📖 Let’s have a look back in time.📖

Moments before Wanda removed Tomas’ soul, a large white van with dark tinted windows pulled up across the street from her shop. A twitchy man who had been wringing his hands together waiting breathed a sigh of relief and approached the van. The van’s driver, dressed in white armour, got out of the driver’s seat and made his way around to the back. The driver and the man who had been waiting nodded to each other as the driver gave the back door of the van two bangs with his fist before opening it and stepping in. He gestured for the other man to follow.

Inside the van, including the driver, were the four members of the Church of the Wolf's black ops team, all dressed in the same white body armour. They were busy preparing weapons and adjusting their armour. The one-eyed leader of the team turned to the newcomer and spoke, “Brother Charlie, report."

“Captain Wolfe, sir, I tracked the target to this witchcraft store. He hasn’t left yet. As far as I can tell, he’s in there alone with the owner. A woman named Wanda,” Charlie, the lookout said.

“Good work. I want you in charge of the van when we enter. Pierre, Give him the keys,” the leader ordered the driver, “Keep the engine running and wait for us,”

Charlie took the keys from Pierre, the driver he’d nodded to earlier, and saluted, “You can count on me, sir! Are you going in right away?”

“Not yet, we’re expecting contact from the head priest any moment now,” right on cue, a screen on the side panel of the van lit up, indicating an incoming message. The Leader pressed the button on the screen and spoke, "This is Wolfe."

The screen showed an extreme close-up of head priest Roy's forehead, "Why can't I see anything?" He asked. The camera shifted from his forehead to up his nostril, "Is it working?" Off-camera, muffled instructions to hold the camera further back could be heard. The camera shifted again, now pointing at the ceiling, "Ah there you are, Wolfe. Can you see me?"

"Perfectly, head priest, sir," Wolfe lied, "We're outside the building the target is in now, awaiting your instructions."

"Did you know I was the one who told everyone he'd go to Chook's Creek? I saw the newspaper he left on his computer and I said to everyone, “I bet he's gone to see the circus,” It's every child's dream, you see. That’s why I told you and your team to camp out there for so long. I bet you thought I was wrong, didn't you? It took two weeks, yet there he is hohoho."

"We never doubted you for a second, head priest.” Wolfe lied again, “Regarding the target, what are your orders?" Wolfe’s years of combat experience really shone when he displayed his ability to keep the head priest on topic.

"Good, good. Don't worry, the ones who DID doubt me will be found and punished. About the boy, go in there and capture him alive. I’m coming to collect him personally right now, so have him ready before I arrive. Wolfe, this is important: DO NOT KILL HIM. Do you hear me? I need him alive."

"Understood sir, we have the tranquilisers as you requested," Wolfe said, giving his team a look.

"Good. I provided you those tranquillisers. So don't mess up and blame the equipment, Wolfe. If you fail, there will be consequences! Do you understand!?"

Wolfe could hear, but not see Roy's face contorting to emphasise his words. His own face, he kept perfectly neutral, "Of course, head priest. We will not fail you. We will report back upon completion of our mission. Safe travels, we will await your arrival.

"By the way, I'm bringing a very special guest with me," the camera shook about again, "Don’t embarrass us, Wolfe. Now, how do I turn this thing off?" The call abruptly ended.

Wolfe turned to his team, "Ok, you heard the head priest, we are to capture the target with non-lethals and await his arrival. Sounds like he's bringing the Matriarch herself along,"

The others gulped.

"Ingrid and Poindexter will breach the front with me. Pierre, you'll circle around and come in through the back. Charlie, be ready in case we need to give chase. Everyone, understand your orders?" Nods came from everyone in the van, "Good, lock and load! Move out!"

🐙🔫🔫🔫🔫

Several minutes later, head priest, Roy fidgeted and looked down at the phone in his sweaty hands for the dozenth time. He hadn’t heard from the team in Chook's Creek yet despite it being well past time for them to report back. He desperately wanted to call them, but he didn’t know how to navigate the phone menus. Unfortunately, he was in the back of a moving truck and the only other person sharing the back with him wasn’t any better at technology than him.

The Matriarch lay, eyes closed, on her front on a large mat laid out across the back of the truck. Red, burned skin and blackened fur covered every inch of her body. Her breath came out in wheezes. She spent most of her time resting and recovering from her terrible injuries these days.

It had taken a lot of convincing for Roy to get her to come along in her condition. But, it was crucial to hasten her recovery and get the church back on track for its universal takeover as soon as possible. Roy wasn’t getting any younger after all. To this end, he needed to feed Tomas to the Matriarch as soon as possible.

The phone in his hands started ringing, causing him to drop it on the floor. Frantically scrambling to pick it back up, he held it two-handed and pressed the button on the screen. Nothing happened. He tapped the button again and again and still nothing happened. He was moments away from throwing the phone against the wall of the truck when he noticed the words on the screen. He squinted at them closely, then slid his finger along the button as they instructed. The call connected.

The Matriarch’s ears perked up and listened in.

“Hello, Head Priest?” The face of Charlie, the man who had first spotted Tomas in Chook’s Creek, appeared on the phone’s screen.

"Tell me you have him!" Roy hissed into the phone.

"Sorry, sir, there's been some complications,'' Charlie answered.

Roy ground his teeth, "Elaborate" he said.

“The team never returned after they left. I was going to go investigate but all of a sudden, the police showed up. A lot of police. I can’t get any closer to verify if the team is ok,”

Roy squeezed the phone until he felt it begin to crack, “Is Tomas still there in the building?”

“Yes, I believe so, sir. I haven’t seen anyone leave yet.”

“Ensure that he stays there, no matter what. We’ll be there soon to fix your mistakes shortly. DO NOT LET HIM LEAVE!”

“Sir, I don’t think you understand, there are cops everywhere.”

Roy threw the phone to the ground and stomped on it repeatedly, smashing it into pieces.

The Matriarch let out a low growl.

“YOU FAITHLESS IMBECILE!” he screamed at the remains of the phone, “Nothing can stop the Church of the Wolf!” He began to laugh maniacally as the convoy sped onwards.

🚌🚌🚚

Two buses and a truck, all painted with wolf faces, drove past the Chook’s Creek pub. Many of the patrons were already outside trying to catch a glimpse at the commotion going on over at Wanda’s. Eyes widened upon seeing the convoy. One fella called out, “Oy, It’s them circus clowns back for more! Grab the boys, fight’s brewing!”

The church’s convoy soon pulled up across the police cars. Dozens of cultists, armed with blunt weapons, marched out of the buses, and lined up, facing the police. Head priest Roy stepped out from the back of his truck, turning back to address the Matriarch inside, “Wait here, I will retrieve Tomas and bring him to you shortly.”

The Matriarch growled. She did not like being told what to do.

Roy bowed his head, “I apologise, Matriarch. I didn’t mean... What I meant was, that I believe it best we reveal you to the world when you are at your most glorious and powerful. That is why I suggest you wait here until after I’ve retrieved Tomas. I am deeply sorry for my careless words.”

The Matriarch huffed and laid her head back down.

Roy wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, “Wonderful, I will be back shortly,” He closed the truck behind him and started walking over to his lined-up cultists. The police were starting to line up as well, looking concerned.

Roy only made a few steps before a voice behind him drew his attention, “OI YOU!” the voice called out. He turned to see a large group of men and women wearing matching uniforms exiting the pub nearby. They all held cricket bats, "COME BACK FOR MORE HAVE YA?!"

Roy’s face flushed in anger. He wanted to drag out the man who had called him “you” and publicly beat him for his insolence, but he didn’t have time for that now, “I have no business with you commoners, I’m here for the person in that building. Begone!”, he shouted to the gathering green and gold crowd.

"HUH, WHASSAT?!" The spokesman from the crowd turned his head so that his other ear was facing Roy, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?”

“He said he was after Wanda!” another person shouted.

A cricket ball hit one of the buses and shattered its window. The cultists who had been scowling at the police turned around to see what the commotion was.

A murderous scowl filled Roy’s face. He pointed at the spokesman, “Who do you think YOU are?!” He pointed to the bus window, “YOU just broke church property!”

The hard-of-hearing spokesman’s face also twisted in fury, “HE SAID CIRCUS PROPERTY! I KNEW IT WAS THEM GREEDY CIRCUS BUGGERS! LET’S GET ‘EM BOYS!!!" He screamed.

Another cricket ball flew and hit one of the church members in the chest. This acted as the starting pistol for both sides. The line of wolf cultists and the Chook's Creek cricket club simultaneously began running towards each other like ancient soldiers charging into battle. They clashed in the middle of the street and absolute chaos began.

A cultist shoved over a cricket player and raised his broomstick to finish the job, only to be hit in the stomach by a wild swing from another man’s cricket bat. A few steps away, a different cultist held a large tree branch in both hands, spinning around, hitting anyone who came close until someone timed it just right, jumped up and kicked her square in the back with both feet. She was sent falling forwards into another woman’s back and the two began clawing at each other. Screams of rage, screams of pain, and screams of confusion called out all through the mayhem.

The onlooking police force gave each other a “not again” look, before they too charged into the fray to break it up. This did nothing to calm the chaos. Neither group respected the law and so a two-way brawl quickly became a three-way brawl.

One officer kicked away the cultist who was grabbing at his nightstick, he then turned and pulled a cricket player off of another officer. As he was doing so a cultist leapt through the air and punched him in the face with brass knuckles. The officer shook his head to dispel the stars spinning in his vision and pay back the guy who punched him, however, his attacker was already elsewhere, fighting off a cricket player who had grabbed him from behind and bit into his arm.

This was when the aliens arrived.

A flying saucer the size of a football field whizzed down from the sky and began hovering about 20 metres off the battlefield. A ramp opened from the bottom. On it stood two shiny, white, robots. The crowd below was too occupied to even look up and notice them.

The two robots leapt from the ramp and fell to the street. They shattered the asphalt underneath their feet upon landing. Standing up, completely undamaged from the fall, one robot addressed the surprised crowd around them, “OOooOOoooOo We coMe frOm AnoTHer plAnet! OOooOOoOOO! FlEE FOr yoUr lIveS!” A cricket ball hit it in the side of the helmet, bouncing off onto the road, “Hey what the hell!” it barked. A man snuck up behind it and hit it in the knee with his cricket bat. The fight then quickly resumed everywhere as normal with the newcomers included.

Nearby, Roy stood in the middle of a group of acolytes shouting orders. He felt pressure building up in the middle of his skull. As he stumbled and reached up to touch his forehead, his whole head exploded outwards covering everyone in the surrounding area in blood and brains. The air stunk of blood and narcissism magic.

🏏👮🐺🤖🤯

Ricky

Remember that timeline where Tomas got eaten? Well over there, Roy’s head exploded as well.

Approximately 25 years later, outside a hidden bunker on the moon, church soldiers lined up outside the blast doors, preparing to breach. Deep inside the bunker, the walls shook as explosives rocked the surface. The last remnants of the rebellion rushed frantically to finish their work.

Ricky, the vice leader of the rebels, bolted in the last component on the machine they were working on. He looked over at the little, green alien, Einstein, who had just finished calibrating into her console. She gave him a thumbs up.

"I'll go get the leader. Everyone get ready!" Ricky called out to the room

Everyone rushed to their assigned computers as Ricky went to knock on the door to the leader's room, "We're ready." He called through the door.

It slid open and out swum the rebel leader. The unusual fish swam through the air as if it were water. He was covered, head to tail, in horrific burns and scars, almost none of his beautiful, golden scales remained. He wore an eye-patch over his left eye, his fins were mangled and he was missing half of his tail. Despite all that, he looked strong. He looked undefeated. Destiny Fish, the rebel leader, swam like a king.

The last living magic fish looked upon the last living rebels with his last remaining eye. The brave men and women were silent, staring back at him with respect. When he spoke, his voice came out as a croaky whisper, "This is it, everyone. Thank you, for bringing us this far and for never giving up on justice. This is the moment we’ve been fighting for. We will never get another chance like this to make things right," He swam up to Ricky, "Ricky, you understand what you’re signing up for. You know the consequences should you succeed and the consequences should you fail. Even still, you volunteer?" He asked his vice leader.

"I do, boss, and I’m so afraid that my knees are shaking. But, even still, I will go. For everyone in this room. For everyone we’ve lost. I swear to all of you, I will succeed in my mission!" Ricky said with heroic stoicism.

"You are the truly bravest amongst us." Destiny Fish said, a tear rolled down his face. "Here, I only have one spell remaining. I shall cast it on you in hopes it may help you on your quest, even if only a little."

Destiny spat out his wand from inside his body and spoke the magic words: “Destined to Wield the Destined blade of Destiny!” red strings of destiny shot out of the wand, surrounding Ricky and disappearing inside his body.

Destiny swallowed the wand back and coughed, “Don’t let the spell’s long name fool you, it has nothing to do with blades. You are now destined to find an item of significance to you. You’ll probably end up finding a lucky coin or a lost set of keys hehehe… COUGH COUGH COUGH ” Destiny broke into a coughing fit. He held up a mangled fin to ward off Ricky’s concern, “Still, I hope it serves you well.”

“Thank you, sir! I am deeply honoured” Ricky bowed. The bunker shook again from another explosion outside.

"It’s time dudes! Ricky, get into position, you should give the go order yourself. May destiny guide you… bro."

The roomful of rebels collectively gasped. Everyone knew that there were only two others in all of history whom Destiny Fish referred to as ‘bro’.

Ricky just smiled, jumped into the machine, stuck his chest out, and shouted. "Einstein! Hit it!"

The machine whirled to life and began spinning around Ricky. Faster and faster, until it began to glow, lighting up the room. Sparks flew and the sound of energy rising reached a crescendo. The ceiling lights dimmed and flickered as power was drained from all sources into the machine. For a fraction of a second everything stopped, then an explosion of energy blasted out from the machine that knocked everyone in the room backwards.

Ricky was gone. The room was lit up by a newly formed electrical vortex in the middle of the machine. Nobody made a sound, staring at the vortex until it sparked and faded out of existence.

The lights in the room flickered back to life. Everyone got to their feet. The machine and the computers were completely ruined. In the centre of the room.

From above a new sound began. It sounded like giant paws digging through Earth, "So she came personally. Perfect! Everyone to arms! It's time to make our last stand!" Destiny roared.

The room erupted in cheers.