Chapter Sixty-Two

The next hours were a slow, awkward thing. Emily was, unfortunately, used to long, awkward moments that prolonged themselves for too long, so this wasn’t unusual, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Glamazon, Jezebelle, was gone. She’d run off, and eventually, Emily had recalled her sisters. The explosions that she had left behind in her wake had been bright and loud and most of all disorientating.

Maybe Glamazon had leveled up a few times, because her attacks were far more attention-grabbing, and attention-keeping, than Emily remembered them being.

In any case, they had regrouped, and then the awkwardness began.

It was decided--by her--that they wouldn’t stay in one spot for too long. There was a chance that Glamazon would be able to contact the HRF, and if they came in investigate, they’d start by the gas station.

So they had moved down the street, then along a gravel lane that led away from the city. It was closer to the edge of the Endgame, and they were able to park the van that Obscure had acquired behind a wall of hedges. 

“So, what’re you going to do after this?” Iron Chains asked. He had his arms crossed and had recovered from his panting run after Glamazon.

She wasn’t sure if he had failed to catch her because he was carrying a quarter of his weight in chains, or if he was just a little out of shape. His skin-tight hero outfit didn’t hide the fact that he had a bit of a beer belly going on.

“Me?” she asked as she looked around.

Obscure was a ways away, leaning against a tree not too far from the van. One of Trinity was talking to her about... trash or something? The racoon-girl was going on about the ‘five second rule’ and why it didn’t apply to certain things. 

The rest of Emily’s sisters were spread out a little, minding their own business. 

“Yeah, you,” Iron Chains said. “We’re gonna win, right? I can see it on the Endgame... thing.” He gestured vaguely, and she was upset that she actually understood what he meant. The Endgame’s information screen did give them a pretty strong indication that they were going to win soon

Endgame Win condition time: 00:24

Just a few more minutes spent... doing very little, actually.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Go home. Shower.”

Iron Chain snorted. “Yeah. I bet.”

Wait, what did that mean? Could he smell her? Oh. She flushed a little and glanced away. No, that probably wasn’t it. “What about you?” she asked.

“Me? I dunno. Go back home. Just for a bit, though. The HRF is gonna be pissed, but... hey, you don’t know this much, but it’s kind of a mess behind the scenes, ya know? I bet it’ll take them a few days to get everything in order. By the time they think to check, I’m gonna be long gone.”

“Long gone?” she asked. 

That was a trick she’d been trying to improve on lately. A small talk trick, where she just asked a question that was related to what someone had said, and then let them talk. If she did it right, she’d barely have to listen.

“Yeah. I don’t know where, but Obscure said that she could use some muscle. Not what I want for myself, but it’s a start. Better than dealing with my black marks with the HRF?”

“Black marks?” Wow, this was easy sometimes. 

He nodded. “Once they have you tagged as a villain or whatever, it’s basically impossible to get past that. I’d have to spend the next like, ten years keeping my head down to get anywhere that someone just joining up would be able to get in like, a year, ya know?”

“Oh,” she said. She wasn’t sure how to lead into a question from there.

“Hey, Boss, are you flirting with that guy?” Teddy asked as she sauntered over.

Emily recoiled back. “No, ew.”

“Wow,” Iron Chains said.

“Oh, alright,” Teddy said. “Cause I was gonna tell you not to anyway. He does stuff for money, and that’s like, the basis for being a capitalist.”

“We do things for money,” Aurora said. “Don’t we?”

Emily just leaned back and listened to the conversation. It was surprisingly easy going. Sure, there was a level of tension in their group, and she was positive that they would split the moment the Endgame was over. She didn’t trust Iron Chains, and she was actively suspicious of Obscure. That woman gave her the impression that she was an actual villain. Unlike herself, who was only a villain because it was convenient at the moment to act like one so that she could be safe and sound and at peace later.

The timer trickled down, and other than some distant sirens and one explosion that happened way, way off in the distance, they didn’t notice anything, and it didn’t seem like anyone noticed them.

Then it happened. The timer hit zero.

CONGRATULATIONS! 

You and 17 others have won the Endgame! 

The moment the message flashed up before her, several things happened. First, the mask that she had basically forgotten that she was wearing disappeared. Then the air twitched. A weight was pulled away, and it felt like the air around her was suddenly lighter. Not better, just lighter. 

The Orbject, still stuffed securely in her pocket, grew extremely warm for a moment, then its weight and presence simply vanished like a balloon popping.

Then the reverse happened, and she felt something pressing in on her.

A second message box appeared, right next to the one for the Endgame.

Endgame Power Slot Point Spent! Unlocking New Power!

Congratulations! You Are Now Level Two. Power Unlocked!

Licking her lips, Emily slowly opened her status screen. The top half was the same... mostly. The level had climbed from one to two, but she had expected that. 

Name: Emily Wright

Alignment: Villain

Alias: The Boss

Level: Two

Powers

Sister Summoning

Create Sister

Rank 9

Sisterportation

Level 3

Double Trouble

Level Max

Healpats

Level Max

Triple Threat

Level Max

Menagerie Family

Level 1

Quadruple Quirkiness

Level Max

Centre of Attention

Level 1

Quintuple Quake

Level Max

Doorcerer

Unlock Door

Rank 1

Points

Power Slots: 0

Skill Upgrades: 0

Skill Slots: 0

Doorcerer? She... had no idea what that meant, or what it entailed, but she supposed she could ask her sisters about it. They were cheering and bouncing around and soon she was tackled from the side by an excited Teddy and then hugged more gently by a smiling Maple.

Even Iron Chains was grinning, and Obscure had a small, more private smile as she gestured in the air and looked like she was interacting with something only she could see.

Thank you for participating! I had fun <3 

Come back next time, I’ll make it even more interesting!

That was also concerning, but she gently dismissed that system message, along with the rest, then returned the hug, which of course prompted the rest to rush over and get hugged as well.

She couldn’t say that she wasn’t getting swept up in the good mood. 

Then she started doing a bit of math. Emily and her sisters, all together (counting Trinity) added up to eight. Then there was Obscure and Iron Chains, which brought that number up to a maximum of ten.

So how had the total winners added up to eighteen? 

She was knocked out of that train of thought as Obscure came over. “So, we’re heading out. The HRF are planning on starting a blockade around the area, but there will be gaps all over it, especially if you can make it to the highways. That, and I might’ve plotted a distraction or two for this afternoon.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said, still not meeting the woman’s eye. “It was... interesting working with you.”

“Mhm. Hopefully we never meet again. Or if we do, you’ll forget all about me.” Obscure grinned, then turned and gestured Iron Chains closer. “Come on! We have a jail-break to plan, and I suppose new powers to test out.”

“Right, we should do that as well,” Emily said before she gestured for her more talkative sisters to stay quiet. She didn’t need or want these two to know that her sisters were part of her primary power.

Obscure got in her stolen HRF van and soon she and Iron Chains were riding off. 

“Okay,” Emily said. “Okay... yes, let’s, ah, head back to that one house? The one we were staying at for a while?”

“Aren’t we gonna make a run for it?” Teddy asked.

“No. I think... if the HRF are planning on catching people escaping the area of the Endgame, it’ll be easier if we just stay here for a day or two. That, and I think we could use a small break,” she replied.

A break, then later on, a run for it, and then this whole ordeal would be behind her, at last!

***