A Few Hours Earlier...

Thaddeus closed the truck door and stepped out of it. He took a moment to rub the hood of the old vehicle. He didn't really understand it, but Jack's old truck was somehow still standing even after all the disasters that had struck Oleander. The truck was just as stubborn as its original owner.

"You stay here, girl." Thaddeus cooed as he patted the truck. "Take a well-earned break."

He was no longer in Oleander, or any of the cities for that matter. He had been gifted the truck around the time the Beast attack happened, but this was his first time actually taking it out. He had driven it for nearly four hours straight and even picked it up and carried it across the ocean at one point. All so he could make his way to a small little farm that was hidden away from the rest of the world.

Thaddeus let out a low whistle as he took stock of the farm. He had parked his truck outside of its gate and hadn't expected it to be quite so big. It was a vast plot of land, covered in fields that were coming along nicely. A barbed fence went on for at least half a mile, and past it was a cornfield, a barn, a few stables, and a small wooden hut that had been recently built. There was an old well outside of the house and a pickup truck that made Jack's look brand new.

Thaddeus hopped over the fence, and he covered his nose, doing his best to ignore the stench. A few dogs ran around, most barking at him as he approached the barn. The doors were open, and past them, a cow stood, with a man crouched in front of it. A bucket was placed on the ground in front of the crouching man, who, in turn, was using only one hand to milk the animal. Thaddeus reached out and knocked on the barn door, but the man next to the cow didn't react to him at all.

"Hey, Augustus. Can we talk?" Thaddeus asked quietly, and he folded his arms.

Slowly, the man let go of the cow and let out a heavy sigh. "I really don't want to, but I know you're the kind of person who won't leave me alone until I do." Augustus was in his mid-twenties and had brownish-blonde hair and tired-looking eyes. He wore a red buttoned-up shirt and old faded blue jeans, and most notable about him was that he only had one hand. His left hand was gone, replaced with a hook, which he pointed to his old friend. "What do you want, Myth?"

"Why'd you leave your team?" Thaddeus said softly. "Money Tree, you ran away and left everything to me to handle. What the hell, man, did you really think I could pick up the pieces that were left shattered on the ground after the fight with the Beast?"

Augustus, also known as the hero Money Tree, absentmindedly rubbed his hook hand. Several emotions swam across his face. Anger, sadness, hurt, and, most notably, a sense of guilt. "You know why I left. I couldn't save her." For a moment the image of BB went through the hero's mind. "I wasn't any help in that battle at all."

Thaddeus stepped forward and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You did help. Your leadership kept the others safe. I lost people I cared about to the Beast as well. Believe me, I'm just as lost and confused as to what I should do, but giving up isn't the answer."

Augustus slapped away Thaddeus's hand and stepped past his friend. "There's another reason you came here, right?" The man asked hollowly. "Come on. Let's head inside."

For a hero called Money Tree, his living space was small and poor-looking. The inside of the hut only had a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. After running away, the hero had seemingly been keeping himself constantly busy with his farm life. Augustus took a seat at the kitchen table, opening a can of beer and sliding another one to his friend. Thaddeus accepted it and took a sip from it. Normally, he didn't drink; he made it a point not to, in fact, but today, he made an exception to that rule since he was reunited with his best friend. They both sat in silence, quietly drinking and tapping away on their cans. Finally, though, Augustus let out another sigh.

The former hero bowed his head and rested it on the table as he eyed the new leader of the Sub Enforcers up. "So, why did you come out to see me? It wasn't for a social visit, was it?"

Thaddeus sadly shook his head. "Sorry," His grip on the can grew tighter. "I did mean to visit you from time to time, but I was so busy dealing with the others and the fallout."

"Do any of the others know where I am?"

"No." Thaddeus shook his head. "I kept your whereabouts secret from them. They still talk about you a lot. Wasp Nest and Metal Ronin won't shut up sometimes. We got a new member on the team as well, a kid named Wyvern. I think you'd like him."

"Pass." Augustus took a swig from his can and snorted. "My hero days are over."

"They don't have to be."

"Yes, they do."

"No, they don't-"

"Yes, they do!" Augustus slammed his can down and growled. "I got BB killed! Sera is dead! She was just a kid. A child. And because of me, she's dead."

"I lost Armin." Thaddeus raised his voice. "You think I don't care?"

"Honestly, I don't think you do." Augustus fired back. "You took up the title of Sub Enforcers leader pretty greedily, didn't you? You're still leading those kids into battle. I didn't just run away because Sera died. That was part of it, but it was more than that. So many other Sub Enforcers died. Why the hell were they even at the battle to begin with? They shouldn't have even gone to Oleander where the Beast was! No, not just that; they shouldn't be sent into battles, period." Augustus kicked out, and he nearly knocked the table over. "We're not like the Lords, and we're not like you either. So many of us don't come from a clan or are the children of powerful god-like beings! Sera was like me, a Super trying to exist in a world of Gods. Only, unlike me, she wasn't an adult. I'm grown up. I can pick and choose how I please to throw my life away, but she was just a kid. So were all the others. Armin, too. The Branch didn't even do anything to try and undo their deaths. Sera's parents got nothing, other than the news that their daughter's body was too big to properly be buried, and it had to be incinerated! And they're the lucky ones! Do you know how many kids were torn apart at Oleander or died from radiation poisoning?"

Thaddeus felt a wave of guilt smash into him, and he let go of the can of beer and gripped at his arm, which was hurting slightly. "Sera wanted to be a hero. So did Armin. They would have gone out to the battle no matter what. You know that."

"So what? We still shouldn't have let them!"

"Kids are always going to get into trouble. Super kids will get into even worse trouble." Thaddeus tried to explain. "The Victorian had the Sub Enforcers built to prevent kids from rushing off into battle and dying."

"Oh, and a fat load of good that did," Augustus said sarcastically. "That's the story the public is told. Supers have something in us that craves battle, and since we attract other Supers, it's only a matter of time until they get into a fight with a villain. In order to keep child Supers safe, the Sub Enforcers were made to train them up, being led by a powerful Super that is ranked just under the Enforcer member of their city. Sub Enforcers only go on missions when that adult Super is with them, and they are supposed to be kept safe at all times. This is what we were told, but use your brain for two seconds. Is that really what happens? How many villains have you fought already while using those kids to back you up? How much danger have they been in under your care? Another thing, why is it that Armin and Hope weren't forced to become Sub Enforcers?"

Thaddeus didn't answer his friend and instead looked away, staring at the wall in silence. Not getting the answer he wanted, Augustus stood up and began to pace through his house.

"If the Sub Enforcers really do exist to keep kids safe, then it should be mandatory for every child Super to be placed on their team, yet this isn't the case." The former hero raised his voice slightly and stabbed his hook hand into the nearby wall out of anger. "Instead, the Hero Branch only accepts heroes that will fall in line. So whenever a kid with powers doesn't want to join the Sub Enforcers, they wind up like Armin. He was on your team, Team Pantheon, which, mind you, had no money coming in. You had to fight tooth and nail, and still none of your heroes even got a paycheck? What was going to happen when they all grew up and needed money? The Sub Enforcers are offered loads of deals, but that's only because they're part of the Hero Branch, who are rigging the entire system! Sera and Armin didn't die because they were heroes that wanted to charge into battle and do good. They died because of this shitty government that has established its control! No Sub Enforcer or any kid should have been sent to Oleander in the first place, yet they all were because the Hero Branch needed more bodies!"

"Are you suggesting that they sacrificed dozens of heroes, including kids?" Thaddeus asked hollowly.

"Of course I am, and of course they did! How many rich noble people were still stuck in the city when the Beast attacked? While heroes were dying, the Branch swooped in and was evacuating all of the rich." Augustus gave a disgusted look and shook his head. "Sera didn't die a hero. She died for a horrible cause, one that ultimately means jack shit since the Beast is going to come back no matter what we do! We're all just slowly waiting to die!"

"And what would you suggest?"

Augustus's teeth clenched, but slowly, his angry look faded. "I don't know." He sighed again and covered his face with his hand, calming. "I just don't know. I should have never been the leader of the Sub Enforcers. I'm not good with stuff like this. I can smell the rot, though. Something needs to change. The entire system needs to come down."

Hope had said a similar thing. Thaddeus felt his heart twitch a bit. He had blown her off and dismissed her worries, and for what? The Hero Branch did do a lot of good, but there was a lot of bad, more and more that was starting to pop up. It was the duty of the number one hero to not just save a city but the entire world, building a new system. Currently, Battery had declared himself to be at the top and had been making radical changes, some of which seemed downright evil, but the system he was fighting wasn't any better, really. So many wrongs were all coming together and smashing into one another, trying to make some twisted right sense of justice.

Thaddeus finished off his can of beer and tossed it into the trash can, then he reached over and took the can Augustus left behind and finished it off as well, all in one gulp. "How much about what's going on do you know?"

Augustus gave an awkward shrug. "Enough. I don't have a TV, but I do have a radio. I hear Battery has taken over all the cities and kicked out all the heroes, only to let them back in. What was that about?"

Thaddeus nodded his head and hummed. "Part of another rotten system, I guess you could say. He wanted to prove that cities would be kept safe without the Enforcers since his Giants would guard the cities in the hero's place. Now he's gone ahead and let the heroes back in, since he's moving on to the next stage of his plan."

"If you ask me, his plan isn't that rotten." Augustus snorted. "I've heard how much the Hero Branch has been bad-mouthing him, but unlike us mere mortals, he's one of those bastards of Supers that were blessed with godlike powers, so it's kind of hard to do anything about him."

Thaddeus chuckled lowly. "I talked to Lois recently, and she even said we're all basically living in his story. Don't you go inflating his ego as well, you know? Though you'll be happy to note that the reason I came by to see you is because I want you to help Battery and me with something."

"Pass." Augustus leaned against his wall and folded his arms. "I told you, I'm not going to be a hero anymore. I respect Battery fighting the Branch, but so far, he's not any better since the Hero Branch exists, and he still uses kids."

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Thaddeus nodded, having expected the answer. "Either way, I thought I'd offer you the chance to come along."

"You're going somewhere?" Augustus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Some big plan Lois and Battery have." Thaddeus shrugged. "They keep most of the details between themselves. We're taking some of the Enforcers but leaving a few others behind. That was another reason Battery did what he did, at least he claims. A lot of the Enforcers would be too scared to leave their city for fear of it being destroyed by the time they return, yet he proved he can keep the cities safe while they're off on his little adventure. Though, in doing so, he has made an enemy out of pretty much everyone."

Augustus nodded faintly. "Who's going?"

"I don't know for sure yet, but Paragon and Posedion are coming," Thaddeus said casually. "Oh, and Oxide as well."

"Oxide!" Augustus's eyes went wide, and he turned, letting out a growl. "You really did learn nothing! Poseidon is at least an adult now, but Paragon and Oxide are both still kids."

"Oxide wanted to come-"

Augustus hooked his bladed hand into Thaddeus's jacket and yanked the man closer, letting out a hiss. "All kids are idiots. Of course, they'd want to come. As adults, we have to tell them no. Do you seriously think you can protect them, even after you failed to keep Armin safe?"

Thaddeus shifted slightly, and his look grew darker. The Thaddeus clan was a well-known one. Most members of it had no powers and were part of the Hero Branch's science department. Some members like him, however, were blessed with powers, all having ties to weird, fantastical stories. Since there were so many of his clan, he was able to live a normal life, even if people knew that Myth came from the Thaddeus clan, since they didn't know what part of the clan he exactly came from, or that he, Octavius Thaddeus, was Myth. Yet despite the fact he did come from a well-known clan and one that did sometimes have powerful Supers amongst them, he still seemed to fall short where it mattered.

"Do you really think you can ask me that?" Thaddeus slowly reached up, and he wrapped his hand around the hook and began to squeeze down on it as he glared into his friend's eyes. "You claimed earlier you cared, but did you really? You ran away. Let me ask you this: if the system really is so bad, if you hate the fact that kids are being put in danger, what are you doing to stop it?"

"W- What can I do?"

"I don't know," Thaddeus admitted. "But anything has to be better than this. You don't have to work for the Hero Branch to be a superhero. You don't have to be the leader of the Sub Enforcers to keep kids safe. You don't even have to have powers to be a respectable adult that wants to help the next generation out. But you do have to do something. Anything. Even should it be small. Running away, screaming that everything is rotten and wrong, even if you're right, does nothing. It doesn't help you, it doesn't help them, and it won't bring someone like BB back. I'm sorry that she and Armin are dead. A day doesn't go by that I don't curse myself for not being able to help them. I miss them both. It's that hatred for myself that is pushing me forward. Forcing me to keep going. I don't want to see any other teammate die. I want to keep them safe, and to do that, I have to fight alongside them because if I don't, they'll just run off on their own and endanger themselves. At least this way, should they get hurt and fall down, I can be there to pick them back up, and should it come to it, I can be a shield, one that keeps them safe, even should it cost me my life."

"You shouldn't be bringing them onto the battlefield at all, though?"

"When we were kids, Red Iron always tried to keep us out of danger, but what did we do?" Thaddeus gave a sad smile. "We snuck out. Again, and again, and again. Remember that time you broke your ankle because you tried to fight Green Tiger, and I had to carry you back? Red Iron was so mad when he learned we snuck out. After that, he eventually stopped holding us back and took us out on missions with him because he learned that we were going to go out no matter what. As long as he took us himself, though, he was able to keep us safe. And that's what he did. It's thanks to his actions that I'm still alive." Thaddeus held a hand out to his friend. "I want you by my side. I want your help. Money Tree and Myth. Let's do our best to keep our brothers and sisters safe."

"You're an idiot, you know." Augustus closed his eyes and let out one last deep sigh before he reached out and took his friend's hand. "Okay. No one better die on either of our watches, though."

"Deal." Thaddeus grinned. "Let's all come back alive, and when we're done, we'll all celebrate with a good old round of bowling."

***

Sky stared down at the tombstone, feeling a strange flopping sensation in her stomach. River Sini wasn't buried in the ground. Her mom's body had been cremated, yet still a stone was put up in Lillian's graveyard, next to Lily's father's stone.

Speaking of Lily, her older sister was seated between the two different stones, speaking to them both as if they really were her mom and dad. Sky took a moment to look around, her eyes tracing over the many different buildings that were scattered around Lillian.

She really hadn't gotten a good look at the city since her sight had come back. As soon as her eyes had returned, she was forced to stay in Oleander the entire time. At last, though, she was finally back in her city.

"Anyways, Mom, Dad," Lily said softly. "A lot has happened, but Sky and I are doing fine. I'm keeping my little sister safe."

Sky let out a snort and folded her arms. "Don't pretend like you've been doing a lot. You basically left me alone for the past year while you ran around with the guy who kidnapped me."

"Are you still on about that?" Lily rolled her eyes and then climbed to her feet, dusting the grass off of her legs. "You know Battery had good reason."

"That doesn't mean anything," Sky muttered, and she gently rubbed at her throat. She could still recall the words he had told her when he had been just a severed head. He had encouraged and propped her up, and it was all because of him that she was able to truly get her footing and battle the Beast alongside Hope. It had then also been him that caused her to despair. The way he had gripped the throat and glared into her eyes. He had even claimed he'd take her power, which of course he couldn't do, but the threat had still managed to chill her down to the bone at the time. "I just don't like him."

"Well, Mom did." Lily chuckled and folded her arms. "I've been keeping him in check."

"Have you?"

"The best I can." Lily made a sour face. "Seriously, he and Beta were a match made in heaven. Those two are both machines through and through. It's like the only thing that goes through his head is the most logical solution that benefits the most people. He's left a bit of his humanity behind, which is why I think it's important that I follow after him and help him."

"He's changed a lot from the man Mom liked, you know." Sky stated in a blunt tone.

"Yeah, I guess he has." Lily hummed and looked up at the sky above, watching clouds pass along it. It was early in the morning, and they were the only two who stood in the graveyard. "Still, I might not agree with every single choice that he makes, but I agree with enough. I'd like to see the world become a better place, and who better than the guy with imagination-based powers to put your trust in?"

"I'm just going along with this so I can get to the same place Hope is at," Sky admitted. "Don't expect me to actually help out when it comes to it."

"Sure, sure. All of us Lords will be needed, you know." Lily gave a sly grin and punched her fist into her palm. "You, me, Hope, and Lois. I can't believe all of us are currently Lords. Seriously, it makes me so happy to know I'll get to be teaming up with all of you."

"Speaking of which, it's about that time." Sky turned and flipped her white hair right as a shimmering blue portal ripped its way open in front of her. She didn't have a costume on. She was still in her normal outfit, that being the open white coat and generic clothes beneath it. She thought about getting a proper hero outfit, something close to what Hope had, but she didn't know what she wanted yet. "Shall we?"

Lily clicked a button, and her ice armor expanded out, as well as her black coat. Poseidon nodded her head. "We shouldn't keep the others waiting."

The two of them stepped through the portal, and instantly, Sky had to block her eyes as a bright flash went off, and dozens of yelling voices pierced the air. She lowered her arms slightly as her eyes and ears adjusted. She had been expecting to be transported to the Enforcer tower, but instead, she was outside of it, standing on a podium that had been put up. A massive crowd made up of nearly every person in Rose City was gathered, and every report and drone in the world was practically present, all pointing their cameras at the stand.

Sky felt her breath hitch a bit when she saw the others, which was the main reason the crowd was going wild. The teams that would be crashing the Murder Games were all present, equally as confused as she was since they had all also just stepped through a portal and found themselves on this stage.

There were ten others, twelve if you counted her and her sister. They had all spoken a bit and had agreed that they would form three groups made up of four members. Each group was supposed to have a Lord within it and would be sent at different times into the Murder Games. Group one was Battery, Beta, White Wolf, and Poseidon. Group two was the Victorian, Lady Time, Fable, and herself. She didn't exactly want to work with the Victorian since that would mean she'd have to share Hope's attention between herself and the golden woman, but she didn't have much of a choice. Finally, group three was made up of Myth, Oxide, Money Tree, and Lightning Empress. They had all expected to meet within the Enforcers Tower and discuss the plan one last time, but it seemed like Battery had other plans.

A microphone was set up, and Battery stood in front of it. On his left was Beta, and on his right was the Victorian. Within the crowd, dozens of Hero Branch officers looked extremely annoyed, as did a ton of people from or related to the Noble families, but there really wasn't anything anyone could do.

Battery didn't have his mask on and was dressed in a heavy-looking black trench coat, and just like last time, it was wrapped up tightly around him, hiding his costume, but a bit of gold could be seen, which Sky found odd since his suit was red. Battery tapped on the microphone a bit and gave a nod when he saw that the others had all arrived.

"You're all going to see history in the making." That was the first thing the new number-one hero declared. A bold statement that made everyone go silent. Battery's eyes roamed the crowd, and he silently took in the sights of all the cameras. This was being broadcast across the world. It had been Nick's idea to do this. "As it's obvious by now, I've taken my rightful place as the number one hero. I battled the Beast and went blow for blow against it during the Oleander battle. I dominated the other Enforcers. I've bested the Victorian in combat." The Victorian grumbled a little but didn't say anything. "I've even managed to keep every other city safe all at the same time. That said, there is one more thing I must do to truly cement my place at the top. Do what no other hero has managed to." Battery pointed up to the sky. "I'm going to slay every Calamity, and you're all going to watch it happen!"

That caused a massive mix of different yells and reactions. Some of which even came from the stand itself. "What are you doing?" Sky hissed. "Why are you putting on this show?"

Battery gave her the side eye for a moment before he suddenly snapped his fingers. "Beta." Beta nodded his head, and his chest opened, several weird-looking metal rectangles unfolding and swirling around the air before landing on the shoulder of every person that was on stage. A nearby screen then twisted and changed, suddenly showing a camera POV from Battery's shoulder, as well as dozens of the others. "With these, the public will be able to follow along as I save the world bit by bit."

"Allow me to explain." Beta stepped forward, and his voice grew louder, drowning out the crowd. "I have built a mounted camera that shall stay on every hero's shoulder and work more or less as a live-stream bodycam showing the events that are going to unfold. We are going to, in a little bit, head into Chrysanthemum, where we will be taking down the Calamity-level threats that are inside."

Once more it caused a wide spread of different emotions to break out in the crowd. Lady Time poked at the camera that was on her shoulder and sighed. "Do you have any idea what you've just done? If we make any mistake-"

"We won't fail." Battery declared even louder. "That's why I'm doing this. Because I'm confident that I'm following the right path. We're not just going to save the world; we're going to do it while everyone else watches and cheers us on."

Lightning Empress casually nodded her head, and in her arms she held a suitcase, which she hugged to her chest tightly. "In theory, something like this could drastically go wrong, yet that is how confident Battery is that we won't lose. He's charging into battle first and will clear a way for us all to reach the desired outcome. No information will be held, and the public will get to witness a miracle in the making."

"And if we do make a mistake?" Sky asked, covering her camera with a wave of vines. "You know this could cause people to despair. Also, all the bad guys are going to know we're leaving, which means you've just started a massive crime wave."

"I have not." Battery shook his head. "My Giants will remain just as they did before. Let villains try; see what happens. Purrfect is staying behind, and the heroes Pretty Face and Mister Man will be defending all the cities alongside Wyvern and Boy Genius. Besides." Battery gave a slight smirk. "This won't take long. It's all going to be over in less than a day. Good will devour evil. As for us making a mistake? I don't plan on letting a single mistake happen. I'm going to ensure with my own hands that a good ending will prevail."

He had spoken nonstop with Lois. She had discussed every detail of the plan. Every fight. Every battle. The only things that he had to worry about were the blank parts, yet even that he knew how to deal with. Fate was literally on his side. This was his story. He was the main character. He was the hero. This was how he repaid the debt that he owed. He was going to be the savior of the world.

"I'm going to ensure this all goes smoothly." The Victorian spoke, and her eyes roved over the crowd. "I... I know that I haven't been the best hero. I know I made mistakes. That I wasn't strong enough, but I'll still do my job. So, for those of you who don't hold faith in Battery, please put it in me. I'll keep us on the straight and narrow path and help create the kind of world that my father wanted. A world where Calamities like the Emperor or the Beast no longer exist. I'll help Battery if I must so that this shadow that has shrouded our world will finally fade away."

"That's right." Battery nodded. "Oh, but there is one more thing. Another reason I had all of this happen the way it did. I know many of you still doubt me, but rest assured, it isn't the hero Battery that's going to save this world." Battery reached up, and he tore his coat off, throwing it to the wind.

Gasps echoed out, and everyone on stage was just as shocked as the crowd as they gazed upon the hero and the costume he wore. It was one he had built by Boy Genius and the reason he needed to borrow Full Monarch. It was a golden suit, one that had a few bits of blue in it and the symbol of a butterfly across a large belt that hung around it. A blue cape flowed behind in the wind, and his energy sparked out. It was undeniable whose costume this was.

"Full Monarch is going to save the day, yet again." The new Full Monarch declared as he placed his hands on his hips.