“Roger, we’re going to help you kill it,” said CJ standing up from the chair.

“Look, you all seem like decent folk. I don’t think I could take it if you got ate up by that thing. Why don’t you just let this old sailor handle it,” replied Roger before another spike of pain made him wince.

“I don’t think you heard me. We’re going to help you kill it. You managed to survive this long on your own with an obviously infected leg. That ability of yours is like something I’ve never seen before and it’s in the best interest of humanity that we keep you alive. Fuck, just the thought of a hot shower makes me want to take a bullet for you. Now we’ve got some powers of our own. I just need you to answer a few questions. Got it?” asked CJ, as he began pacing back and forth.

“Well, if, you’re sure. I’d be glad to have some help, but I’ve got the feeling you’re not telling me something,” acquiesced Roger.

“Let’s handle the roaming monster hoard and then we can talk about that afterwards,” interjected Rubio after sharing a look with CJ.

“What do you think was going on when the skeletons in your story all reached up grabbing their skulls?” asked CJ.

“At the time I was too horrified to think about it. While I fortified this place, it occurred to me that they were reacting the same way the monster did. It lifted up off of me after the shotgun blast. I’m not sure what that means,” explained Roger.

“I think it might be weak to sound,” said Elena.

“I was thinking the same. He shot it almost point blank, yes, he was aiming for his leg, but the creature was on his leg. The story didn’t say anything about blood splatter, but he intimated that there was a delay in reaction afterwards. I can’t imagine you crawled at speed out of the building, but you were inside the shed before they came out looking for you. Any idea how long that was?” asked CJ.

“Not really. That’s all still a blur in my mind,” answered Roger.

“If only we had a car alarm. Those always annoyed me,” said Jenn.

“Not a bad idea. If I had one of those, I could probably get it to work off of mana. Most of this place runs on mana now,” mused Roger.

“Jenn, you’re a genius. I know I saw a luxury SUV one block over. It’s bound to have an alarm,” Elena said before grabbing Jenn by the face and planting one on her lips.

CJ just stared in shock. Jenn just blushed a little before clearing her throat. Rubio just cast his eyes back over to the crystal ball while Robert’s left eyebrow lifted a little. Elena looked around at everyone before she crossed her arms over her chest.

“If anyone has a problem with it, they’ll get the crotch saw. Am I clear?” Elena stated defiantly.

“Anyway, let’s see about getting that car alarm. If we run into the monster, we keep our distance for now. I’ll even try to cut it in half. Maybe solve the problem before it gets started. Sound good?” asked CJ getting nods of approval from everyone except Roger.

“What do you mean cut it in half?” asked Roger.

“Like I said, we’ve got powers of our own. Now you said earlier that you have roof access. Rubio should be on overwatch while Elena, Jenn, Monty, and I go after the car alarm,” explained CJ.

“Actually, I’d like to stay here and start cooking up some stuff. If you can drop the gear we took from the pharmacy, I think I can make something caustic that might hurt it. It won’t be as strong as real acid, but I can combine some of these chemicals in a way that can harm flesh,” countered Jenn.

CJ immediately summoned the compressed cubes from his inventory. Both the one he created, and the one Monty did. With the snap of the fingers on his right hand they popped back into normal space. There was now a basket of equipment on the floor as well the box Elena had brought over. Jenn immediately began rifling through the basket after dropping her backpack on the ground.

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“Roger, can you help me with this?” asked the blue eyed woman as she commandeered one of the tables in the dining room.

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go you two,” said CJ.

“Even the rabbit?” asked Roger over his shoulder while he arranged things on the table with Jenn.

“I’ll be fine. Worry about yourself!” Monty shot back, receiving a gasp of surprise from Roger.

Once the coast was clear, CJ and team were back out on the street. Elena had donned her new helmet again, adding to her air of menace. They kept close to walls and parked cars as the skulked down the mostly abandoned roads. As they passed the spot the flesh ball just had its last meal, CJ noticed an impression in the concrete. It was a round divot half as large as the ball was. That told him there was some serious weight behind the balls pounce attack.

New Message from Rubio: All clear up here. Meha, what type of SUV was it?

New Message from Elena: It was a white Escalade.

New Message from Party Leader CJ: I never understood buying a white car. They always end up filthy.

New Message from Rubio: Again, mission critical communication only.

CJ spotted it first and pointed across the street. Just as he stepped around the sedan, he was crouched next to a bullet ricocheted off the asphalt in front of him. In an alley way on the other side of the target vehicle stood a man in fatigues with a large backpack on. His gun was pointed at CJ with wisp of smoke coming off the barrel.

New Message from Party Leader CJ: Let me handle this Elena, you stay behind this car. If I can’t talk my way out of this, I’ll lure into the open and your dad can take the shot.

New Message from Elena: Copy.

“Hey, buddy. Don’t shoot. Not looking for a fight and I’m not interested in meeting that monster ball,” said CJ as he stood up, hands raised.

“Gimme everything you’re carrying, and you can go. I don’t know what you’re doing out here but it’s getting late and I’m not looking to die today,” said the man drawing a bead on CJ.

“Look I’m not going to give you anything. All I’ve got on me is this deck of cards, see,” said CJ flourishing a fresh deck of cards in his right hand.

“What the hell? How did you do that? You weren’t holding anything a second ago. I’ll fucking kill you man. Stay right where you are,” he said becoming more agitated.

CJ was slowly taking mini steps forward. He was practically standing on the dashed yellow line in the middle of the street now. His mana was at one hundred and seventy right now and a few bullets wouldn’t hurt him. The sound was his main concern. Not attracting that things attention was paramount to getting back to the retirement home alive.

“Look I just want to talk. I didn’t know this was your hiding spot. I’m just passing through this way,” said CJ.

“He’s lying. He’s got some woman wearing hockey pads holding a chainsaw on the other side of the car. Shoot him Phil!” came a woman’s voice from behind the SUV.

The woman that split off from the man with fatigues early during the chase had appeared. CJ didn’t think this was a coincidence and they may have stumbled upon their rendezvous point.

New Message from Elena: Now?

New Message from Party Leader CJ: Not yet, give me a few more seconds.

New Message from Elena: Monty’s gone.

“Look I don’t know what your plan is but shooting me dead in the street won’t help anyone. Let’s put the guns down and talk,” said CJ as he lowered his hands and began shuffling the cards.

“You’re about to be playing fifty two pick up if you don’t put your god damn hands back up,” said the one now known as Phil.

“Shoot him baby, then we can at least take a deck of cards back to Mason,” said the woman now sidling up to Phil in the alley.

“Nobody has to get—” started CJ before being shot in the chest.

This time CJ was ready for it. He leaned into the bullet absorbing all the kinetic energy. The bullet’s momentum sort of died half an inch away from his chest. That earned him ten mana. He’d have to ruminate on the math later because at the same time Monty kicked the gun out of Phil’s hand appearing out of thin air. It spun end over end to the ground bouncing off the gray concrete curb and coming to a stop on the asphalt in front of the SUV’s grill. CJ noticed the woman aiming at Monty, so he flung two cards at her. The first was the six-of-clubs. It flew directly into her chest with a thud. She lurched back like she’d been punched. The second card was already in flight as Monty took out Phils legs. The king-of-clubs impacted her right shoulder spinning her to the ground. Everyone heard her shoulder crunch under the strength of the card.

“Stop, stop we surrender!” Phil cried out.

Phil scrambled over to woman covering her with his body. That’s when Elena appeared in the alleyway, full black helmet with a painted on skull, football kicker pads covering her shoulders and chest, waiving an active chainsaw above her head.

New Message from Party leader CJ: Stop, they’ve had enough.