Sorry, I had it spaced correctly but reddit decided that enter doesn't do anything, I've fixed it

The dialogue was great, but it being a single big paragraph made it hard to follow.

XD is a robot cat with a computer screen for a head, who loves listening to VERY loud music, and has multiple laser guns hidden in her body.

Aurora is goldfish which uses hamster ball filled with water to move, is incredibly smart, but very insufferable.

They are fighting over who will get to the best toy in pet shop.

Yes!

I couldn't help but laugh at their surprise, everyone else's confusion was evident.

"What's so funny?" Asked the hero, the panic evident in his voice

"Yeah, this is serious!" Agreed the cleric, equally bemused "Well I'd have assumed at least you two would have figured it out by now" I jeered, unhelpfully

"Figured what out" the cleric blurted between heavy breaths, he had started hyperventilating and I was actually feeling a little bad for him at this point, it had been almost two years since I started working as this groups assassin and he was the only one who hadn't accused me of stealing from him, or asked the wizard to use a poison detection spell on their drink whenever I was with them.

The wizard and barbarian seemed to be resigned to sitting this conversation out. They were both stroking the unicorns fur and didn't seem to be paying very much attention.

"Well, you know how every time we win a battle, I'm the only one who doesn't get blackout drunk?" I began answering

"You don't?" The barbarian interrupted, beginning to take interest

"Have I been tainting the pure maidens in my drunken stupor!?" The hero yelled out, on the verge of tears "how could I!" He said, now full on crying

"No, much funnier" I once again started before once again being interrupted

"This isn't funny" the druid said, hyperventilating

"As I was saying, every time we win a battle, the four of you get blackout drunk and spend literally all of our money," I began "and after the wizard and barbarian pass out on a pile in the middle of the tavern, you two come up to the single room we all have to share because you keep spending all our money on beer!" I glared at each of them in turn "you two have the loudest sex ever, fully clothed, and pass out covered in your own, and eachothers semen" I finished

"Ohhhh" the barbarian said "I thought you just had a hangover like the rest of us"

The wizard laughed

At this point the hero and cleric had gotten over their respective mental breakdowns and had turned bright red. Neither one of them seemed to want to confront this revalation

"I'll give you two guesses as to who the bottom is" I sneered

Everyone looked towards the hero. He looked like he wanted to die. I didn't blame him.

At this point the wizard spoke up "Why didn't you tell anyone?" she asked

Now everyone was looking at me

"This has been going on for months at this point, I thought they would have realized it by now." I stated, matter-of-factly

"I think I'm going to stop drinking" said the hero, he looked dead inside

"Me too" the cleric agreed, equally dead inside

"More for me" the wizard said, pulling an entire wine bottle from her magic bag.

I grabbed her bag from her

"Hey! I need that" she protested

"You can have it back when we're making more money than you spend in a single night on alcohol" I glared at her

She stared me down for a second before shrugging and chugging her bottle of wine.

I sat down with the barbarian to pet the unicorn and sighed. These people were in charge of saving the world.

Andrew Tate would be proud of those two knights.

Good job.

"I'm a murderer, I'm not a hero! Ugh, and I didn't even want to!"

Wait, what?

---

"Wait, wait, wait, what do you mean you 'didn't want to'?"

She burrowed her face into her arm and growled. "I - I didn't want to kill him... I mean, I absolutely hate him," she scrunched her face and mimed scratch marks, "But I didn't want to kill him. I just thought - I don't know... That maybe it was the reason I had this curse. That k-killing him would lift it and bring my brother back..." She groaned. "Ohh, I really let him down..."

There's so much she still doesn't know. But now I know, her heart was in the right place. Or close to it, at least. "Oh, but what if I tell you, he doesn't actually have to be dead?"

She shot her head up to look at me. "Are you saying we can bring him back?!"

"Yes."

"I - I -" Her face filled with sudden fear at this possibility. She contemplated for a moment. "Look, I know I'm going to pick the right choice eventually, but I can't forgive him just yet. I can't."

I simply smiled. "Don't worry. There's still much for you to process of course. We have eternity in this place. You can take your time."

She took a breath as she collected herself. "I can't believe it. This seems too good to be true. Thank you, truly."

I put my hand on her shoulder. She didn't shrug it off. "You can thank me by becoming the hero your brother always knew you were."

She smiled then, a true smile of courage and determination. "I will!! I will, I promise. My name's Sue, by the way. And I want to be a hero."

-----

We spent a long time there. By the way, I call that frozen state Stock-Still, because I find it weird to say 'there' when technically it's not a specific place. And in honor of memory itself, I decided to number every time we entered Stock-Still, to see how far we've gone. Of course, that long first time was Stock-Still #1. We shared stories and simply talked. The truth was that there was a lot for her to learn about these powers. When I taught her how to use her cloak and knives as steps so she could climb into the air, she spent a solid fraction of eternity gloating about being taller.

Eventually I taught her about paradoxes, and how to make it so an action never existed in the first place. She showed the strength Meg saw in her that day, when she forgave the man who killed her brother. I proceeded to make sure he was later arrested for homicide, burglary over $5000, and indecent exposure.

We're on Stock-Still #829, and it's been a blast. I really enjoy having someone so full of life around. Back in Stock-Still #44, we made a deal with Chronos to lift the curse once he realized I had kept his son Chaos from invading Earth, and I made his other son Aether (the sky) laugh when I sneezed. Then in Stock-Still #229, he punished Sue for stealing one of his Dodo Birds, and that was hilarious. We saved the world a few times just the two of us (127, 214, 315, 388, 450). By Stock-Still #525, she started forming her own team! In #778 she met a guy, a time traveler. In #780, she forced me to unbanish him.

She's the best daughter in the world. Thank you, Meg. You healed another broken heart.

"Just look into my eyes. It will tell you everything you need to know."

------

There once was a team of heroes that protected the Earth. Their foes became mythical beasts, tales of their prowess turned into legends. Though they have long since turned to dust, their values live on. From their death rises a new hero. And their death is a loss for so many more.

Sacrifice is what actualizes a hero. Yes, they need to fight for others, and have the strength to do so. But it's only when they sacrifice themselves does one see their full potential, as they reach their limit and push past it.

Mathew stood on the hill, watching black light frozen in place, caught in the act of trying to contaminate this world. He stood with Diggati and Hannah by his side, countless corpses of twisted monsters littered around them. The fifth member of the team had just sacrificed himself, exploding his Essence into the twisted timeline, shattering it.

'Oh Meg, why are you always risking yourself?!' Mathew feared for her. Meg lied on the other side of the fissure. The only way to successfully freeze time is to unite the timelines, and in order to do that they needed someone placed in either dimension.

She looked at him through the entanglement of monsters that surrounded her. Most were frozen mid-air, primed to tackle. She simply tilted her head at him and smiled. He knew in an instant what she was going to do. He couldn't lose his best friend! The one who teased him for never obeying Daylight Savings Time, the one who loved coffee and sunsets, painting and horseback riding. The one who risks it all.

"No! Guys, she's going to unfreeze time! When she does that, the dimension will collapse into itself, crushing her!!" Mathew shouted at his teammates. To keep people who aren't Time Warpers outside the time stream, it requires a lot of work. So when she unsnapped herself, Mathew was already tired. The weight of flowing time acted against the vacuum he created, as he felt everything shift towards her. His arms trembled as he tried to stabilize the timeline, to keep her from her death.

They may have been on the brink of defeat, but they were still trained heroes. The monsters piled on top of her as Digatti used telekinesis, ripping open the fissure before it could close on itself. Hannah turned herself into light, and shot herself through. She slaughtered countless of them, grabbing Meg and beaming themselves out of there. He dropped his hold as the dimension slammed shut. The haunting howls of the beasts were the last noises heard, before it was replaced by silence. The cold air blew through the night.

"No, no!" I reached her first. I snapped time frozen around her and clutched her hand. "Please, please don't die!"

It was truly a ghastly sight. Tears across her whole body, and the blood that seeped through would become still once it left her, pooling over her where the cuts were deepest.

"I - I had to," she gasped, coughing up blood. "We're heroes..."

I tried checking if there was any way to stop the bleeding, but it was clear she was too far gone. "Meg, why?!? It could've been me! Please..."

She chuckled, even as she seared with pain. "B-ut it couldn't have been you, you would've been an hour late..."

Tears welled in my eyes. "No... please..."

She tried to prop herself up, gripping my hand and beaconing me to come close. "Don't worry, you'll see me again! I've chosen. I've chosen who's going to get it. S-Someone hurt, like you. To someone deserving, they must know what it's like to truly love and fight for another. I gift them my power, so they'll have the strength to rise from extreme, unfair pain. The pain life hands out, a-all willy-nilly, you know?"

Her eyes brimmed and she felt weak, so I softly lowered her head back down. "Oh, one more thing!" She adds, forever smiling despite it all. "Someone like that, I think they're going to need a guide. And I can't think of a better one than you. So you can't die! Not until you're a mentor, and you find me again. You promise?"

"I promise." I held her close for a few moments. She couldn't hold back completely: Her red eyes gave way to the slightest of tears. It made them gleam with fire. Her characteristic gleam, one of determination and courage, no matter what.

I stood back up, swallowing the choking feeling in my throat. "I promise... Goodbye Meg. You're the real hero."

I unsnapped my fingers. My teammates deserved to say goodbye too.

------

We both gasped as we returned to reality.

"I - that's me?!" She spun from all the death. She seemed freaked.

"I can't be certain, but from what I saw... You know what it truly means to love another, don't you?"

She paid me little attention. She turned her back to me and walked to an old car parked on the side, climbing onto the roof while rubbing her face. "I didn't want this..." She quietly said. She looked up at me and I could see her eyes start to turn red. "I hated this! I didn't want to be the one who survived. For the longest time, I thought I was cursed!"

I tried to say something, but she continued. "I was the oldest one who cared. When I was 12 our family... I - It was just me and him. If he had it, he could've saved himself. Why couldn't it have been him?!"

"I'm sorry there was only one gift to give."

She sniffled, tears brimming as she couldn't control it. "I'm no hero! I lost him that night, and all I did was run." She pulled out a knife and clenched the handle so hard her knuckles turned white. "It's so unfair! And I hate how childish that sounds!"

I sigh. A pain builds in my chest. "Look, I'm an adult. I have walked this Earth for decades. I have a PhD in Quantum Mechanics and Oscillatory motion.-"

"Your freaking resume won't make me feel better!!!" She shouted, throwing the knife at me. I sucked its temporality so it stilled mid-air, and I grabbed it and walked toward her.

"-And, my point is, I HATE HOW UNFAIR IT ALL IS!!!" I shout at the top of my lungs, all the anger and resentment and guilt shooting itself out of me. "I HATE IT, I HATE IT, I HATE IT!"

I take off my sunglasses and throw them on the floor. I stomp on them a few times. Really grinding it to dust.

"Whaa-" Was all she said. She was shocked.

"I'm an adult! And I feel the same thing! You're stronger than me, because you actually held it in! There's nothing childish about stating a fact!"

'Ugh, I think I tore my sciatica'. Well, I'm not going to have a girl cry on my watch. I reach my hand into a woman's purse nearby and grab a bunch of tissues, regaining my composure in an instant. "Tissue?"

She looks at me at first like I'm insane. But underneath that, I think I saw something like hope, or a 'thank you', as the edges of her lips start to curl up in a smile. And then she giggles, and accepts the tissue. "You're crazy."

"And I'm at your service."

Blowing her nose, she takes a few breaths. I was pretty sure her mind had difficulty wrapping herself around the strangeness of the situation. When she spoke again, it was far more reminiscent. "I - you know, my brother really wanted to be a hero... We would dress up in bed sheets and towels, run around parks as he saved me from the villain of the day. It was so crazy, he would even make multi-part arcs. At the end of one, I remember I bought him ice cream and he got it all over himself... He-" She shut her eyes closed and smiled, bidding her tears not to escape. "He would tell me it was his 'turn to be hero' every single time. Like he saw me as the actual hero or something."

"Aw."

"It was kind of cute. And look," She chuckled as if she was half-mad. "Here I am talking to a real one. But I must say, I'm glad he never met you."

"Wait, excuse me?"

"I'm just saying, if he copied you, I'd be getting tantrums every day!"

"Heh, that might be true." I decided to agree, and she laughed a little. But that noise soon turned to silence, as the previous weight descended upon us. I may have distracted her for a bit, but there are still important questions to ask. And she was well aware of that. "Look, I'm sorry if this hurts you, but I need to know what you plan to do with the powers."

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair and tugging it. "I really don't deserve it. He should've been the hero. Can you take it back?"

"The universe chose you. The only thing you don't have to worry about is that you must know you deserve this, or at the very least you can deserve it."

She sighed. "Old man, please, just shut up."

"You should at least accept that if you want me to take it-"

"I said shut up!"

"Why! This-"

She clenched her jaw and exploded, grinding the tissue to tatters. "You want me to say it?! I'm a murderer! Okay, is that what you wanted to hear?! I'm a murderer, not a hero! Ugh, and I didn't even want to!"

Wait, what?

I love this! So funny!

Love the reference to Old Man Henderson.

[removed]

A top pomeranian!

It definitely was lost in some of the prose here, but I now understand. Regardless, thanks for the awesome response.

Is there more? This was excellent

I think there’s a misunderstanding. The knight uses mechanized armor, al Titanfall The Princess is a fire giant. But thanks for the compliments on the setting!

Hmm... A giant robot. Interesting choice for this one. I love the setting.

<Lothli & Maishul>

Chapter 3: Of Mice and Men

Hello. Welcome back to Lothli & Maishul, the only show where we keep it real by exploring different realities. I'm your host, Lothli. Oh, and a big thank you to u/Not_theScrumPolice for lending her excellent character, Olivia, to today's story. Without further ado, let me introduce today's premise.

Once upon a time, in a far-off land known as Dottopia, there was a young girl named Maishul. Maishul was a Squeaker, like all residents of this land. Her mouse-like nose twitched and her wiry tail swished as she spent her days toiling in the fields.

It was a normal day, like any other. Except for when Maishul stumbled upon a magical glowing sword that fell from the sky.

"I am the MacGuffin, Maishul. Take me into your hands, and defeat the Dark Huntress, Olivia!" the sword boomed.

Of course, Maishul was hesitant. This magical glowing sword was highly suspicious, after all! What kind of ulterior motive could it have? The girl cautiously approached the—

"Ooh, shiny sword! Mine, mine!"

...Maishul snatched up the MacGuffin, completely heedless of her hapless sister's words of warning. But all was good, as the sword did not seem to have malicious intent.

With new blade in hand, Maishul set off toward the land of The In Between. Together, they faced numerous challenges, including treacherous mountains, dark forests, and the temptation of snack time. But with the help of her magic sword, and her unwavering determination, our protagonist emerged victorious at every turn.

After a long and exhausting journey, Maishul finally arrived before the Temple of the Huntress. The ominous fortress rose before her like a dark cloud on a stormy day, casting its shadow upon the land. Its walls were as high as mountains and as black as the night sky, adorned with the visage of screaming Squeakers and muscular bodybuilders.

Shaking her head at the strange sight, Maishul gripped her MacGuffin and entered the fortress. And lo and behold, there sat Olivia, the Dark Huntress.

"Tremble before me, fool!" Olivia roared, overtly flexing her muscles in a monstrous display of strength. "I am Olivia. Dark Huntress! Smasher of Squeakers! And The One With Zero Chill!"

Maishul, cowed by the rippling musculature on the Dark Huntress, took a moment to steel herself.

"Today your reign ends, Olivia! No more will you smash Squeakers against the cobblestones! In the name of Queen Dot, I will smite thee!" Our reluctant hero strikes a pose, before lunging at The One With Zero Chill.

Yet, Olivia's brawn was too much for our heroine's blade. With a mighty flex, the Dark Huntress deflected Maishul's swing.

Was all hope lost? No! Maishul closed her eyes and thought about the friends she was fighting for.

...

...

...What? She had no friends? Ah.

With a brilliant flash, Maishul's sword evolved to its true form, the Deus Ex Machina!

"Oh! Deus Ex Machina, YOU were the friends I made along the way!" Maishul exclaimed, raising her newest and only friend up high.

With this newfound power, Maishul's body underwent a magical transformation. Her body bulked up to three times her size. Her wiry tail grew as thick as a sewage pipe. Her adorable little ears grew as large as a parachute.

Maishul knew what she had to do. She slammed her sword into the ground before she poised with her glorious new muscles.

"NO! NOOOOO! I JUST WANTED A HUG! I DIDN’T DESERVE THIS!" Olivia cried, attempting to shield herself from Maishul's new form.

But it was all in vain.

"Admittedly, Huntress, you were quite the entertainer," Maishul smirked, her hands on her hips.

WC: 598

You may read u/Not_theScrumPolice's very lovely SerSun that actual Olivia is from here!

Chapter Index

<= Previous Chapter / Next Chapter =>

Thank you for writing, I had fun reading.

Btw, this is a very cool prompt, had lots of fun making this story.

I just vanqui- no, that’s not the right word. I killed the Demon King. While most might find this to be triumphant, I do not.

Originally, I was sent by herd to go kill him & return our treasure, the Minotaurs treasure. I traveled over mountains & rivers, until I finally met the Demon Kings army. I did very well, I hacked & sliced through thousands of Demons with my Thunder Axe. At the end of it all, I met the Demon King, he was a tall gargoyle decorated in Black Armor, wielded a gigantic sword, & dawned a golden crown. Our battle was epic, lasting almost an entire day. At the end, I managed to win, almost losing my life multiple times. But before the Demon King died, he asked me something. “Please. Please, take my crown, my sword. Do what I could not.” I was surprised, the ruthless Demon King, begging me, not for his life but to do what he could not? But I could not ask him to elaborate, as he was dead.

I did as he asked & took his crown & sword. I first put on his crown & was suddenly transported to another plain. I was in a state of shock as I was floating above a great field of Opals. As I was looking at the rocks, a long serpent like dragon shot out from the Opals, just as shiny as they were. The dragon stared at me & claimed “Your the new Demon King.” “Me? The new Demon King?” “Yes.” The dragon looked at the crown & then looked at me. “You don’t think your the king, don’t you?” “Of course I don’t! I have no clue what’s happening!” The dragon glanced at my deep wounds & the blood on my body. “You killed Percy?” “The Demon King? Y-yes, I defeated him.” “Hmm, I knew this would come.” “What do you mean?” The dragon then held out one of his claws. “You are currently the 17th Demon King. Do you know what that title means?” “The King of Demons?” “WRONG. A Demon King is a general, a general who commands an army to protect Hells Jewel.” “Hells Jewel?” “It’s a special Ruby holding the 10 titans, the same that almost destroyed your world, Mercury.” I was puzzled, Hells Jewel? It’s a Ruby, but the Minotaurs treasure is the Heart of the Mantle, a Ruby as well. I then asked “Who originally had this Jewel?” “Lucifer MorningStar.” A shiver went down my spine. “Lucifer was the one who originally sealed away the 10 Titans in the Hells Jewel, but he couldn’t bring it back to Hell as the Titan cursed the Jewel to remain on Mercury.” Wasn’t Lucifer just the original Demon King? “To allow Lucifer to continue his ruling of hell & to keep the Jewel safe, he appointed the first Demon King, Arthur Pendragon.” “King of the humans?! But how could he be a Demon King?!” “He was, just didn’t like to use the title. At some point, Arthur was found to be unfit to hold onto the Jewel, so Lucifer sent Beelzebub to retrieve the Jewel. Arthur refused to give it up, so Beelzebub killed him, becoming the 2nd Demon King & the first to utilize an Army to hell.” This sounds so similar to the history I’ve learned, yet different. “Which leaves you. You, Mitus Arvoth, the 17th Demon King. The Hells Jewel will be placed within your protection, along with an Army of Demons to serve you.” “But I didn’t sign up for this!” “Yes you did, you claimed the crown, therefore claiming the position & responsibilities of Demon King. Good day.” “Wait!” I was hurled back into Mercury, waking up to find Demons around me, kneeling & calling me their king.

I refused their loyalty at first, but realized they would not go. I accepted my new servant’s & responsibility as I was given the Hells Jewel, a Ruby holding ever screaming souls. But I wondered, why did my Herd tell me this Jewel belonged to them? Or why the humans continue to claim the 2nd Demon King stole the crown of the Humans? That dragon couldn’t lie to me, they are guardians legally bound to speak only of the truth. I wonder if I have one too… whatever. I’m going to figure out this mystery, ask both my herd & the humans about this information, including those other races. And, I’ll make sure to keep this Hells Jewel safe in the meantime until this is all sorted out.

Tam was sure to tell the residents of the ruins of Zakria that it wasn't safe there. That the long-abandoned "City of the Future" was built out of a flame retardant that, surprise surprise, caused cancer. Not that they listened. They'd lived there for months or years, and some random lady in a two-story suit of mechanized armor comes in and tells them to leave? Though, some did nod silently nod their heads, and looked like they might actually consider moving. But there's only so much you can do in these situations.

She was on a tight schedule, but she was glad she took the time to tell them about it. As they say, a Knight does what's Right.

Back to the task at hand. The burnt footprints she'd followed here were had disappeared when she got into downtown. Hmm.

Her fingers danced on the haptic switches of the left control panel. It was a routine at this point. Utility > Drones > Orders > Presets > Recon/Report. A few buzzing recon drones darted into the sky, their feeds transmitted to Tam's monitors.

Okay, Princess. Where did you take my friend?

There was only a few places a fire giant could live without causing a forest fire every other day. Bodies of water, which they hate. Mountains and deserts, which are too far away from where Bastian was kidnapped. Which of course leaves the only city in existence made of super-asbestos. How fun.

Tam anxiously checked the air filter status on her armor. Still in the green. No, now its yellow. Fantastic.

Clock's ticking, Tam. She scanned the drone feeds. The buildings were smooth and shiny, like pearls. But there were few windows. Some of them had purposely concave roofs which pooled with old rainwater. It was clear whoever designed this place wasn't very--

There.

They were settled in a ring of skyscrapers, but from above, they stuck out like a sore thumb. She must have been forty feet tall, clad in a ballgown of sheet metal. Her skin glowed with the light of hot coal. She was starting a fire over a huge spit roast made out of old scaffold. Not too far away from her was Bastian, who was wrapped in anchor chain, his wings tied up with rope. Tam couldn't tell if he was breathing or not.

Oh. You're fucked now.

Unlike drones, weapon systems had no menus. Just flip a switch that says Shoulder Mounted Artillery. With the drone as your observer, let the computer do the calculations for you. Load a slug round. Aim for the head. Fire.

Do you know what the wail of a fire giant sounds like? Most would say it's absolutely terrifying, a courage-shattering battle cry that meant it was your queue to confess whatever you need to confess to your fellows, and to do it quickly. For Tam, it was a hell of a good start.

The Princess emerged from between two of the towers, her skin glowing so luminously now that the external cameras on Tam's mech adjusted for brightness automatically. Tam drew her broadsword. The fire giant inhaled, and spat out a ball of fire.

Yawn. What do you take me for? She flipped Missile Intercept. The other shoulder mounted weapon was packed with heat-seekers. Easy-peasy.

Tam watched as the missile flew straight threw the fireball.

Of course. It's fire, which means-

And the flame washed over her suit of armor.

Every subsystem was crying out with alerts. High Temperature, Coolant Error, System Error, Weapons Malfunction, Weapons Malfunction (1). Shit.

Tam ran behind a nearby apartment complex and opened all the vents, then activated a system reboot. She needed to cool her armor, but that while that happened, she was a sitting duck.

The monitors switched off, and Tam sat in the darkness, waiting. She listened as the Princess slowly marched towards her. Even through two-inches of armored steel. The central monitor turned on, the blue logo of the computer's BIOS flashing before switching to a startup-systems check.

MechOS... Online. Mobility System... Online. The footsteps got louder.

Network Module... Offline. External Cameras... Online. Welcome Back.

The monitors flickered to life just as a bright-orange leg emerged from around the corner. Tam immediately swung her broadsword--a twelve-foot long custom blade with titanium edges. It landed, and just as the giant wailed again, she ran.

She was weaving between the city blocks, some collapsed, others still intact. The Princess was spitting fireballs again, but it seemed she didn't have the best aim for moving targets. Still, she was faster, and Tam was trying to think of something.

How can I kill it without getting stomped and melted?

She grabbed her rifle, a 50 cal. gun built for mech use, and fired a few tentative shots. They pierced the sheet metal gown, and the giant recoiled somewhat, then wailed again. That was starting to get on Tam's nerves. She squeezed the trigger, letting the full mag unload, when the gun itself exploded.

Barrel was warped from the fireball, she thought, discarding it and running once more. That meant the artillery cannon was ruined, too. Network module was offline, so she couldn't get her drones to give her a birds-eye of her pursuer. Birds-eye...

Could that work? Worth a shot. The building she remembered from the drone feed was not easy to miss. She veered left.

It was an indoor stadium, probably for soccer or football, or some other ancient sport. It's inner field turned to a dirt patch, where Tam now stood. That might of been from a lack of maintenance. Or the asbestos in the air. What it also had was a concave roof. Tam held a piece of debris in front of her, which absorbed the fireball quite well as the giant broke through the building's wall.

But Tam was mainly focused on reprogramming the heat-seekers. HeatFollow = false. Setpath(y = 4.671^2). The giant must been emanating heat at this point, because the mech lit up with warnings again. Now the reactor was overheating. Tam began to sweat. It felt like being in an oven. This was it, do or die.

There, code's done. She wouldn't have time to debug the code even if she wasn't currently melting, so she saved the file and fired.

The heat-seeker curved upward. Both Tam and the Princess watched as the tiny missile zipped directly into the ceiling. It detonated with a small pop--interceptors don't need a heavy payload--but it was enough. A cascade of water rained down on the fire giant. It's skin turned a smoldering gray, and it cried out again, this time in pain. Tam watched as the temperature readings ticked to a reasonable (though still pretty hot) level.

She dropped her debris-shield, drew her sword, and thrust it directly into the giant's heart.

It froze. Then, like a used cigar, it collapsed into a pile of ash and sheet metal.

Tam breathed a sigh of relief. Then she began to laugh. And laugh some more. She was alive,and now--

She noticed that the reactor was still unstable.

Tam sighed again, but it was more of a groan. "Fucking fantastic".

She initiated a system shut-down. She'd have to go on foot from here. Under her seat was a survival kit with a gas mask. But it's filters were slightly melted. The over-heated reactor was under the cockpit.

"Well." She inhaled through the nose, then laughed again. The laughing helped. "What's a little cancer, right?". She opened the cockpit and dismounted, being sure to grab her backpack of dragon-grade medical supplies while she was at it. Time for a stroll through town.

The air had a disconcerting sweetness to it, and Tam knew that was probably the super-asbestos in the air. But Bastian needed her, and if that meant an hour's exposure to carcinogens, then so be it. He'd do the same for her.

Armored or not, a Knight does what's Right.

Michael J. Boner vs Tony from cereal

Bojack Horseman and Judy Hopps

I can hear the laughter. Then the screams. Then see the stuffing everywhere. Finally, I am at peace.

Did the initial one get confused with the wrong person