Funk landed with a considerable thud on the floor, as he slowly got up, he walked over to Abby and helped her up. As Funk looked around him, he saw broken buildings and rubble everywhere. However, it seemed like people were clearing the roads and putting down frames to build houses. Abby looked around, “What happened?”

“Steve saved your life.”

“What?”

“When he shouted at us, I noticed, what he had noticed. A dangerous void portal under the room. The floor must have opened after Steve saved us.”

Abby hung her head, “Is he going to be fine?”

Funk shook his head, “I am not certain. We have no clue what the void has planned for him, or for Lory, or if she is just an accidental victim since Steve rode on her back.”

Alice walked over, “Hey everyone, where are the others?”

Funk looked at her, then at Abby. Funk sighed, “Alice, can we speak in private?”

Abby looked at Funk, “Why? You can tell me what is going on.”

Funk shook his head, “I can’t.”

Abby shook her head, “But, we are good friends.”

Funk sighed, “Abby, this is for your safety, this is between me and Alice. If there is anything I can tell you, then I will.”

Abby sighed, “Fine, you win, just get Steve back.”

Funk nodded, “I will.” He walked over to Alice, “Do you have a private place we can talk?”

“Of course, follow me.”

Funk looked around as he followed Alice through Brickton. Paul seemed to be leading people very well on clearing all the rubble. He saw Bella work with void crystals. Alice pointed, “Here is a bunker, it is my office.”

Funk jumped into the bunker and looked around, he saw a tent, a desk with a chair. Some books were placed on the desk and an empty plate. The lighting seemed to be from a magical wall lamp. Alice landed beside him. “Alright, what do you want to talk about Funk?”

He turned around and pushed Alice against the wall while drawing his dark blade. “I’ve had enough of your games, what did you do to Steve?”

Alice did not seem to be impressed, “I’ve done nothing to Steve.”

Funk chuckled, “How dumb do you think I am? I know you, and Cthulhu, the woman in the void realm, are responsible for the void. It probably went out of control, and you need Steve to make sure it backs off. If you think, he is ready to face the void, he isn’t.”

Alice sighed, “If you think, I have done something to Steve, then you are mistaken. I would never harm him, in fact, I am in love with him.”

Funk pushed her harder against the wall, “unless it is convenient for you, then you would harm anyone in a heartbeat, and how can you love Steve if you barely know him? I am going to tell him everything about you. Who you are, and what you are hiding.”

Alice grinned, “You better stop your master plan, since telling him would be bad,”

Funk shook his head, “What is there to grin about? I am not bluffing, I am really going to tell him all about you and how you love to manipulate people.”

“You can’t tell him shit.”

“Why?”

Alice kept grinning, “Because, then you need to tell him how you know. If he survives, whatever happened to him, how are you going to tell him, you are the chosen one? And not him, imagine what that would do to him, to find out, he is not as important as he thinks he is. All I know, is that the void has its plan.”

Funk grimaced, “I know, you have the power to wield the void. You made those crystals for Bella, and told her, you found them.”

Alice shook her head, “I know nothing.”

“Oh, should I go ask her then?”

Alice grunted, “It is better if you don’t do that.”

Funk smiled, “Gotcha.”

Alice pushed Funk back, “I have had enough of your games.” She made a red sword appear. “You think you have the right to just force answers out of me. You don’t.”

Funk tilted his head, “You let your energy guard down there for just a fraction of a second when you spawned your weapon. It told me enough, Freya.”

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

Alice grunted, “You are a very annoying little insect, do you know that?”

“Oh, my body might be small, but I am still bigger than you.”

Alice sighed, “Is that a dig at my smaller size? Just because I am a bit taller than four feet, doesn’t make me small.”

Funk chuckled, “We all look down on you.”

Alice hissed at Funk, “You are annoying me!” She jumped towards Funk and swung her sword down.

Funk spawned two dark blades and blocked the incoming blow. They started trading blows, but Funk could feel, she was holding back. Funk let out deep sighs, tapping into the power that has been granted to him as the chosen one. Powers, he could not let Steve see, or Abby for that matter. It would require a lot of bullshitting to get out. Funk sprouted his wings and they grew larger and became ethereal.

Alice jumped back, “Oh, is this going to be a wing fight?” Alice closed her eyes and sprouted two bloodred wings that barely fit in the bunker as they were three feet from the base of her back, twice the size of Funk’s wings. Funk twirled his two blades, then they got covered by ethereal mist. Alice ran towards Funk and slammed her sword down while it grew bigger than her. Funk blocked the giant blade and the air vibrated as energy collided.

As they traded blows, the air seemed to start mixing in a whirlpool of energy. Funk smiled, “It is a miracle you can keep standing upright with those big wings.”

Alice grunted as they ended in a bind, and she started pushing Funk back. “It is called, magic for a reason, bitch!”

“I am not a bitch, I am a male.”

Alice screamed as a red aura flared around her, “I hate your stupid man brain then! If I had powered up completely already, I would just smite you.”

Funk screamed, and an ethereal aura covered him as he started pushing Alice back. “What is the idea with Steve?”

Alice panted, “You will just need to trust me.”

“Trust you?”

“You have done nothing but be in our way. You could have finished off Robot Steve, but you didn’t, why?”

“Because, just like you, I cannot show my true face. We both need to stay hidden in the shadow.” Funk rolled forward, ending the bind, and slashed his sword across her left leg. Alice turned around and slashed her giant blade at Funk, he turned around and used his back to take the blow.

He turned around and swung his two blades at her. “You have an ulterior motive, Alice, what is it!?”

She just grunted as they continued trading blows, Funk used his wings to scratch Alice on her face and blood flew against the wall. She gasped, “You ruined my office!”

Funk jumped back, “That is your only problem?” Alice healed her wound. Funk shook his head, “Why the two scars on your face, if you can heal wounds like that?”

“Because, I like them, they make this, small woman, look like a badass.”

Funk sighed, “It is true, they make you look good.”

Alice ran forward and swung her giant blade down, Funk stepped aside and punched the hilt of his sword into Alice’s face. She turned around and swung her giant blade at Funk, who promptly blocked it. Alice grunted, “I have had enough of you.” Freya stepped out of Alice and cracked her knuckles, she spawned two red daggers.

Funk nodded, “I see, Steve is right after all. You are friends with the being inside of you, and barring a few differences, you look the same.”

Freya charged at Funk with her two daggers, Funk started blocked the incoming blows and looked at Alice running towards him.

Funk infused himself with more energy and walked backwards while dodging and blocking the blows Freya and Alice swung at him. Then he started going into attack mode and used his wings as two weapons while also wielding his two swords. Even more energy banged together in the air. The small space lit up all the energy hanging in the air. Funk ended up in a bind with both of them. Blocking Freya with his wings and trying to push her away, and with his two weapons he blocked Alice her attack.

Funk grunted, “Just, tell me what happened to Steve and Lory!”

Alice grunted, “You are lucky I am rusty after all these years!”

They heard a thud and all three of them looked at Abby, who had jumped into the bunker. She scratched the back of her head, “What in the fucking motherfucking hell is going on?”