Throwing open the pyramid doors, Mike and I slid to a stop at what appeared to be a gathering mob of animals spread out from the stairs of the pyramid, I could see more hurrying closer, the tall grass parting as they trampled near -

What the fuck? Those idiots!

And I couldn't leave - couldn't leave our families to be trapped, and then I saw them emerging, running out of the hidden bar entrance right at us, not being chased -

And I smelled it, delicious. That it was obvious that Mike's mother was an excellent cook, heard the words gasped, carried to the top of the stairs, and knew what had happened. That I was the fool.

"Carnivore! Carnivore!"

Behind me I heard mumbled prayers, a language I couldn't comprehend and I wanted to burst out laughing, because Mike's mother was likely terrified that she was looking at a bunch of demons, and yet she was sizzling the meat of them over a fire, seasoning them with chili powder and garlic salt and whatever else she fancied.

Delicious -

And I hoped we could explain, that this wasn't one of them. Why hadn't I noticed they were all herbivores, that it was obvious -

*Bang*

And I really couldn't blame Derek's mother, maybe I could even admire her - expect my own to do the same. Only I had fault for letting them see, because as she turned the corner and saw her baby surrounded by animals? Being chased?

*Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang*

A purse pistol. I'm not even sure she hit one - that she fired to hurt or to just take attention, it could of been aimed up -

It didn't matter, gunfire during a mob, a crowd of people - even if they were animals. That already thought you were eating one of their own? Could smell them cooking? It could of just been caps for all the difference it would of made, it escalated -

And they fired back -

And I knew we were the ones in the wrong, but I also knew my friends were down there, my family up here, and the time for debate was over -

*Buzzzzzzzzz*

I unleashed them all - my entire brood.

Mike began to glow.

I took wing, rising high, drawing their fire, I felt the bullets wizzing by, flattening against my shield as Brandon stopped running, pushing the others up the stairs he turned around and Mike's shield wrapped him, a young bird appearing on his shoulder - flapping it's wide wings before settling. A magenta flame wrapping around both of them.

The feeling - watching somebody suddenly stand up from a barstool, catching that movement and knowing there's trouble. It wasn't even anger, but resignation.

This wasn't a fight Brandon wanted either, but he'd be damned - Fire!

I flapped and dropped rocks, crushing the crowd below, a crowd already breaking, fleeing -

It was a massacre, over moments after it started. The animal bodies below us, broken and twisted as I landed amongst the group coming back together. There was now shouts of celebration, just grim unease, relief. That they didn't turn to me with accusation in their eyes almost worse.

I looked at the corpses. I turned around to the entrance and saw my entire family, holding weapons, Derek's mother, behind one of Mike's shields.

Then I began to pick up the bodies, sucking them into myself. The Queen on my shoulder, calling back her kin - I felt the objection of my friends, the unspoken words.

The unspoken words.

Dinner was ruined. The meat had been left to burn in the excitement. The children were quiet with the tension, but we had plenty of coin now, and it was important to me.

That I placed food on the table, cut ham. roast turkey, peas...

It was a quiet meal, where parents had already begun to see their children differently but now began to look closer. That Mrs. Arroyo clutched Mike's hand, his fork in the left and that probably wasn't the reason his plate was still full.

The original plan had been to explain what we new about the dungeons to our families after dinner, but nobody opened their mouth. Each of us turned to Derek, but his mother...

She was so proud of him, all of our families were proud. They didn't understand completely, and those that did stayed silent. My grandmother ever polite, my family as reserved as always, but what were they thinking? The little ones were tucked off to bed, and I watched Derek start to explain - whatever words he had planned gone.

"We don't know anything about the Doors. Each one is different. We're using them to fix problems on earth."

There was more, of course. About hunting and killing. Theories of how the powers worked. And he played the edited version of our recording, the added footage of his eaglet birth. But the soundtrack he added, the classical rising melody of violins and accompanying flutes and drums -

It all rang hollow.

That an evening we wanted to celebrate was now one we wanted to forget, made worse as the team convened privately - given the matter more thought.

"Twenty coins each, at least." Jason said, "We made two thousand. We made it in minutes."

"Jason." Mike whispered, heartbroken -

"They were aggressive." Derek nodded, "I tried to explain, but they assumed..."

"But it's murder." Mike objected, again.

"They threatened our families." Jason slapped the table, "My grandparents aren't like your families, they don't..." He shook his head bitterly.

"They're people now." I said, "The question is if dungeon people are real people."

"We can't know." Derek answered, "They remembered a time before we got here. We have to assume there will be a time after, but...does it matter?"

Silence.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, even as I felt the coldness.

"Isn't what we are doing more important?"

Mike stayed behind, to watch over the families. The rest of us, we excused ourselves for fresh air. Room to breathe.

Friendship is mutual respect, and you don't have to agree about everything. That I felt good, knowing Mike wouldn't have to be troubled about what was necessary. And with how strong they had been? We didn't need his ability right now.

The speakeasy was first, almost abandoned but the owner was there, a few drunk animals slumped. I made quick work of them and then we cleaned the place out. And then we moved, predators of the night in our quick and brutal methods.

I flew high, eyes open on our raid. That's how I noticed the army gathering. Organizing. And what small guilt I felt vanished. There was no room for such things in war.