Inside Alaric's office, the gang was called to discuss the next creature terrorizing the town and a far more pressing matter…Salvatore's upcoming football game against their rival team the Mystic Falls High Timberwolves. Throughout the season the Salvatore Stallions have thrown a few games, holding back their abilities so that they don't stand out too much, not knowing this fact, many think the two schools are on par. Alaric could not stress enough to the team that they weren't to use their powers to win.
"Even if I used Gil's weighted chakra beads…it still sounds like it would be an easy game…I would be bored" Hercules thought aloud.
"I'm glad you think so, since you can't play anyways," Alaric said
"Why not let Herc play! He'd be unstoppable!" Lizzie, this year's starting quarterback had a particular hatred for the Timberwolves. She could practically taste her opponent's despair…if Alaric would let Hercules play. Getting Gil, Hope, or Ilpyo on the team would be a dream come true too. Their athleticism alone was miraculous.
"Lizzie, while I do enjoy sports, their entire team would likely require medical attention afterwords. I believe the point is for us to appear normal, is it not?" Hercules stopped her. "Also I am barred from extracurricular activities for starting the fight with Gil."
"What he said" Gil agreed. "Plus, football is boring."
"Football is not boring!" Lizzie protested "You're boring!"
"No I'm not." Gil looked around.
"At least you're rich." -Ilpyo
"Kinda." -Landon
"Nooo…yes." -Hope
"Yup." -Kelly
"A little bit." -Raphael
"Do fight's count?" Hercules asked.
"No Herc, they do not" Lizzie answered.
"Oh, well boring indeed."
"All of you guys suck (I'll remember this next time you guys want something…)" Gil complained internally. Josie was the only one who didn't say anything, there was still a lingering fear of what he could become if he went left so she thought it'd be better not to piss him off. "I guess since I'm so boring I'll stay behind. It'd be a shame if I accidentally bored one of my comrades to death…"
"Aww don't be so serious about it, we're only joking." Landon tried to comfort him.
"Still not going," Gil said. "Plus I seem to be the only one stressing with this Tartarus shit, and saving the world…it's very nerve-wracking and I need to think of something soon."
"We all heard what Minerva said and we're getting ready for it, relax Gil," Ilpyo reassured him.
"Yes, we will be ready" Alaric agreed.
"Just see what I see." Gil put Alaric into a genjutsu showing him various possible futures that could befall them in the blink of an eye.
After whatever he saw Alaric's face turned dark and solemn. "I see…Maybe it would be a bad idea to run you guys too ragged, you can stay here Gil. Actually, this works out Lizzie could probably use some help with the game." Alaric agreed smugly.
"Nope, we already agreed I didn't have to play sports Alaric".
"Did we now? We also agreed you'd handle the supernatural in my stead."
Gil gestured to all the strong people around him "are they not enough?"
"If you're not going to go, you'll have to help out here. Your choice."
"UUUUGHH!" Gil slumped into his seat "you really hate me, don't you?"
"Go learn to socialize with your schoolmates. Who knows, you could make a friend you can tolerate more than ten minutes. You might even have fun." Alaric retorted.
"Aren't we forgetting about the threats to Mystic Falls?" Josie tried to get them back on track.
"Who Herc?" Lizzie joked.
Josie just ignored her sister and turned to her father "so what do we have to do?"
"There have been several disappearances in the area in the last week or so. Some bodies were found torn to pieces, while others were wrapped in webs completely emptied of their bodily fluids."
"So there's two of them out there?" Hope asked."
"That seems to be the case" Alaric confirmed "I want to send two groups out to check on the sites and see what we find.
"Herc, Josie, and Hope to check out the spider thing.. While Landon, Kelly, and Ilpyo will check out the large beast."
"What about me?" Raphael questioned,
I was thinking about having you participate in the game as well."
"(YES!)" Lizzie cheered under her breath.
"Cool, I was pretty good before the werewolf stuff." Raphael said confidently.
"(Wait Hope is going?)" Gil finally cared. "Maybe I should go help with the monsters after all."
"Save it lover boy you're stuck with me, "Lizzie said pulling him out of the office by his hood. "Let's get you suited up and run some drills. Come on Raf!"
"NOOOOOOOO! I don't want to!" Gill cried but Lizzie didn't care. Raph. "I'll kill you if you try anything Herc!"
"(I'm sure Hope would be happy to come back and hear you led us to a landslide victory,)" She whispered to him.
"When you put it like that I'll play! But GILGAMESH UCHIHA DOESN'T LIKE TO LOSE! Mark my words I will crush those stallions. They need to know why WE are the gifted school, and no I won't use powers to prove it!"
After Gil's yelling could no longer be heard down the hall Alaric started back up. "Ok now that that's settled, you guys ready to go?"
"I call the beast!" Hercules and Illypo said at the same time expecting the better fight.
"As the strongest remaining I want you two to be the team aces. So only one of you can go there."
"I CALLED IT FIRST!" They both yelled out.
"Did I not just assign teams?"
..................….
On their way out Hope, Josie and Herc walked passed the field to see the warm ups. Noticing someone couldn't help sneaking peaks at Gil in shorts Josie finally spoke up. "Y-you know you don't have to join us, If you'd rather you can go watch Gil..." She paused before smiling sweetly.
"You sure you two are going to be ok?"
"I'll be fine, what's going to stop him?" pointing to Herc. Reaching a mutual understanding the two of them went their separate ways.
Hercules looked dumbfounded as to why Josie suddenly seemed so upset. "Jo-jo…is there something between the two of you?"
"N-nothing at all! What makes you say that?"
"I am only so dense Josie."
"I guess I have to give you more credit" Josie sighed. "Have you ever been in love with someone that you can't have?"
"I can't say I have, back home I was...well me, so I wasn't the most 'approachable'. But one girl ever saw any reason to avoid me. We quickly became very close."
"You had a romance? For real?"
"It isn't too hard to believe... She had a strong will, was dependable, incredibly smart, and beautiful like you. She always knew what to say to keep me from doing something I'd regret. More than anything I admired her fearlessness."
"She sounds great, what happened to her?"
"She passed away some time ago due to an illness."
"Ohh…. sorry to bring it up."
"The past is in the past there's nothing we can do about that. We can only continue to move forward and pray for better days." Hercules said it plainly while walking ahead but there was still a hint of sadness in his voice.
Arriving at an old abandon barn on the outskirts of the town tucked off in the woods. There were webs all over it and some seemed to have large forms encased in them. Josie went to inspect to see if anyone could still be saved while, Hercules just wandered around keeping watch.
"Herc I think I hear someone breathing in here, help we get this open!" With little trouble, Hercules tore the cocoon that seemed hard as metal open and pulled a child out. She looked weak and scared but relatively unharmed save for a few scrapes. "It's ok we're here to help you get out of here. How'd you get like this?"
"I-it was a man who looked really sick, almost like a zombie. He jumped on me and before I knew it I was trapped in here." She responded. "We have to hurry before it comes ba- th-there it is!" Pointing to the doorway a pale man with decaying skin and a dead look in his eyes stared at the group as if they were a fresh gourmet meal. His face began to peel off and a spider the size of a large dog crawled out of the decaying corpse as it fell apart. "AHHHHHH we're going to die, help me!"
"Fret not little girl you are safe, for I AM HERE!" The little girl thought the big strong man looked so heroic standing between her and imminent death. She was amazeded by his courage "I got this Josie."
"Be careful Herc I believe that's an arachne and they are highly venomous."
He turned and gave the girls a thumbs up "It's not even the spider queen herself, this can never harm me. You get the other survivors and I'll be done in-"
"Herc look out!" The spider lunged at him.
"Hmmm?" A simple backhand sent it splattering into the wall across the room. "DARN! I didn't hold back enough…what a letdown."
"(What do you call holding back?) Let's see if we can get any of the other people out of here. And wash your hands…that's nasty."
.........…..
"Ilpyo are you sure you know where we're going?" Kelly was getting irritated with his seemingly pointless directions hunting for the second monster. "If you're lost say that then."
"Hey non-believer, no one said you had to follow me. Why don't you lead the way hound dog! Your nose is probably better than both of ours put together."
"Hound dog? I'm an alpha werewolf demigodess don't you dare disrespect me like some domesticated mutt!
"Besides don't foxes have a nose for seeking out trouble?"
"What was that girl? Want a treat?" Ilpyo asked mockingly.
"Why you!" Kelly rolled up her sleeves and turned to Ilpyo "you wanna go?"
"Guys, guys save the couple's drama for Dr. Phil, we're supposed to be looking for a monster, right?"
"Shut up Landon," Kelly said walking past him. "The reports say most of the attacks happened around here."
"They're gradually getting closer to the school too." Landon added.
"Is there something there that they're targeting?" Ilpyo asked.
She turned back to answer him when something caught her eye. "Not sure but we should keep a closer eye around the sch- hmm. How long has that statue been here?"
"I dunno long as I can remember" Landon answered. "But I don't come over here much so" he shrugged.
"Seems new to me…it's kinda ugly though," Kelly said as they inspected it closely. A gargoyle statue standing upright while holding a sword at the ready, it's scowl was particularly offputting. As soon as they got within reach it quickly swung the sword. Kelly and Ilpyo jumped back in time but Landon had his head sent flying.
"Woah Landon!"
"Don't worry about him, he'll be back. I don't think this guy will be a pushover those runes etched into it's body could be troublesome."
"Heheh…this will be fun. Make sure nothing else happens to Landon" Ilpyo chuckled.
"H-hey prick I'm here to fight, not babysit!"
"KNEE STRIKE!" Ducking the gargoyles next swing Ilpyo lept up and smashed his knee into the creature's face, chipping away a large part of its stone head "Ow that kinda hurt…" Ilpyo said holding his throbbing knee. The chipped-off pieces of the gargoyle's face began to reform, as it's sword raised high overhead. "Damn am I done for already?" As panic set in the stone creature swung down with devastating force. "Sike! Hahahaha! Ilpyo easily sidestepped the attack and swiftly kicked the gargoyle in the side sending it flying. As it smashed through a wall it lay in pieces that began to rebuild itself. " No you don't! Ilpyo went to finish it with a stomp but a reformed claw slashed his other leg, and he dropped to the floor. "P-Paralysis!? I call BS! That's cheating!" The rising gargoyle went to finish Ilpyo with his sword but a jettison of flames melted it away.
"So your fire counts as magic?" Kelly noted. "Gargoyles have a weakness to magic."
"I guess so…" the revived Landon held his steaming hands out towards the stone corpse.
"Good work team!" Ilpyo called out from the ground, "Now someone help me out so we can go home!"
"I got you." Landon's healing flame cured Ilpyo and they headed back to report in.