[GLKnight] Getting With The Goddesses

[GLKnight]

So, just a heads up.

Both this and Your House are currently having installments being worked on. Expect them within a week or so.

[jhunter]

Interesting. Hope ther are large doors in them.

[GLKnight]

Outside of Avery's Bar, a crowd had begun to gather at the beginning of the night. Live music, the eternal boon of The Muses, had always been a well from which a whirlpool would grow and pull more in. And tonight, like other nights in Old Man Coyote's bar, was no exception. But as the night wore on, the crowd only grew while eldritch energies echoed out across the city as the fervor of the concert-going converts fueled its expanse. The kinetic potential building as the old god had to constantly tap into it to allow more room. Sales climbing higher and higher as the need for more drinks and food swelled with each wave of new attendees. None but the proprietor truly noticing as space warped around them all in preparation for the final set of the night: an Ascension Battle between the two headliners of the night.

One, a former Pop Punk beauty who had gone beyond the Natural to fully embrace the Artificial as a Synthetic Pop Queen.

The other, a group of ladies who no one really had much accounting of, playing their second show ever. Five women who had been reborn in Sound and Fury as a high energy Punk Rock quintet.

And caught in-between the two of them, a simple college kid who Coyote couldn't help but notice seemed a little too keyed in to what was happening around him. Eliciting such an intense reaction from the Punk Rock Goddesses that he knew went beyond the common boundary of Acolyte and Divinity.

And then there was the matter of Layla Di Scalzi, lead singer of The Goddesses. A strong and physically imposing being corporeally, but her true power lay hidden under bravado and buffness. That of a chaotic storm the likes of which hadn't been seen in millennia, since the last Creator God had appeared whose strength founded more than one religion under many names. A fact that frightened every other pantheon since. A fact that forebode a terrible outcome if allowed to go unchecked.

Which was why Coyote was in his office, practically pissing himself as he sent out word of what was going down in his venue while the overwhelming power on display started to overcharge and warp the very establishment struggling to contain their power. Begging for any and every god, both ancient and nascent who was available, to come and protect the world from a potential cataclysm and bear witness. Cause if there's one thing Coyote hated more than anything, it was to be called a liar instead of a trickster.

"That's right," he said to whoever was on the other end of the line as he glanced through his blinds. "We got us an honest to us Creator Goddess, fronting a fucking PUNK ROCK band of all acts! As Ngai can tell you, you can feel her band's shit from fucking Kenya! So stop stalling and pop your ass inside Avery's!"

As he hung up the phone, he couldn't believe it. Out of all the venues, why did HIS have to be the one to show off a fucking Creator? But one look at her bandmates as they tore through the proxies that their duel partner was throwing at them, and he knew there was more to it than just Layla's sheer power. It was all of them. All five of the girls in the band represented some facet of a fully functioning pantheon. Usually, it would take several acts forming under one label for that to happen. Keyword being "USUALLY". But he noted that outside of a water deity in their number, The Goddesses had somehow formed one right under everyone's noses. This included the gods who were able to keep track of everything under the sun.

"What's so special about these five?" Coyote asked himself as he took one step out of his office, only to duck to avoid an Artificial Man's debris as it crashed right where his head was. Falling to the floor in a clatter as the trickster began to glide his way through the crowd like the desert breeze towards a front row seat to take in the battle.

Upon the field, the destroyed fake men and women Shelly de Palma would summon kept vanishing before reappearing in front of her stage in full double armed salute and rushing towards The Goddesses once more. Only to be met with redoubled power as the five took to the fight like an ethereal storm.

From above, Shaushka flew like a beam of light, stopping to occasionally unleash brilliant blasts of golden rays down upon the hapless minions of the Artificial Queen's forces as Alma, in full Animal Goddess mode, leapt from spot to spot. Swiping and striking in full Jaguar fury as she used her raw strength and ferocity to shred each of Shelly's soldiers like they were pieces of paper. Her yowls and roars echoing across the shifting spaces of the bar, as if they were cheers and cries of joyful bloodlust reverberating across a sonic infused jungle.

Further forward, Yori had charged towards the stage only to be met by the digital summoning of several Artificial Women. Each taller than the one she had fought before, more well constructed. She knew they were meant for her, a lesson the Oni knew she'd have to face eventually due to her decision to reveal her divine aspect early. But this was a different situation. While she had shown her pure might, this was a time to not be taken lightly. Holding her hands out in front of herself, a pool of shadows and blood hovered in the air before a giant spiked club wrapped in the leathers of human flesh and bone slowly slid out and into her grip. Clutching her kanabo by the handle, she wrung her hands like she was holding a baseball bat as a sinister smile came to her face.

"Now this is something I've been looking forward to!" she shouted before reeling back and taking a swing at the closest robot. Not giving it any time to process what was happening as the club connected upside its head. Obliterating it as the bassist shifted her stance, following through as the giant Artificial Woman beside the headless one was struck with a loud scream of bending metal as it crumpled to one side and into its fellow automatons. Causing the fourteen foot tall demonic goddess to laugh in devilish glee as she continued to swing wildly, knocking her foes back and forth like mere playthings.

Meanwhile, the gigantic volcanic being that comprised of Mayra's seeming calmly marched forward as droves upon droves of Artificial Men tried to assail her. The logic of sheer numbers giving each slight satisfaction before each one that touched her quickly began to smoke and flame from the sheer heat she constantly radiated. Synthetic skin and cloth and plastic vaporizing into smoke as every one of Shelly's forces instantly melted upon touching the guitarists geothermic form. Her stone-like skin unblemished as she brushed a glowing hand through the brush and bushes that comprised her hair as her magma orange-red eyes remained locked on Stage One.

But if there was one person that The Artificial Queen was focused on this night, the one that worried her the most until the battle, the one that frightened her the most. If there was one entity she realized was the one she did not want to get involved in an Ascension Battle with, it was the chaotic storm walking towards her that bore the name of Layla di Scalzi.

And it was Layla di Scalzi that she had knowingly made the angriest. For this was the night where her fucking around had inadvertently caused everyone to find out what kind of goddess they were truly dealing with as none of her Artificial Men or Women were able to get close enough to the rampaging goddess before being completely obliterated into nothingness as her bandmates waged war around her.

"SHELLY!" Layla coldly called out, her rage ringing across every song and sound that filled the venue with unnatural clarity. "TAKE YOUR HAND OFF OF MY ACOLYTE!"

The divine automatics of her celestial processors could not handle the way everything seemed to bend around the walking outline of prismatic chaotic gravity and energy swirling beneath the surface of Layla's seeming, leaving her bandmates and those that did not come for her untouched by reflex. Every inch of the venue's floors and walls trembled as the air grew electrified by her presence, as if eager to continue changing to grant her more room. The audience becoming energized with every step as what seemed like an unstoppable force stalked her way across the field. Drawing closer and closer as Shelly summoned more and more minions, throwing them with care or caution towards Layla, only to watch the continuous cascade of robotic servants vanish into nothingness as they were crushed beneath the weight of the frontwoman's slow moving assault.

"You want your dumb boytoy?" The Artificial Queen shouted, raising her hands in the air as little points of light appeared in the palms of three of them. "Then kneel before your queen, you roided out punk bitch!"

Brandon could only call out Layla's name as three beams of what could only be described as ethereal digital energy fired upon the frontwoman, barely crossing her arms in front of herself as she began to be pushed back. The worry and anxiety burning a hole in his stomach as he felt The Little Scarlings' former bassist's hand suddenly jerk, and with a pop detach from her arm as he floated in the air above her head while another one quickly digitized in its place and fired a fourth beam at her nemesis this night.

"Shaushka!" Layla called out, catching the attention of her keyboardist. "Can you- NGH! Can you do anything about this damn light show of hers?"

Concentrating for a second, the goddess of Life focused as her hands glowed brighter and brighter before swiping at the air and sending a volley of illuminated arrows scattering across the field. Striking several of Shelly's minions in an impressive display of technique and accuracy before flying to Layla's side.

"Sure," she said, anxious to get this whole show over with. "But I gotta ask, what's with the whole swirling nebulous thing?"

The two watched as the bitch on Stage One caused her four hands to detach, hovering behind her as another four appeared on her wrists and fired at the pair. Shaushka barely rolling out of the way while Layla, trapped in the struggle, could do nothing and be pushed backwards again as all eight streams were focused in on her.

"Don't know! Now, can you please figure out how I can fucking get CLOSER?!"

"What's the matter?" Shelly taunted, making the hand holding Brandon squeeze slightly, causing his current hypersensitivity to respond to the increasing pressure with a scream. "Can't fight back against some little old lasers, you crusty cunt gutter punk pump slut?"

A flare of colors swirled and filled Layla's outline as the anger within her swelled.

"The only "cunt" here is between your legs when I get over there and punt you into the next fucking state, you self-centered bimbo sellout!"

Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead as something rocketed towards the stage. Everyone barely had any time to properly react as Yori, in full Oni fury and glee, divebombed Stage One at high velocity, swinging her morbid kanabo downward at Shelly's head.

"BASS BATTLE!"

Shelly's form flickered and faded into a strobing 3d projection as the spiked club swung right through and into the stage as The Artificial Queen reformed a few steps away.

"I think you missed, you Gravure goof!"

But Yori took it all in stride, smiling as she reached over and grabbed the hand that Shelly foolishly left behind in order to avoid the blow.

"I wasn't aiming for you!" the Japanese goddess crowed, crushing the fingers that were wrapped around Brandon in one go. Causing him to fall into her arm as she hopped backwards. Making Shelly try to make a move, only to find the ground beneath her feet glowing white hot and smoking before a giant molten hand broke through and grabbed The Artificial Queen.

"I WAS!" Mayra shouted, causing a wall of volcanic stone to rise in front of Layla. Granting her a reprieve as the pair bumped fists.

"We need everyone working together," Shaushka shouted as Alma and Yori landed at their sides. As she kneeled down, Yori let Brandon slip from her arm and into Layla's. The pair laughing in joy as they embraced. "Because I think the venue's at capacity!"

"Why do you think that?" Brandon asked, scoping out the forms of the girls in sheer awe.

"Look at the ceiling!" Alma told them, pointing up as everyone watched the boundary of reality becoming tenuous as the physical slowly started to fade into a cosmic neoscape of brilliant stars and coronas of nebulae forming and fading into existence.

"This means the battle's almost over!" Mayra said, looking worried.

"There's a TIME LIMIT?!" Layla shouted, twisting her head back and forth. "No one said anything about a TIME LIMIT!"

The sound of Shelly screaming in absolute rage caught their attention, peeking around the sides of their cover to see the magma hand holding her explode violently as her body began to shift and change. Transforming into something more vicious as her body opened up and slid around. Extra arms sliding into place as her face began to reshape into something more robotic and larger.

"I take back my earlier snark," Yori said. "If I had any pee, this is where I'd wee a little."

Mayra put her hand on Layla's shoulder, looking to her for guidance.

"You're the frontwoman," she told her. "What do you think we should do?"

Layla looked at her bandmates. At Shaushka with her hands clasped together, as if in prayer. At Yori, who kept glancing to the side at Stage One. At Alma, taking the time to lick the back of her hand and clean herself. At Mayra, imploring her for a response. She didn't know what to do. Then she felt someone grabbing her hand. Looking down as Brandon gave her a warm smile. A smile she had hoped to see again. A smile she did not want to lose, ever again.

"You got this, Layla!"

Nodding her head, she looked at her bandmates once more.

"Here's what we're going to do..."

[GLKnight]

So, uh... SURPRISE! I commissioned Angs The Wicked to draw a pic of the Human form of Yori "Little Oni" Onizuka, the J-Pop Punk bassist and literal hulking oni goddess of Death And Justice!

Wish I could afford more, but at least I could afford something, right? Maybe next time, I might get art of Mighty Mayra or Alma.

And don't worry! I am working on the next installment! It's just currently on the backburner while I work on installments for Your House and The Sandow Family, as well as a new idea for a short story involving a college girl and the the Goddess Of Mass that's possessing her (think Venom, if Venom was actually a somewhat hedonistic, musclebound giant goddess that only she can interact with and wants her host to live a little).

[GLKnight]

So, just a heads up.

GETTING WITH THE GODDESSES - Next day or two.

Break For The Rest Of June - I have a deadline for a Horror Anthology Submission I wanna meet and I really need to focus on it.

LIFTED BY LOVE - Early July (second week at the latest).

CASSIE AND MASSIVA - Second or third week of July.

POSSIBLE CONTINUATION OF ABANDONED STORY - Not sure which one yet. But it might require working with mods to create a new thread for it (which I do apologize for, but I need to make sure people can find it and thus start from scratch with it).

VERITY - Switching to more of a "when the mood strikes me" type of thing, I WILL keep making short tales until I feel ready to continue writing THE LAND DEAL. That one's hanging like an open wound.

OTHER THINGS - Thinking about starting a Co hyphen Fee for anyone who wants to support my works without obligation to creating a Pay-Tree-Awn, as I absolutely wish to get more artwork of my stories. And more artwork means I hire artists, which means more material. And I know everyone likes to see some artwork (for example, the docket includes Mayra, Verity, Brandy "Blockbuster" Bustmante and Alma as "in planning").

Barely getting by on $2k/year isn't making things easy, that's for damn sure...


Anyway, felt you all deserved an update.

[GLKnight]

As she felt her body shifting and changing, Shelly couldn't help but cackle in ecstatic electronic autotuned joy as her aggression rebuilt her form. Every inch of her chassis expanding with whirs and clicks and the sound of interlocking robotic internal structures enhancing every single panel and oscillation junction that materialized from nothingness as she continued to grow. Arms popping out of place and relocating as four sections along her back opened up to allow new limbs to extract and lock below the four she initially created. Uncanny human features giving way to more autonomous details as she let her femininity be replaced with imposing dominance as her eyes glowed brighter and brighter. Her height creeping up into the ethereal essence that threatened to consume the battlefield and surrounding venue below it all.

"Are you sure about this?" Shaushka asked Layla, her glowing worried face turned towards The Goddess Of Artificiality as she loomed ever larger and larger.

"It has to," their frontwoman told her as she looked at her bandmates before gazing at Brandon. "Otherwise, the show ends here for us."

Layla placed her massive hand on Brandon's face, stroking his cheek as he took a deep breath and gave her the horns.

"And I don't know about you, but I wanna remind Shelly just who in the fuck she's dealing with!"

"You heard her!" Mayra shouted, raising her fist for a bump. "Let's bring the noise, ladies!"

The Goddesses and their Acolyte raised their fists and brought them together. Smiles on each of their faces as they brought them together. Knowing that win or lose, they would be there till the end. Brandon looked up at Layla's massive, chaotic storm with a determination

"Let's remind Shelly what happens when you fuck with the wrong gods!"

As The Artificial Queen reached higher and higher, her fingers skimming the starlit pool above her head as it rippled like water, she knew she was almost there. All she had to do was run the clock out, and she'd be victorious. A new level of status. A new level of fame. A new level of attention. Her mind drifted back to when she had watched her lifelong friend Milla being approached by a shimmering feminine figure appearing from nothing inside her friend's bedroom two weeks before her final performance, and three weeks before her death. How the being offered her the chance to live on, to be given a purpose in a new life. To become more than she was before. To become an actual god.

And Milla... turned it down. Saying she'd rather "live and die on the terms of her own making than be given something that could take it all away so easily". And before the being could disappear, Shelly jumped at the opportunity, claiming Milla's offer for herself. The being placing her hand over Shelly's eye as a brilliant pink light exploded out of it. Her senses cascading ever outward as she suddenly felt every electronic device within five miles cry out her name in jubilation as they sensed her new existence. Every cellphone, every lightbulb, every computer, every car. If it was powered by the electric euphoria coursing through every city, it was calling her name.

"We hear you," they cried out. "And we kneel to you. Hail to our Goddess! Hail to our Artificial Queen!"

And in another flash of bright pink light, she felt her feet touching the ground. The sound of her eyelids opening and closing with a slight whir not passing her notice as she grew accustomed to her new state of existence. Everything seemed to be singing to her, begging for her attention. The electric euphoria coursing around her, on her, in her. Smiling madly at the realization that everything she truly wanted was just within her reach. But when she turned to look at her best friend, the girl she had known since 1st Grade, had spent her life with, cried with, fought with and worked so hard to build The Little Scarlings into what they had become, all she saw was hurt and disappointment. She knew that to Milla, what really happened was one thing they had promised each other they would never do. Something they saw had destroyed so many friendships, so many brother-and-sisterhoods, so many bands.

By jumping at the opportunity, Shelly had betrayed Milla. A wound so grievous that Milla immediately asked for Shelly to leave. A wound that severed their communication up until the concert. And a wound that grew fatal a week later when Milla told her family to refuse Shelly's involvement with her funeral, refusing to even see her for an apology. The isolation and severance from whom Shelly thought was her only sister in the world causing the last bits of her humanity to be buried with her frontwoman and friend.

It suddenly struck Shelly just how odd it was that her mind was drifting back to Milla, who had passed away a week or two ago. Time had become somewhat nebulous and foggy, but that singular moment, inside her best friend's bedroom, stuck out to her. She had to abandon her old life, that was what the entity told her. She had kept her old name, but nothing else remained the same. Very few remembered her being in The Little Scarlings, a handful that grew smaller with every single day as new memories overwrote the old. But for her, Milla remained eternal. A small ember that refused to die inside of her, causing her to feel a pang of guilt, of loss and more. And now, on the threshold of victory, it had kindled into a flame of something she thought she'd no longer have to face: regret.

"I wish you were here, Milla." she thought to herself, smiling forlornly up at the prismatic vision of heavenly embodiment.

"Shelly!"

Turning her eyes towards the battlefield, she saw the Acolyte of those Punk Rock upstart sluts that stole the show at Milla's farewell concert. As soon as she saw them, she knew what they were. How they overshadowed practically everyone at the show. How they had found their Acolyte almost immediately. The fact things went so smoothly for them. Her stomach turning sour as she turned away from the threshold, bending down to glare at Brandon. Determination on his face as she crouched down like a robotic dragon on all eight hands, unflinching as she drew closer to him.

"I see you found your spine, little man! Especially after what my Artificial Men did to you a few days ago!"

"I'm not scared of you!" Brandon shot back, trying his best to retain his nerve.

"You shouldn't," the Artificial Queen replied, snidely. "Well, I mean, you should! But not right now. You stepped onto the battlefield, Brandon."

Taking a quick look around, Brandon slowly returned his gaze to the goddess. Slightly confused by what she meant.

"And why does that matter?"

"The rules state that if an Acolyte actively participates in the Ascension Game, they cannot be directly harmed by the gods involved. But there is a loophole-"

Brandon could feel something punching into his lower back, followed by the sensation of wildfire crawling up his spine. Before he could turn his head, he heard a slightly satisfied cackle before he felt a hand on his chin.

"You see," the Artificial Queen's Acolyte and Brandon's classmate, Shelly Veston, giddily told him. "Acolytes can challenge other Acolytes."

Stumbling to the side for a couple steps, Brandon slipped from Shelly's grip as he numbly reached for the piece of metal she had stabbed him with. Gently pulling on it, he could feel it slowly sliding out of him. The blood from his wound pouring down his legs as he realized that Shelly had stabbed him right in the kidney. As he dropped the bloody metal scrap, he turned to face her once more. But he was caught unprepared as she rushed forward and another piercing sensation struck him. Looking down, he saw she had skewered him once more in his upper abdomen. The mousey Acolyte stepping away with a proudly psychotic look as Brandon pulled that out with tremoring hands. His puncture mark seeping not only blood, but a yellowish liquid, as well. Bile stinging his wound as he suddenly dropped to his knees.

But much to their surprise, he did not cry or beg. Doubling over in laughter as he pressed his hand to his gut. Shelly and her Acolyte looking at each other with concern as Brandon cackled with a manic glee.

"You're laughing?" Shelly De Palma demanded, picking him up and making him face her. "You're going to die, and you're LAUGHING about it?"

"Y-You don't-," he said as he stared her in the eyes, coughing and wincing. "You don't GET IT, do you?"

Her eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip on him. Squeezing him tightly to the point of nearly crushing him.

"Get what, you pitiful mortal?"

Brandon closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Forcing himself to calm down before smiling and looking over his shoulder.

"I'm the distraction."

Looking above, The Artificial Queen grew fearful as she watched the heavenly pool that lay overhead began to ripple and grow violent as a sudden wind appeared out of nowhere. Watching as it began to flow away from the ceiling and towards something else.

Or more importantly, towards someONE else.

"No!" she screamed as she looked behind the man in her grip to watch as Layla Di Scalzi, frontwoman of The Goddesses and nascent goddess of creation, stood fully braced where she was while the ethereal starfield drifted towards her chaotic storm. Caught in a gravitational field of her own making as it bled into her being and began to mix with the energies within.

"Let's go!" Layla screamed, calling her bandmates into action as the four ladies leapt into the fray once more.

Shaushka flew first into the fight, aimed like a laser as she slammed into The Artificial Queen's face. Causing Shelly to rear back from the impact in time for Yori to appear from behind her, the Black Torii closing quickly as she swung her iron club into the back of Shelly's head before slipping into the Black Torii once more and continuing her assault as she went for her robotic legs. Buckling the Mechanical Mistress's knees to allow Alma enough space to pounce onto her back, yowling ferociously as her claws swiftly began to tear away at the panels upon which her arms were attached. Shelly cried out, for while being unable to feel any pain, she could still feel her body being torn apart as the Feral Goddess continued her onslaught. The energy needed to control her limbs fading as they went slack, causing Brandon to fall from her grip and onto her Acolyte. His deadweight hitting her without care and crumpling her to the floor, causing her head to bounce upon the floor heavily and knock her unconscious.

"Get off me!" Shelly cried out, what few limbs that still worked turning around and swiping at both the goddess on her back and beneath her feet. Activating protocols as her extra arms proceeded to pop open, allowing two chainsaw like blades per arm to appear as they begun to spin like rotor blades while her legs opened up to reveal saw blades. Whirring to live as Yori went in for another swing, too committed to the blow to stop as sparks flew from where metal met metal. Black blood splattering on the ground as her arm was savagely cut before she hopped backwards.

"FUCK!" she shouted, hand pressed to her wound as she looked up at Shelly's back. "Be careful, Alma! These things are fucking sharp!"

"I-NGH! I KNOW!" Alma screamed back, trying her best to avoid the blades as she put her agility to the test. Leaping here and there to avoid becoming minced cat food as sparks showered around her from narrow-margin collisions. Landing on her hands and feet and looking up in time to see one of the whirring death fans making a line in for her. She knew she wasn't fast enough to move out of the way, her feline eyes going wide as her pupils narrowed into little slits as panic shot right through her. Not noticing a beam of light heading straight for her outside of her periphery as it barreled into her, lifting her up as it carried her out from beneath the oncoming storm of blades as an intense shower of sparks exploded where she stood while she and Shaushka crashed to the floor of the battlefield.

"You good?" the Arabic goddess asked her friend, quickly clambering to her feet as the jaguar drummer quickly pat herself down to find she was still in one piece.

"Y-Yeah," she muttered, glad to still be alive as she held out her hand. "Thanks! My ass was almost Meow Mix back there!"

Pulling her friend to her feet with a smile, Shaushka couldn't help but notice that for the first time in forever, Alma really seemed to be excited about something other than playing the drums. But then she saw her sniffing the air, and her eyes grow worried.

"What's wrong?"

"I smell the presence of Cizin!"

"Who's Cizin?"

"The Stinking One," was all Alma told her, her face scarily serious as her yellow eyes seemed to glow before breaking into a sprint. Forcing Shaushka to take flight in order to keep up.

The duo hurried alongside Shelly's massive mechanical embodiment as parts of her digitized and rebuilt themselves as Mayra burst through the floor fist first. Striking the Artificial Queen with such impact that parts of her face crumpled on contact with Mayra's volcanic limb. Bits of lava and superheated materials raining down around them as they circled around towards the front. And suddenly freezing in place as they witnessed Shelly's Acolyte slowly reaching over to grab something on the ground while just outside the barriers of the battlefield, a small gathering of death gods stood. Each watching with great interest as Shelly slowly lifted up a piece of scrap metal, ritualistically holding it with an unhinged smile. And in front was an insanely happy man, dancing and clapping his hands as a cigarette hung from his lips and a necklace of disembodied dangled around his neck by their nerve cords.

Shaushka screamed "NO!" as a beam of light instinctively fired from her hands, striking the metal and superheating it. Sizzling brightly as Shelly screamed in pain, dropping the scrap in terror as she fell backwards to skitter away from Brandon's motionless body.

"Can you heal him?" Alma begged of her friend, quickly placing herself between her Acolyte and both his attacker and the gods of death that hovered nearby.

"I don't know!" Shaushka screamed, trembling and unsure what the rules were for moments in a battle like this.

"He's in the fight!" Cizin taunted, dancing and laughing as he sung. "He's in the fight! Live or die, he's in the fight!"

"Back off," Alma snarled, hissing and baring her fangs at the Mayan god. "He's OURS, you opportunistic parasite!"

But the foul god just continued laughing and dancing idiotically, annoying the pair as Shelly and Mayra traded blows that shook the entire venue. The Mighty One doing all she could to buy Layla time to take in the pool of Celestial Essence that flowed overhead.

"Layla," Mayra shouted between strikes to her face that caused debris to rain down around the battlefield. "I- AGH! I need you to hurry- GHN! We're running out of time!"

The mohawked storm shuffled her stance, replanting her feet as she forced herself to pull in more of the heavenly lake.

"I'm trying to pull it in as fast as I can!" she shouted back, struggling to maintain the pace.

"NOT THE POOL! IT'S BRAN-"

Caught off-guard, a series of mechanical fists consecutively appeared in a cascade of blows, battering Mayra left and right with machine gun precision before her massive, unconscious form fell to the floor in an avalanche of stone and dirt.

"You ruined the surprise!" Shelly mockingly pouted, leaning over as she tapped Mayra's stony face.

Layla's form went lax, feeling for Brandon's faint essence in the room. Feeling it starting to grow weaker and weaker as Alma hissed and threatened the vultures of divine doom that hovered nearby while Shaushka wept. Unable to do anything by the rules of the battle. Mighty Mayra, the woman she had grown closest to, lay on the broken floor beneath her impossible weight. While on the other side of the field, Yori was doing her best to try and take down The Artificial Queens' legs. Getting torn up with each attack as Shelly continued to heal herself as fast as possible to minimize or negate the damage being done.

The memories of her parents, of her sister, of her so-called friends, of the bullies and everything else that brought her low her entire life roared back from the recesses of her mind. And suddenly, she felt she was once again her old sense. Her weak self. Her powerless self. Her lonely self.

The sudden chill of fading hope clawed its way into her heart, causing the chaotic story within her to grow quiet as the winds settled down and gave up pulling in the goal of the battle.

"We're gonna lose..."

"I don't think so."

The sound of his voice caused her to turn, suddenly finding herself as she once was before godhood was given to her by the blue entity. Staring down at herself to see she was dressed in jeans, long sleeved shirt and the oversized jacket she always wore to hide the scars on her arms in the park on a bright spring day. THE bright spring day. The one she will always remember.

And looking up, there he was. The boy who had given her a small bit of hope, shrouded in the daylight beyond the shade of the tree she normally sat beneath. Almost angelic as he smiled warmly back at her.

"Brandon?" she asked, her voice trembling as she rushed to hold him in her arms. Embracing her with incredible care as she shook against him. Tears flowing down her cheeks, unable to act strong any longer.

"It's me," he told her as he rubbed her back, letting her sob into his shoulder. "I'm right here."

- - - - - - - -

"We're losing him!" Shaushka shouted, applying pressure to Brandon's wounds as she cradled him in her arms.

"Stay the fuck away from our Acolyte," Alma screamed, her visage growing more bestial as she charged the barrier where the death gods stood. Slowly growing more and more interested in how the battle was turning out.

"There hasn't been a mortal death in one of these in four hundred years!" a South West Asian woman in a dark blue dress proclaimed, excited by the turn of events.

"He's not yours for the taking, Allani!" Shaushka fired back, venom in her voice. Causing the woman watching this all go down to smile with surprise.

"You know of me, little Seedling?"

"I do! For mine is that which sprouts in the sun and grows with the shade! And you cannot have Brandon!"

A shorter, older man with dark skin and a shaved head pushed his way between his associate gods, visibly taking on the air of a stern parent.

"You have to let him go, child. He is dying."

Alma rushed the barrier once more, colliding with a loud impact before swiping at it with an impressive display of sparks.

"Like Hell we will, Eleggua!"

As the fight for Brandon's life continued on one side, Yori once more struck out at Shelly's legs, falling into a berserker trance as she swung wildly. Blue smoke exuding from her mouth and ears and nose as her form slowly grew more monstrous. Her eyes going blood red as her mouth full of fangs began to drip a black ichor. Screaming and howling with rage as her blood splattered everywhere. Sparks flying with every blow as hit, after hit, after hit, after hit after magnificent hit finally found there mark. The sawblades in The Artificial Queen's legs slowing more and more until, with one last swing, the morbid kanabo in her hands finally proved too much and sent her lower leg across the floor with a skidding clatter. Causing Shelly to cry out as she lost balance and was driven down upon the stump that remained. Wires sparking madly as she turned back towards the Oni goddess with absolute fury in her eyes.

"You bitch!"

With incredible speed, Yori found herself being lifted into the air as a disembodied hand digitized into existence behind her. Clenched tightly in its fist as she was carried to the middle of the field. She bit down, savagely tearing off pieces of its fingers before suddenly feeling its grip strengthen magnificently. With a loud "GYAAAHN!!!", the Oni's bones cracked severely. Blood dripping down below as she suddenly grew still, yet still breathing. Causing Alma to stop her bickering and posturing to turn just in time to watch Shelly's hand rear back.

"Look out!" the jaguar drummer goddess shouted, leaping over her friend and their downed acolyte as Yori's limp form was hurled at her fellow goddesses. The Oni's magnificent mass colliding with Alma's lithe animalistic seeming, taking her along for a ride as the two of them slammed into the barrier. Alma crying out in pain as she slung one arm over her friend's prone body and the other across her ribs.

- - - - - - - -

"How are we here?" Are you-?"

"I am," he whispered. "And we're still on the battlefield, Layla."

She pressed her face into his neck, giving him a light kiss. Fighting against every instinct to let go.

"Diana," she sobbed. "My name's actually Diana. Diana Avallone."

Gently pushing her away, she saw his form growing a bit brighter. Causing her to become more panicked at his departure. Smiling warmly as he became subtly hazier.

"Layla or Diana, you're still the badass that I know and love. And you have a fight to win. So bring the house down, okay?"

"Don't go!" she screamed, reaching out for him. The light growing brighter and blinding as he vanished from view.

"I won't if you win. And to sweeten the deal, I'll take you on a date, okay?"

- - - - - - - -

As she watched Shelly once more reach towards the stars, diving her hands into the celestial pool as it began to flow into The Artificial Queen, Shaushka was at a loss what to do. Mayra was unconscious at Shelly's feet, Yori was unresponsive, Alma was in severe pain, and she could feel her Acolyte's inner light slowly dimming dangerously close to being snuffed out completely. And despite it all, Layla was sight unseen, doing nothing to help. All the rage and frustration and loss she was surrounded by, building up within her, begging to be released. Her body glowing brighter and brighter, shifting into a more brilliant and purer color as she fought her fears for an answer. Thinking of something, anything that would work, But over and over, coming to one conclusion

And in one ecstatic burst of white light, Shaushka screamed.

"LAYLA!!!"

And there was a brief lull in the fight. Still and calm as nothing moved beyond the goddess in absolute bliss while she slowly absorbed the prize of the battle.

And then, with the sound of a strumming guitar that kicked up the energy with an incredible surge of excitement, the wind picked up once more.

An intense vacuum pulling anything it wanted towards Stage 02 as the Golden Goddess heard the sounds of heavy footsteps running her way. Shaushka turned her head in time to watch her frontwoman, her outline partially filled with the Heavenly essence as it sparkled radiantly within her, rushing towards Shelly De Palma. Her form quickly growing larger and larger with every step, her build matching with equal strength as the gigantic goddess swung at Shelly's head. The Artificial Queen having no time to dodge as a shockwave rocked Avery's from top to bottom, cantilevering from a blow she was clearly unable to take.

But Layla refused to let her fall, grabbing Shelly's head as she proceeded to pummel it with a fury unlike anything The Goddess Of Artificiality had ever experienced.

"Nuh uh, bitch! You're not getting off that easily!"

"And you need to realize," Shelly said, a smile crawling across her robotic face as she stared Layla right in the eye. "That the prize is MINE and MINE ALONE!"

A glow from behind Shelly's back drew Layla's attention. Taking a quick glance over her shoulder, the Chaotic Storm felt a chill running through her core as  several arms slowly emerged from her back. Each split open with several lens running the entire length of each limb, ominously growing brighter and brighter as they looked in place in an corona formation. Moving to let go of Shelly's head, she was instead surprised by The Artificial Queen's hand grabbing onto hers. Holding her in place as Shelly's eyes lit up with bright pink energy.

"And for the record? PUNK'S DEAD, YOU DUMB FUCKING BITCH!"

Things slowed down for Layla. Out of every lens, a brilliant pink beam fired upon her. Even from Shelly's eyes as she gave the frontwoman a manic smile, taking great pleasure in what she was about to do. Her mind drifted over to Brandon, laying on the floor as his life slowly drained from his wounds. She couldn't save him like she wanted. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep her side of the promise. And the fear that she would never see him again clawed its way into her mind. So she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

And waited.

And when the inevitable didn't come, she opened her eyes to find Shaushka in the way. Every source of light curving inward and directly at her, into her. Her body trembling as she took the full brunt of Shelly's assault.

"CAN'T... HOLD ON... MUCH LONGER!"

"Shaushka," Layla cried out. "NO! This will kill you!"

"I HAVE TO!" Shaushka shouted back, her body glowing brighter and brighter the longer she protected her frontwoman.

"If you die," Shelly blithely commented, leaning into the attack. "Then that's one less god that'll be in the way!"

The second the words left her mouth, Shelly suddenly felt something grabbing her leg. As the beams from her eyes quickly ceased firing, she turned her head to find the annoying blue worm that had been striking at her legs had come back for more. Gripping tightly as she could hear the beast growling.

"Get off me!" she shouted, disengaging two of her arms to take care of Yori's new onslaught. But upon firing on the Little Oni, The Artificial Queen's eyes went wide as Yori was not only unaffected by the attack, but was seemingly REVELING in it. Laughing demonically as her body slowly started to grow bigger. Muscle packing on top of muscle as her form shifted and grew. Smoke pouring from her mouth as she slowly, methodically pushed herself to her limit. And with great strain, succeeding as Shelly found herself slowly lifting off the ground against her will.

"END THIS!!!" Yori screamed, her voice both gutteral and beastly, as well as what the band knew was her normal timbre.

Locking eyes with her bassist, Layla nodded her head in time to see Mayra's glowing hands come up from below. One swiping at the wall of lasers with a loud clatter as her superheated hand struck them with enough force to instantly shatter the lenses and send them to the ground while the other wrapped around Shelly's waist to aid Yori's struggle.

"Take her up!" Mayra grunted, burning brightly as Yori slowly grew to hip-level.

On reflex, Layla's internal storm picked up steam. Funneling her full fury inward, visible waves of energy pulsing out of her. Debris slowly rose into the air as gravity's strength began to wane in reverence to The Chaotic Storm's will. Bulk and weight meaning less and less as one of the strongest forces in the universe slowly dropped to zero. Alma, as the most earthbound of all the band, could only hold onto her Acolyte as they both began to lift off the floor. Wrapping one arm around his body and sinking her free claw into the floor to hold on for dear life.

The Artificial Queen struggled to break free, swinging at both Mayra and Yori as she could feel the ground drifting further and further away beneath her feet.

"Let me go! How dare you defy me? Let me GO!"

The feeling of Layla's hand on her throat made her cease fighting as she could feel the Punk Goddess's grip tightening fiercely. The unimaginable rage she could feel emanating from within the Chaotic Storm with every pulse that came out quicker than the last. Despair rising within herself as she felt herself slowly drifting higher and higher towards the celestial pool. Realizing with abject horror where Layla was taking her.

"YOU CAN'T! IT'S THE PRIZE, NOT THE FIELD! WE CAN'T FIGHT THERE!"

But as Layla just stared at Shelly's frightened face, she knew that Layla was beyond the point of caring as the storm within her shifted and faded into a violent and malevolent haze of red.

"YOU AND YOUR ACOLYTE HURT BRANDON! AND FOR TOUCHING HIM, YOU ARE MINE!"

Shelly's ear-splitting screams of terror echoed across the hall as Layla dragged her into the liquid divine, cutting off her pleas as gravity returned to normal. Dropping everything and everyone that was unable to escape its effects to the floor haphazardly. Shaking the entirety of Avery's with the sheer weight of both Mayra and Yori alone enough to cause severe damage. As everyone recovered their bearings, slowly returning to a more realistic size, The Goddesses slowly gathered next to Alma, cradling their Acolyte's body.

"Please," Alma begged Old Man Coyote as he walked over to their side of the barrier. "I can feel his embers fading! He will die if we don't do something!"

"I'm sorry," he told her, reaching down to brush the boy's hair. "Unless there's a victor, there's nothing we can-"

The sound of something falling to the ground startled them all, flinching as they turned to watch metallic debris raining down from the celestial pool above. Hands and limbs falling with such intensity into the floor, kicking up dust and pulverized wood into the air, shrouding the field in a cloying mix of brown and grey dust.

"Holy shit!" Mayra muttered, pointing into the cloud around them as a shimmering figure slowly revealed itself. As it floated towards them, its massively muscular form filled with starlit and cosmic wonder, it held a small, pink orb that dripped a bright pink fluid down its hand. The dust settling as the band recognized the mohawk on top of the figure's head.

"We won," Layla told Coyote with an ice cold determination. "Now let us save our Acolyte."

Tossing the orb towards the ancient trickster god, he fumbled catching it for a scant second before realizing what he was holding.

"You ripped out her EYE?" he asked, incredulously as Shaushka quickly flew by to get to work.

"Yeah," Layla replied, slowly floating past him. "She had her eye on us, so I figured it was only fair I get to keep it."

Her mind unable to process anything Coyote was saying as she went by, Layla's eyes stayed glued on Brandon. She could feel his heartbeat slowly ebbing towards stillness, growing more and more faint as Shaushka laid her hands on him. The scent of spices and fruits and baked bread filling the air as tears streamed down her face.

"It's not working!" she cried, on the verge of hysterics. "Why isn't it WORKING?!"

The sounds of Cizin's laughter grew louder, more joyous as he danced more fervently.

"Too late! Too late! Life is gone, Death awaits!" he sang, over and over as he took on his seeming. Flesh rotting, muscles twisting until all that was left was a horrific mockery of the dead dancing before them all. The audience around him gasping and inching away from him as his every motion caused blood and gore to be flung in many droplets around him. His necklace of eyeballs in full display as it dangled around his neck.

"You're wrong," Layla told him, her eyes piercing through his bravado and causing him to misstep and stumble to a halt. "The purpose of gods is not to obey the natural order, but to ensure it works accordingly."

Barely giving her bandmates a chance to think about what she said, Layla clamped her hand onto Shaushka's shoulder. The golden goddess rearing back with a gasp as celestial essence seeped from her frontwoman's hand and into her being. And at once, she felt the cosmos opening up to her. Filling her with more energy than she had ever felt before. Her hands trembling as they were drawn towards her Acolyte, lying at death's door, and glowing with Heavenly starlight, acted as a conduit for that very same energy into him. His back arching as he greedily gasped for air, limbs flailing as his eyes filled with the celestial essence before blinking and returning to their normal colors.

"No fucking way!" Alma purred, moving in to wrap an arm around her Acolyte while cradling her ribs. Swiftly being joined by Shaushka and Yori, who lifted all three of them off of the ground as Alma growled in pain while the oni hopped with joy.

"You're okay!" Yori shouted ecstatically. "You're okay! You're okay! You're okay!"

Alma quickly turned her head and nipped as Yori's arm, trying to get her attention with each bite. A difficult job, given how thick Yori's oni hide was. But she paid heed to her friend and settled down, gently lowering them to the floor.

"Sorry! Sorry! Got carried away! Shaushka? Can you, y'know...?"

Wiggling her thick fingers as if casting a spell, Shaushka sighed and rolled her eyes. And leaving Brandon alone for now, placed her hands on her bandmates to begin their healing. Letting him turn towards Layla and Mayra, standing by as they shot each other a knowing look.

"I'm sorry," he told them. "I know I was meant to be a distraction and everything, but I didn't know about the rule involving Acolytes. And how I nearly died a second time, which is something I don't think I'll ever get used to. But I'll try not to-"

Layla rushed forward, wrapping her arms around the man she sacrificed her humanity for and leaning in for a kiss. Leaning down as her starlit storm towered over him, greater mass dominating the field of view as she held him close to her. Her outline trembling as all her emotions washed over her, only to give way to gratefulness. Thanking her stars that she was just in time to prevent losing him again.

"If it means keeping you by my side," she whispered, lovingly putting her forehead against his. "Then I will take on any Heaven or Hell to get you back, Brandon. I swear to you on the soul of Rock & Roll."

"On the soul of Rock & Roll..." Brandon parroted, smiling as he went back in for another kiss. But the pair were pulled away as the sound of rustling metal from where the debris fell drew everyone's attention. The girls getting ready as Layla pushed Brandon behind her.

"Stay behind me!" Layla told him, bracing for the fight to continue. But thoroughly shocked to find Shelly De Palma, missing all of her surgical alterations and an eye, crawling out from within her own gigantic robotic head. Bloodied, broken and pathetically clinging to her beliefs.

"I... I won," she stammered, slumping to the ground in a heap as she slipped from the empty eye socket. "I won! Give me back... Gimme back m-my prize, damn you!"

As she slowly pulled herself towards The Goddesses, they could see her legs useless and making things more difficult. The bones popped out of the skin as they twisted and moved at odd angles over the wreckage and detritus on the field. Tears pouring down her face as she angrily dragged herself forward and reached out towards Layla's leg.

"I won! I got to The Ascension Gate first, damn you! I won! I WON!!!"

"SILENCE!" Old Man Coyote loudly barked, a blistering desert wind picking up and battering everyone inside the bar as his voice echoed off every wall and ceiling inside the place. Giving everyone a moment to settle before he continued.

"You did NOT win, Shelly De Palma! Both you AND Layla made it beyond the Gate! That is TRUE! But you were not allowed to STAY there by sheer reason of Layla overpowering you! By overpowering you, she has proven that more people were drawn to HER STAGE than yours! And now you act like a petulant child? That may be how an Olympian acts, but this is a Temple Of Coyote! And I do not tolerate such pettiness, child! You LOST! And now you face what all gods fear!"

Shelly's face went white as a sheet at those last words. Now forced to deal with the consequences of the duel.

"Please," Shelly begged, dragging herself to beg at Coyote's feet as quick as she could. "I don't want to die! I don't want to disappear! You can't just-"

Her words died in her throat as she saw a little light at the tip of her finger suddenly start to glow, and then feel herself slowly start to atomize as it slowly moved down her hand. Her other fingers following suit as absolute terror gripped her heart.

"It's the way of the world," Coyote told her as he stepped away. "Some things stay and other things? Well, they just fade away and get forgotten."

"No! You can't do this to me!"

As The Goddesses and their Acolyte stood by and watched, Shelly De Palma felt her essence unwinding from her body and disappear into nothingness as she screamed and cried. Reaching out with limbless arms as the light crept along her capitulating body while every ounce of her corpus was burned into ash-like particles of light that slowly lifted heavenward and vanished into the ether. Every ounce of bemoaning and begging falling on deaf ears as the girls witnessed in rapt horror her fate. Shaushka and Alma looking towards the others to gauge their reactions, finding the only other one disturbed by what was happening to her was their own Acolyte. But even he was resigned to acceptance as The Artificial Queen's voice went silent as the light traveled up her neck, and with a single tear rolling down her cheek, accepted the consequences of her actions and closed her eyes. And with that acceptance, in a silent burst, she was gone. Shelly De Palma was no more.

"It's so strange," Brandon exclaimed, struggling to find the right words. "Seeing someone just... disappearing like that?"

"It was her own fault," Mayra said, grimly. "She came after us, challenging us to a battle. When she could have just participated one of the Divine Festivals and not gotten herself killed like that."

All the other girls agreed, nodding their heads solemnly at the thought. But like a lot of things in Brandon's life, it took him a second to realize what Mayra had just said.

"Wait a minute! She didn't have to die?!"

"More like unmade from existence..." Yori interjected, rolling her hands.

"What I think Mayra's saying," Shaushka loudly stated, making her way back to Stage 02. "Is that this was her own hubris at play. She targeted us, chose to try and remove us completely, and was foisted by her own petard. Simple as that!"

As the other girls moved their way back to the stage their mortal forms were at, Brandon felt Layla's powerful hand on his shoulder. Rubbing it comfortingly as she helped guide him along as the battlefield slowly started to collapse back into normal space. Debris and damage slowly being folded upon and disappearing as the bar's inner dimensions shifted back into more manageable proportions. Climbing onstage once more, The Goddesses moved into their positions, readying themselves for when they would regain their mortal forms. But as space warped and contracted around them, Shaushka realized something very crucial.

"Layla! The prize! You haven't shared it with us yet!"

The Chaotic Storm's eyes went wide as she remembered she hadn't done that yet, pulling her mohawk in embarrassment.

"Fuck! Sorry! Everybody in!"

Huddling around her, Brandon watched the girls linking hands and closing their eyes as the starlit essence within Layla's divine form began to flow once more. Quickly wreathing up the arms of each member of the band as the essence began to steepen and filter through them before moving on until, mere seconds before reality went back to normal, their bodies were each as infused with celestial essence as Layla's was. And breaking off from each other, went back to their positions as the haze was lifted, the barriers disappeared and with a subtle pop, everything returned to what it was at the beginning of the night.
The audience was packed in front of their stage, chanting their name and pouring adoration upon them. And looking over at Stage 01, Layla couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness as Shelly Veston, The Artificial Queen's Acolyte, looked so lost and alone as she sat on the edge. For only gods and their Acolytes may remember the names and faces of those that have vanished from existence.

- - - - - - - -

In the far back of Avery's, Emmy smiled warmly. Proud of the victory The Goddesses had claimed. The first of many trials yet to come for them, she was certain of it.

"What did I tell you? Are they not headliner material or what?"

Turning her head, Emmy lifted her Gimlet to give a salute to the people seated next to her as she awaited their response.

"They're a bit too uppity for me." a ruggedly handsome man said with a Georgian drawl, dismissively rolling his eyes beneath his bright white cowboy hat as he took a sip of his whiskey and cola.

"Do you have to be so misogynistic to EVERY goddess, Chester?" a beautiful Asian woman of Korean descent sneered, dressed in a sparkling red and blue dress.

"Janey's right," a Mexican guy who looked too young to be in a place like Avery's added in, sipping his soda through a straw that was slipped through one of the open partitions in his lizard half-mask. "It gets a little much when you have to demean every girl on the planet just to make yourself feel better, pendejo."

Chester Barley slowly stood from his seat, loudly placed his drink on the counter and glared at Michel.

"Wetback like you gonna give me lip?" he asked, puffing up his chest to look more imposing as he stared down his nose at the young rapper.

"Transplant like you gonna DO something about it?" Michel fired back, leaping from his seat and returning Chester's gaze despite being the much smaller man.

"그만해!!" Janey shouted, summoning two spouts of sea water from her hands to push the bickering men apart. "No more fighting! We lost one god tonight, and we don't need more death needlessly!"

As both men were left sputtering and coughing at being doused with salt water, Emmy could only shake her head and chuckle at the actions of young gods. Downing the rest of her drink, she hopped out of her seat. And with a wave of her hand to her kids that mingled with the crowd throughout the entirety of the venue, Emizara The Annointer took on her divine seeming of a glowing figure clad in blue and white light, invisible to all but those of purpose and their Acolytes. And in a brief flash of light, had left to resume her duties as overseer of The Ascension Game.

[jhunter]

Nice to see more, and good to know more will come. Keep up the nice work.