-- James --

"The rot is this?" They had brought us to what felt like an open field. We were still miles from the crack, but we could be close enough to catch a glimpse. About a quarter-mile away we could see a few other people walking around. This was just strange.

Hawthorn smiled, "This is your station, your team will cover this area for any stray monsters, that make it through."

I looked around for any indication of walls or something to funnel the monsters, but there was nothing. When I looked behind there wasn't even another person, I could only come to one conclusion, "But we're in the back, there won't be anything to fight."

"And that's bad James?" Violet asked.

"Yes!" How could they not see? "What was the point of all that training if all we're going to do is stay in the back?"

Hawthorn could only shake his head, "I think you are underestimating the beast wave."

"Why? How could they make it through so many high-level fighters?" They would have to go through hundreds of groups we would just be a last resort.

"There are only thirty thousand or so of us, and there will be millions of monsters coming through." He explained

The numbers seemed really low compared to the number of monsters."What?"

"What you think everyone in the city, would fight?" Hawthorn asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well yeah." Why wouldn't they?

Hawthorn gave me a pitying glance, "How naive. Half of them leave during the migration. Take a vacation. Others just kind of stay. And then there are the ones who just want to end. Some help but are useless."

I was starting to get worried. "But still seems low, how can we stop the all?"

"We don't." He said it so casually it took me a minute to realize what he had said.

"What?"

"Oh yeah, our job is to just thin them out as much as we can." He explained.

"But, what about the rest of the world?" Wouldn't they spread out and multiply and eventually overrun us?

"They cant survive for too long." He said, not really explaining anything.

I looked at him incredulously, "That makes no sense?"

"The stronger ones can last longer, but the power is too thin for them to survive let alone thrive."

Hearing this made me wonder what was the point so I asked, "Then why are we fighting?

Hawthorn laughed, "Because it can take years for them to die, they can do a lot of damage in that time."

"So we're just culling them?" Violet asked, having listened in on the side.

Hawthorn nodded, "Yeah, and this time it's a little different."

"How?" She asked.

"Controllers so we are now fighting to not lose the city good luck." Hawthorn jumped back into the jeep we came in, and they slowly pulled off.

"Wait!"

I was shouting at the man as he was driving towards the front. Debating whether I should chase after the man when Violet grabbed my shoulder, "James."

"What?" I turned to Violet slightly annoyed. There would be no way to catch up to him now.

"Look." She pointed off into the distance, seemingly at nothing.

"What I don't see anything?"

She glared at me, "Look again."

I looked there were only a few buildings out towards the front, that they must have built for defense. They were much closer to the barrier and would make great spots for fighting the enemy. I wanted to be at least near them. "All I see are the buildings."

She shook her head, "Those aren't buildings."

"What do you mean?" I turned back to look closer, and now that she had pointed it out, I could see the curves and uneven sides. Like a lumpy building. It was when I saw one of them move I realized what they were. "Fucking titans!"

"Still want to be on the front?" She asked.

I had to admit, "Kinda."

They came. They came like a wave crashing on the shore. Thousands upon thousands of monsters ran across the ground killing whatever they came across, or at least trying to. Wherever people stood the monsters swarmed all around while more kept running deeper, finding more targets.

We were a good distance from the front, and by the time they reached us, it was only the weaker ones, among them. They varied greatly from wolf-like monsters to cat-like, snakes, and a few tentacle monstrosities. They were all easily taken care of but it didn't feel like we were even remotely making a dent in the horde.

I was feeling completely useless here. Especially with Bay here, she was taking out ten monsters to our one with her are of attacks. At this point I felt like her bodyguard, even Violet and Rowan were taking out more monsters than me. Doing some kind of metaphysical magic. All the monsters who got near Violet just died, and somehow Rowan was turning the creatures against each other. Is that what they learned? As for me, I was killing with every swing, but I wasn't built for hordes of small enemies. I was trained to fight larger stronger individuals. I needed a real fight. I could do so much more on the front, than back here.

Looking at my team they were starting to look tired but they looked bored. Bay wasn't even standing anymore. She was just sitting there hand on chin and casting. Violet was just glaring at the enemies to death. I know that wasn't actually what she was doing but that's what it looked like, and Rowan. Rowan just looked tired.

Seeing all this I made a suggestion, "This is boring, we should go to the front."

"Do you want to get killed?" Violet yelled breathless, as five cat-like monsters fall dead to the ground around her.

"Oh come on, you know we could handle it. I mean look around we're surrounded by monsters and killing nonstop." I swung my sword decapitating a wolf who lunged for me. "And it's boring."

"Boring is not always bad James," Bay said as she was in between spells.

"Oh Come on Bay. You're literately sitting there just channeling random spells."

Bay shook her head, "I'm using it as practice."

I stared her down, "You're just as bored as us."

"Yes. I'm bored, but the monsters are supposed to be a lot stronger towards the front. This is fine right here." She reluctantly agreed.

I could see her waver, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Violet and Rowan listening close. Just a little bit more of a push. "But we're not doing anything but trim off some of the monster fat. These things could easily be handled by lower leveled people."

"Fine, what do you want to do?" Bay asked, annoyed.

Yes, now to convince them, "Let's kill a titan."

Bay was stunned as she was trying to figure out if I was serious, "James there a hundred feet tall."

I had a well-reasoned response, "And there's only one of them, per area. I bet it would be great ratings."

Violet finally turned from the horde to yell at me. "James, are you fucking serious?"

"Look, I still have mixed feelings, but if we're doing this. We might as well make a big name for ourselves. Besides if we fell one it would make people think twice." I really didn't know if I was into the reality show, but the more I thought of it, and the more it was mentioned, I realized it would be better to just lean into it. There wasn't much we could do anyways.

"James your logic is terrible, but people do like a good storyline, and it might get people off our back." Rowan reasoned.

"Rowan, you can't be seriously thinking about it?" Bay asked surprised.

Violet commented looking thoughtful, "They do have a point"

"Violet?" Bay looked at her in consternation, "Just how bored are you?"

"Insanely, but no matter how stupid it sounds. He's right."

"No." Bay doubted.

Violet turned to me, getting in my face, "Yes. We take down a Titan then back to the small fries got it."

"But." I tried to argue we could do more, but Violet cut me off.

"No, if we can even kill the thing, I don't want to die from being swarmed by monsters too strong."

I was getting something so, "Fine."

"Say it." Violet glared at me.

"What?"

"Say it."

I let out a long sigh, "We kill one titan then back to the back of the tide."

"Thank you," Violet said as she step back.

No time like the present, "Let's go."

"This is stupid," Bay commented, but I could see was excited.

"Then why are you smiling Bay?" I asked.

"Shut up."