In the far reaches of the universe on an alternate plane, a crowd of God’s gather to drink and eat in a café, where the floor is a starry cosmos. There are many Godly buildings in the nearby area creating a wealthy and luxurious metropolitan area, where the middle class or low-level gods live in the suburbs or low-rent apartments. The powerful and rich Gods live in luxury sky-rise buildings or have their own private palaces or manors.

In a high-class open restaurant in the middle of the universe, a sleek dark-haired goddess with pale skin arrives. Wearing a tight-fitting violet dress that flutters like smoke around her body, Eris, the Goddess of Strife nods at the seated figures before her. A handsome young man with a trickster smile is Loki, the God of Mischief, the red-headed man with an arrogant face is Ares, the God of War and many more members of the Chaos faction in attendance and seated nearby.

Eris takes a seat the four-person table and orders, the blood of an innocent virgin to drink. Ares snorts but doesn’t make a comment on Eris’s choice. Well, one usually, didn’t comment on another God’s kinks as all God’s had their own.

Loki takes a sip of his chai-latte and says, “Eris, dear your little champion is most unusual given your tastes.”

“Oh? I thought she was perfect for the job,” Eris explained as the server arrived with her drink. Eris’s glowing amber eyes glisten as she delicately takes a sip of her drink and enjoys the taste of pain and misery on her tongue.

Bored Ares removes a knife from his boot and twirls the razor-sharp blade between his fingers without slicing his hand open. Loki sighs and says, “Just do not push things too far as we do not wish to attract unwelcome eyes quite yet.”

Eris frowns but nods her head unhappily in agreement. Loki smiles in satisfaction and says, “By the way, Ares has Cthulhu come to see you yet?”

Ares raises his eyebrow and snorts, “Why would that stupid pink jelly come to see me?’

“Really, how interesting?” Loki mused out loud.

Ares narrows his eyes at Loki and stops playing with his blade. “Why?” Ares pointedly inquired.

“Oh, it’s just that my Teir and your Strife paid Cthulhu’s champion a visit prior to their dissertation of the factions,” Loki commented.

“Oh, you mean, the weak champion that Strife killed?” Ares grunted out loud. “I say good riddance, but even so, I complied with all the rules as created and dictated. There is nothing for Cthulhu or anyone to accuse me of.”

Loki nods his head at the accurate statement, but carefully adds, “Yes, but don’t forget exactly who Cthulhu is, Ares. You may have forgotten given his new form, but I have not, and Cthulhu is not one to be trifled with.”

Eris snorts into her drink and says, “How bad could one pink jelly be?”

Loki eyes grow distant as he faintly says, “I fear we will know soon enough.”

In the distance an elegant old man with a neat silver trimmed beard and a pink jelly move towards them. Loki smiles at his father, while Ares and Eris warily nod at the old man completely ignoring the bobbing pink jelly. Loki happily says, “How’s it going, dad? I heard you’ve finally have picked a new champion, I hope they’re a sport unlike the last one.”

Odin smiles faintly and says, “Yes, he’s quite the sport if I do say so myself.” The server stops by to ask for an order, but Odin gestures the server away with a flick of his finger.

Odin turns his one blazing eye onto Eris and quietly says, “I would like for you to stop what you are doing?”

“I am sorry, Odin, but I don’t understand what you’re talking about?” Eris exclaimed.

Odin’s grey eye glows for a moment, while the other blazing eye burns dangerously. “I am not in a mood to play games, Eris. Decease your ploy or you will find yourself with one less champion,” Odin plainly stated.

Eris snorts and says, “Oh and what are you going to do? Are you going to break the accords to kill one measly champion?”

Odin leans back in his seat as the pink jelly begins to glow and suddenly a massive Cephalopod with giant tentacles and limber body fills the sky. Before Eris can react a giant tentacle wraps around her figure and pulls her towards the giant mad filled eyes.

Odin smiles icily and drily comments, “I won’t do anything, but Cthulhu will. After all, we all know one cannot be condemned if one is legally declared insane. And after all, Cthulhu is the God of Madness, who better to act against the rules?”

Cthulhu squeezes threateningly for one second causing Eris to cough out golden godly blood before Cthulhu ungraciously throws her onto the floor. Stunned on the floor Eris coughs weakly and breathlessly says, “Fine, I’ll back off. But I will see your champion dead, Cthulhu.”

Cthulhu’s eyes glitter dangerously and for the first time in a long time a voice that made one mad with a single word says, “I will see you destroyed and scattered by the Godly planes.”

Eris’s eyes widen in shock as do the rest of the gods. A vow made by a God was no trifling matter. And especially from an ancient god who played by the rules of when they were once less civilized

Loki rises to his feet to swiftly intervene by placing himself between Eris and Cthulhu. “I’m sure, Eris meant nothing by it. Come now, Cthulhu, no need to be so dramatic,” Loki persuasively said.

Odin rises to his feet as Cthulhu does not respond and reverts to an adorable form of a cute pink jelly. Odin quietly says, “As I said before, careful child. Though you are a god, never forget that Cthulhu and I come from a very different breed of gods. We’re quite ruthless when needed,” Odin flashed Eris a wolfish smile causing her pale further.

Without another word, the two figures stride away as Ares stares at the bobbing pink jelly away. “I’d forgotten he was an old one,” Ares quietly stated.

“Yes, most of the Gods have forgotten given his new form, but that does not change what he is, the God of Madness,” Loki replied as he aided Eris to her feet. “And you my dear do as you are told, for now, there will be more than ample time to seek your revenge once the Champion Courts are open once more.” Eris dutifully nods her head as her eyes filled with hatred and vengeance. Because one day soon, the ball would be back in her court.

And just like that, the restaurant in the Cosmos emptied as everyone left and began to spread the gossip of the incident. Some figures took note of the event, while others grew wary and some fearful. Because when the older gods began to move, that meant only one thing, blood.