "I need your heart."

The monster jumped back confused at where this little morsel came from and why it wasn't running. It tilted its head before preparing to strike.

“Oh, your saying I can have it?” Himiko said with a sinister smile, “That’s so nice.”

The monster lunged towards her not understanding her words, it just saw an easy meal. Himiko casually stepped out of the creature's way, while reaching inside the monster plucking out its heart, like she would an apple. The monster hit the ground dead, not even realizing it had died.

Himiko had done this many times before, but it had never been this easy, or fun. She kicked the dead monster, and returned to her cauldron high in the sky, adding the final ingredient. The cauldron bubbled overflowing as liquid fell all across the city becoming a fog. The witch let out another cackle this time much longer and filled with true malice. All over the city wherever the fog touched, monsters fell. And all through the night, a witch cackled.

——

In a place between worlds, a woman sits in concentration, as a delivery man gives his passenger a final lesson. One he had hoped to never have to give, Del had grown fond of Ge’s company, since the day he picked her up. She was so small and lost back then, but looking down at her, with determination on her face he wondered if this was what a father felt.

“Find them.” He instructed, she knew what he meant, and it was all the clue she needed.

She let her power drift out over the world seeping deep into it, following any and all connections at once, looking for those she can save. Somewhere, far away, a group of people ran looking for someplace to hide, luckily for the group the monsters hadn’t noticed them yet. The group was moving and would come up on a safe place to take shelter, one with thick walls, and food, a school already barricaded up, with the entrance right there. But they were going to pass right by not noticing their sanctuary. She took a breath, “Ok, I found some. They're running.”

“Good, now we need to talk to them.” He said calmly.

Feeling through her power she pushed, and shouted, “Hey! Run to the school.”

The people running jumped, nearly falling over themselves, at the sudden voice in their heads. Quickly, jumping behind a piece of stone, afraid that the monsters would be attracted to the loud noise.

“Not like that,” Del said panicked. Causing Ge herself to jump and lose the connections. He felt like an idiot for not explaining properly. He calmed himself. “That's too direct for these people.”

She blushed, “Ok...” She hesitated, before asking, “Then what do I do?”

“You need to send them a feeling as they should really go to the school. Like there is something there that could help them.” He explained, having watched humanity, not to mention read a good number of their stories. He felt he had a good grasp on how to help them.

“Why like that?”

Del looked out to the world, “These people won't believe some strange voice telling them to go somewhere. Some might but more people will die thinking it's some kind of trick, or just out of spite, believing they know better. People are weird.”

Ge understood and began reaching out once more. All over the world people suddenly started to have gut feelings. Some followed the feeling, while others ignored it, not understanding or trusting themselves. The people who followed this new feeling suddenly found safety, food, or people who needed help. People started to find long-lost bunkers and weapon caches. People in impossible-to-escape situations suddenly found a hidden exit, or weapon letting them fight back. No one knew why they just believed they were lucky.

Back in the between of Earth, Ge sent her millions upon millions of messages, but could only do so much. It was when she saw a place of refuge she had been guiding people to fall she truly realized, “It's not enough.”

“Not it isn’t.” Del agreed sadly.

She looked pleadingly toward Del, “I need help.”

“What can I do?” He asked helplessly

She looked at him surprised, by his hopeless tone, “Can you bring me a Hero?”

He looked over her peering into her well of power seeing it was still very weak, “You don't have the power, for me to get you a Hero”

“But but we delivered so many from here.” She said trying to get him to help.

“We did.” His voice filled with, something she couldn’t quite place. Pride? No matter how much she wished it was. No, it was something, and she was in no mood to try and piece it together.

“They were stolen.” Her voice rose in anger, “My heroes were stolen? Taken away, from my world to save another!”

“Yes.” He answered calmly. To calmly, she would have noticed if not for her anger.

“Then…then…” Ge was building herself up trying to think of something when she felt it.

He quirked a smile, “What?”

She looked far off into the distance, feeling her people far from home. So many lost children who never made it back, out there, yet still connected. “I can still feel them.” The woman said in awe. How can that be? They’re connects were severed when they were taken. She lost herself feeling the connections, No not severed, just unwound, nearly unbound, but separate, with but the tinniest connection to the Earth.

“Who?” He asked.

“My people. My children. My Heroes.” She said with a look of determination

Del raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”

“Yes...” She shook her head and glared, “I need them. Why is it that when I need a Hero there are none to be found.”

“Nothing is fair.” He stated.

“I don't care!” She shouted

“Is that how it works?” Del asked curiously.

“I don't fucking care. I want my Heroes back. I want all my children to come home!”

Del smiled.