Zero rolled her chair to face the wall, turning her back at everyone. The metal at the lower part of her helmet moved aside, allowing the warlord to take an elegant sip from the cup.

She spit out the coffee back into the cup, wiped her lips clean of the filth, and re-closed her helmet.

"I have tasted breakfast in the run-down motels of the Oathtakers," She turned to look at Alpha. "Once, I even made the mistake of buying so-called ‘cold coffee’ at a market in Balach. "Without a doubt, this is the worst coffee I've ever had the misfortune to taste."

"I had no idea it would turn out this way. To think that a taste like this exists... how terrifying." Valerye put the cup back on the table, moving it aside with one finger.

"Just say what you think!" Alpha roared at her.

"Well… This is shit!" The warlord, dressed in black and red jeans and a similar jacket, stood up, checking if her helmet was sitting properly on her head. "How dare you serve us this kind of coffee and look at us with such a proud countenance…" The last words sounded quieter and quieter, until Valerye started mumbling to herself, closing the lower part of her own helmet.

Zero felt for her. Even when Alpha held back her fear wave, it was still seeping out, oozing into the surroundings around her like poison from a pile of toxic waste. A normal person would find it hard to stand in Alpha’s presence. For someone like Valerye, with her scarred brain, it was pure torture to even be here. The fear coming from Alpha always messed up with the woman’s psyche, prompting her to experience never-ending nightmares, which increased in severity because of her constant headache.

"My turn." Tiny calmly put two cups before Zero and Valerye.

The group was still in the same building where Alpha told the story of the Wolf Tribe to the new warlords. Only this time, everyone gathered on the first floor. Lucendra was standing near the entrance, clenching her fists and looking at Tiny and Alpha worriedly, while the mother and daughter were busy preparing coffee for the challenge.

There was no way for Tiny to compete with Alpha on any physical level. Everyone knew this. Foolish challenges were frowned upon in the Wolf Tribe, no one liked to have their time wasted. Usually, Alpha simply gored any warlord that dared to challenge her and moved on with her life. This time, however, things were different. A wolf hag challenged. Such a thing hasn’t happened in two centuries, ever since Alpha broke the back of her second-in-command during the challenge for ownership over the pack.

Alpha accepted the challenge, forcing Tiny to compete in that one area where the young wolfkin had no experience but could potentially compete fairly. Alpha actually liked cooking, enjoying using her artificial limbs to prepare various dishes for herself during her free time. The goal was simple, prepare the best coffee.

"Hm…" Zero carefully took the cup of coffee, turning away and taking a sip, "Not bad! Far better than the horrid trash that I tasted a minute before!"

"Taste, smell, flavor… It is so bland!" Valerye said with disappointment, following Zero’s routine. Two warlords were overseeing and judging the challenge. In truth, Ashbringer should have been here instead of Zero. Luckily for her, Ferret was still in the hospital and was saved from tasting Alpha’s horrible excuse for a coffee. "Tiny, d…. Do you even know how to cook? Maybe I should teach you? How will you feed your future cubs? How will you keep your male…"

"Faster!" Alpha snapped at Valerye, making the woman squirm in her seat.

"It’s completely average, even below average, I’d say…Buuu…t," Valerye stuttered the word out, taking several deep breaths to calm herself. "Just because it’s normal, E.... Tiny wins."

"Yes!" Tiny jumped, reaching the ceiling with her fingers. She smugly looked at her mother, pointing one finger at the looming face. "The loser has to do what the winner says, and I want to know the answer to my question…"

"Can a question even come from the ruined jaw?!" Alpha turned toward Tiny in a burst of movement, her leg shot forward all of a sudden, aimed for Tiny’s snout.

"Stop, please!" Tiny gasped in fear, backing away into Valerye’s arms. Zero jumped before Tiny, ready to block the kick. With a surprise, Zero noticed a pair of knives in Valerye’s paws.

The attack never came. Alpha’s leg was frozen in the air, well before her claws could reach the young wolf hag. The warlord’s lips twisted in a leer:

"Alright, I stopped. Your wish has been granted, now it is over."

"You cheating bitch!" Tiny slammed her legs into the floor, breaking the wood, "I wanted to know who my other Mom was!"

"You have only one mother, Elea. Now piss off and have a rest."

"Don’t call me by this name!" Tiny tried to break free from Valerye’s arms, releasing her claws. "My other Mom can call me by this name. You gave me another name, use it!"

"Now, now, this is over. Let us leave and check Ashbringer before she sets another place on fire." Valerye put Tiny under her arm, carrying the screaming woman toward the exit like a toy.

My, you really are snapping back, Red Streak. Zero silently cheered her up. She consulted with therapists, of course, trying to help her sister however she could. It was merely a band-aid, all her vocal support and actions barely amount to anything. Valerye needed professional help, she needed to have a proper operation to heal her wound. Still, seeing the young rascal be ready to stand up to Alpha was nothing short of awesome. Still, how did Alpha lose at something that she is actually good at?

"Lucendra," Alpha said, making all wolfkins stop in place. "Thank you for the help. Let no one tell you that you are a bad comrade. Tiny. Well played, wolf hag."

Well played? Zero’s eyes found the cup of coffee that Alpha had made. She spilled out the disgusting contents on a wall, sniffing the insides of the cup and even licking it once to confirm her suspicion. Ah… So, this is why Lucendra volunteered… Tiny, you’ll make a fine leader one day.

"Zero," Alpha hissed, "Remove the harness. I am getting tired of these childish and pointless games."

Zero chuckled, walking behind her and starting to carefully press the buttons, allowing the drills that held the harness to come out of Alpha’s back. When Zero saw the blood, she took a disinfecting solution-soaked cloth from a pocket of her armor and began carefully wiping out the blood before sewing the edges of each wound.

"Just take the damn thing off!"

"Oh my, are you this irritated because of a lost challenge?" Zero let out a laugh and kept taking care of Alpha’s body. She heard a low growl and felt how muscles bulged underneath her sister’s skin. "I’d be honest, I would feel bad if you took out your anger on me. We both know that Tiny…"

"Elea."

"… Is the reason," Zero smiled underneath her helmet, enjoying the opportunity to annoy her sister, "In your eyes, such ‘trash-person’ like her…"

"Are you want to die, Zero?" Alpha turned her head, looking at the warlord with a single eye.

"… Who is struggling to keep on her feet, trying to overcome her weakness, and finding the truth… For someone as strong as you, her mere existence must be irritating. And knowing that you have feelings about her fills you with indescribable anger. Am I right, sis?"

"You talk too much." Alpha turned away. "Sorry about mentioning your girlfriend."

Zero stopped, struggling with the memories. Centuries have passed since that day, and she still feels her hand, slowly getting colder, in the paw. Their last moments together weren’t pretty, noble, or in any way romantic. Only dirt, pain, blood, loneliness, and horror were surrounding them. Zero was whimpering for her to live, and she was afraid to die.

"I always wondered… Were you disapproving… about us?"

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"No." Alpha replied shortly, "And I am not angry because of Tiny, although her mother should take her in by now."

"The shamans will..."

"Tiny is healthy now. Any bitch who even suggests this will be introduced to the urgent need for an artificial stomach," Alpha kept her silence for a few moments. "I am angry because of Csonka. She should have kept on healing and recovering, instead of playing a hero. First has no right to use her like this. And I am stuck in this war, unable to save another member of the Tribe," She spat on the floor. "Janine, Martyshkina, Dragena… It’s only a matter of days before Ashbringer bites the dust. The war is culling us, sis. The Tribe needs new, proper power, and fast."

Zero kept on working in silence, removing the harness deliberately slowly to avoid causing pain for her sister and treating her wounds. In all these years, she has stayed with the Wolf Tribe mostly because of Alpha and out of responsibility for the new generations. Alpha, the iron spine of the tribe, often uncompromised and cruel, had her own past too.

They hid something from the warlords. Alpha remembered something else. She revealed it to Ravager and later to Zero. Years later, seeing that Alpha’s guilt was still bothering her, Ravager gave an order to Wyrm Lord to connect the minds of all three women, allowing them to see and live through Alpha’s sin in order to put an end to this situation.

The very first Alpha’s memories were about a large underground hangar. She walked forward, obeying the orders that figures behind a large screen on the wall gave to her. Alpha saw countless creatures before herself. Mutants, bloodsuckers of the Blood Court, and wolfkins. All of them were just as young as she was or younger. Some could barely stand.

"Kill them." The scientists gave the order, and Alpha obeyed. There was no mercy in her, back then, she had no concept of such a feeling, nor any idea how to speak.

A male wolfkin jumped at her, protecting another girl. Alpha caught him with her claw, cleaving the small and frail body in two. His companion gave out a wordless howl of grief, throwing herself at the larger girl. Alpha grabbed the opponent by the head, feeling the desperate struggle in her paw. And then she popped her head like a watermelon.

She showed no mercy, walking through the whining bodies and bringing death in her wake. Multicolored blood covered the walls. The scared kids tried to get away from Alpha, slipping on the blood and wet insides. Sometimes Alpha would taste blood, and an unknown surge of alien memories, along with strange, never-before-felt emotions, would irritate her to no end. To quell the horror of someone else, Alpha lunged forward, killing and maiming with almost berserker fury.

A lone figure stepped in front of her, covered in bone plates of dark crimson color from head to toe. Two orange eyes locked on Alpha, and the only one who was unafraid of Alpha, the member of Blood Court, a prototype for an infiltration model of a super soldier, charged at Alpha. This boy bided his time, drinking the blood of his dying comrades, growing in power, and letting others die until he was confident enough to step in and protect those who still lived. The scientists applauded this development, praising themselves for instilling correct instincts in the being.

For several minutes, they fought, his nimble style against Alpha's brutish assault. Not once did the bloodsucker take the full brunt of her attacks, always weaving around and allowing claws to slide from his impressive bone plates, responding with his own claws that struggled to pierce her sturdy body. At the end of their fight, both were covered in blood, and finally Alpha unleashed her most devious weapon. The fear wave.

It made him stumble, killing almost everyone else present in the hangar. The massive jaws never missed this chance, closing on his neck. And stopped, unwilling to pierce his jugular.

His name was Boyarin. A name that he took for himself. Because of his supposed role, he was fully mature mentally at this point, with a concept of good and evil that he came up with himself. The boy waited for a chance to liberate everyone from this hell. And now, Alpha too knew the difference between good and evil, it came to her along with all his memories. She let him fall and looked at her deed, howling in shock and raging at herself for committing what she now knew as ‘massacre’ of innocents.

This regret sealed Alpha’s fate. Her newly founded morality was a hindrance, the creators deemed her defective and put her on hold, preparing to take her apart.

Ravager told Alpha and Zero to keep this secret. Alpha insisted that she was a murderer and a monster. She killed at least five hundred wolfkins during the slaughter, roughly the same number that was found by the Dynast. She was guilty of culling half the Tribe.

"Then live as a monster for the Tribe," Ravager punched Alpha in the chest, piercing through the breasts and ribs, before sending her into the wall, "Always obey the majority and their rules, never dare to rule yourself. Atone for your actions through your blood and suffering. But live you must! This is your punishment. Never reveal your secret to anyone." With these words, Big Sis’ jaws took away Alpha’s right ear, along with a large portion of her face, indicating that all talks were over.

Big Sis had a bad way with words. She was too rash, never properly thinking, never… Zero shook her head. She knew that Big Sis meant well. They were both inside Alpha's head, feeling the same way she did. Some cruelty was needed to push Alpha to keep on living. Regardless of the consequences, it forced her to finally accept her role as a warlord and, later, to form the Omega Team.

Zero let out a small sigh. Her family was getting smaller, year after year. During this year, she lost Dragena. Ravager was somewhere in the wilds. Only Alpha, Lacyone, and Ygrite have survived since those ancient times.

And I will protect you. You and whoever else I can. Zero swore to herself.

She snapped from her brooding at the sudden buzzing of Alpha’s terminal. Zero carried the thing to Alpha’s ear, allowing the warlord to hear the urgent report.

"What do you mean they nearly drowned?" We are in the Ravaged Lands, where in the Abyss…" Alpha fell silent, listening further, "But Virginia is afraid of water! How is she…"

Upon listening to the report, Zero allowed herself a hysterical laugh.

****

"Order, order among this noble assembly!" Virginia pretentiously declared, slamming her fist against an empty crate.

The group of wolfkins assembled at Virginia’s call in the currently unused warehouse. Here were wolfkins from multiple packs, Virginia called almost everyone she saw in sight. Even two members of the Omega Team, Ron and the recently returned Blaze, were dragged here from their duties.

Virginia looked at the gathering before her and proudly put a paw on the crate, pointing one paw upward:

"My dear kin, as you know, the ice boys keep pestering Aranea. Their knight captain dared to drop Aranea during the forest battle and dared to humiliate her during the siege by grabbing her! I say this cannot stand! One for all and all for one!"

"Fuck ‘em!" Came shouts from the crowd.

"We can’t touch the knight captain!" One of the wolf hags snarled, "Or Alpha will skin us. Besides, he is kinda cute."

"It is painfully true, sister," Virginia nodded to her amiably. The moment when she flew into the side of the building was one of the most amazing moments in Virginia’s life. Alpha would most likely kill her, though. Plus, Keyl was indeed a cutie. "And I accounted for these facts and came up with a plan."

"Since when are you making plans?" Kate lifted her brow, using a walking stick and Kaleb’s help to stand.

"Since never," Ron said quickly. "Virginia, dearest, please do not make plans. I want to live."

"Your plea has been heard and rejected, Ron," Virginia smiled, enjoying herself. Her plan was good, no way it would backfire! "I have done some research."

"Oh, Spirits," Danulka pressed her paws to her mouth, "Please grant us strength."

"According to my information," Virginia put a large display on the wooden crate, connecting it to her terminal. After a few failed attempts to turn it on, Sly and Ron had to help her, and the screen flashed, showing a group of wolfkins of the Ice Fang order, proudly throwing a golden trophy over their heads, "Ice boys are often playing in something called the "National League of Basketball," whatever it is. Seems like the gals and pals over there are apparently having a great time throwing a ball into their opponents' hoop. I say we find someone who knows how to play the game, form up our own team, and introduce the proud bastards to the dirt!" She looked at the uncertain faces before her and roared. "What else are we going to do?! What, are you going to go to Carty’s meditation lessons instead?!"

"Screw that!"

"Thank you for support, Gin. You’re in."

"Wait, I didn’t mean to…"

"Ultis and I know how to play basketball." Bel said, making sure that her sunglasses stayed in place.

"And how do you know it?" Hine’s eyes narrowed.

"We learned it during our stay in the Wintersong household." Ultis shrugged her shoulders.

"Traitors!" Virginia shouted theatrically, pointing two fingers in accusation at them.

"Virginia, I really hate this play of yours." Bel chuckled.

"Be silent, malcontent! As your penance, thou will teach us how to play! The Spirits demand it!" Virginia threw up her arms, looking at the ceiling in desperation, "They do demand it. Right?" She kept looking at the ceiling before dropping her paws, "Lucendra, why are the explosions not working?"

"Because you have to press the button, you buffoon!" Lucendra pressed both paws to her snout, feeling the heavy looks of Annie and Kate on her back.

"We have problems to solve," Ultis raised her paw. "First, we need a team name. Second, we need permission from either warlords or shamans…"

"You leave this to me," Olesya stepped forward, "they keep calling me a warlord, might as well use my privileges for a change."

"Same here." Annie nodded, "Consider that two warlords approved it."

"Next, we need to register in the league."

"Easy enough," Blaze put her paws behind her head, "There are no basketball teams in the Wastes or Ravaged Lands. We should win by default and be admitted as representatives of the regions."

"Next, we need uniforms. A place to train. And," Ultis observed as she looked around, "There are quite a few of us for one team."

"Don’t worry about the last one," Virginia allowed herself a smug leer, "I just might have an idea how to get us all involved. Is this settled then? Are everybody in?"

"First, tell us your plan," Danulka grumbled, "because the last time I followed your lead, you managed to blow up the entire damn base with us inside!"

"But we lived, right!?" Virginia looked around, "Come on, don’t you dare chicken out on me! Give me your promise, everyone: after the war, we're heading to the Core Lands to annihilate the Ice Boys on their own turf. Think of the legends that the Tribe will tell about us… Fuck that, think of how humiliated our cousins will be when we dominate them right in their home!"

Virginia smiled warmly, enjoying the roar of admiration that hit her in response. Having an official way to knock the ice boys a peg or two down was the best! And maybe it will take some weight off little Ari’s shoulders too.

Now, all I need to do is ask Svetlana about who can be cheerleaders and how they work…