# # #
Jill stopped as she stepped out of the break room. Valkadaidan walked in through the fire exit again. “Why can't you use the front door like everyone else,” she yelled, more out of being upset that he caught her off-guard.
Valk grunted out a laugh. “I smelled coffee,” he said.
“You know where it is,” she responded. “Grab a cup and take a seat. We're about to start the meeting.”
“Meeting?” Valkadaidan looked over to see Deadguy and Kiri with their chairs pulled up to Jill's desk.
“To discuss the nightmarish event,” Jill answered, sitting at her desk. “That's why you're here too, isn't it?”
Valkadaidan poured a cup of coffee, then put the cup on the burner and took the pot with him. “Guess so,” he mumbled, drinking from the pot.
Jill blew off the steam from her coffee before taking a sip. “Okay, so when is a dream not a dream,” she questioned.
“Aw, I'm crap with riddles,” Deadguy replied, rubbing the back of his head.
“Don't know that one,” Kiri remarked, appearing half-awake.
“When it's a Monger,” Valkadaidan answered.
Jill tapped the side of her nose, then pointed at the Supreme Warrior.
“Another one,” Our Hero groaned. “Don't they have anything better to do?”
“Wait. What,” Kiri asked. “Another one what?”
“Monger,” their boss answered. “Beings that can influence a certain emotion. We have dealt with two so far.”
“Two too many,” Valk grumbled.
“Why can't we deal with one that handles positive emotions, like love or joy or...or baking,” DG questioned.
“Because negative emotions are easier to manipulate,” a voice in Kiri's ear whispered. Wide awake now, she spun around to find no one behind her.
“You guys hear-,” she turned back around to find an empty office. “-that?” The office was run down. Vegetation grew up the walls and broke through the roof. She felt a breeze coming from the front, and turned to see the windows smashed open. The sun hung in the afternoon sky, lighting up the skeletal remains of buildings and people.
She walked out into the parking lot, seeing the ruins of the once-bustling city. It was quiet. An unsettling quiet. She accidentally kicked a skull, but it crumpled to ash instead of flying off. New Tao looked like it was hit by an atomic bomb.
Kiri heard the faint sound of a little girl crying. She looked over and spotted the girl across the street. A figure emerged behind the child. A creature that was human shaped, but had spider-like limbs. It crawled up behind the girl and gave Kiri a wide, creepy smile before grabbing the child.
Kiri began to rush to the child's aid, but someone grabbed her, pulling her away. “No,” she screamed. “Let me go!” She started trying to fight off whatever had grabbed her. Her leg connected with something.
“Kiri,” a distant voice called out. “Kiri, wake up.” She felt someone softly patting her cheeks. The devastated scene dissipated and the Techie found herself in the real parking lot. It was still night. Jill held her face in her hands. “Kiri,” she asked. “You still with us?”
She felt herself locked into something. The low growling let her know it wasn't something but someone. She noticed Deadguy off to the side, almost doubled over in pain.
“Ooo, right in the Mommy Daddy button,” he groaned.
“It's okay now,” Jill said, her voice kind and soothing. “You're safe.”
The Heroes listened as Kiri described the nightmare. “Spider-like creature,” Jill asked. Kiri nodded.
“Think it was one of those Mongerlings,” Valkadaidan asked.
“I thought those things traveled in packs,” Deadguy asked. “Like wolves or teenage girls. Sorry, repeated myself there.” Jill started laughing. Our Hero thrust his fists in the air in triumph. “Yes! I win.”
“Win what,” Valk asked.
“The 'Make Jill Laugh' game.”
“When did we start playing that,” Kiri questioned.
“Well, it was something that was just in my head, so...”
“Back on track,” Jill stated. “This just confirms our theory that it is in fact a monger.”
“One that can control and manipulate our fears,” Valkadaidan growled.
Jill snapped her fingers in revelation. “Fear Monger,” she announced.
“Fear Monger,” Deadguy asked.
“Fear Monger,” Kiri whimpered.
The lights in the office suddenly went out. “Oh come on. You're not Beetlejuice,” Our Hero called out. The darkness faded to a ruined throne room. Nightmarish images decorated the walled remains. Behind Jill, a spider-like being sat on a warped throne of skin and bone.
“You rang,” the creature asked, his voice unnerving.
“What is with you people attacking us,” Deadguy commented. “Seriously, it's getting old.”
“Us? Attack you,” Fear Monger replied. “You are the ones who have attacked us. You are the ones who have killed two of our kind. This is retribution.”
“We didn't kill Lust Monger,” Jill defended. “Someone else did.”
“Okay, so what does revenge have to do with fear,” DG questioned.
“Fear,” he announced, his arms spread wide. “It is the basis of all other emotions. Fear gives fuel to anger, to hate, to love and hope and everything you pitiful little worms have ever felt.” He started walking down the steps. “Fear of the dark led to fire. Fear of death led to weapons. Fear of exclusion led to progress. Even now, fear leads to oppression, if your laws are to be taken into account.” He stood before them, almost a foot taller than the Heroes. His skeletal frame barely covered by his tattered body suit. “and it is fear that led me to you.”
“Bullshit,” Deadguy coughed.
“Excuse me,” Fear Monger hissed.
“Sorry,” he excused. “I'm allergic to villainous monologues. It's kind of like Hay Fever.”
The room started to shake. Within the walls, multiple things started to crawl. Between the cracks in the floor, strange and horrifying things started to crawl about. “I am done speaking with you. Let your fears consume you.”
Snakes started bursting out of the walls. Spiders, centipedes, and other fearful creepy crawlers spilled out from the cracks in the floors. Within moments, the swarm was upon the Heroes. They momentarily flinched, but quickly regained their composure.
“Why are you not screaming in fear,” the monger questioned.
“First off, this isn't real,” Jill explained. “These are just manifestations of your powers.”
“Second, none of us are really afraid of these creatures,” Deadguy continued as a spider crawled across his face.
“Third, half of this team can't even be harmed by these creatures,” Valk added, staring down a snake.
“And finally, why would you pick such a generic fear to attack us with,” Kiri scoffed as a scorpion ran across her shoulders. “It's so cliché that it's stupid.”
The lights went out. When they flickered back on, Kiri found herself alone with Fear Monger. The creature looked far more terrifying than before. “I'm...I'm not afraid of you,” Kiri said, trying to sound brave.
“You ARE afraid,” the monger hissed. “but not of me. You are afraid of being alone. Being abandoned.”
Deep down, she knew he was right. She was afraid of losing the ones she considered family.
“Ki-ri,” a faint voice called out in the back of her mind. “Kir-waii!”
“Kir-waii,” Jill questioned.
Deadguy pulled his hands from the sides of his mouth. “It's a mash-up of 'Kiri' and 'Kawaii'. I thought she might enjoy it.”
“Yelling is not helping,” Valkadaidan growled, peering around in the darkness. “We need to find a way out.”
“Well, instead of growling at the darkness, light a candle,” Our Hero remarked.
“No,” Kiri said, staring up at Fear Monger. “You're wrong.”
Fear Monger chuckled. The sound
was like thousands of skittering insects. “Oh,” he hissed.
“I'm not afraid to lose my friends. My family,” she declared. “They are always with me.”
“It's after Kiri,” Jill proclaimed.
“Why,” DG asked.
“She's afraid,” Valk answered.
“Afraid of what? She was in a thief-slash-assassin guild.”
“Afraid of losing us,” Jill replied. “The same way we're afraid of losing her.”
Deadguy rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess your-”
He was cut off as a dot of light appeared. It quickly grew larger.
Kiri slammed her eyes shut. Her face was squished up in determined concentration.
“What are you doing,” the monger questioned.
“Getting my friends back,” she answered through gritted teeth. There was a blinding flash, and Jill, Valkadaidan, and Deadguy appeared behind her. Deadguy started blinking away the sudden blindness as Jill rubbed her eyes.
“Kiri,” Our Hero exclaimed. “There you are. Hey Boss, I found Kiri.”
“That's nice,” Jill replied, not really impressed. “I'll put a gold star by your name.”
“How...how did you do that,” Fear Monger hissed. “This is my realm. I'm in control here!”
“But I'm in control of my fear,” Kiri announced. “And I know, whether they are right beside me or half a world away, my friends will never abandon me.”
Deadguy stood next to her, striking a fighting pose. Jill stood on her other side, gun in hand. Behind her, she heard Valkadaidan unsheathe his blade. The tiny bars on her Shock-ra bracelets shot out.
“How did you get your weapons in here,” the monger whimpered.
“We had a hidden cache,” Our Hero quipped.
“What? Where?”
“Hidden,” Kiri answered. “Duh!”
Deadguy and Kiri rushed Fear Monger. He tried to throw a swarm of bats at them, but they pushed through, with Deadguy landing the first punch to the monger's jaw. Kiri followed up with both Shock-ra jolts to the side. He stumbled away just in time to see Valkadaidan coming in from above with his mighty sword Hogo-sha ready to crash down on him.
He rolled out of the way, missing the blade's edge by inches. Shots rang out, and Fear Monger felt pain for the first time as bullets slammed into his shoulder. He stumbled back just as Deadguy landed another hit. Kiri was right behind him, hitting him with more shots of electricity.
He fell back onto his throne. Valkadaidan's sword rammed in for the kill. “Don't,” Jill yelled, hoping it wasn't too late. The blade hit the back of the throne. Fear Monger slowly turned his head to see the blade sitting uncomfortably close to his head.
Jill stepped up to the throne and aimed her gun directly at Fear Monger's forehead. He began to tremble. “Go ahead,” he hissed. “Kill me.”
“Remember this moment,” she said firmly. “Remember that you were defeated by the Professional Heroes and there is no emotion that can overtake the bonds we have.”
Fear Monger simply nodded.
Deadguy nudged him. “So, you going to let us go or what?”
Fear Monger sighed, waved his hands, and everything went black.
# # #
Kiri was the first to wake up. The dawning of the autumn sun laid across her face like a sleepy kitten. She looked around. The other Heroes were still passed out on the floor. “guys,” she called out weakly.
Jill was the first to reply with a groan. Valkadaidan was next to wake up. Deadguy was last, sitting straight up.
“I'm up,” he declared. “Where's my hat?”
“On the floor,” Jill said, propped up by her elbows.
Deadguy looked out the window. “Aw, don't tell me we missed it,” he moaned.
“Missed what,” Kiri asked.
Our Hero dashed to unlocked the door and called out to a child that was walking by. “Hey! You! What day is it?”
“Why it's Halloween day, sir,” the boy replied in a Cockney accent.
“Sweet. We didn't miss it.” He dug into a pocket of his long coat and pulled out a Fifty dollar bill. “You know the giant Jack-o-Lantern filled with candy?”
“You mean the one in the front window of Mister Burton's store,” the boy questioned.
“That's the one. Go buy it and have it delivered to Bob Cratchit.” He slapped the bill into the boy's hand.
“Um...sure thing mister,” the boy said, then ran off.
“Who's Bob Cratchit,” Kiri asked. She watched the look of realization hit Our Hero's face.
“I'm not getting my fifty bucks back, am I,” he asked.
“Nope,” she answered, patting him on the back for consolation.
“No matter,” DG proclaimed, quickly draping his arm around Kiri. “Because this is the season of giving.”
“That's Christmas,” the Techie corrected.
“Where we remember what our forefathers fought and died for...”
“That's the Fourth of July.”
“...And we thank Mother Nature for all her splendor and pray she doesn't kill us all...”
“The first part is Earth Day. I have no idea what the second part it.”
The two continued talking as Jill and Valk looked on. “Still hate this holiday,” their boss grumbled.
END
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