A lengthy yawn left my facial orifice.

I rose from my uncomfortable cabin bed and realized I’d been actually sleeping the entire night in a bed with a spider in it. Somehow, I’d not killed it.

I reached out a lone finger down toward the sheets. The spider, who was perhaps the more resilient creature in this room, climbed aboard and I lifted him up to his cobweb, intelligently placed in the top corner of the room closest to the chimney. He skittered off and onto his web. I assumed it was a ‘he’. I can already hear the Twitter people shouting at me for misgendering a fucking animal.

The awfulness of the internet luckily didn’t follow me on the run from the police, but I had worse things to deal with.

Like traitors.

Axel was like, ya know, not a friend, but she and I still had something! You get me? It may have been one-sided, since I’m already totally dating a hot piece of demon which I don’t deserve, but I had just a shred of decency to give Axel some of my charm. My charm is valuable!

And she decided to flush it down the toilet.

Whatever, fuck her.

I knocked at the door, hoping they’d notice. I needed breakfast, damnit. I’m an awesome prisoner, thanks for asking. Super good grades on politeness, and dozens of awesome five star reviews on Pelp (that’s Yelp for prisons, by the way).

*bang bang bang*

My pounding apparently wasn’t the only pounding going on in the house. And I mean that in a literal way, you pervert.

“Hellooooo!?” I shouted at the door, but no response. It was almost like I was talking to a static plank of wood or something!

“Hold on, I’m coming!” said a new voice. Probably Captain Canadia. A key entered the door, and within seconds I was looking at him. He sure liked red and white, and mustaches. He had one in the handlebar variety. Oddly, he reminded me of an American stunt devil, which is weird since America and Canada are kinda… ehhhhhh right now… You know?

“Hi kind sir! Would you direct me to the nearest exit, curtsey?” I smiled innocently, playing to a hero's heart was easy if you knew what type they were.

“Kid, I get it, you wanna leave. But you also are a killer. I’m not letting a murderer out of my sight. So, you’ll stay there, with the door closed.” he requested, somehow able to keep his sight on me through the door apparently. Guess he was the X-Ray vision type. At least, that’s what I guessed. Who knows? Maybe he pissed maple syrup. His powers were not important, since he never ends up using them in this book.

“No man, I get it. You think I killed Bluejay. Alright, I get it.” I smiled, nodding at him. “Just, I’m hungry. I’d like some food.”

“No can do, Gammal told me not to feed you until lunch. They are long gone.”

“Man, that’s disgusting of you! I’m a growing boy, I need food!”

“Sorry man, I can’t.”

“Since when did Sweden push Canada around?” I smirked jeeringly, a man that dresses like that simply must be a true pure blooded patriot.

“Never.” he said flatly with disgrace. He gazed up at the sky. Perhaps he was praising the giant moose god in the sky or something? I dunno, he seemed entranced by the ceiling so much that even I looked up for a sec.

“Yeah, he is a dirty Swede who denies prisoners their meals. Does he respect you? Or… maybe he just brought you along for muscle. Shame on him.”

“I see what you are trying to do. I’d refrain from it in the future. Sorry.” he said all Canadian-like. And then he shut the door in his face.

Wow, some patriot. He didn’t even sing the national anthem.

Oh by the way, everything in this first part after the door opening was cut out for the Canadian release of this novel. Don’t say anything to them about it. Back to the normal universal release.

I knocked again. Finally, an answer! *wink wink*

“Alright, I’ll get you a meal…” Captain Canadia said guiltily. Don’t ask why.

“Oh, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” he huffed.

“Time till arrival?” Gammal said into his burner phone, Axel at his side. They looked out over the mountains, about a mile away they could see The Thieves Court, the sun dawning upon it and casting out it’s long rays.

“One hour out, Sir.”

“Good, we’ll round them up. The villains will resist, so kill anyone that attacks you. But remember, capture if possible. We want everyone either in chains or in body bags. I’ll meet up with you once I see the attack starting. Set up, knock down the doors, don’t wait for me.”

“Understood.”

“You already know the plan. Good luck.”

He hung up. The air blew past him, sweeping through his short wispy hair.

“You’ll kill my mother, won’t you?” Axel asked, the weight of the words ringing heavy on Gammal.

“I… am not sure.” he simply spoke.

“Alright. I don’t care.”

“You… don’t?” Gammal looked over at her. She remained pensive, staring off into the distance, just sitting on the floor, elbows on her knees.

“Yeah no. Just kill her.”

“She’s your mother, Axel. I’m already feeling remorse, and she isn’t even dead yet. Don’t be heartless.”

“Don’t. She’s a monster. I encourage you to hunt her down and kill her actually.”

“Is… she abusive or something of the like?”

“No. Just kill her, it doesn’t matter. I’ll have my sister and I won’t need to think about this place any longer.”

“I don’t mean to question your life choices, Miss Axel, but I am certain that this isn’t a good way of thinking.”

“I know she’s going to die, so I’ve accepted it. Don’t make me change my mind.”

Gammal fell silent after that. It remained that way for a while. A minute passed, then another.

“Don’t hate me when I am the one who kills her.” Gammal said. He knew nothing of Axel, but he knew she had some sort of internal deep-seeded hate for the woman he would murder. He decided not to question it.

“Whatever. Shut up.”

Gammal felt only unease.

Sal’s eyes opened in a flash. He’d overslept, but that wasn’t why he was startled.

“Wake up! This fucking building is under attack!”

He saw Twee above him, the roof above her, and the ear grating sounds of shouting and gunfire.

“What the fuck is going on!?” Sal screamed, leaping to his feet.

“Where is my brother!?” Selene yelled, a mess in her wake as she scurried around the room, looking for Quincy.

Sal knew he had to say something. He knew the truth, after all.

“I… he… he went looking for that Axel girl.” Sal stuttered, his senses were frayed, he felt unable to properly focus on anything but the sounds ringing out through the building from outside.

Shot, after shot, after shot.

Screams, death.

He wasn’t afraid, but he was disturbed. There was an ounce of happiness that the villains were dying, but another ounce of sadness for the same thing. He almost felt attached to them after last night’s events.

“Why the hell did my idiot big brother do that?!”

“It was for Courtney. He tried to barter with her. I tried to stop him, but-”

“Who cares!? He’s safer than us right now, he’s not here. Right now, we have to leave.” Twee said, keeping some semblance of calmness in her voice. “We will worry about him later, Selene.”

“We cannot go anywhere. They have the building surrounded.” said a voice through the door.

“What do you mean, ‘We’, Roland?!” Twee grimaced in masochism, her previously calm voice instantly gone.

“I am not staying behind and dying with these idiots. I am out of this stupid court from this day forth. I don’t need you to take me, but I want you to get me out of here too, if there is any kindness for me left in your heart, Twee.”

“Of course we’ll take you, Roland!” Sal tried to fully say, but Twee promptly put a hand over his mouth. He decided to give up.

“Roland.” Twee said sternly, standing up straight, glaring directly at him.

Roland said nothing back however. A hump of air rolled down his throat, and he stood there, awaiting judgement.

“You can come. I’m not heartless.” Twee replied, brushing it over and pushing past him. “Let’s scope this shit out.”

“Uh… what about we just stay in this room? Maybe we won’t get shot?” Selene shuddered, hearing the death outside.

“And what? Die?” Twee asked rhetorically, about to leave the door anyway.

Selene sighed, about to get up, but then, a pink film covered the windows, and the gunfire significantly silenced.

“What in god's name is this crap?” Roland felt the surface, it was hard as rock. He gave it a punch, it worbled, but didn’t break at all.

“It’s… sticky… and it smells like…” he continued, giving it a cautious sniff. “It’s bubblegum.”

“Well, I think it’s obvious who did this little trick.” Sal stated, looking out the window.

More assault units surrounded the building. They seemed covert, but not like a swat team. They were PROBE operatives, masters of murdering superhumans. But, the bubblegum shield seemed to prevent access to the mansion.

“Of course they sent PROBE after us.” growled Sal, walking over to the door with Twee. “Once they breach that barrier, we’re as good as dead if they can aim. No way we can even sneak out.”

“Why would they send Bluejay’s team after us? Are you sure you guys killed her? Selene?” Twee turned to Quincy’s sister, she just shrugged.

“I dunno, maybe she’s alive. I didn’t see her die… I don’t know Twee… don’t scare me!” she cried out.

“It’s going to be alright.” Sal said, but he felt unsure. He doubted they would make it out alive. But he knew he had to stay confident, for his frie-... tea-... no... These villains sakes. Their lives rested with his, and his with theirs. They would have to work together to make it out.

“Don’t worry, all of you.” Roland readied himself. “They’ve got guns, but I have stars.”

“You mean, you’re gonna finally shift?!” Sal lightened up.

“Yes.”

Gammal stared at the barrier in front of his squadron. Axel stared too, but only one of them was thinking about the attack cognitively.

“Is there any way to break it?” he asked, hoping someone else could have a bright idea.

“Not that we can see just yet, Gammal sir.” one of the operatives told him.

Gammal sighed. “He told me to do it...” he flipped through his tome he carried on his belt. It was a small book, just over fifty pages, but they were all scrawled with aboharantly maleficent witchcraft. Most would disagree with their use, but Bluejay was the only one that let him use his powers on her missions. Of course, this garnered further affection from Gammal.

“I give up. Fuck it. They all die.” He found the spell he was looking for. The words consisted of text without characters, simply shapes and pictures. It was unreadable, yet the sounds that then emerged from Gammal’s mouth suggested otherwise, albeit extremely difficult to speak. It was less speaking and more guttural noises coming from his warbling mouth.

The spell was more powerful than the rifts he’d opened days ago, and thus he suffered more. His flesh ripped open, his lower arms bleeding in uniform lines all the way to his elbows. He stood firm though, grimacing the immense pain away through his chants.

Axel snapped out of it and looked at Gammal, some of his blood squirted out beside her, nearly staining her sleeve. She gave it little thought though. She just kept staring at her home being destroyed. If that is what this place was to her any longer.

It would soon be ash, rubble, and dust anyway.

The calling from the horizon was quiet at first, but as Gammal’s chanting ended, it grew louder yet, drowning out every other sound until it was the only sound. The only audible thing. A single sound.

And that sound was nothingness. Not silence, no, this was the sounds of the underworld, the darkest layers of blackness, the end of life. The sounds of some old force awakening to fight for Gammal’s whims.

The sorcerer fell to his knees, his bleeding worsening.

“Get a medic. Call for retreat.” he ordered the nearest soldier, his shaky voice audible through the pitch wails and abject terror incarnate.

“What about the mansion?” the soldier said, but nobody but him heard. His question would not go unanswered for long though.

“Axel. Your sister will arrive soon. She will see only death here. You must not be one of the corpses if you wish to live your life in TUHF’s ranks.” Gammal told Axel. The noise around them lessened at his beckon.

“Why? I want to see this place die.”

“If you stay here, you will die, Axel!” screamed Gammal in command. “The beast I have summoned will kill you, and it may kill me too.”

“No, I will watch.” Axel demanded. “I need to look into my mothers eyes as she gets murdered.”

“Then you’ve commited suicide.” Gammal growled in anguish. A male and female nurse pick him up off the ground in a gurney as the troops fall back.

Axel didn’t last ten seconds.

The last two things Gammal saw before fainting were explosive lights and bright colors exploding from inside the gum barrier, and his beast.

A beast without a form, at least not to the normal eye, but Gammal saw it as an amalgam beast, a lanky, tall, cycloptic, spider monkey, with a tail of black acid, limp, melting the ground where it slid. It’s arms and throat were windpipes of a church organ, silver, and always making a tired moaning sound, like someone weakly blowing a whistle, except with the holy instrument’s deep noises.

It’s tongue extended, going inside her skull. Instantly, the initial piercing killed her, but it only pierced her bone, not the brain, that was sucked out, going up through the tongue like a malleable tube. The abduction was complete, the tongue returned, and the beast ran manically toward the mansion, tooting and wheezing with the sounds of human agony and decibel breaking organ music.

Gammal may have regretted what he just unleashed.